Title: Tiny Dancer, 1/?
Author: A. Windsor
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG-13 (brief references to abortion, some language)
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. My one semester of law school could allow me to legalese this a little more, but it also tells me it's pretty useless. So please don't sue; it's not mine, I'm just playing!
Summary: They had a plan for four.
Author's Note: This one's gonna be a little longer than most. But I hope you enjoy! And have fun getting the song stuck in your head. (Blue jean, baby, LA lady.) Also, the views expressed on some issues in this story are the characters', not mine. I know it starts Robbins-Torres-less, but it finishes strong. I'm very nervous about this one, so let me know what you think! And have fun getting the song stuck in your head. (Blue jean, baby, LA lady.) Also, the views expressed on some issues in this story are the characters', not mine. I know it starts Robbins-Torres-less, but it finishes strong. I'm very nervous about this one, so let me know what you think! (Also, this month it's been 9 years since I started fic writing. That's weirding me out.)
Marisol Garcia fidgets nervously, waiting for Dr. Montgomery to enter the exam room for her appointment. She's five months pregnant with the son of that cabrón, Washington Rivera, who had laughed cruelly and challenged her to "Próbelo" [Prove it] when she told him she was carrying his baby. Shame-filled and irate, she'd briefly but seriously considered abortion.
Poor choice in men aside, she is a good kid. Or she was, at least. She got good grades (but not too good, no need to draw attention) and kept her head down and out of trouble. She'd babysat for enough of her skanky cousins' babies that she knew she was never going to be that girl. Until she is.
Abortion seems attractive, but the Sundays her abuela dragged her to mass as a kid seem to have stuck her with some good old Catholic guilt, just the tiniest bit, and the idea of going through with it made her sick. She'd made the appointment twice, but chickened out both times.
Her math teacher just had a baby, and she noticed the signs. She'd sweetly, but discreetly, set her up pro bono with her own OB. The appointments are in one of those crazy, rich white people, feng shui, faux-Zen Buddhist buildings, but Dr. Montgomery is nice enough and puts her at ease.
Once Marisol has decided not to terminate the pregnancy, she commits to it 110-percent, the way she has with everything in her life, from ballet lessons when she was six (until they got too expensive) to loving Washington Rivera when she was sixteen (until she realized what a prick he was). She eats as best she can, takes all the vitamins Dr. Montgomery gives her, and tries to talk to her son as much as possible. She's heard that'll help make him smart; she wants to give him every advantage she can.
Which leads her to the decision she's reached since she last saw Dr. Montgomery. She got herself into this mess, she knows, but she's not ready to be a mom, and she doesn't want to be one. She wants to go to college and become a pharmacist. Or at least a pharm tech. She wants to meet a man that will love her for real, and maybe one day have kids of her own. She loves the little parasite inside of her, and she never wants to resent him for keeping her from all of that.
"Sorry, nene. I think it's for the best. We'll get you a mami y papi that'll want you and love you. And buy you expensive presents. Send you to good schools and let you, I don't know, play soccer and be, an astronaut. You'll be better off. Don't need me dragging you down."
Dr. Montgomery comes in, all smiles and cold gel, and nods knowingly as she explains her decision.
"He should have two parents and a house. And a yard to run in. And maybe a brother? Or a sister? I don't know. So he's not lonely. Anyway, do you have the names of some, like, agencies? Only got four months before he's ready to pop out."
Dr. Montgomery laughs. "I do. I have lots of contacts for you. If you're sure."
"I am."
"It sounds like you are. You make a very well-thought out argument. And I actually think I might have the perfect family for you."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," Dr. Montgomery nods, thoughtful. "No pressure, of course. One question, though, and this is one you'll have to talk about with the agency anyway, but how do you feel about same-sex couples?"
Marisol purses her lips, then shrugs.
"You mean gay? Like, two dads?"
"Moms, in this case."
"Sure. If they're nice."
Dr. Montgomery smiles and rummages around in her purse on the counter, producing a slightly bent Christmas card. She straightens it out tenderly before handing it over.
The picture on the front is straight off TV, like a freaking commercial, and it sums up everything she's ever wanted for her baby.
There are three kids, two girls and a boy. They're decked out in red and green pajamas, spooned in size order like nesting dolls, the boy holding the smaller girls protectively. They sleep, utterly peacefully, against stark white sheets. The boy's hair is short and dark, and the hand that reaches across the waists of his sisters is lightly tanned. Tucked into his chest, just a couple years younger, is a pale little blonde whose curls spill, unruly, around her. Tucked into her is a pudgy toddler with dark hair in twin messy pigtails, holding a blanket tight and sucking peacefully on a pacifier.
"Silent night," is all the front says. Marisol flips it over. "Happy holidays, y felices fiestas, from the Robbins-Torres family."
On the back there's another, more common family portrait of the three kids and their moms laughing at the camera on a windswept beach, the kids perched on a railing while a blonde and a brunette (Latina, judging by the last name), stand behind them, the blonde's arms spotting the less steady toddler.
Underneath the picture, it says, "Lots of love to you and yours - Caroline, Lena, Asa, Callie, and Arizona."
"They just started the adoption process a few months ago. Callie had trouble having Caroline, the littlest girl, but they really want another baby to make their family complete. Asa, he's eight; he's requested a boy. They're an amazing family, with more love to give than any other I know. It's early, but... It's an option."
Marisol goes with Dr. Montgomery to her office while she finds the numbers to give her. She sees a few more pictures of the Robbins-Torres family and Dr. Montgomery with them, including one of Dr. Montgomery in a pretty dress with the two moms and the baby in a christening gown. Dr. Montgomery notices her gaze.
"I'm Asa's godmother," she supplies helpfully. "Callie and I worked together in Seattle. She's an orthopedic surgeon. Arizona's a pediatric surgeon."
"Like kids?"
"Yep."
"So they're real smart?"
"Yes."
"And real rich."
"Yeah," Addison laughs. "They do well. They have a big house, nice yard. The kids are all bilingual. I don't know how important that is to you."
"It's pretty cool," Marisol acknowledges, hand dropping to her stomach.
"Just. Talk to the social worker at the agency. Talk to your family. Think about it. You have lots of options. This is just one."
Marisol looks down at the picture in her hand and reluctantly places it on Dr. Montgomery's desk.
"Okay."
"Oof, Momma's phone's ringing. Excuse me a second, munchkins," Arizona extracts herself from the pj-wrestling match on Momma and Mami's bed, tossing Asa over her shoulder and reaching for her cell phone as Asa lands on his face with a gentle thud and the three kids giggle uncontrollably.
"Hello?"
"Arizona?"
"Addison, hi. Hold on a sec. Munchkins, shush. Aunt Addy's on the phone."
Asa and Lena stop their wrestling, releasing each other from headlocks. Caroline continues to bounce excitedly.
"I wanna talk to her."
"No, I wanna talk to her!"
"You'll both get to talk to her, after I'm done."
"Sounds like things are fun there," Addison laughs. "I tried Cal, but she must be in surgery."
"Yeah, she's got back to back hip and knee replacements all day."
"And you've got all the kids?"
"Yep! We're going for a Christmas tree this afternoon."
"I have something I want to talk about with you two. Can you call me when Callie gets home?"
"Sure. Is everything okay?" Arizona asks, lifting Caroline onto her hip with her free arm.
"It's good, I promise. Did I hear that Asa and Lena want to speak with me?"
"They do. Here's Lena."
"Hi, Aunt Addy!" Lena gushes into the phone. "We're getting' a Christmas tree because it's the Saturday after my birthday!"
"It is? What are you, sixteen, now?"
"You talked to me on my birthday. You know I'm six."
"Oh, six. That's right. How was school this week?"
"Good."
"Good? What did you learn about?"
"Dinosaurs."
"Oh, cool."
"Asa wants to talk to you," Lena informs. "Bye, love you."
"Love you, too, Len'."
"Hi, Aunt Addy!"
"Hey, Asa. Are you looking out for your sisters for me?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good. Hey, have you thought of what you want for Christmas yet?"
"Oh yeah! I want..."
"Honey, I'm home!" Callie calls as she drops her keys on the kitchen counter. She grins when she sees the mammoth tree sitting bare in the living room, but Mrs. Claus and the elves are nowhere in sight.
"Hey-lo, honey," a tiny voice calls back as little feet patter down the hallway from the playroom. Caroline rounds the corner and flashes a bright smile. Callie leans down and scoops her up.
"Hola, m'ija. ¿Cómo te va?"
"Bien, Mami. ¿Y tú?" Cari asks by rote.
"Muy bien. ¿Dónde están Momma y los hermanos?" [Where are Momma and your brother and sister?]
"Play room," the nearly three-year-old answers.
"Oh yeah? ¿Qué hacen?" [What are they doing?]
"They playing."
"I would never guess."
The sarcasm is lost on the toddler, who looks quizzically at her and then changes the subject:
"We got a tree!"
"I know! Es muy grande. How'd you get it home?"
Caroline shrugs as Callie carries her back towards the playroom. The girl squirms.
"Caminar, por favor. Quiero caminar." [Walk, please. I wanna walk.]
"Oh my goodness, because you asked so nicely," Callie teases as she sets the most fiercely independent of her three kids back on the ground.
Caroline leads the way into the playroom, where Arizona, Lena, and Asa are all laid out on their tummies, staring intently at three block towers of varying heights climbing in front of them.
"Gotta be quiet," Caroline stage-whispers, "It's a contest."
Callie grins. She has the most perfect little family; it takes her breath away.
"Hello, goofs," she greets.
"Shh, Mami, please," Asa groans. "I'm winning."
Arizona leans over to playfully swat his rump. "Be nice."
"Ah, Momma, careful!"
Lena giggles at her brother's exasperation. Her tower is the lowest, but she is slowly, methodically constructing it from a wide base, never taking her eyes from the task at hand even as she's amused by her momma's and brother's antics. God, she makes even Arizona look lazy and unfocused.
"Okay then... Since no one is actually that excited to see me, I'll just go start slaving away on dinner after spending the whole day fixing bones."
"I'm excited to see you," Arizona super-magic smiles. "And pizza's on the way, 'cause it's Saturday. So quite whining and bring us some more blocks. I'm trying to kick your children's butts. Oh, and Addison would like us to call when we get a sec."
"Momma's bossy today, huh?"
"Yup," Lena says, smothering a teasing grin as she places another block perfectly.
Asa is more ambitious and impatient than his sister, going for as high as possible as quickly as possible. Callie lowers herself to the ground and pulls Caroline into her lap.
"I am not bossy," Arizona complains with a little pout, eyebrows drawn together in concentration.
Caroline's little fingers play idly with the heart necklace at Callie's neck as Callie puts a kiss to her temple.
"That's a big tree. How did you get it in?"
"Momma's got skills," Arizona gloats, blue eyes dancing with merriment.
"She paid the tree dudes to bring it in," Asa tattles.
"Asa!"
"I assumed as much," Callie says.
Asa's tower quivers as he adds another block, then it topples to the ground with a loud, chaotic crash. He groans loudly, dropping flat on his face into the carpet. Cari giggles.
"One down, one to go," Arizona nudges her mini-me.
"I'm gonna win," Lena says calmly, barely looking at her brother's misfortune as she constructs another level.
Asa dejectedly pushes his blocks towards his momma and sister, then picks himself up and goes to join Callie and Caroline, slumping next to them.
Putting an arm around him warmly, Callie consoles, "It's alright, Ace. They're a force to be reckoned with."
tbc