Although the lights were out and the room was coated in darkness, the smile on Calliope Torres' face was big enough to light the whole building. She jumped up just as the lights sprung on and started clapping wildly, tears pooling in her eyes. To her right, she felt her mother and father do the same, as gradually everyone in the room joined in their standing ovation. In the middle of the stage stood a proud little boy, hair as dark as the night and a blush staining his tan cheeks. There were many qualities that Mateo inherited from his mother. A heart, far too big for a 5-year-old boy. Intelligence and ingenuity so impressive he was allowed to start grade school a year early. And that same smile adorning his small face right now. Luckily, stage fright was not one of them. Callie chuckled as she watched her baby boy puff his chest and give the audience a small bow and wave before walking off the podium. Before he disappeared behind the curtains, his eyes – one covered with a black patch - found hers and she gave him two thumbs up, biting her lip to stifle her laughter as Matt patted the parrot on his shoulder, congratulating the bird on a job well done.

Callie turned to her parents and pretended not to notice her father wipe his eye quickly. "It's probably going to take a while to get him changed and wipe off the make-up. Why don't you go ahead and mingle. We'll catch up with you at the bouncy castle in half an hour?"

Her mom and dad nodded in agreement and she watched them hurry off to catch up with Mrs. Nolan, Mattie's teacher, to no doubt brag about their grandson. Callie shook her head in amusement as she walked towards the backstage area. Her parents were without question the most doting grandparents in the universe. Unfortunately, that left her the part of hard-ass disciplinarian as she didn't want her child to grow up being a spoilt brat. The mere thought of Mateo growing up to be a jocky, Miamian surfer boy, who flaunted his money and looked down on the less fortunate made her cringe. When she used to picture herself as a mother, she never imagined that she would take on the role of "bad cop". She'd secretly relished in fantasies of being a "cool" mom and not the embarrassment she always felt her parents were to her. However, being a single mom didn't leave her much choice. She had to be good cop, bad cop and superhero all at once. She wouldn't give it up for anything though.

"Heyy niño," she smiled. Mattie looked up from rubbing his eyes tiredly and smiled back. He jumped up, fatigue suddenly forgotten. "Mama! Did you see? I jumped from the ship all the way up here," at this he stood on his toes and stretched out his arm as high as he could reach, "and I didn't stumble at all this time! And did you see the sword fight? Just before we found the gold! It was so shiny. Is gold really that shiny? Can we go out on a ship and find gold in the sea, mama? Please please please?"

Callie chuckled. She widened her eyes in fear. "But aren't you afraid the real pirates will get mad at us for taking their gold?" His face fell in disappointment and he nodded in assent. Callie's heart ached a little so she kneeled down in front of him and whispered conspiratorially. "Tell you what…how about next weekend, we take abuelo's boat out and I'll teach you how to sail so that one day you can grow up to be a real pirate too so you won't have to worry about them getting mad at you." The brightened face before her made it easy to forget she was promising her kid a future of thieving, bad dental hygiene and an unhealthy attachment to a pet bird. "BUT," she straightened up, voice stern, "no wooden leg, you hear me? No child of mine is hopping around on a wooden leg." Mateo shook his head and giggled at her silliness. "Of course not, mama. You will make me a titanium one," he said exasperatedly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Ohhh yeah, of course," she chuckled. "Come on, let's get you out of that costume. Grandma and grandpa are waiting for us outside."

As she sat watching Mateo bounce around with the other kids in the bouncy castle a few minutes later, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

I'm gonna do it. Tonight's the night! – Mark

Callie chuckled. 'Tonight' had been the night for three consecutive nights now and it still hadn't happened. She wondered why Mark felt so nervous asking Lexie to marry him when he'd already thrown it out there seven years ago. And so casually at that! The fact that she got back together with him should clue him into what her answer will be. She was happy for her friend. He'd grabbed onto his second chance with both hands and been more respectful of Lexie's needs and taken things at her pace the second time around. He even agreed to her ten-year-plan! A pang of regret shot through her chest as she wondered what would have happened if she stayed in Seattle. Would she and Arizona have gotten a second chance? Would she have badgered Mark with proposal jitters too or perhaps Arizona would have asked her…Arizona was always the take charge type, so yeah…She imagined Arizona the one to pop the question if the day had ever come. Callie shook her head and with it the thoughts that invaded her mind. That life was a long time ago. She had Mateo now and she loves that boy more than she ever could have imagined. Like she said before, she wouldn't trade it for the world. Not even for Arizona.

The break-up had been hell. It was unbearable, being in the same building every day. Watching her smile and wheel around like nothing ever happened. Trying to be friends with Arizona made her feel sick. The constant reigning in of her emotions and the desire to reach out and touch her, but not being allowed to touch her the way she wanted to. So one day, she snapped. She snapped and laid it all out there for Arizona. And boy, had she gotten back what she dished out. The final straw was Arizona telling her she didn't trust her and had no reason to. As if the 15 months of their lives they shared together meant nothing. Callie had been ready to start a family with her, yet Arizona still hadn't gotten over the fact that Callie was a newborn. Callie had given the relationship her all. She always did. And this time, she thought it was mutual. That she and her partner were on the same page. But if her all hadn't been enough to convince Arizona that this was the real deal, she realized that nothing ever would. So, why stay? Why put herself through to torture of seeing Arizona every day? Until that day, she'd held on to a little bit of hope. Hope that Arizona would change her mind. A part of her was desperately trying to change her own mind and not want kids so badly. But if there was no trust…the foundation of every good relationship…then there was nothing. With no hope of a good outcome, the decision to leave Seattle Grace had been an easy one to make.

With no positions for her level available, she slowly realized that she would not only have to leave SGMW; she would also have to leave Seattle and her friends. That decision had been a tough one, but she realized she had no choice. Surgery was her life. Without Arizona, that statement was truer than ever. Without surgery, she had nothing. So, when her father called that Sunday, she told him everything. He made a few calls (and undoubtedly wrote a few checks) and before she knew it she was Head of the Orthopedic Department at St Mary's in Miami. For once she didn't mind her family's wealth.

Fuck, she got pulled into surgery. Tomorrow's probably a better day, right? Nobody wants to get proposed to on a Monday – Mark

Callie laughed out loud. Not even two minutes before he changed his mind this time. She hadn't even gotten the chance to text back. She decided to hit him where it hurts: his age. After Mark hit 45, it became a particularly sensitive subject. She wouldn't be surprised if part of his morning routine was a couple of Botox injections in front of his bathroom mirror.

Pathetic, Sloan. Man up and JUST DO IT! Wait any longer and you won't be able kneel due to the arthritis, old man. By the way, Yang tells me Avery has been making pretty eyes at your girl. So put a ring on that finger NOW!

There. That ought to do it. She felt a little bad for the hell she probably just condemned Avery to, but Pretty Boy can take it and she wanted this wedding to happen soon damn it! While she could still get in her dress…Because just this morning, the stick turned blue for the second time in her life.

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