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CHAPTER 7 "Competition"

Meal time for the three girls was sacred. They had hardly ever had these family moments in the past, either Sofia were too young, or they were on a break or they were separated. They appreciated them all the more and took advantage of opportunities to chat, have fun, tease or even confront each other.

- No, no I've always been excellent, I've already won you at Monopoly! Callie defended herself vigorously

- Ok I agree with you! You have a business acumen, it must be in your genes! but in Scrabble you never, ever won. I'm sorry, Callie, but I think our daughter is more strategic than you.

- No, but I'm hallucinating! you're insinuating that I'm playing less well than a 7-years-old

"Oh, no! Not at all! Not just any 7-years-old, but our daughter, I can tell you that! She's brilliant, almost as bright as I am.

Arizona loves to sting Callie's self- esteem, she knows perfectly well that she's going to fall with both feet in the trap, privilege of having shared her life for many years.

- Sofia looks like Mama is cranky at the thought that you can win her. Oh Callie, you're not gonna sulk because you're not a Scrabble genius? You're already an orthopedic genius, and okay, I concede you win at Monopoly a few times.

- Have fun, enjoy yourself, oh great Dr. Robbins doubly certified!

- Uh triple, I'm now qualified in obstetrics too, so tripling certified, and you can add The Carter Madison winner

- Wow I will never forget it! I know your curriculum vitae by heart, you know! You failed in the modesty certification, didn't you?

Arizona burst laughing at Callie's ease of distribution, and continuing this affectionate verbal joust on the same tone, she retorts with a bit pretentious air

- Hey it's just reality, it's annoying false modesty!

Seeing her ex-wife rolls her eyes, and deeming that the shortest jokes are the best, she shoves her gently from the shoulder laughing.

- You're so predictable, you always start in the quarter. It's so funny, I'll never get tired of it.

The meal is over, Arizona takes care of tidying up the kitchen, Sofia left in her room to put on her jammies, while Callie in the living-room reflects on her revenge. When the whole family gets together, Callie offers a Scrabble championship .

" Do you know how to split up? I came up with rules. Sofia you play a first game against me, that of the two of us who wins meets Mom for a second part, that way, depending on the scores we will have a ranking.

Arizona pretends to seriously analyze the proposal

- That sounds fair. What do you think Sofia?

- I think I'm going to eat you both! Are you ready to bite the dust?

The reflection of their daughter, in a perfect mimicry of Arizona to which she devotes a boundless admiration, provokes a simultaneous burst of laughter in both mothers.

- God, don't ask me, from who does she get this confidence in herself from? Throws Callie to Arizona

- From me! I have to influence her a little bit to get her some stuff from me. Physically she is your clone, she has already inherited your exceptional beauty.

Slightly embarrassed by this last observation which had come out, in spite of herself in the enthusiasm of the moment, Arizona lowered the head towards the living room table, thus concealing the redness she feels rising to her cheeks. She's trying to deflect the conversation suggesting to start the game because of the late hour for Sofia, grateful for Callie's favor of pretending not to have heard her remark. But that's without counting on her daughter's cheeky spirit.

- Mama, I think Mom just said that she thinks you're very beautiful, you have to say thank you to her

- Mom is just trying to flatter me to distract me and win. Sofia don't let her do it, she's terrible, she's able of anything to win

Arizona offended by this accusation strongly protests

- Oh that's not true! Wouldn't be more like the Torres method? Of the two of us you are largely the most competitive, I want as proof, the competition between our services that Richard had launched. Remember!

They scoff about the unfair strategy that Callie had put in place to oust them, when each of them was trying, to win a million dollars for their service. She had tried to discourage Marc and had managed to destabilize him, then, she had used the problem of authority that Arizona suffered in front of the chief, to try to confuse her.

Never missing an opportunity to talk about their live with her father, they tell their daughter that memory. Forgetting the Scrabble competition, the child had lay down between them, her head resting on Arizona's lap, caressing her black hairs, legs on those of Callie, who massaged her feet. She listened attentively to her mothers, laughing and commenting on this period, telling her about the happy days they had lived with her father. There could not be more happiness in the room, more laughter and joy. This is how the child sinks into a deep sleep

- When I think that I asked Weber to win me, to balance our relationship, because you were always better than me in all areas. Finally, at the end , the three of us lost! concluded Callie by taking a look at the sleeping child's face And she lost by forfeit! She adds towards Arizona, a winning smile on her face

- No, no, no, no, no, Callie, no. I can't believe you wouldn't do that to your daughter? I won't allow it, it's not sport!

Callie a little guilty of taking advantage of a 7-year-old concedes

- Okay, okay the tournament is postponed because of the big fatigue of a participant, I'll put the Scrabble's little genius in bed

When she comes back from Sofia's room, she finds Arizona in the same position, absorbed by thoughts that obviously sadden her. Even though they always tried to talk to their daughter joyfully, so as not to pain her, Mark's memory was always painful for both women. They had certainly lost a friend, a kind of big brother and their daughter had lost her father, but thinking of Marc's death, inevitably brought back to the crash, the amputation, the hell and what put an end to the lightness of their lives, to the carelessness of their youth.

- Hey, are you okay?"

- Yes

Callie's leaning her head, a disbelieving smile on her face, telling Arizona that she wasn't fooled.

- It's okay, I'm fine Callie, it's just that... Those moments, you know? I had kind of lost the habit

- Yeah,

- But I'm not complaining! It is okay. Uh... It is, right?

- Yeah,

- Finally, it is better not to get too used to it, because, when it stops, it makes such a void!

- Yeah,

Arizona surprised by the laconic responses from the brunette who suddenly set herself concerned, ironically

- Uh ... You're gonna have to seriously consider enriching your vocabulary Callie.

- Yeah,

- Well, I'm going to go to bed. Thank you for your conversation it was how to say um... so informative, very exciting!

- Arizona!

As Callie calls on her, she turns to cross the black eyes where she can read a deep emotion. Feeling that what follows won't be insignificant, Arizona continues the joke to give the change and keep it on course, she answers in the same tone as Callie previously, laughing

-Yeah

- Refusing to love for fear of suffering is a bit like refusing to live for fear of dying. We can't choose how to die or when, but we can decide how we're going to live.

On these words, she gets up, passes in front of her ex-wife, and in a radical mood change she kisses her on the cheek, wishing her a good night and whispering in her ear

- Enough vocabulary for you Dr. Robbins? I'll let you meditate on that.

She continues her way to her room by throwing

-Sweet dreams.

Arizona stands motionless in the middle of the room, stunned at the depth of Callie's thoughts. This is one of the contradictions of this woman, she can in the same minute have a kindergarten's behavior and express a thought about the life of such sagacity, that she sends shivers to you throughout the body. She was always impressed by this brilliant spirit she had fallen in love with her dazzling.


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