A/N: Thank you so much for all of your comments and input. I really appreciate it. Now, it's time for a Maura-focused chapter. :)
Less than two hours after her life had been turned upside down, Maura checked into the Marriot near MIT and Kendall Square. Her intentions were to stay in a more high-end hotel near Copley, but she was too emotionally exhausted to make the drive over there and, as much as she didn't want to admit it, she still wanted to stay close to Jane. Jane had suggested moving into Maura's house during their engagement, but not wanting Jane to feel as if she were moving into her place, Maura insisted on selling her house and buying a house together so it could feel like their house instead. In retrospect, she knew it wasn't the smartest idea, but cheating was something Maura could never even fathom. When she married Jane, she was certain she was marrying the woman she'd spend the rest of her life with. With that thought running through her head, Maura pulled into the parking lot of the Marriot and checked in. The front desk attendant objected to Bass staying in the room, but once he saw how shaky and distraught Maura was, he had a change of heart. Maura knew the room would suffice for the night, but she wasn't certain what her long term plans would be. The house was in both of their names, so she had just as much of a right to stay there as Jane did, but what would their living arrangements be? Their house was quaint, but much smaller than the house Maura used to own. There were only two bedrooms; one that belonged to them and one that was currently used as a guestroom although they had hoped to convert it to a nursery someday. Neither woman felt as if it was realistic for them to have a child because of their demanding careers, but they had so much love for each other and they wanted to share that love with their future Baby Rizzoli.
Baby Rizzoli. Just the thought of him or her made Maura cry all over again. The more she cried, the more intently Bass stared at her and, for a brief moment, she wished he could speak. She needed a companion, but the only person she ever confided in was Jane. As much as she loved the Rizzoli family, she didn't think it was appropriate to discuss Jane's infidelity with her mother-in-law or even Frankie and Tommy. She knew they wouldn't side with Jane or think Jane's reasons for cheating were justified, but she still felt as if Jane should have the right to be consoled by her family. For the first time in years, Maura had nobody. Her wife was her best friend, her confidante, and the one person who could make Maura smile regardless of how hard she tried not to.
It was a beautiful day outside, but all Maura wanted to do was shut out the world. The curtains were closed, allowing for no natural light to enter the room. She had lamplight, but even that was too much for her. She left it on long enough to feed Bass and sift through her unorganized suitcase. Whenever the two of them would go on vacation, Maura packed their suitcases impeccably, regardless of how many times Jane insisted it was easier to find everything if it was somewhat disorganized. The wrinkled, balled up clothing and pajamas completely went against her nature, but that morning her main concern was getting out of their house as quickly as she could. Maura picked an old t-shirt out of her suitcase and quickly stuffed it back in when she realized it was Jane's. Even in her heartbroken state, she had still packed one of Jane's shirts to wear to bed. With nothing else suitable to sleep in, Maura stripped each article of clothing from her body and carefully laid them over a chair, leaving herself clad in nothing but her underwear. The sheets felt cold against her bare skin and she longed for the warmth of her—their—bed. The coldness made it difficult for Maura to fall asleep, so she became lost in her thoughts, no matter how much she wanted to focus on something else. She wished she would have brought a book or her laptop. No, not the laptop, Maura thought. Opening her laptop is how she found out about her wife.
Jane Rizzoli was actually capable of cheating. The thought had always seemed so absurd to Maura. Her wife was a good woman, a great woman, with character and morals. How could she have cheated? With that question in mind, Maura started wondering exactly how Jane cheated. It was all a guessing game and, although she hated guessing games, she just couldn't get her mind off of the logistics of Jane's affair or if it could even be called an affair. She was given a quick glimpse of the woman. She was younger, maybe late 20s or early 30s, Maura concluded as she recalled details of the photo. The more she recalled this woman's features, the more vivid her imagination became until it was too much to bear. Whoever this woman was had been intimate with her wife. Did she know Jane was married? Why would she have sex with a married woman? Was it because Jane was forbidden? Question after question flooded Maura's head. Although it was easier for Maura to focus her anger on the other woman, she knew it was Jane she should be angry with. Jane was the one who was married and Jane could have said no. Maura needed answers and she was intent on getting them as soon as she was ready to face Jane.
When night approached, she laid there wondering exactly where Jane and this woman had sex. The possibility of it being in their bed made Maura cry herself to sleep.