Hello there everyone! I'm back with the next chapter for you all. Just like in the last one, we've got a few more different dynamics showcased in this one that we don't typically see, which you all seemed to enjoy, and it was a lot of fun to write. So I hope you enjoy it!
Other than that, that's pretty much all I've got, but thank you all so much for reading! I'll see you guys next time!
ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN
"Matthew, son, can you grab the steaks out of the fridge." Ramon spoke as he moved through the kitchen with the plate of raw chicken in his hands, Casey nodding immediately before he stepped away from his fiancée and moved towards the refrigerator. "You mind to help me grill this up?"
"Of course not." Matt replied easily, Gabby watching him and her father with a soft smile on her face while her and Camila continued working on getting the sides ready. "As long as you can find someone else to chop up the lettuce, babe." He added on after turning back to his girl, Gabby scoffing lightly as her parents let out a laugh.
"I think we'll manage just fine, you two have fun." She responded, Casey nodding with a bright grin before he pulled the plate of steaks out of the fridge, Ramon grabbing the last of the seasoning and everything he'd need before the two men headed out to the backyard.
"I swear, Ramon will do just about anything to spend time with Matthew." Camila mused as she went back to working on cutting up some of the vegetables, Gabby doing what she could to mask her smile as she took over Matt's previous job with the salad. "He loves that boy."
"Yeah, Matt feels the same way." Gabby replied, her eyes moving out the window to watch her father and fiancé walking over towards the grill. "He loves whenever he gets to spend time with him." She added on, Camila nodding with a genuine smile before the two of them went back to working on their meal.
Outside in the backyard, Ramon and Casey stood out on the deck as the sun started to set above them, the two men sipping on their beers while they waited for the grill to finish heating up.
"So, it's been a few days since we last saw you and Gabriela, how are you two doing? How's work?" Ramon asked him while Matt rested his back against the railing, his ankles crossed together as he took another drink.
"We're doing well, work's been good. Nothing too crazy has been going on there." He answered once he finished, the small smile on his face being matched by his soon-to-be father in law. "And Gabby and I are alright, just getting ready for the wedding and everything… Well, what we're allowed to do of it, anyway." Casey joked, Ramon laughing softly before he nodded.
"Yeah, Camila and Nancy have seemed to really enjoy helping to plan all of this."
"They have, and we're so grateful for that." Matt responded while Ramon matched his stance. "They've taken away so much of the stress of this, especially on Gabby… All of you have. And it's been a blessing, honestly."
"Well, I know that's what Camila wanted, so I'm glad to hear it." The father replied while reaching over to clasp Matt on the shoulder. "Although from what I know, I don't think there's much left to be done." He added on, Casey smirking a bit before he shrugged.
"As Gabby has so kindly pointed out to me a few times, there's 'always things to do' when it comes to a wedding." He said with a chuckle, Ramon mulling over his words before he laughed as well.
"Fair enough… And now that I think about it, I remember some of that with Camila, too." The older man responded. "But it all was worth it in the end."
"Absolutely." Casey agreed, before taking another slow sip of his beer. "It's been a lot of work, but we've had so much help through all of this. And I swear, I can't believe so much time has flown by already. It doesn't feel like it's been that long since we got engaged, and now we're just a month away from our wedding… But it's good, and we're excited." He rambled on, Ramon listening to his every word while he began to put the food on the grill.
"I know you are. I think everyone is." He responded with another laugh, Casey's grin widening a bit as he watched Ramon. "This has felt like a long time coming, even before you proposed. So it's nice that the day's almost here."
"Yeah, it is." Matt agreed, Ramon giving him a sturdy nod before refocusing his attention on the steaks and chicken, the man watching the food closely while Casey stood beside him.
"So… what about after the wedding?" The older Dawson asked, sparing a quick glance back at Matt before facing forward. "Have you two decided on any honeymoon plans?" He pressed, missing the small grin that started to tug on Casey's lips in response. "I believe Camila asked Gabby about it a while ago, but she said you all hadn't planned anything yet so I wasn't sure if that had changed." Ramon continued on when Matt had yet to say anything.
"It has." Casey answered softly, Ramon looking back at him once more to find that genuine smile over his face. "We do have plans, but uh…" He trailed off, Matt glancing over towards the door leading into the house for a moment before he turned to Ramon. "Gabby doesn't know about them." He spoke, seeing an understanding yet somewhat proud look grace the man's features. "So if you could not mention anything to her about this, I want to surprise her but I think I've got our honeymoon plans all set."
"Oh yeah?" He questioned, Casey's smile growing even wider before he started to nod enthusiastically.
"Mhmm."
"What are you two doing, if you don't mind my asking?" Ramon pushed on, seeing Matt duck his head slightly before he answered.
"I've, uh… I've planned us a trip to Italy."
Ramon's eyes widened in surprise as Matt let out a hearty chuckle, the father soon starting to smile before he turned his body towards Casey.
"Really?"
"Mhmm… I finalized the plans the week before last, bought the tickets. Even got our time off approved with the CFD." Casey continued on, seeing the impressed look that flickered in Ramon's eyes. "Everything's all set."
"Wow." Ramon breathed out, before taking another drink. "That's incredible, Matthew. Gabriela's going to love it." He said, Matt grinning proudly after he nodded.
"I hope so, yeah."
"I know so." The man corrected, before returning part of his attention back to the grill. "She's gonna be so excited, she's always wanted to go there… Which I'm sure you knew." He added on knowingly, Casey chuckling while he brought his free hand up to rub over the back of his neck.
"I did know that, yeah. That's why I chose it." He replied lightly, shifting his weight to his other foot while looking over towards the door once more to insure they were still alone. "I knew it was a trip she's wanted to do, but was never able to so I thought this would be the perfect time for it. A great first place for us to go as husband and wife."
"It certainly is." He agreed before raising his eyebrow. "Though I imagine that couldn't have been cheap."
Matt let out another dry laugh before shaking his head in response. "It definitely wasn't, but I've had some money set aside for a while. I've been saving up for it, too, even before I knew what we were doing." He explained, waiting for Ramon to give him a nod before he continued. "And plus we did have some help. The guys at the firehouse decided to all get together and help pay for part of our honeymoon, as our wedding gift. Instead of getting us a bunch of things we don't need or want, they wanted to do that for us.. So that helped a lot. But Gabby doesn't know about that, either." He finished, earning another laugh from the man before he spoke up.
"Well, you weren't kidding about wanting to surprise her." He spoke, Matt mimicking the grin on his face before he nodded. "But that all sounds amazing. I know she's gonna love it… I just can't believe you're doing all this for her." Ramon continued on, his voice getting softer and softer.
"She deserves it." Casey replied without any ounce of hesitation, his sure words sending a rush of warmth through Ramon's body. "She deserves everything, but I figured this honeymoon was a good place to start… Yeah, it's a little more expensive and bigger than I originally thought we'd do, but none of that matters. I want to do this for her." He told him, Matt pushing himself up off the railing as he carried on. "I know Gabby would be fine with whatever we ended up doing. That she doesn't need some big, flashy honeymoon, none of that matters to her."
"No, it doesn't." Ramon agreed with a gentle grin.
"And at first I thought about doing something smaller." Casey started once more. "Like a trip to the coast, or something like that. Just a nice, relaxing couple weeks somewhere. But then after I got to thinking about it, I came to the decision that I wanted to do more than that… That she deserves more than that. She deserves to have the perfect honeymoon after our perfect wedding, and I think this'll do it."
"It absolutely will." The older Dawson assured him while reaching out to hold onto his shoulder once more. "You doing this for her is incredible, and I'm so happy for the both of you. She's gonna be thrilled."
"Yeah, I think so." Casey replied softly. "I know I am, anyway. I can't wait to tell her." He confided, earning a knowing nod from the man he saw as a father before he spoke up.
"Do you know when you're going to?" He asked, seeing Matt visibly mull over his words for a moment until he responded.
"Not till the wedding, I don't think." Casey answered with that signature smile. "I think that'll be the best time to do it, surprise her with it then… We're not leaving right away anyway, so there's no rush."
"I think that sounds like a great idea, son. I know you two will have an amazing time" Ramon encouraged, causing Matt's grin to widen before he nodded enthusiastically. "And you putting in all this effort for her, it just… I know I've said this countless times, but I'm so thankful that my Gabriela found you." He breathed out, Casey meeting his gaze before he slowly started to nod. "You're a good man, Matthew."
Casey felt a bit of emotion start to get caught in his throat, the firefighter nodding once more before he stepped forward to wrap Ramon up in a hug. The action caught him a bit off guard, but he responded within a second, the man hooking his arms around Matt as they hugged one another.
The moment was short, yet sweet, Ramon patting his back lovingly before the two separated just as the door from inside opened, the sound gaining their attention as they both turned to see Nancy stepping outside.
"Oh, hi…" She greeted softly, Matt soon giving her a smile as he took a step back from Ramon. "I'm sorry to interrupt."
"It's fine Mom, you're not interrupting anything." Casey assured her, his words prompting her to walk closer as she came towards the two of them. "It's great to see you."
"You too sweetheart, thank you." She told him while giving him a quick hug, Nancy pressing a kiss over his cheek before they pulled apart.
"I didn't realize you were here already."
"I just got here, Gabby let me in." She explained, Casey nodding before her eyes moved to Ramon. "I got here a little early, I hope that's alright."
"It's more than alright, it's great to see you again, Nancy." Ramon said with a bright grin, the woman matching the look while he tended to their food.
"You too, Ramon. I'm glad we're doing this… All getting together, about something other than planning for the wedding. Though I'm sure Camila and I can find some things to go over." She joked lightly, Matt laughing in response after taking a quick drink.
"Oh, I don't doubt that." The younger Casey replied, Nancy offering him a small smile before she turned her attention down towards the grill.
"...All the food looks incredible." She spoke up after a moment or two, continuing on with their smalltalk as Ramon flashed her another smile. "And I saw everything inside that Gabby and Camila were working on, you all didn't need to go to all this trouble." She tried, but Ramon waved her off.
"No trouble at all, we're excited to be hosting a big family dinner." He said brightly, Nancy giving him a somewhat weak nod. "And besides, I've had Matthew here to help me."
Both Casey's laughed softly at his tone, Matt shaking his head a bit before he responded. "Yeah, cause I'm doing a great job standing here while you cook." He replied lightheartedly as Ramon joined in on their laughter.
"Well, I thought so." He responded back, Casey giving him a smile before Ramon looked down towards the food, the man not quiet for long as he soon spoke up again. "Oh, Nancy, before I forget… I don't think you've ever been back here, but did Matt tell you how he fixed up this deck for me?"
Nancy's eyebrows raised a bit, her gaze moving back and forth between them before she shook her head. "He didn't, no." She responded while looking around. "It looks like he did a great job."
"He did a hell of a job." Ramon echoed, while reaching out to pat Casey's back. "He fixed up the stairs going down to the yard, and some of the panels up here… Made it as good as new." He boasted with a proud smile, Matt ducking his head a bit as Nancy watched him. "I swear, he did better than any company I could've hired."
"I don't know about that, but it wasn't too hard of a job." Matt interjected before meeting his mother's gaze. "I didn't do all that much, just fixed up a few things here and there… I'm just glad to see it all turned out well."
"You don't give yourself nearly enough credit, Matthew." Ramon spoke up before anyone else could, Nancy looking between the two of them as the man patted Matt's back once more before dropping his hand. "You did an amazing job."
It was almost impossible for Nancy to miss the smile that formed over Matt's face, like Ramon's words of encouragement meant everything to him before he nodded a bit.
"Thanks Ramon." He replied, the father nodding back at him while Matt finished off the last of his drink, before taking a step away from the railing. "I think I'm gonna head inside to get another drink, and check up on Gabby, do you two need anything?" He asked, Ramon shaking his head softly before Nancy followed suit.
"I'm fine, son." Ramon said while the woman watched him, his words coming out like they were second nature to him as she continued to watch them interact.
She'd seen it before, how her son and Gabby's father had a close bond. But something about this felt different. With seeing just the two of them together, and how they interacted with one another, it made their close relationship all the more noticeable. And she couldn't help but feel thankful her son had that.
"I'm alright, dear. Thank you, though." She eventually added on, Matt nodding at both of them before he started heading back towards the house, Nancy watching him until he was gone.
Her eyes lingered on the door for a few more moments once it closed, before she moved her focus back towards Ramon, the man paying close attention to the food he was cooking up as the smoke from the grill went up into the warm evening air. It was peaceful almost, the two able to have a nice, calm quiet between them, Ramon occasionally offering her a small smile before he eventually spoke up.
"Has work been going alright, Nancy?" He asked her, his casual question causing her to grin a bit before she nodded.
"It's been going well, thanks for asking… We're busy, but it's a good thing. Overall, it's been great."
"Good, that's nice to hear." He responded sincerely, before they continued on with the small talk.
They didn't really speak of anything too important, mostly just catching up with one another as it had been a few weeks since Nancy had really seen Ramon, given that most of her time spent around Gabby's parents was with Camila to talk about the wedding. But it was nice to get some time with him now, both parents enjoying this time to catch up while they went through all the usual topics of conversation.
But once that comfortable quiet fell over them again, Nancy couldn't help but watch the man for a couple moments, her mind still going back to one thing that she almost felt compelled to ask him about. And after another second or two, she finally did.
"Can I ask you something?" She spoke up somewhat suddenly, Ramon glancing back her way before he nodded. "...Was everything okay when I first came out here?"
The older Dawson stopped what he was doing for a moment as he registered her words, his eyebrows raising in question before he looked at her once more. "I just meant when you two were hugging, I wasn't sure if something had happened."
"Oh, that." Ramon started, his face softening a bit while he angled his body towards her. "We were just talking about the wedding, and Gabriela," He began to explain, Nancy's face softening before she nodded in understanding. "And about how good of a man your son is."
A small grin began to form over her features, Ramon smiling softly back at her before he nodded. "He really is… He's a great man." He repeated himself, Nancy's own smile growing as she moved to claim Matt's former spot against the railing.
"You're right, he is." She agreed, Nancy thinking over her next words carefully before she continued. "Despite what all he's dealt with, and going through a lot of his life alone, he's an incredible man." She said, Ramon catching her sad gaze. "But I'm just glad he doesn't have to do it on his own anymore, and that he has a positive role model in his life now… Someone he can look up to." She added on pointedly, Ramon almost immediately understanding the meaning of her words before he began to shake his head.
"Nancy…"
"You're like a father to him, Ramon." She pushed on, the small smile on her face not going unnoticed as she nodded strongly. "You really are. You're like the father he never had, the type of man I wanted his father to be… He admires you so much."
Ramon swallowed hard as the woman next to him spoke, the weight of her words settling over his chest while he took in everything she was saying, and what it truly meant. "...I don't know about that." He finally said, but Nancy was having none of it.
"It's true." She was quick to reply after Ramon took a steadying breath. "I may have missed a lot of his life, but I know my son. I can tell how much he looks up to you, and respects you… How much the relationship you two have means to him. You truly are like a father to him, and I've never gotten the chance to thank you for that. Not directly, anyway." Nancy voiced, the woman clearing her throat as their conversation had taken an emotional turn that neither of them really expected.
"I'm not sure how much you know about how Matt grew up, but there wasn't much stability… He's never really had that, not until he did it for himself. But you and Camila, and Gabby, you've helped give him that. I saw it from the moment we met, and every day since, and I just want to thank you for that… For looking out for him, and treating him like a part of your family." She told him, Ramon blinking quickly a few times as he tried to get a handle on his emotions. "It means everything, to him and to me."
The man nodded slowly as a small began to form over his face. "Well, I appreciate you saying that." He started after a moment. "But truly, there is nothing to thank us for. Because he's not just like our family, he is our family… Married to Gabriela or not, Matthew is like a son to us." He said, seeing Nancy's watery eyes on him as she nodded. "Camila and I both love him, he'll always be a part of our family."
"I know… I just wanted you to know how grateful I am for that." She replied, Ramon drawing in another breath before he nodded, the two parents then giving themselves a few moments to think over all that had been said while they stood out on the deck.
Inside the house, Casey gradually made his way towards the kitchen, the man stopping in the doorway for a few moments to watch Gabby as she and her mother continued on with preparing their meal, both of them unaware of his presence until Camila turned around.
"Oh, Matthew there you are." The woman spoke softly, the sound of her voice causing Gabby to turn around before she flashed him a wide grin. "I thought Ramon had stolen you away."
"Yeah, we were just out there talking." He responded while stepping further into the room, seeing his girl start to wipe her hands over the apron she'd put on while turning away from the counter to face him. "But the steaks and everything are coming along well, and it looks like everything is gonna be delicious."
"Well, I hope it is." Camila said just as Casey got to his fiancée, his arm wrapping around her waist to pull her closer before he pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her head. "I think we'll be done here soon, as long as Ramon is almost ready."
"He should be." Casey replied as his hand rubbed along Gabby's back. "Do you all need any help in here?"
"No dear, I don't think so… Gabriela and I have pretty much finished up everything, and I already sent Antonio out to the garage to get more drinks." She told him, Matt's eyes raising a bit as he glanced down towards Gabby.
"Tonio got here while you were out with Papa." She answered his silent question just as they heard the sound of footsteps coming down the hallway, before Antonio appeared with a few more cases of beer in his hands.
"I think this is everything, Mama." He spoke as he headed straight for the counter, Camila clearing a space for him to set everything down before she patted his back.
"Thank you, mijo." She replied, Antonio nodding a bit before he leaned forward to give her a kiss on the cheek.
"Of course, you need help with anything else?" He questioned, unknowingly repeating Casey's earlier words as Camila shook her head once more.
"I think we're fine, Tony… But maybe go check on your father. He's out there unsupervised." She voiced, Antonio chuckling a bit before he nodded knowingly.
"Yeah, I need to make sure he doesn't overcook anything." He joked while taking a step back from the counter, his eyes moving over towards Matt and his sister. "Hey Casey." He greeted with a nod.
"Hey man, it's good to see you."
"You too." He agreed as he took a few more steps backwards. "Alright, I'll be back in a sec. I'm just gonna go make sure Papa's good."
"Thank you, dear." Camila told him before he left the room, leaving the three of them alone once more.
"So…" Gabby started, tightening her hand around his side as he looked down at her. "You and my dad were talking, huh?" She asked, Casey suppressing a grin as he pulled her closer.
"Mhmm… About you mostly." He responded shamelessly, Camila glancing over at them every few seconds with a soft smile on her face.
"Is that so?"
"It is… Just talking about you, and how much I love you." He continued on, like he and Gabby were off in their own little world as she angled herself towards him.
"Oh, well I'm sure my dad loved that." She said, her nose scrunching up a bit as he let out a soft chuckle.
"He did, we had a nice conversation." He told her before leaning down to steal a quick kiss, in an effort to keep her from asking many more questions.
"Babe, I'm a mess. You're clothes are gonna get dirty." Gabby tried as she pushed against him slightly, but he merely shrugged before shaking his head.
"I don't mind." He responded, feeling her smile before he kissed her again quickly.
It was more of a peck than anything else, as they were very aware of where they were. But it was nice to have a moment together regardless, while Matt brought her back into the side of his body once they pulled apart.
Though she wasn't there for very long, as not even a minute later the doorbell rang, Gabby glancing over to see her mom start to head in that direction.
"I can get it, Mama." Dawson offered, Camila glancing towards her before she nodded, the mother moving back towards the counter while Gabby discarded her apron and headed towards the hallway, but not before stopping to give Matt a quick wink as she left.
With her mom and fiancé still in the kitchen she made her way to the front door, Gabby having a pretty good idea of who was waiting to be invited in as they were only missing one person. And when she pulled open the door her suspicions were proven correct, Gabby coming face to face with Matt's older sister as the blonde hesitantly stood on the front porch.
"Hi Christie." She greeted warmly, the two having seen each other enough to where they'd gotten past most of the awkwardness, Dawson's smile widening as she took a step back. "Come on in."
"Thank you." She responded while stepping inside before Gabby shut the door behind her. "It's nice to see you."
"You too, I'm so glad you could make it." Gabby told her, bringing her in for a quick hug once she'd set her things down. "I think everyone else is already here, but Matt's just over in the kitchen if you wanna see him." She continued on, hoping to ease Christie into this as she knew this was a hard situation.
"Yeah, that sounds good. Thank you." She replied, the women sharing another smile before Dawson led her into the kitchen, the two of them finding Matt and Camila exactly where Gabby had left them.
"Hey Chris." Matt spoke excitedly, his warm demeanor helping to calm some of the older sibling's nerves as her brother came to give her a hug.
"Hi." She repeated while he gave her a slight squeeze, the two separating as Matt offered her an assuring smile before moving to stand beside her, his gaze moving between Christie and Camila as he introduced them.
"Christie, this is Camila. Gabby's mom." He said, the older woman wiping her hands off on her apron while she walked towards her. "Camila, this is my sister, Christie."
"It's so nice to meet you, dear." Camila greeted warmly before bringing her in for a hug, Christie soon reciprocating the gesture until they pulled back.
"It's nice to meet you, too. I've heard great things about you all." She responded softly, Camila smiling brightly before she nodded.
"Likewise." She replied, Christie bringing her bottom lip between her teeth as a bit of silence fell over them, like no one was sure what to say for a moment.
"...You all have a beautiful home." Christie finally spoke up, Camila's grin widening before she nodded gratefully.
"Thank you… We've lived here forever. Since the kids were little, but we love it." She told her, Christie nodding back at her knowingly before she glanced towards Matt.
But neither sibling got a chance to say anything more when the backdoor opened, Matt glancing back in the direction as he heard the people outside start to shuffle inside, before they soon came around the corner.
Antonio came through first holding some of the food in his hands, Ramon following after him with a platter as well, before Nancy came in last. And the second she did there was an immediate shift in the air, the mother stopping in her tracks as she came face to face with her daughter for the first time in a long time.
No one said a word, Nancy and Christie continuing to stare at one another before the former slowly smiled at her daughter. Though Christie didn't give much of a reaction, the looming tension between them impossible for anyone in the room to miss as Matt was the first one to clear his throat.
"Mom, uh…"
"Hi Christie." She cut him off, taking a slight step forward as Christie looked down towards the ground.
Matt drew in a deep breath as his sister had yet to say anything, his eyes soon moving down beside Gabby to find her already watching him with a soft, yet supportive smile, that enough to ease him a bit before he returned his attention back to his family.
"Hi mom." Christie eventually replied, those few words causing Nancy to grin before she continued.
"It's nice to see you… You look well." She continued on, Christie giving her a weak smile in return before she looked towards Matt, silently prompting her little brother to do anything to get the attention off of them.
And he understood immediately, Casey nodding a bit before turning his head over towards the Dawson's, who were doing their best to be polite during the awkward and uncomfortable reunion.
"Christie, uh.. This is Gabby's brother, Antonio." He said, seeing the older man offer her a smile before he walked up to shake her hand after placing the food down.
"The detective, right?" She asked, Antonio nodding softly in response. "It's nice to meet you."
"You too."
"And this is her father, Ramon."
"Nice to finally meet you, Christie." He spoke, the woman greeting him back while they shook hands as well.
"Matthew," Camila spoke up, Matt turning her way to find a soft smile resting on her face. "I think we're all about ready to eat, if you and Gabriela would like to show your family to the dining room." She told him, Casey nodding in response before taking a slight step forward.
"Do you not need anymore help, Mama?" Gabby asked, the older woman shaking her head before she held her arm out.
"No, no we're fine… You four, and Antonio, you all go ahead and sit down, your father and I will get the rest of the food together." She replied, Gabby nodding in response before she looked towards Matt, who watched her for a second until he glanced back towards his family.
"I'll show you guys the dining room." He said, Nancy and Christie both nodding before they cautiously followed Matt out of the kitchen, the obvious distance between the mother and daughter hard to ignore.
But no one said a word about it, Gabby hanging back for a moment more before her and Antonio followed after them, her thoughts running a mile a minute as she could only hope that for Matt's sake tonight would go well.
Casey let out a heavy breath as he stood out on the deck, the bright moon up in the sky enough to illuminate things around him while he leaned against the railing, the man looking out into the yard while he took a moment to himself outside of the Dawson's house.
Everyone else was currently inside, the group sitting around the living room now that they'd finished up their dinner and dessert, Camila having offered everyone some coffee before her and Christie went back to their talk about his sister's job.
And while they did that, Nancy had mostly been speaking with Ramon and Gabby, the different conversations giving Matt the chance to sneak off and get himself another beer, before making his way out here for a moment, Casey just wanting a minute or two to think over how their first official family dinner had gone tonight.
Thankfully, to his surprise, the night had been pretty seamless. Their meal was great, Gabby's family loved getting to know Christie. And thankfully, there hadn't been any issues between Christie and their mother.
Despite the obvious awkwardness between them, and them spending time together for the first time, their dinner went well. The conversations had been light all evening, Camila and Ramon taking an interest in learning more about Christie, and their family, while Christie also got to know more about them, as well. And truthfully, Matt loved every minute of it, as all he wanted was for his family and Gabby's family to get more time together.
But as the night wore on, it wasn't lost on him how the only reason everything was going so well is because his mom and his sister hadn't said one word to each other.
Aside from when Christie first got there, they hadn't spoken, Nancy taking to silently enjoying most of their dinner while getting to learn more about what all was going on in her daughter's life in the process. But in terms of them making any progress with each, that hadn't happened, Matt sure that his mom was trying not to overstep as she knew how Christie felt about having her back in her life. That all she was thinking was for right now, she was just glad they could all be together.
And Matt felt the same way.
But he'd be lying if he said he didn't wish that his mom and Christie were able to work some of this out. That he'd hoped tonight would've been a step towards them finding some common ground with one another. But so far, it hadn't been. And it was hard to not feel a little disappointed by that.
Casey was pulled from his thoughts when he heard the door open, the man standing up straight before he turned back to see Christie step outside, his sister closing the door behind her while offering him a small smile.
"I was wondering where you went off to." She commented, Casey mimicking her look before he nodded.
"Yeah, I just came out here for a second to get some air." He replied, Christie clearly not buying his words but she didn't push him on it as she came to stand beside him, watching her baby brother taking a sip of his drink.
"So… Her family is great." She said after a moment, a wide grin starting to form over Matt's face before he nodded.
"Yeah, they are. They're great people." He agreed, while Christie tapped her hands against the deck railing.
"And it was really nice of them to do this." She continued on before catching his gaze. "Offering to host dinner, when me and mom haven't seen each other in years… They're practically saints." She said lightly, Matt letting out a dry laugh before he shrugged.
"That's a good word for them, yeah… Though you and mom seemed to do okay." He told her, seeing his older sister wince a bit as she matched his stance.
"Well, it wasn't too bad when we didn't talk to each other." She said, Casey mulling over her words before he nodded.
"I guess, yeah… But still, you all got through tonight. That's progress." He replied, missing the way her grimace deepened. "But I, uh- I do want to thank you for coming." Matt added on, catching her hesitant gaze. "I know this wasn't an easy thing for you, being around mom. So thank you… For doing this."
Christie paused for a moment, her mind racing as she tried to figure out what to say to him. But the second her mouth opened to respond, the door opened once more, both siblings turning to see their mom standing there.
She looked unsure, her gaze moving between her children before she carefully headed closer to them. "I'm sorry to interrupt." She started, Matt shaking his head to tell her it was fine before she continued, her attention focused on her son. "I just wanted to come and let you know that I'm gonna head home… I've got to be at work early in the morning." She told him, Matt smiling softly before he nodded.
"Alright… Well, thank you for coming." He said as he moved to give her a hug.
"Of course, thank you for inviting me. I had a great time." She replied, rubbing over his back before they separated. While taking a step back, her eyes moved towards Christie, seeing her daughter still firm in her spot while she watched her too, Nancy simply offering her a small smile. "...It was good seeing you, Christie." She spoke lightly, figuring it best to keep that space between them as her daughter slowly nodded, unsure if she should say the words sitting on the tip of her tongue.
"You too." She finally settled on, the two looking at each other for a lingering second before Nancy spoke up once more.
"And, uh… I'm glad we could do this." She continued on. "I know you didn't necessarily want to, but I appreciate you doing this for your brother… It was really great to see you, and hear you're doing so well. That's all I want for you." She finished, Christie blinking quickly before she slowly nodded, Nancy taking that as her cue to go as she was sure her daughter wasn't going to say anything more.
But she didn't get very far before Christie's voice suddenly stopped her, the older sibling going against her better judgment as she couldn't help but feel like she needed to get this off her chest.
"Mom?" She called, Nancy halting immediately before turning back to look at her, her eyebrows raising up while she waited to hear what she had to say.
"I, um… I'm not sure if I'm ready to have you back in my life." She started, Nancy drawing in a slow breath before she nodded. "I don't know if that's something I can handle right now or ever… But I also know I don't want to miss out on any more of Matt's life either, and I don't want him to miss out on mine." She told her, Christie pausing for a second to gather her thoughts. "Which means you and I will be seeing more of each other. So I hope that, maybe someday, we'll be able to figure out how to be a part of each other's lives again… If you're okay to give me some time to get there."
"Of course, honey." Nancy was quick to tell her, blinking back the tears forming in her eyes. "Whatever you need from me, however slow you need to take this… You take your time, I'll be here." She promised her, Christie taking a slow breath before she nodded, Nancy giving her one last smile before she continued back into the house, knowing it best to not push things any further.
Once the siblings were alone, Casey looked towards his sister, Christie meeting his proud gaze as a small smile started to form over his face.
"What?" She asked him, Matt shaking his head before he leaned down to give her a hug.
"Nothing, I'm just proud of you. And I love you." He replied, Christie smiling softly before she hugged him back.
"I love you too, little brother." She told him, the two of them standing there for a minute longer until they started to head back inside, Christie making her way back towards the living room while Matt made a stop in the kitchen.
When he walked in his steps immediately slowed, that small grin returning to his features as he saw his girl standing at the counter, her arms crossed lightly over her chest while she watched him.
"Hi." She greeted, Matt changing his path to head towards her.
"Hi baby." He replied, coming to stop in front of her before reaching out to place his hands over her arms. "What are you doing in here?"
"I came to look for you, but saw you out there with your family. Didn't want to interrupt." She explained, Casey breathing in deeply after he nodded. "...Is everything okay?"
Matt thought over her question, his head falling to the side slightly before he responded. "Yeah, they're okay." He told her, Gabby smiling softly while she wrapped her arms around his waist.
"And are you okay?" She pressed, tightening her hold on him as he gave her a sturdy nod.
"I am… I'm good."
"Good." She replied gently, Gabby looking over him once more before she leaned forward to place a soft kiss to his lips, Matt reciprocating the gesture until they pulled back.
But neither of them went very far, Dawson holding onto him a little tighter as she rested her head against his chest, Matt wrapping his arms around her back while the two continued to stand together in the kitchen, both of them content to enjoy this quiet moment just for them before heading back out there with everyone else.