Walking Down the Isle
This is sort of a companion piece to Airplanes in the Night Sky and Just A Scratch. You don't have to read those for this to make sense. I just finally got around to writing the wedding to accompany both proposals.
Just a little background, Maura wasn't adopted so Constance is her biological mother. And yes, the title is misspelled on purpose.
Jane paced back and forth rubbing the scars on her palms. "What if she's not there? What if she doesn't want to get married anymore? God, what if-"
"Janie!" Frankie stood in front of his sister and stopped her progress. He grabbed her hands and looked into her eyes.
"She's here, Janie. She's right down the hall putting the finishing touches on. Just like you."
He turned her around and put their great grandmother's necklace on her.
"She loves you and you have nothing to worry about. Plus, you think Ma is gonna let her bail? Please."
Jane let out a chuckle. She ran her hands down her dress and looked in the floor length mirror.
"You look beautiful, Jane." It was her brother that said it but she was transported to another time.
"For the last time, Ma, you are not going dress shopping with me. You made the attendants cry at the last two shops."
"But Jane-"
"No buts. I'm doing this by myself."
She turned and walked out of the house.
...
She stepped into the shop and was immediately greeted.
"How can I help you?" The attendant was a normal one...thank God.
"Right, so I'm getting married soon and I need a dress. Maura, my fiance, she's the fashion conscious one and I don't want to embarrass her." She ran her hands through her wild mane of hair.
"Isles? Maura Isles?"
Jane chuckled. Of course she knew of Maura.
"That'd be the one."
"I assume the colors are still navy and sliver?"
"You got it. I take it you can help me?"
"I've got just the thing."
Jane came out of the dressing room and stepped up onto the platform in the center of the half circle of mirrors. She took in the strapless dress that seemed to be perfectly tailored to her, and knowing Maura she probably gave every dress shop/maker in Boston her measurements.
The navy blue band of fabric that was tired around her waist was the perfect width for her, the skirt of the dress had subtle silver designs. She fell in love with it. There was no way she couldn't fall in love with something that gorgeous.
"You look beautiful, Jane." She looked up and locked eyes with Frost in the mirror.
"Thank you." She cleared her throat. "What are you doing here?"
He held up his phone. "Got a murder. I called a few times. Tracked your phone when you didn't answer...sorry."
She just nodded along. "Don't worry about it. And not a word to my mother about my dress."
"You got it, Jane."
"Jane?"
"Sorry, Frankie. I just got lost for a moment. Frost was actually the first person to see me in this dress. He said I looked beautiful." She gently wiped away the tears.
"You do, Janie. And He's looking down on you right now. Now let's get you married. Tommy's waiting for us at the doors."
"Maura. Maura, honey. Stop."
The honey blonde immediately stopped pacing and looked up at her mother.
"What if she doesn't-"
"Maura Dorthea Isles, don't you dare finish that sentence. That woman loves you. She would go to hell and back for you, in fact, she already did."
"What do you mean?"
"Well-"
The sound of the doorbell echoed through the halls of the Manor, alerting Constance to a guest. At the sound of the front door opening and closing, she stood behind her desk.
"Jane, what a lovely surprise. What can I do for you?"
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Isles."
"Jane, you know very well that you can call me Constance."
Jane nodded but didn't budge. "This visit is business...Mrs. Isles."
"Very well. Have a seat."
"I'm not going to beat around the bush...much. I came here today to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage. I know you and I didn't get off to a great start, but I want you to know that I've put that all behind me. I love your daughter and I want nothing more than to marry her so she can make me the happiest woman on earth."
"Jane-"
"I know what you're going to say. I'm just a middle class girl from an Italian family and I'm not good enough for her. I don't have money, I don't come from some Boston elite family but I love her with my whole heart and soul. I love her more than I ever thought possible and every day I fall for her even more. I promise I'll love her every day that she'll let me and even then I'll keep loving her."
"Jane. Stop. I think you are more than enough for my daughter. You are perfect for her and I've known that since the gallery opening all those years ago. You put me in my place then so I'm going to put you in your place now, and that's right next to Maura. You have my blessing."
"Jane really asked for your blessing?"
"Yes. That woman loves you. I don't think I've ever seen someone so in love. She looks at you as if you hang the very stars in the sky."
"You know that's not possible, mother."
"Yes, well, you try telling her that."
Constance ran her hand over the navy blue suspenders on Maura's shoulders. They stood in perfect contrast against the crisp white shirt and matched the bowtie.
"You look very dashing in this suit. You look just like your father. Well with longer hair."
"I wish he were here."
"So do I. Now let's go. Jane is going to be speechless when she sees you." She handed her daughter the black jacket to her tuxedo.
Maura stood at the makeshift alter with her best(wo)man Susie and her groomsman, Jared whom she'd known most of her adult life. She looked down at her feet and smiled, she acquired Fenway's home plate for the ceremony.
The wooden doors of the social hall opened and time stood still. Jane walked down the aisle and Maura's couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face. She'd never seen anything or anyone that breathtakingly beautiful. She wiped away the few tears that managed to escape from her hazel eyes.
Jane exhibited every ounce of self control that she had not to run down the aisle and wrap her arms around Maura. She silently thanks the Gods that she had a brother on each side supporting her because she was sure her knees would give out.
She finally reached the alter and took Maura's hands in hers. Frankie and Tommy lined up beside her.
"You look gorgeous, Maura."
"You too, Jay."
Both women focused on the other to the point that Korsak had to clear his throat to get their attention.
"Maura, your vows."
"Oh yes." She cleared her throat and spoke up.
"Jane Clementine Rizzoli you are amazing. Everyone here knows that I could give a dissertation's worth of synonyms and keep going."
The crowd laughed.
"I'm not going to because there is no other word that describes you better. You are amazing. We didn't meet under ideal circumstances and I may have insulted you and your...profession. But even then, you took my breath away. I fall more in love with you every day and just when I think you can't possibly do something to make you love you more; you finally called Bass a tortoise. You don't know just how great you really are. It's in the small things. It's in the way you give me a massage after work, it's in the way you turn your nose up at eating salad but you do it anyway, and It's in the way you love me everyday. It's in your smile."
"I loved you yesterday, I love you today, and I will love you every day of my life."
"Maura Dorthea Isles, you are beyond words. There isn't a word that captures just how beautiful of a human being you are. You have the biggest heart I've ever seen. You loved me when I was unlovable, you saved me when I didn't know I needed saving. You taught me how to love myself and I will always be grateful. You have always been family, Maura, today only makes it official. I woke up one day after crashing at your place and I saw you making coffee on that piece of spaceship you insist on calling a coffee maker. I knew then that that's what I wanted to wake up to every morning."
"Maura, meeting you was Fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you was beyond my control."
They exchanged rings.
"By the power vested in me by the fear of Jane killing me if I didn't get ordained in time, I now pronounce you married. Ladies, you may kiss your bride."
The crowd laughed again and the couple kissed.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Mrs. and Dr. Rizzoli."
Jane and her family gasped but Constance smiled sweetly.
"Like you said Jay, I've always been family, today only makes it official.
I don't know about you guys but the idea of Sasha in a tux does things to me that shouldn't be mentioned with minors present. I hope you guys enjoyed it.