Widow Robbins
Chapter 32
Callie knew she was probably grinning like an idiot and that she was almost bouncing down the halls, but she couldn't help it. She had been waiting for this day ever since Arizona had added her to the "list" at the girls' school and at daycare. Today would be the first time she'd walk the girls home from school and she couldn't wait. With Barbara and Daniel in Virginia the past three days and for the rest of the week, she and Arizona had rearranged their schedules so between the two of them, and Kara, someone was always available to take the girls to school or pick them up.
As she exited the elevator on the surgical floor, Callie spotted her girlfriend laughing with Teddy at the nurses' station. Arizona had formed a fast friendship with the cardio surgeon since her arrival four weeks earlier. Callie wasn't jealous at all. On the contrary, she thought it was great that Arizona had a friend. Arizona hadn't formed any real friendships other than Callie and Addison, who wasn't here right now. It was good for her to have a friend of her own. I have Mark, and even Cristina and Bailey, to some extent, Callie thought. Arizona really doesn't have anyone.
Arizona was friendly enough with the other doctors, and the nurses loved her, but friends? No. Callie supposed that having to get home to twin girls left Arizona with little time for socializing and getting to know people. She was glad Arizona had bonded with Teddy. Callie liked the slender cardio surgeon. The three of them often had lunch together, and occasionally, several other surgeons joined them. It made Callie happy to see other doctors warm up to Arizona, to see what she saw in her. "Hey," she said, greeting Arizona with a kiss on the cheek.
"Calliope," Arizona warmly said, giving her a kiss back.
Beside Arizona, Teddy rolled her eyes. The couple had seen each other a few hours ago at lunch and now they were acting like they hadn't seen each other in days. Despite her eye-rolling at the sweetness of it all, Teddy was a little envious.
"Are you done for the day?" Arizona asked.
"Yes," Callie replied, her wide smile still on her face. "Will you be home for dinner?"
"I'm hoping I will, but if I'm not there by the girls' dinnertime, don't wait."
"I'll make sure to save you some if you're not." she assured her.
"What are your plans for dinner?"
"Spaghetti. I hope the girls like it."
"Oh, they do, very much. There are jars of my mom's homemade sauce in the pantry." Arizona nodded in approval.
"Great. I thought I'd make a salad, too. Any other suggestions?"
"If you have time, stop and get some garlic bread? That's always a favorite."
"Cam and Vivvy's favorite, or yours?" Callie teased.
"All of us," Arizona admitted.
Callie glanced at the clock on the wall. "I think I've got time if I leave now. I know of this great bakery nearby."
"Awesome." She leaned in and gave Callie a quick kiss goodbye. "I'll see you tonight."
Callie returned the kiss before leaving, saying a quick goodbye to both Teddy and Arizona.
"So,how's the shacking up working out?" Teddy casually asked as she wrote in a chart.
"What? We're not... We're not shacking up," Arizona sputtered.. "You know Callie's just helping out while my parents are gone this week."
"Fine, fine. Playing house, cohabitation," She lifted her hands and made air quotes as she added,"Helping out". She lowered her hands. "Whatever you want to call it. Answer this. Does she have a drawer?"
"What?"
"A drawer. Did you empty a drawer for her?" Teddy interrogated.
"Well, yeah. It'd be silly for her to have to keep bringing clothes over every day or live out of a suitcase."
"What about when your parents return?"
Arizona shrugged nonchalantly. "What about it?"
"Are you going to reclaim your drawer when they do?"
"I don't know. I haven't thought about it. Maybe? Maybe not."
"See? Shacking up," Teddy repeated with a smirk.
"No, we are not shacking up. I am not one of those u-haul lesbians," Arizona protested snapping the chart she held closed emphatically.
"Sure you aren't," Teddy said skeptically.
"Really, I'm not. It took Jillian and I almost a year before we lived together." Arizona had told Teddy a little bit about her past when she'd explained about the twins.
"Mmmm, okay. "Teddy hummed, closing her chart and picking up another. "And how long did it take you to tell Jillian you loved her?"
"Um, I'm not sure. Maybe seven or eight months," Arizona replied, counting the months since she'd met Jillian shortly after she'd finished her first year of med school.
"And Callie? How long did it take you to tell her? And don't tell me that you haven't, or that you aren't in love, I've known you for all of a month and I can tell you are."
"About three months," she said, a sheepish smile on her face.
"Shacking up," Teddy stated firmly.
"We are not!"
"You will be soon. Mark this date on your calendar so I can tell you I told you so."
"We're not ready for that. It's a big step. We hardly know each other." Though she knew it was way too soon to even be thinking about living together, Arizona had to admit the thought had crossed her mind several times over the past few days.
"Love doesn't always follow a set timeline." She tried switching tactics. "Here's a question for you while you ponder that. What's it like being able to wake up next to each other every day?"
A dreamy look came over her face. "It's been wonderful," she practically gushed.
Teddy snickered. "Yeah, I give it four months, five at most, before you're shacking up." She set her chart down, "And I'll take pizza and beer as a payment for helping Callie move in."
Arizona huffed once and rolled her eyes at her friend. She picked up another chart. "I don't suppose you have any plans this weekend?"
"Not really. Why do you ask?"
"Well, since you don't seem to have a very active social life," Arizona teased, "I thought you might want to come over for dinner Saturday and meet the girls. It's supposed to be nice and we could grill some salmon or whatever you prefer."
"Why not? I'm sure hanging out with a couple of lesbians and five-year-olds will truly enhance my social life," she answered sarcastically. Teddy noticed Arizona's jaw had dropped in hurt surprise. "Sorry," she apologized. "I'd love to come over for dinner. Thank you."
Arizona's mood brightened once again. "Good. We can finalize a time on Friday."
"I'll come over, but on one condition."
"What?"
"Will you be baking something for dessert?"
"Excuse me?" Arizona choked as her mind flashed to her and Callie's code.
"I keep hearing from the nurses about all the great cookies and brownies you bring in for them. I want something homebaked for dessert."
"I'll, uh, I'll see what I can do."
# # # # # # # # # #
"Torres! Wait up!" Mark bellowed, speeding up his pace to catch Callie as she entered the elevator.
"What, Mark? I'm in a hurry," she answered, stabbing at the button for the first floor.
"Where are you off to in such a rush?" he asked, stepping into the elevator just before the door closed. "I haven't seen you all week," he complained.
"It's my turn to get the twins at school. And I need to stop at Leo's Bakery for a loaf of garlic bread."
"Callie, are you shacking up with Blondie? I'm hurt you didn't tell me."
"What? No! Why would you say that?" she scoffed.
"Because you're talking about picking the kids up from school, and dinner and you haven't been seen out at Joe's in a long time." he pointed out.
"Arizona's parents are out of town and I'm helping her out," she explained.
Mark snorted. "Right. Helping her out. Giving her a hand." He winked lasciviously at her.
"I AM! That's all it is," she insisted.
"When was the last time you slept at your apartment?"
She stopped to think. "Um, Friday night, I think, maybe Thursday. No, definitely Friday."
"That was FOUR days ago! You're shacking up."
"Stop saying that, Mark. We are not!" She exited the elevator hoping she could get rid of Mark, but he followed her.
"Torres, Cal, isn't this all happening kind of fast?" he asked.
"Don't you have someplace to be? Maybe a boob job waiting for you?" she deflected.
"No."
Callie stopped. "Look, Mark, I don't have time to talk about this now. I have to get the kids and fix dinner."
"Listen to yourself," he persisted, trailing after her. "You're playing house and you've known her for what, ten minutes?"
"Enough!" She snapped, then she softened her voice. "I appreciate your concern, but I love her, Mark, and she loves me. She makes me happy, okay? We're not shacking up. I really am just helping her out until her parents come home Sunday." She readjusted the strap on her purse. "And now, I really do have to go."
She hurried across the street to her car. After a quick stop at the bakery, she drove to Arizona's house. She smiled as she pressed the garage door opener. Arizona had given it to her along with a key to the house. She admitted she liked having a spot in the garage for her car but after her conversation with Mark, she wasn't sure what it all meant.
She tossed the loaf of bread on the counter, then started the quick walk to the school. Fortunately, Arizona had introduced Callie to the school staff when she added her to the list so no one questioned her when she showed up. The girls spotted Callie and immediately ran over to her.
"Callie! You're here!"
"Of course I am! Are you ready to go home?"
"Yes."
"Do you have your bags and your jackets?"
While the girls ran off to get their belongings, the teacher approached Callie. She was a young woman, and Callie could not for the life of her remember her name. All she really knew was that the girls and Arizona liked her. "Dr Torres?"
"Yes?"
"Could you pass this on to Dr. Robbins?" she asked, handing Callie a large, stiff envelope.
"Sure." It didn't matter how curious she was about the envelope's contents, she knew it was not her place to open it or ask about it. "So, were Cam and Vivvy good? Anything their mother should know about?"
"Oh, they were fine, no problems."
Callie raised an eyebrow in skepticism as she knew how the twins could act sometimes. She was pleased to see it had the same effect on the young woman as it did on the interns.
"Well, Cam can be a little chatty at times," she admitted. "But really, it's not an issue. I have others in the class who talk as much, if not more, than Cam. It's nothing to be concerned with."
"Okay, then."
"We're ready, Callie," Vivvy said as she and Cam returned.
"Before you go, please remind Dr. Robbins that the girls have snacks on Friday. She forgot last time and we had some very unhappy children," the teacher remarked with a smile.
"I will. Thanks." Not wanting to show any favoritism, and with only one hand available because of the mysterious envelope, Calie had Cam and Vivvy walk ahead of her. The girls held hands and skipped along. Callie marveled at how happy and carefree they were. Her own childhood had been good, but it was nothing like this. She was a little envious of the sisterly bind the twins shared as she and Aria hadn't had anything like it. Sure, the age difference between her and Aria had been part of it, but as children and when they grew older, it had never been like this. She hoped Cam and Vivvy would keep that lasting bond.
Once in the house, Callie spotted a note from Arizona on the kitchen island when she set the envelope down.
Callie,
Hope everything went well at school. Snacks right after school. Half a peanut butter sandwich or slice up an apple so they can dip it into some peanut butter. Juice or milk to drink. Would you please rinse the lunch containers out?
Before dinner, they can go to the park (if the weather's nice), play a game, maybe a craft project or play with the toys. I try to let them decide. If they don't agree on something, you choose.
Dinner is 5:30. If I'm not home by then, baths are right after dinner. They can watch one of their shows or a movie, but bedtime is 7:30 sharp.
I'll see you when I get home.
I love you
Arizona
She smiled at the little heart Arizona had drawn next to her name.
"Okay girls, what do you want for a snack? PBJ or peanut butter and apples?"
The two girls looked at one another and seemed to have a silent conversation.
"Apples and peanut butter, please." Vivvy said.
Callie raised her eyebrows in surprise. Apples were still a taboo food whenever she was around, so this was a big step for the twins. She brushed off her surprise and asked about their choice of drink. "Juice or milk?"
Again, they looked at one another before Cam nodded. "Milk, please," she said.
Callie quickly went to work slicing up the largest apple in the basket. Thank God that little phase of poisoned apples is over she thought as she put peanut butter in two small dishes for them. She found the plastic cups in the cupboard and selected a green one for Cam and a purple one for Vivvy. While they ate their snack, she washed the lunch containers and left them drying in the dish rack.
"What do you want to do now?" Callie asked. "Draw something for Mommy? Go to the park? Play a game? Play with your toys?"
"Park."
"Draw."
Callie tried not to roll her eyes. Of course they wouldn't agree, she thought. So much for that sisterly bond. She sighed inwardly then came up with a solution. "How about we go to the park for a little while, and then come back and draw some pictures while I start dinner?" Callie suggested. "Would you like that?"
"Yes!" they chorused.
"Let's go get a sweatshirt first. It's a little chilly outside."
# # # # # # # # # #
A little over an hour later, the three of them left the park. After some running around with their friends, and then time on the swings and teeter-totter, the girls were starting to fade, and Callie needed to start dinner soon. There was something about walking down the street on the way home holding the girls' hands that overjoyed Callie. It filled her heart with so much happiness that she couldn't stop smiling.
Back at the house, Callie set the girls up with some paper and crayons at the dining room table so she could keep an eye on them while she prepared dinner. Vivvy was focused more on practicing at printing her name over and over. Cam on the other hand, was intently drawing something that resembled a soccer ball and a net. It looked like she had added some stick figures to it as well.
Callie bustled about the kitchen finding all everything she needed to prepare dinner. She soon had the sauce simmering on the stove and the water boiling for the pasta. She next set about getting the salad made. She wasn't sure what the girls, or even Arizona, liked in their salad. She supposed they could pick out what they didn't like.
As she cut up the vegetables, Callie considered the past few days. She thought she and Arizona had managed their schedules and time well. On Sunday, she'd taken the girls to the hospital daycare as she and Arizona both had to work. Arizona came in later after taking her parents to the airport. On Monday, Arizona had walked the girls to school and Kara picked them up. Today, she had gone to work early and Arizona had once again taken the girls to school. Tomorrow Callie had the day off and she would be the one taking the girls to school and picking them up, and Arizona would do the same on the day after that. Friday, Callie would walk them to school and Kara would pick them up. Fortunately, they both had Saturday off. It would be a hectic week but Callie was actually enjoying it so far.
"Okay, girls, time to pick up your drawings," she said as she entered the dining room.
"Don't look!" they both said, leaning over the table and covering up their artwork. "We're not done!"
"I won't," she promised. "But I need to set the table."
Cam and Vivvy waited until Calie returned to the kitchen before picking up their crayons and drawings. They went up to their playroom where they left the drawing.
After setting the table for four in hopes that Arizona would be home in time, Callie went back into the kitchen to finish dinner. While she was draining the pasta, she heard the garage door open and close, followed by the back door opening.
"Hi, honey, I'm home!" Arizona called out brightly.
"Kitchen!" Callie replied.
Arizona dropped her bag in her cubby in the mudroom and hung up her jacket before going into the kitchen. "Hey," she said softly, giving Callie a kiss. "Smells good in here," she added, looking at the stove where the sauce was simmering.
"It's your mother's sauce, like you told me. I can't take credit for it."
"You cooked it, so take the compliment."
"Would you take the garlic bread out of the oven?"
"Sure thing."
Arizona took the bread out of the oven and placed the tray on the counter. She was tempted to grab a slice but stopped herself. Sandwiches she wasn't fond of, but garlic bread? She loved garlic bread. "Where are the girls?"
"Upstairs. They were drawing and took their crayons and drawings up when I set the table." Calie left the spaghetti in the colander. "Do you mix up your pasta and sauce?"
"Separate for now. I always put a little spaghetti on their plates and then sauce. Cam likes a little more sauce than Vivvy."
"Would you call them down?"
"Sure."
"Oh, before I forget, the teacher sent that home with me," Callie said, gesturing to the envelope.
"I'll look at it after dinner," Arizona said as she walked over to the staircase. "Vivvy! Cam! Time for dinner!"
The sound of those little feet running across the floor and down the stairs would never grow old for Callie. She smiled as she pulled out bowls to put the spaghetti and sauce in, and a plate for the garlic bread.
"This is nice," Arizona said as she sat down opposite Callie, the girls seated on opposite sides as well. "All of us together for dinner tonight."
"I like it when we are together," Vivvy agreed.
"So what did you do in school today?" Arizona asked as she placed some spaghetti on the girls' plates, taking care to put a little extra sauce to Cam's, and then added a small piece of garlic bread to each serving. Callie served up the salads in small bowls.
"We did colors and shapes," Cam said.
"And numbers!" Vivvy added happily.
"And after school?"
"The park," Callie said. "Then the girls did some drawings."
"Sounds like I missed some fun today," Arizona commented.
"You did!" Cam said as she brought an overloaded spoon of spaghetti to her mouth. "The park was lots of fun."
"Smaller bites, Cam," Callie gently reminded the young girl as most of the food fell back onto the plate. Realizing that she'd just acted like a parent, Callie looked at Arizona. She was surprised and pleased to see her girlfriend smiling at her, like it was okay.
"Callie's right. Smaller bites."
"But it's so good," Cam replied. Seeing the look on her mother's face, Cam sighed and nodded.
The rest of the dinner was filled with the girls talking about school and fortunately no spilled spaghetti mishaps.
"Bath duty or kitchen cleanup?" Callie asked as they cleared the table.
"If you want to take a break, I can give them their bath and then clean up the kitchen."
"I can take care of the dishes, " Callie offered.
"No, you cooked. I get KP."
"Then I'll give them their baths. I insist."
"Thank you, Callie." Arizona stole a sweet longer kiss. "I'm glad you're here to help out."
"I don't know how you do it all," Callie complimented her as she placed her hands on Arizona's hips.
"I have help," Arizona shrugged nonchalantly.
"Not every day."
"No, but I manage." Arizona kissed Callie once more. "Go get them in the bath so we can all spend a little time together."
"Yes, ma'am." Callie jokingly gave Arizona a sloppy salute.
"Don't let my dad see you salute like that," Arizona warned with a smile. "You'll end up getting an hour-long drill on how to properly salute and to whom."
"Thanks for the warning." She went back to the dining room. "Girls, bath time!"
We make a good team, Arizona thought as she cleaned the kitchen, packed the girls lunches and put some leftovers together for her own lunch. I could get used to this. She stopped for a moment. Wait! What am I thinking? She shook her head. Callie being here and making it easier for us isn't a good enough reason to live together. She mentally cursed Teddy Altman for having planted the idea of living together in her head.
Once all the tasks were completed, Arizona sat down on the sofa with the large envelope in hand. Just as she was about to open it, Callie came down the stairs. "Where are the girls?" she asked her girlfriend.
"They're getting their drawing to show us," Callie answered, sitting down beside Arizona. "How was your afternoon?" she asked after kissing her cheek.
"Slow, thankfully. No emergencies," she remarked, leaning her head against Callie's shoulder. "I found myself watching the clock. I just wanted to get home to my girls." She smiled. "All three of them."
The girls came back down the stairs in their matching striped pajamas. Callie once again found herself melting at the adorableness of the girls.
"We made you a drawing," Vivvy said softly while Cam handed a large sheet of paper to them.
"We hope you like it."
Callie and Arizona opened the paper. On one side was a stick-like figure holding what appeared to be a flag, and the figure beside it with longer hair was holding a pot. They were clearly meant to represent Daniel and Barbara. The center of the paper had two smaller figures, one with brown-yellow hair and a purple shirt and the other with yellow hair and a green shirt. Both had blue eyes. On the right side of the paper was another yellow haired stick figure with blue eyes, but was bigger and easily identified as Arizona. The final figure, holding Arizona's hand, had black hair and dark eyes. All of the figures had big smiles.
"It's our family," Vivvy explained.
"It's wonderful, girls," Arizona said, a hand on her heart.
"Is that me?" Callie asked, tears springing to her eyes.
"Uh huh. You're holding Mommy's hand," Cam explained.
"Well, we need to hang this up on the refrigerator right now," Arizona said, immediately getting up from the sofa. She rummaged through the "junk drawer" for some tape. Within minutes, Arizona had proudly taped it to the refrigerator.
"I really like your drawing, It's awesome," Callie praised the girls. Cam and Vivvy's smiles beamed up at her. "Thank you for including me," she said, hugging them both.
The four of them returned to the living room, where they piled onto the sofa, the girls sprawled across the two women. For a short while before bed, they watched some show on Nickelodeon. Callie had no idea what it was. She was too distracted thinking about how Cam and Vivvy had drawn her as part of their family.
Time moved too quickly when the small family was all together on a school night. Arizona glanced at her watch. "Ok, girls, time for bed." The twins groaned disappointedly. She pinned them with a stare only a mother can muster and they quieted quickly.
Callie was amazed by the power that a simple look held in disciplining the children without saying a word. How long until I can do that? She wondered as she watched the scene unfold. The girls scrambled from their spots on the floor and rushed over to her. She grasped a hand from each twin and allowed herself to be led upstairs.
# # # # # # # # # #
After putting the girls to bed, the couple returned downstairs and settled on the sofa with a glass of wine. Arizona took a long sip of hers, then placed the glass on the end table next to the sofa. "Only one glass of wine for me tonight. I have to be at the hospital at five-thirty tomorrow morning."
"Glad it's you and not me." Callie placed her glass of wine on the coffee table in front of them. She leaned back to half lay on the sofa and pulled Arizona into her embrace.
Arizona relaxed into her lover's body. "Are you going to be able to get up in time to get the girls ready for school and feed them? I've already packed their lunches."
"I don't have to get up when you do, do I?" Callie panicked at the thought of having to be awake so early.
"No," Arizona gave her a kiss on her cheek. "I'll be quiet and set the alarm for you. If you're not up, the girls will make sure you're up," she added with a laugh.
"What should I give them for breakfast?"
"They're fine with a bowl of cereal. Cam likes Cheerios and Vivvy likes Rice Krispies. You can put strawberries on their cereal if they want."
"Okay."
The pair cuddled in companionable silence for several minutes before Arizona broke the stillness. "What are you going to do with your day off?"
"Go back to bed and sleep." She sighed. "I miss sleep."
Arizona chuckled. "You'll get used to it."
"I hope so." Unsaid were Callie's feelings that she hoped she would have the opportunity to get used to it. She took another sip from her glass and nudged the envelope on the coffee table with her foot. "Are you gonna open that?"
"It can wait," Arizona said with a shrug.
"Arizona!" Callie protested. "It could be important. Shouldn't you open it now?"
"You really want me to open it now?"
"Yes." Callie had been eyeing the envelope all afternoon and her curiosity had rekindled.
"Fine." Arizona drew out the word in a long-suffering manner. She set her glass down and picked up the offending envelope. Deciding to tease Callie, but just a little bit, she slowly broke the seal on the envelope. She took a peek into the envelope. "No emergency," she said. "Just…"
"Just what? Tell me," Callie demanded impatiently.
"School photos," Arizona smiled, pulling them out.
"Let me see. Let me see," Callie pleaded.
Arizona handed Callie two 5x7 photos, one of Vivvy and one of Cam. Vivvy's hair was in a ponytail and she was wearing a purple shirt with Dora the Explorer on it. Her smile was wide and her dimples were deep like her mother's. Cam's hair was in braids, though one was beginning to come undone. She was wearing her Seahawks football jersey and her smile matched her sister's.
"Oh my God," Callie exclaimed. "They're adorable. Look at Cam's hair," she laughed, Arizona joining her. "Arizona, they're wearing the same shirts they were when I first met them!"
"Purely by chance. I didn't realize it was the day for school pictures."
Callie stared at the photos for a few more minutes, taking in the smiles of two little girls that she'd come to adore. "Here," she said, trying to hand them back to Arizona.
"Those are yours. I actually have a whole set of them for you," Arizona explained. "Two 8x10, those two and two wallet photos. I have a set for me and a set for my parents."
"Really? Really?" she repeated, her smile broad.
"Mmmhhmm," Arizona said with a nod.
Callie set the photos down and immediately hugged Arizona. "Thank you. I love having a set. I've been wanting pictures of the girls but didn't know how to ask without sounding stalkery."
Arizona laughed. "You're important to us, Calliope. Not some stalker. Now you've got some pictures of your own."
They sat in silence for a while, sipping their wine, just content to be in each other's presence. Callie had always thought of herself as someone who was more social, more inclined to go out drinking with her friends. It amazed her that the past few days of shared domesticity was what she was really craving, needed. Having a glass of wine with Arizona after the girls went to bed was what she needed. She didn't need late nights and hangovers. But it wasn't just staying in at night, it was staying home with Arizona and the girls. They were the reason.
Arizona got up from the couch, empty wine glass in hand. "I'm going to go take a shower," she said casually as she went into the kitchen to rinse the glass out.
"Oh, okay," Callie said, missing Arizona beside her already.
Arizona returned, stopping at the bottom of the staircase. "Want to christen the shower?"
It took Callie a few moments before it dawned on her what Arizona had asked. "You bet I do," she answered, scrambling from the couch and nearly toppling the coffee table in her haste to join her.
Arizona laughed. "Little eager there, Calliope?"
"You have no idea," Callie said, her hands on Arizona's hips as she followed her up the stairs.
# # # # # # # # # #
As she toweled off her hair in the ensuite, Callie thought about what had happened in the shower. She'd been completely taken by surprise when Arizona had "ambushed" her in the shower stall and pinned her to the wall. It was one of the hottest things, if not the hottest thing, she'd ever experienced.
"Hey, I forgot to tell you," Arizona sat on the edge of the bed wrapped in a towel and was currently putting lotion on her legs."I invited Teddy over Saturday. I hope you don't mind."
"Why would I mind?" Callie questioned as she slipped a peach colored nightgown on. She let her gaze wander up and down Arizona's shapely legs, one of which earlier had been wrapped around her hip.
"I thought you'd like to know, and that you should have some say. You'll be here, too, on Saturday."
"Yes, but it's your house. You can invite whoever you want to dinner." Callie shrugged as though her viewpoint should have been obvious.
Arizona felt her heart drop but barrelled forward. "Great!" she said with a brightness she didn't feel. "So plans are set for dinner Saturday with Teddy."
Callie dragged a brush through her long tresses. "You're picking your parents up on Sunday, right?"
"Yes. We can both ride into work with girls and they can stay in daycare until it's time to get mom and dad."
She nodded. "Okay. I'll need a ride back to your house so I can pick up my car and get my things."
"Are you not staying Sunday night?" The pit in Arizona's belly grew. Had she come on too strong, too fast?
"Well, you won't really need me to help out anymore. Your parents will be home." Callie sat on the edge of the bed.
"You're not just at my house to help me out, Callie. I like having you there. The girls like having you there. Call me selfish, but I just want one more night with you. One more night where I don't have to go to sleep alone and wake up to a cold, empty bed." Arizona refused to look at her while she spoke.
Callie scooted closer to her girlfriend and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "I like being here, too, but we both knew this was only for a week. We both know I'll still be over here as much as our schedules will allow."
Arizona reflected on her conversation with Teddy earlier in the day. "Do you want a drawer or two? Maybe part of the closet? That way you don't have to constantly be bringing a bag over here?"
Callie cocked her head to the side. "Don't I already have a dresser drawer? Plus the nightstand?"
Arizona's cheeks reddened. "Well yeah but..."
Callie continued. "But I'm not reading anything more into it than that."
"But…"
Callie grabbed both of her hands and gave a reassuring squeeze. "I don't think either of us is ready for me to move in. To take that step." She kissed her softly. "But I like that you're thinking about it." She released Arizona's hands and patted her on the thigh as she stood to walk over to the en suite.
Arizona stared after her in disbelief. Had that conversation really just happened? She heard the sound of Callie brushing her teeth. She felt a warm glow settle over her when she realized Callie had left the bathroom door open, a feature of domesticity not to be ignored within their relationship.
Callie popped her head through the doorway as she held her toothbrush off to the side of her face. "Hey, don't forget the girls have snacks on Friday. The teacher reminded me today."
Arizona smiled. "I won't. Thanks."
Definitely domestic bliss at its finest.
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Callie pushed open the door to the residents' locker room. She pulled off her scrub cap and sank down onto the bench in front of her locker. She was exhausted. Today had been hip replacement surgery day and Chang had her do most of them. She was so happy it was the end of the week. Tomorrow was Saturday which meant no school and no work for her or Arizona. She'd been looking forward to it all week.
She decided against showering at work. Arizona's shower is so much nicer, she thought as she opened her locker. Maybe we can even try out that bathtub once the girls are asleep. She pulled out her bag and when she opened it, she remembered the school photos that she kept meaning to hang. She rummaged through her purse and found the roll of tape she'd tossed in a few days ago.
She gazed adoringly at the photos of the twins that she'd come to love. Vivvy looked as sweet as her personality and there was definitely an impish sparkle in Cam's eyes. She was so intently looking at the photos that she didn't hear the door open. It took several repeated "Torres" for her to look up.
"Oh, hey, Bailey. I didn't hear you come in."
Bailey rolled her eyes at the obviousness of Callie's statement. "What's got your attention?" she asked, seeing Callie holding something.
"Oh, Arizona gave me a set of school photos for the twins."
Bailey noticed how Callie's face softened when talking about the two little girls. "Can I see?"
"Sure." Callie handed them to Bailey. "I was getting ready to hang them in my locker."
"Those are two darling little girls," Bailey commented. "That one, however," she pointed at the photo of Cam, "is going to be a handful."
"She already is," Callie laughingly agreed.
The door swung open and a bickering Cristina and Meredith entered.
"What's that?" Cristina asked when Bailey handed the photos back to Callie.
"Cam and Vivvy's school pictures," Callie explained as she taped them to the inside of her locker door.
"Munchkins," Cristina muttered as she made a face.
"Speaking of munchkins, Yang, played any games of 'Operation' lately?" Callie teased.
"Every day. Kinda my job," Cristina deflected. "You need to stop staring at them like a stalker and go do whatever it is you do around here when you're not chasing Robbins."
"Who are Cam and Vivvy?" Meredith asked.
"Robbins' kids," Yang said. "Callie's shacking up with Robbins."
"I am not 'shacking up' with her! I'm just helping her with the kids while her parents are out of town. God, why does everyone keep saying that?" Callie groaned exasperatedly.
"Right," Cristina rolled her eyes sarcastically. "She hasn't been home in a week," she said to Meredith.
Miranda Bailey was tired of all the back and forth between the women. "Go do your damn jobs," she said sternly.
"Don't look at me," Callie replied. "I'm done for the day."
Bailey turned to the other two residents. "Didn't your shifts already start? Yang? Grey?"
Cristina huffed and grabbed her lab coat and stethoscope out of her locker, Meredith doing the same.
"Those two," Bailey said with a shake of her head as the two residents exited the room. "So, you're living with Robbins?"
"No! Like I said, I've just been helping out this week. That's all."
"You two, you're good? You treating them right?"
"I love them, Bailey," she answered honestly.
Bailey was surprised by Callie's statement but didn't doubt her sincerity. She'd seen the two women around the hospital, sometimes giggling like a couple of teenaged girls. But she'd aso seen the couple sharing looks that clearly could only be described as love.
"That's good," Bailey said with a slight nod. "And do they love you?"
Callie's smile was her answer. "They do."
Bailey had to admit that Callie seemed happier and calmer since she'd formed a relationship with the peds fellow. Her happiness didn't seem forced like it had when she'd been with George. "You're not rushing things with her?"
"No!" Callie said quickly. "No, we're not rushing it. Why would you say that?"
"Hmm." Bailey opened her own locker then sat down. "Callie, you need to think about this."
"About what?"
"Is this another 'George' situation?"
"What? No!" Bailey gave Callie one of her patented glares. "It's not." she insisted as she squirmed under the pressure of a 'mom' stare. Seriously, how do moms do that?
"Look, you were crazy about George's family. I'm pretty sure you once told me you loved his family before you even said you loved him."
Callie thought about Bailey's words. Was it the same? Was she in love with Arizona because she loved her family? She shook her head. It's not the same. Not at all. "I see your point, Bailey, but no, it's not the same. I think with George, I wanted to be in love. I wanted someone to love and his family just made it easier for me to think I was in love with him. But I wasn't. Not really. Now that I know what being in love, truly in love, feels like, there's no comparison."
"Good, because it's not just you and Robbins in this. There are two darling little girls involved. I don't want any of you, especially those girls, to get hurt."
"I would never hurt Cam and Vivvy. Ever. Or Arizona. They mean the world to me."
Bailey believed her, and she smiled to herself. Callie's starting to show some growth. She's being thoughtful and careful, and not rushing headlong into this. "Good." Bailey stood back up and took her purse out of her locker, putting an end to their heartfelt chat. "I am going home for a few hours to see my husband and son. Hopefully the residents and interns will behave themselves."
Callie laughed. "Good luck with that." As Bailey headed for the door, Callie called out to her. "Hey, Miranda, thanks."
"Whatever."
As Bailey opened the door, Arizona jolted in surprise that it opened before she could turn the knob. She stepped aside to allow the smaller woman to step through the opening and murmured a soft "Goodnight, Bailey." She waited a few more seconds before entering the room, just in case there might be some other residents running late for their shift or leaving for the night. "You ready to go?"
Callie finished taping the pictures in her locker and gave it one last glance. "Almost."
Arizona crossed the room and gathered Callie in her arms, resting her chin on Callie's shoulder to see what held her attention. Her heart warmed at the sight of her daughters' school pictures prominently displayed in the locker.
"When does the 'mom glare' take effect?" Callie mused aloud, breaking the silence.
Arizona turned Callie to face her. "What 'mom glare'?"
"You know. The one where you just look at someone and they immediately buckle under the pressure of your stare."
She chuckled softly. "I'm not quite sure. Just time, I think. It's not something that's magically bestowed, if that's what you're thinking."
"I was kinda hoping I'd be able to use it to guilt Cristina into actually doing some housework." Callie said with a small frown. "She always gives in whenever Bailey gives her the 'mom stare'." She grabbed her leather jacket. "Ready when you are."
Arizona grabbed her hand and led her towards the door.
It's funny how quickly life can change in an instant. Just over three months ago, she was Widow Robbins, the new pediatric surgical fellow who had twin girls. Now, well she was still Widow Robbins with twin girls, but the widow moniker was used less frequently since she and Callie started dating. Callie brought light, fun, and happiness to their lives that had been missing since Jillian's death.
"When we get home…" Callie continued talking but Arizona didn't hear the rest.
Callie referred to Arizona's house as "home" and it was true. Home was where the people she loved were and it filled Arizona with joy.
THE END