Pick Up the Pieces !

Madelyn couldn't begin to describe how excited she was at the moment. She was going on the first real date she had gone on with her husband in nearly five years. River had been born and he had gone off to war not even a month later. When he had returned home, it had taken no time at all for Maddy to end up pregnant again. Cash had been another blessing, something that Madelyn struggled with at times because it was hard raising two little boys on your own but she did it because she loved them and she loved her husband. All of them, with all of her heart.

Matt's parents had agreed to watch the two youngsters since Matt had gotten home officially a week ago. Things had been a bit rocky since but she figured that it was just Matt readjusting to civilian life. It made sense to her so she brushed off when he would snap, would ignore the way he got so testy over seemingly nothing.

Smoothing down the skirt of her dress, Madelyn smiled as she slipped her arm through Matt's as he led her inside of the restaurant that he had picked out. She held her clutch, following Matt as they were led to a booth in the corner. Once they were settled in their booth, Madelyn reached across and set her hand on Matt's wrist, rubbing her thumb over his hand gently. "I'm so happy we're finally getting time together, babe," she murmured quietly, unable to properly convey how happy she was to just be getting some alone time with Matt.

As much as he knew Madelyn was excited, Matt would rather be anywhere but here. This restaurant was loud and crowded and it was making his head hurt. He'd only been home for a week and his homecoming had only happened so early because he'd been honorably discharged after being diagnosed with PTSD. That combined with the lack of sleep made him snappy and irritable, but he couldn't help it. It seemed like every time he closed his eyes he saw his brother, laying on the side of the road while the blast from the IED still rang in his ears. Even though he'd been assured time and time again that it wasn't his fault, but he still felt responsible. Cash was his little brother and Matt felt responsible for him and for his death.

When they were shown to their booth, Matt chose the side that gave him the best view of the rest of the restaurant. He wasn't expecting Madelyn to touch him so when he felt her hand on his wrist, he jumped and snatched his arm away like he'd been bitten. "Yeah, it's great," Matt said, his voice flat. As much as he hated being here right now, he was also dreading going home because they'd have to pick the boys up from his parents and it was impossible to get any peace with them around. Matt loved his sons more than anything, but they were too young to understand that what he needed most of the time was space.

Madelyn jolted back in her seat when Matt jerked away from him. She frowned slightly, feeling her stomach flip at Matt's tone. It wasn't what he said so much as the way he said it that clued her into his souring mood. Madelyn gave an awkward smile, starting to twist her fingers on her lap. "Sorry. I, uh, I didn't mean to startle you," madelyn apologized, her voice lowering a bit. She could see where this had the potential to go and she didn't want Matt being embarrassed or some other God awful thing. Madelyn took a deep breathe, looking back up to Matt with a hopeful smile.

"I spoke to your parents when we dropped the boys off,” Maddy started, chewing on the inside of her lip. Matt had never given her any sort of reason to be worried or fearful and she wasn't, not really. She just wanted tonight to go smoothly because Matt and her, they didn't really get much time together over the past few years. "They offered to keep the boys tonight just so we could have some time together," Madelyn explained, looking up when their waiter appeared. She smiled when he greeted them, ordering herself a sangria. She turned to Matt and waited until he had ordered and the waiter had disappeared before she straightened a bit in her seat.

"I was thinking about getting the calamari for an appetizer," Madelyn commented, glancing down to the menu she had opened up in front of her. "What do you think? Could we share it?"

Matt huffed softly at Madelyn's apology, deciding it was best not to say anything. He lowered his hands to his lap, eliminating any chances of it happening again. He understood that Madelyn wanted to be affectionate with him after he'd been gone for so long, but now wasn't the time for it, not when he was so on edge. "What if I wanted to see them tonight?" Matt asked, hearing her comment about his parents keeping River and Cash overnight. "I haven't seen my sons in a long time, maybe I wanted to spend a little time with them. But I guess I can do that tomorrow." Matt bit the inside of his cheek. He knew he needed to stop snapping at Madelyn, but he couldn't help it. Everything was just so overwhelming right now.

Matt looked up when the waiter arrived, tensing in his seat when he noticed the way he was looking at Madelyn. He didn't particularly care for the way she smiled at him either, but he bit his tongue. No reason to overreact over something that was likely nothing. "Calamari sounds fine," Matt said. He moved one of his hands from his lap to the table, drumming his fingers as he looked over the menu. Nothing looked all that appetizing, but he knew that if he didn't eat now, he would regret it later. Deciding what he wanted just in time for the waiter to return, Matt shut his menu. He opened his mouth to give his order, clenching it shut when he was interrupted as the waiter spoke to Madelyn. This time the flirtatious tone was more obvious in his voice and Matt was starting to see red.

Madelyn's entire demeanor changed as Matt reacted to her mention of the boys. Her shoulders sagged as she looked to her lap, pulling her arms close to her body instead of letting them sit on the table. "I'm sorry. I didn't... think. Your mom just offered because she knows we haven't had time together in awhile and the boys' night time will be past by the time we finish supper," she tried to explain quietly, chewing on the inside of her lip. She suddenly felt out of place, like being at this restaurant was completely unnecessary. Madelyn's stomach was twisted into a firm knot. "But they are happy that you're home so I'm sure they wouldn't be that cranky if you wanted to pick them up tonight instead," Madelyn offered after a few moments of tense silence. She had hoped they would be able to have a romantic night together but it seemed like that was becoming less and less of a possibility.

Madelyn was almost thankful when the waiter appeared because it gave them a small break from the tension brewing between them. She laughed at his attempt at a stupid joke, shaking her head as she looked up to Anthony. "Calamari to start, please. And I think I'll have the chicken parmesan with a side salad instead of the pasta, please," Madelyn ordered as she closed her menu. She sat up a bit straighter as she turned toward Matt, only to freeze in her spot when she noticed the look he was giving her. Matt seemed more annoyed than he had before and all she could think to do was frown a bit to let him know she realized something was off but she didn't want to bring attention to his mood with Anthony attempting to take his order.

"No, we're not waking them up," Matt said. If they did that, he would have to listen to them whine and complain and he didn't feel like doing that. It would be easier for him to just go home and go to bed if the boys weren't here, even though he doubted he would get any sleep at all. Matt had been hoping that Madelyn would shut down the waiter's obvious attempts to flirt with her, but then she laughed at his stupid joke and it took every ounce of willpower he had not to knock this idiot to the floor. "I'll have the lasagna," he said shortly. He thrust the menu at the waiter, noticing how uncomfortable he looked now. But of course, Matt wasn't at all attempting to hide his anger. And the idiot deserved it for flirting with his wife.

"Maddy, do you think I'm a fucking idiot?" Matt asked, his voice eerily calm. "Because I'm not. And honestly, if you were going to fucking flirt with the waiter, you could have at least done me the courtesy of waiting until I was in the bathroom or something. Is that why you brought me out? So you could flirt with every fucking guy we ran into? And why the hell would you bring me out anyway, when you know I can't fucking handle crowds? Actually, I probably know why. It's because you're a fucking idiot, Maddy. Obviously, since you were stupid enough to flirt with the Goddamn waiter in front of my face. You know what? I think I'm going to out to the car. Enjoy your dinner with Anthony. And bring my food out to the car in take-out box when you're done."

(it feels so wrong making Matt so mean )

{does it help if I say you're doing a good job at it? }

"N-" Madelyn started to answer Matt's question, her brows pulled together in confusion as she tilted her head to the side. When Matt continued to speak, she fell silent and listened to what he was saying to her. Her face started to fall as her heart dropped. Her lips parted as she felt her cheeks heat up, knowing full well that other patrons had to have heard Matt and what he had said to her as he got up to storm away. At least the people on either side of the booth and the table beside them had to have heard. There was no way that they hadn't. Biting the side of her tongue to keep herself as grounded as she could, Madelyn only realized that she was shaking when she picked up her purse from beside her. She sniffled, wiping at her face before she produced her debit card. Anthony returned shortly after, frowning when he noticed Madelyn shaken up demeanor. She waved him off, quietly asking him to just box everything up. She paid and when left a decent tip. When the food finally was brought out to her, she was quick to leave the restaurant with her head down.

Madelyn started taking deep breathes as she climbed into the car, biting down on her lower lip now. She had managed to keep herself together in the restaurant but the moment she was in the same car with Matt, coupled with the tension thick enough that you would need a butcher's knife to cut through, she lost it. Tears started flowing down her cheeks but she was silent as her shoulders shook, not wanting to disturb Matt more than she already had. When they pulled into their garage, Madelyn dragged in a deep breathe before speaking. "I'm sorry, Matt," Madelyn spoke, her voice breaking as she reached up to wipe away her tears with the back of her hand. Madelyn truly had never felt this awful before and all she could do was blame herself. Everything Matt had said was true. And even if she hadn't intentionally been flirting with Anthony, she still had and it was disrespectful. But she couldn't bring herself to say anything else as a sob bubbled up inside of her chest.

Madelyn climbed out of the car and all but ran inside, leaving their food on the small table by the front door. She slammed the bathroom door shut, locking it behind her before she slid down it. Throwing her shoes against the opposite wall, Madelyn didn't bother to try and keep quiet. She had gone in with the intention of trying to reconnect with Matt because they had both been dealing with so much lately and it had completely blown up in her face. By the time that she had managed to calm down, Madelyn knew her makeup was a complete mess. She stood and used a washcloth to scrub the makeup away, not bothering to fix the mess that her hair was before leaving the bathroom. She didn't look up as she went to grab the food so she could put it in the refrigerator, only to realize Matt already had. Letting out a shaky breathe, Madelyn turned and was a bit relieved when she spotted Matt in the living room. She swallowed around the lump in her throat, sniffling before she headed to the bedroom where she changed into a pair of pajama pants and one of Matt's old tshirts.

Appearing in the doorway to the living room, Madelyn felt her stomach twist as she inched toward the couch that Matt was sitting on. "I'm sorry, Matt," she whispered, apologizing again because all she wanted to do was fix whatever she could at this point. "I didn't... I didn't mean to flirt. And I didn't think about the crowd, I guess I was just being selfish and stupid and.." she trailed off, shrugging her shoulders. She didn't know what else to say so she opted to wait for Matt to say something, anything.

{holy shit, I rambled. I am sorry }

Matt ignored the stares of the other patrons as he stormed out of the restaurant. He knew some of them ought to have heard, but he didn't care. He was so angry he was shaking and all he wanted to do was go home. And he might have felt bad for ruining the evening Madelyn had planned if she hadn't brought this on herself. It was only a few minutes before the passenger door opened and Madelyn slipped into the SUV. She was quiet, but Matt knew she was crying. Before he'd gone off to war, before his brother was killed, Matt would have tried to comfort her. Hell, he wouldn't have even made her cry in the first place and he would've felt awful that he had. Matt only huffed at her apology, keeping his eyes on the road. He was glad when she said nothing else, because at this point he didn't trust himself not to say something that would only make things worse.

"Could've fucking put the food away," Matt grumbled, seeing that Madelyn had left it sitting on the table by the front door. Kicking off his shoes, he went to put the food in the fridge. No reason he couldn't eat it later. Going into the living room, Matt sank down onto the couch and turned on the television. It wasn't long before Madelyn predictably appeared, sputtering out another apology. He turned his head for the shortest second to roll his eyes before turning back to his wife. He didn't want to deal with this right now but he was tired of arguing. "How about we don't talk about it anymore?" Matt said. "It's just going to piss me off again. Go...Go warm up the food so we can eat. Then we can just watch TV or something, I don't care."

(you're alright )

Madelyn drew in a deep breathe as Matt started to speak, hopeful that he was about to say something that may make her feel better. Maybe that he was sorry or that it was fine, that he accepted her apology. Anything, even more anger, would have been better than what Matt offered her. She exhaled slowly, worrying at her bottom lip as she nodded. Turning around, Madelyn disappeared into the kitchen where she started heating up a bit of oil in a frying pan. She knew the calamari wouldn't turn out well in the microwave and since she had been the one to suggest ordering it, she didn't want the food to go to waste. After dropping the calamari into the pan, Madelyn put Matt's lasagna into the microwave. She ignored her chicken, opting just for her salad.

Clearing her throat as she brought Matt's plate out to him, Madelyn set her bowl of salad down on the table in front of her spot on the couch, the opposite end of Matt's. "I think I'm just going to have water to drink," she started, clearing her throat as she chanced a look in Matt's direction. "Did you want water as well or a beer..?" When Matt gave his answer, Madelyn twisted around and disappeared back into the kitchen to retrieve their drinks before returning. Madelyn sat quietly, not taking very long to realize that she didn't even have an appetite at this point. The only reason that she continued to eat away at her salad was because Matt was already annoyed and she didn't want to make the situation any worse than it already was.

Matt could tell that his answer wasn't the one that Madelyn wanted to hear, but he didn't care. It was her fault he was in a bad mood in the first place. While Madelyn was in the kitchen warming up the food, Matt tried to find something to watch on television, but couldn't. He wasn't interested in the television at all, really, but he didn't want to just sit in silence. He mumbled a thank you to Madelyn when she brought out his plate to him, settling it on his lap. "A beer is fine," he told her. He took the beer when she returned with it, popping the top off and taking a sip.

Now that his anger had simmered down a little, Matt could feel his appetite returning. He nudged the remote in Madelyn's direction so that she could choose something to watch if she wanted before digging into his lasagna. By the time he finally decided he was full, there were only crumbs left on his plate. "The calamari was a good choice," he told Madelyn as he walked past her to put his plate in the sink. "I'm going to go upstairs to change, I'll be right back." Matt figured that a few more minutes alone would be enough to kick Madelyn out of her funk. He almost wished the boys were here, because at least they could act as some sort of buffer between the two of them.

Madelyn looked up briefly when Matt stated that the calamari was a good choice. She offered a slight smile but it was all that she could bring herself to give when she was feeling the way that she felt at the moment. Madelyn looked back down to her bowl as she ate, listening to the sounds of Matt heading up the stairs. She hoped that when he returned they could maybe cuddle and watch a move or talk for hours on end like they used to. Deciding that she was done with her salad. It was mostly gone save for a few pieces of onion and croutons that she wasn't interested in. Setting the bowl down on the coffee table, Madelyn pulled the blanket from the back of the couch to wrap around her shoulders.

Tucking her feet under herself, Madelyn looked up when Matt reappeared in the doorway. She was quiet as he took his seat, not so sure she wanted to disturb the silence and inevitably Matt by speaking. Madelyn frowned slightly, looking down to the floor before she found the courage to speak up. "Do you want to watch a movie or something?" She asked softly, tilting her head to the side. She would leave the choice entirely up to Matt because at this point, she was just happy to be close to her husband. There was nothing that she would rather do even if it was something as small as watching Matt while he played video games.

Matt lingered upstairs a bit longer than he needed to, trying to give Madelyn a few more minutes alone. He just wanted to forget about the evening and that wouldn't happen if she kept moping around. When he finally headed back downstairs, Madelyn was still sitting in the same place she had been when he left. He took his seat on the couch, feeling Madelyn looking at him. When she asked if he wanted to watch a movie, he shrugged. "If that's what you want," he said. He was still feeling a bit tense, but there wasn't much else for him to do. Going to bed wouldn't help, because he would only toss and turn.

"Put on Armaggedon," Matt told Madelyn, looking over their DVD collection from his spot on the couch. "It's been awhile since I've seen that." This had always been one of his favorite movies and one of his brother's, too. He'd always wanted to show it to the boys, but they were both still a little young to sit through the entire thing, especially Cash. When the movie was over, Matt looked over at Madelyn before getting to his feet. "I think I'm going to go upstairs and try to get some sleep," he told her, although he was sure they both knew that wouldn't happen. "Are you going to stay down here?"

Madelyn moved to push the blanket from her legs when Matt started to stand, figuring that he was ready to go to bed and she was more than ready to. Had been since halfway through the movie but she had put it off, wanting to spend as much time with Matt as she could. She paused when Matt started speaking, feeling her heart lurch when he asked if she was staying downstairs. She hadn't been intending to and maybe she was reading too much into it but she only gave a small nod, sinking back into the couch. It seemed like Matt would rather be alone than for her to follow him and she thought it might just be best to give him a bit of space rather than crowd him.

- - - - -

Madelyn was pretty sure that she hadn't gotten more than an hour's worth of sleep the night before. Madelyn knew that she had to go pick up the boys so she didn't bother with going upstairs to get dressed, she didn't want to disturb Matt in case he was actually sleeping. Collecting the two boys from Matt's parents', she was hesitant to even go home because she wasn't sure if Matt was sleeping and if he was, she knew damn sure that he needed it. He never did get very much anymore.

Watching as River and Cash raced toward the door inside of the garage, Madelyn called out to them with a small frown. "Boys, i want you to practice being quiet when you head inside! Daddy might still be sleeping," she called, rushing after them in hopes that they might actually listen to her.

Madelyn sighed as she settled the boys on the couch to watch some early morning cartoons. She turned and headed into the kitchen to make herself some toast with jam, not wanting to eat much more than that. Not hearing anything from upstairs, Madelyn opted to start making pancakes and bacon in hopes that when Matt was woken by the promise of a nice breakfast, it would put him in a good mood. When she was nearly finished cooking, Madelyn sent the boys upstairs to wake Matt up and to bring him downstairs. She hoped they'd be successful.

Matt hadn't been trying to suggest to Madelyn that she stay downstairs, but it seemed like that was how she interpreted it. He frowned as he turned away from her and headed upstairs. Shedding his shirt, he flicked off the light before climbing into bed. He tossed and turned throughout the night, hoping to get a little rest, but by the next morning, he was sure he'd only gotten an hour or so of restful sleep. Matt ultimately decided to give up on getting any sleep when he heard the boys downstairs. He was a little irritated that Madelyn hadn't bothered to try and keep them quiet when they came home. What if he actually had been trying to sleep? They would've woken him up. Regardless, they still didn't need to be so loud so early in the morning.

Soon enough, the smells of breakfast drifted upstairs into the bedroom. Matt was admittedly hungry, but he hadn't quite reached the point where he was in the mood to socialize with anyone, even his wife and children. But it seemed like Madelyn had other ideas, because five minutes later he heard the sound of tiny footsteps pounding up the stairs and then River and Cash burst into the bedroom. "Mommy made pancakes!" Cash shouted, climbing into the bed. "And bacon. Come eat, Daddy!"

Matt had half a mind to tell the boys to go downstairs and leave him the hell alone, but he knew that would only open a can of worms he didn't feel like dealing with. So he forced a smile onto his face, telling River and Cash to go wait downstairs for him. Climbing out of bed, Matt grabbed his shirt from yesterday and tugged it over his head before heading downstairs.

Madelyn had set about fixing a plate for each of the boys, setting them on the table. There was a cup of apple juice for Cash, chocolate milk for River. She looked up, offering them a small grin as they reappeared in the kitchen. Lifting each of them onto their chairs at the dining room table, Madelyn returned to the coffee pot that had just finished brewing. She poured herself a mug, giving it a small splash of coffee before relaxing her back against the counter. She watched as the boys' dug into their breakfast, feeling herself completely relax as she did. River and Cash had both been her rock, more than either of them would ever realize. When the nights were long and Madelyn missed Matt during his deployments, they had been the reason that she woke up in the morning and was the mom that they had both deserved. She had no clue where she would be without them.

Hearing the telltale sounds of Matt heading down the stairs, Madelyn tensed up at her spot along the counter. She hoped that he was in some sort of a good mood, she didn't want last night to bleed into today and end up upsetting either of the boys. When Matt appeared in the doorway, she took a step forward and motioned toward the plate that she had already made up for him, that sat opposite of the boys. "Did you want milk or coffee..?" When Matt answered, Madelyn was quick to grab Matt a drink before joining them at the table.

"So, what did you want to do today?" Madelyn was thinking that Matt might have had an idea of something they could do together as a family but before he had the chance to speak up, Cash did over a mouthful of food. "Beach!" River took a moment to swallow the food in his mouth before speaking, nodding excitedly. "Yes, please! Can we go to the beach?! Pleeeeease?!" The boys' chimed in together and Madelyn could only grimace, turning to face Matt as the decision was ultimately up to him.

When Matt arrived in the kitchen, the boys were already eating and Madelyn was leaning against the counter. He started to grab a plate before he noticed Madelyn motioning to an already made one, taking a seat and grabbing his fork. "Coffee is fine," Matt said when Madelyn asked what he wanted to drink. He hoped a little bit of caffeine might perk him up a little, because all he felt like doing right now was laying on the couch all day. That's what he planned to tell Madelyn when she asked what they wanted to do today, but before he could even get a word in, both of the boys were shouting about going to the beach.

In all honesty, the beach was one of the last places he wanted to go. It was loud and crowded and Matt always felt like people were staring at him when he was in a crowd. But how was he supposed to tell River and Cash no without feeling like an asshole? He was trying hard not to take out his issues on his sons, but it was taking every bit of willpower he had. "We're not staying long," Matt finally said. "An hour, max. I'm tired." When he was finished with what he could manage to force down, he got to his feet. He scraped his leftovers into the trash before placing his plate in the sink, moving to head upstairs before he felt something tugging on the bottom of his shirt.

Cash was looking up at him with his arms outstretched and Matt picked him, deciding he might as well get Cash ready to go while he got ready himself. He took Cash into the master bedroom, setting him down on the bed. "Stay right here while I get our towels and your swimsuit," Matt said. As soon as he turned his back, he could hear the sounds of the toddler moving around on the bed. "I mean it, Cash. Stay. There," he added, his voice taking on a more stern tone. "Or should I take you back downstairs so your mom can deal with you?" Cash shook his head and Matt turned his back again, digging through the closet to find the beach towels Madelyn had stashed in there.

Madelyn was more than a bit relieved when Matt agreed to go to the beach. The boys seemed beyond excited over getting to go. Obviously she was sure it was more to do with the sand and the ocean than getting to spend time together as a family but still, it made Madelyn's heart swell. Maybe it would help to turn Matt's mood around fully, too. When Matt and Cash headed upstairs, Madelyn stood to start doing the dishes. She grinned when River set about helping, insisting on rinsing the dishes off while his mom put them in the dishwasher. Once it was filled, she started it before following River up the stairs. She sent him to get ready on his own, figuring he would be able to while she went to get ready.

Packing a bag of towels, a few buckets and shovels for the boys to play with, along with the standard sunblock and sunglasses, Madelyn headed down the stairs. She wore a white coverup over her bathing suit, not wanting to bother with an actual outfit. She smiled when she noticed the boys already waiting by the door with Matt.

Leaning up on her tip toes once she had reached Matt, Madelyn kissed him gently before settling back on her feet. "Thank you for agreeing to this," she murmured quietly, just wanting Matt to know she appreciated the effort that he was putting in to spend with the boys. She wasn't oblivious, she knew that he didn't want to but it was still the thought that mattered. Madelyn didn't wait around for a reaction, turning to lead the boys out to the vehicle.

Once Matt had located the beach towels, he tossed them onto the bed next to Cash before he found their swimsuits. He sat his down on the bed before pulling Cash up onto his feet. "Let's get you dressed," he said. He only changed the toddler into his swim trunks, deciding to leave his t-shirt on. Once Cash was dressed, Matt changed into his own swim trunks, grabbing the towels before taking both boys downstairs. Madelyn wasn't ready yet, so Matt gathered the boys near the door, ready to just get this little outing over with. His head was already hurting and standing here listening to River and Cash shouting.

Matt barely reacted when Madelyn kissed him, shrugging when she spoke. He was already regretting his decision and hearing how much she appreciated him doing this was only serving to make him feel worse. Locking the front door, he followed Madelyn and the boys out to the SUV. He climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine, pulling out of the driveway. The drive to the beach was short, but even in that short amount of time, Matt's anxiety had managed to creep to an almost unbearable level. He didn't want to be here.

"We're not staying long, remember," Matt said as he and Madelyn helped the boys out of their carseats. But neither one of them seemed to hear a word he said, cheering as they took off across the sand. "River! Cash! Where do you think you're going?" Matt shouted after them. The tone of his voice caused both boys to stop in their tracks. "You should know better than to run off. You stay with me and your mother or we're going home."

Madelyn opted to be silent as they drove down to the beach, fiddling with the edge of her cover up. She wanted to say something but she knew that Matt was in a bad mood and she didn't want to make it any worse than it already was. She hoped that if they got this over quickly enough, that Matt could relax at home and she might get the boys to play outside to give Matt a chance to relax in peace. Climbing out of the vehicle, Madelyn wasn't the least bit surprised when the boys started to race off toward the ocean to pick out a spot for them to settle down.

Frowning at the reaction the boys gave when Matt yelled at them, Madelyn felt her motherly instinct kick in as she turned to face Matt. "There's no need to talk to them like that, Matt. They're your sons, not your privates in the Corps," Madelyn quipped, knowing before she even spoke that whatever chance at today being rescued there was, that it had just been ruined. She hadn't wanted to but she would do just about anything for her sons, including telling Matt to knock it off if she thought he was being a bit extra.

Madelyn huffed as she lifted the beach bag onto her shoulder, turning to head in the direction that the boys had started in. When she was no more than a foot away from them, she told them they could start walking again and they did. This time around, they were much slower and less excited than before, their shoulders sagging as they tromped down the beach.