Chapter 107 Unexpected Enthusiasm
This was the first time Quincy and Joel had been to an amusement park with both their parents, and they had a whale of a time.
Sebastian realized that while Joel appeared soft and clingy, he was actually gutsy enough to want to try any ride that he was allowed on at his age. The bodyguards they brought along with them had spread out over the park to stand in line for the rides, so they never had to wait for long before they went on the rides. Within half a day, they were done with most of the attractions they could go on.
The kids were sweating after frolicking around the park, but the smiles on their faces were dazzling. Even Quincy, who was serious most of the time, was grinning widely as he revealed his pearly whites.
At that moment, Sebastian understood what it was like to have a family of his own. He never particularly enjoyed amusement parks, but seeing how happy his kids were made his heart swell with satisfaction.
Perhaps such was the magic of parenthood; he had only known the kids not too long ago, but he was sure that he loved them. It was as if there was an invisible force that prompted him to give these children the best he could and indulge in them.
Naturally, the kidsâ delicate good looks were lovable enough on their own.Têxt belongs to .
All in all, Sebastian had the urge to love and care for them; he also wanted to put a smile on their faces.
Meanwhile, the kids were beyond happy after they had managed to go on all the rides they could.
Joel hurtled into Sebastianâs arms as he looked up at him and said, âDad, letâs go for a meal together!â
âOkay.â Sebastian was only all too happy to indulge in these kids. He stroked Joelâs flushed cheeks affectionately and asked, âWhat do you feel like having?â
The kid thought about it and finally answered, âI want fried chicken, burger, Coke, and fries!â
Sebastian blinked at him. Why do all kids love fast food?
âNo!â Madeline interjected. âBuddy, weâve talked about this. We can only have burgers, fried chicken, and fries once at the end of every month. Weâre still in the middle of the month right now, so you canât have those.â
Joel looked up at Sebastian with pleading eyes. âDadâ¦â
Sebastian wanted to say yes to him, but he couldnât undermine Madeline. He glanced over at her, and she shook her head as she reached out to grab Joelâs arm. She pulled him into her arms and gave him a stern look. âIâll be mad if you keep this up, Buddy.â
âOkayâ¦â Joel licked his lips in disappointment. âWhy donât we go to a buffet, Mom?â
âA buffet sounds alright to me,â Sebastian said as he looked at Madeline. âWeâll bring them to the best one this town has to offerâthe kind where the food is prepared hygienically and is packed full of nutrients without any junk food in sight.â
Madeline hesitated for a moment and nodded. âFine.â
After all, she didnât want to dampen her childrenâs mood while they were having such a good time.
âYay, weâre going to a buffet!â Joel cheered loudly. Then, he ran over to Quincy and whispered into his ear, âI thought Dad would have the final word because of how smart and capable he is, but it looks like weâll still have to listen to Mom, Aldo!â
He thought he was whispering, but Sebastian and Madeline could hear every word clearly. In particular, Madeline was embarrassed.
However, Sebastian only shook his head as he laughed this off, completely unaffected by the remark.
Just then, Quincy shot his brother a sideways glance and countered, âDonât you know that good men listen to their wives? Dad wouldnât be a good man at all if he refused to listen to Mom, and I wouldnât want to like him. Iâd even make Mom hate him if I could!â
âYouâre right,â Joel replied in agreement. He nodded and elaborated, âThatâs what they say on TV too. Only good men listen to their wives!â
This exchange rendered Sebastian speechless. He gave Madeline a curious look as he asked, âWhat do they watch on TV?â
âWellâ¦â No words came to her mind, and she finally settled on a brief response. âHe watches everything.â
Sebastian raised a brow. âEverything? Including soap operas and romantic comedies?â
âThatâs not all. They also watch shows where they solve family conflicts on TV,â she added helpfully.
He took a deep breath as he registered this. Oh, so that explains it.
He threw an amused look in Joelâs direction as he said, âYou know what? We should sign the kids up for some personal development classes like golf, polo, horseback riding, or even martial arts; anything that they remotely show interest in, they can go ahead and try to pick it up as a hobby. They donât have to become world champions in golf or be an equestrian, but they ought to have something to ground them. Itâs sort of like giving them an outlet and a way to get them to exercise.â
The kids could pick up whatever craft they wanted if it meant they would stop watching talk shows where the guests aired their dirty laundry on TV.
She nodded. âI think so too. Letâs just wait until everything has settled down before we sign them up for these classes.â
âBy the way,â he suddenly said. âWhile you were at the hospital, our dad called us and said that he had already contacted the school where Aldo and Buddy will be attending. Itâs the best private school in Dusktown, and itâs near our place. Aldo and Buddy can start school right after we get back.
Madeline was somewhat stunned by this. âOh, thanks.â
She didnât think Philip would be so enthusiastic. Sebastian thought the same thing as well, for he pointed out with a laugh, âMy dad would like nothing more than to have Aldo and Buddy attend the school right away so that he can pick them up every day. Theyâre worth more than gold to him.â
Madeline pursed her lips. Why is he calling his dad âour dadâ like itâs the most natural thing in the world?
It was such a shame that Sebastian was born into an elite family. Philip would never allow him to work in the entertainment industry, but if he did, then Sebastian would win an academy award or two. He might even snag the Best Actor Award if he tried hard enough.
She was just about to say something when Sebastianâs phone rang suddenly. He fished it out of his pocket and took a look at the screen before answering the call. As he pressed the phone to his ear, he greeted, âHey, Dad.â
Madeline couldnât hear what was being said on the other line, but she did hear Sebastian hum a few times in agreement. âGot it,â he finally said and hung up.
She stared at him, whereas Sebastian kept his phone and said, âThat was our dad.â
She sighed and cleared her throat as she replied, âHey, thereâs no need to call him âour dadâ when no one is around, is there? I mean, weâre notâ¦â
âWeâre legally husband and wife!â Sebastian cut her off. âIf youâre going to give your kids the perfect family, weâll have to go all the way and let the kids know that we are very happy and very much in love. Otherwise, they wonât have the sense of security they need.â
She frowned and said softly, âI have thought about this, and I think it isnât right. If we keep this up, weâd just be lying to them and giving them the false impression that our relationship is solid. What if we separate one day? Theyâll be the one to bear the brunt of it, and itâll only scar them psychologically.â
He tipped his head to the side and asked, âYou seem pretty intent on breaking up with me.â
âNo, Iâm fine,â she quickly countered with a shake of her head. âI want nothing more than to give the kids a stable family life, and if you donât break up with me, Iâll spend forever with you like this. You, on the other handâ¦â
âItâs the same for me,â said Sebastian as he insisted. âI will spend forever with you if it means that I can provide the perfect family for our kids.â
Madeline eyed him silently. After a moment of thought, she said to him, âI think your promise comes off as a little impulsive. Youâre only young, and thereâs still a long life ahead of you. Who knows? You might even meet someone you truly love.â
Sebastian laughed. âYouâre talking as if youâre so old.â