Widow Robbins
Chapter 2
Miranda Bailey waited impatiently for the elevator doors to open. To her great relief, the elevator was empty. Far too many times she'd stepped into an elevator only to find doctors or nurses canoodling. She shivered once in disgust as she pressed the button for the first floor.
"Hold the elevator, please!" a voice called out.
Bailey sighed at losing the elevator to herself and pressed the button to hold the doors. She heard what sounded like wheels rolling and stuck her head out, only to find the peds fellow about to step into the elevator.
"Thank you, Dr. Bailey."
"Dr. Robbins."
"Heading for lunch?"
Miranda focused intently on the number panel in an attempt to tamper her disdain for small talk. "Yes. You?"
"Stopping at daycare first." Arizona's excitement was palpable in the tight enclosure.
"Your daughter?"
"Daughters." Seeing Bailey's confusion, Arizona added, "I have twin girls."
"They must be a handful." Despite hating chit chat and Dr. Robbins' enthusiasm, Bailey discovered she was genuinely curious about the new doctor. She subtly glanced at the other woman's white sneakers as she wondered why she had heard wheels while holding the elevator.
Arizona laughed. "Not all of the time, thank God."
"And how is your daughter - Vivian?"
"Yes, Vivian is doing very well, thank you for asking." Arizona smiled. "And thank you for the recommendation. Dr. Torres was very good with her." Her blue eyes sparkled and her voice dropped slightly at the mention of the orthopedic surgeon
Bailey took notice of her shift of demeanor while discussing the missing doctor and filed that tidbit in her mental file of things to watch from afar. "Yes, Dr. Torres is very good with her patients and she's an excellent doctor," she said. She left out the parts about the ortho surgeon's disastrous personal life. She was sure it wouldn't take long for the gossip to reach Dr. Robbins.
"Dr. Bailey, I have a fundoplication on a ten year old this afternoon. Would you be interested in assisting?"
"I'd have to look at my schedule."
"Think about it and let me know," Arizona said as the elevator came to a stop. "Have a good lunch, Dr. Bailey. Maybe I'll see you in the cafeteria."
# # # # # # # # # #
Erica Hahn scowled as she entered the cafeteria, late for her lunch with Callie. Her mood darkened when she saw Callie was already sitting with Mark and Lexie. She'd been hoping to have lunch alone with the ortho resident. She grabbed a pre-packaged salad, a bottle of water and a small bag of chips.
As she approached the table, she looked across the room and her scowl deepened. "What's she doing here?" she asked as she plopped her tray next to Callie and across from Lexie.
"Who?" Callie turned around in her seat and began looking around the crowded room.
"Robbins and her rugrats," Erica spat as she stabbed her salad in earnest.
"Who's this Robbins? Is she hot?" questioned Mark as he scanned the room. He'd heard there was a new peds fellow but hadn't met her yet.
"Oh, Dr. Robbins is the peds fellow," Lexie explained as she rolled her eyes at his machismo.
"Robbins is here? And she's got her twins?" Callie asked excitedly. She stood up and quickly spotted the new surgeon and her daughter sitting at a table across the room. "I'll be right back.".
"What? Why?" Erica demanded.
But Callie didn't hear her as she was already making her way over to Arizona and her daughters.
"Callie treated one of the girls in the ER two weeks ago," Lexie said. "How do you know Dr. Robbins?"
Erica shifted uncomfortably and chewed slowly on her bite of lettuce as she tried to keep her emotions in check. "We worked together a few years ago. Seeing her today took me by surprise."
Mark carefully observed Erica's reaction to the new doctor at Seattle Grace and he was intrigued by it.
"You don't like her," he stated.
"No. She's so annoying."
"Pot," Mark coughed. "Kettle," he coughed again behind his hand.
Lexie glared at him and considered hitting him.
"Did you say something, Sloan?" Erica demanded.
"No," he lied effortlessly, but he couldn't contain his grin. His attention was quickly drawn to an attractive blonde that was currently talking with Callie. "She's hot," he commented. "Got a nice rack, too, from what I can tell from here."
"Not your type, Sloan," Erica retorted.
"I'm every woman's type," he boasted.
"Sure you are," Erica scoffed, then her face twisted into a smirk that was almost a grimace. "Didn't know you were in to playing daddy."
"Single moms love me." His eyes narrowed. "She is single, isn't she?"
"I assume so, not that that has ever stopped you from what I've heard," Erica muttered. ""I doubt Robbins is looking for a daddy for her brats."
"I didn't say I wanted to be a daddy. I don't have to be a daddy to hit that."
"You're a pig, Sloan."
Lexie nodded her head in agreement. "Were you and Dr. Robbins friends at Seattle Pres?" she asked, trying to steer Mark's attention away from the new peds fellow.
"Me? Friends with Tinkerbell? Not on your life."
"You seem to know a lot about her," Lexie persisted.
"You're annoying, you know that?" Erica said with a hard stare.
The resident ignored the jab. "I like Dr. Robbins. I can't wait until my peds rotation so I can work with her."
"You would." Erica glanced across the room and saw Callie's focus was now on the peds surgeon, and not just the twins. "I have work to do, unlike some of you."
The cardio surgeon picked up her tray and with one last glare over at Callie, marched out of the cafeteria.
# # # # # # # # # #
As soon as Callie approached the table where Arizona was sitting with her daughters, one of the girls stood on her chair and waved.
"Hi, Dr. Callie!" she called out.
"Cam, sit down before you get hurt!" Arizona cried out.
As the young girl tried to get down, she wobbled and was about to fall. Arizona's hand shot out to catch her, but Callie was quicker. The ortho resident swept her up in arms before she fell. She gently set Cam down, then sat down beside her.
"You're quite the daredevil, aren't you?" she teased. "I think you should listen to your mother or you'll end up with a broken bone like Vivvy. You don't want that, do you?"
Cam considered it. Her sister's cast with the zebra stripes was cool but there were a lot of things Vivvy couldn't do because of it. "No," Cam admitted, shaking her head.
"Hi, Dr. Callie!" Vivvy interrupted, wanting attention from her doctor.
"Hello, Vivvy. How are you? How's your arm?"
"It feels better. When can I get the cast off?"
"Not for a few more weeks."
"Will it be off before school?"
"Yeah, we go to kindergarten this year," Cam added proudly.
"Kindergarten? You can go when you're four?"
"Almost five!" the twins shouted.
Callie looked over at Arizona for confirmation of when they would be starting kindergarten.
"School starts the first week of September," she said.
"I think your cast will be off by then."
"Yay!" Vivvy cheered.
"But only if you take care of it and listen to your mother." Callie tried to give the twins a stern look but they were so cute when they looked properly chastised. "Do you wear helmets and knee pads when you rollerskate?"
The girls nodded.
"But Mommy doesn't," Cam said, throwing her mother under the bus as it were.
Callie looked sharply at Arizona, who was now blushing.
"Not setting a very good example, Dr. Robbins."
"She don't rollerskate," Vivvy said.
"Doesn't," Arizona corrected automatically.
"No, she has wheels in her shoes!" Cam exclaimed. "She can skate everywhere, even at work!"
The sound of a pager interrupted the conversation. Both doctors checked the black boxes on their hips. "It's mine. Labs and films are in on a possible appy." Arizona said with a frown to Callie. "Not much of a lunch but at least I got a few minutes with the girls." She pasted a big smile on her face. "Ok, girls, it's time to head back to daycare."
"But I wanna talk more with Dr. Callie." Cam pouted, her lower lip jutting forward.
Vivvy crossed her arms a bit awkwardly with her cast. "Me, too."
Callie could sense this was about to erupt into tantrum territory as Arizona's eyebrows narrowed sternly. "I still have a few minutes. I can walk with you to daycare." she offered.
"You don't have to do that." Arizona motioned to the twins to gather their trash.
"It's no trouble. It's on my way."
Arizona mentally reviewed the Seattle Grace floor plan as Callie herded the children towards the front of the cafeteria. She smiled broadly as she caught up to the trio. "You, Dr. Torres, are a terrible liar."
"I told you, call me Callie." she said with a sly grin.
Cam tugged on the hem of Arizona's lab coat. "Mommy, Mommy, show her your shoes!"
"I'm sure knows what Heelys are."
"They are great at keeping me in the surgical suite." she replied with a frown. "As an adult, you should know better than to wear those menaces without proper safety gear."
"That is a conversation without impressionable children to overhear." Arizona winked at her. Oh, God. Why did I just wink at her?
"How does Saturday after work sound? A group of us are planning on going to the bar across the street after shift to unwind. You could meet some of the other doctors and make some new friends." Callie held her breath without realizing it until Arizona answered.
"I'm sorry. I can't." Arizona watched Callie's shoulders slump in rejection, so she pushed forward with an explanation. "Weekends are usually terrible. Cam's in soccer. Vivvy's in swimming, which is on hold right now with the broken arm. And they're both in dance."
"No, no, I get it."
They stopped outside of the day care doors. "Next Friday might work." Arizona suggested. "My parents normally watch the girls Mondays and Fridays so I can work late, and I bring them to daycare Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and have an early day. I got an extra day with the girls today. Once school starts, our system's going to change but we'll deal with that in September." Arizona's pager blared again.
Callie smiled broadly. "Friday works. Hopefully, I'll see you before then."
Arizona pushed open the door. "I look forward to it, Dr. Torres." she said with a twinkle. "Say goodbye to Dr. Callie, girls."
"Bye, Dr. Callie!" they chorused as they ran inside the room.
"Bye, Robbins family!" Callie said with a wave as she turned and walked away from them. What am I getting myself into? she wondered as butterflies churned in her belly.
# # # # # # # # # #
Suppers at her parents' house on Friday nights were always a lively affair and Arizona was looking forward to it. She'd missed the last two because she was working. She sometimes regretted taking on the peds fellowship, but knew that she needed it to further her career.
Even though they weren't Catholic, it was tradition to have a Friday night fish fry (or some variation of seafood). Arizona had been raised on it and the girls were being raised with the same tradition. It wasn't always fried fish. Sometimes it was clams or shrimp and in season, they'd frequently have the Dungeness crab that the Pacific Northwest was famous for.
Tonight, Arizona was almost late for dinner and she was grateful that her parents had picked the girls up when she'd been pulled into an emergency surgery late in the day.
"Hi, everyone. Sorry I'm late," she apologized as she entered the kitchen.
"Hi, Mommy," the girls said as one.
She greeted her girls with a kiss to the top of their heads.
"Oh, you're not late. Daniel just finished cooking."
Arizona was grateful that tonight her father had grilled some salmon. She was too tired to deal with having to help the girls peel shrimp or crack crabs and the mess that they made.
"Long day?" Barbara asked, setting down two glasses of milk for the girls.
"Yes."
"Sit down and I'll get you a glass of wine."
"Thanks, Mom."
She took a long sip from her glass as she watched her father set the platter of grilled salmon and vegetables on the table. She was so glad her daughters weren't picky eaters. They pretty much ate everything, with a few exceptions. Cam wouldn't eat Brussels Sprouts, Vivvy didn't like peas and neither of them would eat cooked carrots.
"Looks good, Dad. Thanks."
"Smells yummy," Vivvy added.
It didn't take long for everyone to be served and begin eating.
"Guess who we saw today, Grandmom," Cam said as she stuffed a piece of summer squash into her mouth.
"Who?"
"Dr. Callie," Vivvy answered.
"She had lunch with us," Cam added.
"She did?" Barbara directed her gaze at Arizona, one eyebrow slightly cocked.
"She just stopped by our table while we were eating," Arizona explained. "She wanted to see how Vivvy was feeling."
Barbara's skepticism grew when Vivvy said, "And she walked with us to daycare."
"I like Dr. Callie," Cam said.
"When are we gonna see her again?" Vivvy asked.
"Can we go with you to see her next Friday, Mommy?" Cam asked innocently.
Arizona felt like her daughters were tag-teaming her especially when she saw a knowing smile on her mother's face.
"Is there something you'd like to share, Arizona?" Barbara asked.
"Oh, it's nothing," Arizona replied with her cheeks turning slightly pink. "Dr. Torres just suggested I join her and some other doctors for drinks."
"She's pretty," Vivvy commented.
"And she has a really nice smile," Cam said.
"Don't you think so, Mommy?"
"Think what?"
"Isn't Dr. Callie pretty?" Vivvy persisted.
"Yes. Arizona, tell us," Barbara teased. "Do you think she's pretty?"
"I, uh, I guess so. I hadn't really noticed." She ducked her head so her mother couldn't see her face which the surgeon was sure was now a bright pink.
Fortunately for Arizona, the girls turned their attention to talking about what they'd done in daycare. She could still, however, feel her mother watching her. She had admitted to herself that she had a small attraction to Callie Torres, and she was charmed by how good she was with the twins, but that was all it was.
"Would you give me a hand with the dishes?" Barbara asked once supper was done.
"Of course, Mom," Arizona dutifully replied, knowing that her mother was probably going to interrogate her about something, or someone.
"Can you teach us hula hoops tonight, Grandpop?" Vivvy asked. She and Cam were eager to try their new toys.
Arizona grinned at that thought. She'd pay good money to see that. Her father, using a hula hoop? Yeah, she'd need a video of that.
"You just ate dinner. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to have you stirring up all that food you just ate. Maybe we can do something else? How about I teach you how to play 'jacks' instead?"
"What are jacks?"
"Come with me and I'll get the game. Your mother used to play them all the time with her brother when she was your age."
The girls knew that their mommy had once had a brother named Tim. His photo was hanging in their home and in their grandparents' home as well. Grandmom and Grandpop sometimes told stories about him. Their mommy, not as often. They just knew he was Mommy's older brother and that he died a hero, whatever that meant.
The girls followed Daniel from the room as Arizona and Barbara cleared the table of the dirty dishes.
"Wash or dry?" Barbara asked as she stacked the dishes on the counter.
"Why don't you just use the dishwasher?"
"I thought we could chat while we wash them."
Arizona rolled her eyes at her mother's turned back. Barbara Robbins was not known for her subtlety. She busied herself putting away the leftovers while her mother filled the sink with hot, soapy water.
"So, Callie seens nice," Barbara began as a few minutes of silent dishwashing.
"Mom, don't."
"All I'm saying is that you've been at your new job for three weeks. Have you made any new friends?"
"Mom, I'm there to do a job," she said snippilly. "I'm not in daycare like the girls to make new friends."
Barbara pondered her daughter's stubbornness for a few minutes. "I think you should go out with Callie." Arizona opened her mouth to protest but Barbara quickly added, "and the other doctors and nurses. It would be good for you to get out and socialize, make some friends. You've closed yourself off for too long."
"I've been busy, you know. Residency, fellowship, twins," Arizona listed. "It's not like I've had the time."
"Or the inclination."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Barbara sighed and handed Arizona another plate to dry. "Arizona, Jillian died almost three years ago. You didn't."
"Trust me. Nobody is more aware of that than I am," Arizona fired back, furiously drying the plate.
Barbara dried her hands on a towel, leaving a few dishes in the sink. "Come sit with me for a minute," she said gently, gesturing at the kitchen table.
Now it was Arizona's turn to sigh, but she followed her mother's suggestion. She figured the sooner they had whatever this conversation was about to be, the sooner she could leave.
"Raising a family on military bases, I've seen a lot of families torn apart when one of the parents died. It seems like those left behind after a death, mostly the wives, fell into three categories." Barbara paused for a minute. "Some women found a new husband pretty quickly. There were always plenty of eligible men who knew that being married, with a family, helped get them on the fast track for promotions.. Other women moved on, built a new life for themselves and later found happiness with someone new. The others, well, they gave up. They were still present, raised their families, but gave up, they never moved on." She took her daughter's hand. "I'm worried about you, honey. I don't want to see you become one of those women who stay stuck. And I know, everyone grieves differently, at their own pace. But you can't give up on life. Jillian died, but you didn't," she repeated.
"Mom…"
"I know, I know," she consoled Arizona. "I'm not saying you should just go out and start dating, but look at your new job as an opportunity to make some new friends."
Arizona had taken the peds fellowship at Seattle Grace as a way to get out of Seattle Pres. She didn't want to move the girls across the country, but she really needed to get away from where she'd done her residency. She just couldn't take anymore people staring at her with their sad looks of pity. Besides, being there was too much of a reminder of Jillian.
"Just think about it, okay? Cam and Vivvy deserve to have a happy mom. And you can be happy again. It's allowed."
"I'll think about it," she promised as her thoughts went immediately to the ortho resident with the beautiful smile and soulful brown eyes.
"Good," her mother said, patting Arizona's hand before she stood up. "It's getting late. You should probably get the girls home and to bed."
# # # # # # # # # #
Twenty minutes later the small family were on their way home. Her parents only lived six houses away so it was a short walk. Even though the sun dipped just below the horizon, the sky was still bright with color and the air warm from the summer heat. The girls skipped along beside her, waving to the neighbors and calling out to them.
Arizona reflected about how they'd found the house. It was in March of her fourth year of medical school when she was matched to Seattle Pres. Jillian had received a job offer as a primary researcher at UW around the same time. They researched houses online and when they both had a long weekend, had flown out to Seattle.
They'd both fallen in love with a four bedroom craftsman style home. It had two full baths upstairs and a half bath downstairs. There was a small office that they could share and a full basement that could double as a children's game room. Jillian had received an inheritance when her parents died while they were in college which had provided the down payment. With little discussion due to both ladies' excitement, they became homeowners in a neighborhood that was a mix of older and younger families. It was perfect for them.
Shortly after the twins were born, Barbara and Daniel made the decision to move across the country to be closer to their family. When several houses in the neighborhood were listed at the same time, it seemed like providence smiling upon them all. Arizona smiled to herself as she remembered that time period.
As the girls ran up their driveway, Arizona stood at the sidewalk and stared at the house. Her mind replayed the day she and Jillian moved in, but for some reason Jillian's voice sounded a lot like Callie Torres. She shook her head. The corners of her eyes crinkled and she frowned slightly as she focused harder on the memory but the more she focused the less she could discern her wife's sultry tone. Why can't I remember her voice?
"Mommy! I can't find my cleats!" Cam's voice broke her reverie.
With a quick shake of her head, Arizona walked quickly up the driveway to her house to tackle whatever childhood emergencies her twins faced.