Phoenix Rising (8/?)
TITLE: Phoenix Rising (8/?)
AUTHOR: Melificent811
RATING: PG-13
PAIRING: Callie/Erica...
SUMMARY: A series written as a sequel to my story “I Will Be” Part 1 and Part 2. (Although this is a stand-alone story, it would make a lot more sense if you read “I Will Be” first.) On the day of their wedding, Callie and Erica look back on the journey they took after they decided to fix what they had broken.
DISCLAIMER: On my journal sidebar.
A/N: For the sake of this story, we're going to pretend that prop 8 never passed in California and same sex couples are still able to legally marry.
CHAPTER ONE, CHAPTER TWO, CHAPTER THREE, CHAPTER FOUR, CHAPTER FIVE, CHAPTER SIX, CHAPTER SEVEN
******
Still over a year ago…
Being a doctor that deals with broken bones and seeping blood on a daily basis, there were few things in life that truly frightened Callie Torres. Barring the fairly major ‘freak out’ that she went through when she discovered her attraction for the fairer sex, Callie had not experienced fear like this since childhood.
With the exception of the well deserved tap on the behind on very rare occasions, her parents never beat her as a child. As a grown woman it made her happy to know that despite her family’s wealth she had been raised by a fairly normal, yet stern, family dynamic. Her solid upbringing had transformed her into the well-balanced and happy human being that she is today.
Still, there were moments like these that caused that familiar knot to form at the base of her throat and her stomach to instantly turn upside down. Beside the times she had gotten into trouble for rebelling as a teenager, the last time she had felt this way was when she revealed her marriage with George to her parents. They merely shook their heads and stared her down with that damned look of disappointment glossing over their deep brown eyes.
It was the same look that was being reflected into her eyes right now…
The two couples stood feet away from each other, locked in an uncomfortable stand-off of stubborn silence. Callie tried to move her feet, willed her mouth to speak a single word… anything. The older pair just stood and stared as their daughter inwardly coward and prayed to the powers that be that it was all just a bad dream.
Moments passed as silence continued to engulf the space around them. Her parents didn’t have to say a single word. In this very instant, she knew it deep within her soul. She had let them down.
Again…
“We travel across the country to see you after your important test and we see this!? Mija, que haces? Quien es ella?” Her mother’s firm, unwavering, and thickly accented voice finally broke the uncomfortable silence that had settled in the space between them.
“Um…” The raven haired woman glanced from one set of brown eyes into the other. It was blatantly obvious that everyone already knew the answer to her mother’s biting question. No matter how hard she tried to bring the words from the base of her throat to the tip of her tongue, nothing would come. Just as it happened growing up, her fear of her parent’s disapproval had become paralyzing.
“Answer your mother, Calliope.” Mr. Torres took a step forward towards his daughter, his stern voice piercing through Callie's indecisive mumblings.
Erica, over the course of the last few intense moments, simply stood and watched. Although her instincts demanded that she step in and try to smooth over the situation, her calculative mind weighed the pros and cons about interrupting what could be a pivotal family moment. Regardless, it pained her to see the seemingly insurmountable fear that had taken over her lover's existence.
Seeing that the raven haired beauty was no closer to breaking free of the fear the paralyzed her, Erica stepped forward in an attempt to shake Callie's father's hand. “Hello Mr. and Mrs. Torres. I’m Erica Hahn… Callie’s friend.”
“Mire ellas!” Before Callie's father could even think to take the Erica's hand Mrs. Torres pulled him back, pointing accusingly at the pair standing across from them. “Parece que ustedes dos son algo mas que amigas….”
“Is it true?” The latin man's eyes slowly panned from pools of sapphire blue into topaz brown, searching for a hint of confirmation.
Finally mustering up enough courage to speak, Callie stood tall and looked squarely towards her parents.
“Papi… Mami is right. Erica and I are more than just friends.” Hesitantly, Callie slowly let her fingers drift towards Erica's. She glanced down at their hands, caramel and cream finally intertwining. It was enough to give her the courage to continue the revelation. “She’s my girlfriend. Y me quiero ella. Me quiero mucho. And I know she feels the same way about me.”
“No es possible.” The older woman was having nothing of her daughter's suprising news. “Una mujer y un otra mujer… No es natural. Mija, tu sabes este, verdad?”
“Calliope, you do know what your mother is saying?”
The juxtaposition of her father's gentle eyes and stern voice was enough to send Callie's stomach around for another roller coaster ride. This truly was not how she was planning on spending the remaining of her day after her brain-melting exam.
“Yes dad… I may have lived in Seattle for a few years but I haven’t forgotten how to speak Spanish.” For the first time in many years, the Teen Torres Temper decided to rear its ugly head. Callie's eyes grew wide as her lover squeezed her hand, alerting her to her not so tactful move. She gazed into those comforting blues eyes, instantly softening her resolve.
It's amazing how a simple glance between lovers can communicate so many unspoken words...
Taking a moment to breathe, Callie shifted her weight and let the anger rising within her begin to subside.
“Mom… Dad,” She glanced at each of her parents, acknowledging that she was ready to share an adult conversation. “Erica is one of the most loving and supportive people I know. She’s so beautiful on the outside but she’s even more beautiful on the inside. She’s been there for me when I’m at my best and when I’m at my worst. Isn’t that what love is all about?”
“I don’t understand, Mija.” Mr. Torres took his wife's hand into his own as he stared straight into their daughter's eyes. “We sent you to the best catholic schools, took you to church every Sunday, even made sure that you received your first communion in elementary school AND your confirmation before you left for college. After all that, can’t you see that this is an unforgivable sin? We taught you better than this…”
“But Papi, how can it be a sin to love someone?” Callie turned to her mother, attempting to make a connection with eyes that refused to meet her own. “Mami, please look at me… Look at us. Can’t you see how happy we are together?”
“Just because it feels good, Mija, it doesn’t make it right. You should know that.” Her father simply stated as he tightened his grasp on his wife's hand, leading the way to the doors of the lobby.
“Mom, Dad… Wait! Please…” Callie released her grasp on Erica's hand and chased after them, wanting nothing more than to have a civil conversation with the two people that meant so much to her.
Sensing that his daughter would not easily give up, Mr. Torres stopped feet away from the lobby's sliding doors. He turned to face her, his eyes gazing upward to meet his daughter's which towered inches above his own.
“Mija, this conversation is over… We came here to visit you. We didn’t come here to be slapped in the face by your latest impulsive decision. We can resume this when you decide that this… phase… is over.”
Seconds, maybe even minutes later, Callie stood almost frozen as she watched the blurry figures of her parents walking towards the hospital parking structure. Her mind had gone so fuzzy that she barely even noticed when her parents had turned and walked away. Her body had gone so numb that she barely sensed the gentle grasp of Erica's hand resting on her shoulder.
“Come on baby, let me take you home.”
The Latina simply nodded, letting a strong arm snake its way around her waist to lead her to back to the comforting safety of her home.
The ride back to the apartment went by in a flash as Callie stared out the passenger window and watched as buildings and light poles whizzed by in a watery blur. Since being guided from the hospital lobby, her eyes had not ceased to run with tears of sadness, hurt, and utter frustration. Her only sense of comfort was the gentle grasp of Erica’s hand protectively intertwined with her own.
It was only when she finally felt her feet plod on the soft, familiar feel of her apartment’s carpet that her tears slowly began to subside. She stood almost in a trance, unsure of where to go or what to do.
Hearing the door click shut behind her, Callie finally looked up and watched as her beautiful blonde angel made her way to the kitchen to retrieve a bottle and two clean glasses from the overhead cabinets. Grasping the full bottle of liquor in one hand and balancing the two glasses in the other, Erica gracefully made her way to the couch and gently placed the objects on the coffee table.
Standing across the room, Callie couldn’t help but notice how beautifully gorgeous this woman was on the inside and out. Not only did Erica take her breath away every time she walked into the room, she had this innate ability to understand the Torres Temperment. Somehow the blonde woman just knew when to stand back and let Callie’s inner demons subside to a more manageable state.
“You want to know something about my mother?..” Callie finally broke her shroud of silence and captured brilliant blue eyes as they looked up to meet her own. “When she’s mad, she speaks to me in Spanish. When she’s REALLY mad, she doesn’t speak to me at all. She just looks at me with that damned look of disapproval in her eyes… I HATE that look.”
“Give them a chance to cool off baby…” Erica encouraged as she slowly unscrewed the top to the bottle of golden liquid and poured generous helpings into both awaiting glasses. “I’m sure they’ll come around…”
“They’re not going to come around…” Feeling the anger race from her head to the tips of her toes, Callie headed towards the coffee table, only to settle into a pattern of back and forth paces in front of it. “They’ll never understand. They’re too Catholic to ever understand. I’m a freakin’ adult and I couldn’t even talk to them. For god sakes, I felt like I was freakin’ thirteen all over again!”
Watching in almost guilty amusement as her girlfriend continued to wear track marks into the fairly new carpet, the older woman grasped one of the nearly overflowing glasses and held it up towards Callie's eyeline.
“Here baby, this will help you to feel a little less ‘thirteen’.”
“They refused to talk to me…” Callie paused as she brought the glass to her lips and felt the all too familiar burning sensation from the tip of her tongue down to the pit of her stomach as the liquid traveled into her system. “At least they didn’t threaten to take away my money. That would mean that they didn’t love me and I know that they still love me. They just don’t approve… And that’s so much worse than them forgetting I even existed. I failed them as their daughter, Erica… I failed.”
Exhausted from the ever-flowing tears and miles of endless pacing, Callie plopped onto the plush couch millimeters away from the comforting warmth of her golden angel. In one last fit of frustration her slammed the glass onto the coffee table, nearly fracturing it in the process.
Finally feeling the need to calm down, Callie inhaled deeply and took stalk of her surroundings. Luckily, her temper had not been enough to break the glass on the table but it sure surprised both of the women in the room. The darker woman's eyes slowly wandered to the full bottle of amber liquid sitting next to the discarded glass... Her favorite bottle of aged tequila.
Instantly the younger woman turned to meet brilliant blue eyes. She could help but finally crack a hint of a smile. Erica really DID know her too well. In lieu of their usual shared bottle of red wine, she had reached into the back of the cupboard to pull out the “in case of emergency” bottle of 50 year old Mexican goodness.
“How'd you know?”
“I just do...” Erica smiled back as she tucked an errant curl behind her lover's ear. “You know that I don't normally encourage binge drinking... especially with this atrociously hard liquor... But I think I'll make an exception in this case.”
“What am I going to do, Erica? They’re my parents… They’re my family. I feel like I’ve been abandoned by my own family.”
“No you haven’t baby… You and I,” The older woman reached forward to grasp both of Callie's hands with all her strength. “WE’RE family and I will never abandon you.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
******
Two months before the wedding...
Quickly stepping through the front door, Erica balanced her overflowing briefcase in one hand and a full bag of takeout in the other. It had been the fifth time this week that a surgery had kept her from coming home at the time she had so explicitly promised. Even though she knew that Callie understood, Erica couldn't help but feel guilty that she hadn't kept her word all week.
Maybe a belly full of Thai takeout and a warm soak in the jacuzzi tub together would make an adequate peace offering...
“Baby?... I'm home.” The blonde carefully made her way to the kitchen counter where she quickly discarded her briefcase and plastic bag of still steaming food. “I'm sorry it took me so long... Damn routine surgery turned out to be not so routine after all...”
Puzzled that she had not yet heard a response from her awaiting lover, she stepped past the kitchen and headed towards the living room. The light from the full moon streamed through the glass window wall, casting shadows into the darkened room that revealed a familiar form curled up on the couch.
“Baby... you asleep?” Erica quietly made her way towards the couch and gently clicked on the dim table lamp so she could see where she was going.
“No...” A quiet, muffled voice emanated from behind an overstuffed suede pillow.
Quickly sensing that something just wasn't right, the older woman made her way to the front of the couch and sat on the edge glancing down in concern over her distressed lover.
“I'm sorry I'm late, Cal...” Erica said as cream colored hands gently combed their way through tousled raven locks. “I didn't realize how complicated that surgery was going to be...”
“It's not that, Erica...” Feeling a sense of comfort at touch of her girlfriend's fingertips Callie finally turned to face her lover, streaks of freshly shed tears stained the sides of her face. “You don't have to apologize for being late... you know I understand.”
Seeing the streaks of hurt staining Callie's face, Erica's heart turned upside down. She reached forward letting her fingertips gently brush away any evidence of pain and anguish that littered her beautiful angel's face.
“You want to talk about it?...”
Seconds passed before a quiet voice admitted, “They won't talk to me.”
“Who won't talk to you?”
Callie sighed as she slowly sat up, her body instantly falling into awaiting arms. As much as she didn't want to relive the events of the day, she knew she needed to talk about it. “It's my parents... I tried calling them again today. I just... I wanted to talk to them about you know... giving me away at our wedding. I don't know. I just thought that enough time had passed and I could finally bring the subject up again. I guess I was wrong...”
“Cal... Not to sound insensitive but I thought you already asked Mark.”
“I did... And he agreed.” The darker woman gazed forward, finally meeting blue pools with brown. “It's just... I still have that little girl fantasy, you know? The one where the beautiful princess in a poofy white gown walks down the aisle holding her daddy's arm. I know that me and my parents haven't really resolved anything but I still want it... I want my fairytale wedding, Erica.”
It melted the older woman's heart to see the rare moment of vulnerability pour from her lovers soul. She leaned into the top of the darker woman's hair, placing a gentle kiss on raven curls. “Give them time baby... They might still come through...”
The rest of the night was spent on the couch in an intimate embrace. Despite Erica's earlier plans, the food on the counter went cold and the jacuzzi tub never got turned on. Holding her grieving lover, the blonde woman made a pact with herself. She didn't care what it took... She was going to convince Callie's reluctant parents to make an appearance at the wedding.
******
A/N: OH MY GOD.... I cannot believe it took me almost four months to get this one done! Life just happened and my muse decided to take an unprecedented (and extended!) vacation. This one was still a bit difficult to write but I'm feeling my muse slowly creep back from hiding. I think it helped to step foot on the set of Grey's Anatomy again last Thursday. Thank you to everyone who's coming back to the story after all this time and thank you to those who are reading it for the first time! I hope you enjoyed the journey. More to come hopefully soon! The next one will be less angsty and a lot more wedding-like! =-)
***Side note: Want to read about my day on set? Click HERE (friends only entry... but add me to see it!).
AUTHOR: Melificent811
RATING: PG-13
PAIRING: Callie/Erica...
SUMMARY: A series written as a sequel to my story “I Will Be” Part 1 and Part 2. (Although this is a stand-alone story, it would make a lot more sense if you read “I Will Be” first.) On the day of their wedding, Callie and Erica look back on the journey they took after they decided to fix what they had broken.
DISCLAIMER: On my journal sidebar.
A/N: For the sake of this story, we're going to pretend that prop 8 never passed in California and same sex couples are still able to legally marry.
CHAPTER ONE, CHAPTER TWO, CHAPTER THREE, CHAPTER FOUR, CHAPTER FIVE, CHAPTER SIX, CHAPTER SEVEN
******
Still over a year ago…
Being a doctor that deals with broken bones and seeping blood on a daily basis, there were few things in life that truly frightened Callie Torres. Barring the fairly major ‘freak out’ that she went through when she discovered her attraction for the fairer sex, Callie had not experienced fear like this since childhood.
With the exception of the well deserved tap on the behind on very rare occasions, her parents never beat her as a child. As a grown woman it made her happy to know that despite her family’s wealth she had been raised by a fairly normal, yet stern, family dynamic. Her solid upbringing had transformed her into the well-balanced and happy human being that she is today.
Still, there were moments like these that caused that familiar knot to form at the base of her throat and her stomach to instantly turn upside down. Beside the times she had gotten into trouble for rebelling as a teenager, the last time she had felt this way was when she revealed her marriage with George to her parents. They merely shook their heads and stared her down with that damned look of disappointment glossing over their deep brown eyes.
It was the same look that was being reflected into her eyes right now…
The two couples stood feet away from each other, locked in an uncomfortable stand-off of stubborn silence. Callie tried to move her feet, willed her mouth to speak a single word… anything. The older pair just stood and stared as their daughter inwardly coward and prayed to the powers that be that it was all just a bad dream.
Moments passed as silence continued to engulf the space around them. Her parents didn’t have to say a single word. In this very instant, she knew it deep within her soul. She had let them down.
Again…
“We travel across the country to see you after your important test and we see this!? Mija, que haces? Quien es ella?” Her mother’s firm, unwavering, and thickly accented voice finally broke the uncomfortable silence that had settled in the space between them.
“Um…” The raven haired woman glanced from one set of brown eyes into the other. It was blatantly obvious that everyone already knew the answer to her mother’s biting question. No matter how hard she tried to bring the words from the base of her throat to the tip of her tongue, nothing would come. Just as it happened growing up, her fear of her parent’s disapproval had become paralyzing.
“Answer your mother, Calliope.” Mr. Torres took a step forward towards his daughter, his stern voice piercing through Callie's indecisive mumblings.
Erica, over the course of the last few intense moments, simply stood and watched. Although her instincts demanded that she step in and try to smooth over the situation, her calculative mind weighed the pros and cons about interrupting what could be a pivotal family moment. Regardless, it pained her to see the seemingly insurmountable fear that had taken over her lover's existence.
Seeing that the raven haired beauty was no closer to breaking free of the fear the paralyzed her, Erica stepped forward in an attempt to shake Callie's father's hand. “Hello Mr. and Mrs. Torres. I’m Erica Hahn… Callie’s friend.”
“Mire ellas!” Before Callie's father could even think to take the Erica's hand Mrs. Torres pulled him back, pointing accusingly at the pair standing across from them. “Parece que ustedes dos son algo mas que amigas….”
“Is it true?” The latin man's eyes slowly panned from pools of sapphire blue into topaz brown, searching for a hint of confirmation.
Finally mustering up enough courage to speak, Callie stood tall and looked squarely towards her parents.
“Papi… Mami is right. Erica and I are more than just friends.” Hesitantly, Callie slowly let her fingers drift towards Erica's. She glanced down at their hands, caramel and cream finally intertwining. It was enough to give her the courage to continue the revelation. “She’s my girlfriend. Y me quiero ella. Me quiero mucho. And I know she feels the same way about me.”
“No es possible.” The older woman was having nothing of her daughter's suprising news. “Una mujer y un otra mujer… No es natural. Mija, tu sabes este, verdad?”
“Calliope, you do know what your mother is saying?”
The juxtaposition of her father's gentle eyes and stern voice was enough to send Callie's stomach around for another roller coaster ride. This truly was not how she was planning on spending the remaining of her day after her brain-melting exam.
“Yes dad… I may have lived in Seattle for a few years but I haven’t forgotten how to speak Spanish.” For the first time in many years, the Teen Torres Temper decided to rear its ugly head. Callie's eyes grew wide as her lover squeezed her hand, alerting her to her not so tactful move. She gazed into those comforting blues eyes, instantly softening her resolve.
It's amazing how a simple glance between lovers can communicate so many unspoken words...
Taking a moment to breathe, Callie shifted her weight and let the anger rising within her begin to subside.
“Mom… Dad,” She glanced at each of her parents, acknowledging that she was ready to share an adult conversation. “Erica is one of the most loving and supportive people I know. She’s so beautiful on the outside but she’s even more beautiful on the inside. She’s been there for me when I’m at my best and when I’m at my worst. Isn’t that what love is all about?”
“I don’t understand, Mija.” Mr. Torres took his wife's hand into his own as he stared straight into their daughter's eyes. “We sent you to the best catholic schools, took you to church every Sunday, even made sure that you received your first communion in elementary school AND your confirmation before you left for college. After all that, can’t you see that this is an unforgivable sin? We taught you better than this…”
“But Papi, how can it be a sin to love someone?” Callie turned to her mother, attempting to make a connection with eyes that refused to meet her own. “Mami, please look at me… Look at us. Can’t you see how happy we are together?”
“Just because it feels good, Mija, it doesn’t make it right. You should know that.” Her father simply stated as he tightened his grasp on his wife's hand, leading the way to the doors of the lobby.
“Mom, Dad… Wait! Please…” Callie released her grasp on Erica's hand and chased after them, wanting nothing more than to have a civil conversation with the two people that meant so much to her.
Sensing that his daughter would not easily give up, Mr. Torres stopped feet away from the lobby's sliding doors. He turned to face her, his eyes gazing upward to meet his daughter's which towered inches above his own.
“Mija, this conversation is over… We came here to visit you. We didn’t come here to be slapped in the face by your latest impulsive decision. We can resume this when you decide that this… phase… is over.”
Seconds, maybe even minutes later, Callie stood almost frozen as she watched the blurry figures of her parents walking towards the hospital parking structure. Her mind had gone so fuzzy that she barely even noticed when her parents had turned and walked away. Her body had gone so numb that she barely sensed the gentle grasp of Erica's hand resting on her shoulder.
“Come on baby, let me take you home.”
The Latina simply nodded, letting a strong arm snake its way around her waist to lead her to back to the comforting safety of her home.
The ride back to the apartment went by in a flash as Callie stared out the passenger window and watched as buildings and light poles whizzed by in a watery blur. Since being guided from the hospital lobby, her eyes had not ceased to run with tears of sadness, hurt, and utter frustration. Her only sense of comfort was the gentle grasp of Erica’s hand protectively intertwined with her own.
It was only when she finally felt her feet plod on the soft, familiar feel of her apartment’s carpet that her tears slowly began to subside. She stood almost in a trance, unsure of where to go or what to do.
Hearing the door click shut behind her, Callie finally looked up and watched as her beautiful blonde angel made her way to the kitchen to retrieve a bottle and two clean glasses from the overhead cabinets. Grasping the full bottle of liquor in one hand and balancing the two glasses in the other, Erica gracefully made her way to the couch and gently placed the objects on the coffee table.
Standing across the room, Callie couldn’t help but notice how beautifully gorgeous this woman was on the inside and out. Not only did Erica take her breath away every time she walked into the room, she had this innate ability to understand the Torres Temperment. Somehow the blonde woman just knew when to stand back and let Callie’s inner demons subside to a more manageable state.
“You want to know something about my mother?..” Callie finally broke her shroud of silence and captured brilliant blue eyes as they looked up to meet her own. “When she’s mad, she speaks to me in Spanish. When she’s REALLY mad, she doesn’t speak to me at all. She just looks at me with that damned look of disapproval in her eyes… I HATE that look.”
“Give them a chance to cool off baby…” Erica encouraged as she slowly unscrewed the top to the bottle of golden liquid and poured generous helpings into both awaiting glasses. “I’m sure they’ll come around…”
“They’re not going to come around…” Feeling the anger race from her head to the tips of her toes, Callie headed towards the coffee table, only to settle into a pattern of back and forth paces in front of it. “They’ll never understand. They’re too Catholic to ever understand. I’m a freakin’ adult and I couldn’t even talk to them. For god sakes, I felt like I was freakin’ thirteen all over again!”
Watching in almost guilty amusement as her girlfriend continued to wear track marks into the fairly new carpet, the older woman grasped one of the nearly overflowing glasses and held it up towards Callie's eyeline.
“Here baby, this will help you to feel a little less ‘thirteen’.”
“They refused to talk to me…” Callie paused as she brought the glass to her lips and felt the all too familiar burning sensation from the tip of her tongue down to the pit of her stomach as the liquid traveled into her system. “At least they didn’t threaten to take away my money. That would mean that they didn’t love me and I know that they still love me. They just don’t approve… And that’s so much worse than them forgetting I even existed. I failed them as their daughter, Erica… I failed.”
Exhausted from the ever-flowing tears and miles of endless pacing, Callie plopped onto the plush couch millimeters away from the comforting warmth of her golden angel. In one last fit of frustration her slammed the glass onto the coffee table, nearly fracturing it in the process.
Finally feeling the need to calm down, Callie inhaled deeply and took stalk of her surroundings. Luckily, her temper had not been enough to break the glass on the table but it sure surprised both of the women in the room. The darker woman's eyes slowly wandered to the full bottle of amber liquid sitting next to the discarded glass... Her favorite bottle of aged tequila.
Instantly the younger woman turned to meet brilliant blue eyes. She could help but finally crack a hint of a smile. Erica really DID know her too well. In lieu of their usual shared bottle of red wine, she had reached into the back of the cupboard to pull out the “in case of emergency” bottle of 50 year old Mexican goodness.
“How'd you know?”
“I just do...” Erica smiled back as she tucked an errant curl behind her lover's ear. “You know that I don't normally encourage binge drinking... especially with this atrociously hard liquor... But I think I'll make an exception in this case.”
“What am I going to do, Erica? They’re my parents… They’re my family. I feel like I’ve been abandoned by my own family.”
“No you haven’t baby… You and I,” The older woman reached forward to grasp both of Callie's hands with all her strength. “WE’RE family and I will never abandon you.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
******
Two months before the wedding...
Quickly stepping through the front door, Erica balanced her overflowing briefcase in one hand and a full bag of takeout in the other. It had been the fifth time this week that a surgery had kept her from coming home at the time she had so explicitly promised. Even though she knew that Callie understood, Erica couldn't help but feel guilty that she hadn't kept her word all week.
Maybe a belly full of Thai takeout and a warm soak in the jacuzzi tub together would make an adequate peace offering...
“Baby?... I'm home.” The blonde carefully made her way to the kitchen counter where she quickly discarded her briefcase and plastic bag of still steaming food. “I'm sorry it took me so long... Damn routine surgery turned out to be not so routine after all...”
Puzzled that she had not yet heard a response from her awaiting lover, she stepped past the kitchen and headed towards the living room. The light from the full moon streamed through the glass window wall, casting shadows into the darkened room that revealed a familiar form curled up on the couch.
“Baby... you asleep?” Erica quietly made her way towards the couch and gently clicked on the dim table lamp so she could see where she was going.
“No...” A quiet, muffled voice emanated from behind an overstuffed suede pillow.
Quickly sensing that something just wasn't right, the older woman made her way to the front of the couch and sat on the edge glancing down in concern over her distressed lover.
“I'm sorry I'm late, Cal...” Erica said as cream colored hands gently combed their way through tousled raven locks. “I didn't realize how complicated that surgery was going to be...”
“It's not that, Erica...” Feeling a sense of comfort at touch of her girlfriend's fingertips Callie finally turned to face her lover, streaks of freshly shed tears stained the sides of her face. “You don't have to apologize for being late... you know I understand.”
Seeing the streaks of hurt staining Callie's face, Erica's heart turned upside down. She reached forward letting her fingertips gently brush away any evidence of pain and anguish that littered her beautiful angel's face.
“You want to talk about it?...”
Seconds passed before a quiet voice admitted, “They won't talk to me.”
“Who won't talk to you?”
Callie sighed as she slowly sat up, her body instantly falling into awaiting arms. As much as she didn't want to relive the events of the day, she knew she needed to talk about it. “It's my parents... I tried calling them again today. I just... I wanted to talk to them about you know... giving me away at our wedding. I don't know. I just thought that enough time had passed and I could finally bring the subject up again. I guess I was wrong...”
“Cal... Not to sound insensitive but I thought you already asked Mark.”
“I did... And he agreed.” The darker woman gazed forward, finally meeting blue pools with brown. “It's just... I still have that little girl fantasy, you know? The one where the beautiful princess in a poofy white gown walks down the aisle holding her daddy's arm. I know that me and my parents haven't really resolved anything but I still want it... I want my fairytale wedding, Erica.”
It melted the older woman's heart to see the rare moment of vulnerability pour from her lovers soul. She leaned into the top of the darker woman's hair, placing a gentle kiss on raven curls. “Give them time baby... They might still come through...”
The rest of the night was spent on the couch in an intimate embrace. Despite Erica's earlier plans, the food on the counter went cold and the jacuzzi tub never got turned on. Holding her grieving lover, the blonde woman made a pact with herself. She didn't care what it took... She was going to convince Callie's reluctant parents to make an appearance at the wedding.
******
A/N: OH MY GOD.... I cannot believe it took me almost four months to get this one done! Life just happened and my muse decided to take an unprecedented (and extended!) vacation. This one was still a bit difficult to write but I'm feeling my muse slowly creep back from hiding. I think it helped to step foot on the set of Grey's Anatomy again last Thursday. Thank you to everyone who's coming back to the story after all this time and thank you to those who are reading it for the first time! I hope you enjoyed the journey. More to come hopefully soon! The next one will be less angsty and a lot more wedding-like! =-)
***Side note: Want to read about my day on set? Click HERE (friends only entry... but add me to see it!).