A/N-First I would like to thank everyone that has left me reviews and followed this story. I feel the love and I appreciate it. I also promise to keep the Paddy chapters to as few as possible but he will be sticking around. Now without further ado I give you chapter 7.

Constance is coming out of the sun room when Maura and Jane come running into the kitchen followed by Frankie, Barry, Tommy and Susie. The boys and Jane immediately raid the fridge making Constance grateful that Oliver had gone grocery shopping that same day. Maura and Susie sit at the kitchen book their science textbook open between them. Jane brings Maura a bottle of water and an apple. Barry does the same for Susie and both girls smile. The boys soon eat their fill and holler to Jane that they are headed to the basketball court. Constance had the basketball court installed as the boys and Jane aged hoping it would help with their energy level as far as she was concerned it didn't but she enjoyed watching them play. Soon Susie follows after the boys and Jane and Maura are the only ones left. Constance hadn't realized how long she had been watching the children and is about to make her way into the kitchen when Jane and Maura start a conversation that stops her in her tracks.

"So, Joey Grant asked me out today." Jane says sounding very unsure.

"Oh" Maura replies and with that one simple response Constance can feel her heart drop for her daughter. The older woman takes a step back into the n room not wanting to intrude on the conversation and having no other escape route.

"What did you say?" Maura asks.

"I said that I would have to think about it. I wanted to know what you thought about it." Silence follows and Constance holds her breath and chances a peek around the wall. They are sitting across from each other at the kitchen table. She can hear the yells and the bouncing of the basketball coming from the kids outside. Maura looks at Jane and smiles tucking an errant strand of hair behind Jane's ear.

"I think you should go for it he really likes you." Constance watches as Jane deflates a little and smiles back at her daughter.

"I think you should go for it with Ian I think he really likes you to." Maura nods softly and the conversation ends as quickly as it started. Constance watches both girls as the conversation ends. She can see the uncertainty radiate off them and see the pain in both their eyes. A pain she is certain they do not yet understand. Constance hears Frankie call for them from outside and Jane stands offering her hand to Maura. She watches her daughter smile at Jane and takes her hand allowing the taller girl to lead her outside.

Constance searches for her phone and calls Angela.

"Angela I think we are in for some rough waters ahead." She relays the conversation to Angela and the other woman sighs.

"We knew it was coming." Angela replies sadly. Constance sighs as well as she looks out the window. Her daughter is laughing Jane close by encouraging her to shoot the basketball. She would give all her money to keep them in moments like this forever but Constance is well aware that there is no amount of money in the world that can keep the children before her from feeling the pain and hurt that comes along with growing up.

A week later Maura tells Constance that Jane accepted Joey's invitation to go bowling and Jane tells Angela that Maura accepted Ian's invitation to go to the movies.

Jane and Maura's first dates fall on the same night. For Constance and Angela there is something slightly jarring about seeing their girls away from each other from such a big event. Frankie and Tommy don't tease Jane like she had anticipated but are rather supportive and almost sympathetic. Maura feigns excitement but knows it is not real. Each mother sees her daughter off on their first date and are there to greet them at the door upon their return. Both Jane and Maura assure their mothers they had fun but neither girl genuinely smiles until they call each other.

The relationships are short lived. Joey's family moves away a few months later and it is the end of Jane's relationship. Maura breaks up with Ian shortly after. Ian is heartbroken and Maura feels awful. She takes her first break from dance allowing Ian time to heal. Constance finds her daughter in her room crying and brings her into arms. Tears slip silently down the older woman's face as she holds Maura in her arms. She cries with Maura for all the things that she cannot protect her child from and all the things she wish she could.

Angela waits for Constance at a local coffee shop absentmindedly playing with the napkin in front of her. Before long she has a smile pile of shredded napkin in front of her she is about to start in on another one when Constance arrives.

"The girls?" Angela asks.

"Watching a movie when I left lost to anything else." Angela sighs in relief.

"This has been a horrible few months. I knew it would be somewhat difficult when Janie started dating but I wasn't expecting such a shift." Constance nods agreeing. "Is it odd that the friendship of a twelve and thirteen year old has affected us all so greatly?" Constance sits back in her chair considering the statement and shakes her head.

"I dreamed about Maura getting married one day. Finding a gentlemen that would one day become her husband and then..."

"they met." Angela finishes. Constance nods.

"When they were little I still had a certain image about Maura's future in mind but now…"

"It's changed." Angela finishes again. Constance nods again.

"Do we tell them?" Constance asks.

"No I think this is something they have to figure out on their own." Angela responds. "I just want to know how we protect them from all the awful things that will be said to them."

"I don't think we can Angela, although I won't hesitate to try." Constance assures the other woman. A waitress brings the woman coffee that Angela had ordered when she arrived. Each woman takes their cup and raises it in a toast.

"Welcome to the family…in time." Angela smiles.

"In time." Constance replies and toasts back.

Constance returns home and finds the girls have fallen asleep to what looks to be their third movie. Junk food surrounds them but Constance can also see a container of hummus among all the junk food and can't help but smile. Jane is on her side against the back of the sofa and Maura as asleep next to her. Both girls look peaceful in their sleep and Constance reaches out brushing away a strand of hair away from her daughter's face and then doing the same for Jane though the hair she brushes away from Jane's face promptly falls back to where it was a few seconds later. Constance rolls her eyes a smile on her face ever the rebel she thinks. She pulls a blanket draped over the couch over them and quietly exits the room.

Angela's and Constance's fear are realized far earlier than either woman anticipates. A few weeks after their conversation at the coffee house Constance is on her way to pick up Maura from school. She is anxious as she makes her way to the school but she isn't sure as to why. She is a little late picking up Maura but she does not think it is the reason for her anxiety. When she gets to the school she looks for Maura but does not see her right away when she notices a small group of kids in the park next to the school. When she opens the car door she hears screaming but more specifically she hears Maura screaming and Constance runs toward the group of children heels and all. As she gets closer to the group she can hear Maura screaming Jane's name which only pushes her to move faster. Constance pushes through the children and finds Jane wrestling a boy on the ground and she has the upper hand. Two boys move from the circle surrounding Jane and the boy. They move towards Jane but before Constance can react Frankie and Barry have tackled both boys to the ground before they can reach Jane.

Jane's fist connects with the nose of the boy that she is wrestling and blood sprouts forward. Constance moves forward and the rest of the children seem to realize that an adult is present and run. She pulls Jane away from the boy and he gets up his holding his noise as blood drips between his fingers. He looks directly at Jane with hate in his eyes.

"Fucking dyke." He spits before turning and running in the opposite direction. His friends follow him after Barry and Frankie release them.

Maura comes up to them tears in her eyes. She takes Jane's hands in her own and the dark haired girl steps away from Constance and pulls Maura into a hug. Susie is with Barry and Frankie checking them over and in the distance Tommy is running towards them practically dragging what seems to be a teacher with him. Constance runs a hand through her hair slightly over whelmed. She isn't sure what happened but she has an idea and all she knows is there will be hell to pay.