Maura poured herself a hearty glass of Merlot along with a more modest portion for Angela. She brought both glasses to the coffee table and set them on coasters on either side of her laptop. Maura sat down on the coach and tucked her feet up beside her and pulled a lightweight knit blanket on to her lap. She picked up her notebook and began mapping out the next several chapters of her book. A few minutes later she was joined by Angela. Angela was working on knitting warm and colorful hats for TJ and Jack. At least Maura hoped they were for the boys. She was slightly concerned that Angela had a hat in mind for her as well. She shuttered while thinking about the polyester fibers the older woman insisted upon.
While working on her book Maura felt her mind begin to drift to her concerns about Jane's well-being. She knew that Jane was taking Covid seriously and was following all of the precautions Maura set out for her at the beginning of the pandemic. It was really Jane's mental health that was beginning to concern Maura.
In the beginning of November Jane began exhibiting signs of depression and exhaustion. Her eyes that normally sparkled with mischief and kindness began to take on a dull appearance. This was made even more obvious by the dark circles below them. Maura watched with increasing concern as Jane's normally thin frame began to take on an almost gaunt appearance. Jane had noticeably lost weight she couldn't afford to be without. Her muscles, already well defined, seemed to increase exponentially. Even Jane's wild curls seemed tame and flat. Maura's attempts to question Jane about her concerns were either quickly brushed aside or blatantly ignored. She thought back to a conversation between the two women that occurred just before Thanksgiving. "Jane are you sleeping?" She had asked.
Her flippant reply was so typical of Jane. "No Maura, I am awake and talking to you."
"Jaaaaaane. You know what I mean. Have you been sleeping at night? Are you having nightmares?" That last question almost whispered into the phone.
The sigh and long silence that followed answered Maura's questions almost more than Jane's words. Maura could picture her friend rolling her eyes and gesticulating in a fit of Italian bravado while she struggled to answer Maura's question. Finally Jane responded "No Maura, no nightmares. But really is anyone sleeping well right now? I sit at home by myself all day, spend 6-8 hours in front of the computer for work and then what do I do for the rest of the day? There are no live sports to watch or think about. I can't really see myself getting into puzzles or crafts. There is only so much reading my eyes can take. My only hope of a good night's sleep is to exercise to the point of exhaustion. But don't worry about me. I won't die from boredom. Tell me what Jack and TJ did today."
Just like that, the moment had passed and the conversation had moved on. Maura regaled Jane with the antics of two little boys who were cooped up with a lot of energy to burn. When she thought of the conversation later she realized that Jane's laughter was a bit too loud and a bit too forced.
From that instant on Maura vowed to do a better job of keeping Jane present in the daily activities of the household. She sent Jane daily videos of the silliness of TJ and Jack, immediately texted with any juicy BPD gossip that came her way, and tried to frequently ship small treats and trinkets to Jane. She also informed Jane that she would be sending a catered Thanksgiving dinner to her and they would FaceTime during the meal which would be promptly at 3pm. Despite Jane's loud protests Maura could tell Jane was excited about sharing the meal with them. Maura also included Tommy, Frankie and Nina via FaceTime.
When Thanksgiving was over Maura began immediate plans for Christmas. She thought long and hard about Jane's loneliness and isolation. Maura knew that Jane was an extrovert and she fed off the energies of other people. Unfortunately, digital interactions really weren't sufficient to ground the former detective. Maura reached out to Vince Korsak who was currently living in the Berkshires with his wife Kiki. After the Dirty Robber had been forced to close, Kiki had convinced Vince to take an extended break from Boston to stay in her family's vacation property. Maura had missed the aging bar owner and was happy to speak with him.
"Maura, great to hear from you! How are you, Angela and the boys?" Vince stated happily into the phone.
"We are all well, thank you Vince. How are you and Kiki enjoying the Berkshires?" Maura politely responded.
After several minutes of small talk, Maura got to the heart of the reason for her phone call. Gently sighing, she stated "Vince, I am calling because I am worried about Jane. She is so lonely and isolated from everyone."
Maura heard a moment of grumbling and thought she heard Vince say "she never should have left."
"Vince, what was that? I couldn't really hear you?" Maura inquired.
"Oh, nothing. Don't worry about it Maura. How do you think I can help Jane with this?" Replied Vince.
"Well, since human companionship is so fraught with risk right now I was wondering if you knew of any dogs that were in need of a home? Jane really enjoyed her time with Jo Friday and I think another dog would be just what the doctor ordered. I would really like to surprise her with one for Christmas. I spoke with her landlord and she is allowed one dog under 50 lbs." Maura stated this with a conspiratorial tone to her voice.
Vince sucked in his breath and began speaking excitedly. "Oh Doc, I know of the perfect dog. I have been working with him for the last three weeks. He is a small, jet black mini poodle mix with the cutest little white patch on his chin that looks like a beard. I just had to take him in when the rescue told me his name was Frosty!"
For a few minutes Maura and Vince were lost in their memories of the young detective with the kind eyes, easy smile, and a delicate stomach. There were days that neither could believe he was gone. "Vince, I think he sounds perfect. Now I just have to make arrangements to get him to Jane. Thank you, so very much for helping me with this. Maura stated.
Vince quickly responded "You're very welcome Maura. However, no thanks are needed. You know I love Jane and want the best for her."
Just as Maura's thoughts were drifting to Christmas she was startled by the ringing of her laptop. It was Jane calling for her Sunday night video chat with Angela and Maura.
