Chapter 12

I opened my eyes and although I don't recognise the room, I do recognise the two figures asleep in the bed in front of us. Callie 2 and Arizona look cozy, all wrapped up in each other. That's one thing I miss. Penny doesn't like to sleep cuddled up because she gets too warm. So I stick to my side of the bed and she sticks to hers. I look at Callie 2 and Arizona and you can hardly tell where one begins and one ends.

"That's one image I will never get enough of." Mark winked as he looked at the two women in bed.

"Have some respect." I slapped him on the arm as he laughed. "What year are we in?"

"2021." Mark answered as we heard a quiet knock on the door before it opened and Sofia's head popped in.

-GA-

"Mom, Mama?" Sofia said in a stage whisper. "Are you awake?"

"No." Callie's mumbled reply came from the bed as both her and Arizona stirred.

"Come on. It's time to get up." Sofia pushed the door open and ran to the bed. "It's Christmas."

As Sofia landed on the bed with her christmas stocking gripped strongly in her hand, more footsteps echoed out in the hall before two more children popped their heads in. Cheering when the noticed Callie and Arizona moving to sit up.

"It's Christmas." A brunette little girl smiled. She seemed to be about 4 years old and looked adorable in her Mrs Claus nightshirt and carrying her own stocking. She quickly followed Sofia and jumped on the bed.

"Up. Up." Came the voice of the smallest child. A blue-eyed, blonde haired boy with the cutest dimples. Just looking at him you could tell who his biological mother way.

"Up. Up. Is it?" Arizona chuckled as she leaned over to lift the little boy onto the bed with them.

"Mommy." He grinned and wrapped his arms around Arizona's neck. "Christmas."

"It's Christmas?" Callie sounded shocked as she ruffled his hair. "It can't be Christmas yet."

"It is." All the children shouted happily as they bounced on the bed.

"Santa's been." Sofia told them, holding up her stocking. "See."

"I'm sure he's come early then. It can't be Christmas already." Callie looked at Arizona who was still wrapped up in the little boys arms. "Can it?"

Arizona shrugged her shoulders. "Who are we to argue with Santa?" She reached over and tickled the little girl sitting between her and Callie.

"Mommy, no tickling." The little girl laughed, trying to move away.

Callie reached out to tickle Sofia. "But tickling is the best part of Christmas."

Both girls laughed loudly. "No it isn't." Sofia said as she tried to catch her breath.

"It isn't?" Callie asked, putting on her shocked voice again. "What is then?"

"Presents." All three children cheered at the same time.

"Presents?" Arizona gasped playfully. "Santa brought us presents?"

"No. Us." Sofia smiled. She played this game with them every year even though she was old enough to know the truth about Santa now, she knew it was important to her Moms that her brother and sister still believed.

"Seriously?" Arizona asked. "That doesn't seem fair. Why do you get presents off Santa and we don't?"

Sofia rolled her eyes. "Cause you're too old."

Callie and Arizona looked at each other before Arizona moved the little boy off her lap. "Oh really?" Callie asked, reaching out and grabbing Sofia around the waist and pulling her up between them. Both adults then proceeded to tickle her until she laughingly gasped out 'Sorry.'

"Ok." Arizona looked at the other children and grinned. "Let's see what Santa brought you."

Callie pulled the little boy into her lap while Arizona moved to do the same with her youngest daughter. "Who wants to go first?"

All three children help their hands in the air. "Me!"

"How about we start with Lucas because he's the youngest?" Callie suggested with a smile. She loved this type of morning. There was no better way to spend a morning than in bed with her wife and children. Sofia didn't come in like she used to. She liked her sleep too much in the mornings now, just like her Mama. So everyone was usually up by the time she dragged herself out of bed. So the mornings when all three children came in were extra special.

"Yay." The little boy cheered before he reached for his stocking and pulled out a small wrapped gift. Which he opened gleefully to reveal a fluffy blue dinosaur. Lucas was coming up to 2 years old now this was really the first christmas he actually understood. He was also going through his dinosaur stage and he clapped happily as he held the toy tightly in his arms.

"Olivia, do you want to go next?" Arizona asked the little girl sitting in her lap.

"Yes please." Olivia reached into her stocking and pulled out her own gift. She grinned as a hello kitty teddy popped out of the paper. "Hello Kitty." She screeched as she hugged the small teddy to her.

"My turn." Sofia reached for her stocking and pulled out one of the smaller gifts in there. When she opened it she looked at her mother's with a frown. "Earrings? But I don't have my ears pierced."

Arizona reached down and grabbed Sofia's leg. "The earrings are only one part of the present." She assured her. "Your Mama and I discussed it and we think you're old enough to get your ears pierced."

Sofia's eyes lit up and she looked over to Callie. "Really?"

"Really." Callie confirmed and smiled as Sofia carefully avoided her younger siblings to wrap her arms around both of her Mothers.

"Thank you." She whispered, giving both women a kiss before moving back to her spot at the bottom of the bed.

The children continued to open their stocking fillers as the Moms looked on happily.

"Shall we go and see if Santa left anything else downstairs?" Callie asked, as the last present was unwrapped.

"Yay." Cheers erupted from the children again as both girls scrambled off the bed. Arizona reached over to help Lucas down before he fell off the bed.

"Walk please." Callie shouted as the younger members of the family left the room in a hurry. When the kids were gone, she reached over and pulled Arizona in for a kiss. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." Arizona replied and she wrapped Callie in a hug taking in the scent of the woman she loved.

-GA-

"We have more kids." I stated the obvious as I watched the scene play out in front of me, Callie 2 and Arizona climbed out of bed and threw on their robes before heading for the bedroom door.

"You do." Mark said. "A good-looking bunch too."

"Can you tell me about them?" I asked as we followed Callie 2 and Arizona out of the bedroom and down the stairs to the living room, which was covered in decorations and presents. There was no denying it was Christmas.

"Lucas Timothy Torres is nearly 2 years old. As you can tell he is Arizona's biological son. Olivia Paige Torres is nearly 4 years old. You fostered her just after she was born. Her mother was an old patient of Arizona's, who died just after she gave birth. She had no surviving family and the baby's father was in prison so she was going to go into the system. You had already discussed having another baby so you both agreed to try to adopt her. You fostered her first and the adoption became final just after her first birthday." Mark explained.

"I find it hard to believe that after being so against kids in the beginning, Arizona has 3." Callie admitted. "After the miscarriage, I accepted that Sofia would be my only child. I never really believed Arizona wanted anymore."

"Well now you know that doesn't have to be the case." Mark said, listening to the family in front of them laughing and enjoying their Christmas.

As they looked on, there was a knock on the front door.

-GA-

"I'll get it." Callie said as she stood up and walked to the door, smiling when it opened and her Father and Arizona's parents were stood on the other side. "Daddy." She pulled him in for a hug. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Mija." Her father replied before letting her go so she could welcome her in-laws. "Where are my grandbabies?"

"Abuelo." All three children shouted as they ran to meet their and Olivia getting there first with Lucas toddling along behind.

-GA-

"I take it my Mother still hasn't come around?" I asked sadly. It had taken me a while to get used to not having my Mother in my life but over the last few years I had accepted it. It still hurt though.

"Not in any lifetime." Mark confirmed.

"Can we stay here for a while?" I asked, although I already knew the answer.

"You know we can't." Mark answered. "Come on, one more visit to go and then we are done."