calzona separated

Chapter 3

Arizona's pov
It had been a week since the drama in the cafeteria. Callie's words kept replaying in my head over and over again. As much as I tried to distract myself, do far too much work so I spent no time at home alone, went drinking at the bar with my friends and enjoyed my time with Sofia, I just heard her voice there in the back of my mind.

You are not taking my daughter to New York!

She's not your dau-

Everyday, every night, those few words were going through my head.

She's not your dau-

I couldn't bear it anymore. Callie had three days to get her answer back to the committee offering the half a million dollars. Of course she wouldn't turn it down. I know if it was me I certainly wouldn't turn down that opportunity. So we had to sort out Sofia.

Callie's pov
Three days. Three days to reply to the people who had the power (the money) to change my life, and with that a lot of other people's too.

I couldn't not accept. It would be rude. And disrespectful. And a waste of my talents. I was never going to say no.

It would wreck the current set up of our lives, but surely helping so many people would be worth it. Arizona's a doctor. She would understand. And hopefully Sofia would too, when she's older. Now the problem was deciding how to manage the change. Great. I need to talk to Arizona. We hadn't spoken since the whole cafeteria debacle, and I still felt awful about it, but there was only so many times I could apologise. I hope Sofia doesn't inherit her other mother's stubbornness.

While pouring my coffee into my mug and stirring in some vanilla syrup, I grabbed my phone and found the contact I was looking for.

Arizona 💕

Before calling the number, I made a change.

Arizona

There. That was better.

I took a sip of my black vanilla coffee and held my phone up to my ear. I would've put it on speaker because it's easier than holding it up, but Sofia was still asleep in her bedroom and I really didn't want to risk waking her. The phone rang for what felt like ages, to the point where I thought it would go straight to voicemail.

"Hello?" Arizona answered.
"Hi, it's me, Callie"
"Great. Is Sofia ok?"
"Yes she's good, asleep in her room"
"So why are you calling me?"
"We need to talk about Sofia and the New York situation"
"So you've accepted?"
"Yes, I mean I had to. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity"
"Good for you"
"Can we meet for coffee or something? You know I don't like planning over the phone"
"We'll talk today, meet me in the cafeteria at lunch. Oh and maybe this time don't imply that I'm not Sofia's mother"
"Noted. See you later"
//Line disconnected//

Ok well that went ok. She still hates me, which isn't good. But at least we're talking again.

A few hours later

Lunch time came around as quickly as it possibly could have, and sure enough there was Arizona alone at a lunch table, waiting for me. There was a sight I never expected to see again. I went over with a serious and neural expression on my face, but with leaving the reply to the committee so long and making them so wait did worry me a little. I didn't know how soon I would be starting in New York, but I did think it wouldn't be long.

"Hey" my ex greeted me, with no smile, as I walked over to her table.

"Hiya" I took a seat on the opposite side of the small table, and prepared myself for a possibly explosive argument.

"So, we need to sort what's happening with Sofia when you go to New York. I was thinking we could a month here a month there but that would mess with the school work she does, and she wouldn't have time to make good friendships anywhere. That's why I think," I saw her take a deep breath. Oh no. Where's this going? "I think one of us should have full custody, or one year here one year there"

She clearly struggled to make it to the end of that, but she did it. My turn now.

"We can't do one of us has full custody all the time. The other would literally go years at a time not seeing Sof, that wouldn't be fair on anyone." I argued.

"Ok ok calm down. This is why I suggested alternate years"

"That, that could work" I agreed, quite gracefully may I add. Thoughts flooded through my head. 365 days not seeing my girl. 8760 hours. 525600 minutes. That's a lot of minutes. Although I hated it, that seemed like the only good option.

"How about one of us has her for the year, but the other has her for the holidays of that year" quietly, I asked.

"That sounds like a good idea" Arizona accepted.

So that was a it. A year away from my girl at a time, with only holidays. And then a year with my girl but not with her on Christmas or Easter. It didn't make life seem at all fun.

We stood up from the table and I followed Arizona over to the vending machine, where she grabbed a snack.

Arizona's pov
"Erm, when do you think you'll be moving to New York then?" I asked, needing some small talk to distract from the awkwardness- and the fact I could barely get my breakfast (lunch) bar out the machine.

"Probably in one or two weeks time. I've found a nice house online near a great school district, with lots of kids play centres, pools and parks around. It looks really nice over there."

Finally reaching my snack bar, I stood up and sighed. I stared into Callie's eyes, oh how I missed those beautiful brown eyes.

Callie was obviously confused by this, "you ok?"

I smiled happily, "just thinking about the good old days, the happy days and the ten kids plans days and the sandwiches days"

"I miss the old us too" she smiled back at me.

"Can we just pretend we're ok, just for a second?" I requested to my ex-wife. This was the nicest we'd been to each other in months. Maybe even years.

"I'd like that a lot" she replied.

Just like that, I hugged her. I held her and I was held, and I'd missed being held.

She hugged me back, her arms around me once more.

After a minute or two, I stepped back. "Sof could stay here with me for a few weeks while you get settled in and make in nice it New York, then we'll fly over and I'll let you have her for the rest of the year" I was being polite and nice and I was certainly it going to cry in front of her.

"That would be good, thank you. Will you be ok flying? You know the whole plane, er, thing?"

"I'll be fine, don't worry Calliope" I gave her a small and friendly grin, then walked away to the elevator, and continuing to step inside and watch my ex-wife until the doors closed themselves. Thoughts flooded my brain.

That was the first time I had called her Calliope since the divorce. Wow.

Why did I hug my ex-wife? I- Why?

Everything good has to come to an end. That's how we know it was good.