A/N This is my first attempt at showing my writing to the public. I relish any reviews, suggestions and opinions. Thank you, LMS
THE BEACH HOUSE…SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA…A FAMILY AFFAIR…
CHAPTER ONE
The airport shuttle cab has just dropped me off at 400 Ocean View LaneSanta MonicaCalifornia. The cab driver sets my luggage down on the curb as I hand him the balance of my fare along with a generous tip. The nice looking gentleman smiles as he tips his hat to me and tells me "Have a nice day, Ma'am". It has been almost five years since I have been at this address and almost fifteen years before that last time. I gather up my suitcases and make my way to the front door…the brightest…reddest front door ever built and ever painted. I smile to my self as I remember the history behind the red door and the two women who made all their dreams come true in this house…that included all of our history…although they could not keep all of the family members together like they had always wanted to…they both made our lives pleasurable and memorable when we were all together.
I open the wooden screen door that leads to the red door as I smell the fragrance of stale cigarettes and an overpowering hint of jasmine. I maneuver my way into the foyer and set my luggage down as I take in all that is my grandmother's home. From the antique tables and chair that fulfill the nine different rooms and three and a half bathrooms along with the sun room and deck out off the back door, I remember the stories behind every piece of antique furniture. But when my eyes gaze upon the beautiful sight of the solid oak ten foot long dining room table that my funny, strict and handsome grandfather made with his own two hands when he and my grandmother Eileen first were married, I begin to cry because I will never hear my Grandma Neelie, that was her nickname my grandfather Matthew gave her when they first meet, tell that story ever again in my lifetime. You see…Neelie is Eileen spelled backwards…and was his pet name he gave to her all those years ago.
I wander through the house as my fingertips trace along the dusty table tops of not only the hand made dining room table but of all the other tables and chairs that grace my grandparent's home. From the American pedestal table to the Queen Anne tea tables and double pedestal table to the Teapoy mid 19th century table and the bedside night stands. I pause for a moment to sit in the Thomas Jefferson swivel chair that my grandfather sat in at his desk. I never was able to meet the man personally because although he did the most heroic feat ever, by saving nineteen men, he drown in the waters of the Pacific Ocean on December 7, 1941.
I continue my walk through of this elegant but massive beachfront home as I come to my bedroom complete with my Windsor arm chair with the side table where I used to sit for hours just reading, coloring and doing some odd and end word puzzles with my Grandma Neelie and her best friend Sofia Iphegenia Razon. I make my way through the rest of the upstairs and the attic admiring all the pictures that adorn the walls of this unforgettable beach house. Then I take the back stairs that lead down to the enormously large kitchen with attached dining room and breakfast nook. The kitchen is full of antique cupboards and a very quaint fourteen drawer spice rack as the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg still fill the room. With all the modern appliances that the year of 2013 has to offer there is an old world feel that has a four door tiger maple wood hutch that contains all of Grandma Neelie's china along with Miss Sofia's patent silverware from Cuba.
I open the refrigerator to find what I am looking for…my grandmother's old standby…several bottles of Miller Lite…as I grab one as I smile and pop the cap on the built in bottle opener on the side of the homemade cupboards. Standing in the center of Grandma Neelie's infamous kitchen, I take in all of the good and bad times shared here with not only my family but Miss Sofia's family as well. As I practically down the ice cold beer in three swigs, I wonder if she will be here. I have not seen her since the death of her grandmother Sofia five years ago right here in this house. I toss the glass bottle in the recycling bin as I grab another beer from the fridge and make my way out the back door and onto the beach just a ways down from the Santa Monica Pier. Hearing the wooden screen door slam against the wooden door frame all I can think about is my grandmother and my mother yelling at us kids, me and my brother Tim along with Miss Sofia's granddaughters Aria and Calliope, as we all run through that screen door with each of us individually slamming the door on our way outside and down to the ocean.
My mother and father and my sister meet me and my daughter at my gate at LAX airport. My father has rented a town car that will take the five of us to the beach home once shared by my abuela Sofia and her best friend Miss Neelie. My three and a half year old daughter Sofia, named after my precious grandmother, melts the heart of her Tia Aria and her abuelo as she runs into his arms. My mother, on the other hand, is not as quite as receptive of my bastard daughter as the other two members of my family. You would think she would have been grateful that I did not marry Mark Sloan since he left me and his daughter for the true love of his life Dr. Addison Montgomery and their life in New York City. He has not totally forgot about his daughter as he and Addison come to Seattle occasionally to visit with her and spend time as we both have agreed that she can come to New York for a visit when she is much older.
The car ride is filled with stories of our abuela Sofia and Miss Neelie as I ask my mother "When was the last time you saw Miss Neelie, mami"? My mother hesitates as her guilt over takes her body and she whispers softly "It was at your abuela Sofia's funeral". I am surprised by her answer as I say "So you have not seen Miss Neelie since Grandma Sofia's death"? My mother just shakes her head in dismay as I say "I have seen here several times since abuela Sofia's death. In the past five years I have traveled to L.A. for different orthopedic conferences and have always stopped in to see how she was doing". My father is the next to speak as he says "I too have visited Miss Neelie on occasion on my business trips out to the west coast". Even my sister Aria says "I came out here for a friend's wedding a couple of years ago and stayed with Miss Neelie. It was like old times when we both were kids Callie. Remember when the four of us spent every late summer vacation with Miss Neelie and her daughter Barbara and son-in-law Daniel and their family".
The car becomes quiet at the mention of Miss Neelie's family as I think about her granddaughter Arizona and the summers we used to spend here in Santa Monica during our youth. Just as the town car comes to a stop in front of the beach house we all remember so fondly, a Jeep Cherokee pulls into the driveway ahead of us. The driver of the town car opens the rear door as he helps my mother and sister and me out of the vehicle. My daughter Sofia is holding hands with her abuelo as they both exit the car. The five of us watch Lt. Col. Daniel Robbins open the passenger door of the Jeep as he exits and waves to all of us. Then the driver side door opens as Lt. Col. Tim Robbins leaves the confines of the vehicle while he opens the back door to help his mother Barbara make her way out of the Jeep.
With the eight of us saying our "Hello's" to one another in the driveway and hugging and kissing one another it is Tim that questions first "I wonder if Arizona is already here"? With Tim, The Colonel, my father along with the town car driver all taking our luggage inside the beach house, we all see by the suitcases already in the foyer that Arizona has indeed arrived first. With all of us milling around this spacious home as we are in awe of everything that makes this house a home, we all find our bedrooms and place our luggage in each room. But before I unpack my and my daughter's suitcases, I make my way down the back staircase and find myself staring out the back door to the one person I was hoping to see upon my arrival.
Watching Arizona pace back and forth and up and down the shoreline of the beach area I suddenly feel a gentle hand stroking my back. I turn a little to my left to see Barbara Robbins standing next to me as I hear her say "You know my dear, she misses you too…so…so very much". I smile and hug my dear friend's mother as I say "But it has been so long since I have seen her and she has never even met my daughter Sofia. What do I even say to her, Barbara"? My dear sweet family friend hands me a bottle of white wine along with two glasses and a blanket as she kisses my cheek and says "Why don't you start by saying hello and see where that leads". I kiss Barbara on the cheek as she places the blanket across my forearm and hands me the wine glasses and the bottle of white. Barbara opens the back door for me as she closes it softly as not to arouse any noise from the screen door to alert Arizona of my impending presence.
When I find myself a few feet behind Arizona I call out her name as not to surprise her but when I do not receive any verbal response I tap her shoulder. Watching her spin around on the heels of her feet as she smiles in my direction and pulls on the cord to her ear buds out of her ears, I realize she was listening to her music and did not hear me come up behind her. With a cheerful "Hey Callie" from Arizona I smile and say "Hey to you too" as I silently motion to her the things I have in my hands and ask "Care for a drink"? Arizona takes the blanket off my forearm as she carefully spreads it out onto the sandy beach. Then taking the bottle of white out of my hand we both flop down on the blanket as she begins to pour the wine. With our glasses about a third of the way full Arizona raise her glass as I do mine as she says "To Miss Neelie, we both hope you find Miss Sofia once again and both of you have a wonderful afterlife. Callie and I love and miss you both everyday. You have made our lives very meaningful by your example".
Both Arizona and I take a sip of our wine to salute these two brave women in our lives but after my sip I sort of smirk a bit and say "I'm not sure I have been a good example to honor my abuela Sofia. But at least she would not be disappointed or disgusted with me as my own mother seems to be lately. My grandmother Sofia would have loved me despite my failures in my life". Arizona plants her wine glass deep in the sand next to us as she scoots closer to me and takes me in her arms. Kissing my forehead as she compassionately says "You have never failed at anything in your life Callie. You are the Head of the Orthopedic Surgery at SeattleGraceMercyWestHospital and one of the best orthopedic surgeons on the west coast. From what I gather from my mother and your father you have raised the most precious and beautiful daughter imaginable. But since I have yet to meet her, I'll have to take their word for it. Even though things may have not gone your way with some things in your life, you are definitely not a failure at anything".
I pull my wine glass out of the sand that it was imbedded into as I clang it against Callie's wine glass. With a hearty nod of my head to confirm my latest response to her is true Callie smiles at me as she clangs her wine glass against mine and nods her head in affirmation. Callie and I sit and talk about everything we have gone through since the last time we saw each other…five years ago at her abuela Sofia's funeral. I tell her about my misfortunate relationships with Joanne and Colleen. Callie tells me about her failed marriage to one George O'Malley and her bad romance and pregnancy with the infamous Dr. Mark Sloan…but the best thing to come from this bad time in her life…her daughter.
Just as we finish the last of the bottle of wine I brought down to greet Arizona with my daughter comes running down to the beach yelling "Mami…Mami" with my father trailing close behind his granddaughter. My Sofia runs right past Arizona and into my arms as she tells her abuelo "I won abuelo…I won". My father laughs out loud as he says "Yes you did mija…you beat your old abuelo". When my father catches his breath he looks straight at Arizona as he falls to his knees and says to her "Arizona, it is so good to see you. I am just sorry it has to be under these circumstances. My whole family loved your grandmother and she will be sorely missed". Arizona hugs my father and tells him "Thank you Carlos, my family loves all of you too and are so glad that you are all here with us during this time".
Carlos and I are sharing a hug when the cute little tiny human that is Sofia maneuvers her way in between us but before Carlos can say a word his adorable little granddaughter says to me "My name is Sofia Robbin Sloan Torres…and who might you be"? Callie jumps to her feet and says in a huff "Sofia Torres where are you manners"? I stand and say to this gorgeous little girl "My name is Arizona Robbins and it is a pleasure to meet you Sofia Torres". Before Callie can further punish her daughter her father says "Come on mija, I think Aria and Barbara said something about some ice cream". Sofia stands and takes her abuelo's hand and says "Yea…ice cream" as they both turn to walk back to the beach house but then Sofia stops abruptly jerking her grandfather's hand and says to me "It was a pleasure to meet you Arizona Robbins…Robbins huh…same as my middle name minus the "S"…huh". I smile at the youngster and then look at Callie and say "Yea…huh".
Shaking the sand out of the blanket, I try my damndest not to look at Arizona as she is gathering up the glasses and bottle of wine. After meeting Sofia and my daughter telling Arizona her full name, I know by the sly remark that Arizona has just made that she knows that I named my daughter after her name. The silence is killing me as we walk back up to the beach house. I take a hold of Arizona's forearm to halt our progress as I say to her "I have always meant to tell you about Sofia and that I named her after you but life just got in the way and I never found the time. I'm sorry Arizona, I should have told you". Arizona walks closer to me as I feel her warm breath on my right cheek as I hear her whisper "It's fine Callie and thank you for the honor of your daughter sharing my name…it's truly awesome".
After sharing an exquisite dinner with my brother and my parents along with the Torres family, everyone goes their separate ways as Callie and Aria help Sofia with her bath and my parents and the Torres's go for a walk down the beach. I am sitting out on the deck enjoying a Miller Lite when my brother Tim comes and finds me. He plops himself down next to me as he just smiles at me. I find this very odd and ask him "What's with you, bro"? He just laughs and says "You can't hide your feeling very well sis. I can see it in your eyes that you still love her…anyone can see it". I sit up straighter in my chair and say to my brother "Yea…but she does not feel the same way about me…she never has…and I need to accept that…I really do".
I am standing in the doorway that leads out onto the deck after giving my daughter a bath when I hear the conversation between Arizona and Tim. Standing there frozen in place and hearing Arizona confess her love for me again after all these years to her brother, I am speechless as I make my way to my bedroom without saying a word. Sofia is sound asleep in the bed as I walk out onto the balcony and begin to cry. My sister Aria comes into my room to ask me a question but when she sees me crying she then asks if I am alright. I tell her what had transpired on the deck and all she can say to me is "Callie why are you so surprised? Arizona has been in love with you forever…how could you not see that…are you really that blind"?