A/N: Guys. I've tried writing this chapter at least 20 times. This is like…draft 10
Midterms. Maura had finally reached the middle of the semester and spring break was only two weeks away. She had been taking five classes and she only had three midterms. The other two classes only required a paper. And since she'd written those months ago, she could spend all of her time studying for the tests.
In the previous few weeks, Maura had really nailed down a routine.
1. Wake up
2. Study
3. Go to classes
4. Lunch on the go (usually just a sandwich from the coffee shop display case)
5. Study some more
6. Classes
7. Study in the library and say hi to Jane for all of .2 seconds before
8. Study till all hours of the night
9. Sleep
10. Repeat.
Any other meal besides lunch consisted of coffee, espresso, snacks, and protein bars. Her personal health may have suffered, but she didn't seem to notice.
It made for a pretty boring life, seeing as she rarely saw her best friend, and even more rarely saw her new favorite five-year-old. About once a week, Jane could pull her away for an hour or so in between study sessions and sometimes, Haley Mae would pop along with them.
One Friday morning, two days from her first midterm, Maura sat in her biochemistry class when she received a text. Jane was the only person who texted her, and rarely texted her when she was in class. With that in mind, the med student jumped slightly in surprise. She opened it discreetly underneath her desk, temporarily zoning out from her droning professor.
The first message was a selfie of Haley Mae sitting on Janes's lap in Jane's office; their cheeks smushed together. The second message was a text, Got the kid for a few hours, you have time for lunch?
Maura couldn't stop the smile that overtook her face. Those two girls were often the much-needed highlight of her day, and this time was no different. The med student pulled out her planner and smiled when she saw her schedule.
I have two hours at noon, meet in the quad?
All that came back was a thumbs up emoji accompanied with a smiling emoji.
xxx
Sitting on a bench on the middle of the quad was a purple marshmallow, Haley Mae, bundled up in a puffy jacket, scarf and hat. Next to her was her smiling mother in a grey pea coat, red scarf and mittens. Haley Mae jumped from the bench when she saw Maura coming, and ran in to the student's open arms with a squeal, "Mora!"
"Hello dear." Maura chuckled, lifting the girl in her arms, "How are you today?"
"I need a grill cheese!" the little girl said with pleading eyes, which were slightly obscured by the hat falling over her face.
Maura looked up and caught Jane's smiling eyes, "Well then, let's go get you some grilled cheese!"
Jane picked up Maura's backpack while Maura carried her daughter, and they made their way to the staff parking.
The three were soon seated in a small diner a few miles from campus. Hayley Mae munched on a grilled cheese, happily staring out the diner window, while the two adults ate their own food and conversed lightly over Maura's classes.
"So why do you have Hayley Mae today?" Maura asked curiously as she popped a chip in her mouth
Hayley looked up at the mention of her name and answered for her mother, "Nona had a ginger headache." The little girl went to reach for her drink, but Maura leaned over and grabbed it for her, holding it as Hayley sipped from the straw.
Jane chuckled as Maura looked at her skeptically, "Every third Thursday of the month, Ma and a bunch of her Italian housewife friends get together and play gin while drinking gin. Every third Friday…Ma gets her "gin"-ger headache." Jane lowered her voice with a gleam in her eye, "a hangover."
The blonde chuckled, "Ah, I see."
"She's fine by early afternoon. So I get to play 'take your daughter to work day.'" Jane ran her fingers through her daughter's hair as Hayley turned back to the windows. "So what's your plans for this beautiful, snowy Friday?"
"Actually, on our way here, my lab professor canceled my afternoon classes, so I have the rest of the day off. Besides studying, of course."
"Awesome! Speaking of school, how's that super long paper that I can't remember what it's about going?"
Maura chuckled; her eyes dancing with a flirtatious sparkle, "You mean the one that I've told you about six times?"
Jane's smile turned wider, "Yeah, that one."
The blonde shook her head lovingly, "It's fine, I'm almost finished, I think. I just need to revise it some before I figure out the conclusion."
Still looking out the window, neither adult noticed Hayley Mae sit up straighter to see better.
"Emmy." She whispered
Jane turned to her daughter, "What baby?"
"Emmy!" the girl squealed louder, pointing out the window to a woman walking towards the building
Both women turned to see a gorgeous blonde woman, dressed in a gorgeous tan pea coat and designer boots stroll towards the building.
Jane's heart dropped at the sight of the woman.
Maura's eyes trailed over the newcomer. Leggy, blonde, gorgeous, and oozing sex appeal. The woman caught sight of Jane through the window and a wicked smile crossed her plump lips.
Maura turned her head to watch Jane's expression turn from surprise, to confusion, to surprise, to pain, to confusion again, all in the span of twenty seconds.
The woman came in the side door of the diner, shaking her head to get her hair out of her face. Hayley Mae crawled over the back of the booth, with Jane jumping up to aid her so she wouldn't fall on her head and ran over to jump in the blonde's open arms.
"Hayley!" 'Emmy' chuckled, holding the girl close, "Hi kiddo!"
"Emmy!"
'Emmy' picked her up and walked over to the duo. Jane stood up to greet the other woman.
"Jane." The blonde breathed, giving Jane a dark, steamy look.
"Emily." Maura noted that Jane's voice seemed to come out forcibly calm.
Emily turned towards Maura, who was still seated, "Who's this?"
Jane turned towards her friend, her expression showing that she almost forgot Maura was sitting there. She shook herself from her stupor and cleared her throat, "Uh, this is Maura, Maura Isles. She is a friend of mine. Maura, this is Emily Porter…my ex."
Maura's stomach dropped slightly at the name. This was the woman that had broken Jane's heart. This was Jane's ex…fuck. This was the kind of woman Jane was attracted to. "Hello." Maura stood to shake her hand and received one of the limpest handshakes of her life.
"What are you doing here?" Jane asked bluntly
The tall blonde smiled, "I'm in town for an interview with Martins Global, that ad agency uptown? I stopped by the library and some kid said you were out to lunch with your daughter, so I immediately figured you were here for grilled cheese and tomato soup. Green eyes shifted to the table and the food and she smirked, "It seems I was right."
Emily let Hayley down, who in turn, climbed back into the booth to finish her sandwich. Maura joined her but kept her peripherals on the woman.
"Can we talk?" Emily whispered, taking a step closer to Jane
"I'm kinda in the middle of something here."
"I see…" Emily started, looking Maura up and down, "Please?"
Maura saw the look of distress in the profile of Jane's face and tried to help, "Jane, why don't I take Hayley Mae back to your mother's and you two can talk."
Jane turned to her friend and seemed unsure of how to proceed. They made eye contact and she could see Jane was wanting to say something, but couldn't in front of Emily, "Well…"
Maura stood and started to grab her coat, "Don't worry about it, Jane. You pointed out the house to me last week, remember? I'll find my way." The triumphant smile on Emily's face caused Maura's stomach to churn. She was getting exactly what she wanted: time alone with Jane. The med student slipped on her coat with slightly shaking hands and turned towards the child, "Come on Hayley Mae."
The little girl stuffed the last two bites of her sandwich in her mouth with a mischievous smile and giggle, causing Maura to smirk and snort, despite the awkward circumstances. Hayley Mae slipped from the booth and let her mother help her with her coat. Jane reached into Maura's pocket and took her keys, replacing them with her own, "Take the SUV." She spoke quietly to the med student, "Her car seat is a pain to try and take out and install."
Maura nodded and trusted Jane would return her car at some point. The brunette looked like she was about to open her mouth and say something more, but snapped her lips shut and just pulled Maura's coat zipper up the last inch with a sad smile.
Hayley Mae looked up at Maura with a smile and reached up to take her hand as they left the two ex-partners to talk.