Chapter 8

Why is it that the things most worth doing are the ones outside of our comfort zone? It's like a venn diagram. You, and everything you're at ease with is in one circle, and in the other circle is an entire list of activities that you must try a little harder to achieve. And for the most part, hardly anything intersects. But what if just for one day, they did?

The following morning, Arizona was first to awake. She glanced over to her partner and found her fast asleep with her arm wrapped securely around the blonde's waist. Arizona smiled, gently removing the arm from her body, and slipped out of bed silently.

She walked over to the coffee-maker and began making a pot, wearing nothing but a white tank-top and a pair of navy short shorts. After a few groggy minutes of fiddling with the machine, she finally figured out how to turn it on, and turned around. She was slightly startled to see Callie watching her from the doorway, leaning on the wall and smiling. "Calliope! How long have you been standing there?" Callie just shook her head and walked towards her wife, "Long enough to admire those amazing legs of yours..." she said, her voice saturated with sultriness. Arizona's dimples broke through her straight face as she took her wife's hand, "So, are you excited for today? Do you have any idea what I have planned?" She asked excitedly, but didn't provide time for an answer because she kept rambling, "I'm trying really hard not to spoil it, but I am getting so anxious. And nervous...really nervous, because if you don't like it – if you hate it, I am going to feel so stupid and..." She was interrupted with a pair of luscious lips against hers as Callie kissed her. After they broke apart, Callie smirked and whispered, "That is my favorite way to shut you up. I am going to love it, whatever it is, because I'll be all alone with you... the best wife in the whole world." Arizona exhaled sharply, "I hope you're right..."

After the couple had breakfast together, they showered together and got dressed. Around 10am, they were ready to go. They hopped into the car, with Arizona in the driver's seat. "Okay, so you have to close your eyes on the car ride, otherwise you will be able to tell where we're going and that's just no fun." Callie gave her a look, as if saying, Are you kidding me? But Arizona shot a look back at her wife that seemed to communicate, Please just humor me. So Callie smiled and closed her eyes, "You're lucky that you're so adorable." Arizona grinned and started the car.

Fifteen minutes later, Callie was about to break her promise, "Can I open my eyes YET? It has literally been an eternity of blackness over here..." Arizona laughed, "Okay, okay... calm down, we're pretty much there..." Callie could feel the car stop moving, so she cautiously opened one eye and looked around, and couldn't believe what was in front of her, so the second eye immediately shot open. "Is that a ferry boat? Arizona, you know how I feel about ferries..." Arizona giggled, and grabbed her wife's hand, rubbing the back of it with her thumb, "I know, I know. That's why I was so nervous. But... I was thinking, and I mean... I was going to just take you out to a movie, the same ol' thing we always do. But it didn't feel right..." Callie gulped, "And taking me out on a giant moving death ship did?" Arizona tilted her head and placed a single finger on Callie's lips to quiet her, and continued, "So instead, I figured that I would help you overcome one of your fears. Shouldn't that be what marriage is about? Overcoming difficult things together? I know it sounds crazy, Calliope, but just hear me out. We've overcome so much together already... the accident, the scare with your father, and our disagreement about children. I just want to prove to you that no matter what, I'm not going to bail on you again. Please, let me win back your faith in me. Even if you hate something that I love, such as ferry boats for example, I will still be here at the end of the day. And I swear, next time, it's your turn to surprise me." Callie couldn't help but smile at her wife's attempt at winning back her trust, even though she already completely trusted her. "Okay...fine... but if I still absolutely hate it at the end of the day, will you just accept it?" Arizona thought for a moment, and then nodded, "Yes. If you try it and still hate it, then I will be totally fine with it. But I'm not going down without a fight." The blonde said with a determined sparkle in her eye. Callie bit her lip nervously, "Okay, let's go then." As they walked together towards the loading dock, Arizona mumbled playfully, "Geesh, such a badass Ortho surgeon... woulda never guessed you'd be scared of ferry boats..." Callie nudged her wife in the side and looked at her with a faux offended expression, "Hey! Watch it, blondie." They laughed together as Arizona helped Callie onto the boat.

As the boat glided along the water, Callie was a nervous wreck, constantly asking 'what if' questions to her wife, and clinging to her tightly. Arizona smiled, "Calliope, the boat is not going to tip over." Callie shook her head, "Have you seen Titanic? That's what everyone thinks! And then BAM, I'm asking you to never let go! And then you let go anyway! Even though, there was clearly room on that door for Jack. Rose was just being selfish, in my opinion..." Arizona gave her a bewildered expression and laughed, "I think I married a crazy woman..." she whispered to herself.

Arizona leaned over the railing, and watched the water as it disappeared quickly beneath the bow of the boat. Callie wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist and nuzzled her chin into Arizona's neck, kissing her skin softly. Arizona leaned back into the embrace and moaned very lightly, "Mm, see... this isn't so bad, is it?" Callie tightened her grip a little on her partner and shook her head slightly, "No, I guess not. I never really gave it a chance the last time I was within fifty feet of a ferry... plus it's way better with you here..."

They stood, watching the beautiful sights pass them by, wrapped in each other's caress. At last, they reached their destination back at the dock. As they stepped off the boat, Callie turned to Arizona and kissed her lips sweetly, "Thank you. That wasn't half as bad as I thought it would be. I guess, ever since that horrible ferry accident when Meredith almost died... I don't know. I've just hated the things ever since." Arizona stroked her lover's back comfortingly, "I understand. I just love them so much... half the reason I moved to Seattle. I wanted to show you that there's nothing to be worried about. You know that was a freak accident..." Callie nodded, "Yeah, I know. I'm glad we did this... really, I am." Arizona displayed her super magic smile which in turn caused Callie to smile.

Arizona turned around to see a park behind them, "Hey, wanna go on a walk around the park?" Callie grabbed her wife's hand tightly, "Sure," she agreed. As they strode hand-in-hand, they watched little kids play on the playground, dogs bark and chase other dogs, people jogging, and other various activities. Arizona noticed it had started to get a little cloudy, because it had been one of the rare sunny days in Seattle. "Ah, crap, the clouds are rolling in quickly...looks like rain..." The families around them began packing up and leaving the park, the kids evacuating the playground and the pet-owners struggling to get their dog back on the leash. "So?" Callie said with a smug look on her face. "So... it's gonna start raining here any second..." Arizona replied simply. Callie released her wife's hand and went over to the playground, climbing into the now-empty tower at the top of it. Arizona laughed at her ridiculous wife, and quickly followed her, taking an alternative route up the ladder. As the rain started sprinkling, Callie sat at the top of the slide, trying to get into a comfy sitting spot. Arizona reached the area where Callie was and pushed her wife down the slide unexpectedly, causing her to scream and fly down the swirling slide, "Ahhh!" she yelped, along with laughter. "Oh, I am so gonna get you back, Robbins!" she yelled back at the blonde at the top of the tower. Callie climbed back up the slide, and found her adorable prize waiting at the top, tackling her so they fell backwards onto the play equipment, Callie now straddling her wife. "Got you!" she said. Arizona giggled and nodded, "You sure did."

With the roof of the tower sheltering them from rainfall, they laid together, kissing passionately. Eventually, they had to stop before it got too steamy. After all, they were still in a public place, even if there was nobody around for miles. So they settled for cuddling, holding each other tightly and occasionally stealing a kiss where they could. The couple laid, listening to the rainfall pitter-patter across the equipment, and shared stories about their childhood experiences on playgrounds, rainstorms, and many other random topics for what seemed like hours. Eventually, though, the rain stopped. Callie sat up and looked around, watching a single sunbeam break through the clouds and blind her. She held her hand in front of her face, shielding the ray from her eyes, "Man, what time is it?" Arizona checked her phone and saw that it was only 30 minutes until their shift at the hospital began. "Ugh, we have to be at work in half an hour. Guess we better get going..." Callie nodded, then leaned over to kiss the blonde's cheek one last time, "Yeah, guess we should. Race you to the car!" With that, Callie threw herself down the slide and was at ground-level before Arizona could even get her bearings. "Hey! Cheater!" She yelled, running down the steps to the ground.

Sometimes even when we least expect it, the world we love and the world we fear may collide, and though it sounds frightening, it could end up being exactly what we need.