Maura's head snapped toward her, and she looked at her with an expression that could only be described as shock. "What did you say?"

"I said", Jane repeated, "I know her name."

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"Jane," Maura repeated, "I'm…I...am… what are you saying? I mean, how would you know that?"

Jane turned toward her and put her empty bottle on the coffee table in front of her. She was trying to figure out where to start. Maura moved closer to her as if moving closer might help Jane speak.

"I don't know whether to start at the beginning or the end."

"Hang on a minute because I think I'm going to need more wine for this. How about you, another beer."

"Yeah, I think that will help. I don't know why I'm shaking all of a sudden, but yeah, another beer would be good."

When Maura went to the kitchen, Jane leaned forward with her elbows on her knees, and looking into the fire, tried to rehearse her next words.

The blond returned, and handed Jane her beer. She took a big sip of wine and moved to sit next to Jane so her knees were touching the brunette's leg. "By all means, start at the beginning, or by all means, start anywhere, I don't care, just tell me." Maura was leaning forward. Jane was still staring into the fire.

"Jane?" she said, hoping to get her attention.

"The Italian took a deep breath, exhaled, and turned to face Maura. "I got here two days ago. It seems like I've been here forever, but it's only been two days. I'm staying, like I said before, with my aunt who lives down the beach." She paused.

"Maura, it was my Aunt Marie who pulled you out of the water that day."

They just stared at one another as if this couldn't be happening. Finally, Maura broke the silence. "Oh, my God, Jane. Your aunt is my beautiful angel?"

"Yes, and I've been as amazed as you are right now all night. When you introduced yourself to me and said your name was Stewart, when you talked about your summer here, when you said you moved to France, and when you told the same story my aunt told me just yesterday, I knew you were the little girl. I knew you were Catherine's daughter. My aunt is your beautiful angel."

It took Maura a few minutes to put words to her thoughts.

"So she's still here, she's still alive, she's still right on this beach." It was not a question, and yet it was not really a statement. It was more like she was repeating something she was still trying to understand, thinking out loud, and saying it out loud so it might seem more real.

"Yes, she lives in the same house two miles from here where she and your mother fell in love and lived through losing each other. She's never gotten over Catherine."

They both seemed to get lost for a moment in their own thoughts.

Jane was preparing herself, steeling herself really, so she would have the courage to ask the next obvious question.

"Maura, is your mother still alive?"

Maura put her wine glass on the table, stood up and covered her face with her hands. She began to pace. Jane couldn't tell whether she was crying or laughing, and she realized that yet again, she was holding her breath.

Finally, Maura turned to her and both laughing and crying, she said, "Yes, yes, Jane and she'll be here tomorrow."

Jane stood up and moved to take Maura into her arms. "Oh, my God, Maura. They stood perfectly still holding onto each other. Both had tears running down their cheeks, and yet they were both smiling.

Finally, Jane pulled back, "Do you realize what this means…of course you realize, geez, I know I'm not making any sense, but…"

"I want to see her again, Jane. I want to meet her as an adult, please, can we go there? Can we go to her house?"

"We have to think about this, Maura. If this was a shock to us, imagine what kind of a shock it will be for her, and tomorrow for you mother."

"Jane, your aunt was the love of my mother's life. She never got over that summer. She didn't tell me the whole story until just before I left France. I came out to my mother expecting the worst kind of reaction. But instead of her being shocked by what I'd just told her, she became lost in her own memories. And I couldn't imagine what those memories were, until she told me the whole story."

Jane finally spoke, "My Aunt Marie feels the same way. It's like this epic love story, it's like a movie or a book, and it's amazing really." Then she stopped as if her brain had just registered something important. "Wait a minute, did you just say, you came out, as in you're gay?" Maura leaned back and laughed.

"Yes, Jane, I'm gay. "Why else would I accost a beautiful stranger on the beach?"

"Wow", was all Jane could muster.

"Ok, but enough about me," said Maura, "let's go talk to your Aunt Marie."

"What time is it?"

"It's 10:00. Jane, it's not too late. With what you've just told me about her telling you their story, if that were you in that house down there, would you want to know right now, or would you want two know-it-alls like us deciding when you should know.

"You're right, come on."

Maura grabbed a jacket and Jane put hers on as they left the house. They linked arms and walked toward the water's edge.

Jane started, "You know my aunt told me their story the first day I was here. I had come back from my run, from seeing you on the balcony, and when she asked me if there were any houses I'd noticed on my run, I said, the blue one with the white trim and the two-story windows. Do you think I would have picked that house if you hadn't been outside?"

"Which brings up a good point, Jane. Are you gay or are you just fascinated with all of this?" They looked at each other and smiled."

"Let's just say that for two days I have been transported to a place I've always wondered about but never visited."

"Well", said Maura, "you're on vacation. Maybe you should go places you haven't been before."

"And are you volunteering to be my guide?" Jane answered, smiling and blushing.

Maura stopped and turned so she was standing directly in front of the tall beauty. She wasn't laughing anymore as she stared into Jane's dark eyes. They stood and looked at each other, immobilized. Maura's eyes dropped to the brunette's lips.

"Would you let me?" she finally whispered.

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I know it's short, but it won't be long until the next chapter is posted. Comments?