Time Well Spent
Title: Time Well Spent
Author: Fredward54
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, nor do I profit from them. They are the property of ABC and Shonda Rhimes.
Summary: Six and a half year old Sofia spends time with each of her parents.
A/N: it's basically three drabbles rolled into one fic... I figured that since Sofia's parents are all busy surgeons, they would occasionally take her for one-on-one dates. So here are clips of three of them :)
Maaaaaany thanks to my Beta i_fly_solo for putting up with my incredible overuse of commas and for being fantastic in general.
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[Momma's Date]
"Momma, did you know that bears are omnivores? That means that they eat plants and animals! And bears have a better sense of smell than dogs."
Arizona smiles at Sofia in the rearview mirror. "Better than dogs, huh? I didn't know that. Did you know that not all black bears are black? Some are brown and some of them are white."
"Really? Do you think we'll see a white one?" Sofia asks with wide, eager eyes.
"I'm not sure. But I definitely think we'll see some kind of bear," Arizona replies as she pulls into the parking lot of Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. For their 'Momma date' they decided to take the hour long drive down to Eatonville to hike and explore.
One of the traits that Sofia had inherited from her momma was a love of animals. Arizona wasn't necessarily keen on owning many animals, other than her chickens, but from a very young age she had shown a great interest in learning as much about animals as possible. It had become clear to Sofia's parents that she also shared that enthusiasm, particularly after her teacher showed them a Halloween assignment she had completed in kindergarten last year. The students were supposed to write a fact that they knew about bats, and while most kids wrote things like 'bats have wings' and 'bats can fly', Sofia wrote 'bats use echolocation.' Nowadays, Sofia and Arizona frequently spend evenings watching National Geographic specials and reading books about their favorite beasts.
Sofia practically drags her momma into the park, more than ready to spot some critters. They opt out of the tram tour and instead make their way along the hiking trails, pointing out different plants and animals as they pass by. Each enclosure brings conversation and inquiry, and Sofia reads Arizona the animal facts off the plaques nearby.
"Momma, can we get a pet wolf? They're in the dog family..." Sofia asks with a cheesy, hopeful grin.
Arizona chuckles, "No way, chiquita banana. Wolves aren't pets."
Sofia looks a little put out, but brightens when an idea crosses her mind. "What about a coyote? They're smaller than wolves."
Arizona's look is all the girl needs to know the answer, but she doesn't give up. "How about a fox? They're the smallest. And they are soooo cute! And the babies are called kits!"
Her momma laughs in earnest. "No! No pets! Besides, wolves and coyotes live in packs, so we'd have to take a bunch. And there's not enough room in the car for a pack of wolves."
Sofia huffs out a dejected breath and looks forlorn. Arizona ruffles her hair and flashes her dimples, walking backwards down the trail in front of her daughter, beckoning her to follow. "C'mon, I'll give you a piggy-back ride." Sofia smiles and hops onto her momma's back, hugging her around the neck.
Arizona loves her dates with Sofia. Not only because they offer a chance to catch up after a busy week of work and school, but also because they make her feel like a mother. After six and a half years she rarely feels like a third-wheel parent, but on these dates it's not even a thought. Callie likes to joke that the mimicked mannerisms alone are enough to squash any question of Arizona's role in Sofia's life. ("She's like a little you, housed in the the body of a little me... kinda scary.")
Arizona carries Sofia around a little longer, teetering from side to side, pretending to almost drop her daughter. This always elicits squealing laughter from the girl and cries of, "No! Don't drop me, Momma!" She lowers Sofia down to the ground with a smile and squats down to her level. Arizona looks into her daughter's brown eyes, same as Callie's eyes, and feels... everything. She never thought she could love another person like she loves her little girl. She reaches up and brushes a lock of brown hair behind Sofia's ear and playfully taps her nose with her finger. "Are you having fun today, baby?"
Sofia grins and puts both her hands in her momma's sweatshirt pocket. "Yeah!"
"Okay, good. Me too! Sofia dates are the best. C'mon, let's go see what animals are over that way," Arizona points down the path and stands to take her daughter's hand. They swing their linked arms as they set off to do more exploring.
What had started out as a beautiful day quickly turns to rain. Fortunately, the ever prepared Arizona brought an umbrella, and so the girls finish their tour still moderately dry. They enter the indoor Discovery Center to escape the rain and check out what it has to offer. Sofia is immediately delighted to find an area with a vast array of furry hand puppets, and lets her imagination take over. Arizona is more than amused by her daughter's dramatic reenactment of The Lion King, and joins in when more hands are needed.
After taking in everything the Discovery Center has to offer, the girls decide to call it a day. It's still raining outside and on their way out, they see a grandfather and his grandson entering the park, using their coats to block out the rain. Sofia stops and looks to Arizona. "Wait, Momma! Let's give them our umbrella. They're getting all wet!"
Arizona smiles at her little girl and leans down to pull her hood up over her head. She hands Sofia the umbrella and pulls on her own hood, watching as her mini-Calliope runs over to the soggy pair who have sought shelter under an awning. The old man tries to politely decline her offer, but Arizona interjects with a dimpled smile. "We're heading to our car anyway. You don't want to miss out on all the fun because of a little rain."
After a profuse round of thank-you's from the grandpa and little boy, Sofia takes her momma's hand and they run-walk to their car, wishing they could get there faster. They hop into the car as quickly as they can, laughing and wiping the wet hair off their foreheads. Sofia grins, still catching her breath, and buckles her seatbelt. "We shoulda worn our heelies!"
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[Daddy's Date]
"Alright, Sofia, what do you want on yours? Ketchup and mustard?"
"Yes, please!"
Mark turns to the man at the concession stand counter. "Can I get a hotdog with everything and one with just ketchup and mustard?" The man sets off to fill their order and Mark looks down at his daughter who is eagerly bouncing on her tippy toes, looking around at all of the Mariners fans making their way through the stadium. He pays for the hotdogs and two bottles of water and directs Sofia to their seats.
"Daddy, we're really close!" Sofia exclaims as Mark leads her towards a section of seats along the first base line.
"I know, kiddo. We got pretty good tickets this time. Maybe we'll be able to catch a foul ball," he says, somewhat conspiratorially and nudges her shoulder.
Sofia grins, her brown eyes alight. "Cool."
They dig into their hotdogs as they watch the players finish warming up. Mark takes a moment to appraise his six and a half year old daughter's appearance. She is outfitted with a pair of sunglasses on top of her head, two pigtailed French braids of dark brown hair, and one missing front tooth. Her purple converse are tied with bright pink shoelaces, but what makes her stick out like a sore thumb among the crowd is her royal blue Chicago Cubs t-shirt. "You're really killing me with that jersey, Sofe... I don't get it, the Cubs aren't even in our league."
He leans in and swipes a small glob of mustard off her cheek with his thumb. She wipes her face with the back of her hand and looks up at her dad with a slightly wrinkled brow. "You said that the Cubs haven't won the World Series in over a hundred years. That's a long time, Dad. I think they need more people to cheer for them."
Mark barks out a laugh and puts an arm around her, hugging her to his side. "You're right, they need all the help they can get."
"Why are the Yankees your favorite team?" Sofia asks, pulling on her slightly oversized sunglasses that make her look even more like her mother.
"Well, I lived in New York for a long time and they are from New York. And they're the greatest team in baseball history."
"Oh, okay." The girl accepts his answer without question. "Mommy likes the Marlins. And Momma likes the Red Sox."
Mark scoffs and mutters, "Pah! Red Sox."
Each time Mark asks what Sofia would like to do on their daddy-daughter date, she responds with, "boy things!" So they usually end up at a sporting event or camping/fishing/hiking. Whatever they choose, Sofia tends to come home covered in dirt with a belly full of junk food. Having two moms and a barrage of other women in her life makes the little girl crave time with her daddy (and sometimes Karev), and Mark wouldn't trade one-on-one time with his daughter for anything. Spending time with Sofia makes Mark feel like he has done something right. No amount of hardcore, successful surgeries could bring the same gratification as teaching his little girl how to tie her shoes or cast a plastic grub into a lake.
The announcer comes over the speakers and directs the crowd to stand for the National Anthem. Sofia stands on her chair, sure to get a good look at everyone. She turns to Mark before he even has a chance to stand and whispers, "Dad! You have to take your hat off for this part!"
Mark removes his Yankees cap as he rises from his seat and holds it over his chest. "I know, kiddo, I didn't forget." Sofia stands at attention with her hand over her heart and sings along with the rest of the fans. He smiles as his mini-Robbins makes an appearance. There had been a time when Mark thought that a behavioral clone of Arizona would drive him insane, but he has to admit that having a respectful and polite kid was really nice. He hadn't realized how lucky he was until he helped host a birthday party for Sofia and discovered that most of the other kids were monsters. Barely anyone had said “please” or “thank you” and he could have used FEMA's help to clean up after the mess they had left. So a mini-Robbins is actually appreciated.
The game begins and Mark spends his time watching his Yankees cream the Mariners while explaining the rules of baseball to his daughter.
"Dad! If he gets a home run, it'll be a grand slam, right?!" Sofia asks during the fifth inning, tugging on her dad's sleeve.
"Yeah, the bases are loaded, so a home run would mean four runs for the Yankees. But there are also two outs, so it's gonna be a tough at-bat."
The ball gets hit high and wide to the third base line and the Mariners' left fielder catches the ball for the out. Mark groans at the missed opportunity to gain a sizable lead and adjusts his hat. Sofia lets out a disappointed breath and pats her dad's shoulder. "It's okay Dad, maybe next time."
He smiles at his best girl and waves to the man selling peanuts in the stands. "Alright Sofe, here is another tradition at baseball games. You had the hotdog, that's the first one, and now it's time for the second." He pays the man and takes the paper bag full of unshelled peanuts. Sofia scoots over in her chair as Mark puts the bag next to her leg. He grabs a couple pieces and motions for her to do the same. "So you have to crack it open, take out the good part, and toss the shell."
"Dad! You can't just throw it on the ground, that's littering!" Sofia looks affronted.
"No, really, that's how you're supposed to do it!" Seeing that he likely wasn't going to convince her, he reaches for one of their discarded cardboard hotdog holders and sets it on the ground in between them. "Alright, how about we throw the shells in here and when the game is over we can throw it in the trash?"
Sofia smiles and concentrates on cracking her own peanut.
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[Mommy's Date]
"So what are you going to make us tonight, Sofia?"
"Hmm... Strawberry shortcake?" the little girl asks hopefully.
Callie laughs a little, "Strawberries again, huh? I thought you hated strawberries..."
Sofia giggles, "Mommy, they're my favorite! You know that!" She leans back against her mother's legs as they both face the bustling market before them.
Callie leans down and tickles her daughter's belly, eliciting an uproar of squeals and delighted laughter. "Of course I know that, Monkey. C'mon, let's go look around!" She takes Sofia's hand and they make their way into Pike Place Market. Sofia loves helping her mother in the kitchen, so Callie puts her in charge of dessert. Sofia chooses what to serve and Callie plays sous chef, offering help only when needed.
They walk up and down the aisles of the market, absorbing all of the colors, smells, and sounds. Sofia makes a point to stop in front of every stand and happily makes conversation with the vendors. Sofia is genuinely interested in people and never struggles to make friends; her personality is far too warm and endearing. Too much like her Momma's.
The mother-daughter duo pick up necessary groceries as well as some fun novelties as they see fit. Any opportunity that Sofia has to assist her mother is taken with a smile. The two are usually joined at the hip. Mark likes to joke that Sofia would follow Callie into a burning building if Callie asked her to. He says it's because Sofia sees just how much she is like her mommy. One day, her Abuelo showed her pictures of Callie as a child and she couldn't stop talking about how "me and mommy are the same!" Callie is constantly amazed by the level of absolute trust and unconditional love that Sofia gives her. It's amazing and terrifying to be the center of someone's world like that.
Sofia takes the lead and brings them to a shop with sunglasses lined up on the table. She takes a pair and puts them on, grinning her cheesiest grin to maximize her cuteness. The glasses are so big they swallow up half of her face, but Callie kneels in front of her daughter and opens her eyes wide as if they made Sofia look like the most glamorous movie star in the world. "Wow, Sofe, you look beautiful!"
The little girl takes off the sunglasses and looks at her mom hopefully. "Really?"
Callie grazes her little cheek with her thumb. "Sofia, you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen."
Sofia smiles at her mother's compliment and puts the glasses back on the table. She leads Callie through the market, making stops when she sees things that interest her. Finally, they end up by the fruit stands.
"How do these look, Sofe?" Callie shows Sofia the strawberries she has gathered for tonight's dessert. The girls appraises them carefully with pursed lips and a wrinkled brow, and Callie has to force herself not to laugh at her adorably serious daughter.
"Yeah, I think those will work. They look red enough."
Callie smirks. "Okay, perfect. We have the rest of the ingredients at home."
"Mommy, can we bring some fruit home for Momma and Daddy?"
"Of course, baby. What should we get them?"
"Well, Daddy likes apples. The ones that are red with a little green on them. And Momma likes blueberries, so I think we should get her those."
She can't help smiling at Sofia's thoughtfulness. "I think that sounds perfect! Grab a bag and we'll get some of each."
A short while later, after some more idle exploration of what the market had to offer, the pair make their way to get some ice cream. Naturally, Sofia chooses strawberry with sprinkles and she watches the boy scoop their treat as Callie pays. He looks to be in his early twenties and has one arm in a short cast.
"What happened to your arm?" Sofia asks with concern.
"I broke it. Fell off my bike."
Sofia's brown eyes light up at the information. "My mommy is a doctor. She fixes broken bones!"
The boy smiles politely and glances at Callie, "Really? That's pretty cool."
Callie watches as her daughter looks at her feet and fidgets a little, before looking back up at the boy through her eyelashes. "Yeah, my dad and my other mom are doctors too."
Both Callie and the young man raise their eyebrows at Sofia's attempt at flirting. He hands the little girl her ice cream cone with an awkward and tentative smile and then reaches to hand Callie hers. She just shrugs and gives a little smirk, clearly amused by the exchange. She had come to accept that one of the genetic gifts Mark had passed along to their daughter was a flirtatious charm. She was okay with it for now, but the minute Sofia turned thirteen, they were sending her to a convent.
Callie laughs at her daughter and ushers her back towards the rest of the market. "Alright, let's go."
Sofia happily licks at her ice cream and calls over her shoulder, "I hope your arm feels better!"
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A/N 2: So the whole echolocation story actually happened to my little cousin. I thought it was awesome and had to include it haha. And no disrespect to the Chicago Cubs. They're my team, even though they suck.