Full disclaimers on Chapter 1.
Stop NOW if DRAMA/TRAGEDY is NOT something you are interested into reading, or if it is a bad trigger for you.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Rizzoli & Isles nor any of the characters from the show. I am writing this purely for entertainment, not profit. Rizzoli and Isles are property of Tess Gerritsen and TNT.
I am not a native English speaker, and I don't have a beta. So all mistakes are 100% mine.
Enough of disclaimers and warnings – read at your own risk. Reviews are always welcome!
Chapter 91
The following day, when Constance woke up, she was not surprised to notice Maura's room door was opened and her bed already made.
She walked downstairs, but Maura was nowhere in sight, not in the guest bedroom where Constance thought Maura might end up sleeping into, or in her office.
Puzzled, she looked outside, to see Maura in her yoga mat by the early morning sun.
She observed, unencumbered, from the window, and since Maura had her eyes closed, Constance knew she would not make her daughter uncomfortable.
Constance was always amazed by the wonderful woman being that her daughter turned to be. Intelligent, compassionate, elegant, respected, and so much loved.
She observed as Maura moved from her sitting lotus position through her yoga poses routine for about twenty minutes, before resettling to the sitting lotus position and going into the breathing routine again. Constance also observed the tears running through Maura's cheeks, and it broke Constance's heart.
Constance's eyes were welled with tears. That beautiful being outside, so graceful, was her daughter. Her daughter. Not by her blood. But by love. Even if Constance felt she was not that great showing her love.
She watched as Angela opened the door of the guest house, and Maura stood to be hugged by the Rizzoli matriarch, who then kissed Maura in both cheeks, wiping the tears of her cheeks with her thumbs, before walking with her through the back door.
"Mother. I hope I did not wake you up." Maura offered, surprised that her mother had been up.
"Good morning, darling, you didn't. I just came downstairs."
Constance approached Angela and hugged her. "I am so sorry, Angela."
Angela sniffed. "We all are…" She then exhaled loudly. "Were you able to make this little one eat?" Angela said, passing her arm around Maura's shoulders and squeezing her lightly.
"We had lunch in the club yesterday, and she cooked a delicious dinner last night." Constance praised Maura.
"It was just salmon, salad and quinoa." Maura replied, sheepishly.
"What? Not thirteen courses?" Angela teased, and Maura blushed violently. "Can I prepare some breakfast for the three of us? Or were you planning on going out?"
"I love your egg benedicts, Angela, if it is not too much trouble." Constance recalled the last time she had been in town. And she figured Maura would be in an even more introspective mood in preparation for the service today.
"Thank you, Angela." Maura squeezed her forearm. "I will go upstairs to shower, I will be back in a bit."
"How are you doing?" Constance asked Angela, once Maura went up.
"I think I am still numb, Constance. We were visiting Jane once or twice a week because of the isolation. I believe reality will hit me when more than the regular visit interval passes and I don't see her, you know? It sounds odd, maybe, but that is how I feel."
"Isolation must have been hard…"
"It was hard for us. But, Constance, it was the hardest for Maura. She was the one who really isolated with Jane. I don't know how she did it. Your daughter is a God sent angel, I can't imagine Jane putting up with any of us to do that. But because it was Maura, Jane complied with everything." Angela's voice broke. "I have no doubt we only had this long with Jane because of what Maura did. You raised an incredible woman, Constance."
Constance swallowed, hard, remembering Jane's words.
"I might have, Angela, but your daughter was pretty amazing too. I will be forever grateful for how she helped Maura bloom into this incredible woman."
"Were you able to get Maura to talk?"
"Not really. But I am trying to convince her to come with me for the next three weeks to Laguna Beach, in California. I will be teaching a course, and I think a change of scenery, some open air hiking and beach time, would help her."
"I think that is a wonderful idea. She has been cooped up for twenty months, spending all her time with someone who is not here any longer, and will not ever be again… If you need my help to push her, let me know, okay?"
Despite not having used the kitchen for twenty months, Angela moved around with eased practice while she spoke with Constance. She set up the table, and prepared breakfast, including coffee for Constance and tea for Maura.
Maura came back downstairs in lounge clothes. She enjoyed seeing Angela and Constance talking amiably.
They sat together for breakfast. Constance and Angela ate heartly.
"Maura, it is not because your mother is here that you will get away with not eating." Angela had noticed Maura barely touching the food on her plate. "Is it not to your liking? I can do something else if you prefer…"
"No, Angela, it is not that… I… I am… not really hungry…"
"Honey, you need to eat. I know you will give me some excuse later not to have lunch prior to church because you will be nervous about speaking in public. But you cannot go until after the cemetery service without eating anything. So you at least need to eat a hearty breakfast, okay?"
Constance observed the easy with which Angela admonished Maura, the gentleness in her voice, and the authentic concern in her features. This woman had just lost her oldest daughter. And here she was caring for hers with the same love and attention she probably dedicated to Jane.
Maura swallowed hard and nodded, dutifully going back to eat some more. Constance could see there was no pleasure for Maura to eat, but she knew her daughter understood it was not a matter of wanting, but of needing the energy to get her through the day.
"How is Tommy taking it, Angela?" Maura asked, realizing she had not thought about him.
"It is being harder on him, I guess, because I believe somewhere in his mind, he thought of Jane as his moral compass, you know? Frankie can be that, of course, but I think Frankie will always be competition, being a boy. I don't know… But at least he has been keeping out of trouble…"
Maura finished eating, and looked at Angela, who nodded at her approvingly. The exchange didn't escape Constance. She could learn a lot from those interactions, she realized, especially if Maura accepted to go with her to California and she had a chance to get to take care of her for a few weeks.
"Angela, would you like to see the flower arrangements I picked for the church?" Maura offered.
Angela kissed her temple. "No, honey, I trust your good taste. If I see the pictures I will start crying now."
Maura nodded.
"There is something else…" she began, looking at Angela.
"What is it, Maura?"
"Could you please come with me to my office? You can come too, mother." She looked from one woman to another.
They followed Maura.
"Jane… She read a book that inspired her to write messages to people. She… She asked me to go over the notebooks she was keeping, so I could separate the messages and hand them to people." Maura sighed, picking the pile of envelopes for the Rizzoli's.
"I don't know what they contain, I just know for who they were because I read the first line. She had one for you, and she have one for Frankie, Nina, TJ, even Stella, Vince and Frank Sr…"
Maura handed Angela the envelope with her name.
"Would it be okay if I asked everyone for coffee here after the cemetery, so I could hand these to them?" Maura hesitated, unsure of herself.
"I think is a good idea, Maura." Angela said, her voice breaking, holding the envelope tightly to her heart. "Thank you for doing this for her…"
"Of course." Maura lowered her eyes.
"I need to go to Tommy, and I will go from their home with him and TJ to church. Frankie will go with Nina and Stella. Would you like one of us to stop by to pick you up?"
"There is no need, Angela, don't worry. We will meet you there."
"See you later, then." Angela greeted them, kissing Maura's temple again, before moving to the guesthouse, the envelope with Jane's message clutched against her bosom.