Summary: The Proposal except it's gay and Calzona. Please don't get mad at me for plagiarizing. I'm not taking credit for anything. I just changed it to fit Calzona.
Callie's morning began like every other: she woke up at 5:15 a.m., grabbed the manuscript that lay beside her bed, and hopped on her treadmill. There, she ran for an hour and got an adequate amount of work done before most people's days even started. Then, she showered for approximately eight minutes while her steel-cut oats finished cooking, ate breakfast while flipping through the New York Times, and then stalked to work in her four-inch Louboutins, pushing past any pedestrians who dared get in her way.
Arizona's morning likewise began like every other: she woke up at 6:30 a.m. to the sound of her alarm going off, snoozed until it sounded again twenty minutes later, and then rushed through her morning routine. She ran through the busy Seattle streets toward Starbucks, praying that Mark was working.
She was in luck, and the man waved her over.
"Robbins!"
Arizona heaved a sigh of relief. She hurried to the counter, ignoring the irritated looks of all the businesspeople running just as late as she was.
Mark grinned. "Two large coffees with Sweet & Low and almond milk."
Arizona smiled back. "Thank you," she panted. "You're a lifesaver."
The man's eyes salaciously followed her retreating form as Arizona hurried out the door. As she crossed the busy street, heading toward the high-rise where she worked, she felt coffee spill from one of the cardboard cups and scorch her hand, but she ignored the pain. She was running late.
When the elevator stopped on the top floor and the doors opened, she immediately pushed forward without looking. So, she didn't see an intern simultaneously pushing forward to get onto the elevator until it was too late, and they ran right into each other, effectively spilling hot coffee all over Arizona's white button-down.
"Oh my god," Jo panicked. "Arizona, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you. I…" The girl twirled in a circle as she searched the vicinity for napkins. "I-"
Arizona forced herself to slow her breathing, knowing that, if she wasn't careful, she would explode. And, as useless as Jo was, Arizona didn't think she deserved her wrath. She didn't have time to give into her anger, anyway.
So, instead of giving the girl a lecture on the importance of letting people out of the elevator first, Arizona pushed past her, realizing that there was now one more thing on her to-do list.
"Alex." Arizona nodded toward her friend as she headed to his cubicle.
"What?" Alex asked, not looking up from his computer.
"Give me your shirt."
That caught his attention. "What?" he laughed.
"Well, look at me!" Arizona gestured toward her shirt. "I'd ask Teddy, but she's not in today. So I'm asking you. Give me your shirt."
"Dude, no way!" Alex argued. "What would I wear?"
"Your undershirt. I don't really care. Please. I'll give you two tickets to the Seahawks. In the charter section."
"You're kidding," Alex deadpanned, but Arizona saw that he was ready to cave.
She looked toward the door. "You have three seconds."
And, thankfully, that was all the time they needed for their little trade to go through, because about twenty seconds later, Callie walked through the door.
As Arizona attempted to tuck the large men's shirt into her skirt as best she could, she offered a little nod toward the door. "She-Devil at one o'clock. Better get busy." And with that, she bounded into her boss's office with the one coffee that remained in hand and only a moment to spare.
"Good morning, boss," she smiled as Callie walked into the room and grabbed the coffee from her hand. "You have a meeting with Ellis in half an hour, and publicity wants to talk to you at two about Virginia Dixon."
Callie sat down at her desk. "What about her?"
"Well, her book's coming out, and she hasn't been willing to do any interviews…"
"Oh, yes she has," Callie corrected her assistant, looking at her for the first time. "I called her this morning. She's doing Oprah."
"Wow." Arizona's eyebrows flew up. She was impressed. Everyone in the publication field knew that Virginia Dixon was an incredible writer but never willing to publicize her novels; calling her "antisocial" was an understatement. She wondered how Callie had managed to get her way.
"Oh, and your immigration lawyer called and said to call him back as soon a-"
"Tell him I'm busy," Callie commanded, shuffling papers at her desk. "And cancel the meeting with publicity. I did their job for them. Again."
Arizona nodded, always obedient and quick to catch on. She headed for the door, but then the sound of Callie's voice stopped her.
"Um. Who's Mark? And why does he want me to call him?" Callie raised her eyebrows, giving the blonde an expectant look.
Arizona looked down. "Well, that was originally my coffee."
"And why am I drinking your coffee?" Callie pressed.
"Because your coffee spilled."
"Ah." Callie slowly took a sip, and Arizona stood still, her eyes shifting as she awaited the certain humiliation that would follow.
"So you drink coffee with two packets of Sweet & Low and almond milk?" Callie wondered. The coffee tasted exactly like hers.
Arizona nodded. "I do."
Callie stared at her. "Is that a coincidence?"
Arizona nodded, lying, "Absolutely." Then, before she could again attempt to make her escape, Callie's voice stopped her.
"And Arizona?" she began, not even bothering to look up from what she was writing. "The next time you decide it's a good idea to wear your boyfriend's shirt to work, maybe you should reconsider."
Arizona bit her tongue, as she often did, knowing better than to correct her boss. The last person who had tried to correct Callie Torres now worked as a waitress at the diner on the corner. Then again, Penny Blake never had been too good of an editor, anyway.
"Is there anything else I can do for you, Ms. Torres?"
"Yes, actually." Callie took another sip of coffee. "We have a meeting with Bob in five minutes. That gives you enough time to get to the restroom and try to tuck in that cheap polyester button-down a little bit better."
But, as Arizona exited her boss's office, she instead hurried to her own cubicle and jiggled her mouse, bringing her computer to life. Quickly, she typed, IT'S ON THE MOVE, giving her coworkers a few critical moments of emotional preparation. Then she adjusted her shirt, as she watched people read her instant message and their eyes widen with fear. The cheerful buzz quickly subsided to silence as everyone returned to what they were supposed to be doing.
Callie began walking towards Robert Stark's office, and Arizona had to run to catch up to her. "Hey. So, um-"
Callie inclined her head as she took a sip of coffee. "Spit it out, Arizona."
"I, um, was wondering what you thought of that manuscript I left on your desk?" Arizona continued. "I think it has some real promise, and-"
Callie made a face. "I didn't like it."
Arizona held her ground. "Did you read the whole thing? I know it obviously needs work, but there's something in there that feels really special."
They stopped outside Stark's door, and Arizona knew the conversation was over—at least for the time being.
Callie strode into the office with Arizona trailing behind her.
"Torres," the small, often unpleasant man gruffed.
"Hey, Bob."
"Please, come in. Make yourself at home," he sneered, not even looking toward Arizona.
Callie crossed her arms. "We need to talk."
Stark raised his eyebrows. "What can I do for you?"
"Well, actually…" Callie paused. "We're letting you go."
A beat. Then, incredulous: "Excuse me?"
Nonchalantly—as if she wasn't firing a man who'd been an editor for a decade longer than she had—Callie continued, "I told you to get Yang to publish with us, but she wanted Random House, instead."
Feeling awkward, Arizona backed toward the door, knowing the conversation had nothing to do with her—and being thankful for that.
"Random House is the top publisher in the nation," Stark defended. "What was I supposed to do? They offered her a better contract. There was no way she'd choose us over them."
"Then explain why I just called her this morning, and she's agreed to sign with us."
Stark's eyes widened. So did Arizona's.
"You let me down, Bob," Callie sighed. "But I'm going to be nice. I won't tell Ellis yet. You can find another job and then 'resign.' Okay?"
With that, she and Arizona left the room—though Callie knew what was coming. She had known Stark for a long time, so she was familiar with his temper.
She heard the sound of his office door open. "Just keep walking," she whispered—more to herself than to Arizona.
"YOU POISONOUS BITCH," Stark bellowed, and everyone in the room turned to look at him—Callie and Arizona included. "Do you really think you can storm into my office, fire me, and humiliate me publicly?"
"Bob…" Callie warned.
"I see through your charade," he continued. "You've always been threatened by me. You're pathetic. You're a monster." He turned and smiled at his coworkers, obviously pleased with his own bravery.
"Bob, stop…" Callie tried again, always keeping her cool.
"Just because you have no life outside this job doesn't mean you can treat us like crap. It's not our fault that you're going to die sad and alone. It's yours."
And then, in a quiet voice—never needing volume to command a room—Callie countered, "Listen, Bob. I'm firing you not because I'm 'a monster' but because you're self-righteous, arrogant, and not nearly as good at your job as you think you are. And if you say even one more word, Arizona here will call security and stand back and laugh while they throw you out on your ass. Then she'll blog about it."
Arizona took a step back, distancing herself from the drama.
Stark was stunned into silence.
Satisfied with herself, Callie's lips quirked up. "Now," she concluded, "I have work to do."
As she and Arizona turned and walked away, Callie said to her assistant, "He's done for. But there's going to be a lot more work for us this weekend with him gone. I'm going to need you to be available."
"What, this weekend?"
"Yeah, is that a problem?"
"Uh, well, I was supposed to go home this weekend for my uncle's 65th birthday. My parents are throwing him a big bash…"
Callie didn't even look at her, obviously bored.
"But it's fine," Arizona lied. "I'll just call them and say I can't. It's fine."
"Great," Callie quipped and walked away.
"Mom, I'm sorry," Arizona sighed, worrying the coiled phone cord between her fingers. "Look, I know I promised him I'd be there, but I can't go anymore. I've worked hard for this promotion, and I don't want to screw it up now."
She heard heels clacking down the hall and lowered her voice.
"Fine, Dad's mad. But Dad's always mad. Tell him I'm sorry, okay?"
Th clacking sound intensified, and Arizona quickly changed her tone, pretending it was a work-related call. "Thank you so much for that feedback, ma'am. We'll get back to you as soon as we can. Bye." She hung up the phone and turned toward her boss.
"Was that your mom?" Callie asked knowingly.
"Yes," Arizona admitted.
"Did she tell you to quit?"
Arizona sighed. "Daily."
Stephanie, an intern, tentatively stood by Arizona's cubicle, fearful of interrupting. "Um, Ms. Torres?"
Callie turned to her. "What?"
"Ellis just informed me that she needs you in her office," the girl said.
"Ugh." Callie kept her eyes on Arizona. "I don't have time for this today. Come get me in fifteen minutes," she instructed. "We have a lot to do."
Arizona nodded. "Will do."
Callie strode into Ellis's office and smiled at her boss. "Ellis."
Ellis looked up from her work. "Callie. Congratulations on the Oprah thing. And on Yang. This is why I keep you around."
Callie's smile widened at the praise. "Thank you. Now, what's this about?"
Ellis cleared her throat. "Callie," she exhaled. "Do you remember when I insisted that you not go to the conference in London last month because you couldn't leave the country while your visa was being processed?"
Callie nodded. "Yes, I do."
"And you went to London, anyway."
"Well, I had to," Callie defended. "J.K. is writing another book, and we want her to publish with us. I had no other choice."
"Right, well…" Ellis paused. "I just got off the phone with your immigration attorney."
"Oh! Great. We're all good, then?"
"No. Callie, your visa application has been denied-"
"What?"
Ellis met her eyes. "And you are being deported."
Callie's eyes bulged. "Deported?"
"He said that you also failed to complete some paper work on time."
"This has to be some sort of mistake," Callie laughed. "I mean, I'm not even a real immigrant. I'm from Canada! And I've lived here for over ten years! We have to do something. I mean, there has to be something-"
"There is," Ellis reassured her. "We're going to reapply. But you'll need to leave the country for at least a year."
"Okay…" Callie was in problem-solving mode, attempting to think of a solution. "Well, that's not ideal, but I can manage everything from Vancouver. We'll have email, video conferencing…"
Ellis shook her head. "Callie, you can't work for an American company if you're deported. So, until we resolve this, I'm turning everything over to Bob Stark."
"You're joking."
"We need a veteran employee to work as editor-in-chief. He's one of the oldest we have."
"I just fired him!"
Ellis released a tired breath. "We want you to stay, Callie. You're the best there is. If there were any solution, we'd make it work."
"Ellis, come o-"
Suddenly, the door opened, and Arizona came in with her punctual interruption. "Hi. I'm so sorry to interrupt. Ms. Torres, Meredith is on line-two and says she needs to speak with you. I told her you were in a meeting, but-"
"I know, I know," Callie sighed, recognizing that the woman was often hard to say no to.
"Should I just…" Arizona trailed off, feeling something in the air shift as Callie began to stare at her with a strange intensity. Her confusion increased as Callie motioned her inside.
Hesitantly, Arizona walked forward, closing the door behind her.
Callie turned back toward her boss. "Ellis, I understand our predicament and, um. I think there's something you should know." She backed up to stand beside Arizona. "We, um." She tried to smile. "We're getting married."
Arizona's eyebrows furrowed. "Who's getting married?"
"You and I." Callie insisted. "You and I are getting married."
And, even though Arizona had no idea what was going on, she knew to follow Callie's lead. That was her job. So, she confirmed, "We are. We're getting married."
Ellis's eyes widened in surprise. "You're marrying your assistant?"
"Executive assistant," Callie corrected.
Ellis still looked dubious.
"Look, I know it's kind of unorthodox," Callie defended. "It's unexpected for us, too. We weren't supposed to fall in love, but with all those late nights and book fairs, something...happened."
"Something…" Arizona was having an out of body experience. What exactly was going on?
"We couldn't fight it," Callie insisted. She raised her arm, awkwardly wrapping it around Arizona's waist. "We were just meant to be."
"Wow." Ellis was speechless.
"Right, so, um, are you good…with this?" Callie asked. "I mean, is this a good solution? Are you happy? Because we're…so happy." She smiled, looking half-crazed.
"Yes. Yes! It's wonderful news. Congratulations," Ellis grinned. "Just make it legal, huh?"
"Right." Callie nodded, perhaps one too many times. "Of course. I guess it's time for us to get married. No time like the present. Right." She cringed internally, worrying that her act wasn't convincing. "Thank you, ma'am. Thank you."
Arizona offered a grateful nod of her own. "Thank you, ma'am," she seconded.
By the time they stepped out of Ellis's office, Arizona could tell that everyone had already heard the news. She felt the eyes that followed them. She met Alex's flabbergasted expression from across the room and quickly averted her eyes, knowing how easily her face would give away the truth. Instead, she followed her boss to her office in silence and closed the glass office-door behind them.
Inside, Callie sat at her desk and began reading a manuscript, while Arizona stood over her, waiting for an explanation. When none came, she cleared her throat. "Ms. Torres."
Callie looked up. "What is it?" she asked, as if she had already forgotten what had just transgressed.
"What's happening?"
"Oh, relax."
"Relax?"
"They were going to make Bob editor-in-chief," Callie explained.
"So…I have to marry you?"
"What's the problem?" Callie asked. "Oh. Is it that I'm a woman? We're in Seattle, for crying out loud. It's not a big deal."
"That's…not it." Arizona closed her eyes, attempting to make sense of the situation. "I just-"
"What?" Callie snapped.
"I'm not going to marry you."
"Sure you are," Callie informed her. "Because, if you don't, Bob will fire you, you'll be unemployed, and then everything you worked for will have been for nothing, and you'll have to start from scratch if you ever dream of becoming an editor."
Arizona's mouth fell open as she heard the truth in Callie's words, and her boss continued, "Don't worry. In a few years, we'll get a divorce and you'll never have to see me again. But, until then, if I'm gone, you're gone. You're stuck with me. Got it?"
Arizona knew she shouldn't have been surprised that Callie cut everyone in line at the immigration office, but somehow she was.
"Ms. Torres, there's a line."
Callie waved her assistant off and focused her attention on the tired-looking clerk at the front desk. "File this fiancé visa for me, please."
The office worker sighed. "Please, come with me."
They made their way to a small office and sat down in the two chairs that faced the desk. Callie began answering emails on her iPhone, and Arizona looked around the room with a sinking feeling in her chest.
"I'm going to go to jail. I can feel it."
"You're not going to jail," Callie assured her. "It'll be fine. We just have to meet this lady, play nice for a few minutes, and then we'll be married and divorced in no time."
A second later, the door opened, and a small, squat woman walked in. "Hello. I'm Miranda Bailey. And you are…"
"Callie Torres," Callie smiled.
Arizona gulped. "Arizona Robbins."
"Pleased to meet you."
Callie smiled angelically. "Thank you so much for meeting with us on such short notice."
Bailey sat down at her desk and flipped through the file her coworker had given her. "So," she began. "I have a question for you both."
Callie and Arizona waited.
The woman looked up. "Are you two committing fraud to avoid Ms. Torres's deportation so she can keep her position as editor in chief?"
Callie and Arizona looked horrified, but they hoped Bailey would think it was more out of disgust than the fact that she was right.
"What?" Callie asked innocently. "Where did you hear that?"
"We got a phone tip this afternoon from a man-"
"Oh." Callie rolled her eyes. "Was it from Robert Stark?"
"Stark. Exactly."
"I'm so sorry about that." Callie shook her head in pity. "Bob is only an unhappy former employee. A curmudgeon, really. And maybe a little jealous. You know, he's always had a thing for younger women."
Arizona rolled her eyes. How in the world was she supposed to marry this woman?
"We know you're very busy," Callie continued. "If you could just sign those papers, we'll be out of your hair."
"Ms. Torres," Bailey offered a condescending smile, "let me tell you how I do things here. First, I'll put you each in a room, and I'll ask you every little question that a real couple would know about each other. Step two: I dig deeper. I look at your phone records, I talk to your neighbors, I interview your coworkers. If your answers don't match up at every point, you," she pointed to Callie, "will be deported indefinitely, and you, young lady," she pointed to Arizona, "will have committed a penalty, punishable by a fine of $250,000 dollars and a stay of five years in federal prison."
Arizona's eyes widened in fear.
"So, Arizona," Bailey prompted, "is there anything you want to say?"
Arizona shook her head. "The truth is…" She cleared her throat. "Ms. Bailey, the truth is that…Callie and I are just meant to be together."
Callie nodded in agreement.
"We weren't supposed to fall in love, but we did," Arizona continued. "And we couldn't tell anyone we work with because of my big promotion coming up."
"Promotion?" Bailey and Callie wondered simultaneously.
"Yeah," Arizona breathed, feeling a little excited about her newfound power. "Callie and I thought it would be inappropriate to announce our relationship with her plans to promote me to editor."
"So…have you told your families about your secret relationship?"
"Oh, I would, but I, uh, don't speak to mine. And my father's dead." Callie tried to chuckle, working to swallow her pain.
Bailey gave Callie a sad smile, then she turned her attention to Arizona. "What about you? Are you estranged from your parents, too?"
"No," Callie answered for Arizona—using the limited knowledge she had of the woman to attempt to trick the immigration official. "Arizona's very close to her parents. We're actually planning on telling them this weekend."
Arizona turned toward her boss in surprise.
"It's her uncle's birthday, and there's going to be a big birthday bash. We thought it'd be a nice surprise."
"And where will this birthday bash take place?"
"At, um, Arizona's parents' house."
Bailey leaned forward. "And where is that?" she pressed.
Callie pursed her lips and looked at Arizona. "I'm so sorry. I'm doing all the talking. You can tell her...sweetie. You go for it. Just jump in."
"Of course," Arizona nodded ironically. She faced the official. "Fairhope."
"Fairhope," Callie seconded with a nod.
"Alabama."
"Alabama." Callie couldn't control the way her face scrunched up in disgust. Alabama? Really?
"You're going to Alabama this weekend?" Bailey asked, unconvinced.
"Yes, we are," Arizona smiled.
"Yes," Callie seconded. "That's where, um. That's where my Arizona's from." She reached for Arizona's hand and patted it gently.
"Okay," Bailey chuckled. "I see that you two are not going to make this easy for me. I'll see you Monday morning, then, for your individual interviews."
"Sounds great," Arizona lied.
"Great," Callie added distractedly as her phone began to ring. She hurried to answer it. "Cristina!"
"I'm looking forward to this one," Bailey confided in Arizona, and the blonde saw a mischievous twinkle in the woman's eyes. Clearly, she didn't believe their story one bit.
"Me, too," the blonde fibbed. "We'll see you on Monday." She hurried to open the door for Callie, and then they hurried outside.
"Okay," Callie decided. "So here's what we're going to do. We'll fly down there—upgrade us to first-class, will you? You can use my miles—and then we'll tell them we're getting married, make a big announcement, and-"
"Excuse me," Arizona interrupted. "Were you not in that room?"
"What? Oh, are you talking about that thing you said about the promotion? Brilliant. She totally bought it."
"I meant it," Arizona insisted. "I'm looking at potential jail time. And a fine of hundreds of thousands of dollars."
"There's no way I'm promoting you to editor."
"Then I quit," Arizona shrugged. "Good luck with everything, Ms. Torres. Hope it works out." She turned to go.
"Arizona!" Callie called after her. "No. Wait! Fine," she surrendered. "Fine. If you do this for me, I'll make you editor."
"Right away. Not five years from now."
"Fine."
"And we'll tell my family about us on my terms, when I think the time is right. Deal?"
"Fine. Deal."
"Good," Arizona quipped. "Now..." She offered a wicked little grin.
Callie crossed her arms. "What now?"
Arizona's smile widened. "Aren't you going to propose?"
"You're not serious," Callie deadpanned. Arizona's expression didn't change, so Callie continued, "You are serious."
Arizona nodded. "It seems only right."
"Do I have to get down on one knee?"
Arizona made a face. "Something tells me that your skirt would rip if you tried."
Callie sighed in relief. At least she could forgo a little embarrassment. "Okay. Arizona, will you marry me?"
"No. Not with that attitude. More feeling."
Callie looked around self-consciously, fearful that someone on the busy sidewalk might overhear their interaction.
"Arizona. Amazing, wonderful Arizona," she continued sarcastically.
"Yes?"
"Would you please do me the honor of being my wife?"
Arizona scrunched up her nose, pretending to mull over the offer as she let Callie sweat. "Okay," she finally accepted. "I'll see you at the airport tomorrow morning."
And, with that, she walked away, feeling more strength than she'd felt in a long time.
"So," Arizona prompted from the plane the next morning. "Here are the questions INS is going to ask us on Monday. The good news is that I know everything about you, but the bad news is you only have four days to learn all this about me, so-"
Callie grabbed the binder from her assistant's hands, flipping through it herself. "You know all these answers?"
"Scary, huh?" Arizona smirked, without a hint of humor.
"What's my favorite color?" Callie tested her.
"Black," Arizona said without hesitation. "Or, if black doesn't count as a color but only as the absence of visible light, then red."
"Hmm." Callie was obviously impressed, but she didn't comment on it. "Okay. What am I allergic to?"
"Mustard seed," Arizona answered easily. "And, you know, human kindness."
"Ha. Very funny." Callie kept flipping. "Okay, how about this: Do I have any siblings?" There was no way Arizona could know that.
"A sister. I think she's older. She leaves messages on your answering machine on your birthday and Christmas, but you never call her back. Why don't you call her back?"
Callie inhaled a deep breath. "That doesn't matter."
Arizona stared at her. "You know Bailey's going to ask. You're going to have to tell me."
"We're done with that question. Onto the next. What TV shows do I like?"
"American Bake Off."
Callie turned to the blonde in surprise. "How did you know that?"
Arizona shrugged. "I figured it out. You never answer calls or emails on Tuesdays from 8-9pm. And, for the record, I like it, too."
"Impressive detecting skills. Maybe your real calling is to be a P.I."
"Ms. Torr-"
"Callie," Callie corrected her. If they were going to get married, they at least needed to be on a first-name basis first.
"Callie. If we're going to pretend that we love each other, you're going to have to start being nicer to me. Otherwise, my family's never going to buy it."
"Speaking of your family…" Callie began slowly. "Is this…going to be a problem?" she asked a little uneasily. She had never been to Alabama before, and part of her was a little fearful. Not that she'd ever admit it.
"Is what going to be a problem?" Arizona asked, confused.
"I mean, coming out is hard," Callie began slowly. "Even if we're just pretending, aren't you worried that your parents will…"
"Oh." Arizona laughed a little. "That's, um. That's not going to be a problem."
"Are you sure?" Callie pressed. "Sometimes, people think their families will be okay with it, but…"
"You really don't know anything about me, do you?"
Callie's eyes widened. She wasn't used to Arizona being anything but her quiet, obedient assistant. Seeing her like this was different.
"I know you have to fake marry me—a woman—because you have no one else in your life you can trust. No man would do it for you because you don't have a man you can blackmail."
Callie sniffed. It was harsh, but it was the truth. She only had Arizona. Her trusty little assistant.
"But my family has known I'm gay since I was about twelve years old."
Callie's mouth fell agape, and she hurried to close it. She'd had no idea that Arizona liked girls, too.
"My parents aren't going to be disgusted that I'm with a woman," Arizona continued. "But they might be disgusted that I'm with you."
They spent the rest of the flight in silence, with Callie looking out the window and Arizona studying the INS questions.
When they finally landed on the short runway, Arizona caught sight of her family as she got off the plane. "There they are."
Callie followed Arizona's eyes, catching sight of a woman with wild blonde hair, a tall white man, and a black man by his side holding a big WELCOME HOME sign.
"That's your family?"
"Yeah." Arizona smiled as she began trekking toward the people she loved. "My mom, my dad, and Uncle Richard."
This time, it was Callie who trailed behind as Arizona hurried into her mother's arms. "Mom!" she exclaimed. "It's so good to see you."
"Arizona!" Barbara squeezed her daughter tight. "My beautiful girl! We missed you so much."
Arizona pulled back and turned to her father. "Dad."
Daniel nodded at her, awkward and stiff, as always. "Darlin'. It's good to see you."
"Oh, Daniel," Richard chided, "if you're not going to hug her then I sure will." He opened his arms to the woman he'd come to consider his daughter. "Come here, kid."
Arizona grinned and fell into his arms. "Richard! Happy birthday!"
"Oh, my birthday isn't for two more days. But it sure feels like a celebration with you here!"
Arizona dimpled and stood back to look at them. It had been years since she had visited last, and she worried about her little family. She looked for any signs of strain or sleeplessness in their faces but, thankfully, she saw only excitement.
"Now, where's your girl?" Richard asked. "Let's see her."
"Oh. Right," Arizona remembered. She motioned toward the woman standing a few feet behind her.
"Mom, Dad, Richard, this is Callie Torres," Arizona tried to smile.
"The word 'girl' seems inappropriate," Daniel commented.
Barbara moved toward the brunette, looking for a hug, but Callie took a step back and extended her hand instead. "Hello."
Barbara lowered her arms, and her smile fell. "Hi, Callie. Such a pleasure to meet you." She took Callie's proffered hand. "I'm Mrs. Robbins. Or Barbara to my friends, who I hope is everyone!" She laughed.
Callie did her best to laugh along with the woman. "Ha ha. Nice to meet you."
"And this is my Dad."
Daniel took Callie's hand and gave it a firm shake. "Colonel Daniel Robbins. You can call me The Colonel."
Unsure, Callie found Arizona's eyes. Was he serious?
Arizona offered a tiny nod, and Callie turned back to the stern man. "Nice to meet you, The Colonel, sir." Sooo, he's terrifying, she decided.
"And I'm Richard Webber," Richard introduced himself, taking Callie's hand in both of his. "I'm Arizona's uncle—by love, not by blood."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Callie smiled.
"Now," he wondered, still holding her hand, "Do you prefer being called 'Callie' or 'ruler of all that is evil'? We've heard it both ways."
Callie's smile faltered.
"He's kidding, sweetheart," Barbara lied.
"Oh. Right. Um. Thank you so much for allowing me to be part of your birthday."
"We're thrilled to have you," Richard insisted.
"It's true," Barbara promised. "It's been a long time since Arizona's come home."
"Mom…" Arizona warned.
"Barb, we should get going," Daniel decided, effectively changing the subject. "I'm sure that Arizona and Callie here are tired from their trip."
"Oh, of course," Barbara agreed. "Come on, ladies. Let's get home."
As it turned out, Arizona's parents drove an old pick-up with no backseats, so Arizona and Callie ended up sitting on their luggage in the dusty truck bed, victims to the elements.
Callie was fine with the wind. What she hadn't expected, however, was the muggy heat. Even worse, she hadn't expected the hot rain that began to pour a few minutes into their journey home.
Richard cranked open his window and aclled out, "You ladies all right back there?"
"We're fine, Uncle Richard!" Arizona called back. Then, she closed her eyes and lifted her face toward the sky. Most days, she was happy to be far from home. Alabama felt haunted, and it always hurt to be home, no matter how much she loved seeing her family.
She did miss the rain, though. Seattle rained plenty, but it never felt quite like this.
"Arizona."
When Callie got no answer, she swatted the blonde on the arm. "Arizona!"
"Ow!" Arizona complained. "What is it?"
"Are we almost there?" She pointed to her luggage. "My laptop is in there and getting soaked!"
"We're almost there," Arizona assured her and turned her face back toward the sky.
Wanting more attention, Callie began, "You didn't tell me your dad was in the Army." She made it sound like an accusation.
"Marine Corps," Arizona corrected her. "And you never asked."
"Fine." Callie lowered her voice. "But there is something I want to ask now."
"What is it?" Arizona wondered, suddenly a little shy. She wasn't used to her boss wanting to know anything about her. Callie didn't care about anything or anyone. Only about her career. Everyone knew that.
"How do you know Richard, anyway?"
"Oh. He and my dad fought in Vietnam together," Arizona began quietly. "And we've lived next door to each other all my life. They helped each other through their PSTD, and he used to watch my brother and me when my parents went out of town."
"You have a brother?"
Arizona ignored her. "When Richard's wife died—my aunt—he became even closer to my parents. He really doesn't have anyone but us. So we're throwing him a birthday party."
Then, they fell into silence. They watched the scenery pass them by: barns, fields of cattle, and a gorgeous waterfront on their right side, complete with a dock that went out as far as the eye could see.
A few blocks later, and a little inland, Daniel pulled over in front of an old, white house with a big green lawn and wraparound porch.
"We're hooome!" Barbara sang from inside the truck.
Daniel opened the truck bed to let them out. "Does it look the way you remember it?" he asked Arizona.
Arizona looked at her house and smiled. "This house is the one thing that never changes."
"Now, sweetheart?" Barbara began. "We know you don't like surprises, so I'm gonna tell you right now that there are a lot of people in there waiting to see you."
"Me? Why?"
"It's been years since you visited! You've been so busy working…with Callie here," she added, "Everyone missed you and wanted to welcome you home!"
"It's for Callie, too," Daniel added, wanting the other woman to feel included. "Everyone's looking forward to meeting you."
"Oh, good," Callie attempted to smile as Barbara, Daniel, and Richard turned to walk away.
Arizona grabbed her duffel bags and hopped out of the truck. "Come on," she said to the brunette. She began following her family across the grass toward the house, leaving Callie alone with her half-dozen suitcases.
"Arizona," Richard chided once the blonde caught up to him and he noticed that Callie wasn't with her. "Aren't you going to help her with her bags?"
"I offered," Arizona fibbed with a shrug, "but she's too independent. She insisted on carrying them all herself." Without one look back, she continued after her parents, calling "Come on, pumpkin!" behind her.
Richard, however, stopped short and looked at the woman who was still struggling to get off the truck in her four-inch heels.
He walked over to her and offered out his hand. "Let me help you down."
Callie looked at him gratefully, giving him a tiny smile as she accepted the offer. "Thank you."
"I'm surprised Arizona didn't suggest that you wear different shoes. People don't care too much for high-fashion around here."
"Even if she had, I probably wouldn't have listened to her," Callie admitted.
"Did you really tell her you were too independent to have anyone help you with your bags?"
Callie looked at the man blankly.
Richard laughed. "That's what I thought. Come on. I'll help you." He grabbed a few bags, and he and Callie began walking toward the door together.
Callie felt her heels sink into the grass and made a face. "So, um," she began. "Arizona told me you live next door?"
"That's right," the man smiled, turning to wait for the woman, as she pushed her soaked hair away from her sweaty face. "Arizona's like a daughter to me. Such a special girl. But I guess you know that already."
"Right," Callie lied, feeling a little guilty.
As Callie finished stashing her bags in the front closet, Arizona came up to her and handed her a glass of sweet tea. "Hey. You ready?"
"Ready?" Callie asked. "Ready for what?"
"Ready to be my pleasant, sweet fiancé. Fifty of my parents' closest friends are here, and I'd prefer if they didn't think I have poor taste in women."
"Poor taste?" Callie asked in disbelief. "Do you see me?"
Arizona rolled her eyes. "You may be pretty," she admitted, "but I've also been known to call you 'Satan's Mistress.' So are you ready or what?"
"Fine," Callie conceded. Then: "Hey, why did you never tell me you were some sort of secret southern belle?"
"Please. I'm no debutante girl."
"Still," Callie insisted. "You never said anything."
"How could I? We were in the middle of talking about you."
"Hey," Callie countered, pulling the woman aside. "This bickering thing has got to stop. I promise that I'll be pleasant. Okay? People have to think that we're in love, so-"
"I can do that! I can be the sweet, loving fiancé, b-"
"Great."
"But for you," Arizona continued, "it would require a little something called empathy."
"Very funny. When are you going to tell them that we're getting married?"
Before Arizona could answer, a woman called out to her. "Hey, Arizona! Hi!"
Arizona looked up. "Dr. Avery!" She walked toward the woman and embraced her. "It's so good to see you. This is, uh, Callie. Callie, this is Catherine Avery."
"Hi," Callie shook the woman's hand.
"How are you?" Catherine asked. "We miss having you around."
"I'm doing well," Arizona assured her. "Seattle's great."
"And you're liking your job? You know, I've always wanted to know what exactly an editor does."
"Well," Daniel began, coming up behind his daughter and inserting himself into the conversation, "Arizona's actually an assistant to an editor. Callie here is the editor."
"Oh!" Catherine exclaimed awkwardly. "I see. So Callie is…your boss."
"That's right," Callie confirmed pleasantly.
"Technically…yes," Arizona added.
"Would you excuse me for a moment, please?" Callie asked, having a low tolerance for awkwardness. She turned to Arizona. "Honey, I'll be right back." She hurried away before Arizona could answer, needing some space to gather her thoughts. It had been years since she'd been in a family environment, and she'd forgotten how complicated it could be.
As she stood off to the side within the grand dining room, taking small sips of her tea to combat the heat, a woman came up to her with a platter of food. "Hi!" she chirped. "Would you care for a fried pickle?"
Callie nearly gagged. "No, thank you."
The woman looked toward her tray. "How about fried mushrooms? Onion strings? Hush puppies? Okra patties?"
God, how could such a small person have such an obnoxious voice? "I don't eat anything fried. Thanks, though."
The woman laughed, thinking she couldn't be serious. When Callie didn't join in, her smile fell. "Oh. Really?"
Callie nodded. "Thanks, anyway." She dismissed the woman.
But the redhead instead leaned against the wall beside her. "I'm April Kepner."
Callie answered without looking at her. "I'm Callie."
April turned back toward her tray. "Are you sure you don't want to try a hush puppy? Everyone loves hush puppies." She popped one into her own mouth.
"I'm sure."
Suddenly, both women heard a familiar voice coming from another room. "Everyone, I have an important announcement to make…"
"Oh, no."
"…Callie and I are getting married."
Callie peeked through the doorway, and there Arizona was, surrounded by two-dozen people, staring at her. "Come on over, pumpkin!" She waved her boss over.
Feeling herself blush, Callie made her way toward her assistant (and, now, fiancé) as the guests stood up and began to clap and offer their congratulations.
"There she is." Arizona forced herself to smile as she avoided her parents' surprised faces. Instead, she announced again, "We're getting married."
"So that was your idea of the 'right time' to announce our engagement?" Callie sassed, her hand clutching her champagne flute so hard she feared it might shatter.
Arizona ignored her.
"Arizona?"
Callie and Arizona looked up as a gorgeous woman made her way through the crowd.
"Oh!" Arizona exclaimed. "Carly! Hi!" She hurried to hug the woman. "I didn't know you would be here."
Carly shrugged. "Your mom wanted you to be at least a little bit surprised."
Arizona smiled. "Well, I am. Hi. It's been so long."
Carly then looked at Callie, who was standing off to the side, trying not to look like she was listening. "I'm sorry. You must thing I'm so rude." She held out her hand. "I'm Carly."
Arizona hurried between them. "Callie, this is Carly. She's, um, my ex."
"Oh. Wow."
"I'm so happy for you two," the woman smiled. "Congratulations."
"Thank you," Callie smiled.
"Did I miss the story?" Carly asked.
"The…story?"
"Yeah. Of how you two first got together."
"Um…"
"Oh, sweetheart, won't you tell us?" Barbara added from the couch, eavesdropping, as usual.
Beside her, Richard grinned. "You know, I think how two people get together says a lot about their future. You've got to tell us."
A number of other guests sat down on the floral couches, looking expectantly at the couple.
"Um…" Arizona pursed her lips. "Actually, Callie loves telling the story. So, I'm…just going to let her do it." She patted her boss on the back and took a seat beside Richard, focusing her full attention on Callie.
"Hmm. Where to begin?" Callie asked—both herself and her audience. "Well…Wow. Okay. Arizona and I had been working together for a year already. And everything had been strictly business. But then, with all those late nights…"
"And book fairs," Arizona added.
"And book fairs," Callie confirmed, "something...happened. And I knew that Arizona liked me, but that she was scared, like a little bird, so she didn't say anything."
Their audience laughed. Arizona stiffened.
"So I started leaving her little hints here and there, because I knew she wouldn't have the guts to ask me out."
"Wellllll, that's not exactly how it happened," Arizona argued, "sweetie."
"No?"
"No. See, I picked up on all her little hints—this woman's about as subtle as a gun. What I was worried about was-"
"She was worried that I wouldn't be able to find the sweet, sensitive note she left under my office door," Callie took over. "The one that she wrote on her special pink stationary, with the envelope covered in hearts."
"Awwww," they heard from the audience, and Arizona closed her eyes in embarrassment. She was afraid to meet the eyes of anyone who knew her—surely they would all know that the whole thing was a lie. Pink. Really?
"And she wrote my name on the outside in calligraphy. It was so beautiful. And I opened that envelope, and what did I find? I found a letter that said-"
"Nothing," Arizona interrupted.
"What?" their audience questioned.
"No letter," Arizona informed them. "It was an address to a bar with a date and a time."
"And I went to that bar, and there Arizona was, all dressed up, in the most lavishing-"
"Jeans," Arizona corrected.
"And a slow song began to play, and sweet Arizona offered me her hand so we could dance, and-"
"Honey?" Arizona interrupted, a little impatiently. "I think you're confusing our getting together story with our engagement story."
"Oh, am I?" Callie asked sarcastically.
"Mm hmm. When we first got together," Arizona corrected, "I saw her at a bar, and she was-"
"Dancing-"
"Crying, because she had just been dumped with no explanation. And my gentle, loving Callie ran to the bathroom to wipe the tears from her face…" Arizona continued. Man, payback was sweet. Still, she hurried through the rest before Callie could interrupt her again. "And I followed her in there, kissed her, and we've been together ever since."
"Awwwww."
"That is…quite the story," Daniel offered, a little uneasily.
"Arizona, you're such a romantic," Richard complimented.
"Let's see a kiss!" Catherine exclaimed.
"Oh, come on…" Arizona pleaded. She looked to her parents for back-up. "You guys don't want to see that."
"Darlin', you're in your thirties now. We know you kiss! You go for it."
"All right, all right!" Arizona surrendered. She reached for Callie's hand and lifted it to her lips. "Muah!"
"Arizona!" Carly laughed. "You can do better than that. Kiss her like you mean it!"
As the entire party began chanting KISS HER, KISS HER, KISS HER, she felt her resolve slipping. "Okay!" She turned to Callie, whispering, "Ready?"
Quickly—without even touching—the two women leaned forward and brushed lips. Just for a second.
"Arizona, give her a real kiss!" Richard commanded. "Come on, don't be shy!"
Arizona inhaled a sharp breath in preparation, meeting dark eyes as Callie instinctively moistened her bottom lip with her tongue. Slowly, Arizona lifted a hand to cup the woman's cheek and inclined her head to meet full lips.
Wanting to make the kiss seem genuine, Callie pressed her body against the shorter woman and shut her eyes, feeling her lashes brush against porcelain skin. They kept their lips locked together while the party-goers cheered, not moving, but not pulling away either.
Finally, after a few seconds, they pulled away, each woman somehow breathless.
Arizona turned to face her loved ones. They had done it. The kiss had looked real, and everyone was convinced.
Callie's eyes stayed fixed on Arizona. The kiss had looked real. And it had felt real, too.