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Chapter 9
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Robert brought Arizona's luggage to a spacious corner room on the guest wing of the mansion. Each night, after rumpling her bed sheets, Callie made the trek to Arizona's bed and crawled in, sleeping better each time. The nightmares ceased immediately. As the fatigued diminished, Callie's wellness improved two-fold. Nobody, except Callie, was surprised by the immediate healing effect Arizona's presence had on her. Dr. Smith noted, "Don't underestimate the progress you've made here, Callie. You've been in therapy for a few weeks. I'm glad you are starting to see how it's helping you."
The counselor pointed out how Arizona's apartment and the Robbin's home were both new, unfamiliar locations, causing the subconscious fear. Her childhood home, while it had a history of security for Callie, now created a sense of sadness and uncertainty due to her mother's lack of acceptance of her sexuality and by extension, of Arizona. This tension allowed the nightmares to creep into her mind at night, even at the Miami estate. Callie was shocked by Lucia's invitation to Arizona. It gave Callie's subliminal thoughts the strength to quash her nighttime demons.
A week later, Arizona awoke in the middle of the night to find Callie madly scribbling in a notebook. "Calliope?"
"He was my friend. I didn't know him, but the second man, another guard, said he was my friend," Callie explained. "The first guard grabbed me from behind. I tried to get away. We were struggling. He banged my head on the sink. I was dizzy. The second man walked in and startled the guy. The bastard angrily shoved me away. Next thing I knew I was on the floor. The two men were viciously arguing. I remember the second guy was irate; he went bat-shit. He grabbed the awful guard by the throat and pushed him against the wall, saying, 'Touch her again and people will hurt you and your family.' I remember all of it. The guard panicked and said, 'But Rivas, you don't know Rivas. He'll kill me'. The other man said, 'Tell Rivas what he needs to hear, but if she is harmed in any way, touch her one more time and someone is going to hurt you and your family. Trust me. A lot of people are watching out for Dr. Torres and you have a price on your head,' the second man threatened."
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The two left Callie's next therapy session, hand in hand. "What do you think, Calliope? Is it enough; the pieces - are they enough?" Arizona asked, concerned her girlfriend would be unable to break free of the cycle of grief and guilt she was caught in.
Callie pondered her answer. "He, this anonymous friend, threatened to hurt the guy's family. I know the guard was a bastard, but...I don't know," she exhaled dejectedly. "I guess I would like to know for certain what happened to that ass who worked for Rivas, if anything. I wonder if he is alright...It's just I don't want to be responsible for any more harm."
Arizona stared at Callie wide-eyed, extremely frustrated with her big-hearted girlfriend. "First of all, you're the victim here. You keep forgetting that. You didn't put ANYONE in harm's way. Rivas did. Second of all, do you really need those answers? What if the man isn't alright? What if his family was harmed, then what? How are you going to handle it if it's an ugly truth?"
Callie shook her head, "I don't know," she said discouragingly. "How do I live with any of this?" This was one predicament even Carlos Torres' money couldn't resolve. Only Callie could. In her naiveté, she was tricked into indirect association with a child slavery ring that ran rampant in that corrupt country. She penalized herself by wallowing in her own blame.
Looking up at her girlfriend, Arizona stood tall, placing her hands on her hips. "The country is run by crooks, you know that. Even the United Nations hasn't been able to change the place. You didn't stand a chance!"
She pulled Callie into a secure embrace, pleading with her, "You have a tremendous heart, Calliope. It's what made me fall in love with you in Bata. It only took a couple days for you to leave me smitten. As much as it is in your nature, you can't save everyone from the world's asses. And you certainly can't take on the pain of others out of guilt. Now's the time to be selfish. If you can't, I will. I love you and I'm not losing you again," Arizona resolutely stated.
Arizona paused a moment, taking stock in her girlfriend's contemplative reaction. She mellowed her approach, "You're finally healing, Calliope. Look how far you've come with counseling. If you need to keep going to therapy forever, so be it. Bata doesn't operate under the same principles as we do. You need to remember that. You helped a lot of people over there. You saved so many. Look, because of you so many more people are still getting help and support. They were just paying you back the best way they knew how. You answered your big question; no one hurt you, at least sexually. You had no control over anything else. Let it go. Let Africa go."
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Callie laid by the pool, opening her eyes when she heard the French doors shut. A smile spread across her face as Arizona sauntered toward her. Arizona was right; it was together that they figured this out. The last few weeks were unquestionably healing. Callie was happy and everyone knew it. Her transformation was a relief to all, especially herself.
She put most of Africa behind her. Sure, there would always be the what-ifs and I-wonder moments. There were sporadic pangs of guilt. But she pushed those thoughts out. Therapy was teaching her how to manage it. She never intentionally hurt anyone. In Bata, those in need continued to receive the support of the Torres Foundation. She could live with that. She would live with that.
Arizona sat down beside her on the lounge chair. "Hey, Beautiful," she said as she leaned in to kiss Callie.
"How are your parents?" Callie asked, knowing her girlfriend just spent the last half hour checking-in with Barbara and Daniel Robbins.
"Happy because I'm happy," Arizona said as she took Callie's hand in hers. "They said 'Hi'. Of course, my mother wants to know when we'll be back. I told her I didn't know...I'd like to visit them. Together."
Callie pursed her lips, "The thought of seeing your parents again makes me nervous. I didn't make a very good first impression."
"You won my mom over the moment you snatched my phone at the restaurant. And she's relieved you've sorted out what happened, at least the important parts," Arizona shared.
"And your dad?" Callie asked.
Arizona shrugged, "I don't know. But once he spends some more time with you, he'll love you, too."
Callie remembered her post dinner chat with Colonel Robbins, suspecting it would now take more than just words to win over Arizona's father.
Arizona forced a smile, knowing that Callie would always be left with some uncertainty, but it wasn't in regards to her welfare. They were moving beyond Africa, finally. "Don't worry about my parents yet. I told them we were still figuring it out….What is our plan, Calliope?"
"I think it's time to take a break from Miami and get some real R&R. This sneaking around at midnight is exhausting. I feel like a teenager again. I'm much too old to be living with my parents and their scrutiny," Callie stated playfully, though her intent was genuine.
"I don't think you've fooled anyone, Calliope. You've slept in my bed every night since I arrived. Your parents aren't stupid."
"No, they aren't. My present state has left my parents with quite the conundrum. I can only imagine their conversations about me...and us," Callie discouragingly said.
Arizona furrowed her brow, "Why? Things are great, aren't they? You're happy again. That's what your mother said she wanted when she called, asking me to help them get 'their Calliope' back,'" Arizona explained.
Callie shrugged. "They say be careful what you wish for with good reason. I may be 'their Calliope', but I'm also 'your Calliope'. And I am extremely happy, especially with you back in my life," she said as she fiddled nervously with Arizona's fingers. "They need to share. Neither of my parents knows how to manage...us, which is why they are now in the don't ask, don't tell mode of operation."
Confused, Arizona replied, "I still don't understand the problem."
Callie sported a discouraged smile. "Take my dad. He likes you. He even likes you with me. He's said as much. But that's the problem. He's trying to ignore you and I are doing it."
Arizona smirked, "Well, we are doing it, frequently."
"Exactly! If he acknowledges we are...'doing it' then that totally goes against his morals, particularly when 'it' is happening under his roof," Callie said in exasperation. "I mean if you were a man, he would have tossed you out by now."
Arizona furrowed her brow, whispering with dramatic flair, "Are you saying if I want to have s-e-x with the daughter of Carlos Torres, in his house, I need to make an honest woman out of her first?"
Callie giggled, "Perhaps. I'm not sure what he wants. Some of this is new territory for him. Not me being in a serious relationship, me being in a serious relationship with a woman. I think what he wants is not to know too much. He's adjusting. It still kind of freaks him out."
"Well, I guess should take some solace in the fact your father is chivalrous, not holding me to the exact standards as the former men in your life. I'm afraid to ask where your mother stands on this," Arizona declared with annoyance.
Callie shook her head in frustration. "She doesn't acknowledge our relationship includes romance and sex. In her archaic head, she is justifying your presence here as a friend who is a girl. I'm sure she has an inkling that we are sleeping together. She's convinced herself and others that we're just having an old fashioned, endless slumber party. She just can't deal with us as lovers. That's how she is managing this right now."
Arizona couldn't hide her incredulity. Her own parents initially had their concerns with her relationship with Callie, but at least it had nothing to do with asinine optics and ignorance. "You can't be serious? We're not fawning all over each other, but we haven't been all that discreet with the PDA either."
"Totally serious. So I'm handling it by totally taking advantage of the fact that they are over the moon in seeing me happy again, knowing they're not going to say anything to upset me just yet," Callie deduced. "But at some point, they will surely bring it up."
Arizona raised her eyebrows at the absurdity of the whole scenario, right down to Callie messing her sheets each night and then sneaking into Arizona's bed. Needing a change in ludicrous subjects, Arizona eagerly asked, "You want to take a real vacation? I'd love that."
"I've always wanted to go back to Playa del Carmen. I went as a kid. It's beautiful. Dr. Smith said I could scale back. She suggested some time away from my parents and just with you might be a good idea."
"I've never been to Playa del Carmen. A couple weeks of just you and me on a beach, absolutely!" Arizona paused, cautiously noting, "At some point, we do need to talk about after that. How….what happens next...for us. And my parents, we need to visit to them. When we were there last, we left things...unsettled. My dad, he's skeptical about us."
Callie crossed her arms defensively, "No, he adores you. He has a problem with me. He warned me not to hurt you, but I did."
Arizona warmly smiled, "Calliope, my dad is a lot of hot air. He's really a great dad. He'll see the real you this time. You're better. Can we go back to California, just for a few days at some point soon?"
Callie anxiously nodded. "Yeah, we can. We should."
"Okay," Arizona beamed. "But let's not worry about it today. Today, let's just talk about our trip."
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Arizona entered the dining room alone. Lucia was already seated, having her morning coffee. "Good morning," the older woman greeted.
"Good morning, Mrs. Torres."
Neither woman was good at engaging the other in anything more than small talk. Usually Carlos or Callie was present, bridging the uncomfortable gap.
To Lucia, Arizona was the woman leading her daughter astray. She was also the woman who saved Calliope when her daughter seemed beyond help.
To Arizona, Lucia was just another narrow-minded homophobe. But she was also the loved mother of her girlfriend.
Both women sipped their coffee, quietly mulling their predicaments. "I'll send someone up to get your luggage," Lucia offered after a lull.
"Actually, I left it in the foyer," Arizona replied. Seeing Lucia frowned, she added, "It was just one small suitcase." Nonetheless, it was not how things worked in the Torres house.
Just then, Callie breezed into the dining room, all smiles and bouncy. "Morning!" She sat down in her designated spot, across the table from Arizona.
"You look like you slept well again last night," Lucia noted approvingly, finally seeing her daughter's face free of dark circles and weariness.
Callie blushed. In fact, she didn't get a lot of sleep last night - but she did eventually sleep well.
Watching her girlfriend's tongue-tied reaction, Arizona decided she would answer Lucia's question. "We did sleep well, thank you."
Lucia choked on the bite toast she was chewing. Callie eyes went wide, surprised at Arizona's forthright response. Arizona sat smugly, her eyes twinkling as she impishly peered over the rim of her coffee cup. She proudly and honestly answered the question that Callie and her parents seemed to be dodging. Carlos walked in on the awkward scene. "Lucia? Are you alright?" he asked worriedly as his wife sputtered as she swallowed the dry toast.
"I just had a bit of trouble swallowing that last bite," she answered, her sober eyes connecting with Arizona's roguish ones. "I'm fine," Lucia responded.
"Good, good," Carlos said as he took his seat, still trying to assess the room's mood. "So Calliope, are you and Arizona all set for the trip? You've made arrangements at The Presidential, right?" The Presidential was his hotel in Playa del Carmen.
"Daddy, we're not staying at the hotel. We're staying a small cabana with a private beach. It's off the beaten track."
"Really?" Carlos couldn't understand why his daughter would forgo the lavish accommodations at her disposal.
"Daddy, Arizona and I need some time alone. At the hotel, it will be like being in a fishbowl. I'm a Torres. Arizona and I will be on display; our every move scrutinized. We won't get a moment's peace. They will be so afraid to leave us be, wanting to make sure they are catering to our every whim. We'll be smothered. At this place, we'll have our privacy. Plus, it has a small kitchen so I can cook or we can drive into town for meals."
"Carlos, it makes sense. There's no point in drawing attention to Calliope." Lucia quickly justified, "Like she said, it won't be very relaxing."
Carlos raised his eyebrows. "If that's what you want...Are you sure the place is decent? I can make some calls. I know people-"
"-Daddy, please don't. The reservation is not even in my name. I'm booked under Callie Robbins." Lucia's mouthful of coffee sprayed out.
"Excuse me," Lucia said as she quickly blotted her mess.
Callie smirked at her mother's reaction. "I'm traveling incognito this trip. That's all. You can relax, Mom. I'm not sneaking off to Vegas again.
"Okay, I get it." Carlos replied, as held his hands up defensively, not wanting to broach the concept of his daughter contemplating another committed relationship. "So you'll be back when?"
"Actually, I wanted to talk to you both about that. Arizona and I are planning on flying directly to LA after Mexico," Callie explained.
"What about your therapy?" Lucia asked worriedly. "Don't you think you should be staying in Miami a bit longer?"
"We're traveling with Dr. Smith's blessing. I've been going to counseling for a couple months now. I'm going to call in every few days. If I have any issues, I'll either fly back or she'll set me up with someone local. And Arizona has been coming to my sessions with me. Dr. Smith thinks she'll know if I start going crazy again," Callie teased.
"So you two are..." Lucia stopped, lost for words.
Like mother, like daughter, Callie too was speechless, unable to honestly answer her mother, worried at her mother's response.
Arizona and Carlos looked at each other, both well aware of the problem. It was time to acknowledge that Callie and Arizona were in a romantic relationship and the two were ready to find their way together.
"If we are still living in this happy bubble after our trip," Arizona joked, "we're going to visit my parents for a few days. The plan is to spend some time at my apartment after that and talk about our future. Together. As a couple." Arizona gestured to Callie and herself. "We're not dropping off the face of the earth. We'll stay in touch and let you know how we are doing," Arizona reassured.
An uncomfortable silence hung in the dining room. "Well, that sounds like a good plan," Carlos said, breaking the quiet. Lucia nodded, knowing at some point Calliope would be leaving. Her daughter was better, much better. Even Lucia could not dispute Arizona was instrumental in helping Callie turned the corner. She just wasn't ready to verbalize her thoughts quite yet.
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Author's Note: My thanks to Cycworker for her ongoing beta efforts. However, mistakes are mine, I'm always making changes up to the last minute. Equatorial Guinea does have human rights issues (www dot hrw dot org). Thank you to all who are continuing to read, follow, and/or review this story. I truly appreciate it!
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