Chapter86Moving Out
As Matthew approached, Madison deliberately turned to look out over the lake.
He sat down beside her and unscrewed the cap on a bottle of mineral water, taking a drink.
Madison mumbled to herself about why Matthew was encroaching on her space instead of playing with Quentin and Hannah.
Noticing Madison's avoidance, Matthew initiated a conversation, "Want to try flying a kite?"
Madison was taken aback but then shook her head. The area was full of kids, with adults merely assisting. It wouldn't be right for her to barge in there to play.
Yet, as she watched Quentin and Hannah happily playing in the distance, she hesitated before speaking up, "I'm thinking of moving out tomorrow. The house is almost ready. About Hannah and Quentin..."
Matthew's mood seemed to drop. He slowly twisted the cap back on the bottle and said solemnly, "All right, I'll talk to Hannah about it tonight."
Madison looked at him earnestly, "Thank you. You're welcome to visit them. And it's okay if they want to spend a couple of days at the villa occasionally. On weekends, I’ll take them to see Grandpa."
She understood that he hadn't contested custody, and she wouldn't be overly stringent.
It seemed like the best plan for them – they'd co-parent the kids, accept the schools and trips he arranged, and she'd have her own home and career. She felt sure she could raise the kids well.
"Okay," Matthew murmured, his head down, his voice tinged with subdued emotion.
"Don't worry, I'll take good care of them," Madison assured hastily, thinking Matthew was concerned.
"I know," Matthew finally lifted his head and beamed at Madison with a bright smile.
Madison was momentarily stunned by the change. Matthew usually kept his cool, at most offering a slight twitch of the lips. But this smile, it was as if it outshone the surrounding scenery. She never knew a man could look so captivating when he smiled.
Matthew noticed she seemed frozen, her eyes fixed on him as if she was about to pounce at any moment. He wouldn't mind, of course, but they were in public – pouncing would be inappropriate.
He cleared his throat softly, snapping Madison out of her trance. She quickly stood up and said, "I'm going to check on Quentin and Hannah."
Embarrassed by her distraction by his simple smile, she felt like she could die of shame.
Watching the flustered little lady beat a hasty retreat, Matthew thought to himself that there was no such thing as fair competition. It seemed a little charm was necessary after all.
If being charming worked, he didn't mind smiling a few more times.
From a distance, Madison watched the two kids running around, following behind them. After a while, Quentin and Hannah packed up their kite, and all three began walking toward him.
"Dad, I want some water," Hannah called out to Matthew.
Matthew handed her a bottle of water, popping the lid open for her.
Quentin opened another bottle for himself. They both seemed really thirsty.
Seeing that they had quenched their thirst, Madison unpacked some snacks.
"Let's eat something before we play some more so we don't get hungry later."
"Okay, we want to go to the beach later," the two little ones had their sights set on it for quite some time.
"All right, after we eat, I will go with you," Matthew promised.
*
Thinking about school the next day and the time nearing 4 pm, Madison decided it was time to head back.
That evening, as Madison bathed Hannah, Hannah asked, "Mom, are we moving to the house near school tomorrow?"
Madison, holding a towel, paused slightly – it looked like Matthew had already told their daughter.
While lifting Hannah out of the tub and drying her with a towel, Madison replied to her question, "Yes, Mom bought a house there, and we can move in tomorrow. It’ll make it easier for you and your brother to get to school."
"That's great."
Madison had no idea what Matthew had said to Hannah, but it seemed the young girl had simply confirmed the move without asking any other questions, even appearing quite happy about it.
Feeling reassured, Madison didn't want the children to feel reluctant or upset about leaving. It wasn't something she wanted to witness.
The following day, after dropping Quentin and Hannah off at school, Matthew showed no signs of heading to the office. Instead, he insisted on driving Madison back to her villa and offered to help with the move.
Unable to resist his insistence, Madison found herself once again in his car, heading back to the villa.
The clothing didn't amount to much, as most of their belongings were still at Frostpine. Between the two of them, they managed to pack everything into a couple of suitcases.
However, the toys were another story. Matthew walked in to find Madison sitting on the floor, surrounded by Quentin and Hannah's playthings, lost in thought.
"Need a hand?" Matthew asked from the doorway.
Turning her head, Madison saw Matthew and thought it was fitting that he dealt with the toys since he had bought most of them. "We can't take all these toys with us. If it's too much trouble, let's just store them for now."
"I'll take care of it."
Stepping into the room, Matthew started to sort through the assembled Lego sets and unopened toys, placing them all in his car's trunk to take with them. The more giant toys that couldn't be moved would stay put, ready for the kids to play with when they returned.
Following Matthew with her luggage in tow, Madison reached the stairs, where he paused and turned to her, "Leave them here. I'll carry them."
Madison didn't object to his chivalrous offer and left the suitcases at the foot of the stairs. She then headed to the bathroom to pack up forgotten essentials like toothbrushes and towels.
When everything was packed and loaded into the car, it was past noon. Madison quickly made two bowls of spaghetti in the kitchen.
After eating, Matthew drove Madison to the new place, which he referred to as "River Garden."
Matthew carried the luggage upstairs, and Madison opened the door, allowing him to follow her in.
The apartment was on the seventh floor, bathed in natural light, and the living room extended into the distance with its wooden furniture and flooring, complemented by white curtains and upholstered sofas.
While not as grand and luxurious as the villa, the apartment exuded a warm and cozy atmosphere.
Madison began to unpack while directing Matthew to place the toys he had sorted into the car in the furthest room for the two little ones.
Matthew saw Madison moving his toys to the inner bedroom, making space for the kids. She had divided the master bedroom so Quentin and Hannah could each have their own bed.
‘Weren't there three bedrooms? It would be nice for Quentin and Hannah to have their own rooms,’ he thought, but he didn't voice it out loud. He sorted through the kid’s toys, placing them in the cabinets at their respective bedsides.
After he finished organizing, he took his time exploring every nook and cranny of the house.
Madison was preoccupied with unpacking and had to pick up Quentin and Hannah from school soon, so she didn't pay much attention to what he was doing.
Having concluded his slow tour and noticing it was getting late, Matthew said to Madison, "I'll go pick up Quentin and Hannah. You can keep unpacking at your own pace."
Madison glanced at the half-unpacked suitcase still waiting for her attention, along with the beds that needed to be made, and agreed gratefully.
About half an hour later, Matthew returned with the two kids, and by that time, Madison had finally finished tidying up.
Matthew settled himself on the couch, showing no signs of leaving.
Madison felt it would be rude to rush him off after he’d been so helpful throughout the day.
Approaching him with a suggestion, she said, "We don’t really have anything to eat at home. How about we go out for dinner tonight? My treat?"
Matthew looked up at Madison with a gentle smile and responded, "Sure."
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