As promised, here's the next chapter. Thanks for waiting patiently for it. Admittedly, this chapter isn't my favorite, but you can blame my foggy head and cold medicine for any issues you find with it. I'm a little under the weather, but plan to get another update up either tomorrow or Tuesday.

Happy reading!

Maura clutched the phone in a clammy hand as she sat on the end of the bed in the early morning light. She was suddenly struck with a sense of déjà vu, remembering the fateful phone call to her mother nearly four years ago. Maura was just as nervous to call her mother this time, but Jane's presence at the end of the bed was thankfully, very comforting. Jane yawned and leaned over to kiss Maura's cheek, grabbing Maura's free hand and wrapping both of her hands around it.

"Everything is going to be okay Maur." Jane's voice was low and gravelly, as she had woken up only moments ago. "Stop agonizing and just call her."

Maura knew Jane was right, but her mother's unpredictable moods and cool, distant demeanor was always disconcerting and difficult to deal with. Ever since they had found out Maura was pregnant eight weeks ago, Maura had been feeling an overwhelming sense of need to reconnect with her mother. Seeing how excited Angela and the rest of Jane's family had been when they announced their pregnancy had sparked a certain yearning within Maura to attempt reconciliation with Constance. Truthfully, Maura wasn't hopeful that anything would come from this phone call, but Jane had pointed out several times that a simple phone call was not going to make matters worse, a truth that stung, but provided Maura with a small amount of reassurance.

"Well?" Jane looked at her expectantly.

"Maybe I should check on Jack first. He might be awake." Maura couldn't look Jane in the eye.

"You and I both know that Jack is still dead to the world. It's five-fifteen in the morning." Jane chuckled. "And besides, you checked on him less than five minutes ago."

Maura looked down at the phone in her hand and swallowed. "Right." Maura's eyes moved from the phone to the small bump of her abdomen visible beneath her robe. Maura couldn't help but smile briefly as she allowed herself to think about the baby growing inside of her, remembering how she wanted to share the news with her mother. Taking a deep breath, Maura exhaled slowly and began to dial her mother's number. As the phone started to ring, Maura tried to think about how long it had been since she had last spoken to her mother. She didn't even have enough time to contemplate it fully, when her mother answered the phone after only a couple of rings.

"Hello Maura." Constance's crisply accented voice came across the line.

Maura's heart thundered in her chest for several seconds before she was able to respond.

"Maura dear…is that you?"

"Hel…hello mother." Maura stammered. "How are you?" Maura glanced over at Jane who smiled reassuringly.

There was a short pause. "I am fine, thank you." Constance replied with her usual response. There was another pause before her mother spoke again, this time more softly. "It has been quite some time, hasn't it Maura."

"It has." Maura murmured in response.

"Are you alright, dear?" Maura was surprised to hear concern in her mother's voice.

"Yes, of course. More than alright, actually." Maura smiled as one of Jane's hands slipped underneath her robe and rested on her baby bump. "I know we haven't spoken in quite some time, but Jane and I have some news that we wanted to share with you." Maura bit her lip, suddenly second-guessing the decision to call her mother. She pushed back the nagging doubts and went for it. "I'm pregnant. Jane and I are having a baby."

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds, and Maura could tell her normally unflappable mother was caught off-guard. Even when she had announced her Las Vegas nuptials to her mother, there was no silence, just anger and shame from Constance.

"Congratulations dear." Constance finally replied, and Maura was surprised once again at how genuine her mother's congratulations felt. "How far along are you?"

"Fifteen weeks." Maura smiled again as Jane bent to kiss her stomach. "I am due September 4th." Her smile faded as she tried to remember if she had told her mother about Jack yet. Struggling to remember the date of their last conversation, she eventually gave up. "We already have a son, Jack, so this will make you a grandmother for a second time."

The pause that followed was so long that Maura started to think that the connection was lost. "Mother? Are you there?"

Maura could hear some noises on the other end, which sounded suspiciously like crying. Maura didn't think for one second that her mother was actually crying…she had never seen her mother cry. Of course, she had seen evidence that her mother had cried several times, most notably around the time of her father's death, but Maura had yet to actually witness her mother crying. But the quiet sniffles on her mother's end were starting to resonate with Maura. She was just about to ask if her mother was okay when Constance finally spoke.

"I…I've missed so much." Constance's quiet and tearful admission hit Maura like a ton of bricks. "I…I'm so sorry." She whispered.

Maura shut her eyes tightly, trying to push back the tears that she knew were going to fall anyway. Jane moved quickly to wrap a protective arm around her shoulders and pull her close. Maura relished the contact and leaned into Jane.

"I'm so sorry Maura." Constance repeated, more forcefully this time. "I've let my pride and arrogance and bitterness prevent me from seeing that the one thing that I am truly proud of in this life is you." Constance choked back a sob. "I can't believe I missed so much of your life."

Maura listened to her mother sobbing quietly and was trying to process the mixture of emotions that were descending upon her. She was, truthfully, a little in shock over her mother's emotional reaction, but was also struggling through her own feelings of anger and hurt of all the years their relationship had been strained. Maura pulled her hand from Jane's and brushed back some of the tears that had escaped.

"Mother…come visit." Maura blurted out. "I want you to be in my life…in our life." She looked up at Jane through her tears. "I…I want you to meet Jack and to be a part of his life…of this baby's life. Please…come to Boston."

Constance sniffled a few times. "How can you even want to speak to me after how poorly I have behaved?"

Another wave of tears slid down Maura's cheeks. "You're my mother." She stated simply. "The past is the past, and I want you in my life. I can't say that this will come easily to either of us, but I want…I think we should at least try."

"Yes…I would like that very much. To try." Constance replied. Maura could hear her take a deep breath as if she was trying to compose herself. "God…I have somehow managed to become a blubbering mess in the last several minutes." Constance chuckled dryly.

Maura let out a laugh, finally seeing a side of her mother that was very rarely displayed publicly. She brushed back the tears from her face once more and relaxed into Jane's embrace.

"So…Maura, dear…tell me about this…Jack fellow." Constance started. "I want to know all about my grandchild."

Maura smiled and got to her feet, not sure of where to begin. Jane seemed to sense she was no longer needed and kissed Maura's temple and headed to check on Jack. As she shut the door to their bedroom she heard Maura's soft laughter and the beginnings of her wife's reply.

"Well, he's four, he's a complete handful, but he is the sweetest little boy…"

Jane smiled as she quietly opened her son's door and slipped into his room to snuggle.

A couple hours later, Maura was still sitting on the end of her bed, staring at the phone in her hand in disbelief as her alarm clock blared. She contemplated the conversation with her mother as she swiftly moved to shut off the obnoxious noise. As she did, she realized Jane and Jack were noticeably absent. As Maura's pregnancy progressed, the morning sickness and sheer exhaustion had been taking its toll on her, and more often than not, she found herself snuggled in bed with Jane and Jack each morning, forgoing her normal two-hour morning routine for extra sleep and snuggles. It had quickly become a favorite part of her day, and found herself missing it on days when it didn't happen. Maura placed the phone back in the charging station and went in search of her missing wife and son.

Her instincts told her that Jane was likely in Jack's room, so after listening in the hallway for telltale signs of Jane and Jack downstairs, she confirmed this suspicion and made her way into Jack's room. As she opened the door, her heart tugged at the sight before her. Jane was sprawled out across the bed, her long and lean frame almost too small for the child-sized bed. Jack was curled up on his side, his head resting on Jane's chest. Maura had to stifle a laugh, as both of their mouths were wide open in deep slumber, and a small trickle of drool from Jack's mouth was pooling on Jane's t-shirt. Maura perched herself in the small space on the edge of the bed that was left and bent to kiss each of their foreheads, first Jack's, then Jane's.

Not surprisingly, Jack stirred with a quiet moan, his little forehead crinkling as he nuzzled his face deeper into Jane's shirt. He was starting to become difficult to wake up, definitely taking after Jane who was notoriously not a morning person. Maura ran a finger across his cheek and turned to find Jane's chocolate eyes fixed sleepily on her.

"What time is it?" Jane asked as she rubbed her eyes.

"Eight-thirty." Maura replied, bending down to kiss her wife's lips. "The movers are going to be here in a couple hours. We need to get Jack dressed and fed and off to your mother's."

Jane raised a hand to rake through her hair as she exhaled slowly. "Shit…I forgot it was moving day." She groaned and struggled to sit up after extricating herself from under Jack. "I hate moving." She whined.

Maura frowned and rolled her eyes. "That's why we hired the movers. Besides, you and I both agreed we were quickly outgrowing this house" Jane's eyes moved to her swollen abdomen. "And watch your language around him! The other day I caught him swearing after he broke one of his toys!" She raised an eyebrow and motioned toward their groggy son still in bed. "Now, do you want to finish packing the things in the living room or get Jack up and off to your mother's house?"

Jane paused, trying to figure out which of the tasks she was going to hate less. She absolutely despised packing, but dealing with a whiny and grumpy four-year-old didn't seem like much fun either. "I'll deal with Jack." She said resignedly.

Maura nodded, and pressed another kiss to both of their faces. "I'm just going to get cleaned up and then I will get started on the rest of the packing."

Jane almost scowled at the look of pure joy on her wife's face at the prospect of packing and organizing. She shook her head as Maura exited the room. Just as Jane placed her feet on the floor, she realized Maura's good mood may have had something to do with the positive conversation with Constance. Jane turned to rouse her son, making a mental note as she did to ask Maura about the rest of her conversation when the chaos was over later. Then, she took a deep breath and pulled the covers off her son, bracing herself for the coming tantrum.

"Come on Jack. Time to get up."

Several long and back-breaking hours later, Jane found herself in their new house, spinning slowly in the living room as she took in the new space. It felt strange to be in what was now their new home, filled with all of their furniture and personal items, but still not fully-unpacked and feeling very foreign. Shortly after finding out that Maura was pregnant, they had come to the decision that they were fast outgrowing their home, and that a move was inevitable. They had looked at several homes, finally settling on a five-bedroom house in Chestnut Hill, complete with a sizeable backyard and within walking distance from a couple parks. Jane had turned up her nose at the area at first, feeling a little out-of-place in such a wealthy area, but once she had looked at the property, she knew the move was going to benefit her quickly growing family.

Thankfully, the day had gone off without a hitch, the movers quickly and efficiently shuttling their furniture from the old house to the new one. Jane had helped where she was able, considering Maura shouldn't be lifting too much in her condition, and now that she had stopped moving, Jane was feeling the effects of the non-stop work. Jane sighed and slumped down onto the familiar couch, letting out a big sigh as she did.

She sat there for several minutes, her eyes glazed over as exhaustion set in. It dawned on her that in the chaos of the day, she hadn't even had a chance to ask Maura about her mother. Groaning as she got to her feet, Jane went in search of her wife, hoping to ask her about her conversation with Constance as they got ready for bed. Jane locked the front door and shut off the lights in the downstairs before trudging up the stairs. Her first stop was Jack's room, thinking that Maura was likely still there after putting him to bed. He had been excited about sleeping in his new room and had been a handful to put to bed. Jane smiled as she thought about her son, opening his door slowly to find the room dark, Jack fast asleep, and Maura noticeably absent. Jane closed the door and headed back the way she came, first checking the guest room and their bedroom for Maura before noticing the light on in the nursery. Jane quickly deduced her wife's whereabouts and headed into the nursery. She paused on the threshold, leaning against the doorway and taking in the sight of Maura fast asleep in the rocking chair.

Not wanting to wake Maura just yet, Jane slowly looked around the room. Before they had moved, they had painted the walls a pale yellow. The beautiful wooden furniture they had bought for when they had Leah was now in place, the color of the rich chestnut wood matching the paint Maura had picked perfectly. Maura must have been unpacking the baby clothes and toys before she fell asleep, as the small bookshelves next to the rocking chair were halfway full, the other toys and books still in an open box on the floor. Jane grinned, wondering what it would be like once their baby arrived, picturing Maura in the rocking chair, rocking the baby to sleep as Jane and Jack read a book on the floor next to her. She was almost overcome by the image, and had to blink back tears that suddenly appeared stinging in her eyes. Jane pushed off the doorframe and entered the nursery.

"Maura." She called softly. "Wake up. I think it's time for bed." Jane crossed the room in a few strides and bent to kiss the top of Maura's head. As she pulled back, Maura's eyes fluttered open.

"Hi." Maura whispered sleepily.

"Hi yourself." Jane grinned. "I think it is safe to say you are ready for bed, huh?"

Maura smiled in reply, craning her neck to kiss Jane. "I think that is a safe assumption…yes." She kissed Jane again and got to her feet.

"Come on then Maur." Jane's hand came to rest on Maura's lower back as she started to usher her exhausted wife out of the nursery. "Let's get you to bed."

They made their way down the hallway and into their room. The walls still looked a little empty, as they hadn't had time to put up their pictures and other decorative items. Jane led Maura to the end of the bed, which was thankfully made and ready for sleeping, and started to help Maura undress and put on her pajamas. As Jane slipped off Maura's top, she couldn't help but press a kiss to Maura's growing belly. Maura smiled and wrapped her arms around Jane's neck.

"I love when you do that. It's cute."

"I love you. You're cute." Jane replied, starting to button the pajama top, but not before kissing Maura's belly once again. "And I love you, little one." Jane finished buttoning Maura's pajama top and then slid her own jeans off her legs, deciding that she was too tired to put on pajamas and instead opting to sleep in her t-shirt and underwear.

They took their usual positions in bed, Maura curled up on her side and Jane positioned behind her. Instead of Jane's hand resting on Maura's hip, it now cradled Maura's stomach protectively. Maura sighed and relaxed into Jane's embrace, suddenly thankful that the long day was over.

"I kept meaning to ask about your mother today, but got distracted. How did you leave things?" Jane yawned, but wanted to know where things stood before they succumbed to sleep.

Maura paused before responding, still not quite sure where her emotions where on the subject. She was grateful that her mother had responded positively, but wasn't sure where to take things now that they were on the road to reconciliation.

Jane sensed Maura's unease and pulled back blonde hair to kiss the side of Maura's neck gently. She pulled Maura closer and kissed her shoulder blade.

"She said she was going to look at her calendar and see if there was a time that was convenient for her to come visit. I offered her the guest room, but I think she prefers to stay at my family's penthouse." Maura replied softly.

"And how do you feel about that?" Jane asked, her fingers creating swirling patterns on Maura's stomach.

"Fine…I think. It was a little surprising to hear her break down like she did, and I never imagined she would realize the error of her ways, but I'm not quite sure how to proceed from here." Maura admitted. "We have lived for so long at odds with each other. I want to have a relationship with her, but I feel like I don't know how."

Jane tugged gently at Maura's hip and she rolled over so they were face to face. "I know I don't have much expertise on this topic since my mother is the complete opposite of yours, but just give it time Maur." She cupped Maura's face in both of her hands and kissed her. "Just give it time." Jane emphasized her point with another kiss.

Maura snuggled in against Jane's chest and sighed. "Thank you Jane." Her eyelids started to droop and she let her exhaustion take over. "I love you."

"Love you too." Jane replied sleepily.