Two months ago.
"Do you think she received it?" Maura asked, pacing restlessly across the length of her office. Jane looked up from her folder of case notes to scrutinize the doctor.
"Maur, you've gotta relax," she said, getting to her feet to wrap her arms around her fiancée. Truthfully, Jane was more concerned about the situation than she let show. She hated it when Maura was in pain, but she absolutely loathed it when she was right at the root of that hurt.
Two days later, Constance arrived on their doorstep (Jane had moved in with Maura temporarily before they moved to a new home together after their wedding).
"Maura, dear, really, I know that she's your best friend, but marrying her is an entirely different conversation!" Constance stated, almost condescendingly. Jane watched as Maura bristled almost imperceptibly.
"Mother, please, you've said yourself how good we are together-"
"Yes, but that was in reference to a purely platonic, healthy friendship between the two of you. What you're talking about it ridiculous. She can't possibly provide you with everything you need and want," Constance declared, going on as if Jane wasn't in the room.
"Mother!" Maura exclaimed, shocked and appalled. She watched with dismay as Jane stuffed her hands into her pockets, shuffling quietly to the edge of the room. Turning from the brunette with purpose, Maura stared her mother down. "I think you should leave," she said tightly, through clenched teeth.
Constance stared at Maura for a moment before fixing her gaze on Jane and giving her the once over. "Yes, dear, I believe you're right." And with that, Constance waltzed right out the front door.
They hadn't heard from her since. Maura tried not to broadcast how much it hurt her, that her mother wouldn't accept the beautiful, unselfish love she'd finally found with Jane, but it came across as clear as day whenever Maura thought no one was looking.
One day, the woman would understand that Jane was always looking at her, always watching and waiting to be of assistance.
Sometimes Maura would get quiet, wrapped up in the big brain of hers. Other times, when Jane made it home earlier than expected, she'd see Maura sitting pensively at the kitchen table, twirling one of their hand-embossed wedding invitations in her hand.
She was still the same, but she was different. It wasn't easy to explain, but Jane knew she had to do something. With the help of her partner, Frost, and her natural talent for her 'gumshoe work' as Maura occasionally teasingly referred to as her job, she tracked down the elder Isles woman.