Hi guys! Here's the next chapter for you all, I hope you enjoy it! Thank you so much for reading, I can't wait to hear what you think.
Stay safe, everyone xx
Chapter One Hundred and Three
Casey rifled through the dresser drawers in his daughter's bedroom, the baby currently occupied by a couple of her toys while she sat on the rug in the middle of the room in nothing but her diaper, Matt searching around for an acceptable pair of pants to go with the shirt he'd picked out for her. He knew well enough by now that if the clothing didn't match, Gabby was bound to redress her, and they didn't really have the time for that, the father huffing out a breath before he finally found the pair of blue pants he was looking for. With the clothing and a fresh diaper in his hands, he turned back around to face his daughter, his eyebrows raising when he saw the baby on her feet.
"Sof," He started, his voice gaining the baby's attention as a wide, slobbery grin was covering her face, Matt unable to hide his own smile as he started walking towards her. "Come here, baby, we've gotta get ready, or Momma's gonna- No, Sof, come back." He tried when the baby took off for the door, her little legs moving her at a surprisingly quick speed as she bolted out of the room, Matt following after her swiftly.
He knew she couldn't get herself into too much trouble with the safety gate secured at the top of the steps, but with as quickly as Sofia was moving around these days, the parents didn't like to let her out of their sight for too long, knowing it wouldn't take her long at all to find herself in a situation she shouldn't be in.
"Sofia, come on, baby." He continued as he followed after her, Matt hearing her giggles as she waddled towards Caitlyn's room, her steps still a little unsteady as Sofia soon disappeared into the bedroom just seconds before Matt got to the doorway. He came to a stop as he looked inside the five year old's room, his smile growing when he saw Sofia moving straight towards her mom and Caitlyn, the pair currently standing in front of the little girl's dresser while Gabby worked on her hair, though the process was halted when they both heard the sound of the baby's laughter.
With an amused gleam in her eye, Gabby smirked softly when she noticed her daughter still just in a diaper before her eyes moved up to her husband, her grin growing as she saw the clothing in his hands.
"Sofia!" Caitlyn spoke brightly, the baby shrieking in excitement from the greeting she'd gotten from her foster sister, Sofia changing her course of direction to walk towards the five year old instead of her mother.
Solely by looking at them, you couldn't tell the girls had just seen each other less than ten minutes ago, the children only separating so they could get ready for the day ahead, Gabby taking Caitlyn to get dressed while Matt handled Sofia. Though, when comparing the two children, and seeing Caitlyn out of her pajamas and into a nice summer dress Gabby had gotten her before she left, and then seeing Sofia still running around nearly naked, it was clear Gabby had more success with her task, the mother still wearing that proud look on her face as her husband stepped into the room.
"You do realize we need to leave soon, yeah?" Gabby asked him as he came to a stop just in front of the girl's bed, a knowing look covering his features before he spared a quick glance to the children, seeing Caitlyn having bent down to Sofia's level while the baby was fascinated by the flower pattern on her dress.
"I know, I know… I was trying to find an outfit you wouldn't get mad at me over." He replied with a sheepish grin, Gabby stifling an eye roll before shaking her head.
"Well, at this rate, any clothes would be good." She fired back playfully, Matt releasing a soft chuckle before he nodded.
"I'm working on it, but your kid is fast." He responded without missing a beat, the man walking the rest of the way towards his girls before pressing a quick kiss to Gabby's lips. "I'll get her dressed, then we can go." He spoke softly against her lips, Gabby nodding before giving him another quick kiss, the man smiling as he pulled away and turned towards the kids. "Alright Sof, we gotta go get ready. Mommy and Caitlyn need to finish getting ready, too." He said to his daughter, the little girl looking towards him when she heard his voice, though she didn't understand much of what was being said to her.
"Mama!" She repeated loudly, Gabby biting back a laugh as Sofia looked at her, the baby clearly understanding that word as she pulled back from Caitlyn and hurried to her mother, little Sofia hugging herself to her mom's legs as Gabby reached down to run her hand through her curly hair.
"Hi baby." She cooed, Sofia's little arms holding onto her as tightly as she could before the girl looked up towards her mom, her wide smile growing even more as her bright blue eyes shined up at her. "I know you're excited, but we gotta get you dressed." Gabby repeated Matt's words, the mother looking over towards Caitlyn who seemed content to just watch the family in front of her. "You gotta go with Daddy."
"Da."
Matt's and Gabby's eyes both widened as they looked up at one another, Gabby seeing the exact moment her husband completely registered what their daughter had just said, the huge smile forming over his face flooding her with warmth as his eyes moved back to his little girl.
"Did she…?" He questioned in near disbelief, Gabby nodding enthusiastically before looking back towards her daughter.
"Do you want your Daddy, Sof?" Gabby prompted as she blinked back the tears in her eyes, the heartwarming moment desperately needed after how hard things had been lately, Sofia completely unaware of just how monumental this was as she continued staring up at her mother. "Can you say Dada?"
"Da.. Dada!" She repeated with relative ease, Matt's grin only growing as he squatted down next to his daughter, Sofia turning when she registered the movement. "Dada!" She said again, her tone much more excited than before, like she'd just remembered he was in the room.
"She said Dada!" Caitlyn spoke up, her excitement pouring through the room as she stepped towards Gabby, the foster mom immediately wrapping her arm around the young girl's shoulders, wanting to make sure Caitlyn felt included in this moment, especially considering how frequently the five year old had tried to get Sofia to say the word before she left.
"Yeah, she did baby." Gabby replied, rubbing her hand along Caitlyn's arm as Sofia waddled the few steps towards her father.
"Dada!" She said again, her chin covered in drool as she held her arms out towards her dad, Matt keeping a hold on the clothes in his hands while he scooped her up into his arms. "Dada!"
The little girl continued to repeat the word as Matt stood with her in his grasp, the father pressing soft kisses to the side of her head while she held onto him happily, her bright smile infectious as the small family stood together in the five year old's bedroom.
"Yeah, it's me… I'm your dada." He continued to converse with his one year old, the father and daughter off in their own little world while Gabby watched on, her heart nearly bursting at the sight of her husband so happy.
She knew this was something Matt had been waiting on, that in the weeks that had passed since Sofia began talking, the longer she went without saying his name, the more dejected he became. He tried not to show it, but Gabby knew it had been eating away at him more than he'd ever admit. So seeing him now with their daughter, so clearly happy at her saying one single word, his reaction was better than she ever pictured in her head.
Tearing her eyes away from the happy sight in front of her, her focus moved down to the girl standing tucked into her side, Caitlyn's gaze locked on Matt and Sofia as a soft smile rested over her face. But there was something behind it, a look Gabby couldn't quite read, the young girl almost looking upset. There was a sadness, a look Dawson would almost call longing in Caitlyn's eyes as she stared at her foster dad and sister, Gabby's smile falling as she ran her hand over the girl's arm. The action gained the young girl's attention, Caitlyn quickly regaining her smile as she looked up at Gabby.
"You okay, honey?" Gabby asked her, the little girl nodding.
"Yeah… Is it almost time to go?" Caitlyn questioned before Gabby could say anything more, the mother pausing for a moment before nodding as she ran her hand along her back.
"It is." She told her, Gabby not missing how Caitlyn tensed underneath her touch involuntarily before she gave a slight nod. Which, admittedly, Gabby couldn't say she was surprised by her reaction, Caitlyn having had this same nervousness since last night when told her of their plans for today.
If it were a normal day for them, Gabby and Matt would've been well into their shift at firehouse 51, while Caitlyn and Sofia were being watched by Becca. They would've fallen back into their routine they'd had prior to losing the five year old, and worked on getting some of that normalcy back into little Caitlyn's life. But things were nowhere close to normal for them right now, and with getting the young girl back so suddenly, both parents had decided it would be best to take some time off of work, knowing Caitlyn needed their presence more than anything right now.
But today they weren't just taking the day off to be with the girls, today they were also going to see Tina. And that's part of what had Caitlyn so on edge.
To no surprise to either parent, when they talked to Caitlyn yesterday about going back to DCFS and talking to Tina, she hadn't taken it well. The five year old immediately panicked, Caitlyn practically in tears before they could even explain why they were going, the young girl immediately thinking they were leaving her again. But after multiple assurances that everything was fine, that they wouldn't be going anywhere, along with nearly an hour of cuddles while they sat on the couch, Caitlyn had calmed down. And luckily, she hadn't been nearly as upset since. But she was still wary of the whole thing, even though they didn't have any other choice but to go see the social worker.
After their conversation yesterday morning about adopting the young girl in their care, they knew this visit with Tina wasn't something they could put off. They needed to know their options here, and they needed to know them as soon as possible, both Matt and Gabby knowing they didn't want to think over this any longer.
They'd talked about it a few more times throughout the day yesterday since their initial conversation, and once again this morning, and every time they ended up back in the same place; that Caitlyn belonged here with them.
It wasn't what they planned on, and when this opportunity first presented itself barely two months ago, they never imagined this is where they'd be, trying to adopt this girl that had come into their lives and so quickly become a part of their family. But it's where they were at, and regardless of how unexpected this all was, it didn't change what they both knew in their hearts, and that was that Caitlyn needed to stay here with them. They just had to talk to Tina, and figure out how to make that happen. Because right now, there was nothing but uncertainty surrounding them.
Which is why they hadn't said a word about adoption to Caitlyn.
Though they weren't even sure if she entirely grasped what the word meant, she was old enough to understand the concept of getting to stay here with them forever. And while that was something both Matt and Gabby wanted, despite their lingering nerves, they refused to tell that to Caitlyn. Not until they were sure.
Because the last thing they wanted to do was put this little girl through any more trauma than she'd already experienced. Being ripped away from them once had already done some serious damage, they weren't going to make promises to her when they had no idea if they could keep them. Though they knew it was likely they'd be able to try and adopt her, they still didn't know what all they were dealing with where Caitlyn was concerned. They knew nothing of her past, or her family. They didn't know if her parents were still in the picture, or if there was some long lost family member out there who would try and come into Caitlyn's life and want to take her. They had no idea about anything with this girl, and after everything with Louie, they knew they had to be cautious.
But after multiple conversations, and all the time they'd spent with Caitlyn, they knew this is what they wanted. Gabby and Matt both wanted this; they wanted to bring Caitlyn into their family permanently, they wanted her to stay, for them to raise her, and help her become the incredible woman they knew she'd one day be. They wanted her to be here with them, and Sofia, and give their daughter an older sister they never expected. They wanted all of that, but mostly importantly they wanted it for Caitlyn. They wanted to give her a home where she felt incredibly loved, and safe. Where she knew she always had people she could turn to, people to rely on, who would stop at nothing to do what was best for her.
They wanted her to have a family. And they knew they could give her that.
"Alright Sof, we need to finish getting you ready," Matt's voice pulled Gabby from her thoughts as her eyes focused in on Caitlyn, seeing the girl had gone back to watching her foster dad and Sofia playing a few steps away from them, the soft smile on her face still residing there as she leaned into Gabby's side, though Caitlyn obviously still felt a little nervous about their outing today, "and Mommy needs to help Caitlyn, or we're gonna be late. So let's get moving." He told her, waving her little arm around in the air, the action causing Sofia to giggle loudly before Matt began walking towards the door.
"Give me five minutes, then we'll be good to go." He told her, Gabby raising her eyebrows before her head tilted to the side slightly.
"It'll be ten… At least." She challenged, the heaviness of her thoughts slowly lifting as Matt shot her a knowing smirk, the man shaking his head before continuing his path out of the room. But before he got too far, her voice stopped him once more. "Oh, and before I forget, I heard from Boden," She started, Matt pausing in the doorway as he glanced back at her, waiting for her to continue. "He told us to take all the time we needed, and not to worry about work… He also said he'd tell everyone." She finished, Matt drawing in a slow breath before he nodded.
Though they'd told Severide, who likely told Stella as well, that Caitlyn was back with them, aside from Boden, they hadn't had the chance to really talk to anyone, their priorities focused on taking care of their girls more than anything else. So, aside from a few calls with Boden, and a call and some texts from Kelly, they hadn't had the chance to sit down and talk to the rest of their friends, those conversations not really high on the list of things they were worrying about at the moment.
"Good." Matt responded softly, adjusting his daughter in his arms. "I'll call him later, once we know more…" He trailed off, his eyes moving towards the five year old still standing by his wife's side, as Gabby gave him a small nod.
"Sounds good, babe… Now go get our girl dressed." She told him, Casey smiling softly before he headed out of the room, leaving Gabby with Caitlyn so she could finish getting the child ready, as well.
Gabby and Matt stood in the all too familiar elevator as they waited to get to their floor, the five year old sandwiched in between them while she held onto both of their hands with each of hers, Sofia perched on Matt's hip on his opposite side while Gabby held onto the diaper bag and Caitlyn's favorite stuffed teddy bear, the little girl unable to hold her comfort item while she was gripping her foster parents' hands. While they were standing together, Becca was behind them, the woman leaning up against the wall as they all quietly waited.
While they hadn't originally planned on the nanny joining them today, with the uncertainty surrounding everything, and Becca typically scheduled to work anyway, the parents decided to have her come along, Gabby having asked her to meet them at DCFS this morning. Because while they weren't entirely sure what they were walking into, they knew the chances were high that they'd have to speak to Tina alone, and after everything Caitlyn had gone through the last thing they wanted to do was leave her with someone she didn't know or trust, even if that person was a social worker. So they figured bringing Becca along was the safest course of action, knowing that not only could she help with Caitlyn, but she could also watch Sofia for them while they handled this.
When the elevator dinged and the doors opened, both Gabby and Matt could feel little Caitlyn's nerves skyrocket as they stepped out into the hallway, the parents hating to see her so uneasy. It was one of the hardest things in the world, to see the child they loved hurting the way she was, but every chance they got, they reassured her that everything was fine, Gabby giving her hand an extra firm squeeze as they walked towards the office.
"Are you staying with me?"
Caitlyn's small voice found their ears as they got to the sitting area, Gabby looking down at her as they stopped outside of Tina's door. Her deep brown eyes were bouncing back and forth between Gabby and Matt, the girl clearly in need of an answer as Dawson gave her hand another reassuring squeeze.
"I don't know if you'll be able to stay in there with us the entire time, baby." Gabby started, seeing Caitlyn's body immediately tense before her eyes darted around nervously. "It's okay." She murmured, rubbing her thumb along the back of Caitlyn's hand in an attempt to soothe her. "It's alright… We just have to talk to Tina, about some pretty important things." She continued, trying to tell her as much as she could. "But when you can't be with us, you'll be with Becca, alright?" She told her, Caitlyn's eyes flickering up towards the nanny, finding her already smiling softly at her before giving her a reassuring nod. "You'll either be with her, or with us, we won't leave you alone, honey. I promise."
Caitlyn thought over her words for a moment before she nodded, the girl clearly feeling a little better about the idea of being away from them as she slowly spoke up once more. "Am I going home?" She questioned, her voice sounding somewhat lost as she waited for any sign of confirmation from either of her parents that this wasn't like last time, though it was something they'd promised her multiple times already. But they'd never deny her that assurance as Gabby gave her a strong nod.
"You are… Once we're done, we're all gonna go home." Gabby replied, her eyes flashing up towards her husband, waiting for him to say something as well.
"Gabby's right, sweetheart. I know this is all kind of scary, and the last few times we've been here haven't been good… But all we're doing today is talking to Tina, and once that's done, we're gonna go home, all four of us." He repeated his wife's words, sensing the girl needed to hear them once more. "Even if we can't be together the entire time, we're not going anywhere, I promise you."
With assurances from both of the people she saw as parents, Caitlyn gave them a soft nod just as Tina's door opened, the small family looking over just as the social worker came into view, a small smile resting on her face. The second Caitlyn registered her presence, she instinctively stepped closer to Gabby, the girl nearly hiding behind her body as Tina released a soft sigh.
She knew Caitlyn was scared; after seeing how she'd been when they'd removed her from her last home, Tina was well aware just how terrified the five year old was. And she knew Caitlyn likely associated her with that trauma, which she understood, but it was a difficult thing to accept, knowing that while she had nothing but that little girl's best interest at heart, she'd been a part of what had clearly scarred her.
"It's okay, Caitlyn." Tina tried, Caitlyn nodding slowly as she loosened her grip on Gabby, but only slightly. "We're just gonna talk for a bit, everything's fine." She reassured her, Caitlyn hesitating once more before nodding, the five year old obviously unsure of her surroundings, for good reason. "Come on in, you guys."
After prompting from Tina, and handing off Sofia and the diaper bag to Becca, the three of them headed inside, Caitlyn reluctantly dropping Gabby's hand as they got to the seats across from Tina's desk. While Gabby took her seat in the chair closest to the window, Caitlyn paused for a moment as she looked up to Matt.
"Can I sit with you?"
Matt barely heard Caitlyn's small voice, but when it registered, he looked down towards the girl, finding her already staring up at him, her wide eyes unable to hide the range of emotions she was feeling right now, Casey immediately nodding.
"Of course baby, come here." He replied softly, Tina watching on as Matt sat down before he lifted Caitlyn up into his lap, the girl helping his movements as she settled on his lap, her body angled partially sideways so she could see Gabby as well, as Matt wrapped his arms around her. Feeling safe and secure in his embrace, Caitlyn placed her little hands on top of his, her shoulder leaning back against his chest as Gabby reached over to place a hand on her leg, Caitlyn smiling softly as Matt felt her completely relax against him.
"So, I know you all called and said you wanted to talk," Tina started, the woman clasping her hands together on the desk in front of her, "but I think first I wanna talk to Caitlyn, if that's alright with you, honey?" She asked, Caitlyn breathing slowly before she nodded.
They were all well aware of the situation here, Tina having a pretty good idea of why Gabby and Matt had called her so quickly, wanting to come and speak with her. But before they got into all that, Tina needed to check in with the little girl.
"Okay." Caitlyn responded quietly, Matt feeling her grip on the back of his hand tighten, the man instinctively pressing a kiss against her blonde hair, Tina taking that as her cue to continue.
"Alright… Well, I know things have been hard, and scary lately, but I wanna know how you're doing." Tina prompted, Gabby rubbing her leg reassuringly as Caitlyn's five year old brain thought over her words.
"I…" She stopped herself, her eyebrows furrowing together slightly as she tried to figure out what she wanted to say. "I'm happy I'm with them." She started, her voice barely audible. "I missed them, and I didn't want to leave." She continued, Gabby's eyes falling closed for a split second as her body flooded with guilt, just as it had every time she was reminded of how much they'd hurt Caitlyn, even though they had no choice. "I like being with Matt and Gabby." She explained the best she could, Tina nodding in understanding.
"And have you been feeling better, since you've been with them again?" Tina questioned, the woman trying to get a clear picture of how Caitlyn had been doing in the two days that had passed since she'd been back in the Casey's care. Though she knew it would take talking with Matt and Gabby to get the whole picture.
"Yeah." She responded simply, Caitlyn giving Gabby a small smile as the woman squeezed her leg once more. "I still get scared, but they make it better."
"What do you get scared about?" Tina continued, Caitlyn pursing her lips together as her hand lightly moved against Matt's.
"Going away." She responded after a few seconds, Matt drawing in a deep breath to steady himself, as Gabby bit down on the inside of her cheek, Tina watching the makeshift family with sadness in her gaze. "I get scared when we're not together, like I was scared when I was at the other house. I don't like being away from them." She spoke softly, Tina offering her a small, understanding smile before nodding her head.
"Okay, honey… I'm sorry you've been so scared. But we're gonna do everything we can to make sure you never feel like that again, okay?" Tina told her, knowing she had to choose her words carefully, though she wasn't even sure how much the five year old really understood what was being said to her.
"Matt and Gabby make it better, I'm only scared for a little before I'm better, because they help me." Caitlyn continued to try and explain what she was feeling, the little girl smiling softly as she leaned back against Matt, but her smile soon fell when a thought crossed her mind. "I don't wanna leave anymore." She added, her voice small and uncertain, Caitlyn clearly worried about the mere possibility of not being with them anymore. "I only wanna be with them."
Matt tightened his grip on the young girl, the man pressing another kiss to her head while Gabby blinked back the tears forming in her eyes, Dawson shooting Tina a knowing look, silently telling her they needed to talk. Understanding her request instantly, Tina gave Caitlyn a small smile while Matt continued kissing her head.
"Alright Caitlyn, thank you… I need to talk with Matt and Gabby for a little bit, okay? But you did great, honey. I know this isn't very fun to talk about." Tina spoke simply, Caitlyn nodding as Matt began to edge forward in his seat, Casey helping her slide down off his lap.
"You're gonna go hang out with Becca and Sof, okay? But Gabby and I will be right here." Matt reassured her, Caitlyn's eyes flickering between both of her foster parents before she nodded once more, the unsure look in her eye not going unnoticed by either of them. "Everything's okay, if you need us, you can come and get us, but we'll be right in here." He repeated, Gabby giving Caitlyn an assuring nod before Matt led her out of the room, a heavy silence falling between the two women as they waited for Casey to get back.
Within a minute, Matt was back in the room, the man shutting the door behind him before walking back over to his seat, Gabby reaching out to run her hand along his shoulder. "She okay?"
"Yeah, I think so… Becca gave her her stuffed animal the second we got out there, and she already had the iPad ready with her favorite show, so I think she'll be alright." Matt told her. "And Sof was good, too," He added, knowing his wife was seconds away from asking. "She had her bottle, and a few toys, she's doing just fine."
"Good." Gabby responded with a small smile as Matt leaned back into her touch.
"Is that how it's been since you all took her home the other day?" Tina cut in, her words causing them both to look her way as she didn't waste any time. "Caitlyn, her being away from you all… Has she been that anxious every time?"
"Sometimes it's worse." Gabby answered honestly, Matt nodding sadly in agreement. "But yeah, she's been like that since we came and got her. She's afraid to be alone."
"She gets really nervous when we're out of her sight." Casey added on, Tina listening to their every word. "She likes both of us being around, but usually she's alright if it's only one of us… But the one of two times where neither of us have been in the same room with her, she gets really upset." He breathed out, Matt running his tongue along his bottom lip. "Caitlyn, she's… She's struggling." Matt finished, neither parent missing the look of near defeat that flashed in Tina's gaze.
"What else has been going on?" She questioned, the social worker needing the whole story, despite the fact it felt like a knife was tearing through her with each reminder of just how badly Caitlyn had been affected by this.
"She's had nightmares both nights she's been with us, and she wet the bed the first night… She's always been a little attached to the both of us, but she's been very clingy since we got her back. Like Matt said, she doesn't want to be alone. She's been sleeping with us, and when she naps, we make sure one of us is always close by, so she doesn't wake up alone and panic." Gabby explained, running through her mental list of everything they'd been dealing with where the five year old was concerned. "She's just… scared. And I don't blame her. This whole thing, us leaving her and everything that happened after, we- She's having a really hard time." Gabby was struggling to keep it together, the mother's heart breaking with every word as she recanted the effects that this trauma had on the young girl, Matt reaching out to grab her hand as he blinked back the tears in his own eyes.
With her remorseful eyes moving back and forth between the couple she knew so well, Tina shook her head, the woman drawing in a deep breath before she spoke up.
"I… I wanted what was best for her." She started, her words catching their attention. "Like I do with every single child that comes through here, I want the best for them. And I thought that's what I was doing… I thought this family we had lined up for her, I thought they'd be the ones where Caitlyn could settle into their home, and when I asked you all to foster her, I just thought her being in a stable home would be good for her, until she could go and be with that other family… I never imagined it would turn into all this." She spoke, shaking her head as she ran her hand along her forehead. "I knew you could give her a stable, loving home, while she needed it, but I didn't anticipate it ever being this hard on her. And I think this, this situation and everything that's happened, I think the system failed her." She admitted, Matt nodding his head slightly in agreement. "I know we have a lot to talk about, and I'm not entirely sure what you two are thinking, but she never should've been taken from your home… I fear it just traumatized her more than anything, especially after all she's been through." She finished, Dawson sparing a quick glance to her husband as they digested Tina's words, the paramedic drawing in a deep breath before she spoke up.
"We never expected it to turn into this, either." Gabby said, Matt nodding slightly. "We didn't think she'd ever have this hard of a time not being with us. When you asked us to foster Caitlyn for a few weeks, we never imagined any of this would happen, that she'd feel so at home with us, but it did. And that little girl…" She trailed off, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek as Matt gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "She's such a special kid, with so much love to give… She's been through so much, and I know right now she's struggling a lot, but she has one of the kindest hearts we've ever seen, even after everything, and Matt and I-" She cut herself off once more, Gabby taking a deep, steadying breath before she continued. "We didn't expect to fall in love with her the way we did, or for her to feel like she was our daughter, but it happened… She feels like she belongs with us." Gabby continued, the woman earning an encouraging smile from Matt before she looked back to Tina, finding a look she couldn't quite read waiting for her. "And we've talked about it, we know this is a big deal. It's not something to take lightly, and this may seem like we made this decision quickly, but it doesn't feel like we did… Because she's felt like she was ours for a while now," She paused to take a breath, Gabby reaching her free hand across her body to hold onto Matt's with both of hers. "But Matt and I, we want to try and adopt Caitlyn."
There was a heavy silence that settled around them, Gabby and Matt waiting with bated breaths as they watched for any sort of reaction from the social worker, Casey giving her hand a firm squeeze as their eyes focused on Tina, though she had yet to say anything. But suddenly, a wide smile formed across her face, both parents seeing the near relieved look in Tina's eyes as she blew out a soft breath.
"I was hoping that's why you two were coming in today." She breathed out, Gabby and Matt both smiling wide as they registered her words, Tina shaking her head slightly before she continued. "I wasn't exactly sure what you all wanted to talk about, but after how you all were the other day with Caitlyn, and how she's so obviously attached to you all, for her sake, I was hoping you all were wanting this."
"We are." Matt spoke up softly, the man sparing a quick glance to Gabby before continuing. "We want to try and adopt her, if that's something that's a possibility… I know there's a lot we need to talk about, we don't really know anything about Caitlyn's past, and her family, and after everything with Louie… I won't lie to you, we're nervous about this. About going through this process again, and something happening, so I guess we just want to know what we'd be getting ourselves into here." He spoke, Tina nodding understandingly as she reached for a relatively thick file sitting off to the side of her desk. "Because we want to adopt her, if that's in her best interest. But there's still so many unknowns here for us, and we want to know all we can about her before we go any further." He finished, Matt releasing a heavy breath as Tina gave him an understanding nod.
"I completely get it." She replied, opening up the file in front of her, Gabby shifting forward in her seat slightly as her eyes focused on the papers she couldn't read. "This isn't a typical situation, you all didn't go into this with the intention of keeping Caitlyn, so we never really got into her past, and why she's in the system to begin with, so I understand you all having questions." She told them, her eyes focused on the file as she flipped through it before landing on the page she was looking for.
"Yeah, we just want to know if there's any surprises waiting for us, if we start this process." Matt added, Tina nodding before she looked back up towards him.
"Well, for Caitlyn, it doesn't seem to be likely that they'll be anything like that, nothing like what happened with Louie." She spoke, Matt and Gabby both nodding. "From what we have on record, Caitlyn's mother died during childbirth," Matt's body tightened as those words left her lips, the man shifting in his seat as memories of Sofia's birth automatically flashed in his mind. But he immediately tried to push those thoughts from his head, Gabby giving his hand a tight squeeze as she noticed his reaction, the woman knowing exactly what he was thinking about. "So she's, unfortunately, never been in the picture. And the Caitlyn's father, he passed away in a car accident." She explained, Gabby drawing in a deep breath as she shook her head. "That happened a little over eight months ago."
"That's awful." Dawson murmured, rubbing her thumb along the back of Matt's hand.
"Was Caitlyn with him?" Matt questioned, the parents wanting to know as much they could about the past of the little girl that might become theirs.
"No, she wasn't. He was in the vehicle alone… From what we were told, he was coming home from work, and Caitlyn was at home with a sitter."
"Does she have any other family?" Gabby asked, the woman voicing the question they were both anxious to know the answer to, Tina pursing her lips together before responding.
"The only extended family we could find was a brother on her father's side, and her mother's parents. But neither of them wanted to take Caitlyn in, so she ended up with us." Tina explained, Gabby wincing slightly before she nodded. "As far as we can tell, her father seemed to be the only family she ever knew."
The second those words left her lips, Gabby looked towards Matt, the woman watching her husband as he continued staring at Tina, his eyebrows furrowed before he spoke up once more.
"And were there ever any problems there? With her father?" Casey questioned, Tina's head tilting to the side slightly. "I just… With the abuse she'd suffered in different homes, I wasn't sure if anything had ever happened before that. If there was anything else we needed to know about." He elaborated, his words earning a sad, yet understanding, smile from Tina before she replied.
"DCFS was never called to the home, and we have no records of there ever being issues." Tina told them, both Gabby and Matt nodding. "And when we met Caitlyn, there was no indication she'd been abused in the past. When she was in our care, she'd ask about her dad a lot, and want to go be with him… It was hard for her to really understand what was going on. But from everything we heard, and Caitlyn herself, her dad loved her very much. But it was only him- there was no step-mother, or girlfriend in the picture that we know of. Just him, trying to take care of his daughter."
Gabby and Matt took a moment to digest what all they'd just been told, Tina's words weighing heavily on them as they came to realize how Caitlyn had been through much more than they ever realized. Though, the longer they sat here, the more Caitlyn's actions since they met were making sense. The only family she ever had had been ripped away from her in a second, and they had done that to her a second time when they left her at DCFS, the thought leaving knots in Gabby's stomach.
"Were there, uh-" Matt started, the man breaking from his thoughts as he cleared his throat. "Did she have any other issues once she was in the system, than the last two places she was? With any other families or anything?"
"No, she didn't… At least not abuse-wise, no. I know I told you she kept getting bounced around, which she did, but the issue with the fall down the stairs was the first time she'd gotten hurt. The homes before, they just weren't good matches for her, and Caitlyn ended up back in group homes a lot during the six months we had her before you all met her… That's part of why she had some of those developmental delays you all are aware of, just because she hadn't been in any stable environment for months. And at her age, that definitely did affect her. But I can tell that has gotten better, in the time she's been with you." Tina said, Gabby nodding softly as they took in everything being told to them. "But, until the issue in that house before you all met her, the only problem she had was just not having anywhere to go. Everything we know about her, you all now know." She finished, Matt drawing in a deep breath as he glanced over towards Gabby, finding her soft eyes already on him.
"Alright…" Matt breathed out, the man needing a second to think over all of this, as did Gabby, the two watching each other as their eyes traced over each other's faces, the couple communicating as they always did before Casey turned back to Tina. "So, what are our next steps here to adopt her?" He questioned, both of them seeing the soft smile that formed over her lips.
"Well, it's a little easier to get the ball rolling, because you all have been her foster parents already. But I won't sugarcoat it, adoption is a long process." She told them, the parents remembering this conversation well from their time with Louie. "It will take months, before she is officially and legally yours, and there's a lot that goes into this, but if you all are serious about this, and you're ready to take this on, then we can get this started."
"We are." Gabby responded without hesitation, her simple words bringing a wide smile to Matt's face as he gave her hand a squeeze, the man's chest flooding with warmth as he saw how sure she was about this. Especially considering how she'd been the one more worried between the two of them, rightfully so, but seeing her so certain now filled him with a feeling he couldn't quite explain. But they both knew this was the right thing for them, and the right thing for Caitlyn.
"Yeah, we are." Matt echoed. "We know what we're getting ourselves into… We've been with her enough to know there's still some things she needs extra help with, and she needs more attention and care than maybe some five year olds would, but we're aware of that. We're not blind to it… We know we can give her what she needs, and be the parents she deserves to have." He finished, Gabby nodding in agreement as Tina's smile grew.
"That's exactly what I wanted to hear." She responded brightly, the Casey's flashing her warm grins before the woman continued.
Over the next hour, Tina laid out exactly how this process would go, telling the parents all they'd need to know, and then some, about what all would be happening while they tried to adopt Caitlyn. And while a lot of this was stuff they knew, some of it was new to them, seeing as how they never had the chance to get this far with Louie. This was the step they'd gotten to with their son, Gabby starting to paperwork to petition the court to adopt Louie before things went south, so they never got the opportunity to go into detail about what exactly happened after that, which was what Tina was going over now. And while it was a bit overwhelming, and the couple was a little anxious at just how long of a process this would be, they also felt an abundant sense of happiness at the thought of Caitlyn officially becoming a part of their family.
And they knew that the moment they finally got to tell Caitlyn would only make this feeling a hundred times better.
"Alright, now, she will need to be in your care for a little while longer, before we can petition the court for adoption." Tina continued, her words earning a nod from Gabby. "But there's a few things I can go ahead and get done on my end, so everything's in order for when the time comes."
"Sounds good." Casey replied, Tina smiling softly before she clasped her hands together in front of herself, her eyes moving back and forth in between them.
"Now, I know there's a lot to this process, and it can take awhile for all this to happen, but have you all spoken to Caitlyn about this yet?" She questioned, Gabby immediately shaking her head.
"No, we haven't." She replied. "We didn't want to say anything until we talked to you." She replied, Tina nodding quickly.
"And I think we're wanting to wait a bit, too." Matt added, looking towards his wife for confirmation, which she soon gave.
"Yeah, we are." She spoke softly, Tina giving them a knowing nod. "I think we should at least wait until we've petitioned the court and everything, and even then maybe still wait a bit to officially tell her. I don't want her to be confused, or think she'll be leaving, but if something happens and we aren't able to adopt her, I- I just think it's best to wait until later to explain to her what this means, and what's going on. Just in case." She breathed out, Gabby playing with Matt's hand as a method of distraction.
"I understand, and honestly I think that's probably for the best… Not because I think anything will happen, but Caitlyn's had so much change in such a short time, and with how she's handling things right now, it's probably for the best to wait until we're a little farther in this to tell her. I'd say just making sure she knows you're not going anywhere is enough for now." Tina told them, Gabby running her tongue along the inside of her lip before responding.
"That's what we were thinking, too."
After a few more minutes, and some last conversations between the Casey's and Tina before they finished, the parent's were more than ready to get out of here and get back with the children who were just on the other side of the door. With their few belongings in their hands, Gabby and Matt headed for the door, Gabby pulling it open as she immediately was met by the sight of Caitlyn and Sofia, along with Becca, who was close by keeping an eye on the kids.
Caitlyn was sitting in her seat, doing her best to play dolls with Sofia, though the baby was more interested in just shaking the toy around in her hands, neither child sensing their presence as Becca was the first one who noticed them. When the nanny saw them, she offered them a soft smile before turning her attention back towards the girls, Becca rubbing her hand over Caitlyn's shoulder to gain her attention before nodding towards Matt and Gabby.
The second she saw them, a bright smile formed over her lips, Caitlyn immediately putting the dolls down and sliding down out of her seat, both parents just happy to see that she seemingly did well without them as she hurried towards them. Her abrupt movement caught Sofia's attention as the baby looked up just as Caitlyn crashed into Matt and gave him a hug, Sofia squealing in delight when she saw her parents, clearly just as eager to get to them. And with some help from Becca, she was soon placed down on her feet, little Sofia waddling over to them and hugging her mother's legs as tightly as she could.
"Hi baby." Gabby murmured as she reached down to pick up her daughter, the woman settling Sofia on her hip before looking towards her husband and foster daughter, finding Caitlyn watching her with that same infectious grin. "And hello to you too, sweetheart." She added, her words causing Caitlyn's smile to widen. "Did you have fun with Becca?"
"Yeah, we played lots of games… But I'm hungry." She replied, Gabby nodding knowingly before sparing another glance to her husband.
"Yeah, I'm sure you are, I am, too… How about you go clean up your toys, then maybe we can get Gabby to agree to letting us eat out for lunch." Matt spoke mischievously, Gabby cocking her head to the side as his words caused Caitlyn to laugh.
"Can we, Gabby?" She asked as she bounced on the balls of her feet, the girl sticking out her bottom lip as she gave her foster mother her best puppy dog eyes, the look persuading Dawson more than she'd care to admit.
"I think we can do that." She responded, Caitlyn's smile returning before she nodded excitedly. "But like Matt said, you've gotta clean up your toys first, then we can go."
"Okay… And we're going home?" She questioned, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing slightly before she soon realized what Caitlyn was asking, Matt having the same initial reaction as well as Caitlyn repeated the question she'd asked them when they first got here.
"We're going home… All of us." He promised her once more, Caitlyn's eyes locking with his before she nodded. "But not before we get some food."
"Okay!" She replied brightly, her nerves clearly having dissipated as she took a step away from them. "I'll get my toys!"
And without another word, she was gone, Caitlyn having run back over to Becca where all her toys laid out across the chair and the floor, Matt watching her with a content grin on his face before he looked back towards his wife, finding her staring at him with her own knowing smile. The look on her face caused his eyebrows to furrow, Matt's gaze flickering between his wife and his baby before he finally spoke up.
"What?" He questioned, unsure of what Gabby was thinking as her smile grew.
"Nothing… Just after what Tina said, some things are making a little more sense." She replied vaguely, her words doing nothing to help clear up whatever was going on in her mind as his head tilted to the side.
"What do you mean?" He pressed.
"Why Caitlyn's always been drawn to you." She elaborated without anymore prompting. "You probably remind her of her dad." She told her, his smile faltering slightly as a rush of sadness washed over him at the thought of what all the five year old had gone through, Gabby drawing in a deep breath as she adjusted her daughter's weight on her hip. "We both know how much she loves you, baby, and especially if what Tina said is true, that it was just her and her father… He sounds like he was an amazing dad, and if I had to guess, I'd say you remind Caitlyn of that." She repeated, her words bringing his small smile back as he sighed softly, the man reaching out to run his hand along Gabby's back.
"Maybe, yeah…" He trailed off, his gaze moving towards the little girl who was currently working on cleaning up after herself, Caitlyn also helping Becca get Sofia's things together as well, even though she hadn't been asked. "But you know she loves both of us… The way she admires you, and looks up to you… It's what I always envisioned would happen with our little girl." He spoke softly while he nodded towards Sofia, Gabby's heart swelling in her chest as his genuine words washed over her. "I just didn't picture it happening with two little girls." He added with a grin, Gabby's smile widening. "Our two girls." He breathed out, like he was still trying to believe it was happening as he rubbed her back, Gabby leaning into his touch before she nodded.
"Yeah… our girls." She agreed, Matt unable to hide the hopeful and excited look covering his face as he leaned forward to press a kiss to the side of her head, both of them trying to grasp the reality that here in a few months, they could very well officially be a family of four. And that despite all the pain, and heartache along the way, they couldn't be happier to have had this little girl come into their lives.
And hopefully, as long as everything worked out, she'd stay in their lives forever.
Well, there's another one. I hope you all enjoyed it! It's still crazy to me that so many people are still interested in this story, so thank you all for sticking around with me, and reading every week. It means so much to me, and I just want to make sure you all always know how appreciative I am of that.
But before we go, I did get a review on the last chapter that I wanted to address. Someone had some questions about Caitlyn, and why Gabby isn't the main parent taking care of her when she bathes/goes to the bathroom, and things like that, and I just wanted to comment on that quickly because I don't want there to be any confusion there. But there really isn't much of an answer to it, just that Matt is taking care of a child he sees as his daughter. He and Gabby share the responsibility of taking care of both children, one doesn't do more than the other, they're both just involved parents, and Matt's doing for Caitlyn what he'd do for Sofia, and what he did for Louie. Caitlyn trusts him, and after this chapter hopefully you all have some more insight into why Caitlyn has always been a little more attached to Matt. But Matt's just being a father, and Caitlyn's comfortable with him. She trusts both him and Gabby with anything she might need help with, and they'd never do anything to hurt her, or to make her uncomfortable. That's really all there is to it, so I hope that helps clear things up.
And then I was also asked why Caitlyn takes showers instead of baths, and to answer that, she does both. In the case of the last chapter, the reason she took a shower before bed was because she wanted to. And then the reason she showered instead of taking a bath after she wet the bed was just because it was like three in the morning, and showers are faster. But between taking a shower and taking a bath, there's not really any big reason behind it, it's just whichever Caitlyn wants to do, but she does take both. And they also asked why Caitlyn and Sofia have never taken a bath together, and it's not anything intentional, or something that hasn't happened, I just haven't written a scene of it.
The person who left me this review was a guest reviewer, so I couldn't respond to them directly, but if any of you have any more questions, feel free to send me a message and we can talk about it! I'm not someone who has a lot of personal experience on the subject of fostering, my knowledge on all of it is pretty limited, and comes strictly from my own research, so I'm open to hearing any pointers you all might have!
Thanks for reading! Stay safe, everyone.