Jane had barely gotten settled at her desk for work the next afternoon when she realized she wished she had taken the whole day off. They had gone to brunch with Constance and Angela at one of Maura's favorite restaurants, and had enjoyed her time with all of them. They had revealed the baby's gender to both Constance and Angela, and Jane couldn't have anticipated a better reaction from her mother, who had arguably lost her shit in excitement when she was told that they were expecting a girl. Constance had taken the news in a much calmer fashion, but seemed genuinely happy nonetheless. Luckily, Constance and Angela seemed to get along well, so the whole morning had gone much better than anticipated.
Jane had left the restaurant after their brunch was finished and headed into work. Maura had planned on going shopping with Constance for the rest of the afternoon, and while Jane certainly did not enjoy shopping in the least, she still wished she were spending time with her family instead of being at work. Sighing, Jane logged into her computer and got to work pulling up info on a suspect they were starting to build a case against.
It didn't take Jane long to become engrossed in her work, and she had quickly uncovered a lot of evidence against their suspect that linked him to several drug cartels on the east coast. As she worked, Jane printed out several sheets of paper with her mounting evidence so that she could show Martinez once he got back from whatever meeting he was in. Luckily, there were several detectives around that were able to use their credentials to help dig a little deeper. She hit print one last time to print out several pages of the suspect's financial statements, and went to gather all the papers from the printer. On her way to the printer, she craned her neck to peer through the glass and across the hall into Martinez's office. His door was open and he was sitting at his desk. Jane hastily collected the things she had printed into a messy pile and headed over to Martinez.
She knocked on the doorframe. "Hey Martinez…you got a minute? I've been digging up some stuff on the Diaz case and I think you should take a look at some of this."
He nodded and waved her in. "Come on in Rizzoli. I was actually looking for you. Shut the door, will you?"
Jane was a little confused as to why he would be looking for her, but followed instructions and shut the door. She put the papers down on his desk and sat in the lumpy chair in front of him. Not wanting to forget about the evidence she had just uncovered, she shuffled through the stack of papers until she found the ones she wanted to bring to his attention.
"So I've been looking to nail this Diaz son-of-a-bitch like the rest of the guys, but I think I've finally found a link between him and the Cervantes cartels." Jane pointed to the bank statements. "Sampson and Walsh helped me with some of this, but I think we finally have enough to get this asshole." Jane looked up excitedly at Martinez.
Martinez scanned the papers, a grin appearing on his handsome face as he did. He chuckled and rubbed a hand across his face.
"You never disappoint Rizzoli." He picked up the papers and threw them back on top of the pile. "Good work." Martinez studied her for a few seconds before continuing. "Jane, I've got something I want to talk to you about."
Jane sat up straighter in the chair, hoping that she hadn't overstepped her bounds by digging into their suspect's background without receiving specific orders to do so. "Uh…okay…shoot."
"I just got back from a meeting with Cavanaugh and some of the other brass." Martinez started, turning away from his computer so he could face Jane squarely. "You've been with the drug unit for over a year now, right?"
"Uh…yeah." Jane replied.
Martinez nodded and continued. "Listen Jane…a lot of people are talking about you. Saying you're one of the best we've ever had at BPD. The brass have gotten wind and they agree. Your work undercover last summer was crucial and it hasn't gone unnoticed."
"Aww….gee thanks Martinez." Jane grinned teasingly. "You're gettin' soft in your old age."
He returned the grin briefly before becoming serious again. "I'll ignore that comment since I'm only five years older than you. But…I'm serious Jane. I'm man enough to admit that you are leaps and bounds ahead of where I was at your age. Your instincts have served the narcotics unit extremely well for the last year. And this-" He gestured to the paperwork she had brought him on their suspect-"Just serves as another confirmation of how talented you are."
Jane squirmed in her seat, suddenly uncomfortable of the attention.
"Jane, I brought you in here because I think you are ready to take the detective's exam. Cavanaugh agrees. Think about it…but I think you're ready. You already are a huge asset to our department, but if you were a detective, you could take lead on cases, interrogate suspects, and of course be able to play a larger role in our investigations, something which I think you would be great at." He paused to look at her again, crossing his arms across his chest. "Is that something you are interested in?"
For a moment, Jane was unable to speak. She was used to putting in a lot of hard work but not receiving recognition, so to finally know that Cavanaugh and the brass had been keeping an eye on her was a little bit of a shocker. She leaned back against the chair and collected her thoughts. Of course becoming a detective was always in her career plans, but she didn't think she would be headed down that path until she was at least in her thirties. But, she also hadn't seen herself married, and here she was, almost four years into her marriage, and with one kid and another on the way. Smiling, she looked back at Martinez.
"Yeah…I mean, I've always had the idea in the back of my mind. I just haven't thought too much about it since I've been so caught up in all the cases we've had lately."
"Sure…sure. Well, I just wanted to tell you that I'm certainly behind you if you decide that is your next step. And if you want me to set you up to shadow different detectives in different departments, just let me know." He raised his eyebrows. "Even though I know you will end up in the narcotics unit."
Jane smiled, not surprised to see Martinez's cocky side once again. He was only capable of so much seriousness at once. "Thanks Martinez. I'll think about it. Now might be a good time to do it before the baby comes."
Martinez nodded and stood up from the desk. "Take your time. I can set up the detective's exam for you whenever you feel like you are ready." He gathered up the papers on his desk. "I'm going to take a look at the rest of this and see what else you dug up on this scumbag." He walked to his door and opened it. "Thanks for stopping in Rizzoli. Great work." He clapped her on the back as she exited his office.
Jane headed back to her desk, her thoughts swirling around her head as she sat down. She stared blankly at her computer screen, trying to determine if she was truly ready to become a detective. One thing was for certain…she wanted to talk it over with Maura first.
Maura took a seat at one of the outdoor tables and waited for her mother to return with their beverages. After a few hours of shopping on Boylston Street in the late-spring sunshine, she was ready for a much-needed break and a cool beverage. Constance had offered to get the drinks, so Maura took the opportunity to rest as she waited for her mother to return. She pulled out her phone so she could text Jane a picture of one of the baby onesies she had bought. Just as she hit "send" a familiar voice caused her to look up, where she was met with the cocky grin of Garrett Fairfield.
"Maura Isles…well, well, it certainly has been a while." Her ex-boyfriend leaned casually against the chair next to her, looking as dapper as he had a few years ago, in a perfectly tailored three-piece suit. He slipped off his sunglasses and placed them in his jacket pocket.
Maura had to stifle a groan, instead forcing a smile as she looked up at him. "Hello Garrett. How are you?"
He looked around, running a hand through his hair before looking back at her. "Business is good, so I can't complain." He grinned again, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "I'd heard a rumor that you had settled down, and that rumor looks to be true." His eyes wandered down to her baby bump. "It looks like some congratulations are in order. Who's the lucky guy?"
Maura set her jaw and tried not to roll her eyes. She had assumed that after four years of living out of the prying eyes of prominent Boston families and their social circles she would no longer be gossip fodder, but that apparently wasn't the case.
"Yes, it seems the rumors are true then. I've been happily married for nearly four years." She deliberately evaded the part about who she was married to, not out of embarrassment, but in an attempt to maintain her and Jane's privacy. Garrett was never one to keep things private, even four years ago.
Garrett's eyes narrowed. "We broke up four years ago." Even though Maura loathed the man, he was smarter than he often let on. He laughed harshly. "Tell me Maura, are you happy with your rebound marriage?"
Maura's cheeks flushed, and she was once again reminded of how lucky she was to not have ended up married to the smarmy, arrogant, and repulsive man standing before her.
She raised her chin in defiance. "I am the happiest I have ever been. My wife Jane is the best thing that has ever happened to me."
Garrett's face reddened, and he laughed again, the sound grating on Maura's last nerves. "So the rumors are true then! I'd heard you were playing house with some butch cop, but it is so much richer to hear it straight from your mouth." He raked a hand through his hair again. "Who would have thought that the precious daughter of Phillip and Constance Isles would turn out to be a lesbian? Well, I'm certainly glad I dodged that bullet…imagine how ashamed my family would be when my wife started to display such improper tendencies."
Tears started to burn in Maura's eyes. She had known for a long time that Garrett wasn't the man he appeared to be, but stooping so low as to publicly humiliate her was taking it to a whole other level. A hot tear slid down her face, as Garrett leaned in a little closer.
"I bet you're the reason your father died. Poor Phillip Isles was so ashamed of his daughter that his heart couldn't take it." Garrett spat out. "And I'll bet your doormat of a mother doesn't want anything to do with you either…you little-"
Constance's clipped accent cut him off. "You will shut your mouth this instant Mr. Fairfield!" She placed two drinks on the table in front of Maura and turned to face Garrett, her eyes narrowing as she looked him up and down. "I'll not have you publicly humiliate my family like this. I seem to remember that the Isles Foundation recently provided your business with a sizeable donation. It would be a shame to have to…rescind our offer…wouldn't it?"
Garrett visibly stiffened, and a sour look appeared on his face. "That would be a shame." His gaze flicked between Maura and Constance.
"Well then, I suggest you leave." Constance crossed her arms and stared defiantly at the quickly reddening Garrett. She leaned a little closer and lowered her voice. "If I ever see or hear about you coming within fifty feet of my daughter or her family again, I will ruin you. Do you understand?" Her blue eyes stared at him intently, watching and waiting for him to crack under her intense gaze.
Garrett opened his mouth like he wanted to say something but eventually thought better of it. He nodded imperceptibly and pulled his sunglasses out from his jacket pocket. Without a word, he slipped them on and turned and walked away. Maura finally allowed herself to relax, which unfortunately caused the tears that she had been trying to hold back to fall.
As Constance settled in a chair across from her, Maura allowed her tears to fall. She didn't want to make more of a scene, but the words Garrett had said had stung, and before she knew it she was sobbing. Constance watched her from across the table for a few moments, not sure of what to do. Eventually, she reached into her purse and pulled out a silk handkerchief and passed it to Maura. As Maura grasped it and started to wipe her tearstained face, Constance reached out and grabbed a hold of Maura's hand, clutching it tightly in her wrinkled hands.
Maura drew in a shaky breath and looked at her mother. "You fought for me."
Constance dropped her head briefly. When she looked up again, there were tears brimming in her eyes. "You're my daughter." She stated simply.
Constance's answer did nothing to placate Maura, who let out a humorless laugh as a fresh wave of tears started to make their way down her face. "Then why haven't you been fighting for me for the past twenty-seven years? You've been perfectly content to pass me off to nannies and au pairs over the years and to let Father dictate every part of my life. Where were you then? I needed a mother! Did you even want me?" Maura furiously swiped at the tears on her face, finally feeling some relief at confronting her mother. She pulled her hand away from her mother's, placing it in her lap instead as she waited for some sort of response from Constance.
A solitary tear slipped down Constance's cheek. Maura's outburst was certainly not unexpected. But nonetheless, her words still hurt. Especially since the majority of what she was saying was true. Constance had been a distant parent, relying on others to raise Maura instead of taking responsibility in raising her. And as the years passed, the distance grew, making it harder to attempt a relationship. Eventually, Constance had given up, the void between mother and daughter seeming too broad to cross. A void that Constance herself had created.
"Oh Maura, darling." Constance whispered. "Of course I wanted you." Another tear escaped, followed by another, then another, as her emotions started to get the better of her. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say." Constance's shoulders slumped as she rested her head in her hands and let the tears fall. She tried to find some way to adequately communicate how she felt, but seeing Maura fall apart in front of her was overwhelming.
Constance wiped the tears that were now smudging her eyeliner. "Of course I wanted you." She said, stronger this time. "I remember the call. When they told us that there was a baby for us." Constance took in a breath and reached for Maura's hand again. This time Maura didn't object, and Constance held her hand gently. "And I remember the first time they placed you in my arms. You were this tiny thing, all wrapped in a yellow blanket. And you were perfect, and so beautiful. But all I could think about was how scared I was."
Constance squeezed Maura's hand and Maura raised her face to look at her mother, who took it as confirmation to continue.
"I was scared that you were this perfect creature, and I was going to be the one who ruined you. I was too scared to take responsibility, so I hired a nanny when you were two weeks old. And you got older, as all children do, and then it just became easy to let someone else raise you. And I know that this doesn't excuse my behavior in the least, but it's the truth Maura. I'm so sorry. That's all I can say." She dabbed her eyes again, this time smiling as she looked at Maura. Constance let out a sob, her heart aching as she looked at her daughter. "The joke's on me though." Constance's voice cracked. "Even after years of neglect you somehow managed to turn into a gorgeous, intelligent, successful woman. A loving wife…a caring mother. It hurts my heart when I see the woman you've turned out to be, Maura. Because I know I had nothing to do with it."
Maura had run out of tears at this point, although her own heart was breaking as she watched her mother bare her soul after so many years. She clutched her mother's hand, running her thumb along the sun-weathered skin. Maura had never seen this side of her mother before, and found herself wondering how much time they could have spent together if only Maura hadn't been too scared to work up the courage to confront her mother. But as she watched her mother crying in public, asking for Maura's forgiveness, Maura knew there was no other option then to move on and try and start afresh.
"I forgive you." Maura whispered. Constance's head raised, and Maura could see the hope shimmering in her eyes. Clearing her throat, Maura repeated the words, this time louder. "I forgive you." She squeezed her mother's hand for emphasis.
Constance looked at her in complete disbelief. "But…how can…after how I've treated you…"
Maura cut her mother off by bringing their joined hands up and kissing the back of Constance's hand. "I want to start over. No more wasting time…no more agonizing about all the years we lost. I want you to be my mother and I want to be your daughter. And I want you to be in my life, and my children's life." She released Constance's hand and pushed her chair back from the table. Standing, she motioned for her mother to join her, and without hesitation, pulled Constance in for a hug. "Let's start over." Maura murmured, feeling Constance's arms wrapping around her tightly.
Constance was silent for a moment, internally thankful that Maura was willing to wipe the slate clean. Still marveling about how well Maura had turned out, Constance kissed Maura's cheek before pulling her tighter to her.
"I'd like that very much, darling."