After the date on Friday, both women went to their respective homes smiling ear to ear and slept like a baby.
When Callie woke up the next day, she was feeling extra happy and she felt like nothing in the world can get her down and as if on cue her pager started to beep.
"Argh! I hate weekend calls" Callie said annoyed
"car crash… shit!"
There was a big pile up on king's Hwy and a load of the patients were coming in, it was all hands on deck situation so Callie was called in on a Saturday. The whole day went by in the chaos and hubbub of the accident. By the time Callie reached home, it was almost midnight and she finally got the time to check her phone. There were 2 calls from her dad and a few messages 3 out of which were from Arizona. Deciding to call her father the next day she quickly opened the text from Arizona.
Arizona: Hey! I had a great time last night.
Thanks for that.
Arizona: I guess you are busy. Anyways I need to buy some
stuff for the office. so I was wondering if you would
like to go with me. You know…as I don't know any place.
I mean only if you have time. Or you know if you want to.
Callie laughed on how Arizona managed to ramble even on messages. She felt a butterfly flutter in her stomach "she wants to go out with me again" Callie thought excitedly but then she opened the last message from Arizona.
Arizona: You know what never mind.
I guess I put you on the spot.
You don't have to agree on that.
It's totally fine if you don't wanna come with me.
It's TOTALLY fine.
"Oh no!" Callie thought and she decided to call Arizona at once.
"Hey!" Arizona said as she picked up the phone.
"Hey, just saw your messages," Callie said urgently.
"Oh… OH!" Arizona said suddenly understanding why Callie didn't reply.
"Yeah! There was a huge pile-up on Kings Hwy, so I got called in. I Just came back and saw my phone first time since morning" Callie explained.
"Right!...well… so…" Arizona said hesitantly.
"So, Arizona, I would love to go with you to shop," Callie said with a smile.
"Are you sure, I mean I don't want you to feel obligated or anything" Arizona replied with uncertainty.
"Just tell me the time … Ms Formality" Callie joked
"haha, very funny" Arizona replied sarcastically but laughed "Tomorrow around 11 works for you?"
"Yup! 11 works great. I will come to pick you up?" Callie replied
"Actually, I was thinking that we go by cab or subway… I need to buy a car as well so we can come back in that?" Arizona replied.
"Okay, Good thinking… we will do just that," Callie replied enthusiastically.
"Great! See you tomorrow" Arizona said with a dimpled smile.
"Good Night" Callie replied
"Good Night Callie"
"Its gonna be a good day tomorrow," both of them thought.
XXXX
Next morning Arizona got up very early. She was way too excited because of which she was unable to stay in bed anymore. When she realized it was futile to try and sleep, she got up and decided to do some cleaning. By the time she was done, it was still 8 in the morning and she had 3 more hours to kill. So, she face-timed her mother.
"Arizona! Honey… how are you?" Barbera Robbins chimed in over the phone.
"Hey Mom, I am good, how are you? And How's dad?" Arizona replied
"We are fine honey; your father is driving me crazy as usual" Barbera Joked on which Arizona laughed "So how is New York and Sofia"
"New York is fine mom and Sofia is at summer camp… Having the time of her life and not missing her mother's at all" Arizona replied rolling her eyes on the last comment
"It happens dear, you were just like that." Barbera replied laughing "So … Tell me more… how is… um… Callie"
"Oh... umm… she is fine mom… really supportive and … helpful" Arizona replied timidly, even though they have started dating again, they have mutually decided not to disclose anything about their personal life with anyone until they have something substantial to tell. Which made the situation hard for Arizona right now.
"She is still with … what's her name?" Barbera inquired further.
"Oh... umm… no they broke up a few months back" Arizona replied awkwardly.
"Really!" Barbera exclaimed with wide eyes.
"Don't get any ideas Mom… and I don't want to talk about what's going on in your head right now" Arizona countered, instantly knowing very well how her mother's brain works.
"What? I didn't say anything" Barbera said innocently.
"But I know what you are thinking… Callie and I are adults… I think we are capable of making our decisions" Arizona replied little annoyed
"Oh! It means there is something to decide about" Barbera said bouncing her eyebrows.
"God mom… you are worse than a teenager sometimes," Arizona said rolling her eyes but with a smile.
"I am just saying that you both can try again… I know how miserable you were after she left. I really want my child to be happy" Barbera said sympathetically.
"I know Mom… and I promise I will tell you when there will be something to tell… till then no more discussion on this topic… Please" Arizona replied calmly.
"Alright, Alright… no more discussion" Barbera replied
After a few more minutes of small talk, Arizona disconnected the phone.
After passing the time by reading a book and fixing breakfast, it was finally 10 and Arizona went to get ready.
…
At 10 minutes to 11, Callie knocked on the door.
"Hey, Good morning" Arizona greeted with her usual perkiness.
"Good Morning!... this is for you" Callie entered handing fresh coffee to Arizona.
"Oh thanks" Arizona accepted with a smile "Just give me 5 minutes than we can go"
"Sure, take your time"
As decided, they took the subway to the market. Arizona bought a new laptop, some plants and a few frames for her office and gave her address to get it all delivered. After some shopping at Macy's and having late lunch at some burger joint, they went to a car dealership.
After hours of exploring, test driving and negotiation, they finally drove off in Volvo XC60. By the time they reached near Arizona's building, it was 6 in the evening, so Arizona decided to treat Callie with Ice cream as a thank you for the day.
"You know me, I am always up for ice cream" was Callie's response when Arizona suggested the ice cream treat.
They order their preferred flavours and sit in the open seating just outside the parlour.
For a while, conversation flowed with ease. They talked about everything and nothing. After a while, Arizona casually asked, "Why didn't you return to Seattle?"
"Huh?" Callie replied absentmindedly
"After your breakup, why didn't you return to Seattle?" Arizona articulated her question
Callie wasn't expecting that, so she struggled to find the answer "Ah… Um… You know… I had… contract… with the hospital… so…" she fumbled
"Come on Callie, we both know that's not the truth, there is always a termination clause in every contract …" Arizona asked calmly.
Callie was running from this question since Clyde has asked her a few months back. She was too afraid to know what she would find if she went to that road, but now she had no way to escape. Arizona was sitting in front of her asking her to open that can of worm, and she can't refuse.
After a few seconds when Callie didn't reply, Arizona coaxed again "Callie? What's going on? What are you thinking so much about?"
"I… Arizona …" Callie said in a defeated tone.
"Callie! Remember total Honesty?" Arizona said with a supportive smile.
"I couldn't come back?" Callie began
"What do you mean?" Arizona asked confused.
"Those people who saw me marrying an intern in Vegas and my divorce with him within a few months, they saw me break down when Erica left me or when my father disowned me. They have seen me and all my drama. Coming back after the breakup meant bringing in more of my drama?" Callie tried to explain but to Arizona, she still wasn't making sense.
"Callie! That doesn't even make any sense, they all loved you no mattered what, we all made mistakes at some point… people who love us doesn't care" Arizona replied trying to understand Callie's explanation.
"Arizona! Can you please let it go?" Callie requested desperately.
"No Callie! Sorry, I need to know, what's the reason which made you stay here even after the breakup when I had to pack up my whole life to move here." Arizona said in a stern but calm voice.
"Arizona!" Callie Pleaded loudly
"What?" Arizona said matching the pitch, which made few people turn their heads in their direction.
"I am ashamed alright?" Callie finally confessed defeatedly "I put everyone to hell to come here with Penny. I cause the custody battle Arizona! I asked our friends to testify against you. I made you look like the worst mother, even though I knew very well that there was no Sofia without you. I spent my time brooding and sulking around because I couldn't go with the woman I apparently was in love with. I did all that for what? To break up with that said woman just in 2 years. How am I supposed to show my face to them now? How can I even began to justify that?" Callie finished with a beaten sigh.
Arizona took time to process what Callie had said. After knowing that Callie had broken up with penny, Arizona always wondered why Callie never came back. Now she knew and now, she had no idea what to say.
"Arizona? Say something." Callie said after a few moments of silence.
"What do you want me to say, Callie?" Arizona said meekly
"Anything is better than you silence. Your silence scares me" Callie said unintelligibly.
"I don't have anything nice to say right now, so it's better I say nothing" Arizona replied
"Come on! You just said yourself, Total honesty" Callie nagged further.
"Callie please, there is no point" Arizona replied visibly irritated.
"Arizona… that's not fair-" Callie began just to get cut short by Arizona outburst.
"Fair? You really wanna talk about being fair? Fine let's talk about it, shall we? Tell me how it was fair, that after custody battle, I had to face every one of our colleagues as if nothing happened, knowing very well that none of them supported me and here you are hiding from the very same people who supported you even when you were wrong. Tell me at what point you felt that it was fair when you let me pack everything, leave all my friends and leave my GIRLFRIEND and come to New York; a place where none of us belongs to, just because you were too afraid to face your old life? You uprooted Sofia for Penny and then you made me uproot my life from Seattle for your own selfish reason. I am sorry but it was a self-centred, selfish and self-serving thing to do" Arizona burst out everything in one breath. Thankfully there were very few people on the street, so it didn't become a scene.
Callie knew what she did was wrong and unfair, therefore she didn't say anything instead she hung her head quietly, stifling the sobs threatening to come out.
"You have always kept yourself first Callie, you wanted to leave so you left, you wanted a divorce, so you divorced me… you didn't want to go to Africa, so you made me feel like the worst person to have accepted the grant, and then you left for Penny when SHE won her grant. Have you ever considered how unimportant that's made me feel… When it felt fit you made me Sofia's mother but when it didn't suit you, you let your lawyer say anything which could prove how horrible as a mother I was. It was not fair Callie… It's not fair" Arizona said in a defeated tone, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
"I know," Callie said after many seconds of complete silence "I know how immoral it was… I know what I did was not fair to you or Sofia… I know I am your culprit… but I didn't leave with Penny to support her for her Grant. I left because I didn't want the people around me to see failing in yet another relation… I practically paraded Penny all over the hospital… I supported her even after knowing about her involvement in Derek's death… I was so desperate to make it work that I didn't think about the consequences… I know how selfish it was…but now all I can do is ask for your forgiveness… and hope that you can look past it… so the question is can you forgive me Arizona?"
"I need sometime Callie, to… to process all this… anyways it doesn't matter anymore… what done is done… but I need to not be with you for now… please" Arizona replied stoically.
"I understand… take you time," Callie said standing up from her seat.
"Thanks" Arizona replied getting up from her side as well.
"Talk to you later?" Callie said with uncertainty, she wanted to know how much damage this conversation has done
"yeah… Good night Callie" Arizona replied incoherently.
"Good Night… and Arizona… I really am sorry" Arizona didn't reply but nodded slightly and left.
…
After reaching home Callie called her only outlet, Clyde and told him everything in one go.
"Dude! Give her some time… she will come around?" Clyde replied
"What if she decides to give up on us?" Callie wailed back
"She won't, I have eyes Torres, I have seen her, she loves you" Clyde clarified
"What if love is not enough?"
"Then you will go ahead with your life, knowing that you did everything you could to win her back" Clyde replied
"I don't want to lose her Cly… Not again" Callie said sadly
"Then you won't, have faith" Clyde replied, and Callie nodded.
"Thanks, Cly, for always hearing me out"
"Anytime Torres!" Clyde said with a grin as they disconnected the call.
"So now we wait," Callie thought.
At around midnight Callie was lying on the bed wide awake. Events of the day running through her mind and no matter how hard she tried she could help but feel scared of losing everything. As her mind started to wander towards the worst possible scenario her phone rang from the side table bringing her back to reality. She picked up her phone only to find Arizona's message.
Arizona: Hey!
Callie: Hi!
Arizona: I am sorry How I reacted. It was uncalled for
Callie: No that's okay, I deserved it
Arizona: Don't say that, you don't deserve it.
I said that there will be no blaming and accusations
but I myself let my emotions get out of control.
It's not like I am spotless in this relationship.
Callie: We are digging past Arizona, Emotions gonna come out.
what's important is we look past it and move on.
Arizona: :) Thanks and you are right emotions are gonna come out.
But we will get past it. So, you still wanna go out with me for
our 2nd date?
Callie: Wouldn't miss it for the world.
Arizona: :) :) see you on Friday then
Callie: Can't Wait!
Arizona: Me too. Good Night
Callie: :) Good Night
After putting down the phone, Callie took a deep breath filled with relief and gratitude.
They are gonna be fine.
A/N:
Hello All,
I know I know … it has been a long time. I am sorry… My studies and my office are driving me crazy. Hopefully, next chapter will be sooner than this. My sessions are ending in the mid of December. So, I might get a little more time to write before the final exams in January.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.
Thank you all for great reviews at the last one. I was overwhelmed by the appreciation. You guys are the best. Keep your reviews coming. I love reading them.
Stay Safe!
Love to all!