Chapter 506 Invitation to Dinner
The day after Madison gave birth, Rachel showed up at the hospital super early. She'd been trying to call Madison but got no response, so she called Matthew instead.
At dawn, Rachel found out Madison had already given birth and rushed to the hospital.
Nicholas came along, and they got there a bit after six. The doctors and nurses hadn't started their rounds yet, and the postpartum nurse wasn't there either. It was just Madison, Matthew, and the newborn in the room.
Rachel remembered how tiny and wrinkled Quentin and Hannah were when they were born. They had had jaundice and weighed less than 6 pounds each. It took a couple of months for them to look as healthy as Joy.
She was surprised at how good-looking this new baby was, much prettier than Quentin and Hannah at birth.
Rachel chatted a lot about how Quentin and Hannah had looked when they were born, and Matthew listened closely. Those were years he could never get back, a time he felt he owed to Madison and the kids.
Madison signaled Matthew, and he took Nicholas outside to chat. Matthew had invested in Nicholas's travel company before, but he wasn't too worried about the money or the company's status since he got quarterly reports. It seemed Madison wanted to talk to Rachel alone, so he gave them some space.
Once the guys left, Madison asked Rachel about meeting the parents. Rachel had called Madison for gift ideas before visiting Nicholas's house, and Madison had given some tips.
Hearing everything went well, Madison felt relieved.
"Have you started talking about the wedding?" she asked with a smile.
Rachel shook her head. "Nicholas hasn't mentioned it. I can't bring it up; that'd be too awkward. No rush. Things are good as they are now."
She genuinely felt their current situation was good and worried marriage might change things in a way she couldn't handle.
"Want me to ask Nicholas?" Madison offered.
"No need. Let it happen naturally. I'm not in a hurry to get married. Having kids is pretty scary," Rachel declined.
"Alright," Madison said, respecting Rachel's opinion.
They were all adults with their own thoughts. Madison was always willing to help but didn't want to interfere too much.
After a while, Matthew and Nicholas came back in.
Rachel didn't stick around long and headed straight to the studio. They still had a bunch of orders from last year to finish. Since Madison got pregnant, they'd cut back on work a lot. This year, Rachel was thinking of taking even fewer orders. Madison just had a baby and wasn't up for heavy lifting. They had plenty of orders, so they could afford to take it slow and keep customers happy.
Rachel had talked this over with Madison at the hospital.
Madison was touched, knowing Rachel always had her back. With three kids now, she didn't have the same energy. Her plan was to take fewer orders and do them well, too. If they couldn't handle the workload, they'd just take fewer orders.
After leaving the hospital, Rachel went to the studio, and Nicholas dropped her off before heading to his company.
As the car stopped in front of the studio, Nicholas called out to Rachel, who was about to get out. "Rachel."
"What's up, Nicholas?" Rachel paused and turned back.
"Tonight, the company is having an appreciation dinner. We didn't have time before Christmas, so it's now. Do you have time tonight? I'd like to take you with me," Nicholas said, a bit nervous, gripping the steering wheel tightly.
Rachel smiled. "Sure."
Nicholas smiled too and quickly added, "I'll pick you up at 6:00 p.m."
He then reached into the back seat and took out a black bag. "I picked out a dress for you. It's a bit last minute, so I hope you like it."
Rachel was surprised and took the bag. She hadn't expected him to prepare a dress. She had a couple of dresses at the studio that she thought would do.
"Okay." Rachel got out of the car with the bag.
Nicholas rolled down the window, and they waved at each other. After Rachel walked into the building, he drove away.
Rachel didn't have much work recently, just continuing with previous orders. She calculated the time and decided to change into the dress at the studio.
The black strapless gown was very form-fitting. She paired it with a light-colored shawl to keep warm. Rachel let her hair down, her fair skin and graceful demeanor making her look elegant and noble. She borrowed some makeup from her colleagues and applied a light touch. The lipstick was her own, a subtle yet classy shade. She didn't wear any jewelry, as the studio didn't have any, but it made her look even more pure and fresh, naturally beautiful.
Sarah was stunned when she saw her.
"Rachel, you look stunning!" she exclaimed, circling Rachel to get a better look.
Rachel laughed. "It's not that exaggerated."
"It absolutely is. You'll be the star of the night," Sarah said, raising her hand as if swearing.
Then she saw Nicholas's car approaching from the window and hurriedly said, "He's here, Rachel. You should go. I'll lock up."
Rachel also saw Nicholas's car from the window and smiled at Sarah. "I'm off then."
"Go on," Sarah urged.
Rachel lifted her dress and walked towards Nicholas with a smile.