A/N: Hi all! This is technically the last chapter, and where I initially envisioned this ending, but my soft Calzona heart broke and I also wrote an Epilogue. This update was really hard to write, I rewrote it about 8 times and was all over the place, this story just worked better on my head than on paper, it felt like. That said, I appreciate the positive feedback and how many of you wanted to know how it ended, so here is what I've got. Thanks so much for sticking with it, and let me know what you think!

Despite the fact that Alex was (frustratingly) right about Sofia, Arizona was relieved when she met Callie and Sofia out front of their building a few hours later, and even more relieved when Sofia tore away from Callie to wrap her arms around Arizona's middle.

"Careful," Callie admonished gently. "You know Mommy's leg doesn't like it when you tackle it."

You would know, considering you just stole it from me.

"Hey Sof. I heard you made pancakes this morning for breakfast."

"I made one of you!" Sofia boasted.

"I saw. Mama sent me pictures."

"Then we ate it."

"Well, that's only a little creepy."

Over Sofia's head, Callie shot Arizona a half-apologetic, half-amused look. "We missed you at breakfast," Callie said lightly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Despite the fact that Callie had clothes on now, Arizona wasn't any less attracted to her, but that was always a given.

The more she thought about it, the more she did want to explain to Callie what she was feeling. And the fact that Alex had given her permission to do so made the words burn inside of her, ready to come out. But she still felt like she couldn't. Because it was Callie, and because she'd been the one who had taken off running when Callie had wanted to talk.

"Can we go shopping now? I've been waiting all morning," said Sofia, the impatience in her tone perfectly reminiscent of Callie, and Arizona was once again grateful for that apparently-unhealthy buffering their daughter provided.

"Yes, after we go get lunch. Didn't you want to show me that new pizza place?" Arizona asked. Sofia nodded enthusiastically.

"I really want to!"

Sofia looked expectantly at Arizona, and Callie chuckled. "She doesn't know the way," Callie pointed out. "C'mon." She held out a hand, which Sofia took, grabbing Arizona's hand with the other, already chattering as they headed down the street.

It turned out that the day did not go as terribly as Arizona had dreaded, when lying alone in her hotel room. Sure, it wasn't easy. Everytime she looked at Callie, moments from the night before, and that morning, flashed into her head. The kissing, but also the yelling. The feeling of how right it had been, but also the feeling of the same old defeat and failure, the knowledge that she'd messed things up again. But when Callie smiled at Sofia, Arizona remembered the way the two of them had laughed in bed, together, at how much of a mess they were. It had been the first thing they'd agreed on, done together, for a long time. And it made Arizona wish that moment had extended in time, even though she'd ruined it, even though she'd spent that time waiting for the shoe to drop.

After lunch, Sofia bounced them from store to store, constantly begging Arizona to reconsider if they really needed that old piece of furniture Arizona had already had shipped from Seattle. ("I just love this lamp so much more!" she pouted at one store, again, so reminiscent of Callie that Arizona was tempted to give in. Callie, fortunately, was less easily swayed.)

The only questionable moment between Callie and Arizona came late in the afternoon, after Arizona and Sofia settled on a color for Sofia's new curtains. Sofia took the question of which shade of green would go best seriously, and would not hear of having dinner until they had decided, even though they still had a few days before Arizona even got the keys to the new place.

"You're really good at this," Callie smiled as they leaned against the register, waiting for the cashier to take their order. "The colors thing. Even though I used to, you know, make fun of you for it."

"Thanks," said Arizona, that distinctly uncomfortable feeling creeping over her again, where she both wanted to melt directly into Callie's praise (and Callie) and scream as she ran from her life, so she could stop wondering when this fever dream would end and things would go back to the way they'd always been.

Callie noticed the shadow that had crossed Arizona's face. "Does it make you uncomfortable?" she asked Arizona softly. "When I compliment you like that?"

Does it make you uncomfortable? Arizona couldn't remember the last time Callie had asked her something like that.

"Uh, sort of. But also it's…nice." Nice to know you think I'm competent at some things. But also, nice that Callie was complementing her again. Nice that Callie was noticing her. Speaking to her so affectionately. How long would that last? Probably until Callie got one look at Sofia's new room and decided Arizona was making all the wrong decisions for their child. Remember, it's not about Sofia, Arizona reminded herself, but it still felt like it was, a little.

They were saved by Sofia finally declaring it was time for dinner, and Callie backed off again, letting the almost-genuine peace settle between them for the entirety of the meal.

After dinner, Arizona joined Callie and Sofia as they headed back to Callie's apartment, as it was closer to the hotel. Sofia asked if Arizona would stay to tuck her in, and Arizona and Callie exchanged a glance.

"No, sweetie, I have to go get some paperwork ready. And I've been on my leg all day. But you know what? Mama has to go back to work tomorrow and then we're going to spend the whole day together!"

Sofia brightened at the sound of that, and Arizona needed that validation. "Can Mama join us for dinner?" she asked. "I like when the three of us are together."

"That depends on my surgery," Callie said swiftly, glancing carefully at Arizona to gauge her reaction. "We'll see how it goes."

Arizona nodded. "We can definitely do that, if Mama can make it. And if not, we'll have lots of other opportunities." She did not miss the small smile that turned up the corners of Callie's mouth, and it made her both nervous and excited.

"Thanks for coming," Callie said.

"Yeah, thanks Mommy," Sofia added. "I'm super excited about my room."

"I know." Arizona carefully knelt to give her daughter a full-bodied hug. "I'm excited too. We're gonna have so much fun when our stuff arrives from Seattle."

When she pulled back from Sofia and straightened up, she looked at Callie. There was still something in her ex-wife's eye. Still a look. They'd slept together almost twenty-four hours ago, Arizona realized. It simultaneously felt like twenty-four minutes and twenty-four years.

"Well," said Arizona, giving Sofia one last hug, "Good night."

Callie opened her mouth as if to say something, and then shut it again.

"See you later, Callie," said Arizona, then she moved towards the door.

After it closed behind her, she could hear Callie and Sofia's muffled voices in a blend of English and Spanish. But it was the finality of the bolt sliding in the door behind her that made her stop, and lean back against the wall.

One goal. She'd had one goal today. To talk to Callie. To explain how she felt. And she'd chickened out before she could. And that wasn't fair to her. And especially not to Callie.

She was suddenly reminded of a time when a door had been closed between her and Callie before, not behind her back, as she left, but to her face, when she'd gotten off the plane from Africa. God, she'd missed Callie so much it hurt. She still did, in fact. But then, she'd been so convinced she was right, so convinced Callie still loved her, that she had pushed through, held her ground, until Callie had let her back in, even though perhaps neither of them were fully ready.

And then had come Sofia.

So what was so different now? But Arizona already knew the answer to that, even though she didn't want to admit it.

Finally, she pushed back off the wall, and turned, striding back up to the door, and rapping purposefully.

After only a few seconds, Arizona heard the bolt slide back and Callie opened the door, Sofia a few feet behind her. "Did you forget-"

"Can we talk?" Arizona asked abruptly. "I mean, just the two of us."

Relief flooded Callie's face. "Sure. Sofia, I need to talk to Mommy for a second. I'll be right back, okay?"

Sofia nodded. "Hi again, Mommy," she called, and Arizona managed to wrestle up a grin, despite what she knew she had to say. "Hi Sof."

And then, Callie was out in the hall, shutting the door behind her. "What's up?" she asked softly, her face etched with concern, but also hope.

It was the hope that broke Arizona.

Taking Callie's face in her hands, Arizona seized her ex-wife, pulled her to her, in a maddening, completely sober kiss. Callie responded instantly and enthusiastically, one hair weaving through Arizona's locks and the other wrapping around her waist. For a moment, there was no Sofia, no awkward possibly-or-possibly-not-one-night-stand, and no distance or time between them, no break. Just the two of them, the way it had always felt meant to be, Arizona thought, even as Callie's lips crushed her own.

Arizona pulled back suddenly.

"Is - is everything alright?" Callie asked.

"I'm sorry." Arizona covered her face with her hand. "I shouldn't have done that, I didn't mean to do that."

Callie's face fell, and Arizona was actually surprised to see how devastated she looked.

"Wait, what? No…"

"I love you," Arizona choked out. "From the moment we woke up, Calliope, I've been so happy to be with you, but also so tense. Because I don't know when it will end. I don't know when we're going to mess this all up again. I'm still too hurt, still too afraid of messing this up to move forward. I can't be around you, and Sofia, and enjoy our time if I'm afraid all the time. And I came here to tell you that, and I've messed it all up."

Callie inhaled sharply, still shaken from that kiss. Arizona couldn't blame her - she was too. She expected Callie to snap at her, to tell her to stop sending mixed signals, and Arizona didn't know how to tell Callie that everything in her head right now was mixed.

But instead, all Callie said was, "I uh, I really hurt you, the way I left. Didn't I?"

Arizona was shocked."Both times," she said, softly, after a moment's pause.

"You were never one to jump into things," said Callie. "I should have known."

"I'm not saying no," said Arizona. "I'm saying I - I need time."

"I suppose saying "Sorry" doesn't cut it? But maybe it's a start?"

"It's a start," Arizona confirmed. "And I'm sorry, too. For… for destroying things when what I needed to do was talk to you. And I'm sorry for kissing you - and for running out this morning - I know I shouldn't have done any of that."

"Stop, Arizona, you don't need to apologize. God knows I've made you apologize enough."

The other stuff, maybe. But cheating wasn't something you just got over. If Callie had, would she have really tried to take Sofia and move to New York? And if Arizona hadn't felt so guilty, so in love with Callie, would she have let her after everything?

Arizona locked eyes with Callie, measuring the earnestness. God, she had missed those eyes.

"That's exactly the problem, Callie. I believe you, and I want it, but I haven't fully accepted it yet."

The earnestness disappeared from Callie's eyes in an instant, and it made Arizona sad, because she never wanted to make Callie sad, even though maybe, just maybe, this would make them both less sad.

"Okay," said Callie quietly. "I, uh, understand. But this isn't the end of the conversation."

"About us getting over our shit? Or us getting back together?" Arizona asked.

"Both. But for now, I'll settle for the first. Don't think I won't come knocking on the second one again, though, Arizona." God, confident Callie was so hot. It felt good to picture a world where Callie wanted her the way she wanted Callie.

"Is that so?" Arizona replied.

Callie folded her arms. "I'll give you space, Arizona. But I'm still me. You can't expect me to hold off forever. And next time you kiss me, you better be all in."

"Deal," replied Arizona.

She couldn't expect Callie to hold off forever. And maybe that was what she needed, too. For Callie to push, just the right amount. After all, if Callie hadn't pushed her, after that kiss in Joe's, would they have ever gotten together? Sometimes, Arizona was too clinical, to scared to let things in, and for a time, at least, Callie had been the antidote to that.

Callie smiled. "Are we cool on last night, then? And just now?"

And suddenly, it wasn't the image of them together the night before that flashed into Arizona's mind, but the smile on Callie's face when she'd woken up to find Arizona in her bedroom. The sadness on Callie's face when Arizona broke the kiss, just now.

"It was probably a mistake," Arizona admitted, "But what's one little mistake, when we've already made a thousand? Yes, Callie, we're more than cool." If they were going to hold onto the present, they'd never let go of the past. And I've missed you.

God, Callie's smile could still kill her. It always would.

"Well, I should get in, to check on Sofia. I'll, uh, see you tomorrow morning?"

"Yup, I'll be here at eight to get Sofia."

"Great." The two lingered awkwardly. Arizona wondered if they were going to hug, but she wasn't sure what that mean, and apparently, Callie didn't want to chance it, either, because she turned slowly and reached for the door.

"Callie?" Callie paused, hand on the knob. "Tell Sofia I love her."

"Of course," she nodded and then disappeared back into the apartment. Arizona remained in the hall, but this time, she did not feel left behind.