Callie exhaled, taking a sip from her favorite 'Best. Mom. Ever.' coffee mug. She had been fearing this exact day for weeks now. "Maddie," She called through the cozy apartment, waiting for a response. She leaned against the counter, flipping a pancake over. Just as she turned around, her daughter appeared. Her dirty-blonde hair was still in the neat braid from the previous night, but her pajamas were wrinkled and messy. Callie smiled down at her. "Morning baby, are you ready for the first day of school?" Madeline nodded, sitting at the counter.
"I'm so excited mama!" She said, shooting Callie a toothy grin as she took a sip of orange juice. Suddenly Mark walked in, he was Callie's best friend, and had been around for most of Madeline's childhood.
Both Callie and Mark felt their hearts tighten. Though they didn't want to upset Madeline, so they both kept their small smiles on their faces. "What do you think about school kiddo?" Mark sat down next to her, peeling a banana. Callie set a plate in front of her. Steel-cut oatmeal with raspberries, a side of scrambled eggs. That was the breakfast Maddie ate every day for the past three years.
"I dunno," Maddie answered, cutting her pancake messily, shoving some eggs into her mouth. "Do you think I'll like it?" Her nervous green eyes traveled up to Callie, who nodded reassuringly.
"You'll love it," Mark said, hitting her in the shoulder. "Now what do you want for lunch?" Callie asked, looking in their rather empty pantry. "How about.. turkey wheels?" The brunette nodded, rolling up some turkey and cheese. "Water or juice?"
Madeline thought for a second and shrugged, "Water, I guess?"
Callie smiled. She had a kindergartener now, probably the only kindergartener that chose water over juice. It was the most bittersweet day of her life, besides when Maddie was born. "Which lunch box?" She held up both options with a grin. There was a Frozen one, or a Cinderella one.
"Elsa, I love Elsa!" Maddie replied excitedly. She quickly ate the rest of her breakfast and picked up her plate, hopping off the bar stool. The little girl walked over to the sink and put her dish on top of the others, washing her hands.
"Thanks babe," Callie smiled, kissing the top of her daughter's forehead. "Are you sure you can't stay with me till I'm old and grey? Just the two of us?" Honestly, she had to go to work today, and she knew Maddie had to go to school.
"Sorry mama!" Maddie sighed and hugged her mom tightly. Every time her mom got sad, she just hugged her, she thought there was some sort of magic in her; because every time she hugged Callie, it made her smile.
Callie pat the top of her head and pulled away, "It's fine peanut. I'm just so sad to see you get bigger! Now go get ready, just ask me if you need help with the buttons." Madeline skipped back to her princess-themed room, leaving Callie and Mark alone in the kitchen. "
You have a six year old!" Mark exclaimed. She sighed, "I have a six year old." Her life had changed immensely in the past seven and a half years. She got broken up with by the love of her life, got fired, went back to work, made it through the darkest times of her life, and got Madeline. Sometimes it would be nice to have a time machine and go back to when everything was status quo, but she wouldn't trade her daughter for the world.
After the two spent ten minutes of sharing memories, Callie went to check on Madeline. She struggled with buttons. Maddie was happy, healthy, and safe; besides Diabetes Type 1. Callie was a doctor, in fact they covered everything there was to know about diabetes in med school, but it was different living it. Callie was a parent to a child who was 'different', but she helped her understand every aspect of it. "Babe, did you get the buttons?" Madeline smiled proudly, zipping up the back of her skort. "I did!"
It was either sad that her daughter was growing up, or her baby kicking her in the ribs that hurt right in the middle of her chest. "Good job peanut, I'm proud!" Callie replied, picking up the Frozen backpack hung over the hook on Madeline's door. It was rather empty, there was a pencil case, a box of crayons, and three notebooks.
Callie bit her lip, bringing her other hand to her stomach. Maddie was so big now, she wasn't a baby anymore. She helped her put on the uniform jumper and buckle her Mary Janes, which were totally adorable. She didn't rush, in fact, the brunette tried to take as much time as time as possible. "Look mama, I got it all by myself!" Madeline said proudly, gesturing to her headband.
"I can see that, you look gorgeous." Callie replied with a small smile. "Ok slowpoke, let's get going! Can't have you late on the very first day.." Callie went through her mental checklist anxiously and grabbed her car keys. She locked the apartment and looked down at the girl next to her. She couldn't be prouder if she tried.
Madeline got in her booster seat and Callie got in the driver's seat, her hands trembling on the wheel. "Don't forget y-"
Madeline interrupted her with a grin, clicking the seatbelt into place. "Seatbelt, you say it every time."
Callie exhaled quietly and started the car. It was hard to explain how she was feeling, aside from morning sickness there was a pit in her stomach. She put on the Disney Radio, Madeline singing alone in her pitchy, yet incredibly cute voice. As they halted to a stop in front of the grand, fancy private school building, Callie sighed. She snapped a billion photos of Madeline standing in front of the sign. 'There is nothing to be afraid of,' she assured herself. Callie had met with the school to discuss Madeline's diabetes and a plan if something ever occurred. "There's your class babe," She pointed down the hallway where several other children were excitedly running to.
Madeline clung to Callie's leg nervously, looking at the door. "Will you be here to pick me up?"
"The second school's over Mark will be here okay?" Callie promised. She bent down and stared into those big, green eyes for what felt like an eternity. "You'll have tons of fun peanut, I swear on my life." Madeline still looked nervous, but a small smile tugged at her lips. "Now come on, baby. I dare you." She chuckled.
Then she pulled her into a tight, near bone-crushing hug. Not that it mattered, she was an orthopedic surgeon. She inhaled, putting her hands on the young girl's shoulders. "If you don't feel good, tell Ms. Khan. She know exactly what to do peanut."
"I promise mama," Madeline said excitedly, racing down the hallway.
She held back her tears, Madeline waving goodbye as she disappeared into a nicely decorated door. Some parents were breaking down, clinging onto their kids. Callie took a minute to compose herself before sending some photos of Madeline to Mark, and posting them on Facebook. She didn't like sharing her daughter's face online, but she couldn't live in fear of a man who barely knew she existed.
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"Come in," A familiar voice rang through the worn wooden door.
The blond adjusted her skirt and opened the door. "Good morning!" She said happily. Even though she had been gone for seven years, she felt like she hadn't missed a second. Webber was standing at his desk, everything arranged the same way she remembered it. After school drop-off, she came right back here to get her old job back.
"Oh, Dr. Robbins, I'm so happy you're back!" Richard hugged her, placing some items on the table. "Here's your new pager, and you have an ID badge. Lab coat's in the attending' lounge, scrubs are in the same place. Welcome back."
"Thank you, Dr. Webber." Arizona picked up her pager and ID, excited to put one of her new Disney themed badge reels on it. She wanted to say more, but had barely enough time to even get changed into scrubs. As she shut the office door, the blond felt about a thousand eyes watching her walk down the hallway, or roll. Of course the Wheelie sneaks were back. She looked proudly in the mirror, adjusting her lab coat.
Bailey smiled, shaking her head. "Don't you just model in that mirror, Robbins. Get ready for work!"
Arizona laughed and looked back down at her scrubs. Dark, navy blue. Her hands were shaky, and her palms were sweaty. She did a last minute hair check in the bathroom, bobby-pinning some flyaways. "You're fine. You got this. This is your day, Arizona." She took a deep breath, looking around the hallway.
"What, you just talk to yourself on a regular basis now?" Teddy teased her from behind.
She turned around, beaming. "I missed you!"
Arizona practically threw herself into her best friend's arms. It felt good to at least have someone she had talked to in the past seven years. "How's everything been down in the rainy city?" Arizona asked as she clicked her heels together, the wheels going back into the shoes.
Teddy rolled her eyes. "You mean Callie? How has everything for Callie been?"
Arizona rolled her eyes right back. "No, I meant everyone. Well, hearing about Callie definitely wouldn't hurt." She had heard whisperings about different people over the years. "I don't know, is everyone staring at me?"
"Yeah, you're like a little celebrity." Teddy poked Arizona's arm. "How's it been since.. everything?" The friends kept in touch often, but not enough. The blond sighed, "Ethan and Ri are great. First day of school for them!" Arizona beamed.
"I heard roller derby was back from the dead, guess I should've believed Hunt." Cristina said flatly, joined by Meredith of course. "Where the hell have you been?" The latter asked.
Arizona chuckled. "Busy saving little African orphans, does that excuse it?" Her pager was beeping with test numbers, so she shrugged it off. The Twisted Sisters quickly got bored of Teddy and Arizona's conversation, and left. Somehow, a large plaque fell off a shelf, slamming into Arizona's foot and ankle. "Fuck!" She groaned, a nurse apologizing profusely as she hobbled down to the emergency department.
There were no traumas, but she wanted to get checked out just to be safe. Her favorite nurse came to take a look, "I'm going to page ortho for a consult, it looks a little suspicious." Arizona smiled, "Thank you Denise." The woman nodded and walked off.
A few minutes later, none other than Callie Torres opened the door, looking down at a chart. "Ari-" She looked up, meeting Arizona's piercing blue eyes. Callie looked as beautiful as ever, even after seven years. "I-" The brunette stood there awkwardly for a second before pulling a chair up to the bed, silently examining her leg.
Then Arizona spotted it, "You're pregnant?" The words flew from her mouth before she could even think abut what she was saying. "Oh, yes." Callie smiled, looking down at her small, but visible bump. "Who's baby?"
Damn, Arizona was still as bold as ever. "Why?" She chuckled, pressing on Arizona's injury. "Sorry, oh my gosh, I didn't mean to be so rude." She shrugged, "No problem. Figured Teddy would've told you." The blond nodded, noticing Callie dodging her question. "Does that hurt?"
"Yeah." Callie sighed, picking the chart back up. "I'm going to order an x-ray, does that sound alright?" Arizona smiled, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Sure, thanks." The brunette awkwardly walked off with her chart to the Nurses' Station, where Meredith and Cristina were laughing at her.
"What, roller derby noticed your baby?" Cristina laughed, Callie nodding in annoyance. "She's back, and cheery as ever." She rolled her eyes, while Meredith leaned on the desk. "What's she in for anyway?" Putting the chart down, she sighed. "Sprained ankle, nothing too bad."
Cristina sarcastically pouted, "Ex-lesbos greet each other so.. romantically." Callie gave her the finger, walking off to order her scans. Teddy joined Arizona after a couple of minutes of loneliness. "Teds, who is Callie having a baby with?" The other woman sighed, kicking her feet up.
"I don't know, I don't want to get in the middle of you two." Arizona whined, pleading for her to just rip the bandaid off. "I mean, the woman acted like her worst nightmare was a penis. Now I'm guessing it's a man, right?"
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Callie was hiding in a random hallway, sitting on a decommissioned gurney. Now that the rumors were confirmed, and her ex-girlfriend was definitely back, Callie was stealthily making her way around the hospital hoping to avoid Arizona.
April somehow found her hiding spot, hopping up next to her. "Dr. Torres, did you see her? Because I saw her, and she looks just the same! It's insane, maybe a little older. But it's been seven years, you're older too. Nah, you're not old. Just older," She rambled excitedly.
"Kepner," Callie said in an unintentionally firm voice. "I would really appreciate it if we didn't talk about this because I have a pretty huge surgery and then I have to pick up Maddie from her first day of school. If I can even walk at that point."
"Oh Madeline?" The redhead gushed, "Kindergarten already? Remember when she was born? She was so tiny, ugh so adorable! Now you'll have another one, boy or girl?" She reached her hand out, touching Callie's stomach. She physically recoiled, standing up.
"Put a sock in it Kepner," Alex called while walking by. The young woman frowned before quickly walking away. Then the brunette was paged down to the pit and forgot about everything else as she was busy with work.
Arizona was in two specialties, fetal and peds; in Africa, she had pursued a second fellowship. Skimming through her rather empty schedule, her next and only appointment was an ultrasound, nothing fun.
She called Teddy to talk about her first day but went straight to voicemail as she saw Callie walk in alone. A nurse took the brunette back to the room and it dawned on her, apparently she was now her ex-girlfriend's OB/GYN. How freaking pleasant.
After a couple of minutes, a nurse called her back to perform the ultrasound. Reluctantly, she crept back to the room, Callie letting out a sigh as she saw her walk back in. "I can get another do—" Callie began, but Arizona held up her hand. "It's fine. We're professionals." She pulled up a swivel chair, "This might feel a little cold. I'm just gonna take a quick look." Her voice was tinged with resentment as Callie let out another exhale.
Her phone screen lit up, and Arizona caught a glimpse of Callie and an adorable little girl. They were dressed in coordinating outfits, and she was giving her a shoulder ride. "If she yours?" Arizona asked, picking the ultrasound wand up. Callie nodded, smiling proudly. "That's Madeline." The blond smiled back. "Absolutely gorgeous."
But as soon as Arizona saw the screen, she grinned. "He looks absolutely perfect, strong heartbeat, measuring right on track for 18 weeks. Congratulations." Callie's eyes widened, a smile spreading across her face as she looked up towards Arizona.
"He?" Arizona nodded, "Yes, it's a boy." The brunette was incredibly excited, seeing as she had her daughter already. Arizona smiled, her heart still sinking. She had always envisioned having a family with her Calliope, except she messed that up horribly. "Congrats again." She said softly, going back to change into her street clothes and pick her twins up from school.
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Riley and Ethan were still in class. Kindergarten only went till 1:45, so Arizona still had fifteen minutes to spend. Her mind wandered to her pack of 'stress cigarettes' that she kept in the glove compartment in her car, but honestly she didn't feel like it. When she found out that her and Kennedy would be having babies, she stopped smoking for the sake of her children's health. She turned up some Beyonce and looked around, a few parents were standing outside already. As soon as KA emptied out, she immediately recognized Riley and Ethan, who both picked out the brightest backpacks ever. Arizona hopped out of the car and kneeled down, opening her arms. "Hi babies! How was school?" She asked, beaming from ear to ear.
The smile on her daughter's face was infectious. "Ah-solutely uh-mazing!" She said excitedly. "I met a ton of friends, and me and this girl Madeline shared a kitchen and me and Ethan were artists, so I made you this!" Riley rambled, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper from her fleece pocket. Arizona studied it, a confused smile on her face. It was a sloppy stick figure in front of a square, which Arizona assumed was Riley. "Is that you on the first day of school?"
Riley nodded proudly, Ethan, the artist of the duo, handed his to Arizona. "Wow buddy, this is really nice!" They both smiled, "Mommy, Ms. Khan said that when you miss us, you won't miss us so much 'cuz you have these."
She pulled her kids into another hug. "Ms. Khan is right, these are beautiful." She said. Her eyes scanned around the other kids as the twins got buckled into their booster seats. She noticed someone familiar. Someone unfortunately way too familiar. Callie was standing there, holding the hand of a little girl with blond curls and bright green eyes. "Are you two ready to go?" She asked, a slight lump in her throat as she watched Callie and 'Madeline' walk back to her SUV. Callie looked back, locking eyes with Arizona for a few seconds.
"Can I get some ice cream mama?" Madeline asked cheerfully, tugging on her mom's hand.
Callie cleared her throat, breaking eye contact with Arizona. "I think we can arrange for that to happen, little lady." She replied in a forced cheerful voice, making Madeline giggle. She helped the little girl into the carseat and put her backpack in the passenger seat. Callie looked back at her Arizona, who had two kids. She wasn't her Arizona, and she had a child of her own. "To Dairy Queen we go," She laughed, checking Madeline in the rearview mirror. "Seat belt." She nodded, driving away from St. Augustine's Preparatory School.