A/N: This is my second update since Friday, so if you didn't read chapter 54, read that first or you might be a bit confused. (More at the bottom of the chapter)

The delicious aroma of spicy sausage, melting cheese, and something familiar that she couldn't quite place, lured Callie into the dining room as she declared, "Mmmm, this is my favorite part of Taco Tuesday!" Sofia giggled and corrected, "It's Wednesday mama." Callie took her seat and immediately helped herself to a large portion of Arizona's Mexican breakfast lasagna which had also quickly become a part of their weekly routine. She moaned in delight as she took her first bite and complimented, "I swear this gets better every time you make it. It taste's just like abuela's." Arizona placed a cup of orange juice in front of Sofia and kissed her daughter on the head, then set Callie's coffee cup in front of her, kissing her on the cheek as she proclaimed, "Sofia isn't the only one who learned about a secret ingredient or two last night." Callie swallowed her bite, took a drink of her coffee and asked, "What? Mami shared secrets with you too?" Arizona sat in her own seat, took a bite of her upgraded breakfast and rolled her eyes at the exquisite taste, realizing the new addition truly did make a difference. Shrugging her shoulders she explained, "Lucia commented on how many tortillas we made and I explained to her how that was your hint that you wanted breakfast lasagna. She pulled a couple of things out of her bag and told me your abuela used to make it all the time and to try adding that next time I made it." Callie took another heaping forkful and grumbled something about being in a family full of traitors while secretly loving the fact that her mother was showing her acceptance of her family in her own way. Family recipes were to stay strictly in the family and you had to earn the right to know the secrets that made them stand out from all the rest.

Sofia scraped her last bite from her plate and asked, "Do you know where my hiking boots are? We are going on the trails today, oh, and I'll need my bug spray too." She looked at both mothers expectantly and when she only received the pursing of pink lips and a very scary dark eyebrow raised in her direction she rephrased, "We are going on the trails today and I can't find my hiking boots or the bug spray. When we are finished with breakfast, can one of you help me?" Satisfied with the correction, Arizona nodded once and Callie replied, "Much better. The bug spray is on the patio and I believe your mommy put your boots in the mudroom after she tripped over them because they were lying in the middle of the floor." Sofia put her head down and mumbled, "Sorry mommy, I'll do better, I hope you didn't get hurt." Arizona lifted her coffee mug to her mouth to hide her smirk and responded, "I didn't that time, but yes, please try to be more careful." Sofia stood then looked at both mothers and asked, "May I be excused so I can finish getting ready?" Callie chuckled and responded, "You may. You've got a bout 20 minutes before we have to go, so make sure you have everything and brush your teeth." Sofia nodded, took her plate to the sink, rinsed it and put it in the dishwasher. She still hadn't been scolded about her little speech to her abuela and she wasn't going to take any chances.

Arizona watched their daughter go then asked, "Anything exciting on your agenda today?" Callie swallowed her coffee and replied, "Oh! The general manager for the Yankees requested a meeting with me. I guess their pitcher and coach were so impressed with the care we gave him, they want to offer me that contract. There are some details we need to work out, they wanted me as their team physician, but I'm not certified in sports medicine, really have no interest in sports, and certainly don't want to leave you and Sof for weeks at a time." Arizona nodded and asked, "So where does that leave you?" Callie took her hand and answered, "I introduced them to my sports medicine guy, Dr. Jeffers. He's been a team doctor before, he's a sports nut, single, and one of the best around. They were really impressed with him and he's thrilled about the prospect. In return for taking one of my best surgeons, they have agreed to send all their players to us for physical therapy and signed me on as the team surgeon." Arizona beamed at her, hopped out of her chair and plopped into Callie's lap giving her a big smacking kiss, exclaiming, "I'm so proud of you. I know that was one of your goals and this is huge for Fresh START!" Callie smiled; it always made her feel good to hear Arizona say that. She was proud of herself certainly, but somehow, it meant more coming from the love of her life.

Realizing they really hadn't talked about work since they had been so busy with other things, Arizona asked, "Didn't you have a meeting with the grant committee Friday too? How did that go?" Callie rubbed Arizona's legs and said, "They were so impressed with how far the center has come, the staff, patient care, all of it. They were extremely excited to see that I had finished the prototype and feel like it might be ready to market. They want me to present it to prosthetic companies and see how it goes, so I have been spending my free time in the lab creating a new one. It'll take a few months to build it and get everything exact, but I have the specs now, so it's not like I'm starting from scratch." Arizona tilted her head and asked, "Why go through all the trouble, the time, the expense, if you already have one?" Callie arched her brow and retorted, "Uh, because that one is in use. What am I supposed to say, 'Honey can I borrow your leg for a presentation'?" Arizona nodded her head and explained, "That's exactly what you should do, but not just my leg. Why not show them the one that you know works and has been tested? What better way to demonstrate it than with an actual amputee?" Callie was taken aback at Arizona's suggestion. She stared at her girlfriend and asked, "You would…you want to…what are you saying Arizona?" Callie was almost certain Arizona was volunteering to model the prototype, but she couldn't be wrong about this. Arizona huffed in frustration and answered, "I am saying, let me model the leg, you can answer the technical stuff, but only I can explain how it really works, how it feels, how it has changed my quality of life." Callie furrowed her brow and offered, "That's not why I…I didn't expect you to…your leg is private Arizona, it's not something you share with people. I made it for you and never expected you to do this."

Arizona turned in Callie's lap so they were more fully facing one another, she truly appreciated her girlfriend's concern and understood why she might worry, but there was no need. Taking both of Callie's hands in hers she explained softly, "Calliope, I know you made this leg for me and you never intended for me to be involved with any of it. I also know I have been extremely sensitive about my amputation and people knowing. But this leg, this prototype, it truly has improved my quality of life, it's allowed me to have sensation and feeling and gives me more mobility without having to switch to different prosthetics, expensive prosthetics that the average person can't afford. I danced Callie! I swim and I can feel the water on my toes. I felt my daughter's touch for the first time in her life. I appreciate that you are concerned about my privacy and my feelings, but I'm willing to sacrifice that if you can get this manufactured. You can change thousands of lives, everyone deserves to do those things, not just me. My leg has always been a problem for us. It has caused so much damage. But it was your inspiration for this project and it can do so much good. So please, allow me to give this to you, to do this for you."

Callie looked down at the hands holding hers then up to the expectant yet determined expression on the beautiful face she loved so much and then to the azure blue eyes pleading with her to agree. Long gone was the anger, the blame, the self-hatred, the pain; it had been replaced with peace, acceptance, forgiveness, love, and hope. Smiling brightly, she nodded once then offered, "If you're sure you…" "YES!" Arizona squealed and wiggled around doing a seated happy dance on Callie's lap. She placed both hands on grinning tan cheeks and leaned in for a hard smacking kiss. Pulling back, she said seriously, "I love you Calliope Torres and you deserve this, you deserve to have your genius recognized." Callie smiled up at her and answered, "I love you too. Thank you." Arizona leaned in and kissed her again then demanded, "You call the grant committee back, tell them to set up a presentation and just let me know when it is." Callie nodded, "Yes ma'am." She then looked at the clock and said, "Looks like it's time for us to go. I'm not sure when I'm meeting mom yet, do you want to drive separately today so you don't get stuck there waiting for me?" Arizona thought about her day and responded, "That's probably best, I have a lot of errands to run, more ordering and interviews, so I'm not certain when I'll need the car." Callie tapped her hip and suggested, "How about you drop Sof off, I'll clean up here then head in?" Arizona leaned in for a longer more sensual kiss and answered, "Sounds good. I love you. Good luck today."

XXXX

Callie stepped out of the elevator with a huge smile on her face. She just signed the contract and fulfilled another one of her professional dreams and couldn't wait to share the news with Arizona. Seeing that she had a few minutes to spare, she decided to run across the parking lot rather than wait until she got home. As she walked down the hall, she noticed Maria leaning on the wall staring into the lobby. Stopping next to her, she looked into the large room to see Lorraine pointing at the computer screen and Kim leaning over her shoulder smiling and nodding. The young girl reached over, typed something out on the keyboard, then made a comment causing the older woman to laugh out loud. Looking back to the brunette next to her, Callie asked, "What are you staring at?" Maria glanced at her boss briefly then focused back on the scene at the reception desk and replied with a question of her own, "Do you think they are getting too attached?" The ortho surgeon furrowed her brow and asked, "What do you mean?" Maria turned around and started walking back toward Callie's office giving the taller woman no choice but to follow.

Reaching the door, Maria looked to her friend and asked, "Can we talk?" Seeing that the head nurse was bothered by something, Callie nodded, unlocked her door and followed the other woman inside closing the door behind her. Biting her lip nervously, Callie asked, "What's going on?" Maria ran her hands through her long dark hair, sighed, and said, "I'm just worried about her." Callie leaned on the edge of her desk and asked, "Kim?" Maria shook her head and answered, "No, Lorraine. I just don't want her to get too attached then have the girls disappear when Julie is discharged. Do you know she either brings them dinner or lunch and eats with them every day? She even comes up over the weekends and now that Kim works for us, she picks her up and takes her back to the home." Callie tried to figure out what her friend was getting at, she knew Lorraine had bought the girls dinner and brought them some games to play, and according to Arizona she bought Kim a pass to ride the bus or subway so she could come visit, but she didn't see a problem. Lorraine was a sweet lady and she always did everything she could to help others.

Tilting her head, she wondered, "Do you think they are using her? I mean, I don't know them that well, but they don't seem like…" Maria sighed, walked to the couch, plopped down, and interrupted, "No, I don't think that at all. It's just, with what happened to her daughter…" Callie finally understood her friend's concern and nodded indicating she didn't have to finish. She hadn't made the connection before, but it made sense now. Rubbing her hand over the stubble on the side of her head, she suggested, "Maybe this is her way of filling that void. I feel like it's kind of along the same lines as when she picks our girls up and takes them out for their special auntie Lorraine days." Maria furrowed her brow; she hadn't really thought of it like that, humming she responded, "Yeah, I guess you're right. It's just, our girls have parents and a home…and…these girls…don't." Callie pushed off her desk and walked over to sit on the other side of the couch causing Maria to turn so they were now facing each other. Though she didn't want her friend to get hurt, she still wasn't understanding the problem and offered, "Maybe they are just what the other needs. Lorraine lost Theresa when she was about the same age as the girls and they both lost their parents at a young age. I don't think anything will ever replace those people in their lives, but you have to admit, they all seem pretty happy with how things are between them." Maria nodded and started to say something when they heard a knock on the door which was quickly opened by none other than the woman who was the topic of conversation.

Lorraine walked into the room and could feel the heaviness in the air and immediately felt that whatever her two dear friends were discussing had to do with her. She had noticed how Maria, especially, was watching her the last few days, but she came in here because she saw the two skulking around the corner watching her with Kim. Just as she was about to close the door behind her, she saw a flash of blonde hair walking quickly toward her and waved the perky woman to join them. When Arizona stepped into the room, she noticed Maria and Callie sitting on the couch and the serious looks on the faces of all three women in the room. Before she could ask what was going on, the older woman smiled softly and said, "You're a part of this now, so you might as well join us." Arizona nodded then took a seat in the chair nearest her girlfriend who reached out her hand to squeeze her own in a silent hello. Once everyone was seated she asked, "What's going on? Is everything okay?" Lorraine looked at her friends then said, "Callie, Arizona, Maria, there's something I'd like to talk to you about." All three women were more than a little surprised to hear the older woman refer to the two surgeons by their first name. She always said she was a little old school and called people by the titles they earned so she always called Callie Dr. T or Chief, and Arizona Dr. Robbins and most recently the shortened Dr. R, even in casual conversation.

Callie nodded and asked, "What's on your mind Lorraine?" The administrative assistant looked around the room again, took a deep breath and said, "I know you're worried about me getting too close to the girls and I know you know just enough to make you worry, so I'd like to tell you everything so you understand where I am coming from." Both of the brunettes in the room nodded while the blonde scrunched up her face in confusion. She knew the older woman was being nice to the girls and paying extra attention to them, but she wasn't aware there was a problem with that. Seeing the confusion, Lorraine said to Arizona, "I lost my daughter a while back." Arizona's heart dropped; this was the last thing she was expecting to walk into when she stopped by to see her girlfriend after checking on Julie. Reaching out, she patted the older woman's shoulder and responded, "I'm so sorry." Lorraine covered the small hand, nodded and offered the fetal surgeon a sad smile.

Without prompting, she continued, "Ten years ago, I was the third shift charge nurse at New York Pres…" "What?" Callie cut in at the same time Maria and Arizona both asked, "You were a nurse?" Lorraine nodded realizing she would need to explain that later, and continued, "I was just finishing my third day of 12's when a big emergency came in. I called my husband to remind him to keep Theresa home from school because I didn't want her to go on the school field trip to Coney Island. She was 15, but I didn't think that was old enough to be running around an amusement park with her friends and no adult supervision other than required check-ins with chaperones. We had gone the year before and some kids got into a lot of trouble, so I just told her since neither of us could go with her, we would take her and some friends later in the summer. Anyway, she talked Don into letting her go. She never made it. According to police reports, the bus had just entered the off-ramp of the freeway when the brakes gave out causing the bus driver to lose control and go over the edge of a steep hill. They fell 20 feet, the bus flipped, and there were no survivors. I was so angry, so hurt, I had no one to blame, so I blamed Don. He let her get on the bus. He was so busy blaming himself, we just…we fell apart. I loved him, to this day I will say he was the love of my life, but…we just couldn't make it work. Two years after the divorce, he was killed in a car accident. Drunk driving. He never drank a day in his life. After Theresa and then our separation, I guess that's all he did. Something like that, it changes you in ways you can't begin to understand." By this time, all four women had tears in their eyes. Callie and Arizona both recognized that sentiment as the brunette said something similar at one point in their relationship referring to the plane crash and amputation. It didn't matter how in love you were, people dealt with tragedy in different ways, but it most certainly did change you. Lorraine had only shared this story with a few of her co-workers when it first happened. She had told her two friends that both her husband and her daughter had died, but she never elaborated and they never pushed. But now, she felt the need to share this information with them. If only to make them understand what she was about to tell them.

All three women sat in stunned silence. Just looking at the older woman, you would never know that she experienced such loss. At that moment, all three of them finally understood her attachment to the two girls. She lost her daughter who was just a year younger than them in a tragic bus accident and they had just survived one. The girls had lost their parents and she had lost her daughter. It's almost like they were supposed to meet. Maria reached for the box of tissue that was sitting on the table between them, took a few then passed the box around. When she felt like she could talk, she nearly whispered, "You never told us what happened." Lorraine shook her head and said, "A tragedy like that, it's not easy to talk about." She then looked to Arizona who she knew would understand. Seeing the older woman needed confirmation, she nodded and said softly, "No, it's not. You just keep waking up and somedays it takes everything you have to just remind yourself to breathe. Even years later, there are reminders and as badly as you want to just stay in bed and cover your head, you have to get up and live your life for the people around you." Callie looked at Arizona, eyes full of love and understanding, even though she didn't experience the crash, there were days she felt the same way. Clearing her throat she said, "This bus accident must have been hard for you. I…we…wish we would have known. How can we support you?" Arizona looked to Callie; pride evident in her watery blue eyes. Callie had grown and changed so much, yet she still wore her heart on her sleeve and would be the first to jump in and help.

Lorraine smiled at her friends and felt the tension leave her body. She should have known they would be supportive and understanding. Taking a deep breath, she explained, "I know you two have been worried." She then looked directly at Maria and said, "Don't think I haven't seen you peeping around corners watching me with the girls." The nurse blushed slightly but remained quiet. Lorraine looked at Callie then back to Maria and accused, "And I know that whatever you two were deep in conversation about when I walked in had to do with just that." Callie nodded and said, "Yes, we were concerned that maybe you were getting too attached to both girls and didn't want you to get hurt when Julie gets discharged." Lorraine nodded her understanding and offered, "Thank you for that, but you don't need to worry about me. Yes, I have grown very fond of both girls, and they have become quite attached to me. I have been talking to Kim's social worker and um, she is going to come stay with me for the summer. I have plenty of space and thanks to you, she has a job now, but she wouldn't be a burden anyway. I've been sitting on a settlement I received from the transportation company and the school district, so I'm not hurting. Kim's at an age where she could declare emancipation, so I don't need to become a foster parent, but that's what I will be unofficially. If it works out over the summer, we will talk about something more permanent."

All three women sat dumbfounded once again. None of them saw this coming, yet they weren't really surprised either. The older woman already did so much with the young girl and it certainly did seem to make them both happy. Looking at her friends nervously, the older woman said, "Somebody say something." Arizona tilted her head and asked, "So, do we like throw you a baby shower or…?" She trailed off trying to decide what exactly you would do in that situation. Callie's head snapped to her girlfriend who looked completely serious about this. The fact that Arizona was the one to ask that, Arizona who didn't do baby showers and the like, was just absurd to her and she burst out in laughter. Arizona scowled at her and asked, "What? I mean, she can't have everything she needs. Kim lives in a group home and I am sure she doesn't have all that much stuff, then there's the room, it needs to be decorated for a teenager, posters, bedding, all the cool things a kid needs." Maria jumped in and said, "Ooooh we could have a room decorating party, I am sure Miguel will paint the room for you, any color she wants."

Callie looked back and forth between the blonde and the brunette, the two most unlikely candidates to jump on this bandwagon and couldn't help but join in as she said, "That would be fun, and we could have a pool party at the house to welcome her and give her gifts, a…what do you call that? Oh! A gotcha party!" Everyone in the room stopped and stared at her, shrugging she said, "It's a thing, some people who adopt celebrate the day they became a family, they call it their Gotcha Day. She's ours now and she needs a Gotcha Day. Besides, it sounds better than a baby shower." She glanced at her girlfriend who scowled at her teasingly. Quickly recovering, Arizona smiled and nodded, "Gotcha Day it is then." She looked to Maria and asked, "Do you want to talk to Miguel and see when he's free and plan the room decorating party and Callie and I will take care of Gotcha Day?" Lorraine was overwhelmed. She certainly didn't expect this reaction when she decided to tell her friends about taking Kim in.

She looked around the room to the women who had become her family, her people, and couldn't help but swell with love for them. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she asked, "Do I have a say in this?" Arizona who had already gotten up to join the other two on the couch looked up from Maria's phone and said, "No, no you don't. Just give us a date." Callie who was looking at her own phone looked up and suggested, "Hey, I know it's just a week away, but how about the 4th of July? We can do a barbecue, invite the staff from both centers, they all know her. We could celebrate Kim and welcome the staff of the Robbins-Herman Center at the same time. Maybe we could even make it an annual thing." She then looked to Arizona for approval and got a smacking kiss along with, "That's a great idea." Lorraine shook her head and chuckled at the three younger women. She had no idea how this escalated so quickly.

After much debate, the four women decided to make the 'Gotcha Day' portion of the 4th of July celebration a surprise for Kim. Miguel agreed to participate in the room decorating party the weekend after the big celebration making it a smaller affair with just the three families. As they started on the guest list and decided to open it up to friends and family as well, Lorraine suggested, "Why don't we make it a real old fashioned barbecue and have everyone bring a dish to pass, we could do a sign-up sheet in both offices and that takes a great deal of work and expense off the two of you." Callie and Arizona both nodded their heads in agreement as they were trying to figure out how they would get everything done in such a short amount of time. Callie then suggested, "We will take care of the proteins, hot dogs, sausages, burgers, that sort of thing so no one will have to worry about that." Lorraine nodded and volunteered, "I'll make up some flyers and put a sign-up sheet in the lounges and have Kim do the same across the street." Maria piped in, "I will do word of mouth about the surprise for Kim." Once everything was agreed upon, the nurse and administrative assistant got back to work leaving the two surgeons alone in Callie's office.

Checking the time, Callie asked, "When do you have to get back over there?" Arizona looked at her phone and responded, "In a bit, they are working on my office today, installing all the wiring for phone and internet, so I'm kind of displaced for now. I came to check on Julie earlier and was just stopping in to see how your meeting went when I got pulled into this little family meeting." Callie chuckled, scooted closer to Arizona on the couch, pulled her into her lap and leaned in for a long, slow, sensuous kiss. Pulling back she said, "Hi." Arizona smiled and answered, "Hi yourself. So how did it go?" Callie smiled and responded, "I was actually coming to tell you before I got pulled into this little meeting. It went great, we got the contract, Miguel is looking at it now, but it seems pretty clear." Arizona rubbed her hands through Callie's hair and said, "This calls for a celebration my hot ortho goddess." Callie leaned in for another kiss and murmured, "I'm always up for celebrating with you." Arizona brushed their lips together once again enjoying their few minutes alone but thinking of a different type of celebration than her girlfriend had in mind.

Finally breaking the kiss before they got too out of hand, Arizona asked, "How long do you have before you go meet Lucia?" Callie linked their hands together and responded, "I should probably leave here soon. I'm meeting her at a little café near the airport." Arizona tilted her head and asked, "How are you feeling about that?" Callie shrugged and responded, "Okay I guess. Maybe a little nervous, I haven't really spoken to her alone since…that day." Arizona nodded and assured, "I'm sure it will be fine honey. She seemed to really enjoy herself last night and I felt like she was actually being genuine." Callie brushed their lips together and agreed, "Me too. It will get better, I'm sure. At this point, I'm worried about Sofia's heart now. I know we can take whatever comes at us." Arizona agreed, "Me too, but she sure did hold her own last night." Callie chuckled and commented, "All she needed was a blonde wig and blue contacts, our good man in a storm certainly came through." Arizona threw back her head and laughed, "She was fierce. I can't believe she stood up for us like that." Callie became serious and replied, "I can. She's watched you defend your family over and over again. I'm not too proud to admit she learned that from you, she sees what true sacrifice and real love is from you and I am so grateful that you have instilled those values in her." Arizona caressed Callie's cheek and responded, "She learned it from both of us Calliope. Your love for us is so evident and constant, even when we didn't see it in ourselves, she did." Callie kissed Arizona again, this time slower, pouring all the love she felt into it. As the kiss came to its natural end, the two women smiled at one another, both feeling the love, knowing they didn't have to verbalize it.

XXXX

Lucia sat at the small two person table in the tiny café nursing her tea and trying not to look at her watch for the tenth time in as many minutes. She had arrived early hoping being there first would give her an advantage, calm her nerves, but she found that it only gave her more time to fret and wonder if her daughter would show up. She was mildly surprised when she took her first break during her speaking engagement and checked her phone to see that she had a message requesting they meet at this coffee shop so she could head straight to the airport. Hearing the bell above the door, she looked up and smiled as her daughter entered the room. She wasn't surprised to see several heads turn, both male and female. Calliope was always stunning and had such a large presence. Though her outwardly changes threw her at first, Lucia had to admit how stylish and gorgeous her daughter looked in the light grey trousers and vest with the bright red silk shirt. She still wasn't certain if the more masculine look meant anything other than her daughter's tastes had changed, but after everything, she couldn't allow it to matter. She lifted her hand to wave her daughter over and was pleased when she was greeted with that million-dollar smile. Standing up, she held out her arms and started, "Callio…Callie." She quickly corrected herself. Callie pulled her in for a hug and whispered, "It's okay mami, you can call me Calliope." Lucia exhaled in relief then gestured at the seat across from her.

Callie waved the waitress over, ordered her usual caramel latte, then took a good long look at her mother. She had noticed a few more wrinkles and her once coal black hair was now lighter as it was turning silver. Clearing her throat she started, "I um…I was harsh at the hotel. I didn't give you a chance to speak. Seeing you after all this time, it shocked me and to see that you didn't even know my family…it hurt and when I hurt…" Lucia took her daughter's strong surgeon hand in her own and finished, "When you hurt you lash out." Callie blushed and put her head down, "I used to, I've changed, gone to therapy, worked on my temper a great deal. I just, the last time I saw you mom, it was one of the happiest times in my life, I had a new baby, I was getting married, and you…you didn't support that. This time…I just got my family back. I don't know how much you know, but Arizona and I were divorced for 4 years and we…we just got back together, she and Sofia moved here and I am so happy and seeing you again…" Lucia nodded in understanding, her heart breaking all over again. She finished for her daughter a second time, "Seeing me again, brought back the old stuff as well as threatened what you are building now." Callie looked up with tears in her eyes and noticed Lucia was fighting her own battle to keep from crying.

Lucia waited until the waitress delivered Callie's drink, dabbed her eyes with a napkin and offered, "No daughter should have to feel that way about her mother. I'm not here to cause you pain mija and I don't know how much of the pain I have caused I can relieve, but…I too have gone to therapy. I understand now how truly wrong I was. It is not for me to condemn you or anyone to hell nor to turn my back on family because our beliefs differ." Callie set down her cup and corrected, "But they don't differ mom. I still believe in God, in Jesus, I still try to live a moral and upstanding life…it's just, the God I believe in, he accepts all people because he created all people. You and daddy did nothing wrong and you taught me to have my own mind and I do. My mind and my body are attracted to both men and women and my heart fell for Arizona; it belongs to her." Lucia smiled softly, took both of Callie's hands in hers and stated, "I see that and hers to you, there is no denying the love you feel for one another nor for your daughter. Sofia is such a beautiful mixture of both of you and no matter what you went through, it's clear you both put her first and assured her that she was loved and accepted. You did for your daughter what I could not. But I would like that chance now. Will you give me the chance to right my wrongs?"

Callie squeezed her mother's hands tightly and sobbed as she said, "Yes mami. Yes, we would love nothing more than to have you in our lives." Lucia allowed her entire body to relax then notice Callie looking at her as if she had a question. "Go ahead, you can ask." Callie took a deep breath and said, "I know daddy has pictures of Sofia, Arizona and I both send them every week. How did you…" Lucia nodded and asked, "How did I not recognize her?" Callie nodded. Lucia took a deep breath and explained, "For the first couple of years, I wouldn't look at the pictures. I told him it hurt too badly. After a while, he stopped trying. Once I went to therapy and started seeing the error of my ways, I would ask about you, ask to see pictures. He would only hand me your phone number and tell me if I wanted to know, I had to ask you. I was too scared. When Arizona had her accident and Sofia's father passed, he pleaded with me to contact you, to reach out. I was almost certain I was the last person you wanted to see or hear from. I just…I never found the right time, not until I saw my family standing in front of me and didn't recognize any of you. Seeing how angry you were. Hearing how strongly Arizona defended you. Her words hit me when nothing else could. You have the life I always dreamed of for you and I was missing it because she was a woman and not a man. I can never say I am sorry enough Calliope." Callie listened as her mother spoke, thought about Dr. G's words, Arizona's, and even Sofia's and decided she really did need to move forward.

Taking another drink of her latte to gather her thoughts she explained, "A year and a half or so before Arizona moved out here, I had already decided I wanted her back in my life. I had that house completely renovated to accommodate her needs. We weren't even speaking unless it was pertinent information about Sofia. I could never gather the courage to tell her. When Sof started acting out in Seattle, Arizona decided to move here. It didn't take her long to figure out my intentions. She could have been angry that I never told her, instead, she saw the meaning behind my actions, she felt the love and accepted it for what it was and we have never been happier. I could hang on to the anger and the hurt, I could and will remind you of what Sofia said, a daughter always needs her mom, but I have you now and I am choosing to look forward and enjoy our time together now. So, no more apologies, no more shame, no more anger. We start fresh. Okay?" Lucia couldn't speak for the lump in her throat, instead she nodded and smiled brightly at her daughter.

Having gotten the hard stuff out of the way, the two women started talking about any and everything and before they knew it, another hour had passed and Lucia had to leave to catch her flight on time. Though it was their own private jet, she never liked to make the pilot wait as it could hold up other flights needing that terminal. As they stood to leave, Lucia reached in her bag and pulled out a small 4 by 6 picture frame and asked sheepishly, "Could you…would you mind giving this to Sofia? I had it printed up today. Just something for her to hold onto until I can see her again." Callie took the small frame and smiled as she saw two smiling faces looking back at her. One, an older version of herself with a dot of ice cream on her nose and the other, the younger version of herself with cinnamon and sugar covering her little mouth like lipstick. Callie held it to her chest and proclaimed, "She might have to fight me for this one. I love it." Lucia caressed her daughter's face and promised, "There will be plenty of time for more pictures mija."

Just as she was about to hug her mom, Callie heard the ringtone that always sent her heart racing emanating from her pocket. Pulling it out, she said, "Sorry, it's Arizona, I have to take it." Lucia noticed how brightly her daughter's eyes lit up at just the sound of her phone and couldn't help but smile at her happiness. She also couldn't help but overhear the one-sided conversation, "Yeah babe, she's right here. No, I didn't. You think…Okay, Okay…I love you too." Callie turned back to her mom, stuck her phone in her pocket and explained, "Arizona asked me to invite you to our 4th of July Barbecue. All of our friends and staff from both centers will be there, we are wanting to make it an annual thing, but I know daddy is just getting home and you don't…" Lucia giggled and cut off her daughter's ramble, "Calliope, we would be happy to join you. Send me all the details or let me know Sunday when I call." Callie let her mega-watt smile spread across her face and pulled her mom in for a tight hug as she whispered, "Be safe." Lucia nodded and responded, "I will, give the girls my love. I love you Calliope." Callie fought back the tears once again and answered, "I love you too mami."

XXXX

Callie walked into the mudroom, confused first by the silence, because she knew her family was home since Arizona's car was in the garage. Secondly, by the odd mixture of smells wafting through the air such as the heady stench of charcoal and grilling meat, the earthy aroma of frying oil, the pungent odor of peppers and onions, the unmistakable scent of popcorn, and something sweet she couldn't quite place. Walking further into the house, just as she reached the kitchen, she heard the adorable whisper yell, "She's coming, she's coming." Scrunching her brow in bewilderment, but unable to keep the smile from her face, Callie saw the open patio door then heard the familiar tune of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" blaring through the speakers. Stepping onto the patio, she couldn't help but laugh when she saw her girlfriend and her daughter standing behind the picnic table in matching Yankees t-shirts and hats, large foam fingers on their hands, and an array of foods you would find at the ballpark laid out in front of them. There were hot dogs, sausages and peppers, french fries, popcorn, and cotton candy. Sofia broke away from Arizona, picked up a small navy blue and white bag with a baseball shaped balloon tied to it, ran over to Callie, jumped up and down exclaiming, "This one's for you! Go Change mama. Hurry." Before she knew what was happening, Callie was being shoved back into the house with a gift bag and a balloon gripped tightly in her hand.

Reaching her bedroom, Callie pulled on a pair of jean shorts because she was certain from the quick glance she got of her family that they were both wearing jean shorts, pulled the matching t-shirt and hat from the bag, put them on, and quickly returned to her family, still slightly perplexed as to what was going on. Stepping back outside, this time she was greeted by Arizona with a kiss and an ice cold beer. Taking a better look around the back yard, she noticed the streamers, baseball and bat decorations and the New York Yankees tablecloths, plates, and cups. Looking all around she finally asked, "What's all this?" Arizona put her hands behind her back, bounced back and forth on her toes and explained, "Well Dr. Torres, today, you achieved one of your goals of being the personal surgeon for a professional sports team and this is our celebration to show you how proud we are of you." Callie was speechless. With all the excitement with her mom and the conversation with Lorraine, this had almost completely slipped her mind. Looking down at Arizona's super-magic smile, deep sexy dimples, and twinkling blue eyes, seeing how excited, how happy she was for her, it meant the world to her. She set her beer down on the table, wrapped both arms around her girlfriend and spun her in circles as they both squealed and giggled. Setting her down, she proclaimed, "I love you Arizona Robbins, more than you will ever know and this…this means…everything." She then leaned in and captured plump pink lips in a long searing kiss.

As the family sat around the table listening to music and eating their unhealthy dinner, Callie suddenly remembered what her mom gave her for her daughter. Smiling, she said, "Hey Sof, can you go look in the side pocket of mama's bag, I think there might be something in there for you." Not needing to be told twice, the little girl ran off into the house. At Arizona's questioning look, Callie winked and said, "Wait for it." Hearing the squeal come from inside the house, the two looked up to see their daughter running toward them with a small frame in her hand. "Look mommy! Abuela had our picture made." Arizona took the frame and laughed at the silly picture; thankful Lucia seemed to be keeping her word to both of her girls. Handing it back she said, "That's awesome baby, where are you going to put it?" Sofia tapped her chin and thought for a minute then responded, "On my bookshelf so I can see it from my bed." Callie patted her bottom and answered, "Good choice, why don't you go do that now so it doesn't get broken." As Sofia ran off, Arizona took a drink of her beer and asked, "So how did it go?" Callie smiled and responded, "It went well. She was so excited you invited her for the 4th."

Arizona looked around the yard then back at the pool house and said, "Speaking of which, we've got a lot to do before then." Callie nodded and asked, "What were you thinking?" Arizona shrugged and offered, "I was thinking maybe we get the pool house cleaned up, I'd rather use the bathroom and kitchen in there instead of having everyone traipsing through the house wet. We can keep the majority of my furniture in there and set it up in case anyone needs to stay over. I think there are still a few boxes that need to come into the house or go to the office, the rest we can donate." Callie took her last bite of food, nodded and agreed, "Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. How about we get this all cleaned up, take a little break then go into the pool house and see what we are looking at. We might need to get a couple of interns or residents to come help us move things out of there." Arizona started clearing the picnic table and nodded, "Sounds like a plan to me."

XXXX

After agreeing to wait until Sofia went to bed to tackle the pool house, the two women sat on the patio taking a much needed break from their over-sugared daughter. Callie kissed the top of Arizona's head and teased, "Not that I didn't appreciate the baseball shaped cake, but I think that was just a little more sugar than she needed today." Arizona giggled and agreed, "Yeah, I didn't quite think that one through with the cotton candy and sno cones." Callie squeezed Arizona's side and said sincerely, "That was an amazing surprise and so thoughtful. I don't know how you came up with that so quickly. I'd have struggled for days to think of that. Thank you honey. It really meant a lot." Arizona leaned up, kissed a soft tan cheek and replied, "I know it was cheesy, but I just wanted you to see that it was important to me too." Callie bent down and connected their lips together in a sweet soft kiss and replied, "It wasn't cheesy, it was perfect." The two sat quietly for a few more minutes before Arizona groaned and suggested, "Let's go tackle the pool house before it gets too late." Callie nodded her head and the two made their way across the yard.

Once she turned the lights on, Callie complained, "How the hell did you fit all this stuff in that one truck?" Arizona shrugged and said, "I'm trying to figure out how I fit it in my little house." Both women laughed then took a look around the crowded room. Callie walked over to a covered piece of furniture and suggested, "How about we uncover everything, see what we are working with, label what stays in here, what goes into the house, what goes to the center, and what just goes?" Arizona pulled two packs of post-it notes and two pens from her pocket and chirped, "Great minds think alike." Callie shook her head and laughed, then the two got to work unwrapping furniture. As they worked, Callie described her coffee date with her mom and Arizona regaled Callie with tales of the nightmarish interviews she's encountered so far.

After nearly an hour of moving furniture and boxes around, the two women plopped down on the sofa to take a break. Callie looked around the room and summarized, "Okay, so we agree the living room and dining room furniture stays in here, the kitchen stuff stays, Sof's bedroom set can go into the other spare room…" Arizona cut her off and asked, "Do you think we should offer it to Lorraine and Kim? I mean, it's practically brand new." Callie thought about it for a minute, stood up and took a picture of the furniture in question and sent off a text to Lorraine. Sitting back down she shrugged, "It couldn't hurt, if they say no, we just set it up in the empty room for now." Arizona nodded then continued, "That wooden file cabinet that matches my desk needs to go into the house along with those boxes next to it." Callie looked around the room and saw a stack of boxes they hadn't yet gone through and asked, "What are those over there?" Arizona puckered her lips and noticed since they were so far back in the room they were probably the first to come off the truck. Trying to remember, she answered, "I'm not sure, it looks like they were the first to come off the truck, so it's probably just odds and ends I threw in boxes as they were loading the…OH MY GOD!" Arizona jumped off the couch and ran over to the boxes looking at each lid carefully.

Callie noticed the panicked look on her girlfriend's face and ran up behind her asking, "What? Arizona what's wrong, did you lose something?" Arizona stood up and ran her hands through her hair looking around the room frantically. "Where is it?" She muttered to herself as she peered at the stacks of boxes. Callie grabbed her shoulders and stopped her, soothing, "Honey, look at me. What did you lose?" Arizona looked at Callie, took a deep breath and almost muttering to herself she said, "I was checking the truck to make sure everything was put in there, Meredith and the girls pulled up, they showed me their picture frame, I sent them in the house, Meredith handed me the box and I set it on the truck in the back corner. It would have come off first." Callie was starting to worry, she had only heard half of what Arizona just said, but knew she heard Mer's name. Speaking softly she asked, "Arizona, did Meredith give you a box?" Arizona looked up, her eyes stinging from holding back the tears. She turned back around and there under the table was a box that was slightly different in color than all the rest of her boxes. Bending down, she picked it up, carried it over to the couch and said as calmly as she could, "Come here Calliope."

Callie slowly made her way to the couch thinking maybe Arizona had another memory box she wanted to show her. Arizona held the box on her lap with her hands on the cover and explained, "The day the moving men were packing up the house, Meredith came by to drop off Sofia and brought me this box. She said she'd been holding it for a long time, then she forgot about it for a while, she found it a few weeks before I moved and never got around to giving it to me. When she handed it to me, I knew it was something we needed to look through together so I just put it on the truck. With the move and us getting back together and…I wasn't hiding it, I swear…I just…I forgot." Callie could see, hell she could smell the fear radiating from Arizona, it was clear she didn't intend to hide or keep her from whatever was in that box. Nodding her head, she caressed Arizona's cheek and said, "I believe you honey; we've had a lot going on. Show me the box." Arizona took a deep breath, removed her hand and watched as tears welled up in her girlfriend's eyes.

Callie had no idea what to expect. She wasn't sure why Arizona was so upset about a box Meredith obviously forgot all about. It was probably some things she left at her house when she stayed with them for that month or so. She was not expecting to see her best friend's name written in the unmistakable chicken scratch of Derek Shepherd. Looking up into watery blue eyes, she asked, "What…where…" Arizona shook her head and explained, "Meredith said Derek cleaned out Mark's office and saved some things he thought we would want for Sofia. She said they didn't know the right time to give it to us, then…Derek…and she forgot all about it. She gave it to me the day I packed the truck. I didn't want to…I felt like we should go through it together." Callie nodded and murmured, "Thank you." Seeing her girlfriend was making no move toward the box, Arizona asked, "Ummm do you…did you want to…I can go." It would hurt, she knew it would hurt if Callie asked her to leave, but she understood Mark's and Callie's relationship better and part of her still felt like she didn't deserve to stay because she never let Callie grieve. Callie reached out and grabbed her arm before she could even move and pleaded, "NO! Stay, please. He was OUR family, OUR child's father, OUR friend. What ever is in there, it is for us to go through together.

Arizona nodded, put the box between them and watched as Callie reached out with shaky hands to remove the lid. Reaching into the box, she pulled out the name plate that was on his office door and ran her fingers across the letters, feeling every one burn onto her fingertips. She nodded at Arizona who reached in and pulled out a piece of paper with a tiny little pink handprint with the name Sofia written by her own hand. Callie reached in next and took out his stethoscope which was engraved with his initials. Arizona put her hand in next and laughed as she pulled out one of the only two neckties she'd ever seen him wear. Callie laughed too and recalled, "Chief for a day." Callie reached in next and gasped as she pulled out a plain white envelope and held it in her hands. Arizona looked up to see tears running down tan cheeks and asked, "Honey what is it?" Callie took a deep breath, handed the envelope to Arizona and watched as tears sprang to her eyes when she read the single word written across the front, "Blondie".

A/N Part 2: I'm so happy you all loved the last chapter. This one was really busy and had a lot of revelations. I was certain some of you forgot about Mark's box or thought I had. I just needed to get to the right point in the story.

All characters belong to Shonda…dammit…but I hope I am doing them justice.