A/N First I want to thank all of you that submitted a review. I very much appreciate your opinions and value your criticisms. I also wish to clarify a few facts about this story and the people to whom I am writing about:
Grandma Neelie also known as Miss Neelie is the mother of Daniel Timothy Robbins and the grandmother of Tim and Arizona Robbins.
Miss Sofia also known as Abuela Sofia is the mother of Lucia Torres and is the grandmother of Callie and Aria Torres and is the great grandmother of Sofia Robbin Sloan Torres.
A long time ago Miss Neelie married Daniel's father and Tim and Arizona grandfather Matthew Robbins but never forgot about her first love, Miss Sofia Iphegenia Ruiz. Miss Sofia married Lucia's father and Callie and Aria's grandfather Javier Razon but she too never forgot about her first love, Miss Eileen Michelle Cavanaugh. Both women meeting and falling in love with each other as they attended The Ohio State University.
Even though they may have married the men in their live for all the wrong reasons, fate eventually brought them both together so they were able to spend the rest of their lives together before they both passed away.
As for the matter of whose point of view is who's in each paragraph, here a scorecard: Chapter One: Arizona: Paragraphs 1-5, 13, 15 and 17. Callie's: Paragraphs 6-12, 14, 16 and 18. Chapter Two: Arizona: Paragraphs 4-6. Miss Sofia's: Paragraph 9 and Callie's: Paragraphs are all the rest.
Hope this helps…LMS
CHAPTER TWO
Lying in bed with my daughter by my side snoring softly as I stare at the ceiling with my sister's response playing over and over in my head "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"? I wonder how my life would have turned out if I would have followed my heart after that late summer day twenty years ago and made a life with Arizona. Twenty years ago during our Labor Day weekend family vacation here at the beach house, Arizona kissed me and told me she loves me. I was so scared to tell her I loved her too that I simply shut down my feelings. The next day we both went our separate ways as she left for Boston to further her education at Harvard and I left for Miami to attend the same university that my parents graduated from some twenty years earlier.
Still cannot sleep as I am lying here in this big queen sized bed with my daughter by my side and listening to the waves coming in off the Pacific Ocean. I am tracing my finger tips over my lips trying to remember that kiss that Arizona gave me all those years ago but all I can remember is the conversation I had with Tim the morning of our scheduled departure the day after Labor Day twenty years ago. I remember that I was just about to knock on Arizona's bedroom door to talk to her alone about the kiss she gave me the night before.
But then Tim walks by me and says "She's not in there" and then I ask "Oh, is she up already"? Arizona's brother stops his movements and says "You could say that. She left for Boston late last night. She said something came up and she had to leave right away. So dad and I took her to the airport but not before she stood for over a half an hour staring at you in your bedroom doorway just watching you while you were sleeping. What happened between the two of you? My sister seemed quite shaken up about something but she would not tell me and she always tells me everything".
I plant my ass in the sand as I dig my feet there too and sit next to my brother. I hand him an ice cold beer from our late grandmother's fridge as we pop the tops off of the bottles and gently touch them together. Then we both say in unison "To Grandma Neelie" and Tim says as he tilts his head and bottle towards the late night sky and says "To Grandma and Grandpa". We both sit there for the longest time until Tim says to me "Have you talked to Callie"? I finish off my beer and place the bottle back in the cardboard six pack as I grab another beer and pop the top as I tell my brother "Yep". Tim then says "So you did not tell her how you truly feel about her…how you are still in love with her"? I just shake my head "no". Then my brother begins his mini rant about what a chicken shit and down right pussy I am for not telling Callie how I truly feel. He finishes off his rant by saying "After twenty years, you still love her and you are too much of a coward to do anything about it…twenty years Arizona…twenty fucking years".
When my brother completes his Robbins speech, I stand and say to him "Tim, I told her how I felt and she said nothing…not one fucking word Tim…she just stared at me and then she walked away…she did not say it back…she did not tell me to go to hell…she did not even have the guts to tell me she did not feel the same way about me as I felt about her…she said nothing Tim…absolutely fucking nothing. That is why I left early the next morning for Boston…just so I would not have to face her. Then my life in Boston and my career took over. We did not even keep in touch. If it hadn't been for Grandma Neelie and Miss Sofia I would have never known what had happened to Callie. And besides there were extenuating circumstances that you or no one else in the family even knows about…I only told Grandma Neelie".
While I am trying to have a disciplined conversation with my brother he jumps to his feet suddenly as I look at him strangely and say "What". Tim clears his throat and says "Hey Callie" and that is when I realize she has been behind me all along as I now utter the words "Mother Fucker" under my breath. I do not turn around but I hear Callie ask Tim "Do you think you could give us a minute, Tim"? My brother squeezes my forearm as he passes me and tells Callie "Sure thing Callie". Still not facing Callie as I hear her ask me "Arizona, can we talk"? I place my hands deep in the pockets of my cargo shorts as I am staring at my feet when I begin to turn to face Callie. But then I see both sets of our parents coming home from their walk as I watch Callie's mother Lucia break away from the foursome and walk towards the two of us. That is when I tell Callie "Not tonight Callie, arguing with my brother is exhausting. Maybe we can talk after the services tomorrow. Have a good night".
Before I can say a word in protest, Arizona walks away from me and back up to the beach house but not before giving my mother a death stare as she is now walking towards me. I hear my mother ask me "Are you alright, mija"? I am physically shaken by Arizona's response to my question and my mother's as well but I tell my mother "Yes I am fine, mother". Then my mother says something to me that completely throws me for a loop as she says "She…Arizona did not hurt you in any way did she mija…did Arizona say anything to you"? I shake my head as I run my fingers through my hair and say to my mother "What…no mother…Arizona did not hurt me in any way and she did not say a thing to me. Why do you ask? What is going on between you two…what did you do mother…what the hell did you do"?
I am sitting on the edge of my bed after my father and Arizona's brother Tim have collected my luggage and have taken them down to the awaiting car. My abuela Sofia walks by my door as she hears me crying and asking Arizona "Why" to an empty bedroom. Softly knocking on my door, my beautiful grandmother asks if she can come into my room. I quickly wipe the tears that are streaming down my face and tell my favorite abuela "Yes please". With her taking her rightful place beside me on my bed and grasping both of my hands in hers as she asks me "Why are you crying, mija"? I say to my very understanding grandmother "Arizona told me last night that she loves me. And I did not say a word back to her, abuela…not a word".
I, Sofia Iphegenia Razon, knowing how my daughter Lucia feels about the discussion of homosexuality, I then walk over to my granddaughter Calliope's bedroom and quietly close the door. Then I reset myself back down on the edge of her bed and say to her "My beautiful Calliope, do you love Arizona"? Without any hesitation in her voice my mija says proudly "Yes abuela I do…but Arizona left for Boston late last night…and I feel my chance with her is now gone for good". I take my precious granddaughter's hands again in mine and say "Time is on your side my dear. I have been fortunate enough to have fallen in love with two very extraordinary people in my life. The first one was your abuelo Javier and now with Miss Neelie. So never give up mija, when the time is right…you and Arizona will find one another again and be with each other forever. That is what happened with me and Arizona's grandmother Miss Neelie…we made a life for ourselves that was expected of us by our families…but eventually found each other again…and so will you and Arizona".
Waiting for my mother to answer my question as she hesitates looking for an answer that she hopes I will understand. Then she finally says "Arizona and I came to an understanding all those years ago…I just could not let you ruin your life by spending the rest of you life with her and her wicked ways. She was and will always be a bad influence…flaunting her lesbianism as arrogantly as she does in front of everyone. Even her parents talk about how proud they both are of her and her homosexuality. It's positively disgusting…so you can be mad all you want at me mija, but I was only concerned about your well being and not tarnishing your entire life".
I walk right up to my mother and stand just millimeters away from her face as I say to her in a stern but profoundly articulate meaning "You have interfered in my life for the last time. I have wasted the last twenty years of my life doing exactly what has been expected of me by you. That will not continue any longer. After this week you will no longer be allowed to see your granddaughter Sofia but that should not be a problem since you do not even acknowledge her existence anyways. Your fear and hatred for something you do not seem to understand has lead me down the path that I have taken by falling in love with two men who were never right for me in the first place. When I could have loved and enjoyed the love of the one true person in my life that loves me unconditionally. So goodbye mother because I never want to see you ever again. This is all on you mother so I hope you can live with yourself and the consequences that your selfishness and hatred has created".
I quickly walk away from my mother as I head back up the beach and into the house but not before hearing my mother call out my name stating the fact "You don't mean what you say Calliope…you will not be able to live the lifestyle you have been accustomed to for all these years without the money your father and I provide for you. You had better rethink what you are doing Calliope…she cannot take care of you the way your father and I have taken care of you…Calliope". I do not say a word to my mother's screaming and rambling at me as I make my way into the beach house. I walk straight upstairs to Arizona's bedroom but notice the light is out at the base of her door so I just go to my room instead. Never knowing the fact that Arizona was standing on her balcony hearing and seeing the whole exchange between my mother and me on the beach outside as she chose to turn off her bedroom light instead of talking to me about what had just happened.
I sleep in late the next morning because after coming to bed last night and not being able to sleep, I drank another bottle of wine all by myself. Hearing voices downstairs I make myself get out of bed and walk into the bathroom to find some aspirin for my aching head. When I come out of the bathroom Tim is coming out of his room with a bottle of water in his hand and says to me "You look about as good as I feel". I hand him the bottle of aspirin as he pops the top off and swallows quite a few tablets at one time. Standing at the bottom of the steps is Tim's father Daniel holding my daughter in his arms as he nudges her cheek with his nose. Then on queue my daughter says "Breakfast is ready" and Tim and I smile.
When Tim and I reach the dining room table, I ask "Where's Barbara and Arizona"? Because after years of family vacations here in the past, both Barbara and Arizona are always the first ones down in the kitchen and dining room getting things together for breakfast. My mother just glares at me after I ask the question but it is Daniel that begins to answer my question. "My wife and daughter went to the funeral home to finish the final arrangements for Miss Neelie". Then my daughter perks up and says "Mami, both Miss Barbara and Arizona wanted me to tell you and Tim that they both will see you later. Mami are you still taking me to Aunt Violet's today? I really want to see Lucas…I really miss him". I smile at my daughter again and say "Yes mija, after breakfast I am taking you to Aunt Violet's house".
Tim decides to take me and Sofia to my friend Violet's house so my daughter can spend some quality time with her aunt and son Lucas. It was Violet's suggestion that Sofia come and stay with her and her son so she did not have to attend Miss Neelie's funeral. After about an hour or so at Violet's house, making sure Sofia is fine with our plan for her to stay for a couple of days, Tim and I head back to the beach house. The ride in the Jeep was strangely quiet at first but when I say "So how long has your sister been pining over me"? Tim chokes on his can of soda and spits the sugary drink all over himself and the inside of the windshield.
I take the steering wheel from Tim's hands for a moment as he brushes off the remnants of his Pepsi that he spewed all over himself. He answers my question by telling me "For about twenty years now…she finally told me last night about the conversation you two had the night she kissed you. We were both standing on her balcony when you and your mother were having words on the beach and she told me what your mother said to her all those years ago". I suddenly become very ill to my stomach but I decide to ask Tim because I want to know the truth "What are you talking about? What did my mother say to Arizona, Tim"? But all Tim would say back to me "You need to talk to both your mother and Arizona about what went on between the two of them. Just don't say anything today or tomorrow about this because we all have enough to worry about with the funeral services and the burial for Grandma Neelie".
I take Tim's words to heart and make the decision not to say anything to Arizona about this situation for the next few days. But my mother is off limits and I will be speaking to her today after Tim and Daniel leave for the funeral home. You can bet your bottom dollar on that fact…I will be talking to my mother about this matter.