Disclaimer: I do not own any of the CF characters!
With the drips of the pink paint still on his hands, Matt sawed the wood. Hopefully Gabriela would like the crib for their little girl. The neighbor was looking at him as he was working on the field in front of his house and he nodded at her, greeting her. Gabriela was visiting his parents this weekend. He had said to her he would look for a crib this weekend and buy it, but instead he thought that making a crib himself for their daughter would be more personal. He had made stuff for a room for their little baby before. Years before. When they still thought they would be persons within a year. Unfortunately nature didn't have the same plans for them and when they had given up hope for becoming a real family a miracle suddenly happened and here they were, only four weeks away from the arrival of little Lindsey. But the stuff he had made before ended up at a charity. Proud he looked at what he had already made, although it wasn't finished yet.
Looking up Matt looked at the teenager staring at him from the pavement. He looked so familiar...but Matt couldn't figure out where he knew him from.
''Can I help you?'' He walked towards the boy, cleaning his hands with a cloth.
The teenager looked at him and Matt frowned. He had to know him, maybe they had rescued him?
''You don't know who I am, do you.''
Matt came closer.
''Sorry, I can't remember.'' Matt apologized and he shook his head. The teenager shook his head and threw his backpack over his shoulder; ''What a waste of time.''
''Wait.'' Matt stretched his hand out; ''Matthew Casey. I am sorry I don't know your name, but you are familiar to me.''
''You cared for me, for months!'' The boy yelled, pressing his hand away.
''Griffin, I am so sorry! You have grown so much I hadn't recognized you. How are Ben and your mom?''
He had tried to stay in touch with t hem when they had moved to Florida but after the years that had passed their contact had become less and the only time they still heard something from them was around Christmas, when they send each other Christmas cards and the best wishes for the new year.
Matt spread his arms to hug Griffin Darden but the teenager stayed away from him, staring at him from between the bangs of his hair.
''I am really sorry Griffin. Come in, we will drink something.''
''No.''
''Why not, you came a long way. I am sorry for the lousy reception.''
''Because you can't help me.''
With a gloomy face Griffin turned around, walking away again and Matt threw the cloth to the ground, chasing the boy.
''Griffin, wait!''
Within two block Matt caught up with the tall boy and he stopped him.
''Please, talk me. What do you need my help for?''
''I told you, you can't help me!'' Mad he slammed Matt's hand away.
''Griffin, please. Come with me so we can talk about it.''
''No!''
Griffin walked a few more steps, stopping at the bus stop. He grabbed his wallet and sighed when he looked in it.
''Can you borrow me a few dollars so I can get home?''
''What! You are here on your own?! All the way from Florida?'' Matt yelled.
''Yeah ...so-''
''Does your mom even know you are here!? It must have taken you days to get here by bus!''
''I took the train and besides, she doesn't care! All she cares about is James and the baby.''
''I am not giving you any money, you are coming with me, right now!''
For a few seconds Griffin seemed to be unsure if he should follow Matt or not and finally he did.
''Griffin is here. I know. I know. I promise. Don't worry, I will.''
Griffin looked around the living room as Matt looked at him, phone in his hand. Finally Matt laid down the phone and sighed.
''Are you going to yell at me for not being careful and irresponsible?''
Matt shook his head; ''No, that is going to happen when you are back in Florida. I can see you are upset and there must be a reason you came all the way to Chicago. ''
Griffin looked at the ground.
They were silent for a few minutes and finally Matt stood up.
''What are you going to do?''
''Clean up the wood and tools outside, you are not going to talk to me, right?''
Griffin stood up; ''Can I help you...with making the crib?''
''Sure.'' Matt nodded and he looked as the boy walked outside in front of him. Hopefully working together would help the boy speak about the reason he came here.
''So...you are going to be father.'' Griffin looked at the crib.
''Yes. Just one more month.'' Matt smiled at him but Griffin looked even more sad.
''Feel free to talk to me.''
''Is the baby going to be a boy or a girl?''
Well, at least he was talking.
''A girl.'' Matt said while he grabbed the wood he had been sawing and he grabbed his belt with tools again.
''So, are you going to talk to me or are you going to stare at the crib and look even more depressed?'' Matt finally said again after working for a few minutes and observing Griffin.
''What help from me are you looking for from me, come on, you didn't travel all this way to not tell me?'' Matt crossed his arms.
''Well, you can't help me.''
''You can still tell me.'' Matt tossed him a can of cola as he sat down in the grass and looked at the nearly finished crib.
''It is mom.''
''Is there something wrong with your mom?'' Matt said worried.
''She is going to marry another guy.''
Griffin sat down next to Matthew in the grass.
''I know that feels wrong, because of your father. But aren't you happy for your mom?''
''They are going to get married because she is pregnant.''
Matt breathed out, thinking what he should answer to this.
''I know that must be a big difference, but don't you like being in a family again?''
''He is not my dad.''
Casey put his can back on the grass, wrapping his arm around Griffin.
''Nobody will ever be able to replace your dad, but remember your mom is still a young woman and I know she misses your dad a lot, more than you can imagine, but she has to go on with her life.''
''I know dad is not coming back...I had just hoped that...''
Griffin stopped talking again shaking his head.
''Never mind, it is too stupid.''
''You can tell me everything.''
''I had hoped that maybe you could come back and that you would get married. I know dad would have approved that.''
Matt looked at Griffin. The boy was right, he couldn't help him. But the hopelessness in Griffins eyes tore him apart from the inside.
''You are right, I can't help you. But that doesn't mean you have to become unhappy. Did you talk about this with your mom?''
Griffin shook his head; ''She only cares about the wedding and the baby.''
''You know that is not true, Griffin. Your mom cares about you and you know that.''
Griffin shrugged and drank the last bit of cola from his can, kicking it aside.
''Shouldn't we finish the crib for your little girl?''
''Lindsey, her name is going to be Lindsey.'' Matt nodded him, knowing the teenager didn't want to talk about his situation at home anymore.
''That is a really pretty name.'' The boy gloomy smiled as they continued working on the crib. Matt started making a dresser as Griffin was painting the crib in soft color of pink and he saw the boy was finally smiling.
''You are painting it very good.'' Matt complimented him, looking how precise the teenager was working with the paint.
''I have been doing painting jobs besides school, to earn some money.'' He smiled proud and Matt nodded; ''You are really good at it.''
''Says the man building a crib for his little daughter, you are going to be a great father.'' Griffin nodded at him.
Late that night Matthew finally pressed the call button on his phone, waiting for Gabriela to pick up the phone.
''Where you asleep?'' He asked worried as he finally hear her taking off the phone.
''I was...what is wrong?''
''Sorry. It is just...I want you to promise me you will never remarry if something happens to me without Lindsey agreeing.''
''What is wrong, sweetie?''
''Griffin came all the way here - never mind. Just promise me, okay?''
''I promise.''
''I love you.''
''Love you.'' Gabriela made a smoochy sound through the phone and Matt smiled and he put the phone back in his pocket and walked back to his own room after looking at the crib for a long time, afraid the same would ever happen to him.
Now he could sleep.
Matt and Griffin were working outside the next day, making a dresser, when a large SUV stopped in front of his house and Heather Darden got out of the car.
''Griffin Andrew Darden, get in that car before -''
''Heather!'' Matt greeted her with a smile and Griffin looked at Matt.
''Guess I should go now. '' Matt hugged him.
''Promise you come back when your summer break actually starts...and with permission from your mom, okay?''
''I promise.'' Griffin mumbled and Matt had to think about the time they had to say goodbye like this before, a few years ago.
''Bye!'' He waved at Griffin one last time when he got in the car and Heather approached him.
''I am so sorry about this.''
''It doesn't matter. Please just talk with your son without getting mad. I know he may look grown up but he still needs some attention. All the changes are hard on him. He still misses Andy a lot.''
''Don't we all.'' Heather nodded at him and she gave him a hug as well.
''Thank you for caring for him, again. We should go, we could make it to Florida before night if we leave now.''
Matt nodded. ''No problem at all. Congratulations on the wedding and the baby.''
''You too.'' Heather smiled and she walked back to the car, waving at the car one last time. Matthew frowned, he never told Heather about the baby. When the car drove away he saw Gabriela's car parked on the other side of the road and her crossing the road and he spread his arms, smiling and Gabriela hugged him, kissing him and he was so glad to have her back here safe and sound.
''You had some help with Lindsey's room.'' She smiled as he laid her hands on her showing belly.
''Don't we all need a little help sometimes?'' He grabbed her hand and lead her inside and held his hands in front of her eyes as he guided her into Lindsey's room and finally pulled his hands away.
''Matt, it beautiful!''
Her fingers followed the flowers painted on the wall and she looked at the flowery curtains and finally she reached the crib.
''It is beautiful, did you make this yourself?''
Matt nodded; ''I hope you like it...and Lindsey, too.''
Gabriela smiled and wanted to kiss him but backed off and laid her hand on her belly; ''I think you made Lindsey very excited.''
Matthew laughed and bent towards Gabby, kissing her while Lindsey kept kicking in her belly, letting the world know she was ready for growing up in the loving family.
NOTE: I think I got the Dawsey fever...
Anyway, I hope all the US readers had a happy thanksgiving!
Thank you for reading and I hope you liked this story. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought about the story!