Earlier that day
Arizona was pacing up and down in her living room. She has just received a call from Carlos, who has asked her to meet them at Callie's building.
She was nervous and worried about the outcome of her talk with Lucia. She feared that she might have made the matter worse, and Callie would resent her for spoiling what little was left. She was scared even to mention it to Callie, but she knew that telling her was the right thing to do.
At around 6, Arizona went near Callie's building and waited for the Torres to arrive. After a few minutes, A black Lexus stopped in front of her, and her heart raced. Carlos Torres was the first to deboard the car, and then he walked to the other side to escort Lucia with him.
"Good evening, Arizona," Carlos Greeted
Arizona swallowed nervously before speaking, "Good Evening, Carlos" She then turned her face to Lucia, "H-hello, Mrs. Torres," to which Lucia just nodded.
"Shall we?" Carlos asked, gesturing towards the building Gates.
"Um. I am sorry, Carlos, but may I know what we are doing here?"
"We," He gestured between him and his wife, "are here to talk to Calliope and you."
"About what?"
"You will come to know soon enough."
"If this is going to be another lecture on how Callie is wrong and our relationship a sin, then I am sorry, Carlos, I can't let you do this. Calliope is hurt enough, and I don't want to put her to this pain again," Arizona rambled nervously but with determination.
"Arizona…"
"No, if the purpose of your visit is anything less than harmonious, I insist you leave," Arizona said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Carlos tried to give Arizona a firm look, but his joy of seeing someone protecting his little girls was making it hard. On the other hand, Lucia was in awe; she had never seen anybody talk to her husband like that and had lived the day to tell the tale. She was even more surprised that Carlos was complying with whatever Arizona said.
"Can I speak now?" Carlos Asked, eyeing Arizona.
Sensing the tone, Arizona uncrossed her arms and nodded lightly.
"Thank you," Carlos said with a smile. "There is nothing else I want than my family to be together again. Calliope is my little girl, and her happiness is the most important thing for me, and you know that… I will never put her in a position where there is a chance of heartbreak… I appreciate that you care about her, but believe me when I say I am here to make this right."
Arizona gave a little nod and shifted slightly to give way to Callie's parents towards the elevator.
Once they reached Callie's house, Arizona hesitated to knock, dreading what was coming next. But she had to be with Callie; no matter what was going to happen, she knew Callie would need her. Whether to hug her or scold her, only time would tell. So, they were, standing in front of Callie's door, waiting for her to open it.
After a few seconds of Knocking, they heard the clicking of locks, and Callie swung open the door.
"Ari… Mom. Dad?" Callie mumbled, seeing her parents with Arizona together at her house, "What are you doing here?"
Callie can … umm… we come in," Arizona asked lightly.
"Of… of course," Callie replied and stepped aside to let the visitors in. "What going on? Why are they here… with you?" she asked Arizona once everybody was inside.
"Mija! We want to talk," Carlos replied, giving Arizona a chance to breathe.
Callie looked between her parents and girlfriend, her forehead frowning in confusion.
"Calliope, your parents want to talk to you?" Arizona said, putting a gentle hand on Callies Back.
"I don't think I have anything to say," Callie spat.
"Calliope…"
"No," Callie said, removing Arizona's hand from her back, "DO NOT calliope me… I don't know what you are made of, Arizona… How can you bring her here after all the horrible things she said to you?"
"At least give them the chance to explain?"
"EXPLAIN WHAT? How this is a sin and how we are going to hell… been there, done that… not interested."
"Callie!"
"No, Arizona! You may not have the self-respect, but I do…."
"Wanna rephrase that?" Arizona said firmly, raising an eyebrow in question
Callie knew she had stepped over the line, but her anger and pride were too high to back down. "No."
"Calliope!" Arizona warned again
"I have nothing to say to any one of you…." Callie turned around and went to the balcony. Her eyes were tearing up, making her even more irritable.
Arizona let out a heavy sigh. "I am sorry… she is upset… let me just…."
"No, let me," Lucia spoke meekly for the first time since she came.
Arizona looked between Carlos and Lucia, wondering if it would be the right thing to do.
"Don't worry, Arizona; I will not say anything which would hurt her or anger her even more." Arizona nodded slightly and went to the kitchen to grab some drinks for everyone.
Callie was standing on the balcony, breathing heavily, trying to control the tears threatening to fall. There was no doubt that Callie was feeling heartbroken for the last few days, but she was trying. Trying to keep a happy face for her family; after all, that's all that matters, and finally, today, she has started feeling a little bit better. She was in a good mood and was looking forwards to the dinner with Sofia.
"Why do they have to come and ruin everything again?" She thought internally, "And Arizona is behaving like the last few days didn't even happen; how can she forget everything and ask me to do the same… I love her, but sometimes her compassion irritates me."
"Calliope!"
Callie turned upon hearing her name. She was expecting Arizona or Carlos to come behind her and reason her out, but she wasn't ready for Lucia.
"Mother, please," Callie said, turning away, "I can't do this."
"You don't have to say anything. Just hear me out."
"I don't have patience and energy to hear you," Callie said flat out
"Not even If I say I am sorry, I was wrong, and I want to make things right now?" Lucia asked, peeking sideways at Callie.
Callie turned towards her mother in wonderment.
Lucia pursed her lips, smiled lightly, and nodded her head. Callie turned entirely toward her mother and raised her brows to give her a 'go ahead.'
"I pride myself on being a good catholic; I Go to church, pray every day, follow God's word and all these things. I was raised to think in a certain way… to behave in a certain way, making it difficult to look past my beliefs. I didn't try to understand you and your choices. Even though it was right in front of me and around me, I chose to keep my eyes shut. I sent the bouquet for my secretary's wedding because that's what I am socially obligated to do and not because I had her best wishes in my mind.
"Be kind, be humble, and be righteous were the words I always heard growing up, and I truly believed that I am all those things… until… Arizona showed me the mirror."
Callie's eyes widen hearing this. "Arizona? what… when?"
"I guess she didn't tell you," Lucia said, seeing the confusion on Callie's face.
"No, she didn't tell me anything… when did this happen?"
"Yesterday"
Callie's eyebrows furrowed in confusion "yesterday? But Arizona told me she is going to work at the clinic… to sign some paper or something."
"Umm… maybe she was sparing your feelings."
Callie took a moment to ponder. She then nodded and said, "Maybe… So… you were saying?"
"Yeah… I am trying to say that there is no one way to be a good person or a good Christian…You treat all your patient with kindness and respect, you are raising your daughter with good values and manners, and you protect the people you love; that's what makes you a good person… and that makes you a great mother… at least, much better than I ever was." Lucia said with a heavy sigh. Callie's eyes were beaming with unshed tears of her own.
"I lived my life in fear; fear of being wrong, fear of being a bad Catholic, and in this fear, I forgot to be a good person and forgot my duties as a mother and a grandmother, and most importantly…I forgot that a good person IS a good catholic, not the other way round."
"So, what I am trying to say, Calliope is that you are my daughter, and I love you with my whole heart…, and I would like to be a part of yours, Sofia's, and… Arizona's life. A loving, nurturing part…If you let me."
Callie was openly crying; the things she always wanted to hear, which she never thought she would get to hear, were coming out of her mother's mouth, and she felt like her heart would explode with happiness.
Finally, she had everything, her daughter's love, her parent's support, and… Arizona. She leaned down, hugged her mother tightly, and poured the happy tears on her shoulder.
"Si Mami, I would like nothing more than to have you in our life."
…
Arizona was anxiously roaming the living room, pouring wine, cutting vegetables, and cleaning the kitchen counter, but her one eye was on the balcony, and her heart was beating out of her chest. When she saw Callie crying, she stood there looking at them, contemplating her next move. She couldn't determine if those tears were happiness or sadness, and she was wondering if she should let the mother-daughter hash it out or go and put a full stop to this.
Once she saw that Callie had cheerfully thrown her arms around her mother, and even though, in tears, her face had formed a smile; her shoulders relaxed, and her eyes welled up. Carlos came to her side and put a hand around her shoulder, silently supporting her and cheering their win. Hands in hands, Callie and Lucia, came back to the Living room. Carlos kissed Lucia on her cheek and hugged Callie.
Lucia went to stand in front of Arizona. "Thank you for making me see things clearly… but I don't appreciate you are saying that I may not go to heaven," she said in mock anger.
Callie's eyes widened in shock and amusement; she looked at Arizona and asked, "what DID you say to my mother?"
Arizona shuffled on her feet nervously. "I … Ummm… I am sorry, Mrs. Torres… I hope you will forgive me for my rudeness."
Lucia pursed her lips, stepped a little closer, and said, "Only if you can forgive for mine" she then did something which none of the people presented there expected; she opened her arms to hug Arizona, "and it's Lucia for you, my dear."
Arizona graciously accepted the hug and Callie burst out in tears, and for the first time, they saw Carlos teared up a bit too, which he quickly covered behind the cough.
After Lucia and Arizona ended the hug, Callie grabbed Arizona's hand and pulled her in her arms. "I am sorry I said that… … I was..."
"Upset?" Arizona replied, "I know… it's okay."
"wait… Really...?"
"Really..."
"You are amazing..."
"I know..." Arizona said with a smirk making Callie poke her on her sides.
"And girls… I am sorry I didn't attend your wedding last time," Lucia said apologetically, "but I promise I will attend your next..." She said with a twinkle in her eyes, making Callie blush and Arizona clear her throat awkwardly.
…
After that, the environment became lighter and happier, and it was made more cheerful by the arrival of Sofia from her dance class. Luckily, Sofia inherited her mother's talent in dancing, so Callie and Arizona decided it would be better to start her early in the dance class.
After the dinner, the Torres bid adieu to the Robbin-Torres family while Sofia went to get ready for bed. As soon as Arizona closed the door, she found her back pushed against the door and Callie pressing her body on her. Before Arizona could say anything, Callie captured her lips in a fierce kiss.
"Not that I am complaining, but what was this for?" Arizona said, taking a heavy breath.
"Because you are the most incredible human being, and I can't thank my stars enough that you chose to love me," Callie replied, kissing Arizona again.
"Loving you was never a choice," Arizona said in almost a whisper, her eyes roaming on Callie's perfect face. Arizona looked at the tiny crease that Callie's eyes make when she smiles. She moved her fingertips to the freckles on her face, which are her unique facial trait. She looked into Callie's captivating dark brown eyes, drawing Arizona in, and she wanted to be imprisoned in them willingly. She caressed her full lips with the tip of her thumb and whispered before capturing them with her own, "It was my destiny."
…
A/N
Hey Guys!
How are you all?
Thanks a ton for the last reviews… they were terrific. I liked writing the Arizona speech; it took much time too, but you guys made it worth it with your lovely comments.
I hope you like this chapter… its short, I know, but I felt like it was the perfect moment to stop.
I want to address one concern … I think there is a misconception that I have left this story Unfinished.
Please don't think that. This story is almost finished. I am not abandoning this story at all, nor am I leaving the other one. Yes, my update takes time but believe me, I want to write more than you like to read, but no matter how hard I try, sometimes it's hard to give a quick update.
Please don't stop reading any story because you think it will be unfinished. Because it won't be.
That's being said
Please let me know what you think about this chapter.
Love
~RT