Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters!
"Callie?" Arizona called, as she quietly stepped into the brunette's bedroom.
Callie was startled at first. Hastily she wiped away the wet streaks across her cheeks. "Arizona? What are you doing here?"
"I came to drop Sophia off but you didn't answer the door so I let myself in. What are you watching?" She asked as her gaze fell on the TV that displayed Mark's elated face.
"Sorry I didn't hear anything. I must have been in my own world. It's...it's our wedding video. I was just going through all the DVD's and I came across this. I was just watching Mark's speech to us." Callie said as she rewinded the video to the beginning of the speech.
"I had a patient once who told me about his wedding day and they asked all the married couples to come on the dance floor and dance together. And then they asked the couples who have only been married for 1 year to sit down. And then 5 years...10 years...20 and so on, until they got to the last two couples. Two sets of grandparents. Been together for 60 years. 60 years with the love of their life. That's gonna be you two at our granddaughters wedding. Callie...Arizona...congratulations, I love you."
Arizona watched. Completely enthralled of the man she had come to see as family. She missed him. She loved him.
After a moment of silence, she whispered, just loud enough for Callie to hear.
"He's right. That was supposed to be us. That should have been us."
Callie looked at her. She didn't even need to ask what she was talking about. She knew. She thought it too.
"Yeah. It should have been." She replied as she turned back to the TV, longingly looking at her best friend.
Silence took over the room. Both women caught up in their own thoughts. About Mark. About their failed marriage. About each other.
Callie was first to break the silence. "I can't help but think that if Mark was here, we may have still been together."
Again silence washed over them. Callie wasn't expecting a reply. It was just a thought she had. A thought she figured was worth sharing.
Arizona didn't intend on replying. There was no doubt that she had a lot of thoughts on Callie's statement. But she never intended on sharing these thoughts with her ex wife. However, it seemed as her mouth had a mind of it's own. Quietly. So quiet that it seemed as she was speaking to herself, she found herself replying to Callie.
"We should still be together. Regardless."
"What?!" Callie exclaimed as she whipped her head to look at Arizona. Breaking the sea of silence.
Apparently Callie's disruptive response broke Arizona out of her own thoughts. It was only then she realized what she had said.
"I...uhh." Arizona struggled, trying to back peddle her way out of this. They didn't do this. Her and Callie. They didn't talk like this. Not anymore.
"I should go." Arizona said quickly. "I'll just go say bye to Soph and I'll let myself out." And with that, she all but ran out of the room.
Callie, mouth wide open, remained where she was. Too shocked to process what her ex wife had just revealed. Did she mean that? Could she have meant that? What did this all mean?!
Days went by without the topic being brought up. Days then turned into weeks. Both women skillfully avoided each other as best as they could. They often dropped and picked Sophia up at daycare so they wouldn't have to see each other. When that wasn't an option, their face to face's were brief. Nothing more then a hi and bye was exchanged between the pair.
Arizona on one hand was mortified. She couldn't believe she expressed those thoughts aloud. She didn't even realize she had said them until she heard her ex wife's loud remark. This was not supposed to happen. Those feelings that she had kept bottled up since the divorce were supposed to remain sealed. Air tight. Until the other night, that was. She didn't mean to, it just happened. She was caught up in all her emotions of missing Mark and missing Callie. Missing Callie being her wife.
It wasn't that she didn't mean the words. Of course she did. She wished, longed for her and Callie to be together again. She loved Callie. She was in love with her. She always would. They were meant to be together. But she couldn't say anything. Above all else, she wanted Callie to be happy, even if that meant being apart. Even if that meant Callie being with someone else.
Over the past few weeks, Callie had done a lot of thinking, specifically about her ex wife. Her words rang through her ears.We should still be together. It was all she ever thought of. After days of replaying the moment in her head, Callie had come to the conclusion that Arizona had meant what she said. She wouldn't have said it otherwise. And judging by her reaction after, she didn't mean to say them out loud either.
That terrified Callie. But it also thrilled her. It meant that her ex wife wanted them to be together again. Which had to mean that she reciprocated the feelings Callie had held inside for so long. Right?
After more days passed, Callie was finally able to admit and accept the feelings she felt since the day she walked out of the therapists' office. She loved Arizona. She was in love with her. They should have stayed together. They were meant to stay together. They were the couple that was supposed to beat the odds. They were the couple that was supposed to live in the big old house with kids and chickens running around, giving sage sane advice. After everything they had been through, they were supposed to get their happy ending.
As Callie kept thinking about it, she came to realize that they could still be that couple. They could still get their happy ending. Assuming Arizona felt the same way, it was very much possible. They had both grown during their separation. They were different people, there was no doubt about it. But they loved each other. They continued to love each other. And that meant something. It had to.
Before she could lose her courage she grabbed her keys and made her way out the door. With Sophia sleeping over at Zola's tonight, this provided her with the perfect opportunity.
20 minutes later she was at Arizona's doorstep, breathing heavily. This was it. She knocked on the door, nervously waiting. A few moments later the door swung open.
The second Callie looked into those bright blue eyes that she loved so much, all her nerves disappeared. She was brought back the moment on her wedding day. Mark was walking her down the aisle as she kept telling herself not to trip. But the moment she looked up and saw that super magic smile and the pair of shining blue eyes of her soon-to-wife, everything was okay. She was okay.
"Callie? What are you doing here?" Arizona asked, clearly surprised to see her ex wife. It wasn't her day to get Sophia so there was really no reason for Callie to be here.
A beat of silence passed. Then another. When she received no response, she tried again.
"Uh, Callie? Are you o-"
She was interrupted by Callie who had finally responded.
"Marry me." She said, as she gazed into those beautiful blue eyes.
"What?!" Arizona exclaimed. Astonished at her Callie's proposition. Was she drunk?
Unfazed by her ex wife's shock, she continued.
"Marry me so we can dance together. So we can dance together at our granddaughter's wedding and be that one couple that's been married for 60 years."
"Callie what the hell are you talking about?" Arizona managed to ask even though she could barely hear herself speak. Her heart was pounding so loud. So fast.
Without waiting a beat, Callie began to explain.
"Mark was right. You were right. We should be that couple on the dance floor. The couple that stays until the very end. We're meant to be that couple, Arizona. We deserve to be them."
"Cal-" Arizona began but Callie ploughed forward, not giving Arizona a chance to respond.
"I am so in love with you. You're the person I'm supposed to be with. We're supposed to be together because I love you and you love me, and none of the rest of it matters!" Callie exclaimed, repeating Arizona's words back to her from years ago.
"During our time apart, we both accomplished so much. We became completely different people. We changed so much. We changed for each other. But one thing that never changed or altered throughout this time apart, was our love for one another. We still love each other and that says something. That means someth-"
Before Callie could finish, she was cut off by Arizona's lips. Lips that were glued to her own. Arizona's hands cupped Callie's face as Callie's own hands found residence on the blonde's waist. But before Callie could deepen the kiss, Arizona pulled away. She pulled away just enough to lock gaze with those big beautiful brown eyes and say:
"Yes."
Instead of received a response, Arizona was met with a confused look.
Arizona just smiled. She leaned in to briefly press her lips against the brunettes once again.
With their lips on millimetres apart, she repeated with certainty,
"Yes, Calliope. I will marry you."
