Hi guys! Thank you so much for the feedback of Chapter 1 and I'm so happy you all approve. I'll try to post updates every weekend, so either Saturday afternoon or Sunday afternoon. Like I said, I have some of these chapters written out already, but I'm currently stuck on chapter 5 and getting that written out how I want it to be so, fingers crossed.

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You're greeted with those brown eyes you spotted across the way and you're caught off guard by how brilliant brown they were; how intense they seem. Her hair was dark as the night itself, her lips-stained red.

And a wide smile to match.

"Hi," you breathed,

"Hi,"

"Hi," she chuckles.

"You already said that mama." Bethany adds from beneath you. The woman laughs and so do you.

"I'm sorry, I'm Arizona Bryant and this is my daughter Bethany."

"Well, it's nice to meet you two; especially you Bethany." She winks, "She's a doll, how old is she?"

"5," Bethany chirps, hands behind her back as she sways side to side, "and thank you for the compliment," She adds, doing a curtsy. "It's nice to meet you as well."

"Oh my gosh," She coos, "I'm Callie. Callie Torres." She's smiling at you and you're smiling at her and. And.

You can't stop smiling.

"You must be my neighbors," Callie finally says and you laugh. You forgot to say that part.

"And those must be my cookies?" She lifts an eyebrow,

"Yes, they are." You blush.

"My mama makes the best chocolate chip cookies," Callie's grins and opens the door a little wider,

"Well come on in, you'll have to excuse the mess." She says kicking a box out of the way. "Bethany, you're welcome to run upstairs and introduce yourself to Rose. She'll be happy to have company, I'm sure." Bethany nods her head and runs up the stairs.

"Callie?" You ask watching her move more boxes, "Does that stand for something?"

"Calliope... "she pronounces, "But no one calls me that." She lets out a soft laugh, "I know, I know, it's weird. No one can ever pronounce it right so I just go with-"

"No," you shake your head, "Calliope," that wasn't so hard. "I like it... it kind of rolls off the tongue." She stops for a moment,

"It- It sounds nice... when you say it."

There's a comfortable silence that falls between you two while you look at one another. You place the cookies down on the kitchen counter and she reaches to take one.

"I'm actually not the best baker Chocolate chip cookies are the only thing I can bake... and they happen to be Bethany's favorite." You ramble, but Callie ignores you and takes a bite.

"Arizona. It doesn't matter if you can't cook a single thing. These are amazing. Quality over quantity." You grin, happy that she likes them.

"I can teach you a few things about baking though. I don't mean to toot my own horn but... I make a mean apple pie. And brownies. And pound cake."

"That would be much appreciated... my husband hates that I can't bake. He always has such a sweet tooth." You pause, "What brings you into town?"

"I was looking for a change of scenery... I found this house and it was a really good price so... here I am,"

"You found the house? Did your husband-"

"Oh, no. He passed away a little over a year ago. Lung Cancer..."

"I'm sorry-"

"No, it's fine. I'm fine."

Callie looks okay... you just don't know what you would do without Bryan. How would you survive? But here she is... a house and raising her daughter... you want to tell her that you understood that kind of loss. That kind of pain. But it didn't seem like something Callie wanted to talk about at the moment so you instead, you say,

"This is a lovely neighborhood. A theater and drive-in show a few blocks away, a park down the street. Ice cream parlors and diners-"Callie laughs,

"Maybe you can show me around one of these days?"

You breathe, "That would nice,"

"What does your husband do? I didn't catch his name?"

"Bryan... He's a car dealer, he owns the dealership a little ways out of town."

"Oh!" Callie squalls, "The car business is booming. He must love it."

"More or less,"

"You'll have to excuse my manners," Callie smiles. "Please, sit?" She offers you a chair. So you take seat and smooth your dress. You hear rustling around in the kitchen behind you and then Callie's back holding a smaller plate of cookies. "I'm such a spazz..." she sits as well.

"Uh- if I may ask... how do you support yourself and Rose?"

"Carlos left me money... enough to live off of and then some. The plan is to use that; since Rose isn't in school yet I couldn't possibly work right now. Once she starts, I'll find a job in the science field… preferably medical."

"Science?" You blink, "You're a scientist?"

"A nurse, to be clearer. Science was my major in college... I graduated top of my class,"

You must smile at that... because woman scientists were close to unheard of. It was already big that she graduated.

"I graduated top of my class as well," you say to her with a smile, "I was an education major."

"Gosh, I begged my parents to let me go,"

"Same here, I loved school; I was such a square." You laugh,

"No need to explain, I was too. The boys hated that I was better at math and science."

"I was a big reader, still am when I have time." Callie laughs,

"Education? It takes a special kind of person to want to teach."

"I wanted to pass down my love of reading... maybe inspire some tiny humans that books aren't as boring as they seem. Teach little math tricks and do science experiments,"

"Tiny humans, huh?" Callie smirks and Arizona blushes. "You could still be a teacher," you laugh.

"Oh no, I'm much too busy with Bethany-"

"She'll be in school next year," you pause,

"Bryan would never allow it," you chuckle, trying to laugh it off. "He's a stickler about... everything." Callie nods,

"So why'd you go to college?"

"Uh..." you clear your throat. "My mom wanted me to get married and find a husband that could provide. She wanted me to settle down and have a family... my father wanted me to graduate and have a degree just in case... they agreed that I'd go to college on the terms that I would also find a husband. And so, I did. I went to Hawkins and I met Bryan my 3rd year and we kind of hit it off."

"Oh, that's so romantic. How long have you two been together?"

You had to think. You met at a football game when you were only 21, he was the quarterback and spotted you in the crowd- out of all the screaming girls, he noticed you. You felt special at the time. Bryan was big on campus and you were- for lack of a better word- a nerd. You enjoyed reading, and writing, you even liked science and math.

A year and a half later, Bryan proposed at your graduation party; in front of all your family and friends. Your mother couldn't have been more thrilled, and your father... he saw success in Bryan. And he was strong;In your fathers eyes he could protect you from the dangers of the world.

Of course you said yes.

"9 years," you tell Callie, "Married for 7 1/2,"

"Oh, that's," she breathes, "that's a long time,"

"We married a few months after graduation ... he took over his father's car dealership and- and I didn't really need to work." Callie just nods in agreement. "You and Carlos weren't together for that long?"

"We met a year after my graduation, he was a little older. He was a doctor, and I was a nurse. We just kind of clicked. I guess."

"It's funny how things work,"

You find yourself unable to take your eyes away from Callie... you feel drawn to her in some way...

"This is a really nice house," you blink back to reality, pushing your thoughts back. She looks around and you can tell she's wondering what made you bring that up. "It's been empty for ages..."

"Really? What happened to the family that lived here before?"

"The Johnson's? They were moving out when we were moving in. We've been next door since our honeymoon." Callie nods and takes another cookie, "You really like those?"

"You can bake me chocolate chip cookies any day."

She's still smiling at you and you feel your heart flutter a little. Bryan almost never smiles at you anymore, even when you smile at him. But Callie? She's giving you this wide tooth baring grin and it's eating you up. It's one of those contagious smiles where you can't help but smile back, and then she says,

"I really like your dimples,"

And you can feel your whole face heat up, cheeks flushed pink. You bow your head and tuck a loose curl behind your ears. Your smile has gotten bigger... it had been a while since anyone complimented you- and had been so open about it.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you." She chuckles, "They're just so... eye catching." You know she's looking at you but you can't meet her gaze.

God, why are you blushing?

"But I'm sure your used to the compliment. Bryan has to talk about them all day," you shake your head.

"No, he doesn't actually,"

"Oh," you're positive that Bryan has never noticed your dimples, or he just doesn't think they're cute. "Well, I'm glad I could be the one to tell you." There's a lump stuck in your throat, and you finally manage to mumble,

"Thank you,"

The two of you fall back into that comfortable silence.

"Did you want to have a cookie?" You should say no, Bryan doesn't like you eating sweets. You'll gain weight... but you haven't eaten anything since breakfast, so instead you say,

"Yes, please," What he doesn't know can't hurt. Callie slides her plate a little, offering you some of her cookies. "Thanks," you smile.

The two of you hear running above you, then giggling traveling down the stairs.

"Oh, I bet their best friends now,"

Callie jokes. The two emerge into the kitchen holding hands.

"Mama, this is Rosalie. Rose for short. But everyone calls her Rose because she likes Rose better... and so do I," Bethany is beaming, "She's the same age as me! Our birthdays are only a day apart," You and Callie look at each other in surprise,

"Is that so?" You lift an eyebrow,

"My birthday is November 5-"

"And mines is November 6th!" Rose giggles. The girl standing by Bethany is a few inches taller; she gets her height Callie apparently. But she's adorable. With long, curly hair that's in two french braids. She's a splitting image of Callie; with the big chocolate brown eyes to match.

"Rose, can you say hello to Mrs. Arizona?" Callie says, it's a demand hidden inside of a question.

Hello, Mrs. Arizona... Bethany said she wants her hair like mines. I can braid it for her."

"Please mama? Pretty please?"

"I don't see how it would be a problem."

They look so excited and you and Callie are eyeing each other; amused.

"I hate to cut this so short," you really, really do. But you have to get back to freshen up. Bryan will be home in less than 2 hours. "But we have to get going, Bethany."

"Oh but mommaa, couldn't I stay a little longer?"

"We'll be back," you look at Callie and when she smiles and nods, you light up. "We'll be back." When you say it this time, it's more to yourself.

You'll see her again.

"Again, I'm sorry about the mess." Callie walks you and Bethany to the front door. "I absolutely dread unpacking. It's never been my cup of tea,"

"Do you have a lot?"

"No, not really. Rose and I can handle it. Maybe when I get things settled you and Bethany a-and Bryan can join us for dinner,"

"Don't be silly," you grab Bethany's hand,

"You and Rose can join us for dinner."

"If it's not too much trouble?"

"No trouble at all," You insist,

You're not sure why but you want to keep talking to her. You want to be around her. There's something about Callie... a gentle storm about the woman that's been smiling at you for an hour.

Something that you want more of.

/

Did you all enjoy the introduction of Arizona saying Callie's name? Lol