A/N: Hi guys! I'm sorry I took so long to update. But my exams are done and summer holidays start soon, so updates will be more regular. I'm going on holiday for the next three weeks, but I'll try to update this and Walking Through Fire as much as I can. We're travelling to Bali for a week and then to Australia for two weeks, so I'll have a lot of waiting around airport time in which I can write. There's a 14 hour flight, I may write a whole novel haha.
Anyway, I hope you all are having a lovely June, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Happy existing!
Wallpaper was stuck to the walls with the intricacy that only surgeons could achieve. Each tiny mural had been painted delicately and each decal hung with precision. The soft mix of pastel orange and chalky whites formed a subtle aesthetic on every wall of the room. The dark mahogany furniture matched perfectly.
Arizona looked at her work, triumph plastered on her face. The left side of her face felt stiff and rough due to the splatter of paint that covered her cheek. Her hair was standing up on all ends and her clothes were completely trashed, but none of those minor details concerned her, because the rooms were done.
After several long, emotional conversations with numerous social workers, they had finally been given the go ahead to file for the adoption of Ellie and Maya. They were currently fostering them- day trips, the occasional sleepover, but the long-term goal was for Callie and Arizona to have full custody of the two girls. To start their family in a way they never thought they would be, but couldn't be happier about. They fell more and more in love with the girls every single day- they couldn't stand to be let down. So, they were fighting with all their might.
Maya's room was composed mainly of a navy blue colour, with white furniture to contrast. On the wall opposite the door, there were multiple silver music notes printed onto the wall. It didn't quite feel like home yet, but Callie and Arizona both knew that as soon as Maya's quirks, different likes and interests slowly made themselves home, then the room would truly be hers.
Ellie's room was a complete contrast to Maya's. It was painted a pastel cantaloupe colour, with the white silhouettes of different animals painted on. Callie and Arizona had spent a fortune on paints and decals and furniture, but the end result that they stared at was worth every penny.
Jane had warned them to be ready for a visit from a social worker at any moment. They had handed in their schedule for the next few weeks, and although they had made it clear that their hours were unpredictable, they were supposed to be ready for a visit at all times.
"For all they know, we could be junkies who boil bunnies for dinner!" Arizona had exclaimed one night will Callie grumbled about not being able to have a scheduled time.
"We're surgeons. And potentially parents. We wouldn't have time to boil bunnies even if we wanted to." Callie had pointed out, lifting her head to adjust her pillow and pulling her blankets closer around herself.
Looking back on the memory, Arizona smiled softly. It was the news of home visits that had spurred them into actions in regards of the girls' bedrooms. They planned to move into a house when they were married, but for now the rooms in their apartment would do. They had taken inspiration not only from Maya and Ellie's personalities but from home décor magazines. Arizona, for the first time, felt as if she was in control of something during this whole adoption process. It was hard to remain optimistic when there was so much that was out of their hands.
It was a surgeon's job to be in control. On the worst days of people's lives, they turned to doctors, nurses and surgeons to be their source of calm. Good men in a storm. In her professional life, Arizona had the ability to control a life or death situation, to make hell freeze over and work miracles. After her attack, that form of control had been her own personal brand of heroin. But with this process, the adoption of the two most important people in her life, nothing was in her hands. All she could do was convince a judge that she and Callie were good people.
When she had voiced her worries to Teddy, the taller blonde had grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "You and Callie are already their parents. You both save lives for a living. You got this. Stay calm." She had said. That particular sequence of sentences had become a sort of mantra between Callie and Arizona. Whenever either of them freaked out, those words were recited and it made it easier to calm down.
Arizona's chain of thought was interrupted when Callie shuffled in to the room, setting down a bag full of what smelled like Thai food. "I brought lunch!" She announced. Arizona laughed.
"I didn't even realise you had left." She admitted, walking over to her fiancée and planting a kiss on her lips. "But I missed you."
"Sap." Callie exclaimed through a cough, before starting to unbag all of the food.
"Not in here!" Arizona protested, indicating to the pristine room. She grabbed Callie by the hand and lead her out of the room, instead situating them at the island in the kitchen. "Now you may proceed." She said, gesturing the bag.
"Yes, your highness." Callie left, resuming her process in unpackaging everything. "I got you the noodles, as always. Because you're boring."
Arizona feigned hurt. "I'm hot enough. I don't need your ridiculous curries." She commented, earning a hearty laugh from Callie. Their light banter was interrupted by a sharp knock at the door. "Are we expecting anyone?" She asked Callie, but the brunette simply shook her head, before her eyes went wide in realisation.
"It will be the social worker." Callie exclaimed. Arizona felt her heart rate speed up.
"Let's stay calm. We got this." Arizona said, more to herself than anyone else.
Outside the door, Jane could hear their mini freak out, albeit muffled. She smiled at the couple's antics. She had gotten to know Callie and Arizona very well over the past few months and she was very confident that they were the right parents for Ellie and Maya. However, it wasn't just her that needed to be convinced. There was a whole system of people who didn't know Callie or Arizona the way she did, and she needed to help convince them.
Taking a deep breath, Callie grabbed Arizona's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze before pulling the door open. When they came face to face with Jane, they both breathed a sigh of relief. They had been afraid of some stony faced, impassive social worker, but they were glad to see Jane's bright smile.
"Hi, guys. I guess you know what I'm here for." She greeted them, allowing herself in. As soon as she crossed the threshold she started taking notes, marking down the rubber protectors on the corners of the table and the locks on the lower cabinets.
"Can we get you anything? Food, water?" Callie offered. Jane smiled and politely declined, before asking them to show her around.
"This will be Maya's room. She's really into music. If this is successful, we plan on getting her music lessons started back up again." Arizona explained. Jane nodded, noting down that the two women seemed to have the girls' best interests at heart. She examined the room carefully before they moved on to Ellie's.
"We plan on moving in to a house after the wedding in December. So there will be a garden and more space for everyone." Callie explained. The thought of a big back garden with all their kids running about brought a smile to her face. The future that she and Arizona had been fantasising about was finally starting to take shape and she couldn't be happier about it.
"So, you guys plan on getting married?" Jane asked them. She had seen the rings on their fingers the first time they had met, but the subject had never come up.
"Absolutely. We got engaged in July." Arizona told her, squeezing Callie's hand again.
"And that was just after the plane crash you were in?" Jane asked, softening a little. "I understand if it's hard to talk about, but we do need a thorough background check."
Arizona took a shaky breath, smiling softly. "No, I understand. I was in a plane crash with my best friend, and fellow surgeon, Teddy Altman back in July. We were, uh, out there for four days- the transmitter in the plane broke so no one knew that we had crashed. I was beaten up pretty badly, but I'm all healed now." Arizona finished, taking a deep breath. Callie placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"And you've had all of the required therapy?"
"I have. It was tough, but we got through it." Arizona said, before drying her eyes and chuckling. "Damnit." She cursed, blushing.
"It's okay." Jane told her. She gave the paeds surgeon a few seconds to recuperate before requesting that they show her their bedroom.
The rest of the tour went well. They showed Jane every part of the apartment, and happily answered any questions she had to ask. They didn't shy away from any more personal ones, but instead answered them confidently and calmly.
"I think that went well." Callie commented after she shut the door behind Jane, who had left for another client's home. Arizona wrapped her arms around her fiancée, a smile growing on her lips.
"I think so too. I think we convinced her, at least." Arizona told her and Callie nodded in agreement. They both sat down at the kitchen island and resumed their lunch, each with more hope in their hearts than before.
"Mom, I don't know if you should. Not until everything's settled."
"Nonsense, Arizona. This will show them that you're ready for the girls to be a part of every aspect of your life."
"Or it could look over confident and presumptuous."
Arizona was currently talking to her mom over FaceTime. It had taken many months and a lot of effort to teach the older Robbins woman how to work an iPad let alone FaceTime, so Arizona was currently having a conversation with the top of her mother's head. It was rather amusing to her.
They were currently talking about Barbara and Daniel's next visit. The older couple planned on moving to Seattle soon, but needed to make an appointment with their realtor to look at houses. The main point of discussion was when said appointment was going to happen, as it involved them coming to Seattle. Arizona was trying to convince them to hold off until everything with the adoption was set in stone and definitely happening, but Barbara was confident that it would go well and that there was no point in putting off the meeting of her grandchildren any longer.
"I just don't want to have you get attached to them, or them get attached to you guys, and then have it all go bad." Arizona sighed, looking down at her hands in her lap.
"And do you think it's going to go badly?"
"No. I love those girls to death. Callie and I already feel like their parents. But life hasn't been very kind to us."
"Exactly. God owes you one. He owes you this. And as you said, you and Callie are already their parents. I'm not even there in the present but I can see how much you love them. You're being to pessimistic."
"Maybe I am." Arizona sighed, before deciding to change the subject. "So, what kind of place are you and dad looking for?"
Barbara smiled at her daughter. "Nothing too big. It's just the two of us, we don't need much space. A big garden, so Ellie can play. Maya too, if she wishes. And any future grandbabies too." She said hopefully, glancing at Arizona.
"And any future grandbabies, too." Arizona repeated, letting her mother know that she could look forward to plenty of more grandbabies to shower with gifts and overdose on sugar.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"How did it go?" Maya asked, the instant she caught sight of Callie walking towards her. They were going shopping today, just the two of them. Arizona had to work, but had promised to take Ellie to Build a Bear as soon as her shift ended. Callie had decided to take Maya out, for some 'grown up girl' time.
"Ah, you know I'm not allowed to say." Callie sighed, nudging Maya's shoulder with her own. "You ready to go?"
"Yup." Maya replied, shrugging her purple leather jacket over her shoulders. "And that doesn't mean you can't." She added slyly.
Callie laughed at her antics. "Doesn't mean we should."
"Doesn't mean we shouldn't."
Callie just laughed, rendered speechless by the smartness and sarcasm that radiated off the teenager's body. "It went well, and that's all I'm gonna say. Now, where do you wanna do first?"
They spent most of the day having light hearted conversation and laughing at light hearted jokes. It was nice for Callie to have such a light day. As a surgeon, she saw much heavy stuff at work. It got hard. But Maya's sarcastic jokes made it hard for her to feel sad. For Maya, any break she could get from the foster home was nice. There were so many arguments on a daily basis in that place- it wasn't an environment she cared for at all.
Later that day, they met up with Arizona and Ellie, the latter of which was positively bouncing off the walls after having consumed more ice cream than a four-year-old should be able to handle. "Your sister is sugar-drunk." She told Maya, pulling her in for a greeting hug.
The soon-to-be family of four went to a restaurant for dinner. Ellie complained a little when Callie and Arizona declined her requests for more ice cream after dinner, reminding her that she had already eaten her body weight in it already.
"I hate saying goodbye." Arizona said sadly, as later that night, they watched the two girls walk hand in hand back up to the doors of the foster home.
"We won't have to do it for much longer." Callie pointed out, placing a gentle hand on Arizona's thigh, keeping the other on the steering wheel as she focused on the roads.
"I know. I can't wait for that." Arizona smiled.
The two remained in a comfortable silence for the rest of the drive back home. Once they arrived, both were totally wiped and headed to bed with hopeful hearts.