Even when we're fighting, I still know. I've always known. Since the second I saw her, sitting at that bar, all somber and sad, something inside of me knew that that was the woman I would spend the rest of my life with.

Calliope "Callie" Torres.

She had tried to cover it up as I came into the bathroom at Joe's that night. Strong and proud, even when she was at her most vulnerable. Beautiful, even with mascara and eyeliner emphasizing the tear stains on her face.

I'd had no idea what I was saying, but I knew that whatever it was, it did not reassure her that she would be happy again. And I wanted so badly to reassure her that she would be happy again, that I would make her happy again, if she gave me the chance. I knew, seeing her like this, that I would be blessed if I could spend the rest of my life making her happy, because all I wanted in that second was to see her smile.

I was rambling, saying things wrong, making a fool of myself. The worse part was that I wasn't even sure what I was saying. Something about talk around work and me knowing things about her, which, aside from being kind of creepy, also seemed to make her feel dejected. And, in my hurry to recover ground, I ended up seeming even more creepy and just repeating myself, trying not to sound like a lunatic.

"You just- you look upset," I had said hastily, "and I- and I thought that you should know that. . ." Dammit, Arizona, just spit it out! "the talk is good. And. . . when you're not upset,"- I sighed, trying to choke out the point of my suicide mission- "that when you're. . over. . being upset. . . there'll be people lining up for you." I ended my statement with a little head nod, relieved that I had gotten through that painful, painful admission, and I wordlessly begged her to understand.

Then the smile spread across her face and she snickered distortedly and then chuckled, and I swore that that was the best sound in the world, if only she wasn't so sad. "You wanna give me some names?" she'd suggested.

Realizing she still hadn't gotten it, my hand reached forward, touching her warm, soft cheek and I leaned in before I lost my nerve. And it was the best damn kiss that I had ever had up to that point, short and sweet, but I could feel everything that it could lead to, a life with Calliope Torres. And it was completely intoxicating.

As I reluctantly drew back from the kiss, I boldly stated, "I think you'll know."

She looked stunned, but not put-off, and I smiled and laughed softly, giddily even, as I exited the bathroom. And I knew, even then, that Calliope Torres was 'the one', that one that I'd never believed in.

But all that was changed the second I laid eyes on her. She changed my life in a flash, and I knew that I never wanted it to change back. I wanted her, Calliope, to be my life, forever.

That one, small moment might have seemed so insignificant at that time in the grand scheme of things, but that moment led me- with a lot of twists and turns along the way- to my Calliope. My wife, the love of my life, who I could never even bear to leave ever again, because leaving her the first time had been a mistake and leaving her the second had convince me that life without her was simply inconceivable and not worth living. And my beautiful baby girl, Sophia Robbin Sloan Torres, who is unquestionably my daughter and the very light of my being.

That one, small moment it time led me to everything I never knew I needed.