Fic: About Time, 2/3
Title: About Time
Author: A. Windsor
Pairing/Characters: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. My one semester of law school could allow me to legalese this a little more, but it also tells me it’s pretty useless. So please don’t sue; it’s not mine, I’m just playing!
Series: Thing!verse
Summary: “Dearly beloved: we have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of these women in Holy Matrimony.”
Author’s Note: Thanks for the great response. Here’s a reception for you. Beta'd by the wonderful roughian once again.
Part 1
***
Rosario Torres surveys her handiwork. The ceremony was quite beautiful, but this is their coup de grace, a stunning reception at the nicest hotel in downtown Seattle. It’s not the wedding she once imagined for Calliope; she imagined the ceremony in the same cathedral where her daughters were christened and confirmed; she imagined the reception at the swankiest of their Miami hotels, or if Calliope preferred something smaller, at their own palatial estate, and, well, she imagined there would be a groom. Of course, Calliope had a wedding with a groom and completely robbed her of the experience of planning or even attending the wedding, so she supposes she’ll take what she can get.
All joking aside, she loves Arizona and all the Robbins, and especially her angelic nietos, the apples of her eye.
“The caterer has everything in order,” Emeline Robbins informs her. “The band?”
“Setting up now. The florists did beautiful work, no?”
“They did,” Emeline nods once, firmly.
“Abuelita! Grammy!” a very familiar voice calls from behind them. The grandmothers turn to see their beloved grandson barreling towards them, Addison Montgomery and Sam Bennett following. Sam carries little Lena and her diaper bag.
“Asa-darling,” Emeline laughs, “What have you done with your mothers?”
“Aunt Addy and Uncle Sam brought us!” Asa completely misses the point.
“They’re upstairs. Freshening up,” Addison says with a knowing grin. “Don’t worry; the best man and maid of honor have strict instructions to get them down here in time for their entrance. The Shepherds and Dr. Bailey are bringing Tuck and the girls here soon, so they can run all their sillies out before dinner. I thought it would be good for Lena and Asa to do the same.”
“They were very well-behaved for pictures,” Rosario comments, ruffling Asa’s up-until-recently tamed locks. “I guess they deserve a little time to run.”
As if on cue, eight-year-old Tuck Bailey Jones and Ally and Katie Shepherd (five and two, respectively) come sprinting into the ballroom, Tuck playfully chasing after the younger girls. Asa joins in, and they take their game of breathless tag to the dance floor, enjoying the way they slip-slide on the slick surface with their dress shoes while staying mostly out of the way of the staff putting finishing touches on the reception. Lena squirms at the sight of the older children, so Sam puts her down. He doesn’t, however, let the unsteady girl take off after her brother and his companions, distracting her so that she simply toddles within a few feet of the gathered adults. Katie soon joins her, enjoying playtime a little more at her speed.
“Tuck is so good with the little ones,” Emeline praises Miranda Bailey, watching her grandson hold his own with the older children.
“Just these kids,” Bailey notes. “They’re his people. He looks out for them in daycare. Other little kids he has absolutely no time for.”
Rosario smiles as her granddaughter walks towards her, leaning over to scoop her up.
“Hola, rubia,” [Hello, blondie,] she greets with a kiss to Lena’s pale little cheek. “¿Buen fiesta, no?” [Good party, huh?]
Lena blinks those clear, bright blue eyes at her with a happy smile.
“Ay, qué ojos claritos. Vas a romper a todos los corazones,” [Oh, what pretty blue eyes. You’re going to break so many hearts,] Rosario gushes, kissing her again. She’ll never get enough of this sweet baby girl. With yet another kiss, she sets the little one down and pats her diapered rump under her pretty dress. “Andáte a divertir con la amiga.” [Go play with your friend.]
Emeline (who can only see her own daughter when looking at her angelic granddaughter) laughs as Lena stumbles away at a toddler’s approximation of a run.
The guests have started to arrive en masse, so the mothers of the brides are thrown back into their hostessing jobs, supervising the distribution of place cards and the rotation of appetizers, hoping that Mark and Teddy can do their jobs and get Callie and Arizona into place on time.
***
“Holy crap, we’re married,” Callie says for the millionth time. This time she mumbles it into Arizona’s flushed neck, lips curving into a smile. “Feel any different?”
“My hand feels a little heavier,” Arizona teases, shaking her left hand and its glimmering platinum rings playfully. “And I can’t really feel my legs, but considering what we were just doing, that’s fairly normal.”
Callie laughs. She’s been doing that a lot. Her heart feels so light and content that she’s scared it’s going to float right out of her chest. Thankfully, Arizona is currently pinned underneath her on the hotel bed, so if Callie’s heart falls out, her new wife will catch it.
“Do you feel any different?” Arizona asks in response to her wife’s silence.
“So damn happy.”
Arizona beams and reaches up to kiss her again.
“I know it doesn’t actually change anything, but I can’t help it,” Callie continues. She looks over towards the clock on the nightstand and their hastily but carefully discarded dresses on the chair by the door.
An insistent knock on the door disturbs their idyll.
“Ten minutes before we all have to be downstairs,” Teddy calls kindly but firmly.
“And for the love of god, and so your moms don’t kill us, please try to make it look like we didn’t let you sneak up here to f... Ow! Altman!”
“Keep a civil tongue, Sloan. Nine minutes,” Teddy updates.
“Got it!” Callie yells back, still grinning widely at Arizona. “I guess we should get dressed.”
“And fix our make-up,” Arizona nods, making no move to get up. “Tell me again why we’re having a reception?”
“Free booze?” Callie counters facetiously.
“I’m a grown woman. I can pay for my own alcohol.”
“Eight minutes!” Teddy calls from the other side of the door.
“She’s gonna stand out there and count down,” Callie marvels, planting one last, mostly chaste kiss on her wife’s lips before pushing herself off of the very comfortable bed (and said wife).
“My best friend is awesome. And obnoxious,” Arizona says, the last adjective raised enough to reach through the door.
“Seven and a half!”
“Okay, okay! We’re coming,” Arizona grumbles.
Callie giggles.
“Calliope, really?” Arizona rolls her eyes with an adoring smile as she slips into her dress and Callie does the same.
“Sex on the brain, sorry.”
“Control yourself. Our parents and our children are down there,” Arizona admonishes, turning her back towards Callie with a silent request to be zipped up, a simple ritual of domesticity they’ve repeated a million times but one that still takes Callie’s breath away.
Callie obliges, dropping a kiss between Arizona’s shoulder blades when she finishes, then turns so Arizona can do the same.
“Five minutes!”
***
“Where have you two been?” Carlos demands playfully as Mark and Teddy get their unruly charges down to the ballroom door exactly on time.
Daniel rolls his eyes. “All newlyweds need a little time alone to process.”
Callie groans inwardly at her father’s and father-in-law’s teasing. The two hit it off far too well, just like her mother and mother-in-law. Unlike most in-laws, their parents get along amazingly and bond over their shared grandchildren, rather than succumbing to petty jealousy. In fact, meeting the Robbins’ was what erased the last of the Torres’ doubts about the life their daughter had chosen. They are still just the slightest bit worried about her immortal soul, but at least if she is going to hell, she’s going with the well-raised daughter of a good family with strong values. And at least their grandchildren were baptized (not Catholic, but close enough).
“If this turns into a story about your wedding day, Dad, I’ve already heard all about how Uncle Joseph ‘lost’ you and Mom for an hour between the ceremony and the reception,” Arizona embraces the teasing whole-heartedly, holding fast to Callie’s hand.
“Oh good, you’re here,” Emeline sighs as she emerges from the ballroom with Lena on her hip. “Look who I found, sweet pea.” She shifts her attention from the infant in her arms to her daughter and daughter-in-law. “Rosario is rounding up Asa.”
“Hey, what’s with the tears?” Callie asks her younger child, taking Lena into her arms as she notes the dried tear tracks on her flushed little face. The girl still sports the remnants of an all-too-familiar pout.
“Ah, there was a minor disagreement over a tube of bubbles between Lena and the younger Miss Shepherd. I believe they’re currently on the outs,” Daniel informs with a twinkle in his blue eyes.
“You need to apologize to Katie,” Callie says, faux-sternly, kissing away the tear tracks and earning a more contented smile from the baby.
“How did you know she instigated the fight?” Carlos asks.
“She always does,” Arizona answers. “She’s scrappy.”
“And bossy,” Callie supplies.
“That certainly sounds familiar,” Emeline teases.
Rosario joins them, leading Asa by the hand. His suit is a little disheveled from all the excellent playing that’s taken place, and Arizona leans down to tighten his tie and straighten his jacket.
“Hi, Momma,” he greets. “Mami, Lena no compartió con Katie aunque yo dije que tenemos que share with our friends and...” [Lena didn’t share with Katie even though I said that we have to share with our friends and...]
“Basta,” Callie says gently. “I already heard, tattletale.”
“There’s lots of people here,” Asa notes, turning back to his momma.
“There are. Have you been partying?” Arizona asks.
Asa nods and wraps his little arms around his momma’s knees, tilting his big brown eyes up pleadingly. “Are you gonna come in?”
“That’s why we’re here.”
***
It’s Mark’s turn for a toast, and he stands up with a grin, straightening his tie.
“Keep it clean, Uncle Mark,” Callie says lowly, arms looped around Asa’s waist as he sits in her lap and picks at the plate full of French fries in front of him. “There are little ears.”
Asa looks over his shoulder and gives his mami a wide grin, even with a mouth full of food. Arizona has one arm around Callie’s waist and leans over with her napkin to wipe Asa’s messy face. Lena is at the next table over, happily flirting with her Tía Aria and her husband Blake.
Uncle Mark clears his throat as the assembled crowd gets quiet.
“Thanks for coming out this evening, everyone. I think Father Jim spoke for all of us when he said it’s about time. You know, Callie gave me an incredibly embarrassing toast when I got married a few years ago, but I’ve been told to watch what I say since there are so many kids running around.” He turns to Callie and Arizona with a wry smile and teases: “That’s why you don’t do it backwards, guys.”
Mark’s comment earns warm laughter from the guests and the Robbins eye roll he so loves to elicit.
“Seriously, though. Cal, you’re the best friend a guy could ask for, and you’ve been with me through everything. And Arizona, everyone knows we haven’t always gotten along, but we found some middle ground, and I’m honored to count you as an awesome friend.” He gets a full dimpled smile for the use of that word. “It took you a long time, but you fought hard and got the happiness you deserve. You’ve got two beautiful kids, an unhealthy love of chickens, and your whole future ahead of you. It’s been eight great years, and here’s to fifty more.”
The crowd claps and everyone takes a sip of champagne. Callie even allows Asa a tiny one, though it’s mostly for show, and he barely gets a taste.
“Mark, that was actually sweet,” Arizona beams at him as he drops a kiss on the cheek of each bride.
“Yeah, well. When you took away the dirty option, I had to go completely in the opposite direction.”
“I am a little disappointed that the words ‘Suck it, right wing,’” Callie covers Asa’s ears, “’assholes’ did not make an appearance.”
“I figured your marriage license was a big enough middle finger for them,” Mark grins, taking his seat beside Lexie.
Arizona laughs loudly, and beside her, Teddy shakes her head.
“Does this mean I have to go the dirty route? Or the political route? You took the heartfelt angle, Sloan.”
“You two didn’t plan ahead?” Callie questions.
“I just assumed he was going inappropriate,” Teddy says.
“Not in front of my godson!” Mark objects, plucking Asa from Callie’s lap.
“Uncle Mark,” the toddler objects with a giggle.
“Here. Give me Grey, too. I’ll hold both my boys,” Mark grins, setting Asa on his knee and taking the baby into his arms.
“Enjoy it while you can, Mark. I’m gonna come steal our godson soon,” Addison calls from across the round table. “He promised to save me a dance.”
***
Teddy’s toast is just as sweet, with a couple more laughs thrown in about how she might be even more excited about them getting married than they are with all the cheerleading and tough love she’s provided to get them this far.
The rest of the reception starts to blur together for Callie and Arizona as they go through the rituals carefully choreographed by their mothers. Teddy catches Arizona’s bouquet almost by accident (which gets poor Matt Tate, her boyfriend of two years, quite a bit of teasing). One of Callie’s many cousins catches hers after a playful wrestling match with the others. On previous agreement, they only smear cake on Asa’s face, which their son absolutely adores. They hold each other close to Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together”, and they both give their dads a traditional first dance in which the tough old men get appropriately weepy.
The Shepherd, Sloan, and Robbins-Torres children are soon sent up to bed in a hotel room under the watchful eye of Tía Aria as the party heads into the later hours of the night.
***
tbc in Part 3
Author: A. Windsor
Pairing/Characters: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. My one semester of law school could allow me to legalese this a little more, but it also tells me it’s pretty useless. So please don’t sue; it’s not mine, I’m just playing!
Series: Thing!verse
Summary: “Dearly beloved: we have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of these women in Holy Matrimony.”
Author’s Note: Thanks for the great response. Here’s a reception for you. Beta'd by the wonderful roughian once again.
Part 1
***
Rosario Torres surveys her handiwork. The ceremony was quite beautiful, but this is their coup de grace, a stunning reception at the nicest hotel in downtown Seattle. It’s not the wedding she once imagined for Calliope; she imagined the ceremony in the same cathedral where her daughters were christened and confirmed; she imagined the reception at the swankiest of their Miami hotels, or if Calliope preferred something smaller, at their own palatial estate, and, well, she imagined there would be a groom. Of course, Calliope had a wedding with a groom and completely robbed her of the experience of planning or even attending the wedding, so she supposes she’ll take what she can get.
All joking aside, she loves Arizona and all the Robbins, and especially her angelic nietos, the apples of her eye.
“The caterer has everything in order,” Emeline Robbins informs her. “The band?”
“Setting up now. The florists did beautiful work, no?”
“They did,” Emeline nods once, firmly.
“Abuelita! Grammy!” a very familiar voice calls from behind them. The grandmothers turn to see their beloved grandson barreling towards them, Addison Montgomery and Sam Bennett following. Sam carries little Lena and her diaper bag.
“Asa-darling,” Emeline laughs, “What have you done with your mothers?”
“Aunt Addy and Uncle Sam brought us!” Asa completely misses the point.
“They’re upstairs. Freshening up,” Addison says with a knowing grin. “Don’t worry; the best man and maid of honor have strict instructions to get them down here in time for their entrance. The Shepherds and Dr. Bailey are bringing Tuck and the girls here soon, so they can run all their sillies out before dinner. I thought it would be good for Lena and Asa to do the same.”
“They were very well-behaved for pictures,” Rosario comments, ruffling Asa’s up-until-recently tamed locks. “I guess they deserve a little time to run.”
As if on cue, eight-year-old Tuck Bailey Jones and Ally and Katie Shepherd (five and two, respectively) come sprinting into the ballroom, Tuck playfully chasing after the younger girls. Asa joins in, and they take their game of breathless tag to the dance floor, enjoying the way they slip-slide on the slick surface with their dress shoes while staying mostly out of the way of the staff putting finishing touches on the reception. Lena squirms at the sight of the older children, so Sam puts her down. He doesn’t, however, let the unsteady girl take off after her brother and his companions, distracting her so that she simply toddles within a few feet of the gathered adults. Katie soon joins her, enjoying playtime a little more at her speed.
“Tuck is so good with the little ones,” Emeline praises Miranda Bailey, watching her grandson hold his own with the older children.
“Just these kids,” Bailey notes. “They’re his people. He looks out for them in daycare. Other little kids he has absolutely no time for.”
Rosario smiles as her granddaughter walks towards her, leaning over to scoop her up.
“Hola, rubia,” [Hello, blondie,] she greets with a kiss to Lena’s pale little cheek. “¿Buen fiesta, no?” [Good party, huh?]
Lena blinks those clear, bright blue eyes at her with a happy smile.
“Ay, qué ojos claritos. Vas a romper a todos los corazones,” [Oh, what pretty blue eyes. You’re going to break so many hearts,] Rosario gushes, kissing her again. She’ll never get enough of this sweet baby girl. With yet another kiss, she sets the little one down and pats her diapered rump under her pretty dress. “Andáte a divertir con la amiga.” [Go play with your friend.]
Emeline (who can only see her own daughter when looking at her angelic granddaughter) laughs as Lena stumbles away at a toddler’s approximation of a run.
The guests have started to arrive en masse, so the mothers of the brides are thrown back into their hostessing jobs, supervising the distribution of place cards and the rotation of appetizers, hoping that Mark and Teddy can do their jobs and get Callie and Arizona into place on time.
***
“Holy crap, we’re married,” Callie says for the millionth time. This time she mumbles it into Arizona’s flushed neck, lips curving into a smile. “Feel any different?”
“My hand feels a little heavier,” Arizona teases, shaking her left hand and its glimmering platinum rings playfully. “And I can’t really feel my legs, but considering what we were just doing, that’s fairly normal.”
Callie laughs. She’s been doing that a lot. Her heart feels so light and content that she’s scared it’s going to float right out of her chest. Thankfully, Arizona is currently pinned underneath her on the hotel bed, so if Callie’s heart falls out, her new wife will catch it.
“Do you feel any different?” Arizona asks in response to her wife’s silence.
“So damn happy.”
Arizona beams and reaches up to kiss her again.
“I know it doesn’t actually change anything, but I can’t help it,” Callie continues. She looks over towards the clock on the nightstand and their hastily but carefully discarded dresses on the chair by the door.
An insistent knock on the door disturbs their idyll.
“Ten minutes before we all have to be downstairs,” Teddy calls kindly but firmly.
“And for the love of god, and so your moms don’t kill us, please try to make it look like we didn’t let you sneak up here to f... Ow! Altman!”
“Keep a civil tongue, Sloan. Nine minutes,” Teddy updates.
“Got it!” Callie yells back, still grinning widely at Arizona. “I guess we should get dressed.”
“And fix our make-up,” Arizona nods, making no move to get up. “Tell me again why we’re having a reception?”
“Free booze?” Callie counters facetiously.
“I’m a grown woman. I can pay for my own alcohol.”
“Eight minutes!” Teddy calls from the other side of the door.
“She’s gonna stand out there and count down,” Callie marvels, planting one last, mostly chaste kiss on her wife’s lips before pushing herself off of the very comfortable bed (and said wife).
“My best friend is awesome. And obnoxious,” Arizona says, the last adjective raised enough to reach through the door.
“Seven and a half!”
“Okay, okay! We’re coming,” Arizona grumbles.
Callie giggles.
“Calliope, really?” Arizona rolls her eyes with an adoring smile as she slips into her dress and Callie does the same.
“Sex on the brain, sorry.”
“Control yourself. Our parents and our children are down there,” Arizona admonishes, turning her back towards Callie with a silent request to be zipped up, a simple ritual of domesticity they’ve repeated a million times but one that still takes Callie’s breath away.
Callie obliges, dropping a kiss between Arizona’s shoulder blades when she finishes, then turns so Arizona can do the same.
“Five minutes!”
***
“Where have you two been?” Carlos demands playfully as Mark and Teddy get their unruly charges down to the ballroom door exactly on time.
Daniel rolls his eyes. “All newlyweds need a little time alone to process.”
Callie groans inwardly at her father’s and father-in-law’s teasing. The two hit it off far too well, just like her mother and mother-in-law. Unlike most in-laws, their parents get along amazingly and bond over their shared grandchildren, rather than succumbing to petty jealousy. In fact, meeting the Robbins’ was what erased the last of the Torres’ doubts about the life their daughter had chosen. They are still just the slightest bit worried about her immortal soul, but at least if she is going to hell, she’s going with the well-raised daughter of a good family with strong values. And at least their grandchildren were baptized (not Catholic, but close enough).
“If this turns into a story about your wedding day, Dad, I’ve already heard all about how Uncle Joseph ‘lost’ you and Mom for an hour between the ceremony and the reception,” Arizona embraces the teasing whole-heartedly, holding fast to Callie’s hand.
“Oh good, you’re here,” Emeline sighs as she emerges from the ballroom with Lena on her hip. “Look who I found, sweet pea.” She shifts her attention from the infant in her arms to her daughter and daughter-in-law. “Rosario is rounding up Asa.”
“Hey, what’s with the tears?” Callie asks her younger child, taking Lena into her arms as she notes the dried tear tracks on her flushed little face. The girl still sports the remnants of an all-too-familiar pout.
“Ah, there was a minor disagreement over a tube of bubbles between Lena and the younger Miss Shepherd. I believe they’re currently on the outs,” Daniel informs with a twinkle in his blue eyes.
“You need to apologize to Katie,” Callie says, faux-sternly, kissing away the tear tracks and earning a more contented smile from the baby.
“How did you know she instigated the fight?” Carlos asks.
“She always does,” Arizona answers. “She’s scrappy.”
“And bossy,” Callie supplies.
“That certainly sounds familiar,” Emeline teases.
Rosario joins them, leading Asa by the hand. His suit is a little disheveled from all the excellent playing that’s taken place, and Arizona leans down to tighten his tie and straighten his jacket.
“Hi, Momma,” he greets. “Mami, Lena no compartió con Katie aunque yo dije que tenemos que share with our friends and...” [Lena didn’t share with Katie even though I said that we have to share with our friends and...]
“Basta,” Callie says gently. “I already heard, tattletale.”
“There’s lots of people here,” Asa notes, turning back to his momma.
“There are. Have you been partying?” Arizona asks.
Asa nods and wraps his little arms around his momma’s knees, tilting his big brown eyes up pleadingly. “Are you gonna come in?”
“That’s why we’re here.”
***
It’s Mark’s turn for a toast, and he stands up with a grin, straightening his tie.
“Keep it clean, Uncle Mark,” Callie says lowly, arms looped around Asa’s waist as he sits in her lap and picks at the plate full of French fries in front of him. “There are little ears.”
Asa looks over his shoulder and gives his mami a wide grin, even with a mouth full of food. Arizona has one arm around Callie’s waist and leans over with her napkin to wipe Asa’s messy face. Lena is at the next table over, happily flirting with her Tía Aria and her husband Blake.
Uncle Mark clears his throat as the assembled crowd gets quiet.
“Thanks for coming out this evening, everyone. I think Father Jim spoke for all of us when he said it’s about time. You know, Callie gave me an incredibly embarrassing toast when I got married a few years ago, but I’ve been told to watch what I say since there are so many kids running around.” He turns to Callie and Arizona with a wry smile and teases: “That’s why you don’t do it backwards, guys.”
Mark’s comment earns warm laughter from the guests and the Robbins eye roll he so loves to elicit.
“Seriously, though. Cal, you’re the best friend a guy could ask for, and you’ve been with me through everything. And Arizona, everyone knows we haven’t always gotten along, but we found some middle ground, and I’m honored to count you as an awesome friend.” He gets a full dimpled smile for the use of that word. “It took you a long time, but you fought hard and got the happiness you deserve. You’ve got two beautiful kids, an unhealthy love of chickens, and your whole future ahead of you. It’s been eight great years, and here’s to fifty more.”
The crowd claps and everyone takes a sip of champagne. Callie even allows Asa a tiny one, though it’s mostly for show, and he barely gets a taste.
“Mark, that was actually sweet,” Arizona beams at him as he drops a kiss on the cheek of each bride.
“Yeah, well. When you took away the dirty option, I had to go completely in the opposite direction.”
“I am a little disappointed that the words ‘Suck it, right wing,’” Callie covers Asa’s ears, “’assholes’ did not make an appearance.”
“I figured your marriage license was a big enough middle finger for them,” Mark grins, taking his seat beside Lexie.
Arizona laughs loudly, and beside her, Teddy shakes her head.
“Does this mean I have to go the dirty route? Or the political route? You took the heartfelt angle, Sloan.”
“You two didn’t plan ahead?” Callie questions.
“I just assumed he was going inappropriate,” Teddy says.
“Not in front of my godson!” Mark objects, plucking Asa from Callie’s lap.
“Uncle Mark,” the toddler objects with a giggle.
“Here. Give me Grey, too. I’ll hold both my boys,” Mark grins, setting Asa on his knee and taking the baby into his arms.
“Enjoy it while you can, Mark. I’m gonna come steal our godson soon,” Addison calls from across the round table. “He promised to save me a dance.”
***
Teddy’s toast is just as sweet, with a couple more laughs thrown in about how she might be even more excited about them getting married than they are with all the cheerleading and tough love she’s provided to get them this far.
The rest of the reception starts to blur together for Callie and Arizona as they go through the rituals carefully choreographed by their mothers. Teddy catches Arizona’s bouquet almost by accident (which gets poor Matt Tate, her boyfriend of two years, quite a bit of teasing). One of Callie’s many cousins catches hers after a playful wrestling match with the others. On previous agreement, they only smear cake on Asa’s face, which their son absolutely adores. They hold each other close to Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together”, and they both give their dads a traditional first dance in which the tough old men get appropriately weepy.
The Shepherd, Sloan, and Robbins-Torres children are soon sent up to bed in a hotel room under the watchful eye of Tía Aria as the party heads into the later hours of the night.
***
tbc in Part 3