I'm not sure the change is all Eric but it started when he got shot and continued with Jake being present. I think that both of them made her change. In some ways Jake showed her that it was okay not to take everything so seriously. I'm sure that aspect of him irked her at some times but it was still a good thing.
I honestly think (and please don't throw anything at me :lol
that his presence made EC really possible. Let me explain. With him she had the same kind of relationships she always had, nice guy, good looking, probably great sex, a limited commitment basically something that didn't go too deep but was highly enjoyable. I said not too deep because we heard several times that one or the other left before the morning, it showed a will to keep things at a certain distance.
But at the same time as this affair still lasted longer than most, it made her think about being with someone... except that this someone was very often not around. Things happened to her like in All In that I think made her regret not having her 'beloved' one there. And this is where Eric was present... and why Emily thinks something started at that moment between them.
I think that Calleigh started to realize that life was short and you couldn't/shouldn't take the next day as granted. This explains why she told Jake she wouldn't wait for him. At that moment she made the clear decision to be with someone. Maybe if Jake had said he would stay for her, she might have given him a chance. But he didn't he left to pursue his own road... so she let it go without seconds thoughts that all the more because Eric was around. With him she knew how she felt, but she didn't know how committed he was and that's why she asked him to speak his mind about them. Once he did it, she was willing to embark this new journey.
I think she matured and now she finally knows what she wants. Will she able to really adjust to having a 'real' boyfriend who is always there? She might have problems at the beginning (if they want to give us drama), but I doubt it... Let's please not forget that Calleigh is supposed to be 35. It's an age where you naturally start to look at life differently and yes you make adjustments especially if you want to have more than just a career. I've gone through this and you ponder a lot when you're still single at that high age :guffaw:
Well my 2 cts...