Disclaimer: I own nothing except my imagination and the kids names.

a/n: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter, I'm glad you liked it so here's the second part, hope you like it too.


Gabby had spent part of the night turning in bed and even though Matt had tried to reassure her that breakfast with her in-laws wasn't the end of the world, she was stressed out. She finally gave up on sleep around five so she decided to get up and get breakfast started so everything would be ready for nine when her in-laws would get here. She made some traditional Dominican dishes and Matt's french toast mix with bacon and a very large plate of fruit for everyone.

"Baby, you need to relax." Gabby tensed under Matt's touch.

"I can't." Matt gently spun her around.

"Let me help with that." He leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss. Her arm came to rest around his neck and she leaned into the kiss. "Is that better?" He whispered against her lips.

"Mmmm. A little." She re-opened her eyes and smiled. "How are the kids not awake yet?" She looked over his shoulder to find no one.

"Enjoy the quiet." He chuckled. "Worst case scenario they'll still be in pj's when Carlos and Isabel arrive."

"Is grandma there already?" They looked to find Luis rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

"Not yet buddy but it shouldn't be too long. You want cartoons in the living room?"

"With a glass of milk?"

"Yeah, with a glass of milk." He chuckled, winking at Gabby. The two boys made their way to the living room and Matt settled for the junior version of the Disney channel and Luis was good to go, Gabby bringing him his glass of milk. "How about you go change?" He kissed her temple as she watched her son from the side.

"Good idea." She said, her eyes landing on the clock that said it was 8:30.

"It's going to be ok." He pulled her back by the wrist, the two sharing one last kiss before she bounced up the stairs. Both Emma and Grace came down while Gabby was still upstairs and they joined Luis on the couch.

"Matt." He turned to find Valentina at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey baby girl." He scooped her up in his arms, the doorbell ringing at the same time. She leaned her head against his shoulder as he answered, the kids grand parents on the other side of the door. "Hi, come in." He let some space to let them come in. Isabel had a plate wrapped in foil in her hands and he took it in his free one. "The kids will be happy to see you."

"Where are they?" Isabel asked, surprised they hadn't been swarmed by them.

"In the living room. Anything to drink Carlos?" Matt started walking to the kitchen, Valentina still in his arms.

"I wouldn't say no to some coffee, thank you." Carlos had promised his wife that he'd give the man a chance and that's what he was going to do.

Carlos and Isabel walked through their hotel room door late after dinner at the Dawson's. They had stayed there longer after Antonio and Laura had left, taking an alcoholic coffee and chatting with their daughter-in-law's parents.

"This was, interresting." Carlos put his coat away.

"Don't start this again, please." Isabel begged, doing the same as her husband.

"Come on Isabel, you cannot tell me that it didn't bother you to her with him like that, as if nothing happened."

"Of course it hurts my love but she is a beautiful young woman that something bad happened to and we cannot ask her to stop living her life."

"But did she have to flaunt it in front of us?" He raised his arms up in the air in frustration.

"She didn't even know we were coming." She tried to reason with him.

"And what did she do when she knew we were there? She acted as if didn't care about us and was glued to him all night."

"Carlos." She said sternly. "Stop it." She felt the pang of hurt in her heart from seeing her husband like this.

"Why would I?" She knew that some part of this was the alcohol talking but she needed him to see things from hers and Gabby's perspective.

"That's enough." Carlos stopped his ranting instantly and looked at his wife. She didn't often get mad but he could see in her eyes that she was upset with him right now.

"Bella." He walked to her and ran his thumb against her cheek.

"I know it hurts Carlos and it hurts me too." She looked down but he made her look back up at him. "Alberto would want her to be happy." She said with tears in her eyes. "He loved her and those kids with all he had and he wouldn't want her to be lonely forever, he'd want her to move on and give those kids a happy life."

"But what happens when she forgets?" That was the real reason he was so against Matt and Gabby's relationship.

"She could never forget, not anymore than we ever could. Just one look at those two boys and no one would ever forget." Luis and Filippe looked like their father a lot and just thinking back at pictures of Alberto at the same age as they are now and no one would ever doubt they were his.

"They remind me of Alberto."

"Exactly. Give Matt a chance and from what I've seen so far, he'll show us that he's worthy of taking care of her and our grandkids."

"I'll try."

"That's all I ask of you is to try. I love you."

"I love you too." They shared a kiss before they got ready for bed.

Matt poured a cup of coffee each and Carlos took a seat at the kitchen table. "This is a beautiful kitchen Matt." Carlos look around him at the brand new, state of the art kitchen appliances.

"Gabby's the cook around here." He chuckled. "I made it for her really." His fingers were playing in Valentina's curls.

"You should set her down Matt, she must be starting to be heavy."

"It's ok. She always cuddles up to me like that in the morning, right Tina?" The little girl sat up straighter on his lap and smiled up at him.

"Yes."

"How about some milk?" She nodded in response. He set her down on his chair and got a sippy cup ready for her.

"There they are." Matt looked up to see Gabby and Isabel with their arms around each other's waist.

"Hey." Matt smiled at them and greeted Gabby with a kiss on the cheek. "Need help with breakfast?"

"Help me set the table." Gabby helped Valentina to the ground and she ran towards the living room to join the others. Matt pulled out all the dishes and the kids lined up to help, like they usually did.

Once everyone was seated, they started eating, the kids goofing off a bit like they normally did every morning.

"So, Emma and Grace, Gabby tells me that you're the same age as Luis and Filippe?" Isabel wanted to know more about Matt's kids, specially if they were going to get married in the near future.

"We're going to be in first grade in September." Grace proudly announced.

"That's very impressive." She smiled at her.

"We're going to start reading and writing too." Emma added.

"I love reading." Isabel told them. "I love Peter Pan."

"Me too." Grace smiled. It was the book she always wanted to have before bedtime.

"When you know how to read, you'll discover a whole new world of fun." She promised them. Gabby was more than happy that it was going so well and Matt squeezed her knee Under the table, giving her a smile and a wink. Carlos was in deep conversation with the twins during breakfast, catching up on their life for the past year.

"You have to come see our room Abuelo, it's really cool." Filippe exclaimed loudly.

"I'd love to." He shared a look with Matt and nodded. They finished eating and both Matt and Gabby piled the dishes in the sink before they followed everyone up the stairs, both twins pulling their grand parents up the stairs.

"This is going better than I thought." She whispered.

"I told you it would be ok." He whispered back with a smile as they walked up the stairs.

"Did you make all of this Matt?" Carlos asked as the couple made it to the top on the stairs.

"I did. I thought Valentina would love a princess themed room." Matt leaned against the doorframe, everyone in the room. "I thought she'd like that too." Carlos now held the frame that held the picture of Alberto holding a newborn Valentina in his arms. Carlos didn't say a word but Matt could see he was emotional as he set it back down on the side table.

"Come on Abuelo, come see our room." Luis tugged on his arm.

"Alright, let's go have a look." He smiled at them, patting Matt on the arm on his way out. They had already seen the girls room while they waited for Matt and Gabby to make it upstairs so they stopped at the boys' room next. They pushed the door open to reveal the firefighter/police theme room, along with the bunk beds.

"You're work too?" He looked back at Matt for confirmation again.

"I had help from Luis and Filippe."

"And chief Boden and tio Antonio." Luis was excited to tell his Abuelo all about their room.

"Is that so?"

"Uh huh. Chief Boden from Fifty One, where Matt works, he's the one who got us all the cool firefighter stuff." Luis said.

"And tio Antonio got us all the police stuff." Filippe added.

"That is a pretty cool room you have there boys." Isabel smiled at them. Both her and Carlos had noticed the frames in the twins room too. One was of Alberto with both of them, newborn and the second one was of him with Luis over his shoulder and Filippe under an arm, the three of them laughing.

"Come on kids, let's all go back downstairs and give Gabby some time alone with Abuela and Abuelo."

"But." Luis was starting to protest as the girls had already left the room.

"No buts Luis. Mommy needs to be with daddy's parents alone." Matt wasn't leaving anything up for discussion and Luis walked out of his room with his head hung low. "I'll be downstairs." He kissed her on the corner of her mouth.

"Thanks." She smiled at him before she let them alone to go check out the last room upstairs.

"All the rooms are wonderful." Isabel wrapped her arm around Gabby's waist.

"Matt has worked so hard on them but he kept the best surprise for ours." They walked all the way to the last room down the hall. What hit both Isabel and Carlos wasn't the beauty and peaceful vibe the room was giving off but the frames that were lining up the wall on Gabby's side of the bed. "I know how hard this must be for the two of you but you have to know that it hasn't been easy for me either." Isabel's arm was still wrapped around Gabby's waist. "I miss him everyday." Gabby's eyes were now watering.

A few pictures had been added since Matt's reveal of the room but that space was reserved for her life with Alberto.

"Finding out about your engagement to Matt." Carlor chocked up but looked at Gabby. "I was afraid you'd forget." He admitted.

"I'd never forget Carlos." She took his hand in hers. "Moving on has been the hardest thing I've had to do but I know that Alberto would want us to be happy."

"I know."

"Matt has been very patient with me and his strength is one of the reasons that I haven't sunk in that dark place I was in after he passed. He fixed this house from top to bottom for us and he's the one who made this wall happen."

"He did all of this?" Carlos looked back at the pictures. "But why?"

"Because he loves me and he understands my past. He loves the kids as if they were his but he's not trying to take his place in their hearts." Isabel gave Gabby's side a gentle squeeze.

"Than you've found the perfect Partner my dear."

"Thank you Isabel." The two hugged.

"I was wrong about him." Gabby couldn't help but smile at him. She knew he was the one who was most threatened by her new status with Matt but she was glad that he was on her side now. "I know Alberto would approuve." He came to then and Gabby moved from Isabel's embrace to Carlos's.

"Thank you." She whispered into him.

The three of them closed the door to the room and walked back downstairs to join the kids who were all playing in the living room, Gabby finding Matt in the kitchen, his hands in the dish soap, washing the dishes.

"Thank you." She whispered against his back, her hands wrapping around his waist.

"Anything for you." He dried his hands off and turned in her arms. "I love you and that also includes your past so I'm happy the three of you had a chance to talk." He cupped her cheeks and leaned down. kissing her gently.

"Let's go join them."

The couple walked towards the living room, her arm around his waist and his around her shoulder. They spent another couple of hours before Carlos and Isabel had to leave.

"You have a beautiful home Matt. Thank you for inviting us over." Isabel kissed his cheek.

"It was a pleasure to meet you."

"The please was ours" He extended his hand and Matt shook it firmly. "Thank you for taking good care of them."

"I'd do anything for them."

"I know, they're in good hands." Carlos shared a smile with Gabby before pulling Matt in for a hug, patting him on the back.

"Your welcome back here anytime." Matt said as they pulled away. Carlos nodded and both him and Isabel said goodbye to their grandkids before keeping their last hug for Gabby before they left. They watched them get into the car and drive away before they spent the rest of the day as a family, all the kids still in their pj's.


a/n: The awkward dinner gave way to a nice breakfast the next morning even though Carlos had his doubts. I hope you guys liked how I wrote it cuz it wasn't how I had planned it at first so please take a few seconds to tell me what you think - Sarra