It seemed to be a pattern now that the three mothers accompanied each other on excursions while the three daughters did a separate excursion. Once again this was the case for Maui. Both groups seemed to be having fun together so it was working out great.

When they were planning the trip and reviewing the excursions, Jane, Maura and Cailin knew that they wanted to take the Hana Road tour however they thought the actual road trip might be a bit much for their mothers, so they opted to have them go via helicopter while the girls went on the road trip. This way everyone still got to experience the beautiful views of Hana Road. The more they thought about it though they decided to look at external trips that were offered.

All three of them had laptops, so they each set out to discover what they could about privately chartered trips that were offered for Hana Road. Jane and Cailin were concentrating on a trip for the three of them and Maura set out to find a suitable trip for their mothers.

Jane and Cailin both found Jeep Tours that were perfect for 3 tourists and would customize the trip for them. The trips all drove on the road to Hana but the stops were different because you could customize the trip to fit your needs. This appealed to both Jane and Cailin. They would be able to stop where they wanted to. They researched the road to Hana and discovered some key spots that they figured would be great to stop at. There were plenty of photo opportunities along the road to Hana. Beautiful waterfalls and scenic coves. Jane fell in love with the pictures she was viewing online. She couldn't wait to see it in person. Cailin felt the same way.

They spent over half an hour showing each other pictures. They were in awe of the beauty of the area they were exploring. They were talking so fast to one another Maura wondered what they were doing. "What are you two up to?" Maura asked as she glanced at her girlfriend and her younger sister. "Just looking at pictures" Jane said as she smiled at Maura. Cailin just laughed and nodded in agreement. Maura wondered if it was a good idea to let these two individuals work together. They seemed to be having too much fun. She just continued to smile at them and went back to her research.

Jane and Cailin finally settled on a Jeep tour company that seemed to meet all of their needs and was competitively priced. Jane liked the flexibility of being able to stop where they wanted. The excursion offered by the ship did not have this option and you were sharing your trip with up to 8 passengers. The Jeep tour would be just the three of them, and of course the driver. This was the deciding factor for Jane. Cailin agreed. Jane filled out all the information on the computer and had it all ready to hit the submit button when she presented her plan to Maura. Maura listened to Jane and Cailin explain the trip and why it was better than the cruise line's excursion. After Jane and Cailin's presentation Maura agreed and Jane hit submit on the laptop and purchased their tour.

Maura decided that a private helicopter tour would be best for their mothers. The tour offered through the ship had them taking a road trip to Hana and then getting on the helicopter. Maura wanted them to get on the helicopter from close to the pier. A private helicopter tour would start and end at the destination that she wanted. After looking at three different companies Maura found one that would provide the perfect tour for her mothers. She explained everything to Jane and Cailin and they agreed with her. Maura purchased the tour for their mothers and now the excursions for Maui were taken care of.

When the boat docked in the water near the pier at 7 AM the girls were already up and dressed and ready to get off of the boat. They were meeting their Jeep driver at 7:10 with the hope of leaving the port by 7:20. They knew it might take a few minutes to get off of the boat as they had to take a

tender from the boat to the shore as the boat couldn't dock at the pier. Jane had the cell number to get in touch with the driver. They wanted to leave the boat as soon as possible to enjoy as much of the surrounding area as possible. There were about 20 people ahead of them to get off the boat.

They met their driver at 7:07 AM and after brief introductions they began their journey. Jane had emailed with the company a few times before they left Boston, so they had a basic idea of what the ladies wanted to see and which stops they wanted to make. It was a beautiful day. The driver had the convertible top down on the Jeep which gave all three ladies excellent photo opportunities without getting out of the Jeep. Of course, they got out of the Jeep. Jane and Maura sat in the back and let Cailin ride in the front seat with the driver. The driver told them he would take pictures of the 3 of them as often as he could.

They stopped at quite a few vistas that overlooked the peninsula and had an opportunity to walk amongst a bamboo forest. In the Ke'anae Peninsula they stopped and had some of Aunty Sandy's famous banana bread and a quick lunch. They purchased extra banana bread so they could share it with their mothers. They were doing good on time so on the trip back they spent about 30 minutes enjoying playing in the water and going under a waterfall. They took plenty of pictures. Cailin took a picture of Jane and Maura kissing under the waterfall. When she showed the picture to Jane and Maura, Maura immediately asked her to send it to her. As soon as Maura received the picture, she cropped it and got it just the way she wanted it and then she set it as her background photo on her phone. She loved the picture.

By the time they got back to the boat Jane was trying to convince Maura that she needed a Jeep. Maura just laughed as she listened to Jane give the reasons why a Jeep would be nice. Cailin just listened as the two discussed Jane getting a Jeep. She had spent most of the day with a smile on her face as she interacted with the two lovebirds. Maura tried to tell Jane that a Jeep would not be good in the winter months but Jane disagreed. She knew she could put a winch on the front and have a hard top for it during the winter. Maura finally gave in and said they would discuss it when they got home. Jane felt like she had a small victory. At least there was a possibility of getting a Jeep still, so she was happy. They boarded the boat at 5:15 PM. The boat was set to leave the pier at 6 PM. They definitely enjoyed this excursion and felt that it was money well spent. They had hundreds of photographs.

Angela, Constance and Hope met for breakfast. Their excursion was set for 10 AM so they had plenty of time to enjoy their breakfast before disembarking from the boat. A limo picked them up at the port and took them to the airport where they boarded the helicopter. Their 3-hour tour traveled the route down Hana Road. They saw quite a bit of beautiful scenery as the helicopter flew above and to the left of Hana Road. Of course, the helicopter did not make the over 600 turns like the road tour did and the three ladies were very happy about that. They did not get to stop at waterfalls and scenic places like the road tour, but they were able to enjoy the view from the air and it was truly a beautiful site.

They took plenty of pictures and the tour company provided them with a video of their trip. They were very pleased with the trip. They knew their limitations and knew that they would not have enjoyed the road trip and all the getting in and out of the vehicle at the different stops. Although they were in excellent shape it still would have been too much for them. They were thankful that their daughters knew them well enough to book them on the helicopter tour. Their limo driver did take them to one vista where they got out of the limo and he took some pictures of them.

The mothers arrived back on the boat shortly after 2 PM and after a brief stop in their rooms they went to the buffet to have a nice relaxing lunch while they waited for their daughters to return to the boat. They knew the girls would not be back for hours as their trip was an all-day event. After their meal they got some wine and went out by the pool to enjoy the nice weather. There were

some onboard activities that they could have enjoyed but just having some wine and enjoying each other's company was fine with them.

Everyone had their phones out at dinner to share their pictures. Jane of course had to bring up the Jeep and Maura just shook her head side-to-side as Jane went on and on about how she loved the Jeep and wanted to get one when she got home. Constance looked over at Maura and saw the smile on her face as she was shaking her head from side-to-side. She could see how happy her daughter was with Jane and that pleased her so much. She was happy that she put her reservations about coming on the cruise aside. She was enjoying spending this time with her daughter and seeing how happy being with Jane made her. Constance reached down and put her hand on Maura's lap. Maura looked over and smiled at her mother and grabbed her hand and held it. Maura's other hand was holding Jane's on Jane's lap. Maura was surrounded by the two women she loved most in the world and she was so happy. She loved Angela, Hope and Cailin but she loved Jane and her mother the most.

The boat had departed promptly at 6 PM as scheduled. The next four days were spent at sea as the boat navigated its' way to Ensenada. They had the variety of onboard activities to take part in and basically just spent time together. They had all their meals together and did some activities as a group and some just as two or three. They each had enjoyed the trip so far and were happy that they came. Cailin joined Jane and Maura after dinner most nights in the night club. She was so happy. She can't believe she ever hated Maura. She is glad that she came to her senses and had developed a relationship with her older sister. When she thought about it, Maura is actually old enough to be her mother. She is 18 years older than her and her mother had her when she was 18. She tried not to think about that too much though, but it did pop into her mind from time to time.

Hope had lightened up tremendously and was actually getting along great with Jane and Maura. Maura was pleased as she wanted to have a relationship with her biological mother. Her relationship with Cailin was never in doubt after the first couple of weeks. After she donated her kidney to Cailin, she had a sister for life. Cailin was hesitant at first but once she got to know Maura better, she decided it was not so bad having an older sister. She did not feel like she was living in her dead sister's shadow anymore. Her sister was alive and present in her life. She was a doctor and was helping her with her classes. Cailin actually felt like she had two older sisters because she was becoming quite attached to Jane. It did not bother her that her sister was in a same- sex relationship. She could see how happy they were together and that is all that mattered to her.

The day after they left Maui, Constance and Angela were sitting out on their balcony and Constance asked Angela if she thought that Jane was serious about getting a Jeep. Angela thought for a moment and then said, "Yes, I believe she is. Her car is on its' last legs and she needs to get a new vehicle soon. She had always said that her next vehicle would probably be a truck. Something she could take on her camping trips. I could see her driving a Jeep. Why?" Constance walked back inside the cabin and motioned for Angela to follow. When Angela arrived at the couch where Constance had sat down, she pulled out her laptop computer and said, "I am thinking of buying her one and having it delivered so it will be at home when we get back to Boston. Jane brings such joy to my daughter's life and we had such a rough beginning when we met, I want to get it for her as a good will gesture to show my support and love for her."

Angela had tears running down her cheek. Constance reached over and wiped the tears away and said, "Did I say something wrong Angela?" "No Constance, that is just the nicest thing anybody has offered to do for my Janie. She has not had the easiest of times. Being a woman police officer and the youngest detective, let alone the first female detective in Homicide has taken a toll on her over the years. She had to have this rough exterior to survive and we know that is not the real Jane, but so many people feel that she is that way all the time. I am happy she found Maura. Maura brings out Jane's best qualities and makes her so happy. I think that would be a lovely gift. You

don't have to buy her a car though, simply telling her would be enough for my Janie." Angela said as she reached out and grabbed Constance's hand.

"I want to and I am afraid my mind is made up, so you can help me choose the colors and options. I am buying a Jeep for Jane with or without your help. At least with your help you can always let her know down the road that you helped pick it out." They both laughed and started going through all the colors and options and selected the perfect Jeep for Jane. They were fortunate that with the options and colors they selected that Jeep was available and would not have to be ordered. Constance pushed the buttons and purchased the Jeep. She called her assistant and made sure that she would take care of the final details. Jane would certainly be surprised when she got home.