Maura weaved through the suburbs of Boston with ease. She'd not driven anything bigger than her little four door since she was a teen when she drove her father's monster of an SUV. Hayley Mae was happily sitting in her seat behind the driver, singing along to the children's CD that was playing over the stereo. The singing was a welcome distraction to Maura's internal monologue.
Emily Porter. God that woman is gorgeous. I can definitely see what Jane saw in her. And she's in town? Something about an interview…I bet she's here to get Jane back…now what am I supposed to do? Though…I guess I don't really have a claim on Jane. We've not reached that point in our relationship yet…
The blonde pulled into the driveway of a modest looking two-story house. The front yard was spacious, and Maura could imagine Jane running around with her two brothers as children. "Hayley, this is your grandmother's house, correct?"
"Yas!" Hayley squealed with delight
The little girl unbuckled herself once Maura turned off the car, and waited diligently for Maura to open the door, before she started to skip up the sidewalk to the front door. Hayley reached up on her tip toes to ring the doorbell as Maura stepped up behind her with Hayley's bag over her shoulder.
A moment later, an older woman opened the door with a wide smile as dark brown eyes landed on the little girl, "Hello my beautiful girl." She greeted with a warm, loving smile.
"Hi Nona!" Hayley said, hugging her grandmother before running into the house and out of sight.
Brown eyes scanned up Maura's body before they made eye contact with hazel ones. "You must be Maura."
At Maura's slightly confused look, the woman nodded, "Janie called a few minutes ago, saying you were dropping off the kid." The woman took a few steps back and held the door open, "Well come on in, no sense standing out in the cold."
Maura stepped inside and instantly felt surrounded by warmth, and not just the temperature. The entire house felt lived in and full of love. Pictures hung on every wall, trophies sat on shelves, and the furniture looked worn and comfortable. The whole house screamed comfort and it soothed Maura's slightly anxious heart. It was quite a different scene from her own childhood home.
"I'm Angela Rizzoli, in case you didn't get that already." The older woman held out her work-worn hand with a bright smile.
"Maura, Maura Isles."
"I know that. I'll say, it's nice to finally meet the woman that has captivated the hearts of my two girls."
Maura blushed furiously, "Oh, I wouldn't say captivated."
Angela waved it off and led the blonde through the house and into the kitchen, "Oh pish posh. My Janie can't stop talking about you. Oh, Maura's so smart. Oh, Maura's so talented. Oh, Maura's so kind and wonderful." Angela chuckled, "My Janie thinks the world of you. And goodness, Hayley Mae just adores you. She just loves when you come over to their house or go out with them."
The med student looked down at her shoes as a blush crossed her cheeks. "They have been a joy to get to know these past few months. I feel like I've known them forever."
They stepped into the kitchen as Angela nodded, "That's my Janie. When she finds someone she likes, she pulls them in close."
Maura nodded, feeling slightly deflated, thinking, Was Jane like that with everyone?
"But obviously, with you it's a little different. She's not ever had a best friend. Not since she was a little girl."
"What happened?"
"Lisa, cute kid. Her dad worked in the steel mill. And when he died of a heart attack, her momma didn't have a job, so they moved to New Jersey to live with some family. Janie never saw her again. It broke her little heart."
"That's awful." Maura sat on the stool at the island while Angela picked up a mixing bowl and wooden spoon that looked like she had recently abandoned.
"Janie never really connected with anyone after that."
They both stood silently a moment before Angela smiled, "That's why I'm glad she's got you now. It's good for her to get out and find a lady friend."
Maura smiled softly as Angela started to stir whatever mixture was inside the bowl.
"So, tell me. Why did you drop off Hayley? Janie didn't give a reason when she called."
Before Maura could speak, Hayley Mae came tearing into the room, dressed in something completely different than what she'd been in before. Now in a pair of shorts over bright purple leggings, a hoodie with 'BCU' across the chest and some fuzzy blue slippers, "Nona! Guess who we saw at the diner!"
"Who baby?" Angela cracked a couple of eggs into the bowl
"Emmy!"
The older woman froze, and her lips upturned into a purse, "Oh really?"
"Yeah! She wanted to talk to mama, so Miss Mora brought me home."
"That's nice. Hey, pumpkin, how about you go draw Miss Maura a picture, huh?"
Hayley Mae seemed to love the idea since she jumped up and ran from the room again.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Angela dropped the bowl and slammed her hands down flat on the counter, "That bitch!"
Maura's eyes shot up in shock.
"Sorry dear." Angela sighed, "I just hate that woman, so much."
Maura nodded, "Jane has told me a little about the ending of their relationship…"
Angela picked the bowl back up and mixed the contents a little bit more before dumping into a Bundt pan, "Emily Porter was her first girlfriend. They met when Janie had just finished her third year of school. They started out as friends, and Emily was just all over her from the beginning. And when that woman wanted something, she'd stop at nothing to get it."
Maura listened quietly; watching Angela put the finishing touches on the cake before sliding it into the oven.
"Jane was content to have a female friend. But I didn't think she actually liked this woman. She brought her over a few times for game nights, or to study. And Emily was just so…sickly sweet with Janie's brothers and me. And she would hang all over Janie; sit in her lap and have her hand through Jane's arm all the time."
"Did you know Jane was…gay, at the time?" Maura seemed really nervous to ask the question
Angela chuckled, "I knew Janie was gay when she was seven and told me she kissed little Sally Walker on the playground."
"And you were okay with it?"
The older woman shrugged, "It took a while. But Janie's always been obstinate, so I knew there was no changing her. Anyways, I think she got tired of Emily pestering her for a date, that she relented and went out on one. She said the whole evening was mediocre, but Emily just situated herself in Janie's life and wouldn't let up."
"Jane said they dated for a few years?" Maura knew she should be asking Jane these questions, but every time she wanted to, she could never find the courage.
"Yeah, two years. It was on and off. Emily traveled a lot and they'd be off while she was away and on when she was in town. I think Jane kept it up because she wanted some companionship. And for some crazy reason, Jane ended up falling for her. And just as Jane was getting serious, Emily got some big offer to move to New York and work for this big advertising firm, and Janie all but begged her to stay. She even went so far as to propose, hoping that Emily would stay." Maura's eyes widened at the revelation. Angela just shook her head and sighed, "But the woman threw up this whole stink that Jane "spent too much time" with Hayley, and "didn't care about her at all". I personally think she just said that to make herself feel better about leaving. She was offered a lot of money and she wanted an easy out from the relationship."
"That's horrible!"
"My poor Janie…she never shed a tear in front of Hayley Mae, even though Hayley Mae cried every night, asking where Emmy went. I think in some ways, Janie was relieved that Emily was gone, but she could hardly bare to put her daughter through it."
Angela turned to the stove and pulled the empty pot off, "Would you like some tea?"
"Yes, please."
Angela nodded and proceeded to fill the pot, "I'm sorry to unload on you like this…I just get so frustrated whenever I think about it."
"Mrs. Rizzoli, please don't apologize. It makes me angry just thinking about it."
Angela put the pot on to boil and turned to take in the woman for a moment. Hazel eyes were slightly darkened with genuine sadness.
Before she could remark on it, Maura's phone beeped. The blonde looked down at the device and saw a reminder she'd set earlier in the day.
Maura's shoulders sagged. She'd forgotten about school for a while and knew she would have to return.
"What's wrong?" Angela asked
"I need to head back to my apartment and do some homework."
"Do you have your things with you? You're welcome to stay a while and work here. Those brownies will be out in an hour. And my kids always said they were the perfect studying snack."
Maura smirked, "I don't want to intrude."
"Oh please. You're not intruding. Hayley Mae will be coloring for the next long while and I'm just going to be getting dinner ready. Do you like lasagna?" Angela prodded with a hopeful smile
"I do…" Maura pursed her lips. She really had a lot of work to do, but the house seemed so relaxing and calming and maybe she could actually get a decent amount of work done without having to listen to her annoying roommates.
"Come on. Janie'll be home soon and we'll have a nice dinner together. You can tell me more about yourself and I can tell you some more stories of Janie as a little girl."
Maura couldn't stop the growing smile, "Okay, I guess I can study here for a while."
"Perfect. Now you go get your things and set up in the living room. I'll get the tea and bring it out to you."
Two hours later, the front door swung open and a loud groan filled the lower level of the house, "Oh my gahd…MAH!" Jane called, "I cannot believe that woman!" The door slammed shut, and Jane kicked off her boots angrily and tore off her jacket dramatically, "She has the gall…the GALL, first of all, to interrupt my lunch with Maura, who I've not seen for more than like…two minutes in three weeks." Jane's arms got stuck in the jacket since she was trying to rip it off and she ended up throwing the thing across the foyer with a grunt, "Then she has the absolute gall to tell me she's back in town and wants to see if we can maybe start things up again." The brunette looked down at the pile of her coat and boots with a groan. She stopped her rant to hang her coat up properly and put her boots on the drying rack, then continued her mission into the house, "I mean, come on! How on earth could I get back together with her?! And Maura. Maura! God, I was so mad when she left. I was mad our lunch got ruined."
Jane finally stepped into the living room and froze.
Hayley Mae was sitting on the floor, noise cancelling headphones on her ears, listening to a cartoon as she colored something at the coffee table. And Maura was spread out on the couch with her books and papers surrounding her, while wearing a slightly sheepish and stunned expression. Almost like she'd been caught doing something.
"…Maura…" Jane breathed, trying to catch her breath
"Hey." Maura looked down at the books in her lap, then back up at her friend, "So, your mother invited me to stay for dinner."
"I see that." The taller woman nodded.
They shared a quiet, tense moment before Angela came waltzing into the room, acting as if she hadn't heard Jane just yell through the house. She wiped her hands on the towel hanging at her waist, "Oh, hey Janie."
"Hey mah." Jane all but growled
Angela let the silence get awkward a moment, looking a little smug, before adding, "I offered to let Maura study here for a bit and stay for dinner too, since you had her car."
"I see that…can I talk to you in the kitchen for a second."
She didn't wait for a response, just grabbed her mother's arm and all but dragged her into the other room.
Once the double hinged door rested in place, Jane forcefully whispered, "Why didn't you tell me she was here?"
"I figured you were busy with Emily, I didn't want to impose." Angela said with a sassy shake of her head
Jane sighed and rubbed her hands over her face.
"What's wrong with her being here?"
"Nothing! I just kinda came in the house, unloading everything and didn't know she was here to listen."
"Yeah, I heard that." The older woman smirked
"Why didn't you tell me to shut up?!" Jane's voice squeaked in her frustration
Angela placed her hands on her hips and stared her daughter down, "Because, one of these days Jane, you're gonna have to tell that woman how you feel. And I'm not gonna stop you. In the little I've talked to her today, I think she's wonderful."
Jane's cheeks turned a bright red and she pursed her lips, "Ma." She warned
"No, Janie. She's wonderful. If you don't do something soon, I just might adopt that woman."
"Ma, she's like…my age. You can't adopt her."
"I could very well try."
Jane pointed a strong finger at her mother, "Ya betta' not!"
Angela took a step towards her daughter and smirked, "Then ya betta' do something about it."
The taller woman stomped her foot with a growl, causing her mother to respond with a "pfft", and turn back to her cooking.
Jane stewed a moment in silence before turning towards the door and taking a deep breath.
The librarian walked back out to the living room to find Maura packing up her books into her bag, "Hey."
"Hey." Maura answered back, pulled together a pile of papers into a neat stack
"Can I sit?"
The blonde nodded and Jane took a seat, her knees spreading to surround her daughter who was sitting leaning against the couch. Hayley Mae unconsciously leaned back into her mother's legs as she kept on drawing some sort of landscape that coincided with the cartoon she was half-watching.
"Hey, I'm sorry about lunch…and Emily."
"It's quite alright, I understand that you two must have had some things to talk about."
Jane shook her head, "It could have waited, or just never happened." She sighed, "But, it's not that."
"What is it?"
The brunette turned so her body faced the other woman a little more, "I feel like I've barely seen you in weeks. And I know you've got midterms," she quickly explained, "I totally understand that, trust me. I just…"
Maura sat patiently as Jane tried to find her words.
"I guess, I just miss you, is all."
A fluttering in her heart caused Maura to smile, "I've missed you too."
A nervous twitch ran through Jane's belly as they smiled hesitantly at each other.
The kitchen door swung open and Angela popped her head into the room, "Janie, don't just sit there, set the table," and went back into the kitchen
Maura giggled as the Italian rolled her eyes and got up to do as her mother asked.