I Left My Heart in San Diego

CURRENT STORY DATE: 12/16/11

"Are you coming or not, Mom?" I asked, peeking my head into her bedroom.

She looked at me. "I'm going to stay back and look after Alaska. Are you bringing Cadence?"

I shook my head. "I figured bringing a pregnant belly was enough."

My mom chuckled. "Alright, sweetheart. Well, you have fun."

I smiled. "Thanks, Mom." I was about to leave to get ready in my room across the hall, but my mom called me back into her room. I poked my head back around the door. "What is it, Mom? I have to get ready."

I saw her hesitate for a second before saying, "I just wanted to tell you to give my regards to your father."

"It's his stepdaughter, Mom, not him that's getting married," I said.

"I know that, Arizona, but it's a big day for his new family. If you'd rather not tell him, that's perfectly fine," she snapped back.

"No, no, if you want me to tell him, I will, that's fine." I paused. "I'm gonna go get ready now."

"Alright, sweetheart. Let me know when Billie Joe gets here so I can pick up Cadence."



When I poked my head back into my mom's room, she grinned. "You look absolutely beautiful, honey."

I grinned back at her. "Thanks, Mom. I was a little worried about my belly throwing things off."

She waved a hand dismissively. "Of course not, sweetheart! In fact, when I was pregnant with Alaska, Aran wouldn't stop telling me how radiant I looked and all those things."

"You and Aran are so cute," I remarked. My mom smiled at me, and made to reply, but the doorbell rang. "That must be Billie with Cadence. Come on, Mom."

She hopped off the bed and helped me down the stairs, opening the door to Billie with Cadence. "Hello, Billie Joe, you look very handsome."

He smiled. "Thanks, Nat." He then handed Cadence over to her. "Here's Cadence. I'm sure she would like to spend a little time with her...what is Alaska to Cadence?"

I chuckled, and then looked at my mother, because I didn't know either. "Yeah, Mom, what is Alaska to Cadence?" My mom thought for a moment while I worked it out aloud. "Well, Alaska is my sister. Actually, she's my half-sister, since she has a different father."

"If Cadence is my granddaughter, and Alaska is my daughter...that makes Alaska Cadence's aunt," my mom said, realization dawning.

"That's weird! They're, like, the same age!" I squeaked.

Billie chuckled. "Yeah." He checked his watch. "Oh, shit, come on, Arizona, your stepmom's gonna have our asses if we're not there in the next fifteen minutes."

"Fuck!" I hissed. I turned to my mom and pecked her cheek, then leaned down to kiss Cadence. "Thanks for looking after her. I'll tell you everything when we get back. I love you!"

"I love you, too!" I heard her call back to me as I rushed out the door.

Billie almost shoved me into his car, and then dropped himself into the driver's seat and pressed the gas pedal to the floor, careening out of the cul-de-sac.



We arrived just a few minutes late, and Morgana was striding right up to Billie's car. "Oh, thank goodness you're here." She turned to me. "Arizona, I need your help. My daughter is freaking out in her dressing room because one of her bridesmaids just called her from her toilet. Needless to say, that girl won't be coming, so I told her I would ask her stepfather's daughter, which is you, so would you fill the missing bridesmaid's spot?"

I looked at Billie with a surprised face, and then back at Morgana. "Uhm, is she okay with this? I mean, I don't even know her," I said.

"She's desperate, Arizona. Besides, your dress won't clash at all with the rest of the bridesmaids. You're the perfect solution."

I looked back over at Billie, who just shrugged. "Alright, I guess."

Morgana seized my arm. "My stepdaughter will thank you forever for this. This was her worst nightmare, and she will also love me for finding the solution to her problem."

I chuckled, running as fast as I could with a five-month pregnant belly. "Well, I'm just glad I could help, I suppose."

Morgana smiled at me as she burst into her daughter's dressing room. "Tabby! I've found you a replacement bridesmaid!"

The girl whipped around, almost taking out a flowerpot on the ground with her puffy dress. "Yeah? You found Everett's daughter?"

Morgana shoved me in front of her. "Here she is!"

"Hi," I said awkwardly.

I saw Morgana's daughter look me up and down, stopping for a moment on my belly. "Well, she's pretty, and her dress isn't too far off of the other girls', but she's pregnant, and that might throw things off just a tiny bit," she said.

Morgana gave her a look. "Tabitha, you're getting married in an hour. You don't have much time to find yourself another bridesmaid. And this is your stepfather's daughter! How much better can you get?" she squealed.

Tabitha sighed and beckoned me closer. She looked me over again. "Okay, okay, you'll do just fine. What's your name again?"

"Arizona," I answered. "I'm your stepfather's daughter."

Tabitha rolled her eyes. "I got that part, thanks." She jabbed her thumb next to her. "Go stand with the other girls and acquaint yourself." I started to make my way over, and then she said, "Oh, yeah, and my name is Tabitha, if you didn't figure that out."

I smiled at her. "That's a pretty name."

She smiled back at me. "Thanks!"

I walked over to the other bridesmaids, and a redhead offered me her chair. "Here, take my chair. And my name is Calantha. You can just call me Callie."

"That's certainly a different name."

She smiled. "Yeah, it's Greek. I have a very traditional family, so I was given a very Greek name."

"I'm Arizona."

"That's cute!"

"Thank you."

Two brunettes walked up to me, and I had to shake my head to make sure I wasn't seeing double. "Hi, I'm Sabira," the one on my left said.

"And I'm Layla. We're twins."

"Okay, so I'm not crazy," I said, smiling.

Sabira laughed. "No, you're not."

"We get that all the time," Layla said. Holy shit, they were going to be hard to keep track of. They were identical twins, too.

"You both have very unique names," I told them.

They smiled at me. "They're Arabic."

"Girls, get ready!" we heard Morgana hiss from the doorway. Sabira lent me a hand to get me up off the chair, and I smiled at her as I smoothed my dress over my belly.

We all gave Tabitha our last comments as we walked out a back entrance and up to the platform where Tabitha would join her soon-to-be husband. As we came out, a man in a tuxedo was also coming up to the platform. He smiled at the girls, and then raised an eyebrow at me. "Who are you?" he asked, and I thought he was a little rude.

"One of Tabitha's bridesmaids called out sick at the last minute, so Morgana found me as a replacement, and Tabitha approved."

"But who are you? As in, how do you know my fiance?"

"I don't. I just met her, actually. But I'm her stepfather's daughter."

His face went blank. "Oh," he said. "Okay." He stuck out his hand. "I'm Venn. I'm the groom."

I smiled and shook his hand. "I figured that out. I'm Arizona."

"Great to meet you. How do I look?"

I laughed. "Venn, I'm already married, and I can tell you that you look like the happiest man on the planet."

He grinned. "Great. Thanks."

I stood with Callie on the left of where Tabitha would soon stand. "Callie," I said.

"Yeah?"

"Who's the maid of honor?"

She grinned in what looked like triumph, like she beat out someone in a competition. "That would be me."

"Oh! Well, congrats, I suppose. And I must say I feel honored to be standing next to her in a complete stranger's wedding," I joked.

She chuckled and looked out upon the people starting to file in. "You said you were already married. Did you bring your husband?"

I smiled. "Yes, I did."

"That's lovely. Who is he?"

I wondered on how to approach this question, and decided that blunt was the way to go. "Billie Joe Armstrong."

Callie's eyes widened as people started to file into their seats. "You mean the musician?"

I smiled and nodded. "Yes, yes I do."

"Well holy shit! I'm a big fan. Is he out there?" She started peeking out into the audience.

I laughed and made to reply, but the procession music started and we all straightened our dresses for Tabitha's approach.

She slowly came up the aisle with my father in tow. I don't know if she doesn't have a biological father, or she just didn't want to go through the trouble to find him for her wedding to have her stepfather walk her down the aisle. Maybe she and my father were much closer than I ever would have thought.

She reached the platform and Venn grinned at her. They looked so happy, and I remembered what I felt like when Billie and I got married. Then the baby kicked, and I started to pay attention, ignoring my feet that were already in mild protest.



"Thank you so much for filling in the position last minute, Arizona," Tabitha gushed at the reception.

I smiled and took a sip of my water. "Of course, Tabitha. It was no problem at all. You looked absolutely gorgeous up there, and it was my pleasure to stand up there next to you."

She grinned and leaned down to give me a hug in my chair. "You and I need to get together and get to know each other! I think we would get along quite well."

"I agree! When you get back from your honeymoon, definitely. Let the initial post-wedding glow settle," I said. She just smiled and went back to her new husband across the room.

Billie took my hand and squeezed it, and I looked over at him. "Hey. You okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be? This is a beautiful wedding, even if it is of someone I just met today."

"I meant with the baby," he said, quieter.

I smiled and placed a hand on my belly instinctively. "Of course, love. I think she seemed happy today when I was standing up on that platform right after Tabitha came up."

"Tabitha? Is that her name?" I nodded. "Well finally I learn it. Hey, where's your dad?"

I smiled at him again. "You wanna meet him?" He nodded, smiling. I nodded out towards the dancing crowd. "Come on, then. He's probably out in the crowd, dancing with either his stepdaughter or his wife."

Billie helped me out of my chair, and I led him to my father sitting down with Morgana on the other side of the room. They were conversing over glasses of champagne, and Morgana looked up with a smile when she saw Billie and I standing before them. "Everett," she said, nudging his elbow.

He looked up. "Arizona! I saw you up next to Tabitha, you looked beautiful."

"Thanks, Dad. I also saw you walking Tabitha up the aisle."

"Long story." He then noticed Billie standing next to me. "And this would be?"

Billie stuck out his hand. "I'm Billie Joe Armstrong, sir. I'm Arizona's husband."

My dad shook his hand vigorously. "Well, you're the man my daughter has chosen. It is a great pleasure to meet you."

"You as well." Billie turned to Morgana and stuck his hand out to her. "Hi, you must be Arizona's other stepmother. I'm Billie Joe Armstrong."

She smiled and shook his hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Billie. I've heard nothing but wonderful things from Arizona." Billie blushed.

I took Billie's hand and squeezed, smiling at him when he looked over at me. I then remembered something. "Oh, Dad. There's something Mom wanted me to tell you."

His eyebrows perked up. "Oh really? And what would that be?"

I could tell he was expecting a rude comment or a harsh remark, but I told him what my mother told me to tell him. "She just wanted me to give you her regards."

His face went blank. "Oh. Well when you see her next, tell her that I appreciate her...concern, I suppose."

I smiled at my father since I knew he didn't know what to say back to my mother's remark. The two haven't seen each other in eleven years, let alone spoken to each other. "Well, I told Mom that I'd be back before eleven because we need to pick up Cadence and then get home," I said. "Tell Tabitha congrats one more time for me, okay?"

My father nodded, gave me a hug, and then turned to Billie. "It was good to meet you."

"Yeah, you too," Billie said with a smile. He then turned to Morgana. "It was great to have met you," he said.

She smiled brightly at him. "Likewise. Congratulations on your new child."

Billie beamed. "Thank you!" He then turned to me and took my hand. "Come on, sweetheart, let's get you off your feet."

I waved goodbye to my father and Morgana and then weaved back through the crowd and out to Billie's car. We sat in it for a few minutes without moving to let the car warm up. While we waited, I asked, "So did you have fun, babe?"

He smiled at me and leaned over the gearshift to kiss me sweetly. "Of course I did, love. I think it was great I got to meet the other side of your family."

I smiled back at him. "Yeah, I always knew I wanted you to meet my biological father, I just wasn't sure how. And meeting Morgana was just a bonus."

Billie just smiled at me again and leaned back over to kiss me again, then put the car in park. "Let's go get Cadence and get home. I see some good cuddles in your near future."

I giggled. "Wonderful," I said, and gave Billie a quick peck on the cheek as he pulled out.