Chapter 12 (Season 8: Episode 15)
Arizona had only been at the daycare a few minutes when she saw her wife coming towards her, the beautiful jet black hair and caramel skin she'd been aching to see all day finally coming to life before her very eyes. The Peds surgeon looked down at the other girl she'd been dreaming of all day, a sigh of content…and relief, leaving her lips as she reached down to pick Sofia up out of her crib. "Hi, baby girl," she whispered into another head of silky, raven locks. "Did you have a nice nap, hmmm? Look…here comes Mommy."
As if she understood every word, Sofia turned her head in the direction of the opening door, her eyes lighting up just the way Callie's do. The baby smiled as she looked back and forth between the big, brown eyes that matched her own and the baby blues she had fallen in love with months and months ago…the familiar eyes that brought her peace and comfort during the many days spent in the confines of an incubator.
Looking at their daughter now, it was hard to believe she was ever a tiny preemie in the NICU, fighting to survive…just like Morgan's little boy was. Arizona clung to Sofia, pressing her lips to the baby's soft, smooth cheek with a tenderness only a mother could bestow. "I love you," she whispered to the miniature version of her wife, a dimpled smile forming on the blonde's lips when Sofia nestled into the crook of her neck.
"Hi there, pretty girls," Callie said as she came to stand beside her two loves, her magnificent smile quickly fading when she noticed the tears her wife was trying to keep at bay. "Hey…you okay?" she asked, running a hand down Arizona's arm as she leaned in to kiss their daughter's forehead.
"Mmmm…fine now," the blonde whispered as she rocked Sofia back and forth on her hip, her body naturally swaying as if she'd been doing this forever. Warm, chocolate orbs pleaded with her to explain, and she knew her wife wasn't going to let it go that easily. "Delivered a preemie today," Arizona confessed after a moment of silence, causing Callie to stop tickling Sofia and stare at her once more.
"Yeah…I heard. Grey told me that the pregnant intern had a heart attack or something," Callie told her wife. "Alex said you had to take the baby pretty early…"
"It…i-it was just like Sofia a-all over again," Arizona choked out, swallowing the lump in her throat.
Sofia held her arms out for Callie, who gladly gathered the baby up. The brunette held their daughter close, just as her wife had been, and thanked God for their small miracle. "How are they doing…Morgan and the baby?" she asked, closing her eyes as memories of the accident and the NICU flooded her mind.
"They're both stable…for now," Arizona replied, taking a step towards her wife. The blonde looked at the two beauties before her, her heart nearly stopping at the thought of losing either one of them. "I need to go check on the baby again…and, and finish my charts. But I…I-I just had to see her," Arizona said.
Blue eyes met brown, words no longer necessary as one soul found another. Callie understood, better than anyone, how her wife was feeling. Except…she wasn't a Peds surgeon. She would never have to care for another preemie ever again, God willing. She didn't have to re-live the trauma they'd gone through…didn't have to be responsible for saving tiny humans, or face their devastated parents if she couldn't. As much as Callie Torres sometimes envied her wife as a doctor, this was one instance where she definitely did not want to be in her shoes. "I'm sorry," the brunette whispered, sympathetic eyes scanning the bright blue ones before her. "Can I do anything to make it better?"
Arizona sucked in a deep breath, blinking back the tears as she looked at her wife and daughter. "You're already doing it," she mumbled as she threw her arms around her girls, burying her head into Callie's shoulder. "When I need a miracle, all I have to do is look at the two you. You make me believe."
Callie was the one holding back tears now, the tenderness in her wife's voice causing her heart to ache in the greatest way imaginable. "And here, I was about to come in and tell you all about my grind," she joked, their joined bodies shaking with her nervous laughter. Sofia squealed in delight, her sweet baby giggles ridding the air of the heavy emotion caused by undying love.
"A grind, huh?" Arizona questioned as she reached out for Sofia, wanting…no- needing to hold her again before she had to get back to work. Sofia went willingly of course, her little eyes lighting up when they made contact with her mama's.
Callie began to gather the baby's things, packing up her diaper bag as she described the arm she had to put back together that day. "Finally, Grey suggested we use a toe as an implant for the thumb," the brunette explained to her wife. "It was a good idea. She's…she's a good doctor, Meredith. Actually, she' s a great doctor. Brilliant."
"She's Ellis Grey's daughter, Cal. Did you expect anything less?" Arizona said with a laugh as she stacked blocks up for Sofia to knock over. "I'm surprised you haven't tried to rope her into Ortho. You could use a prodigy of your own."
"Oh…you mean, like Karev? Some prodigy," Callie muttered as she leaned over their daughter's crib, not wanting to forget Sofia's favorite blanket. "Okay. Think I've got everything. Sofia…say bye-bye to your friends."
Arizona took the baby's arm and waved it at the other kids before saying goodnight to her caregivers and signing her out of the daycare. She followed her wife down the hall, whispering quite loudly in her daughter's ear as she went along. "Mommy's just jealous because she doesn't have an Alex."
Callie laughed wildly, scoffing at the implication. "Yeah…that's it, Sof. Mommy's jealous that Mama has a little puppy dog following her around all day. Please…"
"First of all, Karev is no puppy. He's…he's more like a pit bull," the blonde said, rolling her eyes.
"Well, he can be vicious," Callie retorted, unable to stop the taunting smirk that formed on her face. Arizona rolled her eyes once more and huffed loudly, only causing the brunette's subtle smile to turn into a wide grin. "You're adorable when you're mad, you know that?" she whispered as she came to stand beside her wife in the elevator, full lips seeking out a smooth, porcelain cheek.
Arizona closed her eyes and breathed deeply, unable to stop the smile that formed at her wife's kiss. "First of all…that's not fair, Calliope," she said, crossing her arms over her chest as if she was really angry.
Callie only laughed and went back for more, peppering her wife's face with soft, lingering kisses. Sofia reached over and grabbed a fistful of the brunette's hair, tugging on it gently. "Oh, you want some too?" Callie said as she disentangled the tiny fingers from her raven locks and pulled the baby onto her hip. She could see Arizona smiling as she plastered their daughter's face with kiss after playful kiss, baby blues sparkling under the fluorescent lights.
"So, I'm gonna come in early the next few weeks to help Grey study for the Boards," Callie announced rather randomly as the elevator doors opened up to the main lobby.
Arizona stepped out, her brow furrowed in confusion as she walked with her girls. "Thought you didn't want a puppy following you around," she teased.
"I don't," Callie said brown eyes now the ones rolling. "She's not my Karev, okay? She's just…she's my, my friend."
"Your friend?" Arizona shrieked, eyes wide with surprise. "Since when are you and Meredith Grey friends?"
"Since…since t-today," the brunette stuttered, still feeling a bit unsure of the whole situation. "I like her. I've always kind of liked her, I guess."
"Should I be jealous?" Arizona teased as she continued to play peek-a-boo with Sofia.
Callie just rolled her eyes again, shaking her head in mock disgust. "Anyway…we have a baby. And they have a baby. Sofia loves playing with Zola. You can tell they're going to be buddies. And…and we're already friends with Derek. I mean, he did let us use the trailer."
"Oh…I know. And believe me, I'm going to thank him for it," the blonde said, her voice suddenly dripping with lust. "Maybe if you get onto Grey's good side, they'll let us use the van next time. I overheard Lexi telling Kepner that she found them trying to sneak in a little nookie on the front seat."
Despite her best effort, Callie started to laugh. Her wife was a moron…but a really cute, surprisingly funny moron. "I think that's my cue to get out of here. What do you think? You ready to go home, honey?" she asked the baby who was beginning to fidget in her arms.
"I think it's great that you're helping Meredith, Cal," Arizona said quite seriously as she leaned in for a kiss. Callie pressed her lips lightly to her wife's, her eyes smiling at the baby blues she loved so much. "And I think it would be great to have another couple to hang out with. Especially one with a very cute baby." The blonde gasped when Sofia let out a loud cry. "Don't worry…no one's as cute as you," she whispered, placing a tender kiss to her daughter's beautiful, black hair. "See you in a little while, sweetie."
"Hurry up and get those charts done," Callie ordered, offering her wife a subtle smile. "We'll be waiting for you." Arizona nodded and waved, watching in awe as her two beautiful miracles walked out into the Seattle rain.
