Jane happily dug into her lunch. Her mother had prepared cheeseburger sliders, sweet potato fries, vanilla milkshakes and a large spinach salad. Smiling widely at Maura, Jane exclaimed, "This looks delicious, I will even eat the salad without complaint!"
Maura laughed at Jane's almost childlike enthusiasm. "I am happy our lunch meets with your approval, Jane."
The two ate in companionable silence for several moments until Maura noticed Jane's mood had turned. Her friend began playing with her milkshake with a distressed look on her face. Maura reached out and placed her hand on Jane's squeezing softly. "Jane, what's wrong? Are you in pain? Is there something off with your food?"
Jane returned the squeeze before looking up to meet Maura's eyes. "I was just thinking about this milkshake and how it is pretty good even though it was vanilla and I would really prefer chocolate. My mind drifted to thinking about vanilla. Maura, do you think Rondo is okay? I know the city tried to help the homeless find a safe place but a lot of the homeless still were sick or died. I am not sure that Rondo would have agreed to city lodging without making sure all those homeless kids and young adults he called Rondo's rejects were taken care of."
Maura took a deep breath, "Jane I know that Rondo refused the offer of housing so that he could take care of those kids."
"How do you know that," Jane interrupted. "Please tell me he didn't end up on an autopsy table."
"Jane," Maura replied. "Let me finish please. When the city offered Rondo a place to live he came to see me about the homeless youth. He was wondering if I had any connections to help him find places for all the youth. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to locate enough housing in Boston for all of them. I couldn't just let them and Rondo take their chances on the streets, so I called a friend. My friend's family owns a youth sleep away camp about an hour outside of the city. The camp closed several years ago due to lack of business but all of the infrastructure was still there. While the camp was primarily used during the summer, it is suitable for year round habitation. I arranged to indefinitely rent out the camp for Rondo and his youth. They are able to stay quarantined there and have weekly groceries and other necessities delivered. I spoke with Rondo just last week and he said everyone there is doing well."
When Maura finished speaking she looked at Jane who had an unreadable expression on her face. "Jane?" She asked.
Jane inhaled deeply. "Thank you Maura," she began. "Thank you for being the most wonderful, amazing, kind, generous woman. You just take care of everyone. Me, my family, Jack, and now I find out you did this for Rondo and his 'rejects'. You really are unbelievable. Would you have even told me if I hadn't asked about Rondo?"
Maura thought carefully about her words before she replied. "I take care of the people I love, because I love them. You, Jack, your family are all people I love. I helped Rondo because I knew he was important to you and because taking care of him and those kids was an act of charity I could easily do. I don't do it for gratitude or recognition, that is why I never mentioned it. In many ways you and I are very similar. We both take care of the people we love and those who can't care for themselves. We just go about it differently. I tend to use the money and resources I have to care for others while you physically care for or protect others, often to the detriment of your own well being." Maura finished speaking with a vague gesture at Jane's various injuries.
"I guess we are both protectors in our own way," Jane begrudgingly agreed with Maura. "However, I still think you are possibly the most amazing woman there is," Jane ended with a grin.
Looking at Jane's irresistible grin, Maura felt a strong shock of love and affection. She was struck by how integral Jane was in her life, how unmoored she had been when Jane had left Boston. She considered their relationship with a sense she was missing something big, something important. Jane interrupted just as Maura was trying to puzzle out the confusion she was feeling.
"Hey Maur, let's watch Bridgerton on Netflix. My mother mentioned that she thought the relationship between Eloise and Penelope reminded her of us. Let's check out whether or not we should be offended."
Maura readily agreed with Jane's suggestion. The two spent the next few hours watching Netflix while discussing the similarities and differences between the fictional friendship and their own. After an enjoyable dinner the two settled into bed and relaxed while a documentary about the rainforest played quietly in the background.
Maura's eyes shot open several hours later, when she felt an intense orgasm grip her body. She realized she was still in her bed next to Jane and that sometime in the night she had rolled over to face her friend, draping one of her legs over one of Jane's. Assessing the situation as highly inappropriate, Maura quickly moved as far away from Jane as possible, willing her heart rate to slow and hoping Jane was still asleep. After several minutes without any response from Jane, Maura concluded her friend's deep, even breaths were a sign she was still sleeping. Relieved to at least be spared the embarrassment of a very awkward conversation, Maura lay quietly trying to remember her dream.
Maura remembered soft lips on her cheek, her lips, and her chest. She also remembered scarred hands, gently caressing every inch of her. Those same hands then made her feel so unbelievably good in her dream until she came with Jane's name on her lips. Oh! Oh, no! Maura desperately hoped she didn't speak Jane's name aloud. Immediately, Maura's analytical mind kicked into overdrive as she tried to decipher the meaning of her dream.
Maura knew that Jane was a beautiful woman, she was now able to ascertain that she found Jane to be physically attractive. Maura logically knew that there were many people she found physically attractive that she had no interest in pursuing a physical or romantic relationship with. So why this dream, why now? Could it be because they were essentially living in a bubble together. Two women in a small confined space with very little scheduled time or interruptions. Her earlier musings in regards to their relationship sprang into Maura's mind. That something big she thought she had missed. Was it possible the love she felt for Jane was not platonic?
Maura considered the level of emotional intimacy and dependency that had existed between herself and Jane. Laughing in her own head, Maura remembered all of the times that complete strangers and even people who knew them had mistaken them for a couple. Deciding that no definitive conclusions were going to be reached that night Maura snuggled into her blankets and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
In the darkness of the other side of the bed Jane kept her body perfectly still even as her mind raced. She couldn't believe that Maura, in the throes of an erotic dream had just rolled over and rubbed herself on Jane's leg until she came. The most surprising part happened as Jane felt Maura trembling and shaking in climax when Jane heard Maura moan out her name. Jane wasn't sure she had ever heard a more arousing sound in her entire life. She also was very confused about how she felt about it and what it all meant.
