A week had gone by and Jane and Maura had fallen into a quiet ritual. Neither one went to work, so they spent nearly all day together. In the mornings Jane would always get up before Maura and would make breakfast for them both. Usually by the time Jane was done Maura was awake and Jane would spend the next half hour or so trying to convince Maura to eat something.

She usually could only get her to eat a couple bites before Maura would either go back to bed or lay down on the couch.

Jane would spend the rest of the day tending to Maura's needs. She tried to get her to go with her on Jo's evening walks, but Maura always declined.

At night Jane would sleep in Maura's bed and hold her while she cried.

She cried every night, only at night when Jane was there to comfort her.

Despite Jane's efforts to explain to her that her grief was normal, healthy even, and that Maura knew all this, she still hid her sadness. As if she was embarrassed that she cried herself to sleep every night.

And she was.

On Thursday evening, Jane walked into the house with so many grocery bags in her arms that you couldn't see her face. Maura was laying on the couch as she watched Jane try to maneuver herself blindly into the kitchen.

One bag began slipping off of the pile and Jane quickly stuck out her foot as it slid down and the handle wrapped itself around her ankle.

She was unaware that Maura was watching her until she suddenly heard a soft giggle coming from the direction of the living room.

As soon as she heard it she lost her grip on all the bags and they came tumbling down around her, eliciting another chuckle from Maura.

Jane stared at her with wide eyes and a small smile forming on the edge of her mouth

"God, it's good to hear you laugh again" Jane said as she bent down to pick up the apples and bread loaves scattered all over the floor.

Maura slowly stood up and went to help Jane lift the groceries onto the kitchen counter.

"It feels good to laugh again" Maura said once they were both facing each other again.

To Jane, this was a big step. Maybe Maura was beginning to accept her loss and move on.

Maura felt that this could be the beginning of her healing process as well, but it was too easy fall back into the depression. All she had to do was think about her baby, or walk past the practically quarantined nursery, and the memories would come flooding back.

As much as she wanted her mourning to end, she knew it would take a lot more time.

But little progress was better than no progress.

They began to put the groceries away when Maura's phone started ringing. She walked over to the couch where she had left it looked at the caller I.d. name with shock before answering it.

"Mother. How are you?" She said, trying to sound as cheery as possible. Her mother didn't know about the baby, and Maura didn't plan on telling her anymore.

Jane watched as Maura listened to her mother speak on the other end of the line. But when Maura's eyes went wide in panic Jane stood up so fast she almost knocked over her chair in an effort to get to her friend.

"O-ok, I guess I'll see you soon then" Maura answered as she looked at Jane.

Now Jane began to panic.

Maura hung up and looked up at Jane.

"What am I going to do? She is flying in tomorrow morning! I never told her about..." she paused and took a deep breath. "I was going to tell them both after she...had arrived, but I knew they wouldn't be happy"

"Why wouldn't your parents be happy for you?" Jane asked

"Because I'm not married. It's not a religious factor, but single-parenthood is highly frowned upon in their circles. Especially since I chose to be a single parent." Maura's voice had grown quiet again.

Jane was angry now. Maura had just begun making progress since the biggest tragedy of her life had happened. Literally, she had JUST begun healing. And within seconds she was spiraling back into her state of anguish because of her disapproving mother.

"Maura" Jane began, taking one of the woman's hands in her own "don't let your mother be the reason you can't move on. I know it's hard, but this is your life and you can live it however you chose."

Maura paused for a moment, "You're right, Jane" she finally stated. "I don't think I'm going to tell her though. There is nothing to tell anyway."

Jane nodded and gave her hand a gentle squeeze "You don't have to tell her anything you don't want to. Do you want me to be here when she comes?"

"No, it's alright. If you're here she will most likely notice how much I depend on you and will begin accusing me of homosexuality."

Jane gave a hearty chuckle "alright, but you can call me if you need me okay? And I'll get my Ma to come stay with me for the day."

Maura nodded and agreed and they began to plan out a meal for Constance. the next day.

The next day, Jane and Angela left the house right after breakfast to ensure that they wouldn't accidentally run into Constance Isles.

Maura had prepared a filet minion dish for dinner that was marinating in the fridge, and she carefully selected out an outfit that was both appropriate and would successfully hide her still vaguely expanded stomach.

The sound of a car crunching along the gravel in front of the house signaled her mothers arrival.

She stood up straight, took one last look around her house to ensure she had cleaned it thoroughly, and went to open the front door

"Maura, darling!" Her mother beamed and leaned forward to kiss each of her daughter's cheeks.

"Mother, I'm so glad to see you." Maura responded

"As am I darling, I can only stay for a few days but I wanted to see you so badly. How have you been? Tell me everything! Oh..." Constance looked Maura up and down quickly "you've put on some weight dear, are you exercising still?"

Bombarded with questions Maura just closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and answered "I've been well, nothing too exciting has been going on, and yes I have been exercising but I had a cold earlier this week and didn't get out for my runs as much as I would have liked to."

Maura regretted lying the moment the words came out of her mouth. She could feel her hives coming on and quickly said, "Will you excuse me for a moment? I need to use the restroom. Make yourself comfortable." Maura rushed to her bedroom and into the bathroom to begin applying ointment to her ever-expanding rash.

Constance sat down on the couch and waited, but after a few minutes got impatient.

She moved to the kitchen and went to retrieve a glass of wine, and began rummaging trough the kitchen drawers in search of a bottle opener.

Instead, when she opened a third drawer experimentally she found a key. She picked it up and examined it.

Finding no further interest she placed it back in the drawer and instead poured herself a glass of water.

She paced through the kitchen and finally down the hall.

She leaned into Maura's bedroom door and shouted,

"Is everything alright dear?" curious as to what was taking her so long.

"Fine, mother! Just...powdering my face!"

More hives. "Dammit" Maura whispered to herself. "I'll be just a minute!" She shouted again

Constance accepted the answer and continued wandering through the house.

She came up to a door at the end of the hall and tried to open it. Locked.

Her mind flashed back to the key in the kitchen drawer and suddenly wanted very much to know what her daughter was hiding in this room.

"Maybe she had taken up painting and converted this into a studio. Maybe it's a gift for me meant to be a surprise!" Constance thought to herself, selfishly.

She hurried back to the kitchen and retrieved the key.

Slowly she placed it into the lock and turned it until she heard it click.

She opened the door just as Maura stepped out of her bedroom.

"Mother?" she called, but stopped dead in her tracks.

At the end of the hall she could see her mother standing still as a statue in the open doorway of the nursery...

Cliffhanger!