DISCLAIMER:: not mine. belongs to shonda and abc studios

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"She talks to my mother." Callie looked at Ethan as if he would be stupid not to accept that as a legitimate reason. She pushed her pasta around on her plate, not having much of an appetite all day.

"So?" Ethan reached across the table and speared one of the chicken pieces from the top of her lunch, popping it into his mouth.

"What do you mean so? My mom is her mom now."

"So?"

"She's never had a mom, not really. Gail's the closest thing she's ever had and their contact was virtually non-existent until recently. I think it secretly thrills her to have a family. We're going to see them. We leave late Friday night."

"So?"

Callie sighed. "So I don't want to ruin this for her."

Ethan smiled and shrugged. "Well I hope you have a good vacation, both of you."

Callie raised an eyebrow. "That's it? You're not going to berate me?"

Ethan sighed. "You're in denial Callie. I can't make you do anything you're not ready to do. Do I think your choice to keep a secret from your… wife… is smart? No. Do I think it's better to tell her right now? Yes. Am I going to throw it in your face and shove my opinion at you? No. This is your choice Callie. It's your life and you live it how you want. It's obvious my opinion has no affect on you anyway."

Callie nodded. "I know I should tell her but it's not that easy. Every single time I get ready to tell her, after hours of talking myself up, telling myself over and over that she'll be okay with this, I just… it comes like a slow poison, that venomous thought that the next words to come out of my mouth have the potential to destroy my world."

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"There you are." Erica walked across the room and put a hand on Callie's shoulder, drawing the younger woman's attention to her. "Cal, please tell me you will be out of your surgery by seven."

Callie smiled. "Don't worry, I will be out by seven."

Erica took a step back, an identical smile on her face. "Promise?"

Callie rolled her eyes. "I promise. We will not miss our flight. Now go so I can get back to work."

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Erica was happy their plane wasn't crowded. She had never really liked being stuffed in an inescapable place with a bunch of strangers for several hours. She liked it much better when there was just a couple people per row and she could really enjoy the scenery. She took her gaze off the lighted runway and turned to Callie in the seat next to her. "You ready?"

Callie was quick to notice the excitement behind Erica's eyes. She was containing it, guarding her heart as usual. She reached over and grabbed Erica's hand off her lap and laced their fingers together. "I love you… more than I think you could ever comprehend."

Erica tilted her head to the side curiously but she couldn't hide the joy she felt at the small comment. "Where'd that come from?"

Callie didn't answer but instead turned away. After a couple moments Erica sighed and turned back to the window.

Callie squeezed her hand. Erica squeezed back after a moment's hesitation. And Callie knew she still had time. Not lots of it, but time.

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It had been a few years since Callie had been home to Miami. Not long enough to forget the heat, or the beaches, or the nightlife. Not long enough to forget the way home. But long enough to forget how good it feels to come home after you've been gone for so long. She could barely contain the small rush of joy she felt when the taxi pulled up to the front of her parent's house. It was early, just after dawn.

She closed her eyes and the memories of her childhood flooded back. Memories of dressing up with her sister to sneak out of the house. Memories of family parties on the beach. Memories of sitting on her father's lap in the library as he read to her. Memories of watching her mom cook dinner.

"Cal?" Erica put a hand on Callie's shoulder.

Callie didn't hesitate. She spun around and threw herself into Erica's arms. "Thank you."

Erica melted. Callie was coming back around, she was sure of it.

"Ahem."

Both women looked up though they remained in each other's arms.

"Hello Calliope, Erica." Idola Torres smiled at them from the front door.

"Mom." Callie broke from Erica's embrace to walk to the door and hug her mother.

"Hello Idola."

Idola beamed at Erica over her daughter's shoulder and Erica saw the appreciation she felt. Over the course of their conversations she had come to grasp a little of how much Idola missed her daughter.

When Callie finally pulled away she reached out her hand to Erica who immediately grabbed the bags and joined her. Idola smiled. "It's so nice to see you again Erica." Idola waved a hand over her shoulder and a woman came, grabbed the bags from Erica, and carried them off.

"Thank you for inviting us Idola. I know Callie has been wanting to visit for a long time." Callie smiled at Erica for a long moment and then looked back at her mom and nodded.

Idola watched her daughter's gaze with a smile. "It's really my pleasure." She looked between them for a moment before stepping aside and gesturing with a hand. "Come in girls. You must be exhausted."

"I know I am." Callie walked past her mother into the house, dragging Erica behind her. "In fact, I think a nap is in order. " Callie yawned for emphasis.

Idola rolled her eyes. "Some things never change. I had Christa fix up your old room for you and Erica. Just go on up."

"You coming?" Callie raised an eyebrow at Erica.

Erica shook her head. "No, I'm not that tired."

Callie shrugged. She leaned up and gave Erica a soft sweet kiss. "I'll see you later."

"Sleep well." Erica smiled at Callie as she disappeared up the staircase. Once she was out of sight, Erica brought her attention back to Idola.

"Would you like some coffee Erica?"

"Coffee would be wonderful, thank you."

Erica followed Idola through a maze of hallways and rooms on the ground floor until they reached a grand kitchen in the back of the house. Idola put the coffee on as Erica took a seat on one of the barstools by the island.

"Your house really is beautiful. I can't believe Callie grew up here. My parents house was big, but I never really spent much time there, that I can recall anyway."

"Eduardo grew up hard. My family has always been wealthy, but Eduardo had to work hard for his money. When we met he was just this crazy Spanish boy with these great dreams that seemed beyond his grasp studying Greek architecture." Idola smiled. "My parents disapproved of course. They were very traditional. He wasn't Greek. He was poor. He was not good enough for me. Just when it seemed as if we could not be together, he was going back to Spain, my parents had chosen a rich Greek boy for me to marry… he went to my father for a talk. Next thing I knew I was going back to Spain with him. I asked him what he had said to my father to change his mind and he told me he had told my father that I was his princess and one day he would build me a castle and he would love and take care of me all our days." Idola looked around the room fondly. "He built this house for me the year before my father passed." She pulled two mugs out of a cupboard. "Do you take cream or sugar?"

"No, black please." Erica took the cup Idola offered her. She was in awe of Callie's mother. It seemed as if she had lived a fairytale.

"My daughter… I see what you mean about the change in her. She is different. There is a great amount of conflict behind her eyes. She is carrying a secret."

Erica sighed into her cup. "Don't I know it. Every time I ask her what's on her mind, she pulls back, she withdraws. It normally wouldn't worry me, not when she just lost Brenna, but she's always been so vocal."

"Calliope does process her thoughts out loud. That hasn't changed. I can tell it hurts her to hold it inside, especially from you. But this is weighing on you too, isn't it?" Idola gazed unflinchingly at Erica over the rim of her mug as she took a sip.

Erica set her own mug down, sighed, and rubbed her temples. "It doesn't bother me that she wants to have a secret. Everyone is entitled to a little privacy. What bothers me is that this is causing some inner turmoil and I can't help. A part of her is hurting and she won't let me fix it."

Idola turned away. "Will you end it then?"

Erica downed the last of her coffee and pushed her empty mug towards Idola who soundlessly poured her a fresh cup from the glass carafe. "No, not right now."

"Soon then?"

Erica sighed. "I don't know. She's been so great since the promotion and finding out we were coming here. I see life in her again and it gives me hope."

Idola nodded. "I would never want you to stay in this relationship if you ever became unhappy with it. However, I hope you are happy because Calliope is."

"Of course I'm happy. I love Callie, more than anyone or anything. I'd do anything for her. I'd give up anything for her. I won her back from a man she almost married and I think about that time, when she wasn't in my life, and I feel like my heart is breaking all over again."

The cup slipped from Idola's hands and shattered on the tile floor. Erica jumped off the stool and crouched down to help her pick up the shards. "Are you okay?"

Idola focused on picking up the porcelain fragments. "I'm, I'm fine."

Erica picked up the last of the pieces as Idola got the broom and swept up the rest. She had this distant look in her eyes that Erica didn't understand.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Idola looked at Erica. "I think I know what's bothering Calliope."

"Erica?"

Both Erica and Idola looked up to see Callie in the doorway.

"Cal? I thought you were taking a nap."

Callie frowned. "I couldn't sleep without you."

Idola smiled. She gave Erica a nudge towards the door. "We were just finishing up here anyway. She's all yours darling."

Erica frowned over her shoulder at Idola. She hated feeling like she was the last to know, but when she turned back to Callie, she was smiling. This week was about growing closer and making Callie happy. That was her main priority and she knew she was going to have to be patient if she wanted to accomplish that.