Chapter 4: Never Too Much

Rating change: I wasn't originally planning to include explicit sex scenes in this story, but the scene in this chapter just came out. So, this chapter is NSFW, but don't get too excited, this is still a slow burn, so Maura and Jane don't get together – this one is just a solo outing (don't worry, neither of them is going to be with anyone else over the course of this story).

A/N: I'm still in the midst of a busy work week, so no promises on additional chapters, but I was able to get this one done.

Before

Friday, December 23, 2016

"Hey, Maur!" Jane called as she entered her best friend's house, shutting the front door behind her quickly to keep the blowing snow from coming inside.

Maura jumped in her seat at the kitchen island and quickly shut her laptop. "I wasn't expecting you tonight," Maura said, but it came out more squeakily than she had intended, causing Jane to stop and stare at her.

"Uh, I know," Jane said slowly. "Um, I can go," she added even though she didn't want to leave. Maura's reaction to her presence was confusing her.

"No, no, of course, you can stay," Maura said quickly. "I just wasn't expecting you," she repeated lamely.

"Well, have you checked the weather. It's getting bad out there and it's not supposed to stop. I don't think anyone will be able to go anywhere for days. They're predicting nearly 18 inches of snow in the next 24 hours. I thought…I guess, I still wanted to be able to spend Christmas with you, but I…I should have asked…" Jane trailed off nervously.

Maura smiled brightly. "Of course, I want to spend Christmas with you," she said genuinely, drawing a smile from Jane. "I haven't been paying attention to the weather. Had I known, I would have invited you over."

"Usually, you know these things before the weather people," Jane teased.

Maura rolled her eyes. "I do not," she said.

"Fine, well, usually you know before me."

"Well, that's not exactly hard," Maura quipped. "But I've been busy, so I didn't check the news or the weather today."

"Busy with what?" Jane asked.

"Research," Maura obfuscated. "Did you bring enough of your things in case you can't go home for a few days?"

"Yes, but don't try to change the topic."

Maura sighed. "Fine, I was doing research about the birthing process and developing my birthing plan," she admitted.

"Okay," Jane said slowly. "Why are you being weird about it?"

"I'm not!" Maura said a little too emphatically, causing Jane to raise a skeptical eyebrow in her direction. "Fine," Maura acquiesced, "but can we talk about it after we eat?" She pointed at the bag of food in Jane's hand. "Because I swear this child is part you. She's hungry all the time, and that enticing smell is driving her slowly insane."

Jane laughed loudly. "I'm so telling her one day that you said that," she teased.

"To be fair, pregnancy does necessitate an increase in caloric intake," Maura countered.

"Yeah, does pregnancy also necessitate mixing peanut butter and hot sauce into everything you eat?" Jane asked with a laugh as she held up the 40-ounce jar of extra crunchy Jif peanut butter and 32-ounce Frank's redhot sauce.

Maura's eyes went wide. "Absolutely!" she said with a smirk, causing Jane to laugh again.

"I figured we should stock up in case we're snowed in for a while," Jane said.

"Thank you," Maura said genuinely. "Wait, what does this mean for Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day?"

Jane shrugged. "Honestly, most likely it'll just be the two of us," she said.

"What about your mom? Should she sleep in the main house?"

"Frankie picked her up," Jane said. "Figured she'd want to be there for Eli's first Christmas. Did you look at your phone at all today? You're on the family text group."

"Oh, I guess not," Maura said, glancing at her phone on the other counter. "Sorry."

"No big deal," Jane said. "It's just unlike you." Jane handed Maura a plate of pad kee mao – Thai drunken noodles – and watched in slight disgust as Maura piled crunchy peanut butter on top and an exorbitant amount of hot sauce before mixing it all together.

"I know," Maura said with a sigh. "I think I just made myself very anxious working on my birthing plan today," she admitted.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Jane asked as they walked together to the couch.

"I just…I'm looking forward to meeting her," Maura said as she let her hand rest on her bump, "but…I don't know…there's just so much to plan, so many decisions that I have to make before she's even born. And that responsibility is only going to increase after she's born. What if…what if I can't do it all?"

Jane set her plate on the coffee table and moved closer to Maura. "Then you ask for help," she said quietly. "Maura, you're not alone. You have a support system…family and friends who love you and already love her. All of us will help you."

Maura blinked back the tears threatening to fall. "But, ultimately, Jane, I am alone. She's my responsibility. Not yours. Not your family's or my family's. And not our friends'. She's my responsibility," she reiterated. "I made this decision."

Jane took Maura's plate from her hands and placed it on the coffee table as well before taking Maura's hands in hers. "Yes, you made the decision to have a baby," Jane said. "And I made the decision to support you and help you. You're not forcing me to do anything. I truly believe that our friends and family feel the same way, but I won't speak for them. I want to be here for you and for her. I want to help you. I won't overstep – I know she's your daughter – but I am telling you that I want to help in any way you want me to."

Maura's eyes locked on Jane's. She could see the sincerity in Jane's dark eyes, read the love and acceptance in her features, and feel the genuineness in the grip of her hands. She knew Jane meant what she was saying.

Jane watched as Maura's brain tried to process the emotions bombarding her as a result of her hormones mixed with the effects of Jane's words. The unshed tears made her hazel eyes sparkle, and the lights on the Christmas tree created a warm glow on her rosy cheeks. Jane was having a hard time staying present and not getting lost in the beauty of her friend.

"Will you…will you help me with my birth plan?" Maura asked, vulnerability lacing her voice.

"Of course," Jane said, giving Maura's hands a squeeze.

"But after we eat?" Maura added with a weak smile. "Because she's still hungry," she added, letting go of one of Jane's hands to point to her baby bump.

Jane laughed. "Yeah," she said as she leaned over and handing Maura her plate before grabbing her own and moving back to her side of the couch.

Maura's mood settled as they ate together, first in silence before eventually falling into their easy banter. Once the food was in the fridge and the dishes were in the dishwasher, Maura carried her laptop to the couch.

Jane sat right next to Maura so that she could see the screen. They had a Christmas movie playing quietly in the background, but both of their attentions were focused on the computer.

"I was fine while I was figuring out the medical aspects of my birthing plan," Maura explained as she showed Jane the typed document. "Where I got overwhelmed was when I started trying to decide on my birthing team."

"I thought you liked your doctor," Jane said.

"I do," Maura said. "This is more about the emotional and logistical support, not the medical support."

"I meant what I said," Jane reiterated, looking up at Maura. "I'll help in any way possible."

Maura met Jane's gaze. "I don't want…I don't want a doula," she admitted tearfully. "I mean, I have nothing against doulas. I just…I-I-I'm not comfortable around most people."

"Then don't have one," Jane said. "I didn't think a doula was a requirement."

"It's not, but every website and book I've read says that having someone there for emotional support is essential," Maura said. Maura knew what she wanted. She wanted Jane there, but she wasn't sure why it was so hard for her to say that except it seemed like more intimate than what one would typically ask of their best friend.

"Can't it be…" Jane trailed off. She had honestly assumed that she would support Maura when she gave birth, but she was now realizing that that may have been a gross overstep on her part. She wasn't Maura's partner, so why on earth would she assume that Maura would want her in the room when she was in such a vulnerable position.

"It can be anyone," Maura whispered so quietly that Jane almost missed it. "It's the birthing mother's decision whom they want in the room."

Jane broke eye contact with Maura, and her gaze dropped to her hands.

"Jane…" Maura started quietly.

"I'm sure whoever you want will say yes," Jane said, talking to her hands.

"Whomever," Maura corrected automatically. Then, after a few moments of silence, she added, "Jane, I want you there."

Jane's eyes snapped up to Maura. "Yeah?" Jane asked, unable to stop the small smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth.

Maura let out a breath of relief. She could tell by the look on Jane's face and the tone of her voice that not only was Jane going to say yes, but she actually wanted to be there. "Yes, Jane," Maura said with a nervous laugh.

"I want to be there with you," Jane admitted.

"I was afraid it was too much to ask," Maura confessed.

"Nothing is too much for you to ask," Jane said genuinely as she shifted on the couch to better face Maura. "Look, I get it, you prefer to be independent, but just because you can do something on your own doesn't mean you have to. I mean it when I say I want to help. I want to be there for you and for her. I already love her so much. So, if you want me to go to those classes with you, I will. If you want me to stay here when you get close to delivery, so that I'm here when you need to go to the hospital, I'll do that. If you want me to stay some nights after she's born and take the night shift so you can get some sleep, I'd honestly love to be able to spend that time with her."

Tears returned to Maura's eyes, and this time, she couldn't hold them in. "You'd take the birthing class with me," Maura asked softly.

"You made me go to Lydia's birthing class. If I didn't say no then, what makes you think I'm gonna say no now?" Jane quipped. Then, in a more serious tone, she added, "But really, Maura, yeah, of course, I'll go. I want to know how to best support you."

"Thank you, Jane," Maura said genuinely but quietly.

"But, other than, like, the doctors and nurses, I get to be the second person to hold her after you!" Jane added quickly with a trademark Rizzoli smirk that made Maura's stomach flutter.

Maura laughed. "Well, obviously," she said with a smirk of her own.

Jane dropped her gaze to her lap again before starting to admit her previous assumptions, "To be honest, I kinda…well, I don't know why, but, um, I guess…" Jane huffed in annoyance at her own inability to say what she was thinking.

"Jane, whatever it is, you can tell me," Maura said kindly. "Are you concerned about something? Or is there something that's bothering you about my pregnancy or the birthing process?"

"No!" Jane said quickly, looking back up at Maura. "No, nothing like that. I, um, well, I was just going to say that…god, I don't know why I'm having such a hard time saying this. I guess mostly because it was incredibly presumptuous of me."

"Jane, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I know it was a huge assumption that I shouldn't have made, but I guess, I already kinda thought I was going to be there with you when she's born," Jane said as quickly as possible without making eye contact with Maura.

Maura couldn't help the smile that overtook her face. Something about Jane having expected to be there warmed her heart. "Really?" Maura asked, but Jane could tell by the tone of Maura's voice that she was more 'pleased surprised' than 'confused surprised' or 'uncomfortable surprised.'

"Yeah, I mean…I don't know. Like I said, it was presumptuous of me. I'm sorry," Jane said.

"Don't be," Maura replied. "It's not like it's a surprise to anyone that you're the person I'm closest to, so it was a pretty safe assumption that I wouldn't choose a different friend or family member. Besides, I have to admit that I kinda like that you just automatically assumed you'd be there. I guess, I don't feel as much like I'm asking too much." Maura shrugged.

"I don't know how many different ways I can say this, but you are not asking too much," Jane said. "I want to help you, okay?"

Maura nodded, a soft smile tugging at her lips.

Jane noticed that Maura had been shifting a lot in her seat over the past few minutes. At first, she didn't think much of it, but with each movement it was getting harder to ignore. "Are you okay?" she finally asked.

"Yes, I'm just uncomfortable," Maura said. "My back hurts. I think I sat too long today."

"Would it help if you laid down?"

"Maybe," Maura said. "I can really only lay on my side at this point."

Jane grabbed a pillow and put it on her lap. Patting the pillow, she said, "Lay down."

Maura laid down with her head on Jane's lap. It was better, but her back was still bothering her. After a few minutes, she started shifting uncomfortably again.

Jane noticed and allowed her hand to rub down Maura's back, eventually, applying pressure to the small of her back.

"Ohhhhhh," Maura let out an indecent moan at the relief Jane's hand was providing. Maura blushed bright red, but since her face was half buried in Jane's lap, Jane couldn't see.

Jane chuckled at Maura's reaction, but – to Maura's immense relief – she didn't stop.

"God, Jane, you have no idea how good that feels," Maura mumbled into the pillow.

Suddenly, Jane stopped her massage of Maura's lower back. Gently tapping Maura's back, she said, "Get up."

"Oh, um, okay," Maura said, trying and failing miserably to hide her disappointment.

Jane laughed openly as they both stood up. "I'm gonna do more," she said. "It's just that that angle was making it hard on my wrist. I was going to suggest we go get into our pajamas, put a Christmas movie on, and lay in your bed. If I lay behind you, I can give you a better back massage."

Maura could feel a slight blush returning to her cheeks. "Oh, you don't need to," Maura tried, but she knew that she was not at all convincing. Right now, there wasn't much she wanted more than for Jane to give her a back massage.

"Come on," Jane said, gently pushing Maura towards the stairs, completely ignoring her half-hearted protest. When they were halfway up the stairs, Jane added, "But I get to pick the movie."

Maura laughed. "That's fair," she conceded.

They both got ready for bed before eventually getting into Maura's bed.

"Um, it's more comfortable to lay on my left side," she said. "Is that okay?" It meant that they would have to switch sides of the bed since Jane usually slept on the left.

"Yeah, whatever's comfortable," Jane replied. "Scooch over."

Jane climbed in bed behind Maura. Once Maura had started Jane's chosen movie – Christmas Vacation, of course – Jane resumed her massage.

Maura's eyes fluttered closed as relief from the tension that had been growing in her body for weeks started to permeate her entire being. She had to bite her bottom lip to keep from moaning out loud again at the feeling of Jane's hands on her. It wasn't long before she could feel herself getting incredibly wet. Part of her knew that she should probably tell Jane that she had done enough – it didn't feel right to know how aroused her body was getting in response to her best friend while they laid together in bed – but the other part of her didn't want this to end. In the end, the sensations were just too good to stop it.

After nearly 45 minutes of massaging Maura's back, Jane paused and whispered, "I'm just going to run downstairs for a water. Do you want anything?"

"No, thank you," Maura choked out, hoping beyond hope that her voice didn't sound as laced with sex to Jane as it did to her.

Maura let out a loud sigh as soon as she heard Jane on the stairs. She couldn't believe how fucking close she was. No matter how many times she told herself it was wrong, her body was going to explode, and she couldn't stop herself.

Listening closely for Jane's return, Maura quickly shoved her hand under the covers and pressed down hard on her clit over her pajamas and panties. Her body instantly arched as waves of pleasure crashed through her. Her orgasm was intense, causing every muscle in her body to contract and pulse. Just as she settled back into the bed, she heard Jane coming up the stairs. She tried to regulate her breathing, hoping that Jane wouldn't notice the flush that likely covered her face and chest or her irregular breathing.

Jane didn't say anything as she settled back behind Maura and resumed her massage. Intense guilt flooded Maura's system and a few tears leaked out of her eyes. She was insanely grateful that Jane was behind her and couldn't see her face. She had to admit though that she felt a lot better having released the tension in her body. She wasn't completely satisfied – the lack of penetration and actually being able to touch herself combined with the guilt and fear of being caught meant that – while intense – it hadn't been a very good climax, but physically, she felt a lot better. It was enough for her to relax, and she eventually fell asleep with the feeling of Jane's hands still massaging her back and shoulders.

Jane wasn't sure when Maura had fallen asleep, but by the time the movie ended and Maura didn't react, Jane knew her friend was asleep. As quietly as she could, she climbed out of the bed and turned everything off. She considered going to the guest room to sleep like she usually did, but she didn't really want to. In the end, she decided to slide into her side of Maura's bed, figuring that she had been in the bed when Maura fell asleep, so hopefully, she wouldn't mind Jane staying.

After

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

"I mean, I don't really need much," Jane said as she stood with Tommy and her mom in the living room of her apartment. Nina was watching Eli, Alice, and TJ at Maura's house, and Frankie was currently driving his car with Tommy and TJ's things from Angela's house to Jane's – now Tommy and TJ's - apartment. "Pretty much everything I use I've already taken to Maura's. You'll need a lot of the stuff that's left here," she continued.

The three of them had been arguing for a good fifteen minutes because Jane's things hadn't even filled up her car. Tommy felt like he was taking advantage of his sister by keeping all of her things here, Angela was convinced that Jane must have forgotten something because no one's stuff only takes up less than a carful when they move, and Jane was adamant that she didn't need anything else.

"It's not like I can't just ask Tommy if I need something," Jane said, stomping her foot in frustration.

"Well, that's true," Tommy relented.

"Fine," Angela conceded.

"Are you guys still arguing?" Frankie teased as he stood in the door with a box of TJ's toys. They still had the doors propped open, so he was able to walk right upstairs when he arrived. He had been listening to their argument over the phone when he called to tell them that he was on his way.

"Nope!" Jane said quickly. "We're done. I'm done. I'm going to get a box," she added as she walked out of her old apartment.

It didn't take long before they had moved Tommy and TJ into the apartment, and they were driving back to Maura's. Angela was riding with Jane, and after driving in silence for five minutes, Jane couldn't stop herself from asking, "What, ma?" in a very annoyed tone.

"I didn't say anything!" Angela said quickly in an unconvincing attempt at feigned innocence.

Jane glared at her mother when they stopped at a red light.

"Fine, I just want to know how Maura's doing," Angela said with a slight whine.

Jane sighed. She had figured it was something like that, but that didn't mean she actually wanted to talk about Maura right now. "Honestly, I don't know much. Her contact with the outside world is pretty limited at this point in her treatment. I guess, it increases as she gets further along in her recovery. But from what I do know, she's making progress. I think it's slower than she would like." Jane paused and let out another deep breath before continuing, "She's not going to be home before Christmas."

"She's going to miss Alice's first Christmas?" Angela asked sadly.

"Ma," Jane said dejectedly. "Please don't do that. Trust me, she knows what she's missing, and I am fully aware of what she's missing. Neither of us need you to remind us."

Angela sighed. "It's just sad," Angela said softly.

"Maaaa" Jane whined.

"I just…" Angela started.

"No, ma, I can't!" Jane cut in. "I can't do this with you. Please, just…I don't know…just find someone else to have this conversation with," she pleaded.

"Fine," Angela said with a slight pout. "I just think it's sad."

Jane sighed again, deciding that not commenting was probably the fastest way to end this conversation.

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Jane's breath caught in her throat when the number for the treatment center popped up on her caller ID. She wouldn't admit it to anyone else, but she had been checking her phone obsessively for the past two days, hoping that Maura would call again.

"Hello," Jane answered quickly, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible.

"Hello," Maura's voice came over the phone. Jane closed her eyes as she tried to fight the tears that threatened to fall.

"Hi, Maur," Jane said tenderly. "How…how are you doing?" She had no idea if this was the right thing to ask. She wasn't sure if Maura would want to talk about how she was doing or if she would want to avoid it.

"Hi, Jane," Maura said softly. Her voice was shaking, and it sounded weak to her own ears, but it was music to Jane's ears. "I'm…I'm doing okay." Maura glanced down at the notecard in her hand before she continued, "I-I, um, I'm making progress. Sometimes, it feels like every time I take a step forward, I end up taking five steps backwards. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration," Maura said, her confidence starting to return slightly as she deviated from her notecard. "I think I'm making more progress and having fewer setbacks as I continue in the program."

"I'm really glad. I-I don't know if I'm supposed to say this, but you sound a lot better than you have in months," Jane replied.

A soft smile crossed Maura's face. "You can say anything," Maura said. "Nothing is off limits."

"Oh, don't make that sound like a challenge," Jane teased. "You know I'll find something that's off limits."

Maura laughed, actually laughed, in response to Jane's comment. Jane had to hold back the sob that tried to escape at the sound – one of her favorite sounds in the entire world, her best friend's laugh. It was the first time Jane had heard Maura laugh since before Alice was born, and the realization was tearing her apart inside. However, she didn't want Maura to know that. This wasn't about how she was feeling. It was about how Maura was feeling, how Maura was doing.

"It was not a challenge," Maura said, and Jane could still hear the slight smile in Maura's voice.

Jane laughed. "I'm just messing with you," she said. "Besides, I know your doctor's listening, and I don't want to scare her off before she even knows me." Jane smiled when she heard the muffled laughter on the other end that probably came from Maura's doctor.

"Well, I'm sure you'll still manage to scare her," Maura said. "But, um, speaking of which, I wanted to run something by you."

"Anything," Jane said.

"Part of the recovery process includes…" Maura paused, unsure of how to word the next part. "Um, so, family support is an important part of the recovery process, and part of the treatment plan includes engaging the patient's support system. Typically, that starts with phone calls before…" Maura trailed off nervously.

"Maura, you don't need to be afraid to ask me for what you need. I've been trying to tell you this for over a year, but there's no such thing as asking me for too much. I don't know how to convince you that I want to help you," Jane said.

Maura took a deep breath. "You don't need to convince me, Jane," she said. "I never doubted that you wanted to help me, that you still want to help me. Um, so, after phone calls, the next step is asking family members who are part of the patient's support system to join a few sessions with them."

"Yeah, of course," Jane said. "Just tell me what you need and when. If you want me there, I'll be there any day of the week or time of the day. If you want Alice there, I'll drive her out there. If you want both of us there, we'll be there. If you just want her there, I'll sit in the car. If you want someone else, I'll bring them."

"Thank you, Jane," Maura replied quietly. "I don't know exactly when it'll be yet. I wanted to ask you before we moved forward developing a plan. I didn't want to assume…"

"Okay, from here on out, you can assume that I will do whatever you need me to do to support you," Jane cut in.

Maura nodded. Then, remembering that Jane couldn't see her, she said, "Th-thank you. I will let you know soon. But, um, I should probably go soon, and I wanted to ask how you and Alice are doing, first."

"We're doing well," Jane said. "Alice is teething, so she's not exactly happy about that, but otherwise, she's good, happy. I'm pretty much the same. I hate seeing her uncomfortable, and I really miss you, but that's about it. I mean, is there anything specific you want to know?"

"No," Maura said quietly. "I just wanted to make sure that both of you are alright."

"Yeah, we are. We miss you, but I'm really, really proud of you, Maur. I know this is hard, but you're doing what you need to do to get healthy. I'm really proud of you," Jane said.

"Thank you," Maura replied. "I should probably go."

"Okay, bye, Maur."

"Bye, Jane."

Maura took a deep breath once she's hung up the phone.

"How do you feel?" Nancy asked.

Maura nodded. "I feel okay," she said. "I think that went well. Although, I have to admit that hearing Jane's voice hurts a bit. I really do miss her. I miss both Jane and Alice so much."

"That's completely understandable," Nancy said.

"I-I also feel a little guilty," Maura added.

"Why do you feel guilty?"

"Be-because…um, because I think I miss Jane more. It's not because I love her more. I love them in very different ways, obviously. I love Alice more than anything. I feel like I should also miss Alice the most, but the truth is, I don't. I definitely miss Alice, but I miss Jane the most."

"I don't think how much you miss either of them is directly tied to how much you love either one of them," Nancy said slowly. "Jane has been a large part of your life for a long time. While Alice has been the most important part of your life since she was born, you were also very sick during that time. I'm not surprised that Jane's absence is more noticeable than Alice's absence."

"I guess that makes sense," Maura responded, and it did make sense. However, it didn't fully alleviate her guilt, but that was likely at least somewhat the result of the compounded guilt from the past few months.

Monday, December 18, 2017

It was an especially cold day today in Boston, but they were so low on food that Jane had ended up dragging Alice to the store despite the cold. Alice was not a fan of the cold – as Jane had learned when they went Christmas tree hunting. As a result, she was extra fussy as Jane tried to put her down for her nap, and by the time she finally fell asleep, it was later than usual.

Just as she was tiptoeing out of Alice's room, her phone started ringing. She cringed as she quickly tried to answer it with a whispered, "hold on," without waking Alice. She didn't even look at the caller ID. When she got downstairs, she spoke at a normal volume, "Hello."

"Hi, Jane, it's me, Maura. I can call at another time if now isn't good," Maura said quickly.

"No, no, now's perfect," Jane said honestly. "Alice just had a hard time going down for her nap today, and I was still in her room when the phone rang. She's asleep now, though."

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she just hates the cold," Jane replied. "And we ran errands this morning. Whenever it's especially cold and we go out, she gets cranky. Kinda like her Aunt Jane," she added with a laugh.

Maura remained silent on the other end. She didn't know that Alice didn't like the cold, and it just reminded her how much she didn't know about her own daughter. It hurt, but she didn't want Jane to know that. If she knew, Jane would censor her comments in the future.

"I'm sure that's not the only way she's like you," Maura said, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible.

"Yeah," Jane said with a smile. "So, um, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing okay," Maura said. "I'm making progress, and I haven't had any major setbacks since I last called, only small things."

"That's great," Jane said. "I'm so glad."

"Thank you," Maura said quietly. "I'm actually calling to, um, to ask if you'd…I mean, to invite you for Christmas Eve. I know you usually have plans with your family, so please say no if you are already doing something," Maura said quickly before Jane could have a chance to respond. "Please don't feel pressured. We can absolutely find a different time for you to come. But, uh, well, the facility allows family to visit on Christmas Eve if the patient's lead doctor agrees that it won't be harmful for the patient's recovery. Family is welcome to visit beginning at 1pm, which is right after lunch, and they serve a formal…well, formal isn't the right word…they serve a sit-down dinner for patients and their visitors. I-I was hoping you could come for at least a short visit. You don't have to stay the whole time. Well, you don't need to come at all. We could just wait to schedule our first joint session." Maura was full-on rambling at this point, but she was so nervous that she couldn't stop herself.

Luckily, Jane stopped her. "Maura, Maur, stop," Jane said. "Of course, I'll be there. I'll be there the entire time if you want. I want to see you."

Maura let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. "Thank you, Jane," she replied quietly.

"Okay, so 1pm? I should arrive at 1? Or do I need to arrive earlier to check in?"

Maura didn't know the answer, so she looked at her doctor, who answered. "It wouldn't hurt to arrive a few minutes early if you want to be able to see Maura right at 1pm. They will need to check you in, but since all of your information is already on file as Maura's emergency contact, your check-in process won't take long."

"Okay, I'll do that," Jane said.

"Um, Jane…" Maura started.

"Yeah?" Jane prompted.

"Just you…okay?" Maura asked weakly.

"Yes, just me. Alice can stay with ma."

"Thank you," Maura repeated.

"Can I bring anything?" Jane asked.

"Unfortunately, we don't allow Christmas gifts," Nancy answered.

"Oh, I, um, I meant, like, does Maura need any additional clothes or toiletries? Is there anything I forgot to pack? But, um, that's good to know about the Christmas gifts," Jane added, somewhat lamely.

"Oh, sorry, yes, that would be fine," Nancy replied.

"Can I think about it and let you know?" Maura asked. "You didn't forget anything. You did a wonderful job packing for me, but I do think I might want a couple of additional things, clothing-wise, I mean."

"Yeah, that works for me," Jane said, and Nancy nodded.

Before anyone could say anything else, they all heard a cry from upstairs. Alice was awake.

Jane sighed. She needed to go check on Alice, but she wasn't ready to end their conversation.

"You have to go," Maura said, and as much as she tried to hide it, the disappointment was evident in her voice.

"Yeah," Jane said, not even trying to hide her own disappointment. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Maura replied. "We'll talk another time."

"Okay, bye, Maur," Jane replied.

"Bye, Jane."

A/N: There was not a snowstorm in Boston December 23-25, 2016, nor was it especially cold on December 18, 2017, but that's what worked for this story. Yes, I actually looked, lol.