The Aftermath of Callie and Arizona

Sunny, But With A Chance Of Rain...

Arizona's POV:

"Mama?! Where's my red softball shirt?? I don't see it anywhere?!"

Sophia was in the laundry room, digging through the dryer, just before her practice that late afternoon. I left work early that day so I could pick-up the girls from my parent's house. We still had an hour before the practice and were heading home first, so Soph could change.

"Sophia, it should be in the dryer!" I was in the nursery, busy changing Madelyn after she had a diaper leak.

"I don't see it, Mama!? Are you sure it's not in my clothes hamper?"

We were only shouting because of the distance between us from the laundry room to the nursery. I had just buttoned up Maddy's onesie, and quickly scooped her up so we could hurry to the laundry room to help her big sister find her shirt.

As I held Maddy in my right arm/hand, I gently pushed Soph aside, reached into the dryer with my left hand and retrieved Soph's favorite softball shirt in less than 10 seconds. 

'Like Mother, like daughter!,' I thought.

"You found it, Mama, thanks!" 

My oldest gave me a quick hug and then took off the shirt she had on from that day and switched to her red athletic shirt I had just found. She tossed the "old," shirt in the laundry room hamper and then scooted back to her bedroom to put on her softball pants and socks.

"Madelyn, I swear your Mom and Sister would lose their heads if they weren't attached to their bodies! Thank goodness they have us to help them out, huh, little Miss!? You know Maddy, if we ever got lost, your Mom and Sister would be the last two we'd want heading up our search party... If they have this hard of a time finding their shirts in the dryer, just think how long it would take them to find us, in the world!"

I was, of course, talking to Maddy in a whimsical voice as I joked about Callie and Sophia's terrible search and rescue skills. I started laughing out loud at my own humor, while I was bouncing Maddy in my arms. She was smiling and I think trying to laugh, but instead, she just kept blowing spit bubbles while we danced.

After finding the one shirt that Sophia had to wear for practice, I went and changed out of my skirt, blouse and heels I had worn to work. Instead of my professional clothes, I opted for something more comfortable and threw on a pair of jeans, a blue Oxford shirt that was strategically buttoned but untucked and slightly revealing, with my brown mule loafers. 

I rolled my shirt sleeves up to a 3/4 length and donned the sapphire and diamond bracelet Callie had given me on our first Valentine's Day back together. 

I never wore the bracelet to work and I rarely wore the bracelet in general, so it seemed like a good night to sport it since it complimented my blue shirt. Plus, I had been feeling distant from Callie recently and wanted her near me, even if seeing the bracelet would be my only reminder of Callie I would have for the night.

Once we had the car packed up with everything either of the three of us could possibly need, we headed to the softball field. It was Sophia's night on the rotation to bring snacks and beverages for the practice that evening. So, that was yet another thing I got to pack-up as well.

We got to the ballpark early that night, just so I could have the snacks set-up and ready to go for the team's arrival. Even with Sophia's help, I knew it was still going to take me a while to unload, with Maddy being with me. I opened the hatch to the SUV, got Madelyn situated in her stroller and then gave Sophia some of the food to carry to the table near the dugout. 

That's the moment when I heard someone say, "Is there anything I can help you with? I'm exceptional when it comes to carrying things or, any other tasks that are mindless. For example, I would be outstanding at carrying that pack of bottled water to the field."