The next time Callie opened her eyes, it felt like déjà vu. Arizona was there, holding her hand with a gorgeous smile across her face. That was the only familiar comfort Callie had in this hospital room – waking up and Arizona being the first thing she saw. A moment later, a soft kiss was being pressed against her cheek, filling her with welcomed warmth.
"Good morning, beautiful."
Callie scoffed at the compliment before accepting the offered ice chip to soothe her dried throat.
"Liar," she croaked once her vocal cords cooperated.
"Hey!" a gorgeous pout appeared on those pale lips. "Don't dis my fiancé in front of me."
Fiancé.
She didn't think she would ever grow tired of hearing that.
The bliss of being reminded that she was now engaged kept her from noticing Arizona digging into the pocket of her lab coat. It wasn't until the older surgeon squeezed her hand that she refocused her attention on those baby blue eyes she had come to adore so much. What surprised her was how nervous her lover suddenly looked.
"I need to say something to you and I need you to just let me get it out okay?" She waited for Callie to nod before taking a deep breath. "I know I screwed up proposing to you…"
Arizona held up her hand as Callie opened her mouth to protest. "No, let me finish. I had been waiting for the right moment, but then Africa happened and then things with Mark had been so tense… honestly, I wasn't really sure you wanted to marry me."
She let her gaze fall to her lap.
"I hoped you did because I knew I couldn't be surer about anything in my life. I wanted you to be the first person I saw every morning and the last person I saw at night. I still want that. I will always want that. So when you asked me what I wanted from you, I couldn't help but let those words come out of my mouth. Pretty sure this will go down as the worst proposal in history since I kind of got you thrown through a windshield when you didn't answer me right away."
Callie wished more than anything that she had the strength to squeeze this woman's hand in comfort.
"I want you to know that I would have proposed even if we hadn't had that argument. When you offered me that weekend away, it gave me a little bit of hope that you would say yes. Hearing those as your first words after you came back to me… Calliope…" A tear trailed down Arizona's cheek as she met her fiancé's worried gaze.
A small velvet box came into Callie's view and she watched in awe as Arizona opened it. Inside rested the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. The tastefully sized diamond sat encased by what resembled petals made of smaller diamonds, outlined in white gold. It was a rose resting on an elegant white gold band lined with a seemingly endless array of diamonds. Callie didn't even realize she was crying until she felt the moisture fall on her chest.
"You came back to me and you still loved me enough to say yes. You've given me everything, Calliope; this doesn't even begin to compare." Arizona gently slipped the ring onto Callie's left ring finger, bringing their joined hands up to the Latina's face. "The least I can do it give you a little hope, so when you get tired and frustrated of being trapped in here, I want you to look at this ring and remember that it'll get better."
Callie's gaze followed her hand as Arizona brought it to her lips, gently kissing her ring finger. "I love you, Calliope."
The younger surgeon felt her heart swell to the point of nearly bursting out of her chest. "I love you, Arizona."
Lips met, sealing their promise of forever in a gentle caress. Soft fingers wiped away at the Latina's tears as the kiss lingered for as long as their lungs would allow. Finally breaking apart, they remained close to one another, eyes locked, smiles contagious, and their joined hands pressed between their hearts.
"Best proposal ever."
Arizona laughed, thanking her fiancé with another kiss.
It wasn't until the end of her shift that Arizona managed to spend more than a passing moment for a fleeting kiss with her soon-to-be wife. She caught Callie lost in thought, staring at the ring with a blissful smile on her face. The joy she could see in those dark eyes filled her with pride – she was the cause of that happiness and there was no greater feeling in the world.
"Either you really like that ring or you're contemplating a way to melt it off your finger."
Callie met her gaze as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "Don't be stupid. I love it."
A dimpled smile and a chaste kiss were her reward. "Good."
"Our baby?"
Arizona had anticipated the question, though she still felt her heart skip a beat. Our baby. She would never grow tired of that. She leaned over and gently stroked the side of Callie's face, matching the loving smile that was shining up at her.
"She's fine, Calliope, but there is something we need to talk about…"
"What? What is it? Does she-" Arizona silenced her panicked rant with a single finger against her lips.
"I said she's fine, remember? But I need to finalize her birth certificate at some point."
Realization dawned on Callie. She had yet to name her child. It was a decision she had avoided for months after Mark had adamantly proclaimed that his kid should take his last name…
"Absolutely not."
"What? Why not?" Mark followed Callie as she brushed past him on her way to the living room where Arizona sat reading the newspaper over a glass of white wine.
Callie sighed heavily as she sank down next to her girlfriend. "Because there are three of us, Mark, and we're not getting married." She could feel Arizona stiffen, the newspaper crinkling in her tightening fist. "The only neutral last name is mine, so that's what the baby is getting. End of discussion."
Arizona turned her head, watching the woman next to her in silent gratitude as Mark took a swig of his beer. She knew it was wrong to be happy that her girlfriend was angry, but the fact that her anger was directed at the one person who was constantly stepping over them made her heart sing a little. It was rare sight indeed, but her contented awe was shattered quickly by the man standing in front of them.
"Fine, the baby gets your last name, but then I get to pick the first name."
"What?" Arizona's eyes went wide as shock took over her voice. "What on Earth makes you think you get to make that decision?"
"I'm the father."
"Oh please, like you need to keep reminding me! This is a big decision, Mark; you don't get to just unilaterally decide something like that. We get a say in this and I think-"
"No, this is my kid, Robbins. Not yours!"
Even now she could still remember the look on Arizona's face, its pain etched into her heart. She could hear the door to their bedroom slam shut and hear herself yelling at Mark to leave. She had decided that day that they would wait until the baby was born – she couldn't take their arguing anymore.
"Calliope?"
The brunette shook herself from her daydream as a gleam of light caught her eye. She looked down to see the sun reflecting beautifully off the incredible ring that blessed her skin. Suddenly it hit her. She knew exactly how they would name their baby and she silently cursed herself for taking this long to make up her mind.
"What was it?"
Arizona blinked. "What?"
"What was the name that came to mind when you heard her heartbeat?"
The older surgeon smiled softly, pressing her lips against Callie's for a brief moment before pulling back to gaze intently into her eyes.
"Sofia."
She found Mark the next morning in the NICU just staring at their daughter's incubator with his arms crossed against his chest. Politely, she nodded at him in greeting as she picked up the chart of another preemie and scanned the latest update.
"She named our daughter without talking to me."
Arizona looked up, startled by the sudden intrusion of his voice. Her curiosity was immediately sparked once his words had sunk in – Callie hadn't given her a definite answer last night thanks to her pager going off. By the time she had dealt with the incoming trauma, her fiancé was fast asleep. The simple fact that their child finally had a name made her smile.
"That woman survived being thrown through a windshield, Mark. She can name her daughter whatever the heck she wants."
That seemed to placate him as he moved toward the exit, taking off his sterile gown.
"Right, well, I'm gonna go see her. Keep the little one company until I get back?"
"Always."
Once he was out of sight, Arizona put down the chart and made her way over to her daughter. She looked down at the previously empty name card and couldn't help the giant grin that took over face. Any lingering doubt about the role she would play in their daughter's life fell from her shoulders in the wake of Calliope's incredible gesture…
Sofia Robbin Sloan Torres