Arizona woke up to a wonderful smell coming from the kitchen. The sun shined through the bedroom window and she stretched as she took a deep breath. She swung her legs around the edge of the bed and rubbed her head. Arizona smiled as she heard Callie humming in the kitchen and got out of bed.

"Aren't you supposed to be working?" Arizona walked over to Callie in the kitchen, placing a kiss on her cheek and reaching for the coffee pot.

"I took some time off," Callie continued to stir batter in the bowl she was holding.

"Why?"

"You know why," Callie placed the bowl down and put on a pair of oven mitts. She bent over and ducked from the hot air escaping the oven as she opened it.

"You don't need to take time off," Arizona took a sip of her coffee.

Callie placed the baking pan on the counter, removed her mitts and closed the oven with her hip. She ignored Arizona's comment and went back to stirring the contents in her bowl.

"How did you sleep?" Callie asked as she scooped the liquid from the bowl into another baking pan.

"Good, why are you making cupcakes this early in the morning?"

"Well, it's not early in the morning. It's actually early afternoon, and I wanted to make your favourite cupcakes."

"Well, you know me. Red velvet is the best thing on this planet," Arizona grabbed a warm cupcake from the pan and took a bite, "These are amazing,"

"Hey! I haven't even put icing on it yet," Callie swatted Arizona's hands away from the pan.

"It's really good, maybe I should have told you I'm dying sooner,"

"Don't say things like that," Callie's face dropped and she looked blankly at Arizona.

"It's a joke,"

"Well it's not funny," Callie's voice cracked as she focused back on the cupcakes.

"I'm sorry," Arizona grabbed Callie by the waist and turned the brunette to face her. She placed a kissed on Callie's cheek and smiled, "I'm going to go shower."

-.-.-.-.-

Arizona tried to enjoy her shower but she couldn't help but hear Callie crying in the kitchen. Hearing Callie cry, making the woman she loves sad, was what made Arizona scared the most. She shut off the water, wrapped a towel around her body and grabbed her cell phone.

"Hello?" Teddy picked up her phone.

"I can't do this," Arizona felt the welt of emotions bubbling up inside her, "I can't hear her cry and I can't see the sadness in her eyes. I can't do it Teddy. I should just leave."

"You know you won't do that,"

"I'm scared you know? I mean I'm not scared to die, I've made peace with that. But I didn't expect to meet someone and I certainly didn't expect to fall in love. And I just hate seeing those eyes sad. Her eyes Teddy, she's got the most amazing brown eyes. And her smile makes my heart melt but now all I see is her trying not to cry and that breaks my heart. I'm scared to leave her like this, like some bird that won't fly."

"Maybe you should tell her that?"

"No, no I can't. I have to keep things light, for the both of us," Arizona heard Callie's footsteps walking closer to the bedroom, "I have to go, talk soon!"

"Hey, who were you talking to?" Callie asked sitting next to Arizona on the bed.

"Oh, Teddy she just called to see how I was,"

"How are you? Do you need something? I can-"

"Callie, I'm fine. I do need something though," Arizona reached for Callie's hand and gently placed it in hers.

"Okay, anything,"

"I need you to smile,"

"What?"

"Smile! Please because I miss your smile," Arizona grazed her lips along Callie's bare neck and placed a kiss on her shoulder, forcing Callie to grin, "That's better."

"So what do you want to do today?"

"Hmm, well, I have an appointment with my counsellor but after that..." Arizona leaned in and whispered in Callie's ear, "I'm all yours,"

"Okay," Callie smiled and leaned in, placing a quick kiss on Arizona's lips.

"Oh, can you do me another favour?" Arizona stood up and finished getting dressed.

"Yeah of course,"

"Kiss me?"

"I just did," Callie stood up from the bed.

"No," Arizona took a few steps towards Callie's and pulled her close, "Kiss me."

Callie tilted her head and leaned in, brushing her lips against Arizona's as her breath hitched in her throat. She pressed her lips to the blonde's, trapping Arizona's bottom lip between her own; gently tugging. Arizona let out a sigh of relief and their lips painfully parted.

"Like that?" Callie pressed her forehead against Arizona's.

"Exactly like that. I have to go, I'll be home later," Arizona kissed Callie again and walked out of the apartment.

-.-.-.-.-

"I just have all these things I want to say to her but I don't know how and I don't want her to think I'm saying goodbye or something," Arizona fidgeted on the couch.

"Do you not want her to think you are saying goodbye because in your mind you are?"

"No, I just...I want her to feel at peace," Arizona paused for a moment and then leaned forward, "As surgeons we deal with death every day I have to tell a child's family that they won't have that tiny human in their life much longer. And it gets easier, it's not easy, but you start to know what words to say and how to console them. And as a person we grow up and we learn about death in our own way. Someone in our family passes and we learn to deal with that. But no one tells you how to deal with being the one dying. No one tells you how hard it is being the one that is leaving. To know you're the one who is going to cause pain in someone else's life. The hard part about dying isn't actually dying, it's knowing you're leaving the people you love behind in the cloud of emptiness."

"I suggest..." The doctor reached into a nearby drawer and pulled out a notebook, "...you write down all the things you want to say to Callie, but can't. Write them down, collect your thoughts."

"And then what? Let her read it?"

"If you want, or you can rip out that piece of paper and throw it away. The idea is to get your thoughts out, not to let them bubble up inside you."

"Okay," Arizona took the notebook from the woman and placed it in her purse.

"Our time is up,"

-.-.-.-.-

"Hey, I'm home," Arizona shut the apartment door behind her, "I have pizza!"

"Hey," Callie appeared from the bedroom, "How was it?"

"Good," Arizona placed the warm pizza box on the kitchen counter.

"Movie night?" Callie grabbed two plates from the kitchen cupboard.

"My choice?"

"Always," Callie smiled as she took a bite out of her slice.

"The Sound of Music it is then," Arizona threw a slice of pizza on her plate and walked over to the TV.

"And how did I know you were going to pick that?" Callie walked over and sat on the couch as she watched Arizona put the DVD in the player.

"Maybe you're psychic," Arizona plopped on the couch next to Callie.

"Maybe,"

Callie wrapped her arm around Arizona's shoulders and the blonde cuddled into the brunette as the movie began to play.

"Callie?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you," Arizona looked up at her girlfriend.

"I love you too," Callie smiled and kissed Arizona's forehead.