Monsieur Arthur Kirkland,
I wish to thank you once more for allowing Francis and I to stay in contact with our son.
I know that things were always tense between you and my husband. I was not sure if you would allow for us to remain in contact out of spite. Francis was sure of it, but I had my doubts. In our past meetings, you have been nothing but a gentleman towards me. Even while you fought with Francis, you never brought me into the middle of it.
I know that you will take good care of Matthew, my son. He is a shy boy, but with a large heart. He will have room in it for you and your son. Even so, it will take awhile for him to get used to his new surroundings. Please stay patient with him and do not take it as an insult towards your being. If you have any questions that could help with his upbringing, do not hesitate to send me a letter. My only wish as a mother is for his safety and happiness.
Due to the hasty nature of your departure, I was unable to share much about Matthew. Allow me to take the time and write them down.
Know that Matthew has a sensitive stomach. Even though the French food are on the light side, we still had to adapt. If the food is too heavy, he tends to empty his stomach on the spot. A few warning signs you can watch out for is when he whines and curls up in the chair. It can be mistaken with a child's stubbornness against wanting to eat food. However, my son does well in trying to eat everything that is presented to him on the plate. Even if there are things that he does not like. Matthew has no allergies, so you do not have to worry about that.
He has a bunny stuff animal that he always carries around. It was a gift that Francis gave him when we first welcomed him into our family. He cannot sleep without it. If it cannot be found before he goes to bed, he will stay up all night as result. A Matthew that is deprived of sleep will challenge you on everything and anything for the rest of the day. Fair warning, he will not accept any other toy if offered.
Sometimes Matthew will wake up in the middle of the night. When he did it here, he always found himself in bed with myself and Francis. We are not sure why that is. He never gave us an answer. So, we accepted it and put a ground rule. He must knock on the door before coming in. We also warned him that once he gets older, he cannot continue doing that, as it is inappropriate. I am unsure if he will do that with you. Either way, do not hesitate to remind him of the talks.
I hope that this helps.
Take care,
Madam Gabrielle Bonnefoy