Can True Love Be Estranged?

Author: And24Trina

Pairing: Calliope Torres/ Arizona Robbins

Rating: T

Summary: Callie and Arizona shared the love that most believe you can only experience once in a lifetime, stomped on too many times by life. Now they're divorced and living on opposite ends of the country. Can true love really be estranged, or are the two women destined to find their way back to each other?

Chapter: 1/10

Disclaimer: Shonda created them blah, blah, blah… So, this one will be shorter but I'm hoping just as good as The Ride… Really hope you like it.

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"Hey Callie." Barbara Robbins stepped inside the expansive loft, greeting her ex daughter in-law. "Arizona said she sent you a message that I would be the one coming to pick up our little lady."

"Uh, yeah. She text, said she missed her flight?"

"Oh. Yeah." Callie took in the appearance of the graying woman. Something seemed off. It almost felt like the elder woman was being dishonest. Sofia came around the corner before she could delve any deeper into her thoughts. "Hey lady bug, you all set to go?" Barbara Robbins stood in the foyer of Callie's New York City loft that she was sharing with her girlfriend that she'd followed across the country.

"Grandma!" The young girl was so excited to see her grandmother. With the Robbins' living in Boston, she doesn't get to see her grandparents as much as she wishes she could. Sofia ran into the comfortable embrace of the elder woman's arms. "Is mommy here too?"

"She isn't, I'm sorry bug. But by the time we make it to Boston she'll already be there. Your mommy misses you so much, she can't wait for us to get there." A pang of guilt hit Callie. The Robbins family was gathering in Boston this year for Christmas. Originally it was planned that Arizona would fly into JFK, pick up her daughter and then they would go to Boston together. But this morning Callie had gotten a short text that Barbara would be there instead of her ex-wife. "This everything that you need sweet pea?"

Sofia pulled her backpack on before passing her rolling case over into the capable hands of her grandmother. "Yes grandma."

Tears began to sting at the back of dark eyes. This was the first time Callie was sending her little girl to fly off to spend time with her other mother. Up until now Arizona had flown to the city, spent time with Sofia for a weekend a flown back to Seattle.

Throwing her head back, Callie waved her hands in front of her face as if something had gotten in her eye.

Suddenly the brunette was nearly overwhelmed by emotion. A realization occurred as she looked at her little girl at the door with her bags preparing to cross over the threshold.

No one could argue that Callie was ungrateful when Arizona had shown up at her door that night with their daughter and two airline tickets along with her blessing for them to go make a life in New York. But now. In this moment. Callie could now truly understand the magnitude of what her ex wife had done for her.

"Uhm. Barbara? Can I speak with you for just a moment?" Callie inquired of the elder woman. With an affirmative nod, Arizona's mother moved in the direction she was being beckoned. "Sof, just give me and grandma a minute okay?"

"Can I watch tv?"

"Yeah, go ahead. But Sof… How would you like to stay with mommy a little longer?"

The question had barely gotten its question mark attached at the end before the loudest, most excited squeal was released with the cherubic little girl jumping into her momma's arms. "Yes! Can I please?"

"Sure you can. I bet that would make your mommy so happy." The mother stroked at her daughter's dark locks.

"Momma, can we keep it a secret? I want to tell her."

"Sure kiddo, you can tell her." Callie was barely holding in her emotions at this point. "Go ahead and watch t.v. this won't take long."

Sofia ran off towards the sitting area while her momma and grandma headed off toward the kitchen. Callie barely made it out of her daughter's hearing range before the tears rushed out like a bull at a rodeo.

Barbara wasn't exactly sure of what to do in the moment. Stepping up to the crying woman, she began to rub a soothing hand over the brunette's back. "Hey, hey, it'll be alright. She'll only be gone a few days and I'm sure she'll be calling you all the time." Barbara hoped she was making the woman feel better. "You can even come on up for Christmas if you want… there's plenty of room around the table for everyone." She offered.

"Thank you Barbara." She began to gain control of her sobs. "It's just… I, I thought I knew… but I didn't. I didn't get it. I was so horrible to her. I allowed for things to be said in that courtroom that should've never been said. And she still gave this to me." Callie motioned around the room.

Barbara was attempting to follow along with the broken sentences that escaped between sobs. She was beginning to understand that Callie was now speaking about Arizona. "She gave me this opportunity, and I get it now. I'm only sending her off for a few days… she hasn't even left yet and I already feel like the best part of myself is missing." Callie finally found the strength to stand up right, tears still streaming down her face. "She doesn't start back to school until the fifth… I'm sure she'd like to stay up until then, if that's okay. I know Arizona may have to do some last minute shuffling around, but… it's… I need to thank her, some how."

"I'm sure she'll be ecstatic." Barbara offered a gentle smile. "Can I ask… when's the last time you spoke to Arizona?"

That question was an easy one to answer, but it brought with it great shame. "We haven't really talked since the night she brought Sofia to me with the airline tickets… I mean we text, about Sofia… but, we're both so busy." Callie offered. "Her and Sof talk all the time." That brought a small smile to the brunette's face. "When we got ready to move, Arizona brought her an iPad and programmed her number for Sof to call her whenever she wants. They talk all the time." She repeated a little softer this time, hoping Barbara didn't see through her.

For a moment Barbara considered the younger woman. With a slight nod of her head Callie could tell the elder woman chose to let her off the hook. Truthfully, Arizona had stopped taking Callie's calls shortly after the move. Their correspondence was only through very short texts, and an occasional email. After a few awkward, How's everything? Texts were sent, by the brunette but not acknowledged on the other end Callie quickly realized only correspondence surrounding their little girl would actually be acknowledged.

On her first trip out to visit her daughter, Arizona gave Sofia's camp all of her contact info in the event that anything needed to be shared with her they could just contact her directly. When Sofia started school, Arizona made a trip out for orientation to meet with her daughter's new teachers. She wanted the school to know that just because she lived across the country she would still be completely involved in her child's education and could be reached at any time.

Arizona and the teacher's often emailed back and forth, the blonde wanting to stay abreast with her daughter's day to day learning. Most morning's Sofia would be in the back seat of her momma's car talking to her mommy on her iPad on her way into school. And the same was found nearly every evening. When Arizona would come in town for the weekend, she would be sure to pick up Sofia from school on Friday and return her on Monday morning before heading back to Seattle.

Sofia would have dinner, then take off to her bedroom to call her mommy on FaceTime so the blonde could talk about her day and share story time with her little girl. It wasn't much, but at the same time it was absolutely everything.

It bothered her that Arizona would only respond to her calls with a text, but she let it go because the relationship with her ex and their daughter remained of extreme importance. At first it was a little odd, but with the woman running two departments it was bound to be a lot. And not that Callie had been keeping tabs on her, but there was an obvious increase in the amount of articles the blonde was getting published in medical journals. Their daughter was healthy, and had a relationship with both of her mother's. So Callie, left things the way Arizona apparently wanted them. It was the least she could do. And besides… she knew if there was ever anything to come up, Arizona would come running no questions asked.

Callie stood thinking about everything Arizona did to keep a relationship with their little girl. The sacrifices that were made… "Can you tell her thank you? For me?" Dark eyes channeled back into her kitchen.

Barbara could hear the sincerity in Callie's voice. As much anger as she'd held toward the brunette when her daughter called and told her Sofia was moving across the country with her other mother and her girlfriend, it began to subside. She could see the gratitude in her ex daughter in law. "Okay." She agreed. "We should probably get going. I wouldn't want to miss our flight."

"How about I take you two to the airport?" Callie offered. "I'm off today… and I'm actually starting to get pretty good at getting around. We won't even get lost."

"I don't mind taking a cab." Barbara headed back toward the door. "You should go ahead and enjoy your day off."

"Really… I insist. It'll just take me a quick second to get my coat." The brunette quickly slipped on her boots, calling for Sofia from the other room. "Besides, getting a cab in this weather? It's easier to catch an STD."

Something about Barbara seemed off. It was almost as if she really didn't want Callie to take them to the airport. Callie shrugged it off as misreading the situation, and led them to her car in the parking garage.

The ride held an awkward silence between the two adults. Sofia talked on and on about how excited she was to build a snowman with her mommy and 'the colonel'. With the two adults filling in with stifled conversation every now and again.

When a buzz sounded followed by the outburst of 'silver bells', Barbara quickly reached for her phone in her bag. "Hey sweet pea." She answered the call. "We're headed to the airport now. We'll be pulling in, in no time at all." Callie could hear her ex's excitement through the phone all the way to her side of the car. She wasn't intentionally eavesdropping. It had just been so long since she'd been privy to that bubbly, excited Arizona. "Callie has the day off, so she was nice enough to give us a ride." The conversation continued. A soft 'oh' was heard from the fetal surgeon on the other end, followed by an 'okay'. "Well, I'll let you go. See you soon sweetie."

Callie pulled her car into the airport, following the signs that pointed her in the direction of flight departures. "Okay ladies, we're here. And as promised, we didn't get lost." She pointed out, pulling up to the curb near the sign for Delta. Hopping out of the car, Callie went around to help her little girl out of the car safely. "Be good for your grandparents, and mommy, okay? And have lots of fun." The brunette hugged the growing girl tightly. The hug felt like it went on for all eternity before the mother finally released the miniature brunette, fixing her backpack.

Tears threatened to spill from dark eyes again, as she turned to send her baby into the airport. Waves were sent back and forth. But as Sofia was closer to the door, something caught Callie's eye. Just inside the door was a familiar powder blue puffer coat. Looking a little harder, dark eyes took in the sight of her ex wife waiting just inside.

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So? What did you think? I hope you liked it… let me know?

xoxo