I don't own Rizzoli and Isles, but I wish I did.
A/N: Thanks for all the support, y'all. If you have any thoughts or ideas, feel free to share. I appreciate you all for sticking with me through this :)
Jane and Constance entered the jewelry store laughing and smiling in kind. Constance was ecstatic to be a part of helping Jane bring Maura life full of happiness. Only Jane's sweaty palms betrayed her nervousness, but thankfully, no one could see that.
Casually, the two women perused the numerous display cases. Jane had to blink her eyes to adjust them to the glare coming from the precious stones resting under the glass. A little overwhelmed, she turned to Constance.
"Well, um, where do you suggest I start?" Jane, in an effort to hide her unease, shoved her hands in her pockets as she rocked on the balls of her feet.
Constance smiled as she took in the woman's demeanor. Despite her apparent nervousness, Jane's excitement was tangible.
"Darling, let's call over one of the associates." Constance glanced around the store to grab the attention of a older gentleman, who was readjusting strands of her pearls in a nearby case.
Noticing the prospective customers, the man slid the glass lid of the compartment in place and quickly locked it.
"How may I help you?" The man greeted, a smile stretching under his bushy mustache. "My name is Jacob. What brings you in here today?"
Before Jane had a chance to open her mouth, Constance replied with the excitement of a
refined woman, who was used to taking charge in everything she did, "My future daughter-in-law is interested in purchasing my daughter an engagement ring."
The amused brunette chuckled softly to herself. Now, she definitely knew where Maura got her 'bossy, yet polite' attitude from. Immediately following that revelation, Constance's words registered. A warm feeling bloomed in the teacher's chest.
She already thinks of me as family.
Excited at the prospect of securing a large purchase, Jacob replied, "Of course, please, follow me."
"How did you and your lady meet if I may ask?" Jacob asked politely, as he unlocked the case and reached in the direction of the rings with the largest stones.
Jane's eyes cut over to Constance who had a content smile gracing her features. "At work, we are both teachers," Jane stated proudly.
Just as Jane anticipated might happen, Jacob's hand left its course towards the obscenely large diamonds and veered off in the direction of the least expensive rings, whose stones were blatantly smaller.
"Teachers? That's lovely. What grades?" Jacob asked in a tone which barely hid his disappointment. After meeting the obviously wealthy woman standing beside the brunette in a nice tailored suit, he had hoped to make a expensive sale. The teacher had dressed in one of her nicer suits because she intended to take Constance to a nice restaurant in town to show the older woman her gratitude.
"High school," Jane replied casually. She didn't want to let on that she had noticed the man's subtle judgment.
"Teenagers? I don't know how you do it. I'm sure that can be awful to work with. I'd hate to have your job." Jacob laughed at his own joke as he pulled three different lower end rings to show the duo.
Jane bristled at the man's comment. Anytime someone made that 'joke', it irritated her. Sure, teenagers could be a pain in the ass, but she still loved them.
Jacob prattled on about the clarity and cut of each ring, while Jane and Constance exchanged annoyed glances. His continual condescending remarks about how affordable the rings were and how the store had financing really irked the pair. Once he finally finished his sales pitch, the two women asked if he would mind giving them time to discuss and look around further. Jacob acquiesced and placed the rings back into the case. He walked off in search of more 'promising' customers.
"Tell me, Jane." Constance gently laid her hand on the brunette's forearm. "What are you thinking?"
Constance had wished to put the arrogant man in his place, but she knew Jane could handle herself perfectly well.
"I hate how people automatically assume that I can't afford nice things based on my profession," Jane stated truthfully.
"I mean, don't get me wrong, we definitely don't get paid enough for all the hours we work during and after school, but," Jane emphasized, "I wouldn't change it for the world."
"Another reason this woman is perfect for my daughter," Constance thought.
Jane slowly walked around the sizeable room, simply for something to do and as a means to quell her irritation.
The two women stopped by a case holding charm bracelets. Glancing at the case's contents, Jane mused whether charm bracelets were still in style and if anyone wore them. She knew her mother sure tried to make her. To appease Angela, Jane wore her charm bracelet every major holiday, but beyond that she refused. It was just too plain girly for her.
"What kind of ring did Daniel get Maura?" His name left an unpleasant taste in the teacher's mouth.
Readjusting her purse on her shoulder, Constance answered, "Well, Jane, Maura was never particularly fond of the the ring, and she had a hard time hiding that fact."
"As you and I both know, she cannot lie, but she truly is a master of bending the truth."
Jane nodded in agreement. The brunette still remembered how she rushed to grab Benadryl after she had confronted the doctor about a missing piece of pumpkin pie, which the brunette had squirreled away for herself.
Although she hated hearing about Daniel, Jane wanted to know why Maura disliked the ring so much.
"What did Maura hate so much about it?" Jane's eyes cut to the countless rows of rings across the room, secretly pleased that Maura had hated the ring Daniel had given her.
"She thought it was too ostentatious. To be honest, I thought the thing was awfully gaudy as well, but Arthur and I...well, Arthur really didn't have anything to say about it. He was off in a jungle somewhere…" Constance amended, "I was simply too excited that Maura had managed to get engaged to such a fine young man." Constance rolled her eyes at her own past stupidity.
The artist, with a tinge of sorrow in her voice, admitted, "I scolded Maura for how she reacted to Daniel's engagement ring. I convinced her how completely ungrateful she was."
Constance still hated herself for how she treated her selfless daughter. The slump of her proud shoulders revealed how remorseful the woman truly was.
"Maura knew Daniel only bought the ridiculous thing to show off...much like a peacock who fans his feathers for prospective females." Constance rolled her eyes and shook her head in disgust.
"Mind you, darling. He was able to afford the tacky thing because he had acquired so much wealth from his family, who were friends of ours...unfortunately." Constance regretfully admitted the last bit.
"But we're not friends any longer, I assure you," Constance squeezed the brunette's forearm this time, hoping that the brunette believed her. The artist quickly distanced herself from the family following Daniel's inappropriate behavior towards her daughter.
The artist had little to fear, Jane's smile assured her that the brunette believed her.
Jane's warm demeanor eased the woman's discomfort. "Constance, there was no need to stop being friends with his family on my account. They didn't have anything to do with his behavior."
"No, actually, they did. They had raised him to behave that way. I don't want to call people like them my friends any longer."
Constance felt relief following this confession. She still had much to do in rebuilding her relationship with her daughter, but she could truthfully recognize how far they had come.
Jane decided to move the conversation in a happier direction.
"Well, Constance, I'm glad that you're here to help me pick out a ring Maura will truly love." Jane's toothy grin and twinkling eyes conveyed her sincerity.
WIth a warm, delicate smile, Constance asked, "Tell me, darling. What do you have in mind for my daughter?"
"Honestly, something similar to what you're wearing now," Jane's eyes flitted to Constance's ring.
Constance regarded her engagement ring. It still shone as brightly as it did the day Arthur asked her to marry him.
"Maura has mentioned to me before that she loved how much it sparkled and how happy you and Arthur were when you wore it. It's something she remembers fondly from her childhood," Jane informed the older woman.
There were times in her marriage when she and Arthur argued and fought with each other, especially following an affair he had. The two worked through the fallout from Arthur's infidelity, but Constance went ringless for a long time. Apparently, this hadn't gone unnoticed by her daughter. Perhaps, that is something else Maura and she should discuss one day.
Clearing her throat, Constance stated. "Jane, you should design her ring. You can use mine for inspiration. We are here together after all," the artist smiled warmly.
Jane loved the idea and caught the older woman off guard when she wrapped her arm around the surprised artist's shoulders. Constance was gradually growing accustomed to the physical affection so commonplace in the Rizzoli family.
"I knew asking you was the right thing to do." Jane's smile shone brighter than all the diamonds in the store.
Constance's own face lit up at the idea. "I glad you did, darling. Now, let's find a more desirable store clerk to work with."
"Agreed," Jane grinned, and the two women walked arm in arm out the door in the direction of a female store clerk, whose sincere smiled beckoned them.
R & I R & I R & I
"Have you been helped by anyone, ladies?" asked the woman, who was in her early sixties and had deep laugh lines around her eyes.
A brief glance between Jane and Constance told the woman all she needed to know.
"Allow me to guess. Jacob, I presume?" The woman's mouth pulled into a slight frown.
Jane nodded and noticed that clerk's name tag actually indicated that she was the manager.
She replied, "I am sorry if his service was unsatisfactory. I will be speaking with him later. My name is Joanne, and I'll be happy to help you."
Joanne had actually observed the whole exchange and intended to speak with the women, but another customer had requested her attention. Jacob was insufferable, and she was glad to have a chance to make it up to the pair.
The excited brunette replied, "I would like to design an engagement ring for my girlfriend."
Jane couldn't stop the butterflies she felt erupting in her stomach at the thought of asking Maura to marry her.
"Do you have any ideas in mind?" Joanne politely asked. The manager couldn't help but like the grinning brunette standing across from her.
Constance proudly removed her ring from her finger and placed it in the teacher's warm palm.
"Yes," Jane cleared her throat. She could feel the emotion building up inside her as she took the ring from her palm and showed it to the kind saleswoman.
"I want it to look something like this." Jane gently handed the ring to the woman.
An appraising eye studied the ring. It was a halo cut diamond circled by several smaller diamonds. It truly was beautiful.
"Alright," Joanne smiled. "Please follow me."
Together, Constance and Jane designed the perfect ring for the future Dr. Maura Rizzoli-Isles.