Hello! Here's the next chapter for you all! I want to thank you for the feedback on the last chapter, it means a lot to me that there are so many of you who are still enjoying this story, and coming back to it every week even though we're 86 chapters into it. I can't fully express how much the support means, but I appreciate each and every one of you so much. And with all the craziness going on in the world right now, I just wanna say that I hope all of you are staying safe, and that you all are doing alright under the circumstances. This coronavirus thing is definitely insane, but hopefully this can serve as a little escape from reality for you all for a little bit.
I hope you guys enjoy this one, thanks for reading!
Chapter Eighty Six
"Yeah, that's my girl… Look at you, Sof."
Matt's energetic voice filled Gabby's ears as she sat on the couch, her eyes moving from the laptop screen to the sight of her husband and daughter, the former sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table while helping their baby stand up. A soft smile formed over her face as she watched her family while they were unaware of her gaze, Matt supporting Sofia under her arms while her feet were planted firmly against her dad's lap, the little girl moving her legs up and down as her feet pressed into the tops of his thighs.
"You're gonna be walking any day now, I can tell. I'm so proud of you." Matt continued talking to his daughter as if she was the only person in the room, Gabby keeping her attention focused on them as Sofia kept bouncing up and down, the little girl unknowingly working on the strength in her legs. "That's it, Sof. Good job, baby." He continued to praise her as she moved her feet along his legs, Matt leaning forward to press kisses all over her round cheeks, their daughter screaming in delight as he continued kissing her face, Gabby's smile widening as she watched them.
They'd been doing this for awhile, Matt or Gabby holding her up while letting her feet rest on their legs, the parents letting her get used to the position of standing and letting her figure out the basics of the learned skill. While she wasn't really anywhere close to being able to walk, standing was something they were slowly getting her to master, the baby having been able to stand with a little bit of help for a few weeks now.
And while standing was probably one of Sofia's favorite things to do, that wasn't the only task she'd been working on lately, their little girl absolutely loving to crawl around as well. It was something that had come out of nowhere, and honestly surprised the parents the first time it had happened; luckily, they were both home, and Gabby was able to get the milestone on video, but it had happened rather quickly. For the longest time, Sofia seemed to have no interest in crawling. She was great at sitting and supporting herself, and she was able to stay in the position to crawl, and she would scoot sometimes, but she didn't seem too impressed by the idea of it. Then one day, that suddenly changed, and now it was impossible to stop her from moving. She loved any and all activities that had her up and moving around, whether that be crawling, or standing with the help of her parents, whatever it may be, she loved it, and the parents were just trying to help her wherever they could.
It was something they were working on, Matt or Gabby letting her stand by herself while they kept their hands under her arms, the parents ready to catch her when she'd inevitably start to fall, but Sofia loved it. They weren't sure why, although, being her mother's daughter, Matt liked to think Sofia enjoyed the freedom of it more than anything else. Because while she absolutely loved being around her parents, and being held by them, there were many times over the last few weeks where her personality had started to shine through, and Matt and Gabby were getting a glimpse into just how independent their little girl could be. She loved being able to crawl around on her own, and being able to explore things at her own pace, and, as the parents quickly found out, she especially loved trying to pull herself up.
Everything had kind of happened at once, and definitely taken them by surprise, but soon after Sofia had started crawling around like crazy, she'd started trying to pull herself up on her own. Whatever piece of furniture, or person, she could grab onto, she'd do what she could to stand up by using them for support. And while she hadn't been very successful yet, the baby usually falling back down onto her butt before fully completing the task, she was determined. Despite her not being able to actually do it yet, Sofia was a very stubborn little girl, and she hadn't let her failures deter her from trying again and again.
Neither of them were sure if she was close to being able to stand on her own yet, but that wasn't the point. The point was she was trying, and very determined to do so, the parents always making sure there were at least one pair of eyes on their daughter at all times now that she was mobile, both of them always there to help her whenever she needed it. They spent a lot of time helping her stand, and getting her used to the idea of being upright, both Matt and Gabby hoping that, when she was ready, it would only help their little girl be able to stand on her own and begin to learn how to walk. But they were also patient with the process, because despite their baby's independence and her desire to want to try new things, they knew better than to rush her, both of the parents knowing their nine month old only did things at her own pace.
"Man, you're growing up so fast." Matt continued speaking as he pulled back from giving her kisses. "You need to stop getting so big, baby. Momma and I can hardly keep up with you." He told her, the little girl smacking his cheeks as her bright blue eyes locked on her father's.
Keeping a firm grip on his daughter, Matt carefully leaned back until he was lying flat on his back against the rug, Sofia giggling as he held her above him, supporting her body weight with his hands as he held her up, her little legs kicking at the air furiously as her arms reached down towards her father. Carefully, Matt began moving her up and down, bringing her close down to his face before lifting her back up into the air, the father playing the game he'd often play with her, Sofia loving every second of if as loud sounds of excitement left her lips. As she did every time, Sofia would reach out for her dad's face whenever he brought her down close to him, then laugh whenever she was pulled away, the baby entertained by the simple up and down movement.
As Gabby watched her husband and daughter play together, she was unsure of who was enjoying the time together more, Matt or Sofia, as the father made sound effects every time he'd lift Sofia up and down, the noise only adding to their daughter's loud laughter.
"She's going to throw up on you."
Gabby's voice broke Matt out of his moment with Sofia, the father keeping a secure grip on his daughter as he glanced towards his wife, finding her head cocked to the side as she was already staring at him. Scoffing lightly, Matt shook his head before continuing to play with Sofia.
"Nah, she wouldn't do that to her Daddy." Matt replied as he continued the movement, Gabby chuckling as she placed the laptop down on the coffee table before scooting to sit on the edge of the couch.
"She has done that to her Daddy." Gabby countered, a knowing grimace tugging across Matt's features at his wife's words, both of them knowing they were true. "Many times, has she done that to you. In fact, a few of those times were from you doing exactly that right there." She added with another laugh, Matt huffing out a breath before he continued playing with Sofia, the little girl loving every second of it.
What Gabby said was right, this little game of theirs had led to Sofia throwing up on her father before, more than once, but that didn't stop him from continuing to do it, Matt knowing how much Sofia loved this time together.
"Okay, those times… That was poor planning on my part." He defended, Gabby raising her eyebrows in amusement. "I did it right after she'd eaten… That wasn't smart. But we haven't fed her yet, so I think I'll be okay." He told her, Gabby smacking her lips together before she nodded, her eyes flickering back to the now-blank computer screen.
"Alright, well when you're done riling her up right before we need her to eat," She started, giving him a pointed look, "I found another place that might be good to check out."
"Oh yeah?" He questioned, sitting up with Sofia still securely in his grip, Matt adjusting her in his arms so her body weight was resting up against his chest, Gabby nodding as she picked up their laptop from the coffee table.
It had been a couple of weeks since Matt had started looking at places for them to live, a couple weeks since he found out about her pregnancy scare, and things for them had pretty much gone back to normal. They'd talked a few times about where their heads were at, Matt making sure to be there for her whenever she'd need a shoulder to lean on, but overall they were both doing well, together and individually. Things between them were finally feeling secure again; they felt solid, and both of them were more than happy to have a sense of normalcy back in their relationship. Pretty much everything in their lives was back to normal, everything except the house-hunting they'd been doing recently.
Over the last couple of weeks, the couple had spent more time out looking at new places to live than they had in their own apartment, or at least that's what it felt like to Gabby, the husband and wife seemingly out looking at homes every off day they had. After their talk about her pregnancy, or lack-there-of, it hadn't taken long for them to broach the subject of looking for somewhere else to live, and they'd been full steam ahead ever since. When Matt told her he wanted to start seeing some places, she immediately agreed, Gabby excited at the possibility of finding their next home, though what she hadn't expected was for them to be looking nonstop. But even though it was a little overwhelming, she was enjoying it, the thought of them finding somewhere to live, and a new place to eventually grow their family exciting both of them.
But what wasn't as exciting was the actual process of seeing all these different places. They'd gone to look at some apartments, ones bigger than their place now, a few townhomes, and even a couple houses, though they were a little ways out of the city. They were open to anything at the moment, the couple unsure of exactly what they were wanting, but so far in their search, they hadn't exactly found anything they were both in love with.
With their uncertainty as to what kind of home they were looking for, it had led to them seeing a bunch of different places kind of all over the map. Matt's favorite places that he'd seen so far were a few of the townhomes, while Gabby hadn't really leaned one way or the other. She didn't seem to have the aversion to a townhouse that she did a few years back, but them not knowing exactly what they were wanting meant they were looking at everything. And that had become a little stressful at times, considering they hadn't found anywhere yet that both of them loved. But they knew they couldn't rush it, that they hadn't really been looking all that long, and they'd rather take some time and find the right place for them, than pick somewhere so just they have a bigger place to live.
"What kind of place is it?" He asked, Matt rubbing his hand along Sofia's back as he held onto her, the baby clearly not happy that he had stopped their little game.
"A townhouse." She answered, Matt nodding before he carefully got him and Sofia up off the ground, the father walking around the table to sit down on the couch next to his wife, Gabby adjusting the laptop in her lap so he could get a clear view of the screen.
When Matt saw the first picture, which was of the outside of the building, he was immediately impressed. It was a modern two story building, located maybe ten minutes from the firehouse based off the address on the listing, which was a huge plus for them, Matt watching as Gabby slowly clicked through the photos.
"It's got four bedrooms, three and a half baths… All open layout, which is good. We'll be able to keep an eye on Sof from anywhere." Gabby spoke lightly, Matt flashing her a knowing smile before looking back towards the images. "I'm not sure how old the building is, but it looks relatively new. All the appliances and everything look up to date."
"It definitely looks like it's worth checking out." He told her, Gabby nodding in agreement as she continued slowly scrolling through the photos so her husband could continue to see what this townhouse had to offer.
"It's in a good school district, too." She commented as she scrolled through the photos of the first floor, Matt raising his eyebrow in amusement as he looked towards her. "I know we're a ways off from that, but it's something to think about." She defended when she saw the look on his face, Matt chuckling in amusement before leaning over to press a kiss to her cheek.
"You're right, baby." He murmured, pressing another quick kiss against her skin before he moved his attention back to the computer, both of them continuing to look at the townhome.
They had no idea if this place they were trying to find right now would be their forever home, but they wanted a space big enough for it to be, so they were planning as if wherever they decided to live, they were going to be there for the foreseeable future. They wanted a place they could grow into, one that would be big enough for them whenever they decided to grow their family, while also not being painfully far away from the firehouse and in a safe neighborhood. And, from what they could tell, this place seemed to check off those boxes.
"Wait, this place has a garage, too?" He asked as she stopped on a photo of the outside of the building.
"Mhmm." She replied with a smile. "It's off to the side here." She explained, clicking on the street view so he could see the full picture. From what she could tell, the way these townhomes were set up, there was a line of units all connected together, forming a nearly complete rectangle around the block, with a driveway in the opening between the homes, giving everyone street access from their garages. "It'll almost be like a house, with the garage and everything, and there is a fence." She told him, Matt chuckling as he continued looking at the computer screen. "But I thought the garage would be nice, for safety and everything. Coming home late some nights with Sofia, they'd be no more standing on the side of the road while getting her out of the car, you know?"
"Yeah, that would be nice." He agreed, knowing that was always something they were mindful of. Though their neighborhood was relatively safe, one thing they didn't like so much was the walk they had to their apartment from where they parked. Especially when they had Sofia with them. While they hadn't had any issues on that front, they weren't naive to the fact that this was Chicago, and they had to be vigilant, especially late at night. So being able to park in a garage, and not have to constantly look over their shoulders while getting Sofia out of the car was a nice perk. "Especially when we have more kids, if anything we just wouldn't have to worry about them running out into the street, or anything like that."
"Yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking." She echoed his words, Gabby reaching out to run her hand through Sofia's curls before continuing to show him the townhouse. "The place has a courtyard too, kind of like here… So it'll give Sof a safe place to play outside while we're home."
"The price isn't too bad, either." He commented, Gabby giving him a nod. When they started this process, they both were aware they'd be having to pay more than what they were paying now for their apartment. A bigger place to live meant it would be more expensive, they knew there was no way around that. But, within a reasonable price, it was something they could manage. They had finally finished paying off all of Gabby's and Sofia's hospital bills, and Matt's hospital bills from his accident on shift nearly a year ago now had long been taken care of. The only expense they still had from that was his occasional visits to go see his doctor about his knee, just to make sure everything was still going okay there and he wasn't re-aggravating anything, but other than that, everything hospital-wise had been taken care of. Of course, there were other expenses that were pretty permanent, like the usual bills, and paying Becca to take care of Sofia, but with his Captain's salary, his construction work, Gabby's salary, and her work at Molly's, they were definitely doing fine. They were living comfortably, and getting a bigger place was something they could swing right now, even if it meant Matt might have to take on a few more jobs here and there.
"It's definitely not. We might have to strap down a little bit, but we both were kind of expecting that anyway." She agreed, Matt giving her a nod. "I think we should go check it out, if you want to." She spoke, tearing her eyes away from the screen to look towards her husband. "It seems like they have a few available units open, but from what I can tell they're all pretty standard; same layout and everything, if you wanna go look and see what we think."
"I'd love to." He responded, his words bringing a soft smile to her face. "The place looks great, I definitely think we should go check it out." Matt told her, Gabby giving him a smile before looking back at the computer.
"I'll call and set up an appointment for us to go see it."
"Sounds good, babe." Matt replied, pressing a soft kiss to the side of her head before getting up from the couch with Sofia firmly in his grasp. "Now c'mon Sof, it's time to eat some lunch." He resumed talking to his daughter, Gabby watching with a soft smile as Matt moved through the living room, the wife keeping her eyes on him until he disappeared around the corner into the kitchen. Even after they were out of her view, she could still hear them as she reached for her phone that was resting on the end table, Gabby doing what she could to tune out the sounds of her husband talking and her daughter babbling away as she dialed the number for the realtor, Dawson knowing that once she completed this call, she could go and continue enjoying time with her family.
"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes this morning."
Gabby's steps slowed as she and Matt walked through the maze of rigs in the garage when the paramedic heard Kidd's teasing voice, the harsh look on her face not going unnoticed by the female firefighter as she glanced back and forth between her Captain and her friend. Casey shook his head when he was sure Gabby wasn't looking, Stella raising her eyebrows in question as Matt pressed a quick kiss to the side of his wife's head before continuing inside, leaving Dawson and Kidd alone in between the rigs.
"Something wrong?" Kidd asked once she heard Casey get inside, the firefighter unsure of whether Gabby's sour mood had anything to do with her husband or not. "Hope there's no trouble in paradise or anything… things finally just got back to normal around here between you two."
Gabby cocked her head to the side, an unimpressed look covering her face as Kidd raised her hands in defense.
"Look, I don't know what was going on, but for a while there, things between you and the Captain were a little off. Everyone could tell." She spoke, shooting Gabby a pointed look before continuing. "So spill, what happened?"
"Nothing happened between Matt and I, we're good." She replied, Stella nodding as she leaned her body weight against the truck, crossing her arms over her chest. "It was just a long night with the baby, I didn't get much sleep the night before, and Sofia was up most of the night last night…" She explained, Gabby watching as realization settled over her friend's face. "And I may have snapped at Matt a few times, last night and this morning, so that was probably what that little look he gave you was about."
"You saw that, huh?" Kidd asked with a smirk, Gabby narrowing her eyes slightly as a weak smile tugged at her lips.
"Of course I did." She responded without missing a beat, mimicking her friend's stance as she leaned against the rig. "He's not as subtle as he thinks he is."
"Yeah, that's never really been his strong suit." Kidd added with a slight laugh before looking back at her friend. "So what's going on with the baby? She okay?"
"She's fine, just stubborn." Dawson breathed out, her words earning another chuckle from Stella, the firefighter shaking her head in amusement.
"Well, we all knew that… I mean, look at her parents." She teased, nudging Gabby's arm with her elbow, the paramedic huffing out a breath, although she wasn't able to stop the small smile forming across her face.
"Yeah, yeah I know- Matt and I are stubborn. But I was hoping we'd have at least a year before Sof started acting like us." She joked, Kidd shaking her head slightly before she raised her eyebrows, waiting for more of an explanation from her friend, Gabby releasing a sigh before continuing. "We've slowly started trying to transition Sofia to sleeping in her room." Dawson started, Kidd immediately nodding in understanding. "She's been napping in there for about a week now… I mean, I know plenty of people wait until their kids are at least a year before moving them into their own room, but-"
"You and Casey want some alone time." Kidd interjected, Gabby raising her eyebrows. "You need some space to practice for baby number two that doesn't involve the couch, I get it." She spoke with a smug grin, Gabby scoffing as she shook her head.
"I regret telling you that."
"Well, I mean, you were a little drunk when you told me, poor Casey though, he looked absolutely mortified." Kidd responded, chuckling at the memory of Gabby telling her about what had happened that night when she got home after their girl's night out at Molly's a while back. Had they not been a few shots in, Gabby probably never would've told Kidd about her and Matt's time spent together after her friends teased her about another baby, but with the alcohol in Gabby's system, she didn't seem to have much of a filter that night. And while Dawson, nor Kidd, had the greatest recall of their night out with Matt and Kelly, both of them remembered Casey doing everything he could to get his wife to stop talking once he realized what she was telling Kidd about, and the look of pure embarrassment on his face when he couldn't get her to stop fast enough. "But enough about you and the Captain, back to what you were saying. Continue." Stella prompted, Gabby shooting her a knowing looking before releasing a soft breath.
"Yeah, anyway- so she's been napping in her crib, and she's been doing alright with it. It took her a few days to get used to it, but now she sleeps in there fine for her naps. But the night before last we decided to try and have her sleep in her room during the night, and, yeah- she's struggling with it." Gabby breathed out, Kidd flashing her an apologetic look. "She doesn't seem to like being in there alone during the night, I don't know if we need to wait a little longer or what, but it hasn't been going all that smoothly."
"Sounds rough, Dawson." Kidd murmured, Gabby nodding in agreement.
"Kind of, yeah… And mostly I just feel bad for Sof. I know any new thing for babies is a big adjustment, and two nights isn't enough to tell us if we're doing the right thing or not, but, I don't know, it's just hard seeing her so upset, especially when there's really no reason for us to be pushing this right now." She spoke, Kidd listening intently as Gabby continued to vent. "We just decided to try it because we thought it might be time, but if the last two nights were any indication… I don't know, Matt and I are trying to decide what to do. But I don't think she's ready… And plus, because of all this, Sofia was comfort feeding most of the night last night, which definitely wasn't so fun for me." Gabby added, watching a grimace covered Kidd's face.
"I don't know much about that, but it doesn't sound like a great time… And I didn't realize you were still breastfeeding." Stella spoke, Gabby raising her eyebrows slightly. "It's just every time I see the kid, I feel like she has a bottle."
"We're still breastfeeding. We're working on more and more solid foods, and she's getting pretty good at handling them, but aside from that, she's still on breastmilk." Gabby explained, Kidd giving her a nod. "We've got it down to where she's using a bottle probably seventy five percent of the time, but sometimes she just prefers me-"
"Well, I'm sure the Captain feels the same way." Kidd interrupted, Gabby scoffing as she shook her head.
"Even when we're talking about Sofia, you still can't stop yourself from making jokes about mine and Matt's sex life, can you?" Gabby questioned with a chuckle, Stella waving her off before she shrugged. "But anyway, she hasn't really cared one way or the other lately, whether I feed her, or we give her a bottle, but last night, she only wanted me… So it was a long night." She breathed out, Gabby pushing herself up off the rig. "Eventually we got her down, we gave in and let her sleep in our room, but there wasn't much actual sleep happening, for any of us."
"I'm sorry, girl." Kidd spoke as she followed Gabby's actions, the women starting to walk inside, Dawson not wanting to be late for shift as she still had to change.
"It's fine… Just another one of the joys of parenting." She spoke, Kidd chuckling as they got to the double doors.
"Yeah, but I know both you and Casey wouldn't want it any other way." Stella told her as they rounded the corner down the hallway, a soft smile falling onto Gabby's face.
"No… We definitely wouldn't." She agreed softly, securing her bag over her shoulder as they continued to the locker room, Kidd wrapping her arm around Dawson's shoulders while they walked.
"So, I've heard all the bad stuff, what about the good stuff?" Kidd asked, Gabby glancing towards her. "Anything fun or exciting happening in the Casey household?" The second Dawson heard the question, a soft smile tugged on her lips, Kidd matching her look instantly. "Yeah, I figured there had to be something, what is it?" She questioned, dropping her hold on Dawson as they got into the otherwise empty locker room, Gabby moving to her locker.
"You know how Matt and I have been looking for a new place?" Dawson asked as she put in her combination, the paramedic opening the metal door once she got the lock off.
"Mhmm."
"Well, we found somewhere we really like… Like really, really like." Dawson spoke with a wide smile. "I showed it to Matt the other day, and we're going to go check it out after next shift."
"Oh, I wanna see." Kidd spoke excitedly, Gabby nodding as she pulled her uniform out of her bag.
"I'll show you once shift starts." She replied as she began changing. "I fell in love with it the second I saw it, but I think Matt likes it more than I do." She added with a laugh as Kidd placed herself down on the bench. "I've caught him a few times looking at the pictures of the place, I know he's really excited to go and see it… And I don't want to get my hopes up, we've seen pictures of a lot of great places that just didn't end up being for us, but- I don't know, I have a good feeling about this one."
"That's great, Dawson." Kidd told her, Gabby nodding before sliding her CFD shirt on over her head. "I know how eager Casey's been about this whole moving thing, although I know it's just cause he wants to fill up a new place with a bunch of little mini-Dawson's." She added with a smug grin, Gabby shaking her head.
"How many times have I told you now that we're waiting to have another kid?"
"At least ten." She replied without hesitation. "I just don't believe you." Kidd spoke, pushing herself up from the bench after checking the time on her watch. "But, all jokes aside, I really hope everything with this place works out, and it's the home of your dreams." She said, all teasing gone from her voice.
"Thanks Stella." Gabby responded softly, Kidd giving her a nod as she began backing out of the room.
"Of course… I still wanna see those pictures, though!" She reminded her loudly, Gabby shaking her head in amusement as Kidd disappeared out of the locker room, leaving Dawson to finish getting ready for shift.
"Are you sure we shouldn't do this another day?" Gabby asked as Matt pulled up to the curb, the husband putting the car in park before turning towards his wife. "We didn't really plan on doing this with Sof… I don't know if maybe we should just reschedule." She elaborated, her eyes moving to look across the street, seeing part of the building they might be calling home one day, Casey shaking his head as he looked at his daughter through the rear-view mirror, seeing her bright blue eyes shining back at him through the mirror they kept on the headrest of the backseat.
"We'll be fine." Matt assured her, looking away from his daughter towards his wife.
While going and seeing the apartment they'd both fallen in love with today had always been a part of their plan for this week, doing it with Sofia had not been. When they first made the arrangements to see the townhouse this morning, Severide was supposed to go relieve Becca of her duties once they got off shift, their nanny having an appointment she needed to get to, and watch Sofia at home while Matt and Gabby came straight here. But something came up at the last minute, the parents still not exactly sure of what happened, all they knew was Severide wasn't able to go and be with Sof. And with Becca not being able to stay later than maybe half an hour or so, they were a little stuck and had to change their plans.
With Antonio and her dad both working, Stella needing to be at Molly's for an early shipment, and Jemma on shift, they weren't able to get anyone last minute to watch Sofia while they went and looked at this place, so they had no choice but to bring her along, which was something they'd hadn't done as of yet when going to look at potential new homes.
"If anything, her being here will help give us a feel of if this place really could be for us." He continued with a bright smile, turning off the engine before unbuckling his seatbelt. "We'll get a good sense of whether this place is child-friendly or not, you know… for Sof and however many more little Casey's we have running around." He added, his words bringing a soft smile to her face before she scoffed, Gabby shaking her head.
"Yeah, yeah, I get your point. Let's just go before we're late." She replied, shoving his shoulder lightly before the family began getting out of the car, the cool May air hitting their skin as soon as they got out.
Jogging around to the sidewalk, Matt opened the back door to start working on unlatching Sofia's car seat from its holder, the baby chewing on her fist as sounds of excitement left her lips when she saw her father.
"Should we take her car seat?" Matt asked before he got much farther in the process, the father looking towards his wife who was standing just behind him.
"Yeah, let's take it." She replied, Matt giving her a nod before continuing to get her seat out, Matt making sure to pull down the shade to shield her eyes from the bright sun before pulling her car seat out. "We can get her out once we're inside, but I'm not sure how long we're gonna be here, and if she wants to nap I know she'll be more comfortable in her seat."
"That's a good idea." He murmured, holding onto Sofia's car seat in one hand while he grabbed the diaper bag with the other. Once he was clear of the door, Gabby shut it before reaching into his front pocket to grab the car keys, Matt's eyebrows raising suggestively as she grabbed onto what she was looking for. "Not out in public, babe." He teased, Gabby scoffing lightly as she pulled the car keys out and clicked the lock button.
"Don't get so excited." She responded, putting the keys back in his pocket before tapping her hand against his stomach. "Now put your tongue back in your mouth and let's go."
"Yes ma'am." He replied, Gabby grabbing the diaper bag so he wouldn't have to carry everything, the mother slinging it over her shoulder before reaching out for Matt's hand, the family checking for traffic before they headed across the street towards the townhomes. "Which one are we seeing again?" Matt questioned as they got onto the sidewalk, giving Gabby's hand a squeeze as she surveyed the homes in front of them.
"1449 is the address number." She answered softly, her gaze bouncing around until she figured out which direction they needed to go, Matt following her lead as she began walking. "I'm pretty sure it's the one on the corner up here."
As they got closer to the townhouse, their steps slowed when they got in front of the unit that could soon be theirs, the couple taking in the outside of the home. There were huge bay windows on both floors, accompanied by large windows across the front of the brick building, the rather large townhome seeming a bit daunting now that they were standing in front of it. It somehow managed to look bigger than it did in the pictures, and they could only imagine what was waiting for them on the inside.
"You ready?" He asked, Gabby nodding before they took the few steps towards the front door.
The front entrance to their home was directly on the sidewalk, which Matt couldn't help but think would be a little helpful where strollers were concerned, the man taking in his new surroundings as Gabby rang the doorbell. The front door was mostly glass, kind of like their back door at their apartment, but it was already covered by what he could only assume was a fitted curtain to give privacy. He also quickly noticed that the glass in the door appeared to be double-paned, which was a nice touch, Matt knowing that while it was better for insulation and would help save money with their heating and air conditioning, it was also a little bit safer, the husband and father unable to look around much more as the door opened, the family coming face to face with a man who was maybe a little younger than Matt.
"Hello, you must be the Casey's." He spoke brightly, stepping aside to let them in, Matt and Gabby dropping hands before she stepped inside first, Matt following in after her. "Gabriela Casey, right?" He asked as he closed the door behind them, Gabby nodding with a soft smile.
"Gabby's fine." She told him, the man nodding.
"It's nice to finally meet you in person." He replied, before looking towards Matt.
"This is my husband, Matt Casey." Gabby greeted, Matt flashing him a smile before reaching out to shake his hand.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Sam Chambers." He responded.
"You too."
"And this is our daughter, Sofia." Dawson added, Matt turning the car seat around in his grip, giving Sam a view of the baby who'd been babbling away from the moment the family came inside.
"She's beautiful." Sam replied before looking back towards the parents. "You've got a lovely family."
"Thank you." Casey responded.
"And I'm assuming the family is why you're looking for a home like this?" Sam asked, Gabby and Matt both nodding.
"Yeah, we're in the market for a bigger place." Gabby answered as Matt began looking around the large room. "Where we live now is great, but, eventually, we're gonna grow out of it. And we'd rather not wait until that happens before we move… We don't want the added stress." She spoke with a slight laugh, Sam nodding in understanding.
"I get it, and that's very smart. You all are planners… I like it." He said lightly, Gabby and Matt sparing a knowing glance between each other before looking back towards him. "Now, I'm sure you all are eager to get a look around the place, we'll start inside and make our way upstairs, let you all get a feel of everything, then we'll go and I'll show you the garage, and outside and everything." He told them, Gabby nodding.
"Sounds great."
"Can I have a second to just get her out of here?" Matt asked as he glanced down towards Sofia, knowing his daughter would begin to get restless if they left her in her carseat too much longer.
"Of course, yeah." Sam responded, holding out his hand towards the furnished living room, Matt walking over towards the couch and placing Sofia's carseat down on the edge of the sectional, the baby waving her arms around animatedly as she smiled up at her dad.
"Yeah, yeah, I know, you're all excited." He murmured, Matt beginning to unbuckle Sofia from her seat as Gabby and Sam walked further into the home.
"So, what do you all do for a living, if you don't mind my asking?" Sam questioned, wanting to learn more about his perspective buyers.
"I'm a paramedic with the fire department, Matt here is a firefighter- a Captain, actually." She answered, Sam nodding with a soft smile. "And Matt also does some construction work."
"Gabby owns a bar, too. Molly's." Casey added, the father turning around to face them with Sofia in his arms. "Her and a couple of the guys we work with, they run the place."
"Wow… You two seem to keep busy." Sam joked, Gabby and Matt both nodding before their eyes began moving around their potential new home. "Alright, well are you all ready to get started?" He asked.
"Absolutely." Gabby replied, Sam flashing them a bright smile before beginning the tour.
As promised, they started downstairs, which consisted of the living room, kitchen, half bathroom, laundry room, and the master bedroom. Everything looked exactly as it did in the pictures, but what the pictures didn't give justice to was how open everything was. The living room and kitchen was one big open room, with enough space for a pretty decently sized kitchen table. The living room itself was a good size, big enough for them to entertain if they chose to, but the kitchen had to be Gabby's favorite part. With the up-to-date appliances, the large pantry, and huge island, Gabby fell in love with it the second she saw it. And the amount of natural light that flooded into the room from the windows on both walls made the place that much better, both Matt and Gabby loving it more and more with every room they saw. Especially when they stepped foot into the master bedroom.
It was probably the same size as the one they had now, but with the huge windows and light walls, it felt very inviting, and seemed so spacious. But what sold Gabby on the master wasn't even so much the room itself, but the size of the closet. Compared to the small walk-in they had now, this closet was probably double the size, and could easily fit all their clothes, and then some. For Matt, he didn't care so much about the closet, but he absolutely loved the bathroom. Everything was up to date, with a huge tub and a giant shower, along with double sinks, giving them all the room they would need. The longer they spent here, the more they got a great feeling about this place, and that only continued as they went upstairs.
The upstairs consisted of three bedrooms, one of which had its own bathroom, and then another full bath in between the two others, all of the rooms being a decent size, along with a small family room at the top of the steps that centered it all. It was close to the size of their small living room now, Gabby picturing them maybe putting a TV and couch up here, or possibly turning it into a makeshift office space for her and Matt, but those were decisions that could be made later should they decide to live here. The bedrooms themselves weren't huge either, but they were comfortable, and compared to a lot of other places they'd looked at, they were a decent size.
From everything they'd seen so far, this place was even better than they realized, and even though they hadn't voiced it out loud, neither one of them wanting to speak too freely in front of the realtor they'd just met, from a few shared looks between the two of them, they knew this place was a serious contender.
"All the hardwood was replaced earlier this year, and the appliances were upgraded last year, so you all won't have to worry about that." Sam spoke as they walked back downstairs. "And I'll take you guys to get a look outside, let you see the garage and the courtyard."
Walking over to the door just outside the laundry room, Gabby and Matt followed Sam out into their garage, the couple immediately impressed by the size. There was definitely space for Gabby's car, or a bigger family car if they needed to upgrade in the future. And though it was technically a two-car garage, Matt knew with the construction stuff attached to his truck, they wouldn't be able to park both cars in here and he'd have to park out on the street, but he didn't care so much about himself. As long as it would work for Gabby, that's what mattered to him.
"This is great." Gabby spoke, glancing towards Matt who nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, it is… Plenty of room for your car. And we'd have some space to put an extra fridge out here if we wanted to, for drinks and everything. Or maybe hook up a bike rack on that wall." Her nose scrunched up in amusement as Matt began rambling, Gabby knowing he usually did that when he'd get excited about something. Seeing the look on her face, Matt stopped talking quickly, his cheeks turning red before he looked over the space again. "Or we could just park in here." He added.
"It's a great space, isn't it?" Sam asked before pressing the button on the wall to open the door, the bright sunlight immediately starting to filter in as the garage door opened. "You can just drive straight in here from the street, it's very easy and convenient. And then down in the middle of all the units is the courtyard. Just a place for Sofia to be able to run around outside, get some fresh air and everything. It's completely fenced in, and there is a lock on the gate, which can only be opened with your house key. And the only entrance is from the inside, there's no gate out by the sidewalk, so there's no risk of her getting out into the street or anything like that." He told them, both Gabby and Matt nodding as they stood just outside of their garage, looking down the dark brick road that led to all the other units. "We can go down and take a look at it, if you like." He offered, Gabby and Matt both agreeing.
During the walk in between the units, they couldn't help but notice how quiet the neighborhood was; it was peaceful almost, which was not something they were used to. But they loved it.
After seeing the courtyard, they went back to the unit they were looking at, Gabby and Matt giving the main floor one last once over before they got ready to go, Sofia barely awake in her dad's arms as her head was tucked into his neck.
"Well, I hope you guys liked what you saw… I know finding a new place to live can be tough, but if this place has what you and your family are looking for, I'd love to help get you all settled here. I could definitely help knock off the price a little bit, get you guys a good deal if you decide you wanna live here. But all my information is on that paper, whenever you all have some time to think it over and come to a decision." He told them as Matt slowly began moving Sofia into her carseat, the baby fussing at the movement. "And for what it's worth, I think you and your family would be happy here. There's a lot of young families in this complex, like you all, and I think you'd like living here."
"Thank you." Gabby replied, gripping the paper tightly as she glanced down to her husband, watching as he gave Sofia her pacifier, trying to lull her back to sleep. "We definitely like the place, we just need to talk about it some more… But I'll let you know when we decide." She told him, Sam flashing her a warm smile before nodding.
After a few more pleasantries, the Casey family left, Matt and Gabby walking back to their car the same way they left it, the parents hand in hand while Matt held onto the car seat carrying a sleeping Sofia.
"So… what are you thinking?" Matt asked, checking for traffic before leading his girls across the street.
"Honestly?" She questioned with raised eyebrows, Matt immediately giving her a nod, keeping his gaze focused on the street while they crossed, wanting to make sure no cars were coming. "I love it." She breathed out, Matt shooting her a soft smile as they walked in front of her car onto the sidewalk, the couple coming to a complete stop once they were safely out of the street. "What about you?"
"I love it, too." He agreed instantly, Gabby's smile widening as he adjusted his grip on the car seat. "I knew I liked it, and that the pictures looked great, but I was still going into it kind of cautious, because I wasn't sure what we'd be walking into… But I loved it, I think it's a great place." Matt continued, Gabby nodding almost immediately.
"Me too." She replied. "I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the layout and everything, but I really like it… The only thing I'm a little unsure of is us being on a different floor than Sof." She added, Matt giving her an understanding nod.
"I get it, I was thinking the same thing. But the master is right next to the steps, we'll have baby monitors and everything, and plus she's not an infant anymore… I think once she gets used to sleeping in her own room, everything will be fine." He told her, Gabby tilting her head to the side as she thought over his words.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." She spoke, a soft smirk tugging on her lips. "And I think it would be pretty hard to find a place that had every single bedroom on the same floor, unless we moved out to the country." She said with a laugh, Matt's face scrunching up when he saw the adorable grin on her face.
"I don't really see us as country people." He chuckled, Gabby clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth before nodding. "But, I agree with you, I love the layout… I love how open everything is, and how big the rooms are. It's definitely the best place we've seen so far."
"That's what I thought, too." She spoke with a gentle smile, Matt giving her hand a squeeze. "I know we need to sit down and really talk about it, but I kept just picturing us living there."
"Yeah, I was doing a little bit of that, too." He told her, Gabby shooting him a knowing grin. "...I may have been picturing Sof's nursery in one of the rooms upstairs." He said sheepishly, Gabby cocking her head to the side.
"I get it… I was picturing how we'd set up that little family room upstairs." She admitted, her words causing his smile to widen. "It's definitely bigger than the pictures made it seem, and I was thinking maybe we could put our furniture from our living room now up there." She told him, Matt raising his eyebrows. "I mean, I'm not sure if the furniture in that place was just to show the house, but the couch and chairs we have now would be way too small in that living room, so I was thinking we'd get new stuff there, but we could keep the old stuff upstairs… Our TV and everything. It should all fit, and I don't wanna just get rid of it." She rambled, Matt running his tongue along his bottom lip as he watched on in amusement. "Or if you wanted, we could turn it into kind of a makeshift office space, or we could use one of the extra bedrooms as an office. I don't know, maybe we could just do it like our place now, and have the desk out there against a wall or something-... I'm getting ahead of myself." She cut herself off when she realized how much she'd been talking, Matt shaking his head with a bright smile on his face as he leaned forward to close the distance between them, Casey pressing a quick kiss to her lips.
"You are, but it's cute." He told her, Gabby smiling before she kissed him again, the two enjoying the quiet moment for a second before they separated. "And like you said, we can talk about it more later, but I do think that's a good idea, the living room and office combo." He added, Gabby giving him a nod before they moved towards her car.
"Yeah, I think so, too. Maybe if we have a place for our desk where it can't become a dumping ground, we'll actually be able to use it." She spoke lightly, Matt chuckling as he fished around in his pocket for the car keys. "And plus, if we have a little office space, we'll be able to keep all our paperwork and everything in order."
"What? You don't like our current system of just tucking it away into the drawers?" He asked sarcastically, Gabby scoffing before shaking her head.
"Considering I'm the one who ends up having to go and organize through all that, no, I don't like it." She replied, Matt shrugging before opening the back door. "Plus I'd love to have a desk again that wasn't covered in baby clothes and toys… Oh, and not to mention maybe if we had a functioning desk, I'd be able to get caught up on all those letters my mom keeps sending us." Gabby breathed out, shaking her head as a slight laugh left her lips. "I swear, I love the woman, but her refusal to send an email is crazy to me. Although I can't say I mind getting to print out little photos of Sof to send her, but still… I'm super behind on those, maybe we can sit down and take an updated family photo to send her here in the next few days- Matt?"
She cut herself off when she realized her husband had stopped responding, Gabby pausing before she was about to climb into the front seat, her eyebrows furrowing when she caught a glimpse of how tense Matt looked.
"Babe."
"Huh?"
"You okay?" She asked, Matt glancing back to look at her once he finished getting Sofia secured into the car, seeing the look of concern on his wife's face.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm good- Just was thinking about the house." He covered, Gabby giving him an unsure nod before glancing down to her watch, realization covering her face as she released a heavy sigh.
"Dammit." She muttered under her breath, Matt raising his eyebrows.
"What?"
"I told Kidd I'd meet her at Molly's to help with inventory for a bit, do you mind to drop me off?" She asked, Matt shaking his head as he shut the back door. "I didn't realize we were gonna be here this long."
"It's fine, I don't mind." He replied, Gabby flashing him a warm smile before stepping forward, pressing a firm kiss to his lips as her hand covered his cheek.
"Thank you, baby." She responded, kissing him again before sliding into the passenger seat, Matt shutting her door before jogging around to the driver's side door, preparing to head towards the bar.
Matt sat on the couch in the living room, nursing his glass of water as he stared blankly at the TV, Casey not paying attention to whatever was currently playing at a low volume, the man only keeping enough focus to occasionally glance at the baby monitor that showed his daughter napping in her crib. He'd been sitting here alone for over an hour now, Sofia having not woken up since she fell asleep at the townhouse. Aside from stirring a bit when he changed her diaper and got her into a onesie so she'd be more comfortable, she never completely woke up, the baby having been sleeping from the moment her body hit the mattress. But while his daughter was currently resting peacefully, the same couldn't be said for him as his mind was running rampant.
He hadn't been thinking about it. For a few weeks, he'd managed to forget about it, or at least push it aside while he focused on taking care of his wife and daughter, so it wasn't completely taking over his thoughts. But today it had seemed to come back with a vengeance; especially after Gabby mentioned writing those letters to her mom.
The second she said the word, it was like a switch had flipped in his head, and he hadn't been able to think of anything other than that letter she'd written to him. The one with his name clearly scrawled across the front, the one sitting in that drawer over by the back door, like it was mocking him, as he sat so close to it but couldn't force himself to go and get it.
He didn't want to read it without talking to her. Regardless of it clearly being meant for him, it felt like a complete invasion of privacy to go and read that note when she hadn't been the one to give it to him. Though there were hardly any lines that could be crossed between them and their relationship, he felt like if he were to go and read that letter, he'd be breaking her trust. That he'd be going and doing something behind her back, and that didn't sit well with him, so he never read it.
But he was desperate to know what was in it. And he knew the only way he'd ever find out was if he talked to her about it.
Casey nearly jumped out of skin when he felt a hand touch the back of his neck, Matt's vision startling into focus as he turned to look up, finding his wife's concerned eyes on him as she stood behind the couch, Matt feeling his hand get a little wet as he spilled some of his water on the arm rest when she'd surprised him.
"Baby…" She spoke worriedly, her hand continuing to move in calming patterns along the back of his neck, Matt's body relaxing now that he knew it was only Gabby.
"Hey, I'm sorry… Didn't hear you come in." He replied, Gabby nodding slowly as she stroked her thumb along his hairline. "Did Kidd drop you off? I could've come and gotten you."
"It's fine, she didn't mind." Gabby replied. "...And I didn't mean to scare you, I thought you heard me." She responded carefully, Matt shaking his head.
"No, I didn't… Lost in my own head, I guess." Matt told her, flashing her a soft smile as she dropped her hand from the back of his neck, Gabby walking around to the front of the couch and placing herself down on the coffee table. "Sofia's still sleeping." He commented, Gabby sparing a glance at the baby monitor on the end table. "She's been out since we got back." He spoke, Gabby nodding as she leaned forward, resting her hands on his knees.
"...You sure you're alright, babe?" She asked, sliding her hand comfortingly along his thigh.
"Hmm?"
"You seem kind of… far away." She elaborated. "Is everything okay? Is it about the townhouse?" She questioned, Matt's eyebrows furrowing before he shook his head.
"No, no- it's nothing like that." He answered her, Gabby giving him a slow nod.
"But it is something." She replied, Matt drawing in a deep breath as his eyes flashed down to his lap. "What's going on?" Gabby questioned, giving his leg a supportive squeeze.
"Can I-..." He started, Gabby watching him closely. "Can I ask you something?" He questioned, confusion filling her features as her body leaned forward slightly.
"...Yeah." She replied carefully, unsure of where this conversation was headed, and why he felt the need to even ask her that, Matt smacking his lips together before he continued.
"Um, awhile ago- maybe a month so now, I was here with Sofia… It was that day you'd come home, and I was looking for batteries for her toy and couldn't find them." He told her, seeing her thinking over his words for a moment before she nodded.
"Yeah, I remember." She responded, Matt nodding.
"Well, when I was looking for some batteries, I found something else… Something I think was for me." He spoke, seeing her confusion only growing as she waited for him to continue. "There, uh- there was a letter addressed to me over in the drawer…"
Her entire body went rigid as the words left his lips, Gabby pulling away from him as she sat up straight, Matt watching her cross her arms over her chest while her gaze dropped to the ground, the husband knowing that was something she did to protect herself. Clearly, whatever was in that letter couldn't have been good, if this was the reaction him even mentioning it had elicited from her.
"I haven't read it." He quickly told her, Gabby slowly looking up to meet his gaze, Matt seeing an unreadable look in her eye. "I wanted to, I still do, but… I didn't." He told her, Gabby's chest rising as she drew in a deep breath. "I figured you didn't give it to me for a reason, so I didn't look at it." He repeated himself, Gabby giving him a slow nod, but she didn't say anything. "But, I, uh-" He cut himself off, blowing out a heavy breath. "It's been driving me a little crazy, not knowing what it is… I just don't know what you would've written me, but not told me, and your reaction just then tells me you don't really want me to read it and I'm just- I'm confused, baby… And worried, if I'm being honest."
Pursing her lips together, Gabby nodded as her hands dropped down her lap, Matt watching as she nervously ran her palms over her legs before she abruptly stood up.
"Gabby…" He spoke when she began walking away, but she didn't say anything, Matt keeping his eyes on her as she headed for the kitchen. He lost sight of her pretty quickly, but he could hear her moving around, his wife reappearing within maybe thirty seconds, this time with that familiar white envelope in her hands.
His eyes bounced back and forth between her and the letter, Matt feeling the tension her body was carrying as she returned to her seated position on the coffee table, her leg shaking up and down as she slowly met his gaze.
Before she said a word, Gabby held the letter out to him, Matt slowly taking it from her, seeing that familiar handwriting shining back at him.
"Gabby…"
"I didn't give it to you because I didn't need to." She murmured, Matt tearing his eyes away from the letter to look back at her, confusion evident across his features. "But it is for you… I wrote it for you, and you can read it, if you want."
"I don't…" He trailed off, Gabby running her tongue along the inside of her cheek.
"I wrote that for you, or to you, I guess, back before Sofia was born." She told him, Matt's eyebrows lifting slightly. "And, I, uh- I had Antonio hold onto it, to give to you if I-" She cut herself off, Matt feeling his heart nearly collapse in his chest as the realization of what this was washed over him.
This was a goodbye letter.
She had written him a letter in case she died, in case bringing Sofia into this world killed her. He was holding onto a note that contained what could've been her last words to him, and the thought made him nauseous.
"If something happened to me, I wanted you to have that." She continued when he had yet to say anything. "I, um… After Sofia was born, and we got back home, Antonio gave it back to me… It kind of surprised me, to be honest. I'd forgotten about it, with everything that happened during the delivery, and then the problems Sofia had, it wasn't on my mind." She explained, Matt giving her a slight nod. "Then when he brought it back, I just- I panicked, I guess… I didn't know what to do with it. It felt wrong to throw it away, but I didn't know if I should give it to you or not, so I put it in the drawer… But I wrote it to you, and you can read it, if you want to."
Drawing in a deep breath, Matt gave her another nod as he brought his hand up to run over his mouth, the husband hesitantly looking back down to the letter he was holding.
When he'd thought over all the possibilities of what this could be over the last few weeks, a goodbye letter never crossed his mind. Maybe it should've, but it didn't. Ever since both his girls made it through the delivery okay, he hadn't thought about it. He didn't like focusing on the fact he could've lost the two most important people in his life, because they were okay. They made it through, they were fine; there was no reason for him to linger on the what-ifs.
"Matt…"
Gabby's soft voice pulled him from his thoughts, the firefighter swallowing the thick lump in his throat before looking back up to her, his eyes finding hers immediately.
The second he laid eyes on her, a soft smile formed over his face, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing in confusion, unsure of why he was looking at her like that. But he wasn't so much focused on her reaction, Matt's eyes tracing over her face, taking in every feature he'd committed to memory years ago, her warm brown eyes filling him with a sense of safety that only she could give him. His gaze moved down, Matt watching as her chest slowly moved up and down, her steady breaths just another reminder that she was still here, that what she'd planned for by writing that letter hadn't happened.
Her and Sofia were both here, they were both fine, and that was the only thing that mattered to him at this moment.
Placing the letter down on the couch beside him, Matt reached out for her hand, Gabby giving it without question even though she was still a little confused, a soft sound of surprise leaving her lips when he gently pulled her up off the coffee table.
"Matt-"
But he didn't say anything, Casey guiding her down towards him, giving her no choice but to straddle his lap as he pulled her down onto the couch, Gabby's knees resting on either side of his hips before he dropped her hand, Matt's arms quickly circling around her waist. She felt it immediately, how tightly he was holding onto her, Gabby feeling a heavy feeling settle in her gut as she wrapped her arms around his neck, resting the side of her head against his. She could feel him pressing gentle kisses to the base of her neck and her shoulder, Matt rubbing his hands along her back.
"I love you so much." He murmured against her neck, Gabby nuzzling her head against his as he pressed another soft kiss to her skin.
"I love you, too." She responded, moving one of her hands up to the back of his head, Gabby running her fingers through his short hair.
A soft silence fell over them, the husband and wife holding onto each other as they sat in their living room, Gabby feeling Matt's hands settling on her waist as she placed her head against the top of his shoulder.
"...Are you okay?" She asked after a few quiet moments, Gabby feeling him nod slowly before pressing another kiss against her shoulder.
"I am." He replied, Gabby scratching his head lightly as she nodded. "Are you?" He questioned back, Gabby slowly lifting her head, pulling back enough to meet his eyes. "I mean… Bringing all that up again, I know how awful it makes me feel, but I know how terrible that was on you, and- I didn't mean to bring all that back, I didn't know." He apologized, but Gabby shook her head, leaning forward to press a soft kiss against his lips.
"I'm fine." She murmured, adjusting her weight so she was centered on top of him as her hands slid down from his neck to rest on his chest, Matt nodding in response as he continued moving his hands up and down her side. Gabby's gaze moved down to the couch, her eyes finding the letter that he'd placed beside them, his name written across the white paper shining back at her. "...Aren't you gonna read it?"
She finally asked the question she'd had since he put the letter down, Gabby knowing how eager he was to know what was inside of that envelope, Matt waiting until she looked back up at him before he nodded.
"I will… But not right now." He responded, Gabby raising her eyebrows. "Right now I just want to focus on you." He added, Matt leaning forward to capture her lips in a firm kiss, Gabby nearly melting into him as she reciprocated the action, the husband and wife getting lost in one another as they sat together on the couch, neither one of them wanting to take the time they had with each other for granted.
And there's another one. I enjoyed writing this chapter a lot, hopefully you guys enjoyed reading it. I'm sure some of you are anxious to see what was in that letter, but at least Matt now knows what it is now, and him reading it is coming, I promise! Also, it looks like the Casey's might've found their new home, which I actually spent a lot of time looking up places in Chicago for sale, trying to get an idea of some things on the market and everything like that. But yeah, it definitely looks like there might be a move coming here soon.
As always, thank you all for reading this chapter, I can't wait to hear what you think!
Stay safe, everyone. Until next time.