The Aftermath of Callie and Arizona

Fighting The Good Fight Part II

Callie's POV:

I was awoken, suddenly, by a loud clap of thunder that shook the couch I was laying on, followed shortly after by a bolt of lightning that lit up the darkened skies. I caught a glimpse of the Seattle skyline just before the fleeting light the bolt emitted, disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. I went to roll over and adjust the blanket I was laying underneath when my neck reminded me I was no longer as flexible as I had been in my youth.

"Ouch!," I exclaimed out loud and to myself, as I shifted my body position and simultaneously grabbed where my neck was suddenly giving me pain. I had cried myself to sleep the night before and could now feel what seemed like sand in both my eyes from all the tears I had shed.

I picked-up my cell phone from the coffee table that was positioned in front of my office couch. It was 5:18 am, and the start to a cold day with intermittent thunderstorms in the Emerald City. As I laid on my back, my neck still yelling at me, as I listened to the sound of the raindrops falling and the occasional clap of thunder that was already lessening.

In an instantaneous rush, the events of the previous night came flooding back and the pain in my heart started pouring over me. It made my neck pain seem like a flesh wound, as I recalled what had transpired only hours before.

Not knowing where to go when I fled my house in a furious rage, I simply drove around various parts of the city. I inevitably ended up around the hospital, and after an hour of driving, decided to park my car in the physician's garage.

I sat in the driver's seat for a moment while I contemplated what I should do next. While a couple drinks at Joe's bar sounded like a good way to drown my sorrows, it also seemed like a bad idea the night before I had to work. Not to mention, I looked like a horror movie extra with my red, swollen, puffy eyes and streaked mascara and eyeliner. One look at me, and the bar patrons would no doubt, run, screaming for their lives like the villagers did in, "Frankenstein."

So, I made the next logical choice and opted to sleep in my office. I had half considered getting a hotel room for the night, but quickly realized I didn't have any clothes or toiletries with me. 

As uncomfortable as my office couch was for sleeping on overnight, at least I had a change of clothes, my toiletries and a shower I could use at work. I had already decided in the first five minutes of leaving the house, that I wouldn't be sleeping at home that night.

While my mind continued to race, my heart started aching even more as I thought about my daughters and wondered what they were doing at that moment. More than likely Sophia was busy snoring away, all tucked into her bed. She would soon be awoken, and not easily, by Arizona around 6 am, so she could get ready for school.

Madelyn was either back down for another hour after being fed, or, she had woken Arizona up early and her mama was sitting in the rocking chair in the nursery, feeding her. The two of them are such a beautiful sight when they are both sleepy and snuggled together. I can't count how many times since Maddy's birth that I've found Arizona asleep and holding Maddy in the rocker while she slept on Arizona. My heart always melts when I discover them sleeping like that. 

I had major pangs of guilt as I continued to think about my little ones and how much I missed them. In my fit of anger, I hadn't quite thought through the repercussions of my actions on my daughters and Arizona. I felt horrible about leaving the three of them to fend for themselves and not being there to help my wife with Maddy. I knew I had made Arizona's night and morning more chaotic than it would normally be. 

Then I remembered my anger with Arizona's actions and felt a small amount of satisfaction I had made her suffer as a consequence. It was completely irrational thinking, but sometimes things aren't fair when it comes to love and war.