Last Chapter
Back in Seattle Arizona had attended her second 9-11 bleep resulting in a 2-hour surgery, only to close step out the OR, to find April waiting for her. She knew that Meredith or Bailey had probably gone to fetch her, expressing concern about her, but couldn't bring herself to care. It was Mother's Day and her daughter had forgotten her, what else mattered? She ignored her friend, dialling Callie's number again, hearing the familiar 2 rings and the answer phone, Frustrated she threw it down the corridor, getting no satisfaction from the loud bang.
"Arizona" April said, her face screaming sympathy.
"April, don't, I can't" Arizona interrupted, "I just have to get through today" she begged, she had already cried once, she couldn't fall apart again. She was strong, a good man and this was the storm she just had to make it through.
"Arizona" April repeated, the sound of a pager going off interrupted, Arizona looked down, thanking the universe it was hers.
"9-11" she explained taking off down the corridor. There was a large bottle of wine at home that was going to help her forget about all of her problems, just like her ex-wife and daughter had forgotten about her. Just like everyone moved on and forgot about her. She picked up her phone off the floor, it wasn't even smashed the protective case had done its job.
Arizona left the OR for the second time that day, her stomach grumbling, she had missed breakfast and it was now just past lunch. This time there was nobody waiting for her in the corridor, April had probably gone to spend time with Harriet. Taking another deep breath to hold the tears at bay Arizona walked to the canteen, she entered to see mothers, daughters, balloons and flowers everywhere.
April sat with Harriet, Jackson and Catherine, on another table Bailey, Ben and Tucker sat chatting. Meredith, Amelia, Maggie, sat with Zola, Bailey and Ellis at another table. Arizona turned and walked away. She couldn't cope with seeing everyone else with their daughters when all she wanted was to see hers again, to know she hadn't been forgotten, to know she wasn't nothing in her daughter's life.
Needing privacy Arizona took the stairs heading to the roof, it was raining but she didn't care. Here there were no mothers, no daughters, nobody. She walked to the edge sitting down on the floor not caring how wet her scrubs were getting, how numb the cold was making her feel, she didn't have enough energy to care anymore.
She didn't know how long she sat on the roof, the rain pouring down as she cried. Her pity party was interrupted by her phone ringing, she answered it more automatically.
"Mommy" Sofia cried joyously.
"Hey Sofia" Arizona replied, "How are you baby? Did Mamma like your card and photos?" she said trying to keep her voice as natural as possible so her daughter didn't know just how upset she had been. While her heart soared, maybe she had misjudged Callie, just because she had forgotton her birthday didn't mean she had forgotton her.
"Uh huh, she got you a surprise" Sofia replied, Arizona could hear the mischief in her daughter's voice, as her heart melted, Callie had remembered. "It's in the attendings lounge, can you open it now?" Sofia begged. "Please mommy while I'm on the phone"
Powerless to deny her daughter anything, Arizona stood up her prosthetic rubbing against her stump, not liking the fact it had got wet.
"So how is New York baby? Are you liking school?" Arizona asked, desperate to hear about every detail of her daughter's life. She started walking down the stairs, her navy scrubs sticking to her, as she dripped onto the floor. Luckily the corridors were empty, strangely so, probably because everyone was with their families.
"Its good mommy. I don't like Maths though; my teacher is old and smells like cats" Sofia began keeping the conversation going. "Are you nearly there yet?" Sofia asked
"Nearly baby, I'm just outside now. What about art? Did you finish your drawing of the Statue of Liberty?" she asked entering the room finding a large box on the floor. "Wow Sofia, that's a huge present!" Arizona remarked it was 4ft high and 4ft wide, and 4ft deep. "What have you put in there? You could fit the Statue of Liberty in there"
Sofia didn't answer not that Arizona noticed, to busy pulling the ribbon and lifting the lid.
"Surprise" Sofia shouted, as she jumped up, Callie following.
"What, how, Sofia" Arizona cried, lifting her daughter into her arms hugging her tightly.
"Mommy you're all wet" Sofia wiggled complaining slightly, Arizona just held her tighter, finally letting her go.
"Sof, can you go with April please?" Callie asked seeing her friend in the doorway, wanting privacy for this conversation.
"What are you doing here?" Arizona asked,
"Were back" Callie explained, "I realised something really important today and I needed to be back here."
"What?" Arizona questioned,
"You didn't see the photo's Sofia picked did you?" Callie asked raising an eyebrow. She could tell by Arizona expression she had no idea what she was talking about.
"I looked at those photos and all I could think was you are my family, you and Sofia, are my everything, and I should have been there. Sofia said it, Penny was the best choice in my head. She hasn't hurt me, she is safe, we don't have any trauma in our history" Callie explained, she could see Arizona looked upset, so hastily continued, "But she doesn't make my heart happy, she isn't my true love, I only have one true love and it isn't Penny, its you." Callie took Arizona's hand. "When I moved to New York it was easy. I tried not to think of you, out of sight, out of mind, and it worked somewhat, but today the photos, it hit home, I can't pretend I don't love you any longer."
Arizona stood stunned. This had to be a dream. She had obviously hit her head on the roof and was hallucinating, it was the only possible explanation.
"Say something?" Callie begged, she had dropped everything to return to Seattle to pour her heart out to her ex-wife, she was expecting something more than silence. "Please"
"You moved here?" Arizona muttered, her brain racing to catch up.
"Yeah, you said it yourself, Sofia needs two happy mom's. I mean this was last minute, so we have nowhere to stay, I haven't quit my job, or moved Sofia's school."
"You were always impulsive, wait you love me?" Arizona repeated, Callie's words catching up with her, "You love me" she said again, stunned. "You love me," she paced, "You didn't even remember my birthday, you moved my daughter across the country, and now, you love me" Callie stood patiently, she knew Arizona was confused, she was too, the only advantage she had was every mile she had travelled closer to the blonde had felt more and more right and seeing her again took her breath away.
"I do, I Calliope Torres, love you Arizona Robbins" Callie said, "And I messed up, I was angry, and I hadn't forgiven you for the affair. I said I did but I hadn't. When I moved away I felt angry and hurt, and I screwed up, it felt wrong in New York with Penny, but I didn't know how to fix it, how to make things right. So, I buried my head in the sand and tried not to think about Seattle, tried not to think about you. But today I realised. I love you and if you love me back, I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you and proving just how much I love you" Callie promised.
"This is a dream." Arizona muttered pushing Callie away, "This has to be a dream" it was the only explanation, Callie was happy, Callie was in New York she had forgotten about her, moved on, there was no way she had returned to Seattle to profess her love.
Callie stepped forwards cupping Arizona's chin leaning forwards kissing her, Arizona's hand reached up holding onto Callie tightly deepening the kiss. She missed this she missed Callie.
"It's not a dream" Callie said as the kiss finished. "I'm here"
"What if I suffocate you again" Arizona asked worriedly, those words had haunted her. They had broken her, she didn't know if she would survive going through that again.
Callie took a deep breath, taking Arizona's hand leading her to the seating area. Since leaving Seattle she had seen a Counsellor and spent many hours going over her life, her impulsivity, how she had blamed Arizona for everything, how she had felt suffocated but not she realised Arizona hadn't suffocated her. It had been a series of horrific events; any one event would have placed stress on a health couple. When Callie had listed them, she had realised just how much they had been through. She was sure her Counsellor had thought she was lying until she had seen her records. Honestly it sounded like a TV drama, not real life. A mass shooting, moving continents, a car crash, plane crash, miscarriage, bereavements, Mark, Nick, Lexie an affair and then there was the leg.
"It wasn't you, I felt suffocated, I was crushed, we went through so much, any one of those is enough to drown an individual. It was hard, really hard, and when we had our break, all of those problems seemed so far away. I moved all the way to New York and realised they came with me. That the problems weren't you, they were me, that I had to learn how to deal with them." Callie explained, hoping that Arizona understood that she didn't blame either of them. That wasn't what she was trying to say.
"Every conversation I've had since that day I've wondered if it was too much. If I was suffocating the other person. Every conversation" Arizona cried. Callie hugged her tightly, she could tell just how much her words had hurt.
"I'm so sorry" Callie apologised, "I didn't mean too, if I had known"
"You weren't the only one who messed up, I cheated, I shut you out, I blamed you for saving my life. I'm sorry Callie." Arizona apologised.
There was a heavy silence as both women took a moment to reflect on what had just happened.
"Mommy, Mamma," Sofia ran back in jumping on Arizona who easily caught it. "April got me chocolate."
"We can tell bub" Arizona replied, Sofia's face was covered in the brown sticky chocolate.
"Mommy you're all wet still" Sofia complained. Callie jumped up concerned, touching her ex-wives shoulder.
"Arizona you are frozen," she said worriedly, "you'll catch your death"
"Actually, Callie this is the warmest I've felt in a long time" Arizona replied honestly, her heart was full to bursting. Callie gave her million-pound smile that lit up her whole face,
"Me too, but you need to shower and warm up and change, because we are taking you out for Mother's Day" Callie ordered, gently pushing Arizona out of the attending's lounge towards the showers.
"Hurry mommy" Sofia ordered taking Arizona's hand.
Arizona obeyed her daughter having a warm shower and changing, once she was out Sofia hugged her again. Arizona picking her up, hugging her tightly.
"Best Mother's Day ever" she whispered as Callie joined the hug.
"I'm sorry I forgot your birthday, I'm sorry I forgot Mother's Day" she apologised.
"You didn't forget, you got me the best present ever, all I ever wanted. Sofia and you, that's all I need to make me happy" Arizona said,
"And me, I just wish I had realised that sooner" Callie replied.
"You're here now, you both are," Arizona kissed Sofia's hair and Callie's cheek.
"We all home Mommy" Sofia cried joyfully happy her plan had worked and her mommies were happy again. Now just to work out how to persuade them ice cream was essential after every meal and life would be perfect.
Warm and fluffy ending.