Hey Readers: What did you think of the first chapter? Well, here's the thing. That's not the real first chapter. Want to find out what I mean by that? Read along here.

Posted: March 4th, 2013
Updated: March 5th, 2023

The Caseys: Parenthood Begins - Short Story
Chapter Two
Reality Sets In

April 22, 2019 – Casey Hospital Room (8 am)
The dream that Gabby just woke up from felt so real. The dream that she had, as she laid down in her hospital bed; the bed where she'd rather not be, especially when her husband got to go home last night. Well, more like she forces him to go home; but that ends today, as Matt was not leaving tonight. Today, he was going to stay here to be with his wife and sons; the sons that he already loves more than anything in the entire world: Matteo and Jacob. They truly are blessings, and Matt just wishes that he would be able to hold them in his arms; but right now, he can't. And that was why he was doing something else as his wife slept in bed this morning, and that was work on some business plans that he wanted to work on for the company; something that he was going to have a bunch of time to work on while they're at the hospital for a few weeks. "Ok. So that's definitely something that we can work on for a bit. But that's not something that we can work on now as I'm not there." Matt said, speaking into his AirPods while trying to tell his team what they can work on right now.

Stuff that doesn't need him to be constantly glued to the screen. That's when he heard someone speak to him over the phone. "Do you just want us to work on business plans right now? We already have some projects in the works." Matt took a breath as he heard Jay ask him that, before hearing Antonio speak to him. "OK. How about we start with this? We can start with asking you how my sister is." Matt laughed as he heard Antonio say that. "She's good. She's still asleep in bed, and so are the boys. But I really need to get this done quickly while she sleeps, before she gets mad at me and freaks out over the fact that I'm currently conducting business here in the hospital; where she told me that she didn't want me doing it yet." Antonio then spoke to his brother-in-law. "And I wasn't told this until now, why? I would've made sure that we…" Matt then spoke up. "Guys. I just need to get this done. Jay, you on here?" Jay agreed with his boss. "What's up?" Matt sighed. "Ok. You are just going to stay the course, keep working with Alex on the Casey Police expansion project." Jay was confused.

"Why just Alex? We have Antonio too." Matt sighed. "About that, I was going to ask Antonio if he can become my in between for a while; that way…" That's when Antonio spoke up. "Oh, hell no. I am not doing that, especially when I just learned something from my sister. She says to shut your mouth, and remember that you're in the hospital; and that she specifically told you that you're not to conduct business while you're in the hospital…especially not less than 24 hours after the birth of your sons." Turning his head, Matt looked at his wife to see that she was awake; and boy did he gets scared. "Morning." Matt just gulped. "Uhm guys…" Everybody agreed with Matt, especially Stella. "Tell Gabby I'm sorry." Matt agreed. "I promise, I'll tell her Stella." However, Gabby was not amused; she then sent her a text. "Oh c'mon! Now she's got me doing a new set of designs due when she gets out of the hospital." Matt just laughed and shook his head. "Babe, you can't do that to your friend." Gabby just glared at her husband. "You broke your promise to me, and she helped."

"Tell my sister that I will definitely do what she wants to do for her tonight, as I want to meet my nephews." Matt agreed with his brother-in-law when he said that, well aware of just what his wife must've done as he turned to look at her. "You just text your brother and ask him to bring us some food?" Gabby then went to text her brother again, which Antonio soon spoke to him. "Okay, I am reading this as a text from my sister; so don't think I'm saying this to you. I want you to lay down in bed with me as I have yet to lay down in bed with you without kids in between us! Get off that laptop, and concentrate on your family before I decide that Father's Day is a no sex day. Oh god, I hated reading that text message. Tell me sister that I don't ever want to do that again." Matt agreed with his brother-in-law when he said that. "Well, I can understand why. Talk another time everybody." Matt then went to hang up the call, before turning his head and looking at his wife. "I love you." Gabby nodded. "Yeah, that's why I just caught you on your laptop working." Taking a breath, Matt sighed.

He then proceeded to shut off his laptop, before moving to put it down in his bag; after all, he's probably going to use it later at some point. Getting up, Matt stretched a bit before grabbing his phone so that he could check the time. "God, is it really just 9:34 am?" Gabby then looked at the time on her phone as well, agreeing with her husband. "I believe that would be the case. And that's another one of the reasons why I am shocked that you were doing business. How long were you doing it anyways?" Matt took a breath. "Maybe 30 minutes, since I got here this morning." Gabby then realized something, taking a breath before turning to look at the boys. "It distracts you, doesn't it?" Matt sighed as he looked at his girl. "Want me to change into anything or…" Gabby shook her head when Matt asked her whether she wanted him to get changed as he walked past the boys' cribs. Looking down at the both of them, Matt smiled as he ran his finger down Jacob's back. "It's okay buddy, mommy and daddy are here." Matt then proceeded to lean over him and kissed his forehead.

After which, he proceeded to walk over to their other son Matteo; doing to same as he just did with Jacob, Matt smiled as he was really happy. "I love you both Jacob Matthew and Matteo Andrew. Daddy will be just over there, with your beautiful mommy. It's all okay now." The boys didn't respond, of course, as they are just children; but that didn't mean that the parents didn't know what their children would say to them if they could say something. They'd say that they love them too, and that they are okay; they know that they're sons are going to be okay, but that doesn't mean that it makes it any easier on the couple. That's especially the case for the mother, who has always wanted to be a mom; now, she knows that could easily all be taken away and that scares her. Walking over to his wife, Matt smiled as she truly looked very beautiful; and he means that from the bottom of his heart. Sitting down on the edge of her bed, Matt smiled as he looked at her.

"How are you feeling?" Gabby took a breath as Matt asked her that question. "Nervous." Matt agreed with his wife when she said that. "You were fast asleep when I came back this morning, so I thought I could; but I know it was a bad idea." Gabby look at her husband when he said that, just looking at him as she grabbed his hand; after which, she just shook her head as she knew that they were both dealing with this in their own ways. "Do you want to talk about it?" Matt took a breath when he heard Gabby ask him whether he wants to talk about it, which he most definitely does. But they don't need to talk about it, if Gabby doesn't feel like she's up for it. "Only if you're up for it babe, not if you aren't." Gabby shook her head. "Come here, come join me in bed and then come hold me in your arms. I want to cuddle up to my husband as we talk to each other right now. And I am not going to take no for an answer Mr. Casey." Matt agreed with Gabby, smiling.

He was now back in bed with her, the husband holding his wife in his arms for the first time since he came back to the hospital this morning; back to his and Gabby's temporary home where their boys are currently growing, and it was nice. It was nice to be back here with her, and with their sons. Right now, that was all that mattered to him; and it was all that will ever matter to him. At the end of the day, he's a husband and father first; which is why he really shouldn't have done that business call. But they were still starting out, so he did have to be involved. Yet, that didn't mean that he wasn't going to apologize to his wife; especially not when she would've rather have him give her comfort. Wrapping his arm around her, Matt rubbed her arm while turning his head and kissing his wife's forehead softly. "I'm sorry." Looking up at Matt, Gabby was confused as he said that. "Why are you apologizing baby?" Matt took a breath when Gabby asked him that question.

"I shouldn't have been working, I really shouldn't have but…" Matt then took a breath as he grabbed Gabby's hand and intertwined their fingers. "Hey, take a breath and look at me. What's going on baby?" Matt then sighed as he turned his head and looked at their boys, which prompted Gabby to lay her head down on Matt's chest; the muscular chest that she loves leaning against. "I was doing it as a way to distract myself, change my thoughts and just relax." Gabby agreed with Matt when he said that, understanding now why he was doing it. He was doing it so that he could just take it easy and relax, and not think about their current reality; a reality that was definitely not her husband's dream come true for how he wished to start fatherhood. "I heard what you said to Jacob and Matteo." Matt agreed with his wife when she said that, before pressing his lips to her forehead. "You did?" Gabby agreed with matt when he asked her that, before laying down.

She then wrapped her arms around his torso, and just held him in her arms; at the same time, Matt put his hand on her arm and kissed her forehead softly. "I know that you needed to talk to someone other than me right now." Matt sighed. "It's just a lot to take in, as I really wished that this was not how we had to start our life as parents; I mean, we both knew that there was a chance that we would have to do this with the boys but…" Gabby agreed with her loving husband, understanding what he was trying to tell her right now. "You were really hoping that it wouldn't be our reality." Matt agreed with his wife when she said that, before turning his head and kissing her forehead softly once more. "Not just hoping, but praying that it wouldn't be our reality. But here we are, in the hospital; the complete opposite of what we were doing in my dream from last night." Gabby was a bit confused when she heard Matt tell her that. "What happened in your dream?" Matt smiled.

And that's when Gabby knew that he dreamed about the night before, he dreamed about the two of them having sex even though she just gave birth. "I mean, yeah; at the end of the dream. But most of it was talking about how I should go to Otis' funeral, when he isn't even dead." Gabby was confused when her husband told her that. "Would you go if he died today?" Turning his head, Matt shook his head. "No, I am not leaving you or our boys for a while; especially not when you just had a C-Section, or when this is my dream come true." Gabby sighed as she heard Matt say that. "Me, you, and our twin boys spending the first couple days or weeks of our sons' lives in the hospital?" Matt agreed with his beautiful wife when she asked him that, as that was definitely part of the dream come true. The real dream come true was the fact that they had the boys; and each other at all. At the end of the day, that's his real dream come true. Her and the boys.

"That's not my dream. My dream is this, what we have; and what we have just started. I have you as my wife, and we have the boys. If I died today, then I would die as a happy man; because I would die with my beautiful wife in my arms, and I would die as a father." Gabby shook hey head when she heard Matt say that, before putting her hand on his chest. She then leaned up and proceeded to kiss Matt softly, taking things nice and slow with the man she loves more than anything in the entire world. "God, I love you so much." Matt agreed with his wife when she said that, loving her too. "I love you too, and I am so glad that this is what we're doing right now. But seriously, sorry about the business." Gabby shook her head when she heard Matt say that. "It's okay Matt, I know that it's a distraction for you." Matt agreed with Gabby as she said that, before putting his hand on her butt. "It was also so that I could stay quiet until you woke up."

Gabby was confused when she heard Matt tell her that. "Matt, I want you to be honest with me; how long have you been awake baby?" Matt sighed when Gabby asked him how long she's been awake, knowing that he definitely had to tell his wife the truth right now. "I've been awake since 5:30." Gabby was shocked when she heard her husband tell her that he's been awake since 5:30 this morning, which means that he's been awake for more than half of the days so far. "Baby, why in the world did you think that it would be a good idea for you to not wake me up when you woke up that early?"

Matt's POV:
When Gabby asked me why I thought it was a good idea to not wake her up, I took a breath as I thought about her. "Gabby, isn't it obvious? Baby, you just gave birth to the boys. I think we both know that was my main concern, that you get the rest that you need right now; you need to take it easy and just relax baby." Gabby took a breath as I told her that, well aware that was the case; yet, it also seemed as if she doesn't exactly believe that it was the real reason. However, it was. She just gave birth after all. "Baby, I mean it. I mean it when I say that." Gabby agreed with me as I told her that, smiling at me. At the same time, she moved closer to me so that she can cuddle up to me; smiling as she did that, I felt her slip her legs in between mine while she also put her hand on my chest. At the same time, I moved my hand to her hip and just held her close to me; after which, I kissed her forehead softly while we both held each other close.

"Matt, look at me baby." Turning my head, I looked down at Gabby when she asked me that; after which, I smiled at my girl. Bending down, I proceeded to kiss her softly. Putting her hand on my face, Gabby smiled as she took things nice and slow with the woman of my dreams. That's when she pulled away a bit, and then went to speak to me. "Did you take your medicine this morning?"