action.
[ matt sees her rise from her seat, and it's almost like slow motion as she approaches. the difference is startling, and his breathe very nearly catches in his throat, because the absence of those red streaks in her hair and a daywalking ring on her finger makes what rebekah told him all the more real: she's human. this elena didn't die in his truck while he was dragged to safety, hasn't lost her brother and her complete sense of self. hasn't had to deal with all the hardships she's been through since that night he tried to get her out of town, then drove into the river.
if he didn't get the timeline mix up thing before, seeing elena as she was before that puts it in perspective, helps him understand.
being in a public place helps him keep it together as he wraps his arms around her, holding on perhaps a little too tight. he's grateful, relieved, and all the more certain that this place is real. she's real. and alive. ]