I've read the last two reviews and by the way, thank you for writing them and that's really what motivates me to write this story.

Both reviews mentioned that the chapters were short. Yes, they are short, but I have now written more than 40 chapters, which allows me to publish them on a regular basis, every two days.

To please you, I am publishing this chapter today, but at the same time, I would like you to publish reviews.

Chapter 9 : One More Cup of Coffee

Arizona's POV

On Tuesday evening, as planned, after I had finished my work, I went to the café where I was supposed to meet Callie. As I walked in, I saw she was sitting at the back of the room, drinking coffee, and reading a magazine.

God she is irresistible!

Her eyes were lost in thought and as she read scans, she was pinching her lips slightly, which made her look even sexier. This woman was more magnificent than all the others, even when she had just woken up or was vacuuming.

"Hey!" I said as I sat down in front of her.

"Hey," she said, putting her magazine back in her bag, "how are you?"

"I'm doing pretty well," I replied, embarrassed to have finally arrived at the moment when we were going to have to talk and anxious to be rejected by the woman of my life, "how were things in Los Angeles?"

"It was undoubtedly great!" Callie replied, obviously as embarrassed as I was. "We should really go back there with Sofia. Besides, she loves to play on the beach and shall definitely get along really well with Henry."

"Well," Callie said in a intenser voice than before, "I've been thinking a lot in Los Angeles and have written something that I'd like to read to you."

"Go for it!"

"I just don't want you to interrupt me until I'm done." Callie said before taking a piece of paper out of her pocket and starting to read her letter.

Dear Arizona,

A lot of things come to my mind when I think about us. Sometimes I am angry at you. I am angry at you for many different things. I am angry at you for cheating on me. I am angry at you for not being by my side when Mark died.

However, the rest of the time, I am angry at myself. I'm mad at myself for leaving you after I promised you I would never do it. I condemn myself for leaving to New York, for letting those judges hurt you and for somehow destroying our family. I am sorry that I hurt our daughter. I am even more angry that I made a mistake by leaving everything for a girl with whom it did not work out. Anyway, she was not you so it could not work.

At present, I do not want to blame myself anymore. I am tired of blaming myself! I would like to stop doing things right, to stop doing only reasonable things.

I want to do what could make all three of us happy. I just want us to be happy, and I would like the three of us to be happy.

I do not know if we can go back to being the family we used to be or if we can make it, but I want us to try. Arizona, even though some words are always hard to write out loud, you know how I feel about you!

Callie's POV

That was it! I had opened this Pandora's box wide and we would not be able to close it again until we talked about what we wanted for our future, our family, and our relationship.

"Calliope," Arizona said after spending a few seconds looking at her feet, "I'm sorry that I wasn't there with you when Mark died. I wasn't really myself at that time, but I should have been there for you."

"Don't worry, I forgive you...as long as you forgive me back."

"I forgive you."

"Arizona, I also apologize about the fact that I was angry at you and didn't trust you when I saw that girl in your house even though I had rejected you just before."

"I grant you my forgiveness for that too!"

"I don't know if you still want us to give ourselves another chance. But in any case, I'd like us to try to move forward together."

"Of course I still want it! Callie, you are the only woman who can make me happy with just one look and sparkle in my eyes."

"Still, I'm not saying that we should settle down again right away because that would be hasty and not good for us."

"I agree, we cannot jump steps! We need to learn how to be a family again, and we need to give ourselves time to rebuild this relationship."

"We have to do things step by step, so as not to rush anyone, neither Sofia nor us. I suggest that we don't get back together tonight because it would be rushed, but rather that we agree to be sincere and open with each other."

"We both agree once again!"

"Now that we agree to take it easy," I concluded, "I suggest that we go to a nicer place and that we spend a good evening together with a good meal."

"I completely endorse that suggestion."

We got out of the café and headed to a small Italian restaurant in vintage style. The evening was extraordinary; we quickly regained the complicity that we had lost for years.

At the end of the evening, I dropped her off by taxi in front of her house. We stayed a few minutes without being able to say anything. We could not dare to stop the glances that we had fallen into. Arizona stopped the silence.

"Well, I guess I have to go."

"Arizona, I know we said we were going to go step by step but I'm really going to miss you over the next few days."

"If you want, Callie, you can come home for dinner Friday night."

"I would love to."

"Then, see you on Friday, Cal."

Before entering her house, she put a kiss on my cheek. A kiss on the cheek was ordinarily a platonic gesture, but when it came from Arizona it was extremely sensual.