A/N: This is the final chapter. This story was completely random and I posted as I wrote. I'm glad you enjoyed it and I hope it made you feel slightly better through the dark Calzona times. I have faith that one day our wonderful women will reunite. I'm keeping the faith, like Meredith once said.
Callie took a week off from work so that her hand would have time to heal and she could take a few moments for herself. After the test results came back and she was completely fine she decided to expand her couple days off into a full week off. She dropped Arizona's parents at the airport and then spent the rest of her week on her own. Well, with Sofia. She got one phone call from Maggie who asked her if she was well and one call from Alex who said Meredith made him call her and ask her how she was. Callie was just cleaning around her apartment after she took Sofia to preschool. She had ear buds in her ear and music playing on her phone. The Story by Brandi Carlile was playing and she sang along. "It's true, I was made for you," her voice rang through the apartment. Callie frowned when the music stopped and realized she had an incoming call from Addison. "Yes," she answered breathlessly.
"I'm not even going to ask what you've been doing," Addison said and laughed.
"I'm cleaning the apartment," Callie said. "If I was doing anything else I probably wouldn't have answered."
"Gross," Addison joked. "Listen, has Arizona said anything to you yet? Because she needs to make her decision soon. She was supposed to be coming over tomorrow for a hospital tour and stuff like that just so she could make a decision easier but I haven't heard from her."
Callie's eyes widened. She forgot that Arizona got an offer from LA. "She didn't say anything to me. She was discharged two days ago and I haven't heard from her yet. Call her. She's probably at home."
"Okay, will do. Thanks. How come you're not at work?"
"Because I was clumsy and accidentally cut my hand," Callie admitted.
"What?" Addison sounded surprised. "How does a rockstar with a scalpel cut her own hand?"
Callie snorted. "I was thinking about something else."
"Penny?" Addison took a guess.
"No," Callie admitted. "She broke up with me anyway."
"Now that's a story I want to hear," Addison commented. "But I have about twenty minutes so talk fast."
Callie rolled her eyes. "It's really not that interesting of a story. It was after my clumsy surgery and I was there with Mer and her, anyway after the surgery she called my name and asked if she could talk to me. And then she told me that she's transferring and then I asked her what was going to happen to us and she said I've been distant lately and that was it. She broke up with me."
"She must have said something else," Addison said. "She wouldn't just dump you, right?"
"She asked me if I was getting back together with Arizona," Callie added quietly. "Because apparently I've been spending too much time with her."
Addison was silent for a few seconds. "I have a serious question and you're not allowed to get angry." Callie hummed to let her know she was allowed to proceed. "Do you want to get back together with Arizona?"
Callie took a deep breath. "I don't want to get hurt again," was what she said instead.
"That doesn't answer my question," Addison pointed out.
"I don't know," Callie admitted. "I miss her. I miss being her friend and spending Sunday mornings with her and Sofia. I miss holding her and kissing her. But I was the one that broke us up. She was trying to keep us together."
"And you think that if you ask her she's going to say no because you're the one that ended your relationship," Addison said, gathering that from Callie's information.
Callie nodded. "Honestly, yes. She could have moved on. She didn't say anything but she could have a girlfriend."
"Do you think she'd still be in Seattle if she had a girlfriend and was moving on?" Callie stayed silent. "That's what I thought. Go get your woman before she really is moving here. Because it's an awesome private practice."
Callie laughed. "I'm sure it is a great private practice. Thanks Addie."
"No problem."
They said their goodbyes and hung up on the phone. Callie exhaled loudly, her breath echoing against the walls. She remembered when her apartment was never silent. There was always laughter, someone talking. And when people had time, they came over. But now, Callie was on her own. She only had herself to rely on and maybe that's what she needed. She needed to make sure she was still able to be her without Arizona. She needed to make sure she was able to live without Arizona. And she could. But that didn't mean that she wanted to.
Callie let a day pass. She didn't text Arizona or call her and ask her if she really was going to Los Angeles. It wasn't until she got a text message from her that slight panic washed over her.
Cant pick Sofia up, have some plans. Sorry :(
Callie swallowed hard. It was Saturday. Sofia was having a playdate with Zola and Meredith said they were going to the zoo for a few hours. Was Arizona really moving to LA? She thought that Arizona would at least discuss it with her and not just vanish. Did she tell Sofia? But Sofia spilled all their secrets quickly. Was it a last minute decision? Did Arizona finally decided she was tired of waiting and watching Callie with another woman? So many questions ran through Callie's mind that she had a hard time keeping up with them. Then the next thing Callie remembered was, she was changing out of sweatpants and a t-shirt into jeans and a blouse with a jacket on. What was she doing? If Arizona was at the airport, she was already too late. Callie jumped in her car and rushed to the house she bought with Arizona. It was their home for such short amount of time. With a tree house in the back. There was no tire swing, they never had the chance to buy it. Callie noticed Arizona's car was parked, the trunk opened. She was still here. But she must have been packing.
Arizona walked through the opened front door, car keys in her hand. There was still a slight limp as she walked but her leg was healed and the prosthetic was stable. She closed down the trunk when she noticed Callie standing there. "What are you doing here? What's wrong?" She noticed Callie looked worried, anxious. Slightly pale too. "Did something happen?" she asked after she got no reply to her first two questions.
Callie shoved her hands in her jeans' pockets as she started rambling nervously. "I know I can be selfish and I know I am being unfair to you. But I can't help how I feel and I tried not to and I was really happy with Penny, or at least I thought so. I don't want to keep doing this because we are always getting hurt, chasing each other. But I don't want you to move to Los Angeles. I want you to stay here. With Sofia and me. I don't know if you already took the job and I don't expect you to quit it for me. I learned that I can live without you. I can be without you. But I don't want to. I want to wake up every Sunday with you by my side and with Sofia pretending she's snoring in our bed until you start tickling her and she's laughing. I miss you."
Arizona's blue orbs were wide open in surprise and small smile adoring her face.
"You're on your way to the airport, aren't you?" Callie asked nervously.
"I didn't take the job," Arizona finally spoke. "I was Christmas shopping."
Callie blushed in embarrassment and took a step back. She looked down at the ground and gently kicked against the grass. "Oh."
Arizona licked her lips and made a few steps closer to Callie but enough to keep some distance between them. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Callie shrugged, still not making any eye contact. "Calliope," Arizona breathed out. "Look at me." But Callie didn't listen. "I would never take a job so far away without talking to you first. I don't want to be away from Sofia. Or even you. I just want you to be happy. You deserve to be happy."
"You made me happy," Callie mumbled weakly. "I'm sorry for assuming that you were moving away. I'm gonna go." She wanted to flee and never appear in front of Arizona again.
Arizona couldn't deny that flustered and embarrassed Callie wasn't cute. "Want to come in? So that maybe we can actually talk?"
Callie glanced from where she was standing to the front door. "I don't want to impose."
"You're not. Come on," Arizona said. "I can show you what I bought Sofia for Christmas," she added, knowing it would convince Callie.
"It's not even December yet," Callie said, a smile finally appearing on her face.
Arizona shrugged. "My mom gave me some cash and told me I have to go Christmas shopping early this year in her name, since I've always been doing it last minute. Come inside," she said softly.
Callie chewed on her bottom lip for a few moments. "Okay." She followed Arizona in the house, noticing the limp. "Why aren't you using your crutches?"
"I only went back to close my car trunk," Arizona said. "Do you want anything to drink?"
"Water's fine," Callie replied. Why was she nervous? Did she really think ambushing Arizona thinking she was moving to a different country would go differently? "So, what did you buy Sofia?"
Arizona smiled, her dimples showing. She expected this question from Callie. "I got a bunch of coloring books and crayons with glue and glitter shakers," she said which made Callie laugh. "And she has been asking for that Jurassic world Dino thingy that you can control and I got her that."
Callie laughed, throwing her head back as she finally relaxed. Of course Arizona would get her that. "She's going to love it."
"I got you something too," Arizona said, suddenly shyly.
"Oh?"
Arizona nodded. She walked out of the kitchen, brushing against Callie in process. She reached inside of the bag and took out her desired items. "I know you love your Sudoku but this is an adult coloring book. And a 4-color ballpoint pen so that you don't have to use pencils as well."
Callie grinned. "Thank you. Is this your way of making me stop doing Sudoku forever?"
"I tried," Arizona said and shrugged. Their eyes locked and neither said anything for a minute or two. Arizona finally released a shaky breath. "Do you want to talk now, maybe?"
"If I could say no, I would say no. But I came to your doorstep and I think I owe you this much," Callie said, fidgeting with her hands. "I… I've been feeling so torn lately."
Arizona realized she was going to have to drag some of the words out of Callie's mouth. "Why?"
"Because I miss you. And when I started dating Penny things were okay because she wasn't from here, she was different, she was new. And we finished each other sentences, like we used to. But after the dinner, I realized that maybe the relationship only worked because she didn't know. She got jealous after she heard the rumors. She asked me copiously of times if we're getting back together." Callie felt like none of her sentences made sense. Like she was just making the situation worse between them. "I don't want to be without you but I don't want us to keep hurting each other."
"You can live without me but you don't want to," Arizona added, realizing what Callie was trying to say.
"Exactly," Callie whispered. "And I know I'm overstepping. And I'm leading you on and I don't even know if you've moved on because it would be so naïve to think you'd wait for me forever when I so clearly broke us up."
Arizona nodded. "I tried moving on but I realized that I don't have to have another girlfriend to be happy for you. Calliope, if those years we had together is all we will ever have I'm okay with that. You gave me so much. And I will always love you."
"You're not mad at me?" Callie asked surprised. She kept leading Arizona on and then breaking up. They had sex before their last day of therapy and then Callie said she wanted them to break up the next morning.
Arizona laughed. "Of course not. How can I be mad at you when you gave me so much love? I know we fought and I know I did some terrible things that I'd do anything to take them back. But you gave me a family. Sofia. I never imagined myself with a child and now I feel like there's so much love in me for her. I never thought I'd get married and our wedding was beautiful and I'll never forget it. I could keep going on. But no, I'm not mad. You wanted to love yourself and you wanted me to love myself first."
Callie let out a shaky breath. "Thank you," she murmured.
"Was there anything else you wanted to say?" Arizona asked.
Callie blushed. "I don't want to make you do anything."
"You're not making me if I'm willing," Arizona said. She had a slight idea on where this was going.
"Would you come over tonight? So we can have dinner with Sofia? I know she's been missing you and it might be nice to spend some time together," Callie said in a rushed breath.
Arizona shot Callie a dazzling smile. "I'd love to. But how about you and Sof come over? So we can make dinner here and watch a movie together before she goes to bed?
"That sounds good," Callie murmured. "So how come you couldn't pick her up if you you're already home?"
"I wanted to go back to the mall and stock my fridge. I haven't lived in a house for a while and my roommate ate everything," Arizona explained.
Callie raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You have a roommate?"
"An intern. I believe he's the one that slept with Maggie. But he said he's moving out soon because he found a better place," Arizona said and laughed at Callie's shocked face. "I can live with a guy, you know. And we don't really see each other. Or talk to each other. He just contributes to bills and sometimes buys groceries."
"That's a nice roommate," Callie commented. "Are you sure he won't mind me and Sofia here?" What Callie really meant to ask was if Arizona even wanted them here.
"I want you and Sofia here," Arizona said, reading Callie like an open book. "As long as you want to be here."
"We want to be here," Callie said softly. A small puff of air escaped her mouth. "Why are you being so wonderful and patient to me? If it was me in your shoes I would have yelled. Freaked out."
Arizona met Callie's eyes, a smile never leaving her lips. "Because some time ago I thought that I needed to be with someone to feel whole. That if it wasn't you, I needed someone else that would at least remind me of you. And I realized that I only need me. But having you and Sofia made me a better me. So, I understand how you're feeling."
Callie chuckled. Arizona put it in words perfectly. "I don't want to start something, anything, and then realize that maybe it wasn't a good idea."
"We can't know unless we don't try," Arizona breathed out.
Callie felt a heat in her cheeks but to Arizona it wasn't noticeable. Instead she uttered out, "do you want to go the store? For groceries?"
And they did. They went shopping together, which they haven't done for a really long time. It was either just one stopping at the store after work or on the day off but they never went together anymore. And they talked. About unimportant things but it made them happy. They created their own little bubble and Callie was afraid Sofia was going to pop it with her questions on why they were suddenly having a dinner at mama's and why didn't mama come over anymore. Callie picked Sofia up from Meredith's after the nap the girls had since they were walking all morning. Sofia was thrilled that they were all spending time at the house and she could play in her tree house with her moms watching. "Can I play?" Sofia asked sweetly.
Arizona enjoyed that through the kitchen window she could see Sofia playing in the backyard and kept an eye on her. "Sure. But when we call for dinner you have to come inside."
Sofia nodded obediently and skipped outside.
"She's so happy here," Callie murmured. "She loves the tree house."
"I think she's happy because we're both here. But she does love the tree house. I had to search for her once because she didn't answer to my dinner yells and then I announced I was going to call the police and she almost jumped down," Arizona said and laughed.
Callie laughed along. "She does always come back dirty when she spends time with you."
Arizona shrugged. "We like playing in the mud."
"I'm certain you like playing in the mud. Not so sure about Sofia. And she told me you made her an army tent."
"Dad made it," Arizona corrected her. "We spent a night in it but there was just so much bugs and the ground was cold so I kicked in the tent and said that the wind knocked it down."
Callie snorted before laughing loudly. "You and your hate for camping."
Arizona didn't say anything. Instead they made dinner together. They worked so well together, with barely any words, comfortable silence and their moves synchronized.
"Sofia!" Callie called out as she slid open the door leading to the backyard. "It's dinner time. You promised you wouldn't hide." She heard some grumbling and muttering before Sofia appeared, a small tear in her long sleeved t-shirt from climbing and a scratch on her arm. "Aw, look at you. It's like your living in the wildness."
Sofia giggled. "It's okay mommy. It doesn't hurt," she said. "Can you read me Cinderella?"
"Before you're going to bed," Callie promised. "Go wash up." She watched Sofia skip up the stairs while she prepared the dining table. It was just so easy to be with Arizona and Sofia. But Callie didn't want this to be an experiment. Because experiments fail. She wanted this to be her daily routine. Making dinner with Arizona and watching Sofia play.
"You okay?" Arizona asked. She called out Callie's name but got no reply and found her staring at the table with a daydreaming look on her face. She walked closer and gently touched Callie's arm.
Callie nodded, coming out of her thoughts. "I'm good." Arizona pulled her hand away but Callie caught it with her own hand and pulled Arizona into a hug. She just needed to hug her.
Arizona tensed at first but as Callie's arms wrapped around her, she relaxed and sighed softly against Callie's neck, her eyes closing even if just for a moment.
Callie pulled away, bashful smile on her face. "Sorry," she apologized. But then she realized she didn't mean it. "I'm not actually."
Arizona laughed. "It's okay. I'm not sorry either."
They ate dinner, Sofia chatting most of the time. She told them everything that happened in the zoo, what she and Zola had for lunch which changed to what Sofia had for lunch in preschool and then what her favorite preschool activity of the week was and why. She babbled so much she barely managed to eat some dinner in between. Arizona didn't say anything, just enjoying her daughter talking and it appeared Callie was the same way. After dinner it was bath time and then Sofia was tucked in her bed. "Cinderella," she screeched on top of her lungs.
"I got it," Callie said, waving the book and trying to soothe Sofia. She laid down next to Sofia. "Are you ready?"
"No. Mama read it too," Sofia demanded and crossed her arms over her chest. Which meant that she wasn't going to sleep unless her wish was going to come true.
Arizona heard Sofia to her bedroom. She was glad for crazy intern hours because it meant her roommate wasn't going to be coming home tonight. She entered Sofia's room. "I'm here. Let's read your book." She sat down on the other side of the bed.
"One page each," Sofia said.
Callie started reading the story, Arizona quickly following her onto the next page. They were only halfway through when Sofia's head fell to the side, her hand falling from the book she tried to hold onto. Just to be safe Callie read another page.
Arizona gently pressed a kiss on Sofia's cheek. Luckily the little girl inherited her mother's sleeping habits and not even the sound of a pager could wake her up. She carefully got up from the bed and stretched her back. "Do you want to take a bath?"
"What?" Callie asked, her eyes wide. "Like together?"
Arizona laughed. "No. I meant if you want to take a bath. You looked tense and I just thought it would help."
Callie blushed. "Oh. I can make my own bath, thanks though."
"Let's make a deal. You search for your clothes, I think some are still here, and I make you a bath and then we can go to sleep because we're both tired. If you're not comfortable, you can leave or sleep on the couch," Arizona explained.
"I'm comfortable," Callie admitted. "I'll go search for my clothes then." She managed to find a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt she was able to use as pajamas and when she got back in the bathroom the room was lid up with candles and the tub was filled with hot water and bubbles. Callie sat in the warm water and closed her eyes. She spent nearly an hour in the bath, adding hot water so she didn't get cold. When she got out of the bathroom, she entered the bedroom she once shared with Arizona. She only wanted to say goodnight and sleep in the second guest room. But Arizona was asleep in the middle of the big bed and something just pulled Callie in. She tucked the blanket around Arizona's side and hugged her from the other side. Arizona hugged Callie closer, gentle breath blowing against her neck that lured Callie to sleep.
Arizona woke up the next morning feeling different. She felt warmer. Her eyes still closed she stretched her leg and let out a groan of satisfaction. She blinked a few times, her eyes landing on Callie's face. She looked so peaceful as she slept, her features relaxed. Arizona smiled, loving how their bodies fit. She glanced at Callie's parted, full lips. She couldn't remember their last kiss. Well she could and she definitely did remember it but she never imagined that their last kiss would be their last kiss. And she refused to leave it like that. Arizona scooted closer and glanced at the lids covering Callie's eyes before looking back at her lips. Gathering enough courage she placed her lips on Callie's. The gentlest touch that made butterflies in her stomach flip. She was ready to pull away when she felt herself being kissed back. Callie was kissing her back. Arizona's heart sped up as she placed one hand over Callie's heart to feel it beat against her palm.
Callie thought she was dreaming at first but when she flexed her toes she realized she wasn't dreaming. Arizona really was kissing her. She didn't know why but it didn't matter. And then they slowly pulled away. "Morning," Callie's raspy voice whispered in the quietness of the room.
"Morning," Arizona whispered back. She couldn't handle Callie's intense gaze and with flushed cheeks she buried her face in Callie's shoulder.
Callie smiled. Her smile only widened when tiny feet hitting the ground were getting closer. Sofia quickly opened the door and climbed under the covers until her head was blocked by their moms' tight embrace. "Mommies," she whined.
Arizona laughed and pulled away from Callie to create enough space for Sofia. "Morning princess. How did you sleep?"
"Okay," Sofia replied. "Morning mommy."
Callie kissed her nose. "Morning baby. Want to sleep some more?" It was Sunday after all. They had nowhere to be. Sofia nodded, happily sandwiched between her moms. Callie found Arizona's hand under the covers and intertwined their fingers. This was home.