I promise that the moment you have been waiting for is coming. See you at the end of the chapter. Thanks for reading and all the wonderful reviews and PMs. It makes this so much easier and more fun. So Sofia has called herself "Plant" then Arizona did too. Now OMG Did y'all see Callie look around that office and "Calliope Plant...tain." I almost cracked up.
A/N SIKE! LOL Not sure what happened, but lets try this agian.
Chapter 13
Sofia was sitting doing her homework when the door opened. The girl watched her mom walk in the room with her backpack. "What's that for?"
"You're staying with Arizona tonight. Your toothbrush is in the side..."
"Whoa. Why am I staying with Arizona?"
"I have plans tonight and I arranged it with Teddy that you could stay with her and the girls, but Arizona said that you could just stay after you have dinner."
"You aren't going?"
"No, Sofia. I already had plans tonight." Callie said sitting the backpack on the table in front of her daughter.
"Since when?" The girl said angry.
"Since a couple weeks ago."
"With who?"
"Your things are in the bag." She leaned over to kiss the girl on the cheek. "Be good and don't keep Arizona up all night. She has to be here early in the morning."
"Wait!" Sofia said following her mom. "Who are you going with?"
"Sofia."
"Is this a date?"
"Yes." Callie said nervously. "Yes, it's a date."
"With who? Why didn't you tell me? Arizona is here." The girls anger was really showing.
"First her name is Amanda. Secondly, I don't have to tell. And third, I didn't realize that Arizona was going to be here."
"Then cancel."
"I am not going to cancel."
"Who's Amanda? I've never seen an Amanda. Is this an excuse not to go?"
Callie sat in the chair next to her daughter and placed her hand of Sofia's. "Honey, I met Amanda while you were in Maryland. Paula and Monica called and asked if I wanted to go out with them. They said that Monica had a friend at work that they thought I would get along with. We all went to dinner and I mentioned that I wanted to go to the theatre and Amanda got a pair of tickets. Tickets that aren't easy to come by and she did it for me. I can't cancel the night of."
"But mom..."
"No buts, Sof."
"So Arizona knows?"
"She does."
"She mad?"
Callie smiled. "I don't think mad is the word. Arizona knows that she has no right to tell me what I can do. It hasn't mattered for 14 years who I dated." She watched Sofia drop her head in defeat. "Hey." She raised the girl face until their eyes met. "Don't worry about this. If Arizona and I are meant to be together, we will figure this all out. If not, we can't push it. Ok?"
The girl nodded. "Ok. I gotta go get dressed. Arizona is waiting for you in Peds. Please be good and remember to go to bed at a decent hour." She leaned over to kiss her daughters cheek. "I love you."
"I love you too." The girl watched her mom walk out.
xxxx
Arizona saw Sofia coming down the hall, two backpacks in hand. "Hey, let me get one of those." Arizona took the pack from Sofia. "You ready?"
"Yeah." Arizona noticed that the girl was upset.
"You ok?"
"Yeah." She said not at all convincing.
"Wanna talk about it?"
The girl slowly looked up at Arizona. "No. You?"
"Nope." She smiled at her. "I am done so we can go."
"We don't have to go to The Needle. I just thought..."
Arizona put her arm around the girl. "I know. Tell you what. We'll go by the hotel, I'll change and then we can go wherever you like."
"Ok."
xxxx
Sofia had chosen an Italian restaurant not far from the hospital. She was a sucker for their steak sandwiches and Arizona could see that she would be too. The conversation just flowed easy between them. They seemed to talk about everything. They had been there for almost two hours just laughing about things that had happened during Sofia's life and old stories for Seattle Grace. Deep down they both realized they were honestly just trying to cheer the other up.
"Can I ask you a question?" Sofia's mood changed.
"Sure."
"Can you tell me about...her?"
"Becca?"
"Yeah."
"Becca and I met at work. We were friends for a while and we just had such a good time together. We made each laugh." Arizona smiled at the memory. "I didn't know that anyone would make me smile like that, at that time in my life. I missed Callie so much." She stopped and looked around to try and keep the tears from her eyes. "I wondered about you. I wondered what you looked like. Who you acted like. If Lucia was actually happy with Callie's life now. If your pediatrician was giving you the right care. Becca took me away from all that, if not for just a while. Then my mom was diagnosed with cancer."
"What kind?"
"Breast. Becca was her Oncologist. Mom really liked her too and helped me through a very rough time. I honestly thought that Mom was dying. Becca really helped her through a extremely rough time."
"Did she make it?"
Arizona smiled. "She did. So Becca became a part of my life. Mom would invite her to dinners and over for the holidays, she was just a part of my life. It just felt right."
"Was she nice?"
Arizona chuckled. "She made me look mean." The smile fell. "She always knew."
"Knew what?"
"That I loved her as much as I could. That I loved her as much as I would someone that wasn't Callie. She knew."
"Do you still love mom?"
"I have loved your mom almost as long as I haven't in my life. A lot has happened, Sofia. I left for Africa and Callie tried to survive my leaving and then I came back and everything was off sync. I was too late for her and now it's too late for me. We just can't seem to be on the same time frame."
"You gotta try."
"She's apparently dating someone."
"I don't even know this person. Anyone that Mom is serious about, I meet. That's the deal."
Arizona leaned across the table. "I am pretty sure that they are gonna throw us out at any moment. I saw a frozen yogurt store next door. You up for it?"
"Um, yeah."
Arizona paid the bill and left a sizable tip to cover the time they sent at the table. As they were walking out the restaurant, the unthinkable happened.
A woman watched the two walking toward the door laughing. "I have never seen your daughter, but that looks a lot like the picture you showed me of her."
Callie looked up to see Arizona and Sofia walking toward them. Callie, in a nervous tone, spoke as the two came closer. "Hey." She said trying to smile.
Arizona and Sofia looked up in shock. "Hey." Arizona smiled.
"I thought you were going to The Needle?"
"I changed my mind." Sofia offered.
Callie knew actually what her daughter had been up to. "Oh." She was caught up in the two when Amanda coughed. "Oh. This is Amanda. Amanda, this is my daughter Sofia and my..."
"Friend." Arizona said. "I am her friend, Arizona Robbins." The two woman smiled at each other, but everyone knew that it wasn't friendly. "Ok, then. Sofia and I are heading out. You two have a nice dinner." Arizona put her hand on Sofia's shoulder and guided her around Callie and Amanda.
"Excuse me." Callie said and walked out the door toward Arizona and Sofia. As they walked down the sidewalk, Callie stopped them. "Hey!"
They both turned around right in front of the yogurt shop as Callie walked over to them. "I'm gonna go in and see what flavors they have." Sofia said leaving them.
"Is she behaving?"
"She's fine." Arizona smiled.
"Cuz if she is being..."
"She's good Callie." Arizona looked back at the restaurant. "Shouldn't you be in there with Amanda."
"Yeah." Callie said hoping that Arizona show signs of...something. "Yeah, I just wanted to check on Sofia." She continued to look at Arizona. "Ok, I am heading back."
As she started to walk off, Arizona finally spoke. "Do you like her?"
Callie turned to look at her. "She's nice. I don't know her all that well, but yeah, she's nice."
"Good. I mean, I am glad that you found someone nice."
"Thanks."
"I want you to be happy."
"Yeah, cuz it was a courtesy that you got." Callie didn't even know where that came from. "I'm so sor..."
"It's ok. Have a good evening, Callie. Sofia will text in the morning." Arizona walked into the yogurt shop.
Callie walked back into the restaurant to find Amanda slightly waving in her direction from a corner booth. "Sorry, I just wanted to make sure that Sofia was watching her manners." Callie said as she lifted the menu and looked at the items.
"So that's your ex?"
"She um.." Callie looked up at her shocked.
"I remember the name. Paula and Monica told me what happened with her. I hope you don't mind. Arizona is kind of a hard name to forget."
"Um, yeah...that's her...my ex. She's in town from Maryland and Sofia wanted to see her." Callie continued to look at the menu. "I really don't want to talk about them." She looked at the other woman. "Do you?"
She smiled. "No."
xxxx
Arizona and Sofia finally climbed into bed just after midnight. As they lay there in the dark, the girl spoke again. "You nervous?"
"About what?"
"Mom." There was no answer. "She was on a date with a pretty girl. You nervous?"
Arizona silently had played ever scenario out in her head already. She knew Callie. She knew how Callie could take a nice, quiet moment and turn it into pure passion within moments. What is she... "No."
"Liar."
"She deserves to be happy, Sofia."
The young girl thought for a moment before responding. "What would I have called you?"
"What?" Arizona was completely caught off guard.
"If you woulda stayed. If I was...you know...your daughter. What would I have called you?"
Arizona wondered if that knot had been in her thought all night or if it just suddenly appeared. "I...I don't know. I guess whatever you came up with."
There was another moment of silence that magnified the darkness. "I call her Mom, so I guess I woulda called you Mama."
As Arizona closed her eyes to keep back the tears, she was thankful for that darkness. "Maybe."
"Do you think that you woulda loved me...you know...like your own."
Arizona wasn't sure how much more that she could take before breaking. "Yeah." That was all Arizona could get out.
"You think it woulda took you a long time?"
"Seems to just take about a week."
Arizona didn't see the smile the covered the girls face. "Night Arizona."
"Night, Sofia."
Arizona woke the next morning to a familiar feeling. She had one leg draped across hers and arm across her face. As she slowly moved the arm, she looked at the sleeping girl beside her. She was laying almost completely across the bed, arms and legs thrown haphazardly everywhere. Arizona smiled as she thought how much that she was like Callie. It had taken a long time to get used to sleeping with Callie, but she loved it.
She squirmed out from under the girl and made her way to the shower. Tossing one last look over her shoulder at the sleeping girl as she thought about what Sofia had asked last night. She had truly taken to the younger Torres. She knew that she loved her already and this was going to make returning home even more difficult.
Sofia and Arizona arrived at Callie's apartment building just after 8 a.m. When Arizona woke Sofia, she immediately text her Mom to give her a heads up. Be there in about half an hour. Just sayin.
Just sayin what Sofia? Callie replied back.
Nothing.
Sofia Torres! I am not talking about this with my daughter! I am alone though, just so you know.
:) Was Sofia's only response.
As Sofia opened the door, Arizona followed her inside carrying one of her bags. "Good morning." Callie smiled. "Coffee?"
Arizona smiled. "I would love some, thank you."
Sofia ran to her room to put her things away. "I know if you slept with my daughter you probably need more than coffee."
Arizona chuckled. "And a back rub." Awkward.
Callie smiled. "Sorry about that."
"It's ok. I've slept with a Torres woman before." Again, with the awkward.
"Sorry about that too." Callie laughed.
"I only bruised once, so I'll consider myself lucky."
"That was an accident, Robbins. Besides, if you hadn't fallen asleep, facing the other direction..." Callie stopped as she remembered exactly how that story went. She and Arizona had sex that night and when they were done, Arizona actually fell asleep with her head on Callie's thigh. During the night, Callie had moved and hit Arizona in the cheek with her knee causing a bruise.
Arizona sipped her coffee. "Ok, yeah. That one was my own fault."
"So what's the plan here?"
"About what?"
"You...and Sofia."
Arizona understood the question and it's true meaning. "Well, I finish up here and then return to Maryland. I have a very busy practice, so it makes it hard to be away any longer than this weekend."
"When do you leave?"
Arizona sighed. "Tomorrow at noon."
"Oh." Callie tried not to look at Arizona.
"I gotta get to the hospital. Thanks for the coffee."
"You're welcome."
Arizona yelled to the girl in the other room, who was taking a really long time in her room. "Hey, Sofia! I'm leaving."
The girl ran out of the room and wrapped her arms around Arizona's waist. Arizona leaned over to kiss the girl on the head. Sofia looked up Arizona. "Thanks for letting me stay."
"Are you kidding? I had a great time."
The scene before her completely broke Callie's heart. She looked at the two wrapped in each other's arms as they smiled at each other. "So what are your plans for tonight?" Callie asked.
"I don't know that I have any."
"Well you do now. How about I cook you dinner?"
"I'd like that." Arizona smiled.
"Ok, then. Sofia release the woman and let her go to work" She then looked at Arizona. "And we will see you this evening."
"It's a date." Arizona said before she could stop it. To her delight, she looked at two smiling Torres women and just left it at that.
A/N Sneak peek...Just because you have a flight at noon, doesn't mean that you make it. One of my favorite moments of this whole story is coming up in the next chapter. See ya next time.