The Aftermath of Callie and Arizona - Volume II

Hustle And Holiday Bustle

Arizona's POV:

It had been a cold and rainy December in Seattle. The leaves on the trees were long gone and the only signs of plant life remaining were mostly due in part to the evergreen shrubs and trees. After spending some time in regions where deciduous trees predominated the landscape, I loved how Seattle remained green year round. It definitely helped with my Seasonal Affective Disorder to have trees like Douglas Firs to look at when Winter felt bleak and dark.

"Mama?! Where's my new sweater you got me on your trip?" Sophia was hollering down the hall to me in the kitchen. She must have been in her bedroom from the volume of her voice.

"Bug...I think it's in your closet, hanging up on the far left side!" I was talking back with a little bit more volume than usual so she could hear me, but not too loudly so as not to disturb Maddy. 

Although, Maddy was busy babbling away as she cruised around in her baby walker that morning. Mind you it wasn't a device we let her use that often because of the safety issues that surrounded them, but every now and again we would, but only when she had a secured, blocked off area to use it. 

"Are you sure Mama, I still can't find it!?" A whole 10 seconds had passed when Sophia had already claimed defeat from finding her new alpine cardigan we bought on vacation, just a few weeks ago.

Callie must have gotten dressed at that point because I heard her yell back down the hallway, "Don't worry Arizona, I'll help her find it!"

I chuckled to myself because I knew the track record my two oldest girls had with finding anything, on a regular basis. So, I stopped making Sophia's sandwich for her lunch and preemptively headed down the hallway to help. 

About the time Callie started to say, "Arizona? Are you sure the cardigan is in the...," I walked into the room. I had to suppress a giggle as they both jumped when they saw me quietly slip in the doorway.

"I'm positive, in fact..." I stopped my sentence short, walked over to the closet and gently pushed both ladies aside. In one quick reach, I extracted the sweater and handed it to Sophia. She immediately slid it on, over a plain white t-shirt she was wearing with jeans that morning.

"Thanks Mama! I'm going to go eat my cereal now!" And off she went.

"Keep an eye on your sissy for me, okay Bug? She's in the kitchen in her walking chair."

"Will do!," she yelled as she thundered down the hallway, leaving Callie and I in her bedroom.

Callie was half dressed, but was wearing leggings and a tank top that I assumed she would be wearing a sweater with before leaving the house. Her wet hair was wrapped up in a towel as she methodically shook her head and laughed.

"Before you say it Arizona, "I know, I know. How can I be such a brilliant surgeon, but then simultaneously not be able to find my way out of a paper bag?"

I just laughed in response to her comment and said, "I'm not sure how that juxtaposition exists in your life, but it's one of the qualities I find cute about you and Sophia. It's also why I just walked down here to find the sweater myself." I leaned in to share a kiss with Callie.

Callie sheepishly smiled as I briefly rubbed her back. 

"Now, if you're hungry Dr. Torres, I just made some coffee and some hard boiled eggs for us before work. Care to join me in the kitchen with our daughters? Maddy ate while you were in the shower and I almost have Sophia's lunch packed. We need to get a move on though today so we can get things done!"

"I'm going to go put my sweater on and finish drying my hair and I'll join you. Are you sure you are okay with shopping by yourself today at Costco without me? That's a good sized list of things we need for the open house on Sunday."