A/N: Hey, it's been a while! I'm not sure how I want to take them in terms of romance, drama.

This update is for FanFicByRT for reaching out to me! And Calzonafan123 for letting me know that I have you guys wrapped on my tiny little finger. So much power! I guess I'll kill someone off now! :)

Chapter 8

The rest of the night went by without any hitch. After we cleaned the dishes I went to the bathroom to wash my face, while Arizona went back to join the rest of the family. I didn't think that I would end up breaking down right now, especially in front of her. But I guess I needed that, that we needed that we needed that to move forward.

I turned on the tap and splashed cold water on my face. Arizona was here, I needed to focus on that right now. That she was alive and not five feet under. I wiped my face before taking a few breaths as I gripped the sink. She is coming back to me, she is trying and that is what matters right now.

I quickly made my way out as I heard the noise die down in the living room.

"Oh Callie, we were just about to leave," Barbara said as both her and Daniel hugged me.

"So soon?"

"Yeah, it's getting late and we have to be up early tomorrow."

"Where's Arizona?" I asked as she was nowhere to be seen.

"Zozo dragged her to show her his toys."

I looked upstairs and there they were, Sofia was talking about something to my wife while Enzo was in her arms all cuddled up. Arizona placed him back down before hugging Sofia and making her way down to her parents.

"Right in time sweetie, we were just about to leave," Barbara said as I opened the door for the three of them.

Suddenly, I felt my heart sinking. And just like that, she was going to leave again. I don't know when she would be back, if she would be back. I mean, I know she will be back for the kids, but then again, when do I get her to myself? I pushed that away the minute it popped in my head. She asked me to be strong, that she needs some time. So, that's what I am going to do.

"Umm, I guess I'll see you later?" I said as I offered her my hand to shake. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable again.

"Actually, mom dad, I think I'm going to stay. If-if that's alright with you?"

I could feel the smile on my face. "Yes, of course."

With that Barbara and Daniel left, leaving the four of us alone. I could tell that Arizona was nervous without her parents, so I decided to step in and make her feel at ease.

"Kids, it's way past your bedtime, so why don't you change into your pajamas, brush your teeth and hop into bed?"

Sofia knew the drill, even though she insisted that she was too old to have a bedtime, I saw her rolling her eyes at me before giving a shy smile to Arizona and headed upstairs.

Whereas Enzo held his arms up for his Mama. "Can you tuck me in?"

That would have hurt, but I guess he really wanted to be close to her. "Alright buddy, go change into your pajamas and Mama will be right up." I said. With that both of them were already in their rooms.

Arizona still looked nervous, but she was doing better, I guess.

"I could take the couch Calliope, just let me know where the sheets are."

"What?"

"I mean, I'm not really comfortable-" I could see that she was really uncomfortable but she had misinterpreted me.

"I meant that I could take the couch and you can have the bed."

"Are you sure?"

She was sleeping god knows were on what rough surface that was so uncomfortable on her back, I was not going to let her take the couch, she deserves better.

"Yeah. How about you go tuck in the kids and I'll find you some pajamas as well? That sound good?"

Arizona nodded and with that I took off. I stopped by my room to find something for her to wear. I picked the Hopkins sweatshirt that I had kept throughout the years and a tank top just in case she wanted something light, I grabbed a pair of shorts, before I changed myself. I quickly brushed my teeth before making my way to Sofia's room.

"Goodnight Mija, I said before I switched off the light.

"Mom?"

"Yes sweetie?"

"Mama's home, but she-she doesn't seem like herself," she whispered.

I switched the lights back on before making my way towards her and taking a seat beside her. "Baby, Mama was in a very difficult situation for a very long time, so we need to be patient and give her all the time she needs. Okay? Surely but shortly she'll come back."

"Yeah, but it's so weird. All my life, I was that kid who had one parent, that she and Dad died and now suddenly they are back. I don't know, it just doesn't take that pain away. I'm still that person who didn't have them growing up. I'm still that person who cried for them, who wished for some form of miracle and was denied every single time."

I brushed off the hair that had fallen on her face. "You are still the same person, just like I am the same person and Mama's the same person. The pain that we went through, that won't go away overnight, but things are definitely going to get better from now on."

I kissed her forehead before pulling the blanket on her.

"You promise?"

"I do. Now get some sleep. We too have an early morning tomorrow."

I headed towards Enzo's room to watch her reading a story to him as he slept. She looked down at his closed eyes before slowly extracted herself from his grasp. I walked towards them and kissed his forehead before I led her to my room.

"Here, I got you some clothes to change into. The bathroom is there and I think I have spare brushes on the cabinet beneath the shelf."

She took the clothes from my hand as she inspected them.

"I don't remember going to a 'Hopins' university, do you?" She asked.

Because I had been wearing that sweatshirt for so long, the 'k' had been rubbed off.

"It has a world class Pediatrics program, you should definitely check them out." I smiled.

She eyes the shorts I had given her before looking back up at me. "Do you have sweatpants?" She asked.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure if any of them would fit you." I immediately saw her face falling. Did I say something wrong? " Umm, after having Enzo, I couldn't really get back into the shape or the weight I used to be." I shrugged but pulled out a pair of sweatpants nonetheless before handing it to her. "Let me know if you need anything else, I'll be downstairs on the couch okay?"

She nodded. I wanted to lean in and kiss her, to hug her, to feel her, but as Barbara said, I needed her to come to me. I needed to be strong.

So, instead of doing what I really wanted to do. I shrugged my shoulders. "Good night" and left without a single word.

Throughout the night I kept waking up, I don't think I had a nightmare but I don't exactly remember what caused me to wake up. But I knew one thing, every time I would wake up, look to my right and almost be disappointed when I didn't find the warm body I was reaching for.

Wait, did I want Callie beside me? I knew I wasn't ready for her to see me at my worst or having one of my nightmares but then why did I feel so torn when she wasn't here?

I forced myself to sleep, I didn't want to cause any inconvenience with raising two kids and being a doctor. I bet she doesn't get much sleep as is, so every time I woke up I willed myself to sleep.

Soon, I was woken up by a weight on top of me. I opened my eyes to see Enzo looking down at me as he poked my cheek.

"Oh good you're awake!"

This is going to be a daily thing isn't it, with him dashing into our room to wake us up. I smiled as I looked up at him and tackled him onto the bed while I tickled him mercilessly.

"Stop Mama!"

"Nope!" I said before going back and tickling him,

After a while, I pulled him on my lap and hugged him. He was still giggling. God he had such an amazing laugh, so rich and deep. I loved it.

"Where's Mommy?" He asked.

Oh yeah, he must have come into Callie's room expecting her to be here and then found me instead. And here I was tickling him, which he repeated instead that I stopped and yet I continued. I pulled him off of my lap before getting up. I thought he would shy away from me and take off in the other direction, but Enzo looked up at me and insisted on being held.

The amount of relief that flooded through me was immeasurable. He didn't hate me. I lifted him up and went towards the sound of Callie and Sofia.

"Come on Mija, it's not that hard just try!"

"I did! I did it a billion times, I don't get it!" Sofia yelled back.

"You see that 2? Take it to the other side and make it -2" Callie explained.

"Why! Why can't it just be there, I don't want to take it to the other side and what is the other side! This is so tough, I don't understand what I'm doing!"

"The other side of the equal sign. It's just basic Algebra, don't think too much about it and do what comes naturally to you."

I could hear the frustration in Callie's voice. Yeah, she wasn't really the patient one ever. I could see hear patience wearing thin.

"You woke me up early in the morning to help me with Math! You said that waking up early and doing this first thing in the morning would help me and right now, I'm sleepy, I'm hungry and I don't want to see this assignment ever again."

Callie ran a hand through her hair before she noticed Enzo and I in the doorway of the kitchen. I quickly placed him on the floor before taking a seat beside Sofia. I watched what she was trying to do.

Oh that's easy 'If x + 2 = 0. What is the value of x?' But I can see why she's having trouble with it. I did too, but then once it clicked, it was the easiest thing ever. I can see that she has worked herself up too much.. That is not going to do anyone any good.

"How about we take a quick break, watch some tv and get back to this after breakfast?" I suggested.

"Gladly!" Sofia said as she took off.

"So, Math isn't really her thing?" I asked.

"Nope, I have explained those equations to her a million times now, but I just, I don't know how to get through to her." I nodded. "Coffee?" She asked.

"Yes please!" I got up and followed Callie as she poured a fresh cup before adding heaps of sugar and some milk before stirring it.

"Shit, I didn't ask you how you take it-"

It's been a while since I had copious amounts of sugar in my coffee, but I wasn't going to tell that to her. Before she could retract her hand I took the cup from her and had a sip. "It's perfect, just the way I remember." I smiled.

"Yeah?"

Callie was still in her clothes from last night, she was wearing these sexy short shorts and a black tank top. Her skin looked so delicious and inviting. I wanted to reach out and touch her to feel her around me. But then I looked down at myself. She wouldn't like this, she wouldn't like me. I need to get back into shape.

Last night Callie mentioned that her pants wouldn't fit me. I thought she was commenting about the weight that I had lost, and immediately started feeling insecure, but then she started gesturing towards her own body.

She had a flawless body, I have no idea what she's talking about. I mean yes, there were some changes, I could tell that her hips had become a bit wider but those were good things in my book.

I watched her gathering ingredients for breakfast as she stretched her body up to get something from the top cabinet. Her tank top shifted up as a sliver of her skin became visible. I saw a tiny scar on her side and couldn't help as I reached out to touch it.

I heard Callie gasp as her hands covered my own fingers.

"I had to have an emergency appendectomy," she said.

It didn't look like a horrific scar of anything, it was just a simple brown slash that looked healed over. But it wasn't there before. I know this sounded so stupid but that mark on her was getting me worked up almost making me feel like I don't know her. That she changed without me.

"Baby?" I watched as Callie's hand left mine and came up to cup my cheeks. Her fingers swiped at the tears. I didn't even know I was crying.

"I don't know why."

"It's okay, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere okay?"

I nodded as Callie removed her hand from my cheek to hold my fingers. I thought she removed her hand because she felt how rough my skin had gotten, how my cheeks were not as fuller as they used to be, but then she laced our fingertips together.

"I want to hug you so badly right now Arizona." she brought our fingertips together before lightly kissing my hand. "But I'll settle for this until you are ready."

A/N: I got a review saying that I should make Arizona file for divorce have them grow separately and then come back together. What do you guys think of that one?

Another popular request was to make Arizona jealous. I don't know how that would look like. But man, she just returned, you cant let her catch a break huh?

Anyway, Thank you for reading and reviewing and as always, the next update will take longer :)

You guys could suggest something, maybe I could connect with it and write it, so feel free to shoot out some ideas. Also 113 reviews? So soon? Thank you so much! That's like the best feeling ever!