The three women and the young child sat down at Angela Rizzoli's dining room table with eager stomachs. It was a round table, and the order went Angela, Jane, Hayley Mae, and Maura. Angela carefully placed the lasagna in the middle of the table. The dish had already been cut into squares and Jane reached forward to scoop a small square on to Hayley Mae's plate, then came her mother's. When she turned to Maura, the blonde saw a slight blush in the brunettes cheeks and couldn't help but blush in return.

"Would you like me to scoop you a piece as well?"

The blonde dutifully lifted her plate towards the casserole dish and Jane scooped a medium sized piece onto it. As Maura set the plate back down, she was able to get a good whiff of the steaming Italian dish, "Oh my…this smells delicious, Mrs. Rizzoli."

"Call me Angela, please. And thank you." The older woman smiled as she passed a basket of garlic bread to her daughter, who in turn passed to Maura after taking a piece. Angela gave her daughter a pointed look.

Jane rolled her eyes playfully before receiving a swift kick to her shin in return; releasing a yelp. "Ah, god…mah, fine I'll do it."

Maura seemed to miss the joke, but soon understood when Hayley Mae reached out a hand towards her. Maura watched Jane take her daughter's other hand and her mother's hand. Maura hesitantly took Angela's hand, and then Hayley's.

The librarian winked and bowed her head.

Maura, though not a religious person, bowed hers as well in respect.

"Bless us, oh Lord," came Jane's low, gravelly voice, "and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. Through Christ our Lord, Amen."

The blonde barely contained the shiver down her spine as both Jane and Angela whispered a quiet, "amen." Hayley Mae's head shot up and she sported a huge grin, "AMEN!" she squealed before picking up her fork to dig into the food.

Jane snorted at her daughter's antics and picked up her own fork, "Eat slow Hay…the food is hot." She mumbled

Maura picked up her own fork and took her first bite. The flavors burst on her tongue and before she knew it, a moan escaped her mouth.

Jane's head shot up in surprise at the noise.

The blonde's cheeks flushed a deep red, "I'm sorry." She turned to see Angela smiling at her, "I've not had something so good in such a long time." She took two, three more bites quickly. The two Rizzoli women watched the normally composed med student tear into her food almost as quickly as Hayley Mae.

"Good Lord." Angela chuckled, "You eat like you haven't in months."

Maura finally took a breath and a gulp of water.

Jane tilted her head in thought, "When was the last time you had a home cooked meal."

The blonde shrugged casually, "Probably not since I was a child," she lifted another bite to her mouth, "Mother never cooked. And then I was in private school, then Oxford." Maura popped the bite in her mouth and savored the flavors.

Both Jane and her mother exchanged looks at the honest confession and Jane could see the look of determination on her mother's face. The matriarch took a bite of her own slice, "Well, you'll just have to come over more often."

Maura looked up hopefully and smiled all the way to her ears as she chewed.

The meal continued peacefully. Hayley Mae recounted her past week for them all, including all the lessons she learned from pre-school. Jane recounted a story of finding two freshmen making out in the middle of the library and having to break them up.

When the conversation came to a lull, Angela turned towards Maura, "So, Maura, tell me a little about yourself. Jane says you're in school?"

The blonde wiped her mouth daintily and took a sip of water before speaking, "I'm a third-year med student at BCU and I did my undergrad at Oxford."

"Wow, a docta." The older woman remarked with a wink towards her daughter, "What kind of docta do you want to be?"

"I believe that I would like to be a medical examiner, but I've also been looking into general surgery."

"A medical examiner." Angela said with a hint of awe in her voice, "that's a noble profession, Maura, and not one many go for."

The blonde didn't know how to respond. Usually people were instantly disgusted when she told them.

"Janie wanted to be a cop when she was younger. No wonder you guys get along well."

Jane rolled her eyes at her mother, "I'm sure that's it."

"Oh shush." Angela lightly smacked her daughter's arm. She turned back to the blonde, "so, how much more schooling do you have after graduation?"

"Well, I need one year of residency as a general physician, one year on a surgical unit and at least one year in forensics. That's if I go to be a medical examiner. As a surgeon, the surgical unit residency is quite a bit longer. Either way, it is around three years, or four, depending on if I want to do any other specialty courses."

"Have you found a place to do those yet?"

Maura nodded, "yes, I've been accepted to the residency program at Boston General. They have an amazing program."

Angela's eyes sparkled with glee, "Wonderful! So you'll be nearby for a while." She turned to her daughter, giving her a will ya look at that type look.

Maura nodded, looking down at her plate with a blush, "I've grown quite fond of Boston." She said quietly

Before Jane could say something cheesy like, "well, Boston has grown quite fond of you," Hayley Mae yawned and leaned onto her mother's arm.

Jane kissed her daughter's head, "Gettin' sleepy?"

The little girl just nodded.

"Okay. Why don't you go pack up your things and we'll head home?" Jane turned towards her mother as her daughter trudged into the other room, "Ma, leave the dishes and I'll come by in the morning to do them."

The older woman nodded and started to clear the dishes to the kitchen.

Maura stood and followed Angela's lead with her own dishes. When she entered, she found the older woman rinsing off her plate.

"Angela, the food was absolutely divine."

Angela shrugged with a disarming smile, "It's really nothin' special. Just a family recipe."

"Still…it was delicious."

"Thank you dear. You should come over again, and maybe I'll cook you something else."

"I would love that, thank you."

Jane stepped into the room with a pile of her and Hayley Mae's dishes, "God…" she grumbled, "that kid ate two slices and three pieces of garlic bread."

"I told you Jane," Angela chuckled, "I told you that you'd be blessed with a child just like yourself."

The librarian rolled her eyes, "Yeah ma, I know. A voracious appetite and a wild side."

Angela picked up a wooden spoon and smacked Jane's behind.

Jane yelped and hid behind her friend, "Maura save me. Child abuse!"

Maura chuckled and stepped out from in front of her, "I think it was highly warranted. Plus, you're too big to claim child abuse."

"Hey!" Jane cried, indignantly, "You're supposed to be on my side."

Maura smirked, "Yes, normally I would be. But I would very much like to eat your mother's cooking again. So, I will stay on her side for now."

Jane smiled, "I think we can arrange that."

Angela turned from the sink and faced them, "How about over Spring Break?"

"Ma, she's probably got plans over break…" Jane tried to explain.

"No!" Maura cut in; Jane's eyes widening at the response, "I don't actually have any plans over the Spring Break. All I have planned is some homework and light reading. I thought maybe I'd stay in my parent's home across town, but I'd love to have dinner with you all again."

Jane smirked, "Deal."

Hayley Mae came bursting into the room and ran right up to her mother, looking up at her with wide eyes, "What's up babe?" Jane asked, running her fingers through her daughter's hair

Hayley Mae have Maura the side eye and then looked back up at her mother; pulling on her shirt. Jane leaned down and listened to Hayley Mae whisper in her ear. She stood straight, "I don't know babe, you'll have to ask her." She whispered back loud enough for Maura to hear.

Hayley Mae turned shyly to the other woman, "Miss Mora…"

"Yes, dear." Maura smiled

"Um…would you like to…um…come to my party?"

"You're having a party?" she asked, interested. She kneeled down to the girl's level.

Jane chuckled, "What kind of party, Hay?"

Hayley smiled shyly, "A birthday party."

"A birthday party? Oh my goodness! I would love to come. When is it?"

Jane laughed, "It's next Saturday. The first Saturday of Spring Break."

"I will definitely be there."

Hayley Mae's smile widened, and she jumped forward to give Maura a tight hug.