Chapter 10
It's not that she was ashamed. She just didn't want to share that piece of information with him, or anyone really.
C'mon it was 2019, you could see gay couple anywhere. Hell, she had lots of gay friends.
It just wasn't so relevant: Arizona left without a goodbye, kiss or no kiss.
Mark had arrived at her house with their daughter and a big box full of lego and constructions. He couldn't get that she lived with other people and maybe invading their place with this kind of stuff was not ideal.
She opted for the small nice patio in the back of the house.
"So simply childhood friends… Ok." Mark concluded.
"What?" Callie asked as usual. It was just the 3rd one of the day.
"I don't see why you had to be so cryptic about it.. That's all!"
Callie fiddled with her one of her daughter's lego blocks "I didn't expect to see her, ok? And it was a lot: at work, in your condo, I mean.. Know your place!"
Mark joked moving a small train "Sof, tell mama she needs to relax a bit! You've been so tense these days!"
"Ma need relax" the child said to herself as she pushed the wagon onto the rails.
They all laughed. That was nice: being honest with her people, at least partially, made her feel good, grounded.
"So that's why you were curious about her." The man considered "It makes sense…"
"Yeah… I lost her traces shortly after she left and I didn't want to look for her honestly.." She got up to pick up a doll. "Drama in my life is enough already!"
.
"Hey guys! We're home!" The Grey's sisters entered the house.
"Where's my little munchkin?" The younger asked looking for them.
"In here!" Callie called while her daughter exclaimed Lexie's name.
Mark got up and quickly adjusted his shirt. He mirrored himself in the window and then he greeted casually "Little Grey!"
"Dr sloan, I didn't know you were here!"
"I already told you. Out of the hospital I'm Mark. I mean, you live with my daughter…"
"Yeah, sorry, Mark!" Lexie gave a quick kiss to Sofia and asked "Have you had dinner already?"
Callie tried "Nope, we…" but Mark talked over her "No, I was thinking about cooking something for you all. Can you show me what you have in the kitchen?" He smiled at her. A genuine smile that didn't appear often on his symmetrical, edgy face.
Lexie seemed mesmerized by it. She nodded.
The two completely ignored Callie, who, incredulous, raised her eyebrow, and was left in the backyard with Sofia and a dirty Olaf running a yellow, undersized train.
.
"Hold on, I need a refill for this!" She raised her hand and her voice from her spot at the bar "Another one Tess, please." Pauleen then gestured with her hand "Please, go on.."
Arizona squinted her eyes "I couldn't move, I mean.. There was en emergency and she was there stripping in front of the ambulance entrance. I was hidden behind the nurses desk but my gaze was glued."
"I get it, but why her? No one could have done it?"
"Honestly, she's the best, you you have no idea." Arizona answered frankly.
Pauleen continued sipping her drink inquiring. Knowingly.
"So, she wore the scrubs in front of me and three dazed interns while she was scolding them!"
Pauleen was smirking "You're horny, my dear. That's why you asked me to hang out!"
Arizona couldn't deny it. She got her all flushed. "Arghhh!" She covered her face with both hands. Her elbows on the bar counter "She was so fucking hot!"
Pauleen watched her amused "You're so fucking fucked!"
"Hey!" A pretty blonde approached them from behind.
"Oh, hey!" Pauleen answered.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you, but I've been watching you for a while" she addressed Pauleen "I can't take my eyes off you. And I thought that doing it without introduce myself could be rude.." The woman stared her.
Pauleen tried to remain composed. Internally she was screaming "Well, you're right, at least this way I can watch you too. I'm Pauleen, and this is my friend Arizona."
"Megan…" They kept their hands linked while flirting with their eyes "Wanna dance?"
She nodded vigorously, took her bag and mouthed a "Sorry" to her friend.
"Go!" The blonde exclaimed with two thumbs up and a bright smile.
.
After a while, and a beer, a redhead approached her with two shots in her hands. She was a familiar face. Maybe a nurse at Seattle Grace?
"She's the one who lost…" Her blue orbs directed towards hers.
"Excuse me?"
The nurse flirted "Leaving you here I mean. She choose wrong.."
"Ohh, thanks!"
She was beautiful. Just, plain beautiful.
"I'm Beth, though, do you mind if I take a seat?"
"Nope. As you noticed my friend got lucky tonight and I'm Ariz.."
"I know who you are." The woman interrupted "I saw you at the hospital. It's hard no to notice you.." then she joked "..Skating around with that shoes on!"
They laughed.
Arizona felt like she could play her game a little "..And here I thought you were hitting on me!"
The woman offered one of her shot and smiled confident "I am. In fact, your friend isn't the only lucky one tonight!"
Beth was beautiful, and openly interested. Arizona was free, she had not bonds. That was what she always looked for. It was perfect.
It was weeks she hadn't had any. It was time. She could have sex with anyone or whenever she wanted. So, why did she feel like she couldn't?
She knocked back her shot, and also the one of the other woman who smiled satisfied. She toke her hand and left the bar.
.
She tended to prevent women falling asleep in her bed after sex. After all sharing the bed, the space, was way more intimate then fucking each other.
Sometimes they did fell asleep, so that morning Arizona strived to kick out her guest as soon as possible.
She decided on used the coffee trick. If one accepts to stay for coffe, it's a problem, and well, it's not for her. Usually it worked. The previous morning it worked.
"Some coffe, Rachel?"
The woman smiled, a fake smile, while reaching for the jacket Arizona had stripped her off and left falling somewhere near the door. "No thanks. I need to leave. And frankly, you don't need to do that. It was nice. We know how to find each other in case!" She kissed her cheek and opened the door.
"Yeah, I guess.." She smirked internally. She knew it.
"I'll see you around" and the elevator closed.
She shut the door just in time to catch a polite 'Morning!' from Mark Sloan.
She opened again. He stared her down. His mind was joining the dots: definitely sex sounds, walk of shame, and shower yet to do.
"Nice.." he smirked.
"Mmh?"
He leaned on the door he had just unlocked. "Yesterday morning a redhead, today a blonde. As I said, nice!"
"Mind your business, Mark!"
"I'm just saying that now I get lots of things…" he smiled. He should have envisioned it. No woman could have never ever resist him. "Also, all those shirts were a clear sign, but I thought it was your home outfit."
"I'm gonna go now!" she rolled her eyes, already sick of him, and walked back in her apartment but he kept the door from closing: "Wait, Robbins! Don't worry. I'm not going around spreading rumors." He was serious.
Arizona gave him an intimidating glare. Was he being nice? "Ok Mark, I appreciate." She removed his hand from the door saying "But I'm going in the shower anyway!"
"You better!"
.
Making puzzles had always been one of her most favorite activities. She could alienate a little and focus on a thing at a time.
When she couldn't sleep or couldn't think, jigsaws had always kept her company.
That's why her small coffee table had just become a puzzle support.
It was almost nine in the evening and she was trying to close the outline of her brand-new Pokémon puzzle.
Until her mother's call. She had answered this time and now the woman was on speaker.
She let her talk about her things and her activities back at home. What she had to do was nod every once in a while or ask some 'Why?', but actually, it was nice. Nick was right. They both needed to comunicate more.
And Barbara Robbins had been communicating for twenty minutes when the loud pound on the door made her stop. She said goodbye to her mom.
An other knock. "Robbins! It's urgent!"
She ran to the door. It was Mark.
"I know you prefer other activities but I wouldn't ask if I had other choices. Callie's working and they just paged me."
"Yes come on, don't worry!" She toke the baby's hand "Sof and I are friends already, right?"
The child smiled a little shyly.
"The door is open. You can stay at mine too. She had already ate!"
"Oh ok!" She grabbed the bag of toys too.
"Callie will be here in a few hours, I promise."
"I said don't worry. I had no plans and I was already getting bored."
He kissed his daughter goodnight and thanked his neighbor.
.
"Well, ok Sofia, I was making this!" She picked her up. "Do you like puzzles?"
The child pointed at it smiling. "Puzdle…"
"Yes, puzzle.."
She had just accepted to babysit a baby, Callie's baby she may add, and she had no idea what to do.
Come on, she was good with kids. Worrying was absurd.
She would have come up with something.
.
It turned out that worrying wasn't absurd. Not even three and Sofia had her already subdued. She had underestimated the situation.
They tried coloring, they tried puzzles, then some hot milk. She had changed her. She had swung her on the hammock chair while reading a pair of baby books. Also, her house was a mess now.
Sooner or later that tireless child would have fallen asleep. Why didn't she stop complaining?
She tried with some food. If she was anything like her mother, she'd have surrender in front of some biscuits.
"Do you want some?" She faked enthusiasm. "Mmmh, it's good!"
"Mama" Sofia whined.
"Oh baby, you miss your mama?" I see. She thought.
"How about this?" She asked her but she was speaking to herself "I know, we shouldn't, it's late. But you bug have to sleep somehow…"
Maybe being in her house was weird for Sofia, so Arizona moved them at Mark's.
She switch on the tv for some low volume movie and she laid on Mark's sofa. She took the child on her. Sofia's head was on her chest while she stroked her hair.
It was like a lullaby and it had an effect. Yes, on herself.
.
Callie arrived a little before midnight and she was met with a memorable scene.
Arizona was stretched sleeping soundly on the couch, while Sofia was seated between her legs. Awake. She was holding the biscuits pack. Her hands and her face were all covered in crumbs and chocolate chips. And, the tv screen was playing the Up's credits.
Callie had to suppress a laugh. What a night huh!?
Trying not to wake the woman up, Callie got closer and lifted up her daughter who called "Mama!"
Obviously, feeling some movements the blonde got up "Mmh.." Then her brain caught up. "Oh God I'm so sorry I don't know how it happened. We were just watchin.."
"Arizona Arizona, it's ok! Everything's fine! Relax!"
"You ok, Sofia?" Arizona asked in panic.
"Yes! Cookie yummy!"
The two both started laughing. It was all very surreal.
"Well, since you're here.. You want one?" Arizona offered Callie some biscuits.
The other nodded, taking off her shoes.
"Do you want some tea? Or something else..?"
"Mm, yeah.."
"Maybe we could go at mine's?!" She turned off the tv. "It's strange using someone else's kitchen. I hardly use mine…"
.
When the two entered the blonde's loft, Arizona went straight to the kitchen and Callie followed with Sofia on her arms.
"But what..? Five minutes with you and she's out like a log!" She made a hurt face. And then she smiled at the tenderness of the pair.
"That's unusual.. You probably tired her out tonight!"
"She's really something. She looks so much like you, Callie."
"Yeah.."
No sounds coming from the city. The silence was loud.
"You can lie her down if you want…"
"Really?"
"Of course, come here."
They laid her slowly and put a pillow near the couch, just in case.
Arizona handed Callie a cup of tea.
"Pokemon?! Seriously! Cmon" Callie commented looking down at the table.
"Guilty…" She laughed hiding her sweaty hands in her back pockets.
The ortho surgeon tried to find the place for a piece. In vain. She got up from the couch "I'll never understood what you like about them!"
"They relax me." The other simply stated.
"I guess…"
She watched Callie watching her things. She was curious. She was browsing and Arizona was letting her. She was vulnerable and exposed.
Who would have thought? Callie Torres, and her daughter, in her loft in Seattle.
.
Callie couldn't help herself. She was intrigued.
Looking at the photographs on the library a smile appeared on her face. She could recognize some of those people.
Being around Arizona's things was odd. It was oddly familiar.
"It's weird, isn't it?" She found herself asking.
The blonde joked. When she was nervous she joked. "Hah. you think?"
"Why.. Can we let go of expectations?" Words came out of her mouth. She hadn't planned, but apparently she needed this. "Let's reset and see what happens from now on…"
The blonde smiled. She breath out. "I'd really, really like that!"