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 kids’ delicate good looks were lovable enough on their own.
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 Sebastian’s arms as he looked up at him and said, “Dad, let’s go for a meal together!”
“Okay.” Sebastian was only all too happy to indulge in these kids. He stroked Joel’s flushed cheeks affectionately and asked, “What do you feel like having?”
The kid thought about it and finally answered, “I want fried chicken, burger, Coke, and fries!”
Sebastian blinked at him. Why do all kids love fast food?
“No!” Madeline interjected. “Buddy, we’ve talked about this. We can only have burgers, fried chicken, and fries once at the end of every month. We’re still in the middle of the month right now, so you can’t have those.”
Joel looked up at Sebastian with pleading eyes. “Dad…”
Sebastian wanted to say yes to him, but he couldn’t undermine Madeline. He glanced over at her, and she shook her head as she reached out to grab Joel’s arm. She pulled him into her arms and gave him a stern look. “I’ll be mad if you keep this up, Buddy.”
“Okay…” Joel licked his lips in disappointment. “Why don’t we go to a buffet, Mom?”
“A buffet sounds alright to me,” Sebastian said as he looked at Madeline. “We’ll bring them to the best one this town has to offer—the kind where the food is prepared hygienically and is packed full of nutrients without any junk food in sight.”
Madeline hesitated for a moment and nodded. “Fine.”
After all, she didn’t want to dampen her children’s mood while they were having such a good time.
“Yay, we’re going to a buffet!” Joel cheered loudly. Then, he ran over to Quincy and whispered into his ear, “I thought Dad would have the final word because of how smart and capable he is, but it looks like we’ll still have to listen to Mom, Aldo!”
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, “Don’t you know that good men listen to their wives? Dad wouldn’t be a good man at all if he refused to listen to Mom, and I wouldn’t want to like him. I’d even make Mom hate him if I could!”
“You’re right,” Joel replied in agreement. He nodded and elaborated, “That’s what they say on TV too. Only good men listen to their wives!”
This exchange rendered Sebastian speechless. He gave Madeline a curious look as he asked, “What do they watch on TV?”
“Well…” No words came to her mind, and she finally settled on a brief response. “He watches everything.”
Sebastian raised a brow. “Everything? Including soap operas and romantic comedies?”
“That’s not all. They also watch shows where they solve family conflicts on TV,” she added helpfully.
He took a deep breath as he registered this. Oh, so that explains it.
He threw an amused look in Joel’s direction as he said, “You 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 don’t have to become world champions in golf or be an equestrian, but they ought to have something to ground them. It’s sort of like giving them an outlet and a way to get them to exercise.”
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. “I think so too. Let’s just wait until everything has settled down before we sign them up for these classes.”
“By the way,” he suddenly said. “While 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. It’s the best private school in Dusktown, and it’s near our place. Aldo and Buddy can start school right after we get back.
Madeline was somewhat stunned by this. “Oh, thanks.”
She didn’t think Philip would be so enthusiastic. Sebastian thought the same thing as well, for he pointed out with a laugh, “My 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. They’re worth more than gold to him.”
Madeline pursed her lips. Why is he calling his dad ‘our dad’ like it’s 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 Sebastian’s 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, “Hey, Dad.”
Madeline couldn’t hear what was being said on the other line, but she did hear Sebastian hum a few times in agreement. “Got it,” he finally said and hung up.
She stared at him, whereas Sebastian kept his phone and said, “That was our dad.”
She sighed and cleared her throat as she replied, “Hey, there’s no need to call him ‘our dad’ when no one is around, is there? I mean, we’re not…”
“We’re legally husband and wife!” Sebastian cut her off. “If you’re going to give your kids the perfect family, we’ll have to go all the way and let the kids know that we are very happy and very much in love. Otherwise, they won’t have the sense of security they need.”
She frowned and said softly, “I have thought about this, and I think it isn’t right. If we keep this up, we’d just be lying to them and giving them the false impression that our relationship is solid. What if we separate one day? They’ll be the one to bear the brunt of it, and it’ll only scar them psychologically.”
He tipped his head to the side and asked, “You seem pretty intent on breaking up with me.”
“No, I’m fine,” she quickly countered with a shake of her head. “I want nothing more than to give the kids a stable family life, and if you don’t break up with me, I’ll spend forever with you like this. You, on the other hand…”
“It’s the same for me,” said Sebastian as he insisted. “I will spend forever with you if it means that I can provide the perfect family for our kids.”
Madeline eyed him silently. After a moment of thought, she said to him, “I think your promise comes off as a little impulsive. You’re only young, and there’s still a long life ahead of you. Who knows? You might even meet someone you truly love.”
Sebastian laughed. “You’re talking as if you’re so old.”
