Callie sleeps for three hours after Arizona leaves. It helps with the puffiness and red eyes from crying so much. It is five when she starts getting ready for the reception. It is being held in the hotel so she is confident she will make it on time and is also grateful that she somehow had to the fore sight to pack a couple of nice dresses. Callie exits he hotel room at 6:45 to head sown to the reception and she feels like a new woman. After an hour of crying before she finally fell asleep she can't imagine feeling any other way. The first hour of the reception is a world wind and Angel, Jesse and Jason make sure to include her in as much as possible, Soon it starts to slow down and the music starts. Callie watches Angel and Jason dance for the first time as a married couple and can't help but feel sad thinking back to her first dance with Arizona, Jesse walks over to Callie and offers his hand. She accepts and allows him to lead her on to the dance floor.
"Why so serious?" Jesse asks with an animated face and Callie can't help but smile. "That's better." Jesse spins her and when she comes back around she can see Erica enter the hall with a woman on her arm. The song ends and Jesse follows Callie's line of sight and shakes his head. He has an idea of what is going on but he does not want to push his new friend and he definitely doesn't want to piss off his cousin so he does the next best thing. "Drinks?"
After some time Callie begins to feel the liquor and with that the liquid courage. Jesse is asked by multiple family members to dance so Callie watches. Her eyes land on Jason and Angel more often than not. They look so happy and she can only pray that life is kinder to them or if not that they are strong enough to survive it together. Callie notices Erica at a table her date dancing with a guy. She makes her way over to her and sits next to her without asking.
"Hey Cal." Callie can't help but smile at the nickname.
"Hey, looks like you lost your date there. I thought I would keep you company as it seems that I have lost mine." Callie nods towards Jesse who is now dancing with an older woman. Erica smirks.
"Yeah Grams loves to show off her dancing skills." Callie considers Erica for a minute and liquid courage allows the words to slip out of her mouth without much thought.
"Think your date will mind if I ask for a dance." Erica has her arms crossed when she looks at Callie. She does not answer but stands up and Callie takes that as all the confirmation she needs. She leads Erica on the dance floor. Callie has forgotten how well Erica dances. She is quickly reminded when the couples around them begin to pay attention to them. When the song ends Erica motions Callie to follow her and waits for Callie to decide. Callie is not sure why she follows Erica, In the back of her mind she knows that she is a married woman. She is aware that she spent an hour this afternoon crying over her broken marriage and that when she put her hand up to Arizona's face her stomach fluttered. She hasn't seen Erica in years and yet she remembers that this is the woman who started it all. If it not for Erica would she have taken a different route in life? Erica was the woman who opened up a whole new side to Callie that she didn't even know she was missing. So for these reasons and more that Callie is not ready to deal with yet she follows her. She follows Erica to a patio area. The night is a little cool but nothing she could not handle.
"You know I am really glad I was able to see you again Cal." Callie's heart skips a beat and she looks at Erica.
"Me to."
"I hate the way we ended things and I know I could have handled it better." Erica laments but Callie quickly releases her of all the guilt.
"You where not the only one involved in that. I am sorry to. Everything was new and I was scared and I royally fucked up to. I have come a long way from the person that I was since so let's leave it exactly were it belongs, in the past." Erica nods her head in agreement and smiles. Callie turns to head back to the party with Erica but is stopped when she feels Erica's hand in her own halting her progress.
"Let's stay out here a little longer." Erica nods her head towards a bench on the patio. "They won't miss us for a little while longer." She leads Callie to the bench and she follows without question. Both women sit on the bench and look at the night sky. Erica takes a deep breath.
"You know I looked for you." Callie looks at Erica and waits for her to continue. "The shooting made national headlines. I watched the coverage almost non-stop. I was about to call the hospital when they released a list of the victims. I saw that you weren't on it and breathed easier. Then the plane crash happened. When a plane of highly skilled surgeons crashes in the middle of the woods it also makes national news. I saw familiar names but not yours and again I breathed a little easier. That's why when I saw you at the bachelor party I knew I had to at least say hi even if you rejected me. At least I would know no matter what else happened I tried." Callie reaches for her hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze.
"I almost died in a car crash, After the shooting but before the plane It was the day Arizona proposed to me. I was thrown through the wind shield...I was pregnant." Erica's eyes widen but before she can speak Callie continues. "Cristina saved my life and Addison saved Sofia's, my daughter. Life is too short to dwell on the past. You are here now let's go from there okay?" Erica nods her head.
"Okay."
The rest of the night passes in light-hearted happiness for Callie. Both woman dance and drink and celebrate with Jesse, Jason and Angel. Callie drags herself up to her room at 2am and falls into bed fully clothed. She is awakened by pounding on her door at 10am the next day.
"Ugh go away." Callie grumbles into her pillow.
"Callie! Wake up gorgeous!" Callie can hear Angel's sing-song voice from the other side of the door.
"You do not know what you are getting yourself into. She's an orthopedic surgeon and not a morning person. She's going to break you!" Callie can hear Erica through the door and she cannot help but smile a little. She hauls herself out of bed bringing her pillow with her. She opens the door finds her target and hurls the pillow. It hits Angel square in the face.
"Well good morning to you!"Angel huffs. Callie smirks and waves them in.
"Be lucky it was a pillow. Erica was right you know." Angel waves her off.
" I am to beautiful for you to go around breaking." Callie snorts as she falls back into her bed. "And to what do I owe the pleasure?" Callie can feel Erica's eyes on her but she tries her best not to let it affect her.
"Brunch of course!" Jason chimes in. Callie looks at Jesse and sees that he is just as disgruntled as she is. Erica of course looks amazing.
"It should be a crime to be this chipper in the morning after a night of drinking and celebrating." Jesse grunts his agreement. Angel and Jason lay on either side of Callie their heads propped up on their hands.
"But Callie we are newly weds. We are in love and want to celebrate our joy!" Angel explains as he starts to bounce on the bed. Jason has started making kissing noises at her and she is about to give in when Angel calls her by her name, her whole name. Callie shoots up from the bed and her eyes land immediately on Erica. Erica is glaring at Angel but her look changes to one of worry when she looks at Callie.
"We were all drunk and they were trying to figure out what your middle name was with such an interesting first name. I may have let that slip but I swear I didn't tell them your middle name. They goggled you and well they all have smart phones I could only keep them in headlock for so long." Erica shrugs. "I really did try."
"None the less Iphigenia!" Callie's grumbling does not deter Angel. "Get up and get dressed. We are kidnapping you today before Jason and I ride off into the sunset on our honey moon."
"Ugh fine!" Callie pounds on the bed a little with her fists in protest but Angel knows he has won.
"Excellent" Angel replies triumphantly. "We will meet you down in the lobby in twenty. Angel shoos a groaning Jesse out the door and Jason follows. Erica moves away from the wall she was leaning against. She help pulls a reluctant Callie to her feet and smiles when she sees that Callie is still pouting.
"I will buy you the most sugar infused item on the menu for helping me keep these hooligans in check. I promise." Erica smiles once more and with that she is gone out the door. The fact that she can feel her heart flutter due to Erica's close proximity is not lost on her and the feeling remains as she gets ready. It only stops when she finds her phone and sees a text message from Arizona. Very suddenly her heart seems to drop faster than she is prepared for and it takes a minute for her to regain her breath. The text is simple. One that let's Callie know that Arizona is thinking of her and that she hopes she has a good morning. Yet that simple text message causes Callie enough hurt. It is a reminder that she is not waking up with her wife for a reason. She is more than aware of how much she loves Arizona but that love now comes with so much hurt that loving her has become painful but Callie knows she won't just walk away. Regardless of what Arizona has done she will give Arizona everything she has for their marriage and Sofia.
Callie meets them in the lobby twenty minutes later with a weight off her shoulder. She has decided what she is going to do. She does not know if they can save their marriage but she is going to make sure she did everything that she can. Callie spots Jesse sitting with a cup of coffee in his hands looking a little better. Callie pulls him up grateful she has someone just as disgruntled to help her get her through. Angel, Jason and Erica walk up in a heated discussion about were they are going to eat.
"Come on let's send these two off and get some piece and quite." Callie whispers quietly. Jesse smiles and slams back the rest of his coffee as if taking a shot. He brings the mug down on to the table much in the same manner.
" Let's do this then" Jesse agrees. He pulls a pouting Angel away from Jason and Erica and Callie puts her arm through Erica's which immediately catches Erica off guard.
"Stop arguing with the newly weds Erica it is futile. Let's just go where Angel wants to go." Erica shakes her head but relents. Callie can hear Angel cheer aware of the fact that he has won. Erica looks at Jason.
"Good luck with that one." Jason smiles as he opens the door for Erica and Callie
"Ladies"
A/N: Today is the last update before I start classes. I will try to post as much as possible but for the next two and half months I will be drowning in projects and discussion boards. It just means the updates will be a little less frequent I am sad to say. I hope you guys are liking this so far!