A/N: Hi. First time Grey's poster, saw the latest episode and it just sort of happened. It's pure schmaltz... Please be kind.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
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It takes an hour to get Sofia to settle. She fusses and wriggles, refusing to take her bottle as though she knows there's something afoot. Arizona's exhausted, and on nights like this finds herself feeling completely unqualified to play the role of mother. She'd never expected to find herself here, a career in paediatrics has failed in every way to prepare her for coping with the terrible twos.
When she emerges from the bedroom Callie's just lingering by the door. She's got that look on her face Arizona knows once upon a dream would be cured by screwing it out, but now in a post-leg world means a night of talking about it. Arizona moves past her to the cupboard without a word, pulls out the wine; if there's going to be discussion she's going to have to be at least a little drunk.
"What changed your mind?" Callie says.
"What do you think?" Callie just looks at her as she pours. "You did," Arizona shrugs, "you're my wife. You jump I jump we all jump."
Callie blankly takes the proffered glass.
"That metaphor doesn't make me feel any better," she says, collapsing with a huff onto the couch. When she speaks she sounds shocked, as though having only just come to the realisation, "I'm not sure I can do this."
"Excuse me?" Arizona sits carefully beside her, holding on tightly to her wine.
"I don't know if you've noticed Arizona, but we're kind of a mess. We can't even get our two year old to brush her teeth or use a spoon, are we really the best people to be running a hospital?"
Arizona chuckles mirthlessly. "Oh, no, almost definitely not. In all likelihood we're about to fail miserably and end up out of work and destitute." Callie frowns.
"Well there's the reassurance I was looking for," she says.
"Did you not think about this before?"
"It seemed like such a great idea. And then you got on board – "
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I honestly thought it would work." Arizona snorts.
"Well I'm flattered."
"What are we gonna do?"
"Callie, we're doctors, we'll find jobs. I save babies and you build limbs with your bare hands. " As if to illustrate her point Arizona reaches for her, links their fingers together. "We might have to flip burgers for a while, but we'll find something."
"What about Sofia?"
"What about her?"
"What about our insurance?"
"What about it?"
"Arizona – "
"Callie calm down, we might not fail miserably. We might end up saving the hospital and the jobs of everyone in it; think about that instead," she pauses. "Besides, it's almost 1am, there's not a lot we can do right now." She raises her glass. "Except maybe drink some more."
"You're right."
"I know."
"I just didn't expect to feel so…" Callie trails off, waving her arm wildly.
"…unemployed?"
"Yeah."
"I know."
There's a pause.
"And just for the record, I did once have a summer job."
"Oh really?"
"Yep, I was a lifeguard." She stops abruptly, the way she does when she's realised something halfway through the sentence.
"It was your pool, wasn't it?"
"Yeah." Arizona sighs.
"Never mind," she says. "It's still hot." Arizona lifts her arm as an invitation, Callie giggles and nestles into her, throwing a leg over hers and burying her face in the crook of her neck. Arizona can feel Callie sniffing, knows her wife is smelling her. Creep. "I can't remember the last time I told you I love you."
"It doesn't matter, I'm pretty sure you still do."
"Oh you're pretty sure?" There's another giggle, and Callie presses a wet kiss below her ear.
"Yeah," she says, "I had a hunch."
Callie has always appealed to her better nature, just by being with her, stood by her side with her arm around her. She makes Arizona feel like life is an adventure they can embark upon together, as though there are lands she has yet to discover, wonders she has yet to see. It's one of the things Arizona loves most about her. Well, that and her boobs.