Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all, I know you guys have had to wait a week for it, so I hope you enjoy!
I wanted to thank you all for all the kind words you left me on my last chapter, and also thank you all for the Happy Thanksgiving wishes you left me, you all are so sweet, and I hope you all had a great holiday as well, those of you who celebrate.
I saw a lot of you were glad to see it was Nancy who was calling Matt, so I hope you all like how this plays out. Happy reading!
A few quick things, though. First, I know I talked about how after the holiday I was wanting to get back on my Monday/Thursday update schedule, which I'm still going to try my best to do, but I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up that pace... Which leads us into our next thing.
I'm not sure how many of you saw, but I just uploaded the first chapter to a new little Dawsey story I've been working on. It's called If We Never Say Goodbye, and it's playing off of what happened in the fall finale. I just posted it about an hour ago, if you all would like to go check it out!
Chapter Sixty Seven
Casey drew in a deep breath as he skillfully unlocked the back door to the apartment, juggling the grocery bags in his hands as he carefully pushed the door open, walking inside his home. Once he'd cleared the door, he used his foot to kick it closed, Matt soon hearing the comforting sounds of Sofia's incoherent noises as he stepped further into the apartment.
"Babe?" He called out, placing the grocery bags down on the counter. "I got everything you asked for from the store, although I couldn't find the exact sauce you asked for, so I just got some plain marinara sauce and I figured you could- oh, you're not Gabby." Casey cut himself off when Jemma came around the corner holding Sofia in her arms.
"No, I'm not." She responded with a chuckle, Matt's face lighting up when he looked at his daughter, the little girl distracted by Jemma's shirt.
"There's my baby." He spoke softly, Sofia's eyes moving towards the voice, smiling wide when she saw her dad. "Yeah, Daddy's home." He murmured, carefully taking the small girl from Jemma's grip, Sofia curling into his chest. "I didn't know you'd still be here, although I am glad to see you." Matt said as he returned his attention to Jemma, flashing her a warm smile.
"Yeah, Gabby asked me to stay a little longer, she went to go take a shower." Jemma replied, running her hand over the top of Sofia's head. "We were talking a little longer than we meant to, and lost track of time. She mentioned how your mom is coming for dinner, so I offered to stay and watch Sof so she could get ready." She explained, Matt nodding understandingly as he began bouncing the little girl in his arms.
"Well, I appreciate that… I'm glad you all got some time to catch up, I know everything's been a little hectic around here lately."
"You guys have a new baby, you have a good reason. Does any of this need to be put away?" Jemma asked as she moved into the kitchen, grabbing the bags Casey had just brought in.
"Oh, some of it, yeah, but you don't have to do that."
"I don't mind." She responded before beginning to separate the cold items.
"You're a godsend, do you know that?" Casey asked, Jemma chuckling as she shook her head.
"Hardly." She responded, moving towards the fridge.
"So, you said you and Gabby had a chance to talk?" Matt questioned, hearing her hum in response before continuing. "...Did she tell you about everything going on with work?"
Jemma turned around once the question had left his lips, Matt giving his finger for Sofia to hold onto as he saw a slight frown across Norris' face.
"She did." She responded sadly, shaking her head. "I can't believe all this is happening again… Honestly, I still can't believe they got away with cutting her hours because of her pregnancy in the first place, and now this… It's frustrating for me, I can't imagine how it is for her."
"Yeah, it hasn't been fun." Casey breathed out, his eyes flashing towards his and Gabby's closed bedroom door. "Her and I… she's trying to figure out what she wants to do, but it's not an easy decision."
"I know, and I feel so bad, I wish there was something I could do. And I know everyone at our house would feel the same way… Everyone loves Dawson, but the way they've treated her through this pregnancy, and everything now, I don't blame her for not knowing if she wants to go back. And I told her that." Jemma replied, Matt giving her a soft nod.
"Yeah, I've reminded her multiple times you'd understand if she decides to leave."
"Of course, yeah. All she dealt with with this pregnancy, a little leeway is the least she deserves, and I hate that the SAS is doing this to her. Obviously, I love having her as my partner, I've learned so much from her, and I'm sure I'll never work with a better medic, but I don't want her to come back if it's not the best choice for her."
"That's good to hear… I mean, I knew that already, but we haven't had a chance to talk to you about it, and I know Gabby was a little worried about how you'd react… You're really the only thing keeping her from just accepting Boden's offer." Matt spoke, Jemma furrowing her eyebrows.
"I don't want her making this decision because of me."
"I know you don't, and she knows that too… But you are a factor." Matt spoke, Jemma's face softening. "You're her best friend, and she doesn't want to stop working with you." He elaborated. "I know we'll still see you all the time, but she's missed working with you a lot… She doesn't wanna give that up, and I can't say I blame her. You were really a saving grace for her, Jemma." He spoke softly, the paramedic stepping towards the counter. "You were- are, I should say, the friend she needed after everything that happened, and you have been ever since you two met. Yeah, we'll still see you all the time, but it'll be different for Gabby… I know one of the things she was most looking forward to after this pregnancy was getting to work with you again."
"I still say you two give me way too much credit…" Jemma spoke, shaking her head as Matt grinned softly. "And I was really looking forward to working with her again, too, but I'm not going anywhere. And that's what I told her when we talked about it. You two, you three actually," She clarified, eyeing the baby in his arms, "you all are stuck with me, no matter where Gabby's working."
"Yeah, we wouldn't want it any other way." Matt responded, glancing down towards Sofia, the baby currently playing with his finger. "Isn't that right, Sof? We love having Auntie Jemma around, huh?" His voice raised an octave as he spoke, Sofia smiling wide when her dad spoke to her. "Yeah, that's what I thought." He finished, pressing a kiss to her forehead before he looked back up, finding Jemma watching him with an amused grin. "...What?"
"Nothing." She responded with a shrug. "It's just that Gabby really was right." She spoke vaguely, Matt's head tilting to the side, waiting for her to elaborate. "...You're like a completely different guy around Sofia."
"Is that a bad thing?" He asked with a grin, Jemma shaking her head.
"No, not at all." She responded with a chuckle. "And I know for a fact Gabby loves it." She added, Matt scoffing in amusement as he began moving towards the bedroom.
"How often do you two talk about me, anyway?" He asked as he ran his teeth over his bottom lip, Jemma raising her eyebrows in amusement.
"More often than you probably wanna know." She replied, Matt shaking his head as he opened the bedroom door.
"Yeah, I'm sure you're right about that…" He trailed off, his voice soon turning serious. "But really, thank you for all your help today, we really appreciate it."
"Of course, no need to thank me for anything." She replied, continuing to unpack the groceries as Matt balanced baby Sofia in his arms. "I'm gonna wait around and say goodbye to Gabby, if that's alright."
"Yeah, it's no problem, you stay as long as you want. I'll go see if she's almost ready… it was good to see you, Jemma."
"You too, Matt." She responded with a smile, Casey reciprocating the action before stepping into the quiet bedroom, closing the door behind him. With Sofia in his arms, he glanced around, finding the room empty, Matt's eyes immediately moving towards the bathroom, knowing Gabby had to still be in there. He didn't hear any water running, so he assumed her to have at least finished her shower, Matt walking with a bounce in his step as he moved towards the open doorway, his wife soon coming into view.
He was about to make his presence known before he stopped himself, Matt taking in the appearance of the woman he loved more than anything. She was standing in the middle of the bathroom, staring at herself in the mirror as she smoothed her loose sweater out over her stomach, clearly scrutinizing her appearance as she looked at herself.
While he didn't know what was going on in her head, he knew exactly what was going on in his as his eyes trailed up and down her clothed figure, a small grin forming over his face as his tongue poked out between his teeth. Blowing out a light whistle, the noise gained Gabby's attention as she glanced towards the doorway, smiling softly when she saw her husband and baby.
"Damn, my girl is beautiful." He breathed out, Gabby feeling heat rise to her cheeks before she padded over towards him, her bare feet moving quietly across the tile.
"Hello to you, too." She responded, reaching out to hold onto his waist, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips before giving their daughter a quick kiss as well.
"Hi baby." He greeted, kissing her again, both adults being mindful of the small girl in between them. "How have you been? I was talking to Jemma, it sounded like you two had a good time." He murmured, watching as Gabby's smile widened.
"We did, yeah. It was nice to get some time with her, and she was a huge help with Sofia today, too." Gabby responded, brushing her fingers through Matt's short hair. "What about you, how'd your job go?"
"It was good." He replied, relishing in the feeling of her fingers scratching over his head. "It was tiring, yeah, but I'm glad I got it done. I didn't plan on being gone this long, but I did get everything you needed from the store."
"Thank you." She responded softly. "And it's okay, Jemma was able to stay, so it all worked out fine."
"Yeah, Sofia was having a great time with her when I came in."
"Well, who can blame her?" Gabby questioned before glancing down towards the baby. "Aunt Jemma's so much fun, isn't she?" She cooed, lightly tickling Sofia's stomach, the young girl waving her arms and kicking her legs excitedly.
"How'd she do today?" Matt asked, Gabby's eyes flickering up towards him before looking back to their daughter.
"She did great. She mostly just slept and ate."
"Wow, what a life." He joked, Gabby shaking her head in amusement before lifting Sofia into her arms, the young girl happy to be held by her mother. "You got her all day, and you're already taking my baby from me?"
"Yes, I am." She replied quickly as Sofia cuddled into her mom's chest. "It's already the afternoon, your mom's gonna be here in a few hours and you need to take a shower anyway so you can help me cook."
"Whatever you say, dear." He responded, Gabby's nose scrunching up before a light scoff escaped her lips.
"Yeah, never say that again." She chuckled, pressing a kiss to the side of his mouth before he stepped past her into the bathroom, pulling the t-shirt from his body as he walked towards the shower.
"Why? I kind of like it, dear." He teased her, Gabby cocking her head to the side as he began unbuttoning his pants, chuckling when he saw her gaze focused on his movements. "Like what you see?" He questioned, sliding the clothing down his legs.
"It's not bad." She responded with a grin, Matt shaking his head in amusement before she disappeared around the corner. "Now hurry and clean up, I have work for you to do!" She called from the bedroom, Matt chuckling as he listened to her leave the room, his attention moving back towards his shower as he stood alone in the bathroom.
"Matt?"
Gabby's voice flooded into the kitchen from the bedroom as Matt had the oven open, the man currently checking on the food the both of them had spent the better part of their afternoon preparing.
"Yeah, babe?" He called back, grabbing the oven mitts off the counter so he could remove the dish.
"Can you check on dinner?"
Matt grinned softly, being mindful of the hot pan as he removed it from the oven, placing it on top of the counter. "Yeah, it's looking good." He responded, checking to make sure the oven was turned off before he tossed the oven mitts back down, walking towards the bedroom. When he turned the corner, he stopped in the doorway, watching as Gabby sat in the chair in the corner of the room, her foot propped up on the seat as she nursed Sofia, the little girl holding tightly onto her mother.
"Hi." She murmured, Matt's smile widening as he stepped further into the room.
"Hi babe." He responded just as softly, coming to a stop in front of her. "How are my girl's doing?"
"Well, your daughter is doing great, her mom on the other hand is feeling a little tired of being latched onto twenty four hours a day… but overall, we're both good." She responded with a soft smile, Matt chuckling before leaning down to press a gentle kiss on her forehead. "So dinner looked okay?"
"It looks great, it's out of the oven. I think my mom will love it."
"Yeah, I hope so." She replied, flashing him a weak smile before glancing down at Sofia, the little girl too focused on smacking Gabby's chest to pay attention to anything else. "I've made it for her before, and I think she liked it, so hopefully it goes well."
"It'll be fine." He assured her quickly, bringing his hand up to cradle her cheek, stroking his thumb over her skin. "She's just gonna be excited to meet the baby, and to catch up with us… Really, I don't think there's anything to worry about."
"I'm gonna be holding you to that." She murmured, Matt frowning softly, knowing this was worrying her more than she'd care to admit. He knew Gabby was nervous about spending time with his mother again, and his words of assurance wouldn't do much until after they spent some time together, and Gabby saw everything that was fine. Despite the great relationship Gabby had always had with his mom, he knew his wife was wary to see her because of how things transpired between the couple last year. But he wished it hadn't made her so anxious; this was a good thing, Matt and Gabby reconnecting with his mom, and her being able to meet Sofia, and he just wanted all of them to have a good night.
"Babe, you don't need to worry so much… It's gonna be fine." He spoke quietly, tracing his thumb along her cheekbone. "And on the off chance it's not, then I'll deal with it. Yeah, she's my mom, but if she says or does anything, I'll handle it… But I'm not expecting that, anyway. My mom loves you, Gabby. Probably more than me, and once she gets a better understanding of why things went down the way they did, it'll all be a distant memory. I really don't want you worrying about this…"
"I'm a mother now, I'm in a constant state of worry all the time." Gabby responded with a smug grin, Matt chuckling before he pressed another kiss to her head.
"Yes, I know. It's part of what makes you such an amazing mom... But maybe table this particular worry, okay?"
"We'll see." She replied, biting back a smirk as Matt let out a slight scoff, the pair getting interrupted by sharp knocking on their front door. "... Okay, well I guess we'll find out here in a few minutes."
"I'll get that, you finish up with Sof." He spoke, Gabby giving him a nod as he began walking towards the door. "Take your time, okay?"
"Yeah, I couldn't rush her if I tried." Gabby replied, Matt flashing her a wide, knowing grin before he moved through the doorway, closing the door behind him to give his wife and daughter their privacy until they were done.
Expertly maneuvering the furniture in the apartment, Matt made his way to the front door, blowing out a slow breath as he mentally prepared himself to see his mom again. He was excited, of course he was, but he was also a little nervous, although not for the same reasons as Gabby. It was just the sheer amount of time that had passed since he last saw her, or even talked to her, that had him anxious. He never meant to go this long without talking to her, but the last he knew she wasn't even in Chicago, and she hadn't made much of an attempt to reach out to him, either. He knew it would probably be a little awkward at first, considering everything that's happened since their last call, but he was looking forward to getting past that, and just spending some quality time with his mom.
Turning the lock on the door, Matt pulled it open, taking a step back as he came face to face with his mom, the smile on his face morphing into a look of confusion when he saw she wasn't alone.
"Hi Matthew." She greeted with a warm smile, immediately stepping inside the apartment, bringing her son into a tight hug.
Snapping out of his confused state, he returned his mother's gesture, his eyes flashing to the unknown man still standing in the hallway as he ran his hand along her back.
"Hi mom." He replied, Nancy giving him a tight squeeze before pulling back, gripping his arms as she looked him over.
"You're looking good, Matthew. Although you definitely look like you could use more sleep." She commented, Matt raising his eyebrows.
"Well, with a new baby, Gabby and I are pretty much getting all the sleep we can." He responded, Nancy nodding knowingly.
"Oh yes, I can't wait to meet the little angel, where is she?" She questioned, glancing around the apartment, but they weren't able to see much from their position in the doorway.
"Gabby's nursing her right now, she'll probably fall asleep after but you can see her when she wakes up." Matt answered, Nancy trying to cover the look of disappointment that flashed over her face, quickly masking it with a smile.
"Very well," Nancy responded, the two being interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat, both Casey's turning to look at the man still standing outside the doorway. "Oh, yes, Henry, come in, I'm sorry honey." Nancy spoke, Matt doing what he could to hide the wince on his face at his mother's terminology for the man who was clearly more than a friend. "Henry, this is my son, Matthew. Matthew, this is Henry."
"It's nice to meet you, son." He greeted, his deep voice filling the air as he extended his hand. Nodding slowly, Matt returned the gesture, flashing him a small smile.
"Nice to meet you, too. I'm sorry, I didn't realize my mom was bringing company."
"Oh, Matthew, I'm sorry. I know I should've mentioned it, but I wanted it to be a surprise. I hope it's not too much trouble." She spoke regretfully, Casey shaking his head.
"Of course not, Mom. You know Gabby, she made enough food for an army anyway, we'll just have to set another place at the table, it's fine… Why don't you guys come in, make yourselves at home." He offered, both of them nodding before stepping further into the apartment, Matt closing the door behind them.
"The apartment looks just the same as I remember." She commented as she shrugged off her jacket.
"Yeah, it hasn't changed much." He replied, taking her jacket and hanging it up on the rack, doing the same with Henry's before leading them into the living room. "So, Mom, how long are you staying in Chicago?"
"Not much longer, I'm afraid. We're leaving here in the next few days."
"Oh, I didn't realize it was that soon."
"Yeah, Henry's gotta get back to work, so we can't stay too much longer, but I definitely want to come visit you and the family more, now that there is a family." She spoke pointedly, Matt releasing a heavy sigh.
"Mom... " He started, suddenly very aware of the unfamiliar man's presence, Nancy seeing her son's glance to the man.
"Oh, sweetheart, Henry already knows everything… Or, he knows what all you've told me, you don't need to worry about that." She spoke, Matt eyeing the man carefully before returning his attention to his mother.
"Alright… Well, uh- I'm sorry I never called, after Gabby got back, and then when we found out she was pregnant… There was a lot going on before the baby, and then the pregnancy was really rough on us, everything just happened so fast, but I am sorry you found out the way you did, I know I should've called and told you sooner… We were gonna send out birth announcements, but then Sofia came earlier than planned and- yeah, it was all just a lot. But I am sorry, Mom." He spoke, Nancy nodding with a small smile.
"It's okay, honey... I won't lie to you, it hurt a little bit, but I know I haven't exactly been in your life much recently, and you had your family to worry about… I'm just glad I'll be able to meet your daughter." She spoke, Matt grinning softly.
"Me too." He responded quietly.
"Is Sofia okay?" Nancy asked suddenly, Matt's eyebrows raising in question. "You said she was premature, is she alright?"
"Oh, yeah, she's fine. She's a little small for her age, but she's perfectly healthy. She did have to spend some time in the NICU, when she was first born and then she had a lung infection, so that was stressful, but ever since we brought her home she's been good. I mean, she had a cold for awhile there, and we've been dealing with some colic issues, but overall she's perfectly healthy."
"That's great to hear… Although not about the NICU. I remember how panicked I'd get when you and your sister got so much as a cold, I can't imagine having your baby in the NICU... I know that couldn't have been easy on you two." She spoke with a frown, Matt nodding in agreement.
"Yeah, it definitely was hard… especially on Gabby, cause she really wasn't able to go and be with her." Matt replied gently, grimacing at the memory.
"Why?" Nancy pressed, watching as her son's frown deepened, Matt running his hand over his mouth. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, she's fine now, but, uh-... The reason this pregnancy was so hard on us was because Gabby had an aneurysm, in her abdomen." Matt replied quietly, Nancy's lips turning down into a frown. "It was life-threatening, and we found out about it when we were trying to have a baby last year, and getting the news that Gabby shouldn't get pregnant… That's part of what caused her to originally leave in the first place, we found out about it back in May last year and it really- it really shook us, and Gabby just couldn't handle it…" He trailed off, clearing his throat before continuing. "But, uh, yeah- this pregnancy definitely wasn't planned, and truthfully, it wasn't wanted, at least not on my end, in the beginning because it could've killed her… It almost did kill her."
"Oh my God…" Nancy murmured in disbelief, her eyes shining with sadness.
"Yeah… the pregnancy was really difficult, physically and mentally, because we knew the risks and what could happen, and then during the delivery Gabby's aneurysm ruptured, and she almost died…" He breathed out, shaking his head as he pushed those memories to the back of his head. "But she's okay now, she's perfectly healthy, and so is Sofia." He finished with a smile, his mind calming at just the thought of his girls.
"I'm so glad, I had no idea all that was going on… I mean, I didn't even realize Gabby was back, but I didn't know about the aneurysm, that's awful." Nancy responded sadly.
"It definitely wasn't easy… I was pretty much on edge the entire pregnancy, and there were some other complications during it that we had to deal with… I was kind of a mess, and my head was all over the place, but they're both fine and that's all that matters."
"Yes, it is." Nancy replied with a warm smile, gripping Matt's arm comfortingly. "So… Gabby's back, you all have a daughter, are there any other major life events I need to know about?" She questioned, her son's immediate shift in demeanor giving her her answer. "What is it?" She pressed, Matt smiling sheepishly.
"Well, uh… Gabby and I got remarried." He replied, Nancy's eyes widening in surprise, her lips parting slightly.
"Oh… Wow." She breathed out, clearly not having expected that news. "...Please don't take this the wrong way, but was it because of Sofia?" She asked hesitantly, Matt immediately shaking his head.
"No, no… not at all." He responded, Nancy nodding with a soft smile. "I bought the ring before we found out about the baby, but we did get remarried before Sofia was born… We wanted to be married when she got here, and if anything did happen to Gabby…" He trailed off, Nancy's smile falling as Matt shook his head. "We just wanted to be married again."
"Well, I think that's great, Matthew." She spoke genuinely, running her hand over his arm. "I know how much you and Gabby love each other, and clearly there was more going on with you two than I realized… but I know you make each other happy, and you'll both be amazing parents to Sofia." She replied, Matt smiling warmly.
"Thanks Mom." He murmured, Nancy giving him a nod.
"But I am curious, what happened to her old ring?" She asked, watching as her son's eyebrows raised.
"Hmm?"
"You said you bought her a new ring before you found out about the pregnancy, why a new one?" She questioned again, Matt's body tensing slightly in hesitation.
He knew it was an innocent question, but he wasn't sure if it was one he could answer; or at least answer honestly. Although he was so glad to be reconnecting with his mother, and even more happy to see she wasn't upset with him, or Gabby, he wasn't sure the story of why Gabby's ring needed replacing was something he should share. Her attack wasn't his information to tell, not to anyone, let alone his mother and this random man he'd only met a few minutes ago, and the last thing he wanted to do was upset Gabby by sharing something so personal that she'd gone through. He knew the real answer to her question wasn't an answer he could give.
So he opted for a different approach; he lied.
"Oh, yeah… Well, I just thought a new ring was best. Fresh start, you know?" He covered, his words earning a nod from his mom.
"That's probably not a bad idea…" She mused, Matt nodding before glancing back towards the closed bedroom door.
"I'm gonna go check on Gabby, make sure she doesn't need anything… you two make yourselves at home, I'll get you some drinks when I get back." He told them, Nancy nodding before he stepped away, moving back towards the bedroom.
Casey opened the door quietly, not wanting to risk waking Sofia if she was asleep, Matt poking his head in to find Gabby in the same position he left her, Sofia still clinging to her mom.
"Hey." Gabby murmured, Matt opening the door just enough to slip inside before he closed it again. "Sorry this is taking so long, she's really hungry… apparently." She breathed out, Matt flashing her a warm smile as he walked across the room, sitting down on the footrest.
"It's okay, there's no rush." He responded, gently stroking the top of Sofia's head with his hand.
"How's your mom?" Gabby asked, Matt peeling his eyes away from his daughter to meet his wife's.
"She's good, she's excited to see you, and the baby… Her and Henry both." He added, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing in confusion, his gaze moving towards the closed door before looking back at Gabby. "Yeah, I had the same reaction." He chuckled.
"Who's Henry?" Gabby asked, Matt shrugging.
"We haven't exactly gotten that far, but considering she called him 'honey', and she invited him to dinner with her son and daughter in-law, I'm assuming he's not just a friend." He replied, Gabby laughing softly as she held onto Sofia.
"Your mom has a boyfriend, that's sweet." Gabby mused, earning a playful glare from her husband. "What? Women have needs, Matt." She added, her laughs getting louder when she saw the grimace covering his face.
"I love you, but please shut up." He responded jokingly, Gabby grinning as he stood up. "But, now that that's burned into my brain, I'm gonna get back out there, I just came to check on my girls.. And I didn't want you blindsided by Henry when you got out there."
"I appreciate that, and we're good, babe. She's barely staying awake, I shouldn't be much longer." She replied, Matt nodding before leaning down, giving her a quick peck on her lips.
"Like I said, take your time. I've gotta set another place at the table, anyway."
"Yes, well, your mother's boyfriend needs a place to eat." She joked, Matt groaning as he rolled his eyes, pressing his hand into his temple.
"God, I really don't like you right now." He muttered, his words earning another laugh from her.
"Yes you do." She responded, Matt grinning knowingly as he continued towards the door.
"Yes… I do." He agreed, winking at her with his signature Casey smirk before he left the room, slipping out as quietly as he entered.
As he stood against the closed door, he saw his mom and Henry standing over by the desk across the living room, their backs facing him as they looked at something he couldn't see, clearly unaware of his presence as Matt began walking towards them.
"So, your son's got himself a nice ethnic woman."
Matt's steps slowed as the words left Henry's lips, his thick southern accent filling the room as Casey's back tensed up, suddenly feeling very grateful Gabby wasn't out here yet. He could only assume they were looking at one of the many pictures of him and Gabby littered throughout the apartment, which, obviously, would've given away the fact that Gabby wasn't white, although Matt wasn't sure why it mattered.
"Gabby, yes." Nancy replied, Matt eyeing the back of his mother's head. "She's very lovely, I always knew they'd be good together… Mother's intuition, you know."
"Yeah, but didn't she leave him?" Henry asked, Matt glaring at the man as he stood behind them, the two of them still very unaware of his presence. "This is the same woman, right? He mentioned they got remarried." He continued, Nancy releasing a sharp sigh.
"Yeah, that's her… I don't know, when I heard from Matthew they were separating, I was shocked, because I know how much they loved each other- love each other," she corrected, "And after hearing just a little bit from him already, I know there's a lot that happened there that I have no idea about… There's definitely more to the story of why she left, and why she stayed… But from what I know about Gabby, I know how much she loves my son, I've never questioned that. Of course I never want to see him hurt, but I know how happy she makes him, and they're adults… If they've worked through the problems, there's no reason for me to hold any grudge against her." She continued, Henry giving her a nod. "She's a wonderful woman, and even if I never find out what all exactly happened between them, what I do know is Matt's never been happier with anyone else… She's it for him, I'm just glad she came back."
"As long as you and Matt are happy, that's all I care about." Henry replied, Matt's confusion growing as he listened to the man's words. He had no idea Henry even existed until tonight, yet the way he was talking, this man was acting like they'd known each other for years, and it was definitely strange. "She went to Puerto Rico, right?"
The more this man spoke, the more Matt understood that he really did know a lot about his life, even though the same definitely couldn't be said for him. He didn't even know this guy's last name, but from what Matt could tell, Henry knew everything his mom did.
"Yeah, she did."
"Is that where she's from?"
"No, she just went there to do aid work." Nancy replied, Henry nodding as he placed the picture frame down.
"And, uh- she does speak English, right?"
"Yes, she does." Matt cut in roughly, his voice surprising both of them as they quickly turned around. He hadn't felt the need to jump in up until this point, but he couldn't listen to whatever vaguely racist comments were sure to be coming from this man, Matt figuring it best to go ahead and step in.
"Oh, honey, you scared me, I didn't know you were there." Nancy replied, Matt's eyes focused in on the man next to her.
"Yeah, I figured." He responded, Nancy blowing out a sigh.
"Matthew, he didn't mean anything by it." She spoke, Henry shaking his head in agreement.
"No, absolutely not. No offense intended here, son. I just wasn't sure if there'd be a language barrier or not, I know sometimes with people who aren't Americans, they don't always know the language... that sometimes those people don't know English. I just wasn't sure, and I didn't want to make things uncomfortable." He added, Matt's glare narrowing as he spoke, his ignorance causing Casey's body to tense up.
"Gabby was born right here in Chicago." Matt spoke firmly, Henry giving him a nod. "She's as much of an American as I am, or as you are."
"He really didn't mean to offend you, honey." Nancy was quick to add, seeing the anger seeping from her son.
"Oh, no no, of course not. I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to upset you." He agreed, Matt running his tongue over his bottom lip before nodding, no one able to get another word in before they heard the bathroom door open, Matt turning around just in time to see Gabby walk through the door, baby monitor in hand as she shut it behind her.
"There she is." Nancy spoke warmly, a relieved smile forming on Gabby's face as she stepped further into the room, Matt relaxing at just the sight of her, his anger melting away when he saw her soft grin. Although the previous conversation had him on edge, he was glad Gabby was finally out here, and he was even more thankful that, as far as he could tell, she hadn't heard any of it. He didn't want Henry's ignorance to ruin the night for her, especially not when she was already nervous enough, and as long as nothing was said to her, Matt would be fine pretending it had never happened. Despite his intentions, his words were offensive, and the last thing Matt wanted was for Gabby to be upset over what had been said.
"Hi Nancy." She greeted as she came closer, her hands clasped together in front of her.
"Hi sweetheart." The older woman replied, bringing Gabby into a hug the second she got close enough, Gabby immediately reciprocating the action. "It's so nice to see you again."
"It's good to see you, too." She agreed, Nancy running her hand over her back before they pulled away, Gabby flashing a soft smile to man she assumed to be Henry. "Hi, I'm Gabby, it's nice to meet you." She introduced herself, shaking the man's hand.
"Nice to meet you, too, Gabby. I'm Henry."
Dawson nodded with a polite smile before she stepped back towards Matt, immediately tucking herself into his side. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get out here…"
"Oh, nothing to apologize for, you've gotta take care of your baby." Nancy spoke lightly, Matt feeling Gabby's body was much more relaxed than it had been earlier, his mom's demeanor putting her at ease. "I can't wait to meet her."
"As soon as she wakes up, you can see her." Matt spoke, Nancy nodding as they began moving into the kitchen. "Babe, do you want me to set the other place at the table, or start getting the food out?" He asked Gabby as Nancy and Henry stopped at the table.
"If you can get the food, I'll set the table." She answered, Matt giving her a nod before they both began moving around the kitchen, seamlessly weaving around one another as they got everything prepared.
Soon enough, the four of them were seated at the table, Gabby and Matt on one side while his mom and Henry were on the other, the baby monitor placed next to Matt.
"You two really didn't have to go through all this trouble, ordering in something would've been fine… I know how time consuming a new baby is." Nancy spoke as she took in the meal that had been prepared, Gabby waving her off.
"Oh, no it was fine. Matt and I were able to get it done pretty quickly, and we had some help with Sofia this afternoon."
"So you've hired help?" Nancy asked as she began putting some food on her plate, Matt shaking his head.
"No, we haven't, although when Gabby goes back to work, we'll have to. But it was just our friend, Jemma." He answered, putting a piece of chicken on Gabby's plate. "She's Sofia's godmother." He added, Nancy nodding as she got some pasta.
"Have I met Jemma?" Nancy asked, racking her brain as she tried to place a face with the name, but she was coming up empty.
"No, you haven't. We met her last year, her and Gabby work together, she's her partner." Matt explained.
"Oh, so she works at the firehouse?"
"No, she works for a private company." Gabby spoke up, Nancy's eyebrows furrowing as she glanced between her and Matt.
"You're not back at the firehouse?" She questioned, Gabby's eyes flickering to Henry before looking back at Nancy.
"Um, well, that's kind of a long story."
Seeing her look and sensing her hesitation, Nancy shot Gabby a warm smile, shaking her head. "Dear, anything I know, Henry knows, you don't need to worry about that." She spoke, Gabby giving her a weak smile before glancing towards Matt, knowing he'd let her take the lead on however much she wanted to share.
"Okay, well, uh- when I came back to Chicago, I decided to go work for this private ambulance company. They'd tried to recruit me before I left, and I thought it might be a good fit so I decided to go and work there… That's where I met Jemma."
"She must be a special woman, if you decided to have her be Sofia's godmother."
"She is." Matt cut in. "She's amazing, you'd like her."
"Yeah, so that's how we met her." Gabby finished, Nancy nodding.
"Well, I'm glad, she sounds great… So, you will be returning to work, Gabby?"
"Yeah, I am… There's some things we need to figure out, and I'm not sure exactly when, but I do want to keep working."
"And you'll be getting some help for Sofia?"
"We will. We've been looking into nannies… Someone who can be with her while we're on shift. Gabby's dad helps out a lot, and so does her brother, but we'll need something more permanent for when Gabby gets back to work." Matt answered, Nancy giving him a nod. "But we're not rushing anything, Gabby's still not a hundred percent since her surgery, and, obviously, Sofia's the priority here… We want the right fit for her."
"Yeah, I'm still haven't even decided when I'll be going back… Whoever we hire, we want to spend some time with them first, see them with Sofia, before we leave her with them for an entire day at a time."
"That's smart, yeah… But I know you two will make the best decision for your family." Nancy spoke softly, Matt and Gabby both wearing small smiles. "But you're back at work, Matthew?"
"I am, yeah. Have been for a few weeks."
"How's that going?" She pressed, Gabby taking a bite of her food while the focus was on her husband.
"It's been alright… I'm glad to be back, but it has been an adjustment for all of us. It's hard being away from Sofia for that long. But we're managing." He admitted, flashing Gabby a smile when he felt her squeeze his leg under the table.
"That's definitely always the hardest part." She replied sympathetically, "but I'm glad things are going so well for you… for the both of you." She added, Gabby and Matt both nodding. "When I called, I definitely wasn't expecting all this, but I'm so glad everything worked out, and that you two have little Sofia… I know how much you've both always wanted this, and I'm happy you finally have it."
"Thanks mom." Matt replied softly, Gabby unable to stop the small smile pulling on her lips.
"Thank you." She murmured, Matt rubbing along her back.
Before any of them could say anything else, a sharp cry came through the baby monitor, Matt and Gabby both immediately looking towards the object, seeing Sofia moving around as she cried.
"I guess someone's awake." Nancy spoke with a laugh, Matt chuckling as he pushed his seat back.
"Yeah, I guess so… I got her, babe." He spoke to his wife, Gabby nodding as he grabbed the baby monitor, heading for the bedroom, the three of them watching him until he disappeared into the room.
"So, Gabby…" Nancy spoke, Dawson looking over from the door to find both Nancy and Henry watching her. "I know you've been back for awhile, but how was the work you were doing in Puerto Rico?" She asked, Gabby running her tongue over her bottom lip before responding.
"It was good, it was really good…" She answered, taking a sip of her water. "I, uh, I really enjoyed helping everyone there, the work was really rewarding, but, I uh- I just felt like it was time to come home." She finished, averting her eyes down to her plate, unsure of exactly where this conversation was headed. Although the evening had gone well up to this point, Gabby really had no way of knowing if that had solely been for Matt's benefit or not. She couldn't imagine Nancy was too happy with her after what she must've heard from Matt right after she left, she just hoped whatever resentment she'd been feeling for her had gone away, and that Nancy really did mean what she was saying.
Seeing her hesitance, Nancy sighed, the sound causing Gabby to look back up. "Honey, you don't need to feel like you have to explain yourself to me… I'm not going to pretend to understand what happened between you two. When I learned you two were getting a divorce, I was shocked. And yes, I was a little surprised to hear you were back together, but I know how much you love Matthew, I've always known it, even when you two weren't together, and I can see that hasn't changed."
"That's never changed." Gabby murmured, Nancy nodding with a soft smile. "A lot happened between us, but I never stopped loving him… I love him more than anything. Well, aside from Sofia." She added, Nancy giving her an understanding nod.
"I know you do. I've always believed you were good for my son, and I still believe that. I know I haven't been around much, but I'm just happy to see you two doing so well after everything… Whatever happened between you two, I'm glad you got through it." She spoke sincerely, Gabby nodding in agreement.
"So am I." She agreed, turning to look back towards the bedroom when she heard Matt's footsteps, a soft smile forming over her face when he walked out with a now-content Sofia in his arms.
"Oh my gosh, look at her." Nancy cooed, immediately pushing herself up from her seat, coming to meet Matt a few steps away from the table. Matt held Sofia with her back against his chest, one hand resting under her while the other held her over her chest, giving Nancy the perfect view of her granddaughter.
"She didn't want to sleep, huh?" Gabby asked with a grin as she took in the sight of her very much alert daughter, Matt shaking his head in amusement.
"Definitely not… She knew there was a party going out here." He replied, Sofia grabbing ahold of Nancy's finger, looking at the new face curiously. "Mom… this is Sofia." Matt formally introduced them, Nancy's smile widening as when the young girl began waving her arms around.
"She's absolutely perfect." Nancy mused, glancing up to her son. "Can I hold her?"
"Of course." He responded without hesitation, carefully handing Sofia over. She fussed at first, not liking to leave the security of her father's embrace, but she soon settled down when she saw her dad was still beside her, Sofia calming in Nancy's arms.
"Wow… she's beautiful, and so little." She murmured, Matt glancing towards Gabby, seeing a warm smile resting on his wife's face.
"She is small, but her personality more than makes up for it." Gabby replied.
"So, yeah, she's Gabby's daughter." Matt teased, earning a playful glare from Gabby, while his mom and Henry laughed.
"She does look a lot like you, Gabby, but those eyes… it's like I'm looking at you, Matthew. They're exactly like yours." She spoke softly, staring down at her granddaughter in wonder.
"Yeah, they are." He agreed, winking quickly at Gabby before looking back at his daughter, seeing her fascinated by the necklace around his mother's neck.
"Oh, yes, I definitely remember that well." Nancy spoke lightly, paying close attention while Sofia played with the object, not wanting her to break it or accidentally hurt herself. "She reminds me so much of you as a baby, Matthew… I'm so glad I was able to meet her."
"Me too, Mom." He responded, the smile on his face widening as he watched his mother interact with his daughter.
While this hadn't been a moment he ever expected to happen, at least not anytime soon, he was more than grateful for it, Matt feeling completely content as he stood here in the apartment, thankful to be surrounded by his family.
Matt slowly backed away from Sofia's bassinet, baby monitor in hand as he blindly moved backwards towards the bathroom, not wanting to risk waking his baby after spending the last half hour trying to get her to sleep. When he got to the slightly ajar bathroom door, Matt spared one last glance to his sleeping baby before stepping inside, returning the door to its original position against the doorframe. Turning around, Matt smiled softly when he saw his wife relaxing in the bathtub, her eyes closed as she rested her head against the back of the tub, completely oblivious to his presence.
"You wanna take a picture? It'll last longer." She asked while keeping her eyes closed, Matt smiling smugly. Okay, maybe not so oblivious.
"Don't tempt me, because you know I will." He replied with a chuckle, Gabby smirking as she opened her eyes, glancing towards her husband as he stepped further into the bathroom. "How's your bath?"
"Phenomenal." She responded without hesitation, rolling out her neck as Matt set down on the edge of the tub, placing his hand on her wet knee the was peeking out above the water. "The baby asleep?"
"Yeah, she is. She put up a bit of a fight though, but I think she finally just wore herself out." He responded, Gabby nodding as Matt began tracing his thumb along the side of her knee.
"Thank you for feeding her, and putting her to bed… I really needed a break." She breathed out, Matt nodding understandingly.
"Of course." He replied quickly, Gabby letting her eyes fall closed again as she focused on the feeling of his hand moving against her leg. "You never need to thank me for that, I love getting to feed her whenever I can." He added lightly, seeing a soft smile form across her lips.
"I know you do." She murmured, "But still, it's greatly appreciated. Her feedings right before bed, she's always on there for awhile, and I really wasn't up for it tonight."
"Are you okay?" He asked quickly, Gabby nodding as she turned her head towards him, opening her eyes.
"I'm fine, just sore... I needed the break." She repeated, Matt nodding as he moved his hand up her leg a bit.
"Well, if you want me to use bottles during the night, just let me know. You've got a lot of milk stored up, we'd be fine to use some of that tonight. I mean, I know I'm not you, but Sofia does pretty well with the bottle."
"Yeah, she does. And maybe, we'll see how it goes." She replied, Matt giving her another nod as he continued trailing his fingers up the inside of her leg, his hand disappearing under the water. "...Matt." She spoke warningly, seeing a sheepishly grin cover his face, feeling his thumb rubbing against the inside of her thigh.
"Mhmm?" He questioned, continuing to move his hand further up her leg.
"What are you doing?" She asked, her bottom lip tucking between her teeth.
"Nothing." He answered with a wide grin, Gabby shaking her head as she placed her hand over his, sliding it back towards her knee.
"Easy there, buddy." She joked, Matt never dropping his grin. "Your entire arm is soaked."
"So I guess I should just go ahead and join you in the bath, then?" He asked, cocking his head to the side as Gabby scoffed, shaking her head in amusement.
"You really leapt to that one, didn't you?" Gabby asked with a chuckle, Matt shrugging before pulling his t-shirt over his head, tossing it the ground.
"Sounds like a yes to me." He replied, standing up and beginning to unbutton his pants, sliding them to the ground.
"Only if you keep your hands to yourself."
"I make no promises." Matt told her, sliding his boxers off before stepping towards the tub, Gabby giving him room to slide in behind her. It didn't take much time for them to get comfortable, Matt wrapping his arms around her waist, being mindful to not touch her chest as he pulled her back into his embrace, Gabby's body resting in between his legs. Blowing out a content sigh, Matt pressed a soft kiss to the top of her shoulder, Gabby relaxing back into him as she rested her head against his collarbone. "I've missed this." He murmured, kissing her skin again.
"Me too." She agreed softly, resting her hands on each of his legs, relishing in closeness as they sat together in the tub. "...So, I think today went well." She spoke, Matt grinning as he rubbed his thumb across her stomach.
"It went great." He replied, "I mean, aside from my mother's boyfriend showing up, but everything else was great."
"Oh, so you weren't happy to meet your future stepdad?" She asked with a teasing tone to her voice, Matt narrowing his eyes as he tickled her side, Gabby shifting around in his hold.
"Yeah, not so funny now, are ya?" He asked, Gabby laughing as she pushed his hands away, Matt sliding them back around to her front. "But no, I wasn't exactly expecting that. Not at all… But I'm just glad she came, and she got to meet Sofia."
"Me too." She responded, turning her head to press a kiss to his jaw. "I know how important that was for you, I'm glad everything went well. She absolutely loved Sof."
"Oh, yeah, we couldn't pry her away from her." Matt added with a laugh, kissing the side of her head. "And she was really happy to see you, too."
"Yeah… it was nice to spend some time with her." Gabby agreed, pressing her back into his chest. "I know you said everything would be fine, but I was still a little worried…"
"I know you were, but today was a good day. I knew she'd be okay with everything, I think she was just shocked at first to hear that we'd gotten back together, and Sofia on top of that… it was a lot of information at once. But I told you, you're her favorite. She couldn't stay mad at you even if she wanted to… Guess it's the effect you have on the Caseys."
"Smooth, real smooth." She responded softly. "But you forget, I'm a Casey now, too. Again."
"Oh, believe me, I could never forget that… It's one of the best things that's ever happened to me, you being a Casey." He murmured, peppering her skin with gentle kisses. "But really, Henry aside, everything today went really well, I'm so glad we got to spend some time with my mom."
"Me too, baby." She agreed, lifting her arm up to rest her hand on the side of his head, running her wet fingers through his hair, a slight yawn escaping her lips.
"You wanna get out?" Matt offered, resting his cheek against her shoulder. "We could go ahead and get to bed."
"In a minute." She responded softly, leaning her head against neck. "I'm perfect right here for now."
With a small smile, Matt nodded against her, rubbing his thumb across her stomach as the husband and wife sat in the warm bath, both of them wanting to enjoy the moment just for them for a few more moments.
And there's another one. Looks like the conversation with Nancy went well, which I hope you all are pleased with. I really enjoyed writing it, so I hope you all liked it as well. We've got a few things coming up here soon, like Gabby returning to work, wherever that may be.
I hope you guys enjoyed this one, I'm excited to hear what you think. Thank you for reading!
Also, just a little reminder of my new story, If We Never Say Goodbye. I really enjoyed writing the first chapter, and I hope you guys enjoy it as well!
Until the next.