"So my grandparents want me to have a royal coming out party."
Tara spit out her drink and started choking on air, when she finally got her breath she gasped, "Excuse me? You told your grandparents? And they want to throw a royal party to celebrate your coming out?"
"Oh no, sorry, not like that. I had a similar reaction when they said coming out party. It's like a debutant ball where they present me to society as an eligible lady."
"Oh I see. An eligible lady."
"So I dunno if I should have the party, what do you think?"
"Do whatever you want Sofia," Tara said suddenly acting really weird as she got up and started packing up her backpack.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm gonna head home."
"Why? We still have work to do and my moms said you could stay for dinner," Sofia whined.
"I think I'm just gonna go," Tara said looking away.
"What's wrong? If this is about the party, I won't have one."
"You have to have one. It's a thing that people in your position do."
"People in my position?" Sofia questioned.
"You know, people who come from a family like yours."
"I may come from an interesting bloodline, but I assure you, I'm just a common girl from a walk up in New York City. This whole debutant ball is really not my thing."
"Sofia, you may have grown up in New York, but your life has changed. Your mom is a very important person over here. As such, you are expected to behave a certain way."
"The hell with that. I can do what I want," Sofia argued.
"You will try, but eventually family wins and behaving a certain way means having a coming out party and not being with someone like me."
"I get to choose who I want to be with and I choose you. Yeah, it is going to be hard to come out to everyone. It was hard for my Mom, but people are more accepting now. Eventually my grandparents will come around just like they did for my Mom."
"It's not going to be easy."
"I don't care. I want you and even if I wasn't with you, I wouldn't be straight. Either way it would be hard. At least this way I have something that makes it worth it," Sofia said grabbing Tara's hands and looking her in the eyes.
"I make it worth it?" Tara asked shyly.
"Yes, I'm so happy Tara. Everything about you is so perfect to me."
"I feel the same way, I don't know how I got so lucky."
"So about the party?" Sofia went back to the original topic.
"Yeah, about the party."
"I kind of want to have one, but only if you will come as my date."
"Really?"
"Really. Tara I know it will be untraditional, but you are my girlfriend and if I'm getting presented to society, then you are the only person I want at my side."
"Of course I will go as your date," Tara said smiling and pulling Sofia into a kiss.
Later in the evening at dinner, Sofia spoke up to her Moms.
"So, I have decided I want to have that coming out party."
"Oh yeah, it could be fun," Callie said happily.
"Are you sure?" Arizona asked.
"Yeah Mommy, I'm sure. But the only way I'm having this big party is if Tara can come as my date."
"Of course she can be your date!" Callie exclaimed.
"It's not that simple Calliope, bringing Tara as her date makes it complicated."
"So you want our daughter to lie about who she is? Would it be bad for your campaign? Don't want the public thinking two lesbians raised a lesbian so close to the election?" Callie popped off as she started getting upset.
"Calliope, stop. This has nothing to do with the campaign. I'm just saying that if she brings Tara as her date she is going to have to come out to my parents. And if she comes out at this party, then she will be letting everyone know. I just want to make sure she is ready for that."
"I'm ready," Sofia cut in.
"Are you sure?" Arizona asked.
"Yes, I don't want to pretend anymore. I'm sick of listening to people talk to me about cute boys and not be able to gush about my girlfriend. I'm sick of grandma trying to hook me up with well-bred gentlemen. I found who I want," Sofia said grabbing Tara's hand.
"If you are sure, then we will support you with whatever you want Sofia. We love you and we will stand behind you while you let other's know."
"Thanks Mommy."
"I'm going to take Tara home, I'll be back soon," Sofia said as they started to clear the table.
"Okay, don't take too long sweetie. We have that press conference tomorrow," Arizona said.
"I won't."
As the kids left, Arizona and Callie cleaned up the meal and it was kind of quiet.
"Alright Arizona, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Arizona said shortly.
"Whenever you say nothing, it means something," Callie retorted.
"I just tired, I'm going to bed," Arizona said moving out of the kitchen quickly.
Callie stayed downstairs trying to figure out why Arizona was upset. Maybe she was really worried about how this would affect the campaign. When Callie finally entered the bedroom. Arizona was sitting up in bed on her ipad with her reading glasses down on her nose. If Arizona wasn't mad at her, Callie would probably jump her bones because she looked so cute right now.
"Arizona," Callie said coming in and sitting on the bed.
"What?"
"I know you are upset and I can't really figure out why. Is it because of the campaign? Sure people might be upset about Sofia being gay since we are gay, but they accept you, so they will accept her. You will have radicals saying we raised her to be gay, but whatever it's just…"
"Hold it right there. God damnit Calliope, why can't you understand why I am upset? I don't give a damn about the campaign. I give a damn because my wife thinks that the reason I was hesitant about Tara as a date was because of the campaign. I have never once put this election before my family and you know it. I have canceled events to make sure I still spend enough time with all of you. So when you act like I'm my father who only cares about that shit, it hurts."
"Oh, oh, Arizona I didn't realize."
"Yeah, you didn't."
"I'm sorry," Callie said.
"I thought you knew me better than that."
"I do, I just keep worrying that you will let your political career overtake you."
"If I recall correctly, I gave all of this up for you and our family. You are the one who encouraged me to move back here and do this. I was planning on staying in New York and doing something else."
"Arizona I know. I'm just being insecure. I just love you so much and I lost you for 16 years and it still scares me I will lose you again."
"Calliope, the only way you will lose me is if I have no choice. If, god forbid, I die, that's the only thing that I will let separate me from you."
"Don't even talk about dying Arizona."
"I was just making a point."
"Still," Callie responded.
"Anyways, about Sofia. I am just worried for her. Coming out, especially as someone in her position because of all the press and scrutiny can be really hard. I know because when I came out it was sometimes unbearable."
"Times have changed Arizona."
"I know, but she is young and kids are mean. The press is mean. I just don't want her to go through what I went through."
"You just want to protect her. And I want to protect her too, but we can't protect her through everything. We have to let her come out and just support her all the way through it."
"You're right, so how are we going to break this to your parents?"
"Ugh, I dunno. Let's just worry about that tomorrow."
"Okay, sounds good," Callie said climbing in and pulling Arizona close.
"Mmm babe, I love you so much."
"I love you too Arizona, soooooo much."