A/N: I just want to say that I had two submissions today, three 75 minute classes, two meetings, which I finished and was writing this between breaks. I don't know why or even how. I just love where the story is going and I am reading it too as I'm writing and I guess I liked writing and I went on and the reviews are making me write more.

Another thing I wanted to say was that I know this chapter appears to be faster than most… well all of my works are much slower paced, but I like this new style. Had I been the old me, it would have taken maybe 25 chapters to get where we are!

Anyway, Thank you for all the support, onto the next one.

Chapter 7

Okay, so chicken? Already in the oven, it would take maybe fifteen minutes more.

Salad? Needed to be tossed.

Wine? Already in the chiller.

Dessert? Chilling in the fridge.

I couldn't help myself, Barbara texted me that they were just stepping out of the house so I had to make sure everything was perfect. Shit, what if Arizona didn't eat meat anymore? Should I make something else?

Just then my phone went off.

"Torres! How have you been?" It was my best friend in the whole world video calling me.

"Very stressed."

"Relax, it's just blondie! You know her, you love her, you need to calm down before you give yourself a headache.

"Yeah yeah," I said as I brushed him off.

"Hey, umm listen, I'm really sorry about canceling at the last minute." I could see Mark sighing. "I really tried, I tried so hard to get on that freaking plane, but I just couldn't do it!"

Did I expect Mark to be here? no not really. He was ina fucking plane crash. Just like I took ages before I was comfortable sitting in a car again, it's going to take time. But when he said he was going to come to Boston, I didn't shoot him down. I didn't want him to feel like I didn't believe in him.

"It's okay, I understand. Maybe I'll plan a trip to Seattle, it's been a while since I was there. I'll bring the kids with me and we'll make a whole weekend out of it."

"Or I could drive there?"

"From Seattle to Boston?" Best case scenario it would take him five days of constant driving.

"How is she by the way? Sof?"

I thought about it. How was Sof? "She's trying to cope."

When she came back from her shopping trip with her friend, I sat her down and told her about Arizona and Mark. I wanted to let her know before Enzo said something to her. I don't know how but he was already taken to her. It was like he already shared a bond with her. I was of course happy that he accepted her but I knew things would be difficult with Sof.

"Sofia is twelve!"

"Yeah, Arizona had the same reaction."

"I miss her so fucking much Cal, you have no idea." Mark sighed. "Robbins told me about Enzo/"

"Yup, he doesn't really understand what's happening, but he seems to like the attention."

"I died Torres! Yet you didn't name him after me? What would it take for you to name a kid after me!"

"It could have been way worse, I could have named him after Derek!"

"You wouldn't dare!" The two of us smiled. "Thank you Callie, I don't know If I have told you this already, but it means a lot that you found a way to keep us alive,"

"You were never dead Mark," I mocked him.

"Yeah, but you know what I mean!"

"Yeah I do." Just then the doorbell went off. "I gotta go Mark."

"Go be with your family! And kiss Sofia goodnight from me."

I disconnected the call before making my way towards the door. But before I could even get to the door Enzo was already opening the door.

"Hey Pops, Gram, Mama! You came!" He said as he tightly hugged Arizona's legs.

I saw her expression morph from shocked to a smile making its way on her face.

But unfortunately the smile was short lived. I heard footsteps coming from upstairs as I saw my daughter standing on the top of the staircase looking at us. She had unshed tears in her eyes as she watched her brother hug their mama as if nothing had happened. As if these past six years had suddenly vanished.

I saw Arizona smiling at her calling her into her arms, but Sofia had her fists balled as she stood her ground.

"No!" She screamed before running back to her room.

"Sofia!" Arizona said as she took off running upstairs.

I grabbed Enzo before he could follow him upstairs and took him in my arms. "Why don't we let Sof and Mama catch up?"

"But I want Mama," he grumbled.

"Soldier!" the Colonel ordered.

I saw my son leap out of my arms as she stood in front of him in an attention position.

"At ease, soldier!" He said before the two men went to the hallway.

Barbara took in the scene in front of her. "I see Sofia isn't taking it too well."

"Yeah, she skipped ballet practice today, she said she had a tummy ache, then she refused to come down claiming she had too much homework."

I knew my daughter too well. I knew that she would need some time to process all of this information that I had given her. But I didn't want it to be a surprise to her. I didn't want her seeing my phone light up and catching a text from my Mark or seeing Arizona calling me and asking questions about it.

"And how are you taking it?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, I woke up today and knew that it was a dream until Enzo asked if Mama was coming for dinner." I sighed. "Honestly mom? I'm torn, I want my wife back but then…"

"She's not in a good place right now Callie."

"I want to be there for her mom, she needs somebody and it should be me! Her wife! I promised her for better or for worse. This is the absolute worst situation we have been through into and I want to be there for her. I love her so much mom, so much that it hurts." And before I knew it I was breaking down in Barbara's arms.

"You know how stubborn and independent Arizona is. She wants to do everything by herself."

"What do I do mom? She won't even hug me!"

"That's the thing about her. To her she thinks that she needs you more than you need her, than you would ever need her. She feels like she's a burden on you."

I revolted. "She's not!"

"She feels that way."

"What do I do to make her feel better? How do I show her that I love her, that she means something to me, she means more than anything ever will."

Barbara raised her palms and dried my eyes. "Honestly? Just love her."

"She wont let me."

"You know there were times when Daniel would come home from being deployed. It would feel like he wasn't himself. He would jump at the slightest sound. He had stopped talking, smiling. He barely looked at me, let alone the kids. He was like a walking zombie."

"What did you do?"

"I held him, I let him cry because that's what he needed."

"Arizona wont even let me touch her!"

"You have to be patient dear, let her come to you and once she does… you'll know what to do."

I sighed. That is some bogus advice! Let her come to me? She was like a scared little bird who seemed to run away when I even breathed in her direction. How was I going to let her come to me?

"I'll go check on them."

Barbara nodded before joining her husband and grandson in the living room.

Let Arizona come to me? How was I going to do that if she didn't even live with me? I walked upstairs and made my way to Sofia's room. I need to love Arizona but how do I do that?

When I reached upstairs, I saw Arizona sitting against the door.

"She doesn't want to see me," she said as she sat there looking defeated.

I marched up to my daughter's door before knocking angrily on it. "Sofia open this door right now!" I yelled.

"Go away! I don't want to-"

But before she could finish I cut her off. "Oh no no no! I let you process your feelings, I let you shut me out, I let you skip Ballet, but this stops right now! Open this door right now or so help me god you don't want to know what I will do!"

I waited. And soon enough the door clinked. I looked at Arizona and gestured her to go inside. But she just stood there, frozen. I opened the door and watched the scene in front of me. Sof was in bed and had pulled the covers over her head.

"Baby, can you let Mama at least talk to you?" I whispered as I sat down.

"She left! She left me, she left us alone and I.." Sofia cried in my arms.

I watched Arizona take a few steps forward before crouching down next to her bed.

"Sweetie, if I could go back in time and not get on the plane, I would do it in a heartbeat. I would come back to you and never let you go. You have no idea how mad I am at the situation that kept me away from you, from my family." I heard her taking a sharp breath. "Trust me Sofia, not a day went by when I didn't think about you. About how we would eat strawberry ice cream on the couch and with chocolate chip cookies when mommy was on call. How I held you when you hurt yourself while riding your bike but then, the very next day you took the bike out and rode it perfectly. I love you sweetie, so much! And I would do anything to show you, to make you believe that I am still the same person, that I haven't changed, that my love for you has not changed."

By this time, both of them had tears streaming down their eyes. Sofia looked up at me before looking at Arizona and then snuggled against her.

"I'm sorry Mama, I'm just, it's hard"

I watched Arizona cradling her against her chest as our daughter wept. She was the one who had taken Arizona's death the hardest. She was as old as Enzo when we accepted that Mama wasn't coming home. I remember her trying to figure out what it would take to bring Arizona home. She would ask me questions like 'if I do good in school will that make mama come back?' It broke my heart.

It still does.

I watched Arizona trying to fight back tears and took that as my cue to leave and let them have their time. She's coming back to us. Surely Arizona wouldn't leave us, she would never abandon us, right?

I pushed that thought away from my head and went downstairs and started putting food on the table. This is how it should always be, us being a family and having meals together. Shortly, Sof and Arizona came down, both of their eyes were red, but no one said a word about it. Enzo ran into his mama's arms as she scooped him up.

Just then Daniel and Barbara joined me in the kitchen.

"Zozo? Why don't you help mommy and set the table?"

I watched Arizona looking at her father. She had an expression on her face that read 'what's wrong with you? I haven't called my mom mommy since I was ten.' but then Enzo hopped out of her arms.

"Okay Pops." As he got the forks and spoons out.

I walked towards Arizona. "Yeah, that nickname seems to have stuck."

"I better get used to it, next thing I'll hear is my dad telling me to go potty," I pulled a face but I went back to serving everything on the dining table.

It took everything I had in me not to pull her in my arm and kiss her cheek, or just touch her. But Barbara told me to let her come to me, that that was the only way she couldn't recoil.

All of us took our seats at the table with Enzo and Sofia sitting on either side of my wife leaving me to sit between Daniel and Barbara. But that was okay, at least this way I could look at her as I pretend to look at my food.

"Sof?" I said as I gestured to her to say grace as all of us held hands.

"Dear Lord, thank you for the delicious food in front of us. Let Mama and Daddy know that they are always in our prayers-" Arizona looked at me with a shocked expression on her face. "Well, we don't need that part do we now? Amen!" She said angrily before she began eating.

The rest of the dinner was awkward. Enzo was probably the only one who said anything. It was like reality had made its presence known. I mean, at this point it had become a habit for all of us to remember them in our prayers, but wow, that suddenly made things way more tense.

After our meal all of us went to the hall. I poured everyone a glass of wine, but Arizona refused. Telling me that she was on meds. I guess she needed her nutrients back and alcohol would just hinder it.

I saw Arizona excuse herself from the group. I waited for her to come back, maybe she just went to the restroom, but when she was gone for over fifteen minutes I went out in search of her..

"What are you doing?" I asked as I found her in the kitchen.

"Umm, the dishes."

I leaned against the doorframe, as I crossed my arms. "I can see that."

"You cooked, so I thought I could help you clean."

"But you hate doing the dishes!"

She chuckled before she raised her sudsy hands. "I really do!"

I walked and stood beside her as I started doing the rest of them before handing her the dry ones. We had a dishwasher, but sue me, I'm selfish. Even though we were silently washing dishes, I wanted this moment with her more than I needed air.

"I know you hate having a sink full of dishes, so I thought I'd help out."

"Thank you."

Arizona stepped behind me to place the rubber gloves back on the sink. This was the closest I had been to her. I could almost feel her body behind me. Just as she was about to retract her hand, I grabbed it in my hand.

"I need you baby. I need you so fucking much. Come back to me," I whispered before letting go of her hand.

I felt her hand drop as she took a step back. Did I push her too far? Did she regret coming here? Did she not love me anymore, was she going to run away, had she already exited the kitchen. I let out a sob before I hunched over and cried.

Suddenly, I felt her stepping closer to me and wrapping her hands around me.

"I'm trying Calliope, I just.. I need you to be the strong one for a little while longer."

I nodded as she rested her head on my back as we stood there with me crying in her arm as she leaned against me.

If she needed me to be strong, I'd be the strongest person there ever was. I will be anything she needs me to be! But not right now… Right now I found peace with my wife holding me, with feeling her breathing behind me.

Tomorrow, I'll be strong tomorrow.

A/N: So? Honestly, I think I spoil you guys too much with all the daily updates and longer chapters… :P So here is what I want from you…. I don't know what I want from you. I guess I won't be updating for a while. This is how far I had thought about it. So any and all suggestions are welcomed. You can PM me if you want you suggestions to be for my eyes only, but so far this is all I got, unless I have an idea suddenly.

Thank you so much for the reviews. Yes I read all of them!