Yawning as the second movie they had watched had ended, it was the first time they got off the couch after hours. This morning it had started raining and it hadn't stopped since. It didn't matter to them though as even though it was a rainy day, it was nice to spend the day together.
''Want to get some fresh air?'' she yawned as she stretched.
''Yeah,'' he smiled.
She wanted to get the wheelchair to help him off the couch when he stretched out his arm.
''Can you help me up for a sec?''
Holding his arm she helped him up and they walked to the porch. She had her arm around him, carefully making sure that every step he wouldn't fall, but soon they made it to the railing. Leaning against the railing, they took in the sights of the wind blowing over the lake. Although the weather was terrible, it was nice spending a cozy day together.
They looked as they saw some people kitesurfing as the rain was making big waves on the lake.
''I am sure you are not going to let me do that.''
''No,'' she laughed.
Her arm around him, they stood looking out over the water, only going inside when the wind starting blowing rain under the porch. Gabby helped him into the shower, ordering some pizza for them as neither of them wanted to go into town to get groceries for dinner.
As he was having a shower, she lit the fireplace and got the pizza that they had ordered by the door. Throwing all the throws, pillows and blankets onto the floor, she made it cozy, excited to share this last night at the cabin together.
It had been great, even though they had not done a lot. After all they had been through, just being together was all they needed and had longed for.
''Hospital texted, my appointment got pushed back.'' Matt said as he moved into the living room with his wheelchair, his phone on his lap. It was one of the rare moments that he had managed to get a signal, but the quiet had been fulfilling.
''When do you need to go in?''
''Next week, a scan to see if my pelvis is starting to heal up and if all the hardware is still okay. Got a ton of metal in me now that has to come out one day.'' He said as the put the breaks on the wheelchair, holding the couch as he sat down on the sea of blankets and pillows.
'' Like Iron Man,'' Gabby teased him.
''Never saw that movie,'' Matt said as he sat down on the ground, propping up the pillow in his back.
''They made 3 of those.''
''Huh, well, incase we get bored sometime,'' he winked.
Gently she sat down against him, opening the box of pizza as they enjoyed their wine and pizza, Gabby laying against him as they looked at the flames dancing in the fireplace. As they finished the pizza, she laid against him, Matt comfortable as well asl he held Gabby close.
Out of the window beside them, they saw the moon above them, although with the howling wind and rain was slamming against the window, opposed from how they had seen it from the porch.
''You know those footsteps from the 50s are still on the moon?''
''Kinda like how big your steps were today,'' she said, so proud of him.
''Any step is a big step for me now.''
''Matt, if they shown me pictures of that scene before I knew how you are doing now, I wouldn't have guessed you had come out at all.''
''I know, I know. I am not complaining.'' He said as he laid his hand on hers.
Laying back against his chest, she closed her eyes. As they were spending so much time together and after these last few weeks, she could barely believe that they had really been apart for so long. Those weeks had seemed so normal when she had been in Puerto Rico. Now she realized more and more that she was happier with him.
''More proud of you than Neil Armstrong's steps on the moon.''
Laying together by the flames, Matt thought back about those weeks alone. As much as he was in pain and struggled, and had a long recovery ahead, it was still better than those weeks he had had to spent alone.
A few days later, the bliss of the few days away had weaned off as they had gone back to their daily lives. Matt had spend a lot of time in physical therapy, finally strong enough to use crutches around the house. It worried Gabby, scared he was going to fall as he still made his way around clumsily.
They had just had some pasta, Gabby having slept most of the day as she had had a night shift the day before and Matt having been out for physical therapy and a scan in the hospital to see how his pelvis was healing up.
He had had a lot less pain and he hoped that it was a sign that all the shards of bone had come back together and somebody he would really be able to return to the job. The scan he had had today would finally give them an update on that in their talks with his surgeon next week.
''I'm going to do the dishes,'' Matt said as he groaned while stretched, wanting to get off the couch.
''I can do them, you rest up.''
''No, please let me do it,'' he insisted as he grabbed the crutches and pulled himself up, Gabby worried as he made his way to the kitchen. Balancing one of the crutches against the counter, she looked as he started doing the dishes. She didn't want to worry as much, knew that he needed some trust as he was starting his parttime position in arson today.
Leaning on one of the crutches as he started cleaning their plates, he worried about how it was going to go in the office tomorrow. He knew that he still needed Gabby's help much more than he would ever want, but tomorrow he would have to manage on his own. He managed to finish the dishes, glad that he was managing to do more himself.
She walked up behind him, gently laying her arms around him.
''Excited for tomorrow?'' she asked as she laid her lips on his neck, holding him as he carefully turned around on his feet.
''Yeah, it is going be great.'' He smiled, leaning back against the cupboard as it was getting harder to stand up.
''Hmm, I can get used to these arms.'' She said as she caressed over his arms, his arms even more toned after weeks of using a wheelchair.
Holding onto her, he felt that it was getting hard to stand up.
''I am probably going to need hand,'' he admitted as his hip didn't seem to cooperate. Laying her arm around him, they walked back to the couch.
Sitting down on the couch again, he stretched out his leg, his femur and hips throbbing. Pulling the wheelchair closer, he moved to the wheelchair.
''Matt, just sit easy!'' she said concerned as he had had been struggling to walk back from the kitchen.
Instead he moved to the set of drawers in the living room, taking out a wrapped gift. He had waited for days, not sure what she was going to say. But as he was going back to work tomorrow, it felt like the perfect time.
''I ehm, I got you a little something,'' he said as he handed the wrapped gift to her. As it had been the first thing she had taken from the house when she had left. Even when she had been living here before Puerto Rico, she had looked at it at least once a month.
''Matt – why are you –''
''you deserve this – and the whole world Gabby.''
''Matt-''
''I know you left it in Puerto Rico,'' he said as he handed her a wrapped up gift, ''I know you didn't have time to pack after Kelly called…I want you to have this.''
Curious she unwrapped the gift.
''I reached out to your mom…Antonio… Kelly contributed. Antonio offered to send the real book but I was worried it might get lost. So I tried to get as many pictures together as I could, I know they meant a lot to you. I know it's not your real picture album, but I want you to have some pictures until we get the real one from Puerto Rico.''
Surprised she looked at the picture books in her hands, Every picture carefully put in. Some of them were with her family, some with him at CFD functions. Some of them were annotated with Matt's messy handwriting, which made it even more precious to her.
There was one of her with Shay, tears welling up in her eyes.
''Thank you Matt – I really love this.'' She smiled, seeing the last picture was their wedding photo.
''You are my rock Gabby, I know how much these picture albums mean to you and I want you to feel at home here once again, even if we can't get all your stuff right now.''
Holding him tight, she tried to contain her tears as it moved her. He didn't owe her anything, their love being enough but the fact he had gone out of his way only meant more.
''Look at your baby face.'' She smiled, drying the tears as her eye fell on the picture of the CFD BBQ of 2013. The exact baby face she had first fallen in love with.
''It's amazing you got all of these pictures,'' she said in awe, so grateful. She had missed some of her stuff that was still Puerto Rico, especially her picture album.
''Again, I spent way too much time here in this house,'' he laughed as she kissed him, so grateful to have him.
Moving to the bedroom as Matt got ready for bed, he was slowly getting more nervous about going back to work.
''Ready for tomorrow?'', she asked him once again.
''Finally getting some normalcy back in our life.'' Matt said, although he knew he still had a long way to go. Even though he would be going back to work parttime, he knew that it would still be long time before he could even think of getting back to the firehouse. But for now he was just happy he could go back to a position in the fire department.
Setting the alarm of his phone, Gabby came into the bedroom. Slipping her jeans down, she looked at him in the bed. As much as he seemed conscious of his body, mostly of the scars the surgery had left, she didn't care at all. Even now, she thought he was so handsome.
Carefully sitting on top of him, she kissed him, no longer being able to contain herself from being intimate with him. She knew he had wanted too, but the fear of pain had seemed to make him push off the intimacy.
''Gabby-'' he groaned, nervous about being intimate but also excited for what was going to come.
''Painful?'' She asked concerned.
''No, not all,'' he smiled as he laid his hands on her waist. His hand under her shirt, she felt his hand make its way up to her neck as she bend forward, sharing another kiss.
Gently he lifted her shirt over her head, his hands on her back as they crept towards the closing of her bra.
As he let her bra fall, he felt her hands on his hips as she sat back onto his legs. He felt nervous as her hand made it's way into his boxers.
Pulling his boxers down, she shared a kiss with him again, seeing the nerves in his face. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, but with his boxers down he felt barren, all the scars out there for her to see.
''Just tell me if hurts,'' she said as she kissed him, her lips trailing down his upper body then as he took a deep breath. She kissed him under his jaw, on his chest, by his navel before he felt her lips near his groin. She was gently, worried to hurt him. She knew how much damage the accident had done and she was worried to hurt him.
He closed his eyes as he felt her hand around his penis. Usually anything that Gabby did easily aroused him, so in love with her.
But now, after minutes of her gently touching his member, he still didn't manage to get erect.
As aroused as he was because of her, his body clearly didn't cooperate.
''Something I'm doing wrong?'' Gabby asked concerned.
''No, it's not you,'' he said frustrated. Getting off him, she looked as he tried to get erect, only to stop a little later with a frustrated groan.
''I am really sorry – I don't know what's-''
''It's okay.'' Gabby just said, caressing his arm as she was not sure what to say. She knew that nothing she would say would actually make him feel better. A little concerned he looked as she left the bed and walked to the bathroom. Laying back, he tried not to feel bad as he felt tears burn in his eyes.
Grabbing the blanket, he turned on his side, frustrated. He pulled the blanket over his face, not wanting Gabby to see his tears. Hearing the bathroom door open, he heard her walk to the bed.
''Matt?''
She slipped into the bed beside him. Crawling closer to him, she wrapped her arms around him.
''I love you,'' she whispered, kissing his neck.
But even that didn't help from the sinking feeling in his stomach.
Thank you so much for coming back to this story as there is so much for this story still coming. I am aiming for about 50 chapters so I hope you are still ready for the ride! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and you'll let me know what you thought. Thank you again!