Hello there everyone, and Happy Monday. I hope you all are having a great start to your week so far.
I've got the next update here for ya, and this is a rather easy, Casey-family chapter, so I hope you all enjoy it. I know it's a pretty short one and I'm sorry that I wasn't able to make it longer, but my life is pretty hectic at the moment. We're in the process of moving right now so that's definitely taken up almost all of my free time. I don't have much time to write, or really do anything, but I'm trying my best to keep up with my stories. I wanted to be able to get something out for you guys this week, and you all always seem to enjoy the Casey family moments. So hopefully you like this one, as well!
Oh and before were get into it, and I just wanted to mention that I am working on the last update for If We Never Say Goodbye. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get that chapter posted, that wasn't my intention at all but as I mentioned, everything has just been so crazy. But I'm trying my hardest to get that chapter done, and it'll be posted as soon as possible!
I think that's pretty much all I've got. As always, thank you so much for reading and supporting me. It means the world to me.
I'll see you all next time.
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy
A slight, warm breeze blew through the air around Dawson while she sat at the wooden table in the park, her gaze focused across the enclosed playground as her husband and daughters played together, the soft smile on her face growing when she watched Matt begin to push their oldest daughter on the swing. Even with the distance between them, Gabby could see how excited Caity was, the girl's infectious giggles able to be heard from the mother's spot at the table while her other daughter was being supervised by Severide over at the slide.
They all had been here for a while, maybe an hour and a half or so as the family of four- along with Severide and Kidd, decided to spend their day out here at the park, the perfect weather on this late September day too great to pass up. It was that time of year where it wasn't too hot, nor too cold, and with winter surely coming in soon Gabby and Matt wanted to soak up what little was left of summer. Then on top of that, they also wanted to get out and let their girls burn off some of the endless amounts of energy they always seemed to have.
Which is exactly how they found themselves here with their friends, their afternoon starting with a nice picnic lunch before the girls had run off to play on the various equipment, the four adults taking turns watching the children while they all continued to enjoy their day together.
"She keeps going back to that, huh?"
Gabby tore her eyes away from her girls to glance towards Stella, the woman beside her while her own attention was focused across the park with a small smile on her face, Dawson matching her look while giving her a nod.
"Caity loves that swing." Kidd added, both women aware of how Caitlyn had asked to be pushed on the swing probably ten times today, if not more, the six year old evidently never growing tired of it.
"Yeah, she definitely does." Dawson echoed. "She always has… Matt keeps trying to get her to play with other things, but it's not working."
"I've noticed." Stella answered with a weak laugh while shaking her head back and forth. "Poor Chief."
"Eh, he's alright." Gabby responded with an amused gleam in her eye before looking back at the girls, her gaze narrowing a bit when she saw her youngest daughter starting to push her limits a little too far by attempting to walk up the slide. "Sofia!" Dawson called across the otherwise empty park, the noise gaining the attention of all four of them while Gabby focused on the two year old. "Get down, baby." She continued, her voice gentle yet stern while Sofia stayed put halfway up the slide. "...Matt, can you get her?"
She saw her husband nod, Casey giving Caity one last push before he jogged over, while Kidd's own glare was zeroed in on her boyfriend, who was supposed to be watching the youngest Casey.
"Kelly!" Kidd shouted in annoyance, Severide almost immediately putting his hands up in defense. "Come on."
"I'm sorry, I got distracted." He replied just as Matt got to them, Sofia already giggling widely when she noticed her dad coming.
"Man, he's useless." Stella muttered, Dawson grinning slightly at her words even though her eyes were on Matt and Sofia, Gabby watching on as her husband carefully lifted Sof from the slide.
"Not so fast, you little troublemaker." He chastised easily, the smile never leaving his face as Sofia continued to laugh. "You gotta be careful baby, you're scaring Momma." He kept on, holding Sof back in his arm before he started to tickle her stomach lightly, the action causing more giggles to erupt from her lips while squirming away from him. But with his secure grip she wasn't able to get too far, Sofia's laughter only getting louder as Matt carried her back towards Caitlyn, who was patiently waiting to be pushing on the swing once more.
"I see Sof is still a little Daddy's girl." Kidd commented once they got settled back at the swing, Gabby's small smile widening before she gave her a nod.
"Oh she definitely is… They both are." Dawson responded with a chuckle as she watched Matt hold Sofia in one arm, while pushing Caity with the other. "And probably always will be."
"I don't doubt it." Stella agreed, before her face scrunched up a bit. "And sorry about Kelly, by the way." She shifted the subject momentarily, though Dawson almost immediately started to shake her head. "I know he was supposed to be watching her, you might have to revoke his godfather privileges." She continued to tease, while Gabby waved her off with a slight grin.
"Nothing to worry about, he's fine. Kids can be sneaky." She told her, while her gaze moved back to the girls. "And Sof knows better, anyway. She just loves to test her boundaries."
"Ahh." Kidd responded while also looking over towards the toddler, seeing Sofia wiggle her way out of Casey's grasp before starting to run around once more. "Has she been doing that a lot more lately?" She questioned, catching Dawson's curious gaze. "I just wasn't sure if you and Casey were experiencing any of those 'terrible twos' yet." She answered her silent question, Gabby laughing dryly before she replied.
"It hasn't been anything too bad, no." Gabby told her with a smirk. "I mean, she's feisty- Always has been.
"Yeah, she's just like her mom." Stella joked quickly, Dawson suppressing her laughter before she shrugged.
"I don't think I can argue with you there… She's always taken after me in terms of her attitude. And as she gets older, her personality is only getting bigger and bigger." Dawson explained while watching her two year old. "But in terms of some of the horror stories I've heard of kids experiencing the 'terrible twos', and what I saw a bit of from my brother's kids, it hasn't been anything like that… Not yet, anyway." She said, earning a knowing look from her friend. "I mean, I guess she gave us some trouble before her birthday, but I'm not sure if that's what that was… And Sof has always done things in her own time, so I imagine if it happens this'll be no different." She finished with a smile, Stella nodding with a smirk of her own before she spoke up.
"She has, yeah… But again, that makes her just like you." She teased, Gabby ducking her head slightly. "You can do anything you set your mind to, but it has to be your idea. Sof really is your carbon copy, Dawson"
"I guess she is." She responded with a slight smile, Kidd laughing once more out of amusement.
"Even down to being obsessed with Casey over there." She continued, Dawson shooting her an easy glare before reaching over to shove her a bit. Though the movement was barely enough for her to even feel it. "Don't give me that, it's not like I'm wrong."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're hilarious." She spoke with a playful look, Kidd smirking at her expense before Gabby continued. "But enough about me and my mini-me, how are you doing?" She asked her, Stella's face softening while she met her gaze. "I feel like we've hardly seen each other lately, even when we're working… How's life as a Lieutenant treating you?" She questioned, seeing her friend's smile grow even wider at the mention of the new position she'd been settling into.
Kidd had been the Lieutenant on Truck 81 for a few weeks now, and if you were to ask Dawson, she was fitting in seamlessly. Even though they hadn't gotten much time to really talk about it, as Kidd was busy with her new role and things were always hectic for the PIC, Gabby knew her long-time friend was doing well. That she was fitting in easily, and everyone was seeming to handle the change in leadership effortlessly. But despite her own thoughts, she still wanted to hear it from Kidd herself.
"It's been great." She beamed, leaning forward to rest her chin in her palm while Dawson took a sip of water. "It's a lot of work… Maybe more than I was expecting, but it's been amazing. Better than I could've ever imagined." She continued on happily, Gabby watching her with a bright smile before she nodded. "Like, I knew for a while how badly I wanted to be a Lieutenant. I just didn't think it would happen, at least not now… And definitely not at 51, cause I never even considered the idea of Casey not being on that rig and Boden not leading our house."
"Yeah, I know what you mean." Dawson mused, as Stella shot her an understanding look.
"But it all worked out… Boden's got a job he loves, Casey is an outstanding Chief. And I get to be a Lieutenant at the house I love." She told her gently, while an appreciative gleam began to shine in her eyes. "Everyone is happy where they are, so I'm grateful for that. And that I get to run 81. The whole thing is… it's a dream, honestly. I'm living out one of my dreams right now and it's just been perfect." She finished, Gabby nodding as she reached out to rub over her arm a bit.
"I'm so happy for you, Stella." She told her, squeezing her shoulder softly while her friend smiled. "I really am, everyone is… To get to see you be such a great leader, who's kicking ass, by the way," She added, earning a laugh from the firefighter. "It's incredible. And not to sound too cheesy or anything, but the entire house is so proud of you… Especially Casey."
Kidd's features lit up a bit at her words, telling Dawson just how important it was for Stella to hear them.
"He's been so impressed with you, from the very beginning. Ever since you became his firefighter, and then when you wanted to become a Lieutenant… But I think actually seeing you run that rig, and following in his footsteps. He's just so proud." Gabby spoke honestly, as her gaze flashed back over to her husband. "He even told me you're one the best Lieutenant's he's ever seen."
"Oh, come on-"
"He did." Dawson assured her with a strong nod. "And I know I'm biased because he's my husband, but coming from him… That's some high praise."
"Yeah, it is." Stella murmured before glancing his way as well, seeing Casey still playing with his girls, completely unaware of the conversation surrounding him. "I know he's seen a lot of Lieutenants come and go, so to know he thinks that…" She trailed off, unsure of how to voice her appreciation as Dawson gave her one more understanding nod. "It means a lot to me."
"I know it does, but you've earned it." Gabby replied. "You're one hell of a Lieutenant, and Matt recognizes it."
"I'm glad to hear that." She responded, before an amused look flashed across her face. "Although no matter how impressed he is with me, I know I'll never be his favorite firefighter… I'm pretty sure you still hold that title." Kidd joked, Gabby letting out a soft laugh while shaking her head. "Even if you haven't been one for years, you'll always be his favorite."
"Yeah, you're probably right about that." Dawson chuckled.
"But I'll gladly take the title of Casey's favorite Lieutenant… Just don't tell Kelly." Stella added one, Gabby letting out another laugh.
"Yeah, we wouldn't want to break his heart." She played along, the friends sharing one more laugh until their conversation was interrupted by the sound of Caitlyn's voice.
"Mommy?" She called, the child a bit out a breath while she ran towards them.
"Yeah, baby?" She asked, Dawson's focus shifting completely to her daughter for a moment as Caitlyn hurried around the table to her side, her chest rising and falling with each breath while she stopped beside her mom. "You okay, honey?" Gabby questioned softly, while reaching out to brush some of Caity's blonde hair back that had fallen from her ponytail.
"Uh huh." She responded with a nod, the little girl still smiling despite being out of breath. "Uncle Kelly was chasing me." She added on, her fatigue starting to make a little more sense as Gabby smiled down at her softly. "But I won."
Dawson and Kidd both chuckled at her proud words, Caitlyn's accomplished grin only growing before she started to climb up on the bench in between her mom and Stella, her smaller body nestling up beside Gabby while she looked up at her.
"Good job, kid." Stella spoke, Caity letting out a soft giggle before looking back towards her mom, Gabby still smiling gently at her while rubbing her hand along the back of her head.
"Can I have another snack?" The six year old asked suddenly, Gabby continuing to stroke her hair while she nodded, as that was a request the mother would never deny her daughter. "I'm hungry. And Daddy said to come ask you."
Gabby smiled at her, leaning down to press a light kiss to her forehead before she started to reach over towards their cooler. "He did, huh?" She asked, Caity nodding a bit while shifting her weight in her seat.
"Yeah, cause you have all the best snacks." The girl said, Kidd chuckling at the interaction between the mother and daughter while Gabby pulled out a few things.
"Well, he is right about that. But of course you can have a snack sweetheart, which one do you want?" She asked her, while holding out a bag of chips, along with some of the cut up vegetables and ranch they hadn't finished with their meal.
"Both." Caity replied with a sure grin, Gabby letting out a laugh before she set both items of food down and began to open them.
"Okay, you can have both." Dawson repeated, Caity clapping her hands together happily as Gabby opened the chips, before pulling the lid off the veggie container.
"Thank you, Mommy." She replied after taking a bite of her carrot, Gabby nodding before leaning down to kiss her head once more.
"You're welcome, baby." Gabby said, checking one last time to make sure Caitlyn had everything she needed before returning her attention to Kidd, her friend having sat there patiently while Dawson tended to her oldest daughter. "Sorry, what were we talking about?"
"You're fine, Dawson. I know the kiddos come first." Kidd replied, Gabby shooting her an appreciative nod before the firefighter continued. "But we were just talking about work, and how I'm such an incredible Lieutenant." She joked, Dawson rolling her eyes playfully as Stella continued. "Although while we're back on the subject, have you heard anything about that fundraiser coming up?" She questioned, Dawson's eyebrows raising a bit while her gaze continued to move between Kidd and Caitlyn. "With the fire department, and police department I think."
"I have, yeah." She responded with a nod. "I've heard a little bit about it, Matt mentioned it a couple days ago… He said it's just for officers?"
"Mhmm, it is… At least for the fire department. I'm not sure who all from the police department was invited, but they made it pretty clear every CFD officer had to be there." She continued to explain, Gabby giving her another nod while her eyes were on Caitlyn, the mother watching her little girl continue to eat happily before reaching out to try and grab Gabby's bottle of water that was sitting on the table. But her arms were too short to get it, Dawson soon picking it up and handing it to her before any accidents occurred.
"Which now means you." Dawson chimed in after Caitlyn had the bottle of water securely in her grasp and was taking a few small sips of it, Stella smirking a bit in response.
"Yeah, I guess it does… Didn't need Severide to get an invite this time." She joked, Gabby letting out a soft laugh while Kidd shook her head. "But no, it didn't sound like anything too bad. At least not for a mandatory thing.. As long as there's alcohol."
"Oh, I'm sure there will be. There always is at these things." Dawson spoke lightly, while Caitlyn placed her drink down. "But from my experience, the departments just want people to be able to put faces with names. Hear our stories and everything, and add some realism to it… Guess it makes them open up their wallets a little more, I don't know." She added with a shrug.
"I'd say you're right about that, and the department having more money only helps us." She continued, Gabby nodding in agreement before she caught movement out of the corner of her eye, her head turning to see Casey and Severide walking back towards them with Sofia in her dad's arms once more.
"Well, look who it is." Gabby spoke up lightly, as Matt adjusted their girl in his arms. "I was wondering when she was gonna tire out." Dawson added, nodding towards their youngest daughter who perked up a bit when she heard her mom's voice.
"She hasn't." Severide spoke dryly, Gabby doing what she could to suppress her laughter as the girls' godfather collapsed down on the bench across from them. "But we have. I'm pretty sure Sof could keep running around all day, though."
"Oh, she definitely could." Dawson said before looking towards Sofia, while Matt brought her around the table. "Did you need a break?" She asked lightly towards her husband, Casey letting out a laugh before he carefully sat Sofia down in her mom's lap.
"Not as much as Severide here did. But no, I think Sof's a little hungry, too." He explained, Gabby nodding knowingly while adjusting the toddler sitting on her. "So I figured we'd take a break and let her get something to eat." He added before beginning to root around their bag for some more food.
"Here Sof." Caity chirped while holding up a chip, Sofia's eyes widening excitedly before taking the food from her sister. "We can share." The six year old said, Gabby and Matt sharing a proud smile before the latter went back to getting out some more food for their two year old, Casey settling on an apple sauce pouch that he knew Sofia loved before handing it to his wife.
"Thanks for sharing, Caity." Casey praised, the little girl smiling wide before she dipped another one of her vegetables in the dip.
"Here you go, sweetheart." Gabby spoke to Sofia when she'd finished the chip Caitlyn had given her, her eyes lighting up once more when she sat more food in front of her, the child's reaction causing everyone to laugh while she started eating.
"Guess she was more hungry than I thought." Casey mused.
"Yeah, it seems like it." Gabby replied, her hand rubbing easily over Sofia's stomach while both their girls ate their snacks. "Since things are dying down here, do you think we should head home soon?" She asked her husband, as Matt reached out to rest his hand on her shoulder. "We've been here awhile, and we could get out of here and get these girls some actual food."
"That doesn't sound like a bad idea." He replied while looking at his girls. "What do you think, Caity?" He asked her, as Sofia was too busy with her applesauce to care about what was happening around her, the older Casey daughter stopping mid-bite to glance up at her dad. "You ready to go home?"
As soon as the words left his lips, Caitlyn started to shake her head, the movement earning some more laughs from Severide and Kidd while Gabby bit back a smile. "I wanna play more." She told him, before sticking her bottom lip out in a pout. "Can we stay longer, Daddy?"
Dawson did what she could to hold back her laughter, knowing her husband was defenseless against that look from their daughter. And Caity knew it, too.
"Please?" She asked with her wide brown eyes shining up at him, Matt letting out a breath before he gave her a nod.
"Of course we can stay, princess." He gave in without much fight, Caity smiling widely before she started to wiggle excitedly in her seat. "It couldn't hurt to play some more."
"Yay!" She cheered while taking another bite of her snack. "Thank you, Daddy."
"You're welcome, baby." He told her before glancing down towards his wife, seeing an amused yet unsurprised look covering her face, while Kelly was merely snickering across the table.
"You're so easy, man." He jabbed, Casey waving him off while shifting his weight between his feet.
"You try saying no to that adorable little face, of course I'm gonna let her play. I'm not a monster." He defended, Gabby letting out a slight laugh while Kelly shook his head, the two friends continuing to bicker back and forth until Caity climbed down from her seat once finishing her food.
"Daddy." She spoke when she was on the ground, Matt giving her his complete attention after looking away from Severide. "Let's go play!" She added, her little arm lifting up to grab ahold of his hand before she started to lead him away from the table.
And without another word, the both of them were gone, Gabby watching them with an easy smile on her face as Caity led him back over to the swings, the little girl obviously intent on enjoying every last moment of their time here together while she had it.
"Alright, there you go baby." Matt spoke while standing behind his oldest daughter, his hands resting over her shoulders as her smile beamed up at him through the mirror.
"Thank you, Daddy!" She replied happily as she admired the braid in her damp hair, the same braid Casey had just executed masterfully once Caity finished up with her bath.
"You're welcome, sweetheart." He responded, squeezing her shoulders softly before she turned around to face him. "Now how about we go downstairs with Momma and Sof?"
"Okay." She said with a nod, Caitlyn lifting herself up to give her dad a kiss before she hopped down off her stool and headed for the stairs, Matt shaking his head a bit in amusement while following after her.
It was pretty early in the evening, only a little after seven, as he and Gabby had just finished up getting their girls ready for bed after their long and eventful day. When they had finished up at the park earlier in the afternoon, after being there for nearly three hours, the parents decided to take their kids out to eat as neither Matt nor Gabby had enough energy to try and cook anything. So they'd opted to stop by a little diner close to their house to get some dinner, a place both of their girls absolutely loved, before finally making their home. Then after that, the girls went right into the bath as both of them were pretty dirty from the long day outside.
But now they were both all cleaned up and ready to keep winding down for the evening, Casey silently hoping both of his daughters would be willing to have an early night as he knew the entire family was pretty exhausted.
"Hi Mommy." Caity greeted after bouncing down off the bottom step, Gabby glancing over with a small smile from her spot at the counter in the kitchen.
"Hi honey." She responded, Caity giving her a similar grin while she hurried over towards the living room to play, her nightgown flowing with her movements before she joined her baby sister on the floor. "Hey babe." She added while Matt walked towards her, the man nodding with a smile of his own before coming to a stop beside her, his eyes moving down towards the counter where his wife was currently going through Caity's folder from school.
"Hey beautiful." He replied, Gabby feeling the slightest bit of heat start to creep up her neck while she glanced up towards him through her eyelashes. "How are things down here?" He continued on while wrapping his arm around her waist, his chin coming down to rest over her shoulder as she slowly let her weight fall back into him.
"We're fine." She murmured, focusing on the feeling of his warm palm running softly against her stomach before coming to rest just below the button of her jeans. "Sof's been pretty calm since her bath, I can tell she's tired." She told him, her voice barely above a whisper as Matt's gaze moved out into the living room, where Sofia and Caitlyn were still playing with their toys. "What about you? Is the bathroom still a mess?" She asked lightly, feeling her husband's chuckle move through his chest before he started to shake his head.
"I was able to get most of it cleaned up." He responded with another laugh, as he felt her relax completely in his hold. "I can't wait for Sof to get past this 'splashing water is the funniest thing ever' phase, but it wasn't too bad." He added, Gabby running her teeth along her bottom lip before she nodded.
"Yeah, hopefully that'll be sooner rather than later." She chimed in, Matt nodding back at her in agreement before he lifted his head slightly to press a gentle kiss against her neck, the movement innocent enough as Gabby went back to looking through the stack in front of her.
"...What do you have here?" He asked after a few seconds, while occasionally tightening his hold on his wife.
"Some papers Caity's teacher sent home." She explained, hearing a soft hum of understanding come from him. "There's a few drawings, and some reminders… And apparently they're having a career day next week." She finished, Casey's eyebrows raising slightly in response.
"Yeah?"
"Mhmm. On Thursday… We're supposed to be there." She continued on, while pointing to the text on the paper where it mentioned parent participation. "They want some of the kids' parents to come and talk about their jobs."
"Did we know about this?" He asked her, Gabby shaking her head a bit before returning her attention back out towards the living room.
"Hey Caity?" She called, the sound of her voice causing Caitlyn to look up from the cars she was playing with. "You're having a career day at school next week?" She asked her, both Matt and Gabby seeing the bright smile that appeared over their daughter's face before she nodded excitedly.
"Yeah!"
"Why didn't you tell us?" Gabby pushed gently, as a sheepish look flashed over the six year old's features.
"...I forgot." She admitted, Matt letting out a few laughs while Gabby fought off a smile. "But you and Daddy can come! And talk about firefighters." She added on happily, Casey's smile growing a bit before he gave her a nod.
"We wouldn't miss it, baby." He promised, Caity nodding happily before she returned her attention to her toys, while Matt focused on Gabby.
"We'll be on shift." She told him softly, Casey drawing in a breath as he nodded. "It looks like her career day is the day before that fundraiser you're making me go to," She continued on lightly, Matt letting out a small scoff while Gabby smirked. "But we'll be at work that day."
"Okay well first of all, it wasn't me who's making you, it's the department." He corrected her with a smile of his own. "You're an officer, so with or without me you'd be going… It just so happens that as the Chief, I wouldn't be able to be there without my lady either." He finished with a chuckle, Gabby scoffing back at him despite the amused gleam in her eyes.
"Yeah, we wouldn't want that." She replied dryly, feeling him press another kiss to her skin while tapping his hand over her waist.
"Exactly. So sorry babe, but you're gonna have to go… And secondly, don't worry about us being on shift then. We'll be able to step out for Caity's career day."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah." He repeated, Gabby practically able to almost hear his smile. "Like we said, I'm the Chief. And I give us approval to leave shift for a few hours and go be there for our daughter."
"Looks like your new position finally has some perks." She teased him, Casey laughing once more while she let her head fall back onto his shoulder.
"It has a few." He played along. "But no, it'll all work out fine… We'll keep our radios on, but the house can manage without us for a bit… I might bring in that third paramedic who rode with you and Jemma for a few shifts, just so Norris has some help while you're gone. But it'll be alright."
"Okay, that all sounds good babe." She said, fighting off a yawn as the words left her lips.
"You tired?" He shifted the subject, even though he already knew the answer before she nodded against him.
"A little bit, yeah." She murmured in response while Casey gave her another squeeze.
"Seems like you're not the only one… We're about to lose Sof." He said lightly, Gabby's eyes moving back across the room to see their youngest daughter now laying on the floor, her toys seemingly forgotten while she curled up into the rug.
The sight was enough to cause Dawson to laugh, her head shaking a bit side to side while Sofia continued to cuddle up against the ground.
"Yeah, she's ready for bed." Gabby mused.
"Eh, we can keep her with us for a little while longer. We should just get her off the floor." He said, earning a nod back before Matt gradually began to pull away from her, making sure his wife was steady on her feet before he called out the living room once more.
"Hey Caity?" He asked somewhat quietly, the six year old looking up again when she heard her dad's voice. "It's getting a little late and I know we're all tired… So how would you feel about watching a movie with your Momma and I for a little while?" He suggested in an effort to direct her away from her toys, as not only did he want Sofia to be able to rest but he knew Caity needed to as well. "We can all sit on the couch, and watch something before bed."
"Okay Daddy." She agreed easily before Matt gave her a nod.
"Alright, well your mom and I are gonna get ready for bed, do you think you can start cleaning up your toys? Then we can watch a movie?" He pushed on, Caitlyn nodding yet again before starting to get up from the ground. "Thank you, honey."
"Uh huh." She replied, Gabby laughing softly before she spoke up again. "...Can we have a sleepover after the movie?" Caity requested, her words catching them a bit off guard as Gabby raised her eyebrows. "I wanna sleep with you and Mommy." She continued on, Matt sparing a glance back towards Gabby to get a gauge on her response before she offered him a small smile.
"She doesn't have school tomorrow, so why not?" She told him, Matt matching her grin before he looked back towards Caity.
"Yeah, we can do that baby." He told her, seeing her smile widen out of pure excitement. "We can all sleep in mine and your Momma's room."
"Yay!" She cheered in response, while also keeping her voice quiet as Sofia was all but passed out on the ground, the parents sharing a knowing yet content look before they went on with their night.
After they got ready for bed and curled up together on the couch, with Sofia sleeping on Matt's chest while Caitlyn was cuddled up against her mom with her feet in his lap, they spent the next hour or so watching a movie on the TV, the calm atmosphere helping them all to wind down from the day.
The whole time Sofia hadn't moved, not once, as she slept against her dad, while Caity was shuffling around a bit more. But she hadn't adjusted as much in the last ten minutes or so, which told Matt his oldest daughter was likely falling asleep, even if she was fighting it. And with a few glances towards Gabby, he could tell his wife was struggling to keep off her own exhaustion as well. That they were all minutes away from falling asleep right here on the couch.
And while he wasn't entirely opposed to the idea, he also knew they'd all sleep much better in their bedroom. Then not only that, but it would be much easier to shuffle everyone into the room while they were awake than it would be with them all asleep. Though he knew he could do it if needed, as it wouldn't be the first time he'd put all of them to bed, even Gabby. But with the girls sleeping with them tonight, he knew from experience that it was easier for them all to get settled and comfortable before falling asleep for the night, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he looked back over towards his girls.
"Hey guys?" He asked, gaining both Gabby's and Caity's attention as they looked up at him. "How about we finished watching the movie in our bedroom?" He suggested, knowing those words would go over better with Caity than mentioning anything about sleep, as even though she was clearly tired she would try to fight it. "That way we can lay down."
"Okay… if Mommy wants to." Caitlyn replied, Casey holding off a knowing grin before he looked at Gabby.
"I think that sounds like a great idea." She told him, Matt nodding in agreement before he reached out to grab the remote and turn off the TV.
"Alright… Well why don't you all head into the room, I'll be there in a few minutes." He replied, earning a similar nod from his wife before they started to get up.
It took a couple moments due to Gabby's half-asleep state, but soon enough he'd managed to get Sofia handed off to her and her and Caity moving to the bedroom while Matt stayed back to lock up. He went through the usual routine, checking the front door and garage to make sure everything was secure before assuring that the curtains were drawn, Matt finishing up by going upstairs to turn off some lights that had been left on, as well as grabbing the girls' favorite stuffed animals they usually slept with, before making his way back down to the main level.
The entire ordeal took him maybe five minutes, Casey doing one last look around their home before he turned off the hallway light and headed into their bedroom.
But the second he stepped in his body stopped, Matt smiling almost immediately at the sight in front of him as all three of his girls were curled up in bed, sleeping soundly. All the lights were off except for one lamp, and the movie that Gabby must have put on was playing on the television. But in the short time it had taken him to check the house, they'd all fallen asleep.
Gabby was in her usual spot with Sofia nestled up into her chest, Caity cuddling into Sof from the other side while they all were secure and snug underneath the blanket, both his little girls snoring softly as they rested.
And even though Matt couldn't help but be a little surprised at how quickly they'd fallen asleep, that didn't stop him from taking a moment to admire the view, as there was nothing he loved more than the three girls in front of him. And times like this only made that feeling even stronger, Casey lingering for one more minute before he carefully climbed into his side of the bed, it only taking mere seconds for him to get comfortable as Matt was more than ready for the four of them to get that rest they so desperately needed.