This Chapter is dedicated to one of the guest readers Kelly, however, I have not seen her for a while but I hope that she still is reading this. Thanks Kelly- you are one of my first readers. Thanks for inspiring me in writing more.
One reader sent me a personal message telling that falling for somebody without seeing is foolish. Maybe. But, I do not need a face to fall or to love and I do not need to be with that person physically-I can keep doing this without any expectation. Do I sound weird? Well, I am like this.
Chapter 15
After waking up in the morning Callie calls the movers asking for two helpers to move the bed from the basement to the bedroom. She just cannot wait to have Arizona in her life and in her house again. Thinking about the Arizona, she smiles and calls the florist to order some flowers for her woman. After last night, Callie somehow feels that Arizona still has so much insecurity about their relationship. She jumps out of her thought, when she receives a call.
-"Calliopeeeeeeee! Thanks for the flower," a bubbly Arizona yells from the phone.
-"You already have them? I just have ordered them 2/3 minutes back."
-"What?"
-"Is my name there?"
-"umm…I even haven't checked…I kind of assumed… okay let me check…"
Callie holds the phone catching her breath. She knows that it cannot be hers and she does not like the fact that somebody else has stolen her morning surprise. "Oh! It is Simi… she is so sweet," Arizona informs.
-"yes… sweet," Callie says flatly.
-"And you are sweet too for ordering flowers for me…"
-"Why is she sending flowers?"
Before Arizona answers, Callie hears the doorbell over the phone. She hears Arizona opening the door and somebody says, "hey, beautiful!". Oh! Simi! Callie huffs.
-"Callie, I will see you in the hospital… bye." Arizona drops the phone while Callie is still holding the phone. Now she is sure that Simi has started liking Arizona. She knows that Arizona does not have any feelings for that brunette but knowing that they were about to date is making Callie anxious.
At the hospital, Callie becomes very busy with her surgeries but she sneaks into Arizona's room during the lunch time hoping to spend some time with her. Not finding Arizona, she goes to Alex, "hey! Where is Robbins?" "She is on a lunch date," Alex gives his typical blunt look. What? Is she still with her?
Callie goes to the cafeteria to have something. She has not eaten anything since morning and today Arizona has not sent her even a text since morning. When Meredith nears to Callie's table, she finds Callie looking at the food but not eating anything.
-"Cal, are you okay?"
-"No, I am not okay"
-"I see that"
-"Yes, everybody can see except her"
-"What did she do?"
-"She went to lunch with Simi."
-"So?"
-"She even did not care to tell me"
-"Do you tell her when you go with your friends?"
-"Mer, this is not a friend…this is Simi"
-"Hah! You got another Mark, I see"
-"What?"
-"Yes, she is kind of Mark in your relationship"
-"Mark? Excuse me?"
-"Yes, the way Arizona was always insecure because of Mark, in the same way you are also insecure because of Simi"
-"No… Arizona did not like him but she was not insecure," Callie almost yells.
-"Callie, I think you should accept this when you are about to move forward again. Mark is no more. I really do not want to be disrespectful about a dead friend, but if you do not realize this now, then you will do the same mistake again," Meredith says unenthusiastically.
-"I do not get you, but I want to know what do you mean?"
-"Well… during that time we were not friends but I saw what was going on. Mark was always there into everything you did"
-"Yes, like Cristina…she was also there for you!" Callie tires to defend herself.
-"But with Cristina, I did not have any sexual relationship- she was my soul-mate friend and she never interfered into my romantic relationship"
-"Hmm"
-"Mark was the father of your daughter…he was there whatever you did. Arizona was always the third one in the relationship… and she even told this to Teddy"
-"What?"
-"I just overheard this and she was crying- Callie Arizona was always insecure because of your attachment to Mark. In the forest, I saw how she was trying to save Mark only because she thought Mark was more important to you"
-"Mer, of course Mark was important, but Arizona was the most important one- important than anyone in my life"
-"Did you tell this to her? You know she always thought that you were so regretful about Mark's death that you could not realize her pain"
-"Did she tell you this?"
-"Cal… we are not that close… but I once we went to bar together and she told me this when she was drunk… you know after your accident, Mark even told her that she was nothing?"
-"What…no…Mark could not say this!" Callie murmurs shockingly shaking her head in disbelief.
-"And Arizona never could get over this…she always had a feeling that she was nothing to you and once Mark was dead and she lost her limb, she started believing this by heart"
-"I have to talk to her," Callie leaves her plate and stands up.
Callie cannot digest this new set of information. She has never known that unknowingly she has been hurting her Arizona like this. Now she gets, why Arizona distanced herself after the crash and she never did let Callie enter into that phase of her life. She needs to talk to her, if this is even half true. She suddenly hugs Meredith, "thank you, Mer… you are truly a good friend."
While walking towards the Orthopedics department, Callie receives a text from Bailey's office to attend an emergency meeting right now.
Everyone in the board gathers in the meeting room. Callie sees Arizona also comes running to the room. Maybe she is coming from the lunch, Callie thinks. Although Arizona does not notices Callie, but Callie keeps staring at Arizona thinking about the conversation she has had with Meredith.
Bailey comes running holding an envelope. She enters and taking her place in front of others, the first thing she says, "congratulations Dr. Torres!". Callie jumps out hearing her name, as she has been busy at sneaking at Arizona, "Hah! Me?" Everyone is looking at her.
"Torres, it is you… you are nominated for the Harper Avery…," Bailey says without giving any introduction and almost everyone jumps on Callie to congratulate her that Bailey in fact cannot finish her speech. She has a little long speech to give right now but now nobody seems to be interested in listening to her. Callie actually feels as if she is in a trans. Out of everybody's shoulder she notices Arizona is standing in the corner with a pool of water in her eyes.
-"You have to give us party," Avery says. Cutting Avery, Teddy says, "a quick party right now."
-"No…party right now…everyone please go back to work," Bailey makes a stern funny face, "but meet at the Joe's tonight at 8 and party from me… the quickest one. We will think about Dr. Torres after she wins that."
Everyone cheers and leaves. While leaving Teddy sees Arizona standing at the corner of the room and calls, "hey! Ari, let's go". "I need to talk to Callie for a while," Arizona replies. Teddy does not bother her anymore, because being Arizona's friend she knows that how precious this moment is for both the ladies. She leaves closing the door.
When there is no one in the board room, Arizona slowly approaches to Callie and says, "congratulations!" kissing her forehead gently. Callie suddenly feels so warm inside. Arizona would always kiss on the cheek or forehead when she is emotional Arizona cups Callie's face and pulls her for a slow kiss. Callie almost stands freezing and not reciprocating the kiss, as this is the first time when Arizona has initiated a kiss. This kiss does not have any sexual desire, rather this is full of love and assurance, what Callie always has been looking in Arizona. After few seconds, Arizona breaks the kiss and pulls Callie in a bear hug. This has been a very soft and warm embrace which says everything she wants to tell Callie right now. Callie quickly reciprocates the hug, "you know this is more important than any award"
-"what is?"
-"This kiss…this hug… and I cannot believe that we are going to have this award finally!"
-"No one deserves this more than you," Arizona whispers in Callie's hair.
-"Not me… it is us…without you and your inspiration, I would have never made this," Callie drops her head on Arizona's shoulder. "You know what I want now? I just want to be with you like this."
-"As much as I want the same, I have surgeries to catch after an hour," Arizona says still hugging Callie.
-"You happy?"
-"Happiest!"
-"This Harper Avery, I wanted to win just for you… how come everything is coming to me at the same time?," Callie says slowly as if little surprised.
-"everything?,"
-"See, you are in my arms right now and I am nominated for the award too"
-"You are in my arms…" Arizona squeezes Callie a little while rocking her.
-"I love you… you know that?" Callie pulls up from the hug and she moves one strand of hair from Arizona's forehead. "Why haven't you told me yet that you love me too?"
-"Punishment for leaving me Dr. Torres," Arizona says smiling.
-"And no reward for coming back to you?"
"I will think about this… Calliope, I have to go now and I will meet you at Joe's tonight"
-"Ha, I also have to go. Okay see you tonight," Callie reluctantly breaks the physical proximity and warmth of Arizona's .
Both of them come out from the room to catch up the pending surgeries of the day.
My friends cannot be more important than the love of my life… but it is truly difficult to maintain if you have a soul mate like Cristina or Mark. But I never could like Mark after he said that Arizona was nothing. How could he?