''Aunt Gabby, Wake up!'' A girl's voice sounded as their bedroom's door was opened.
''Who is that!?'' A boys voice sounded.
Matt growled as he woke up and Gabriela moved in his arms. He just wanted to sleep a little longer after this good night.
''Guys, shall we let Gabriela and Matt wake up peacefully?'' He heard Antonio say and the door was closed again. Gabriella yawned and moved out of his left arm, standing up.
''Morning.'' He growled as he closed his eyes again and pulled the sheet around him again. Just a few more minutes. Gabriela pulled the sheets away and Matt sat up, rubbing through his eyes.
''You are hideous without make-up.'' Gabriela joked as she saw his morning face. ''Here'' She sat down on the edge of the bed with his bags with meds.
''Which one do you need to take now?''
''A little bit of eyel-liner and p-pink nail polish.'' He yawned and for a second he thought about laying down again, to catch a few more minutes of sleep. Mornings, he hated them and he practically couldn't function until breakfast. Finally he grabbed the bag from her hands and looked through it.
''I already s-sorted them out.'' He mumbled as he grabbed the clear container with multiple slots.
''Most have t-to be taken with breakfast.''
''Hmmm..guess we should get dressed then.''
''What if we d-don't?'' He said with a cheeky smile and Gabriela smiled back, throwing a stash of clothes on his lap.
''The twins will probably stampede the door down.''
Gabriela grabbed a pair of shorts and a top. ''Do you want to shower together?''
''Always.'' Matthew mumbled with the same sneaky smile.
''I meant as in the shower is not adjusted here, so do you want to shower together or will you skip the morning shower for a day? You will have to pass my family first anyway.''
''I think I will take an early m-morning swim.'' He mumbled while grabbing his swimming shorts and a shirt. ''They might g-get suspicious if we shower together.''
''Babe, this is not the station, besides we shared a bed last night.''
Matthew nodded. ''I will still go for the lake later today.''
Gabriela helped him with the swimwear as he pulled the shirt of his head and they left the bedroom a few seconds later. Matthew was nervous to meet the rest of her family but the twins immediately walked up to him, shaking his hand. They looked a little strange as he shook their hands with his left and they had to change hands, but they immediately started talking to him. The girl was last with introducing but got pushed aside by her brother.
''Matt, do you like football? I like football! My dad promised to take me to the bears but we still haven't gone there because dad doesn't like football and I am still waiting so maybe...'' Diego started ranting with a big smile.
''Diego, stop!'' His mom laughed and she also shook his hand. ''Laura, Antonio's wife.''
''Matt Casey and D-diego, I am more into s-soccer.'' He laughed as the boy looked annoyed at his mother.
''Chicago Fire is bad.'' Diego stated as he crossed his arms and walked away.
''Hey Matt.'' Antonio greeted him as well.
''Antonio, what are you doing?! Never walk away while making pancakes!'' Marlina yelled from the kitchen and Antonio ran back while Gabriela wen tot take shower and Matt went outside with the twins after eating a small cracker so he could take his medication.
''Catch!''
Matthew was barely in time to catch the football but he could grab it out of the air in the last second. Eva sat down in the grass. Matthew threw the ball back to Diego but it missed him.
''You are an horrible thrower, no wonder you like soccer.'' Diego laughed as he walked after the ball and he threw it back to Matt but also missed at nearly a foot.
''I have parese in my r-right hand, what is you excuse?'' Matt laughed as he threw it back to Diego. This time he threw it right but Diego wasn't in time to catch it. Diego it back one more time, mad because he was losing and Matt grabbed it, throwing it back and Diego missed it again. Mad he walked away with the football, grumbling.
''Your b-brother always such a bad loser?'' He smiled at Eva, whom was watching him from the grass.
''Always.'' Eva laughed. ''What is parese?'' she asked then.
''It means my h-hand isn't my hand can't move really well and isn't really s-strong.''
''So that is why you don't like football and you like soccer?''
''I just like to watch s-soccer, but I can't play soccer either.'' Matt said friendly, pointing at the motionless right leg.
''Oh'' Eva said, as if she felt stupid for asking. ''Sorry.''
'' D-don't be sorry! You don't l-like those sports that much?'' Matt asked as he wheeled closer to her.
''I like ballet.'' Eva smiled.
''Tchaikovsky. I think I saw the r-routines of the Swan Lake about a dozen of times.'' Matt smiled.
''Did you do ballet?'' Eva asked surprised.
''No, b-but my sister did and I used to help her with practice. I r-remember most of the music and dance moves. D-did you ever dance the swan lake?''
''I wasn't good enough to play Odette. Does she still do ballet?''
''Just a few more years and you w-will be Odette, I am sure.'' He nodded at her. ''No my sister doesn't d-dance anymore, but my n-niece does. She must be your age, maybe a little y-younger.'' Matt mumbled as he was thinking about Violet. He hadn't seen her since mom had left his house again.
''Breakfast is ready!''
''Matt knows a lot about ballet!'' Eva teased Diego as she sat down next to him.
''So what?!'' Diego mumbled but he seemed mad he still had nobody to share his talk about football with.
''Some more f-football throwing later?'' Matt offered and the boy finally smiled.
''Sure, but this time I am going to win!''
''Oh, you b-better show no mercy to Matt.'' Gabriela mumbled with a wink and the table laughed as Diego already jumped up to get ready.
''Matt, do you also want some more lemonade?'' His mom handed him another glass as they were eating outside in their tiny backyard. His dad was standing behind the grill. Matt looked at his dad only now he realized how much he had missed his dad when he had been deployed. Now his dad would be here again and he had promised to never go away again.
Matthew looked at his infant sister, playing in the grass. When Christie was born, his dad had been in Iraq. Christie had hardly seen her dad in the first three years of her life, but he was here now, to be her daddy.
''Hey Matt, you hungry?'' His dad turned around, showing the sausages he was preparing and Matt nodded, looking at the small plate and licking his lips. He had been waiting since the parade.
''I made some more salad.'' His mom put another bowl on the table and walked to her husband.
''I missed you so much.'' She mumbled as she laid her head on his shoulder.
''I missed you too.'' Alan kissed Nancy on her forehead.
After a few minutes the parents also sat down at the small table.
''Are you going to be soldier again, dad?'' Matt mumbled softly as he started to cut his meat. Hopefully his dad wasn't going to leave again. He didn't want to miss him again! What if something would happen to him! Brian's dad hadn't returned from Iraq as they were told in class since their classmate had been gone for the last days.
''Not me, but I count on you.'' His dad mumbled as he grabbed the mayonnaise.
''Alan, he is not forced to be soldier.'' Nancy mumbled as she started to feed Christie.
''I don't think I want to be soldier.'' Matt mumbled as he looked up from his plate.
''Ofcourse you are going to join the army.''
''Alan he is only nine years old, stop it!'' Nancy snarled at him and Christie started to cry.
His dad jumped up and walked inside the house. His mother shook her head while she brought Christie inside and Matt sat there, on his own.
Was this his fault?
''Are you guys hungry?''
Antonio approached the table again with a plate full of grilled meat.
''At least he can do this without burning the meat.'' Laura laughed as she grabbed meat from the plate for both of the twins.
''Funny.'' Antonio mumbled as he walked back to the grill and the family laughed.
''Hey bud, can you pass me t-the mayonnaise?'' Matthew poked Diego and Diego handed him the bottle. Right before he wanted to pour the mayonnaise on his plate Gabby suddenly grabbed his arm.
''I would check the expiration date, Antonio brought it.'' Gabriela said just loud enough for Antonio to hear it and they heard an annoyed sigh.
''She is not kidding, we don't eat mayonnaise so check the expiration date.'' Laura laughed at him and Matthew laughed, checking the date.
''September 2011.'' He laughed as he put the bottle on the ground beside him.
''Why do you even keep that stuff when you don't eat it?'' Gabriela shook her head as she handed him the mustard as a replacement.
''For when friends of the twins stay over for dinner...and Gabby's boyfriends. To see if they not another wimp.''
''The doctor was sick for three days because of your mayonnaise.'' Gabriela shook her head.
''I passed the t-test?'' Matthew chuckled as he topped his fries with mustard.
''You passed the moment I heard you two got a relationship.'' Antonio approved as he threw more meat on the plate and walked back to the table, finally sitting down himself as well.
''I hope we will see Matthew more often than the doctor.'' Eva mumbled as she said goodbye to Gabby.
''Bye guys it was r-really nice meeting you.'' Matt waved at them as the twins got in the car and they drove away.
Gabriela's parents were yawning and Marlina stood up.
''I am going to call it a day.'' Eduard followed her as they said goodnight.
''We are just going to finish our wine.'' Gabriela said as she held up the nearly empty bottle.
''Watch the firework.'' Matt added as they knew the firework of a nearby town could start any minute.
''How did you like today?''
''I had a g-great day, your family is just so n-nice and I loved the twins. D-diego is such a boy while Eva is really g-girly, it is funny to see the difference between the two.''
He divided the last wine over their glasses and they looked back at the could never have imagined spending the fourth of July like this.
''When you say you start to love the twins things will get dangerous.'' Gabriela laughed. ''No, they are great kids.
''I know we haven't been t-together for so long and a lot changed, but I thought I should ask you now, before we go back to C-chicago and daily life and we won't see each other as much anymore. Just say no if you don't want to or you think it is too early.''
Gabriela got a nervous feeling in her stomach as Matt's hand slid into the pocket of his shorts and although the firework started to bang not so far away she looked as he opened the box and held it out to her.
''Gabriela, will you marry me?''
NOTE: Ofcourse I had to stop here...so is she going to say yes or does she still think it is too early to marry?
I hope you liked this chapter of just having a nice day - although we also got some insight in Matt's youth and why his dad wanted him to get into the army so bad. What do you think about the story in the flashbacks?
Thank you for reading as always - and thank you for sticking up with the story for so long already! - and please leave a review about the story and tell me what you think!