Lynx Book 3: A Callie Torres Story

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"Hi baby."

When Callie didn't immediately reply back, Jada looked up from her laptop. The grin that was tugging at her lips quickly faded when she saw Callie timidly making her way over to the counter.

"Calliope, baby?"

Callie still didn't answer, but instead continued setting her things down on the table. "Baby are you okay?" Jada asked again.

Once she finished setting down her things, Callie came around the counter and took a seat on the barstool beside Jada. Looking her wife directly in the eyes, Callie grabbed Jada's hands in hers.

"I got offered a job today," Callie said quietly.

"You did?" Jada asked excitedly, a little confused as to why her wife wasn't reciprocating that excitement.

Shaking her head, Callie broke the eye contact and looked away. "They offered me Chief of Orthopedics at the Hospital of Special Surgery."

"Calliope, that's amazing. Didn't you say that's one of the best hospitals for orthopedics?"

"I did," Callie answered.

"Then why aren't you excited?"

Callie's face fell again. "Because it's in New York."

Jada swallowed and took a deep breath, still not understanding why Callie wasn't excited. "Okay, so we go to New York," she suggested happily.

"I'm not taking the job and we're not going to New York."

"Calliope, that's an opportunity of a lifetime."

"Jaelynn, I'm not taking the job."

"Did you even think about it?"

Callie looked up at Jada sadly. "I did. And it's just not feasible for me."

"Why?"

"Because we can't just up and move to New York!" Callie replied.

"Did you even think about it past that?" Jada wondered. "What if you could make a few trips to New York throughout the year to help with very important surgeries."

"Jaelynn, you're not getting it," Callie said softly. "We just can't up and move to New York. Our lives are here."

"Our lives could be in New York, too," Jada added.

"The answer is no!"

"But, Calliope, this is an opportunity of a lifetime."

"I know," Callie replied flatly. "Believe me, I do know. New York is not an option for us right now. Our lives are here. Our family is here. Our friends are here. Our daughter is going to start elementary school here. We're going to have a baby. Packing everything up and moving across the country right now just isn't going to happen."

"Callie, you need to at least try."

Shaking her head, Callie shot back, "Jaelynn, it's not going to happen."

"You didn't even give it a chance. Go to New York for a few days and see if you like it."

"You are not hearing me," Callie said gently. "I am not going to visit. I will not leave your side and I will certainly not leave you alone while you're eight months pregnant."

"I have my mom, and Arizona." She took a deep breath. "Callie, I can't hold you back from this opportunity."

"My job will never come before my responsibilities as a wife and mother."

"Then I'll come with you to visit the hospital."

"I don't want you flying this late in your pregnancy."

"Then we'll drive."

"No." Callie took a deep breath of her own. "Remember when you retired so that you could be a wife and a mom?" Callie asked.

"Yes."

"That's what I want to be, too," Callie explained. "You and our girls come before anything."

"I just don't want you to miss out on this opportunity," Jada tried to protest again.

"I'm not missing out on anything," Callie said. "Nothing, not even a job at the best orthopedic hospital in the country, will beat my job as your wife and a mom. I'm ready for that."

•••

After checking on Sofia, Jada made her way into her and Callie's bedroom. Callie was curled up in bed on her side, facing towards the door. Closing the door quietly, Jada crossed the room and slid under the covers beside her wife.

"Calliope, you're taking that job," Jada said blatantly.

Looking up at Jada, Callie used her arm to push herself up into her elbow and she rested her head on her hands. "I don't want to talk about it," she said glumly.

"This is an opportunity of a lifetime. Callie, you've done everything anyone could wish to achieve. You are meant for this position."

"I'm not going to New York. I'm not going to uproot our lives to move across the country."

"We can do it," Jada said softly. "Sofia won't start kindergarten until next year and the baby will be fine."

"What about your mom? Arizona?"

"They can come with us."

"All of our friends are here."

"They can visit. The surgeons can afford it and my friends can too." Jada took a deep breath. "You're not hearing me, Calliope."

"I am and right now, that's not what I want," Callie replied. "We weren't together yet when my schedule was insane. I was never home. I slept in the hospital, woke up for surgeries, and went right back to sleep. That's what my life consisted of, work and sleep. Being in that position I would be on call anytime. I don't want that."

"Callie..." Jada trailed off. "I'm sure you could work something out."

"I want to wake up in the mornings and take Sofia to school and hangout with the baby. I want to sleep beside you every night and not have to go into work at crazy hours in the middle of the night."

A small smile crossed Jada's face. "You're sure you don't want this?"

"I'm sure."