Clouds in my Coffee - Chapter Twelve
So hey everyone. For the one who waited for and wanted the sex scene between Maura and Jane from last chapter, I'm sorry. I had this chapter already written and didn't want to publish late in order to write another one. But, I'm gonna publish a story, or maybe insert the chapter in this one in the future, with the M-rated missing moment. Another reason why I didn't write a sex scene is because I'm not really good at those and I get reall embarassed and I need so much time to get something cute out of my mind. I didn't want to let you guys down by writing something awful.
I hope you still like this chapter.
Thanks again to the great Becky, your work was great on this one. You know I adore you.
And thanks to you all.
One year later
"Really, Jane. What have you done to my granddaughter? Your first word was when you were 8 months!" Angela hissed, spreading tomato sauce all over her just made lasagna.
"I don't know, Ma. Just let her be. And, she's already saying things, there's nothing wrong with her." Jane was trying to imitate Angela's actions, although her lasagna looked way more crooked than her mothers.
"Jane, she's only calling you and Maura. She can't even say 'Gramma'. This is unbearable. She needs to say her first word." Angela remarked, adding some parmigiano on the top of her perfect lasagna and handing the cheese to her daughter, smiling at her mediocre product. She was so proud of teaching her how to cook.
"She doesn't need to do anything, Ma. She'll talk when she's ready. Caroline told us so, and I trust her. Maura." Jane quickly corrected herself. "Maura trusts her."
While with her lasagna Jane wasn't making any progress, she was always a pro when it came to ignoring her mother's wicked smiles.
Anyway, Jane thought, Angela was right. Lee was 13 months old and even she knew that it was late for her to say her first word. Lee could only speak monosyllables, but even so, she had other ways to communicate.
With deep dark brown eyes, and black curly hair, Lee Rizzoli always wore a serious expression, like she could read everybody's mind. Jane could not describe her better than by saying she was smart.
Just like her other mother.
By the way.
Where was Maura?
Early that morning Maura and Lee had gone out shopping, because Lee was growing really fast and she needed new clothes. Jane couldn't stand shopping generally, and with a baby with her it was even worse. Maura, on the other hand, loved it, and she was always very happy to go shopping with Lee. She loved the girl's sweet laughs while she looked for the cutest rompers and drove the white stroller in little shops.
While trying to rearrange her lasagna, Jane thought about the last few months.
Both her and Maura had gone back to work, even though they were always very concerned about Lee. They knew she was in good hands with Angela, Hope and Constance, and at day-care inside the precinct. Jane and Maura now left her there in the mornings, and then in the afternoon Lee was with one of the grandmothers, depending on the day. Hope always found free time from MEND and loved to spend the afternoon with Lee, teaching her all kinds of stuff. Constance had recently moved back to Boston to be closer to Maura and Lee. Jane was really proud of the woman: sometimes she thought she was the best grandmother out of the three, because with Lee it was like she was remedying to all the mistakes she had made with Maura. Maura knew that too, and sometimes, late at night, after a great afternoon with Constance and Lee, Maura curled into Jane's arms and cried. And finally, Angela. Last but not least, they say. The first months she had asked Cavanaugh to work part time at the café, so that she could help Jane and Maura during the day. But lately, even she gone back to work full time. It was hard for her, not to see Lee every day, but she had her afternoons, and she loved them. She loved her grandchildren, and being with TJ and Lee at the same time made her the happiest person on Earth.
It was hard for the two mums to leave their girl, and Jane had the feeling that leaving her would always be hard. But they had to. They always managed to spend one afternoon per week with Lee and the grandmother in charge, but it wasn't enough. On Fridays, when the shift finally ended, Jane and Maura looked at each other with the biggest smile on their faces, because Friday meant weekend and weekend meant free time and free time meant home and home meant family and family meant Lee. They loved their little routine, and Jane could swear that in the last two months she had heard Maura say "I love our life" more that she had ever heard her mother complaining about her being a cop.
"You know, Ma, I've been trying to teach Lee some words." Jane smiled to her mother, back to the present. Opening the oven, Angela waited for her daughter to explain herself. In the last year Jane had changed a lot. Of course, she still was the rebel tomboy she's always been, the crazy brave detective everybody respected and loved. But, she was a mother, now, too. She was kinder, and sweeter. Everyone could see that. Everyone could see the light in her eyes, or the big smile she had showing the little picture of Lee and Maura that she kept in her wallet. Being a mother, she understood Angela more. She worried with her, and accepted her talks and her advices. Jane knew Angela was proud of her daughter and wanted nothing more than to let her help.
"You did?"
"Yeah. I wanted to teach her the word 'marry' so that she could help me asking Maura." The confession turned Jane's cheeks red. In almost 40 years Angela had never seen Jane's cheeks reddened, and now she was all blush and sweet talks. Not that Angela argued with that. She was glad Maura and Lee had changed her Jane for good.
"Oh Janie." A year ago, Angela would have hugged her daughter so tightly, not even letting her breathe. Now, Angela had learned to respect Jane, to respect the times when she talked and opened herself with her mother.
Jane looked at Angela's smile, silently thanking her.
"Well, I hope she learns fast."
"Me too, Ma." Jane sighed. "Me too."
xxx
"Come on, Lee." Maura repeated, driving in a crowded Boston street.
"Say 'periodic table', sweetheart. I know you can." The little girl was watching Maura from the review mirror, comfortably seated in her yellow car-seat with her feet in the air.
"Muuu!" Lee called her mother.
"I'm here, baby. Come on. Try again. Try 'Barium', Lee.
"Aaah!" Lee exclaimed, happy, with her eyes wide open. Maura glanced at her through the mirror and smiled at the little girl. She loved her so much, her tiny sweet being.
"I guess you don't like 'Barium'. What about 'Iron'?" Maura tried.
"Mu." Lee hushed her mother. She already had this magical power to communicate with everybody, and sometimes Maura could hear her loud and clear in her head. "Shut up, mother. I don't like chemistry, I like my feet, here in the air. Can't you see them? They're so yummy. Wanna eat them with me, later, mommy?" Maura laughed, imagining how her tone would turn into Jane's rough and sexy one, sooner or later. She turned to face her girl, but Lee looked so serious, like she didn't want to talk anymore about an important argument. Yes, that girl was going to be an untamed beautiful creature. Just like her mother.
Maura had been teaching Lee the periodic table for two months, already. Still, she didn't have any result. She was disappointed, mainly with herself. Wasn't she a good mother? Or a good teacher? She wanted to give Lee all she had, but maybe it wasn't enough.
She looked one more time at Lee through the mirror and smiled.
"Okay, missy. We're done for today. But, lessons start again tonight, as your mother watches baseball with her brothers. I'll teach you and TJ so many chemical elements!"
Maura didn't feel silly talking to her baby daughter. She always wore Jane's serious expression, and she wore it proudly.
Xxx
"We're home!" Maura announced, closing the front door behind her. Lee had her tiny arms around her neck and was hugging Maura tightly, a big smile on her face.
If there was something Jane would never be tired of, that was the image of the always put together and precise Medical Examiner in her designer clothes, high heels and perfect hair, classy and perfectly at ease with a messy one-year-old daughter in her arms. The contrast was beautiful. Lee hated to wear dresses and skirts, so she always looked like she was in her jammies. That morning, Lee had a green shirt and white shorts on. Maura was matching. Her skirt was green, up her knees. A white blouse was tucked in it, and she had impossibly high heels. She was whispering in Lee's ear when she stepped in the kitchen, smelling the air.
"What is going on in here?" She asked, placing Lee on the counter.
Jane approached the two and smiled at the baby. Lee threw her hands in the air, asking her mother to pick her up with a loud "Mah."
"Oh, just some cooking." Jane nodded to her mother, seated on the couch, and placed a wet kiss on Lee's cheek.
"Hey!" Maura complained, pouting. Jane placed a kiss on Maura's lower lip, too, then raised Lee in the air.
"So what did my girls do today? Mommy bought you a lot of stuff, baby girl? Huh?" Jane kissed Lee's belly, causing her to laugh out loud.
"We bought some things, including a really nice jacket for the winter. You've got to see it, Jane!" Maura exclaimed, playing with Lee's little feet.
"Mommy buys too many things for the princess, doesn't she, Lee?" Lee was giggling while Jane tickled her sides.
"I do not, Jane." Maura cut, greeting Angela.
"Hi Maura. How did it go this morning?" The older woman asked, looking at her from her knitting needle. She loved to knit socks and blankets and puppets for Lee, just like her mother did for Jane.
"Good, we wondered around. What did you do here?" She asked, sitting beside Angela on the couch.
"Jane asked me to teach her how to do the lasagna. Don't tell her, but hers aren't really good-looking."
"Can hear you!" Jane screamed over Lee's little screams.
"It's the truth!" Angela screamed back, smiling at Maura.
"I'm sure they're going to taste awesome."
"And that's what's important, see Ma?" Jane walked to the couch, Lee in her arms, and kissed Maura's head.
"Mu." Lee acknowledged serious.
"I hope so, Jane. Your Nonna would be so ashamed of you, ruining lasagna for the Sunday lunch." While Angela spoke, Jane let Lee on Maura knees and sat near her, hugging Maura's shoulder and pulling the blonde woman against her.
"I've never cooked them before, they can't be perfect!" Jane defended herself with her mother.
"They will be. We're so hungry." Maura reassured Jane, hugging Lee on her lap. The baby girl was curling Maura's hair in her little hands, while Maura was curling Lee's in hers.
Another magic thing about Lee was her behavior with people. That never ceased to amaze Jane. With Maura, it was like Lee understood what kind of person she was. She sat calmly on her lap, leaned relaxed against her chest and played with her soft hair. With Jane, she was another person. She screamed, squirmed, stretched, and pulled. But, with both women she laughed, cried, listened. She was so young, but so perfect in her being already.
Jane smiled at her family, released her grip on Maura and got up.
"So, wanna taste my creation?" She asked, stretching out a hand for Maura.
Xxx
Lasagna were great.
Jane helped herself two times, so did Angela, Tommy, Frankie and Korsak. Jane pretended to be offended with the others, but everybody assured her that her lasagna was fabulous. The tall detective smiled a lot, during that lunch. She had never cooked for all her family and Maura's and was really proud of herself. And so was Maura, in that moment, squeezing her hand under the table, smiling with her.
Lee was in the high chair, near her mothers, and near her was TJ, who was far too big for the chair but wanted to do the same of his little cousin.
Around the table everyone was enjoying the lunch. They had agreed that Sunday dinner was too binding for everyone, considering that Maura and Jane needed to go to bed early, and so the family had been gathering for lunch at Sundays, instead. TJ was discussing with Frankie, while Lydia was admiring Korsak for his yummy Greek salad. Angela, Hope and Constance were discussing baby-sitting turns for the week, and Frost was explaining Cailin how to use her new iPad. Maura leaned into Jane and kissed softly her lips.
"I'm proud of you, Jane." The blonde doctor whispered against the detective's lips.
"And I'm proud of you, baby." Jane could feel Maura's smile and smiled back.
"Have I ever told you how you turn me on when you cook?" Maura asked, her voice low and sexy.
"Oh you did. And you showed me well, too. But maybe I'll need to revisit that, tonight, doctor."
"I'll be glad to help you, Jane. Wouldn't want you to forget." Maura felt Jane's tongue on her lower lip and breathed out deeply.
"Jane…"
"I'm sorry, you're too hot in that skirt. And with Lee in your arms. You're better than porn!" Jane just mimed last word and Maura felt her cheeks redden. She brought her hand to her mouth and took her glass for a sip of water.
Jane winked at her, knowing the effect she had on the blonde. In the last year of their relationship it progressed and got better and better. They loved each other, and everybody accepted that. Even Casey, in the last few weeks had asked to join them for Sunday lunch, sometime. Nobody was really ready to accept him, but they couldn't argue that he wasn't a good dad for Lee or that he didn't respect Maura and Jane's choice. Time would handle it all.
It was during that specific Sunday lunch, while everybody was minding his/her own business, and nobody was paying attention to little Regina Lee Rizzoli, that she decided to speak her first word. It wasn't a chemical element. It wasn't one of her mommies' names, nor one of her grandmothers, nor one of her uncles. It wasn't 'dog', nor 'tortoise'. It wasn't 'marry'.
It was a mixture of all those.
It was while everybody was eating Jane and Angela's lasagna, talking with his neighbor at the table, that, with uncertain voice, Lee spoke.
At first, nobody heard her little voice.
But, she was a Rizzoli. She had screams inside of her. She had her mother's powerful and beautiful voice. She had Maura's authority.
So, she spoke again. Louder.
This time, everyone at the table shut up. Silence filled the room, and all the eyes were on the youngest member of the family.
"Lee?" Angela encouraged the little girl.
Maura had her eyes wide open, and Jane was squeezing her hand so tightly it hurt.
"Come on, Lee. Can you repeat, please?" Angela repeated, a big smile on her face. She was looking proudly at her granddaughter, little tears on the edge of her eyes.
Lee didn't repeat. She looked at every face around the table, her grandmothers, different kind of loves, at her uncles, her cousins, her detectives. At last, she looked at her moms. Her 'Mu' and her 'Ma'. They looked so surprised, they weren't speaking, just looking at her. Waiting.
Lee smiled, shyly. She was used to receiving attentions, but it that moment she was embarrassed.
Nobody had ever seen her cheek red for embarrassment.
Silence was broken.
"Potassium, marry."
Lee said, slowly.