"She's gonna be cranky when we she wakes up and has to have a bath. I wanna be there to help with the crying and the cranky. I wanna help you put her back down for the rest of her nap. Please Callie. I need to be there for her...and for you."
Defense.
Callie wanted to respond defensively and scream to Arizona that she didn't want her help! She didn't NEED her help! She was heart broken and it was because of the woman standing in front of her.
On the night IT happened, her mind was constantly going back to her family. Arizona and Sofia. Was Sofia okay? Was she safe or scared. She couldn't remember if she packed her favorite stuffed animal to help comfort her.
Arizona. This night is crazy, was Arizona's leg giving her any trouble. Was she making sure to take a rest and massage her leg. Lunch. Did Arizona eat lunch? So many questions so many concerns. How could Arizona be with someone else while she was trying to keep her head focuses on her patients and doing everything she could not to run up to Peds and see her wife. Hug her wife. Kiss her wife. Make sure she was okay.
But. Callie kept cool. She remembered the conversations she'd had with her mother and talked about why Arizona had strayed from her marriage. It felt so odd, her mother defending someone she didn't like or approve of. But hearing from her mother of all people; someone who was impartial to Arizona put things in perspective. She related her own behavior to that of how a parent treats a child. But Callie explained that she couldn't help but hover. Arizona had been lost for 4 days and for those days, everyone around her gave her looks that said "I'm sorry for your loss". She couldn't help but want to make sure that Arizona was still alive and she wasn't dreaming. That she was happy comfortable at all times because of her new life alternation. She wanted to be the most accommodating wife she could be. It never occured to her that she was doing too much.
Talking with her mom, Lucia made one thing very clear . Just because Callie was upset with Arizona, it should not effect them parenting Sofia together.
Callie tried to rub the stress away from her forehead. She nodded. "I can take her if you'd like. She's getting kind heavy."
Arizona kissed Sofia's forehead and passed her to Callie. Arizona's hands tingled when Callie stepped closer. It took every fiber in Arizona's being not to grab Callie and just hold her close. Arizona inhaled deep through her nose and held in the essence of Callie. Her eyes watered remembering why she couldn't.
Arizona turned towards the elevator to hide the tears forming in her eyes.
Clearing her throat before she speaks, "So, Sofia calls me Mommy now.." Arizona left the statement open ended wondering if Callie was going to respond.
"Yea. Um. I think me calling my mom mommy confused her a little."
Arizona nodded her head. She could hear Callie's voice being unattached. It hurt her heart but she couldn't help but want to hear Callie's voice in any form. She could handle the yelling and screaming, it was the silence that killed her. It made her feel like Callie didn't care.
"How was Miami? How are your parents?" Terrible question. Arizona couldn't help but feel that she was saying the worst things. But she would continue saying stupid things because if she really said what she wanted to, Callie would dismiss her and she wanted more time in the presence of her family.
Callie just looked at her with an expression that said, Are you seriously asking me how it was to be away from you?"
Callie shrugged her shoulders "They're fine."
DING!
Finally, they both let out a silent breath of relief. Something about the elevator...
Callie walked to unlock the door. Pushing the door open, she allowed Arizona to walk in first.
Callie pointed to the dresser and asked as she walked into the bathroom, "Can you grab some clothes for her?"
Nodding her head, Arizona opened the first drawer to the right and froze. Callie's clothes were in the drawers. It didn't really hit her until then that Callie could be here a while. She'd unpacked her bags and settled them in the drawers. Callie might not be coming home and that thought terrified her.
Arizona was broken out of her thoughts when she heard whimpers coming from the bathroom. Callie was waking up Sofia. Closing the drawer and quickly opening another drawer going the find Sofia's clothes so she can get in the bathroom to help Callie bathe their daughter.
Finding a pair of sweat pants, underwear, and a long sleeve sleep shirt that Arizona had never seen before, she laid them on the bed and headed to the bathroom.
"Hey big girl! Please don't cry. We just have to clean you up a bit okay?" Arizona tried to sooth the fussy toddler.
"I think we can just wipe her down really going and then I can give her a bath when she wakes up. You know how I hate when she goes to sleep with wet hair and there's no way she's going to let us blow dry her hair."
Arizona nodded her head as accepted the cloth from Arizona and began wiping her daughter clean.
15 minutes after fighting with a fussy toddler, they were finally able to dress Sofia. Now for the real fun part, putting her back to sleep. She was asleep for less than 15 minutes but she felt that was enough and did not want to go back to sleep. But she also felt the discomfort of heavy eyelids and battled with herself internally.
Callie heated up some milk in the kitchenette to give Sofia a bottle. Callie had started to wean her off of bottles and really only gave her one when she was having a very bad day. Right now was looking like one of those times. Sofia was screaming and flailing her arms and legs in every direction possible.
Rushing it to Arizona before she ended up with an injuries, Arizona offered an eager Sofia the bottle.
Soothing Sofia with a low Shhhhhhh sound and giving her daughter a kiss on the forehead, Arizona started pacing the room with a bounce in her step.
With Sofia starting to relax, Arizona was allowed to take in the hotel room. Callie had a crib next to the bed and a few pictures on the dresser because they were Sofia's favorite photos. But something that peaked Arizona's interest was on the desk next to Callie's laptop. Papers scattered about with manilla envelopes to match. She was about to inspect the papers when Callie returned from cleaning up the bathroom.
Callie saw was Arizona was looking at and walked to clean up the mess on the desk.
"Thanks for staying to help me put her back down." Callie said without making eye contact and shoved all the papers in her messenger bag.
Arizona looked at the sleeping child in her arms and couldn't help but place a kiss on the little girl's forehead. "She's so beautiful. She looks just like you."
Callie recognized the compliment was more for her than for Sofia. Clearing her throat Callie said, "She looks like she's out. You can just lay her on the bed."
Arizona watched Callies cheeks flush before she turned to place her bag in the corner of the room. Walking to the bed Arizona began placing Sofia on the bed when Sofia started to fuss. Pulling the child back to her body, she sat on the bed and shifted Sofia in her arms so she was cradling her. Arizona waited until Sofia looked like she was back into her dream like state before she shifted the little girl to the bed. With small whimpers falling from her mouth, Arizona pulled Sofia's blanket tighter around her to make her feel more secure. Sure enough the whimpers were gone almost as fast as the started.
Standing from the bed she felt the nerves set in. Sofia was now asleep so her job here was done. Callie thanked her again for helping her with Sofia and lead her to the door.
Arizona's nerves were getting worse with the closer they got to the door. She needed to say something to Callie but knew that she should just stay quiet and not rush Callie to come home.
Arizona stopped abruptly just short of the door and turned to Callie, "When can have Sofia again?" She got out as fast as she could. Not waiting to hear Callie's response she began again. "I have surgery planned all day for the next few days but I can move stuff around. Any day any time. I just want to see her and spend time with her. I can take her to day care. What ever you need Callie I'll do it."
Arizona waited with pleading eyes.