Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all, I think you guys are gonna like this one. Happy reading!
Chapter Sixty Eight
"So, where's Stella tonight?" Casey asked as he walked around the large living room, cradling a sleepy twelve-week old Sofia in his arms as she drank from her bottle, the little girl fighting to keep her eyes open as she watched her father, Matt smiling softly at her while she ate.
"She's closing up Molly's tonight." Kelly responded, taking a sip of his beer as Matt continued bouncing around with Sofia, doing what he could to try and get her to sleep, the movement distracting Severide as he tried to focus on the game. "And where'd you say Dawson was?"
"She's at home." Matt replied simply, Kelly nodding. "I think she mentioned something about Jemma maybe coming over, but she's just resting."
"...She didn't want to keep the baby?" Severide asked, Matt cocking his head to the side.
"You got a problem with my kid, Kelly?" He questioned jokingly, Kelly immediately shaking his head as he scoffed lightly.
"Calm down, papa bear, I was just asking. I wasn't sure why you brought Sofia when Gabby wasn't doing anything, that's all." Severide replied with a chuckle, Matt nodding as he glanced to the baby.
"We're trying to get Sofia used to being away from Gabby." Matt responded, Kelly nodding softly. "With Gabby probably going back to work soon, we're trying to get Sof ready for that, and Gabby too, if I'm being honest… Sofia's adjusted to being away from me, but Gabby, not so much. So we're trying to get her used to being away from her mom." He explained, looking back towards his friend. "I would've called and told you, but I knew we were staying in so I didn't think it was a problem."
"It's never a problem." Severide was quick to clarify, "I love the little squirt. I just wasn't expecting the tiny addition to our guys night, but she's always welcome." He added, Matt flashing him a smile. "Although don't think that I'm not gonna give you shit for walking in with that baby strapped to your chest." He laughed, Casey rolling his eyes as he continued walking around, trying to soothe Sofia to sleep.
"Yeah, I figured you'd have some comment about that." He breathed out, shaking his head. "She likes being held by me or Gabby, and I didn't have her carrier in the car, so I had to use one of Gabby's wraps… is that okay with you?" He questioned sarcastically, earning a chuckle from his friend.
"Hey, I'm just sayin! You literally had her car seat in your hand, it was funny, that's all." Severide defended with another laugh.
"She was fussing the entire ride over here, and I knew wearing her would calm her down- you know what?" He cut himself off, Severide raising his eyebrows. "I don't need to explain myself to a 38 year old man-child. When you have kids one day, you'll understand." Matt spoke, Kelly shaking his head in amusement.
"Well, even though I think you're a little insane, if I can be half the parent you and Dawson are, I think my kid will be fine." He responded, Casey glancing up to him, cocking his head to the side. "What? I can be sincere sometimes… I still think you're kind of ridiculous, but Sof is lucky to have that."
"Thanks, Sev… I think." Matt replied, Severide laughing before taking another sip of his beer, Casey slowly moving back towards the couch, sitting down easily.
"She asleep?" Kelly asked, Matt nodding as he relaxed back into the couch, placing the nearly empty bottle on the end table.
"Yeah, for now… We'll see if she stays that way." He replied quietly. "She's been doing this thing where she wakes up about ten or fifteen minutes after she first falls asleep… We don't know why, and it's got Gabby a little worried, but she always falls back asleep, eventually." He explained, Severide giving a slight nod.
"I'm sure she's fine."
"Yeah, I know… She's not like waking up screaming or anything, usually just some crying until Gabby or I get her, but it's just a little weird." Matt responded, Kelly giving him a nod as he glanced to the sleeping baby, seeing her curled up into her dad's chest.
"I mean, I don't know a lot about babies… or anything about babies, but I'm sure it's just a phase." Severide responded, Matt giving an agreeing nod. "Babies are weird, they do a lot of strange shit… Although I can't imagine it's very fun for either you or Gabby." He added lightly, Matt scoffing with a grin.
"Definitely not. I'm just hoping whatever it is, it stops before Gabby goes back to work because I don't think she could handle having another thing to worry about." He breathed out, glancing up towards the TV, checking the score of the game before looking back to Sofia.
"I take it Dawson isn't handling the idea of going back to work very well?" Severide prodded, Matt giving a gentle shrug, being careful to not move too much, not wanting to disturb the baby.
"Most days she's okay, just the normal worry. The most we've done with them away from each other is like four or five hours, and that went fine, but that's completely different from an entire day." He replied, Severide nodding understandingly. "She's kind of like how I was- still am, some days. She's worried to leave her for that long… But it's different because at least when I went back to work, I knew Gabby was with her. Now, us having to put our faith in a complete stranger… it's a little nerve wracking for the both of us."
"That's understandable… How's that going, by the way? The nanny search?"
"We think we might've found the one, actually." He responded with a grin, Kelly raising his eyebrows.
"Really? Last I heard you hadn't found anyone you thought was a good fit."
"Yeah, well that was before we met Becca."
"Becca?" He questioned, Casey nodding.
"Becca Sawyer… We met her last week." Matt elaborated, Severide's head tilting to the side.
"You've known her less than a week and you're already saying she's 'the one' to take care of your kid? Must be some woman." Severide breathed out, Matt glancing up at him.
"She's amazing. We met her through one of the people Donna recommended, and from the first time we met her, Gabby and I both just had a good feeling about her. And she's incredible with her," Matt spoke, nodding towards the baby, "Sofia loves her."
"How old is she?" Severide questioned, Matt's eyes narrowing slightly as he glanced towards his friend.
"Twenty two." He replied slowly, Kelly nodding.
"Twenty two, huh?" He asked, Matt's glare focused on his friend. "Is she, uh- is she hot?"
Casey's tongue ran over his bottom lip as he lifted his head slightly, wearing an unamused look on his face. "You wanna wait until Kidd gets back and ask me that again?" He asked, Severide shifting in his seat.
"I was just wondering, objectively… I'm in a committed relationship, I'm not gonna try and sleep with your nanny."
"Yeah, you better not. She's off limits, I didn't think that needed to be said, considering." Casey replied pointedly, Kelly holding his hands up in defense.
"I'm not asking for me…" He responded, Matt raising his eyebrows. "You hear all the time about nannies trying to sleep with the kid's dads."
"Oh, brother." Casey breathed out, shaking his head.
"What? I was just curious, wasn't sure if Gabby needed to be worried about that…"
"You 'hear all the time', huh? In porn, maybe." Matt replied quickly, Kelly smiling sheepishly before taking another sip of his beer. "And I don't know why you keep insinuating I'd ever cheat on Gabby-"
"That was only one other time." Kelly cut in, Matt rolling his eyes before continuing.
"Yeah, and that's two times too many." Matt replied, shaking his head. "But anyway, Becca's great. She's spent some time with Sofia a few different times, we had her over for dinner once, her and Gabby get along great, too."
"That's good, man."
"Yup. The only thing left is to have her actually spend the night with Sofia, and see how that goes…" He breathed out.
"And how does Gabby feel about that?" He asked, Matt looking back at Sofia.
"She's nervous. Hell, so I am. Leaving our kid with a stranger, no matter how nice she is, it's not easy, but we've gotta do it." He responded softly, his eyes tracing over Sofia's face. "We don't have a choice… We're definitely having her first night with her somewhat supervised, although I'm not expecting any issues. Becca is great, really. She's definitely a good fit for us."
Before either of them could say anything else, Matt's phone began ringing in his pocket, the ringtone mixed with the buzzing immediately pulling Sofia from her sleep.
"Shit." Matt muttered, the young girl beginning to cry almost instantly, Casey keeping her secure in his arm as he slid his other hand into his pocket, pulling his phone out to see who was calling, wanting to make sure it wasn't Gabby. "It's okay, Sof." He murmured, huffing out a breath before he silenced the call, tossing his phone down onto the couch. "It's okay, baby."
Casey tried to soothe Sofia, the girl's loud cries filling the apartment as Matt adjusted her in his arms, picking up her small hand in his, letting her grab onto his finger. "Yeah, you're okay… it's alright." He spoke softly, Sofia's cries slowly dying down as she opened her eyes, her bright blue eyes mirroring her father's. "There's my girl." He murmured, rubbing his thumb against her cheek, Sofia settling into her dad's arms, the young girl opening and closing her mouth, her tongue poking out between her lips. "You wanna finish your milk? Yeah, I bet that would make you happy, huh." He spoke, carefully reaching across his body, picking up her bottle and putting it near her lips. She fought it at first, Sofia always needing to be persuaded to take the bottle more so than when she was nursing with Gabby, but after she few tries she took it, Sofia eagerly beginning to eat the rest of her meal, her little fist gripping onto his pinky while he held the bottle for her.
Over the past few weeks, both Gabby and Matt had made the decision to split time between Gabby and the bottle for Sofia, knowing the little girl needed to get used to it for when Gabby wouldn't be there. It was a necessity, but Sofia hadn't been very fond of it at first, and she still put up a fight from time to time, the little girl preferring her mom over anything else, but she was doing pretty well with it. It had been hard at first, having to change their entire schedule, and Gabby having to make sure she kept her milk supply up, but they were figuring it out. Though Sofia was still the most content whenever she was latched onto her mom, Matt couldn't help but enjoy getting to feed Sofia more often. It was a bonding experience with his little girl that he cherished, and getting to do it more often made him ecstatic.
When Sofia was first born, it was something that made him a little sad, knowing he wasn't really able to experience that with his daughter, but he and Gabby had both decided breastfeeding was what they wanted to do for her, as long as Gabby was able. But he'd be lying if he said he didn't feel a little left out, knowing that while he could support both Gabby and Sofia during feedings, he couldn't actually feed her. He had gotten to feed her a few times when they were in the hospital, but ever since Sofia recovered from her lung infection, she'd been strictly nursing the majority of the time. So when he and Gabby decided to start getting her used to the bottle more, he was excited, although he tried to keep that to himself, knowing Gabby had some mixed feelings about it. He had let her take the lead on how long Sofia would be strictly breastfed, but when they started talking about Gabby going back to work, they knew it wouldn't be possible for much longer, and that it was time to start reacclimating her with the bottle. Although she was still solely on breastmilk, it was a big adjustment for the three of them, and Matt knew he was enjoying it the most out of all of them.
"She alright?" Severide spoke up, Matt peeling his eyes away from his daughter, who was still happily drinking away.
"Yeah, yeah, she's fine."
"Was that Gabby?" Kelly questioned, glancing to the phone sitting on the couch in between them, Casey shaking his head.
"No, it was my mom." He replied, Kelly giving him a nod.
"Oh yeah, it's been a few weeks since the big family dinner." He spoke with a smug grin, Casey rolling his eyes as he saw Sofia beginning to give into her exhaustion yet again. "So you guys are keeping in touch?"
"Yeah, we've been talking a few times a week, just keeping her updated on the baby and everything." He responded, slowly pulling the empty bottle away from Sofia's mouth, placing it on the couch before using the cloth to wipe away some of the milk on the edge of her mouth.
"They're not still in Chicago, are they?"
"No… Thank God." He muttered, Severide's eyebrows furrowing as he looked at his friend.
"I thought you said the dinner went well?"
"It did, with my mom. I just could've done without her racist prick of a boyfriend, though." Casey breathed out, Severide's eyes widening in shock.
"What?"
"Henry, he's kind of- no, not kind of. He's racist." Matt spoke, Kelly blinking quickly.
"...Oh."
"Yeah." Matt spoke bitterly, shaking his head. "I mean, he was fine with Gabby when she was there, and the baby, but he made some comments… Said I found myself a 'nice ethnic woman', and he assumed Gabby wasn't born here, oh, and that she couldn't speak English… referred to her as 'those people'."
"Jesus Christ…" Severide breathed out with a grimace, Matt nodding.
"Yeah, I know. I almost decked him."
"You didn't mention all this last time." Kelly spoke, Casey shaking his head.
"Yeah, because Gabby was right there, and she doesn't know." He replied, pursing his lips together.
"...Oh."
"Yeah, again." Matt spoke, shaking his head. "She was nursing Sofia when he was saying all that, she didn't hear any of it, thankfully... She was already dealing with enough, being worried about seeing my mom again after everything, I didn't want to add anything else on top of it."
"Are you gonna tell her? I mean, she should probably know… And does your mom know?"
"She was standing right there, and I have a feeling she at least had some idea before she brought him… He wasn't exactly hesitant to throw out his opinions, which is another reason I'm not sure why she brought him at all. But with Gabby… I don't know. I don't like keeping things from her, but it's just gonna upset her, and I'm hoping we won't see Henry again. If we do, I'll tell her, but, I don't know, I really don't want to unless I have to. I don't know if that's the right thing to do, but it's not like we're seeing him every day, they live hundreds and hundreds of miles away… and I don't want to add a racist jerk to her list of things to worry about."
"I mean, you do what you think is best, you know Gabby better than anyone… Maybe just pray there's not a wedding anytime soon or anything." Severide spoke with a chuckle, Matt shaking his head in disgust.
"God, I hope not." He breathed out, looking back towards his daughter. "I don't even know if he realized he was being racist, which I don't know if that makes it worse, or better, that it was just ignorance on his part. But either way, I don't really want people like that around my family… Hopefully we don't see him again for awhile, if ever."
"Well, good thing they're not in Chicago anymore…"
"Yeah, good thing." Matt repeated, leaning down to press a soft kiss to Sofia's forehead, the girl nuzzling herself into his chest as she slept.
Matt slid the key into the lock on the back door, keeping a firm grip on Sofia's car seat as he pushed the door open, stepping inside the warm apartment, closing the door behind them quietly as to not wake the sleeping baby. Locking the door in place, Matt took a few more steps inside, being met with nothing but silence, the apartment completely dark aside from the light above the stove being on, as well as Matt seeing some light coming out from the open bedroom door, Casey assuming Gabby had left a lamp on.
It wasn't terribly late, but Matt had been gone longer than planned as he glanced at the clock, seeing it was a little after nine. It wouldn't have surprised him in the slightest if Gabby had gone to bed already, Matt knowing both of them always tried to get whatever sleep the could, whenever they could.
Gingerly placing Sofia's car seat down on the counter, Matt moved the handle back, smiling softly at his sleeping baby before he began to slowly unbuckle the restraints. Luckily, he was able to get Sofia lifted from the seat and cradled against his body without waking her, Matt keeping both hands on his baby as he began walking towards the bedroom, being quiet not only for Sofia's benefit, but for Gabby's as well, unsure whether his wife was awake or not.
When he stepped through the doorway, he soon got his answer as he saw Gabby laying in bed reading a book, her head lifting up when she registered his presence, Matt smiling softly when he met her gaze.
"Hey baby." He murmured, heading towards the dresser.
"Hi." She responded, closing her book and placing it on the nightstand, her eyes moving towards her husband as he placed their baby down on the changing mat. "She asleep?"
"Yeah, yeah she is. She's been out for awhile." He replied quietly, slowly unbuttoning her onesie, biting down on his tongue as he worked, Matt having mastered the task of changing Sofia's diaper while she slept.
Within a few minutes, Sofia had a clean diaper and was redressed in her onesie, the girl having never stirred as Matt carefully lifted her up into his arms, carrying her towards her bassinet as he felt Gabby's eyes on him.
Casey stayed put beside Sofia's bed for a few moments, wanting to make sure she stayed asleep before he blew out a soft breath, making his way towards the closet.
"How was Severide?" Gabby asked, Matt shedding his clothes as he stood just outside the closet door, stripping down to his boxers.
"He was good, it was nice to spend some time with him." He replied, poking his head into the closet, tossing his worn clothes into the hamper.
"And Sof?" Gabby questioned, her gaze moving towards the bassinet as Matt walked to her side of the bed, sitting down on the edge, his hip resting up against her bare thigh.
"She did great, she had two bottles, and slept most of the time." He explained, Gabby nodding before looking back towards her husband, finding him watching her with a soft grin, Matt resting his hand over her thigh, giving her a gentle squeeze.
"Good."
"What about you, how was your night?" He questioned, rubbing his thumb along her soft skin.
"It was nice, I cleaned up around the apartment, and got some laundry done. And I took a nice, long bath." She told him, Matt tilting his head to the side.
"Well, I sure am glad I missed that…" He breathed out, Gabby chuckling softly as she placed her hand on his leg.
"I don't know, I think you got more than enough with what I did in the shower last night." She murmured, Matt's grin widening, his spine tingling at the memory.
Even though they still hadn't had sex yet, Gabby had done what she could to make sure Matt knew just how much he was appreciated, giving him a little extra love and attention whenever they had the chance. Although with a three month old, alone time was kind of hard to come by, and then when they had the time, it was used to catch up on sleep or cleaning, Gabby tried to take the opportunity whenever she felt up for it. But even she knew that wasn't sustainable for much longer, if they way he reacted to her during those private moments was any indication. Matt had been patient with her, more so than she ever realized she'd need him to be, but she knew he was getting a little frustrated. He wasn't upset with her or anything, but she knew he missed her. And she missed him just as much.
"I could never get enough." He responded, leaning forward, pressing a firm kiss to her lips as she traced her fingers over his bicep, Matt pulling back slightly. "But I thoroughly enjoyed our shower last night, I'm very glad you decided to join me." He spoke softly, pressing another kiss to her lips before sitting up, sliding closer to her.
"Yeah, me too." She responded, sliding her hand up and down his arm.
"Speaking of… I think we need to spend some time together." He said, Gabby raising her eyebrows. "You and me, we need a night just for us. No baby, no work, no nothing. Just us." He told her, seeing the immediate apprehension that covered her face.
"Matt, I don't know…" She responded, glancing towards Sofia.
"We've gotta get used to it, babe." He replied without missing a beat, Gabby releasing a heavy breath. "I don't like it either, but we've gotta be okay with leaving her during the night. I was thinking we could use this as a trial run for Becca, see how she does taking care of Sofia throughout the night…"
Gabby pursed her lips together, moving her hands to rest over her stomach as she thought over his words, her chest rising and falling slowly as she breathed.
"You still feel good about Becca, right?" He asked after a few moments, Gabby nodding without hesitation.
"I do, yeah."
"Alright, well then we're gonna need to let her take care of Sofia for a night, because she's gonna be doing it three times a week…"
"I know." She breathed out, Matt squeezing her leg gently. "It's just hard."
"I know it is, but we've gotta do it eventually, or you'll never get back to work." He replied gently, Gabby giving him a nod. "...And we need time for us, Gabby." He added as she met his gaze. "For the past three months, and months before that, our entire life has been about Sofia. And I love it, I do. I wouldn't change a thing, but we need time for just us… I miss my wife."
Her face softened at his words, Gabby reaching out towards his arm, gripping onto him tightly. "I miss you, too." She murmured, Matt flashing her a soft smile.
"Then we should do this… Let Becca stay here for a night with Sof, and you and I can go out, have a real date. We could get a nice hotel room, and have a night for us." He suggested, Gabby raising her eyebrows.
"Hotel room, huh?" She questioned, Matt cocking his head to the side as his tongue poked out between his teeth, running along his bottom lip.
"Uh huh, absolutely. I mean, for what I have in mind, we're definitely gonna need our privacy…" He replied, Gabby feeling heat rise to her cheeks.
"Is that so?"
"Yup… I mean, as long as you're okay with it." He spoke quickly, Gabby taking a deep breath. "If you're not ready, I understand… This whole thing isn't about sex, we can do as much, or as little, as you want to. I just miss you, baby." Matt told her, Gabby smiling softly.
She knew he had a good point. They really needed time just for the two of them. With all her attention on Sofia, she hadn't had too much time to devote to Matt. She tried, she was trying to give him her attention when she could, but it was difficult. A lot of times, they never had time for themselves, and when they did, except for the rare occurrences like last night, they were sleeping. A lot of the intimacy in their relationship had taken a back seat; it wasn't even the sex, it was other things, too. The entire dynamic of their relationship had changed, and she didn't want to say some aspects had suffered because of it, but things were different. When you lived your life solely to take care of someone else, sacrifices had to be made, and the time her and Matt spent together was one of those things.
That moment with them in shower yesterday wasn't the only instance she'd carved out time to focus on Matt, and do what she could to take care of him, but those moments had been few and far between, and they really needed time to reconnect, and get back some of the intimacy that had been lost between them since Sofia arrived.
She still wasn't sure if she felt ready for sex, but at this point she figured she probably wouldn't feel ready until they were in the moment. It wasn't Matt, it had nothing to do with him, but she was nervous. She still didn't feel like herself, but that feeling wasn't only affecting her anymore; it was affecting Matt, too. And although they were still okay, and she didn't want it to get to the point where they weren't.
And, above all that, she just missed him. She missed being with her husband, and she knew he was right; they needed a night together. A night to reconnect, and focus on just the two of them.
"Gabby?" He spoke, pulling her from her thoughts as she found his gaze, seeing him watching her closely, hesitation shining in his eyes. "What's going on in there?" He asked, shaking her leg lightly.
"...I'm just thinking about how amazing a night with my husband sounds." She responded, her chest filling with warmth as she saw the wide grin form across his face.
"Really?" He asked lightly as his smile shone brightly in the dim room.
"Really. I think a night like that is exactly what we need… And it'll be good for all of us, give Becca the chance to take care of Sof." Gabby responded, Matt inching his hand slowly up her thigh, stopping at the edge of the small shorts she'd worn to bed. "But I'm definitely gonna be having Antonio stop by from time to time… And we're allowed to check the monitors."
"Of course." He agreed, knowing it would make her feel better to be able to check in on Sofia and Becca, and it would put him more at ease, too. "We'll call Becca in the morning, get everything planned out."
"Sounds good." She responded, pulling him back down towards her, Matt grinning as she placed a soft kiss to his lips, her hand sliding around to his back as she traced over his skin.
"I'm excited." He murmured, Gabby smirking against his lips before kissing him again.
"I'm sure you are." She joked, Matt scoffing lightly, kissing her firmly before pulling back, his eyes locking with hers as his hand moved up to brush a loose piece of hair behind her ear, stroking his thumb along her cheek. "I assume you'll be getting the hotel room?"
"Leave it all up to me." He replied, pressing a soft kiss to the side of her face, his lips trailing back towards her ear. "I'll plan the entire night, all you've gotta do is show up." He whispered, his lips tickling his skin before he pulled back, Gabby's bottom lip falling in between her teeth.
"I wouldn't miss it." She responded, her eyes flickering towards Sofia, checking to make sure their little girl was still sound asleep, Matt seeing a gleam in her eye.
"What?" He asked, Gabby's smirk widening as she shifted her position on the bed, lying flat on her back as she reached for Matt, his eyes widening slightly as a goofy grin appeared over his lips.
Without a word, she pulled him down towards her, Matt adjusted his body to climb over her, hovering over her body as his knees hit the mattress on either side of her hips, his hands resting beside her head. Gabby's hands wrapped around his back, coming to rest right above the waistband of his boxers, gently teasing the skin there.
"How do you feel about getting a head start on some 'us' time?" She asked softly, Matt's grin widening as his eyes flickered towards her lips, Matt lifting a hand up to swipe him thumb across her bottom one, Gabby's mouth twitching up into a smile.
"I would love that." He murmured, leaning down and pressing his lips against hers, Gabby's hands roaming his back as they fell into that usual rhythm with one another.
They knew they couldn't get exactly as close as they wanted, not tonight, the parents unsure of when Sofia might wake up, but that didn't mean they couldn't spend the rest of their evening focused on one another, Gabby and Matt doing what they could to make up for lost time.
Gabby stood in front of the full length mirror on the back of their closet door, her hands running over her body as she smoothed out the material of a little black dress she found in the back of her closet. It was one she hadn't worn in awhile, one she knew Matt liked, and she figured it was perfect for the festivities tonight.
Smacking her lips together, Gabby shook out her wavy hair, seeing it fall just below her shoulders as she did one last once over of her appearance, wanting to make sure everything was perfect.
"Babe?"
Matt tapped on the door gently, pushing it open and popping his head inside. The second he saw her, a smile formed over his face, his eyes trailing up and down her body, a loud whistle escaping his lips as he met her eyes.
"Damn." He breathed out, heat rising to her cheeks as she took a step towards the door, opening it the rest of the way.
"Can I help you?" She asked, taking in his appearance as well, smiling softly when she noticed him wearing her favorite blue button down, paired with his black jacket and a nice tie.
"I was just letting you know I finished getting our things packed, Becca's out there with Sof already… I'm pretty sure she's not even gonna care that we're gone." He spoke with a laugh, Gabby shaking her head in amusement before following him out of the closet.
"Yeah, Sofia has really taken to her, hasn't she?"
"We chose well." He agreed, Gabby glancing at the small overnight bag on the bed that contained the things her and Matt would need during their stay at the hotel.
"Did you pack everything?"
"Sure did." He replied, picking the bag up.
"And you actually packed me clothes, right?" She asked with a smirk, Matt smiling sheepishly.
"Ah, I knew I was forgetting something." He joked, Gabby scoffing lightly as she shook her head. "I packed you clothes, babe. Don't worry... Although, just because they're there, that doesn't mean you're required to wear them."
"Mhmm." She replied with a knowing grin, taking a deep breath. "Alright, let's get out of here before I change my mind."
"Everything will be fine." He reminded her, the husband and wife walking towards the door to their bedroom, Matt opening it so they could exit the room.
"Hi Gabby." Becca greeted, Gabby smiling when she saw her walking around with Sofia in her arms, the young girl completely content as Becca was holding a soft toy ring up in front of her, the baby captivated by it. "You guys look great."
"Thanks Becca." She responded, feeling Matt run his hand along her back before walking towards the door. "So, I know you have both of our numbers, and I left Antonio's number, cell phone and work, on the fridge. I know we talked about all this already, but he'll be stopping by a few times… It's not that we don't trust you, it's just-"
"I completely understand, this is the first time you're leaving Sofia." She replied with a soft smile, bouncing the baby in her arms. "I know it's hard, but we'll be fine. And I promise to send you guys some pictures, and updates. Let you guys know how she's doing."
"Thank you." Gabby breathed out, Matt coming back to her side, holding her jacket up for her to slip her arms into. "Um, I feel like we already went over everything, but really, make yourself at home. You have Sofia's carseat in case of an emergency, you've got her schedule, you know where all her diapers and clothes and everything are…"
"Babe." Matt spoke, glancing towards his watch, knowing if they didn't leave soon they'd be late for their reservation.
"I know, I know, I'm stalling." She sighed, Becca laughing softly as she walked over towards the parents.
"It's okay, and yeah, I do. We went over everything, I'm good." Becca spoke lightly, "I know it's difficult, but in my experience, once you get out that door, it gets easier. I promise, Sofia will be fine." She assured them both, flashing them a bright grin. "Now come on, Sof, let's say goodbye to your Momma and Daddy, they're gonna be gone tonight." She cooed, Sofia waving her arms around, clearly having no idea what was being said but she loved the attention.
"Come here, sweet girl." Gabby murmured, the baby smiling when she saw her mom, Gabby taking her into her arms, Matt standing behind her shoulder, placing his hand on the top of Sofia's head. "You be a good girl for Becca, alright? Daddy and I will be back in the morning… we'll miss you so much, but I know you're gonna have a great time." She spoke softly, Sofia gripping onto her finger tightly, Gabby placing a soft kiss against the top of her tiny hand. "I love you, baby girl."
"We'll be back tomorrow, Sof." Matt whispered, pressing a kiss to her head, Sofia's eyes widening as she looked back and forth between both of her parents. "We love you."
After a few more reluctant goodbyes, Gabby handed Sofia back over to Becca, the younger woman holding Sofia securely while the parents headed for the back door. "We'll see you both in the morning."
"Bye guys, have fun." She spoke warmly, using Sofia's little arm to give them a wave before they went through the door, Matt closing it behind him, beginning to take a step forward but having to stop after nearly running into his wife.
"Gabby?"
"You sure we should do this?" She asked, Matt blowing out a soft sigh, placing his hand on her arm.
"Definitely." He responded without hesitation. "Sofia is in great hands, she does amazing with Becca… and Becca's more than qualified to look after her. We've gotta see how she does through the night, we both know that."
"No, I know… You're right, it's just-" She cut herself off, a soft frown forming over her face. "That's my baby, and I feel guilty for leaving her."
Matt's expression softened, Casey wrapping his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side as he slowly guided them down the sidewalk. "This is a good thing, babe." He reminded her, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "For all three of us."
"Yeah, yeah you're right… I know it is, it's just a lot of emotions, leaving her for the first time like this… I'm beginning to realize how you felt going back to work."
"It definitely wasn't easy, but it does get easier… Now let's go, we've got a dinner to get to." He replied, Gabby nodding as they headed for his truck, Gabby staying tucked into his side while they walked.
Despite multiple attempts from Gabby during the drive to figure out exactly what the plan was for this evening, he gave her nothing, Casey keeping one hand laced in hers while the other gripped the steering wheel. But when they got into the heart of the city, and a familiar building came into view, Gabby turned her head towards him, her smile growing when she saw the proud grin across her husbands face.
"Are we…"
"Staying where we spent our makeshift honeymoon? Yes." He answered her, Gabby giving his hand a tight squeeze before looking back towards the hotel. "I got us reservations at the restaurant in the hotel… Figured it would be nice to just be able to go back up to the room."
"I love it, baby." She murmured, bringing their conjoined hands up to her lips, pressing a soft kiss against his skin. "Thank you."
"Oh, this is nothing. We haven't even gotten to the best part yet." He replied lowly, Gabby chuckling as he pulled up to the front of the hotel.
"Believe me, I know." She responded, stroking her thumb along the back of his hand before dropping it.
Within ten minutes, Matt had gotten them checked in and they got up to their room, Casey unlocking the door before pushing it open, letting Gabby walk in first.
"Oh, wow." She breathed out. "This is beautiful." She said, looking around at the completely open floor plan. The huge king sized bed was in the middle of the room, the bathroom mirroring the bed, having large barn doors separating the two rooms. Stepping further inside, Gabby took in the full-sized couch against the wall, glancing into the bathroom, seeing the enormous, deep bathtub and walk-in shower. The room Matt had gotten last time was nice, but this… this was incredible. And it definitely set the tone for the romantic evening ahead of them.
"Only the best for my amazing wife." He murmured, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, his hands sliding across her stomach while his chin rested on her shoulder.
"I'm definitely glad we did this." She responded, leaning her body weight back into him. "Thank you, for talking me into this… I'm so excited to spend tonight with you."
"Me too." Matt replied, placing an open mouthed kiss against her shoulder. "Now, as much as I want to fully enjoy this room with you, we should get back downstairs so we can have dinner."
Gabby gave him a slow nod, slowly prying herself from his grip before turning to face him. "I agree… Cause when we get back here tonight, I don't intend to let you leave until tomorrow." She spoke with a devilish grin, her eyes flickering down his chest as Matt swallowed the thick lump forming in his throat.
"Okay, you can't just say things like that, then expect me to willingly leave this room." He groaned, Gabby chuckling softly as she brought her hand up to his face, patting his cheek gently.
"You'll be fine, now come on, I'm hungry." She replied, pressing a soft kiss to the side of his mouth before heading for the door, Matt staying rooted in his spot. When she didn't feel him following her, she turned back around, emitting a light laugh as she saw him facing her, a soft pout resting across lips. "Oh, you poor baby." She teased him, Matt narrowing his eyes playfully. "You've waited months and months for tonight, you can wait a few more hours… And if you don't feed me, you're not getting any at all, so let's go."
"Yes ma'am." He responded the second those words, Gabby chuckling in amusement as he followed her path, the couple heading out of the room, excited to enjoy the first part of their evening together.
"God, that was so good." Gabby breathed out as her and Matt walked hand in hand down their hallway. "Didn't you think so?"
"Oh, for the bites I got of it, absolutely." He teased, Gabby ducking her head as he chuckled, Matt pressing a kiss against her hair. "I had a great time, and you can always eat whatever food of mine you want." He whispered, kissing her head again before pulling back, Gabby grabbing ahold of his arm with her free hand. "I'm just glad you had a nice time."
"I had a great time." She murmured, the two coming to a stop in front of their room. Once the door was open, Matt let her walk in first, Gabby flashing him a grin before stepping inside the room, Matt following close behind her. Before he could even get the door shut, he heard her gasp, a soft grin coming to his face as he turned around, finding Gabby staring at the room.
"What is all this, Matt?" She asked, Matt coming to stand by her side, placing his hand on her back as he took in the sight of the room, seeing it was a little different than it had been when they left, just like he planned.
"It's dessert." He responded, pressing a kiss to the side of her head.
While they were at dinner, Matt had arranged for them to come in and set up their room. They had lit candles all around the room, as well as turned down the bed, but his favorite part was in the bathroom.
"Come on." He prompted, wrapping his arm around her back, leading her into the bathroom. Her smile widened when she looked into the room, seeing the bath that had been prepared for them, with a platter of different fruits and chocolate, as well as some drinks. "I chose cider, instead of champagne." He spoke softly, Gabby glancing up at him. "I know you're still not wanting to drink, because of breastfeeding, so I figured that was the better choice."
"This is too much, Matt."
"Never." He responded, rubbing his hand along her side. "You wanna get in the bath?"
"I absolutely do, but I'm gonna have to ruin the mood for a little bit…" She replied, Matt raising his eyebrows curiously. "I need to pump." He nodded understandingly, flashing her a soft smile. "I'm sorry, but it won't take too long."
"Don't apologize." He responded quickly. "Do you want me to wait for you?"
"No, no, you go ahead and get in, I'll join you when I'm done." She told him, pulling from his grip, placing a soft kiss against his cheek, Gabby moving back towards the bedroom.
"Wait-" Matt spoke, stopping her in her path, coming up behind her, sliding his hands over her hips, pressing a gentle kiss against her shoulder. "At least let me…" He trailed off, moving his hands up towards the back of her dress, slowly pulling the zipper down, ducking his head to press soft kisses against her exposed skin as the material fell to the floor, Gabby grinning as she turned around to face him. His breath caught in his throat as he looked at her, marveling at the sight of his wife in only her underwear as she grabbed ahold of his tie, pulling him towards her and kissing him passionately. He was stunned by the force of her movements, but he quickly caught up, his hands roaming over her body as he pulled her closer, the two moving frantically.
When air became a necessity, Gabby pulled back, her forehead resting against his as they both panted, heavy breaths escaping their lips as his hand ran up and down her bare side.
"I'll be back soon." She breathed out, Matt grinning as he placed another kiss to her lips, this one much more tame, feeling her smile against him before she reciprocated the action.
"I'll be waiting." He murmured, Gabby rubbing her hand over the side of his face before pulling back, Matt watching her move into the bedroom, disappearing from his view as she turned to walk towards the couch.
Blowing out a sharp breath, Matt began undressing, laying each item of clothing across the chair against the wall as he took it off, the firefighter soon stripped down to nothing. Popping a piece of pineapple into his mouth, he stepped into the warm bath, settling down into it, letting his back rest against the back of the spacious tub, Matt stretching his legs out as he relaxed into the warm, soapy water, knowing he'd enjoy this much more when his wife joined him.
He could hear her in the bedroom, Matt snacking on the fruit platter while he waited, a bright smile forming over his face when he saw Gabby walk into the bathroom about fifteen minutes later, her body wrapped up in one of their bathrobes as she moved towards him.
"How is it?" She asked, pulling her hair up in a bun.
"Great, but it'll be better when you're in here with me." He responded, Gabby smiling shyly before she undid the bathrobe, letting it fall from her body before tossing it over the chair, the thick material landing on top of his clothes.
Matt was unable to keep his eyes off of her while she stood in front of him, a gentle smile resting over his face as he took in her, Gabby noticing his stares instantly.
"God, you're so beautiful." He whispered, Gabby smiling shyly before she started to get into the tub, Matt extended a hand for her to grab onto. Slowly, Gabby sat down in the bath, Matt immediately running his hands over her shoulders before she slid herself back against him, resting in between his legs as she pressed herself into his chest. His arms slid around her stomach, keeping her close as they relaxed into the warm water, Matt placing gentle kisses along the top of her shoulder.
No words were said between them for awhile, the couple completely content holding onto one another as they sat in the comfortable silence. There'd be no interruptions, there was no needing to be quick because of the baby… it was just them, and they had all night to be together, both of them needing this more than they realized.
"How do you think Sof is doing?" Matt finally spoke up after what had to have been at least twenty minutes, Gabby grinning widely as she shifted against him, resting her head back on his shoulder.
"Well, we saw the pictures from Becca at dinner, she seemed good." Gabby responded, running her hand along his thigh. "Why? You're not regretting coming out, are you?" She questioned, teasingly, Matt immediately shaking his head.
"Never… But it's practically impossible to turn the dad part of my brain off."
"I know what you mean, I keep thinking about her, too… But tonight's for us, and I want to enjoy every minute of it." She spoke, Matt smile softly.
"I believe that can be arranged." He murmured, pressing a kiss against her neck. He started gentle, his movements innocent, but that changed quickly as his hands began moving further down her body, Matt alternating between sucking and biting on her neck, his actions causing her breaths to quicken.
"Matt…"
"Yeah baby?" He asked before pressing his lips back against her skin, smirking when she sucked in a deep breath, his hand moving dangerously low down her body.
"As much as I'm loving this bath, I think we should take this elsewhere." She breathed out, Matt grazing his teeth over her skin one last time before nodding.
"I agree… Although we should definitely come back to the tub later." He spoke softly, Gabby nodding before slowly beginning to lift herself up. He did what he could to support her movements, Matt not wanting her to fall as she climbed out of the tub, Matt soon following as she dried herself off. Wrapping the towel around herself, Gabby grabbed the bottle of cider, putting it up to her lips and taking a drink.
"Grab the fruit." She spoke before heading into the bedroom, Matt grinning widely as he tightened the towel around his waist, following her directions without hesitation. He saw as she climbed onto the bed, laying down in the middle after she placed the bottle on the nightstand, Matt gulping as his eyes trailed over her form. "You coming?"
He didn't need to be asked twice, Matt placing the fruit down on the dresser before practically throwing himself on the bed, hovering over his wife as she laughed at his eagerness, the sound being swallowed by Matt as he pressed his lips into hers. Gabby's hands came up to the back of his neck, Matt doing what he could to keep himself balanced as they picked up speed, want and desire winning out as their movements became quick and needy.
Matt trailed his kisses from her lips across her jaw and down her neck, giving Gabby a chance to catch her breath as he kissed any skin he could find, Matt leaving marks along her upper chest above her towel.
Slowly, he brought one hand up, using it to pull open the material, letting it fall to either side of her, Matt smirking against her skin.
"Matt…" Gabby moaned as his kisses moved further south, Matt placing them all the way down her breast bone before continuing down to her stomach, knowing better than to put any focus on her chest.
"So beautiful." He murmured against her abdomen, sliding one of his hands up and down her leg, using his other to quickly rid himself of his towel, throwing the object to the floor. Before things went any further, Matt kissed his way back up to her face, pressing a much more chaste kiss against her lips before he pulled back, brushing a stray piece of hair out of her face. "You're sure you wanna do this?"
Despite how desperate he was to be with his wife, he needed to know this was what she wanted, that she wasn't just doing this for him. And he wasn't gonna continue until he got that confirmation.
"I do." She responded with a gentle grin, running her hand along his bicep. "Just… go slow." She requested softly, Matt nodding almost immediately, stroking his thumb over her cheek.
"I will." He promised, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "But you gotta talk to me, I don't want to hurt you."
Gabby gave him a nod, Matt smiling softly before his lips found hers again, their hands blindly lacing together as their previously rushed movements were now soft and deliberate. Slowly, Matt began working his way back down her body, Gabby reacting to his every touch as he ignited that fire inside her while his lips traced over her skin, Gabby squeezing his hand tightly.
They took their time with one another, not wanting to rush this moment as they got reacquainted with one another after months of not being able to, sharp gasps and moans filling the room as they gave themselves to one another, Gabby and Matt eager to take full advantage of the night they had together.
Well, I know a lot of you were wanting to see Matt and Gabby reconnecting, and I'd say they definitely did. I hope you guys enjoyed this one, I'm eager to hear your thoughts! We've still got Gabby returning to work to look forward to, especially now that the Casey's have found themselves a nanny, so we'll be finding out soon what Gabby's decision is regarding where she wants to work.
Thank you all for reading, your continued support and love means so much to me!
Until the next.