Hello there everyone! I've got the next chapter of this Casey family story for you all.
In this one we're kind of shifting gears into Christmas and the holiday season for Matt, Gabby, and the girls. And we're gonna see someone who hasn't been around for a while, so I hope you enjoy it!
Other than that I hope you all are doing well, and having a great start to your week. Thanks for taking the time to read this chapter, it means a lot to me and I can't wait to hear your thoughts.
See you all next time!
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Nine
"We wish you a Merry Christmas! We wish you a Merry Christmas!"
The soft sound of Christmas music, accompanied by Caitlyn's loud and somewhat offkey singing, flowed through the Casey household, a few laughs and smiles being shared between the four of them while they continued working on getting the holiday decorations put up throughout the house. They had gotten up some lights outside earlier in the day, as well as put up a new wreath and some decorations around their front door, before bringing the festivities inside and putting up their stockings and smaller trees in the girls' rooms, putting out some themed pillows and blankets, a long with some more smaller decorations here and there, the family finishing all of that before moving onto their biggest task.
And that was decorating the tree.
To continue their tradition from last year in taking their girls out to pick a Christmas tree, the Casey's had gone out earlier this morning to try and find the perfect one for them, with Caitlyn and Sofia's help. It had taken a couple hours, their girls more interested in playing at the park nearby than anything else. But after a while, and thankfully before the heavy snow came in, they'd managed to find a nice, sturdy tree for their living room, the entire family happy with their selection before they brought it home and got to work on decorating their home.
It may have been a little early in the month for them to start all of this, as they weren't even a full week into December yet, the Casey's oftentimes waiting at least a few more days to let Thanksgiving pass before they would truly start to focus on Christmas. But now that Nancy had left a few days ago, with the promise that she'd hopefully be back soon, and Gabby's mom arriving in town here in a few days, they felt like it was the perfect time to go ahead and get their home all ready for Christmas. So they could not only have things ready for Camila's arrival, but get a headstart on making those memories with their children as well.
Which is exactly what they had done. The whole day had been nothing but spending time with their girls and letting them help as much as they could with getting ready for the last holiday of the year. And Caitlyn and Sofia were having the time of their lives.
Especially now, as Matt stood in the living room with their girls decorating the tree while Gabby was prepping their second batch of homemade cookies in the kitchen, the girls were having a blast, Casey glancing down towards Sofia as she placed another ornament on their tree.
This was the tenth or so one she'd put on a branch, and while she'd put virtually all of her ornaments in the same spot on the tree, Matt didn't have it in him to try and correct her. Not when she was having so much fun helping them, little Sofia smiling proudly at her work before looking back up at her father.
"More! Dada more!" She requested with her hands up in the air, Casey chuckling softly while he nodded.
"Here you go, baby." He offered, handing another plastic ornament to her before holding another one up above his head, where Caitlyn could reach it from her position on his shoulders.
"Thanks Daddy." Caitlyn grinned, taking the ornament with her free hand while her other arm was draped down around his neck onto his chest, the position helping to keep her balanced while she worked on getting ornaments higher up on their tree. "It looks so pretty." She spoke, after putting the plastic bulb in its place.
"It does, honey. The tree is beautiful." He agreed.
"It is." Gabby echoed from the kitchen, Caitlyn's smile widening as she looked between her mom and their Christmas tree. "You girls did a great job."
"Thank you, Mommy." Caity replied, while placing her hand on top of her dad's head. "I love our tree." She continued on easily, Matt and Gabby sharing a knowing look before the latter began to make her way back into the living room. "Do we have more ordments?" She asked, her pronunciation of the word earning another laugh from Matt before he gave her a soft nod.
"We do, we have a few left…" He told her as Gabby came to a stop beside him, Sofia then wasting no time in waddling the few steps towards her mother and crashing into her legs. "And we'll also need to put the star on top of the tree."
"I wanna help!" Caitlyn said almost instantly, Dawson seeing the bright grin shining over her lips. "Can I help?"
"Absolutely." Matt replied just as swiftly, while patting his hand over her shin. "I'll need your help anyway, since you're already up there."
Caity's smile widened while Gabby laughed once more, the pure elation on the six year old's face flooding Dawson's chest with warmth before Caitlyn began to lightly bounce up and down on her dad's shoulders. "Yay! I get to help."
"You do, baby."
"Cause I'm way up here." She added on with a giggle, Matt winking in Gabby's direction before she reached down to grab the star out of the box.
"Ooo." Sofia cooed when she saw the shiny star, her eyes widening in wonder before she reached up for the object in Gabby's grasp.
"It's not a toy baby, but you can see it. Just be gentle." Dawson told her while crouching down to her level, Sofia moving to stand beside her mom before she carefully reached out to touch the star, the two year old evidently fascinated by it.
"I like being up here." Caitlyn continued on while Gabby let Sofia see the impressive star, Matt's attention moving between them and his eldest daughter as he gave her a quick nod.
"You do, huh?"
"Mhmm, I'm so tall." She told him lightly. "I'm tall like you, Daddy."
"You definitely are." He responded, while giving her a little shake. "You're taller than Daddy."
"Because I'm higher when you carry me, silly." She responded before bursting out into another fit of giggles, Matt and Gabby both chuckling in response while the mother kept her eye on Sofia.
"That's…very true. You do get taller when I carry you." Casey spoke, while lovingly gripping her shins once more. "You're too smart for your own good." He added softly under his breath before Gabby shot him another smile, Caitlyn clearly not even hearing him.
"That's why it's fun when you carry me." She kept on, while adjusting one of the ornaments in front of her. "Daddy, will you still carry me when I'm big?" She asked somewhat suddenly, Caitlyn leaning forward to look down at him while her chest and torso rested against the back of his head.
"I'll carry you as long as you want me too, baby." He said easily, the position they were in causing him to miss the way her face lit up at his words. Though Gabby didn't, as she watched her husband and eldest daughter with an amused and easy look, Sofia soon becoming disinterested with the Christmas decorations before running over to some of her toys that were behind Casey.
"I won't get too tall?" She asked innocently.
"Never." He assured her, feeling how Caitlyn was gripping lightly onto the front of his shirt while she continued to lean over the top of his head. "And you know I still carry your Momma- Easily carry your Momma." He added on with a proud grin, Gabby letting out a soft laugh while Caitlyn looked between her parents in amusement. "So you'll never get too tall, I can always carry you Caity."
"And Sof, too?" She pushed, the parents catching each other's gazes before Matt nodded.
"Sof too."
"Yay!" She exclaimed, while leaning forward to press a kiss over his hair. "That means I'll always be big and tall like Daddy."
Gabby gave her an agreeing nod while getting back to her feet, the mother reaching up to rub her hand along the side of her leg before tapping lightly over her hip. "You will, honey." She said with a smile. "But since you're so big and tall right now, what do you say we get this star up on the tree?" She redirected her, Caitlyn's eyes widening in excitement before she started nodding quickly, Matt keeping a hold of her legs so she didn't risk falling.
"Yeah! I'm ready to help." She assured them, Gabby giving her another nod before the three of them moved back towards the tree.
It took them a few minutes to get everything in order, both parents being very cautious of their oldest daughter and making sure she was safe, but soon enough they managed to get everything in place with the star sitting securely on top of their tree.
"Mommy, Daddy, we did it." Caitlyn said happily while Matt lifted her down off his shoulders onto the ground. "And Sof helped, too."
"She did, you both were such great helpers." Gabby assured her, rubbing her hand along the back of her head while Matt took a step back and bent down to pick up Sofia. The toddler whined instinctively, not liking being taken away from her toys. But after a moment she was settled in her father's arms, her eyes soon refocusing on the colorful tree in front of her. "How about we get it plugged in and we can see the lights."
"Yeah!" Caitlyn spoke brightly, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet while she moved back to Matt's side. "I wanna see the lights."
"We will, but remember what your Momma and I told you… You can't touch the tree without one of us here." Matt reminded her, figuring now was best before she got too excited. "It's not safe to touch the wires, or the lights.. You need to let Mommy and Daddy turn the tree on, okay?"
"Okay Daddy."
"Alright." He replied, patting the top of her head before looking back towards his wife, who then gave him a nod.
Without another word between them, Gabby moved over behind the tree and plugged it in, the lights and star immediately illuminating throughout their home as gasps and squeals left the lips of their daughters, both Caitlyn and Sofia so happy with what they were seeing.
"Wow." Caity breathed out, while Sofia brought her hand up to cover her mouth in dramatic fashion; something she no doubt had picked up from her mother. "It's even prettier than before!"
"It is, it's so pretty." Gabby agreed as she got back to her side, Matt shooting her a small smile before reaching across Caitlyn and placing his hand on his wife's back. "I think you all did a great job."
"I'd say we did." Casey responded, before pressing kisses to each of his girls' heads. He started with Sofia, then Caitlyn before ultimately finishing with Gabby, his lips lingering longer against her skin while he tightened his hold on her. "We're officially ready for Christmas."
"And Santa!" Caitlyn all but screeched, Gabby and Matt both having to suppress their laughter as the six year old turned around to face them. "We have to see Santa!"
"Oh, we're definitely going to see Santa." Casey spoke, his tone matching her enthusiasm as Caity's eyes widened. "We'll go and see him soon."
"Yay!" She cheered once more, Caitlyn clapping her hands together while looking between her parents. "I've missed Santa."
Dawson was unable to hold back her amusement this time as Caity looked up at her with hopeful eyes. "I know you have, baby… And I'm sure he's missed you too." Gabby spoke, seeing the way Caitlyn took those words to heart before she started to nod brightly. "Though speaking of Santa, how would you feel about getting back into the kitchen with me, and we can practice making his cookies?"
Caitlyn was nodding in agreement before Gabby could even finish her sentence. "Yeah, I wanna help!" She told her, while looking back towards Matt. "Daddy, I'm gonna help Mommy make cookies." She explained like he hadn't just heard their whole conversation, but Casey nodded regardless before she scurried away towards the kitchen.
"Looks like you have a helper." Casey chuckled, Gabby patting her hand against his chest before taking a step backwards.
"And so do you… I think Sof would be great at helping you put all these boxes away." She told him pointedly, Matt laughing once more before he looked down at the young girl in his arms.
"I think so, too. Isn't that right Sof, you wanna help Daddy?" He asked, bouncing her in his arms as light giggles escaped her lips, her small fists holding onto him while she laughed. "Yeah, I know you wanna help me.. You can help me while your sister helps Momma."
Sofia continued to laugh while Matt moved around with her, the noise like music to their ears as the parents went to their respective parts of the downstairs, intent on getting a little more time with their girls before they'd need to go to bed.
Heavy pants and moans filled the Casey's master bedroom as Gabby collapsed down on top of her husband, her legs resting on either side of his hips while her bare body was pressed into his, Matt beginning to run his hands gently over her back as the couple came down from the high they'd experienced together. Neither of them moved for a moment, Gabby's limbs feeling a little too much like jello to try and go anywhere right now. But from the grip Matt had on her, she knew he wasn't in any hurry for her to get up off of him, either.
"That was…" Gabby started with her head against his shoulder, but she was unable to finish the thought as she fought to steady her breathing.
She felt him laugh after a moment, his chest shaking underneath her as his forearm snaked around her back. "Quite a good morning." He finished for her.
"I'll say." She agreed, Gabby slowly lifting herself up just enough to look at him, finding a goofy grin waiting for her as she rested her palms against his chest. "It's been a great morning. Although I figured it would be once I woke up and you were under the covers, with your mouth on my-"
He cut off her words with a deep kiss, Gabby laughing softly before reciprocating the movement, the two stayed connected for a few more seconds before eventually pulling back. The smirk on his face was evident, Gabby shaking her head a bit while she ran her thumb over his collarbone.
"I was just saying." She defended, Matt chuckling a bit before giving her body a squeeze.
"Mhmm. Well, I woke you up that way because I was just showing you my... Appreciation. For you." He settled on, earning a low laugh from her as the sheets hung down by their waists.
"Appreciation, huh?"
"Yup." Matt answered simply, with a proud gleam in his eyes. "Appreciation for my gorgeous and sexy wife." He finished, Gabby shaking her head a bit before he turned to press a kiss to her arm. "You're so goddamn beautiful, I couldn't help myself… And I figured it would be nice to have this morning together, since our lives are about to get a little crazy here over the next few weeks."
Dawson laughed once more, knowing his words held a lot of truth as their little family would be quite busy the next month or so. In addition to all the hectic aspects of Christmas in general, they had a few things with the girls they were preparing for, the most pressing of which being Caitlyn's dance recital happening in a few days. Then on top of that, Camila was also coming into town later today, her presence bound to keep them busy for the next couple weeks.
They all were good things, but Matt was still right- their lives would be crazy. So she supposed she couldn't blame him for wanting to spend a little alone time with each other before they got their day started. And it wasn't like you'd ever find her complaining about it, either.
"Yeah, you do have a point there." She eventually agreed, feeling a chill run through her spine as he continued to rub along her back. "And it explains why you were feeling so… energetic. Even though it's not even seven." She teased, Matt placing a few more kisses to her bare arm while hiding his obvious smile.
"Well, how could I not be when I'm married to you?" He told her, Gabby feeling a bit of heat rush through her chest before she leaned her head back down towards his shoulder. "But I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." He finished, kissing the nape of her neck as he felt her body relax into his.
"I definitely did." She murmured, unable to see the prideful grin forming over his lips as her body heat consumed him.
"I know, I could tell." He easily teased her. "Three times, specifically. You really enjoyed yourself." He added, earning a scoff from Gabby before she blindly pinched his chest. "What? That was some of my best work."
"Mhmm." She hummed against him, Matt chuckling once more as she slowly lifted herself back up. "I guess it was." She joked back, the two sharing a knowing smile. "In fact you did so well that I'd love to go back to sleep right about now… Or go ahead and take a shower, I can't tell." She breathed out, Matt reaching up to give her a quick peck before she fell back down onto him.
"I say sleep." He told her, while rubbing methodical patterns over her skin.
"Yeah, but we've gotta start getting ready soon." She responded softly, Matt able to tell she was beginning to drift off just by the sound of her voice. "We're supposed to meet my mom at the airport."
"I know, but that's not for hours." He reminded her, Gabby letting out a soft sigh before she began to shift her weight off of him. Though she never went far as she tucked herself up against his side, Matt keeping his hold on her while he adjusted the covers over their bare bodies. "You have time to sleep, I'll make sure you're awake in time."
"Oh yeah?" She murmured from the comfort of his embrace. "Does that mean you'll wake me up the same way you did this morning?"
A deep chuckle escaped his throat, Matt grinning from ear to ear while his palm rested over her hip underneath the bed sheet. "Maybe I will." He replied lightly, placing his lips to her forehead. "Whatever you want."
"I'll keep that in mind." She murmured, her voice barely audible as sleep was starting to grab ahold of her.
But before she could completely rest, the baby monitor on their nightstand started to chirp, alerting them to movement upstairs in one of the girls' rooms. Gabby let out a dissatisfied groan at the noise, Matt biting back a smirk before he turned to the monitor to see Sofia sliding down out of her bed. She had her favorite stuffed animal clutched to her chest, the toddler looking around at her surroundings before ultimately hurrying out of her bedroom.
Casey knew she wouldn't be able to get far, given the baby gate securely latched at the top of the stairs. But it still wasn't necessarily a smart idea to leave her up there unattended, Matt blowing out a soft sigh before he carefully tossed the covers off himself.
"It's Sof, she's up." He explained to his wife, whose eyes were still closed. "I'll go and get her before she gets into trouble."
"You sure?" Gabby asked, as he gingerly disentangled himself from her grasp.
"I'm sure." He responded, leaning back to kiss her softly. "You get some more rest, I'll keep the girls occupied… Because I'm pretty sure Sofia's about to wake Caity up." He said, seeing her smile despite her eyes staying closed.
"Alright. Thank you for taking care of them."
"Nothing to thank me for." He replied quickly, Matt giving her another kiss before he pushed himself out of bed. "I love you."
"Love you, too." She all but whispered while she rolled over, Gabby no doubt asleep within seconds as Matt slid on a pair of clean pajama pants and a t-shirt before making his way out of their room and up the stairs.
When he got to the landing at the top of the steps, there was no sign of Sofia aside from her open bedroom door, Matt stifling a laugh as he made his way through the gate and headed towards the one place he knew Sof would be. And that was Caity's room.
He could hear them before he saw them, Matt stepping in through the open doorway just as Sofia was trying her best to pull herself up onto her sister's bed. She had thrown her stuffed animal up onto the mattress, no doubt hitting the girl who had been sleeping there as Caitlyn was still slowly waking up.
"Good morning, sissy." Caity greeted, her tired voice holding no annoyance as Matt sensed she wasn't upset at Sofia for disrupting her sleep.
"Kay Kay." Sofia spoke with a wide, slobbery grin.
"Hi Sofi." Caitlyn replied, giving her as bright of a smile as she could muster before she rolled over to try and help Sofia get up onto her bed.
After a few seconds they were successful, Sofia gaining her balance before crawling over to her older sister and cuddling into her side, clearly just wanting to be with her. And Caitlyn felt the same way, as she was waiting for her sissy with open arms, the six year old wrapping her up in a hug and holding onto her while they laid in her bed.
The sight was beyond endearing, Matt smiling at his loving daughters as he almost wished he'd brought his phone up here to get a picture, knowing this was a moment he'd surely want to remember. But before he could decide whether or not to try and sneak back downstairs, his presence was noticed, Casey seeing his eldest daughter's face light up before she called out to him.
"Daddy." She spoke brightly, her voice was still a little thick with sleep. Though it did nothing to hinder her excitement.
"Dada!" Sofia cheered soon after, the two year old lifting her free hand up into the air as a silent request for him to come to them. And that was something he'd never say no to, the smile on his face widening even further as he stepped into Caitlyn's room.
"Hello my angels." He greeted them, Casey gently sitting himself down on the edge of the bed. Close enough to where he could reach them, but far enough away to where he wasn't risking sitting on Sofia. "How'd you sleep?"
"Good." Caity responded just as a yawn left her lips. "Sof came and woke me up."
"I know, I saw." He replied with a soft grin. "I guess she was ready to get up."
"Yeah.. Though she looks sleepy now." Caitlyn spoke before giggling, both her and Matt glancing towards the toddler who looked awfully exhausted, even while she was reaching out towards her dad. "I think she wanted to sleep in here with me."
"I think so, too." He agreed with a nod. "But that's just cause your sissy loves you so much." He continued on, seeing the genuine happiness that soon filled Caitlyn's tired features.
"I love her." She repeated softly, her small hand reaching over to rub Sofia's arm. And the toddler responded instantly, Sofia giving her a wet kiss before cuddling deeper into her. "I love sissy."
"I know you do, sweetheart." He replied, leaning down to brush some of the loose hair from her face as Caitlyn gave him an assuring smile.
"And I love you. And Mommy." Caity told him, Matt chuckling a bit before he nodded. "Is Mommy awake? I can tell her I love her."
"She's sleeping right now, baby." He explained, seeing his daughter pout for a few seconds until she ultimately nodded. "She's really tired, like you and Sof.. But you can tell her when she wakes up."
"Okay." She inevitably agreed, while another yawn left her mouth. This one a bit longer than the last as it was becoming more and more clear to Casey how his girls were still tired. Between Caitlyn's evident exhaustion, and Sofia half asleep beside her, he knew they likely wouldn't be awake much longer.
"Why don't you and Sof try to get a little more sleep, honey… It's still pretty early." He explained to her, while she shifted around in her bed. "I can take Sof back to her room if you want, but I think you should rest a bit. We have a busy day." He reminded her, Caitlyn nodding slowly while she yawned again.
"Sissy can stay." She replied with her eyes half closed, Matt giving her a small smile as Sofia instinctively curled up closer to her sister. "Can you stay, too?" She asked him, Casey's face softening before he nodded.
"I'll be right here, baby. I promise." He assured her, seeing his oldest daughter smile back at him before she relaxed further into her bed. "You and Sof just try and get some rest."
"Alright Daddy." She murmured, wrapping her other arm around her younger sister before slowly letting herself fall back asleep, Sofia not very far behind her while Matt stayed in his spot beside them on her bed, just like he promised.
"Okay, there's one Casey girl." Ramon spoke as Caitlyn hopped down from the backseat of Gabby's SUV, the beaming smile on her face visible to all the adults standing around while she hurried over to her grandfather. "...And there are the other two." He added on when Gabby came around the other side of the vehicle with Sofia in her arms.
Matt smirked a bit at his words, Gabby then shaking her head in amusement as she came to a stop in between Antonio and Matt.
"What?" Ramon asked with a knowing look between the two of them. "You are a Casey, mija."
"I know, it just always makes his day when you say it." She spoke, nodding towards her husband who wasn't even trying to hide the proud look on his face.
"And no one can blame me for that." Casey responded, leaning over to press a kiss to her cheek before he locked up their car. "I've got the best wife in the world." He added on with a grin.
"Good man." Ramon mused, Gabby chuckling a bit while she adjusted Sofia's weight on her hip.
"I can take her, sis." Antonio offered, Gabby not even getting the chance to respond before her big brother had taken Sofia into his arms. And the toddler wasn't even fazed, Sofia squealing happily when she saw her Tío and clinging to him, like Gabby hadn't even been there. "Yeah, you've missed me, haven't you, Sof?"
"She just saw you at Thanksgiving." Casey tried, though that didn't stop Antonio from smirking back at him. "...But you're right, she has missed you."
"Of course she has, I'm her favorite Uncle." He replied, Gabby rolling her eyes before she looked down towards Caitlyn, who was standing securely next to her grandfather, with her hand clasped tightly in his.
"Are you gonna stay with your abuelo, baby?" She asked her daughter, Ramon using his free hand to pull the hat on her head a little farther down to protect her from the snow. "Remember how we said it's gonna be really busy inside the airport, so you need to stay with him."
"I will, Mommy." She promised, Gabby smiling back at her before she nodded.
"Alright, well then I think we're ready to head in there… Antonio, you sure you're good with Sof?"
"I've got her." He assured her, before he and Ramon started walking through the parking lot, Caitlyn walking in between them as she held onto both of their hands.
"Well, looks like our girls don't even need us." Casey joked, Gabby letting out a soft laugh before she shook her head.
"Not when those two are around." She played along, Matt grinning back at her as he placed a kiss to the side of her head, before they followed after the rest of their family into the airport.
They were a little early for Camila's flight, as Gabby was feeling too much nervous and excited energy to sit around and wait any longer. So their entire family had decided to come over here and wait for her mom to arrive, Camila's flight scheduled to be on time despite the brutal December weather outside.
It was cold, painfully so, with snow and ice blanketing the city. But somehow through all of that, her flight hadn't been delayed. And Gabby was more than grateful.
"How are you feeling?" Matt asked as they walked in step together, his hand slid down into her back pocket in an effort to keep her close, while the rest of their family was a few feet ahead of them.
"I'm good." She told him with a bright smile. "Excited to see her."
He grinned back at her, the look on his face flooding her body with warmth before he placed another kiss on her forehead. "I know you are, and I'm sure she's just as excited to see you… And Antonio too, I guess." He joked, Gabby scoffing lightly as she reached up to lightly smack his chest.
"I heard that." Antonio called back at him, Casey ducking his head for a moment as he and Gabby continued on behind them.
Thankfully, it didn't take much longer to get inside and out of the cold, the parents then stopping to get Caitlyn and Sofia out of some of the multiple layers they'd put them in before heading over to the waiting area.
And that's where they all sat, and where the girls played, for roughly forty five minutes or so, all of them content to wait for as long as they needed to for Camila to arrive.
Which, luckily, didn't take much longer at all, as just before the one hour mark Camila was walking through the terminal towards them, pulling her carry-on behind her while she made her way to her family.
"Mama.." Gabby breathed out, being the first one to see her as a huge grin broke out across her face. "Mama, you're here." She spoke a little louder, before running over to her and tackling her in a giant hug.
"Oh, mija." Camila all but whispered, dropping her belongings to the ground so she could properly greet her daughter. "It's so great to see you." She told her, cradling the back of her head while she felt Gabby's hold on her tighten.
Though Dawson had gotten to her first, it didn't take long for the rest of them to catch up, Matt carrying Caitlyn while Ramon held Sofia, Antonio walking beside them as they all waited for their turn to greet Camila.
"I can't believe you're finally here." Gabby spoke through the tears falling from her eyes, the two women pulling back before Antonio moved in to hug his mom as well.
"I know, I'm so excited.. It feels like so long since I've been here." She said, letting go of Antonio before turning towards Matt.
"My sweet Matthew." She spoke, pulling him in for a hug while being mindful of the child in his arms. "I've missed my greatest son-in-law."
"We've missed you too, Camila." He told her, giving her a kiss on the cheek while they separated. "Isn't that right? Caity, you wanna say hi to your abuela." He prompted, as the bright smile on Caitlyn's face never faltered, showing she knew who this woman was. Which wasn't surprising to any of them, given how Camila would Facetime and call with the girls as much as she could.
"Caitlyn, mi vida. You've gotten so big." Camila spoke gently, Matt setting her down on the ground before she hurried to give her grandmother a hug.
"Hi abuela!" She said happily, Camila pressing continuous kisses to her head until she moved back to her father. "Mommy is so happy you're here."
"I'm happy too, sweetheart… And there's Sofia, oh my look at her." Camila cooed, Sofia giving her a shy, yet content smile from the comfort of her grandfather's arms.
"It might take her a little while longer to warm up, since she's so young." Matt reminded her, though Camila didn't need it as she merely nodded.
"No, I know. It's fine. I'm just.. My, she's so beautiful. Both your girls, they're just the cutest angels on the planet." She boasted, Sofia smiling at her while Caitlyn grinned proudly up at her father. "I'm so glad I'm finally here, and can see them in person after so long. That I get to see all of you."
"Me too, Camila." Ramon finally spoke, the former spouses sharing a friendly smile. "It's been too long."
"It has." Gabby echoed, wiping the remaining tears from underneath her eyes before Camila reached out to give her daughter another hug.
"I know.. And I've missed you so much, mi amor." She murmured, rubbing over the back of her head while Gabby felt a few more tears begin to cloud her vision. "But I'm here now, at least for a little while."
"I know." Gabby responded, giving her another squeeze before they pulled back.
"Which just means we have all the time in the world to spend together, and for you all to catch me up on everything I've missed." She said lightly, Matt and Ramon letting out soft laughs while Gabby nodded.
"I think we can do that." Antonio told her, Camila smiling at the group while Matt reached down with his free hand to grab her carry-on. "But for now, how about we get your luggage and get out of here."
"That sounds perfect, I'm tired of the airport." She responded, wrapping her arm around Gabby's shoulders before they all started walking to baggage claim. "Where are we headed first?"
"Food!" Caitlyn interjected before any of the adults could respond, Camila letting out a soft laugh in response. "We should get food, I'm hungry."
"I think that's a perfect idea." Camila replied, earning a few nods from the rest of the group.
"Well, food it is then." Gabby said from her spot beside her, Camila flashing her a bright smile as she leaned over to give her another welcoming kiss before they continued on through the airport, every single member of the Casey and Dawson families eager to spend some time all together for the first time in a very long while.