Valentine's Day 2023
MJ, AJ, Lilly and Kate made a Valentine's Day card for their mommies. Kate went into their bedroom just before 6 AM and waited while holding the card because she knows she is not supposed to wake her mothers up before 6 AM.
She sat quietly on the floor, admiring the beautiful card that they had made. It was filled with drawings and a message from each of them. Kate loved that she and her siblings created something so beautiful for their mommies.
At 6 AM, Kate jumped up from her position on the floor and ran to her mothers' bed and jumped up onto the bed and shouted 'Happy Valentine's Day!' as she gave them each a kiss. Her mothers groaned and rubbed their eyes, but as they saw the card in Kate's hands, their faces lit up with smiles.
Kate watched as her mothers read the messages from each of her siblings, tears of happiness welling up in their eyes. They hugged Kate and thanked her for the sweet surprise, and for making their Valentine's Day extra special.
As Kate left the room, shutting the door behind her, she couldn't help but feel grateful for her loving family. Jane leaned over and whispered in Maura's ear, "I'm sorry, I forgot to lock the door again, but at least this was a short visit and we can't punish her for being excited to show us how much she loves us."
"Your right Jane, she loves us, and at least she remembered the 6 AM rule this time. Maybe we need to change that to 7 AM from now on."
"Yeah, 7 AM might be better. At least we would get an extra hour of sleep." Jane said as she snuggled back into Maura and closed her eyes. They both knew that they would be called for breakfast soon and they wanted to enjoy each other's company for a little while longer.
Angela always managed to come over and cook them breakfast on Valentine's Day. She didn't want them to ever let another Valentine's Day slip away. Valentine's Day was special in the Rizzoli household and she felt that Jane and Maura deserved to have breakfast cooked for them. Angela now included Kelly and Erica in that celebration also.
At 7 AM Jane and Maura could hear Angela down in the kitchen talking with the children. Luckily no one had come up to wake them up yet. They had taken the liberty of letting their supervisors know that they would be arriving late to work this morning.
Angela, who was not currently in a relationship, didn't have a date for Valentine's Day so she had told Jane when she and Maura came down for breakfast that she would watch the children so that she and Maura could go out to dinner. Jane fussed at first because she really hated crowds.
They enjoyed their breakfast and then set off for work after thanking each of the children for the beautiful card. Angela had sent a text to Kelly to let her know that she was bringing breakfast over and that she would take the children to school.
When Jane and Maura arrived home later that day, Jane asked her mother, "Ma, are you sure you don't mind watching the kids tonight? I really hate crowds on Valentine's Day."
"Of course not, sweetie. I love spending time with my grandbabies. Plus, you and Maura deserve a nice evening out. Go enjoy yourselves." Angela informed her. She had already made reservations for them, and made sure that they would have a secluded table at the restaurant.
Jane told her mother, "Thanks, Ma, I really appreciate it."
Angela replied, "No problem, darling. Now go have a great time. And don't worry about a thing, I've got this covered."
"Okay, well, I'll call you later to check in. And thank you again, Ma." Jane said.
"You're welcome, honey. Have a wonderful evening with Maura." Angela said when Jane finally agreed, grateful for her mother's offer and promised to make it up to her somehow the following week.
Angela was excited to spend the evening with her grandchildren. She promised to make them a special dinner and watch a movie with them. She also promised to read them a story and tuck them into bed. As Jane and Maura left, Angela turned to the children and said, "Alright, who's ready for a fun night with nonna?" The children cheered and Angela felt her heart fill with joy and love.
The night went smoothly and Angela had a wonderful time with her grandbabies. They cooked spaghetti and meatballs, watched a movie about superheroes, and played some monopoly for an hour before bedtime. The children were so full of energy and laughter, and Angela felt grateful for the opportunity to spend time with them.
Jane, Maura, Kelly and Erica all arrived home at the same time as they entered the house, they were greeted by the sound of laughter and chatter coming from the living room. They approached the living room and found Angela and the children playing Monopoly and having a blast.
Kelly said, "Wow, it looks like we missed a party."
Erica answered, "Yes, it does. Hi Angela, how was everything?"
Angela immediately looked at the four ladies that had just walked into the house and replied, "Hi ladies, everything was great. My grandbabies and I had a fantastic time."
"I'm glad to hear that." Kelly replied and then turned to Jane and Maura and asked, "How was your dinner?"
Jane answered, "It was amazing, thanks. The restaurant was busy, but Ma managed to secure a secluded table by the window for us and we had a great view of the city and of course my date was beautiful." Jane smiled lovingly at Maura and leaned over and kissed her. Maura was beaming, she loved Jane and loved when they could have special dates like the one they just had.
"That sounds lovely, and thank you, Angela, for taking care of the kids." Erica said as she smiled at Jane and Maura and then Angela.
Angela smiled back and said, "Of course, it was my pleasure. I had a wonderful time with them. They're such sweet and loving children."
Kelly and Erica smiled, grateful for their family and the love that surrounded them on this special day. They joined in on the game with Angela and the children, and spent the rest of the night enjoying each other's company. It was a perfect first Valentine's Day filled with love, laughter, and memories to last a lifetime.
Jane and Maura thanked Angela and promised to return the favor sometime soon. They said their goodnights to everyone and retreated to their bedroom. Angela smiled, happy to have made their Valentine's Day a little bit brighter. Kate ran up and gave her mothers a hug and kiss and told them 'Happy Valentine's Day' again before they walked up the staircase.
When Kate returned to the table, she handed Kelly and Erica a card that the children had made for them.
Kelly and Erica were touched by the gesture and opened the card, which was decorated with colorful hearts and glitter. Inside, the children had each written a sweet message, expressing their love and appreciation for the two of them.
"Oh, this is so sweet. Thank you, MJ, AJ, Lilly and Kate." Erica said upon reading the card.
"Yes, thank you. This is the best Valentine's Day gift ever." Kelly exclaimed.
Kate replied, "We wanted to show you how much we love you. You are part of our family."
Kelly and Erica hugged Kate, then gathered the children into a group hug. They all laughed and hugged each other, feeling the love and warmth of the moment.
Now that the game was paused, Erica said, "You know what? Let's go to the kitchen and make some hot chocolate." The children cheered and followed Erica to the kitchen, as Kelly and Angela watched, smiling at how quickly the children had taken to Erica.
Erica initially had been weary of moving to Boston and not being accepted by the family but after her Thanksgiving visit she settled down a bit and now with this card, she knew she had nothing to worry about. She fit in with this family just like Kelly told her she would.
Jane and Maura closed the door behind them and sank into their bed, exhausted but content. They held each other close and talked about their dinner, their love for each other, and their future plans.
"I'm so grateful for you, Jane. You always know how to make me feel special."
"That's because you are special, Maur. I'll always do everything in my power to make you happy."
They shared a kiss and snuggled closer, grateful for each other and for the love that surrounded them. They listened to the sounds of laughter and chatter coming from the living room and smiled, knowing that their family and friends were together, happy and in love on this special day.
As they drifted off to sleep, they held each other tight and whispered, "Happy Valentine's Day." They fell asleep, surrounded by love, knowing that they were each other's forever Valentine.