Chapter 33 A Private Outing for Three
It was after 9 am when the trio descended for breakfast. Exhausted from the previous day's activities, the two kids wouldn't budge from their beds until 9, despite being called upon to wake up.
Most of the other guests had already eaten and left for their day's adventures. Unity had prepared them oatmeal, cold dishes, eggs, and pancakes. Madison finished her meal and went upstairs to pack their luggage while the kids continued to eat downstairs. Just as Madison brought the luggage down, Nicholas arrived. Although the kids felt this man posed a threat to their Dad, they greeted him politely, as their Mom had taught them that children without manners are a reflection of poor upbringing.
"Good morning, Nicholas," they said.
"Good morning, Quentin and Hannah," Nicholas greeted them. Then he turned to Madison, "Is everything packed?"
"Yes, just need to let them finish their breakfast, and then I'll say goodbye to Unity, and we can leave."
"There's no rush, let them take their time. We still have plenty of it."
"Both of them had a hard time getting up this morning because we had much yesterday, so breakfast was a bit late," Madison said, explaining to Nicholas, worried that this might affect his schedule.
"It's okay," Nicholas reassured her, "I'm not busy today. Earlier or later, it doesn't matter." He addressed the children still munching on pancakes, saying, "Take your time eating. Eat too quickly, and you might choke."
The kids, mouths full, could only nod in response. Nicholas smiled at the sight of the adorable children.
Madison paid the bills and said goodbye to Unity.
On the way back, the two kids had many questions patiently answered by Nicholas. He dropped the three off at their apartment building. By the time they got out of the car, Hannah was almost ready to switch allegiances—she felt Nicholas was nearly reaching Dad in her affections, as the man was gentle and patient and could tell stories and jokes.
After getting out of the car, Madison thanked Nicholas, "Thank you for the ride."
"You're still so formal with me," he replied. "Can I get your new number? I'll be around the city lately and could take the kids out sometime."
"Of course, I apologize for not informing everyone about my new number due to the circumstances before."
"That’s all right, as long as you're doing well. Go on up. I'm leaving."
"All right, Nicholas, be safe on your way," said Quentin and Hannah as they waved goodbye to Nicholas.
"Nicholas, see you later." After Nicholas drove away, Madison went back to the apartment with the two little ones in tow. "Isn't Rachel home?"
"Rachel went to pick up gowns. She'll be back later. Quentin, hurry up and go take a shower, and after you're done, I'll help Hannah."
On the way, Madison had messaged Rachel, who said the gowns were almost ready and she was going to pick them up. Now, all that was left was for Madison to hand-sew them, and then they could be delivered.
*
That night, lying in bed, the young girl sighed, "Ah, this is so hard."
Madison rarely saw her daughter looking so dejected and asked, "What's wrong with you, honey?"
"Mom, it's nothing. She just can't decide what she wants to eat tomorrow." Quentin quickly covered for his sister, hoping their mom wouldn't find out they had talked to their dad.
He jumped onto the bed and whispered instructions to his sister.
Hannah stealthily sent Matthew a voice message through her smartwatch, "Dad, I almost betrayed you today. This mister is really nice. He told us stories, made us laugh, and drove us home. Will you have time tomorrow? If you don't meet up with me and buy me strawberry cake and ice cream, his score will surpass yours."
Matthew listened to Hannah's kid voice and replied promptly, "Tomorrow, I'll have someone pick you up and take you for cake and ice cream."
"Dad, can my brother come, too? Mom says we should share." Hannah remembered her brother even in her own moments.
"Of course."
"Yay! Dad, I'm waiting for you. Call me in advance tomorrow. We can only go out when Mom isn't home. So, make sure to contact me early."
"All right, but it's best to tell your mom before you go out, or she'll worry. Do you need me to talk to her for you?" Matthew didn't like the idea of sneaking out and was willing to help them speak to their mom if necessary.
"No, no, Dad, I'll tell Mom. Don't worry. See you tomorrow."
Hannah was startled. If Mom found out she and Quentin went to see Dad on their own, they'd be in big trouble. She crawled over to wake up her brother to report the latest developments.
The next day, Madison had to rush to the studio early with Rachel to work on the gown and once again entrusted the care of her two children to Wendy. After arriving at the apartment, Madison reminded the two little ones about their behavior before she and Rachel left.
Just as their mom and godmother stepped out, Hannah immediately took out her smartwatch to contact Matthew.
"Dad, are you coming to pick me up?"
"I'm heading out now. Did you talk to your mom about it? Do I need to stop by and say hello?"
"I told her. Mom agreed before we left. Dad, please come quickly. Quentin and I will wait for you downstairs." Although children are taught not to tell lies, Hannah felt she had no choice in this case. After all, her brother said they couldn't let Mom find out they were going to see Dad, which made her believe that if she had to be punished, her brother would have to take on half the burden.
Hannah hung up the phone and informed her brother, quickly changing clothes and dashing to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth.
Wendy heard Hannah's phone call and knew the children were planning to meet their dad again. This had become a usual occurrence.
The children, all dressed up, went downstairs just as Matthew's black Rolls-Royce pulled up. Initially, he had arranged for a driver, but recalling Hannah's adorable voice, Matthew decided to pick them up himself.
"Dad, is this your new car? It's so cool, right, Quentin?" Hannah turned to Quentin. He also thought the car was cool, but he tried to play it cool with a soft "Mm."
Matthew looked at the little boy, obviously delighted yet pretending to be uninterested, and felt quite curious about him.
Opening the car door for the two to hop in, Matthew said, "Let's go have breakfast first. Where do you want to go today?"
"I want to go to the zoo. Last time, our godmother took us to the amusement park, but we haven't been to the zoo. Dad, can we go to the zoo?"
"Sure, let's go to the zoo."
This was Matthew's first time taking the kids out, and he hadn't expected children to have such boundless energy. From the moment they left, Hannah had been non-stop, hopping and running about and eating continuously without pause. Quentin might have been quiet and reserved before, but once they got to the zoo, he couldn't hide his childlike joy, clearly having a great time as he followed his sister around.
They played until the afternoon, and the three were resting on a bench, with Matthew feeling quite tired. Just then, Wendy called to ask when they would return because Madison and Rachel were likely coming back, so the two had to ask Matthew to drive them home.
"Dad, I’m very happy today. Thank you for treating me to strawberry ice cream and strawberry cake." She didn't forget to kiss Matthew's cheek after saying that.
Although Quentin was still assessing Matthew, taking them to the zoo today had earned him some points. "Thanks," the boy said in a cool manner.
Matthew thought what an exciting kid he was, and once Wendy came down to take the two little ones upstairs, he turned around and drove off.
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