Pick Up the Pieces !

Madalyn wasn't the least bit surprised when Matt went on ahead inside without waiting for them. She knew that he was tired after their outing to the movies and she wasn't wanting to push any more than she already had with their time out of the house. Leading the boys inside, Madalyn had barely managed to kick her shoes off and set them in the shoe closet before Cash had started in on the desserts that she had promised to make. She wasn't the least bit interested in baking anythign or... well, anything, but she knew she couldn't explain that to Cash.

Cash was too young to understand what Madalyn was struggling with and besides, Madalyn was his mother. She was supposed to be invincible, she was supposed to be strong and have all the answers no matter what she was asked. River seemed to be a bit more understanding, asking if he could help Madalyn make cookies because that was always the go to thing that she made. They were quick, easy, and she could make plenty in one go. So that was what she did, getting River and Cash's help to roll the cookies into little balls.

When the cookies were done in the oven, Madalyn laid them out before urging the boys back into the living room with the promise of getting them as soon as they had cooled off enough to be enjoyable. She even promised a cup of milk each because as River pointed out, cookies without milk was just not the proper way to go about eating chocolate chip cookies. And Madalyn couldn't even disagree, he wasn't exactly wrong. THe cookies were finally ready and Madalyn laid four of them on a plate before grabbing three small glasses of milk. Carefully carrying everything out to the living room, Madalyn set the plate down before she set the glasses down, telling the boys that there was one and a half cookies for each of them. They'd be hyped up on sugar but they'd keep each other occupied so Madalyn was hopeful that she could relax for a bit.

Matt wasn't sure exactly how much time had passed before he finally gathered up enough mental energy to climb out of bed. His movements were slow, almost sluggish, as he stripped off his jeans and pulled on a pair of sweatpants. He trudged down the stairs, not saying a word to Madelyn or the boys as he walked into the living room and dropped onto the couch. He felt like he was operating on autopilot at the moment, but he supposed it was better than his normal state of near constant paranoia and anxiety. Matt barely reacted when he felt a tiny hand on his knee, glancing down to see Cash between his knees, holding out a cookie. "Have a cookie, Daddy," he said. "They're good!"

"No," Matt said. He shook his head. "Put the cookie back." Cash started to protest but it only took a stern look from Matt to silence him. He hung his head with a pout as he put the cookie back on the plate and Matt sighed. "Come here," he said, reaching for Cash. He pulled the toddler into his lap, already starting to wish he'd just stayed upstairs. He wanted to be around his family, wanted to spend time with them like he used to, but it wasn't that easy. Wasn't that simple. If he couldn't protect his brother, how was he supposed to protect his wife and his children? It made him stressed and anxious and his anxiety seemed to manifest as anger.

When Matt heard his phone ringing upstairs, he nudged Cash from his lap and got to his feet. He headed upstairs before Madelyn could say a word to him, going to the bedroom and snatching his phone from the nightstand. The message was from Mark, letting Matt know where he could meet up for the payment for his latest job. It was a solid amount of money, something that would help now that Matt would no longer be receiving a substantial check from the Marines. Changing back into his jeans and slipping on his shoes, Matt went back downstairs. "I'm going out," he told Madelyn. "I'll be back in an hour."

Madalyn glanced up at the sound of Matt's footsteps, offering him the tiniest hint of a smile before she returned her attention to the movie she had put on for the boys. She wasn't really watching it, not even from the beginning, but when Matt sat down, all of her attention drifted to him. She wasn't paying attention to anything other than her three boys. They were the whole reason she was here to begin with, so she wanted to be attentive to them - to Matt, if he needed anything. She knew what he was dealing with and all she wanted to do was provide him with whatever he desired. She wanted to help him get back to the Matt that had left on deployment. Or as close to him as possible, because she knew that Matt was far happier than he was right now.

She glanced over, a frown forming on her features when Matt told Cash no. It was a damn cookie, what kind of person denied a chocolate chip cookie? She opened her mouth to tease Matt about it but decided against it when Matt scooped Cash into his arms. Madalyn had meant it as lighthearted teasing but she wasn't so sure that Matt would take it that way and she didn't want to cause any problems between them.

Madalyn raised an eyebrow when Matt reappeared, starting for the door as he spoke to her. "I.. oh. Okay," Madalyn said, confusion slipping into her tone. She frowned slightly as he disappeared through the front door, wondering what he was going to do. SHe shrugged it off, deciding that she would simply ask him before they went to bed. It wasn't something she needed to know right now and she didn't think it was a discussion that particularly needed to take place in front of the boys, since Madalyn had no clue what it was or how Matt would react to her asking questions.

Matt was surprised when Madelyn offered no challenge when he said he was going out but he was grateful. With how he felt right now, it wouldn't take much to get his temper flaring again and this wasn't a discussion they needed to have in front of the boys. Matt slid into his SUV, buckling his seatbelt and starting the engine before backing out of the driveway. As he drove away, he opened the glovebox to quickly check and see if the pistol he'd hidden there was still in there. He was meeting Mark in a less than stellar part of town and he needed to be able to protect himself if the need arose.

Matt followed the directions Mark had given him, eventually finding himself at an abandoned warehouse. He pulled his pistol from the glovebox and placed it on his center console, in easy reach. Luckily he didn't have to wait long before he spotted Mark's car pulling into the parking lot and he rolled down his window as Mark pulled up alongside his SUV. "You'll probably have another job here in a few days," Mark explained, handing Matt an unmarked envelope through the open window. "The guy still has a little time to settle up on his debt but if that doesn't happen, you'll be the one to take care of it."

"Sounds good," Matt said. He tossed the envelope into his passenger seat, returning the pistol to the glovebox as Mark drove away. By the time Matt returned home, he'd barely been gone for forty five minutes and so Madelyn and the boys were still awake and in the living room. Matt kept the envelope tucked into the waistband of his jeans as he went upstairs, stashing it in the back of his nightstand. He didn't like keeping that much cash on hand so tomorrow he'd have to make a trip to the bank. Going back downstairs, Matt dropped onto the couch next to Madelyn without a word. It was only a few minutes before Cash was crawling back into his lap and this time River climbed onto the couch as well, settling between Matt and Madelyn.

Madalyn looked up at the sound of the front door opening. Her brows pulled together as she watched Matt disappear right up the stairs without so much as a 'hello' or an 'I'm home'. She bit back a sigh, shaking her head as she turned back toward the cooking competition show that she had put on. The boys were occupied with their toys and she had always enjoyed cooking shows since it gave her more ideas to include in her cooking. Shifting slightly on the couch, Madalyn brought her knees up so she was was half laying and half sitting on the couch.

Glancing up when Matt reappeared, she gave hima hesitant smile. Madalyn opened her mouth to ask where he'd gone before she realized that maybe now wasn't the best time to ask.. she could always ask once the boys had been put down for the night. She had no clue why but there was a feeling in the pit of her stomach telling her that now just simply wasn't the best time to ask. Madalyn wasn't surprised at all when Cash climbed up on the couch, reaching for the remote to switch on something that would entertain the boys a bit more. When River settled between them, Madalyn was quick to slide an arm around his shoulders and pull him a bit closer. She ruffled his hair, pressing a kiss to the top of his head before turning her attention toward the television.

It wasn't long before Madalyn felt River settle against her and not even a few more minutes later that River's breathing relaxed. She looked toward Cash and smiled when she realized he was asleep as well. Glancing up to Matt, Madalyn smiled tiredly. "Think it's time for us to retire too?" She whispered, starting to ease off of the couch so she could pick up River carefully to bring him up the boys' room.

Matt wasn't surprised when the television was quickly switched to a program that would entertain the boys and he was even less surprised when it was less than fifteen minutes before they were both asleep. Honestly, they really shouldn't have been awake this late but Matt wasn't in the mood to argue with Madelyn over it. "Yeah, I'm tired," Matt answered gruffly. He slipped an arm underneath Cash's knees and another around his shoulders, cradling him against his chest as he got to his feet. He carried Cash upstairs to the boys' shared bedroom, carefully laying the toddler down in his bed. Cash stirred a little as Matt pulled the covers up over his shoulders but didn't open his eyes. Matt passed Madelyn in the doorway as she brought River into the room, slipping down the hall to the master bedroom.

He stripped off his shirt and jeans, pulling on a pair of basketball shorts and a clean shirt before he climbed into bed. He hoped that he might be able to sleep mostly peacefully tonight. It was awful but his new job was doing wonders to help his anxiety and his nightmares. And the anticipation of another excited him more than it probably should. When Madelyn climbed into bed, Matt rolled over to give her a quick kiss before closing his eyes. His sleep wasn't quite as restful as he had hoped it would be but it was still enough to keep him from feeling like he'd been hit by a freight train the next morning when the boys climbed into their bed. Matt would've liked to have slept for a little longer but since the boys were awake, he knew it was pointless. "I'm going to run to the bank," Matt said gruffly, tossing the covers aside.

"I wanna go!" Cash exclaimed. Matt opened his mouth to tell the toddler no, that he needed to stay here with his mother, but Cash interrupted him. "Please, Daddy! I want to go!"

"Fine, but we're only going to the bank, nowhere else," Matt said. "So you need to use the bathroom before we go because I'm not going in." Cash nodded his head, sliding down out of the bed. He was potty-trained but he still couldn't exactly go to the bathroom on his own so Matt begrudgingly followed after him. "Go have your mom get you dressed," Matt said, setting Cash on the floor after helping him wash his hands. "And hurry, I'm ready to go."

Madalyn lingered in the boys' bedroom even after she had laid River down. She sat on the edge of his bed, a small smile on her face as she played with his hair. She was tired and avoiding going to her own room because she knew that she had questions that she wanted to ask Matt that were likely to spark an argument between the two of them. It was too late at night for them to have a full blown argument - God forbid that they woke either of the boys up going back and forth, that was the last thing that she wanted. She had been adamant since before River was even born that they wouldn't argue in front of her children. It wasn't that she knew personally what that was like, to be a child watching their parents argue but she could imagine what it would be like. And just the thought alone was enough to break her heart.

Eventually, Madalyn retired to her room and changed into pajamas before she slid under the covers. She smiled, returning Matt's kiss before she did her best to relax. Matt was already attempting to sleep, her questions would just have to wait for another day... a better time. When the boys weren't around, so that they had time to discuss mature topics.

When the boys climbed into the bed the next morning, Madalyn had only gotten a few hours of true rest. She bit back a sigh, rubbing her face as she rolled over to face both Matt and the little ones. She grinned, reaching out to pull River into her chest as Cash climbed to lean against Matt. Madalyn was content to just lay there so when Matt stated he was going to the bank, she found herself frownign a bit. "Okay..." she huffed, watching as Cash barreled toward the bathroom with Matt in tow.

With Matt and Cash gone, Madalyn led River down the stairs into the kitchen where they began to cook a breakfast for the family. Waffles with River mixing all the ingredients together while Madalyn cooked the bacon. She decided to make scrambled eggs as well since both Cash and River would eat them - with a pair of fried eggs for both her and Matt. By the time Matt and Cash were returning, Madalyn and River were just finishing up plating the dining room table.

Cash was humming a little song as Matt carried him out to his SUV. He strapped the toddler into his carseat, checking to make sure the straps were tight before climbing into the driver's seat. Matt knew that Madelyn would be suspicious about the amount of money he had to deposit so on the way to the bank, Matt decided that he would deposit only a small fraction of the money into their joint account and put the rest into a secret account that he would open. Unfortunately this meant he wouldn't be able to use the drive-through and would have to go inside, which meant he would have to take Cash inside. Taking the toddler anywhere was usually an ordeal because he liked to run around and couldn't sit still.

"You stay next to me, do you understand?" Matt said as he entered the bank, placing Cash on the floor. The toddler seemed to sense the irritation in his father's voice and nodded solemnly, taking Matt's hand. He walked over to the nearest available teller, saying something about opening a new account. She pointed him in the direction of the correct office but not before cooing over Cash and offering him a cherry lollipop. The toddler eagerly accepted, ripping off the wrapper as Matt led him into the small office. He was glad that the process was quick, not wanting to linger here for too long. As planned, he placed most of his money into this new account, stopping at the teller in the lobby to deposit the rest into his joint account with Madelyn.

As soon as he walked through the front door, Matt could tell that Madelyn had cooked breakfast. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until he smelled the food. He shooed Cash into the kitchen, kicking off his shoes before following after the toddler. "Smells good," Matt said, dropping into his seat at the table. He waited until Madelyn had both boys in their seats and had taken a seat herself before he started to eat, mashing his fried egg with his fork before scooping a bite into his mouth.

Madalyn was thankful for her bonding time with River. She knew the little boy sometimes wondered if Matt had a favourite and while River was beginning to understand what that meant, she was going to try the hardest she could to support him and care for him the way that he needed. She bit back a sigh as she bent to lift River into his booster seat, ruffling his hair before she returned to the kitchen to bring the food out. Matt and Cash hadn't returned yet but she was sure they would be home soon so they could get set up and wait for the other half of their family.

Starting to plate out River's food, Madalyn looked up when the sound of the front door opening was heard. She smiled as Cash ran into the room, scooping the little boy into her arms so she could place him in his seat. "Waffles and bacon sound good, little man?" She asked, her face brightening when Cash started eagerly nodding. Madalyn was quick to plate up Cash's food as well before she took a seat beside Matt. She reached under the table and set her hand on his thigh, hoping to offer him a bit of comfort because Matt seemed to be a bit on edge.

"After you boys take your nap, I think we can go outside and play for a bit," Madalyn began to address the boys, wanting to give them some sort of an idea of what to expect for the rest of the day. "And if you're good, you can have some ice cream after," she added, glancing toward Matt as she took a bite of her waffle. Swallowing back a sip of her drink, Madalyn raised an eyebrow. "That sound okay to you?"

Matt looked down at Madelyn's hand when she laid it on his leg, going still for a split second. He knew his wife's touch should bring him comfort and while it still did, it almost made him feel a little uneasy. Ever since his return from his latest deployment, Matt hadn't really been the same when it came to physical touch, even from his wife and children. Maybe it had to do with losing his brother, maybe it had something to do with the PTSD. Who knew. Matt didn't really care why. "Sounds fine," Matt said, stabbing at a piece of egg on his plate. It wasn't like he really had much of a choice. And if he was spending time with the boys, he would rather do it here at the house than out in public, which was more likely to spark his anxiety and make his mood turn sour.

When he was finished with his breakfast, Matt stood to take the plate to the sink. He knew he should help Madelyn clean up the kitchen and get the boys ready for their nap but he headed upstairs, intent on laying down himself. He was hoping for a bit of sleep himself. He'd just barely gotten changed into some more comfortable clothes when the bedroom door opened and Madelyn stepped inside, followed by River and Cash. "I thought they were taking a nap," Matt said, looking at Madelyn.

"We wanna nap in here," River said. "But Mommy said we had to ask you first."

Matt bristled for a second before he forced himself to relax. The boys just wanted to be close to him and Madelyn, which he couldn't really fault them for, but he still wished Madelyn had just told them no. They were both big enough now that they took up a decent amount of space in the bed and Matt liked his space when he was trying to sleep. "I guess that's fine," Matt finally said. "But you're going straight to sleep. No rolling or crawling around."

Matt and Madelyn had been trying to work on the boys' both sleeping in their own beds at night. While they were both still young enough to share a room, their bunk bed was sometimes not the most enticing thing for the boys. Most nights it was easy to coax them into bed but there were still the nights when Cash or River wanted to sleep with Matt and Madelyn and of course, if one wanted to... it was very nearly impossible to convince the other one to sleep alone. That didn't really bother Madelyn so much because it was rare and usually after a thunder storm or something equally scary to a young child but she knew it annoyed Matt. She only thought that he wouldn't mind as much with it being the middle of the day. She was positive that Matt wasn't going to be trying to sleep so if he could watch the boys, she would head downstairs and do a bit of much needed cleaning.

Stepping into the master bedroom, Madelyn offered Matt a bit of a sheepish smile as the boys inched toward the massive king bed that she shared with Matt. It was big enough when they were alone but with both boys accompanying them, it still somehow ended up that she and Matt were contorted around the boys' who were usually spread out in strange positions. But she wouldn't be taking up space so it wouldn't be a problem, would it? Madelyn seemed relieved when Matt agreed to the boys' joining him. She bent down, ruffling River's hair while she kissed the top of Cash's head before leaving them to themselves.

Madelyn cleaned up the kitchen and tidied up in the living room. She considered checking on the boys' but ultimately decided against it because she was sure that if Matt was sleeping, he needed it and she didn't want to disturb him or either one of the boys'. She sighed as she flopped down on the couch, tugging the blanket off of the back of the couch. She put on one of her shows, deciding that she could at least get caught up with it while trying to just relax for the next little while until Matt and the boys were awake.

Matt helped lift both of the boys into the bed, making sure to put Cash inbetween himself and River. It normally took a bit of coaxing to get the boys to lay down and be still but this time they both seemed to sense that Matt was in a sour mood and they both laid down without much fuss. "Now go to sleep," Matt said. "Or you're going to your own beds. Daddy's tired." Matt doubted he would sleep much but he still didn't want to have to deal with River and Cash constantly moving around. Of course, being toddlers, they fidgeted a bit before they fell asleep but it was only about ten minutes or so before they were still. But even then, Matt found it difficult to sleep. He laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling for nearly thirty minutes before he finally dozed off. But his sleep could barely be considered restful and by the time the boys started to stir, Matt felt like he hadn't gotten any sleep at all.

"Daddy, I'm hungry," Cash mumbled sleepily.

"Well go tell Mommy," Matt huffed. A glance at the clock told him it was just after three; too early for dinner but that didn't mean Madelyn couldn't fix them a small snack. Enough to tide them over and prevent them from whining. Sighing, Matt shoved the covers away and sat up. There was really no point in him lying in bed anymore, he wouldn't be able to sleep. "Come on, let's go downstairs," he said to the boys. He headed out of the bedroom and the boys eagerly followed him, Cash reaching up to grab Matt's hand as he slowly navigated his way down the stairs. He spotted Madelyn on the couch but instead, he went into the kitchen, River and Cash still following after him. He opened the fridge and surveyed the contents for a few seconds before he spotted a couple of lunchables in one of the bottom drawers. "Here, take these into the living room," he said, handing one each to River and Cash. "But don't make a mess."

Madalyn wasn't used to having time to catch up on her shows so for once, she was thoroughly enjoying her time alone. She was used to spending time taking care of at least one of the boys, if not both in some manner or another. She didn't mind it, not one bit. She loved her sons more than anything in the world and she wouldn't give up her time with them for anything but that didn't mean she didn't enjoy time to herself every once in awhile. She was just finishing up the second episode that she had started to watch so Matt and the boys had picked a good time to wake from their nap.

Looking up as they raced into the living room with a lunchable each, Madalyn offered a small smile. She sat up, tossing the blanket from her lap. Lifting Cash up onto her lap so she could keep an eye on him while he ate. "Why don't you sit right up at the coffee table, River?" Madalyn instructed before turning back to the lunchable that Cash had been trying to rip into. Madalyn looked toward Matt and offered a small smile, taking that Matt had gathered snacks for the boys as a sign that he must be in a good mood. She was grateful for it.

"How'd you sleep, babe?" Madalyn asked, playing with Cash's hair absentmindedly. Matt seemed to be in a good mood and that was enough to put her in a good mood all on its own.

Matt lingered in the kitchen long enough to grab himself a bottle of water from the fridge before joining Madelyn and the boys in the living room. He dropped down on the couch without saying a word, twisting the top off his bottle of water. When Madelyn spoke to him, he bit back the first response that came to the tip of his tongue, knowing it would only serve to make the atmosphere sour. "Well enough," he mumbled. He was sure Madelyn knew that was a lie; he barely slept at night when he didn't have two squirming toddlers in bed next to him. But if she wanted to ask stupid questions, he would give her a stupid answer.

It only took a few minutes before the boys were asking to watch cartoons. The remote was closer to Madelyn so Matt didn't bother reaching for it. He didn't particularly care to watch cartoons but as long as it kept the boys quiet he didn't really care. It wasn't like he would pay much attention to the television, anyway. It almost took too much energy, as strange as that sounded. Matt was exhausted and he just wanted to sleep, the sort of sleep he'd gotten before this last deployment, before he'd witnessed the terrible things that haunted his dreams. He was starting to understand why so many of the men he'd fought with had turned to alcohol.

Just after Madelyn headed into the kitchen to start on dinner, Matt's phone vibrated. He pulled it from his pocket, seeing a message from Mark to check the other cell phone he'd been given. But Matt didn't need to see the other message to know what it was about and as terrible as it likely made him, he was almost excited. Maybe it was because he'd gotten so used to killing. And he knew that the men he'd killed since he'd started this little side-job deserved it.

Madelyn gave a tiny nod of her head when Matt answered her question. She was sure that the boys' weren't able to detect the lie in his voice but she was and it completely broke her heart. She wanted to comfort Matt... she wanted to do something to make his pain a little less but she was at a complete loss. It seemed like anything and everything that she tried, only ever served to upset Matt. And even if it didn't, it didn't ever seem to really improve the situation at all so she was beginning to simply keep her mouth shut. She was more than happy to change the channel to some cartoons when the boys asked, knowing it would keep them both occupied and they'd be relatively quiet while watching television.

Deciding it was a good time to start on dinner, Madelyn headed into the kitchen. She opened the fridge, eyeing the contents for a minute before she ultimately decided on making a chicken bacon ranch casserole. It would take all of a half hour before it was finished and it was enough to make the boys both excited - and she hoped Matt wouldn't mind it either.

Madelyn set the table, getting it prepared with juice boxes for the boys' and a beer for Matt. She didn't know if he'd want it but she had a pretty good feeling. Stepping into the entrance of the living room, Madelyn smiled at the sight she was met with. The boys' were cuddled together, enamored with their show. "Okay, boys. Come on. Dinner's ready and the table's set. Come and eat," she called, motioning them into the dining room.

Matt stood to go upstairs and check his phone just as Madelyn headed into the kitchen to make dinner. He hoped she decided on something good because despite his lack of sleep, he was starving. And he hoped that putting a little food on his belly would help the pounding that was spreading upwards from the base of his skull. He dug to the back of his sock drawer, pulling out the burner phone Mark had given him. The message was simple and short: meet at the usual place at midnight. That was late enough that Madelyn and the boys would likely all be asleep, so leaving the house would be as easy as simply slipping out the front door. If things went as planned, nobody would even know he'd left.

Heading back downstairs, Matt dropped onto the couch, staying there until Madelyn finally stepped into the living room to call them in for dinner. He helped Cash down from the couch and followed the boys into the kitchen, pleasantly surprised to see that Madelyn had set a beer out for him. He would have thought that with his hairpin-trigger sour mood, she wouldn't want him drinking. But perhaps she was hoping that a little alcohol would mellow him out. In all honesty, it was a toss-up with Matt. Alcohol could help or it could make things a whole hell of a lot worse. It all depended on the surroundings.

"Smells good," Matt said, looking at the dish sitting on the counter. Chicken bacon ranch casserole was one of Matt's favorite dishes of Madelyn's and it had the added bonus of being something the boys seldom refused to eat. He fixed himself as much as he thought he could eat in one sitting before he sat down at the table, waiting only long enough for Madelyn and the boys to join him before he started to eat.

Madelyn was hopeful that if Matt had a beer or two, it would help him relax more than he'd been able to. She wanted him to be able to relax and she was hopeful that after the boys' went to sleep, they might be able to enjoy some alone time. She wasn't feeling particularly hopeful for anything special to happen. She just wanted her and Matt to be able to enjoy each others' company. That was all there was to it.

Madelyn offered a smile when Matt complimented the smell of the food, taking a seat after she'd gotten both of the boys' settled in their chairs. She chewed on her lip, obviously contemplating something as she took her first few bites of food. Clearing her throat as she looked up, she caught Matt's eye for a moment before turning her attention to Cash and River.

"So if you boys want, after your bath tonight," Madelyn paused, waiting for their protests to simmer down. "I will set you up with a bowl of popcorn and some juice and you can watch a movie in your room tonight. How does that sound?" By the time that she'd finished speaking, she was sure Matt would be able to clue into what she was trying for as the boys' excitedly agreed, inching forward to try and eat faster.

Matt's focus was mostly on his food as everyone started to eat, however, his attention was drawn to Madelyn as she started to speak to the boys. As she laid out her idea for the boys, Matt immediately knew what her plans were. It was obvious that Madelyn was hoping for a little alone time and in all honesty, Matt didn't know how he felt about that. On the one hand, Matt was still tired and tense and he really just wanted to get drunk enough that he might be able to sleep tonight. But on the other hand, he was sure sex would help to relax him. If they even had sex. Matt had no idea what Madelyn actually had planned.

When Matt had eaten all that he wanted, he pushed to his feet, taking his plate to the sink. He took enough time to sort of rinse his plate off in the sink before he grabbed another beer from the fridge and went into the living room. Madelyn didn't need his help to give the boys a bath. It wasn't like it was rocket science or anything. And River was old enough to mostly wash himself without anyone's help. He just needed a little supervision. It was only a few minutes later that Matt heard Madelyn taking both of the boys upstairs and as awful as he was sure it was, it was only then that Matt truly seemed to relax. He loved his sons and his wife but sometimes, especially after this latest deployment, having any sort of company caused him to tense up.

By the time Madelyn finally returned downstairs after getting River and Cash settled in their room with their popcorn and juice, Matt had finished his beer and started on another. Together with the couple he'd had at dinner, Matt was feeling a decent enough buzz, although it wouldn't be enough to help him sleep. "Boys watching their movie, I guess?" Matt asked, looking over at Madelyn as she came into the living room.

Madelyn offered Matt a coy little smile after the boys' agreed to her suggestion. She hoped that he was okay with the suggestion because all she really wanted to do was to spend some time with Matt. She didn't really care if they had sex or not because at the end of the day, she just wanted time with him. She knew that it seemed silly that she didn't necessarily want to have sex with her husband, or rather she knew that it had the potential to annoy Matt. He seemed so volatile lately that she didn't knew what she was or wasn't supposed to do. She would just end up doing whatever Matt led them to.

After she had finished loading the dishwasher, Madelyn had made her way upstairs with the boys in tow. She bathed them, getting them settled into pajamas before sending them to their bedroom. She went down to the kitchen and gathered their popcorn and juice before heading back upstairs to drop them off to the boys. They both knew to call her if they needed anything; she made sure to let them know to knock on the bedroom door if she couldn't be found downstairs.

Madelyn shifted slightly, a blush creeping over her cheeks as she nodded to answer Matt's question. She dropped down beside him, careful not to cuddle right up to his side; instead she left him with a bit of space between them. "Yeah, they are," she said, chewing on the inside of her lip. "I just thought it would be good if we spent some alone time together," she paused, eyeing Matt a bit warily. "No pressure for anything to happen. I just.. want to spend time with you because I don't feel like we get to as much anymore," she explained, hoping that she wasn't pressing too far with her explanations.

For some reason, Matt almost found himself scoffing as Madelyn spoke. What exactly did she expect them to do? The things that relaxed him before didn't seem to relax him anymore. And as much as he hated it, it seemed like being around his wife irritated him more than it once had. "So did you want to put on a movie or what?" Matt asked, looking over at Madelyn. Surely she had some ideas in mind since she was the one to come up with this little alone time idea? As far as he could remember, that's what they usually did when they had alone time at the house. A movie, maybe a few episodes of some TV show, followed by a round or possibly two of quiet sex so they didn't disturb the boys upstairs.

It wasn't exactly like they could sit and talk for hours like they used to before the boys were born. Matt just didn't have that in him anymore. He was almost a completely different person than he had been before he'd gone overseas, his latest deployment in particular. He didn't know how to talk to his wife anymore. His PTSD made it almost impossible for him to feel any emotion other than irritation or anger, no matter how hard he tried. But he supposed it wouldn't hurt to try just a little tonight, for Madelyn's sake. "Come here," he huffed, holding out his arm. He waited until she moved closer to him and laid his arm over her shoulders, kicking his feet up onto the coffee table.

[sorry it's a little short ]