They finished their project about a week and a half ago, and now it was just routine for Jane to come over after school and do her homework. Jane had finished and was lying on Maura's bed supine and humming with her eyes closed.
"My Ma wants to meet you." Maura looks up from her laptop to Jane and closes it slightly. Jane continues to hum softly, eyes still closed, and Maura's gaze softens and she smiles.
"Oh?"
"Yeah. I mean, you totally don't have to if you don't wanna it's just, she's really excited about me having a friend of the same gender. Thinks it'll turn me into a lady." Jane scoffs and runs her fingers through her hair as she sits up and faces Maura.
"Well, I for one would not mind meeting your parents. In fact, I would love to."
"Yeah?" She nods and Jane smiles softly back at her.
"I want to show you something." Maura stands up and smooths out her dress before offering Jane her hand. She takes it and allows herself to be led throughout the house.
They walk down the stairs from the second floor and to the first and Maura rounds a corner to a door that leads to a basement.
"You're not gonna like, skin me down here are you? Or force me to be a mother figure as you chain me to a bed, right?" She looks back at you with both eyebrows raised and cocks her head to the right.
"No. No I would say that is not in the agenda."
"That totally went right over your head didn't it? It totally did. That's it, American Horror Story is next on our list of shows to watch." Jane says and follows Maura down the stairs as she chuckles.
Jane swears she has never seen a cooler basement. On one side a very large room with the biggest tv you've ever seen. Complete with a popcorn maker and everything. Towards the back you see a pool table and a bar. It looks like a certified man cave. However, that's not where Maura was leading Jane. They kept walking and turned a corner and came to a door. Maura opened it and Jane nearly cried tears of joy.
It was a music room. There were guitars on the walls and saxophones and a drum kit sitting pretty in the corner. But what really caught Jane's eye was the beautiful black, sleek grand piano sitting in the middle of the room.
"Maura," Jane breathes out. "This is beautiful." Maura smiles and takes your hand and leads Jane to the piano and sits on the bench. She pats the spot next to her and Jane tentatively sits down, afraid shell wreck something.
"Play for me? Please?" She asks softly and Jane looks at her like she's gone absolutely mad.
"Play? On this? Yeah no, this piano is worth more than my life. I'll just sit here and look at it."
"Please?" Maura asks again and Jane sighs and carefully runs her fingers across the keys.
"Anything for you, right?" She rasped. Maura beams back at her and Jane thinks of a song to play.
You lift my heart up when the rest of me is down
Jane looks over at Maura before turning her focus back on the song.
You, you enchant me even when you're not around
If there are boundaries, I will try to knock them down
I'm latching on, babe, now I know what I have found
She feels Maura's hand slip onto her knee and run comforting circles there as she plays. Jane glances at Maura who nods at her smiling. She smiles back as she sings the hook.
I feel we're close enough
Could I lock in your love?
I feel we're close enough
Could I lock in your love?
Maura removes her hand from Jane's knee and carefully slides closer to Jane, trying not to disrupt the playing, and puts her arm around her waist and lays her head on her shoulder and closes her eyes while listening to Jane continue to sing and play softly.
Now I've got you in my space
I won't let go of you
Got you shackled in my embrace
I'm latching on to you
Jane leans her head over slightly to rest on top of Maura's. She stops singing and opts to just play out the rest of the song, fingers dancing across the keys expertly. Eventually the song tapers off to an end and Maura whispers softly, as if trying not to disturb the scene.
"That was beautiful, Jane." She breathes into the crook of Jane's neck. Jane shivers and swallows.
"Thank you." Jane whispered. Maura lifted her head just enough to look Jane in the eye, her own eyes shining with happiness an sincerity.
"No, thank you." She kissed Jane on the cheek and laid her head back down on her shoulder and in that moment Jane could have sworn up and down to God above that she had died and gone to heaven.
"Maura, darling?" A voice came from the door of the music room. Maura's head lolled over to face the door and upon seeing who was standing in the doorway she gently lifted her head from off of Jane's should but kept her arm in place.
"Mother?" Maura asked in bewilderment. Jane had always wondered about Maura's parent but didn't want to pry. She figured with how Maura lived her parents were probably off on business trips or something or another. But to leave your daughter for that long?
"Mother." Maura stated again and let a small smile escape as she stood up and walked over to her.
"Hello, darling." She stated in her elegant English accent. Maura looked back towards the piano and noticed Jane still sitting there. Maura tilted her head a little calling Jane over. Jane stood up and walked over and shuffled nervously while pushing her glasses back up her face. She stool her hand out for Maura's mother to shake.
"Jane. I'm Jane. Uh, Maura's friend. Meet you is nice. I mean uh pleased to meet you." She said retracting her hand and fixing her glasses.
"Maura, where did you find this one? She is absolutely adorable. The pleasure is mine, Jane. I am Constance Isles, Maura's mother, although you probably already gathered that."
Jane swallowed and nodded slowly and Maura registered Jane's nervousness.
"Is Daddy here?" Maura questioned and Constance nodded and smiled.
"Yes, he is upstairs settling himself. The chef is nearly done cooking dinner." Constance smiled and turned around to walk out of the door. She chuckled softly.
That Jane girl is so enamored.
"You don't have to stay." Maura said while she and Jane were laying on her bed watching some movie on Netlfix.
"No. I mean I could uh, go if you wanted me to. But I don't mind." Maura smiled back at her and shook her head.
"Stay. I want you to meet my parents."
"Then I'll stay." Jane's phone buzzed with a new text message.
Frost: Friday. Movies?
Jane: Sounds good. X-Men?
Frost: Duh. What else?
Jane rolled her eyes and put her phone back in her pocket.
"Wanna go to the movies on Friday?"
"I'd love to. What are we seeing?" Maura asked.
"The new X-Men movie. It's completely slaying the box office right now, right alongside Maleficent."
"Just us?" Maura asked looked up from the computer screen in front of her.
"Nah, the boys are coming too."
"Oh. Alright then, sounds good." Jane was about to open her mouth to speak when someone knocked softly on Maura's bedroom door. Maura muttered a quick "come in" and someone that Jane hadn't seen popped their head into the door stating that it was time for dinner. Maura nodded as he left.
"Who's that guy?"
"The chef, he's on call. He comes around more often when my parents are home." Maura said while standing. Jane rolled over to stand up but ended up rolling too far.
"Oomf!" Jane rolled over onto her stomach and rubbed the back of her head.
"Oh my God, Jane! Are you okay?" Maura said while looking into each eye and surveying her head for any bruising. Jane let her feel around on her face and grumbled.
"I'm fine." Jane grumbled out.
Your ego isn't.
"Good," Maura started before letting a slow smile slip onto her face. "Because that was pretty funny." She said and started to full out laugh while helping Jane up.
"Oh ha ha, laugh it up, Isles." Jane said letting her own smile creep up on her face while she pushed up her glasses.
"Oh, I will." Jane smiled and bumped her shoulder with hers as they walked through the halls. They were still smiling as they entered the dining room.
"Girls, nice of you to join us." A deep voice stated from the other end of the table. Maura looked up and smiled before walking over to hug the man.
"Daddy, I missed you." She said and stood up straight. "This is my friend, Jane. Jane, this is my father, Desmond Isles." Jane smiled and walked over with a small smile on her face.
"Mr. Isles, Nice to meet you." Jane said softly.
"The pleasure is mine. Sit down girls; I'm starving, so you two must be as well."
They all sat down. Jane took a place across from Maura and sat down. The chef already placed the food on the respective places. The food was delicious, although Jane had absolutely no idea what she was eating.
I can feel it. I can feel it coming.
Feel what, exactly?
"So Jane, tell me about you."
Ah, there it is. The third degree.
"Uh, I mean-there isn't a lot to tell," Jane began to nervously bounce her leg. She felt something touch her leg and looked up and saw Maura was looking back at her smiling encouragingly and nodding for her to continue. Jane inhaled deeply and silently. "I like your run of the mill nerd stuff, I guess. Comics, video games, stuff like that. I like music too." She finished while nervously rubbing the back of her neck. This time Constance spoke up.
"That would explain the music room. How long having you been playing?" Constance said placing her silverware neatly on the table and giving her full attention to Jane.
"Some years. I taught myself a while ago and now I take classes at the school. It helps."
"Have you ever thought about taking it farther? Maybe going to school for Music?" Desmond questioned.
"I don't know if I'm good enough for that." Jane said quietly and she heard Maura gasp from across her.
"That's simply not true, Jane. You play beautifully. You sing phenomenally as well. Don't be so modest." Maura chastised and Jane smiled.
"Thanks, Maur." Maura just smiled back and Constance looked between the two and then looked to her husband with her eyes brows raised, having a small conversation without words. He just smiled softly and shook his head slightly, Jane and Maura completely missing the entire exchange.
"Well, Jane. It was an absolute pleasure to meet you. I think Constance and I are going to retire for the evening." Constance smiled at Jane and touched Maura on the shoulder before heading up the stairs, and Desmond hung back to speak with Jane. He put a hand on her shoulder and Jane automatically assumed the worst.
Oh God, he hates me. He's going to say I can never see Maura again.
Chill out, dude. You're making us more nervous than we have to be.
Us? What happened to the whole we are the same person?
"Feel free to come by any time, Jane. We'll definitely have a Jam session." He said and smiled at her walked up the stairs after his wife.
Everything's chill, he totally likes me. Life is good.
Well life was good until she felt her phone buzz in her pocket.
Ma: where r u?
Jane: On my way.
Jane completely forgot to tell her mom she was going to be late. Again.
"Jane?" Maura questioned as she got up to sit next to Jane. "I hope that wasn't too horrible. If it's any consolation, my parents definitely like you." Maura beamed.
"Think so?" Jane asked softly, a small smile playing on her lips, secretly elated at the idea of Maura's parents accepting her.
"I know so." Maura said and placed her hand on Jane's forearm that was folded in her lap.
"My mom wants me home." Jane pouted and Maura shook her head smiling at Jane's pout and stood up and began walking Jane out to her car. When they were in the driveway Maura stood on the tips of her toes and kissed Jane on the cheek.
"I, uh, bye Maura. See you tomorrow, yeah?" Jane fumbled out and Maura smiled at Jane and nodded while walking backwards to her front door. Jane got in her car and drove off, doing a fist pump to the air.
Life is good.
Yeah, wait until you get home.