Chapter 15: Family Name
A/N: You guys are amazing!
Jane: June, Present Day
Jane woke up before her alarm on Monday morning. Maura was still wrapped around Jane, breathing slowly and deeply with her head on Jane's chest. Maura's arm was draped across Jane's waist, and her leg was bent at the knee and hooked over Jane's leg.
Jane tightened her grip around Maura's shoulders, pulling her closer. Jane felt slightly guilty about how much she enjoyed the feeling of Maura pressed up against her. Before the past 48 hours, she hadn't held Maura close in almost seven years, so she wasn't about to deny either of them the comfort of physical touch.
Jane allowed her fingers to play with the ends of Maura's hair, which was laying across her back. She was so lost in thought that she jumped slightly when her alarm sounded. Maura stirred as Jane reached over to shut off her alarm.
"Good mornin'," Maura mumbled without lifting her head from its place on Jane's chest. Then, as she realized where she was, she added, "Oh, sorry, I fell asleep in your room."
"S'okay," Jane said as she rubbed her eyes. "I don't mind."
Maura reluctantly moved from her place in Jane's arms, and Jane couldn't help but watch her friend out of the corner of her eye as Maura stretched in an attempt to wake herself up.
They easily moved together through their morning routines. Maura intended to take a shower while Jane took the kids to school, so she just freshened up before helping get Harper and Sophie ready for the day. After a quick shower of her own, Jane helped Emma and Finn finish getting ready before the six of them sat down for a quick breakfast of oatmeal and fruit.
"I'm going to pick you guys up from school today," Jane said to Emma and Finn as she pulled the 'parent pick-up' pins from the corkboard next to the door in the mud room and pinned them to their backpacks. Emma and Finn didn't really need the pins to remember whatever Jane told them, but this was standard practice for kindergarteners. Jane figured it was probably helpful for the teachers too. The pins indicated whether the child was going to be picked up, was expected to take the bus home, or had an afterschool activity.
"Can we go to the library after school?" Finn asked in an echo of her question from the day before.
"Probably," Jane said, "but no guarantees, okay?"
"'Kay," Finn said.
"And remember to return your school library books today, okay?" Jane said, and both Emma and Finn nodded as Jane opened the door to the garage for them. She walked them to the corner to meet the school bus while Harper and Sophie stayed in the house with Maura. Jane loved this time of day. Emma and Finn were always so happy and excited before school, and they chatted joyfully with each other and with Jane while they waited for the school bus. Today's topic of conversation centered around the kindergarten-wide pizza party that was planned before the graduation ceremony on Thursday.
After Emma and Finn got on the bus and were on their way to school, Jane walked back to the house. She got lost in thought about Maura being home. It made her happy that Maura would be able to attend Emma and Finn's kindergarten graduation.
Jane let herself back in the house to find Maura desperately trying to corral Sophie and Harper who were running around the main floor playing tag.
"Having fun?" Jane smirked when she caught Maura's attention.
Maura laughed as she stood up straight, giving up on interrupting the girls' game. "Well, I planned to have them ready to go by the time you got back so you could take Harper to preschool, but clearly that is not happening," Maura said with a smile.
Without taking her gaze off of Maura, Jane reached over and grabbed Harper as she tried to run by. "The trick is misdirection," she quipped as she draped a giggling Harper over her shoulder. All four of them laughed as Sophie collided with Jane's legs in her attempts to reach Harper. "We're fine," Jane said, still laughing. "Go get ready."
Maura had moved to go upstairs when Jane remembered something. "Oh, wait, we forgot to call Hope and Cailin last night," Jane said quickly, her voice apologetic.
"No, I didn't forget," Maura said quietly. "I-I just couldn't handle another reunion."
Jane placed Harper back on the ground and directed both three-year-olds to put their shoes on. When the girls were out of the room, Jane returned her attention to Maura. She walked closer to the stairs, where Maura was halfway up. "I'm sorry," Jane said.
Maura shook her head. "Don't be," she said. "I'm okay. We can call them this afternoon. Maybe while Sophie is napping."
"Okay," Jane said. "You're okay, though?"
Maura nodded. "Yes, I'm fine," she assured Jane.
"Okay, go get ready. I have to get Harper to school."
They shared a smile before going their separate ways. Jane was able to get both girls in the car with barely a minute to spare. They just made it on time to Harper's preschool.
Without hesitation, Harper pulled Sophie into her classroom and over to her little group of friends. Jane watched them out of the corner of her eye as she spoke to the teacher.
"Good morning, Jane," Harper's teacher greeted her.
"Good morning, Kate," Jane replied with a smile. She liked Harper's teacher, who had also had Emma and Finn in her class a few years ago. "I won't take up too much of your time, but I was wondering if it was still possible for a potential new student to shadow a current student in the classroom or is it too late in the year?"
"At this point in the year, it's up to the individual teachers," Kate said. "I assume you're asking about the little girl that came in with Harper?"
"Yeah, her name is Sophie and she's three years' old. She's…well, it's kinda complicated, but I know you know that Emma and Finn are adopted. Sophie's their biological sister."
"Were you hoping she could stay today? Are you her legal guardian because we'd need her legal guardian to sign a few forms?"
"No, I'm not," Jane said. "And I was thinking Wednesday and/or Friday. Her mom would come for drop off too." Jane could tell that Kate wanted to ask more questions, but they didn't have time. Class needed to start soon.
"It's fine with me," Kate said. "I'll have the paperwork ready, but you would both need to be here to complete the paperwork. It'd be helpful if you could get here a little early – at least on Wednesday – to get everything settled."
"Thank you!" Jane said. "I'll get out of your hair."
Jane went to find Harper and Sophie. She knelt down next to the two little girls and pulled Harper into a hug. "Have a good day, note," Jane said as she released the little girl. "Sophie and I have to go now, but we'll pick you up after school."
"Sophie's leaving?" Harper asked, sounding devastated. "I want her to stay!"
Jane looked back and forth between the two girls. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but Sophie can't stay today. Why don't you guys say goodbye to each other?"
"I wanna stay with Harper!" Sophie whined.
"I know, noodle," Jane said. "I'm sorry, but you have to come with me today." Jane's heart broke as she watched Sophie's eyes fill with tears. "I'm sorry, sweetie," she repeated. Jane stood, picking up Sophie as she did so. Sophie continued to sniffle sadly, but she allowed Jane to pick her up. However, Harper wasn't as well-behaved.
"I want Sophie to stay!" Harper yelled loudly as she stomped her foot and started to cry.
Jane sighed at her daughter's dramatics. She leaned back over to give Harper a kiss on the forehead. Deciding the best way to stop Harper's tantrum was to ignore it, she said, "Have a good day, note. I love you." She heard Harper cry a few more times as she carried a still sniffling Sophie out of the room, but by the time she turned the corner, she could tell that Harper had stopped crying. She stopped and peeked back into the classroom to see that Harper had, at least, returned her attention to her friends, even if she did still look upset to see Sophie go.
Sophie didn't say anything as Jane placed her in her car seat and buckled her up. They drove home to get Maura. Jane text Maura before they left the preschool so that Maura would know to expect them, and Maura was indeed waiting in the driveway when they pulled up. Jane was glad that she wouldn't have to get Sophie out of the car.
"What's wrong, sweetie?" Maura asked Sophie concernedly.
"I wanted to go to school with Harper," Sophie said sadly, "but Jane said no." Jane glanced at Sophie in the rearview mirror and was sad to see the pout still in place on Sophie's face.
"Sweetie, it wasn't Jane's fault," Maura said as Jane backed out of the driveway and started driving to the lawyer's office. "It's not up to her."
Sophie crossed her arms in front of her. "I want to be with Harper," she pouted.
Maura chuckled lightly as she turned back around to face front, deciding to let it go. "At least they like each other," Maura said so that only Jane could hear.
"True," Jane said with a smile.
They drove in comfortable silence to the lawyer's office. Jane could tell that Maura was nervous, but she didn't point it out with Sophie in the car. After telling Maura to text her when she was done, Jane and Sophie went to run errands. Jane surprised Sophie by taking her to the sporting goods store first where they picked out a kid's baseball glove for her. They spent most of the morning at the grocery store, and Jane marveled at how much better-behaved Sophie was than Harper usually was at the store. Since they still had time after grocery shopping before they would have to pick up Maura and they were both hungry, they stopped for lunch, making sure to get something to go for Maura.
While they were at lunch, Jane received a call from the manager of the t-ball league, and she was able to get permission for Sophie to join Harper's team. Just as they were paying, Maura text Jane to let them know she was done, so they went directly back to the lawyer's office after lunch.
Maura: June, Present Day
"Hey," Jane greeted Maura with a smile as Maura got in the car.
"Hi," Maura said to Jane before turning to the back seat to greet Sophie. "Hi, baby."
"Mommy!" Sophie said excitedly, completely skipping the usual greeting. "Look what I got!" She held up the baseball glove that she hadn't put down since they left the store.
"Wow! Did you say thank you?" Maura said automatically.
"Yes!" Sophie said quickly. "And…and…and Jane said I could play c-ball with Harper."
"T-ball," Jane interjected with a laugh.
"Yeah, I can play t-ball with Harper!" Sophie corrected herself as she bounced in her car seat, kicking her legs back and forth. She was so excited that she couldn't contain her happiness.
Maura glanced at Jane for confirmation.
"The league manager called while we were at lunch," Jane explained, "so I asked. I tried to be discreet, but I failed miserably. I hope it's okay," Jane added quietly. "Also, we got you lunch. It's on the backseat. We were going to wait for you, but Sophie got hungry."
Maura smiled at the smirk on Jane's face. "Oh, blaming Sophie, are we?" Maura teased.
Jane laughed. "Okay, fine. Sophie and I were hungry," Jane conceded.
Maura joined Jane's laughter. "Thank you for getting me something," Maura said. "And I'm glad Sophie can play t-ball with Harper."
Jane nodded, and Maura returned her attention to Sophie, who proceeded to recount every detail of her last two hours with Jane to Maura. Maura was glad that Sophie's sad mood from this morning had completely disappeared.
When they got home, Maura put Sophie down for her nap. She came downstairs to find that Jane had plated her wrap and salad for lunch. Jane was putting away the groceries that she and Sophie had picked up.
"Can I help you?" Maura asked, coming around the island.
"No, you should eat," Jane said.
"I will, but I can help first," Maura insisted. "I feel like you've been doing everything."
Maura's admission caused Jane to pause and give Maura her full attention.
"What?" Jane said. "I'm sorry."
Maura shook her head. "No, Jane, I wasn't trying to make you feel bad," Maura continued. "I just don't want to take advantage of you."
"You're not," Jane assured her. "I guess I'm just used to doing everything, but you're right, we have to share responsibilities if we're going to live together."
"So, can I help?" Maura tried again.
Jane smiled. "No," she said, causing Maura to frown. "You need to eat lunch, and I'm not sure how productive you trying to help would actually be since you don't know where anything goes."
"Okay, I suppose that's true, but…" Maura started, but Jane cut her off.
"Why don't you make dinner?" Jane suggested. "That would actually be a big help."
Maura smiled. "Deal," she said. She reached out and gave Jane's arm a squeeze before returning to the other side of the kitchen island to sit down and eat her lunch. She watched Jane move around the kitchen unloading the groceries and emptying the dishwasher.
After a few minutes eating silently, Maura said, "Thank you for inquiring about t-ball for Sophie."
"Oh, yeah, of course," Jane said. "I didn't intend for her to find out until I'd had a chance to talk to you, but as you know, it's hard to do anything privately with a three-year-old around." Jane laughed. "It's not like I could just walk away from the table."
"Yes, I know," Maura said with a laugh. "Trust me, I know."
"We had already bought the glove, so that didn't help," Jane added.
"Well, thank you," Maura said. "She loves it. She's currently sleeping with it."
Jane laughed. "I'll show her how to break it in tonight," Jane said. "She'll probably loves the idea of sleeping with it under her mattress. Once it's played with, though, the kids know that gloves don't go upstairs."
Maura nodded. "I like that rule," she admitted.
"Trust me, after the first dusty bed, I came up with that rule real quick," Jane said.
"Really quickly," Maura corrected.
Jane snorted in laughter. "Thanks for that," she quipped.
Maura blushed. "Sorry," she apologized.
Jane shook her head with a smile. After a few moments, she added quietly, "I missed you."
Maura blushed harder as she tried to hide the shy smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. Maura fell silent as she finished her lunch.
As Jane finished cleaning up the kitchen, she came around the island, intending to take Maura's empty plate and put it in the dishwasher.
But Maura was faster. She swiftly picked up the plate and moved in the opposite direction. "Nope," she said quickly, a playful smile on her face. "I will put it in the dishwasher."
Jane laughed and put her hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, you win this round," she said. "I'm gonna go sit on the couch."
"I'll join you in a minute," Maura replied as she walked over to the sink.
A few minutes later, Maura sat down at the other end of the couch across from Jane. She let out a deep breath before turning to Jane and suggesting, "We should probably call Hope and Cailin."
Jane turned on the couch and crossed her legs in front of her, facing Maura. "You don't have to do anything," she said. "It's okay to wait to reach out to people when you're ready. I mean, Hope and Cailin should be next, but just don't push yourself too far."
Maura pushed herself out of the corner of the couch, moved closer to Jane, and tucked her feet underneath her body. She reached out and took Jane's hands in her own. "I'm okay, I promise," Maura said. "But thank you for saying that. I think everyone else can wait, but I need to tell Hope and Cailin."
"I know," Jane said with a sigh. "I know you're right, of course…" Jane trailed off.
Maura smiled. "I know," Maura said, "you're just worried about me, and I appreciate it. I really do."
Jane nodded. "How do you want to do this?" she asked. "Do you want me to call first, then, hand over the phone to you? Or do you want to just call them?"
Maura chewed on her bottom lip as she thought about her options. Eventually, she said, "I think you should call. Then, I can talk to them after you tell them first. I don't think they'd answer an unknown number if I called from my phone, and it would probably be a little jarring if they answered a call from you phone, expecting you, and then, I was on the other end."
"Yeah, that makes sense," Jane said. "I'll do it on speaker, though, okay?"
Maura nodded as Jane leaned over to pick up her phone from the coffee table. Jane glanced once more at Maura for confirmation, which she received in the form of a small nod, before dialing Hope's number.
"Dr. Martin," Hope answered automatically.
"Hi, Hope, it's Jane," Jane said.
"Oh, yes, sorry, I answered with my name out of habit," Hope replied with a laugh. "Hello, Jane," Hope started again.
"Hey, um, do you have a minute?" Jane asked.
"Sure, is everything okay?" Hope asked and Jane could hear the concern in her voice.
"Yeah, I just have something important to tell you, and I just wanted to make sure it was a good time," Jane said. "It's not anything bad, though. It's a good thing, actually."
At Jane's words, Maura leaned against Jane's side.
"Yes, now is a fine time," Hope replied. "I have twenty minutes before my next patient, and I'm just working on paperwork in my office."
"Okay, great," Jane said slowly. "Uh…"
"Are you sure everything is okay?" Hope enquired.
"Um, yeah, it's just…I don't know how to tell you this, but Maura's home," Jane said, and she turned her head to glance at Maura and see her reaction.
"What? Maura's…she's…you talked to Maura?" Hope stuttered through her shock.
"Yes," Jane said. "And, um, she's here. Would you like to talk to her?"
Jane's question was met with silence, causing Maura to start to panic internally, but before her anxiety could escalate, Hope responded.
"Y-y-yes," Hope said shakily. "Yes, p-p-please."
"Here she is," Jane said as she handed the phone to Maura.
"Hello, Hope," Maura said nervously, keeping her eyes locked on Jane's.
"M-M-Maura," Hope tried.
"Yes, it's me," Maura said. "I'm back in Boston, and I just wanted to let you know."
"When…how…" Hope wasn't sure what to ask.
"I arrived back in Boston on Friday," Maura explained, "with my three-year-old daughter, Sophie."
"You have another daughter?"
Maura nodded until she realized that Hope couldn't see her. "Yes, her name is Sophie, and she's three years' old. We arrived in Boston on Friday evening, and we came to see Jane and the girls on Saturday. My parents…I mean, um, Constance and Arthur…well, I saw them yesterday. I plan to call Cailin after I get off the phone with you."
"I'd like to see you and meet Sophie," Hope said.
"I'd like that, too," Maura replied.
"I have Wednesday off," Hope said. "Could we meet for lunch?"
Maura glanced at Jane, who whispered, "Whatever you want."
"I can do that, but I'm not sure if Sophie will be there," Maura said. "She may attend Harper's preschool to see if it's a good fit for next year."
"Oh, okay," Hope said, and Maura could hear the disappointment in her voice. It didn't change her mind, though. Even if Sophie didn't go to preschool with Harper, Maura wasn't sure if it would be a good idea for Sophie to join them. At this point, it may be a bit too overwhelming for Sophie to meet yet another family member, especially without the distraction of her sisters.
"We will find a time for you to meet Sophie soon," Maura assured her. "I have a new phone number, so I will text you my contact information. We can figure out a time and place to meet over text if that's okay. Also, you should know that I left because I had to go into the witness protection program. I'm no longer in danger. I can share more when we meet for lunch."
"Of course, thank you," Hope said. "And Maura? I'm really happy to hear from you. I've missed you very much."
"I've missed you, too," Maura said quietly.
"I'll talk to you soon," Hope added. "Goodbye, Maura."
"Goodbye, Hope."
Maura hung up and handed the phone back to Jane. "I honestly thought she'd ask more questions," Maura admitted. "I mean, I know I told her that I'd explain when we went to lunch, but I still thought she'd ask."
"She's probably in shock."
"I'm not upset about it," Maura clarified. "Honestly, I'm glad I didn't have to have that conversation over the phone. I was just surprised."
Jane nodded. "I'm sure she'll have questions on Wednesday."
Maura nodded. "Let's call Cailin," Maura said.
Jane dialed Cailin's number and went through a similar conversation to the one she had had with Hope before handing the phone back to Maura.
"Hi, Cailin," Maura said.
"Maura, oh my god!" Cailin said excitedly. "I can't believe it's actually you!"
"It is me," Maura said slowly.
Cailin laughed openly on the other end of the phone. "I didn't actually mean that I didn't believe you," Cailin clarified. "I'm just in shock. Honestly, if Jane hadn't been the one to call, I would think this was a sick joke."
Maura didn't know what to say. "I…um…it's not a joke," she said feebly.
Cailin laughed again. "I know," she said. "Uh, Maura, is it okay…can I ask…um…"
"I've been in the witness protection program," Maura said.
"Oh, wow," Cailin breathed out. "That's…that's crazy. I don't…I don't even know what to say."
"It's okay," Maura assured her. "You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know that I'm back in Boston, and if you're willing, I'd like to see you."
"Of course!" Cailin said quickly. "Of course, I want to see you."
A smile split Maura's face. "Okay, wonderful," Maura said. "I'm having lunch with Hope on Wednesday if you'd like to join us. Or we could schedule something else."
"I work on Wednesday, but I'm off on Friday," Cailin said. "Maybe we could do lunch then?"
Yes, I'd like that," Maura said. "I also wanted to tell you that I have another daughter. Her name is Sophie, and she's three years' old."
"Oh, Jane's daughter Harper is going to be ecstatic," Cailin said, and Maura could hear the smile in her voice.
"Oh, she is," Jane said, causing Cailin to laugh again. "She has already declared Sophie her best friend, and she nearly lost her mind this morning when Sophie couldn't stay at preschool with her today."
"Sophie may be able to go to school with Harper on Wednesday and/or Friday, though," Maura added, "so I'm unsure if she will be at lunch on Friday."
"I understand," Cailin said. "I'd like to meet her soon. If that's okay, of course."
"Yes, I'd like that, too," Maura replied.
"Are you guys staying with Jane and the girls?" Cailin asked.
"Yes, we are," Maura answered. "I had rented an apartment, and that's where we stayed on Friday night. On Saturday, we came to see Jane and the kids, and Jane offered that we could stay here. It seemed like the best option for the girls to get to know each other."
"Best for the girls…right," Cailin laughed with a hint of sarcasm in her voice that confused Maura.
"They're sisters," Maura said defensively.
"No, Maura, I just meant that it's probably good for you, too – in addition to being good for the kids."
"Oh, yes," Maura said, smiling again. She glanced shyly at Jane again, who had a goofy grin on her face. Looking back at her lap, she added, "I'm very grateful."
"Okay, so Friday?" Cailin said.
"Yes, and I have a new phone number. I'll text you so that you have it."
"Perfect," Cailin replied. "Sorry, I have to get back to work. Bye, Maura."
"Goodbye." Maura took a deep breath and allowed her head to fall back against the couch as she handed the phone back to Jane.
Jane reached out and wrapped her arm around Maura's shoulders, pulling her close. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay," Maura said quietly, but she knew that Jane could probably hear the exhaustion in her voice. She allowed herself to melt into Jane's embrace. They sat like that for a few minutes before Jane broke the silence.
"I didn't want to ask you in front of Sophie, but did everything go okay with the lawyer today?" Jane asked.
Maura sighed. "Yes, most of the paperwork is complete," she said. "I have a few decisions that I still need to make before I can finalize Sophie's paperwork."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
Maura didn't answer. There was something she wanted to ask for from Jane, but she was nervous to do so. It wasn't exactly a small ask. Maura had remained silent for too long, though, and Jane had noticed.
"Maura?" Jane questioned quietly.
"I-I can't," Maura chickened out.
Jane turned both of them so that she could look Maura in the face. Maura shifted uncomfortably under Jane's scrutiny. She knew that Jane was trying to read her.
"You can't because it's something you don't want me to know or because you're afraid to tell me?"
Maura began worrying her bottom lip unconsciously as she tried to find a way to respond to Jane's question without lying. It was no use though because Jane could see right through her.
"You can tell or ask me anything," Jane tried again.
"I-I know," Maura said as she avoided making eye contact with Jane. "It's just…well, it's about Sophie, and it's…"
"Is she okay?" Jane asked quickly, cutting Maura off midsentence. "Is something wrong with her?"
"No, Jane, I mean, yes, she's okay," Maura assured Jane. "That's nothing wrong with her. It's nothing like that. It's just a big ask."
Jane visibly relaxed in response to Maura's reassurances that Sophie was okay, and Jane's obvious care for Sophie finally gave Maura the courage to voice what she wanted.
"I want Sophie to have the same name as her sisters," Maura said quickly.
"What…what do you mean?" Jane asked even though she was pretty sure she knew what Maura was asking.
"I-I want Sophie to be a Rizzoli," Maura admitted. "She's going to be issued a new birth certificate no matter what with my real name listed as her mother. However, it's up to me to decide what her name will be. She can keep the name Montgomery, but…"
"Your last name was Montgomery?" Jane asked, clearly distracted from the original point of the conversation. "Maura Montgomery," Jane tried out the name and scrunched her nose in displeasure. "No, that's not right," Jane added.
Maura laughed. "Well, don't worry. It's not my name anymore. I am legally Maura Isles again," Maura assured her. "And I don't think it makes sense for Sophie to keep the name Montgomery if no one else in her family has the name."
"But why don't you want her to be an Isles?" Jane asked before quickly adding, "I'm not saying no. I'm just asking."
"It's not that I don't want her to be an Isles," Maura said. "And if you're not comfortable with this, then I will go with Isles. There are a few reasons that I'd like her to be a Rizzoli, though, if you were okay with it. The biggest reason is because I'd like her to have the same last name as her sisters. But Jane, if you're uncomfortable with this at all, it's completely okay. I won't be upset, and it in no way reflects how much you care about Sophie. This isn't something I want you to agree to just because you want to make me happy."
"First of all, I don't just care about Sophie, I love her," Jane said firmly. "And second, I'm not uncomfortable with the idea. I'm just trying to understand. I-I don't want you to regret it."
Maura laughed, causing Jane to look confused. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. It's just that Sophie being a Rizzoli – that's something I could never regret. I will never regret any of my kids being Rizzolis," Maura assured her. "But I'll answer any questions you have."
"You don't want Rizzoli-Isles?" Jane asked.
Maura shrugged. "In a different situation, maybe I'd prefer that, but like I said, part of the reason I want this is so that she has the same last name as her sisters," Maura said.
"They could all be Rizzoli-Isles," Jane suggested.
"While I like the sound of that, I'm not sure it's a great idea to change all of their last names," Maura said. "I know people change kids' last names all the time after adoption or their parents remarrying, and I completely respect that decision. However, as someone who's had to deal with name changes, I'm not sure I want the kids to have to deal with that, especially Emma and Finn, whose friends and school know them as Rizzolis. If that were what you really wanted that, though, I'd be open to the idea."
"Okay, this may be a stupid question, but can you just give a kid any last name you want, like, even if it's not one of their legal or biological parents' names?"
"I'm not sure," Maura admitted, shifting uncomfortably. She paused as she considered her next request. "I can ask," she stalled.
"But…?" Jane pushed.
Maura lifted her gaze from her lap to meet Jane's eyes for a moment before looking away again. "I was wondering if…well, I was hoping…" Maura huffed in annoyance at herself as she dropped her head into her hands.
Jane gently tugged Maura's hands away from her face, and Maura nervously looked back at Jane. "I-I-I…would you consider adopting Sophie? I mean, as a second parent?" Maura finally asked, her voice laced with anxiety and vulnerability. When Jane remained silent, Maura started to backtrack. "I'm sorry, forget it. I shouldn't have asked. I've already asked so much of you."
"Maura, slow down," Jane said, reaching out to stop Maura from physically moving away from her, as well. "I didn't say no. I was just surprised. I wasn't expecting you to ask that."
"I know. I shouldn't have asked," Maura repeated.
"I meant it when I said you could ask me anything," Jane said. "Are you sure that's what you want though?"
"I…yes," Maura said finally. She turned to better face Jane. "I don't know how to explain it, but I instantly saw the connection the two of you had the moment you met. I know it's fast, and like I said about her last name, if you are unsure or uncomfortable at all, then, we won't do it. I wouldn't be upset in any way, and it wouldn't mean anything about who you are to Sophie."
"I don't really know how to explain it either, but I felt that connection right away," Jane admitted. "Just like I did with Emma, Finn, and Harper."
"We can wait," Maura said. We can figure out what we want to do for all four of them at a later date. I just thought, since Sophie's birth certificate is already being changed, it might be easier to make everything official now. It's not just about what's easy, though. I don't want you to think that that's the only reason I'm suggesting this. It's so much more than that. Most importantly, I would never ask this or suggest it if I didn't know that you loved her like a parent. In all honesty, part of it is for my peace of mind as well. If something were to happen to me, I don't want there to be any reason she can't stay with you. I mean, as long as…"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence," Jane said.
Maura chuckled lightly. "Right, sorry," Maura said. "It's just that the legal custody of Emma, Finn, and Harper is much clearer if something happened to you than it is for Sophie is something were to happen to me. Even though custody wouldn't necessarily transfer to me, there wouldn't be any doubt that they would go to someone in your family, in our family. Right now, Sophie would go to my parents, which while that wouldn't be my first preference, after seeing you with them yesterday, I'm less worried about if that happens as I think they'd let her stay with you. I'm more worried about what happens if something happens to all three of us. Legally, Hope and Cailin aren't family. And I'm even more worried about what would happen if something happened to both you and me. If you're Sophie's legal parent, then that makes your family her legal family as well."
"You've thought about this a lot," Jane pointed out.
"I have, but I know this is a lot to ask of you, so if you need more time, that's okay," Maura said.
Jane shook her head. "No, it's not that," Jane said. "I…well, honestly, I like the idea. You're right, I do love her like a daughter. I have absolutely no doubts about the legal stuff."
"But…" Maura prompted.
"What if you meet someone and get married?" Jane asked uncertainly.
Maura tilted her head in confusion for a moment. "That's not…I don't think that's going to happen…" Maura said slowly. What she didn't admit was that she didn't want to meet or marry anyone else. "But even if it does, that wouldn't change who you are to Sophie."
Jane nodded, but before she could respond verbally, they heard Sophie calling from her and Harper's room. "Mommy!" she yelled as loud as she could, causing both Maura and Jane to look in the direction of her room.
"Just think about it," Maura said, turning back to Jane before standing up to go get Sophie from her nap. "But there's no pressure, really."
"Okay," Jane said, but she reached out to stop Maura from walking away. "But Maura, the answer is going to be yes."
Maura smiled at Jane because if she were being honest with herself, she'd have to admit that she had always known Jane's answer would be yes. Still, she said, "At least think about it a bit more. We can call the lawyer tomorrow with our decision." She gave Jane's hand a squeeze as her friend nodded in assent before she went upstairs to get Sophie. She couldn't help but glance back at Jane as she walked up the stairs, and her body flooded with warmth in response to the intense love and affection she felt for her best friend.
A/N: I have no idea (and there seems to be no available information) on what happens with a child born while their parent is in witsec, so – for better or worse – I got to make up the entire part about Sophie's name/birth certificate.
On a completely different note, my current plan is to continue with regular updates to this story (goal of a new chapter every 1-3 days) through completion (I'd say we're maybe somewhere between one-third and halfway through this story). Then, I plan to finish "An Isles Christmas" (only four chapters remaining) and then, "Maybe we should have talked sooner." I would then like to start "The Wedding Party" (sequel to "The Wedding Date") and complete it alongside "My Real Bucket List." Chapters will be added to "The Baby Plan" and "Mischief Managed" throughout, but I don't have firm timeline plans for those stories (for completely different reasons, lol). However, if anyone has requests or preferences about the order in which I complete the stories, I'm open to suggestions! I hope I'm not annoying you guys too much by having multiple stories in-progress at the same time.