Lynx Book 3: A Callie Torres Story

20

"Mommy?"

"Yeah sweetie?"

Turning her attention from Arizona to her daughter who sat nervously on the hospital bed, Jada immediately reached out and took Sofia's hand in hers. The little girl was trembling and still shaken up from everything that happened today.

"Is Momma mad at me?" Sofia asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

And Callie... well Callie had just been weird since they got here. It was obvious that Callie was not at all enamored by having to treat her daughter as a patient today. It seemed like some of that annoyance was being picked up by Sofia.

"Honey, Momma is not mad at you," Jada tried to reassure her daughter softly. "You gave her and I a good scare today. She's just trying to make sure you're okay."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure sweetie."

Jada also didn't blame Callie for being a bit annoyed, but she wished that at least her wife would hide that from Sofia. The little girl apologized profusely on the ride to the hospital for going on the monkey bars without supervision.

Callie and Jada set the rules, and the little girl knew very well what she wasn't allowed to go on at the playground without supervision, and she went on the monkey bars anyway. Jada understood that part. Callie was about to go into an intense surgery with Kate, and now she was tending to her own daughter in the hospital.

But Jada didn't like how passive aggressive Callie was being. Jada knew she was mad. Sofia, however, didn't need to know. The little girl was three, almost four, and she wasn't able to understand that her mom's frustration wasn't focused solely on her, but on her work too.

They would have to talk punishment for Sofia later tonight when Callie got home. The little girl was very aware of the rules her mothers had set for her, like no running in the house, no staying up later than a certain time, and the things she was and wasn't allowed to do on the playground. Sofia directly ignored the rules and paid the price for it. Jada knew they were going to have to make an example of it to get Sofia's attention and to really bring it home that the rules were for her safety, not because Callie and Jada were feeling mean. They certainly didn't need the little girl ending up in the hospital every time she decided not to listen.

"Momma," Sofia said as soon as Callie entered the room with a folder in hand along with some other supplies.

"Her wrist is broken," Callie said to Jada and Arizona. "Nothing worse than a normal break." She handed over the scans to Arizona. "I'm going to put her in a cast and she's going to have to wear it for a few weeks."

"Sof, what color cast do you want?" Callie asked as she set down the rest of her things.

"I want pink, Momma!"

Callie pulled out the casting material. She of course, brought pink with her, knowing that it was her daughter's favorite color.

"Can you hold your arm out for me, Sof?" Callie asked. "I'm going to put your cast on."

Sofia did as told as Callie wrapped her arm with the protective material. It's only job was to protect Sofia's skin from the odd texture of the cast that could hurt her skin if it wasn't used. Callie then wrapped a few layers of padding around Sofia's hand, wrist, and forearm.

"What does this do, Momma?" Sofia asked.

"So, this is the padding that goes underneath the cast," Callie explained. "It protects your arm and is a cushion for your arm underneath the hard cast."

Sofia's face immediately lit up when she saw Callie grab the pink casting wrap. "How did you know I want pink?" the little girl asked.

"Because I know everything," Callie teased with a smile. "I know your favorite color is pink."

Sofia watched Callie wrap her arm with the third layer, the pink layer. And she continued to hold her arm still as Callie painted on the fiberglass casting material that would then harden and complete the cast.

"We're going to wait a few minutes for this to dry," Callie said.

"Momma?"

"Yeah sweetie?"

"Are you mad at me?" the little girl asked.
"I asked Mommy and she said you're not, but I feel like you're mad at me."

Callie looked over at Jada. As much as she silently agreed with her wife that right now wasn't a good time to inform Sofia of her impending punishment, she did want to give her little girl a bit of tough love.

"I'm not mad at you," Callie reassured her daughter. "I'm a little disappointed though."

"Why?"

"You know Mommy and I don't want you on the monkey bars unless one of us or Aunt Arizona is helping you," Callie began. "I know you know that."

"I'm sorry Momma."

"I was going to help Aunt Kate out with a very important surgery but I didn't because I wanted to make sure you're okay. None of us want to see you get hurt, Sofia," Callie explained softly. "I see a lot of hurt kids everyday and I don't want you to be hurt."

"Mommy and I aren't telling you not to go on the monkey bars because we feel like it, but because you could get hurt if us or Aunt Arizona wasn't there to help you. And you did. You're okay, you just have a broken wrist that will be healed in a few weeks. It could've been a lot worse," Callie said. "So, moving forward, can you please listen to me, Mommy, Aunt Arizona, Grandma, and any other adult?"

Sofia nodded, "I'm sorry Momma. I didn't mean to make you scared."

"Mommy and I are going to take away your tv privileges for a few days," Callie said while glancing over at her wife. "Right?"

"Right," Jada replied immediately, completely on board with Callie's decision here. "We just want you to think before you do something like that again."

The little girl nodded, apparently understanding where her mothers were coming from. Callie and Jada glanced at each other, pleasantly surprised the punishment went over this well with their daughter. They were both expecting at least some protesting on Sofia's part.

"I'm sorry Mommy and Momma," Sofia said again. "Can I have a hug?"

"Absolutely, you can have a hug, Sof," Callie said as she sat up in her chair to reach over to Sofia. "Be careful not to touch my lab coat with that cast okay?"

"Okay, Momma."

Callie picked up Sofia and wrapped her arms around the little girl. "Mommy and I love you. And we just want you to be safe."

"I love you too, Mommy and Momma."