Hello everyone! I'm back with the next chapter for you all. Thank you all for the kind words you left me on the last one, I'm glad you all enjoyed it. Hopefully you all like this one, as well.
Before we get into it, I just have a quick question for you all. Do you all enjoy the long chapters, or would you prefer shorter ones? I'm just curious as to which you all prefer.
I hope you all enjoy this one. Thanks for reading.
Chapter Eighty Five
Matt tapped his finger against the table rapidly as his eyes scanned over the images in front of him, the firefighter staring at the laptop curiously as he tuned out the noise around him. It was a relatively uneventful day at Firehouse 51, for Truck 81 at least, which had led to a lot of downtime for Casey and his firefighters. The Captain had tried to do a few things to keep them busy and ready to go at a moment's notice, Matt even opting to do some drills with his team before lunch time, but even that hadn't lasted too long. He didn't want to run them ragged, and put them through drills just for the sake of killing some time, so aside from a few drills, and having them clean the rig, Casey hadn't had much for them to do. It had just been an easy shift for them so far, despite the fact that Squad 3 and Ambulance 61, the latter especially, had seemed to have been run all over Chicago today.
While for him and his crew the workload had been light today, 81 only having been called out once at the start of shift, that had not been the case for 51's other companies, the firehouse's paramedics having been gone most of the day. That had seemed to be happening a lot these last few shifts, more so than usual, where 61 would be gone most of the day, being called out over and over, barely having time to take a breath. Casey wasn't sure what the deal was, or why things had been so chaotic throughout the city as of late, but he could only hope it slowed down soon, especially for Gabby's sake.
With this nonstop pace Ambulance 61 had been on for their last few shifts, it had really been taking it out of Gabby. She was exhausted, seemingly all the time, Matt finding her more often than not taking naps during their off days during times she'd usually be wide awake. And every morning after shift over the last week, as soon as they got home, Gabby would go and lie down, usually sleeping, or at least staying in bed, until noon while Matt watched Sofia. And that definitely had him worried.
He didn't mind being the one to take care of Sofia while Gabby got some rest, in fact he encouraged it. He was all for her getting the sleep she needed, but what had him concerned was how often she was needing to rest. It was something that was definitely out of the ordinary for her, her coming home and passing out for hours, even after nights where she got a decent amount of sleep. He couldn't help but feel like there was something else going on, something causing her to not get a full night's rest even when she had the option. And he was pretty sure it was the same something causing her distant behavior.
It had been about two weeks since it first started, since she'd been acting a little strange, especially towards him, and he still wasn't sure what was causing it. A few days ago, he'd finally given in and asked her about it, Matt not liking the weird, almost tension between them, but she gave him next to nothing in response. Though that wasn't the only time he'd asked, either. Over the past week, he'd asked her multiple times about what was going on with her, and if something was wrong, but each time she'd brush it off, saying she was fine and that she was just tired. But she didn't seem fine to him, and he was a little worried.
He kept telling himself that if something were seriously wrong, she'd come to him. That if she needed help, she would let him in, but clearly whatever was going on with her, she didn't seem to want, or need, his help. It hadn't led to any fights, or even any disagreements between them, probably because Matt didn't push back too hard, but there was just a weird feeling around them. Everything between them felt off, and he didn't know why, but it concerned him.
And he could tell the firehouse was starting to take notice, too.
When he and Gabby would act a certain way every day for years, it's noticeable when that dynamic changes. And that's exactly what had happened. They weren't in sync the way they usually were, there had been an obvious shift in their dynamic over the last few weeks, and Matt had a feeling everyone noticed.
Whereas before, him and Gabby were usually together during shift, whether sitting together in the common room, or spending time together in his office, regardless of where they were, if they were both in the house at the same time, they were usually together. It was just habit, it was them wanting to be with one another when they had the time to. But that desire had shifted over the last couple of weeks, at least it had on Gabby's end, and there was definitely a strange feeling surrounding the couple. Gabby was no longer sitting out with everyone, or seeking shelter in Matt's office when she wanted some time to herself; she was just content to be on her own. She'd go where people weren't, usually ending up in the bunk room, or staying out in the ambulance, and when she was with everyone, she usually wasn't all there. She'd seem very far away, and hard to reach. Like even though she'd be sitting there with everyone, her mind was a million miles away.
It was very unusual behavior for her, and it had left everyone a little concerned. But there was nothing Matt could do if she wouldn't talk to him, because the last thing he wanted was to push her too hard and make whatever this was worse. But if she didn't come around soon, he might not have any other choice.
He knew she'd been through a lot recently, that everything life had thrown at them in the eight and a half months since Sofia had been born, not to mention everything they'd been dealing with before that, a lot of it had rattled Gabby. Understandably so. Her especially, she'd been through a lot, but in all that time, no matter what was going on, she hadn't acted like this. She hadn't been this distant from him in a long time. Truthfully, the last time he could remember her acting like this, was how things had been between them before she went to Puerto Rico.
That thought alone was enough to fill his stomach with dread, and even though they were in a much better place now than they were then, this distance she was putting between them reminded him an awful lot of how things had been for them then, and he hated it. He absolutely dreaded even the thought of them being in that place again, he refused to let them ever be in that place again. And he knew Gabby didn't want them back in that place, either.
In all of this weird tension and distance that had been between them the last two weeks, that was one thing he was certain of. That whatever was happening now, was nothing like how things were between them back then before they fell apart. They weren't those people anymore. But regardless, the distance she was clearly putting between them left him a little worried, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could wait for her to come to him, especially when there were things he needed to talk to her about, as well.
Things like that note.
The note he found last week that was addressed to him, the one he still hadn't found the courage to read yet. The one that Gabby had clearly hid away, some place where she didn't intend for him to find it, which was another part to this altogether.
He didn't know if he should just read it, and deal with whatever was in that letter afterwards. Or if he should ask her first, even though doing that ran the risk of him never seeing what was inside it. If he went to her and tried to talk about it, especially with how things were between them right now, part of him couldn't help but feel like she'd hide the letter away and he'd probably never see it again. And, selfishly, he wasn't sure if he wanted to risk that.
Clearly, that letter was for him. She had written it for him, and he was dying to know what was in it.
"Why are you looking at townhouses?"
Casey jumped slightly as Severide's voice broke his train of thought, Matt glancing up to see Kelly hovering over his shoulder, clearly staring at his computer screen. Looking back to his laptop, Matt quickly closed it, taking away the images of the different places he'd been looking at over the last half hour or so, Kelly huffing out a breath before moving to sit down beside his friend.
"What do you want, Severide?" Casey asked, the Lieutenant putting his hands up in defense as he leaned back in his seat.
"Well, you're in about as good of a mood as Dawson is." He shot back, Matt releasing a heavy sigh as Kelly dropped his hands down to the arm rests of his chair, Severide raising his eyebrows expectantly. "Speaking of… is she doing okay?" Kelly asked, tapping his finger quickly against the furniture he was sitting on. "After how that call went down today… I don't know, Dawson's not usually like that."
Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, Casey mimicked Severide's position, leaning back in his chair as he thought over how to answer him. Matt knew this talk was coming after what had happened on truck's lone call this morning, if anything Casey was just surprised it had taken this long for Kelly to mention it.
The call earlier today, the one that had left all of them a little on edge, was one where every company in the house had been needed. There was a pretty bad accident a few blocks from the firehouse that required all hands on deck, one that had inevitably caused some tensions to flare between Dawson and Severide.
The call itself wasn't anything too tricky. Even though the accident was pretty brutal, it was a situation they'd dealt with hundreds of times before, but Gabby and Severide instantly butted heads, which was definitely out of the normal for them. Rarely, in all the years they'd known each other, had they gone at it on a call. Casey couldn't even remember if they'd ever gotten into it on a call, but today that had changed.
Casey grimaced as he hopped down from the rig, the Captain putting his helmet on his head before he walked towards the scene, his mind racing to try and figure out how to best help those involved in this horrific crash.
"Truck, get extinguishers on that vehicle, now!" He barked, his firefighters quickly going to work.
It was only two cars, but, from what he could see through the flames, for as much damage that had been done, at least one of the drivers had to have been going way above the speed limit for being on a residential street. One car was completely crushed from both sides, the vehicle sandwiched in between the other car and some steps leading up to someone's home, both cars having ended up partially on the sidewalk. The car that had taken the most impact was essentially compressed from both sides, the passenger side having crushed inward on impact. Casey figured they'd gotten lucky to not have crashed into any homes, that they'd hit the concrete stairs before hitting anything else, but the sight definitely wasn't pretty, and he couldn't imagine how anyone in the crushed car would've been able to survive.
But they had to take things one step at a time, the Captain knowing they couldn't do anything safely until the fire was out, then every move afterwards had to be done carefully. One misstep could endanger the lives of however many people were in those vehicles, if they were even still alive.
"61, I'm not sure what we're dealing with here." Casey spoke as he looked to the paramedics, his firefighters having just gotten the fire out. "Once we have a read on the victims, we'll go from there." He told them, his eyes landing on Gabby, watching her nod in response before he returned his attention to the scene, Severide already on the other side of the damaged vehicles. He was standing up by the hood, it being impossible to get to the car from the passenger side. "How's it looking, Severide?" Casey called, watching as Kelly waved some of the smoke out of the air, trying to get a decent look into the car.
"Hello? Can anyone in there hear me?" Severide called out, Matt grimacing as he got a look at the man in the car beside him. He was bloody and unconscious, Casey waving 61 over to help as a second ambo pulled up to the scene.
"Can one of you go help Severide?" Casey asked as Brett got a collar on the unconscious man inside the damaged car.
"I got it." Dawson offered, Foster giving her a nod as Gabby stepped around Casey to head for the more damaged car, everyone on the scene knowing the victims inside that vehicle were bound to be in much worse shape.
Casey wasn't sure exactly what had started the fighting between Dawson and Severide, the Captain focused on the victim in front of him as Brett and Foster worked diligently as soon as 81 had gotten him out, but when he heard Gabby snapping at Kelly, he knew things were not going as smoothly over at the other vehicle.
"Severide, we can't wait, and you know that." Gabby's voice echoed through the busy street, Kelly shaking his head as he reached for her arm as she moved towards the car.
"You can't go in there, we have to get the car moved first."
"If we move the car before she's stabilized, we could end up doing more damage." Dawson fought back before Severide could even finish his sentence, Gabby ripping her arm from his hold. From their conversation, Matt guessed there was only one victim inside the second vehicle, which he could only feel a bit thankful for.
"Dawson, it's not safe." Severide tried again, Matt seeing Gabby's entire body tense. "Look at that car, no one can get in there before we get the doors off, the entire thing is crushed." He spoke as squad started the process of moving the first car now that the man was out, Gabby scoffing as she shook her head.
"I can fit. I can crawl in through the back window, and at least get a collar on her." She tried, Matt seeing Kelly's eyes narrow.
"No, you can't. These cars were just on fire, there's no telling if that'll happen again." He spoke, keeping his voice firm. "If the car goes up in flames and you're in there, we might not be able to get you out in time. You're not going in there."
Matt couldn't see her face, but from the look Severide gave her, Casey could only assume the look she was giving him wasn't pleasant, Gabby shaking her head before continuing towards the vehicle.
"Dawson, stop!" He nearly shouted, but she wouldn't listen.
"You're not gonna stop me from helping this woman."
"Gabby-" Matt interjected as he stepped closer, knowing this situation was about to reach the point of no return if he didn't intervene.
"You know better than anyone you can't go in there right now." Severide spoke up, placing his hand on her arm to stop her, but she violently ripped herself from his hold yet again.
"Don't touch me, Severide." She snapped, Kelly's eyes widening at her tone as he glanced towards Casey, Matt shaking his head, the husband clearly unsure as to why she was so insistent, especially when Severide was right. And they all knew he was right. She had no business going into that car, not until it was safe for them.
"Dawson…" Casey tried again, hoping his use of her last name and the tone in his voice would get her to stand down, but it didn't. She either didn't hear him, or she ignored him, Gabby looking towards the car as she tried to find the best way for her to get to the back.
"Dawson, you're not going in there." Severide spoke again. "My guys are almost ready to get this thing moved, a few more seconds won't hurt anything."
"It's not just because of the time!" She nearly shouted, her sudden anger taking them all by surprise. "Maybe if you'd listen to me when I say something, you'd know that. We both know the car will shift when we move that other vehicle, which could hurt her. I at least need to get a collar on her."
"Dawson-"
"I'm going in." She spoke roughly, her narrow eyes focused on Kelly. "And you can't stop me from helping her. Last I checked, you weren't in charge here."
"And neither are you." He snapped back, Gabby's eyebrows raising as her face hardened.
"Severide…" Matt tried to diffuse the situation, but he was not having much luck as neither of them were listening to him.
"You're not in charge anymore, either." Kelly continued. "You're not the PIC anymore, and you haven't been for a long time. You don't call the shots here, so stand down."
Gabby's expression became unreadable as the words left his lips, Matt shaking his head as he glanced back and forth between the two first responders, neither of them dropping their glare from the other.
"No one goes in until the car is moved. And that's an order." Casey spoke roughly as he shifted completely into Captain mode, waving his hand at Cruz, telling the man to start backing up the rig now that the chain was attached to the car. "Severide's right, it's too dangerous. Once we have a safe entry, you can go in Dawson." He continued, Gabby's tongue poking out between her teeth before she gave a quick nod, clearly not happy with the order she'd been given.
"Fine… Captain." She spoke harshly before walking away from them, anger rolling off her in waves as she got out of the way, Matt unsure if her anger was directed at him, or at Severide. But regardless, it wasn't something they could deal with now. What was going on with them didn't matter, not until they got the woman out of this car.
"I just… I don't know what else I was supposed to do." Kelly continued, pulling Casey from the memory as he glanced towards his friend.
"Well, the shot about her not being the PIC anymore didn't help anything." Matt replied, Severide shaking his head as he released a deep sigh.
"It wasn't a shot at her." He defended himself. "It's the truth. She's not the PIC anymore."
"You know what I mean, Severide." He said pointedly, Kelly running his hand over his mouth.
"I wasn't trying to get into it with her, but she wasn't listening to me." Severide spoke, sitting up in his chair. "I mean, and you agreed with me, we all knew it was too dangerous for her to go in. I don't know why she was fighting it so hard… I know she was concerned about that woman, we all were, but Dawson putting herself in danger wouldn't have helped anything."
"I agree with you, Sev. I do." Matt said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "She shouldn't have been try to go in there, and I'm not really sure why she was so insistent. She knows better, she just…" Casey trailed off, waving his hand in the air to tell something he wasn't sure how to verbalize, especially in a room full of firefighters.
"She's been acting weird lately." Severide cut in when Matt hadn't said anymore. "She's been… off. And she has been for a few shifts now." He continued, watching Matt expectantly, the Captain giving little away in the form of a reaction. "And I just… I don't know, man. Is she alright?" He questioned, Matt pursing his lips together as he thought over how to answer him. But Kelly kept speaking before he could. "...I swear, the last time she was all over the place like this is when she was pregnant." He added lightly, Matt raising his eyebrows as an unamused look covered his face.
"Charming as always, Severide." Matt replied with a scoff, Kelly chuckling as he shook his head.
"I'm just saying… You sure you don't have another little Casey in there?" He asked, Matt's expression unreadable to his friend. After a split second when Casey hadn't responded, Kelly's eyes widened, Matt immediately shaking his head when he realized what his friend was thinking. "Oh, don't tell me…"
"Severide-" Matt tried, but Kelly wasn't listening, the Lieutenant shaking his head as a smirk covered his face.
"I can't believe I didn't realize it sooner… I mean, it makes sense. The way she's been acting the last few weeks, and you're looking at new places- bigger places to live." He spoke with a proud grin, Matt rolling his eyes before he shook his head. "You really knocked up Dawson again, didn't you?"
"Whoa, Gabby's pregnant?" Herrmann's surprised voice came from the couch, gaining the attention of the entire room as everyone looked to Casey with wide eyes.
"Oh brother." Matt breathed out, rubbing his hand over his head.
"You guys are having another kid already?" Cruz asked, Casey shaking his head.
"No, we're not-"
"It would explain why she's been in a mood lately." Otis interjected, Casey's narrow eyes landing on his firefighter, Otis closing his mouth immediately. "Sorry, Captain." He apologized quickly, ducking his head as Matt looked back to the room, seeing everyone still staring at him.
"When did you guys find out?"
"She's not pregnant." Casey spoke firmly, earning a few confused looks from everyone, Matt sighing before he kept talking. "She's not, guys. Really… Kelly's just running his mouth." He added pointedly, glaring towards Severide before looking back to the room, his gaze landing on Herrmann. "But I promise, we're not expecting anything."
"But she is alright?" Herrmann asked after giving Casey a nod, Matt raising his eyebrows. "I won't say she's been in a mood," He started, shooting a look towards Otis, "but she has seemed a bit… un-Gabby-like. Kind of all over the place. She doing okay, Captain?" He questioned, Matt feeling the eyes of the room on him.
"She's fine, Herrmann." He replied simply, Casey unsure of what else to say.
Clearly, she wasn't fine. But with him not knowing what was bothering her, he didn't even know how to begin to explain it to everyone else. Though even if he did know, it wouldn't be something he'd share with the house, anyway. Unless they'd discussed it ahead of time, they never shared their personal business in house, they usually just liked to keep things between them, or a few chosen individuals.
But, regardless of that, he knew everyone was worried. That they had been worried about her for awhile, and though he couldn't say he blamed them, he didn't know what to say. Because he didn't know what was going on either.
At least when he knew what was happening with his wife, he could give some vague explanation as to what was going on. Not enough to divulge any information he couldn't share, but enough to ease their concerns. But now, he wasn't sure what to tell them. Because he had the exact same worries as they did.
"Alright, so she's not pregnant." Severide spoke up, the room going back to their own conversations as Matt looked to his friend. "But something is up with her… I hope she knows I wasn't trying to upset her earlier"
"She fine, Sev." He repeated, Kelly giving him a nod. "And I know you weren't. Just talk to her about it, I'm sure she's sorry, too." Matt added, Severide clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth just as the bells went off, Casey listening as truck was finally called out again. Pushing his chair back, Matt stood up as Severide stayed planted in his seat. "But really, just talk to her when 61 gets back… We don't need you two at each other's throats." He said lightly, patting Kelly on the shoulder as he passed by, Severide giving him a nod as his friend headed out towards the garage, Matt leading his firefighters to the rig as they prepared to go help the citizens of Chicago.
Gabby released a heavy sigh as she stepped down from the rig, the paramedic stretching her neck out before closing the back doors, Brett and Foster coming around to meet her from the seats upfront. All three women were beyond exhausted, their long day proving to be quite taxing on them. With it now nearing seven in the evening, this being the first time ambo had been back to the house since well before lunch time, Gabby could only hope their night wouldn't be nearly as eventful as their day.
Staying a few steps behind her partners, Gabby's hands hung at her sides as she walked towards the firehouse, her eyes moving towards the squad table as they came through the maze of rigs parked in the garage. As soon as the table came into view, Dawson's eyes locked with Kelly's, the firefighter wearing a hesitant look on his face as Gabby's steps slowed down.
Running her teeth over her bottom lip, she nodded across the garage, Kelly understanding her silent request instantly as he got up from his comfortable chair, Gabby starting to walk down past the double doors to give them some room to talk.
Once far enough away from the prying ears of the firehouse, Gabby turned around, watching as Severide walked towards her, the paramedic crossing her arms over her chest tiredly as he came to a stop about a foot from her.
"...You guys have been busy today." He commented, Gabby nodding in agreement, the air around them thick as they both stared at one another. Drawing in a deep breath, Kelly shook his head slightly, running his hand along the side of his face before continuing. "I'm, uh- I'm sorry about that call earlier." He told her, Gabby raising her eyebrows.
"You're not the one who needs to be apologizing." She replied quickly, her words earning a shrug from the firefighter.
"I was a little harsh… I know you were just wanting to help, and I could've handled it better." He tried, Gabby pursing her lips together.
"I think you handled it about as well as you could've." She told him, Kelly watching her closely. "I was- I wasn't thinking. I knew we couldn't get into that car, I just… I don't know-" She cut herself off, a look of concern covering his features.
"...Are you doing okay, Dawson?" He asked softly, Gabby meeting his eyes. "You just… You seem a little- not like Gabby." He added carefully.
"I'm fine." She said, flashing him a soft smile. "I think all these calls might just be catching up with me, but I'm okay." She played it off, Severide responding with a hesitant nod. "I'm just sorry for earlier. You and I don't usually go at it like that… That's usually yours and Matt's territory." She spoke with a soft laugh, Severide scoffing in amusement before her face turned serious again. "But really, I'm sorry Kelly."
"I'm sorry, too." He told her, Gabby giving him a nod before he stepped forward, wrapping her up in a tight hug. Dawson reciprocated the gesture, Kelly rubbing her back and giving her a quick squeeze before pulling back, Gabby keeping her hand on his shoulder for a moment. "Are we good?" He asked, Gabby nodding immediately as she gripped his shoulder comfortingly.
"We're good." She assured him, Severide nodding with a soft smile, Gabby matching his look before she started to walk away. But she didn't get very far before she stopped herself, Severide raising his eyebrows as she looked towards him, Kelly seeing the heavy exhaustion in her eyes. "And, uh… thank you. For stopping me earlier." She spoke quietly, Severide pursing his lips together before he gave her another nod, Gabby shooting him an appreciative look before disappearing into the firehouse.
As she stepped inside, she saw most of the first responders in the common room, all of them unwinding from the day, some of them still eating dinner as they talked amongst themselves. But Gabby wasn't really in the mood to eat, nor was she in the mood to chat either, Dawson quickly taking a right down the hallway, heading off towards the bunk room.
She knew it was still too early to actually go to sleep, though with how tired she was, she felt like the second her head hit her pillow, she'd be out, Gabby opening the door and stepping into the bunk room. It was quiet, which was something she was thankful for, Gabby quickly noticing that all the other bunks were empty.
As she walked towards the bed that had been hers for years, her steps slowed when she instinctively looked towards Matt's office, seeing her husband hunched over his desk as he diligently worked on paperwork. Her body came to a complete stop, Gabby taking the moment to watch him while he didn't notice she was there, the paramedic drawing in a deep breath as he continued working.
Gabby knew things had been off with them lately, that there was a weird feeling in the air around them, and that it was entirely her fault it was there. She hadn't intended to separate herself from him, or cause there to be any weirdness between them, she just needed a second to breathe. And, as he always did, he was giving her that space. Even though he'd tried talking to her a few times, he never pushed too hard, even though she knew he wanted to.
But, to his credit, he didn't. He would try to talk, then when it was clear she didn't want to, he'd leave it alone, and just continue to be there for her even though he didn't know what was going on with her. And truthfully, she didn't know what was going on with her, either.
And that's why she hadn't talked to him about it. Because she didn't understand what was going on in her own head.
It should've been good news. It was good news. It was what they both wanted, so she couldn't understand why she felt so weird about it. She didn't understand this heavy feeling that always seemed to be present in her gut, and the worry she felt anytime she thought about it, so she hadn't said anything to him. Because she didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to explain to him what she was feeling, and what she was thinking. So she said nothing.
But by doing that, it had created a weird distance between them. One they both knew was there, and one she absolutely hated. And she was sure he hated it just as much.
Blowing out a soft sigh, Gabby decidedly changed her course of direction, her feet taking her towards Matt's office, his door slightly ajar as he continued working away at the seemingly never ending pile of paperwork he had to deal with as a Captain. Running her tongue along the inside of her lip, Gabby hesitantly pulled his door open enough for her to stand in the doorway, Matt not noticing her until she brought her hand up, knocking gently against the frame.
Matt glanced back to see who was at the door, the firefighter turning around completely when he saw it was his wife, Casey dropping his pen down on his desk as he greeted her with a soft smile.
"Hey baby." He spoke, Gabby matching his smile.
Despite the weirdness between them, Matt had continued treating her as he always would, minus the space he was trying to give her. But aside from that, he acted the same around her, the husband hoping that would help her feel comfortable opening up to him when she was ready.
"Hi."
"Did you guys just get back?" He asked, Gabby giving him a nod, her eyes flickering towards his bunk before looking back to him, seeing he still had that same, soft grin on his face.
"Yeah, just a few minutes ago… Can I come in?" She questioned, Matt's eyebrows furrowing before he immediately nodded, unsure of why she even felt the need to ask.
"Of course." He replied without missing a beat, Gabby flashing him an appreciative smile before she stepped inside his office, closing the door behind her. Matt, truthfully, was a little surprised she was seeking him out; she'd come to him a few times, but it wasn't something that had happened all that often the last few weeks, though he wouldn't question it, especially not now. "Did you eat?" He asked as he watched her sit down on his bed, her hands clasped together in her lap as she met his eyes again, Matt immediately seeing how tired she was. Which wasn't all that surprising, considering he hadn't seen her since before lunch "The guys made some chili… it's not as good as mine or anything, but it wasn't too bad." He spoke lightly, Gabby giving him a weak smile.
"I'm not hungry, thank you though." She replied, Matt nodding even though it didn't really answer his question. "I kind of just want to lay down, if that's alright." She said, Matt's eyes moving over her tired form. "I know you're busy, so I can-"
"Stay." He spoke gently, Gabby releasing a soft breath before nodding, Casey watching as she began to make herself comfortable on his bunk. But it was clear after a few moments she couldn't quite get relaxed, Matt never taking his eyes off of her as she shifted around on his bed.
Releasing a heavy sigh, Gabby looked towards her husband, finding his eyes immediately as he leaned forward in his seat. "Will you…" She cut herself off to take a breath, Matt raising his eyebrows as he waited to hear what she was going to say. "Can you lay with me, just for a few minutes?"
Gabby saw the immediate look of surprise that covered his face, though she couldn't say she was shocked to see it, the paramedic quickly covering her request. "Unless you need to finish your paperwork."
"It can wait." He replied before pushing himself up from his chair, the firefighter moving to draw the blinds on his windows and door, Gabby watching him as he moved around the small space. Once they were completely cut off from the rest of the firehouse, Matt moved back towards his bunk, the small lamp on his desk giving them a little bit of light as Gabby moved to the edge of the bed by the wall, giving him room to lay down.
Without another word, Matt laid down on his back, extending his arm out, giving her room to fall into his side, which she immediately did. Gabby curled up against her husband, her head falling into the familiar position of resting over his chest, her forehead pressed up against his neck as he wrapped his arm around her waist, keeping her secure against his body as his other arm came around to hold onto her. It was a comfortable position for them, one they were in often, Matt feeling her body relax as she wrapped her arm around his chest.
They did nothing but lay in silence, Matt continuously rubbing his hand up and down her side in a soothing motion, the firefighter feeling her breathing even out as she nuzzled her cheek against his chest, both of them finding comfort in being close to one another, which was something they hadn't done nearly enough of as of late.
Gabby's eyebrows furrowed as she slowly came into consciousness, the sun streaming in through the windows telling her it wasn't too early in the morning as she slowly opened her eyes, it taking a few moments for her vision to adjust to being awake as she regained a sense of her surroundings. After a second or two she remembered where she was, Gabby realizing she was still in Matt's office.
Last night after coming to lie down in here, 61 hadn't been called out until well after midnight, Gabby reluctantly pulling herself from Matt's grip to head out towards the garage. Then by the time ambo got back, 81 had been out on a call for about half an hour or so, Gabby deciding to go back to Matt's office to continue her sleep, which she did easily. Aside from her waking up when Matt returned, Gabby feeling him wrap his arms around her waist when he slid back into bed behind her, she hadn't woken up again during the night. By some minor miracle, 61 hadn't been called out anymore. Or if they had, she'd slept right through it.
As she slowly pushed herself up from Matt's bunk, she soon realized she was alone in his office, Gabby stretching her arms out above her head, shaking the lingering stiffness from her muscles before she got up, it taking a few seconds for her body to completely wake up after having been in one position for too long. Sparing a quick glance down at her watch, Gabby saw they still had about twenty minutes left until shift change, the paramedic deciding to go out and see what everyone else was doing.
Unsurprisingly, the bunk room was empty when she stepped out of Matt's office, Gabby rolling out her neck as she continued towards the door, intent on heading to the common room where she was sure most of the house was. The second she stepped into the hallway, she could already hear the TV blaring, Gabby continuing in that direction, seeing almost everyone in the room as she turned the corner.
"Hey, there's Dawson." Herrmann greeted with a grin as she walked into the common room, Gabby flashing him a small smile. "You hungry? There's plenty of food." He offered from his usual seat on the couch, Gabby shaking her head.
"I'm alright, thanks though, Herrmann." She responded, the older man giving her a nod before his attention went back to the TV, Gabby continuing further into the common room. It didn't take her long to notice that while almost everyone from second shift was in here, there was one person in particular who wasn't, Gabby's eyes meeting Severide's as she continued walking. "Where's Casey?" Dawson questioned, her words earning a few glances from her coworkers.
"He's in with Boden." Severide was the first to respond, nodding towards the hallway. "He's been in there for probably half an hour or so, I'm sure they'll be done soon." He added, Gabby giving him a nod before continuing towards the long table.
Most of the seats were filled as everyone was enjoying their breakfast, but Matt's usual seat at the head of the table was empty, Gabby deciding to take up residence there while waiting for shift to end, the paramedic crossing her legs as she leaned back in the chair, her eyes moving to the laptop that was sitting directly in front of her.
She immediately recognized it to be Matt's, Gabby tapping her finger against the table as she partially listened to the small talk going on around her. Glancing to her watch once more and seeing she still had some time before the end of the shift, she reached for his laptop, pulling it closer to her before opening it, Gabby deciding she'd check her email, and maybe find a few other things to do to kill some time.
The second the laptop came to life, Gabby was greeted by a photo of her and Sofia that Matt had as his wallpaper, a soft smile forming over her face as she typed in his password. The photo was an older one, Sofia maybe only three or four months old at the time, but Gabby knew it to be one of her husband's favorite pictures, seeing as how not only had it been his laptop wallpaper since it had been taken, but it had been the background on his phone for quite some time, as well as him printing a copy out and putting it in his office. He absolutely loved that picture, even though it was nothing special. It was just a photo Matt had taken of them at the apartment, Gabby sitting on the couch, holding their little girl in her lap. They probably had at least twenty other photos exactly like this, but for some reason Matt loved this one, and because of that, seeing it always brought a smile to her face.
But that smile quickly disappeared when she unlocked his computer and saw Matt's web browser open, her eyebrows furrowing when she was met by the image of a townhouse. Her eyes moved around the screen, Gabby quickly seeing that he had at least ten tabs open, all of which were different listings for new places to live. Some were apartments, but most of them were townhouses, Gabby pursing her lips together as she quickly looked through all the new homes he was looking at.
Clearly, he'd been thinking about them moving, and soon, if the sheer amount of listings he had up was any indication, but apparently that wasn't something he planned on telling her about, Gabby's face hardening as she slowly closed the laptop, her spine straightening she pursed her lips together.
"You alright, Dawson?" Kidd spoke up, Gabby's eyes snapping into focus as she looked up towards her friend, seeing a few pairs of eyes on her.
"Huh?"
"You good?" She repeated. "You seem a little tense there."
"Oh- Uh, yeah." Gabby replied, clearing her throat. "I'm fine." She forced a weak smile, Stella giving her a nod before she went back to her breakfast, Gabby swallowing thickly before biting down roughly on her bottom lip, the paramedic trying to figure out why her husband hadn't told her he was looking at new places for them to live.
That wasn't something you hid from your spouse, that wasn't a decision he could make for them, and the longer she sat here thinking about it, the more upset she became, Gabby's neck clenching as she stared down at the table.
She was pulled from her thoughts when she felt a hand run along her shoulders, Gabby looking up to see Matt come around beside her, his palm running along her back as he flashed her a bright smile.
"Good morning." He greeted, leaning down to place a soft kiss to the top of her head, Gabby's face remaining blank as he pulled back, Matt raising his eyebrows in question as he felt how tense she was. "...Something wrong?" He asked, Gabby eyeing the room before looking back to her husband, knowing this wasn't a conversation they could be having here.
"Can we talk?" She questioned quietly, her voice rigid. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, Matt sensing a hostility from her that he didn't understand, the Captain nodding immediately.
Gabby quickly pushed herself up from her seat, Matt stepping out of the way so she had room to get up, the firefighter following her wife out of the common room, ignoring the curious stares as he went, Gabby leading him out into the garage, knowing they'd have privacy out there.
She walked over towards the door, Matt keeping maybe a foot of space between them as she turned around, her narrow eyes focused on him.
"What's going on?" He asked as he crossed his arms over his chest, his question only seeming to annoy her further. He had no idea what she was so upset about, considering the last time they'd spoken was last night when she came to his office, and things were fine. "Did something happen?"
"When were you gonna tell me?" She questioned back, her words only confusing him further as he took a slight step forward, Matt having no idea what she was talking about.
"Tell you what?"
"How you were looking at new places for us to live." She replied quickly, realization settling over his face as his shoulders relaxed.
"Oh, that. Yeah, I started looking yesterday." He replied nonchalantly, Gabby's eyes narrowing. "I was thinking it might be time for us to start- why are you looking at me like that?" He asked when he saw her clear disdain at the situation. "Is this because some of them were townhouses? Because I know you didn't used to like those, but I was thinking it might be something to consider. It could be a good option for us, it keeps us in the city, but gives us space for everything- what?" He asked when he saw the deepening glare forming across her face. "What's wrong?"
"Were you ever going to tell me?" She asked, Matt only more confused by her anger.
"Of course, I just-"
"Why were you hiding it?" She continued, Casey shaking his head.
"I wasn't hiding anything." He defended, taking another step forward before placing his hand on her arm, but Gabby shrugged out of his touch. "I just started looking yesterday, I figured we could start talking about it soon, why are you upset?"
"Because you didn't tell me!" She fired back almost immediately, Matt's eyes widening at the tone in her voice.
"Gabby…"
"You should've told me, Matt. Us picking up and moving, that's usually something you'd tell your wife." She continued, Casey shaking his head.
"I was going to tell you." He replied quickly. "I wouldn't have done anything without talking to you, I didn't do anything, I was just looking at different listings… Why are you so upset about this?" He asked her again, Gabby's eyes narrowing at him once again.
"I'm not upset."
"You're pissed off at me because of this, and I don't know why." He responded, Gabby bringing her hand up to run along the side of her face. "Do you not wanna move? Is that what this is?" He asked, Gabby taking a deep breath. "Because we both knew we'd have to move eventually. We both want more kids, and we don't have room to grow in that place-"
"So that's what this is about." She cut him off, Matt's eyebrows furrowing.
"What?"
"This is about us having more children." She elaborated, the look of confusion on his face only further agitating her. "You're looking at new places to live because you're thinking about having more kids."
"Well… yeah." He replied, unsure of why she seemed so surprised by that. They both knew they were having more children at some point, and that they couldn't add to their family comfortably still living in that apartment. None of this was new information, so he wasn't sure why she was so mad at him. "We only have the one another bedroom, which Sofia is going to start sleeping in soon. It's something we need to think about-"
"I thought we agreed we would wait." She snapped, Matt's eyes widening slightly. "We both agreed it was too soon, that we didn't want another kid right now."
"I know that." He replied carefully, unsure of how she was going to react to him. "But I was just thinking it couldn't hurt to-"
"So you've changed your mind." She cut him off again, Casey shaking his head. "You want more kids now, even though we agreed to wait."
"No, that's not what I said." He said, taking a deep breath as he tried to understand why she was acting like this. She was combative, and he didn't know why. "I still think we should wait, like we agreed on. But we don't need to leave finding a new place until we're ready for another kid." He spoke quietly, seeing Gabby's hard exterior soften slightly, like she was coming to understand his reasoning behind this. "...I'm sorry for not mentioning it to you, it was just something I started looking at yesterday for a few minutes, then I didn't think about it again. But I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." He added, watching as she bit down on her bottom lip, Gabby avoiding his gaze as she gave him a nod.
"Okay." She murmured, blinking quickly as she looked past him, anywhere other than him. "I'm sorry for just assuming, I didn't-" She cut herself, shaking her head. "I'm sorry."
Matt's eyebrows furrowed in worry, his concerns for her over the past few weeks coming back full force as he took another step towards her, thankful when she didn't pull away this time. "Gabby, what's going on?" He asked carefully, her eyes snapping towards him. "There's something wrong, you've been pushing me away for weeks… what's going on?"
He saw a flash of something in her eyes, like she wanted to talk to him, Gabby's mouth parting slightly as he waited for her to say something. But just as she was about to, the door from the firehouse opened, Gabby quickly closing her mouth, Matt releasing a frustrated breath as he turned back to see Herrmann and a few other firefighters leaving.
"We should get home." She spoke softly, Matt shaking his head.
"Gabby…"
"We need to get back to Sofia." She added before slipping past him, Casey running his hand over the back of his neck roughly, the firefighter feeling nothing but worry for his wife as he watched her disappear into the firehouse.
Matt moved around the kitchen with Sofia securely in one arm as he worked on getting the last of the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, the father doing his best to complete the task while his daughter was smacking her little hands against his face and pulling on his shirt. Normally this was something he'd do while Sofia was sitting in her highchair, or when she was distracted by some toys, but neither of those options were possible today, not with Sofia clinging to him all morning.
She'd been going through this phase for awhile, Matt unsure if this was being caused by the same reason why Sofia didn't like being around strangers, or maybe it was her teething, he wasn't sure, but regardless of the reason, his little girl did not want to be put down. Ever. She wasn't happy unless she was being held by either him or Gabby, or Becca when they were one shift, and it had been a little challenging to navigate. With both him and Gabby around, it wasn't too bad, but considering he was on his own right now, it made things a little difficult on him, his wife having been gone for well over a few hours now ever since she abruptly left the apartment not long after they got home.
Things between him and Gabby had been off, to say the least, since their talk this morning at the firehouse. The ride home was tense, Gabby clearly not wanting to talk about what they had gotten so close to discussing back at work. And the second he parked, Gabby was out of the truck and heading inside, leaving him to grab their bags while she went and relieved Becca of her duties.
The morning had been alright, both of them too preoccupied with their baby to really focus on the elephant in the room. But that was until Gabby had left only an hour after they'd gotten home, rambling out some excuse of how she was supposed to meet Jemma and she'd forgotten before she was out the door, leaving him and Sofia alone.
And they'd been by themselves ever since, Matt doing what he could to not focus on whatever was bothering his wife so much, but it wasn't all that easy. He was worried about her, he'd been worried about her, and after this morning, that concern had only continued to grow.
He thought they'd been making progress. That last night when she came to his office, when she sought him out, that things were heading in the right direction, that she was coming around to the idea of letting him in on whatever was clearly causing her to act so unlike herself. But after this morning, he couldn't help but feel like they were in a worse place than they'd been before. All because of those stupid listings.
Matt knew that wasn't the cause of whatever had her so upset, or at least it wasn't the main issue, but he had no idea why him looking at a few new places for them to live had elicited such a reaction from her. He didn't understand it at all, and if she wouldn't talk to him, he wasn't sure he'd ever understand it.
Just as he finished loading the dishwasher, Matt heard the back door open, the father looking over in that direction as Gabby stepped inside their home, the two locking eyes instantly before she shut the door, locking it in place.
"Hey." She greeted quietly, Matt flashing her a soft smile as he stood behind the counter, adjusting Sofia in his arms.
"Hi." He replied as she dropped her keys and her bag by the front door, Gabby kicking her shoes off before stepping further into their home, his wife coming to stand across from him as they were separated by the counter. "How was Jemma?"
"She was good… Said she missed Sof." She responded, her words widening his smile as he looked down to his daughter, seeing she was still focused on pulling at his shirt.
"Well, I can't blame her for that." He said, Gabby nodding as she glanced towards her daughter, both of them feeling the slightly uneasy shift in the room.
"How'd things with you two go?" She asked, clearing her throat after she spoke.
"It was fine. Sof ate pretty well.. I still gave her a bottle, but she only drank about half of it before she was full, so I'd say that's progress." He answered lightly, keeping the smile on his face, Matt trying to stave off her obvious nerves.
"Good, that's good…" She murmured, her eyes darting down to the counter as she pressed her palms into the hard surface, Matt keeping his gaze locked on her. "...Um, would you, uh-" She cut herself off, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as she lifted her head up, Gabby meeting his gaze. "Is now a good time to talk?" She asked softly, Matt nodding the second he registered her question.
"Yeah, of course." He replied, Gabby running her teeth over her bottom lip before she gave him a nod, the couple heading for the living room.
When Sofia caught sight of her mom, she immediately wanted to be held by her, Matt handing her off to Gabby once his wife was situated on the couch, Casey taking up the spot right beside her, angling himself towards her so they could see each other while they had this much needed discussion.
He wasn't sure what had caused her to want to talk now, whether she might've discussed things with Jemma first and then come to him, or if she came to this realization on her own, either way, he didn't care. He just wanted to know what was going on so he could help her.
"I know… I know I've been kind of hard to reach lately, and I'm sorry about that." She started, her voice barely above a whisper as her eyes stayed focused on their daughter, the young girl sitting comfortably in her mother's lap while she played with the toy her dad had given her.
"It's okay." He responded when she paused, Gabby cautiously looking up at him. "I know something's been wrong, or at the very least something's been bothering you… I'm just worried about you, baby."
"I know you are, and I know I haven't helped things by being so distant, I just-" She cut herself off again, Matt pursing his lips together as she took a deep breath, Gabby clearly struggling to get out whatever she needed to say.
He didn't know what was going on with her, he truly didn't, but after his conversation with Severide yesterday, and then him having some time to think back over her behavior the last few weeks, a picture was forming in his mind of what was going on. He was starting to have some suspicions as to what was happening, but even if what he was thinking was true, he wasn't sure why it would've caused her to pull away from him, that thought, and a hundred others, swarming his mind as he waited for her to continue. But she didn't.
"...Can I ask you something?" He spoke up when she had yet to say anything, Gabby giving him a slow nod in response, Matt taking a deep breath before continuing. "Please don't be mad at me for asking you this, but… are you pregnant?"
Matt saw the way her face faltered the second he asked the question, Casey inching closer to her as he noticed her body tense, her reaction giving him a pretty good idea as to what the answer was. But still, he needed confirmation from her.
"It's just… you've been acting off lately, for a few weeks now. And you've been sick." He said, Gabby remaining quiet as she rubbed up and down Sofia's back. "And then you got really upset with me for looking at new places to live, you kept saying over and over how we weren't having more kids right now… almost like you were reminding yourself that that's what we decided." He continued, Gabby running her tongue along the inside of her cheek. "I don't know, I'm just trying to figure out what's going on with you… And if you are pregnant, that's great news." He added with a gentle smile, Gabby's face giving nothing away. "Obviously, we didn't plan for this right now, I know that. But that's what we talked about… How we wouldn't be trying, but if it happened, it happened." He said, Gabby nodding slowly, as if to tell him she remembered the conversation. "Is that what this is? Are you pregnant?"
Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, Gabby slowly shook her head, seeing the immediate confusion that covered her husband's face. "I'm not pregnant."
Slowly, he nodded, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he gave himself a second to let her words sink in. While he hadn't had this thought in his head for very long, he still needed a moment to process it, not only because, while unexpected, he'd love to have another baby if it happened, but also this just meant now he truly had no idea what had been going on with her.
"Alright…" He responded softly, his tongue poking out between his teeth to wet his lips before he continued. "Then what is it?" He asked again, Matt moving his hand up from the back of the couch to rest on her shoulder, doing what he could to comfort her, Gabby releasing a soft sigh. "What's going on?"
"...I, uh… I'm not pregnant, but I thought I was." She murmured, her voice barely audible as confusion covered his features.
"What?"
"I thought I was pregnant." She repeated, Gabby adjusting Sofia in her arms, the baby getting a little more clingy as it neared her nap time, Matt watching as their daughter cuddled into her mom's chest.
"Okay…" He spoke carefully, unsure of exactly what to say, Gabby continuing to gently rub her hand along Sofia's back, the action comforting her as much as it was the little girl.
"I, um- some of the signs were there. The sickness, the irritability, and everything… It didn't really cross my mind until that day at the firehouse when I got sick out of nowhere, and you found me outside. After that, I started to think that maybe I was pregnant…" She explained to him, Matt nodding understandingly as he kept his hand firmly on her shoulder. "So when we got home, I took a pregnancy test, and it was positive." She continued quietly. "And that- that freaked me out, if I'm being honest."
"Why?" He asked before he could stop himself, Gabby looking towards him, blinking quickly before she answered him.
"Because we said we weren't wanting more kids right now… We decided to wait, and when I saw that positive test-... I don't know, it just felt like I'd messed up-"
"Gabby…" He interjected, shaking his head. "You getting pregnant isn't 'messing up', it's something that would've been great news, even though we weren't planning on it… and if anything, it would technically be my fault." He added lightly as he tried to diffuse some of the heaviness in the room, Gabby unable to stop the small smile that formed over her lips, even though it quickly fell, Matt mimicking her concerned look as a thought crossed his mind. "Is that why you didn't tell me?... You thought I'd be mad?"
"No, no it wasn't that." She replied, shaking her head as she felt Sofia nuzzle her face against her chest. "The whole thing just kind of threw me, I didn't know how I felt about it… And not even with us just wanting to wait, but with everything Dr. Tanner told us when we asked her about it." She told him, Matt nodding understandingly. "I know she said that I'm fine, that there's no reason to think I can't have a healthy pregnancy, but it still scared me- the thought of being pregnant again." She spoke honestly, a frown forming over his face. "It was like for a second, all the fear I felt during my pregnancy with Sofia came back, and that scared me. So I didn't know how to handle that. And I was worried about us having another baby so soon… Then I felt guilty for not being happy about it, and it was all just a lot at once, and I kind of just needed a second to breathe, I guess."
"I get that, I do… But you still could've told me." He told her, Gabby nodding slightly. "You didn't have to go through all that alone."
"I know, and I'm sorry. I really am. And if I had been pregnant, I definitely would've told you, but I wanted to confirm it first." She spoke, pausing to take a breath. "I wasn't really thinking straight, I know I should've told you when I took the test, but I just couldn't really process it… I felt like I needed to know for sure before I said anything, so I made an appointment with Dr. Tanner, and went to have her do a blood test to see." She explained, Matt giving her another sad nod.
"And you weren't pregnant?" He asked, Gabby shaking her head.
"No, I'm not… Dr. Tanner said I must've just gotten a false positive or something, because all my bloodwork was normal." She told him, Matt nodding before his gaze moved down to Sofia, Gabby keeping her eyes on him. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, and it was driving her crazy; though she guessed this was how he'd felt with her over the last few weeks. But regardless, she wanted to know where he was at, especially considering by the look on his face, she couldn't help but feel like he was upset. "...Are you mad?" She asked softly, Matt instantly looking up towards her when he registered the question, confusion filling his features.
"No, of course not." He replied quickly, rubbing his thumb over the top of her shoulder. "Why would I be mad?"
"For not telling you… for not being pregnant." She responded with a shrug, Matt sighing softly. "I wasn't sure if you were disappointed that we're not pregnant yet… or maybe relieved, I don't know." She rambled. "And seeing those listings this morning, that kind of freaked me out, because I thought maybe you'd changed your mind… that you were wanting to start talking about more kids already."
"I really didn't mean to stress you out with that." He interjected, placing his other hand on top of her thigh. "I'm sorry that worried you, it really was just something I did kind of on whim."
"It's okay… I know I kind of overreacted, I just- This whole thing really just messed with me a little bit, and I got caught up in my own head. But I'm sorry."
"You don't need to keep apologizing." He responded. "Especially for not being pregnant, or if you do get pregnant, that's nothing you ever need to feel bad about, okay? Not because of me." He told her, Gabby giving him a slow nod before he continued. "I'm sorry you were going through all this, and worried about what I was thinking, but I'm still in the same place I was before… I like it being the three of us for now, but if it happens, we'll be fine. And we'll love that little baby just as much as we love our Sof." He spoke, his words bringing a soft smile to her face. "What's meant to happen will happen. But you can always come to me. With anything, baby." Matt told her, Gabby nodding in understanding, Matt flashing her a warm smile before adjusting himself on the couch, extending him arm out. "Come here."
Slowly, Gabby leaned herself into his side, Matt wrapping his arm around her shoulders to keep her close as she propped Sofia up against her chest, the little girl nearly asleep as Gabby got comfortable in the arms of her husband. She let herself completely relax into him, Gabby feeling like a heavy weight had been lifted from her chest as she felt him press a few soft kisses to her forehead.
"Are you alright?" Matt asked softly, rubbing his hand up and down her arm as he rested his cheek against the top of her head.
"I am… Feeling better now." She replied, Matt nodding as he brought his other hand around the front of his body, resting it on top of Gabby's over Sofia's back. "And I'm glad you and I are on the same page with all this." She breathed out, Matt stroking his thumb along the back of her hand. "I still think waiting is the right thing for us… All of this, it just kind of solidified that for me." She explained, Matt giving her another nod. "I think I'd like to wait until she's at least a year old, if not a little longer… I just want to be able to enjoy her growing up. To be able to be completely focused on her. After all we went through just for her to get here-" Gabby cut herself off, shaking her head as Matt tightened his grip around her body. "I just want it to be the three of us for a little while longer."
"I'm perfectly fine with that." He murmured, Gabby releasing a deep breath before cuddling further into his embrace, Matt holding onto her tightly as the family of three relished in this quiet moment. They both felt about a hundred pounds lighter than they did half an hour ago, the couple glad to now have everything out in the open as the heavy uncertainty that had been following them around for the past few weeks was long gone, Gabby and Matt both content to just sit quietly as they held onto one another, their little girl soon falling asleep in the embrace of her parents.