Author's note: thank you very much for all your reviews and suggestions.

Chapter Sixteen: How To Start A New Page

"Here we are." Jane took a deep breath – turned around to look at Maura – and burst out laughing as she locked her eyes with her partner's.

The night had been short. Curiously enough. She had never imagined that the perspective of getting married would prevent her from sleeping. She respected the idea of marriage – and liked it, or else she would not have proposed Maura – but she saw it as something rather simple. Symbolical – and important – but quite simple in the end. Yet she had barely managed to close her eyes as a thousand wonders had bumped into each other in her mind.

They weren't doubts. Just anecdotes coming back, by waves. A life made of choices, different paths taken.

"It is strange, isn't it?" Sipping on her tea and wrapped in a bathrobe, Maura laughed away that odd feeling floating around. She grabbed a muffin and eagerly bit into it. "I would have never imagined a year ago that we would be here, today."

Jane let her hand caress her dress almost absentmindedly. She hadn't dared to put it on yet. She had been looking at it for so long that the piece of clothing now looked impressive, intimidating. Besides, she was still having breakfast so – with the luck she had – it was better to make sure that she really was over with jam before trying it on.

"Aren't you surprised that ma' didn't try to bother us, this morning? I would have actually bet that... I don't know... That she would just go on my nerves as she usually does."

"You threatened her of cancelling the wedding if she did, Jane." Maura made a face and repressed a yawn.

The brunette nodded – stood up – and looked around.

"Okay. True enough." She went to the desk where the wedding bands were sagely waiting in their respective boxes. She opened hers. "And we all know she has been waiting for this moment since the day she gave birth to me."

A knock on the door interrupted the conversation. Smirking, Maura went to open; mug in hand. It was true that – against all expectations – nobody had come so far to see if they were doing alright. Or at least not until now.

"Amy. Good morning. What can I do for you?"

Leaned against the door frame, the socialite winked at her cousin then motioned at someone in her back to approach. Two of Jane's relatives appeared as well as Apolline.

"It was really nice of you to decide to get married in Harvard but it is bloody impossible to find at least one store that sells Chanel nail varnish which we absolutely need."

Maura blinked, pouted.

"Which color?"

Amy rolled her eyes and made her way into the room; soon followed by the three other women. She waved at Jane – turned around – and smiled at Maura.

"Red, of course!"

...

Sat in an armchair, Maura repressed a sigh and abandoned the contemplation of her cousins to look at Jane who was sitting by her side. The four women had been in the room for thirty minutes now – fighting over nail varnish color – and none of them seemed to feel the urge to leave any time soon.

She might love having relatives around, it was nonetheless not really how she had imagined to get ready for her wedding. It was too noisy. Not intimate enough.

"Hey, Yankees. Shouldn't you get ready?" Amy looked up from her manicure and smiled at Maura. "I don't have all my time to take this selfie of us with the two of you in your wedding dresses so... Come one, hurry up. Although, no. Wait. I need to go to the bathroom first."

Maura laughed away the socialite's monologue and finally stood up to go grab her dress. She cast a glance at Jane. The Italian looked terrified.

"Is there something wrong?" The honey blonde's voice resounded low – a bit worried – but warm.

Jane shook her head and hesitantly put a foot on the ground before standing up as well. She walked to Maura and shrugged. Their cousins were barely paying attention to them, giggling around like a bunch of school girls. They seemed happy. And light.

Jane felt anxious and on the verge of passing out.

"You look tense." Maura passed a hand – one she hoped soothing enough – on her lover's shoulders and massaged them a bit before letting her lips approach Jane's ear. "Relax. I promise that I won't – and you know that I can't lie – say no."

"Oh come on, girls. Hurry up a little!" Back from the bathroom, Amy shook her head in despair at both women then turned around to address the rest of the crowd. "Apolline and Gina, time to help Maura. Giulia... Come with me, darling. We need to get Jane ready." She grabbed a bottle of wine that she had ordered a bit earlier then took a sip before smiling at the future brides. "Believe me, I have attended enough weddings to know that you will thank me afterward for helping you in these very special moments. We will leave you alone right after. Where is your dress, Jane?"

The detective – completely taken aback – grabbed the piece of clothing and took it out of its white protection. But as doing so, her smile suddenly froze. She stopped – looked around – and sniffed the dress.

"It smells of strawberry."

Already in the hands of Apolline and Gina, Maura's eyes widened. She turned around before casting a desperate look at Amy. Many things had happened within the last twenty-four hours. Too many, to the point that she had forgotten about the strawberry juice incident. After all, once it had got back under control, she hadn't really cared about it anymore.

"Chanel?" Amy forced a smile.

Jane laughed and let the socialite – as well as Giulia – help her with the dress. Once on, she shook her head at Maura's cousin.

"Do you have a deal with Chanel that you need to wear it from head to toe? Or better said, from nail to... Clothes?"

Maura's giggles in her back resounded loud, contrasting sharply with Amy's horrified face. Cigarette in hand, the British woman put a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow in disapproval.

"Yankee... A wedding without Chanel is not a wedding I attend. Now tell me what you want to do with your hair or I start calling you Strawberry Shortcakes."

An hour later – and by some magic Jane would never be able to properly explain – she got to find herself by the doors of an old bandstand of the campus reconverted for the occasion in their very own ceremony place. In a world of white, the snow glowing everywhere around.

Small bouquet of holly in hand matching Maura's and contrasting softly with the champagne shade of their dresses – braving the cold with her short cashmere cape – she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The world had turned quiet. She could feel Maura's presence by her side but all the tumult of the past hour had suddenly vanished and she was now embracing the last minutes of a page they were about to turn. Together.

"Do you think that it is going to change everything?"

Maura's question hit the air with a delicate honesty. Jane smiled – laughed actually – and shrugged. She bit her lips, remembering too late that she was wearing lipstick.

"Damn." She pressed her lips together in the hope to save whatever was left of Amy's work before focusing back on the honey blonde's question. "I don't think so. I don't know... Do you?"

A bit in disbelief, Maura turned around and frowned at Jane.

"Why of course not. I wouldn't be asking you if I actually had the answer. This was not a rhetorical question, Jane."

The Italian rolled her eyes.

"Do you really think it's the best moment to go all philosophical and existential, Maur'? Damn, ask me again in five years. Maybe I'll be able to tell you by then. All I know is that – right now – there's a whole group of people waiting for us and maybe that's what we should focus on. Gosh... You really know how to freak me out at the worst moment."

Maura gasped – widened her eyes – and gently snapped her partner's shoulder.

"How dare you! I haven't stopped telling you to relax this week. Take this as a last-minute thought." She adjusted her dress, lifted her chin in defiance. "Perhaps people should actually wonder about it before getting married. That would spare them a divorce."

"See. And now you're talking about divorces. You're going to jinx it." Troubled, Jane made a step on the side. She slid – lost her balance – and landed heavily in the snow.

Shocked, Maura remained still for long seconds before finally bursting out laughing.

"Ah great. Perfect." Mumbling between her teeth, Jane tried desperately to stand up on her own but the ground was sliding too much. She gladly accepted the blonde's hand and looked at her dress. "How can you laugh?"

"It must be the nerves, I am sorry. Although you have to recognize that it is rather funny. A second ago, you were talking about being jinxed and there you are; falling right in the snow. Good thing you chose to wear satin." Maura adjusted the piece of clothing."It is spotless. You are perfect, don't be worried."

A smile appeared timidly on Jane's lips. She shrugged – straightened up – and grabbed her partner's hand. Ready to enter the small building.

"No more existential question, okay?"

Maura nodded.

"Obviously."