Arizona's POV:
It was Saturday afternoon and meanwhile, the storm continued to pummel the city and our house. As predicted, the wind speed was only getting worse as the day wore on. Callie and I were in the media room, with our daughters and Anna, while Becca got her hand sutured by Teddy in our kitchen.
"Callie, I'm going to go get something to drink from the fridge, can I get you anything?" We'd been sitting next to each other on the couch while the girls sat on the floor, when I stood up and spoke.
"I'm fine, sweetie, but you just can't help yourself, can you?" Callie chuckled and said, "I sense you're more curious about our friends in the kitchen, than getting a beverage. Either way, good luck." Callie smacked one of my butt cheeks as she giggled.
I playfully poked Callie's shoulder a few times, as I smirked back at her. She was completely right, and I was curious. Fifteen minutes had gone by and I knew Teddy should have been long finished by now.
As I quietly used the kitchen entry from the formal dining room, I discovered that Teddy had already finished with the stitches. Our friends backs were to me as they sat side by side at the farmhouse table bench.
Somehow they didn't hear me when I took a small step in the room, so they weren't aware of the interchange I witnessed. Becca's face was buried into Teddy's chest as she quietly wept. Teddy protectively had her arms wrapped around Becca as she talked and stroked her back.
"You're going to be okay now, alright baby? I'll make sure you are taken care of tonight, all you need to do is feel better, okay?" Teddy tenderly kissed the top of Becca's head as she continued to soothe her.
"I know, it just happened so fast that it took me off guard. I'm still trying to process everything Anna and I went through." Teddy was running her fingers, very softly through Becca's hair as she spoke.
"Teddy, I'm sorry I didn't call or text you this week. I got busy with Anna and work and forgot about getting together this weekend. Please forgive me, my knight in shining armor. Do you know how much I love you?"
"I do, sweetheart, I know you love me. I hope you know how much I love you. It scared me to see you bleeding when you appeared in the kitchen. I can't stand to see you hurting." Teddy and Becca shared a deeply passionate kiss before they pulled away.
That's when I decided I didn't want to hear or see something not meant for my ears or eyes, and made my footsteps louder as I began talking and walked over to the table.
"Well, how did the patient do, Dr. Altman?"
Becca pulled away from Teddy when she heard me and started wiping the tears away from under her eyes.
"She did just fine and I think her scar will be minimal thanks to my superior surgical skills."
Becca smiled as I laughed and said, "That's good news about the scar and it's nice to see how humble you still are!"
Teddy began getting up from the table as she hugged Becca from behind. I noticed Becca reluctantly pat Teddy's arms as they encircled her upper torso. Becca was trying to acknowledge the hug, but didn't want to make a big deal about it in my presence. Teddy immediately realized and let go in an attempt to make their physical contact seem more friendly than intimate.
"I'm going to go use the bathroom." Teddy left the kitchen and headed down our bedroom hallway, to the bathroom next to the nursery. It had an entrance from the nursery, but there was also a door in the hall for guests.
I decided to sit kitty-corner to Becca after grabbing us waters from the refrigerator.
"Arizona, I never got to explain why we are here in all the chaos that just happened, but stopping to visit wasn't in my plans today." Becca took a sip of water, closed the lid and continued.
"Anna and I were running errands when the storm took a turn for the worse. As we left the store, the winds were strong enough to start causing trees and large branches to come crashing down. That's when I got the alert on my phone and realized we weren't going to be able to get home, safely. Your house was the closest of anyone, so I decided to make my way here and barely did. Our car roof narrowly missed getting struck by a tree branch at the end of your street. I still can't believe that after all that, I would get cut so badly, only feet from your front door."
I patted the top of Becca's right hand, that was sitting on the table. "I'm glad you are both here, safe and sound. You're not the only one that got caught off guard by this storm, by the way. Seems like the entire city wasn't aware of just how bad this was going to be. I've never seen anything like this here in Seattle."
"There are many trees down, traffic lights out and debris of all sorts and sizes is being funneled across the streets. It's a literal disaster zone outside and I'm thankful that Anna is safe. I'd throw myself under a semi-truck in order to save her. And I've actually seen winds and weather like this, but only once before."
"Callie and I are the same when it comes to our girls. There isn't a thing we wouldn't do to protect them, even if it meant risking our lives to do it. What happened the last time you experienced a storm like this before? Was it in Seattle?"
"You probably remember I grew up in Northern Washington, right?" I nodded my head as she continued. "Back in December of 1995, a massive windstorm like this hit Northern California, Oregon and Washington. The damage it caused cost hundreds of millions of dollars and left power outages, everywhere. I remember being in high school and missing four days of school because of a tree that crashed through the gymnasium roof."
"Becca, do you think this storm is as bad as the one in 1995?"
"After what I just saw outside Arizona, I think it's going to be the same or even worse. The amount of damage I've already witnessed is going to take a long time to remediate. I wouldn't be surprised if you are stuck with us for a few days."
"All I care about is that everyone is safe and sound. And we always have plenty of food on hand, so I promise you two will be well fed, no matter how long you need to stay." We both shared a hug before I decided to scrutinize Teddy's handiwork.
"So, how did Teddy do with your sutures?" I was gently inspecting Teddy's meticulous position and placement along Becca's now closed lac. It looked like a robot had placed them they were so precise.
"She did perfectly, as always, and she got me to calm down. She somehow always seems to know what I need."
"Teddy is good that way. In the decade plus we've been friends, she always seems to be able to read my emotions like a book. She's definitely a keeper in my opinion."
"Arizona, I know you and Callie must realize Teddy and I have more going on than just being friends. Since we're both going to be in your house tonight, I want you guys to be aware if you weren't already."
I saw my opportunity and played stupid for a moment. "What exactly is going on between the two of you?"
Becca's face flushed red, as she looked down at the table for the words she was searching for. I was pleasantly surprised that she said, what she had and was hoping by her revealing their intimacy, their relationship might take a step forward.
"We both have feelings for each other, but it's just complicated, that's all."
I had a perplexed look on my face in response to Becca and was getting ready to pump her for more information when Teddy walked into the room and halted the discussion at hand.
"Are you scrutinizing my double butterfly sutures, Dr. Robbins? I personally think they look outstanding and a picture of my sutures should be used in a textbook. And, I still need to immobilize her hand, so the sutures stay in place till it heals a bit more. So don't manhandle her left hand too much."
"Oh, I already tried to find something wrong with your stitches, but they really are picture perfect, Teddy. I still think I could have done better, but concede you did phenomenal work. It makes it difficult to compete with you." I stood up and patted Teddy on her shoulder.
"Well, I don't know about you ladies, but we're hanging out in the media room if you..." That's when it happened, the large sound of wood violently cracking, the sound of a massive branch breaking and the sudden noise of breaking glass. I instantly localized the sound had come from behind the house and ran to the kitchen window.
"Oh my God! Callie! Get in here!" Callie must have heard the noise too and was right next to me in seconds.
"Oh my God, the treehouse!" Teddy and Becca gasped as they looked out with us.
Turned out, a large, overhead branch from one of the oak trees the treehouse was perched on, had snapped off in the high winds. From our vantage point, it appeared to have fallen onto the roof and must have broken out a skylight from the sounds we heard.
"Callie, we need to get out there and see what happened! We need to figure out how to keep things as dry as possible."
"Arizona, I'm not disagreeing with you, but it doesn't seem safe for any of us to be outside, or in your treehouse that is filled with glass skylights and lots of windows." Becca spoke before Callie or Teddy, as she rubbed my back a couple times.
"Arizona, I agree with Becca. It's not safe for any of us to be out there." Callie wrapped her arm around my shoulder as she spoke. "Look what happened to Becca..."
"Callie, I know, but I need to see what's going on. I just want to shift furniture and ascertain if there's anything I can do about the rain that's now coming inside."
"While I think it's best to stay put, it's probably best to go now and look, if you're going to. It's only going to get worse as the storm builds. Arizona and Callie, I'll go with you. We will take whatever tarps and buckets you have and do our best, but consider this a fast moving operation. The sooner we get in and out, the better." I nodded with what Teddy said and so did Callie.
The three of us hurried and went out to the garage to grab some tarps, bungee cords and all the buckets we had. After putting on rain boots and slickers, we went out back and attempted to force our way through the wind gusts that were peaking around 40 to 50 mph when they really hit. Even though the distance between our back door and the elevated house is short, it took twice as long to traverse it, thanks to the powerful winds.
My heart sank as I unlocked the door and saw the damage. The branch had punched one of its smaller branches through a skylight near the front of the house, by the dining table. Callie had already grabbed the ladder we keep in the treehouse and did a closer inspection of the damage. While the window was gone, the tree branch landed in such a manner, that virtually all the rain was blocked off from entering. Still, we moved the table out of the way and put down tarps and buckets underneath the opening to catch what we could.
After diligently working for 30 minutes, Teddy said, "Ladies, let's get back in the house. According to my phone, the winds just picked up another 5 mph. We did the best we could for now and need to get out of here."
I reluctantly took one last look before we walked outside and attempted to push our way back through the near gale force winds. We decided to walk together, holding hands in order to steady ourselves in the onslaught. After fighting our way through the door, I locked it behind us as we caught our breath.
Becca appeared at the sounds of us returning with great relief. "Thank goodness all 3 of you are safe." Callie and I watched Becca wrap her arms around Teddy's shoulders and hold her tightly for an extended period. She kissed Teddy's cheek before letting her go.
Callie flashed me an inquisitive look when I mouthed, "I'll tell you later." She nodded but still looked intrigued. I unfortunately didn't have a good explanation myself, and was flabbergasted Becca even mentioned her deeper connection with Teddy. I was secretly hoping that Becca would be more open about their relationship going forward, but was doubtful, nonetheless.
"Moms, what happened to the treehouse?" Sophia joined us in the kitchen when she heard our voices.
"The wind brought down a tree limb, but don't worry Soph. It will get fixed, but for now, the treehouse isn't useable. Hey, where's your sister?" Callie had her hands on Sophia's shoulders as she talked.
"Maddy and Anna are in the media room, I came in to see what happened and to get us drinks. Can we have some hot chocolate? Please?"
I looked at Becca and Callie, whom didn't seem to have a problem with the hot cocoa and said, "Sure. I'll make two mugs and bring them to you guys, okay? Just be mindful about spilling your drinks."
"Thanks Mama!" Sophia gave me a quick hug and was off.
"Neither of the girls have been too phased about the storm I've noticed, which is good considering what Anna and I went through just getting to your house. I hope they are able to remain calm as things get worse."
"Mama? Can we have marshmallows too, please?" Sophia's voiced boomed much like Callie's does when she's talking to me from another room in the house.
"Of course," I said as I was mixing hot water from our water cooler with packets of hot chocolate. I decided to hedge my bets though and put the drinks in travel mugs with lids. And I had already planned on the marshmallows knowing my daughter would want them.
The next couple of hours we decided to spend in the media room, watching TV. Although the 4 adults spent our time tracking the weather from our phones or tablets. Becca had scooted herself next to Teddy, who had thrown a blanket over them both. I knew it was their way of hiding any touching they were doing from the group.
Callie and I were sitting near each other on the opposite side of the sectional with Maddy's bassinet next to us. She had napped that late morning, but with the noise outside, she wasn't able to sleep at that point in the day.
"Arizona? What do you want to do for dinner? I was thinking about making enchiladas since we have ground beef. I bought that huge amount to freeze since it was on sale, but was thinking tonight would be a good time to use it with 3 extra people in the house."
"Callie, that sounds like a good plan to me. Care to have my help?" Callie smiled at me and nodded as we stood up.
"Hey ladies, any chance you'd keep an eye on Madelyn for us? We're going to get dinner started."
"Of course, but do you need any help from us?" Teddy and Becca were looking at us as Teddy talked.
"No, I think we are good, but thank you. I hope everyone is okay with beef enchiladas tonight?"
"That sounds wonderful, but let us know if you need help, okay?" Becca decided to interject this time.
We said okay and disappeared into the kitchen. I started pulling out an onion, a cutting board and a knife when Callie whispered in my ear, "Becca was awfully open to hold and kiss Teddy this afternoon in front of us. What's going on? Is she suddenly admitting that they have been secretly dating?"
I kept my voice volume low as I said, "Sort of? She started to say something about their relationship but then said it was complicated. We got cut-off from our conversation when Teddy happened back in the room. Seeing them openly hug was still surprising to me, but I'm hoping that maybe Becca is coming to better terms with their relationship. Maybe. I sense Anna doesn't know anything and Becca doesn't want her to know for some reason, but I honestly don't know."
"In other words, we are no further along with where they stand today, than yesterday, are we?"
I laughed, smiled and said, "Nope. Should make for a fascinating night though, since I have a feeling, they will bunk up together in the guest room."
"So Arizona, we'll be watching the youngsters tonight while those two get it on in our house?"
"Pretty much what I figured too, Callie." At that moment, our lights began to flicker, as a loud gust of wind shook the house and howled.
"Good grief, Dr. Robbins! We better get these enchiladas done in case we lose power."
Callie and I both dug in at that point and got both pans in the oven to bake. We decided to make a round of margaritas for the 4 of us, while we waited on the oven.
We thankfully managed to get through dinner and put everything away when an enormous wave of wind blew through the city and we heard a loud boom and then a popping sound. The lights and all the power summarily shut down, a second later.
We were sitting in the media room when it happened. As all the adults groaned, the girls got excited. I suppose to them, no power seemed like some sort of fun adventure in the moment. The rest of us however, realized what an inconvenience it would be if we were out for too long and knew that it would be awhile before we regained electricity.
I immediately got up and brought my supplies of battery lighting and lanterns to the media room. In no time, we had key rooms of the house lit or equipped with lights if needed. The girls decided they wanted to, 'camp,' in Sophia's room that night and went about constructing their room with blankets to make a, 'tent.' That left the 5 of us in the media room.
Thank goodness for the fireplace in that room that was running hot by that point in the day. We had electric heat in the house, so losing power was eventually going to affect the overall temperature until the power was restored.
"Well ladies, looks like the fire is going to be our only source of heat in the house until the power comes back. Callie and I will make sure to keep an eye on it tonight so it doesn't die. That being said, in a couple hours, we may want to sleep in the media room to stay warm. I already put some extra blankets on the guest bed in the meantime."
"Thanks Arizona, but I think we'll be just fine as we seem to generate a lot of body heat when we're together." Becca smiled at Teddy and then gently rubbed her nose on the end of Teddy's nose a few times.
"I'll make sure there are places downstairs for you both if you should want them. Help yourselves to whatever you need. I think you both know your way around our house, but holler if you need anything, okay?" I pointed between Callie and myself as I talked.
"Will do ladies, and thanks. You know, since the power is out, there's really not much to do. Any chance you'd want to turn in early, Becca? I know you've had a long day." Teddy stretched her arms up and out before encircling Becca with her left arm around her back. Callie and I watched while Becca snuggled into Teddy.
"You know Teddy, I am pretty wiped out. I think going to bed early is just what I need. Great idea!"
The two women quickly sprang off the couch and hurried towards the stairs before Becca paused.
"Oh, Callie and Arizona? Do you mind keeping an eye on Anna since she's sleeping with Sophia tonight?"
"Not a problem Becca, we already planned on watching the girls since we're going to be across the hall."
"You guys are the best!" With that, Teddy and Becca ran up the steps like two giddy teenagers that were about to no doubt, have sex. We could hear them giggle, kiss and grab the other as the guest room door closed.
That left Callie, Maddy and I, in the media room. The fireplace was glowing an intense smattering of reds and oranges as the burning logs popped and cracked. The wind speed continued to blast our house and had started shaking it from what felt like the foundation on up.
"Well, that wasn't an obvious hookup or anything, was it?"
I started giggling at Callie's incredibly true assessment of our friends behavior. "Who are they kidding? It's only 8 o'clock! We're seriously going to need to burn those sheets when they leave."
I laughed and said, "That's if there is anything left of the sheets by the time they're done rolling all over them." Callie hugged me and then groaned at my accurate statement before laughing.
"Well, Dr. Torres... shall we go check on the girls and let them know about the heat situation? While I suspect we'll be okay for awhile, by morning, this house is going to be one cold place. They are predicting temperatures around 40 degrees Fahrenheit as a low. It would probably be wise to close off rooms we won't be using to try and keep the heat we have."
"Sounds like a plan, my love." Callie grabbed Maddy as the two of us started closing doors before going to speak to the 10 year olds.