Callie could see Arizona was pleading with her. She was never able to say no to Arizona. Just when she was about to respond something caught her eye.
There hanging from Arizona's neck Callie's necklace that she'd gotten for Valentine's day all those years ago. Hanging from the chain, Callie's engagement ring and wedding band. They sat laid right next to Arizona's own necklace; the one Callie had given her for Valentine's day. Callie couldn't look away. She felt as if she was in a trance.
Arizona looked down at what Callie was staring at. She took a chance and reached for Callie's fingers. She brushed her index finges along Callie's pinky fingers timidly asking for permission to hold her hands.
Breaking from the trance, Callie pulled her hands to her face and ran them through her hair while taking a deep breath. "Um. Yea. I'll Call you tomorrow and let you know. We can set up a schedule. Bouncing Sofia from place to place is confusing her I'm sure. So.. I'll call you tomorrow so we can make some arrangements."
Callie walked the remaining distance to the door and opened it for Arizona.
Arizona stared one more time at her sleeping daughter before turning to leave. Walking past Callie, she gave her the best smile she could come up with. Even though she was sad as hell, she was still grateful that Callie allowed her up to help with Sofia's bath an nap.
Arizona didn't want to say Bye or Goodnight because those words meant the ending of something. So instead she said, "I'll be see you..."
At the words, Callie's eyes immediately started to fill with tears. She remembered all the times she and Arizona would listen to music as they cooked dinner and take breaks to slow dance with one another and steal kisses. This was Callie's favorite song to sing to her wife. Billy Holiday. There was just something about Billy Holiday that could just melt you. And that's Callie had gotten so emotional at those words.
Arizona saw the tears well in Callie's eyes and immediately tears began to well then in hers as well. She didn't think those words would have that effect on her wife like they used to. Arizona felt so hopeful at those tears in Callie's eyes. She knew there was some sort of sliver of hope that Callie still loved her.
"Bye" Callie whispered.
And with that the door was shut...
9pm
Callie had just finished putting Sofia down for bed and sat in her desk chair with a glass of wine. Her mind kept wondering to earlier in the day when Arizona had been here. She was feeling so confused. She couldn't help but feel comforted and at peace with her wife being so close to her. The way she comforted Sofia and was able to sooth her back to sleep, it made her hear so warm she had to excuse herself to "clean up the bathroom".
Callie was looking at the papers in her hand. The papers were of house listings in the area. A million different things were being taken into consideration. Is there a yard? Is it fenced? How big is it? What features does the kitchen have. How far is it from the hospital? What is the neighborhood like? What are the schools like?
So many factors to take into factor. Then there were the other questions she thought of. Should she get a one story bedroom or two. Is the bathroom wheelchair friendly? What is the front walkway paved with?
Callie had been running around from house to house with her realtor looking for the perfect house. She didn't know what she was looking for exactly but she would know it when she saw it.
Sitting with two listings of houses in her hands wondering which she should make an appointment to go see next, she heard the thunder rattle through the doors. Due to the bad rain storm it had taken her a little extra time for Sofia to fall into a restful sleep. The storm sounded like it was getting worse as time continued. The thunder was getting so loud she worried it would wake her daughter.
Getting up to close the curtains all the way so it drowns out the sound filtering in the room. Just as she was about to walk into the bathroom and take a shower before cuddling in next to Sofia for some late night mindless tv, she heard knocking at the door. Looking at her watch, wondering who would be knocking on her hotel room door at 10 at night she looked through the peek hole before resting her head on the door. Taking a deep breath she opened the door to find her Arizona soaked head to toe as she had walked from their apartment 15 blocks over.
"You can't stay here anymore. You can't stay here anymore because you need to come home. because we need to talk. I've been reading this book and it says we need to talk." Arizona rambled as soon as Callie opened the door and started waving a book emphasizing her words.
"See! Right here! We need to talk." Arizona said pointing at one of the chapter titles of the book. "You have to ask me questions and and need to answer the questions you ask me. And I know you're gonna get mad and you're gonna yell at me but I... I just need you to yell at me. Because I know I suck as a wife. I suck. I cheated. I had sex with someone else. And I was evil about..." Arizona swallowed hard trying to get everything out. "...about my leg. And what I said..." Arizona's tears started to fall without any indication of stopping. Hearing what Arizona was saying Calling couldn't help but close her eyes and try and keep her tears at bay.
"I swear to you Callie. I promise with all my heart at soul that I will never che...never even look at anyone else again! I love you so much. And I will keep loving you until the end of time and even after that." Chancing take a step forward with a squishy sound coming from her sopping wet shoes.
"This isn't our ending, Calliope. You and me, we're supposed to have tons of kids and be old together and hold hands while we sing on the porch. This is not how we end because we don't. Please tell me we aren't ending."
After leaving Callies room, a million different things ran through Arizona's head. What could possibly be held in that envelope. And then it hit her. Divorce papers. After that though hit her, she ran to the book store and bought 4 books on overcoming an affair. She was about half way through with one book and had to tell Callie about it. The entire time reading her foot had been bouncing and her heart was pounding. Getting in her car just as the thunder was getting louder, and the rain really started coming down. About 2 blocks away she started feeling lightheaded and decided driving wasn't a good idea, so she walked as fast as she could to Callie's door.
Arizona's heart felt as if was beating out of her chest her entire speech. She didn't really know what she was saying exactly she just knew she was talking.
BOOOOM!!!!!!
With the loud struck of thunder Arizona's erraerratic breathing got more shallow and continued to repeat "Please Callie. Please tell me we aren't ending." Over and over. Callie saw Arizona's eyes glaze over and she knew. Arizona was having a panic attack. She had seen Arizona wake up in the middle of the night once with night terrors. But this was different.
"Arizona." Callie tried getting her attention. "Arizona!" she tried a little stronger. Cupping Arizona's face with her hands she brushed away the tears that were still falling from her eyes. "Hey! Shhhh! Hey." Pulling her wife towards her in the room. She held her close. Callie felt Arizona wrap her arms tightly around her and bury her cold nose into her neck. Feeling Arizona completely falling apart,body racking with sobs, she lowered them to the floor. After about an hour of Arizona and Callie both crying into each others arms, Arizona pulled back and looked into Callie's eyes, "Please Calliope. Come home with me."
