Chapter 46: Maura

A/N: The very end is NSFW.

Hope: August 7th, Three Years Ago

Hope pulled down the ladder that went to the attic and carefully climbed up to the storage area she had set up. She knew exactly where to find what she was looking for. The box was buried in the very back corner of the attic, and no one else knew about it – not even Cailin. Hope hadn't looked at this particular box in years, not since she had discovered that Maura was alive. The box was purposely mislabeled as "old clothes," to keep anyone who might venture up here (i.e., a young, nosey, teenage Cailin) from opening it.

Hope picked up the box – it was heavier than she remembered – and pulled it to a more open part of the attic where she began slowly unpacking its contents. On the very top was a butterfly mobile that Hope had made to hang over her new baby's crib. The tears began to flow in earnest down her cheeks as she looked at the beautiful blue, pink, and purple butterflies before she eventually set the mobile aside and moved on to the next item.

She pulled out a couple of baby blankets that she had been given at a baby shower thrown by her sorority sisters. She gently put these aside along with the newborn clothes that were underneath the blankets.

Hope's hands were shaking as she picked up the small memory box that was now visible in the cardboard box. She choked on her sobs as memories flooded her brain – memories of her excitement and nervousness to meet her baby as she neared her due date, memories of the searing pain of childbirth only to lose consciousness before she got to hold her precious daughter, memories of Paddy telling her their baby had died, memories of crying over Maura's grave, memories of hiding from the world for years after Maura's birth and supposed death, memories of running to the other side of the world to escape her pain, memories of the longing she felt for the moments she never got to experience with her first daughter as she watched her second daughter reach milestone after milestone, and finally memories of meeting her long-lost daughter only to lose her again a few years later.

Hope gently opened the memory box to reveal the clay footprint Paddy had made of Maura's foot after she was born, her hospital bracelet, Maura's birth certificate and death certificate (apparently forged), and finally the swaddle blanket that Maura had been wrapped in after being cleaned up. Paddy had told Hope that even though their baby had died, they had cleaned her and let him hold her body before taking her to transfer her body to the mortuary. She hoped that he had at least been telling the truth that Maura had been wrapped in this swaddle blanket before Paddy had given her away, but she could never be sure with him – and she didn't really want to know.

Hope clutched the swaddle blanket as she cried. Her body shook violently as sobs ripped through her body. She hadn't cried like this since the day Paddy told her their baby had died. Yes, she had cried many times over the years both about Maura and other things, but she hadn't cried like this. She had no idea why it was now – four years after Maura had once again disappeared from her life – that it was hitting her this hard. She would have expected her breakdown to come when Maura first disappeared or when she realized that her own daughter had had to give up her own daughters and would miss their lives just like Hope had missed Maura's life. But no. It was happening now, four years later, on Maura's 44th birthday.

The rest of the box contained the years of birthday presents she had secretly purchased for the child she thought had died. Hope had purchased an age-appropriate gift for Maura's birthday each year of her childhood, until her 18th birthday, and had stored them in this box along with the mementos from her birth.

Hope spent the rest of the afternoon in the attic reliving the memories of the "lost years" as she often thought of them. She repacked everything in the box with the exception of the one thing she had come looking for, which she set aside to bring downstairs. By the time she got back downstairs, she was completely and utterly exhausted, so she decided to order take-out and spend the evening watching movies on the couch, hoping and praying that she might just get to spend one more birthday with her daughter in the future.

Constance: August 5th, Present Day

Constance tried to fight the tears burning in the corners of her eyes as she hugged her daughter tightly. Even though Maura and Sophie had been home for two months now, the fact that they were celebrating Maura's birthday with Maura was hitting her hard. None of them had ever thought this day would come. Over the past seven years, Jane had made sure that they acknowledged and celebrated Maura's birthday every year, and Constance was incredibly grateful for that. She would never have considered doing something like that on her own.

Maura chuckled quietly, alerting Constance to the fact that she had probably been holding on a little too long.

"Sorry," Constance said so quietly she wasn't sure Maura even heard her as she pulled back and quickly wiped the stray tears that had escaped her eyes. "Happy birthday, darling!" she added more loudly.

"Thank you," Maura replied with a genuine smile before she was pulled away by another arriving guest.

"Nana! Nana! Nana!" Harper came sprinting over to Constance, jumping into her arms at full speed.

"Harper!" Constance said playfully back as she stood up with the little girl still in her arms.

"Today…today is mommy's birfday and…and…and then…and then, it's my birfday," she said breathlessly; her excitement was contagious.

"And how old are you going to be?" Constance asked, her own smile growing in response to Harper's excitement.

"Four!" she squealed as she held up her hand with four fingers.

"You're a big girl now!" Constance exclaimed in mock surprise.

"I am a big girl!" Harper said excitedly.

Constance chuckled. "Where are your sisters?" she asked.

"Uh…" Harper stalled as she looked around the backyard. "They still inside," she offered eventually. "Imma go get 'em." Harper wiggled out of Constance's arms as she lowered her to the ground. She instantly took off – again at full speed – towards the house.

Constance looked around the backyard at her family – because yes, all of these people were her family. She spotted Arthur sitting in his favorite chair off to the side reading his book. Jane had never admitted it specifically, but Constance was pretty sure she had set up that particular pair of chairs with Arthur in mind. They were away from the commotion, under a few trees near the deck. He could sit there and read by himself while still feeling like he was a part of what was going on. Constance wouldn't be surprised if at some point in the afternoon, the other chair was occupied by Finn with her own book. While Finn could definitely hold her own in social situations, she tended to eventually get overwhelmed before her sisters – she was very much like her mommy and grandpa in that way. And Constance knew that a small smile would grow on Arthur's face when his granddaughter quietly took the seat next to him. They wouldn't exchange a word with each other, but they would be together.

Constance continued observing the family. Frankie, Tommy, and Vince were already battling over the grill. How the three of them could never figure out how to work together, Constance could never understand. Although, she supposed that maybe the 'battle' was part of the fun.

Harper had indeed found her sisters, and they were already in the backyard with TJ, Michael, Bella, Kent's son Chris, and Susie's four-year-old daughter Tina.

Constance walked over to where Jane had now joined Maura in conversation with Nina and her mom Catherine.

"Hello, Constance," Catherine greeted.

"Hello, Catherine, it's so good to see you," Constance replied with a smile.

The five of them exchanged small talk for a few minutes. It was Jane who clearly noticed Hope's arrival first. Her protective grip around Maura's waist alerting both Maura and Constance to the new arrival. Constance knew that Hope had been invited, but that didn't mean she had to like it. She and Hope had never particularly liked each other, but their dislike grew first after Emma and Finn were born and even more so after Harper was born. However, she tolerated Hope for Jane's sake – because that's what Jane wanted for Emma and Finn – and she mostly ignored the other woman at family events. She was having a hard time being so tolerant today, though, as she remembered holding her crying daughter in her arms after that first reunion lunch two months ago.

Jane was adamant that Hope would no longer be allowed in their lives if she ever let Harper or Emma and Finn know how she felt about Harper, and Hope appeared to toe the line. However, while Hope let Harper call her grandma Hope like the other girls and came to most (but not all) of her birthdays and events, Constance wasn't as convinced as Jane that the three-year-old (almost four-year-old) was completely oblivious. Harper never said anything. If she had, Constance would have told Jane immediately. But Constance had noticed that Harper never asked Hope for help, she never chose Hope as her partner when they all played games together, and she never begged to sit next to Hope at meals. Constance figured she probably noticed this more than others because Harper usually picked her. Not that she was complaining – it meant the world to her when Harper or any of the girls picked her. Still, while Harper usually picked Constance, she would sometimes pick or go to others in the family – everyone except Hope. Constance had agonized over whether or not to say something to Jane, but in the end, since Harper hadn't expressed any distress and Constance didn't have any real proof, she kept putting it off.

In the end, Constance did her best to force herself to ignore Hope much like she did in the past. Today was a joyous occasion after all. It was Maura's birthday. Her first birthday back home.

However, her (admittedly already limited) tolerance with Hope was waning by the time everyone had finished dinner, so when she saw Harper's face fall during a conversation with Hope, Constance had had enough. She wasn't close enough to hear the conversation, but she followed Hope out of the backyard, catching up to her in the driveway.

"Hope," Constance called out to get the other woman's attention.

Hope turned around to face her, and Constance didn't miss the look of dislike that crossed Hope's face before she schooled her features.

Hope raised her eyebrow in a non-verbal cue telling Constance to say what she needed to say and let her go.

Constance crossed her arms in front of her as she stood a few feet away from Hope. "What did you say to Harper before leaving?" she asked.

"I told her goodbye!" Hope snapped. Taking a step closer to Constance she added, "Just like I told Emma, Finn, and Sophie goodbye."

"I saw the look on her face when she was talking to you," Constance replied.

Hope rolled her eyes. "She asked if I was coming to her birthday party next week," Hope said matter-of-factly. "I told her, no, I wouldn't be there because I had to work."

Constance narrowed her eyes at the other woman, trying to decide if she was telling the full truth. "Don't you run the place? I assume that means you set your own schedule," Constance commented, not yet ready to back down.

"Your point?"

"You knew when Harper's birthday party was going to be weeks ago," Constance pointed out.

"And I found a reason to not be there that won't hurt Harper's feelings," Hope said.

"It hurts her feelings that you won't be there regardless of the reason," Constance retorted. She could tell that Hope was barely restraining herself from rolling her eyes again.

"People miss birthday parties," Hope said. "I seem to remember hearing that you missed more than just a couple of Maura's birthdays growing up, so how can you lecture me about missing Harper's birthday?"

Constance Isles was rarely rendered speechless, but at the moment, she had no idea how to respond. Hope's words cut deep, but she wasn't wrong. Constance and Arthur had missed many of Maura's birthdays both when she was a child and as an adult before her disappearance.

"Well, I've learned from my mistakes, maybe you should to," Constance said bitingly. She turned on her heel and went back to the party before Hope could respond. She was fuming, hurt, ashamed, confused, angry, and sad. She did her best to plaster on her polite face just before she returned to the backyard, hoping beyond hope that she could forget that conversation.

Maura: August 5th, Present Day

The evening ended with kids sleeping in random laps and chairs and the adults sitting around the outdoor firepit laughing and talking. Eventually, most of the adults with kids had left. Her father had moved inside and was likely asleep in an armchair. Angela, Vince, and Kiki were deep in conversation, giving Maura the change to talk quietly with her mother and Jane.

"I'm going to carry these two upstairs," Jane said quietly to Maura after a while, indicating Harper and the sound-asleep Sophie already in her arms. "Then come back for Emma and Finn."

"Do you want help?" Maura asked, starting to stand up.

"No, no, you stay here," Jane replied quickly as she picked up Harper with ease. It always amazed Maura how easily Jane could maneuver two kids, even when they were essentially dead-weight as they slept.

Constance and Maura both watched Jane take the kids inside before Constance returned her attention to her daughter. "Did you enjoy today?" she asked.

"I did," Maura replied with a smile. "Very much so, but to be honest, I think I'm looking forward to dinner on Monday even more." They were planning to have a small family dinner – well, as small as a family dinner could be with four kids. It would just be the six of them plus Angela and her mother (her father would be traveling – a work trip he had set up months before Maura's return; Maura had reassured him, truthfully, multiple times that she was okay with it since he was here today).

"It's wonderful to spend time with all of our family and friends," Maura continued, "but there is something about being with the most important people in your life on your birthday." Maura gave a slightly embarrassed shrug. "And then we get to celebrate Harper's birthday. In some ways, I'm looking forward to that even more since hers will be the first of our kids' birthdays that we celebrate as a family."

"Jane admitted to me once that she was really hoping Harper would be born on your birthday," Constance told Maura.

Maura smiled softly. She would have liked that too.

"I think she wanted Harper to be able to share something with you," Constance continued.

"Harper is my daughter," Maura commented, somewhat more defensively than she had intended, and sitting straighter in her chair.

"I know, darling," Constance said knowingly as she gently placed her hand on top of Maura's. "I know she is your daughter, and she is my granddaughter. I just thought it was sweet that Jane wanted the two of you to share a birthday."

Maura settled back into her chair. "I know," she said. "I'm sorry." And she was. Even though nothing had happened between her and Hope or Harper and Hope to her knowledge, seeing Hope had put her a little on edge and made her more than a bit defensive of Harper. Maura offered her mother an apologetic smile before saying, "I would have liked sharing my birthday with Harper, too."

Constance smiled, but she was stopped from saying anything else by Jane's return for Emma and Finn.

Maura was exhausted by the time they got in bed after everyone had left and they had finished their nighttime routines. It was nearly midnight when she rolled into Jane's arms. "I love you," she whispered before giving Jane a soft kiss. They were both too tired to go any further tonight. "Thank you for a wonderful day."

"I'm glad you enjoyed your party," Jane said with a smile as she wrapped her arms around Maura.

"I did," Maura said as she rested her head on Jane's chest. Then, after a short pause, she added, "During the three weeks between when I found out we could come back to Boston and when we actually got here, I spent a lot of time thinking about how things might go – which you already knew – and I often thought of my birthday as some sort of milestone. I would think, 'if Jane at least forgives me by my birthday, then I'll be happy with how things have gone,' or 'I hope more than anything that I can get to know the girls well enough that Jane might agree that she and the girls will have dinner with me and Sophie on my birthday,' or 'if I can have a good place to live, income to support me and Sophie, and Sophie is adjusting well by my birthday, I'd consider that a huge success.'"

"I still don't really understand why you thought I would be so angry with you," Jane said sadly, but when Maura opened her mouth to answer her, Jane cut in, "No, no, I know. I didn't have a choice, etc. etc. But you didn't have a choice either. Anyway, we don't need to rehash that tonight."

Maura laughed lightly at the succinct summary of the conversation they had had many times. "Well, my point is, not only did all of those things happen…" Maura started to get choked up as she spoke, "…but I-I've never been happier." Maura closed her eyes as her grasp on Jane's shirt tightened unconsciously. Maura took a deep breath before she added, "So you better not give me a birthday present because you've already given me the best gift of all."

Jane chuckled. "That's a little cheesy even for you," she teased. "Besides, do you honestly believe, even for a second, that I would not give you a birthday present."

Maura laughed again as she shifted to release her grip on Jane's shirt and drape her arm over Jane's waist. "And I supposed if I tried to convince you now, you would only dig your feet in more," she said in mock exasperation.

Jane's fingers came up to play with Maura's hair, and Maura let out a comfortable sigh in response to the feeling. "You know me so well," Jane quipped.

"Mmm," Maura hummed in confirmation as sleep started to tug at the edges of her consciousness.

"Night, Maur,'" Jane whispered as she kissed the top of Maura's head.

"Good night, Jane. I love you," Maura mumbled against Jane's chest.

"I love you, too," Jane responded quietly.

Jane: August 7th, One Year Ago

Jane sat down at the kitchen table with her coffee. She hadn't been able to sleep, and eventually, she had given up. All three kids were still asleep, which meant that Jane was getting a rare couple of hours of quiet. Jane always had mixed feeling about this day: Maura's birthday. This year, Maura was turning 46, making this the seventh birthday Jane hadn't been able to spend with her friend. Each year, it somehow got both easier and harder. And this year, in particular, Jane was feeling incredibly nervous. As the kids got older, they understood more of what today meant. At almost three, Harper was just starting to understand that she, Emma, and Finn had a mommy that they didn't get to see (even though Maura wasn't technically Harper's mom). However, it was Emma and Finn that Jane was most concerned about. The five-year-olds were starting to ask harder questions about their adoption. In past years, they had enjoyed getting to celebrate their mommy on her birthday, but this year, they were starting to get a glimpse into what they had lost.

For that reason, Jane had tried to plan something that was especially fun for the kids while still honoring Maura. The four of them plus Angela and Constance were going to start their day at the Boston Museum of Science followed by a picnic lunch at the Boston Common. After naptime, they were going to make blankets to donate to Boston Children's Hospital. The hospital offered a program where you could purchase kits to make tie fleece blankets for kids staying in the hospital. You then sent the blankets to the hospital along with a video message for the child who receives the blanket. Volunteering and giving were always so important to Maura that Jane wanted to find a way to involve the kids in that from a young age. It had been especially hard to find something that little kids could help with, but she was excited by her find. They kids would especially love making videos to send to the kids at the hospital.

The six of them had a beautiful day together, and Jane was even able to make it through most of the day without crying in front of the kids. Well, she made it until they started filming the videos. The girls decided that they wanted to make the video together rather than making individual videos, which Jane found to be a relief since she didn't think Harper would be able to concentrate enough to make a video alone to go with her blanket. They had all worked together to make three blankets – one from each of the three girls to go to a child at the hospital. Harper, of course, wanted to keep hers, but Emma and Finn were actually the ones to convince her that it was more important for the sick kids to have the blankets.

When they started to film the first video, Jane had expected Emma to do all of the talking, Finn to stand quietly next to her sister possibly offering a few words at the end, and Harper to just be silly in front of the camera. However, that wasn't how it went. Instead, Emma and Finn tag-teamed – almost as if they had planned a script – and Harper stood quietly, listening to her sisters.

"Today is our mommy's birthday," Finn said. Her voice was clear despite the slight nerves Jane could still hear as she spoke. "But she's not here, so we are celebrating her birthday by doing all her favorite things."

"Yeah, and see, our mommy is very generous. She is always willing to help friends and family. She also supports charities that help people in need," Emma added, perfectly reciting the line from the 'My Mommy Book' that Jane read to them regularly.

"I want to be generous just like my mommy," Finn continued. "To be generous, you have to help people or give things to people who need it."

"So, this year, we made blankets for you," Emma said, holding out the blanket towards the camera. Finn and Harper followed suit, holding out their blankets as well.

"So that we can be generous just like our mommy," Finn added.

"Yeah, just like our mommy," Emma said with a huge smile. "Happy Birthday, mommy!" she added excitedly as she waved to the camera.

Harper echoed her sister, shouting, "Happy Birfday, mommy!" drowning out Finn's quieter statement.

"Uh, is that good?" Emma asked, turning her attention away from the camera and looking at Jane. She was clearly surprised to see Jane crying hard. She dropped the blanket on the ground and ran over to Jane. Throwing her arms around Jane, Emma whispered, "You okay, mama?" She was quickly followed by her sisters, all three of them wrapping Jane in a group hug.

"Yeah, baby, I'm okay," Jane tried to reassure her daughters. "You guys did a great job," she added thickly. That was perfect." And it really was.

Maura: August 7th, Present Day

Maura's birthday celebration started from the second her eyes opened on Monday morning. She was still lying in Jane's arms, but they could hear the kids in the hallway. Either Emma or Finn was trying to get Harper and Sophie to be quiet as she explained that it was mommy's birthday today and they needed to make her feel special.

Maura tried not to laugh when she heard Sophie say loudly, "But why's mommy get so many birfdays?"

"Cus she's old," Harper replied smartly, causing Maura to snort in suppressed laughter. Maura could now also feel Jane shaking with laughter underneath her.

Based on the awkward pause, Maura guessed that Sophie had a look of confusion on her face that was in turn confusing her sisters.

"But…but…but we just did her birfday…and TJ and Michael and Bewwa and Cwis and Tina and…and everyone we know came." Maura could perfectly picture Sophie's hands held up in the air in exasperation as she listened. "Is everyone we know coming today, too?" Sophie asked.

"Oh, no," one of the older girls said – while Maura was getting better at telling them apart visually, she still couldn't distinguish their voices at all. Emma or Finn's voice clearly indicating that she finally understood Sophie's confusion. "That was just her birthday party. Today is her actual birthday. It's the same birthday, though."

"We celebrate birthdays a lot!" the other twin said matter-of-factly.

"She's not wrong," Jane whispered through their shared laughter.

"Shhhh!" one of the older girls reprimanded her sisters loudly, causing Maura to laugh even harder because the shushing was even louder than the talking. "We gotta go wake up mommy and tell her happy birthday," she added in an exaggerated whisper.

"You still asleep, mommy?" Jane teased under her breath.

"Shh," Maura hissed as she playfully pinched Jane's side, making the woman underneath her squirm.

Despite having listened to the entire conversation taking place outside their door, they both jumped when the door crashed against the wall. Harper took a running leap towards the bed and actually managed to get up on her own. Maura didn't have time to register how anyone else got on the bed as four little humans tackled her in a hug full of giggles, tickles, and kisses. Maura felt happy tears pricking at the corners of her eyes as she was assaulted with love. This was officially her new favorite moment of her entire life – lying in Jane's arms, their daughters in hers, surrounded by happiness and love – what could ever compare to this?

"Okay, okay," Jane said through her own laughter after a while. "Let mommy breath!" And while Maura didn't really want the moment to end, she was glad for the reprieve as she was having a hard time catching her breath.

Jane made Maura's favorite blueberry bunny pancakes for breakfast (after informing Maura that she wasn't allowed to complain about all the sugar since it was her birthday), and they all sat down to breakfast together. Maura couldn't keep the silly grin off of her face.

"How old are you, mommy?" Finn asked thoughtfully.

"Today is my 47th birthday," Maura replied.

"You're older than mama?" Finn continued.

"Yes, by about two months," Maura answered.

"I'm older than Emma by one hour and twelve minutes," Finn said matter-of-factly, catching Maura off-guard. She had wondered which one was which multiple times, but she hadn't asked Jane yet.

"A fact that she regularly reminds her sister of," Jane said, giving Finn a playful poke, before she noticed Maura's distraction. Jane slid her hand into Maura's under the table, giving it a gentle squeeze. Maura knew this was Jane's way of telling her she understood, that they could talk about it later. It was enough to pull Maura back to the present.

It turned into a rainy day, so their plans to go to the park and have a picnic lunch were abandoned. Instead, they moved the coffee table aside and laid blankets on the floor to have a picnic lunch in the family room. They ordered lunch from Maura's favorite café.

"So, I was going to give this to you tonight, but we might as well watch it now since it's raining," Jane explained as she pulled up something on her iPad to stream to the Apple TV once they were all sitting down with their lunches.

"What is it?" Maura said interestedly. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor, munching on a carrot, as she watched Jane.

"You'll see," Jane replied as she pressed play and set the iPad off to the side before leaning back against the couch with her wrap.

Maura shifted so that she too was leaning against the couch, her arm pressed against Jane's. The kids were all sprawled out in front of them as they ate their own lunches.

"Oh," Maura said quietly as a shaky video started. Four-and-a-half-month-old Emma and Finn were sitting in bouncy chairs with pieces of paper in their laps that together read, "Happy Birthday Mommy!" in Jane's handwriting and were decorated with hearts and smiley faces. The video was shaky because Jane was clearly doing something behind the camera go get them to smile and laugh. After a few minutes, Jane shifted so that she could fit herself and the girls in the frame.

"Emma and Finley say, 'Happy Birthday, Mommy!'" Jane said, her hand gently brushing each girls' head as she said their names. It was such a small thing, but just knowing which was which meant the world to Maura.

"That's us!" Emma said excitedly, pointing at the TV while looking back at Maura.

Maura offered her a watery smile, but she was currently too choked up to say anything. Luckily, it seemed to be enough for Emma as she quickly turned back to watch the screen.

On screen, Jane offered her own birthday greeting before a nervousness passed over her. "Ah, so we wanted to celebrate your birthday today, but well going…literally anywhere with two infants is nearly impossible. So, um, I thought we could make you a video, and ma and Constance are coming for dinner…so yeah…" Jane trailed off somewhat awkwardly before adding in a more normal tone, "We miss you, Maur. Happy birthday!"

The video cut to a montage of pictures of the five of them later that evening celebrating Maura's birthday before eventually moving to the next year. This time, Jane was trying to wrangle two toddlers to stay on the screen at the same time, again with signs that read, "Happy Birthday Mommy!" but this time Jane's writing was surrounded by scribbles.

Jane laughed as she fell to her butt in a failed attempt to corral the kids. Giving up, she looked towards the camera with a smile and said, "Happy birthday, Maur. So, this year, as you can see, we're in a new house…well, more specifically we're in the yard of our new house." Jane gestured around the yard behind her where Emma and Finn were running in and out of the frame. "And this year, we're doing something special for you. Uh, hold on…" Jane jumped up and quickly stopped the video when one of the girls tripped behind her and started crying.

The video picked up again, this time near the newly built koi pond. Jane had clearly placed the phone or camera on the bench to film them while she tried to get the girls to help her plant a couple flowers. Just as Jane had said weeks ago, Emma and Finn were much more interested in the new fish.

"I only included a few minutes of this," Jane whispered into her ear. "This went on for a while." She laughed quietly and glanced at Maura before she reached out to pull Maura's hand into her own lap. Their lunches were abandoned, but Maura didn't care. Besides, she wouldn't even be able to taste her lunch through the tears flowing down her face.

The next year showed a very pregnant Jane with Emma cuddled into one of her sides and Finn cuddled into the other. Someone else was clearly taping this time. Even through the video, Maura could see how exhausted Jane was, and that only made it mean more to Maura that Jane had still taken the time to honor her birthday days before giving birth. But Maura's favorite part was hearing Emma and Finn's sweet "Happy birfday, mommy!" They hadn't spoken in the previous video, so Maura realized this was probably the first time they told her happy birthday, even if she didn't know it at the time. The thought only made her tears increase, and she squeezed Jane's hand tightly.

The video moved on to the next year. This time there were three signs, one with each word to read, "Happy Birthday Mommy!" It looked like Jane had written it but that Emma and Finn had traced the letters on their own signs along with drawing pictures around the words. Harper, who was holding the 'Mommy!' sign had scribbled on hers. But it was what came next that caused Maura to let out a choked sob. Jane had cut in a video of Sophie from around that time. They had downloaded the photos and videos that Maura had on the flash drive onto the computer a few weeks ago, but Maura hadn't realized that Jane had done anything more with them. It was just a video of Sophie giggling uncontrollably – Maura couldn't even remember what she had been laughing at – but the fact that Jane had included Sophie meant everything.

The video continued much of the same way through the subsequent years. Each year was simultaneously the same – a happy birthday message from the kids and Jane, a snippet into whatever they did that year to honor Maura, and a video of a happy Sophie from that year – and different – the girls became more engaged each year, the celebrations more thought out, and the segment slightly longer than the last. Jane had even included the video that the girls had made when they made blankets for kids in the hospital – Maura decided she wanted them to do that again with all the kids.

By the time the video finished, Maura was pretty sure she was dehydrated from all the crying she had done while watching it. It wasn't until Finn spoke up excitedly that Maura was pulled back to the present. "This year, we didn't have to make a video because you're here! And we get to celebrate together! We still made you signs, though…oops!" Finn clapped her hands over her mouth as she spilled the secret.

Jane just laughed, but Emma pouted. "It was supposed to be a surprise," Emma whined dramatically. "You ruined it!"

"I didn't mean to," Finn said equally as dramatically as she let her arms fall to her sides.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Jane cut in, in an attempt to stop the oncoming argument. "Why don't you guys go get your signs and give them to mommy now?" she suggested.

This was enough to return all four of them to their previous excitement, Finn's slip-up all but forgotten.

When the kids were out of earshot, Maura turned to Jane. "You're amazing, you know that?" she whispered before kissing Jane, hoping to let her actions say everything she couldn't put into words. "I love you," she added as they heard the kids coming back downstairs (no one went anywhere quietly in this house).

"I love you, too," Jane said quietly.

"Mama!" Finn called out as she came down the stairs. "Can we give mommy her birthday present, too?"

Jane turned to Maura. "You wanna cry more now or save it for later?" she teased.

"Now," Maura said honestly, even though she rolled her eyes. Although, she would have said that just to see the girls smiles even if she had wanted to wait. "That way, I can redo my makeup before our mothers get here."

Jane just laughed as she pushed herself up off the floor. "Yeah, I'll get it," she said to the kids. "Show mommy your signs."

All four of them shoved their signs in Maura's face in an attempt to show her theirs first. She had to lean back slightly to avoid getting hit in the face. Unlike previous years where the signs worked together to say, 'Happy Birthday Mommy!' this time they had each written their own messages. She made sure to give each one of them a special thank you and compliment something on each of their signs before Jane returned.

Jane was carrying a wrapped box. It was pretty large, but it didn't appear to be very heavy based on how easily Jane was moving it around.

Maura sat up and pulled her feet underneath her as Jane set the box on the ground in front of her.

"Open it!" Sophie demanded excitedly, making Maura's smile grow impossibly bigger.

"Can we help?" Harper asked.

"Sure," Maura replied with a chuckle, and before she could even find the edge of the wrapping, four little pairs of hands were tearing off the paper. When they were done, Maura couldn't help but commenting with a laugh, "That may be a new record."

Whatever it was appeared to be inside one of those old cardboard boxes that copy paper was delivered in. Apparently losing patience with Maura's pace, Emma lifted off the top and threw it behind her.

"Emma," Jane scolded.

"What?" the little girl said in feigned innocence. "I want mommy to see her presents."

Jane just rolled her eyes as they all returned their attention to Maura, who picked up the card on the top. She opened it and read it.

Happy birthday, love.
Over the years, the girls made you birthday cards, mother's day cards, random holiday cards, and a whole bunch of gifts. We've saved them for you, and I figured your birthday is a good time to give them to you. There are a few things from Sophie in here as well.
We love you so much, and we're so happy you're home.
Happy birthday, Maura.
Happy birthday, mommy.
Love,
Jane, Finn, Sophie, Emma, Harper
P.S. Sorry for making you cry 😉

Each of them had signed the card and Jane had drawn a winking smiley face next to the post-script.

They spent nearly an hour going through the things in the box. Each of the girls loved to point out which cards, art projects, or gifts were from them. Eventually, though, they had to get Harper and Sophie down for their naps or they would be cranky this evening. Emma and Finn decided they wanted to read (Maura suspected that they were feeling a bit overstimulated from the morning), so Maura and Jane had a couple of hours (hopefully) to themselves.

Jane had cleaned up the remnants of their lunch while Maura tucked in Harper and Sophie for their naps. Maura wrapped her arms around Jane's waist from behind when she came back downstairs to find her doing the dishes. Maura gently kissed Jane's shoulder before resting her chin there. She had so much she wanted to say to Jane – so much to thank her for – but she didn't know where to start.

Jane leaned back slightly so that her back was resting against Maura's front as she turned her head to give Maura a kiss on the cheek. "Happy birthday, love," she said quietly. "Are you enjoying your day?"

Maura smiled, lifting her head just enough to find Jane's lips with her own. "Yes, it's been perfect," she said truthfully. "Even if the rest of the day goes terribly, today will still be my best birthday ever."

Jane chuckled as she dried her hands and turned around in Maura's arms. She wrapped her arms around Maura's shoulders and pulled her impossibly closer.

"I feel like I should no longer be surprised by all the little things you did for me over the years, but you just keep outdoing yourself," Maura mumbled into the crook of Jane's neck where she had buried her face.

"My favorite part was still the kids' conversation outside the door this morning," Jane teased, but Maura could see that she was deflecting. One thing hadn't changed – Jane still hated compliments. "Apparently, you're old," she added with a smirk.

"That makes you old, too," Maura returned with a smirk of her own.

"Nuh uh," Jane said, shaking her head playfully. "You're older than I am. By two months!"

Maura chuckled as she shook her head.

After a few seconds, Jane's expression turned more serious. "I noticed that you reacted when Finn said she was older than Emma," Jane commented slowly.

Maura tilted her head as she thought about what to say. "I had wondered before which one was which," she said. "Baby A and baby B."

"You could have asked," Jane replied.

"I know," Maura said quickly. "And I would have. It just so happened that I never thought about it when you were around, and I just kept forgetting about it." Maura shrugged. "It wasn't something I spent a lot of time thinking about. More than anything, I was just caught off-guard by the realization when Finn said that this morning. Not in a bad way. I hope you didn't think that," she added, her eyebrows knitting together in concern.

Jane laughed lightly. "No, you were fine," she said. "I doubt the girls even noticed that you had a reaction at all. I just know you well." Jane smiled again before capturing Maura's lips in another kiss, but this time she didn't pull back, allowing Maura to deepen the kiss. They got lost in each other for a few minutes, but they restrained themselves from going any further, knowing that Emma and Finn were awake upstairs. They'd have time for that after the kids went to bed tonight.

Jane and Maura: August 7th, Present Day

Maura pulled Jane into a passionate kiss the second Emma and Finn's bedroom door closed behind them.

"Think you have time for one more celebration?" Jane purred as she kissed her way down Maura's jawline.

"Mmmm," Maura hummed, her mind instantly going blank as Jane's lips assaulted her sensitive skin. Maura lost her balance, stumbling backwards, pulling Jane with her. They crashed loudly into the wall, causing Maura to let out a guttural moan.

"Everyone okay?!" Emma called loudly from their bedroom. Jane flushed bright red as she buried her face in Maura's hair.

Maura chuckled. Her fingers danced teasingly across Jane's skin as she called back, "Yes, sweetie. Mama just tripped me."

"Hey!" Jane said with a laugh as she picked up her head to give Maura a look of mock annoyance. "You're mean," Jane whispered so that only Maura could hear her as she gave her arm a playful slap.

"That's not nice, mama," Finn yelled back.

"It was an accident," Maura said, trying to hide the laughter in her voice.

"Oh, okay, well, be careful," Finn responded.

"Good night!" Jane ended the conversation. She didn't wait for the 'good nights' from Emma and Finn before she started pulling Maura towards their bedroom.

Maura giggled as she let Jane pull her down the hall by the hand. As soon as they locked the door behind them, Jane started pulling her shirt over her head, but Maura stopped.

"Uh uh," Maura said teasingly. "I get to unwrap my present," she added, her voice instantly dropping an octave as desire coursed through her.

"Oh my god, that's so corny," Jane said with a throaty chuckle, but she stopped undressing and started pushing Maura backwards towards the bed.

"Mmm, maybe so, but I'm still gonna enjoy it," Maura whispered as she slid her hands under Jane's shirt. Jane skin was already hot, and it felt so good under Maura's hands. Maura moved at an agonizingly slow pace as she removed Jane's clothes, allowing Jane to undress her at the same time. She kissed every inch of Jane's skin as she revealed it. Jane's fingers scratched lightly on her back, every so often digging into Maura's skin when Maura kissed a particularly sensitive spot.

By the time they were fully undressed, they were both flushed, and their breathing was shallow. Jane pulled Maura into a searing kiss. Their lips and tongues moved together, and they maintained that connection as they lowered themselves onto the bed. They moved together into the center of the bed. Their hands groped desperately in an attempt to touch every inch of the other woman's skin.

"What do you want, Dr. Isles?" Jane whispered as she moved her kisses down to Maura's pulse point, drawing a gasp from the woman underneath her.

"Want to be Dr. Rizzoli," Maura said breathlessly without thinking. Her eyes flew open as soon as she realized what she had just said, and her already flushed cheeked burned an even deeper red.

"What?" Jane said in surprise. She pulled back enough to make eye contact with Maura. Maura chewed on her bottom lip, telling Jane without words that she was embarrassed. Jane shifted so that she was lying half on top of Maura and half against her side. She brought the hand that wasn't holding up her weight up to brush Maura's hair off of her face, causing Maura's eyes to flutter shut.

"You want to be Dr. Rizzoli?" Jane asked gently.

"I-I do," Maura admitted, her eyes searching Jane's face for any sign of discomfort.

"Are you aski…" Jane started.

"No!" Maura cut her off quickly. Then, laughing slightly, she added, "Sorry, I didn't mean that to sound so emphatic. But, no, I'm not asking you to marry me during sex. When the time comes, I'm going to do it right. Now's not the right time, but I think we both know where this is headed. However, I have thought about it a few times over the past two months, and when we do get married, if it's okay with you, I'd like to take your name. Only, if it's okay with you," Maura added again quickly, vulnerability laced her voice.

"Really?" Jane asked, unable to control the gigantic smile that crossed her face. Maura smiled back as relief flooded her body; she could tell by the tone of Jane's voice and the look on her face that she loved the idea.

"Yes," Maura said. Then, she added, "I know that's not what you meant, but I had been thinking about it earlier this evening. So, when you asked what I wanted and called me Dr. Isles, it came out."

"I would love for you to officially be a Rizzoli," Jane said genuinely. "I just didn't expect it. I thought you would want to keep your name – both for professional reasons and…" Jane paused. "And I guess since you just got your name back…" Jane trailed off with a rare uncertainty.

Maura smiled as she brought her arms up and wrapped them around Jane's neck. "Depending on what I decide to do next, I may continue to use Isles in a professional capacity, but legally and in every other aspect of my life, I want to be a Rizzoli," Maura said. She paused to push some of Jane's curls behind her ear so that she could see her face better. "And honestly, losing my name for seven years only made it clearer that that is what I want. Had I not been in the witness protection program, I'm not sure how I would feel. I never planned to change my name with any of my previous significant others, but at the same time, you were always different, so I don't know – and I'll never know. That's not matters, though.

"I love my parents, but my identity revolves around our family now – the six of us," Maura said. She shrugged before continuing, "I want my name to reflect that."

"I love that," Jane said as she leaned in for another kiss. It only took a few seconds for their bodies to start heating up again.

Maura let out a low moan as Jane's mouth moved down to lavish her breast. Jane's tongue danced across her breast, circling tighter and tighter around her nipple until she took the stiff peak between her teeth and gave a gentle tug. Maura's hips bucked as the sensation sent a shot of arousal to her core. Jane used her hand to massage her other breast while she continued to lip, nip, and suck on Maura's right breast. When she had Maura squirming beneath her, she switched to provide equal attention with her mouth to Maura's left breast while her other hand played with her right.

"You never answered my question," Jane said between licks and sucks.

"Huh?" Maura said distractedly, the uncharacteristic phrase drawing a chuckle from Jane. Maura's hands dug into Jane's hips at the feeling of the vibrations from Jane's laughter drove her even higher.

"What do you want?" Jane asked, pulling her mouth away from Maura's chest long enough to get an answer.

Maura groaned in protest at the loss of contact. "Mouth and fingers," she whined, her brain once again short circuiting when Jane's fingers slipped between her legs.

Jane gave Maura another passionate kiss before kissing her way down Maura's body until she settled between her legs. When Jane ran her tongue the length of Maura's slit, Maura's hips jerked violently, and she let out a quick, "Fuck!" before draping her arm over her mouth to quiet her moans.

Jane continued to work Maura up with her tongue for a few minutes. When she could tell that Maura was getting close, she thrust two fingers into her. The unexpected intrusion caused Maura to cry out loudly before she once again stifling her moans, this time biting on the pillow next to her head.

Jane moved her fingers in and out as hard and fast as she could, making sure to curl her fingers on the way out, hitting Maura's favorite spot every time. She worked her tongue around Maura's clit for a few more minutes before wrapping her lips around it and sucking hard. Maura's entire body jerked in response. Her legs were trembling, and her abdominal muscles were flexed tightly as Jane brought her higher and higher. She was so close, but she tried to hold off her impending orgasm in an attempt to make this moment last as long as possible. However, when Jane added a third finger, Maura flew over the edge. Her back arched off the bed, her toes curled, her heels dug into the mattress, and her walls clenched down hard around Jane's fingers. She continued to muffle the cries she couldn't keep inside against the pillow.

Jane did her best to continue moving her fingers and tongue, drawing out every ounce of pleasure from the woman she loved until Maura's body collapsed against the bed and her hand pushed Jane away as she got too sensitive.

"Fuck," Maura said under her breath without opening her eyes as Jane climbed back up her body and settled against her side.

"Enjoy your birthday present?" Jane asked as she drew lazy circles across Maura's side and stomach with her fingers.

"Mmmhmmm," Maura hummed as she tried to catch her breath and slow her heartrate.

Jane laughed lightly and placed a soft kiss on Maura's cheek. When Maura regained some control of her body, she wrapped her arms around Jane and pulled her closer. "I love you," she mumbled into Jane's hair. "So, so much."

"I love you too," Jane replied with a gentle kiss to the shoulder closest to where her head was resting.

Jane reached down to pull the sheet over them.

"No, want to make love to you," Maura mumbled, but her voice betrayed her exhaustion.

Jane chuckled softly. "Later," she said. "Sleep now," she added, giving Maura a loving kiss. "We're old, remember? We gotta go to sleep early."

Maura laughed as she rolled them gently so that she could settle into her favorite position. Sleep was quickly pulling her under. "Love you," she mumbled one more time before she was out. She was asleep before she heard Jane's soft, "I love you, too," in return. Jane placed a gentle kiss on Maura's forehead before following her into dreamland.

A/N: This chapter includes scenes that technically take place in 2020 if you're doing the math. I'm purposely not including years because I don't want to include the pandemic, but since Maura has a birth year in canon, you can figure it out.

Also, the blanket idea is something that is offered by a nonprofit associated with the children's hospital near where I grew up. I have no idea whether it's available in Boston, but it is a real thing in some locations.