Hello again. Thanks to everyone who is following along with the story. And I always appreciate your reviews. It is great to know what you are all thinking about out there!
I hope you all like the family time in this chapter with the Isles dropping in and another surprise guest as well. Here it goes
The Turkey In Me
/
"I have to change." Maura suddenly said, tugging on her skirt uncomfortably as Jane pulled the car up to her parents' house.
"What? No, Maur we just got here." She killed the engine and looked incredulously at her girlfriend who looked as beautiful as ever to Jane in her burgundy dress that was mostly hidden by her long, black coat at the moment. But Jane knew that underneath the cream scarf was a scooped neckline displaying alluring collarbones, which she was certain to be staring at all day. "Besides you've changed like 6 times already."
"But I think the cleaning lady put this in the dryer. It's vicuna wool. Who puts vicuna wool in the dryer? It's tight."
"If it's tight, why did you choose it?" Jane fought to keep the patience in her voice.
"My mother sent it to me from Paris. I wanted her to see that I like it." Maura continued to pull on her clothing, a strange sight considering the blonde looked like she was born in fashionable, designer wear, "Does it make me look fat?"
Jane rolled her eyes, "Yes, you look ginormous. I can't believe how fat you are. What do you weigh? Like 115 pounds?"
"116.8" Maura blinked at her.
Jane sighed; realizing now was not the time to be testing Maura's ability to perceive sarcasm, "Babe, you look gorgeous. The dress is great. And we are here. We can't go home. We are late as it is."
"You're right. Of course." Maura agreed though her brow was still knitted with worry.
"Hey, everything will be fine." Jane soothed, leaning forward to kiss Maura softly. She pulled back and the doctor seemed to be a bit more composed, offering Jane a hesitant smile. Satisfied that Maura would be all right for the time being, Jane hopped out of the car into the hostile cold and wind that immediately whipped around her. The detective wondered why it could never be sunny on Thanksgiving. All of her memories of the day entailed melancholy clouds blanketing everything in a haze, sometimes accompanied with freezing rain.
The brunette held onto the lapels of her jacket to help stave off the chill as she hurried to the passenger side of the car to open the door for Maura, offering her hand in assistance as she gracefully climbed out. The doctor's high heels clipped sharply against the solid gray pavement that the sky seemed to model off of while they walked up to the house. Jane quickly ushered Maura inside, wanting to get out of the unforgiving gusts as soon as possible. The detective felt relief as she stepped into the warm foyer behind Maura. The tension in her body melted a little as she took in her childhood dwelling. It was welcoming and the smell of delicious food was already floating heavily in the air.
"Ma, we made it!" Jane called. She took the back of Maura's coat while the shorter woman shrugged out of it. She hung it up on the rack and her own was soon to follow. She turned just in time to see her mother marching to greet them with a spatula in her fist and a stern scowl.
"You're late."
"I'm so sorry Angela, I-" Maura began but Jane interjected.
"Sorry Ma. Maura told me to start getting ready before 11 but I wanted to watch the end of the parade." Jane lied for her frazzled girlfriend. It was almost true. She had insisted that she and Maura wake up to at least watch a little bit of the traditional procession and eat some breakfast so they could have a moment for themselves in what was sure to be a long and stressful day. Jane wished that she could be back on the couch with Maura sitting between her legs. Jane smiled at the memory of her girlfriend in an over-sized knit sweater, her curls in a low messy braid while she fed the brunette pieces of melon and grapes from her bowl.
"You really should be more considerate Janie." Angela lectured half-heartedly dragging her reluctantly back to the present. "And listen to Maura."
"We are here now. Jeez." Jane huffed considering they were only about 20 minutes behind schedule.
"Oh Jane, you look so nice!" Angela's sudden topic change nearly gave her whiplash.
"Thanks Ma." Jane tried not to shift uncomfortably. She was fine with the nice gray slacks and the white button up but Maura had somehow conned her into wearing a forest green or deep sage or however the blonde had chosen to describe a simple green cardigan that reminded her of a grandfather.
"Is there anything I can help with in the kitchen?" Maura asked hopefully her pale hands fidgeted as they itched for something to do.
"Of course, you are the only one I trust to touch my vegetables." Angela sent a pointed look in Jane's direction.
"I burnt the asparagus once." Jane's voice jumped up an octave in self-defense.
"Uh-huh." Her mother remained unconvinced that Jane could handle the produce as she addressed Maura, "Go say hello to the boys first then meet me in the kitchen."
"Certainly." Maura nodded. The doctor was happy to play sous chef if it meant she could keep herself busy. Jane pulled Maura to the living room where her father and Frankie were already sitting in front of a football game. Each had a beer in hand and slouched deep in the couch cushions like always but their attire was enough to make Jane laugh. It seemed Jane was not the only one who had been forced into fancy clothing. Both of the men sat in button downs and khakis with their shoes polished and everything. They looked awkward with stiff collars, most likely over starched by Angela who was trying to impress the impending company.
"I see Ma has you in your monkey suits." Jane ribbed good-naturedly.
"I see Maura has you in yours." Frankie shot back clearly not happy.
"Touchy." Jane flopped down next to her brother and ruffled his hair that had actually been combed for once. He shoved her off, mostly putting on his irritation.
"I think you all look very nice." Maura stayed standing close to the exit.
"Hey Maura." Frankie waved. "You look nice too."
"Thank you." Maura acknowledged. "I'm going to help Angela. Jane, do you need a beer?"
"Please." The detective watched as her girlfriend turned to the kitchen. Jane almost gulped at the sight of Maura's curves, hugged tightly in her dress. As they had been leaving, Jane had been too distracted by her own nerves to really notice, but the garment was indeed a tad snug on her form. She appeared a moment later to hand off the beverage with a kiss.
"Your mother wants you to get the good silverware down from the attic."
"We have nice silverware?"
"Apparently." The blonde offered no further assistance as she glided back to help Angela.
Jane groaned as she got up, "Frankie come help me find this stuff."
"Ma didn't tell me to." The young officer remained unmoved.
"Frankie, go help your sister." Frank ordered from his reclined position in the beat up armchair, surprising both siblings that he had been listening at all. The Rizzoli children dutifully went upstairs, then to the rarely used door at the end of the hall that led up to the attic.
Jane grimaced and coughed as she ascended the stairs and breathed in the probably decades worth of dust that floated down, irritating her airways. Her brother sneezed while they surveyed the clutter that had been accumulating there over the years. "Man, look at all this stuff."
Frankie griped. He toed a box and the unstable cardboard rattled the contents dangerous inside. Jane nodded in agreement, pulling a sheet off of a rocking horse. "Has Ma been on edge all day?"
"Oh yeah, you'd think Bill O'Reilly was coming to visit."
"Yeah, she flipped on me when I told her I had invited the Isles." Jane opened a box that was full of old clothes that looked to be from the 60's. She pushed it aside to search through another.
"Why did you invite them?" Frankie swatted the air at an unseen spider web that tickled his neck.
"It seemed like the right thing to do at the time." She muttered.
"I guess that means you and Maura are getting pretty serious."
"We are." Jane was coming to the realization that she could not imagine her life without Maura. Before Jane Rizzoli was a confirmed bachelor and workaholic. She was married to the job and content to have her home life consist of beer, take-out, and Sports Center, with her guilty pleasure consisting of the shopping network thrown into the mix every now and then, but now she looked forward to going home when Maura was there, waiting for her with her sweet smile and home-cooked meals. Jane never imagined that she would be happy to wake up an hour early to go for a run just to spend that extra time with her girlfriend. If someone had told the detective she would actually try to learn how to cook, then she would have laughed in their face. She had given her heart to the Maura and it tugged on her to be wherever the blonde was.
"You're really lucky." Frankie said in approval, "I can see how happy she makes you."
"I know." Jane grinned almost shyly, "It has only been a little over 3 months but I don't know… She feels like the one."
"Wow Janie." Frankie said impressed with his sister's confession.
"I'm not saying I'm proposing anytime soon." The older Rizzoli knew that was moving way too fast. She was not even ready to give up her apartment, "But I want to get there someday."
"You know we all love Maura." Frankie paused in shifting around some junk.
"Do you think Ma would be okay with it?" Jane tried to hide her fear by keeping her focus on rifling through a bin. Despite Angela's best efforts, Jane was still worried that her mother would never truly accept her relationship. Her mother had always looked forward to her only daughter's wedding day, and while Jane had never really expressed any enthusiasm and made a show of dragging her feet, she secretly wanted to share the joy with her when the time came.
"It would be a problem if it was anyone else but Maura." Frankie assured her, "She always asks me why I can't bring a nice girl home like Dr. Isles."
Jane laughed at her brother's spot on Angela imitation. "She does?"
"Oh yeah, I feel bad for any girl that has to stand up to the doctor in Ma's eyes."
"I had no idea." Jane was astounded.
"Got it!" Frankie exclaimed and he jubilantly held up a small wooden chest.
"Finally." Jane immediately made a beeline for the exit with Frankie hot on her heels. "I think my lungs have filled up with asbestos."
/
Maura hovered over the stove, monitoring all of the pots simmering on the burners. Angela had left her in charge of the kitchen and she would be damned if she failed her and ruined one of them. The blonde already felt one misstep away from unraveling. Not that anything had gone wrong yet particularly with the minor exception of being tardy. Jane was attentive and supportive. Angela seemed to be in good spirits even as she bustled around to complete the dinner arrangements. Still, Maura could not shake the feeling that it was the calm before the storm with the time her parents would be arriving looming closer.
"Ma, we got it." Jane's voice came through the entrance before the detective did.
"Angela went upstairs to change." Maura stirred the gravy that was starting to bubble.
"Ma is changing?" Jane set a mahogany box on the kitchen table. "Into what? The Queen of England?"
"That silverware needs to be washed." The doctor cringed at the dust that seemed to be caked onto the neglected object.
"No, you need to calm down." The brunette disregarded the order and went to cajoled Maura into her arms.
"Jane…"
"I will polish the forks until you're blinded by them." She promised. "But we have time, and you know I can't resist you in an apron."
And Maura never could resist her girlfriend's charm. "If the green beans get scorched, I am blaming you."
The blonde threatened with Jane's lips hovering centimeters from her own. The detective smirked, "I always am. You know what is helping me get through today?"
"What's that?" Maura's eyes flicked down to Jane's curled lips.
"The thought of peeling this dress off of you later." Her devilish grin was infectious.
"Janie, stop distracting Maura. You'll char the green beans." Angela was back in full force in her kitchen. The detective let out an undignified whining noise as she disengaged from her girlfriend. Maura valiantly tried to hide her amused smile as she turned to the matriarch.
"Oh Angela, you look beautiful." The older woman had put on a modest black dress but it complimented her figure very well. She had even matched it with a pair of low heels and a dash of lipstick.
"Yeah Ma, you look great." Jane concurred as she went about the task of washing the silver, for once not needing to be told.
"Thank you girls." Angela glowed; pleased to have her efforts appreciated as she consciously toyed with her hair. "How are we doing?"
"Everything is nearly ready." Maura reported. "The turkey should come out soon and the salad just needs a dressing. My parents should be arriving any minute."
"Good, we are right on schedule. You and Jane set the table then go settle down for a bit, okay?"
"Oh no, I'm fine in here." Maura almost held her wooden spoon defensively against her chest as if someone were going to snatch it away from her. She needed to be in the kitchen where she felt competent. She could pick up a knife and deftly slice the cucumber. She knew when to add heat or add a pinch of salt. It reminded her that she was capable and talented, feelings she lacked in the presence of her mother.
"I can take care of the rest." Angela maintained and Jane slowly closed in on her.
"Come on sweetie."
"Don't take my spoon." Maura lamented while the brunette pried her fingers off the utensil.
"You can arrange the table. I will even let you get out a ruler." Jane bargained.
"Oh, well it's a good thing I keep one in my purse." Maura rushed out to get it.
After spending the better part of 20 minutes ensuring everything was equidistant from one another on the table, Maura was sitting on the couch between Jane and Frankie with her parents yet to arrive. The game was nearly over and the outcome was apparently becoming very exciting as the Rizzoli clan began yelling at the television.
"Come on, throw the damn ball." Jane criticized the quarterback who had just been tackled to the ground. The arm around Maura's shoulder rose and fell back down in agitation.
"Why are you yelling?" Maura asked honestly curious, "You cannot change the outcome of the game."
"Oh gee, I can't?" The detective pretended to be surprised.
"That would require you to transcend the space-time continuum."
"You are painfully literal sometimes." Jane chuckled. The chime of the doorbell halted any further conversation. The brunette was quick to put her at ease, "They are here. Everything is in order. It will be fine."
Maura nodded as she slowly rose and followed Jane to the front door. Her girlfriend pulled open the oak entry with an overly chipper greeting already spouting out of her mouth, "Hello! Please come in."
Constance and Richard Isles came into the Rizzoli household looking rather owlish as they took in their surroundings. Maura was certain they had never been in such a small abode. Her mother looked vaguely horrified by the casual décor and her father seemed to stand stooped as if his head would hit the ceiling if he did not. They certainly contrasted starkly against the homey interior with their detached sense of fashion. Maura took a deep breath, "Mother, Daddy, I am so glad you could make it."
She exchanged kisses on the cheek with her mother then briefly hugged her father. "How was your flight?"
"Long and uneventful." Richard supplied.
"Hello, welcome." Angela joined the crowd in the foyer as she wiped her hands on a dishtowel. "I'm so pleased that you could join us."
"Thank you for having us on such short notice." Constance smiled but Maura did not miss the glare that she sent in Jane's direction.
"Mother, this is Angela. Angela, these are my parents Richard and Constance."
"It is nice to meet you." Her father said politely.
"You have a lovely home. It's… quaint." Constance managed to make the word seem like an insult.
"Come on!" Shouts suddenly came from the living room startling the Isles, as they looked alarmed at the sudden commotion.
"Can't you keep it down?" Angela harped, "Excuse the heathens in there. That is my husband Frank and son Frankie Jr."
"Hello." Both men waved momentarily before fixing their eyes back on the screen. They loitered awkwardly in the entrance in stilted silence with no one quite sure how to proceed. Fortunately Angela conjured some up to say.
"Would you like to come sit in the living room or are you hungry now? Everything is all ready to eat."
"We are rather famished from the journey." Constance was all too eager to skip straight to the dining room.
"I'm sure." Angela did her best to play gracious host as the group was led back to the eating area. Maura smiled at the home-cooked meal that was heaped onto the table. It was entirely not fancy with how the food practically spilled over its bowls. Servers would not be coming by with sparsely, but artistically plated dishes. There were no 11 courses or truffle quail eggs or duck tour d'argent, just mashed potatoes and stuffing and the jelly cranberries from a can because Jane refused to eat anything else. Her parents eyed everything warily, unsure of the seating arrangement.
"Please, sit anywhere you'd like." Jane instructed when she saw them struggling and they grateful took the seats closest to them. Maura slipped into a chair across from her father while Jane took the one right next to her. The blonde tried to stop the slight tremor in her hands that developed, clenching them under the table. She felt long, tender fingers slip over her knuckles. Her muscles loosened and Jane nudged her hand open so she could massage her palm.
"I'll go get your father and Frankie." Angela exited and they could hear a fierce stage whisper that made Jane frown in embarrassment and Maura suppress a smile, her hand briefly squeezing Jane's as the men were scolded for being rude and not so politely told to get into the dining room.
"We're all here." Angela exclaimed cheerily as the chastised Rizzoli's filed in after her. Frank assumed his position at the head of the table where the turkey lay in wait, all golden brown and cooked to perfection. Angela sat at the other end in between Maura and Richard while Frankie chose to sit next to his sister leaving the place next to Constance unclaimed. Frankie went to start piling green beans onto his plate.
"Ah!" Angela wagged her finger at her son, "We have to say grace first."
Frankie dropped the spoon and grumbled as he bowed his head and clasped his hands in front of him. Everyone else obediently turned their eyes down as well while Angela started the prayer, "Bless us oh Lord, and these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy bounty. I would also like to thank you Lord for my family, my wonderful husband, and three beautiful children. And thank you for giving us the opportunity for these two families to be together today. Through Christ, our Lord, amen."
"Amen." The others chorused.
Frank then stood and picked up the large carving knife, "Who wants a drum stick?"
Both Jane and Frankie's hands shot comically into the air.
"Dark meat is really not healthy." Maura disapproved as her girlfriend received one of the legs on her plate.
"I'm about to eat my weight in food. I think dark meat is the least of my worries."
"You know the average person consumes 3000 calories on Thanksgiving which is about 1000 more than normal." Maura recited the fact.
"Sounds like a challenge." Jane served sweet potatoes on her plate, trying to get as many of the little marshmallows as possible. Maura was about to protest Jane's action but she saw that the brunette had cleared an area making it possible for her to avoid the sugary puffs. She thanked her silently with a smile as Jane dropped a helping of just potatoes on her plate.
"Yeah," Frankie spoke up with his mouth full of a roll, laughing at his sister's joke, "I'm shooting for 5000."
"Would you two stop it?" Angela glared, "You'll have to excuse them. You'd think they were raised by wolves."
Mrs. Rizzoli apologized for her kids to the Isles who were quietly serving themselves dainty proportions. Constance passed on the cranberries, "It's alright. You said you have three children?"
"Yes, Tommy, my youngest, couldn't be here today. He had to work." Angela gushed about her baby, "He said he would try to make it for dessert."
Maura felt Jane tense up considerably. The brunette did not talk about Tommy a lot. All she knew about him was he was definitely the black sheep of the family and had made some poor choices. Jane did not support how Angela seemed to coddle him and overlook his transgressions. The doctor rested her hand on her girlfriend's knee under the table, rubbing the joint lightly. The taller woman seemed to relax slightly and placed her right hand over Maura's.
"What does he do?" Richard asked.
"Tommy? He works at the vet's office." Angela said obliviously. "What do you do Mr. Isles?"
"I teach finance at Oxford and act as a consultant for various companies." Richard took a tentative bite of stuffing then hummed pleasantly surprised, "Mm, this is delicious."
"Thank you. Everything is an old family recipe." Angela blushed proudly.
"It's excellent." Maura's father seemed to forget any discomfort and began digging into his meal whole-heartedly.
"Do you work Angela?" Constance asked before taking a delicate bit.
"Oh no, I stayed home to raise the kids. Frank is a plumber. He can fix anything. Did you stay home with Maura?"
The doctor's heart lurched a little. Her mother was barely home at all when she was growing up, let alone there to raise her. When her mother was present, young Maura wanted nothing more than to be around her mother but even then the busy woman could only spare some time in the afternoon to drop off a gift or maybe listen about her latest science experiment if she was lucky. Their arsenal of staff members had been more of a family to her than her own parents.
Comparing them to the Rizzoli's made her ache slightly, wishing that she did have a more involved family. As dysfunctional as Jane claimed her clan to be, and how irritated she got at her mother for interfering, they at least knew that they loved each other. Maura ignored the sharp pain of rejection, as she mother answered, "No, I'm involved in the arts I do mostly installation work."
"Oh, what do you install?" Angela asked naively. Constance blinked unsure of how to answer the question.
"Installation is the kind of art." Maura supplied. Angela nodded in feigned understanding.
"Actually, your father and I will be in Germany in a couples weeks for a lecture tour. I will be speaking on the objectification of the female form in post-war modernism."
"Sounds fascinating." Angela nodded. "I would be interested in that."
"What do you know about post-war modernism?" Jane asked around her forkful of food.
"I know a lot about the objectification of the female form." Angela humorously swished her hands in an hourglass shape.
Jane laughed, "True enough."
Silence, save for the clinking of utensils on ceramic pervaded the room after the laughter faded while everyone focused on eating with nothing left to say. Maura's mind was unusually blank, as she could not conjure up any obscure facts to fill in the void. Her nerves chewed at her stomach. This always seemed to happen when her mother was around especially. Children were meant to be seen, not heard, and only speak when spoken to. Her mother hardly spared her a glance so she remained quiet as if she were waiting to be called on. But fortunately her father rescued the conversation with an enthusiastic, "This is really, quite good."
/
Jane sat on the armrest of the couch next to her poised girlfriend so that Frankie and her mother could fit on the furniture. Constance and Richard were positioned on the love seat but Richard was leaning forward and animatedly talking to Frank about how cricket was better than baseball. Her father seemed to be enjoying the debate as the others mostly sat and observed.
They had retired to the living room in a Rizzoli family tradition of digesting before starting into the pumpkin pie and cannolis while listening to the first Christmas carols of the season.
"You must just be so proud of Maura." Angela said out of the blue to Mrs. Isles, "With her being a doctor and all."
"Oh yes." The refined woman agreed though obviously thrown by the sudden statement.
"You know I read about her in the paper all the time. She and Jane are constantly in the news or at least their cases are." Angela reached for a small drawer on the end table and pulled out some clippings, "I have been saving the articles if you'd like to see."
"Ma, put those away." Jane groused, "Those aren't like our report cards."
"I would have never shown off your report card. And I think it's something to celebrate." Angela sniffed, "You know, when Jane said she wanted to be a detective, I nearly had a heart attack. It must be nice for your daughter to have chosen such a safe profession."
Angela went on with the passive aggressive barb shot straight at the brunette.
"Really Ma?" Jane sipped her beer unaffected by her mother's complaints from her constant badgering.
"What? I want my baby to be safe but instead you run around chasing criminals with guns." Angela shrugged innocently, "You just want your kids to be safe. You'll know when you have kids of your own. Right Constance?"
"Right." The other woman agreed but did not sound entirely sure of herself.
"Did you teach Maura how to cook?" Angela asked, "Jane brought me over this wonderful tortellini dish she made one night."
"She did?" The blonde doctor asked and looked enquiringly at the taller woman.
"Ma was under the weather that week so I took over leftovers. I thought it would make her feel better and Frankie was going to starve if someone didn't bring something over."
"I'm capable of feeding myself." Frankie looked offended.
"Says the man who uses his oven to store his comic book collection."
"Anyways, it was delicious." Angela rolled her eyes dramatically. "She certainly gives me a run for the money."
"I'm sure not." Maura refuted humbly.
"Well one day." The Italian mother winked, "So did you teach her?"
"I… didn't know she could cook." Constance said flatly. A weighty silence plagued the women until Angela produced something else to say.
"And, of course, Maura is so kind and patient. She has just been so wonderful for my Janie." Angela patted Maura on the leg, "I admit, initially I wouldn't have picked her but I'm so glad my daughter did."
Constance could only smile in response while the blonde looked misty eyed at Angela, "Thank you… That means a lot to me."
The detective never loved her mother more than at that moment. It was the most natural thing in the world for her to brag about her children. It was excruciating to watch Angela attempt to connect with Mrs. Isles on this level and have the other woman fail so spectacularly. Constance just looked rather uneasy about the whole display of emotions while she searched for a way out, "Excuse me, but where is your restroom? I'd like to freshen up."
"Of course. It's down the hall, last on the left." Angela instructed, as the other woman appeared to float away. Jane could feel the pain rolling off of Maura in waves as she clasped her hands together uncomfortably tight in her lap. There was nothing to be done about the anger that overtook the hot-tempered Italian.
"I'm going to grab another beer." Jane kissed Maura's temple and stood, trying to be nonchalant about it.
"Jane?"
"Do you need anything?"
"No, I'm fine-"
"Okay." The brunette strode away before Maura could thwart her, following in the steps of Constance. She found the older woman standing in the kitchen, trying to look out the small window into the shadowy backyard, much like she had found Maura at her first dinner here. The windows were black, only reflecting her back into the room, opposed to being a portal into the outside world making her feel like she was trapped. Winter always had a way of unnerving Jane, as darkness settled over the city so early now. It seemed as though there was more time for things to bump in the night, putting her on edge.
"Do you need help?"
"Oh," Constance turned in surprise, "No, I'm fine. Just admiring the…view."
"Yes it is quaint, isn't it?" Jane gave her a tight smile, throwing the word back at her.
"I can see why Maura likes you. You're direct. It's refreshing." The entitled woman said in a way that made Jane feel patronized.
"Maura doesn't like me. She loves me. And I plan on being around as long as she will have me."
Constance sighed, "I sense there is something you want to say to me Detective."
"Yeah, there is." Jane took a commanding step forward, "Maura is my girlfriend. I'm protective and I don't like seeing her get hurt."
"And you think I am hurting her?"
"I think you neglected her as a child and I think you are still doing it."
"My daughter was not neglected as a child. She had everything she needed and was never alone. We made sure to have a governess." Constance bit back.
"A brigade of nannies doesn't make up a mother."
"And you know that?" She scoffed in disbelief.
"I know Maura and not approving of our relationship, calling once every 6 months and visiting even less, not to mention you have barely said two words to her all evening." Jane barked, "Yes, you are hurting her."
"Maura is an adult." The older woman's spoke narrowly, "She is a busy professional and doesn't need her mother's approval."
"Are you kidding me?" Jane growled, "That is all she needs. You are making excuses. You blame her for being busy; you push her away because she is dating a civil servant? What are you doing?"
Now Constance faltered. Jane could see that she was fighting the moisture that was pooling in her eyes, "I… was never any good at it."
"Good at what?"
"Being a mom." Jane felt a bit of sympathy for the woman but it still did not override what she had put Maura through, "You have to understand I love my daughter. I just could never connect. I didn't know how… And now I am afraid it is too late. I have already missed so much."
"It's never too late." Jane spoke softer now, "And you need to tell her what you just told me."
"How can I ever make it right though?"
"Start by talking to her. It won't be better today or tomorrow but you have to start somewhere."
"Thank you Jane for looking out for my daughter."
"Hey uh, Janie?" Frankie was peeking his head into the kitchen.
"Yeah?"
"Ma, sent me into grab the desserts but really I think she wanted to make sure you were not intimidating or killing Mrs. Isles."
Shockingly Constance laughed at her brother's blunt phrase, "You can ensure Angela that I am very much alright."
"Why does she always assume the worst? I can be very accommodating."
"Yeah? 29 years experience tells her otherwise."
/
"We had a charming time." Constance smiled. Maura was delighted to note her facial symmetry and direct eye contact indicating that her mother was being honest.
"Tell Angela again that her cooking was absolute divine." Her father had a pleasant pink tinge to his face that the blonde had never seen before but it made her normally solemn father seem positively jolly. In his hands, he clutched many Tupperware containers full of leftovers that Angela had insisted that he go home with.
"I will be sure to do so." Maura promised.
"Your father and I have decided to stay in town at the Ritz for a few more days. Perhaps we can make plans whenever you are free." Her mother informed her.
"I would love that." The doctor said, very much elated by the offer.
"Wonderful. I will call you tomorrow." Constance kissed her daughter's cheeks. "Bonsoir."
"Bonsoir." Maura echoed after her mother feeling mildly amazed. She watched as her parents left and disappeared into a sleek car, which quickly drove off down the quiet suburban street. She shut the door tightly, sealing off the house from the wind that still howled outside. Wandering into the living room, she collapsed down on the sofa, sinking into the cushions thinned with age. The doctor kicked off her heels and they clattered against the hardwood floor. She rotated her ankles letting her feet stretch leisurely. Shutting her eyes, Maura relished in the moment she had alone. Angela was monitoring Frankie and Jane washing the dishes and Frank had disappeared to somewhere upstairs. A smile played on her lips as she heard her girlfriend raise her voice over the Christmas music to snap at Frankie for splashing her. It seemed some things with siblings never changed with Angela who was quick to tamper out any possible quarrel. Maura could just imagine Angela on her perch at the kitchen table and her squabbling children at the sink, silenced with a strict expression that lacked any really ire.
After Jane and her mother had reappeared and dessert was served, the atmosphere had shifted. Constance was more relaxed and more engaging. She took an interest in getting to know Jane and had discussed recipes with Angela. She asked Maura about being the Chief Medical Examiner, and even enquired about Bass. The blonde had no idea what Jane could have said to thaw her normally icy mother. Constance was still a far cry from the affectionate mother that Angela embodied. It would take more than one evening to melt about the rich, society persona that had been ingrained in her but for the first time in a while Maura felt hopeful. It seemed all of her worrying was for naught.
"Hell-o." A strange male voice caused her eyes to shoot open. Leaning in the archway was a young man, maybe a little taller than Jane with the same brown eyes and crooked smile. The blonde would recognize him as a Rizzoli anywhere. She wondered how he had made it so far inside without her noticing.
"Oh, you must be Tommy." Maura stood and straightened her dress. She extended her hand to shake his.
"Yes, I am." When he staggered forward, the doctor promptly realized that he was intoxicated. Tommy grabbed her arm to steady himself and she had to struggle to keep them both upright. "And who are you?"
"I'm Maura Isles." She subtly extracted herself from his grasp as he stared at her through alcohol-hooded eyes.
"And what are you doing here at the big, happy Rizzoli Family Thanksgiving?"
"I'm Jane's girlfriend." Maura thought that this would dissuade the leering grin that he had on his face.
"I didn't know Janie had such hot friends."
"You misunderstand. Jane and I are dating."
"No way." His jaw dropped.
"I assure you we are." She was perplexed as to why he did not believe her.
"How did my sister nab such a fine piece of tail?"
"I don't think that is appropriate…"
"I don't think a woman like you really wants to be with someone like my sister." Tommy swayed forward and her senses where assaulted with the strong smell of tequila that oozed from his pores.
"Tommy, you are drunk. We should tell your family you are here." Maura reasoned. "Jane-"
The doctor started to call out but Tommy grabbed her around the waist, tugging her close to his overheated body, "Now why would I want to do that?"
"Please stop." Maura attempted to speak with authority as she pushed uselessly against his broad shoulders. He did not even seem to register the action.
"Now why would I want to do that?" Tommy slurred with his lips dangerously nearing hers.
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