Everyone has secrets, that is a simple fact. Some secrets are small, that keep people from giving all of themselves away. Some secrets are big, and are meant to stay secret. Everyone deals with them differently. Often, however, when they come out, they tend to cause catastrophes.
Jane always knew that there were things that Maura kept hidden from her, even though they were best friends. Maura was good at keeping secrets, at least her own. Maura, grew up, in a different world, than Jane.
In Jane's world secrets were few, and far between. There was always a pesky younger brother, snooping in your diary, or bright red cheeks, to give you away. Secrets in the Rizzoli family, didn't stay secrets for very long. Angela could always tell when her children were lying. She wouldn't give up until she got the truth, or the answer that she wanted.
In Maura's world, things were different. She grew up privileged, with opportunities that Jane never had. In her world secrets were locked behind doors, and gates. They were quietly whispered about, at the country club, but never confirmed. Parents protected their children's secrets. Not to protect their children, but instead, to protect their reputations. If their perfect child screwed up, and someone found out, it would spread around the country club like wildfire. If the mistake, the secret, was big enough it could result in cut ties, and ruined business relationships.
Maura nervously drums on the surface of the table. Jane watches her. She notices that Maura's anxiety level has grown, throughout the day. She seems quieter, than usual. She avoids eye contact. Jane clears her throat. Maura ignores her.
"Maura?"
"Yeah?"
"Is there something bothering you?"
"No," Maura pushes her salad around her plate.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Then why are you avoiding making eye contact?"
"I'm fine."
"Really? You've been pretty quiet, all day."
"I'm just tired."
"No, I've seen you tired. This is something else. What's going on?"
"Nothing, just drop it."
"Really, nothing? You should just tell me. You know that I'm going to find out, eventually, anyway."
Maura looks at her watch.
"Do you need to be somewhere? Do you have a hot date, or something?"
"No, why?"
"You keep checking your watch. That's the third time in ten minutes that you've looked at your watch."
"I just want to make sure that it's working."
"Why? Is the battery going dead, or something?"
"No. It's new."
"Then why are you worried? Do you have somewhere else to be?"
"I have to be home early, tonight."
"Why? Do you have a date with your HBO?"
"No. I have TiVo."
"So, why are you in a rush to get home?"
"I just have to be home earlier, tonight."
"My mother enacted a curfew, on you?"
"Crap, I forgot about your mother."
"What is going on?"
"I have someone coming over."
"So ask her to stay somewhere else."
"My guest?"
"My mother. She can stay with me tonight."
"It's going to be all weekend."
"Ok. That's fine."
"I'll just put her in a hotel."
"Who? My mother?"
"No," Maura shakes her head.
"Who is staying with you?"
"It's no one."
"She's obviously someone, or you would tell me who it is."
"You don't know her."
"Is it your mother?"
"No, she's not coming."
"Then who is it?"
"Nobody, Jane, just drop it."
"I'm not going to drop it, until you tell me why you're being so secretive."
"I can't."
"If you don't, I'll just show up at your house."
"It's none of your business."
"Are you afraid that I'll be jealous that you have a friend, other than me?"
"She's not my friend."
"Your enemy? If she's not your friend then why is she staying with you?"
"She wants to."
"She's your enemy?"
"No."
"Then who is it? How do you know her?"
"Her name is Allison."
"Ok, and?"
"And that's all that I'm going to tell you."
"Why is it a secret? Is there something I don't know?"
"Like what?"
"You've taken up a lesbian lover?"
"Jane!"
"Well?"
"I do not swing that way."
"Then why won't you tell me?"
"I just don't want to."
"Then I'll just perpetuate the rumor."
"What rumor?"
"That you're a lesbian."
"The only rumor like that, is that we're lesbian lovers."
"That is completely ridiculous."
"I know that, and you know that, but people are idiots."
"Why don't you want me to know who's staying with you?"
"Because if I tell you, you'll want to meet her."
"You don't know that."
"Yes I do."
"Tell me who it is, and I'll tell you if I do or, not."
"Allison is my sister."