DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters except Matthew and Moxie. The rest belongs to James Duff and the Major Crimes Franchise.

Chapter 13

As Matthew was wheeled down towards the X-ray rooms, Sharon couldn't help but think of all the possibilities that these tests could show. Since Matthew was adopted, they didn't really know the medical history of his birth parents, and anything could be brought to the surface, Sharon shook her head to just focus on what was currently happening. The door opened to the X-ray room and they wheeled him inside and brought the wheelchair close to the table. "Ok Matthew, I want you to lay down here on this table, on your back first" Doctor Christine instructed him. Matthew hopped out of the wheelchair and laid down on the table like he was instructed. The assistant, whom Sharon found out was one of the x-ray technicians, placed a film cartridge into the x-ray as the doctor informed Matthew what she wanted him to do. "Ok Sharon, you step around here with me" Doctor Christine told her and she followed her to the other room. "Alright Matthew, I'm going to place this vest over you, it will protect you from the x-rays, it's a little heavy but it will just lay over you, ok?" the assistant told Matthew. "Ok" Matthew gave a smile and stayed very still like he was instructed to do so by the doctor.

The X-ray Technician then moved to the other room where Sharon and Doctor Christine were located and got over a speaker to talk to Matthew. "Ok, Matthew, you are going to hear a few clicks and some dings, that's just the x-ray taking the picture" she told him. The X-Ray Technician then pressed the button and the x-ray took a picture. The X-ray Technician then stepped around back into the room where Matthew was to position him a different way for a different view. "Alright, do you think you can lay like this and have your nose facing this way?" she asked him and he gave her a thumbs up. "Perfect" the X-ray Technician said as she moved back to the other room and pressed the button to take the picture. She glanced over at the doctor. "Any more views?" she asked her. "Could we get one of the other side?" Doctor Christine asked and the X-Ray Technician moved Matthew again to get a different view. Sharon watched as Matthew laid on the x-ray table. Her heart ached while they took the various pictures. When all was said and done, they took 4 different views of Matthew's head and neck area. Sharon smiled at Matthew when she re-entered the room with the doctor and he sat up on the table.

"Alright Matthew, you did great! We got some really good pictures so, are you up to going straight to the other room for the MRI or do you want to take a break from this and go back to the exam room for about 20 minutes?" Doctor Christine asked Matthew as she glanced at the clock on the wall. Matthew hopped off the table and sat back down in the wheelchair. "Can I go back to the room first?" he asked and the doctor nodded her head. Sharon held Matthew's hand as he was wheeled back around. "We can get you a break, are you thirsty?" she asked as they returned down the hall towards the exam rooms. Matthew nodded his head. "How about some apple juice?" the doctor suggested. "Yes!" Matthew exclaimed as they were now back in the Emergency Room Department. The glass door to the exam room opened and Andy looked up from his seat to see Matthew and Sharon back already. Sharon gave Andy a small smile and Andy gave a smile in return. "Everything ok?" he asked her as Matthew got out of the wheelchair and back into the bed. Sharon held his hand while he did that and she sat back down on the chair next to Andy.

"Yes, the doctor is giving Matthew a few minutes for a break between tests" Sharon explained to him and he nodded in understanding. "How was the x-ray?" he muttered to her in a low voice. "Good, they, um, got some good pictures" Sharon's voice cracked a little as she spoke. Andy placed his arm around her shoulders and gave her a comforting hug as they sat there. "Alright Matthew, here is some apple juice, and we will be back in about 15 minutes to take you for the next test" Doctor Christine brought the apple juice box to him and then stepped outside of the room, closing the door behind her. Matthew was fidgeting with the straw to the juice box, so Andy reached over and helped him put the straw in the juice box. "Here you go buddy" he handed the juice box back to Matthew. "Thank you" Matthew muttered as he took some sips from it. "Any news from the team?" Sharon asked Andy in a lower voice as she sighed back into his embrace. "Yes, Provenza texted wanting to know what was going on" Andy whispered. "I told him he was going for some tests because the doctor said he had a concussion" he continued to tell Sharon. "Mark Wesley has been booked and will be arraigned tomorrow before a judge" he added that point.

Sharon leaned on Andy's shoulder as she watched Matthew drink the juice box. "I'm sorry we had to cancel our date tonight" she whispered back. "I know we were supposed to re-connect tonight by going out" she added. "Hmm, I thought we re-connected last night" Andy interrupted her and pressed his lips to the side of her head, which made Sharon hum and smile. Matthew was finished with the juice box and Sharon held out her hand for him to give it to her, which he did. Sharon then threw the juice box into the trash bin that was next to her chair. Without fail, there was another knock on the glass door and it opened revealing a different person with the doctor this time. "How was the juice?" she asked Matthew as she stepped back inside the room. "Good" he answered her as he shifted himself on the bed. "Ok, for this test you cannot be wearing anything with metal in it" the doctor told him. "Do those shorts have a metal tab on the drawstring?" the doctor pointed to Matthew's shorts he was wearing. "Oh, uh, yeh, I think so" Matthew shrugged his shoulders. "Let's just pull out the drawstring, sweetie" Sharon told him and he did that. "Your shoes can stay here" the doctor stated and Matthew took his shoes off, handing them to Andy, who placed them on the floor next to him. "Ok, I think you're ready to go!" Doctor Christine told him and he sat back down in the wheelchair.

"Doctor, how long will the MRI take?" Sharon asked her. "The test itself will be about 20-30 minutes, give about 5-10 minutes prep time for him into the machine" the doctor started to tell them. "You are more than welcome to come with him, there's a waiting area right outside the MRI rooms if you want to sit there. We will be bringing him back here after he's done" she told them. Andy looked at Sharon. He knew she wanted to go with Matthew, and when her voice cracked earlier, he thought she shouldn't be alone. "We'll both go with him and we can sit outside the room and wait together" Andy informed the doctor as he turned to Sharon. He stood up from his chair, grabbing Matthew's shoes, drawstring from his shorts, and his backpack that he took to camp that morning as he waited for Sharon to join him. She grabbed her purse as she stood up. They walked out behind Matthew and made their way down the same corridor as earlier. Sharon stopped the wheelchair before they took Matthew into the room. "Your dad and I will be right outside, ok? You are being so brave right now" Sharon knelt down and spoke to Matthew. Matthew didn't say anything and then he was wheeled into the room where the MRI was located. Sharon stood back up and Andy grabbed her hand, leading her towards the waiting area.

Matthew was wheeled over to where the table was for the MRI. "Wow, I'm going in that?" he asked. "Yep" the technician answered as he helped Matthew from the wheelchair to the table. "Do you like Star Wars Matthew?" the technician asked as he was getting Matthew situated on the table. "Yes!" Matthew exclaimed. "Well, just think of this machine like a space ship or an X-wing fighter, you're the pilot but the only thing you need to do is to lay very still while you are inside this, ok?" the technician told him to make him less nervous than he was. "Ok" Matthew muttered as he laid down on the table and the technician gave him something to put in his ears. "Here, this will keep the noise down and also you can listen to some music" he told him and Matthew placed them in his ears. "What music do you like to listen to?" the technician asked. "Um, do you have Beach Boys?" Matthew asked and the technician was surprised. "Um, I think so, why do you want to listen to them?" he asked. "My dad usually listens to them when we are in the garage fixing things" Matthew told him and laid back down on the table. The technician then placed some straps over Matthew so that he would be still. "Ok, I'm going to go in another room, but I and the Doctor will be able to talk to you through the speaker that's inside the machine. Once I place you in the machine, you'll start hearing the music. Here is a button for you to hold in case you need to contact us while you are in, ok?" the technician told him a lot of information and Matthew gave him a thumbs up.

Meanwhile, in the waiting area, Sharon was sitting next to Andy and he was holding her right hand in his left hand, his thumb rubbing over her index finger, a soothing gesture that he's done before to help her focus and stay calm. "Sharon, babe, he's going to be fine. They'll do these tests and then whatever it shows, the doctor will tell us what the next action will be" Andy whispered to her as there were other people in the waiting area. Sharon looked around the room. "What if this MRI scan shows something else, something we weren't expecting?" she whispered with her voice cracking again. "Sweetie, what is really going on?" Andy sat forward, turning in his seat to face Sharon. "Just being in here, I don't know, we don't know his whole health history and what if" she started but Andy placed his finger on her lips. "Shhh" he said as he kissed her forehead. He then looked in her eyes. "If it shows something, then we will deal with it" he told her and she caressed his face with her free hand. "What's brought this up?" he asked her as he sat back in his chair and she placed her head on his shoulder. "Matthew's never been in a hospital, minus when you took him for his thumb, I just" Sharon took a deep breath before she continued. "I just started thinking" Sharon said as Andy rubbed his right thumb on her left hand. "Hey, everything is going to be ok, and if it isn't, then we will tackle that together" Andy leaned forward, catching her face, and giving her a small smile. She nodded her head and they embraced in a hug.

"Ok Matthew, we are halfway through the test, you're doing great" the technician said through the loud speaker. Matthew was listening to the Beach Boys music and had his eyes closed but he heard the technician say he was halfway through. He thought about what he was going to do when his parents took him back to Disneyland. Back in the waiting area, Sharon was getting a little stir crazy as she sat there with Andy. "How are you so calm during this?" she asked him and he coughed once, clearing his throat after. "I'm really not" he confessed to her. Just then, Doctor Christine walked out of a door and into the room where they were sitting. "He's doing just fine" she assured Sharon as she saw her turn her body to stand up. Sharon sighed as she let out a breath. "We are almost finished with the MRI; we got some good pictures and we will wait until the radiologist reads them and then go from there" Doctor Christine assured both of them and then turned around and headed back into the smaller room. Sharon turned to Andy and gave him a smile as she sat back down, still holding his hand.

"You know, while you were with Matthew when he was getting his x-rays taken, I was reading a lot about this hospital, well Children's Hospital of LA, they have many campuses, this is their main one, but" Andy said as he shifted in the chair, "they are one of the best children's hospitals in the nation, and I wasn't there when my kids were growing up so I really didn't take them to doctors appointments and whatnot but, now, with Matthew, this is the best hospital and these doctors are top notch, babe" Andy finished his ramble and Sharon enjoyed listening to him. She gave him a chuckle as they waited for Matthew to be done.

Matthew felt the table start to move out of the machine and then saw the technician there waiting for him. "You're all done!" they told him as he was helped to sit back up on the table. He sat there for a couple of seconds. "Are you feeling dizzy at all?" the technician asked him. "Um, a little bit" he muttered. At that point, Doctor Christine was in the room with him. "He's feeling a little dizzy" the technician told the doctor and she walked over to Matthew who was still sitting up. "Do you feel like you're going to throw up?" Doctor Christine asked Matthew as she looked at his face. "No, I'm better now" Matthew told her. "Ok, let's just take it easy off the table and plop yourself back into this chair for me" she told him and Matthew stood up and sat back down in the wheelchair. "Your parents are outside waiting for you" he heard them say as he was wheeled to the big double doors again and they opened automatically.

Sharon heard the doors open and Matthew talking with the technician about Star Wars. She turned around and stood up from the chair and Andy followed her as he saw Matthew outside the room. "We are taking him back to the exam room now" the technician informed them and Sharon nodded her head. She walked over to join Matthew and grabbed his hand. "How are you doing sweetie?" she spoke softly. "I'm ok" he muttered back and then she walked with him and the technician, with Andy behind them, now carrying her purse and Matthew's things. He took a deep breath and sighed as they were headed back through the Emergency Department. The technician wheeled Matthew back into the room he was originally in and placed the wheelchair next to the bed. "Alright, this is your stop!" the technician smiled at Matthew and helped him out of the chair and back into the bed. Sharon watched and gave a small smile. "Thank you" she told the technician as they were done. "Doctor Christine should be in shortly to discuss the results of everything" the technician told both Sharon and Andy and then walked out of the room with the wheelchair. The sliding door closed and it was just the three of them now.

"So, how was that test?" Andy said as he handed Sharon her purse and placed the other items on the floor next to one of the chairs. "It was weird" Matthew told them. "Oh? What music did you listen to?" Sharon asked him as she pulled the chair closer to the bed to give him gentle rubs on his arm. "Beach Boys" Matthew answered and looked over at his dad. Sharon gave him a look and then turned to Andy. "Since when do you listen to the Beach Boys?" she asked Matthew as she looked at him again. "Daddy and I listen to them when we are in the garage fixing things" Matthew smiled as he laid back on the pillow. He was getting tired as Sharon saw. Sharon turned to Andy who just shrugged his shoulders. "What? The Beach Boys are classic" Andy told her and she hummed in response, turning her focus back to Matthew.

"When can we go home?" Matthew asked them. Sharon sighed as she didn't know how long the doctor would be or when the test results would be read. "Soon sweetie" she answered him, running her fingers in his hair. Andy watched them both as they waited. He was going through things in his mind. He had cancelled the restaurant for tonight, texted Nicole not to pick up Matthew, they should tell the rest of their children where they were but he was sure Sharon didn't want them to worry, or if anything, Nicole had already told her siblings. He glanced at his watch; it was now closer to 4 o'clock. He was surprised he hadn't heard from Provenza yet. A buzz came from Andy's phone and he pulled it out of his pocket, looking at the screen, he smirked. A text from Provenza just came through. 'How's the kid?' it said. 'He's ok, possible concussion, ran tests now waiting for results' he texted back to his partner. 'And the Commander?' his partner texted again. He didn't know how to answer his partner. 'She hanging in there' he simply put it and then placed his phone back in his pocket.

About twenty minutes later, Doctor Christine entered their room. "Alright, Matthew, we have the results of your x-ray and your MRI" she said to the three of them and Sharon shifted slightly in her chair. Matthew sat up from the pillow he was leaning on earlier. Andy looked over at the doctor, waiting for her to say what the results were. "My suspicion was correct and you do have a mild concussion from the impact of the kickball to your face" the doctor said as she pulled up the MRI results on the screen in the room. "Your x-rays do not show anything broken or fractured so that's good" she added as she pulled up the second screen to show the x-ray. "That's my face?" Matthew said as he looked at the screens. Andy chuckled slightly but then cleared his throat as Sharon glanced at him before turning her focus back to the doctor.

"Yes Matthew, it is indeed, and this is the inside of your head, it shows muscles, blood vessels, and your brain" Doctor Christine pointed to the MRI scan side of the screen. "There are no issues with the impact from the ball to your blood vessels and your brain. There's no internal swelling" the doctor continued. "But, this right here" she pointed to an area on the MRI scan that Sharon could only assume was the front of Matthew's face. "This is the front of your face, Matthew. This area here is where your nose opens to your sinuses" Doctor Christine added. "This right here is where your nose bleed happened, there is some mild blood vessel damage, but, with time and rest, it should heal just fine" Doctor Christine told them. Sharon released her breath she didn't realize she was holding. Andy squeezed her hand as he held it. "For 48 hours, I don't want you doing any physical activity, I want you to rest and take it easy" the doctor told Matthew. "I have a baseball game this Saturday morning" Matthew told the doctor. "I want you to take it easy, and gradually start working into physical activities. And, if your parents are fine with it, and you are not exhibiting any side effects from your concussion, and if your eyes return to normal size, then you can play in your baseball game" Doctor Christine told him as she sat on the stool next to the screen. "That's a lot of rules" Matthew whined as he leaned back on the bed.

"So, in about 12-24 hours, his eyes should return back to normal size. If his pupils stay enlarged or open and you don't see a change in them, if his symptoms get worse, like being dizzy without it getting better after changing positions or he gets nauseous and that doesn't go away, bring him back here" Doctor Christine informed Sharon and Andy. "Any sudden change in behavior, bring him back as well" she added to the worried parents she was looking at. "I know it's a lot but he's going to be fine" she assured them. "Thank you, Doctor," Sharon said as the doctor stood up from where she was and reached into her pocket of her jacket. "Here's my card, call if you have any questions, or if something comes up" Doctor Christine handed her card to Sharon. "I'll be back with his discharge papers and a pamphlet on concussion in kids" she told them as she left the room.

Sharon turned her head and looked at Andy as he was speaking softly to her. "See, doc says he's gonna be fine" he released her hand from his and started to take Matthew's shoes out of his backpack. He handed them to Sharon who gave them to Matthew to put on. "So I can't go to camp tomorrow?" Matthew asked as he tied his shoelaces. "No sweetie, no activity tomorrow" Sharon told him as she ran her hand through his hair again. "Who will I stay with then?" he asked as he sat up and was now sitting on the edge of the hospital bed. "We'll work something out between your mom and me kiddo" Andy said as Sharon glanced and nodded in agreement. "Are you hungry?" she asked Matthew as all three of them were now standing in the room. Sharon turned to pick up her purse as Matthew answered her. "I kind of am hungry" he muttered as a nurse now entered the room.

"Ok, Doctor Christine is releasing you Matthew so you get to go home now!" the nurse cheerfully said as she handed the discharge papers with the results of the tests to Sharon. "Here are the papers that the doctor went over with you, along with some information on concussions and what to look for" the nurse said. "Any questions?" she added as Sharon looked over the papers before placing them in her purse. "Do we need to wake him up every hour tonight when he goes to bed?" Sharon asked. "No, you don't have to do that, letting him sleep will aid in recovery" the nurse told them and Andy nodded his head, turning to Matthew. "Ready to go?" he asked him. "Yep!" Matthew stated and went to grab his backpack but Andy placed it around his shoulder. "I'll carry it for you" he told him. Matthew walked out of the room followed by Sharon and Andy. Sharon took a few steps and then reached for Andy's wrist, fingering his chain and then slipped her hand into his as they all walked out of the Emergency Room.

They didn't have far to walk back to their car. Andy unlocked the doors remotely and Matthew got to the car first, opening his door and then sliding in, closing it behind him. "What do you want to do for dinner?" Andy asked Sharon as he opened her car door for her. She turned and looked at him. "We can order something from Marcel's and pick it up on the way home" she said and gave him a smile as she ran her hand along his jaw. Andy sighed as she did that and then watched her sit down in the passenger seat. He closed her door once she was settled and then walked around to the driver's side. He opened the back door behind his seat and placed Matthew's backpack on the seat next to him, closing that door and then opening his, sliding himself into the driver's seat, closing the door and starting the car.

As Andy drove the car towards Marcel's, traffic was backed up Franklin, he got an idea of how they could still have their date, somewhat, tonight. He glanced at the rearview mirror and saw Matthew sleeping in the backseat. He then focused on the car in front of them, the light was red so that's why they weren't moving. His right hand was laying on the console and Sharon's left hand was playing with his gold chain on his wrist. He smiled as the light turned green and continued to drive towards the restaurant. As he pulled into one of the spots in front, 20 minutes later, he turned to Sharon. "So, what am I picking up?" he asked her and glanced at her hand and his wrist. "Kids spaghetti, Lemon Chicken, and Tilapia" Sharon told him and he nodded, placing the car in park. He glanced down at his wrist again. "Um, I'm going to need my hand" he gestured with his head and Sharon sighed, letting his wrist go so that he could pick up their food.

Sharon took this time to check the messages that seemed to have flooded her phone since they left work and headed to the hospital. There were messages from her children wondering about Matthew. These were more recent so Sharon only assumed that Nicole had told them. She decided to send a reply to the group text that had all five of them in it. 'Matthew has a mild concussion, after he got hit in the face with a kickball at camp, we are on our way home from the hospital' was the message she sent to them. Rusty had texted her separately earlier that afternoon that he was going to be staying late at the DA's office so she knew that he would get dinner there. Andy walked over to her side of the car and Sharon lowered the window down. Andy passed the bag of food through the window to her and then she closed it as Andy made his way around to the driver's side again. "I texted all of our kids an update on Matthew since they seemed to have texted me a lot since we were at the hospital" she told him as he backed the car out of the spot and steered them towards home.

"He's been out since we left the hospital" Andy whispered to Sharon as he drove them home. "I'm sorry this isn't how the day or night was supposed to go" she turned her head to look at him. "It's ok, babe, besides, I'm not giving up on our date tonight just yet" he glanced at her as he drove their car through the streets of their neighborhood. "Oh? And what do you have in mind, Andrew?" she replied in a sultry voice that had a shiver go through Andy. Andy took a deep breath as he drove into their driveway and pressed the garage door opener. He parked the car in the garage and Sharon stepped out of the passenger side. "I'll grab his backpack if you got him?" Sharon asked and Andy nodded as he stepped out and around to Matthew's side. "Yeah, I'll get him" he saw Sharon carrying the food bag, Matthew's backpack, and her purse. "Hey buddy, come on, you're home now" he gently woke Matthew up. Matthew opened his eyes and undid his seatbelt. He was still a little groggy as he got out of the car. "Here, I got you" Andy told him and went to lift him in his arms and Matthew placed his head on Andy's shoulder as he started to carry him from the garage into the house.

He followed Sharon as he carried Matthew into the kitchen. "Oh Andy! You're going to hurt your back doing that!" she quietly chastised him as he carried Matthew into the family room. Moxie had greeted Sharon in the kitchen and was pestering her to let him outside. "Ok, I'll let you out in the yard" she told the dog as they walked to the back door and she opened it, letting the dog run around. She closed the screen door and made her way back, picking up Matthew's backpack and bringing it to the family room where Andy had placed Matthew on the couch. "Matthew, sweetie, do you feel like eating right now?" she asked in a soothing voice as she bent down to cover him with a blanket. "Maybe in a little bit" Matthew mumbled as he snuggled into the couch and Sharon placed his stuffed Goofy doll from his backpack next to him. "Why don't you go get yourself comfortable while I get our dinner ready" Andy said in a lower voice to Sharon as he stood next to her watching Matthew. Sharon glanced up at Andy and wondered what he was up to. She hummed as she turned around. "Ok" she smiled as she looked at him. He winked at her, smiling back, and headed back into the kitchen.

As Andy unloaded the dinners from the bag, he heard Moxie barking in the back yard. He walked back to the screen door and saw the dog on the patio wanting to come back inside. As Andy opened the screen door, Moxie ran back into the house and stopped in the mud room where he looked at Andy as he closed the door. "You want dinner?" Andy asked and Moxie started to get excited, wagging his tail. Andy fed Moxie his dinner and then continued to unload his and Sharon's dinner on the counter. He walked around the kitchen and found the drawer in the island that had the long candles in it, taking them out along with the candlestick holders. He made his way into the dining room and placed the candles on the table. Then he quickly made his way back to the kitchen, bringing their dinner's that were now on plates, into the dining room, and set the table with their nice silverware. He then dimmed the lights, lighting the candles before Sharon came back downstairs. He then turned on the speakers and placed the volume on low as music started to play in the background.

After changing into something more comfortable, Sharon made her way back down, glancing at Matthew still sleeping on the couch, and then slowly walked into the dining room. She heard music softly coming from the speakers as she entered the room and saw candles and their food on the table. She also saw a glass of wine already poured for her. She was surprised. "Andy" she said his name as he stood next to her chair and pulled it out for her. "Dinner is served" he whispered into her ear as she sat down and Andy pushed her chair in. He took the seat next to her and held her right hand in his left. She hummed as she listened to the music. "Italian music too, hmm, very romantic Andy" she smiled as their eyes met. He returned her smile with his. He was gently rubbing his thumb over her fingers, which sent a shiver down her spine. Moxie quickly made his way through the kitchen, into the dining room, and then went into the family room, which broke their gaze with one another. Sharon chuckled along with Andy and they went about eating their meals.

"So, what else do my boys do when they are in the garage fixing things while listening to the Beach Boys?" Sharon asked after taking a sip from her wine glass. Andy chuckled as he took a sip from his water and placed the glass down on the table. "Do you have something against the Beach Boys?" he asked her playfully. "Not at all" Sharon hummed as she found their conversation amusing. "I just didn't know you liked the Beach Boys" she continued. "Well, while I was in the garage one day, as I was working on fixing the lawnmower, I had the radio on and it was playing one of their songs, I think it was Surfin USA, and Matthew walked in to see what I was doing and he was watching me change the spark plug and wanted to know what I was listening to, and ever since then, whenever he and I are in the garage, tinkering with things, I put the Beach Boys on" Andy smiled as he told Sharon that story. "Look, I'm just trying to do things right with Matthew, I know I messed up when my kids were growing up and" Andy started to confess but Sharon took his hand in hers and gently squeezed it. "Andy, I think it's wonderful you do that with him" she smiled reassuring him.

After finishing their meals, Sharon took her napkin and wiped her mouth with it. She turned her gaze back to Andy as he leaned back in his chair and watched her. "You're beautiful" he told her, but before he could lean in and kiss her, Matthew walked into the dining room. Sharon turned her head and saw him pulling out the chair on the other side of Sharon. She helped him move his chair and then he sat down. "Are you hungry now?" she asked him and he nodded his head. "I'll go get your spaghetti, bud" Andy stood up from the table and then went into the kitchen. He took some spaghetti from the container, along with half of the meatball, placed it on a plate and then placed the plate in the microwave to warm it up for him. Meanwhile, as Matthew was sitting at the table now, he looked around at the candles, and he realized that his parents were supposed to go out on their date tonight. "Oh no!" he groaned. "What's the matter, sweetheart, does your face hurt you?" Sharon asked as she looked at him with concern. "You and daddy were supposed to go out for your date tonight" he said. "Oh, don't worry about that, sweetie" she told him as she moved his hair on his head. Andy then brought the plate over to Matthew and placed it down in front of him. "Here you go, buddy, complete with half a meatball" Andy then sat back down. "Thank you" Matthew mumbled as he started to eat his food.

TBC