Candy Hearts | Watty's 2015

| 20 | Wednesday, November 25

| 2 0 | Wednesday, November 25

Arizona had been nervous about landing, because maybe she wouldn't be able to find her family, but when she does walk through the PDX Airport, she realizes that there was no sense in that aprehension, because the first thing she sees is her mother's blonde bob bouncing up and down, hand waving frantically around her head. There is a blinding, excited grin on Cora's face as she keeps flailing her hands-even though she knows Arizona's seen-much to the distress of those surrounding her. Arizona's father stands a little behind his wife, one hand in a pocket, the other holding his phone up, his face tilted down at it. But, when he looks up and sees Arizona, an almost identical smile breaks onto his face.

Her suitcase catches on her heel, and Arizona stumbles. She straightens back up, smiling sheepishly at the elderly man who had been reaching out to help her. She mumbles a thank you to him before trying to walk to where her parents stand, in the most dignified manner possible.

Cora jumps on Arizona, first, pumping the breath out of the girl as she hugs her so tightly Arizona thinks she may burst. Her dad gives her a simple slap on the back, which doesn't really help much, either, because his light pat amounts to ten bricks falling on her. He's a skinny man, so everything he does, he does to make up for the lack of bulk.

"I brought you guys matching key rings," grins Arizona, pulling the souvenirs from her backpack's front pocket. It's a simple, silver Statue of Liberty, but her mother's eyes light up immediately with excitement, and her father smiles, slipping it onto his keys already. He pats her on the shoulder, again. Arizona bites her tongue.

"Thanks so much, Zona, these are so cute!" Cora gushes.

When they reach their home, the two lights next to the garage are on. "Lara and Ross are home," explains Ben. Arizona lets out a breath and nods. She hasn't seen Lara in months, she can do this. She can last five days.

They enter through the garage, and before Cora can call her older daughter down, Arizona runs down the stairs to her room. The door slams open and she welcomes the sight and scent of the books like an old friend. She's missed her room. Sighing, Arizona allows her things to fall to the ground by her closet, before collapsing face-forward on her bed.

She lies prostate for about an hour more, dipping in and out of sleep, before her mother calls for dinner. It's nice, not having to trudge up to the food court, or not being forced to find a cheap microwave dinner at her local, overpriced grocery store. She actually has no idea why they would put such an expensive place in the middle of a college campus, of all the places in the world.

When Arizona walks into the kitchen, Cora is bustling around the counter, tasting something from a pot. Ross is at the dinner table, working on something on his laptop. He looks up and sees Arizona, grinning in greeting. She high-fives his risen hand before sitting down in a chair on the other side of the dinner table..

"How's the college life?" Ross settles back in his chair, shutting his laptop.

"It's alright, actually. Either it's super fun, or super stressful."

Laughing, he tilts his head in agreement.

"That's true."

"Wait, what was your degree, again?" Arizona peers at him.

"Programming."

"Oh." Arizona's eyebrows rise. "Wow."

"It's not the most interesting, but, I mean, money, right?"