Chapter 33: Family Game Night

A/N: Sorry for the delay. I had a really crappy work week! I'm hoping to get back to more regular posting, but it is our busiest time at work, so unfortunately, I can't make any promises. My goal is still ~3 chapters per week, and I'll try my best. I wouldn't be shocked if it ends up being fewer than that for the next six weeks or so. 😊

This is a fluffy chapter before we get back to some heavier stuff.

Jane: June, Present Day

Jane found herself glancing sideways at the woman walking beside her more often than was probably considered normal, but she couldn't help it. Maura looked beautiful in the afternoon sun. Her hair was pulled back in a relaxed ponytail, but the summer breeze had pulled a few wisps of hair loose. They floated around her face, the golden tones catching the sun every so often, highlighting the golden specks in her hazel eyes.

Maura smiled when she caught Jane looking at her, causing Jane to blush. Jane found herself getting lost in the sparkling hazel eyes full of love and happiness. Her stomach fluttered at the sight of the crinkles in the corners of Maura's eyes as her smile reached her whole face.

Jane forced herself to look back in the direction they were walking. They hadn't really talked about how they were comfortable behaving together in public, especially not since Constance had walked in on them kissing, but Jane decided to take a chance. She reached out to grab Maura's hand, lacing their fingers together as they walked. Her heart swelled when she felt Maura squeeze her hand in return, indicating that she was not only okay with the gesture but that she enjoyed it.

The four kids were running ahead of them as they made their way to the park – a path Emma, Finn, and Harper knew well. It was a beautiful summer afternoon and despite the emotions of the morning, everyone was now in a good mood. Even Finn was back to her normal happy self.

Jane led Maura over to her favorite bench as the kids started climbing the play structure. Over the years, she had figured out the best places to sit to be able to see all corners of the playground without having to move (or if her favorite spots were taken, with only minimal movement).

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. It was Maura who finally broke the silence.

"I still can't believe that my mother walked in on us today," she said with a quiet laugh.

"Like I said earlier, I'm not sure we can really keep this a secret anymore," Jane replied. "I know you wanted some time."

Maura shook her head. "I don't want to keep this a secret," Maura clarified. "I just wanted to enjoy our relationship without everyone else's opinions for a few days, but I don't want to hide it. I'm not really sure if the difference makes sense," Maura added quietly at the end.

"Nah, it does," Jane said. "But are you okay that we didn't get as much time to ourselves as we had planned?"

"Yes," Maura said, flashing a smile at Jane before leaning forward to place a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Okay, good, because those kids can't keep a secret to save their lives," Jane quipped before adding more seriously, "but I also wouldn't want to ask them to lie about this or hide it."

"I don't want that either," Maura replied as she leaned closer to Jane so that their arms were pressed together as they sat next to each other on the bench. "Besides, I like the idea of everyone knowing about something that makes me so happy," she added before giving Jane another kiss, this time on the cheek.

"You know ma's going to immediately start talking about a wedding," Jane said, half-joking, half-serious.

"At least she doesn't have to ask about grandchildren anymore," Maura replied with a smirk.

Jane snorted. "Yeah, I think with four she might actually leave us alone on that one, but she also wouldn't say no to more," she added.

Maura studied Jane's face for a few moments before asking, "Do you want more children?"

Jane was surprised by the question. She had meant to imply more grandchildren from her brothers, but she could see how Maura would interpret her comment as more grandkids from them. "Oh, um," she stuttered. She hadn't actually thought about the idea of more kids since Maura had gotten home – actually, she hadn't thought about having any more since Harper was born – but still, she knew her answer the moment Maura had asked. She took a deep breath before looking directly at Maura, making eye contact. "No, I don't, but do you?" she said truthfully. If it's important to Maura, she could probably be convinced. There was something appealing about going through the infant stage with Maura, but she really didn't see herself having more kids.

Maura shook her head. "No," she said. "Maybe if we were younger, but even then, five sounds like a lot. It's also highly unlikely that either of us would be able to get pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy at this point in our lives anyway, but if you wanted to adopt or something…" Maura let her sentence trail off; she knew that she was rambling.

"We do only have four hands between the two of us," Jane added with a laugh. "But, yeah…I mean, I'm really happy with what we have."

"Me too," Maura replied. "Me too." Maura reached out for Jane's hand once again. She laced their fingers together before pulling their hands into her own lap, letting her thumb rub lightly across Jane's knuckles.

"I was thinking that maybe one day this week, you, Emma, and Finn could do something together, and then I could hang out with Harper and Sophie," Jane suggested.

Maura turned to look at Jane. "Do you think Emma and Finn are ready for that? I want so badly to get to know them, but I don't want to push them or make them uncomfortable…especially after this morning," Maura added.

"Actually, what happened today is what convinced me that it might be a good time – not Finn's meltdown, but the resulting conversation, I mean," Jane said. "They've always wanted to get to know you too, but today's conversation really helped them…I don't know…understand you better, I guess. They grew up a lot today, and as much as I wish I could keep them little and innocent and completely naïve to all the terrible things this world has to offer, I also know that it's good for them…the growing up part, I mean.

"I'm not trying to force you or them to do something you don't want to do. I just think that doing something fun, just the three of you, would be a good way to build on the progress made today," Jane added.

"What should we do?" Maura asked.

"Ask them what they want to do," Jane supplied with a shrug.

"I really like that idea," Maura replied.

"You should ask them this evening, and I'll also make a big deal about doing something special at home with Harper and Sophie. This may be more about the three of you bonding, but I don't want Harper and Sophie to feel left out. Besides, I do want to bond with Sophie, too," Jane added.

"I think that's a great idea," Maura replied with a smile. She gave Jane's hand another gentle squeeze before they both lapsed into comfortable silence. Their conversations remained relatively light for the remainder of their time at the park. Eventually, they gathered the girls to walk home for dinner and game night.

Maura: June, Present Day

A few hours later, they had finished dinner together followed by baths for each of the girls. They were now gathered in the family room.

"Before we start playing games, we wanted to ask you guys something," Maura said to the girls. "Emma and Finn, I was wondering if you would like to do something fun, just the three of us."

"And Harper and Sophie, I'm hoping you guys want to have a special fun day with me," Jane added.

"Yeah!" Harper yelled enthusiastically, while Sophie nodded happily.

Emma and Finn looked back and forth between Jane and Maura. They looked less convinced about this idea than their younger sisters.

"Emma and Finn, you guys can pick whatever you want to do with mommy, and Harper and Sophie, you guys can pick what you want to do here, at home," Jane continued. "This time, Emma, Finn, and mommy get to go out, and Harper, Sophie, and I are going to do something at home, but in the future, we'll do different combinations and each of you will get a chance to go out with one of us."

"What are we gonna do?" Finn asked slowly.

"Well, I was hoping you guys would pick," Maura said.

"Disney World!" Emma said excitedly.

Maura paused, but Jane laughed. "Something in the Boston area," Jane clarified.

"The science museum?" Finn suggested.

"Yeah, that's a great idea. What do you think, Em?" Jane said.

"Yeah! The science museum!" Emma said, sounding almost as excited as she did about Disney World. "When do we get to go to the science museum?"

"I was thinking we could do this Thursday," Jane suggested. "Wednesday is your last day of school, so this would be a fun way for you to celebrate."

"What do me and Sophie get to do?" Harper asked.

"Sophie and I," Maura interjected without thinking.

"Yeah, that," Harper said off-handedly, drawing a smile from Jane.

"Well, what do you and Sophie want to do?"

Harper looked at Sophie, who shrugged.

Jane, who didn't want Harper to steamroll Sophie, decided to offer a suggestion. "Soph, do you like to make cookies?"

"I love cookies!" Sophie answered excitedly.

"I know you like to eat them, but do you like to bake them?" Jane asked with a laugh.

"Honestly, I'm not sure she's ever made cookies," Maura whispered so that only Jane could hear her.

"It's really really fun!" Harper said to Sophie.

"Okay! Cookies! Yay!" Sophie responded. Maura was pretty sure that Sophie didn't really know what they were talking about, but she also knew that the three-year-old would probably love baking cookies with Harper and Jane.

"Alright, we'll make sure to get all of the ingredients before Thursday," Jane said. "Should we start game night now?"

"Can I pick first?" Emma shouted, raising her hand in the air as she bounced on her toes.

"No! I wanna pick!" Harper replied before Jane or Maura could answer.

"Nuh uh, it's my turn!" Finn joined the argument.

Maura glanced at Sophie who was silently watching her sisters argue. This was definitely one aspect of a larger family that Maura would have to get used to, especially as a parent. She wasn't sure how to navigate sibling arguments. When should she step in? When is it best to just let the kids figure it out on their own?

Right now, though, Maura didn't have to decide. Jane cut through the increasingly loud argument with her own solution. "Stop!" When Emma opened her mouth to argue with Jane, Jane continued, "The next kid who speaks doesn't get to pick tonight." Maura had to stifle her laughter behind her hand at the annoyed look on Emma's face. However, Jane's threat seemed to work as no one said anything. "Okay, Finn, can you hand me a deck of cards?"

Finn followed Jane's request without making a sound. When she had the cards, Jane took them out of the box and gave them a quick shuffle while she explained, "We should have enough time for each of you to pick a game tonight. Each of you gets to draw a card, and the person with the highest card picks first, then the person with the next highest card picks second and so on. Aces are high, and if two of you pick the same number, you both pick a second card to determine the order between yourselves. Okay?"

All four girls nodded as Jane held out the fanned-out deck to each girl in turn, starting with Sophie. Maura observed as Sophie watched her sisters. The little girl was trying to determine how to react based on her sisters' reactions. Maura thought it might be the most adorable thing she'd seen in a long time. Luckily, Sophie didn't have to wait long as Emma announced, "Finn picks first, then Harper, then Sophie, and then me."

"Alright, Finn, you get to pick first. You can pick whatever you want, but it has to be something that all six of us can play. Don't pick anything that's too old for Harper and Sophie."

"Hmmmm," Finn hummed as she tapped her finger on her lips while she tried to decide. "Can we play 'Heads Up!' if we only pick the categories that have pictures?"

Jane laughed. "Yeah, that's a good one, but you have to run upstairs to grab my ipad off my nightstand."

Finn ran up the stairs without waiting long enough to give Jane a response, causing both Maura and Jane to chuckle. Finn handed Jane the ipad when she returned downstairs. Maura watched over Jane's shoulder as she navigated to an app called 'Heads Up! Kids.' "Okay, do you want to explain to mommy and Sophie how to play?" Jane asked as she handed the ipad back to Finn, who nodded.

Holding up the ipad so that Sophie and Maura could see, Finn explained, "Okay, so whoever's turn it is gets to pick the category. You can pick any of these here because we already bought them. Then, you hold the ipad in front of your forehead so that everyone else in the room can see, but you can't. The rest of you describe what's on the screen without saying the actual name, and I have to try to guess based on your descriptions. When you get it right, you tilt the ipad forward, and if you want to skip one because no one can describe it, you tilt it backwards," Finn demonstrated each of the movements as she explained what to do. "And we just take turns," she concluded. "Do I get to go first?" she asked Jane, who nodded.

Finn stood in the center of the room while she picked the category before she held the ipad in front of her forehead. She was wearing a huge smile as she waited for the countdown. Maura spent the first few rounds just listening. She noticed that Jane mostly let the kids describe whatever was on the screen, but if they were struggling, she would say something to help make it easier for whoever was guessing. Sophie spent the time just watching, as well, but Maura hoped that she would feel comfortable enough to participate soon.

Emma went after Finn, followed by Harper. After Harper's turn, she handed the ipad to Sophie. Sophie picked a category without hesitation, but then, she couldn't quite figure out how to hold or move the ipad. When she dropped the ipad on her second card (each of the things they were supposed to guess showed up as cards on the app), Jane offered to help. She was next to Sophie before Maura could say anything.

"Why don't I hold the ipad while you guess?" Jane suggested. Then, all you have to do is try to guess what everyone else is describing. When Sophie nodded, Jane asked, "Which category did you want to try?"

Maura was in no way surprised when Sophie picked, "Animals!"

Jane's suggestion worked well, and Sophie was able to eagerly guess what her sisters were describing when she didn't have to try to figure out what to do with the device. The girls insisted that Maura and Jane each take a turn guessing. Sophie started to join in the descriptions of the things the guesser was supposed to be guessing after she had had her turn, and she participated more vigorously as the rounds continued. When Sophie enthusiastically imitated an elephant when Harper was trying to guess "elephant," Maura really wished they were recording this. All six of them burst into laughter as the three-year-old swung her arm in front of her face like a trunk while sputtering (and spitting everywhere) to imitate the sound of an elephant's cry.

"Wait, we need to watch that one," Jane said through her laughter, holding out her hand for the ipad when Harper finished her turn.

"Watch what?" Maura asked, confusedly.

"The app records a video during each turn. It doesn't save it unless you choose to save it, but you have to do it immediately after the turn or you lose it. We play so much that watching the videos lost its appeal, but we have to see if the video caught Sophie's elephant."

When Jane played back the video, all six of them crowded around the device to watch. Maura's eyes landed on Sophie's face. She was slightly worried that the little girl would be upset, thinking her family was laughing at her, but luckily, that didn't seem to be the case. Her face was aglow with happiness as she laughed hysterically along with her sisters.

After each of them had had three turns at guessing, Jane suggested that they move to the next game, meaning that it was Harper's turn to pick. All four kids enthusiastically participated in Harper's choice, which she called "Freeze!" It was essentially just an excuse to dance wildly around the room, which led to even more giggles. The goal was apparently to freeze when the music stops and if you don't freeze right away or you move during the pause, you were out. The problem was that the kids were all over-excited, meaning that they were almost all four 'out' on every turn. Still, they seemed to be having a blast, so it didn't really matter.

Sophie chose 'Hide and Seek,' which didn't surprise Maura since Maura wasn't sure how many games Sophie even knew.

The evening seemed to fly by. It wasn't until Sophie fell asleep in the corner of the couch during Emma's chosen game of 'Pictionary,' that Maura realized how late it actually was. It was well past all four kids' bedtimes, especially Harper and Sophie's.

The kids went to bed without a fight, though, when Jane told them it was bedtime. They were already in their pajamas and had brushed their teeth after their baths, so all they had to do was use the bathroom and get in bed.

"That was so much fun," Maura said as she dropped to the couch next to Jane after the kids were all in bed. Maura rested her head on her hand with her elbow on the back of the couch as she tucked her feet underneath her body. She was facing Jane, who was relaxing on the other end of the couch with her arms along the back of the couch and her feet on the coffee table.

"Hopefully, they sleep well tonight. They definitely got out a lot of energy between the park and game night," Jane replied, letting her head fall back against the couch while she looked at Maura.

"Do you think Sophie will like baking cookies?" Jane asked. "We can pick something else if there is something you think she'd rather do. I wanted to pick something we don't do all the time so that it feels a little more special."

"Oh, she will love it. She has your sweet tooth. I'm a little embarrassed that she's never baked cookies before, but it was just never something that I thought to do when it was just the two of us. I doubt she did it at daycare. Although, she has probably decorated cookies at daycare before. Anyway, yes, I think it's a perfect choice for Sophie," Maura said. After a pause, she added, "I was also surprised that Emma and Finn picked the science museum."

Jane laughed loudly. "Oh, I wasn't," she said. "They love the science museum. They are half you, remember? They're mini nerds…little Mauras. Actually, we have a family membership, so you'll be able to use that. They do know every single exhibit backwards and forwards, though."

"I'm really excited to do that with them. I used to love the science museum too, but obviously, I haven't been in years," Maura said.

"Well, they will probably love showing you around. They love to lecture almost as much as you do," Jane teased.

Maura rolled her eyes, but she couldn't deny that Jane was right – she loved to share her knowledge.

After a few minutes of silence, Maura asked, "I wanted to ask you earlier, will you tell me what you told the girls when you talked to them? I understand if you'd like it to just be between the three of you, but…"

"Yeah, no, I mean, yes, I will tell you," Jane laughed at herself as she stumbled over her words. "Like I said, I didn't go into the conversation intending to tell them as much as I did. I guess, I wanted to protect them a little longer, but they're so smart. I started by reminding them that sometimes bad things happen that mean parents can't take care of their kids. It's something we've talked about before, so it made sense as a starting point.

"They caught on right away. They asked if something bad happened to you, and I told them yes, something bad happened to you. We talked about how you had to 'tell on' a bad man," Jane continued, using her fingers to make air quotes around the words 'tell on.' "I tried to relate it back to things they knew, so like, we talked about what they're supposed to do when they see someone hurting someone else. I wasn't planning on telling them what the 'bad man' did, but Finn guessed it right away, asking if he killed people."

"So that's why Emma said I did the right thing by telling on the bad man?" Maura asked quietly.

"Yeah," Jane said. She shrugged as she took a deep breath before continuing, "They didn't quite understand how you doing the right thing led to something bad happening to you, so I told them that the 'bad man' was angry with you and wanted to hurt you. I also told them that the reason they couldn't be with you is because he might try to hurt you by hurting them. I honestly don't know if that was the right thing to tell them. It still seems like a little too much for six-year-olds, but the only thing I kept thinking is that they were already upset, and I'd rather they be upset about the truth than upset because they think you didn't want them. I know there is nothing that could be further from the truth."

Maura nodded as tears burned at the corners of her eyes, but otherwise, she didn't say anything.

"They didn't really understand why they were safer with me since you were still their mom. I tried to explain the legal part of it, but I know that part when right over their heads. For now, it seemed to be enough for them to know that not being with them made you really sad, and the reason Sophie could stay with you when they couldn't is because you weren't in danger when she was born. I know that's over-simplified, but…I don't know. I didn't know how else to make it understandable to them without telling them that the 'bad man' was their biological father. I just couldn't…I couldn't tell them that part yet."

Maura moved so that she could curl up against Jane. Jane instantly wrapped her arm around Maura's shoulders. Maura rested her head against Jane's chest, her fingers playing with the hem of Jane's t-shirt, as she responded, "Thank you, Jane. I'm so sorry that you had to do that and that you had to make those decisions before you were ready."

"I'm not sure that's a conversation any parent is ever 'ready' for," Jane said quietly as she rested her cheek against the top of Maura's head. "You have nothing to apologize for. I think this time they needed to hear it from me, and one day, they'll probably need to hear it from you, too. We're in this together…always."

Maura didn't know how to respond. Her emotions were still running high from everything that had happened today. She'd honestly experienced the lowest of lows during Finn's meltdown and her highest of highs during their family time, especially during game night. In the end, she decided to just saw what she knew to be true without a doubt, "I love you, Jane."

"I love you, too," Jane whispered before giving her a soft kiss on the top of her head.

Jane: Christmas, Two and a Half Years Ago

"Can we play them, mama?" Emma asked as she shoved her brand-new game under Jane's nose.

Jane leaned back slightly so that she could actually see what Emma was showing her. She laughed lightly before answering, "Not tonight, but we can definitely play them soon."

"If it's alright with your mama, I was thinking maybe we could have a family game night," the woman sitting next to Jane said to Emma.

"Can we, mama?" Emma asked excitedly.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea. We can even pick a day later this week, but for now, please tell Stephanie thank you," Jane said, and she watched as both Emma and Finn climbed onto the couch to give the woman a big hug and kiss while squealing "Thank you!" over and over again.

Jane smiled to herself as she watched her girlfriend interact with her children. Jane and Stephanie had been dating almost a year now, and Stephanie had been an increasingly important part of the girls' lives for over four months now. It had been a big deal for Jane to invite Stephanie to join them for Christmas dinner – although, she had kept Christmas Eve and Christmas morning to just the four of them. Jane wasn't sure if she would ever be ready to let someone else into those most precious moments with Emma, Finn, and Harper. However, Stephanie had already gotten a lot further than Jane had ever thought she would let anyone get to her and her family after losing Maura.

Stephanie had gotten games for Emma and Finn for Christmas. The game Emma had shoved in Jane's face was called 'The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game!" She had gotten Finn a Disney princess version of Candy Land. Similarly, she had given Harper one of those balls with different shaped holes and different shaped pieces that fit in the holes. Emma and Finn had already shown Harper how to put the shapes in the right holes about 100 times, and they could not understand why Harper wasn't catching on. It was, honestly, quite adorable.

Three days later, Jane found herself in the family room of their home with her girlfriend and her daughters for their first of many game nights. The games they played had evolved over the years, but the kids' enjoyment remained a constant. It was traditions like this for which Jane would always be grateful to Stephanie. Would Jane had eventually had game nights with her daughters without Stephanie's suggestion? Probably, but that didn't change the fact that Stephanie had been the first to suggest what soon became one of Jane's favorite things to do with her kids: Family Game Night.