CHAPTER 32

Callie stared and stared and stared at the invitation for hours.

The Air Force were inviting her to a special remembrance ceremony to honor her and other soldiers' sacrifices in Iraq. It was going to be a big deal.

She'd never gone to the Purple Heart ceremony. The medal had simply arrived in the mail. She knew where she kept it, but she never took it out and looked at it. Up until know she simply hadn't been able to.

But now it was different.

She had Arizona now. Everything seemed lighter. Better. Brighter. She was happy. And the thought of the medal no longer made her stomach turn.

She'd been home from the hospital for four weeks, healing, and was now at a point where she could walk fairly well with a cane.

She felt so strong. So at ease. And she decided she wanted to go to the ceremony. It would be like putting lid on everything that happened in Iraq. It would make her steps forward into life with Arizona lighter.

She picked up her phone and dialed the number on the invitation.

"Combat Officer Calliope Torres calling for Major Rodriguez please"

Arizona listened to the conversation that ensued from the kitchen, and she was smiling.

Three weeks later they were standing on a grass lawn in Washington, surrounded by other ex-soldiers and their families.

Sebastián and Ella were there too.

"Tia Callie, are you going to give Arizona the present now?" Ella said and tried hard to give Callie a secretive wink.

"What present?" Arizona asked.

"Uh...nothing" Callie said while Sebastián frantically tugged at Ella's shirt to move her away from the couple.

Arizona didn't get a chance to dig deeper because the ceremony started.

There was a bit of music, and a couple of speeches by some high ranked army personnel. Arizona felt Callie take her hand, and the latina's skin felt so very soft that Arizona had a hard time letting the latina's hand go when Callie's name was called and Callie got up.

Arizona's jaw dropped when she saw Callie walking onto stage. The latina's formal Air Force uniform made her look incredibly hot. And the cane she was walking with only added to the sexiness as Arizona knew the badassery and pure survival that lay behind the need for it.

The announcer stated 'Calliope Torres, Fallujah, Purple Heart'. Then there was a pause as the general that was standing on stage hung another medal right next to the Purple Heart that hung in front of Callie's own beating one. The announcer continued 'United States of America Medal of Honor'.

The audience burst into cheers and clapping as Callie shook the hand of the general and continued on to sit next to the rest of the medal recipients.

Arizona couldn't take her eyes off her. She stared.

When the ceremony came to an end, Callie was whisked off to have some pictures taken, and Arizona went and got herself a glass of wine that she downed with a shaking hand as she watched Ella show Sebastián how good she had gotten at doing cartwheels.

Arizona's heart was beating so fast and she couldn't collect her thoughts. She stood as frozen under a blooming apple tree when Callie walked up to her.

The blonde looked nervous. And she was beautiful. Callie felt an immense amount of love when she looked at Arizona, and even though Callie hadn't known how to broach the subject yet, she was dying for them to start a family together. It was something that had been on her mind for a while.

And as they stood there in front of each other, Arizona shaking with nerves, Callie had a feeling that she wasn't alone with her thoughts. And that something was coming.

"I want to have a baby with you. Now" Arizona blurted out.

Callie didn't blink.

"You do?" she croaked.

"Yes" Arizona whispered, a few tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"Well, then I guess I didn't pick the worse day to do this" Callie then said and slowly got down on one knee in front of Arizona.

Arizona put her hands in front of her mouth in surprise and shock.

"Sorry that I have to lean on this thing" Callie said with a smile while motioning to the cane "But I couldn't wait until my leg is back in shape"

And then the latina pulled a small box out of her jacket pocket.

Before she opened the box, both of them heard Ella's loud voice ring through the crowd that had gathered.

"PAPA! TIA CALLIE IS GIVING ARIZONA THE RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!"

It made both women laugh and Arizona then proceeded to burst into tears of happiness as Callie opened the box and said "Arizona, please, please, please marry me"

The blonde fell to her knees in front of Callie.

"Yes, God yes!"

THE END