Chapter 49 Going Home Together
Matthew looked at the woman before him, thinking about how she had the nerve to run away while pregnant, giving birth to twins without telling him and without any apparent plans to do so. He was both angry and pained that even when their son and daughter had been kidnapped, she sought his help at the office without telling him the truth.
Ignoring her nervousness and the apprehension in her eyes, he held his daughter and led his son and said, "We're going home," then turned to leave.
Quentin, noticing that Mom wasn't moving, released Matthew's hand. Hannah struggled down from Matthew's arms, and each child took one of Madison's hands. Although they were happy to see Dad, if they had to choose one, both little ones would, without question, choose Mom. Of course, Hannah wished in her heart that Dad and Mom could be together that would be ideal.
Madison, comforted by the sight of her son and daughter choosing her, knew they had longed for their dad's love. From the moment they could speak, they had called out for Dad, and when they began to question why they didn't have a Dad like other kids, she told a kind lie, saying Dad was working on the Moon and couldn't come home. Later, they asked less, and she thought they were getting used to it, but it turns out they always harbored this longing.
Matthew, seeing that both son and daughter had gone to Madison's side, wasn't angry. After all, she was their mom, who had raised them alone to this point. He only regretted missing out on their birth and these past few years of growth.
He promised himself that, for the years missed, he would make up for them in the days to come.
He crouched down, looking at his son and daughter, "Shall we go home with Dad...okay?"
Quentin asked, "And Mom?"
"Of course, Mom is coming home with us, too. Right?" Matthew looked up at Madison.
He then stood up, taking little Hannah by the hand.
Madison, faced with Quentin and Hannah's hopeful eyes, ultimately could not disappoint them and gave a gentle nod.
"Yay! Let's go home." Seeing her mom agree, Hannah, elated, bounced ahead, clutching the hands of her dad and mom, while Quentin, though not as visibly excited as his younger sister, still seemed very happy.
Matthew, seeing Madison agree, finally breathed a sigh of relief. He knew how nerve-wracking that minute waiting for Madison's nod was, how torturous—he was afraid of what he would do if Madison had said "no."
Who would have thought that one day, the stern, powerful Matthew Nelson, feared and respected in the business world, would also feel fear?
*
Matthew drove the family of four back to their villa. Just inside the door, Hannah looked around excitedly, "Dad, is this our home? Are we living here from now on?"
Matthew, with an indulgent smile, watched his daughter run around, "Yeah, from now on, Hannah will live here."
"Wow, such a beautiful garden!" Hannah had already raced to the back garden lane. "Mom, Quentin, come look!"
Madison and Quentin followed her, "Hannah, don't run so fast, be careful not to fall," Madison cautioned her excited daughter.
Madison looked around the villa, noticing the décor, the furniture—everything was just as it was four years ago when she left. Coming to the backyard garden, she saw the flowers she had planted were still there, clearly well cared for, now thriving and blooming beautifully. Her last visit was so rushed that she hadn't noticed everything was still the same as it was four years ago she couldn't help but feel her eyes well up with tears as she heard footsteps behind her and Matthew approached.
"Hannah, Quentin, I'll take you to see your rooms. Let's make do for tonight, and tomorrow, I'll take you all to the mall to pick out your own favorite furniture to redecorate."
Matthew walked over, and Madison quickly looked away, trying to hide her distress.
"Dad, I'm going to sleep with my brother and Mom, so no need to prepare a room," Hannah said matter-of-factly, assuming it was natural to always sleep with their mother.
Matthew, basking in the joy of having a son and a daughter, hadn't thought about the fact that his children would want to sleep with their mother as well. "We can get the rooms ready now. Hannah and your brother are growing up, and they can't always sleep with Mom. You'll have to learn to be independent, and eventually, you'll sleep in your own rooms."
Quentin had no objections as a boy, and he felt he could sleep by himself.
"I can take a look, but I will wait until I'm older to sleep apart from Mom," said Hannah, who, as a girl, was a bit more timid and not ready to break the routine of sleeping with her mother.
Matthew turned to Madison, who reluctantly spoke up, "Hannah has been used to sleeping with me since she was little. She's still young. Let's talk about it when she's older."
Madison wasn't quite sure what Matthew's intentions were in having them return. What was next—would he sue for custody and try to take Quentin and Hannah away? She couldn't bear the thought of losing them.
Matthew led the two children upstairs, with a downhearted Madison trailing behind. He had prepared two guest rooms to be converted into rooms for Quentin and Hannah.
Madison noticed a lack of feminine belongings as she looked around. Had Brianna never lived here? That would make sense. After all, who would use the same house a former wife had lived in for the new one, especially since Matthew could easily afford another property?
Noticing Madison's mood wasn't the best, Matthew was concerned. He wondered if she still hadn't given up and was planning to flee again with her son and daughter.
He had no idea that Madison's worry was whether he would fight her for the children.
In the evening, Madison took the initiative to make dinner. Opening the refrigerator and finding it nearly empty, she figured Matthew rarely cooked at home. She prepared a simple pasta meal for the children and herself and, as an afterthought, one for Matthew. After dinner, Matthew retired to the study room and didn't come out again.
Madison waited until the two kids had finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen, then she took them to the guest room. After bathing the children and getting herself ready, she spent the evening with Hannah in her room, Quentin joining them. The three of them lay in bed just like old times, with Madison in the middle reading from a storybook, narrating tales to the two kids lying quietly on either side, listening to their mom. Soon, Quentin and Hannah fell asleep, and after putting away the storybook, Madison turned off the lights and went to sleep as well.
Matthew had been in the study dealing with work. Once finished, he stepped into his room to find it empty. Opening the door to the guest room, moonlight poured through the window, illuminating the three sleeping figures on the bed. He tiptoed in and gently tucked his little daughter's exposed foot back under the covers, gazing at them sleeping peacefully, feeling a warmth flooding his heart.
Ever since his parents passed away, there had been an emptiness inside him. At this moment, he felt as if it was finally filled.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
