Hello everyone! I'm back with another chapter for you all. Thank you for your kind words on the last one, I hope you all like this chapter as well. And I wanna say a quick thank you for 1500+ reviews on this story. That is just honestly insane to me, I can't believe it. Thank you so much for all the love and support you all have given me, I know I say it all the time but it truly means everything. To those who have taken the time to leave me a review, whether it was just once, or for every chapter, just know that I appreciate you so much, it means the world that you take your time to do that. Thank you thank you thank you. And even if you've never left me a review, you all still reading this story is more than enough. I appreciate each and every one of you so so much. Thank you.
Just so you all know, there won't be an update for Whatever Comes Next today. With the holidays and everything, I didn't have time to really work on that. I'm hoping to have updates for you guys on Thursday, but with Christmas coming up, I can't promise anything. If I have a chapter done in time, it'll be posted, but if not, just expect the update next Monday!
You all have been so kind and gracious, and you constantly remind me that it's okay if my chapters are sometimes late, and for me to just update when I can, which I greatly appreciate, I truly do. But I also like you guys to know what's going on, which I why I always try to tell you if there's a possibility some chapters might be late. I know there's some of you who look forward to my updates on Mondays and Thursdays, so I just try and keep you guys updated about what's going on. But yeah, I'm hoping to get at least one of my stories updated on Thursday, hopefully both. But if not, expect those next updates on Monday. And with If We Never Say Goodbye, that story just gets updated whenever I have time, I definitely have no schedule for that one.
Speaking of, I did get the third chapter of that story posted over the weekend, if you'd like to go check it out! You all have given me so much support on that story already, it's been incredible. If you haven't had a chance to read it, it'd mean a lot to me if you could go check it out, and let me know what you think. I'm having so much fun with that one, and I'm glad you all are enjoying it as well!
Alright, enough of my rambling, let's just get on with the chapter. I'm eager to hear your thoughts on this one, I really hope you like it.
I hope you guys have a very Merry Christmas, to those who celebrate. As we near the end of the year here, I just wanna let you all know how thankful I am for the support you've given me this year. It's been more than I ever could've imagined.
I hope you all have a fantastic holiday! Happy reading!
Chapter Seventy Three
Matt's eyes slowly opened and closed as he sat on the couch in the common room, the firehouse in complete silence as it neared four in the morning, the father slowly rubbing his hand up and down Sofia's back as the baby slept peacefully against his chest. Casey was slouched down into the couch, trying to stay awake as he had his feet propped up on the coffee table, Sofia's entire body resting on his chest and stomach, the little girl having been sleeping peacefully for most of the night. And for that, Matt was thankful.
The day with Sofia at the firehouse had gone relatively well, but Matt and Gabby could both tell that their daughter had been a little overwhelmed in her new surroundings, being around so many people she wasn't used to see on a daily basis. She had done alright, but she was pretty much attached to either Matt or Gabby most of the day, or Becca and occasionally Severide. But aside from the four of them, Sofia wouldn't settle if anyone else held her, both Matt and Gabby knowing she'd had a very long and stressful day, on top of everything else they had been struggling with recently.
So the fact that she had gone to sleep easily was a relief to both Matt and Gabby. Aside from waking up once to eat a little over an hour ago, Sofia hadn't stirred much once she finally got to sleep, except for when she'd wake up when they called out, but thankfully they hadn't had many calls throughout the night. It took a little while for them to get her comfortable, Matt and Gabby not having Sofia's bed here with them providing a bit of a challenge. At first they tried to let her sleep on Matt's bunk, surrounding her by a fortress of pillows, but the parents quickly realized that wasn't a very good solution to their problem. Not only would Sofia not settle when she was on the bunk, Matt and Gabby felt like they couldn't take their eyes off her for a second, the bed here much smaller than their one at home. It was something both Matt and Gabby quickly knew wouldn't work for them, not if either of them wanted to be able to get any sleep, so they had to quickly devise another plan, which is how Casey ended up here on the couch in the common room. He knew Sofia would sleep much better on his chest or on Gabby's than she would in an unfamiliar bed, so they'd made the decision to just hold her and sleep on the couch for the night. It wasn't the most comfortable for either of them, but they knew it was their best option for their daughter, considering how well Sofia had been sleeping in the comfort of her parent's arms as of late.
Matt was a little surprised that she was sleeping so well, considering the loud nature of a firehouse, and how they were resting right in the heart of it, but everyone had been more than considerate of the family and their needs. When it became obvious Matt and Gabby would be resting out here for the evening with Sofia, everyone made themselves scarce by eight, not wanting to risk waking up the sleeping baby, which the parents greatly appreciated even if they felt a little bad for everyone having to clear out of the room so early.
But, despite their challenges getting Sofia to settle earlier in the night, she was completely content now, the young girl nuzzled against her father's warm chest, Matt constantly checking to make sure she wasn't getting cold.
After the scare they had earlier, the parents had done all they could to make sure Sofia stayed warm the rest of the night, Gabby having put her in a thicker fleece onesie after their shower, knowing that would do the trick and keep their little girl from getting cold. Even though Sofia was fine, that hadn't stopped Matt and Gabby from constantly checking her body temperature throughout the evening and into the night, both of them needing the reassurance that she was in fact alright.
A soft yawn escaped Casey's lips as he let his eyes fall closed, Matt methodically rubbing over Sofia's back as she slept, the firefighter trying to force himself to stay awake until Gabby got back.
Ambulance 61 had been called out probably two hours ago now, Gabby having handed Sofia back to her father as she had been the one holding her before they left. They were taking turns alternating who held her during the night, Matt and Gabby having mastered the art of moving Sofia while she was sleeping, and keeping her asleep. Although that skill wasn't so much necessary when they moved her the last time, the loud bells having disturbed her from her slumber, Sofia crying as she woke up startled, the young girl searching out for the comfort of her parents as Gabby handed her over to Matt. When she quickly realized it was her father's arms she'd been placed in, Sofia began calming down, her little fists gripping onto him tightly as he pressed continuous kisses against the top of her hat covered head. It took a few minutes, but Sofia had eventually settled, feeling safe and secure against her father's chest, the little girl soon falling back asleep, and not waking until she needed to eat around an hour later.
Since being fed, Sofia had been completely content, the little girl having fallen back asleep as Matt was burping her, Casey having slowly adjusted her down to rest on the middle of his chest, wanting her to be as comfortable as possible.
And she hadn't moved since.
The sound of the garage opening filled the otherwise quiet firehouse, followed by the sound of beeping, Matt becoming more alert as he heard the ambulance backing up, another yawn escaping his lips as he tried to make himself wake up. It took a few minutes, Matt fighting to keep his eyes open, but eventually he heard one of the doors open, Casey glancing over to see three very tired paramedics walking in, his wife trailing behind her partners.
Brett and Foster both gave him a nod and smile, turning to head straight for the bunk room, not wanting to risk waking the baby as they moved down the hallway, while Gabby kept walking forward, smiling softly when she locked eyes with her husband.
"Hey." She murmured, Matt smiling as she walked around the coffee table, sitting down on the couch beside him. "She do okay?"
"She did fine, she's been asleep for awhile." He replied softly, continuing to rub across his daughter's back, his neck resting against the back of the couch. "How was the call?" He asked, turning his head to the side, watching as Gabby turned her body to face him, crossing her leg underneath her knee while she placed her arm along the back of the couch, moving her hand towards his head as she began to run her fingers through his hair.
"It was fine, just took forever." She replied, Matt leaning into her touch as his eyes fell closed. "It's still freezing out there, the weather is so bad, it's almost like a ghost town… I swear, we didn't see anybody out there while Brett was driving."
"Yeah, I'm not surprised." He responded, his chest rising and falling steadily as he felt his exhaustion creep back in. "It's been pretty quiet, considering… But I'm just glad you got back alright, I don't like the idea of you being out in that weather."
"I'm fine, babe." She spoke, earning a slight nod from him.
"I know you are, but I still worry." He murmured, Gabby scratching his scalp lightly, her action bringing a soft smile to his face. "As your husband, the father of your child, and the person who loves you most in this world, it's kind of a given that I worry about you."
His words brought a small grin to her lips, Gabby stroking her thumb across the side of his head. "The person who loves me most, huh?"
Casey slowly opened his eyes, the smile on his face widening when he saw her watching him. "Damn straight." He responded without hesitation, turning his head to the side to press a soft kiss against her palm. "I mean, there's a lot of people who love you; your parents, your brother, everyone here, and especially our little Sofia… but none of them love you more than I do." He spoke, his voice firm despite how tired he was, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip as the grin on her face continued to grow. "Although Sofia is a pretty close second."
"You're such a sweet talker when you're sleepy." She responded lightly, rubbing her hand along the side of his face before she leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "I love you too, you know."
"I do." He whispered, kissing her again quickly before she pulled back, Gabby settling back against the couch.
Gabby's gaze moved towards their baby, smiling softly when she saw how peacefully their little girl was sleeping against her father's chest, Sofia having not stirred since she'd gotten back. "It looks like she's comfortable."
Matt's eyes opened as his wife spoke, his gaze moving from her down to Sofia, nodding slowly before resting his head back against the couch.
"Yeah, she's slept well… I think she's finally starting to like me again." He added, Gabby shaking her head as she released a soft sigh.
Gabby was aware that Sofia had been a little more attached to her recently as opposed to Matt, that since she'd gone back to work, Sofia was having a hard time adjusting, and when they were together, more often than not she wanted her mom. And Gabby knew it had been bothering her husband a little more than he'd ever admit.
"Baby, Sofia loves you." Gabby murmured, rubbing the back of her hand across his cheek.
"No, I know she does." He replied quickly, giving her a weak smile. "And I can't blame her for only wanting you.. I mean, I go a day without seeing you, I feel the same way."
"Real smooth." She muttered, Matt chuckling softly. "But seriously Matt, Sof loves you. I know she's been a little more attached to me lately, me going back to work was harder on her than I anticipated, but we're working our way through it." She spoke, Matt giving her a nod. "It's only been a week, and I know we've all had a rough time lately, but I do think she's starting to handle it better. And one thing you don't ever need to worry about is how much Sofia loves you. I mean, look at her." Gabby prompted, Matt glancing down to his baby girl that was still sound asleep against him, the father unable to stop the soft smile that fell onto his face at just the sight of his daughter. "You're a great father, baby, and Sofia adores you. Just like I do."
Matt smiled softly, giving her a slow nod before pressing a kiss to his daughter's head. "I know she does… And I know you do, too." He replied lightly, Gabby's smile growing as she continued rubbing her hand over his head. "It's just been a little hard, because I feel like I haven't been able to help her much, and then it all gets put on you, which I know hasn't been easy." He continued, Gabby nodding as she let him vent, not wanting him to hold onto any of this any longer than he already had. "I've felt kind of helpless about all of it, because I wasn't really sure how to help either of you, but I do think you're right. I think things are slowly getting better, for all of us."
"They are." She agreed, sliding her hand down to rub against his collarbone. "She's definitely already starting to move past that phase, of her just wanting me… I mean today, it was like all she wanted was her Daddy." She murmured, Matt smiling softly as he nodded, knowing his wife's words were true, little Sofia having clung to her dad once they'd finished their shower, it taking some time before she was ready to go to anyone else. "She is struggling with some separation anxiety, I think we both know that, but it's definitely with the both of us. I think it just hit her harder with me because you'd been back to work for a while… And when you were here, I was with her. So now that we're both gone, it's a completely different thing for her." Gabby continued, Matt focusing on the feeling her hand rubbing across his chest as she spoke. "If I'm being honest, this might be the hardest thing we've had to overcome with her so far… But we're getting through it, and pretty soon she'll be fine. It's just an adjustment for all of us." Matt nodding in agreement as he turned his head to look at her, Gabby tearing her eyes from their baby to look at her husband. "We're gonna be okay."
"I know." He replied immediately, reaching out to place his hand on her leg, Matt squeezing her thigh gently. "It's been a really rough few weeks for all of us, but we're gonna get through it."
"We are." She was quick to answer, Matt squeezing her thigh once more as a soft smirk appeared over his lips, Gabby raising her eyebrows slightly.
"I mean, how could we not? Seeing as how I've got a wife who adores me." He teased, Gabby rolling her eyes playfully as she patted his shoulder, the paramedic just glad to see her husband in better spirits.
"Mhmm, she sure does." Gabby replied, leaning forward to give him another kiss, Matt sliding his hand up and down her thigh. "Don't forget your daughter does, too."
"Oh, I could never forget about Sof." He responded, giving Gabby a quick, soft kiss before they separated, Matt turning his attention to his daughter, kissing her on the head.
"Did she do alright while I was gone?" Gabby asked, her attention turning to her daughter now that she knew her husband was alright, her eyes moving towards the coffee table, seeing an empty bottle sitting there.
"Yeah, she did good. She woke up to eat once, but she mostly just slept."
"Did she eat okay?" Gabby asked, Matt pursing his lips together as he took a deep breath, Gabby's head tilting to the side slightly at his reaction.
"She did… eventually, yeah." He finally replied. "She's, um- she's starting to resist the bottle a little bit." Gabby released a soft sigh, the mom gnawing on the inside of her lip as Matt continued. "Becca mentioned something to me about it the other day, but this being the first time I've fed her in awhile, I finally got to see what she was talking about… She's back to acting how she did when we first started bottle feeding. She doesn't want to take it."
"Yeah, I was worried that might happen." Gabby breathed out, Matt raising his eyebrows as he turned to look at her, clearly surprised by her response, Gabby clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth before continuing. "I know we got her off her routine, or I got her off her routine…" She spoke, swallowing thickly as her eyes moved to her daughter. "I know it's my fault, but I just-... after being away from her, seeing what it did to her, I felt so guilty."
"Gabby-"
"No, I know it's not an excuse." She cut him off, Matt furrowing his eyebrows. He hadn't expected this type of reaction from her to this conversation, Matt not realizing that Gabby had been worried about her lack of bottle feeding, too. He just assumed it hadn't really been on her mind, but now that he knew it had, that made it much easier to correct the issue. "I know I messed up, we should've stuck to her routine, and in the back of my mind I knew that but I- I thought I was helping her. I thought me going back to breastfeeding more would help her feel better about being away from us, but I think I only made this harder." She spoke quickly, Matt shaking his head as he gave her thigh a squeeze.
"Baby, you were just doing what you thought was best." Matt replied gently. "Neither of us were expecting how Sofia reacted to being away from us, we weren't prepared for that… You didn't do anything wrong. I know why you felt like you needed to breastfeed her, and I know it made you feel better about everything, too." He spoke, a sheepish look covering her face as she looked down. "No one's at fault here. I could've said something earlier, but, like you said, we've had a lot going on lately, and I didn't want to upset you… but Sof's fine, we can get her back on track. I just think we confused her a little bit by changing her routine, and we need to get her back on that. She was doing well with it, and us getting her back on it will only help her."
"Yeah, you're right… We should do better about getting her back on the bottle, or I guess I should-"
"We're in this together." He cut her off, Gabby meeting his gaze. "It's the both of us, babe. But as long as we're on the same page, we'll be fine. Sof will be fine." He assured her, Gabby nodding before she shifted herself closer to him, slowly leaning down until she was resting against him, Matt instinctively lifting his arm so she could fall into his side.
Gabby relaxed into him, Matt wrapping his arm around her as her head rested against his shoulder. "You sure you don't wanna go to the bunk room? Sleep in an actual bed?" He asked, Gabby shaking her head. "You can take my office, one of us should get some actual sleep. I don't mind to be out here with Sof." He tried, but Gabby simply cuddled herself into her husband, being mindful of the baby sleeping on him as Matt slid his hand down to rest on her hip.
"I'm good right here." She replied softly, Matt nodding before he pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head, Gabby resting her head in the crook of his neck, her head a few inches away from Sofia as they both took comfort in being held by Matt.
The exhausted parents fell into a comfortable silence, Gabby resting her hand on his thigh as she felt his steady breaths underneath her, the dim light coming from the hallway being the only source of light in the quiet firehouse. Matt was alternating between rubbing over Sofia's back and rubbing Gabby's side, a content smile resting on his face as held onto his entire world.
Their peaceful quiet was interrupted by Matt's phone buzzing in his jacket pocket, both parents immediately holding their breath, hoping the disturbance wouldn't wake their sleeping baby. It had only buzzed once, telling Matt he'd gotten an email, but he wasn't focused on that at the moment, Casey silently praying that their little girl wouldn't wake up, knowing that if Sofia woke up crying, she was bound to wake up the whole house. But it soon became apparent that in her unconscious state, Sofia hadn't noticed the noise, Matt releasing a sigh of relief as Gabby carefully slid her hand into his jacket pocket, pulling his phone out.
"It's from our landlord, something about the power outage." She whispered as she looked at his phone, Matt glancing down.
"Can you read it?" He asked, Gabby nodding before she unlocked his phone, her tired eyes quickly skimming the short email.
"It doesn't say much, but it looks like they finally got the power back on." She spoke, Matt wincing slightly. With it being well after four in the morning, that meant they'd been without power for over half a day, Matt hating to even think about if Sofia had been there during all that time. "He said it looked like the electrical system had been tampered with." Her next sentence caught his attention, Matt raising his eyebrows. "I'm sure there's a story there, but he didn't say much else about it, but the good news is the power's back." She finished, locking his phone back before placing it on the couch beside her, returning her hand back to his lap.
"Well, that's a little weird… But at least we have heat again. Means we can go home in the morning." He replied, sliding his hand up and down her side, giving her a gentle squeeze.
"Yeah, it does." She replied, pressing a kiss to his neck. "Although I'm not sure how we're gonna get her home." She added, her words distorted as a yawn escaped her lips. "We don't have her carseat, and you and I came in your truck, even if we did…"
"Oh yeah." He mused, resting his cheek against the top of her head. "I hadn't really thought about that… We might need to use the ambulance again to get us home, but we can figure it out in the morning. Just try and get some sleep." He told her, Gabby nodding slowly before she closed her eyes, her own body radiating as much as exhaustion as Matt's was, both parents desperate to get at least a little bit of sleep before Sofia would wake up again.
"Babe? I'm home!"
"Hey, don't come in here!" She called back, earning a laugh from her friend sitting on the couch beside her, Gabby hearing Matt chuckle from the kitchen as he entered the apartment.
"Why? Is there something you don't want me seeing in there?" He replied teasingly, Gabby hearing him drop some bags onto the counter, Matt not having been gone to the grocery store nearly as long as she planned. Gabby had intended to start wrapping his gifts the second he left, but then Jemma had shown up moments later, and it took only a few minutes after she got there for them to get caught up in talking about work, Jemma filling her former partner and best friend in on what's been going on at the SAS. Between the work talk, and Gabby getting distracted by the sight of Jemma playing with her goddaughter, she hadn't started working on Matt's gifts until way later than planned. "Although I guess I should just be happy you're actually getting my presents wrapped a few days before Christmas this year, instead of the day of, like usual." He added with a chuckle, Gabby rolling her eyes as she placed another piece of tape on the paper to hold it down.
"Just stay in there, it doesn't concern you." Gabby shot back playfully, doing what she could to hurry through wrapping his last present, Dawson glancing to the side as she heard another laugh come from Jemma, Gabby narrowing her eyes.
"Your Momma's funny, isn't she, Sof?" Jemma asked, tickling the girl's stomach as she sat in her lap, Sofia half giggling, half screaming in excitement as Jemma played with her.
"Hi Jemma!" Matt called, the firefighter abiding by Gabby's orders as he had started putting their groceries, Jemma continuing to play with the baby.
"Hey Matt." She replied, Gabby huffing out a breath as she taped the bow on top of the small gift, Jemma pursing her lips together before she looked back towards her friend. "How has he been doing, by the way?" She asked, dropping her voice as Gabby looked to her. "After everything that happened…"
Jemma had stopped by today with the intention of checking in on her friends, knowing how hard of a time they'd been having lately. She'd tried to give the family their space after Gabby had told her of what happened to Matt at work, Jemma reminding Gabby she was around if needed, but she didn't want to overwhelm them, so she'd been supportive from a distance. She'd constantly check in with Gabby, making sure they were doing alright and that they didn't need anything, but she hadn't actually seen her friends in almost a month, not since before everything happened. So when Gabby had extended the invitation for Jemma to come see them, she eagerly accepted, Norris having missed not only Gabby and Matt, but she'd especially missed the little girl resting in her lap.
"He's doing better." Gabby replied quietly, listening to Matt as he moved around in the kitchen. "He's handling it, he's definitely in a better place now than he was when it first happened." She spoke, Jemma nodding understandingly. "He doesn't so much have bad days anymore, not anything like he was, it's more just bad moments… But he is doing better. And he calls and talks to Micah probably every other day, I think that helps." Gabby added, her eyes moving towards the kitchen. "Ever since he visited Matt at the firehouse last week, they've talked a lot. Josh, Micah's dad, says it's been helping him… It's been helping Matt, too."
"I still can't imagine what that must've been like…" Jemma spoke with a grimace.
"Awful is the only way I know how to describe it." She breathed out, shaking her head as she willed those dark thoughts of that day out of her mind. "But Matt's okay, and Micah's okay… That's all that matters." Gabby spoke, her words more for her own benefit than Jemma's, Dawson clearing her throat before she pushed herself up from the couch, not wanting to talk about that day anymore. "Alright, you can come in here." She called to her husband, Gabby grabbing his few presents from the table before taking them towards the tree, Matt coming around the corner to meet her.
"Whoa whoa whoa, those aren't all for me, are they?" He asked, eyeing the four gifts in her arms, Gabby raising her eyebrows before she bent down to place them underneath the tree, joining the few other presents that had already gotten under there.
"Maybe they are, maybe they aren't." She replied as she stood back up, Matt shaking his head.
"Baby, I told you not to get me anything." He breathed out, following her as she walked back towards the couch.
"Yes, I know you did, I remember." She responded with a smile, sitting back down on the couch, beginning to clean up the mess she'd made from wrapping his presents. "I just ignored you." She added, her words earning a chuckle from Jemma, her friend clearly enjoying the conversation happening between the couple.
"Jemma, help me out here." Matt tried, Gabby raising her eyebrows as she looked towards Norris, Jemma glancing back and forth between the couple staring at her, an amused look covering her face before her gaze landed on Matt.
"You really expect her to not get you anything for Christmas? Come on, Casey, you're smarter than that." She spoke, Gabby smirking proudly as Matt scoffed, walking towards their friend.
"Of course you're on Gabby's side, I'm not surprised. Give me my baby." He replied with a glare, even though his tone clearly showed he was only teasing, Gabby and Jemma both laughing as the latter handed Sofia to her father. "Yeah, that's right baby, you're always on my side, huh?" He asked as he cradled Sofia in his arms, rubbing over her stomach as she began waving her arms excitedly, clearly happy being held by her dad. "You wanna come help Daddy put the rest of the groceries away? Yeah, I know you do, come on, let's go baby girl." He murmured, tapping her stomach as he began walking away, Matt missing the look of pure admiration covering Gabby's face. But Jemma didn't, Norris wearing a knowing grin as she watched her friend, the content smile never leaving Gabby's face even after Matt had disappeared into the kitchen.
"He's so good with her." Jemma spoke, Gabby nodding before turning to face her.
"He really is- What?" She asked once she noticed the smirk on her friend's face, Gabby raising her eyebrows as Jemma glanced back towards the kitchen. "What's the look for?"
"Nothing… You two are just cute, is all." She replied, Gabby tilting her head to the side. "The way you look at him when he's with Sofia, it's adorable." She added, Gabby feeling heat rise to her cheeks as she ducked her head, Jemma's smile widening.
"Well, he's an amazing dad." Gabby spoke, Jemma running her tongue along her bottom lip, sparing another quick glance back towards the kitchen before looking to her friend, Norris lowering her voice before she spoke.
"Speaking of how amazing of a father he is, have you guys talked at all about if Sofia's going to have any siblings?" She asked softly, Gabby's eyebrows raising in response. "What? I'm just curious. You two are incredible parents… you all could raise a whole army of beautiful little babies."
"You sound like Matt." Gabby responded with a laugh, Jemma shaking her head in amusement.
"So you two have talked about it?"
"No… Well, kinda- I don't know, not really." She rambled, Jemma raising her eyebrows curiously, waiting for Gabby to get her thoughts in order to give her more of an explanation, Gabby taking a deep breath before continuing. "We haven't had an actual conversation about it, no. There were some little conversations about it sometimes, but like us actually sitting down and discussing it, no." She explained, Jemma giving her a slow nod. "I mean, Sofia's only four months old, there's no rush or anything but… I know I want us to have more kids."
"I mean, seeing him with Sofia, I can't imagine he wouldn't want all the kids you'd give him." Jemma spoke lightly, Gabby chuckling as she nodded slightly.
"Yeah, he's always wanted a big family, but we've never really seriously talked about it when we had a child. I mean, when we had Louie, we never talked about having more kids. And now with Sofia, we haven't really… I'm sure he still does, but raising a child is hard. It's been amazing, but raising Sofia has been harder than I ever imagined, I'm not sure we're in any rush to have another one right now." She spoke quietly, Jemma giving her a soft nod. "And I'm not even sure what my options are with all that, anyway." She added, Norris wincing slightly. "I mean, Matt and I had just kind of accepted that Sofia was our one chance at me experiencing a pregnancy, but that was when we were hoping the aneurysm wouldn't rupture. But obviously, it did, so I don't know if that changes anything for me, health wise." She continued, Jemma remaining quiet as she let her friend work through her thoughts. "I don't know if pregnancy is still off the table for me, or if it's an option now. I mean, him and I talked a little about wanting to find out what my options were, after Sofia, but we never did… If there's even the slightest risk to me, I'm not gonna take it. Not when I have Sofia and Matt to consider. But if the aneurysm is gone, then I don't know what that means. I'd love to have another baby, to carry another baby, if I can. But I won't risk my life for it... At least not knowingly. Sofia was completely unplanned, so if that happens again, it happens. Whatever it meant for me, my only priority would be my child. But if there's any risk to me, I'm not wanting to try and get pregnant… But I just don't know." Gabby breathed out, shaking her head as she ran her hand over the side of her face. "Sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lay all that on you."
"Don't apologize." Jemma replied, shaking her head. "I'm always here for you, you know that." She reminded her, Gabby nodding with a soft smile. "Have you talked to Dr. Tanner about it? See what she has to say?"
"No, not yet. She's obviously who I'm gonna go to, so she can let me know what my options are. But I didn't want to make any appointment or anything until I've talked to Matt… Everything's just been so crazy, and hard, lately, it hasn't really been a priority." She replied, Jemma giving her an understanding nod. "But it's definitely something I want, and I think he does, too."
"I'm sure he does. You two were meant to be parents, you've both got so much love to give, I can't imagine he wouldn't want tons of children with you."
"Okay, well maybe let's just start with one more and go from there." Gabby spoke with a laugh, Jemma shaking her head in amusement as she patted her friend on the leg.
"You know what I mean." She responded lightly, Gabby giving her a nod.
"Yeah… I do."
"Come on, Sof. Let's see if your Momma and Jemma are gonna be any nicer to me." Matt's voice filtered into the living room, Jemma and Gabby looking over to see him come around the corner, Matt bouncing the baby in his arms as he held her back to his chest, the father supporting her weight by keeping his hand underneath her, Sofia's eyes wide as she took in her surroundings. If Matt heard any of their previous conversation, he didn't let it show as Gabby watched her husband walk over to them, his eyebrows raised as he came to stop across from them, standing by the coffee table. "What do you think, baby? Is Momma gonna be nice now?" He asked jokingly, pressing a kiss to the top of his little girl's head, Gabby's heart swelling as she watched him with their baby.
When Matt saw the look on her face, he raised his eyebrows, Casey glancing towards Jemma to see a similar look of admiration on her face. "...What?" He asked, Jemma chuckling softly as Gabby pushed herself up from the couch, Matt watching as she moved around the coffee table. "What did I do?" He questioned cautiously, assuming he'd somehow gotten himself in trouble.
But Gabby shook her head, sliding her hand across his back, leaning up to press a firm kiss to his lips, Matt stunned momentarily before he reciprocated the action, making sure to keep a tight grip on Sofia as his wife kissed him heatedly.
"What did I do to deserve that?" He murmured when she pulled back, Gabby sliding her hand down to his lower back, moving to rest on his hip as he glanced between Gabby and Jemma, seeing a clear look of amusement on their friend's face.
Gabby shrugged softly, pressing another kiss to his lips, although this one was much more tame, Matt smiling against her. "Just because." She replied, moving her free hand up to Sofia's chest, the young girl grabbing ahold of her mom's finger, babbling excitedly.
"Well, can't say I mind that." He responded softly, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip as they both heard Jemma laughing from the couch.
"Would you all like me to take Sofia for a few hours, give you some time alone?" She asked with raised eyebrows, Matt's cheeks flushing as Gabby chuckled, giving Matt's hip a squeeze.
"Honestly? We might take you up on that offer." She replied, Matt's eyes widening as he slid from Gabby's grasp.
"Alright, I'm gonna be in the kitchen." He spoke, embarrassment flooding his system. "Sofia, your Momma's acting crazy." He added, Jemma and Gabby both laughing as Casey headed out of the room, Matt trying to escape the uncomfortable conversation he was sure would continue if he stayed, knowing his wife was enjoying messing with him way too much.
Dawson hopped down out of the back of the ambulance, an involuntary shiver coursing through her body as the cold air filtering into the garage hit her skin, Gabby slamming the doors closed as Brett and Foster came around the ambulance, the three paramedics beginning to walk towards the firehouse, desperate to get out of the cold.
It was Christmas Eve in Chicago, the city blanketed in white as people were out and about in droves today, the nearly unbearable cold temperatures not deterring people from going out for their last minute holiday needs. But the bad weather, combined with people's impatience this time of year had led to many accidents throughout the day, 51 having responded to multiple car accidents today alone, 61 being the last company to return from their latest call.
51 had responded to a car accident downtown, one of those many impatient people having run a light and collided with oncoming traffic. Luckily, there hadn't been any fatalities, but most of the people involved had been banged up a bit, needing 61's assistance to get them to the hospital.
"Man, has it been a day." Foster muttered, Gabby nodding in agreement as she was a step behind her two partners, rolling out her neck as they moved, her body feeling the effects of the busy day they'd had already.
"Maybe we'll get enough of a break to finally get some lunch… Even though it's almost four." Brett huffed, Foster patting her shoulder as the three of them continued walking, Emily holding the door open for both Brett and Dawson to enter through.
Most of 51 was sitting in the common room when they got inside, which wasn't surprising considering the well below freezing temperatures outside, Gabby's eyes darting around until she found her husband, Matt sitting at the small circular table behind the couch, his focus on his phone as he sat with Severide, Kidd, and Cruz. While Brett and Foster went straight for the kitchen, Gabby changed her direction towards Matt, her eyebrows raising when he still hadn't noticed their presence.
"Hey Dawson." Kidd spoke, Matt's head snapping up, a soft smile forming on his face when he saw his wife standing beside him.
"Hey baby." He greeted, Gabby flashing them all a smile.
"Hey guys." She replied, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of Matt's head. "This seat taken?" She asked, gripping onto the back of the empty seat beside her husband, Matt immediately shaking his head, Gabby nodding before pulling the chair out, her body falling down into the chair.
Matt placed his phone down on the table, turning his attention to his wife as he took her in, her exhaustion evident. "You guys get the patient dropped off okay?" He asked as he placed his hand on her back, Gabby giving him a nod.
"Yeah, everything went fine." She replied, reaching for his half finished plate that was sitting in front of him, taking a bite of his food. Matt smiled softly, rubbing his hand along her side, Gabby eyeing him as she took another bite. "Sorry, I'm starving."
"Eat as much as you want, but I made you a plate. I'll get it." He told her, Gabby nodding with a grateful smile.
"Thank you." She murmured, Matt kissing the side of her head before he stood up, the Captain heading for the kitchen as Gabby continued taking bites from his plate, her stomach so starved for food that she didn't even care that his was a little cold.
"You save a plate for us, Casey?" Gabby heard Foster asked, the paramedic glancing over just as a sheepish smile covered her husband's face, Matt moving towards the counter where he'd left her foil-covered plate.
"Right… Sorry about that." He replied, grabbing a fork for Gabby. "There's plenty of leftovers, though." He added, Foster shaking her head in amusement before going back to preparing her own lunch.
With 51 having been called out just as they were about to eat, their lunch was put on hold, everyone so starving by the time they'd gotten back they couldn't wait for the paramedics to return before they started eating. But before Matt ate, he made sure to set aside food for Gabby, the firefighter wanting to make sure his wife got enough to eat. With her still breastfeeding, and Sofia exclusively drinking breast milk, it was as important as ever that Gabby was getting enough food throughout the day, and Matt was doing whatever he could to help with that.
"Thank you." She said again as Matt brought her food over, Casey pushing his plate away and setting hers down in front of her, Gabby beginning to dig into to her lunch. Matt returned to his seat, his eyes on Gabby as she eagerly ate her food, his eyebrows raised in amusement.
"What?" She asked when she felt his stares, Gabby looking up from her plate.
"Nothing. You're just cute."
"Cute? She's shoving food into her face like she hasn't eaten in years, that's not cute." Kelly replied before Gabby could, both Casey and Dawson narrowing their eyes towards the squad Lieutenant. "What?" He asked, Gabby balling up her napkin and throwing it at him, Kelly batting it away before it hit his face.
"My God, you two act like children." Kidd spoke with a chuckle, Gabby rolling her eyes before returning her attention to her food, Matt placing his warm hand on her back, rubbing in soothing motions up and down over her jacket.
"Speaking of children," Severide spoke up, Matt turning to look at his friend. "I've got my Christmas presents for Sof in my car, wrapped them and everything- Ow!" He groaned, Matt raising his eyebrows in amusement as he saw Kidd punch Severide's leg under the table. "Alright, Jesus, Stella wrapped them."
"They're from both of us." She corrected, Kelly narrowing his eyes.
"One of them is, but the others are from me."
"You guys didn't have to get her anything." Casey cut in, Severide shaking my head.
"Yeah, like that was gonna happen. She's my goddaughter, it's in the job description that I spoil her." He replied, Gabby placing her fork down. "I mean, I know she's still a baby, she doesn't understand the concept or anything, but it'll give me serious brownie points when she's older if she knows how many great gifts she got from Uncle Sev every year."
"You really didn't have to, but thank you Kelly." Gabby replied sincerely, Severide giving her a nod, a soft smile forming over his face. "Thank you both. I'm sure Sof's gonna love whatever you got her."
"You'll have to let me know, if she starts doing that thing where she waves her arms around and starts screaming, I'll know I did well." He responded, Matt chuckling.
"We'll send you a video when we open them, don't worry."
"Good."
"So, I'm betting you guys are excited for Sofia's first Christmas." Herrmann spoke up from the couch, the older man turning around to look at the parents. "I mean, I know she's still young and all, but still."
"Yeah, we are." Casey replied with a bright smile, knowing Gabby couldn't answer as she was eating. "It's crazy that it's already Christmas, and Sofia's already four months old, but we're so excited."
"Is it just gonna be you three tomorrow?"
"We're spending the morning with Gabby's family." Casey answered, Gabby nodding in agreement. "Sofia's staying with Ramon today and tonight, after shift tomorrow we're gonna go over to his place for Christmas with him and Antonio."
"Oh, I bet that'll be fun. I'm sure Sofia loves getting to spend some time with her grandpa."
"She does." Gabby responded after taking a sip of Matt's water. "She loves my dad, and he loves getting one on one time with her… He's so excited to get to be with her on Christmas."
"I bet. It sounds like you all are gonna have a nice day tomorrow. I'm glad we were able to be off on Christmas this year, that way you all will get to be there with little Sofia for her first Christmas." Herrmann replied, earning nods from the parents.
"Yeah, we are too." Casey said, continuing to rub soft patterns along his wife's back. "Thanks Herrmann."
The older firefighter nodded, flashing them both a warm smile before turning back around. It was no secret to anyone in the firehouse how the Casey family had been having a hard time lately. Between that rough call Matt had experienced, and their separate issues with Sofia, everyone at 51 knew things hadn't been easy for the small family as of late. And while there were people in the firehouse who knew more than others, they one thing everyone did know what that the family of three deserved a nice holiday together. After the ups and downs they'd had this year, everyone was just glad to see them ending the year relatively well, and Herrmann did mean what he said; he was thankful that they'd be able to spend Christmas day with their daughter. As a father himself who had to miss many holidays over the years, he knew those were moments you could never get back. And Sofia's first Christmas was something the new parents should never have to miss.
"Oh, speaking of Sofia," Casey spoke up, Gabby looking from Herrmann towards her husband, raising her eyebrows slightly as she waited for him to continue. "Did you see the picture your dad sent?"
Her eyebrows furrowed, Gabby shaking her head as she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her phone, checking through her messages. "He didn't send me anything."
The second those words left her lips, she regretted them, Gabby looking up to see Matt watching her with a smug look. "Well well well, I guess I've become your dad's favorite." He replied with a proud grin, Gabby rolling her eyes as a few laughs were heard from around the room, their friends still listening in on their conversation.
"Yeah, I'm sure." She responded sarcastically, Matt beginning to poke her side, Gabby instantly shying away from his touch, pushing his hand way as she laughed.
"No need to be jealous babe."
"I'm not jealous." She spoke, Matt raising his eyebrows as he poked her again, Gabby smacking his hand. "Stop it." She warned playfully, Casey biting back a smirk. "And you and I both know my dad's favorite is Sofia, so calm down." She added, Kidd chuckling from across the table, the entire room amused by the banter between the married couple.
"Yeah, that's true… Well, it looks like I'm the second favorite then." He replied, Gabby rolling her eyes before reaching for his phone, picking it up off the table. "But no, he just sent it before you got back." Matt spoke, his voice no longer teasing as Gabby found the photo in his messages, a soft smile forming over her face when she saw her daughter. In the picture, Sofia was lying on her back on her play mat, holding onto one of her toys as she looked at the camera, her curly hair all over the place as she smiled widely.
"God, why is she so perfect?" Gabby asked quietly, Matt smiling as he learned forward, pressing a kiss to her temple.
"I don't know, we just did good I guess." He replied, rubbing along her shoulder. "But you're right, she is perfect." He agreed, their conversation getting cut short by the bells going off, practically everyone in the room sighing as all companies got called out to yet another car accident. As she was getting up, Gabby got as many bites of her food as she could while the other firefighters and paramedics began jogging outside.
Seeing this, Matt hurried towards the counter, grabbing an apple from the bowl before quickly catching up with Gabby as they walked towards the garage. "Here, take this." He told her, holding out the food towards her, Gabby looking up at him. "I know you're still hungry, hopefully that can help hold you over until you get back."
"Thanks baby." She replied, taking the apple from him before he walked through the door, holding it open for her to follow behind him, the two hurrying off towards their rigs, knowing they had a job to do.
Gabby and Matt both climbed out of her car once they'd parked, Matt waiting until she had shut her door before he locked the vehicle, Casey being mindful of the snow on the ground as he moved to join her on the sidewalk. They had just finished their shift at 51, the couple having made sure to take her car to work yesterday instead of Matt's truck like they usually did, knowing they'd need a way to get Sofia home after her night spent with Gabby's father. Blowing out a breath, Matt's glove covered hand reached for Gabby's before they began their trek towards Ramon's front door, both of them eager to see their baby, and get to enjoying their Christmas as a family.
"Thank you for driving." She murmured, leaning into her husband's side as they walked.
"It's no problem." He replied, knowing how tired his wife was.
It had been a busy shift all around for the men and women of 51, but ambulance 61 especially had been worked hard, the three paramedics having been away from the house more than they were there, and Matt knew Gabby was completely exhausted. Even though she was trying to hide it, he could tell she was really the effects of the long shift they'd had, and he was sure that after they finished the holiday festivities with her dad, that a Christmas Day nap was surely in their future.
"So, how do you think Sof did?" Matt asked as they neared Ramon's place, Gabby smiling softly as she clung to his side. Although Ramon had spent a lot of time with his granddaughter, this was the first time Sofia had spent the night with him. But considering they hadn't got any panicked phone calls or texts, they both figured things had gone relatively well.
"I bet she had a lot of fun… Well, as much fun as a four month old can have." Gabby responded, Matt nodding as they climbed the stairs to his apartment, Matt ringing the bell.
Within a few moments the door was opened, Gabby and Matt being greeted by the sight of Ramon and their little girl, Sofia resting against his chest.
"There's my baby." Gabby spoke with a wide smile, Sofia perking up at the sound of her mother's voice, the young girl started to struggle against Ramon's grip, clearly wanting her mom. "Come here, Sof." She cooed, Ramon carefully handing Sofia over as Gabby stepped inside, not wanting to take her girl out into the cold. "Thanks for watching her, Papa. Merry Christmas." Gabby said, stopping to greet him with a kiss on the cheek, Ramon smiling as Gabby walked further inside, giving Matt room to enter.
"Of course, she was an absolute angel." He spoke, shaking Matt's hand before closing the front door, shutting them inside the warmth of his apartment. "And Merry Christmas to you both, as well."
"Of course you were." Gabby murmured as she cradled Sofia to her chest, pressing soft kisses to her daughter's head, Sofia thoroughly enjoying the attention she was getting from her mom.
"How'd she do?" Matt asked, Ramon smiling brightly as he watched his daughter interact with her daughter.
"She ate twice during the night, finished the bottle both times. I'll say, it's been a long time since I've done this, but she did great. Slept like a champ."
"We really appreciate you watching her, Ramon." Matt told him, his father in-law clasping him on the shoulder as they walked towards the living room.
"Oh, it was no problem. I loved getting to see her. She didn't have any trouble eating, either." Ramon added, knowing how his daughter had mentioned to him that Sofia might struggle taking the bottle at first.
Both Matt and Gabby smiled at her father's words, glad to see the strides they were taking to get Sofia back on track with bottle feeding seemed to be paying off. Since their conversation at the firehouse last week, they had started Sofia back on her routine of only being breastfed by Gabby during the night, and first thing in the morning. As expected, Sofia resisted at first, but both Matt and Gabby did everything they could to help her feel just as content with the bottle as she did when feeding from Gabby, and soon enough she had adjusted. She still had her moments, but for the most part she did just fine, and both parents were so proud of her.
"It sounds like you were such a good girl, baby." Gabby spoke to her daughter, rubbing along her back as Sofia gripped her jacket, the young girl completely content in the security of her mom's embrace.
"She was." Ramon replied, the small family walking into the living room, Gabby handing over Sofia to her husband, knowing Matt wanted some time with their daughter as well, Sofia immediately curling into her dad's chest, clinging to him as she did with Gabby. "Did work go okay?"
"It was fine… Is Antonio here already?" Gabby asked when she heard noise coming from the kitchen, Matt having placed himself down on the couch, bouncing Sofia up and down in his lap.
"He is… But he's not the only one." Ramon spoke with a bright smile, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as she looked towards the kitchen.
"Is someone else joining us?" She asked, Ramon nodding.
"Come on out." He prompted, confusion covering Gabby's face as she tried to think of who could possibly be joining them on Christmas. But the person who appeared in the doorway was one of the last she expected, Gabby's lips parting in shock as tears began to fill her eyes.
"Mama…" She breathed out, Camila smiling wide as she stepped towards her daughter.
"My Gabriela." She murmured, Gabby hurrying into her mother's arms, burying herself in her mother's embrace as they stood in the living room, Gabby barely registering Antonio coming out of the kitchen as well. "It's so good to see you, sweetheart."
"What are you doing here? I didn't know you were coming for Christmas." She spoke, still slightly stunned by her mother's presence. While her and her mom talked often, they hadn't seen each other in a long time; not since before Gabby left to go to Puerto Rico. Ever since her parents divorce, things between Ramon and Camila hadn't been great. In fact, she wasn't sure if they'd even had a real conversation since everything was finalized. So to have her here now was definitely a shock. Camila had planned to come for Sofia's birth, but she'd gotten sick and had to postpone. Then their plans after hadn't worked out, Camila having only seen her daughter and granddaughter through Facetime calls and photos. But to have her here now was completely unexpected, although Gabby was beyond grateful to have her entire family here.
"Well, I wasn't planning to at first." Camila replied as they pulled back, stroking her hand along the side of her daughter's head. "But sweet Matthew here, he thought it might be a good idea for me to come and be here for Sofia's first Christmas." She spoke, Gabby's wide eyes glancing back towards her husband, finding Matt watching her with a soft grin.
"Merry Christmas, baby." He replied, Gabby's eyes falling closed for a second as a content smile covered her face.
"Thank you." She murmured, Matt giving her a nod before she returned her attention to her mom, knowing she'd have to thank him properly later. "I'm so happy you're here, that you'll get to spend time with Sofia… This is amazing." She breathed out, still not having entirely processed what was happening.
"Me too, Gabriela… Sofia, she's such a beautiful little baby. She's incredible, you and Matthew have such a wonderful little girl." She spoke softly, Gabby blinking back the tears in her eyes as she nodded, bringing her mom in for another hug, not wanting to take a moment of this for granted.
Their Christmas morning continued on happily, the Dawsons and Caseys having enjoyed a peaceful breakfast, all of them just happy to be spending the holiday together for the first time in years. Sofia had been passed around between everyone throughout the morning, all of the Dawson's wanting a chance to hold the newest addition to their family, the baby doing pretty well as the only unfamiliar presence was Camila, but she warmed up to her rather quickly.
Gabby was sitting in the living room, watching from afar as her mom and dad were sitting with Sofia on the floor as she played, Antonio having just left to go spend some time with his kids. Her attention was pulled from her parents and her baby as she heard Matt walk back into the living room, Gabby looking towards him just as he was sliding his phone back into his pocket.
"How's your mom?" She asked, knowing he'd been on the phone with Nancy for the last fifteen minutes, Matt having left the room to take it so he wouldn't disturb anyone.
"She's doing good, they're having a pretty quiet Christmas I guess, but she said everything's going well." He answered with a soft smile, Matt sitting down next to her on the couch, his gaze moving towards Sofia. "She said we have some presents coming our way… I'm not sure what those will be, but I'd guess they're mostly for Sofia." He spoke with a laugh, Gabby nodding as she glanced towards him, Matt oblivious to her stares. "...Your parents absolutely adore her." He spoke quietly, watching on as both Ramon and Camila played with Sofia while she laid on her back, all three of them caught up in their activity as they sat underneath the window by the Christmas tree.
"Thank you for doing this." Gabby murmured, Matt glancing towards her, finding her eyes already on him. "For getting my mom here… That's honestly the best Christmas present you ever could've gotten me. Thank you." She added, rubbing her hand along his back, Matt smiling softly as he squeezed her leg.
"Well, that's definitely not your only Christmas present, but you're welcome, baby." He replied just as quietly, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead. "I really didn't do anything, I just had the idea, and then I brought it up to them… I'm just glad she was able to get here, and that you didn't find out."
"Oh, I had no idea." She replied with a laugh, Matt smiling gently. "You definitely surprised me."
"Good." He spoke quickly, Gabby sliding her arm through his, leaning into his side as they both watched her parents play with their daughter.
"I'm a little surprised they're not killing each other right now, if I'm being honest." Gabby said after a few moments, Matt shaking his head slightly.
"I think they're doing well, all things considered…" He replied, knowing how terribly things ended between Gabby's parents. "And they both know how important this is to you, for them both to be here. You're their daughter, no matter what's going on with them, they'd put everything aside for you." He replied quietly, feeling her press her cheek against the side of his arm. "And plus there's no way anyone could be mad around Sofia… No matter what's going on, she just makes everything better." He added, Gabby smiling softly as she nodded.
"Yeah… she does." She practically whispered, her tongue darting out to wet her lips as she lifted her head, Gabby staring at the side of his face. If he noticed her watching him, he didn't acknowledge it, Matt focused on his baby as he watched little Sofia with a content smile on his face, Gabby's entire chest filling with warmth, her smile soon matching his. "...Hey Matt?" She asked, Matt glancing towards her, his eyebrows raised slightly.
"Yeah?"
"Do you want to have another baby?"
Matt's eyes widened the second those words left her lips, his grin nearly covering his entire face as she saw an excited gleam in his eye, Gabby biting on her bottom lip as she fought back her smile.
"I mean, not right now… Well, I don't think. At least not this second. But sometime soon… If you want." She rambled nervously, Matt still smiling at her, unable to wipe the goofy grin from his face. "I know you mentioned something about it after Sofia was born, but we haven't had an actual conversation, I wasn't sure what you were thinking… I know there's things we need to figure out. I have no idea what my options are, or what would be the safest way to have another baby, but I guess first I just need to know that's something you'd want…"
She had to force herself to stop talking, Matt having yet to say a word, Gabby's eyes searching his face as he stared at her. The bright grin he wore never faltered, Matt chuckling softly before he leaned forward, capturing her lips in a heavy kiss. She immediately kissed him back, her hand gripping his arm tightly.
"So… is that a yes?" She asked once they pulled back, Gabby smiling as Matt shook his head in amusement.
"Absolutely. Yes, of course I do." He replied happily, rubbing his palm over her leg. "Of course I want more kids with you, I'll take as many babies as you'll give me."
"Yeah, that's kind of what I thought." She responded lightly, Matt smiling before he kissed her again, Gabby moving her hand up to cradle the side of his face, stroking her thumb over his cheek as they pulled back. "...I know Sofia's young, and there's no rush for us to do this right now. But I would like to at least go see Dr. Tanner, hopefully sometime soon after Christmas, so we can at least know what our options are."
"Yeah, we should. Let's call and make an appointment, as soon as we can." He spoke excitedly, Gabby nodding softly as Matt looked back towards Sofia, the smile never leaving his face. "Man, just picturing having another one of her… I really am the luckiest guy in the world." He breathed out, Gabby blinking quickly as he glanced back to her. "I love you so much. Thank you, for everything… I love you and I love Sof, more than anything."
"I love you, too." She murmured, Matt grinning before the two connected for one last kiss, both of them overwhelmed with joy at the thought of expanding their family, neither of them able to wipe the smiles off their faces for the rest of the day.