Chapter 441
Alexander
We grabbed our things, Ethan bouncing the entire way to the elevator. The ride down felt quick, his excitement filling every available space.
The Bentley purred to life. Ethan claimed the backseat again, kicking his feet and humming some tune I
didn’t recognize.
“There’s a theater near Union Square,” Madison said, pulling out her phone. “Showtime in forty minutes.”
“Perfect.”
Traffic cooperated for once. We made it with time to spare, finding parking without the usual Manhattan nightmare.
The theater lobby buzzed with families, couples, and groups of teenagers. Ethan’s hand found mine automatically as we navigated the crowd toward the ticket counter.
“Three for the penguin movie,” I told the bored teenager behind the glass.
“Two o’clock showing?”
“Yes.”
I handed over my card without looking at the total.
Madison started to protest. “Alexander, I can pay-”
“Already done.” I collected the tickets and passed them to Ethan. “You’re in charge of these, prince.”
“I won’t lose them! I promise!” He clutched the tickets like precious artifacts.
“Popcorn?” I asked Madison.
“He’ll want the large with extra butter.”
“And candy?”
“Gummy bears. The sour ones.”
I ordered at the concession stand, watching the teenager pile butter onto popcorn that could feed a
small army Madison grabbed napkins, lots of them, clearly preparing for an inevitable mess.
Ethan carried his gummy bears with reverence. “Can I eat them during the movie?”
“Some of them,” Madison said “Not the whole bag
“What if I get really hungry?”
“Then you have popcorn
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“But popcorn isn’t candy.”
“Exactly. That’s why you eat popcorn first.”
The logic seemed to satisfy him. We headed toward the theater, following families with strollers and kids bouncing with pre-movie energy.
The theater was massive, all stadium seating and a massive screen. We found seats in the middle, Ethan between Madison and me.
He immediately dug into the popcorn, shoving handfuls into his mouth.
“Slow down, baby,” Madison said, wiping butter from his chin. “The movie hasn’t even started yet.”
“But it’s so good! And buttery!”
The lights dimmed. Previews started, all bright colors and loud music.
Ethan’s eyes went wide, fixed on the screen like it held the secrets of the universe.
I glanced at Madison. She was watching Ethan, her expression soft and unguarded. This was Madison as a mother. Patient. Protective. Completely transformed from the efficient assistant who’d once managed my entire schedule without breaking a sweat.
The penguin movie started with a musical number about friendship and adventure. Ethan sang along to parts he recognized, his voice off-key but enthusiastic.
Madison handed him gummy bears at regular intervals, carefully rationing them.
Halfway through, during an intense chase scene, Ethan’s hand found mine. His small fingers wrapp around my larger ones, squeezing tight during the scary parts.
My chest tightened.
The movie ended with another musical number. Ethan clapped enthusiastically, bouncing in his seat.
“That was AMAZING! Did you see the part where the penguins slid down the ice? And the part with the boat? And when they all sang together?”
“Very impressive,” I agreed.
“Can we see it again? Tomorrow?”
“Let’s get through today first,” Madison said, gathering trash.
We exited into bright afternoon sunlight Ethan blinked, adjusting to the light after the theaters darkness.
“I’m hungry,” he announced.
“You just ate a bucket of popcorn and half a bag of gummy bears
“That was movie food Now I need real food
Chapter 441
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Madison sighed. “Where do you want to eat?”
“Somewhere with chicken nuggets!”
I pulled out my phone and searched for nearby restaurants. “There’s a family place two blocks over. Good reviews, kid-friendly menu.”
“Perfect.”
We walked through Manhattan, Ethan between us, swinging our hands like pendulums. People passed by without looking twice. Just another family out for the afternoon.
Except we weren’t a family. Not really. Just two people connected by a child and a complicated history, neither of us knew how to navigate.
The restaurant was exactly as advertised. Bright, loud, filled with families and screaming kids. Ethan fit right in, immediately gravitating toward the crayons and coloring sheets the hostess offered.
We settled into a booth, Ethan on one side, coloring furiously, while Madison and I sat across from him.
“What do you want, baby?” Madison asked, scanning the menu.
“Chicken nuggets! And fries! And lemonade!”
I ordered for all of us, watching Madison scan the menu one more time before nodding her approval.
The server disappeared with our order, leaving us in a booth surrounded by families and screaming kids.
“So, Ethan,” I started, not sure where to go from here. “Tell me more about school.”
He launched into an explanation about his teacher, Miss Daisy, who apparently was the nicest person in the entire world and gave out star stickers for good behavior.
“And I got THREE stars last week! Three!” He held up three fingers for emphasis. “That’s more than anyone except Maya, but she’s a teacher’s pet, so she doesn’t count.”
“Ethan,” Madison warned. “That’s not nice.”
“But it’s true! She brings Miss Daisy apples every day!”
Madison pressed her lips together, clearly fighting back a smile. “Still not nice to say out loud.”
“Fine.” Ethan slumped dramatically. “Maya’s very nice and I’m happy for her stars
“Better”
Our food arrived faster than expected. Ethan dove into his chicken nuggets with the enthusiasm of someone who’d forgotten what food tasted like Madison ordered a salad.
I’d gone with a burger because comfort food seemed appropriate for today
“These are good nuggets!” Ethan announced through a mouthful ‘Really crispy!
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“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Madison said automatically.
He swallowed obediently, then immediately crammed three fries in his mouth.
Madison sighed but didn’t comment.
I took a bite of my burger, surprised by how good it actually was. Nothing fancy, just solid food that hit the spot. We ate in comfortable silence punctuated by Ethan’s running commentary on everything from the texture of his lemonade to the pattern on the tablecloth.
The kid never stopped talking.
Madison caught my eye across the table, her expression somewhere between amused and exhausted. I smiled, and something shifted in her face. Softened, maybe. Or relaxed. I wasn’t sure which.
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