I Left My Heart in San Diego

"Your...your father?" my mom asked, stunned. All the rage she had upon me entering the house had melted, and she was just staring at me, probably wondering what sort of coverup this was for whom I was actually with.

"Yes, Mom, my father. Y'know, the man who left you and me eleven years ago? The man who just dropped the life he had made in San Diego with us and just walked out? Well, I finally found him again, Mom. Starting to get my own roots in and beginning to bring up my own family got me wanting to get my roots back in with my real family, the one who brought me up. And I know you've been so good to me, Mom, you've been like both of my parents to me since Dad left, but I wanted to find him again, because I had to grow up without a father, and...and...yeah." I finished with a loud exhale.

I looked up at my mother, since I had gotten lost in my rambling, and when I did, I saw she had tear tracks on her cheeks. "Arizona..."

"Mom, I just wanted to find my father. And I did, Mom, I did. And he has a new life now, but I hope that we can somehow find somewhere in our lives to let him back in," I told her, handing Cadence's carrier to Aran, who had come around the corner probably when he heard me come in the door, and I engulfed my mother in the biggest hug I had ever given her.

We stood there, hugging in the foyer, for probably about five minutes. When we finally peeled ourselves away from each other, Aran held out Cadence's carrier towards me, and I picked her up out of it. He then walked up the stairs to go put the carrier in my room, while my mom wiped her face and sniffled. "So what's he like, your father?" she asked.

I smiled and nodded towards the living room. "Come and sit down, Mom, there's a lot to tell."



"So what's he like?" my mother asked me again, sitting next to me on the couch in the living room. Once she had settled down for the most part, we had made ourselves some popcorn, and placed it in a bowl in the middle of the glass coffee table in front of us, two glasses of lemonade on either side of it.

I smiled. "Well, first, he's remarried."

"I figured he would be. Have you met her?"

"Yeah, she came with him to the cafe."

"What's she like?"

"Well, she didn't stay long, so I didn't get to learn much about her, but she seems nice," I said. "She's a high school principal, I know that much, and she has a daughter."

"A high school principal?" I nodded. "And a daughter?" I nodded again, taking a sip of my lemonade. "How old is she?"

I shrugged. "I dunno exactly, but old enough to be getting married."

"So your father has a new wife and a stepdaughter who's getting married," my mom said.

"Yup, that's about it so far," I assured her.

She turned to look at me as she popped a couple pieces of popcorn into her mouth. "What else?" she asked around the popcorn.

I smiled as I popped a couple pieces into my mouth, too. "Well, I gave her my phone number because she wanted to hear the end of the life story I was telling Dad, but I haven't gotten around to talking to her again yet. I think we're gonna go out to lunch to finish this story." My mother was giving me a wary look. "Don't worry, Mom, she's perfectly okay." I placed a hand on her shoulder. "Besides," I said, taking my hand off her shoulder to pop a couple more pieces of popcorn in my mouth, "How bad could she really be? She's a high school principal, so at least we know she's rolling in some nice coin for Dad and her daughter."

My mom chuckled. "I assume she invited you to the wedding, then. Her daughter's wedding?"

"Yeah, and I think I'm gonna go. I mean, Dad's gonna be there, so it'll be another opportunity to see him, and I'm gonna bring Billie, if he's back by then, of course." I looked over at my mother's wary face again. "Mom, calm down! It's my father's stepdaughter's wedding. I mean, I am related to the bride's stepfather, so why can't I be there?"

My mother sighed. "I dunno, Arizona, I just don't know if I want you around all those people, I mean, are you going to be taking Cadence?"

I shrugged. "I dunno, probably not. I mean, with all those people, I think I would draw too much attention to myself." My mother gave me a disapproving look. "What?" I asked.

"Arizona," she said. "You're married to a rockstar. If you bring him to the wedding, there are bound to be people who will notice him, especially if the wedding is around here."

I nodded. "Yeah, but I think bringing a baby to a wedding is like bringing chocolate to a room full of menstruating women." My mom quirked an eyebrow. "They'll all flock to the chocolate, so, by analogy, all the girls and young women are going to flock to Cadence and I, and I don't want all the extra attention because I'm married to a rockstar, and people are bound to notice him. You think I didn't think about all of this when I agreed to come and bring Billie with me?" I asked.

My mother heaved a very big sigh, then smiled at me. "You really are your mother's daughter," she said, and kissed my forehead before popping another couple pieces of popcorn in her mouth and washing it down with a sip of lemonade. "Anything else I should know about your father now?"

I thought for a moment, chewing slowly on the piece of popcorn in my mouth, then shook my head and popped another piece. "He wants to get together again with me, and he wants to meet Billie when he comes back into the country, and he wants to meet his second granddaughter when I have her," I said, looking down at my stomach and smiling. I looked back up at my mother, and she was smiling.

"Well, Arizona, I think you've grown into a fine woman, and, as much as it still hurts, I think I'm beginning to be able to let you go. You're married now, and you have a daughter, and I think it's great that you're rediscovering your roots. Just don't forget your ol' mom, okay?"

I giggled. "Mom. How could I forget you?" I said, and pulled her into a hug.

"It's just a mother's worry, Arizona." She pulled away and smiled widely at me. "Now, let me help you get your things." She stood up and held out her hand.

"Aww, Mom...don't make me cry."