I'm really, deeply, sorry for taking so long to update here. I had a severe health problem and wasn't able to write for a while. I'm ending the story now and hopefully starting a new one soon.

On the next morning was crystal clear how sad and confused Arizona was. Sofia was smart enough to recognize that, too. During the breakfast, the blonde didn't say a word and although Sofia was trying to make funny faces and help her mom by offering a piece of her pancake, Arizona was just focused on her giant cup of coffee. She was off from the hospital and decided to take Sofia to play out in a park nearby her house.

"Are you sure you want to go, Mommy? You don't seem fine today." – Sofia asked, a little confused by her mom's quiet behavior.

"I'm ok, honey. Hurry up, go put on your sneakers" – Arizona ordered.

In the park, the blonde was sitting down on a bench looking at Sofia playing in the swing and running around with other kids in there. She could stare at her daughter, but couldn't listen to a single sound. Inside her head, she could only hear Amelia's word replaying, Meredith's laughter, the first "I love you" they both exchanged. She was definitely losing all of that.

Sofia approached her mom and asked if they could walk a little bit inside the park. Arizona agreed and held Sofia's hand, while they were slowly walking in the park. They finally reached to the part of the park where a small creek crosses the left wing of it. They sat down in the grass, and Sofia hugged her mom, trying to make the blonde feel better. Arizona couldn't hide it anymore and a few tears ran down her face.

They were in silence for a moment, until Sofia's big curious eyes started to run around the park and creek and started to ask questions.

"Where does this creek come from, mom? Aren't we in the middle of the city?" – Sofia asked.

Arizona was starting to put her thoughts together to answer her daughter when she understood how perfect that opportunity was.

"Well, I don't know exactly where it comes from, but it's a small part of the big sea out there. The creek just decided to go through another way" – Arizona explained and Sofia seemed really interested.

"But how come the sea doesn't escape entirely through this creek?" – Sofia asked.

"Because it's the other way around. The creek is the one who escaped the sea." – Arizona said.

"Why? Is the sea bad?" – Sofia asked.

"No, it isn't. But sometimes even if it seems the right thing, the sea it's not enough" – Arizona said and Sofia smiled.

"I think the creek is beautiful, mom" – Sofia said, making Arizona smile, too.

"Me too, honey." – Arizona said and kissed the top of her daughter's head, and continued – "Sof, don't you agree how bravely it is that, sometimes, the creek escape the sea and invade the city, even though it had been told its entire life it was meant for the shore?"

"I do" – Sofia answered.

"Well, that's exactly my feelings for Meredith. Just like the creek can't change its course and goes back to the sea, I can't pretend it doesn't exist. And I've tried so hard to forget about it, because of you, because mommy loves you so so much. But my heart tells me I need to follow my feelings" – Arizona finally said, and Sofia looked at her.

"I'm sorry you needed to keep your feelings hidden, mom. That's why you're sad, isn't it?" – Sofia asked.

"It is, honey. Meredith is about to go through a very important moment in her career and I wish I could be by her side, celebrating it. But more than that, I wish I could live this love and have you happy with it, too. If I have to choose, I will always choose you, no matter what. You're truly the most important thing in my life. Meredith is the woman I love, but you're my daughter." – Arizona explained.

"You should go see aunt Meredith, mom. I just don't want you fighting with her like you and Mama did because I don't want to move from our home anymore" – Sofia confessed.

"Honey, I don't have any plans of moving away. Adults fight all the time because we've lost this magical thing the kids like you still have: this sparkles in your eyes and purity in your heart. But most of the times it's just a fear of losing the ones we love. Your Mama and I still love each other so much, because we're a family, but we don't work out as a couple. She loves Penny and I love Meredith. Do you think you're ok with that?" – Arizona asked.

"I'll try to be, mom. I want you happy" – Sofia said and hugged Arizona.

Still not believing she finally told her daughter and received the green light to move forward and go after Meredith, Arizona was a little lost about where she should start to make things right.

She called April and asked for help.

- I need your help, April.

- If it doesn't involve Meredith, I'm all ears.

- It does involve her.

- Arizona, I won't discuss this with you until you behave like a grown-up woman and not an annoying teenager.

- Well, the teenager finally told Sofia about everything. She's still coping with all the changes in her life, but she gave me the green light. Now I need to fly to Boston and congratulate the woman I love but I need Sofia to stay with someone I trust. Would you help now?

- Oh my God! You told her? I'm so proud of you. When are you leaving? Of course she can stay with me.

- There's only one straight flight to Boston and it leaves in two hours.

- So hurry up, Arizona. I'm on my way to your place to pick up Sofia!

- Thank you so much, April. For everything.

- Thank you for allowing yourself to be happy again. You truly deserve it.

As soon as April arrived, Arizona said goodbye to Sofia promising she would only be away for one night. She got in a cab and asked the driver to hurry up to the airport.

Now it was just a matter of time until she finally set her life back on track. She was happy on the outside, but something inside of her was being overly concerned about it being too late for Meredith to accept her back. What if Meredith's request for her to go to Boston was the last chance Arizona had and she blew it? What if it Meredith gave up already?

Just by thinking it, Arizona shivered. She knew she was late, but at least she was still trying.

When her plane finally landed, Arizona was in such a hurry she almost hit the flight attendant on her way out of the airplane. She needed to get inside a cab and check in on the hotel to get dressed, as fast as she could.

At the hotel, Arizona could barely think. She was so focused on getting ready in time and try to save her relationship with Meredith that thinking sounded like a waste of time and energy. She put on her finest dress and tried to do her own hair and makeup in a simple, yet elegant way.

In the meantime, Amelia was uptight and seeming nervous, looking around every 5 seconds. Meredith noticed how stressed out her sister was.

"Amelia, what's going on? You seem stressed" – Meredith asked, calmly.

"Me? I'm not. I'm fine. Are you nervous?" – Amelia tried to change the subject.

"A little bit, yeah. But I'm coping just fine" – Meredith answered, smiling.

She was very quick on adjusting herself to this new scenario where Arizona wasn't a part of. She was suffering on the inside, missing the love of her life, but she couldn't drag this suffering along with her forever. If things were over, then they were over.

"I called her. Before we leave Seattle" – Amelia confessed, out of a sudden.

"Who did you call?" – Meredith asked, even though she knew the answer.

"Arizona. I told her to come." – Amelia said.

"I imagined you would do so." – Meredith said, not angry at all. – "But she has her own reasons not to come. I respect that"

The minute she ended the sentence, the lights went off. The ceremony was about to start. Arizona was stuck in the traffic, feeling her stomach turn inside out. She couldn't miss this. Not after so many obstacles on the way, she was so close.

Finally, Arizona arrived. She tried to walk as fast as she could with the heels and her prosthetic. The minute she walked in the room, she felt all the nervousness she was ignoring since she got in that plane. It was hard to identify the people in such a dark room, so she sat on an empty table right at the end, by the door. If anything would go wrong, she could just storm out. Except she didn't want to run. She was tired of running, she just wanted to hold Meredith in her arms and feel that everything was just right.

They were finishing talking about all the nominees, and at any second now they would announce the winner. Meredith took a last look around the room, hoping she could see that face she wanted so badly. Before she could look at Arizona's direction, they announced.

"… Dr. Meredith Grey" – Catherine Avery announced and the crowd gave Meredith a fine round of applause.

Meredith smiled a little embarrassed and hugged Amelia, who was radiant over her sister's winning. Meredith slowly walked up the stairs to the stage and received the award and a hug from Catherine. When she approached the pulpit and the lights were a little brighter, she spotted right there, at the end of the room, standing and applauding her, with that heavenly smile on her face: Arizona was there. Meredith lost her words at that second. It was like the world had stopped and all that she could see was Arizona.

Meredith had to say the words everyone was expecting her to, but all she could do was smile. Amelia noticed her sister looking straight at the back of the audience and turn her head to see what was it.

"Thank God, Arizona!" – Amelia said.

Meredith gave a beautiful speech regarding the advance on Medicine, her mother and the thing that makes everyone want to fight for: life. And, without taking her eyes off Arizona, she ended it with "And life is not worthy if you cannot give and receive love. I will continue to save lives so everyone can experience what love can do".

Arizona cried the whole time without stop smiling. What an honor was being there, watching the love of her life saying such beautiful words. What an honor to be able to share a life with that woman. She couldn't wait any longer to kiss her and apologize for taking so long to be there, where she was supposed to be the whole time.

Meredith left the stage and both women walked to meet each other halfway.

"You made it." – Meredith said, smiling.

"You won" – Arizona answered, taking Meredith's hand.

"I did." – Meredith agreed.

"I'm sorry for everything, Mer. I should've been here since the first time you mentioned it. I'm really sorry" – Arizona said, kissing the other woman's hand.

"You made it, that's what matters. You're here" – Meredith said and hugged the blonde.

"I love you, so so much. I'm so proud of you" – Arizona said, looking into Meredith's eyes.

"I love you, too." – Meredith said, and without resisting any longer, kissed her girlfriend.