Wow wow wow, sixty chapters? Holy crap, never did I ever think I'd get this far. And I missed it when I posted the last chapter, but I also surpassed 500k words with this story, which is just nuts. I can't believe I've written this much, and it's still going. Thank you all for sticking with me on this story, it means everything to me. You all are why we've gotten this far.
I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter. Our little Dawsey family is all together.
Chapter Sixty
Gabby's eyes slowly opened as she came into consciousness, her body flooded with discomfort as she tried to register where she was. She squinted immediately when the bright light from outside hit her eyes, Gabby's head turning away from the window, needing a few seconds before she adjusted to the unexpected light. Blinking quickly, her vision came into focus as she looked around the unfamiliar room, realizing she was in the hospital. Glancing around, she wracked her brain trying to remember why she was here, and what was going on, Gabby catching a glimpse of Matt's turnout gear thrown over the back of the chair beside her bed.
"Hey, you're awake."
Gabby slowly turned towards the voice, trying to ignore the stinging pain in her abdomen as she saw her brother walk into the room, flashing her a soft smile.
"What am I doing here?" Her groggy voice hit his ears, Antonio's face paling as his eyes narrowed in confusion. "Where's Matt?"
Not wanting to frighten her, Antonio quickly put the smile back on his face, unsure if she was still just a little out of it, or if she truly didn't remember. "Uh, yeah, he's outside… Hey Casey!" Antonio called, giving his sister another supportive smile as Matt walked into the room, Dr. Tanner following close behind him.
"Hey baby." Casey greeted with a soft smile when he saw her, missing the look of concern that flashed in Antonio's eyes as Matt moved towards the bed. "How are you feeling?"
"My stomach hurts." She groaned, Casey frowning as he placed his hand on the top of her head, rubbing over her hair comfortingly.
"I know it does." He replied sympathetically, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead.
"What happened?" She asked as he pulled back, Matt's head tilting to the side before his eyes flashed to Antonio, seeing his brother's worry. Dr. Tanner took a step closer to the bed, Matt placing his other hand on Gabby's shoulder.
"Hi Gabby." Dr. Tanner spoke softly, Dawson's eyebrows furrowing, not having registered her doctor's presence until now.
"Dr. Tanner? What's going on?" She questioned again, Matt trying to mask his growing panic at her lack of memory. "Is the baby okay? What-" Gabby cut herself off as she moved her hand over her stomach, a loud hiss escaping her lips when she accidentally pressed her incision.
"Hey, hey it's okay." Matt soothed, carefully grabbing her hand and moving it away from her stomach, the concern in the room mounting.
"Gabby, do you remember why you're here?" Dr. Tanner asked softly as she walked towards the bed, Dawson's eyes narrowing as she tried to think back to the last few days, her gaze moving up towards Matt, seeing his worried eyes on her.
It took a few moments, but Casey saw the exact moment everything came flooding back, her tired eyes glazing over as the tears set in, Gabby's jaw shaking up and down.
"It's okay, everything's okay." Matt said immediately, rubbing the top of her head as he leaned back down, pressing his lips into her skin.
"Is Sofia okay? Where is she? Why aren't you with her?" Her voice was unsteady, Antonio blowing out a sigh of relief hearing that Gabby remembered the events of the past day.
"She's fine, our girl is fine." Casey spoke, pressing a lingering kiss to the side of her head before leaning back up, Gabby clutching onto his arm, silently telling him to not go very far.
"They're doing some tests on her right now-"
"Tests? I thought she was okay?"
"She is, baby." Casey soothed.
"They're making sure she's fine to leave the NICU, so we can bring her here, to you." Dr. Tanner explained, Gabby nodding slowly. "She's perfectly fine, she's a very healthy little girl. It's just a precaution, but she should be done here shortly."
"Why aren't you with her?" Gabby asked Matt again, Casey stroking his thumb over her forehead.
"I was with her until they took her for the tests. Your dad is waiting around in the NICU, so she has someone there when she gets back. She's okay." Matt knew she was stressed, and the fact that Gabby hadn't been able to lay eyes on her daughter yet wasn't helping matters, but he was doing what he could to keep her calm. And one way he knew to do that was continuously reminding her that their little Sofia was okay.
"I'm gonna go check on her in a few minutes, but I wanted to talk to you first. You've been through a lot, we need to make sure you're doing alright." Dr. Tanner voiced, Gabby looking towards her.
"I don't care about me, I want to know she's okay."
"Gabby-" Matt tried, Dr. Tanner speaking up before he could say any more.
"I know your only concern is your little girl, but she needs you healthy." Dr. Tanner reasoned softly, Gabby taking a deep breath. "You need to be healthy to be able to take care of her, so I want to run through a few things with you then I'll go check on her, alright?"
Gabby reluctantly nodded, Dr. Tanner coming up to her opposite side, Matt never moving away from her bed.
"Alright, now, during your c-section yesterday, your aneurysm did rupture after you gave birth to Sofia. You lost a lot of blood, we had to do multiple transfusions, but everything is fixed. You're okay, you should make a full recovery but it'll be a hard few weeks at first. Your body went through a lot. Birth is hard enough, but everything else on top of it only makes your recovery that much more intensive." She explained, Gabby nodding slowly "And I know with a newborn, it's hard to ever really think about yourself or what you need, but you've got to, Gabby. You've got to make sure you take it easy, that you rest as much as you can. I know it'll be an adjustment with Sofia, and you'll need to take care of her, but you can't let your recovery get lost in all this."
"Okay." Gabby responded, taking in as much as she could, but it was all very overwhelming, and she just wanted her daughter.
"I spoke with Matt about this a little bit, about how you're wanting to breastfeed, which is perfectly fine, as long as you can manage it, I think it's a great idea. But we do need to talk about your pain management, because I know you're in pain right now, but we have to be careful with you breastfeeding. Right now we have you on a very mild pain medication, it's essentially the equivalent of tylenol. Now, we do have options here-"
"I don't want to take anything that could hurt her." Gabby interjected, Dr. Tanner's face softening.
"I know you don't." She responded quickly. "And I'd never give you anything that could potentially harm Sofia. But we have some options for medications we can give you to help with your pain. I can tell just by seeing you right now that you're hurting," Dr. Tanner spoke, Gabby sucking in a deep breath, giving her a slow nod in agreement. "I know you want to do what's best for your little girl, but if you're in a lot of pain, Sofia will be able to sense that. She'll sense your distress, and it'll cause her to become stressed. This has already been a very stressful situation for the both of you, but we're through the worst of it, we don't need to do anything to make it more difficult. Now it's all about you healing and being able to raise your Sofia. We have to take care of you so you can take care of her."
Gabby nodded, more tears filling her eyes at the thought of her little girl. It was killing her, knowing Sofia was somewhere in this hospital but she wasn't here, with her parents. But she knew it was for the best, that they needed to make sure Sofia was healthy before moving her from the NICU. Because once Gabby got ahold of her, she wasn't going to let her out of her sight.
"I'll do whatever you need me to." Gabby responded, her voice quiet. "Whatever you think is best, whatever pain medication you think is best for me to be on, I'm fine with whatever. I just want to see my little girl." Gabby told her, a few stray tears escaping down her cheeks, Matt quickly wiping them away.
"I know you do, and I'm about to go check on her. I just want to check your incisions before I go. I'm gonna get the order in for your pain medication, so we can get that to you as soon as possible. But as long as you're looking alright, I'll go check on sweet little Sofia." Gabby nodded, as Dr. Tanner reached down. "I'm gonna look at your incisions now, alright?"
"Okay."
Antonio stepped out of the room while Dr. Tanner checked over Gabby, Dawson trying not to focus on the pain while Matt stayed in place by her head. It hurt, it definitely did, but Gabby didn't care so much about that, she just wanted it to be over so she could see her baby.
"Alright Gabby, I'm gonna have a nurse come in here and redress that for you, but I see no signs of infection or anything, everything's looking alright."
"Good." Gabby responded, glancing down to her significantly smaller stomach.
"We'll keep a close eye on it over the next few days, but it's healing up nicely. And once we get you going on that pain medication, you should be feeling a lot better." She continued, Dawson giving her another nod. "Now, I'm gonna head on over to the NICU, and see how little Sofia's doing."
Gabby's eyes lit up at her last words, a hopeful smile forming on her face.
"And as long as she's gotten the all-clear, I'll bring her to you so you can be with her."
"Thank you." Gabby murmured, Dr. Tanner giving her a soft smile as fresh tears filled Dawson's eyes. "Thank you for everything… for taking care of our daughter from the beginning, for saving me… we wouldn't have gotten through this without you."
Dr. Tanner pursed her lips together, running her hand soothingly over Gabby's arm. "I'm just glad you both are okay, from day one all I wanted was for the both of you to get through this, and I'm so grateful you have. And not only that, but you have a very beautiful little girl." More tears slid down Gabby's cheeks as she nodded, Dr. Tanner giving her arm a gentle squeeze before stepping away. "A beautiful little girl who I'm going to go get, so she can be with her parents."
Gabby nodded quickly, a smile falling onto her face as she turned to look at Matt.
"Can you go with her, please?"
"Babe-"
"Please. I want one of us with Sofia. I'm okay."
Casey's eyes ran over her face, Matt quickly realizing he wasn't going to win this fight as he gave her a slow nod. "Okay, I'll go with her."
"Thank you."
Matt leaned down, pressing a firm kiss to her lips, Gabby reciprocating as much as she could before he pulled away, brushing his hand over the side of her face.
"I'll be right back." He told her, Gabby nodding before he backed away from the bed, walking over to Dr. Tanner before the pair left the room, heading down the hallway.
Casey walked in step with Dr. Tanner, his hands shoved in the pockets of his shift pants, Matt not yet having a chance to change into something more comfortable, his mind elsewhere as they moved through the halls.
"You alright?"
Matt glanced towards Dr. Tanner, seeing her eyeing him curiously as they passed the nurses station. Casey gave her a quick nod, his hand coming up to rub over the back of his neck.
"I'm okay, still just a little worried I guess."
"That's understandable." She responded, Matt seeing the look on her face softening. "But they're both okay, your girls are fine."
"I know they are, it's just-" He cut himself off, Dr. Tanner's eyebrows furrowing, the pair slowing their steps as they got outside the NICU. "Is it normal for Gabby to forget what happened? When she first woke up..." He asked, Dr. Tanner drawing in a deep breath.
"It's not uncommon, no." She responded, seeing Matt's body relax a little. "She went through something traumatic, not just physically but also mentally, and there's not really a way to know what goes on in the mind of someone who's gone through what she has… especially with everything she's had to deal with throughout this pregnancy." Dr. Tanner continued, Matt giving her a nod. "As long as she's still remembering what's going on, I'm not worried."
"Okay." Matt replied, Dr. Tanner giving him a smile as she patted his shoulder.
"How about we go see your baby, huh?" She offered, Casey nodding excitedly as they walked into the NICU.
It took no time at all for them to get to Sofia, Matt smiling when he saw she was no longer hooked up to the wires, her little body wrapped up in a swaddle as she lay in the middle of her bed.
"There's my girl." He spoke softly, placing his hands on the edge of her bed. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch her, but with her being sound asleep, he didn't want to risk waking her up, not when he knew she'd be woken up here soon. "How'd she do, Ramon?" Casey asked, the elder Dawson smiling from ear to ear.
"She did great, they said everything with her is looking good, they didn't see anything that might be cause for concern." He replied, Matt grinning as he glanced over to Dr. Tanner, seeing her speaking with one of the other doctors on this floor, his attention soon moving back to his daughter.
"That's my strong little girl." He murmured, unable to stop himself as he gently placed his hand over her chest. "You're exactly like your Momma."
"That she is." Ramon agreed, Casey flashing him a grin as Dr. Tanner came over.
"How is she?" Casey asked before she could say anything, Dr. Tanner giving him a warm smile.
"She's great, she's all good to go." She answered, Matt releasing a relieved breath as he looked down to his sleeping baby. "We can get her moved to the nursery, which means she can be in Gabby's room with you all."
"Great, that's great." He breathed out, his eyes locked on his daughter. "Did you hear that, baby girl? We're gonna go see Momma." He replied softly, unable to wipe the smile from his face.
The entire process took about twenty more minutes, Matt feeling his heart beginning to swell in his chest as they approached Gabby's room, his eyes continuously looking down at his daughter as the transport nurse slowly moved her down the hallway.
"We're almost there, Sofia." He spoke quietly, the little girl wiggling around in her sleep, clearly sensing all the movement. When they got outside Gabby's room, Dr. Tanner nodded at Matt to go in first, Casey following her instructions as he opened the door, stepping inside.
He immediately found Gabby's teary eyes waiting for him, her wide smile shining brightly. "Is she here?" She asked hopefully, Matt nodding as he held the door open, fresh tears flooding Gabby's eyes when Sofia got strolled into the room.
Gabby choked back a sob when she laid her eyes on her, the small bed being pushed towards Dawson, Gabby reaching her arm out to rest on the side of her bed. Ramon had come in and stood beside Antonio, both Dawson's watching the scene in front of them as Gabby got reunited with her daughter.
"Oh my god, look at her." She breathed out, fresh tears sliding down her cheeks.
"You wanna hold her?" Matt asked, Gabby nodding enthusiastically as she met his eyes, her smile growing when she saw the wide grin resting on his lips before he turned his attention to Sofia. "Come here, baby girl." He murmured, Sofia beginning to whine when her rest was disturbed. "I know, I know, I'm sorry, but your Momma wants to see you." He spoke softly, Gabby's body filling with an unexplainable warmth seeing him with their daughter.
It was something she'd always dreamed of witnessing; ever since their first baby, she had dreamed of this moment. And now it was here, and she'd never felt more in love with him.
Her attention focused back on Sofia as Matt brought her over, Gabby doing what she could to keep her emotions under control as Matt cradled their baby.
"Here you go." He whispered, carefully placing Sofia in Gabby's waiting arms. The second she had a hold on her daughter, the flood gates opened, steady tears streaming down her cheeks as she held Sofia against her body, her daughter soon calming down once she was comfortable in her mother's grip.
Gabby's body shook slightly as she cried happy tears, Matt doing what he could to wipe them away as she focused solely on their little girl, their perfect little girl. "She's so beautiful." Gabby whispered, Gabby finally tearing her eyes away from the sleeping baby, seeing Matt watching them with tears in his eyes, their faces shining with bright smiles as they locked eyes, Gabby releasing a watery chuckle. "This is our girl."
A lone tear escaped down his cheek, Matt nodding as he leaned down, capturing Gabby's lips in a passionate kiss, their love being felt throughout the room. When they finally separated, Matt rested his forehead against Gabby's, the family of three enjoying this moment together for the first time, Matt wrapping his arm around Gabby's shoulders.
"I love you." She breathed out, pressing another quick kiss to his lips, Matt's smile only growing.
"I love you, too." He answered against her, giving her one last kiss before pulling back enough to look down at their daughter. The image of his little girl resting in the arms of the woman he loved more than anything was enough to spring more tears to his eyes, Matt and Gabby both in awe over their baby girl.
Across the room, Dr. Tanner peeled her eyes away from the heartwarming scene, walking the few steps towards Antonio and Ramon, both men holding unshed tears in their eyes. "Let's give the family some time, yeah?" She prompted, both of them nodding as they began to move for the door.
"We'll be out in the waiting room, mija." Ramon spoke softly, Gabby looking up towards her brother and her father, giving them a teary nod.
"Thank you for being here."
"There's nowhere else we'd rather be." He responded, blowing her a kiss before leaving the room, Antonio flashing her a supportive smile as he moved behind him.
"I'm so proud of you, sis."
"Love you, Tonio." She called softly, Antonio smiling before exiting the room, closing the door behind him.
"How are you feeling, Gabby?" Dr. Tanner asked once they were alone, Gabby stroking the back of her finger gently over Sofia's cheek.
"I'm okay." She responded quietly, feeling Matt give her shoulder a supportive squeeze. "I'm sore, but honestly, right now I'm perfect." She murmured, watching as Sofia leaned into her body.
"Do you feel up for doing some skin to skin?" Dr. Tanner asked, Gabby's eyes lighting up as she looked towards her doctor, giving her an immediate nod. "I know we didn't get the chance to do it yesterday, but it would help you both a lot, as long as you're up for it."
"I am." She responded quickly, Dr. Tanner giving her a soft smile before walking towards them, reaching out for Sofia.
"I'll get her ready if you wanna unbutton your gown, Gabby." She told her, Dawson nodding as she reluctantly handed Sofia to Dr. Tanner, the woman placing her back down in her bed as she began to undress her.
Gabby slowly reached up towards the buttons at the top of her gown, but Matt gently swatted her hands away, beginning the process himself.
"I can undress myself, you know." She responded with a laugh, Matt cocking his head to the side as he unclasped the buttons.
"I know, but as I recall you've always liked it better when I do it." He teased, Gabby's cheeks filling with heat as he chuckled.
"Matt…" She warned, both of them hearing the laugh coming from Dr. Tanner as she lifted a now diaper-clad Sofia into her arms, Matt working on the last few buttons of Gabby's gown.
Pulling the top of her gown down, Matt watched in wonder as Dr. Tanner placed Sofia against Gabby's chest, their little girl immediately nuzzling herself into Gabby's warm skin. Dr. Tanner adjusted the blanket over them, bringing it up to cover Sofia's back and Gabby's chest, Gabby looking down at her baby is amazement as Sofia cuddled into her. At first their little girl seemed a bit restless, her arms moving around before ultimately settling down against her chest, Sofia soon falling back into that peaceful slumber she craved.
Glancing up to Matt, Gabby saw his gaze completely focused on their daughter, his hand reaching out to rub gently over her back, the action causing Sofia to cuddle further into her mom's chest.
"God, I love you." He breathed out, his eyes still locked on their girl. Gabby wasn't sure if he was talking to her, or to Sofia, or to both of them, but tears sprang to her eyes either way, Gabby smiling softly as he glanced to her. He kissed her quickly, rubbing his other hand over Gabby's head before placing himself on the edge of her bed, sitting beside his family as he wrapped his arm around Gabby's shoulders. Gabby settled comfortably into his side, the family of three soaking in this moment as much as they could.
"I'm gonna go, let you all enjoy this for a little while." Dr. Tanner spoke softly. She hated to disturb the gentle moment, but she wanted to excuse herself before any more time had passed. "I'll be back probably in about an hour or so to check on you both. As long as you're not in too much pain, Gabby, I'd like Sofia to stay right where she is. Since we didn't get the chance to do this yesterday, it's important we do it today, if we can. And we can do it with Matt, as well." His ears perked up, Gabby chuckling at the excited look that covered his face. "But, what's important is that we get her a lot of contact with both of you today." She spoke, Gabby and Matt both nodding. "They had just fed her before we got there, so she should be okay for a little while longer. But if she gets hungry, go ahead and try to feed her, and we'll see how that goes. If both of you are okay with it, we can continue that. If we need to supplement a little with formula, that's okay too. We'll just have to play it by ear. But you two just enjoy this, I'll be back in a little bit." She told them, Matt giving her another nod while Gabby stayed focused on their girl.
"Thank you." Matt responded, Dr. Tanner smiling at him before leaving the room, closing the door in place behind her.
Less than a minute later, a nurse came in, with what Matt could only assume to be Gabby's pain medication, the woman silently hooking it up to the IV, not wanting to disrupt the special moment, the woman in and out of there in a little over a minute.
Once the nurse had left, it was finally just the three of them, Matt and Gabby getting to experience their first few moments as a family of three. Sofia was sleeping soundly curled into Gabby's chest, Matt keeping his hand placed lightly across her back, while Gabby stayed tucked into his side, Sofia gripping onto one of her fingers tightly in her tiny fist.
The family sat in a content quiet for a long time, neither Matt nor Gabby wanting to disturb the peace they'd found in one another as Sofia slept against her, Gabby's chest rising and falling steadily with each breath.
"I want a picture of this." Matt spoke suddenly, Gabby's eyes opening as she glanced down to Sofia.
"Hmm?"
"I want a picture of this, of you two." He repeated, slowly lifting himself up, making sure Gabby was supported against the pillows before standing up.
"Okay, well just capture my good side." Gabby joked, her hand replacing Matt's over Sofia's back as she rested into the bed, letting her eyes fall closed.
"There's not a bad side." He responded with a grin, Gabby chuckling softly.
She laid there quietly while Matt took his pictures, her eyes opening when she felt the bed shift beside her, Matt resuming his previous position, Gabby immediately resting back into his side.
"I wanna see." She murmured, Matt holding out his phone, sliding through the few pictures he took, seeing Gabby's grin widen with each one.
"Those are my girls." He spoke proudly, Gabby glancing up at him, her eyes shining as he pressed a kiss between her eyebrows. "My perfect girls." He whispered, feeling Gabby lean her head into his neck, the two getting comfortable once more.
"I'll remember that next time you're mad at me." She teased, Matt's smile growing as he stroked his thumb over her bare arm.
"I think I'm gonna make that picture my wallpaper." He spoke, ignoring her comment completely, Gabby scoffing lightly.
"Maybe wait and choose one where I have a shirt on." She responded, Matt shrugging before they fell back into that comfortable quiet, Sofia beginning to stir slightly.
Matt began to gently stroke the back of his daughter's head, wanting to feel her but not wanting to ask Gabby to move her hand off Sofia's back, Casey leaning his head down to rest against Gabby's.
"I still can't believe this is real." He breathed out after a few minutes, Gabby sliding her hand up off Sofia's back to grip his wrist, rubbing her thumb gently over his skin.
"Me neither." She replied softly, turning her head to press a kiss to his jaw. "Sometimes I never thought we'd get here, or that I'd get here… But we did. And we have our little girl."
"Yes we do." He agreed. "I know it wasn't easy, nothing ever seems to be easy for us, but I wouldn't change a damn thing."
"Me either." She spoke, smiling as he lifted his head to kiss her forehead, Gabby falling back into his side. "Everything that happened, if anything had been different, we wouldn't have gotten Sofia..." She murmured, Matt gripping her a little tighter, finding comfort in her warmth as they both looked down at their baby girl. "She just got here and I already can't imagine life without her. She's just… she's perfect. Our little girl is perfect."
"Yes, she is." He replied, his smile widening. "It helps that she looks exactly like her Momma." Gabby's lips curled into a grin at his words, a soft chuckle escaping her throat.
"I can definitely see you in her, too." She spoke. "She may have got my complexion, but she looks an awful lot like you."
"Lord help her." He joked, Gabby rolling her eyes, playfully swatting his hand. "But no, just wait until she opens her eyes… you can definitely tell I'm her father." Gabby's grin widened as she lifted her head from his shoulder, her heart swelling when she caught sight of his enchanting blue eyes.
"She has your eyes?"
"She sure does. You can tell she's a Casey." He spoke proudly, Gabby's eyes softening as she glanced down to their daughter.
"...Is it bad I want to wake her up just to see them?" She questioned, Matt chuckling as he pressed another kiss to her head.
"You'll see them soon enough, babe. I know neither of us really have any idea what we're doing, but what I do know is you're never supposed to wake a sleeping baby." He replied, Gabby smirking.
"All those parenting books are already coming in handy." She teased, Matt scoffing playfully.
"Well, I had to do as much research as I could. I know nothing about raising a baby."
"I don't either, but we'll figure it out." Gabby responded, resting back into his grip. "We're both relatively smart people, most of the time." She joked, earning an amused grin from her husband. "But we've got this. They'll be a learning curve, for sure, but we'll find our footing. Hopefully she'll help us out along the way. But whatever happens, we'll be fine."
"I know we will." He replied, letting himself relax back into the bed. "I don't know if it'll continue, but she's a pretty awesome baby. She did well last night."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. She eats like a champ, and sleeps like one, too." He told her, Gabby smiling sadly at their baby.
"I wish I could've been there…" She murmured, a frown forming over Casey's face when he heard her words.
"I know you do, I wish you were there too, but you're gonna have every night for the rest of our lives to be there for our girl. You both are okay, that's all that matters."
Gabby nodded against his side, Matt keeping his comforting grip on her as they sat with their daughter, Gabby seeing her mouth opening and closing, Sofia's body beginning to move around.
"I think she's waking up." Gabby spoke quietly, Matt glancing down to see Sofia turning her head into Gabby's breast. "And I think she's hungry."
"Alright, we've got this." He spoke surely, Gabby chuckling as Matt sat up, turning back to look at her. "What do you need me to do?"
"What, all those books didn't prepare you for this?" She asked with a raised brow, Matt rolling his eyes as he stood up. "Can you lift Sofia? I don't want to hurt her, or me." Matt followed her instructions, slowly pulling down the blanket and picking up their daughter, cradling her into his arms.
"Yeah, she's definitely hungry." He spoke with a chuckle, Gabby glancing up to see Sofia nuzzling herself into Matt's chest, searching for food. Laughing lightly, Gabby slowly adjusted her positioning, ignoring the pain in her abdomen as she moved, Matt holding Sofia in one arm while he tried to help his wife.
"Be careful with her." Gabby warned, Matt nodding.
"I am, I've got her." He assured her, Gabby nodding before reaching her arm out, silently telling Matt to give Sofia back to her. Carefully, he placed Sofia down in her mom's arms, Gabby angling her towards her breast, Sofia's eyes opening and looking up at her mother.
The second she caught sight of those blue eyes, Gabby felt her heart swell with more love than she thought possible. It was like she was staring right at Matt, and the image brought tears to her eyes. Their daughter was the perfect blend of both of them, and she'd never loved anything more than the girl in her arms.
"There's my little girl." She cooed, Sofia beginning to nuzzle herself into Gabby's breast with her mouth open. "Yes, I know you're hungry. Let's try and figure this out, okay?" Gabby angled Sofia's body towards hers so her daughter's chest was resting against hers. "I'm gonna need your help, alright? We've never done this before." She murmured, Sofia rooting around until Gabby got the positioning right, Sofia latching on. It took a few tries, but Sofia soon figured it out, the little girl eagerly beginning to eat.
"Are you okay?" Matt asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed facing his wife and his daughter, watching in amazement as Gabby fed Sofia.
"I'm good… we're figuring this out." She murmured, Sofia watching her with wide eyes as she ate, Gabby smiling down at her daughter. "She really does have your eyes." Gabby commented, glancing up to see Matt focused on Sofia, a soft grin resting on his face. "Matt?" She called softly, Casey tearing his eyes from their feeding daughter, an almost sheepish look covering his face when he realized his stares had been caught. "Everything alright?"
Matt nodded, his grin widening as he looked back to his daughter. "I'm great. This is just… incredible." He breathed out, Gabby blinking back her tears as she saw the amazed look in his eyes. "You're incredible." He spoke, looking back up at her with a bright smile, Gabby unable to stop herself from grinning back at him. "I love you so much."
Gabby did what she could to keep her tears from spilling over, Matt leaning forward and pressing his lips against hers, Gabby smiling against him, the two relishing in the feeling before he pulled back.
"I love you too." She responded, Matt flashing her a smile before returning his attention to his daughter, the new parents wanting to soak in as much of this special moment as possible.
Jemma stepped out of the elevator by the nurses station, turning the corner and immediately seeing the small group of familiar faces, Norris smiling softly as she approached. "Hey guys."
"Hey Jemma." Antonio responded, the detective standing up, Severide following suit. "I'm glad you could make it."
"Of course. How are they doing?"
"They're doing good, both of them are. Sofia's been with them since this morning, and Gabby's doing a lot better now that she's with them. Gabby will need some extra time to recover, but they're both doing well." Antonio relayed, Jemma nodding.
"That's great to hear, have you seen them yet?" She asked Severide, Kelly shaking his head.
"No, I just got here."
"I told them you two were coming, they're excited to see you guys." Antonio continued, leading them towards the room. Within minutes, they got there, Antonio walking in first, knocking on the door. "Hey, you up for some visitors?"
"Of course, come in." Casey responded, Jemma following Antonio in the room, Severide closing the door behind all of them.
"Hey guys." Gabby greeted, her grin widening when she caught sight of her friends. "Thank you for coming."
"Of course." Jemma broke away from the group, walking towards Gabby, giving her a careful hug, being mindful of the little girl resting in her arms. "How are you feeling?"
"Better now that I've been on pain meds since this morning." She responded with a grin, Jemma chuckling as Gabby looked past her towards Kelly.
"Hey Sev." She spoke, Kelly smiling as he walked towards her.
"Hey. How's the peanut?"
"She's good, she's sleepy, but good." Gabby answered with a smile, glancing towards Matt before looking back to Kelly. "Do you wanna hold her?" Dawson offered, Kelly's eyebrows raising as he glanced down to the small girl in her arms, nodding excitedly.
"Yeah, I'd love to." He responded, Gabby looking back to Matt, silently asking for assistance. Casey carefully lifted Sofia, cradling her in his grasp as he walked around the bed towards Kelly, handing her to his best friend.
"Wow." He breathed out, his eyes focused on the little girl curled into his arms. "She's so small."
"She could still kick your ass." Casey joked, gripping Kelly's shoulder as Severide chuckled, gently bouncing on the balls of his feet to keep her asleep.
"Oh, I know she could." He spoke, glancing up to Gabby before looking back to Sofia. "She's amazing, you guys."
"Yeah, she is." Gabby breathed out, catching Matt's proud smile.
"It's about time there's someone out there with that Casey and Dawson DNA, it's past time actually." He commented, brushing his hand over her head, a soft frown forming on his face when a sad thought occurred to him. "...I just wish Shay was here to see this."
The mood in the room turned somber, Gabby nodding as she blinked back the tears in her eyes, meeting Matt's sad gaze.
"She is." Casey spoke, never taking his eyes off his wife, Gabby giving him a knowing nod, a soft smile breaking through her tears. "And she'd love that kid more than you." He added.
"Yeah, she would." Kelly responded with a watery chuckle, Sofia leaning into his chest as she slept. "She also would have insisted she be the first one to hold her, hell, probably even before you, Dawson." He joked, earning laughs from around the room. "But yeah, she would've loved this. You two finally getting your shit together, having this baby- she knew you two were it for each other. I know wherever she is, she's celebrating right now." Severide's voice faltered towards the end of his sentence, the firefighter quickly wiping away the lone tear that escaped down his skin.
Multiple tears were falling from Gabby's eyes, Dawson trying to wipe them away quickly as she thought of her late best friend, Matt's sad eyes watching her. Knowing little Sofia was in more than capable hands, Casey gave one last squeeze to Kelly's shoulder before walking back towards the bed, Matt sitting down on the edge beside Gabby and wrapping her up in his arms.
"I'm sorry, Dawson, I didn't mean to upset you." Kelly spoke regretfully, Gabby shaking her head as she leaned into Matt's hold.
"No, you're fine Kel. I just miss her. But you're right, wherever she is I'd like to believe she's watching over us right now." She murmured, Matt rubbing over her back gently, Gabby resting her hand on his thigh, squeezing it for comfort.
The room fell into a soft silence for a few moments, Matt staying by Gabby's side as she regathered herself, her hormones taking their toll on her while Severide had been moving around with a sleeping Sofia in his arms, Kelly enamored by the little girl. Jemma had moved over to Kelly's side, getting her first real look at her goddaughter, and immediately she fell in love.
"You wanna hold her?" Severide offered, Jemma's eyes lighting up as she nodded. The handoff went smoothly, Jemma cradling the little girl in her arms, Gabby and Matt watching on with bright smiles.
"Oh my God, you are so precious, aren't you?" She murmured, stroking her thumb over Sofia's cheek, Gabby's body filling with warmth seeing Jemma hold her baby.
There would never be any replacing Shay; she was one of a kind, and would always hold a special place in Gabby's heart. But Jemma had become the best friend Gabby needed, the best friend Gabby wasn't sure she'd ever find in someone other than Shay. She was someone Dawson could turn to and lean on without question, someone who was always there, no questions asked. In less than the year that they've known one another, she'd become one of the most important people in Dawson's life, and Gabby knew she'd be that same type of person for her daughter.
"Gabby, she looks just like you."
"That's what everyone says." Gabby responded with a chuckle, glancing up towards Matt who was grinning uncontrollably.
"Hey, I told you, I love that she looks like you." He spoke, pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead, Gabby leaning into his side as they looked back towards their small group of friends; their family.
Gabby knew it was a miracle she was alive right now. She was well aware there had been a chance she would've missed out on all of this, and she never wanted to take it for granted. How she feels in this moment, she never wants to forget it. Surrounded by her brother, her closest friends, the love of her life, and her baby girl; she wants to remember this moment for the rest of her life. Because she knows how close she was to losing this.
The thought of not being around to watch Sofia grow up kills her, it absolutely destroys her knowing she would've left not only their daughter, but she would've left Matt alone to pick up the pieces. The thought absolutely breaks her heart. She wouldn't want to do this without him, she couldn't do this without him, and the thought of leaving him to do it without her made her sick. But she didn't have to worry about that now, they didn't have to worry, because she was fine. Both her and their daughter we fine.
And she'd never take that for granted.
She knew now that Matt had been right all those months ago, when little Sofia was just becoming a reality. In that moment when he talked about how she was his miracle, and that maybe this baby would be theirs. He had been completely right.
Sofia was their miracle. And she would never forget that.
Gabby rested back into the pillows, her eyes closed as she tried to stay awake, Dawson keeping her hold on the feeding baby in her arms.
It was nearing eight at night, everyone having left hours ago to give the new parents time to rest, which hadn't really worked out in their favor. Matt had taken a quick shower once they left, changing into the clothes he'd had Severide bring him, Gabby needing to hold Sofia the entire time, knowing she couldn't get her out of her bed if she needed something. Luckily, she'd slept the entire time, but Gabby wasn't able to, not while holding her baby. Then as soon as Matt was done, he had taken Sofia, wanting Gabby to get some rest, but the baby had woken up minutes later, crying until she was fed.
That feeding lasted nearly forty minutes, Gabby barely able to keep her eyes open while she sat there. She knew she could relax, that Matt was right here to watch and pay attention, but still, she couldn't let herself completely doze off. When Sofia had finally finished, Matt took her to burp her and, hopefully, get her back to sleep while Gabby rested, but she'd been very fussy, which hadn't led to Gabby getting that much rest.
As soon as Gabby had gotten close to falling asleep, it came time for her to eat dinner, the woman not necessarily very hungry. But she knew she needed food, especially with breastfeeding, so she reluctantly ate, hoping she'd be able to get some sleep after that. But that proved not to be the case, Sofia seemingly wanting nothing more than her mother, the little girl only content when she was in Gabby's arms.
And now, Gabby was nearing the end of feeding her yet again, her eyes barely staying open as she held onto her daughter, Matt sitting on the edge of the bed watching them.
"I'm hoping she'll actually sleep after this." Gabby murmured, grimacing when Sofia tugged uncomfortably on her breast.
"Hopefully she will. I was thinking I'd do some skin to skin with her, see if that can calm her down." He responded, knowing how that had worked earlier when she did it with Gabby. Sofia spent practically the entire morning on Gabby's chest, except for when she fed, and it had kept her considerably calm. She seemed most content when she was resting on Gabby, and he could only hope he'd have a similar effect.
"I think it will." Gabby responded, Matt seeing her grimace again.
"You okay?" He questioned, looking back to their baby who was still firmly latched onto Gabby's chest.
"Yeah, I'm good. She's just got a tight grip." She responded, Matt nodding sympathetically, reaching out and stroking her cheek, Gabby leaning into his touch.
"Have I told you lately how proud I am of you?" He murmured, Gabby nodding against his hand, turning to press a kiss into his palm.
"Like five times today." She replied, Matt flashing her a soft grin.
"Well, I am. All the time, but especially right now." He told her, Gabby smiling softly, relaxing back into her pillows.
"I love you." She spoke, glancing down towards Sofia, a look of relief washing over her face. "I think she's done." Matt nodded, standing up from the bed, carefully taking Sofia from Gabby's arms. Dawson stretched out her limbs, feeling soreness still lingering in her body before she rebuttoned her gown. Casey placed Sofia down in her bed, unwrapping the blanket she was swaddled in, their little girl fussing when the air her body.
"I know, it's okay. It's okay." He whispered, quickly removing his t-shirt, tossing it down on the end of Gabby's bed. Matt slowly lifted Sofia up from her bed, supporting her little body until she was tucked into his chest, Matt grabbing her small blanket before moving to the chair beside Gabby's bed, carefully sitting down into it.
Moving as slowly as he could, he reclined the chair, not wanting to jostle Sofia too much. Once he was settled, he adjusted his daughter on his chest, the reclined angle giving him the best position to hold her. Although he knew his chest wasn't as comfortable for her as Gabby's, Sofia immediately nuzzled into him, craving his body heat as he laid the blanket over her back, making sure her little body was completely covered.
Matt's hand came up to rest over her back, a soft smile falling onto his face when Sofia soon fell asleep against him, her fists balled up against his chest. He wasn't sure who was enjoying this more, Sofia or him, but he was thankful he was able to get her calmed down. It had been a long day for the new parents, the two of them being thrust into news roles they weren't really used to, but Matt liked to think they were handling it relatively well. Or at least he was, Gabby was absolutely incredible. He always knew Gabby was meant to be a mother, he'd seen it with Louie, but today, seeing her with Sofia, it just cemented everything he'd thought for years.
She was meant for this. She was an incredible mother. And he just felt so lucky that he got to experience this with her, that she was the mother to his child. And, hopefully one day, his children.
There was no one better for this role than Gabriela Dawson, and he was just doing what he could to keep up. But right now, holding Sofia in his arms, he felt like he was doing alright. It was only one day, they had a lifetime more ahead of them with taking care of their baby girl, but so far they were off to a good start.
"Whatcha thinking about?"
Gabby's voice gained his attention, Matt looking over to her, seeing her watching them with a content smile.
"You, mostly."
"Really?" She asked, raising her eyebrow. "Me, and not your other favorite girl?"
"Okay, you caught me. I was thinking about both of you." He replied, rubbing his hand over Sofia's back. "It's hard not to, when I'm the luckiest guy in the world, with the most amazing wife and the most amazing daughter." He spoke, Gabby's grin widening as she leaned her bed back, preparing to try and get a little bit of sleep.
"Such a sweet talker today, Casey." She murmured, Matt smirking softly as he looked down at his sleeping baby, pressing a light kiss to her head.
"Well, I guess I'm just feeling grateful, that's all." He said quietly, missing the way Gabby's smile grew, her tired eyes focused on her husband. Her heart swelled in her chest, seeing him holding onto their little girl, and seeing Sofia as content as she'd been all day nuzzled against her dad. She would never get tired of this view, of seeing Matt bond with their Sofia.
"We're grateful for you, too." She responded, Matt lifting his head towards her voice. "Sofia has the best dad in the world."
"I think all the pain meds are getting to you." He joked, Gabby shaking her head.
"No. You really are, you're the most amazing dad, you're the most amazing man." She told him, keeping her voice firm. She knew he still had his insecurities about his ability to be a good father, with everything he'd gone through with his own dad, but she had no doubt in her mind he was meant to do this. In less than the day Gabby had seen him with Sofia, she'd seen first hand just how amazing he was at this, and she didn't want him doubting himself. "Sofia and I are so lucky to have you."
The tender tone in her voice, combined with her heartfelt words caused tears to slowly fill in his eyes, Matt nodding as he blinked them back, flashing Gabby a smile that warmed her from the inside out.
"We're lucky to have you, too." He responded, lowering his voice as he felt Sofia start to stir against him, waiting to say more until she settled. Looking back to Gabby, he saw her eyes falling, her exhaustion beginning to win as he watched her fight to stay awake. "Go to sleep." He prompted, Gabby pulling the blankets up over her chest. "I've got her until she needs to eat, try and rest."
Nodding slowly, Gabby needed no more prompting as she closed her eyes, letting herself completely relax for the first time in hours.
"I love you." She murmured into the quiet room, Matt smiling softly as he continued rubbing Sofia's back.
"I love you too, baby."
So, we got to see the Casey's first day as a family. Honestly, writing all these scenes with Sofia and her parents makes me so happy. But, bear with me because I know absolutely nothing about babies. I'm going off very little personal experience and lots of googling, so, from here on out, I apologize if anything's a little off.
I'm gonna get emotional here for a second, but I almost started crying multiple times when reading your reviews for my last few chapters. You all have been so kind and encouraging and loving to me and my work, it's mind blowing. And I am so incredibly grateful for each and every one of you. All I ever wanted with this story was to help me work through my anger and hurt towards the show, and hearing how I've accomplished that for some of you truly makes me so happy. Every time you all say how this story has helped you, I almost start crying because I'm just so grateful to have been able to do that for you all. On my last chapter, one of you kind humans said how you can feel how I put my soul into this story, and that comment really stuck with me because I truly do. I put my all into each of these chapters, I want to give you all the best story I can, and hearing that you all can see that and you all appreciate that, it truly just makes me so happy. I'm so thankful for you all who are sticking with me and are continuing to read this story. Your love and support means the world to me, I wouldn't have gotten this far without you.
Also, uh, in bigger news that honestly shocks and terrifies me, I saw where Monica is returning to the show for the fall finale and.. I'm scared. I'm not stupid enough to put my faith in this show again, but I just wish we had more information around her returning. All I know is seeing Gabby and Matt in scenes together again is going to make me cry, but I'm so nervous for this. I have a feeling I'm not going to like what happens, unless Monica's back for good which I'm sure isn't the case. This whole thing has just made me so anxious, and I'm hoping it goes in a direction I'll like but I'm not going to count on it. This show has let me down so much in the past, I'm not letting myself get my hopes up. But it will be nice to see Gabby Dawson again. I've missed my girl so much.
Thank you all so much for reading. I'm eager to hear your thoughts!
Until the next..