You Picked Me (1/?)
Title: You Picked Me.
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17 in later chapter/s.
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Disclaimer: Not mine! Credit to A Fine Frenzy for the title, too!
Summary: Arizona takes Callie home for the first time to her parents' home in upstate New York. Sled racing, silliness, sexiness, and meeting snarky Allison, Arizona's sister, abounds!
A/N: This is a birthday fic for my wife,clanket who wanted Az's childhood home as the setting and a selection dedicated to GT Snow Racing. She's grate, isn't she?
To say Callie was nervous to be visiting her girlfriend’s parents for the first time was a gross understatement. She was petrified, unable to keep herself from gazing out the window as Arizona navigated through the back roads of Upstate New York. All she’d heard about the Robbins’ clan was the persistent discipline, something Callie had never been too keen on in the first place. She worried she wouldn’t fit in. The image of Arizona’s family was one of tow-headed purity, and Callie was so… not.
Arizona sang softly along with the soulful sounds of A Fine Frenzy on her iPod, plugged into the jack in their souped-up rental car. Callie wasn’t sure why they couldn’t have just rented the Ford Fusion, but Arizona insisted on the Lincoln Navigator that swallowed the pair up along with their three suitcases and two small carry-on bags. The blonde belted out the lyrics with surprisingly melodic success, making Callie grin. The best part of this whole week of vacation was how relaxed her blonde was: her hair in a high ponytail, oversized sunglasses covering the majority of her pretty face.
Callie loved this girl the most.
She joined in with the last few lines of the song, “But you picked me, yeah you picked me,” grinning as Arizona smiled at her and grabbed her hand.
“Are we almost there?” Callie pouted as she sipped from her lukewarm cup of airport coffee.
“Yes, about five more miles, that’s all,” Arizona assured, gripping tightly on Callie’s hand before tugging it upward to brush her lips against the back of her knuckles.
“Really? You know that? Because all I see is dirt road and cows,” the brunette grumbled, pointing at a herd of cattle mulling around in the snowy distance.
“Oh, sorry, Miami. There aren’t any strip clubs or spots to score coke for at least twenty miles,” the blonde retorted, taking a left at what Callie thought was the end of the desolate road.
What was a bleak drive soon became engrossed with towering pines, boughs heavy with snow, creating a feeling of being swallowed whole. Callie watched in amazement as the ivory colored SUV maneuvered through the snow-laden road. Something about it was so whimsical, so beautiful.
They drove straight through until Arizona made a right into seemingly nowhere, coming upon another thicket of trees. Callie admired her sense of direction; she was already a little lost.
“We’re home,” Arizona said softly, and just as Callie was about to protest she looked up to see the sprawling home.
“Wow,” she mumbled, taking in the expansive colonial, complete with wraparound porch. It was dusted with snow to subdue its regality, and Callie blinked a few times to make sure she was taking in the sight. Sure, her family home in Miami was big, but this was just-amazing.
As if on cue, Arizona’s father opened the front door and smiled big enough for both women to see through the car windshield. His ski jacket was zipped up to his chin and he made his way through the shoveled path to the car, slowly.
“Is that your dad?” Callie whispered, smiling some as the older man kept his poise despite the tricky terrain.
“Yep, that’s him.”
“Daniel? Dad? Colonel Robbins?” Callie implored, kicking herself for not asking this sooner.
As Arizona opened her mouth to answer, Callie watched her door swing open, and the gloved hand of Daniel Robbins reach out for her.
“Careful, now, I wouldn’t want you to slip,” he said with an extremely familiar dimpling grin on his already rosy cheeks.
Callie took his hand and eased out of the high-rising SUV, boots hitting the shoveled driveway, steadying herself on the sturdy frame of her girlfriend’s father.
“I’m Callie,” she said, smiling up at him.
He took her hand in one of the firmest handshakes she’d ever encountered, “I’m Daniel, such a pleasure to finally meet you. We’ve been hearing so much about you, nice to put a pretty face to the name.”
Arizona giggled from the other side of the car.
Callie felt herself blushing.
“So, let’s get you girls inside. Amelia has coffee on and something that smells sinfully delicious in the oven. We’ll get you set up in your rooms,” Daniel started as he opened the hatch, taking out both rolling suitcases, “Then sit down and talk for awhile. Callie, I hope you like scotch!”
“Absolutely, sir,” she nodded, watching him walk off with their biggest suitcases.
“Our rooms?” Callie said as she heard the screen door fall back into place.
“Yeah, they’re pretty traditional. But it’s okay; we’ll just be a few doors away from each other. The guest room’s really nice,” Arizona assured as she started walking toward the door with a few bags, leaving Callie with a large duffel.
“Great,” Callie managed to smile, closing the hatch on the Lincoln and following her girlfriend.
****
Daniel wasn’t kidding when he said something smelled good in the oven. As soon as Callie walked through the door, she started salivating. It smelled like Thanksgiving dinner in their warm house. The brunette took the smell as a wonderful complement to the house, which was roomy, but lived in, lit with tons of natural lighting and the fireplace nestled in the corner. Hanging on the walls were photos of Arizona and two other children, one boy, one girl, as well as various family portraits. The one of her brother, Danny, in uniform, holding his sister around her shoulders was particularly beautiful.
“Callie?” said a voice to her left, causing the Latina to turn toward the sound.
“Hi, I was just admiring your photographs,” Callie smiled.
“Oh yes, we’re picture people. We love to keep the memories. You should see our photo albums.” The older blonde woman paused, “I’m Amelia by the way.”
Callie extended her hand, “Callie,” but was quickly engulfed in a warm hug.
Both women smiled.
“I can show you to your room if you’d like?” Amelia asked as she untied her apron, lifting it over her head.
“Absolutely,” Callie said as she followed the woman up the stairs.
She showed her into an expansive guest room, tasteful paintings on the walls, a simple vanity in the corner stacked high with fluffy towels and washcloths. The simple white duvet was tightly stretched across the queen bed, pillows arranged neatly across it.
“This is really beautiful, thanks, Mrs. Robbins,” Callie said after setting down the duffel.
“The bathroom’s three doors down to the left, and Arizona is two doors down. Daniel and I are at the end of the hall. I’ll let you get settled.”
Callie smiled again as Amelia pulled her door closed.
As pretty as this bedroom was, she was pouting at the thought of such a big bed and no cover-hogging blonde wrapped up in her arms. This was supposed to be vacation after all.
***
Callie made her way back downstairs after unpacking the essentials from her suitcases and plugging in her Blackberry. She was looking forward to not toting it around like a phantom limb and actually spending time with Arizona-in their separate bedrooms.
When she re-entered the kitchen, Amelia was chopping veggies on the island while Daniel fussed with the bottles of liquor on the adjacent counter. Arizona leaned against one of them, nursing a drink of her own.
“You’re trusting her with hard liquor?” Callie joked as she accepted the glass from Daniel, earning a chuckle from the older man.
“I know. I went easy on her; it’s mostly soda water,” he winked, eliciting a scandalized gasp from Arizona.
“I can hold my liquor just fine!” she protested, taking a swig for good measure.
“Honey, lying is really not okay in front of your girlfriend,” Amelia teased.
Arizona harrumphed, causing Callie to giggle as she took a sip of the drink. Definitely smoother Scotch than she’d ever ordered at Joe’s before.
“Wow, that’s good,” she commented, taking another sip.
“Well, cheers,” Daniel said as he lifted his glass, causing Amelia to lift her wine and Arizona to grudgingly lift her watered down semblance of a drink.
Their glasses clinked merrily and each took a healthy swig.
Callie sidled up to her girlfriend and leaned against the same counter space, enjoying the warm atmosphere.
“So, Callie, Arizona tells us you’re in orthopedics?” Daniel said as he slipped his free hand into the pocket of his jeans. “Impressive.”
“Yes, I am,” Callie smiled, a little shyly. “I love it.”
“She’s being modest. She’s built legs from rods and made people walk who weren’t going to again. She’s pretty good at her job,” Arizona interjected, earning a playful elbow from the woman on her right.
“That’s incredible, Callie,” Amelia continued, “I’m sure your parents are exceptionally proud of you.”
“Yes, as I’m sure you’re proud of your world-class pediatric surgeon,” the brunette quipped, smiling broadly to both of them.
“Just a little,” Daniel teased, wrapping his arm around Arizona’s shoulders and kissing the top of her head.
“You have another daughter, right?” Callie asked, smiling.
“Yes, Allison. She’ll be joining us for dinner. She’s in law school at Columbia, so she’s going to drive up for the weekend,” Daniel said, the excitement evident in his tone.
“Speaking of, dinner’s not for a few hours if you’d like to show Callie around, Arizona,” Amelia added as she finished slicing the last of the celery on her massive cutting board.
“Yes, please!” Callie smirked, finishing the last of her drink and setting it in the sink. She fleetingly saw that Arizona had barely finished her own.
“Well,” the blonde began, dumping her drink down the sink, “Wanna play in the snow?”
The adorably innocent question made Callie wrinkle her nose.
“Absolutely.”
***
After bundling up in various winter gear, Arizona led Callie to the garage. The brunette stood, arms wrapped around herself, cold despite the layers. The space was organized, housing everything from tools to snow blowers to sporting equipment. Nestled into the corner were pretty complicated looking sleds, which Arizona pointed to.
“Sledding on those will change your life,” Arizona said.
Callie laughed some, “Well, I’ve never been sledding, so...”
“What?” Arizona gasped, “Oh, baby, you’re in for a treat.”
But before she could get to the sleds, Callie grabbed her by the wrist, gently pulling her close. Her arms slipped around her waist and she dipped in for a less than chaste kiss, pulling back only when Arizona let out a small sound of growing approval.
“Your house is really beautiful,” Callie said as she brushed her lips against the other pair once more.
“Mm, thanks,” Arizona managed through a hazy, half-lidded stare, obliging the kiss again.
“We have to stop, or I’m not going to be able to hold back,” Callie said in a tone that sent a shiver along Arizona’s spine, causing her back to arch forward.
“Is that a promise?” the blonde dared, detangling herself from her girlfriend as she picked up one of the fancy GT-Racing toboggans.
“Red or blue?” She asked.
“Whichever one you’ll see better when I win the race.”
“Cocky,” Arizona smirked, “for someone who’s never been sledding, especially not against me.”
“Not afraid of you, Robbins.”
“Oh, you should be shaking in your fancy little boots, Calliope.”
“You’re on.”
**
They stood at the top of the hill, still somehow on Arizona’s property. Callie looked wearily over at the dips and divots. Arizona extended an arm over her head, stretching it out. The brunette wondered why she felt the need to do that, and it made the competitiveness inside of her flare up even greater.
Arizona mounted the sled, gesturing for Callie to do the same. Now sitting awkwardly on the seat of the hybrid toboggan, Callie rolled her eyes.
“If I die, I’m killing you,” she added as she got situated on the toy.
“Calliope, relax. You’re not going to die,” Arizona smirked. “But you will be crying ‘cause you lost our race. First one to the bottom of the second hill, past that tree on the far right.”
“Got it,” Callie nodded.
“Three, two, one- GO!”
They were off, Arizona obviously jumping the gun of her own call and making Callie grumble something explicit before she followed her. This thing was awkward, and the steering wheel in the center barely did a damn thing. Hating to admit it, Arizona was really good at keeping her balance, leaning just enough to gain more speed, pulling back when it started to get too fast. Callie was a quick study though and soon just inches away from the blonde.
“Eat my snow, Torres!” Arizona called, picking up more speed.
“You are so lame, it’s ridiculous!” Callie yelled back, leaning forward some to pick up speed, narrowly missing a small cluster of shrubbery.
Arizona turned to wink at the brunette over her shoulder, head turning back around just in time to see the bank of snow she was trying to steer around. Even with her quick maneuvering, she wasn’t able to avoid it, running smack into it with a loud “Oof!”
“Shit!” Callie called, trying not to laugh. She pulled back on the handles of the sled and skidded to a halt, abandoning it as she rushed over to her girlfriend.
“Don’t move anything, okay? Are you okay?” Callie asked as she pulled Arizona out of the snow, helping her brush off.
“Yeah, just a little shaken up, but I’m okay. I hit a tree once when I was a kid, chipped a tooth, broke my nose,” Arizona wrinkled it, plucking at her coat to remove the snow from the back of it. “This is nothing.”
“You scared me,” Callie breathed as she took the blonde into her arms.
“I’m fine, Calliope. Tough as nails.”
Callie smirked, nodding even as Arizona’s skinny little self shook like a leaf in her arms.
“Wanna go back? Get dried off?”
Arizona’s hold tightened around her girlfriend, “In a minute. This feels good.”
Callie kissed her forehead, smiling against it.
**
After digging Arizona’s sled out from the bank, the pair made it back up to the garage and put the toys away. Callie was starting to get cold, and Arizona had to be freezing with all that snow melting against her body.
“I wanna shower with you,” Callie pouted, settling her racing sled back against in its spot.
Arizona grinned deviously, “I wish, but I don’t think my mom would really like how loud you get.”
“Me?” Callie asked, scoffing. “Um, maybe you want to rethink that statement.”
“I am nowhere near as noisy as you,” Arizona said, unzipping her jacket.
“Well, fine, I can just be silent. You won’t know if I’m sleeping or enjoying myself,” Callie smirked as she pushed past the blonde, toward the door.
Arizona grabbed her by the hood of her coat, “Hey, I love the sounds. I’m just saying, my mom might not. And I kind of wanna make you loud.”
“Bad, bad, bad,” Callie gasped as Arizona pulled her against her again, crashing her lips against the other pair. Her hands were up underneath the material of the brunette’s ski jacket sooner than she imagined, and those cold fingertips against her skin made her mind reel.
“Stop,” Callie pleaded. “Please, it’s driving me crazy.”
“Two more minutes,” Arizona wagered, unzipping that coat so she could properly touch her girlfriend, fingertips brushing at the underside of her bra while her mouth started at Callie’s neck. She smelled like the crisp snow and her Calliope.
“I can’t,” Callie gasped, winding her fingers through the back of Arizona’s wavy locks. “Baby,” she hissed.
“Just wait ‘til I get you out of these clothes…put my mouth-”
“Arizona!” called the voice from behind the door, sending the pair scrambling away from each other.
After fixing her coat and pulling Callie’s shirt down, Arizona cleared her throat, “Out here!”
The door opened, sending a pretty brunette through. She was wearing a Columbia University sweatshirt, cradling her jacket in one hand, and smiling as she spotted the pair.
“Allie!” Arizona squealed, wrapping her arms around the shorter woman.
The sisters hugged, making Callie smile and simultaneously miss Aria.
“Is this your girlfriend?” the brunette asked after a few more seconds. “She’s a hottie,” was her less than subtle comment.
“This is Callie. Callie, Allison,” Arizona said, watching the newly introduced women shake hands.
“Mom sent me to find you. She said dinner’s soon, and I figured you might need to dry off,” she smirked.
Callie liked her already.
“Yeah, we’ll be right in.”
“Don’t let Dad come out here and walk in on you-again. See you in there,” Allison said as she left the garage, closing the door behind her.
“Oh?” Callie teased.
“It was my college girlfriend, and we were wasted,” Arizona sulked.
“Did you take her sledding, too?”
Arizona playfully punched Callie in the arm and walked through the door.
“What? I wasn’t the one caught doing the dirty!”
**
Seated around the table in now dry clothes, Amelia set a steaming bowl of mashed potatoes down, taking her seat finally. Callie’s eyes took in the lavish meal: turkey, potatoes, green beans, fresh rolls, and salad. She and Arizona ate pizza and take out most of the time, with the occasional pasta dish thrown in there. Nothing like this.
Daniel smoothed his napkin over his lap, holding his hands out on either side of him. Amelia and Arizona took each hand and Callie clasped Amelia’s within her own.
He said a quick blessing, thankful for the food and his daughters and their new guest, Callie.
It made her smile because it seemed genuine, not some act put on for guests. After the “amens,” Amelia started dishing out the dinner she made, heaping Callie’s plate with an immense amount of food.
“So, did Arizona show you around?” Daniel asked, buttering his roll.
“Well, sort of. We tried to go sledding, but-”
“I crashed into a snow bank,” Arizona said as she hung her head.
“See? Good thing you didn’t actually finish your drink!” Amelia teased, scooping potatoes onto Allison’s plate.
“Remember when you smashed your face on that tree?” Allison laughed.
“Funny!” Arizona rolled her eyes.
“Such a clumsy kid,” Daniel re-affirmed. “I wonder if your affinity for pediatrics has anything to do with how many times your mother had to take you to the hospital.”
Callie choked on her green beans, gulping down water to keep from laughing.
“You guys are really on the ball tonight. Hilarious!” Arizona smirked despite herself, angrily cutting her turkey.
“Oh come on, Ari, seriously. You were in the hospital at least twice a year. Stitches, broken arms…” Allison bit her lip, “bee stings.”
“Aww, honey,” Callie said as she rubbed Arizona’s shoulder.
“Allison, I think Arizona’s still a little sensitive about that,” Amelia said, unable to hide the smirk on her lips.
“Now I’m curious,” the Latina admitted.
“Well, maybe we should talk about something else,” Daniel said with a stoic face, which quickly broke into a laugh. “Sorry, honey.”
“It’s fine, you can tell the story,” Arizona huffed, though faintly smiling.
“So, Arizona had been watching Fried Green Tomatoes every day one summer. I think she thought she was Idgie, for real,” Allison said, wiping her mouth. “She wore these overalls rolled up to her ankles.”
Callie looked over to Amelia, head bowed, shoulders shaking with laughter.
“Anyway, so she literally thinks she’s just going to rule the land. Tried fishing in our pond with this stick and string…”
Amelia snorted with laughter.
Arizona sighed into her mashed potatoes.
“So, genius here decides she’s going to be a bee keeper when she gets older. We have this massive hive on one of the trees near the woods. Dad told us about twelve thousand times to stay away from it; it was far enough on the property that we wouldn’t have to go near it. But, Arizona, or Idgie, rather, was determined.”
Callie was laughing so hard at Allison’s dry tone that she had to wipe her eyes with her napkin, “She didn’t-?”
“One day she goes out to the hive. I’m kind of watching her out of disbelief, but I was too little to really register what was happening. I just see my sister in her overalls with fishing net over her face. And so I follow her about halfway, until I see her going for the hive.”
“At this point she comes in to get me, and well, keep going, Allison,” Amelia managed through a giggle.
“So Mom and I race outside, but it’s too late. Arizona’s already trying to harvest the honey from this hive, holding a bell jar. Before we can get to her though, we hear this blood-curdling scream…and then she comes sprinting back up with literally a cloud of bees following her. Something out of friggin’ Looney Tunes,” Allison murmured, deadpanned.
“And I panic, and the only thing I can think to do is grab the hose,” Amelia said through gasps, “and even though she’s getting stung like wild, I decide to spray her.”
“Did it stop the bees?”
“Eventually,” Allison added.
Arizona shook her head slowly, “It was real funny getting stung forty seven times. My face swelled up like a balloon.”
“Well, it’s back to normal now, I’d say,” Callie smirked, “I always wondered why you hated bees so much. I assumed you were allergic.”
Amelia’s laugh came in a short bark.
“We were all a little concerned about your lack of… well…sense, but are extremely happy that you’re so brilliant today, sweetheart,” Daniel said after taking a swig of water.
“Not sure that brilliant people disturb huge bee hives, but congrats on all the medical success, sis,” Allison teased.
Arizona huffed playfully, crossing her arms across her chest.
Callie’s heart leapt in her chest. This was what a family should be like. Not quiet, brooding, and resentful, but happy and honest. She hoped that hers would come around soon, smiling in anticipation at more of these familial anecdotes.
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17 in later chapter/s.
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Disclaimer: Not mine! Credit to A Fine Frenzy for the title, too!
Summary: Arizona takes Callie home for the first time to her parents' home in upstate New York. Sled racing, silliness, sexiness, and meeting snarky Allison, Arizona's sister, abounds!
A/N: This is a birthday fic for my wife,clanket who wanted Az's childhood home as the setting and a selection dedicated to GT Snow Racing. She's grate, isn't she?
To say Callie was nervous to be visiting her girlfriend’s parents for the first time was a gross understatement. She was petrified, unable to keep herself from gazing out the window as Arizona navigated through the back roads of Upstate New York. All she’d heard about the Robbins’ clan was the persistent discipline, something Callie had never been too keen on in the first place. She worried she wouldn’t fit in. The image of Arizona’s family was one of tow-headed purity, and Callie was so… not.
Arizona sang softly along with the soulful sounds of A Fine Frenzy on her iPod, plugged into the jack in their souped-up rental car. Callie wasn’t sure why they couldn’t have just rented the Ford Fusion, but Arizona insisted on the Lincoln Navigator that swallowed the pair up along with their three suitcases and two small carry-on bags. The blonde belted out the lyrics with surprisingly melodic success, making Callie grin. The best part of this whole week of vacation was how relaxed her blonde was: her hair in a high ponytail, oversized sunglasses covering the majority of her pretty face.
Callie loved this girl the most.
She joined in with the last few lines of the song, “But you picked me, yeah you picked me,” grinning as Arizona smiled at her and grabbed her hand.
“Are we almost there?” Callie pouted as she sipped from her lukewarm cup of airport coffee.
“Yes, about five more miles, that’s all,” Arizona assured, gripping tightly on Callie’s hand before tugging it upward to brush her lips against the back of her knuckles.
“Really? You know that? Because all I see is dirt road and cows,” the brunette grumbled, pointing at a herd of cattle mulling around in the snowy distance.
“Oh, sorry, Miami. There aren’t any strip clubs or spots to score coke for at least twenty miles,” the blonde retorted, taking a left at what Callie thought was the end of the desolate road.
What was a bleak drive soon became engrossed with towering pines, boughs heavy with snow, creating a feeling of being swallowed whole. Callie watched in amazement as the ivory colored SUV maneuvered through the snow-laden road. Something about it was so whimsical, so beautiful.
They drove straight through until Arizona made a right into seemingly nowhere, coming upon another thicket of trees. Callie admired her sense of direction; she was already a little lost.
“We’re home,” Arizona said softly, and just as Callie was about to protest she looked up to see the sprawling home.
“Wow,” she mumbled, taking in the expansive colonial, complete with wraparound porch. It was dusted with snow to subdue its regality, and Callie blinked a few times to make sure she was taking in the sight. Sure, her family home in Miami was big, but this was just-amazing.
As if on cue, Arizona’s father opened the front door and smiled big enough for both women to see through the car windshield. His ski jacket was zipped up to his chin and he made his way through the shoveled path to the car, slowly.
“Is that your dad?” Callie whispered, smiling some as the older man kept his poise despite the tricky terrain.
“Yep, that’s him.”
“Daniel? Dad? Colonel Robbins?” Callie implored, kicking herself for not asking this sooner.
As Arizona opened her mouth to answer, Callie watched her door swing open, and the gloved hand of Daniel Robbins reach out for her.
“Careful, now, I wouldn’t want you to slip,” he said with an extremely familiar dimpling grin on his already rosy cheeks.
Callie took his hand and eased out of the high-rising SUV, boots hitting the shoveled driveway, steadying herself on the sturdy frame of her girlfriend’s father.
“I’m Callie,” she said, smiling up at him.
He took her hand in one of the firmest handshakes she’d ever encountered, “I’m Daniel, such a pleasure to finally meet you. We’ve been hearing so much about you, nice to put a pretty face to the name.”
Arizona giggled from the other side of the car.
Callie felt herself blushing.
“So, let’s get you girls inside. Amelia has coffee on and something that smells sinfully delicious in the oven. We’ll get you set up in your rooms,” Daniel started as he opened the hatch, taking out both rolling suitcases, “Then sit down and talk for awhile. Callie, I hope you like scotch!”
“Absolutely, sir,” she nodded, watching him walk off with their biggest suitcases.
“Our rooms?” Callie said as she heard the screen door fall back into place.
“Yeah, they’re pretty traditional. But it’s okay; we’ll just be a few doors away from each other. The guest room’s really nice,” Arizona assured as she started walking toward the door with a few bags, leaving Callie with a large duffel.
“Great,” Callie managed to smile, closing the hatch on the Lincoln and following her girlfriend.
****
Daniel wasn’t kidding when he said something smelled good in the oven. As soon as Callie walked through the door, she started salivating. It smelled like Thanksgiving dinner in their warm house. The brunette took the smell as a wonderful complement to the house, which was roomy, but lived in, lit with tons of natural lighting and the fireplace nestled in the corner. Hanging on the walls were photos of Arizona and two other children, one boy, one girl, as well as various family portraits. The one of her brother, Danny, in uniform, holding his sister around her shoulders was particularly beautiful.
“Callie?” said a voice to her left, causing the Latina to turn toward the sound.
“Hi, I was just admiring your photographs,” Callie smiled.
“Oh yes, we’re picture people. We love to keep the memories. You should see our photo albums.” The older blonde woman paused, “I’m Amelia by the way.”
Callie extended her hand, “Callie,” but was quickly engulfed in a warm hug.
Both women smiled.
“I can show you to your room if you’d like?” Amelia asked as she untied her apron, lifting it over her head.
“Absolutely,” Callie said as she followed the woman up the stairs.
She showed her into an expansive guest room, tasteful paintings on the walls, a simple vanity in the corner stacked high with fluffy towels and washcloths. The simple white duvet was tightly stretched across the queen bed, pillows arranged neatly across it.
“This is really beautiful, thanks, Mrs. Robbins,” Callie said after setting down the duffel.
“The bathroom’s three doors down to the left, and Arizona is two doors down. Daniel and I are at the end of the hall. I’ll let you get settled.”
Callie smiled again as Amelia pulled her door closed.
As pretty as this bedroom was, she was pouting at the thought of such a big bed and no cover-hogging blonde wrapped up in her arms. This was supposed to be vacation after all.
***
Callie made her way back downstairs after unpacking the essentials from her suitcases and plugging in her Blackberry. She was looking forward to not toting it around like a phantom limb and actually spending time with Arizona-in their separate bedrooms.
When she re-entered the kitchen, Amelia was chopping veggies on the island while Daniel fussed with the bottles of liquor on the adjacent counter. Arizona leaned against one of them, nursing a drink of her own.
“You’re trusting her with hard liquor?” Callie joked as she accepted the glass from Daniel, earning a chuckle from the older man.
“I know. I went easy on her; it’s mostly soda water,” he winked, eliciting a scandalized gasp from Arizona.
“I can hold my liquor just fine!” she protested, taking a swig for good measure.
“Honey, lying is really not okay in front of your girlfriend,” Amelia teased.
Arizona harrumphed, causing Callie to giggle as she took a sip of the drink. Definitely smoother Scotch than she’d ever ordered at Joe’s before.
“Wow, that’s good,” she commented, taking another sip.
“Well, cheers,” Daniel said as he lifted his glass, causing Amelia to lift her wine and Arizona to grudgingly lift her watered down semblance of a drink.
Their glasses clinked merrily and each took a healthy swig.
Callie sidled up to her girlfriend and leaned against the same counter space, enjoying the warm atmosphere.
“So, Callie, Arizona tells us you’re in orthopedics?” Daniel said as he slipped his free hand into the pocket of his jeans. “Impressive.”
“Yes, I am,” Callie smiled, a little shyly. “I love it.”
“She’s being modest. She’s built legs from rods and made people walk who weren’t going to again. She’s pretty good at her job,” Arizona interjected, earning a playful elbow from the woman on her right.
“That’s incredible, Callie,” Amelia continued, “I’m sure your parents are exceptionally proud of you.”
“Yes, as I’m sure you’re proud of your world-class pediatric surgeon,” the brunette quipped, smiling broadly to both of them.
“Just a little,” Daniel teased, wrapping his arm around Arizona’s shoulders and kissing the top of her head.
“You have another daughter, right?” Callie asked, smiling.
“Yes, Allison. She’ll be joining us for dinner. She’s in law school at Columbia, so she’s going to drive up for the weekend,” Daniel said, the excitement evident in his tone.
“Speaking of, dinner’s not for a few hours if you’d like to show Callie around, Arizona,” Amelia added as she finished slicing the last of the celery on her massive cutting board.
“Yes, please!” Callie smirked, finishing the last of her drink and setting it in the sink. She fleetingly saw that Arizona had barely finished her own.
“Well,” the blonde began, dumping her drink down the sink, “Wanna play in the snow?”
The adorably innocent question made Callie wrinkle her nose.
“Absolutely.”
***
After bundling up in various winter gear, Arizona led Callie to the garage. The brunette stood, arms wrapped around herself, cold despite the layers. The space was organized, housing everything from tools to snow blowers to sporting equipment. Nestled into the corner were pretty complicated looking sleds, which Arizona pointed to.
“Sledding on those will change your life,” Arizona said.
Callie laughed some, “Well, I’ve never been sledding, so...”
“What?” Arizona gasped, “Oh, baby, you’re in for a treat.”
But before she could get to the sleds, Callie grabbed her by the wrist, gently pulling her close. Her arms slipped around her waist and she dipped in for a less than chaste kiss, pulling back only when Arizona let out a small sound of growing approval.
“Your house is really beautiful,” Callie said as she brushed her lips against the other pair once more.
“Mm, thanks,” Arizona managed through a hazy, half-lidded stare, obliging the kiss again.
“We have to stop, or I’m not going to be able to hold back,” Callie said in a tone that sent a shiver along Arizona’s spine, causing her back to arch forward.
“Is that a promise?” the blonde dared, detangling herself from her girlfriend as she picked up one of the fancy GT-Racing toboggans.
“Red or blue?” She asked.
“Whichever one you’ll see better when I win the race.”
“Cocky,” Arizona smirked, “for someone who’s never been sledding, especially not against me.”
“Not afraid of you, Robbins.”
“Oh, you should be shaking in your fancy little boots, Calliope.”
“You’re on.”
**
They stood at the top of the hill, still somehow on Arizona’s property. Callie looked wearily over at the dips and divots. Arizona extended an arm over her head, stretching it out. The brunette wondered why she felt the need to do that, and it made the competitiveness inside of her flare up even greater.
Arizona mounted the sled, gesturing for Callie to do the same. Now sitting awkwardly on the seat of the hybrid toboggan, Callie rolled her eyes.
“If I die, I’m killing you,” she added as she got situated on the toy.
“Calliope, relax. You’re not going to die,” Arizona smirked. “But you will be crying ‘cause you lost our race. First one to the bottom of the second hill, past that tree on the far right.”
“Got it,” Callie nodded.
“Three, two, one- GO!”
They were off, Arizona obviously jumping the gun of her own call and making Callie grumble something explicit before she followed her. This thing was awkward, and the steering wheel in the center barely did a damn thing. Hating to admit it, Arizona was really good at keeping her balance, leaning just enough to gain more speed, pulling back when it started to get too fast. Callie was a quick study though and soon just inches away from the blonde.
“Eat my snow, Torres!” Arizona called, picking up more speed.
“You are so lame, it’s ridiculous!” Callie yelled back, leaning forward some to pick up speed, narrowly missing a small cluster of shrubbery.
Arizona turned to wink at the brunette over her shoulder, head turning back around just in time to see the bank of snow she was trying to steer around. Even with her quick maneuvering, she wasn’t able to avoid it, running smack into it with a loud “Oof!”
“Shit!” Callie called, trying not to laugh. She pulled back on the handles of the sled and skidded to a halt, abandoning it as she rushed over to her girlfriend.
“Don’t move anything, okay? Are you okay?” Callie asked as she pulled Arizona out of the snow, helping her brush off.
“Yeah, just a little shaken up, but I’m okay. I hit a tree once when I was a kid, chipped a tooth, broke my nose,” Arizona wrinkled it, plucking at her coat to remove the snow from the back of it. “This is nothing.”
“You scared me,” Callie breathed as she took the blonde into her arms.
“I’m fine, Calliope. Tough as nails.”
Callie smirked, nodding even as Arizona’s skinny little self shook like a leaf in her arms.
“Wanna go back? Get dried off?”
Arizona’s hold tightened around her girlfriend, “In a minute. This feels good.”
Callie kissed her forehead, smiling against it.
**
After digging Arizona’s sled out from the bank, the pair made it back up to the garage and put the toys away. Callie was starting to get cold, and Arizona had to be freezing with all that snow melting against her body.
“I wanna shower with you,” Callie pouted, settling her racing sled back against in its spot.
Arizona grinned deviously, “I wish, but I don’t think my mom would really like how loud you get.”
“Me?” Callie asked, scoffing. “Um, maybe you want to rethink that statement.”
“I am nowhere near as noisy as you,” Arizona said, unzipping her jacket.
“Well, fine, I can just be silent. You won’t know if I’m sleeping or enjoying myself,” Callie smirked as she pushed past the blonde, toward the door.
Arizona grabbed her by the hood of her coat, “Hey, I love the sounds. I’m just saying, my mom might not. And I kind of wanna make you loud.”
“Bad, bad, bad,” Callie gasped as Arizona pulled her against her again, crashing her lips against the other pair. Her hands were up underneath the material of the brunette’s ski jacket sooner than she imagined, and those cold fingertips against her skin made her mind reel.
“Stop,” Callie pleaded. “Please, it’s driving me crazy.”
“Two more minutes,” Arizona wagered, unzipping that coat so she could properly touch her girlfriend, fingertips brushing at the underside of her bra while her mouth started at Callie’s neck. She smelled like the crisp snow and her Calliope.
“I can’t,” Callie gasped, winding her fingers through the back of Arizona’s wavy locks. “Baby,” she hissed.
“Just wait ‘til I get you out of these clothes…put my mouth-”
“Arizona!” called the voice from behind the door, sending the pair scrambling away from each other.
After fixing her coat and pulling Callie’s shirt down, Arizona cleared her throat, “Out here!”
The door opened, sending a pretty brunette through. She was wearing a Columbia University sweatshirt, cradling her jacket in one hand, and smiling as she spotted the pair.
“Allie!” Arizona squealed, wrapping her arms around the shorter woman.
The sisters hugged, making Callie smile and simultaneously miss Aria.
“Is this your girlfriend?” the brunette asked after a few more seconds. “She’s a hottie,” was her less than subtle comment.
“This is Callie. Callie, Allison,” Arizona said, watching the newly introduced women shake hands.
“Mom sent me to find you. She said dinner’s soon, and I figured you might need to dry off,” she smirked.
Callie liked her already.
“Yeah, we’ll be right in.”
“Don’t let Dad come out here and walk in on you-again. See you in there,” Allison said as she left the garage, closing the door behind her.
“Oh?” Callie teased.
“It was my college girlfriend, and we were wasted,” Arizona sulked.
“Did you take her sledding, too?”
Arizona playfully punched Callie in the arm and walked through the door.
“What? I wasn’t the one caught doing the dirty!”
**
Seated around the table in now dry clothes, Amelia set a steaming bowl of mashed potatoes down, taking her seat finally. Callie’s eyes took in the lavish meal: turkey, potatoes, green beans, fresh rolls, and salad. She and Arizona ate pizza and take out most of the time, with the occasional pasta dish thrown in there. Nothing like this.
Daniel smoothed his napkin over his lap, holding his hands out on either side of him. Amelia and Arizona took each hand and Callie clasped Amelia’s within her own.
He said a quick blessing, thankful for the food and his daughters and their new guest, Callie.
It made her smile because it seemed genuine, not some act put on for guests. After the “amens,” Amelia started dishing out the dinner she made, heaping Callie’s plate with an immense amount of food.
“So, did Arizona show you around?” Daniel asked, buttering his roll.
“Well, sort of. We tried to go sledding, but-”
“I crashed into a snow bank,” Arizona said as she hung her head.
“See? Good thing you didn’t actually finish your drink!” Amelia teased, scooping potatoes onto Allison’s plate.
“Remember when you smashed your face on that tree?” Allison laughed.
“Funny!” Arizona rolled her eyes.
“Such a clumsy kid,” Daniel re-affirmed. “I wonder if your affinity for pediatrics has anything to do with how many times your mother had to take you to the hospital.”
Callie choked on her green beans, gulping down water to keep from laughing.
“You guys are really on the ball tonight. Hilarious!” Arizona smirked despite herself, angrily cutting her turkey.
“Oh come on, Ari, seriously. You were in the hospital at least twice a year. Stitches, broken arms…” Allison bit her lip, “bee stings.”
“Aww, honey,” Callie said as she rubbed Arizona’s shoulder.
“Allison, I think Arizona’s still a little sensitive about that,” Amelia said, unable to hide the smirk on her lips.
“Now I’m curious,” the Latina admitted.
“Well, maybe we should talk about something else,” Daniel said with a stoic face, which quickly broke into a laugh. “Sorry, honey.”
“It’s fine, you can tell the story,” Arizona huffed, though faintly smiling.
“So, Arizona had been watching Fried Green Tomatoes every day one summer. I think she thought she was Idgie, for real,” Allison said, wiping her mouth. “She wore these overalls rolled up to her ankles.”
Callie looked over to Amelia, head bowed, shoulders shaking with laughter.
“Anyway, so she literally thinks she’s just going to rule the land. Tried fishing in our pond with this stick and string…”
Amelia snorted with laughter.
Arizona sighed into her mashed potatoes.
“So, genius here decides she’s going to be a bee keeper when she gets older. We have this massive hive on one of the trees near the woods. Dad told us about twelve thousand times to stay away from it; it was far enough on the property that we wouldn’t have to go near it. But, Arizona, or Idgie, rather, was determined.”
Callie was laughing so hard at Allison’s dry tone that she had to wipe her eyes with her napkin, “She didn’t-?”
“One day she goes out to the hive. I’m kind of watching her out of disbelief, but I was too little to really register what was happening. I just see my sister in her overalls with fishing net over her face. And so I follow her about halfway, until I see her going for the hive.”
“At this point she comes in to get me, and well, keep going, Allison,” Amelia managed through a giggle.
“So Mom and I race outside, but it’s too late. Arizona’s already trying to harvest the honey from this hive, holding a bell jar. Before we can get to her though, we hear this blood-curdling scream…and then she comes sprinting back up with literally a cloud of bees following her. Something out of friggin’ Looney Tunes,” Allison murmured, deadpanned.
“And I panic, and the only thing I can think to do is grab the hose,” Amelia said through gasps, “and even though she’s getting stung like wild, I decide to spray her.”
“Did it stop the bees?”
“Eventually,” Allison added.
Arizona shook her head slowly, “It was real funny getting stung forty seven times. My face swelled up like a balloon.”
“Well, it’s back to normal now, I’d say,” Callie smirked, “I always wondered why you hated bees so much. I assumed you were allergic.”
Amelia’s laugh came in a short bark.
“We were all a little concerned about your lack of… well…sense, but are extremely happy that you’re so brilliant today, sweetheart,” Daniel said after taking a swig of water.
“Not sure that brilliant people disturb huge bee hives, but congrats on all the medical success, sis,” Allison teased.
Arizona huffed playfully, crossing her arms across her chest.
Callie’s heart leapt in her chest. This was what a family should be like. Not quiet, brooding, and resentful, but happy and honest. She hoped that hers would come around soon, smiling in anticipation at more of these familial anecdotes.