Cupcakes and Tattoos

Chapter 33

"Hey, Cal," Mark greeted. "What are you doing here? I thought you took tonight off to go trick or treating with your two children?"

"I did, but the overgrown one kicked me out of the house so they could get ready." Callie plopped down in Mark's extra chair and leaned forward to see the sketch he was working on. "Nice zombie, Momo."

"It seemed appropriate for Halloween."

"Where is everybody?" Callie looked around the empty shop.

"I sent them home. Cristina was whining about missing out on Halloween tequila specials at Joes. Bailey was lecturing me on god knows what and George was just staring at the ceiling being useless. I'm just waiting for my last quick client, then I'm out of here."

"What are you and Lexie up to tonight?" Callie picked up the bowl of candy they had on hand in case some trick or treaters came by and dug through it until she found her favorite peanut butter cups. She unwrapped it and put it in her mouth, moaning at the peanut buttery goodness.

"She wants to stay home and hand out candy to kids. She likes to see the costumes, I guess. She's really into Halloween. You should have seen the ninja turtle costume she wore to work. It was the cutest thing."

"Yeah, Arizona had one too. I think each of them were a different one." Callie smiled at Mark using the word cute to describe a woman. He usually stuck with more colorful words. Lexie was changing her friend and she liked it. "Remember when we'd go out on Halloween and see who could pick up the girl with the skankiest costume?"

"Yeah and you always beat me!"

"Because I'm hotter." Callie laughed and unwrapped another candy.

"You are not!"

"I am too!" Callie threw her candy wrapper at his head.

"Those were good times. What happened?" Mark turned his attention back to his drawing. He wanted to get it done so he could give it to Lexie later.

Callie picked up one of Mark's pencils and stole a piece of paper. She was in a zombie drawing mood too. "We grew up."

"When did that happen?" Mark joked.

"The day that damn building next door turned pink." Callie smiled. If someone had told her that day that her life would be turned completely turned upside down by a perky, Heely wearing baker a few months later she would have called them crazy and threw her coffee at them. "Did you ever think we'd turn out this way?"

"No, I thought we'd be hitting on the old ladies at the nursing home together when we were old and grey."

"I never wanted to live that long."

Mark looked up in shock. "Wow, Cal. Mood killer."

"I just mean that I never saw my life going anywhere. I didn't think I would ever meet anyone or have a family of my own. The thought of living that long as unhappy as I used to be was incredibly daunting." Callie could feel Mark staring at the top of her head, but she remained focused on her drawing.

"You never gave yourself enough credit. You were always going to find someone, because you're great, Cal. I wish you could see that you deserve happiness."

"I know that now. I didn't see it back then is what I'm saying."

"Ah I see. I'm sorry you felt that way."

"It wasn't you're fault." Callie looked up from her drawing. "How are you and Lexie?" The way Mark's face lit up at the mention of the younger girls name was all the answer she needed.