Okay, I lied. Not much of this chapter has to do with the dinner itself. My wife was a great help in putting this one together as was Zarosguth, so this one goes out to them.
Protogenxl, although I laughed at Boston Legal, I really haven't gotten in to David Kelley's shows so I really don't have a clue about Ally McBeal, her mannerisms, history, she's a complete blank slate to me and I need some kind of knowledge to keep true to the character. And to every one else, I promise. I'm going to take care of my version of Olivia Benson.
To my guest. Alex is the same as Maura. Liv and Jane once shared a kiss and for Alex, she knows she hasn't done right by Liv and her own insecurities of that make her see Jane as a potential replacement. She has all but waited for Jane to step in and take over.
Thank you to Rolly21, I live for compliments like that one.
Here we go, Cue the R&I short jingle (short version of end credit music) but throw the guitar from the Castle jingle on the end. One last thought, a tip of the hat to my beta and editor, Zarosguth. I threw your line in here.
With the trash can overflowing, Jordan took a moment to yank the bag out and replace it before carrying it outside. In the courtyard she found Jane sitting sideways on her bike.
"Finally," she barked as Jordan deposited the bag into the can, "Do you know how long I have been waiting on you to take that bag out?"
Jordan turned her head slightly and furrowed her brow. "Is that why you ignored Ma when she told you to do it?"
Jane nodded, "I needed to talk to you away from everyone and I couldn't just pull you aside without Ma sticking her nose in."
A smile crossed her face as she bobbed her head in agreement. "That's Ma Rizzoli." Jordan glanced at the window and saw Angela hard at work on the casserole. "Better make it quick; since I'm her other set of hands she'll figure it out fast."
Jane stood up and pulled a little black box out of her pocket and handed it to Jordan. She looked at it in confusion before taking it and opening the box. Her breath caught at the single red ruby held tightly in the plain gold band. Jordan raised it closer to her face to get a better view of the stone.
"What do you think?" Jane said nervously as she bit her lip.
Jordan looked up, wide eyed. "Tonight?"
"Earlier. I want to do it before Pop gets here." She said, "I don't want there to be anything to sully this moment for her."
Jordan closed the box and handed it back, "That makes sense."
"I got reservations to Maura's favorite restaurant last week but…" She could tell Jane was nervous although the tough detective hid it well.
Jordan put a hand on her shoulder, "It'll be okay."
Jane shook it off, "I just want it to be special."
"It's coming from you so it will be special." She said and a thought spun in her head. "Do you know how you're going to do it?"
Jane thought about it for a minute, "Not really. I was just going to wait until it felt right and then get down on one knee."
"Oh, hell no!" Jordan said in a high voice and put a hand to her head. "Ugh, why do I always have to be the big sister?" She dropped it and looked at Jane. "Listen, I'll help you out on this but you need to work with me."
She laid out a plan and Jane was surprised at how quickly it could be done although there were a few details she needed to put together.
Jane groaned, "Why's it gotta get complicated? I like simple."
"There is nothing simple about a simple proposal." Jordan said, "It's all about setup and timing."
Groaning again Jane stuffed the box back in the pocket of her jeans. "It's bad enough that I gotta wear a dress. But seriously, this is supposed to be a very simple, very special moment."
Jordan smiled as she put an arm around Jane, "Jane, trust me. You already have the basics worked out. All I'm doing is adding some atmosphere. Do it just like I told you and it will be special. Do you know what you're going to say?"
Jane smiled, "That was the easiest part." Jane looked around and leaned into Jordan's ear and whispered. The older woman smiled happily.
"Simple, yet elegant." She smiled, "Perfect for your Maura."
"Jordan!" Angela called out. "Where'd you go?"
She huffed, "I'm outside catching up with Jane."
Angela stuck her head out, "Well get back in here; I need you." and vanished into the house.
Jordan laughed with Jane lightly, "See?" She punched Jane lightly in the shoulder, "Apparently I'm a better cook than you so now we cook together."
As Jordan got up Jane chuckled, "That's because I burn everything I touch."
Jordan stopped in the door, "I can try to show you in a way that's not… Ma."
Smiling, Jane shook her head, "Thank god Maura can cook like a top chef."
"Thank god, or you'd be even more skin and bones and I'd never hear the end of it." She went inside.
"HEY!" Jane shouted, "I'm all lean muscle."
Jane slipped into the tight black dress that she had specifically bought for this occasion. She hated dresses as a rule but when she looked into the mirror, she had to admit that she looked good and unlike most dresses she had worn, this one felt good too. The racer back straps were wide, supportive, and nicely displayed her shoulder muscles. The neck plunged just low enough to reveal the top of her skin between her breasts but still had a modest scoop. Its coverage was about the same as her favorite sports bra without the bottom band. It seemed to mold itself against her body like a glove.
The skirt of the dress was more like a wrap that started over her right hip and returned over her left so the two sides overlapped across the junction of her thighs but was a full length down to her ankles. Young, Fabulous, and Broke, even the name was ironic as she ran her hands down the three hundred dollar dress. She had bought it in New York a few days after she had purchased the ring and had it shipped here so she would not embarrass Maura when she took her out.
Her makeup was simple enough, just a light shadow over her eyelids and some lipstick to highlight her thin mouth. She didn't bother with jewelry, but she had exchanged her wallet for a small clutch for her license, credit card and the ring. She had never been one for a purse and in fact didn't care for her attaché case because it reminded her of a purse. But as a cop she had to deal with the fact that she required its use from time to time, just like the clutch she had now.
Jordan had broken away from her mother long enough to style her hair up so her slender neck wasn't hidden.
Having already told Maura that she wanted to take her out on a romantic afternoon in Boston, she had simply stated that Maura was to dress almost formally. She hadn't seen Maura since she had disappeared into the walk-in closet.
Jordan had again managed to duck Angela long enough to guide Maura towards the right attire while Jane had sequestered herself in the guest room to get ready. With the reservations already set it had only taken her twenty minutes to locate a few other things she would need. It was going to be perfect, just like the woman she was about to propose to.
Once she was ready, Jane took a deep breath and rubbed her hands over the beautiful dress, making sure it wasn't riding up somewhere. The only thing she didn't like was that with a dress like this she was forced to wear a thong, which she considered to be the most uncomfortable piece of underwear she had ever worn, mostly due to her butt feeling like it was nude and exposed. She'd have felt better wearing thigh length leggings but those were not appropriate for what she had planned.
She slipped her feet into the four inch heels, raising her overall height to six foot even, six-two if you counted her hair. She prayed that she didn't have to kick anyone's ass today or she was going to plant these stilettoes into someone's forehead. Opening her clutch, she deposited her phone inside and slipped the tiny strap over her shoulder. Giving herself one last look she turned and walked out to wait for Maura.
As Jane made her appearance in the living room, Angela dropped the pot she was carrying out of sheer stupefaction. It clanged loudly on the tile floor causing Jordan to spin around.
Jane blushed at the attention as Jordan beamed so wide she almost had dimples. Angela stood still, mesmerized by her daughter, and covered her mouth with her hand. After a few seconds she wiped a tear from her eye.
"Oh, Janie, you look absolutely gorgeous." She said, her voice cracking with emotion. "By the grace of god, I never thought I'd ever see you dressed up so beautifully."
Jane cringed, "Relax Ma. I can clean up good but real beauty should be down in a few minutes."
As if on cue, Maura entered the room from the stairs. Angela turned and would have fallen over had Jordan not steadied her.
Maura was a vision of grace and elegance in a beautiful scarlet dress with a matching shawl. The shoulders were completely exposed with the single strap that ran along her spine and rejoined the dress mid back with a ruffled drape below her right arm. Jane knew that her shoulder was the reason Maura had elected to have the shawl, she wasn't as comfortable with the two puckered scars on her right shoulder as Jane was with her own scars.
But the dress was gorgeous as it showed her lover's hour glass shape and large breasts as well as her shapely toned butt beautifully. The bodice displayed one side of her collarbone in its entirety as it gathered to the strap on her left and Jane couldn't help but feel underdressed. Maura's hair had been teased and loosely curled to perfection and her makeup was flawless. Her heels were in her hand as she looked up at her lover and felt a shiver run through her. Ordinarily, she and Jane were eye to eye, mostly due to her tendency to wear heels but with Jane standing in those pumps, she towered above her and she loved it.
"Actually," Maura said with a breathy voice, "true beauty has been waiting on me and I feel as if I am… underdressed."
Her feet clacked loudly on the hardwood floor as Jane took three steps and wrapped her arms around her lover. She had to bend down far more than usual to kiss her delicately before she smiled.
"Baby, I'm always underdressed next to you." The heated look in her smoldering brown eyes was unmistakable. "You don't have to look beautiful because you are beauty incarnate."
Her heart racing Maura dropped her heels to the floor and stepped into them so she could kiss Jane fully.
A snap of a camera broke the moment and as they turned, Jordan fired the camera again.
"I got it Ma."
"Good." She said blissfully. "Janie, would you and Maura pose nicely for a picture?"
Jane raised a finely arched eyebrow and stared, "Really, Ma? You snap off two pictures and now you want a posed one?"
"Jane," Maura chided, "Let's humor her before we leave for the afternoon."
This elicited another groan from Jane, but she complied as she always did when it came to Maura.
Jordan took a few more pictures and finally set the camera down as Angela rushed to embrace her girls. Jane stopped her with two hands on her shoulders.
"Oh no." She barked, "This rig wasn't cheap so no squeezing." She was going to tell her mother how much she had paid for the dress but refrained. Maura's purse probably cost more, but it was the effort that mattered and Jane had never spent so much as she had in the last month. It was a good thing that she'd been saving for the last few years or her credit card would have shattered by now.
Angela nodded as she turned to Maura who embraced her warmly. "I will give you two to make up for the loss."
Jordan smiled as she looked over Jane's outfit from her hair down to the black stilettoes. "I can't believe I'm looking at the same person. You look stunning Jane. What style is this dress? It's gorgeous."
"Um," Jane cringed, "They called it a Sassy Maxi. I just thought that it fit so nice. I didn't know that Maura was going to wear a gorgeous gown like that or I would have picked out something else."
Only with Maura was Jane so self-conscious.
Slim arms slipped around her waist, "You are gorgeous, my love. And that dress is very flattering on you."
"Your shoes cost more." She said with a pouty lip. "I don't want to embarrass you."
"Jane!" Maura squealed, "You are gorgeous and that dress shows off just how gorgeous you are. You won't embarrass me because I will be proud to walk beside you wherever we go today."
There was a knock on the door and Kieran came in. He did a double take at his benefactor and girlfriend before clearing his throat. "Excuse me, Jane." He said in a thick brogue. "There is a car out front waiting for you."
Jane nodded, "Thanks Kieran." She hated this odd butler routine he did, but today wasn't the day to try to correct him, not that it would work anyway.
She held her arm out in a gentlemanly fashion and Maura smiled as she slipped her hand around the arm.
Jane looked back at her Ma, "Okay, we'll be back later."
"Don't you dare be late for dinner, Janie." Angela shouted, "I want you both back here by five!"
Jane waved her free hand at them as she walked Maura out.
"L'amour" on Boylston
"I remember the first time you brought me here." Jane said as she sipped lightly at the house red. "That was what, about four years ago?"
Maura smiled, "I remember that you balked at the prices on the menu."
"Hey, I was a poor cop just off of medical leave." She replied with a smile and under her breath she added, "I'm still a poor cop." Louder she said, "I remember that it was only a few days after we pretended to be lesbians to get you away from Giovanni."
Maura groaned, "Oh, he was just disgusting; he wanted to lick my face."
Jane laughed. "He's a shlub, Maura. There's no getting around that."
"You were right about him but you were definitely wrong about one thing that was said then."
Jane raised an eyebrow, "And that was…?"
"I did fall in love with a blue collar Boston Italian." Maura said, "Just not that one."
This got a small laugh out of Jane, "But again, I'm interesting."
"And I definitely want to sleep with you." Maura amended to that conversation.
The waiter came up quietly and asked if they were interested in a desert. Maura politely passed, as did Jane. He discretely set the bill in the leather booklet on Maura's side of the table. Jane glared at him but kept her temper in check.
"Excuse me." She said calmly, "May I have the bill please?"
He turned his attention to her and then looked to Maura for confirmation. She ignored him, knowing that Jane needed to be the one in charge at that moment.
He took a minute too long for Jane's liking, "Excuse me."
He looked at her and she smiled, "I believe that you handed the bill with the wrong person at this table. May I have the check please?"
He picked it up and looked back to Maura. "You did. It's my girlfriend's date."
He nodded and handed the bill book to Jane. She caught him before he left and after placing her credit card in the slot handed it back.
The waiter backed away and headed towards the front.
"Ugh, why is it that everyone assumes that I'm here as your guest?" She grumbled, "Like I can't take a beautiful woman out on a date."
Maura smiled kindly and rested her hand on her love again. "Jane. Although he was quite rude, I doubt that he meant to deliberately insult you."
She sighed heavily. "I need to use the ladies room, would you excuse me?"
"Of course." Maura said as Jane slowly stood up and kissed her gently before walking away.
Jane walked right by the Waiter's Station on her way to the restroom and smirked at the waiter. "Did it go through?" She said sarcastically without even breaking stride as she dug her phone out of her clutch. She dialed a number and when the line opened she simply said, "Fifteen minutes."
"You got it, Ms. Rizzoli," came the thick colonial accent.
She hung up and washed her hands in the ornate sink.
As they stepped out onto Boylston, Jane smiled at the beautiful sunny day they had been greeted with earlier. She wished she had brought some sunglasses but more than anything she wanted that eye connection today. Maura smiled as Jane's eyes met hers. By god how she loved this woman.
Jane looked around in confusion as the Town car they had arrived in was conspicuously missing.
Maura took her arm, "It's a beautiful day and we're not very far from home, we could just walk together."
Jane groaned heavily, "Awe Maura come on, these heels are killing me!" It took all of her concentration not to laugh or otherwise give away the surprise. She heard the high pitched whinny of a horse as a carriage slowed to a stop not far away. The driver dresses in a colonial period suit climbed down and walked to a small newspaper stand. Jane smiled at Maura.
"How about a carriage ride?" She said with a happy smugness that was typical Jane.
Maura shook her head, "You are both the most opportunistic and most romantic woman I know."
She let Jane lead her down to the carriage and the gentleman smiled and tipped his top hat to them.
"My ladies," He said in a colonial Boston accent. "It would appear that my two thirty has cancelled at the last minute, would either of you be interested in a carriage ride?"
Jane smiled, "It's like you knew."
He pulled his hat off and placed it to his chest before bowing. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gilbert Finnegan and the lovely creature in front of this fine carriage is Lady Isabelle."
Lady Isabelle was a beautiful white Percheron with dusty black hooves. The carriage was a typical white number with velvet red seats and a small red canopy in the passenger area. The wheels were wooden spokes and were nearly four feet high while the fronts were not as tall. The trim was hand painted in gold and it was clear that the carriage was well taken care of. Maura eyed the animal carefully before she would step up onto the carriage. She, like Jane, had heard many stories of carriage horses being worked to death.
"I can see that you are familiar with equines, my lady." Mr. Finnegan nodded approvingly, "Feel free to examine Lady Isabelle at your leisure. She is a year shy of twenty and is in peak physical condition. I do not allow the company to push her too hard for we are old friends. She was one of the first horses that I learned to ride on when I was but thirteen."
Maura nodded as she patted the horse on several key places of her flanks. "She seems well taken care of."
"Of course," he said proudly, "I'm her only coachman. She tends to get grouchy with others so when I have time off, so does she."
Maura nodded her approval as she gently ran a hand down the horse's long muzzle. "Hello Lady Isabelle. Would you like to take us for a ride?"
The horse nickered happily at her and Maura smiled. Jane stepped carefully up to the horse and held a gentle hand along her long face. The horse gently bumped her head against Jane's hand and neighed. Jane laughed softly as she stroked the elegant beast gently. The horse snorted at them and Mr. Finnegan laughed.
"You both have a way with horses, I must say." He said cheerfully. "She likes you both."
Maura smiled as Jane rested her forehead on the mare's cheek.
She heard Jane whispering in Italian but could only pick up a few words.
"Hello, my lady. Please be kind to my love today for this is a special day."
She opened her eyes as the horse butted her head gently on Jane. She ran another hand down its face, "Grazié."
Mr. Finnegan stepped back to allow Jane to help Maura into the carriage and then he held his hand up in assistance. Jane took the hand and allowed him to help her up in the same fashion before he too climbed in.
"So where would you like to go today ladies? A tour of the Commons and Beacon Hill?"
Jane smiled again, "How about a trip along the waterfront by way of Boylston and BPD Division One? Then you can bring us back to the Commons and drop us at our home in Beacon Hill."
He nodded, "Sounds wonderful." He said, "And since you're Boston natives can I assume you don't need me to point out the sights?"
They chuckled together before Jane replied, "My girlfriend is the original walking Google. She probably knows more about Boston than you and I put together."
He laughed at that. "I see. Well then, enjoy the ride." He took the reins and a gentle shake got Lady Isabelle to a gentle canter.
Unfortunately the first intersection they had to pass through was where Jane's partner, Detective Berry frost had died in a car accident last Christmas. Jane's heart ached at the thought of the young man who had shown a great deal of potential and amazing instincts. Barry had died far too soon in his life and Jane was constantly plagued with thoughts of what she might have done differently that could have resulted in Barry not being in that car with Rick that night.
She looked over at the new light post that stood where the car had knocked it over that night. A marker plate had been attached to the post and Jane caught sight of the name Frost.
Mr. Finnegan!" She shouted.
He spun his head to look at her.
"Could you pull over or get closer to that post?" She stood up and pointed at the marker.
He looked over and nodded. "That's a Memorial Marker." He said. "A Boston Police Officer lost his life there."
He pulled the carriage aside and flicked on a small switch under the buckboard, a series of small, amber LEDs blinked along the back of the carriage as he stopped in next to the marker. Jane and Maura both looked over the bronze plate.
Memorial Marker. On December 23rd, 2013, Boston Police Detective Barold Frost lost his life in a vehicular collision with a drunk driver after Christmas Shopping with a friend. This marker was erected by his friends and colleagues from the Boston Police Homicide Unit. "We were all enriched by his presence and we are all diminished by his absence, but he will never be forgotten so long as we keep him in our hearts." Quoted from his memorial by his partner, Detective Francesco Rizzoli, BPD Div. 1 Homicide.
Finnegan turned to see the two women holding each other tightly as tears fell from their eyes. He pulled his handkerchief out and held it up to Ms. Rizzoli.
RIZZOLI! He looked back at them as Jane took the cloth. "I take it he was a friend of yours."
Jane looked up as Maura dabbed at her eyes. "He was my partner before I moved to New York. After that he was partnered with my brother Frankie."
Finnegan nodded. "Would you like a few moments?"
Jane stood up and kissed her hand before touching it to the plate. Maura did the same and Jane nodded to him to continue.
Another gentle flick of the reins and they were off again.
As they passed the Commons, both became happier again as they pointed out things from their past. He knew he probably shouldn't but he listened in anyway.
"Hey, right there was where we discovered that accountant." She said, "It was like the second scene we ever worked together."
Maura nodded, "You got suspended that day."
"Hey, punching out Crowe was the highlight of that day." She laughed, "Do you have any idea how long I waited to do that?"
Maura cuddled into Jane's shoulder. "Yes my love, since the day you got into Homicide."
Finnegan chuckled endlessly as they recounted amusing stories from their passed including a brief stop in front of Division One where he laughed unmercifully as Jane explained how her love had mistaken her for a hooker on their first meeting. They were very good natured people and he was enjoying the ride almost as much as they were.
When he had returned them to the Commons, Jane had asked him to drop them near the Commons' Visitor Center and meet them at Spruce and Beacon for the ride home. Finnegan graciously agreed and smiled as he helped Jane down and she in turn helped Maura down. He smiled wide as he thought of what he was to do next. As Maura turned toward the park, he got the look from Jane.
"Excuse me, Dr. Isles." He said formally. Maura turned back to him.
"Yes?"
"This was left in the carriage." He said as he held the box up. "I believe it was intended for you."
Maura took the box and her heart thudded in her chest as she opened it. Inside was a beautiful 24 karat gold ring with a sizeable ruby set in the center. She spun around and saw Jane on one knee, hands placed neatly on her exposed knee. Maura felt the air rush out of her lungs and she did that breathing thing that Jane didn't like but the last thing she wanted to do now was to pass out.
Jane's smile grew as she held her hand out for the box. Maura placed it in the scarred palm and Jane gently removed the ring.
"'I knew the second I met you that there was something about you that I needed. Turns out it wasn't something about you. It was just you.' Those lines came from a book that you lent me and caused me to have my Awakening. I realized then that I was hopelessly in love with you and that all I ever truly wanted was to marry you, have a family with you and grow old with you." She slipped the ring on Maura's finger. "Maura Dorothea Isles, will you marry me?"
"Oh Jane!" Maura gasped, "OH, JANE! YES! YES! YES! Of course I'll marry you!" She threw her arms around Jane, knocking them both to the grass as she kissed the hell out of her, right there in public. Several bystanders who were watching applauded, whistled, and cheered as Maura held on to Jane so tightly that it put all of Angela's hugs to shame.
It didn't matter to Jane, Maura had said yes.
Finnegan pulled up in front of Maura's Beacon Hill home and pulled Lady Isabelle to a stop. The horse whinnied happily as Finnegan again helped Jane out before stepping away for Jane to help her fiancé out. This was definitely one of the best proposals he had witnessed.
"Milady Jane," he said, "It was a pleasure to be your coachman for the afternoon and I wish you and your new bride many happy years to come."
"Thank you, Mr. Finnegan." She said as she shook his hand, "And thank you for coming out on your day off to do this."
He smiled and placed his top hat to his chest and bowed again, "It was truly my pleasure." He replaced the hat and mounted the carriage, before tipping his hat to them again. "Fare thee well, Milady Jane and Milady Maura. Fare thee well."
A flick of the wrist and Lady Isabelle was trotting along the street on her trek home.
"His day off?" Maura said and eyed her fiancé.
"Yeah," Jane said nonchalantly as she walked her fiancé towards the house. "I had it all arranged this morning. The car was just to take us to the restaurant. I was Mr. Finnegan's two thirty though I wasn't sure how long we'd be eating so I had him around the corner at two thirty, getting lunch on me. I called him from the bathroom to let him know we were leaving so he had the carriage outside waiting."
"Oh Jane." Maura said, "You are so deceptively romantic." She slid her arm around Jane's. "And I love you more than anything."
Jane smiled and kissed her at the door. After a few minutes the fire of their passion was started again and they were fumbling with the knob when Jordan opened the door.
"Ma's out at Whole Foods so upstairs." She said.
Both women kicked off their heels and ran up the stairs, Jane slightly behind Maura in their rush to bed.
Jordan laughed as they ran like teenagers who were just told by the cool big sister that they had a time limit to get busy.
"Oh, to be so young again." She said as she returned to the kitchen.
As they finished all of the prep work and dinner was placed in the oven, Angela turned the kitchen over to Jordan and located Jane before heading upstairs to find Maura. She still had a few questions for the genius that she wanted answers to. She walked into their bedroom and heard Jane's rock music coming from the bathroom. She peaked around the corner and found Maura standing in front of the mirror in her bathrobe with a pillow stuffed under it.
Maura was turned to give herself a side profile and ran a hand over the faux distended belly and smiled.
Angela couldn't help but get excited at the idea of Maura pregnant, "You're going to be a beautiful mother."
The honey blonde jumped at the voice, startled and slightly embarrassed that she had been caught daydreaming of a baby. More than that, she had promised Jane that she wouldn't say anything about the engagement until they made the announcement at dinner tonight. "I'm sorry, Ma. I didn't hear you come in." She said as she pulled the pillow out of her robe. "I… I was…"
Angela stepped in and put an arm around the younger woman, "I did the same thing when I found out I was pregnant with Janie."
In an effort to shield the engagement, Maura diverted the subject. "I've studied the medical, biological and psychological changes that happen to a body during pregnancy but there is so much that can't be scientifically catalogued. What does it feel like to have something growing inside you?"
A distant look and a slightly lopsided grin graced Angela's features. "For me it was both amazing and horrifying. I felt so feminine when I was pregnant with Janie but sometimes, just sometimes, I felt like a stranger in my own body. It was almost magical for the first few months and then after a while it had me worried a lot. I was always questioning whether or not I'd be a good mother, if my child would be healthy and safe, and if I was eating enough good food because I was always getting strong cravings for Chinese which I still blame Janie for. Mood swings were the worst; I'd question if Frank loved me, if I was ugly and fat. Frank worked so much back then that I was convinced he was having an affair but every time I drove by a job I'd see his van there and usually could see him in the window under a kitchen sink or carrying those copper pipes. By the end I was ready to boot Janie out on her baby butt. That was, until I held her for the first time." Angela looked up at Maura, "It made it all worth it; seeing that huge dimpled smile and those thin black curls of hair as she lay in my arms for the very first time."
Completely enraptured with Angela's past, Maura felt her heart fluttering. "I'm already worried about being a good mother."
The Rizzoli Matriarch threw her arms around her, "You'll be a great mother and so will Janie. Remember that a mother knows these things. Your baby will be as smart as you and as tough as Janie. She'll be a gift to the world and then you and Janie will know why I love you two so much."
Maura embraced her then. The same way she always wanted to do to her own mother but Constance would have frowned on such unrestricted emotion.
"So do you know what you want to have?"
"Jane is hoping for a girl." Maura said.
Angela looked up at her again, "And you?"
A slight smile, "I'd love to see a baby girl who looks like Jane and I. But a boy would be wonderful too."
It was a wonderful thought.