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Standing outside Sofia's door, Arizona took a deep breath. She pressed Callie's name in her phone, and put the phone up to her ear. Moments later, she was surprised to hear the call click through. It was 10PM in Seattle, and therefore 1AM in New York, and Arizona had hoped that Callie would already be asleep by time she called. Leaving Callie voicemails was always easier. Less opportunity for her to say things without thinking the consequences through.
"Hey, Arizona. What's up?" Callie said, exhaustion clear in her voice.
Arizona wanted to ask if she'd woken Callie, but she was on a mission. She needed to talk before she lost her nerve. Walking into her daughter's bedroom, seeing her asleep and so peaceful, all of her doubt faded. She knew she was making the right choice.
"Callie, hey! Um, listen, I was– I was thinking, um, and I think– I think that…" Arizona knew she was stumbling over her words. Callie had that effect on her. Talking to her used to be so easy and simple, and now it made her feel nauseous. There was so much she wanted to say that she couldn't. So many things on the tip of her tongue that she couldn't let slide. Arizona took a deep breath, steeling herself. "I think that Sofia should move back to New York with you."
"Oh, um, I, uh," Came Callie's response. "That's a surprise. But if you think that's what she needs, then I trust your judgement. You're sure about this?"
Smiling softly at the little girl, sleeping like a statue beneath the covers, Arizona knew that she was, in fact, sure about this. "Mmhmm. Yeah," She said, pressing a kiss to her daughter's forehead. Then she took a deep breath. "And I think that I need to move back with her."
Callie didn't speak for a few moments. "But you love Seattle, Arizona. You love your job and you love your friends. It's your home. Are you sure this is what you want?"
Knowing that she was, in fact, not getting away from a lengthy conversation on the subject, Arizona gingerly slipped out of Sofia's room. She turned around in the doorway, taking one last look at the sleeping girl. She looked so calm and content, her features relaxed. She looked so beautiful, and more and more like Callie every day. "I'm sure. I love it here, but I love our daughter more than anything in the world, and I think that right now she needs both her Moms nearby."
"But are you sure this is what's best for you? That city, that hospital, it was our home for so long." Arizona's heart clenched at Callie's reply. There hadn't been an our home in a long time, and yet it fell freely from Callie's lips. Her perfect, supple lips that Arizona couldn't pry from her imagination.
Arizona shut Sofia's door most of the way before she made her way into her bedroom, just next door. "This isn't about me anymore. You said that Sofia wasn't happy in New York, and I've realized that she isn't happy here either. She misses you, and I can't keep her here if this isn't where she wants to be. Above everything, it's our job to keep Sofia happy and healthy and safe, and I've been selfish."
"No, you've been selfless, Arizona. You put my happiness before your own, and let me take Sofia out here without thinking of the consequences, to pursue a relationship that we all knew wasn't going to last." Callie took a deep breath. "I've been selfish, with you, with Sofia, and with Penny. I pushed her to commit to being with me, only to realize that she wasn't my dream. So now, I've just signed the lease to my own apartment for the first time, at thirty-nine. Just my name on the lease, with no help from my dad." Callie sounded proud of that, but she still laughed dryly.
"I had a patient today," Arizona said, settling herself on her bed. It'd been so long since she'd just casually talked to Callie about her day, and that realization made her heart ache. "She was afraid of dying in the OR. I had to come to her house and convince her that having the surgery was doing what was best for her baby, and I realized that I'm not doing what's best for our baby." Arizona took a deep breath. "I told her about how I used to roller skate, every time I moved. That no matter when or where we moved, or how often it was, The Colonel would make the time to take me roller-skating, and that never changed. It was really the only time we spent together, just the two of us. So, when I left for college and med school, the first thing I did was find a rink and go skating. And I found comfort in the fact that one thing in my life never changed. And when I moved here, I skated around the Peds ward every day."
"You– you never told me this," Callie said, sounding almost hurt.
"Then, I told her that I was in an accident, and everything in my life changed. And along with everything else that I had to deal with, roller skating– that one thing that never changed, felt like it was being taken away from me. All the comfort and the safety and the magic of roller skating that my dad had shown me would be gone, so I told my patient that I made my wife promise me the impossible. And when it came down to my life or my leg, I told her how lucky I was that you could say what I couldn't. And then you helped me skate again, and my worst fear was wrong. I told her that the only thing I really lost was my leg and I would have died if I had kept it." Arizona took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry, Callie. I'm so sorry that I put you in that position. I was so mean to you, and you were nothing but kind to me. You were so patient, and I was so cruel and–"
"Hey, hey," Callie said softly. "It's okay. We all say and do things we come to regret. Don't you think I'd take everything I let my lawyer say about you back if I could? I'd do it in a heartbeat, Arizona. And you forgave me for that, and I forgive you for how you acted when you lost your leg."
"So, um, I guess I need to start looking at apartments now. Got any recommendations?"
"Um, actually, the apartment across the hall from me is available for rent. It could be fun, like when Mark was around, living right across the hall." Arizona could hear the smile in Callie's voice.
"I like that idea."
After their phone call, everything started to fall into place. Dr. Herman even came down to Seattle to personally offer Arizona a job in New York. She even said that a little birdie had mentioned that Arizona may have more than just a job waiting for her in New York. She officially made the move only three weeks later.
Sofia absolutely adored the new set up, and spent the last two days running across the hall from apartment to apartment, often just to say hi to her Moms. She liked having both of them so close. While there was still a schedule of where she'd be sleeping, so Sofia wouldn't feel pressured to choose one apartment or one Mom over the other, this set up seemed like it'd work out really well for everyone involved.
"Mommy! Mommy!" Sofia said, barging into Arizona's apartment, finding her unpacking the boxes that belonged in the kitchen. "I need to show you something!"
"Okay, big girl," Arizona said, grateful for the excuse to stop figuring out how she was going to fit all of her pots in her significantly smaller kitchen. She stood and took Sofia's hand, letting the little girl lead.
"Where are we going?" Arizona asked, slightly winded after Sofia had dragged her up three flights of stairs to what appeared to be the top floor of their apartment building.
"It's a surprise," Sofia said, pushing the big door leading to the roof open.
Arizona gasped as she saw exactly what the surprise was. All of the outdoor furniture from the roof had been pushed to the edges, leaving a wide-open space. A banner that Sofia had clearly drawn (with some help) was hanging between two outdoor chairs, reading: "Welcome home, Mommy!".
Then Callie skated into view, a pair of black Heely's on her feet. She had two pairs in her hands, a small white, sparkly pair, presumably for Sofia, and a brand new pink pair, with a bow on top.
"Welcome home, Arizona," Callie said softly, handing Arizona the pink pair of Heelys.
They skated on that roof for hours, until the sky had gone dark, and Sofia had fallen asleep on one of the lounge chairs nearby. Arizona didn't want to go in at that point, but she felt bad leaving Sofia sleeping up there, though she certainly wasn't going to leave her alone in the apartment, either. Callie rationalized that it wasn't a school night, and a nap under the stars wouldn't do her any harm, so they continued to skate, Callie holding Arizona's hands to steady her.
"Thank you, Callie," Arizona said, smiling bright. Her eyes were shining just like they used to, back when Callie first fell in love with her.
"I've missed seeing you smile like that," Callie said softly. She tugged Arizona closer, spinning her, which caused Arizona to laugh. It was Callie's favorite sound in the world. And standing here, skating on the concrete rooftop, all Callie wanted to do was kiss Arizona. She was falling hard for her ex-wife again.
Arizona had cut her hair before moving, saying she needed a change. She'd curled it right around her shoulders, and it looked just like it did the first night they'd met. Callie wished she could go back to that night, and do it all over again. She wished they could do it right this time.
But was it ever really too late for a second chance?
"People still talk, at Grey Sloan," Callie said softly, letting go of one of Arizona's hands so she could brush a stray curl behind her ear. "And for the sake of being honest, I think I should tell you that I know things about what's been going on. Because people talk."
"Oh," Arizona said, realizing Callie was referring to Carina. "You mean– Terrific."
"It is, actually. The talk. People still adore you over there. They respect you and they're concerned and interested. They really like you. Some of them really like you," Callie said softly, bringing her hand to rest on Arizona's perfect fair cheek. "You just look upset, and I thought you should know that the talk is still good. And when you're not upset, when you're over being upset, there will be people lining up for you."
Arizona laughed, but it sounded hollow, like she didn't really believe what Callie was saying. "Sure, Calliope. You want to give me some names?"
Callie could only smile, pulling Arizona in for a soft kiss, like she had hundreds of times, what felt like a lifetime ago. She didn't expect it to feel so new. She didn't think it would terrify her the way it did, making her heart race in an entirely new way. It was scary, but she wanted to kiss Arizona over and over again. She wanted to spend forever kissing Arizona Robbins.
Callie rested her forehead against Arizona's, unable to stop smiling. "I think you'll know."