It was amazing how instantly Maura could become cool and detached, any spirit snapping out of her when she felt the need to go on the defensive.
"It's all right, Jack, I understand. I thought you were different from the others, but that was my mistake for taking the bait. Go ahead and leave."
"Maura," he sighed. "Come on. Don't blame this on me. I've been giving my all to this relationship!"
Her eyes flashed, energy back. "And I haven't? I did my damnedest to bond with your daughter when she gave me nothing to work with, and I saw you all the time, I—I put off work for you!"
"And I appreciated all of that," he said, keeping his voice gentle. "But I don't think it's fair of you to lump me in with any other man who blithely got up and left you, unless they saw what I do. Look, Maura. I don't want to sound, you know, possessive or anything. Because I know it's unreasonable to think I should be your only priority just because we're dating. You've got other things going on, I know, it's just…"
Her eyes narrowed in confusion as she tried to follow him. "So what, you… want to be free to see other people? Is that it?"
"Maura. I think we both know who you really want, here." When Maura said nothing, offering only a pained expression, Jack sighed again. "Maybe it—I don't know, maybe this could work if it just seemed like a crush, or if… if Jane didn't feel the same way about you."
"Did you talk to her?" Maura asked abruptly. "What did she say?"
"Nothing!" Jack almost laughed. "Maura, she didn't have to say anything! I mean, it's obvious just from the way she looks at you—hell, from the way she looks at me. Like she wanted to drive a steak knife through my chest," he elaborated when Maura looked lost yet again. "I think you're an incredible woman. You're interesting, you're fun. You're beautiful. But you've known from the start that I was looking for a serious relationship. I could handle this even if it was just Jane's evil eye drilling a hole in my head every time she's around, but you bring her with us even when she's not in the room! She's the lead in every story you tell, you're always texting her or—geez, sometimes even after we've had sex, you hop right up and talk about her! Can you blame me for feeling a little shafted?"
It was Maura's turn to sigh as she slumped forward, staring at her office floor. "I'm sorry, Jack. You're right. I think very fondly of you as well, but… I guess not fondly enough for—for this. Even if—even if my feelings for Jane aren't requited, it wouldn't be fair of me to keep you hanging. I just really wanted it to work, us to work, so I wouldn't have t…"
Jack leaned over and congenially clapped a hand on her shoulder. "We had fun. But don't worry about what's requited and what's not—because it is. I'm sure of it. Just don't wait too long."
"T-to do what?"
He gave her a rueful smile. "To tell her."
… . .
It had been a while since Jane had come home to Maura sitting on her apartment steps. "Hey! What's up with the spontaneity, doc?"
"Jack and I broke up," Maura said, looking dazed.
Jane invited her inside, and Maura followed her up, all the while looking a bit like she was in a trance. When they sat on Jane's couch, Jane asked what had happened and Maura regarded her carefully.
"We broke up."
"Who ended things?" Jane asked sharply, as if in an interrogation.
"He did."
Maura's eye was ready to make a mental note of the most minute reactions, so handy in her work yet usually so blind in social situations. But it didn't take a microscope to see that this news shocked Jane. "He did? What on earth—how could—why?! What possible reason could he have for breaking up with you?"
"He…he didn't think I was committed enough. Oh and also he said you were jealous of him and that was distracting."
"He said—he what?"
Maura nervously went on, trying to appear as objective as possible. Jane's face became somber as she stared down at the coffee table. Maura threw in a light laugh for good measure. "He said he thought you liked me. And I guess because, you know, I talked about you a lot and you're my best… my closest friend, he thought maybe I liked you, too, and…" Her breath caught when Jane's eyes lifted to meet hers.
"What'd you tell him?" Jane whispered.
"I…told him…I mean, everything you do is so loud and dramatic," Maura said, her feelings become increasingly transparent. "Everything he alluded to was subtle, and that's not your style. If you felt that way towards me, you would be more obvious, wouldn't you?" she asked, her voice tinged with hope.
"More obvious than falling asleep next to you?" Jane countered.
"I'm a little slow on the uptake sometimes," Maura said quietly, with a soft laugh.
After a short breath to steady herself, Jane leaned over and took Maura's face in her hands. "Let me relinquish my title as Wellness Captain and become Captain Obvious instead."
Maura's legs uncrossed as Jane pulled her close for a kiss, and before long Maura's hands were on her as well and everything made sense.