Teaching Noah | √

015

"WHAT DO I have to do to get you two to stop arguing?" Simon looked at his kids who really were going back and forth with each other.

"Buy me a Mercedes," Drew answered, a serious look on his face, which caused Mom to let out a hearty laugh, "He did not just say that."

Simon chuckled, "He's too smart for his own good sometimes." He moved to give Mom a hug, "Hey Madison."

"Hi Madison!" Luke and Drew ran to give mom a hug, and she in return pressed kisses on their foreheads. "You didn't tell me you were coming, Simon. I don't have anything prepared." She looked at him.

"We brought lunch!" Luke announced as he dashed to me, and I wrapped my arms around him, a huge smile on my face.

"Did you really?" I heard Mom ask.

"Yep," Simon gestured towards the two bags that now sat on the couch, "I figured if I told you we were coming you would want to cook something."

As Simon spoke, Coco came running in, and Luke hid behind me.

"Coco doesn't bite, I promise. She just wants to be your friend," I bent down, ruffling Coco's head but it seemed like I hadn't done a great job at convincing Luke because he still appeared scared.

"Hey, where's River?" I heard Simon ask, taking up the bags from the couch.

"He had to work with a client today," I replied and Mom added, "He should be home any time soon. He's been gone for hours already. Here, let me help you with that," she took one of the bags from Simon, and together, they moved to the kitchen, leaving Drew playing with Coco while Luke silently watched him from behind me.

As if Mom had known, River came in shortly and the first thing he did was hoist Luke up on his shoulders, while Drew asked for River to do the same for him.

I walked to the kitchen to inform Simon that River was now home, I stopped in my tracks in time to listen to him and Mom speaking.

"So, to what do we owe this visit?" She asked Simon.

"Well, me and the boys wanted to step out of the house, plus, I wanted to see how you were really doing."

Mom gave an exasperated sigh, "I'm fine, Simon."

"You see, I never said you weren't. Not even when I called you on Friday," he paused. "We are not strangers, Madison."

"I know that."

"Then you're going to have to stop treating me like one," he ran his fingers through his hair as he looked at Mom, "Whatever it is that's wrong or might be wrong, you don't have to deal with it alone. Call me, text me. Just reach out to me, Madison."

Mom was about to say something but was cut short by River who came into the kitchen, startling me in the process, "Simon!" He gave him a tight hug. "It's been a while."

Simon chuckled, "You totally abandoned me, taking pictures all over the place. How's it going?"

"It's going great. It's so good to see you, Simon."

"It's good to see you too, River," Simon had a smile on his face. "Me and the boys wanted to step out of the house for a while."

"And you came here?" River looked pleased.

"Mhm," Mom said as she looked at Simon before grinning.

"That's so thoughtful, thanks Simon," River countered.

"It's no big deal, really. We needed a little change of environment and I particularly needed to catch a break from Money Heist-"

By this time, I walked into the kitchen, sitting on a high stool, "I don't think I'm going to like Berlin that much, Simon."