Title: Perfectly Imperfect
Author: HandsThatHeal
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: M/NC-17
Summary: Big changes bring big upheaval as Callie and Arizona find themselves alone for the first time in years. Will they be able to happily adapt to this new life without their children under their roof or will they now find that they have nothing in common in the absence of the ties that bound them together for so many years? Sequel to Clarity.
Disclaimer: All television shows, books, movies, songs, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
AN: Well, it has been over a year since I've updated this story, but I thought it was time. I am so sorry for the delay in posting; lots of stuff has happened this year that unfortunately required my attention so much more than fanfiction. Sucks, I know. But, anyway, I think I'm finally at a place where I can once again begin updating regularly. So, I want to thank you for your patience and for your continued interest in this story. It means so much! Thanks again, and I really hope you enjoy this chapter. As always, your questions, comments, and reviews are always welcome and much appreciated. I can't wait to see what you think! HAPPY NEW YEAR!
With a chilly, ivory nose slightly twitching as its owner valiantly fought to remain asleep, Arizona's eyes blinked once - then twice - before they completely opened, her sleep addled brain unfortunately deciding the time had come for her to awaken from a much needed slumber.
She and Callie had been working what seemed like non-stop since the Thanksgiving holiday; even though they had vacation and holiday time coming out the wazoo, they still wanted to make sure that everything was in line - that all of their T's were crossed and all of their I's dotted - so that they could spend as much time off with the kids while they were home during Christmas, without once having to run into the hospital to take care of something they had forgotten. And, so, it had been more days than Arizona could count since she had gotten to sleep in with her wife at her side - since she had time to take to luxuriate in the space heater of a body currently lying next to her.
With her brow slightly furrowing at the thought, Arizona slightly shivered, the chill of that December morning greeting her face and her left arm that had somehow managed to escape the cozy confinement of their fluffy duvet. Her right arm, however, was the complete antithesis of her left; it was perfectly warm and toasty with her wife's front cuddled up against her side. And, coyly smiling at the dichotomy of sensations, she again closed her eyes as she rolled onto her side, making sure to pull the covers up to her neck on her way over.
All she needed was just five more minutes, and then she'd get up.
"Holy shit, Arizona! Jesus Christ!"
Visibly startling as the sound of her wife's shocked voice penetrated the tranquil silence of the room, blue eyes swiftly snapped open to find wide brown ones staring back at her in confounded astonishment.
"How the hell are you always so damn cold?" Callie gasped in surprise, a heated, caramel hand briskly grasping at the frigid ivory one that had inadvertently landed on her exposed midsection. "My God, Arizona! You're freezing," she ruefully mused, somehow shocked, even though she had been experiencing this - even though she had been sleeping with an iceberg - for the past twenty-seven years.
Softly chuckling as she snuggled further into Callie's front, Arizona surreptitiously slid her still arctic hand to rest between Callie's flannel pajama clad thighs. "Sorry," she half-heartedly apologized, a contented sigh leaving her lips as her wife benevolently pecked at her brow. "Let's just stay in bed all day," Arizona then sleepily mumbled, her eyes once again falling shut as she burrowed her face into the flannel also covering Callie's chest. "You're always so warm, Calliope. Can't we just stay here like this, forever?" she curiously asked, only half joking. "We'll stay here. You'll keep me warm. And, then I'm sure I'll be able to find some way to repay you."
A seductive moan left Callie's lips as she kissed the top of a blonde head. "Mmm, that sounds amazing," she honestly admitted, scooting her body down the mattress until she lay face to face with her wife. "But, we still have so much left to do."
With a slight huff, Arizona's eyes slowly opened before dramatically rolling in their sockets. "There is absolutely nothing left to do, Calliope," she adamantly insisted with a knowing smirk gracing her lips. "There's enough food in the house to feed an army. The presents are all purchased, wrapped, and perfectly placed under the tree. Every single room is spotless, and the entire house is meticulously - and beautifully, I might add - decorated both inside and out," she further elaborated, reaching out to tuck a thick wisp of brunette hair behind her wife's ear. "There is seriously nothing left for us to do. Other than wait for - and pick up - the kids."
Sighing in response, brown eyes again closed as Callie allowed herself a moment to revel in the now warm sensation of Arizona's palm resting against her cheek. She knew she needed to relax, that it was just the anticipation of the holiday season getting the better of her and, with a nearly imperceptible nod of her head, a sultry grin tugged at plump lips before she finally spoke. "You know," she conceded - for now - two caramel eyelids finally fluttering open to reveal twinkling brown eyes that sparkled with mirth. "I actually can think of at least one thing we could do before the kids get here," she seductively stated, her right index finger tracing a thin line down Arizona's chest to disappear into the V of her thermal Henley.
"Oh yeah?" Arizona coyly questioned. "What did you have in mind?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Callie quickly rolled on top of her wife, her movements now much more alert and way more agile than Arizona had expected from her for having just been awakened. "I think you already know," Callie provocatively replied, her right leg immediately slipping between her wife's now slightly parted thighs to supply her center with just enough pressure to cause her libido to instantly soar. "We need to use our time wisely," Callie then coyly murmured, worrying the pliable flesh of an alabaster earlobe between perfect, white teeth before continuing an evocative journey down Arizona's rapidly heating form. "Soon, the house will be filled with our kids - again - and so. . .you'll have to get used to being quiet, all over again. Especially when I. Do. This."
"Callie!"
Arizona's body instantly arched when those wondering teeth abruptly sank into the flesh of her right breast through the material of her Henley, strong, ivory hands insistently threading through the thick, brunette hair at the back of Callie's head. "God, Calliope," she insistently groaned, forcing her wife's head further south. "Keep going. I promise I'll be quiet later."
Anxiously standing at the arrivals gate of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport four hours later, Callie compassionately leaned her chin against Arizona's shoulder, two, long arms protectively wrapped around the smaller woman's middle as the brunette impatiently swayed her body back and forth.
"You know, if you keep rubbing your boobs against my back like that, I'm totally going to have to take you into the bathroom for a quickie," Arizona coyly stated, though her attention innocently remained focused straight ahead as she watched what felt like hundreds of thousands of travelers quickly making their way - here and there - to different destinations around the world.
"You're so bad," Callie stated with a soft chuckle, turning her head to the side to press a loving kiss against her wife's cheek before her eyes, too, returned to the multitude of weary looking travelers who bustled by.
She and her wife were concerned with finding only one - well, two - travelers that day, an admittedly gorgeous brunette they loved with their whole hearts and their entire beings and her latest beau whom they had yet to meet.
"Do you think Andy will be as amazing as Olivia has made him out to be?" Callie skeptically asked, tanned fingers entangling with ivory ones as she continued to hold Arizona from behind. "I mean, no one can be that awesome, right?" she further questioned, pulling her wife's arm upward so that she could glance down at the watch that encircled her left wrist.
And, after the briefest pause, Arizona finally turned from people watching to regard her wife, the downward slope of pink lips appearing hurt as she pulled herself from within the taller woman's embrace. "I am totally that awesome, Calliope Torres," she sarcastically chastised with an air of indignation. "After all these years, I had hoped you would have figured that out," she ruefully stated, the twinkle of mirth shining in her brilliant, blue eyes, completely betraying her attempted displeasure.
"That is exactly what I'm saying!" Callie quickly contended, her palms turned upward as she motioned up and down the length of her wife's form. "You are like. . .one in a million!" she exaltedly praised, a sexy smirk tugging at plump lips as wandering eyes raked up and down her wife's body before once again settling on gleaming, cerulean eyes. "And, let's face it, Sofia got lucky with Caleb, so all I'm saying is - by all the laws of statistics and probability and averages and whatever else - there's absolutely no way Andy can be as awesome and amazing as Olivia says he is."
Tipping her head to the side, Arizona's eyes narrowed as she took in the playful - yet, extremely anxious - behavior of the woman standing before her. She could tell that Callie was nervous - that her wife simply wanted everything to be magical and perfect for their children and their companions during this holiday season - and, taking a step closer to the now curiously worried looking brunette, Arizona lovingly wrapped her arms around her neck before pressing a tenderly amorous kiss against slightly agape lips.
"You make me insanely happy, Calliope. And, I love you," Arizona magnanimously stated once she had slightly pulled away, her nose lightly nuzzling against the tanned one of the woman she loved. "Our kids love you. Everyone loves you. You have gone out of your way - and done everything in your power - to make this Christmas extra special for all of us. So, stop worrying. Everything is going to be beautiful and magical and wonderful, just like Christmas in our house always has been and always will be."
(Flashback: Nineteen Years Ago)
Navigating her Audi SUV up the driveway and into the garage of their home, Callie took a moment to calm her racing nerves, her head falling against the padded headrest of her seat and her eyes falling shut in sheer exhaustion as she considered the events of her day.
The evening had started out so well; everyone had gathered in their home for Christmas Eve dinner - seven-year-old, Sofia, and two-year-old, Olivia, dressed in matching - and absolutely adorable - Christmas dresses, both made of elegant, rich burgundy, polka dot taffeta, their waistlines adorned with a contrasting golden bow; Callie's beautiful, eight month pregnant wife was dressed in a deep emerald green maternity dress, its draped bodice and gold adorned belt, accentuating her ever growing - and, admittedly perfect - baby bump.
All of their friends and family had been present, as well, their Christmas Eve celebration looking like the absolute picture of perfection. . .well, at least, until Callie's pager had obnoxiously begun to blare. And, so, with obvious sorrow present in her emotive, chocolate eyes as she met Arizona's understanding - albeit, visibly dismayed - blue-eyed stare, Callie had called into the hospital, hoping beyond hope that she would absolutely NOT have to leave, only to have all of her holiday hopes and all of her Christmas dreams of an evening spent in the warmth of her home with the people she loved most, completely banished from her reach.
And, now, sitting alone in her car, she glanced down at the clock on the dashboard console's display, suddenly realizing that she had now been away from her family for nearly ten hours, the sleet and snow that had begun to fall over Seattle on the morning of Christmas Eve, causing more than its fair share of slips and falls and motor vehicle accidents on the city's icy roadways, sidewalks, and stairs.
She had been in surgery for eight of the ten hours she had been gone and, slowly dragging her exhausted body from the vehicle, Callie pulled her bag from the back seat of the car before trudging through the garage and into the house. And, dropping her purse onto a table near the entrance, while simultaneously toeing off her fluffy, winter boots as her black, leather jacket and scarf automatically found their place onto the coat rack near the door, she then made her way into the kitchen, desperately hoping that someone had helped Arizona clean up from the evening's events when she noted that the kitchen was completely spotless, the light above the sink dimly lit and safely guiding her way further into their home.
Reaching the family room, Callie's melancholy mood only served to increase when she saw that Arizona had already taken care of their 'Santa duties', perfectly wrapped packages for both of their girls, already meticulously nestled beneath the tree, several bites missing from the Christmas cookies that rested atop a brightly patterned green and red plate on a small table near the tree.
"Damn it," Callie softly muttered into the eerily silent house, exhausted - and now totally defeated - brown eyes, brimming with wholly crushed and thoroughly overwhelmed tears as she painstakingly made her way toward the second story of their home.
It was times like this when she absolutely despised her job; she hated not being able to spend time celebrating with the ones she held most dear but, more than that, it was the little things - the setting out of cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer, followed by the Christmas bedtime story she was sure Arizona had read - that she truly missed. And, even though it wasn't necessarily her fault, she felt like a complete ass for leaving everything for Arizona to deal with on her own, even though she was sure both sets of grandparents had been more than willing to offer their help.
With that thought in mind as she reached the top of the staircase, Callie first peeked into Sofia's bedroom and, finding the little girl nestled all snug in her bed, she gently kissed the top of a brunette head before then moving on to Olivia's room. And, with a slight chuckle, she smiled as she carefully tucked wayward limbs beneath a teal and purple duvet, offering her youngest daughter the same compassionately apologetic kiss to the top of her head before finally making her way toward the welcoming serenity of the master bedroom she lovingly shared with her wife.
After gazing in on her sleeping wife, undetected, for several long moments, Callie finally stepped further into the room, careful not to wake the other woman who desperately needed her sleep, especially at four o'clock in the morning on Christmas Day.
"Hey," Arizona softly greeted, weary, but sparkling blue eyes instantly finding chocolate brown, the very moment her wife stepped foot over the threshold and into the room, despite Callie's best attempt to remain completely still.
"Hey," Callie softly replied, leaning down to press a tender kiss against a silky, ivory cheek, the palm of her hand automatically finding its way to the swell of Arizona's belly that lay beneath the flannel fabric of green and red plaid pajamas. "I'm so sorry I woke you. I'm sure you had a long night," she earnestly stated, compassionately brushing blonde hair back from her wife's face with a gentle sweep of her hand as she perched herself onto the edge of the bed.
"I missed you. . ." Arizona softly spoke, pausing suddenly in a futile attempt at stifling an exhausted yawn, ". . .otherwise the night wasn't so bad," she honestly finished, her eyelids fluttering shut and then back open, each blink lasting longer and longer until she was once again completely lost to the land of nod.
With an adoringly devoted smile suddenly lighting her dejected features, Callie took a moment to simply gaze upon the woman she loved, the palm of her hand still benevolently resting against the adorably distended belly currently housing their unborn son. And, after allowing herself the briefest of moments to just be - to simply relax, breathe, let go, and just revel in this intimate moment spent with her wife during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season - Callie then carefully stood from the bed, peeling off her jeans and sweater before threading her arms into the sleeves of her deep red pajama top and buttoning it up. After donning the matching flannel pants, she then made her way into the ensuite bathroom to quickly wash her face and brush her teeth before cautiously crawling into bed behind her wife, careful not to once again wake her as she scooted as close to Arizona as she possibly could, a tanned, right arm snaking around her wife's burgeoning midsection as her own knee nudged its way between two flannel covered thighs.
Subconsciously burrowing her back impossibly closer to Callie's front, Arizona sighed in complete contentment at her wife's presence, her body instantly relaxing as Callie aimlessly drew random patterns over an alabaster wrist with the pad of her thumb. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?" Callie softly whispered, the even cadence of her wife's every breath, proving to her that Arizona was, indeed, still asleep. "Well, if I haven't. . .I do. I love you so much, Arizona. Merry Christmas."
Rolling over in bed just three hours later, Arizona instinctively curled herself around her wife's heated body, burying her face in the smooth skin of a silky, caramel neck. "Mmm," she hummed, breathing in the intoxicating scent that was purely Calliope Torres.
With the thin flesh of her eyelids remaining shut, Callie didn't move a muscle, her lips barely opening as she spoke. "Morning," she hoarsely greeted, her voice thick with a bone weary exhaustion that would eventually require so much more than a mere three hours of sleep.
Moving impossibly closer to her wife, perfect, pink lips lovingly pressed light kisses against the satiny skin exposed at the neck of Callie's flannel, pajama top. "Morning," Arizona lazily replied, her drowsily wandering mouth moving further down her wife's chest. "It's Christmas, Calliope."
"Need more sleep," Callie softly groaned with more fatigue than she'd felt in a very long time. And, unceremoniously flopping over in a desperate attempt at evading her wife's insistently arousing ministrations, she felt herself quickly slipping back into a coma.
Pushing herself up onto her elbow, Arizona lovingly gazed down at her lethargically snoozing lover and, ultimately deciding she needed to let Callie sleep for as long as she possibly could before what she was sure was about to become a thoroughly draining - albeit, wonderfully magical - day, she scooted closer to her wife's sleeping form, her protruding abdomen tenderly pressing into Callie's back.
And, just as she, too, was about to once again drift off to sleep, the pitter patter of little feet combined with the sound of Sofia and Olivia's infectious laughter from somewhere outside their bedroom momentarily penetrated Arizona's hazy mind just before their bedroom door flew open to reveal two ecstatically bright eyed little girls.
"Wake up! Momma!" Sofia happily shouted as she hoisted her younger sister up onto their mothers' bed, effectively creating a chasm of space between the two women.
"Mami! Wake up, wake up, wake up!" Olivia's cherubic voice excitedly mimicked that of her older sister as she exuberantly began to jump up and down on the bed.
Rolling back toward the center of the mattress, Callie begrudgingly opened one eye to see Arizona happily staring back at her from across the pillows as their daughters continued to cause a man-made earthquake in the middle of their bed. "I'm not ready to get up, mijas. I just got home three hours ago," Callie half-heartedly teased, in spite of her fatigue, playfully winking at her wife whose dimples effortlessly popped back in her direction. "Why don't we go back to sleep for a while? We'll open presents later. I promise."
"You have to get up, mami! Right now!" Sofia cheerfully insisted, landing on her knees in the center of the mattress.
"There's a lots and lots of presents!" Olivia excitedly added, mocking her older sister's enthusiasm.
"Like one hundred ninety million thousand!" Sofia animatedly added, her arms outstretched to illustrate just how many presents she and Olivia had just spied beneath - and all around - the Christmas tree. "Come on, Liv. Let's go wake up Grammy and PopPop, Abuela and Abuelo!" she then instigated, quickly hopping down from the bed and helping her baby sister to the floor.
And, with the girls now gone as quickly as they had appeared, Arizona arduously made her way back toward the center of the bed, one hand reaching out for Callie's to bring her palm to rest against the swell of her baby bump. And, with her own palm now resting against the back of Callie's hand, Arizona smiled as she watched her wife's magical, brown eyes light with awe and wonder at the sensation of their son moving around beneath her palm. "So, what do you think, mami?" Arizona coyly asked, her fingers lightly playing over the prominences of her wife's knuckles. "Ready to go see what Santa brought?"
With a wide yawn, Callie roughly rubbed at her eyes and, scooting closer so that she could now feel the baby within her wife's body moving against her own abdomen, she then tenderly nuzzled her nose against Arizona's jaw before pressing a lingering kiss against awaiting lips. "No need. I already have everything I could ever possibly want."
Turning from each other to once again search the sea of jet-setters that briskly bustled all around them, Arizona soon felt Callie's body go suddenly still, a large dimpled grin lighting her face when she too spotted precisely for whom she and her wife had been waiting.
"Olivia," Callie softly breathed when the magical, chocolate brown eyes of their twenty-one year old daughter found her own from across the length of the terminal.
With Arizona's breath catching in her throat at the sight of their youngest daughter smiling back at them as she quickly made her way in their direction, Arizona found herself absolutely amazed by just how much like her wife Olivia had grown to be, though her fashion sense now embodied a much greater European flare.
And, with only few more steps, Olivia was suddenly right there in front of her moms, an overly shrill squeal of excitement leaving the younger woman's mouth as Callie insistently took her into her arms, the taller brunette only pulling back long enough to allow Arizona a moment to do the same.
"Oh my God, moms! You have no idea how great it is to see you!" Olivia earnestly stated with the widest grin either mother had ever seen. "Where's Sammy? Have Sofia and Caleb made it in, yet?" the excited young woman then asked after taking a quick look around the airport for any other member of her family.
Shaking her head in reply, Callie lovingly reached forward, moving a wayward lock of brunette hair back from her daughter's shoulder. "Your brother's last final was this morning. He'll be home by dinner. . ."
"And, Sofia and Caleb will be here tomorrow afternoon," Arizona added, unable to stop herself from pressing a hard kiss against her long, lost daughter's temple. And, then taking one of Olivia's hands as Callie did the same with the other, they quickly turned their daughter around, both moms now intent upon leading their daughter directly toward baggage claim so that they could get her out of the airport and into their car, and then back into their home - exactly where she belonged.
"Where's Andy, sweetheart?" Callie then asked, suddenly remembering that Olivia was supposed to be traveling with her latest beau. "Was he unable to make the trip?"
And, with her mouth suddenly falling agape in the face of her own misstep, Olivia quickly spun around, widely apologetic brown eyes swiftly searching her surroundings for her travel companion. "Oh, shit! Damn it! I am so sorry," she instantly exclaimed, an outstretched arm reaching into the crowd of holiday travelers to grab onto a proffered hand.
Halting their own forward progression the moment Olivia abruptly left their side, Callie and Arizona simultaneously turned around, two sets of eyebrows rising high into their foreheads in utter confusion at the sight of the admittedly gorgeous, amber-haired, young woman who was currently holding their daughter's hand.
And, as Olivia adoringly stared at this obviously female stranger, she gazed back at her with palpable love and admiration in her piercing, hazel eyes, causing the head of two moms, one blonde and one brunette, to comically volley back and forth between the two, two brows now furrowing in overwhelmingly shocked confusion.
"Umm. . .Olivia?" Callie finally questioned, hoping to break the epic staring contest between the two women that was currently proving to cause her more than a little discomfort. "Would you like to introduce your mother and me to your. . .friend?"
Visibly shaking herself from her clearly smitten reverie, Olivia sheepishly smiled, gently tugging the other woman forward. "Moms. . ." she excitedly dragged out, the brilliant megawatt smile covering her face so much like that of her other mother that Arizona found herself having to remind herself that this was indeed her daughter and not her wife from years before. "This is Andrea," she softly continued, her voice unexpectedly wavering with a sudden bout of nerves. "Andrea is my. . .girlfriend."
And, even though Callie and Arizona had both already anticipated the words that had just come flying from their daughter's beautiful mouth, their eyes instantly grew wide upon actually hearing the revelation.
"Andrea, these are my moms."
And, reaching out a steady hand, Andrea's lips curved upward into a genuinely likeable smile, hazel eyes twinkling as she spoke. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Dr. Robbins, Dr. Torres," she earnestly stated, her tone soft and holding a mild - albeit, romantically apparent - Italian brogue. "Olivia is the only one who calls me Andrea, though. Please, all of my family and friends just call me Andi."
Sitting in the back of her parents' SUV with Andi comfortably seated at her side, Olivia nervously reached into her bag and, quickly grabbing her phone, she immediately pulled up her text messaging app, her thumbs briskly tapping out an urgent message to her younger brother.
Where are you?
And, as she apprehensively awaited Sam's response, she quietly sat, allowing herself a moment to listen to the seemingly cordial conversation that was currently developing between both of her mothers and her girlfriend.
They didn't seem that mad. Did they? They were at least engaging Andi in conversation. They seemed interested in knowing her. They were all currently laughing, so it couldn't be all bad, right?
In my dorm. Packing my stuff for break.
Glancing down at her phone when the vibrating device grasped tightly in her hand interrupted her internal ramblings, she - for some reason unbeknownst to even herself -momentarily looked upward and, accidentally catching Callie's visibly dismayed - and clearly unamused - eye in the rearview mirror, she timorously looked back down, deft thumbs swiftly typing against the keypad.
Okay, clearly one of her moms was mad.
I need you to get your ass home ASAP!
Why?
Moms are going to kill me!
Why?
Olivia sighed, typing the simplest response.
Andi.
Are you seriously surprised? You're the dumb ass who didn't tell them your "boyfriend" is actually a girl.
Shut up and get your ass home.
We'll be there soon.
We?
With a brief pause in the texted conversation, Olivia's brow deeply furrowed in question as she considered who her brother could possibly be bringing home with him.
Crap! I totally forgot to ask if Maddie could spend Christmas with us. Moms are going to kill me!
And, with a loud bark of strangely relieved laughter brashly expelling from her chest in the wake of her brother's own faux pas, the other passengers in the car suddenly went completely silent, three sets of eyes curiously glancing in her direction.
"Sorry. I'm sorry?" she sheepishly replied, slumping down in her seat before turning her attention back to her phone.
Welcome to my world, baby brother. Welcome to my world.
Several hours later, after Sam had arrived at the house, with Maddie in tow and a bouquet of flowers for each of his mothers to go along with his sincerest apologies for not asking permission to bring the young woman along with him, Callie and Arizona had both readily - and happily - agreed to allow her to spend Christmas with them in their home; her own parents were unfortunately traveling abroad on business and would not be home until sometime closer to New Year's Day.
And, with that easily settled - much to Sam's delight and with a disgruntledly muttered 'kiss ass' from Olivia - they had all then shared a lovely, authentic Italian meal, prepared by Andi with Olivia's assistance as Callie and Arizona sat at the kitchen island, sharing a bottle of Valpolicella Ripasso and reveling in the time spent with their children as they caught up with them about what was currently happening in their lives. They had laughed and they had joked; it was exactly as both mothers had hoped things would be.
The only thing missing was Sofia - and, Caleb, of course - but, later that night, as Callie lie awake in the bed she intimately shared with her wife, she couldn't help the smile that graced her face at the thought that, in just a few short hours, all three of her children would all be, once again, under one roof. Her roof. Their roof. The roof of the home she had compassionately and devotedly shared with the love of her life for the past twenty-two years.
But, beyond that - beyond her excitement at the thought of finally being all together for the first time since Sam's high school graduation six months before, she was suddenly aware that somehow - and completely without warning - their family of five had quickly and seemingly effortlessly expanded to a family of eight, and she honestly could not be happier. The house just felt so warm and so full of life - exactly as she had hoped it would during this Christmas season.
However, there was still something keeping her awake - something weighing on her mind that simply would not allow her the privilege of rest - and, after tenderly pressing a loving kiss to the silky cheek of her peacefully sleeping wife, she then cautiously pulled herself from the warmth of Arizona's embrace beneath the downy duvet, pulling on a robe and stepping into a fluffy pair of UGG slippers before quietly exiting the room.
And, quietly making her way down the stairs and in the direction of the kitchen, Callie suddenly stopped short when she found her youngest daughter standing at the counter, wooden spoon in hand as she carefully stirred - what Callie guessed to be her very own recipe for hot cocoa - in a small saucepan atop the stove. "Can't sleep?" she softly asked, slowly making her way further into the kitchen. And, taking a seat across the island from the younger woman, she silently watched as the wheels turned within her daughter's beautiful head.
"I know you're mad," Olivia timidly stated without looking up from the hot chocolate currently bubbling in the pan. "And, I know I should have told you, but I didn't want you to think that it was just some phase or-or-or that I was just doing it on a whim like the point seven seconds I thought I wanted to be a doctor. I just. . ."
Softly trailing off, Olivia finally glanced upward in her mother's direction, a melancholy pool of somber tears abundantly welling in soulful brown eyes. "But, it was just so new, and so. . .different. I didn't know if you would understand. I mean, I had a hard enough time admitting it to myself that I had absolutely no idea how I would ever be able to admit it to you," she emotionally explained, the obvious torment she was currently feeling, rolling off her overwhelmed body in palpable waves. "But, she's just. . .Andi is amazing, mom. She's smart and funny and so, so supportive. She's the most beautiful human being - both inside and out - that I have ever met, and I. . .I'm just. . .I absolutely adore her, mom. I. . .I think I may even be in love with her."
After listening to her daughter's beautifully heartfelt words, Callie sat in momentary silence; she found herself slightly hurt by the fact that Olivia hadn't trusted that she and Arizona would be anything other than completely accepting of her most recent revelation. All three of their children knew the story of her own bisexuality and the struggles she had encountered with her parents when she had finally admitted to them that she was in a relationship with a woman - when she had then married their other mother. They also knew the story of Arizona's coming out - at a much younger age - and the shock she had felt at the fact that The Colonel had been so accepting. She and Arizona had purposely provided their children with this information in hopes that all three of them would understand that, no matter what - no matter the choices they made - they could always tell them the truth because, no matter the circumstance, they would always be their most loyal fans, their greatest supporters, and their most fortified and loving refuge during their times of greatest need.
But, more than that, Callie just couldn't quite seem to assuage the hurt she was feeling at the fact that - where Sofia had always been Arizona's girl, sharing a profoundly intense and unbreakable bond, from the very moment she had been born - Olivia had been hers. They were just so alike - their souls so indigenously intertwined. They used to be able to talk about anything and everything; there had never been a moment of hesitation from the younger woman to speak up and make her feelings known. And, deep down, Callie knew she shouldn't allow that to be the reason this hurt so badly but, the truth was, it just did.
But, deciding to push her own feelings to the side in order to be the mother her daughter so desperately needed her to be, she softly sighed as she slowly stood from her seat. "I'm not mad," she finally stated, carefully stepping around the kitchen island. And, taking a moment to turn off the burner beneath the hot chocolate, she then gently removed the spoon from her daughter's hand before setting it to the side. Then, tenderly turning Olivia around to face her, she gently pressed the younger woman's chin upward so that those magical, brown eyes were finally meeting her gaze. "But, I won't lie. I am a little hurt, and I think mom is, too," she honestly stated, benevolently swiping at a wayward tear, which meandered its way down a caramel cheek, with the pad of her thumb. "You've always talked to us about everything, sweetheart, and the fact that you decided to keep something like this from us - because you didn't think we would understand - well, that hurts, baby. Especially since your mom and I have both lived it."
With a tight nod of her head, Olivia purposely averted her mother's disheartened eyes as she aimlessly fiddled with the hem of her own t-shirt. "I just. . .I feel like I never make the right decisions. I'm so indecisive, and I know that drives you and mom crazy," she honestly stated, rolling her eyes at her own preconceived misgivings once she had finally looked back up into the emotively compassionate eyes of her mom. "But, this - Andi - she is absolutely one thing that I am sure of. I've never been more certain about anything it my life. But, I just. . .I needed to be sure. For me. And for her. And. . .for you and mom. I wanted to be certain before I decided to let you know. I guess, I just didn't want to disappoint you if I was wrong. I didn't want. . ."
"I'm just going to stop you right there," Callie urgently interrupted, once again forcing her daughter to meet her eyes. But, suddenly finding herself wholeheartedly confused, Callie paused for the briefest of moments, allowing her mind to wander.
Why on Earth would Olivia ever think that loving a woman would be a disappointment? Or anything else she chose to do, for that matter? That wasn't how they had raised their children - not at all.
But, deciding to dwell on that later - to discuss that concern with Arizona at another time - sometimes the blonde just had an impeccable knack for making things make better sense - Callie gently smiled as she carefully chose her words. "You have never been a disappointment, Olivia Grace. Not once. Not ever," she earnestly insisted, her own eyes now welling with fervent emotion. "Your mother and I love you, so very much. And, we feel so happy and so proud; it is an absolute honor and privilege to be able to call you our daughter. Honey, do you have any idea what a miraculous gift it is that we get to call ourselves your moms?"
With a sheepish grin barely tugging at the corners of her lips, Olivia momentarily sniffled before losing the battle she had been valiantly fighting, a sudden torrent of relieved tears unrelentingly breaking free from the barrier of her eyelids as she heavily slumped into the steadfast cocoon of her mother's loving embrace.
"We're going to support you no matter what, Liv," Callie gently attempted to soothe, tightly wrapping her arms around her now sobbing little girl. "We will always be here for you, sweetheart. No matter what. All we want - all we've ever wanted - is for you, you sister, and your brother to be happy."
Nodding into her mother's shoulder, Olivia's voice wobbled with sincere emotion as she spoke. "I know. And, I am so sorry, mom. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I'm sorry I lied. I'm sorry. . ."
"Shhh. Shhh. It's okay," Callie gently insisted, holding her daughter closer and kissing the top of her head before resting her own cheek against silky, brunette hair. "I love you so much, Olivia. You give me something new to be proud of every single day."
Quietly re-entering the master bedroom after talking a bit longer with Olivia over steaming mugs of hot cocoa, Callie carefully padded across the hardwood floor and, after divesting herself of her robe and slippers, she then settled her tired body back beneath the covers.
"Everything okay?" a muffled voice asked from her side, a loving arm automatically snaking its way around a curvaceous waist as a blonde head came to rest itself in the crook of a caramel neck.
With a heavy sigh, Callie gently kissed the top of Arizona's head. "Yeah, sweetie. Everything's fine," she vaguely replied. "Go back to sleep."
Nuzzling her nose against the sensitive skin covering her wife's clavicle, Arizona could tell by the tautly rigid presence of Callie's entire form that her previous response certainly was not completely true. "Talk to me, Calliope. Tell me what's going on inside your head," she genuinely beseeched, blue eyes slowly opening to stare off toward the windows at the side of the room.
Allowing herself a brief moment to gather her own discombobulated thoughts, Callie once again exhaled an exaggerated breath and, with confused, chocolate brown eyes staring directly up at the tray ceiling that was lit only by the silvery glow of a nearly full moon, her hand aimlessly began to trail up and down the length of her wife's pajama clad arm. "Olivia thought we would be. . .disappointed," she softly stated, the aggrieved hurt and certain defeat she was currently feeling, magnanimously obvious in the confounded tone of her barely whispered voice. "I mean, I just don't get it, Arizona. I had no idea she felt that way - that she feels like we judge her - like everything she does is wrong."
Taking a moment to carefully consider her wife's words, Arizona pushed herself up onto one elbow and, now staring down into the confused eyes of the woman she loved, she gently smiled, knowing Callie wasn't just speaking hypothetically - that she was actually seeking assistance in discerning some sort of explanation to these concerns that were currently overwhelming her beautiful mind.
"Sounds an awful lot like someone else I know," Arizona simply began after a moment's pause, tracing the pad of her index finger over the outline of a perfectly manicured brow.
With that eyebrow knitting together with its mate as she took in her wife's response, Callie gently shook her head. "It's not the same. I mean, okay, Olivia and I may be similar, but it's just not. . .this is totally different."
With the softest chuckle slipping from perfect, pink lips as she listened to her wife's rambled reply, Arizona's finger trailed down the side of a caramel face, her palm then landing against Callie's neck, her thumb swiping at a silky smooth cheek. "You may not see it, Calliope, but Olivia is you - inside and out. She jumps into things without a moment's hesitation and without ever looking back - no holds barred, take no prisoners. She's passionate about every single thing she does, and when she loves, she loves hard, just like you."
Trailing off, Arizona wistfully smiled as she thought back to a much younger version of her wife - the one who had loudly proclaimed for all the hospital to hear that she was a superstar! A superstar with a scalpel! "And, just like you, she wears her heart on her sleeve. She is so loving and so caring; she has a huge heart, but because of that, she opens herself up to so much pain. Just like you, her huge heart makes her more vulnerable than anyone else," the blonde continued to elaborate, hoping her tired thoughts were making even a bit of sense at nearly one in the morning. "None of this has anything to do with her loving a woman, nor is it about the fact that she was raised by two lesbian moms," she further clarified with the slightest shake of her head. "Olivia simply views us as her parents, Callie, not as two women in a committed, loving, lesbian relationship. She just thinks of us as her moms, and I think, because of that, her dishonesty - her half-truths - were all about the fact that she doesn't ever want to disappoint us, no matter the reason. She's always been different from Sofia and Sam, and she knows that. And, so, she doesn't want to ever be seen as irresponsible or flighty or fickle or whatever else, and I think she was just worried that this sudden change - that this sudden revelation - might make us think that."
Gazing up at her wife, Callie could only stare at the other woman with awe and with wonder; how the hell could this woman ever have thought that she wasn't cut out to be a mom?
"How do you always manage to do that?" Callie coyly asked with a slight roll of her eyes.
"Do what?" Arizona asked with a coquettish chuckle.
"Say what I need to hear to make me feel better - to make me feel like everything is going to be okay?"
With a dimpled grin suddenly lighting an ivory face, Arizona quickly leaned forward to peck at plump lips. "Because everything is going to be okay, Calliope. And, because I'm right. And, I'm awesome."
The following morning, with Olivia, Andi, Sam, and Maddie still peacefully sleeping in the upstairs of the house, Arizona comfortably stood in the kitchen, a spatula in her right hand as she stared down at the half-cooked pancake that lay sizzling in the pan on the stove.
Across the island from where the blonde stood cooking, Callie sat on a high stool, her coffee cup soothingly held between her hands as she contentedly spoke to her wife. "So, do you think Maddie is Sam's girlfriend? Like an actual girlfriend? Or do you think she's just a friend who happens to be a girl?" she seriously asked, placing her coffee mug to the side in order to fill in an entire square of boxes on the SUDOKU puzzle of the Seattle Times. "Or. . .what exactly do you think this is? I mean, what do you think we're dealing with here?"
Opening her mouth to respond, Arizona paused, considering her response. But, whatever she thought about that situation momentarily went unheard, the sound of the doorbell ringing throughout the house, interrupting her reply. "Wonder who that is," she softly stated, her eyes narrowing as she removed the pancake she had just prepared with the end of the spatula. And, turning off the burner from beneath the pan, she then joined her wife in leaving the kitchen, both now on their way toward the entrance of their home.
Crossing the foyer, Arizona lovingly rested her palm against the small of her wife's back and, reaching for the doorknob, cerulean eyes suddenly went wide when she saw who was standing on the other side of the door.
"Sofia!" Callie excitedly exclaimed before Arizona had a chance to speak. "We thought your plane didn't get in until later! We said we'd to come to the airport to get you!" she then continued as Arizona fervently reached out to take the slightly taller woman into her arms.
"We were able to leave the hospital sooner and decided to take an earlier flight," Sofia happily explained, allowing herself to be pulled into the cocoon of her other mother's insistently loving embrace. "And, we decided to just rent a car at the airport so we could surprise you," she further expressed, smiling as her mothers each took a turn at hugging her fiancé.
"I am so glad you're here!" Arizona giddily exclaimed, once again taking her eldest daughter into her arms.
"Unless you have some crazy surprise for us like you did the last time you were here," Callie honestly admitted, softly chuckling as she watched Caleb sheepishly shift from one foot to the other, his cheek slightly blushing.
And, as the two moms happily ushered Sofia and Caleb into the welcoming comfort of their home, Arizona held her daughter around the waist, her head adoringly coming to rest against the younger woman's shoulder. "I don't think your old moms can take any more shocking news. Not this week, at least," she earnestly stated before allowing Sofia to remove her coat and gloves. "In the past eighteen hours, we have discovered that both your brother and your sister have girlfriends. Which I'm sure you were already aware of, but purposely chose not to tell us. So, if you have anything you need to tell us, please just do it right now."
"Just rip off the Band-Aid," Callie added, taking Caleb's coat and hanging it in the coat closet.
Narrowing her eyes in thoughtful consideration, Sofia was about to respond, but something about her momentary silence caused Callie's eyes to widen in shock and awe. "Oh, my God! You're pregnant!" she ecstatically shouted, her hands quickly coming up to cover her mouth.
"What!?" Caleb very unmasculinely shrieked.
"I'll kill you, you little fu. . ."
"Arizona!" "Mom!" Callie and Sofia simultaneity chastised.
"My God, mom! Why on Earth would you think I was pregnant?" Sofia then exclaimed.
"You eloped."
"You really do want me to cut you with my scalpel, don't you Mr. Harrington-Pruitt," Arizona comically chastised after hearing her wife's latest accusation.
"Stop it mom! Both of you! Of course we didn't elope."
"You're quitting med school and moving to Alaska to live as Eskimos."
Shaking his head in the face of the hilarious behavior of his future mothers-in-law, Caleb couldn't help the laugh that left his chest, though he quickly sobered when Arizona shot him a frigidly glacial glare.
Rolling her eyes as she, too, shook her head, Sofia lovingly took Caleb's hand before shooting her mothers a warning glare. "You two have gone completely off the rails. But, lucky for you, your favorite child is finally home."
And, with that, Sofia and Caleb made their way further into the house, following their noses toward the pancakes they knew they would certainly find in the kitchen.
"We're losing it, Calliope," Arizona genuinely admitted, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched her daughter and her fiancé disappear from her sight.
"Sofia really is my favorite," Callie teasingly replied.
With a loud bark of laughter bubbling up from deep within Arizona's form, she tenderly took her wife's hand, happily leading her back into the kitchen. "Maybe this time. But, the last time she was here, we both wanted to wring her neck," she thoughtfully reminded.
With a soft chuckle, Callie leaned to her right, admiringly pressing a kiss to the side of a blonde head. "True."
"Maybe we should just get drunk."
"Good call. Let's start now."