Having driven around in circles for ten minutes, Gabby finally settled from a parking spot further away from the coffee bar than she would want, as much as Matt assured her it was fine.
Both of them had been quiet the hole carried, worried about meeting the women Matt had been e-mailing with from the surrogate website. They had contacted the agency and been in the office, going over the whole process and knew that they could sign contracts, but wanted to meet her in person before as well. Although, if they proceeded, she would have no active role in their lives they did want to get to know her.
''Should we have taken a gift?'' Gabby asked unsure.
''I – I don't know, I don't think so,'' she said unsure. Both of them were all knew to this and it was an odd situation to be in anyway. Parking the car, she wanted to grab the crutches from the backseat.
''No, no it's fine,'' he said, not wanting his injury to be the main point of the conversation as it had been so often.
Walking to the coffee bar together, they saw the woman they were meeting, Rachel, sitting by the window. Walking inside, they made their way to the table, Gabby waving a little as the woman was only staring at her phone.
''Hi,'' Gabby said unsure, suddenly nervous.
''Hi, I am Rachel,'' she looked up for just a second and back at her phone then, Gabby glancing at Matt as they sat down, Rachel not looking up at them.
''Hi, I am Matt, I emailed you, this is Gabby-'' Matt carefully started conversation, only to be interrupted.
''I know,'' she said, looking back at her phone.
''It's nice you could meet us, this shouldn't all be about contract-'' Gabby said as she saw Matt struggling with coming up with anything to say.
''It is though,'' Rachel shrugged. ''You sign, I sign, you pay, I deliver your baby,''
''Sure,'' Matt said, not sure what else to say.
Silence fell for at least a minute, neither of them sure what to say to Rachel.
Only twenty minutes later, they left the coffee bar. Gabby had her hand on Matt's back as they hadn't expected to be out of there this soon and he was clearly struggling walking to the car after this short amount of time.
''All good?'' Gabby asked concerned as she saw his discomfort.
''Yeah, fine, fine.'' Matt said as he pulled his leg into the car, his hip throbbing.
''I don't have a good feeling about this,'' Gabby sighed as she started the car. It was sigh of disappointment, hoping that this meeting would have gone well after the e-mails they had exchanged over the past few days.
''Me neither,'' he admitted, looking out of the window. Both of them had hoped that this meeting had gone well, maybe even good enough to start the process.
Driving home, neither of them were sure what to say. Looking aside, he saw the disappointment in Gabby's face as she looked out onto the rainy street, traffic stuck in front of them.
''Hey, there are a lot more people out there on that website we haven't met,'' he said as he gently laid his hand on hers as only one of her hands rested on the wheel as they were stuck in traffic.
''I know, I know,' She said with a small smile, looking upset still.
''What is bothering you?''
''Just – I know we haven't been looking for very long but we aren't getting any younger, if this doesn't pan out –''
''Gabby, you are only 33,'' he told her, still holding her hand that was on her lap. She still didn't seem to be any less worried.
''I am an old fart though,'' he joked, hoping to get even the slightest smile.
''You got a second lease on life though,'' she joked along, finally smiling.
''Now, I don't want to brag but I do have the body of a Greek God, according to Mike,'' he smiled.
''He didn't say that,'' she laughed.
''No, he didn't, but it made you laugh,''
''Hmmm, can't say I agree with Mike for not saying it,'' she smiled, bursting out with laughter then, squeezing his hand.
''Thank you,''
''For what?'' Matt asked a bit unsure.
''Always cheering me up,''
Sharing a short kiss, they were soon dragged back into reality as the car behind them honked, the traffic jam finally moving.
The following days, they fell back into their usual rhythm.
Gabby had called the agency, letting them know they wouldn't proceed with Rachel and both of them had felt too bummed out to look at the website ever since.
Coming back from work, she heard Matt count and pant from the bedroom. Walking in, he was on his back on her yoga mat, doing sit ups.
''Working on that Greek god body huh,'' she smiled as he spotted her.
''Only done 22,'' he admitted as he laid back, his body exhausted.
''It's a good beginning, come on, let's go for a walk,'' she invited him, holing out her hand to pull him up from the floor. He took it, soon back on his feet and they walked outside together. As usually after a long day of work for her, they went to walk in the nearby park. As she had been working inside all day and it was good exercise for him, it had become a nice tradition of the last few days.
Walking to the park near their house, Gabby kept on checking, but so far he seemed to be okay. Walking slowly as he had to make his way on crutches, they walked to the small pond, sitting down one of the benches.
''All good?''
''All good,'' Matt nodded, laying his arm around her as they looked at the ducks in the pond. Sitting together, it was nice to just take a moment after the last few weeks. Even though they had tried to spend some time together and with their friends, the last few weeks had felt hectic, trying to find a surrogate, Matt's therapy and Gabby's job.
''I want to go Puerto Rico to pick up my stuff, sell my car and end my lease,'' she said what had been on her mind the last few days, having thought about this instead of the surrogacy.
Matt wasn't even sure what to say, the fact that she was so certain about staying now made his heart, flutter, just knowing that she really was this serious about being together here in Chicago.
''When are you going?''
''I was thinking in two weeks, but you should come,''
''You should come,''
''I will just be in the way-''
''Matt!'' she warned him, not wanting him to talk himself down like that.
''It will be nice to have a change of scenery,'' he admitted after a few seconds. As the work he was doing at arson was of his own will and he could move any therapy session, he hoped he could get a few days off to go with her.
''You should talk to Mike about flying and we can book the tickets,'' she smiled, looking forward to going together, as well as finally closing the Puerto Rico chapter.
He nodded, holding her hands.
It wasn't just the time they would spend together, but also the fact that she was getting all her belongings that were still there, as well as give up the rent of her house. It was another large step on the road of being together again.
Holding his passport in his hands as Gabby was holding the wheelchair, he felt less nervous about flying again. But it did calm his worries that this time he didn't have to worry about arriving there. This time he didn't have to worry about how Gabby was going to react to him arriving there, as they were going together.
Having just checked in their luggage, they made their way to TSA. Checking Matt's medication and going through security checks, it wasn't long before they made their way to the plane. Moving from the wheelchair into the seat, he felt a little bad he hadn't told Gabby Mike had discouraged him from flying.
Sitting down into the seat, Matt knew it was going to be along flight. As his pelvis and hip still got sore, he did worry about the flight, but knowing that he got to spend this time with Gabby meant just as much. He was relieved to see that their row of three seats was just for the two of them.
Holding her hand as they took off, they put the armrests to Matt had a bit more space. she soon laid her head against his shoulder, falling asleep. His arm around her, he couldn't focus on the move playing on the screen in front of him. He couldn't help but think about when he had flown here alone, so worried to see Gabby.
After about three hours, they got their meals.
Pricking her plastic fork around the soggy pasta for a few minutes, Gabby wasn't really hungry thanks to the airplane food. Looking aside, Matt was scooping mouthfuls of the soggy alfredo slush into his mouth.
''It's good-'' he mumbled, his mouth still full.
''I am not hungry,'' she said as she moved her tray towards him. As disgusting as she found it, she thought it was adorable at times how easily pleased Matt was when it came to food.
''Better than hospital food,''
''That I do believe,''
Soon both of the trays were in front of him, happily gobbling up Gabby's meal as well. Laying against him as she looked at a movie and he was still eating, somebody came by to take the trays soon.
Handing over the trays, pain shot through his hip as he moved to give the tray. Tears in his eyes, he looked out of the window before Gabby could see it.
Sitting for a few minutes, the pain became overwhelming as he felt the muscles pull in his hip.
''Are you –''
''Need to get up for a second,'' Matt said as he pulled himself up by the seats. Gabby got up as well, worried as she walked after him, seeing him limp to the galley.
She quickly spotted him, leaning against one of the walls as one of the flight attendants rushed towards him. Gabby waved it was fine, walking towards him.
''I really hate flying,'' he admitted, his hip hurting so bad he was hunched over against the wall.
''Who doesn't,'' she said softly as she walked closer to him, her hand on his back now.
''Mike discouraged me to fly – he was right,'' Matt groaned as his hip was seizing up. She took a deep breath for a second, wanting to get angry. She wanted to tell him what was on her mind, how stupid it was that he didn't tell her and they went either way, while they could have waited.
Instead, she knew he had done it because he knew it was important to her.
''Thank you, for coming with me. It means a lot,'' she said as she took his hand.
''Means a lot to me too,'' he assured her. Gently she helped him sit down on the ground, his hip finally stopping with seizing up as he stretched his leg. Kneeling down by him, she handed him some water.
''Should have been honest about what Mike said, just really wanted to come,''
''Wouldn't have stopped you from coming anyway – we will work it out. All of it,'' she told him, knew how bullheaded he was sometimes and it wasn't a fight worth having. Instead, she just wanted him to feel comfortable, as she knew he came because he knew how important it was to her.
Just as he always tried to put a smile on her face when she was upset. Holding his hand, she just sat with him, wanting him to feel okay.
''Think the worst has passed, plus I think we are in the way,'' he said after a few minutes, flight attendants waiting to enter the galley. Helping him up and making it back to their row, she had her arm around him this time as he finally fell asleep after having some painkillers.
''Are you okay? Anything I can do?'' A flight attendant whispered as she leaned towards Gabby.
''He is okay – we are okay,'' she smiled appreciative.
''you're not just okay, you are the best,'' he mumbled a few seconds later, half asleep, against her.
Smiling, she kissed him on top of his head.
Two hours later, their flight landed at the airport. They were the last to get of the plane, waiting for Matt's wheelchair to be unloaded and with a sigh of relief he sat down.
They picked up the rental car, driving down to her house. She had offered booking a hotel, as her house wasn't very accessible, but he had insisted it would be fine.
''Need a hand?'' she asked as she unloaded the car, not wanting to coddle him but she didn't want him to struggle either, especially after his clear pain on the plane.
''Got it,'' he assured her as he grabbed the railing. Gabby stayed close as she carried some of their bags up the stairs, ready to help him incase she needed to.
''We can still get a hotel-''
''It's fine, really,'' he panted as he got up the last step.
He carried two of the bags, having to sit down on the bed then. His body started to protest now and he was worried about falling if he walked any longer.
It was so much warmer than Chicago and the pulled the sweater over his head he had been wearing.
Gabby looked at him, one eyebrow raised.
''Sorry, it was just really hot,'' he admitted.
''I don't mind,'' she smiled, no longer bothering about their luggage as she walked to the bed, pushing him back onto the bed.
''You wanna know what is the best part of being here is?''
''Yeah,'' he smiled, already amused by her cheeky smile.
''No nearby neighbors,''
Pulling her shirt of her body as well, they shared a kiss, their bodies pressed against each other.
''Gonna be even warmer,'' she whispered in his ear.
''I don't mind,'' he told her as they got undressed even further.
About an hour later, after unpacking their luggage and getting dressed again, they sat down on the small porch behind the house, sitting on the stairs leading down from the desk.
''Here, got you a pillow as well,''
Matt took it appreciative, getting up for a second to sit down onto it, grateful as his lower back was starting to throb from sitting on the wooden decking after the long flight.
Gabby handed him a glass of wine , putting the bottle between them as they looked at the water and the airport, enjoying the peaceful nature around them.
''Can't believe it is only four months ago we were here.''
''Feels like a different world,'' Gabby nodded, it almost seeming so after almost losing him and these last few months.
''Feel at least 10 years older,'' he went along with her joke, stretching his leg.
''New lease on life, remember,''
''True, to that,'' he said as they hit their glasses together, looking out at the lights of the airport.
''If I can't return to the force, I know I will still be happy with you and whatever the future has in store for us,'' Matt broke the silence as they looked at the view. ''All I want to work out is us, and hopefully a family, in the future.''
''Matt, that is really sweet, but you are going to return to the force as well, look how far you have come.''
''I couldn't sit out a six hour flight.''
''You made it through – and you are only going to improve from here on out,'' she smiled. Sitting closer to him, it was sad to know that this was the last thing she was going to be here. It felt like home, but only because Matt was right there with her. Anywhere Matt would be with her, would be her home.
There is a lot more planned for the story, we are about half way now. Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you thought and hopefully till next chapter!