That night, Callie was reviewing an incoming case for when she returned to work. Arizona had put on a movie out in the living room and she was trying to give her some space. She had seemed agitated ever since her therapy session. But focus was one thing her mind could not do. She was plagued by the tormented look on Arizona's face when she had come back into the office after she'd been paged. Arizona hadn't talked much either. Calliope looked up at the ceiling. "Thanks for giving her back, but could you give her back now? I miss her, who she was. I need her."
Her prayer was cut short by a loud crash and the sound of shattering glass. Callie vaulted out of bed, leaving the case file strewn across the sheets, and threw open the door. Arizona was holding a plate in her hand, her feet surrounded by shattered glass. "Don't move," Calliope said.
Arizona looked at her in fear. "It was an accident."
"Okay." Callie ran to the door and slipped on a pair of sneakers so that she didn't get glass in her feet. She trotted back over to Arizona and reached out to take the plate from her. Arizona winced and stepped back, her bare feet grinding the broken glass into the tile floor.
"Please don't hit me," Arizona pleaded; her voice so soft that Callie barely heard it. "It was an accident. I'm sorry. Please, don't hit me."
Callie took the plate from Arizona's hand. "It is okay, Baby. Accidents happen."
Taking the Blonde by the hand, she guided her steps away from the mess on the floor. "Ah," Arizona whimpered in pain when she stepped down. Callie looked to the floor and saw a smudge of blood. She looked back up, and saw a single tear on Callie's face.
"Hop," Callie said. "Come on, up on the stool. Don't step down. Let me look at it." Arizona rested her leg on a second stool and Callie crouched down to look at Arizona's foot. She gingerly brushed away the powdered glass. "Yep, you got a piece in your heel. That's why I said don't move. Stay here." She ran and got her medical kit.
"Good thing you're a doctor."
"Mmhmm," Callie said. She grabbed tweezers and sprayed them with antiseptic before pulling the small shards of glass out. Then she sprayed Arizona's foot with antiseptic and pressed a large bandage over the cuts. Arizona picked her leg off the stool. Callie placed her hands on Arizona's face. "Baby, I will never hit you."
"I broke it. I didn't mean to."
"Shh," Callie said. Arizona leaned into her touch.
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay. It was an accident."
"I didn't mean to, please don't hit me."
Callie hugged Arizoma to her, kissing the top of her head. "I will never hit you, baby. I will never."
Arizona sighed into her chest. "I was just trying to surprise you."
Callie pulled back and looked at her with raised eyebrows.
"I was going to make you dinner. I knew you were working," Arizona said sheepishly. Callie bit back a laugh. She walked over to the closet and wrestled out the vacuum cleaner. Arizona always vacuumed, so normally Callie didn't mind the beastly thing. But she hated it and she had never managed to talk Arizona into getting rid of it. She quickly cleaned up the mess and then went back to Arizona.
"Are you really afraid of being hit?" Calliope asked. "Are you afraid of me hitting you?"
Arizona looked down. "I messed up. I deserve to be punished."
"You made a mistake," Callie said. "Everyone makes mistakes."
"Mistakes weren't allowed," she said softly.
Callie sat next to her. "Mistakes are allowed."
Arizona shook her head.
"Say it," Callie said. "Believe it."
Looking up at her, Arizona bit her lip. Callie took her hand. "I...mis-mistakes are allowed."
"Again."
"Mistakes are allowed," Arizona said. She smiled. Even though she was scared, Callie was helping her define her life. Her rules were so convoluted. She knew that she hadn't lived like this before. She wanted her life back. "I might mess that up sometimes."
"You're allowed to.
