Petit Lapin

Chapter 8

When characters are speaking English, it will be shown in italics. Everything else is French as usual.

For the next week, Matthew attended school from 8:30 to 16:30 every weekday. After the first three days, Matthew had gotten used to the change and enjoyed going to school and learning new things. Francis however, seemed to suffer more from the change than Matthew, especially on the first day. The first day he went home after watching Matthew get taken away by a woman he didn't know, he couldn't focus on his writing. He just kept worrying about Matthew.

Did Matthew have enough to eat? Were the kids in his class okay? Was Matthew also having separation anxiety from being seperated from his father, who he spent literally every hour of everyday with?

Francis didn't know.
And what Francis didn't know, worried him.

Once the time had come to pick up Matthew from school, Francis left an hour earlier to take the bus to the school. Even though it was only 15:50 when he arrived, he entered school and went to the office to tell them that he was here to pick up his son. Quite obviously, the office told Francis that he was too early and that school ended at 16:30. Francis waited outside the school on a bench nearby, watching as other Parisians walked by him. His leg bounced up and down on the bench as he kept twitching it in anticipation of seeing his son again. The forty minutes felt like days but he had set a timer on his phone to tell him when it was 16:25. Once the timer rang, he rushed to the school and told the office the same thing. This time, the office allowed him in and told him the room number of his son. Francis thanked the office lady and walked - well, more like jogged to the room where Matthew was kept. He peared through the window of the door to see his little Mathieu sitting in the front row beside a taller boy. They seemed to be on friendly terms, as Matthew had a soft smile at whatever the other boy was saying. He also didn't seem to notice Francis was at the door.

The bell rang at 16:30 and the door was opened by the same woman who greeted them in the morning. Matthew came running towards Francis.

Francis picked up his son and held him in his arms, kissing his forehead and cheeks. "Oh mon petit Mathieu... How was your school day?" Francis cooed as he felt his son cling onto him a little harder.

Matthew grinned. "Échappant bonne."

Francis laughed, pinching Matthew's cheeks. The two left the school and went home. Matthew clung onto Francis and Francis held onto Matthew, savouring their time together.

"And so Abel was really really smart and taught me to multiply, then I said the right answer and Mrs. Vargas gave me this gold star!" Matthew exclaimed, holding up his hand to show his father the gold sticker.

"Wow! I'm so proud of you, Mathieu. Dare I say it, your math skills may become better than papa!" Francis joked, poking Matthew in the nose. The Canadian giggled, reaching the play with his father's stubble in return. It was then Francis' turn to laugh. The two returned home and made dinner together, as they would any other day. Ever since then, they would follow the same routine from Monday to Friday.

However, today was Saturday. Matthew didn't have school, which meant he and Francis could spend some time together. They spent their Saturday morning singing French songs together while making breakfast. After the two finished their well made meal, they video called Matthew's wonderful godfather.

Arthur Kirkland.

"Alfred! Get off the dining table- Oh don't you dare touch the chandelier!  Alfred! Stop! I'm getting your mother!" Arthur's angry voice could be heard from the tablet where Francis started a video call. Matthew remained seated on his father's lap as the two waited for whatever was going on at the Kirkland household to cool down.

After a couple minutes, Arthur came back to the screen and was visibly tired. "Matthew, I'm so sorry, pet. Alfred has been a nuisance. Six-year- olds are a nightmare..."

Matthew tilted his head to the side in confusion, wondering what Arthur had just said. The small Canadian boy was only fluent in French, having no knowledge of English other than simple words such as 'yes' and 'maple syrup'. Francis translated what Arthur had said and Matthew smiled and nodded.

Arthur caught his mistake and apologised. "Oh right! Of course, I'll speak in French. "

His accent was atrocious and Matthew had a bit of trouble understanding him, but it was better than having Francis translate everything he said.

Arthur then addressed the Frenchman. "Bloody frog, you need to shave. That stubble is disgusting. You look like a nonce."

This he said in English so Matthew couldn't understand his foul language.

The Frenchman gasped. "Oh! I'm so hurt, Artie." He sighed dramatically as he lifted up Matthew to turn him around in his lap so his son was facing him. "But mon petit Mathieu loves his papa's beard, isn't that right?"

Matthew nodded, reaching up to play with the stubble. Francis chuckled at Arthur's annoyed expression. Matthew turned back around and Arthur's face magically turned pleasant again.

"So, Matthew, my boy, how have you been? Much better than Alfred, I assume." Arthur asked, laughing a bit before take a sip of tea from his white teacup.

"I think I've been good. I started school recently." Matthew replied with a smile on his face.

Francis chuckled. "He's been a very good. The new school is great. Mon petit lapin tells me all about his schooldays."

"Really? Do you like it at your new school, Matthew?" The Englishman asked.

Matthew nodded.

"That's good. Where's your little bear friend?" Arthur questioned, noticing the absence of Kumajiro in Matthew's arms.

"Paint stain," Francis answered for him. "During one of Matthew's art classes at school, one of the kids got some green paint on the bear, so it's soaking in some paint remover solution."

Arthur nodded. "I see." He finished his cup of tea before taking out some papers from a filing cabinet. In the room. "Matthew, is it alright if your father and I talk for a little bit?"

Matthew looked at the screen of the tablet, then looked up at Francis.

"It's about Elizabeth." Arthur stated.

Francis smiled at his son before lifting him up and setting him down outside the room. "This won't be long, okay?" He took Matthew's head in his hands and kissed his forehead and closed the door of his office where he continued talking to Arthur through the video chat in the language Matthew didn't understand.

The Canadian felt a little sad that he was being left out, but understood that whatever was being said, was private for Francis to hear and privacy should be respected. That was something Francis taught him at an early age.

Matthew went over to the washroom where Kumajiro's stain was being removed and wanted to take the bear out of the wash basin, but was too small to reach it. He pouted, wanting comfort in his fuzzy friend, but ultimately went to his room and sat down on his bed (which he never used since he always slept in Francis's bedroom). He hummed O Canada several times as he waited for Francis to finish whatever he was talking about with uncle Arthur.

Still, the Canadian couldn't help but wonder. What were they talking about?