Chapter 54: Paper Chain

A/N: NSFW

Maura: September, Present Day

Neither Maura nor Jane slept well that night. It seemed like when one of them fell asleep, the other was awake, only to switch 20-30 minutes later. They tried cuddling, and they tried sleeping on their own sides of the bed. Maura was frustrated. And exhausted.

By 4:30am, Maura gave up on getting any more sleep. Jane seemed to finally be asleep, albeit fitfully, so Maura snuck out of the room as quietly as possible.

She made herself a cup of coffee before curling up on the couch with a book, but she still couldn't concentrate. Her mind kept returning to their therapy session the previous afternoon – in particular, she couldn't get her daughters' distraught faces out of her mind.

"Hey," Jane said quietly, making Maura jump in surprise. Maura had been so lost in thought that she didn't hear Jane come downstairs. Jane was now standing in front of Maura, next to the couch, with her arms wrapped around herself in her half-asleep state.

Maura smiled up at Jane sadly. She closed the book in her lap (that she hadn't even really been reading) and put it aside before she lifted the blanket so that Jane could join her on the couch. When Jane sat down and covered herself with the blanket, Maura shifted to curl against Jane's side with her legs tucked underneath her.

"I tried not to wake you," Maura mumbled against Jane's chest.

"I know, but I couldn't really sleep either," Jane replied. Her arm was wrapped around Maura, and her fingers were playing with the ends of Maura's hair. The felling of Jane's fingers in her hair calmed Maura in a way that she hadn't felt since their session. "I was thinking," Jane continued, "maybe ma would want to take the girls today. She's been asking since she didn't get to see them last weekend while we were out of town. The girls could probably use the distraction, and we could probably use the time alone together – maybe do an impromptu 'Lunch and Learn'?"

Maura nodded. "I think that's a good idea," Maura replied. "I know we won't be able to solve all of the issues that came up yesterday in one day, but we really need to at least talk about it."

"I know," Jane said. "I'm going to at least wait until the sun is up to text ma, though."

Maura chuckled. "She'd probably appreciate that," she agreed.

A few hours later, after breakfast, Angela picked up all four girls, and the girls were definitely excited to spend the day with their nonna. Maura loved how much the girls enjoyed being with their grandparents, but it always made her laugh a little bit when they acted like being with their grandparents was a rare event. She was pretty sure Sophie had spent more time with her grandparents in the few months they had been home than Maura had spent with her grandparents her entire childhood.

"I'm gonna shower, and then we can talk," Jane said.

"Sounds good," Maura replied. She wanted to do some research on her computer first anyway.

In what seemed like no time at all to Maura, Jane was back downstairs again. "Do you want to move to the couch?" Jane asked.

"Yes, let's," Maura replied as she shut her laptop, leaving it on the kitchen island.

"How are you feeling?" Jane asked when they were both situated on the couch.

"A little less emotionally chaotic than I did last night or even this morning, but I still can't get Finn or Harper's upset faces out of my head," Maura answered honestly. "I have a few ideas for Harper, but I'm honestly at a loss about how to strengthen my relationship with Finn. I mean, obviously, I'll never miss school pick-up again – unless there's a true emergency as Sarah said – but that doesn't feel like enough."

"Okay, well, let's start with Harper, then," Jane replied. "To be honest, I don't really have any ideas about…well, anything…"

Maura smiled sadly. She could tell how defeated Jane still felt. After they talked about the kids, they definitely needed to talk about their own well-being, too. "While you were showering, I looked up all of the information about second parent adoption. I was relatively familiar with the process already since you already adopted Sophie, but I wanted to make sure there wasn't anything different. I also wanted to find out exactly when we can start the adoption process.

"I know that Harper doesn't fully understand, but I want to do everything possible to reassure her that I want to adopt her. I want all three of them to know, without a doubt, that I want to adopt them as soon as I can and as soon as they're ready," Maura continued. "Even if we can't file the paperwork yet, I'd like to complete all of the forms for all three girls, and I want to show them the completed forms. I also want to talk to our lawyer about scheduling the adoption hearing as soon as possible. I know that it can't happen before December since we have to have lived together for six months before I can officially petition to adopt any of them, but hopefully, if we have everything in place, we can move forward immediately when the time comes.

"For Harper, I was thinking that having some kind of countdown might be fun for her. I thought it might be something the two of us could do together – making the countdown sign or whatever we decide. I thought maybe on Tuesday or Thursday of this week, you could have a one-on-one day with Sophie, and I could have a one-on-one day with Harper. I could show her the paperwork, explain what was going to happen – even if she doesn't fully understand it, and then we could make a project out of making the countdown."

"I think that's a great idea," Jane said. "And I'd love to spend one-on-one time with Sophie."

Maura smiled. "I know that the adoption process is going to be different emotionally for Emma and Finn, but I'd like to also show them the completed paperwork. I don't want them to ever think that I don't want to adopt them just because they get upset with me. I do want to wait until they want to be adopted. Ideally, I'd like to also talk to each of them one-on-one about this, but I don't know if either of them but especially Finn is ready for that. It might be a better idea for me to talk to the two of them together. Hopefully, I can help them understand that they don't need to be ready at the same time, though."

"You could always ask them if they'd like to do something with you one-on-one," Jane suggested. "Let them decide but be willing to have the conversation with the two of them together. Honestly, I think you're probably right that they'll want to do it together, but I always try to give them the option to do things individually, even if they don't choose it very often."

"I was thinking, maybe one of our mothers would take Harper and Sophie for the day, and then Emma and Finn could each have one-on-one time with each of us," Maura added.

"I think that's a great idea," Jane said. "And we could keep it relatively short to keep the pressure low. Like, we could each spend an hour with one kid, then switch, and then the four of us could do something all together. Even without the adoption issue, that might be a good idea. Harper and Sophie already get more individualized time with us when Emma and Finn are at school. We should probably be more intentional about spending the same kind of time with Emma and Finn, especially since we know we have family that will help with Harper and Sophie."

"And Harper and Sophie will think that time is just as special for them as it is for Emma and Finn," Maura said with a smile.

"I think all of this is a really good idea, but I don't think you should be too hard on yourself about Harper," Jane said. "Like Sarah said, Harper's pretty focused on the label, but she doesn't seem to have any doubts about how much you love her."

Maura nodded. "Still, I hate that she feels different," Maura replied.

"I wish none of them felt different," Jane said. "But the truth is all four of them have unusual stories, and they're all different from the others in their own way. Harper feels different because she's the only one not biologically related to you, Sophie feels different because she's the only one who didn't grow up the first few years with her sisters, Emma and Finn feel different because they were adopted from birth and didn't grow up with their biological parent for their first few years.

"Even before you and Sophie came home, this was something I worried about with Emma, Finn, and Harper, and I worked through it a lot in therapy. I still have to remind myself, but the only thing I can do…the only thing we can do is actually love them all the same, be willing to explain to them over and over again that we love them all the same, and understand that they will need to work through how they feel about being different on their own terms," Jane explained.

"Sure, these are hard things for kids to work through, but they're still really lucky kids," Jane continued. "They have two parents and a ridiculous number of other family members who love them more than anything."

"I know that," Maura said quietly. "But that doesn't mean I don't wish that I could make this part easier for them."

"I know. Me, too," Jane said.

Maura turned on the couch so that she was facing Jane. "Do you have any other ideas about Finn?" she asked.

Jane sighed. "No, not really," she said. "I think your idea about spending one-on-one time with them is good, and Sarah's idea about having you pick them up once a week is probably a good idea, too. Honestly, other than that, I think she needs time more than anything. She's never really liked change, so I wouldn't be surprised if the stress of the new school year and being in a new class added to her distress."

"I can understand that," Maura said. "I've never liked change either." Maura fell silent, but she didn't take her eyes off of Jane. After a few moments, she asked the question she wasn't sure she actually wanted to know the answer to, "Are you still angry with me?"

Jane's eyes snapped up to meet Maura's, and her shoulders sagged in sadness. "I was never really angry with you," Jane said honestly. "Yeah, I mean, last night, I kinda felt like I was, but…I don't really know how to explain it. I'm sorry, Maura. I'm really not angry with you, I promise."

Maura nodded. "It would be okay if you were," Maura said quietly. She brought her hand up to push Jane's hair behind her ear and rested her arm on Jane's shoulder, her fingers continuing to play with Jane's curls.

"You did the best you could, Maura," Jane said. There was a hint of sadness in her voice, but she sounded genuine. "You're doing the best you can. We both are. Sometimes, it just doesn't feel like enough, but we both know we're not perfect. I know you'd never intentionally hurt the kids, and that's what matters most."

Maura nodded vaguely but dropped her gaze from Jane's eyes. "I do know that we'll both make mistakes, but I suppose I'm still angry with myself," she admitted. "I know that Finn's distress is about more than just one school pick-up, but I can't help but focus on how easy that would have been to avoid."

"Come'ere," Jane said as she pulled Maura towards her. Jane laid so that she was resting in the corner of the couch with Maura half on top of her, curled against her chest. Maura settled against Jane, reveling in the comfort of being so close to her love. Jane wrapped her arms tightly around Maura and kissed the top of her head. "I know what you mean," she said quietly. "There have been plenty of times I've kicked myself for one mistake or another that I've made with the kids. I know it's easier said than done, but we have to just try to move forward and do better in the future. You have to give yourself a break, Maura. You've been through hell. You've been through more than anyone, let alone you, deserves to have to go through."

Maura snuggled into Jane's embrace as best she could and wrapped her own arm around Jane's torso. Maura nodded against Jane's chest before lifting her head to look at Jane. "Still, I'm incredibly grateful that they have you, too," she whispered before giving Jane a soft kiss.

Jane returned the kiss, eventually deepening it. When Maura swiped her tongue across Jane's bottom lip, Jane didn't hesitate to let her in. Maura moaned with their warm, wet tongues met. She hadn't realized until this moment how much she needed Jane, right now.

Maura groaned when Jane pulled out of the kiss until she heard Jane's next words, "Should we go upstairs?"

Maura and Jane: September, Present Day

Maura climbed off of Jane and pulled her upstairs. They didn't waste any time divesting each other of their clothes. Maura pressed as much of her body against Jane's as she could, and they stumbled backwards towards the bed together, never breaking their kiss.

"Mmmm," Jane moaned at the feeling of Maura's full weight on top of her. Jane's entire body felt like it was on fire, and her hands grasped desperately at Maura's back, trying to pull her impossibly closer.

"Move up," Maura mumbled against Jane's lips, gently pushing her towards the center of the bed. They moved together before Maura returned to her previous position on top of Jane.

Jane ran her hands up and down Maura's sides, eventually moving to cup Maura's breasts. Maura pushed her chest into the touch, loving the feeling of Jane's hands on her body. Maura moved her kisses away from Jane's lips, leaving wet open-mouthed kisses along her jawline. She stopped to suck lightly on the sensitive skin behind Jane's ear, smiling to herself when the action drew a gasp from Jane. Maura playfully nipped Jane's earlobe before moving down the column of Jane's neck.

"God, I love you so much," Maura muttered against Jane's skin as she continued lavishing every inch she could reach.

"Mmmm, I lo…ohhhhh," Jane started, but when Maura sucked hard on Jane's right nipple, she lost her train of thought as an uninhibited moan escaped from deep within her.

Jane's hands flew to Maura's hair, holding her close against her chest. Maura took as much of Jane's breast into her mouth as she could, swirling her tongue around the taught nipple. She loved the feeling of Jane's fingers scraping against her scalp. She could tell that Jane was struggling to control herself from pulling too hard on Maura's hair or pressing her chest too hard into Maura's mouth. She loved how Jane thought of how she was feeling even while she was letting go of everything else.

Maura pulled back, releasing Jane's breast with a pop. She leaned up to give Jane another kiss, which Jane returned eagerly, before she continued kissing, licking, and nipping her way down the other side of Jane's neck, eventually taking Jane's left breast into her mouth and providing the same treatment.

Jane felt like she might explode at any minute. She loved the sensations bombarding her body as Maura lavished her chest with attention. Her body was moving on its own accord, trying to find the friction she needed, but Maura was relentless, determined to tease Jane for as long as possible.

Maura kissed lower down Jane's abdomen, stopping to pay special attention to her scars and to swirl her tongue in Jane's bellybutton, causing Jane's hips to jerk up.

Maura shifted, pushing Jane's knees apart in the process, and settled herself between Jane's thighs. When Jane glanced down at her, she couldn't help returning her gaze. She kept her eyes locked on Jane's as she ran her tongue the length of Jane's slit.

Jane tried to maintain eye contact. She really did, but as soon as Maura's tongue made contact with her swollen flesh, she couldn't do it. Her head dropped back to the pillow as she let out a loud moan. Her hands were gripping the sheets so tightly that her knuckles were turning white, but she didn't even notice. All she could focus on was the feeling of Maura's tongue and mouth on her center.

"Mmm, fuck," Jane groaned out, her hips shamelessly pressing up against Maura's face.

Maura smiled as she draped her arm around Jane's thigh and over her hips to hold her in place. Maura continued licking and sucking Jane's folds. She swirled her tongue in tight circles around Jane's clit before moving back to dip it into Jane's opening. She gently sucked on Jane's labia, enjoying the taste of Jane on her lips and the feeling of Jane starting to tremble around her. She could tell Jane was getting close when on a particularly hard suck on Jane's clit, Jane's hips bucked hard enough to overcome Maura's hold.

Maura decided she wanted to watch Jane come so she quickly replaced her mouth with her fingers and moved up Jane's body. She caught Jane's lips in a bruising kiss, pushing her tongue into Jane's mouth at the same time she thrust two fingers into her.

Jane had to rip her mouth away from Maura's as arousal shot through her like a bolt of lightning. Her hands moved to grip Maura's shoulders, and her hips ground against Maura's hand with abandon. Just as Jane was about to fly over the edge, Maura withdrew her fingers, moving them to rub lightly along Jane's folds instead. Jane groaned loudly. "Maurrrraaaaa," she whined. "What're…"

"Shhh, just trust me," Maura whispered seductively into Jane's ear as her fingers once again picked up their pace down below.

Jane nodded but kept her eyes squeezed shut. Her grip on Maura's shoulders tightened, and her fingers had to be digging into Maura's skin, but she couldn't help it as Maura drove her higher and higher. She tried to hold back her orgasm – partly because she knew Maura would probably pull back again just before her climax hit her and partly because she wanted to make this last longer.

Maura watched Jane's face intently as she moved her fingers in and out of Jane as quickly and as hard as she could while maintaining pressure on Jane's clit with her thumb. Once again, just before Jane's orgasm hit her, Maura pulled back, but this time, she didn't pull all the way out. Instead, she slowed her movements just enough to keep Jane near the edge without going over. Jane tried to deepen the pressure by hooking one of her legs over Maura's hip to gain leverage.

"Maurrrrr, pleassseeee," Jane whined, and this time, Maura relented. Maura added a third finger and started moving fast and hard again. She curled her fingers on the way out to hit that perfect spot on Jane's front wall. After a few more minutes of this, Jane's orgasm ripped through her body. Her back arched off the bed, and her heel dug into Maura's back. Her walls pulsed around Maura's fingers, trying to pull them impossibly deeper. Her entire body trembled as heat spread through her, all the way to the tips of her fingers and the tips of her toes. She called out Maura's name as she rode out her orgasm until every muscle in her body released its tension at the same time and she collapsed back to the bed.

Maura gently withdrew her fingers, gave Jane a soft kiss on the lips, and cuddled against Jane's side while Jane recovered.

Jane could barely move, but she still managed to turn her head to kiss Maura's forehead. Maura hummed in contentment, a silly smile on her face as they both enjoyed the afterglow.

Maura hadn't realized that Jane had moved until Jane's fingers slipped between Maura's legs. "Ahhh," Maura groaned out in surprise. She shifted so that she was straddling Jane's leg while Jane's fingers moved agonizingly slow across her folds. "God, Jane, don't tease," Maura whined. "I'm already so close. Watching you orgasm turns me on more than I ever would have believed possible."

Jane smirked and rewarded Maura by thrusting two fingers deep into her, using her thigh to increase the pressure at Maura's center. Maura cried out loudly. She was enjoying the fact that with the kids out of the house, she didn't have to hold back. Maura instantly began riding Jane's fingers, essentially grinding Jane's hand into her own thigh. Jane used her thumb to flick Maura's clit, and it was enough to drive her into her own climax. Jane continued moving her thumb and fingers against Maura's center until Maura's body stopped spasming.

Maura didn't even bother trying to move off of Jane, and she fell into a boneless heap in Jane's arms. After a few minutes, they both moved so that they could better wrap their arms around each other, and they kissed lazily for a few minutes.

"Mmm, the dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins flooding my system right now feel so good," Maura hummed after a while.

Jane snorted in amusement. "Is that your nerdy way of saying thanks for fucking me?" Jane teased.

Maura pinched Jane's side, causing the other woman to squirm away in laughter. "That's my nerdy way of saying that I love when we make love," she countered playfully.

"Me, too," Jane admitted softly before kissing Maura again.

"Oxytocin is the love hormone, so we're literally making love," Maura continued. Jane laughed before kissing Maura hard, instantly stopping Maura's train of thought.

Maura: September, Present Day

A few days later

"I don't understand," Harper pouted, stomping her foot in frustration.

"Note, you're spending the morning with mommy, and Sophie is spending the morning with me," Jane said patiently. Maura and Jane had explained to the four girls that they were each going to get to spend one-on-one time with their moms when they had arrived back home on Saturday. All four of them had seemed okay with the idea, but now that it was Tuesday, Harper was having a hard time understanding why she and Sophie couldn't be together.

"But I wanna be with Sophie," Harper whined.

"And I wanna be with Harper," Sophie added, albeit a bit more politely.

"You guys don't want some alone time with us, just you and one of us?" Maura asked.

"No!" they said together.

Maura, who was kneeling in front of the girls, looked up to Jane, who was standing behind them. Jane shrugged. Maura looked back at the girls, thinking hard. Today was supposed to be about bonding with the girls. It wasn't supposed to be a fight. While Maura still thought there was some value in the kids getting to spend one-on-one time with each of their parents, she didn't think they needed it to the point of upsetting them in the process.

"Well, if you guys really want to stay together…" Maura started, but she was cut off when they both started cheering. "Hey, hey, wait a moment," Maura said, reaching out to pull both Harper and Sophie back to face her again. "You guys need to listen to me for a second, or we're not doing anything fun today, okay?"

They both nodded.

"If you want to stay together, we can do that, but I still need to talk to Harper about her adoption," Maura said.

"Really?" Harper squealed in excitement, her eyes lighting up.

Maura chuckled. "We still can't do it yet, but I want to talk to you about the process," Maura replied. "I want you to understand what's going to happen, and I thought we could make a countdown so that you don't have to wonder when it's going to happen.

"So, Sophie," Maura added, turning to the three-year-old, "you can stay and help, but you have to be okay with today being about Harper."

"I love Harper!" Sophie said excitedly.

Both Maura and Jane laughed. That was definitely an understatement.

"I still need to go run errands, though," Jane said. "So, why don't the two of you decide together. Either Sophie can stay here with mommy and Harper, or Sophie can come with me while mommy and Harper talk about her adoption."

"Sophie stays," Harper said, and Sophie nodded her head vigorously.

"Alright," Jane relented with a smile. Maura returned Jane's smile.

A little while later, Maura sat down at the kitchen table with Harper and Sophie. "Okay, Harper," Maura said. "I want to show you something." Maura placed a stack of papers in front of Harper. "Do you remember how mama had to sign some papers when we went to the courthouse for Sophie's adoption?"

"No," Harper said matter-of-factly.

Maura laughed lightly. "How 'bout this…what do you remember about Sophie's adoption?" she asked.

"Uh, you and me and Sophie and mama went to a big building," Harper said. "It was really, really pretty, and there were lots of people there. And mama told them that Sophie is her daughter by choice."

Maura nodded, but before she could say anything Harper added dramatically, "And then mama cried…A LOT!"

Sophie nodded in agreement as Maura tried not to laugh. Jane would just love the fact that both girls remembered that she cried at the adoption (not).

"Right," Maura said, trying to keep a straight face. "Well, when mama told them that she was Sophie's mama by choice, she had to sign some papers. They were the same papers that I have here." Maura pointed to the papers between them. "Except they had Sophie's information on them. These have your information. I also have the same forms already filled out for Emma and Finn."

"Okay," Harper said slowly. "So can we go give them to the people in the pretty room?" she added excitedly.

"Well, that's the part that we have to wait for," Maura said sadly. "But I want you to know how much I want to adopt you. That's why I filled out the forms already. Does that make sense?"

"I guess," Harper said, but Maura wasn't convinced she really understood.

"I also made an appointment with the courthouse…with the people in the pretty room," Maura added in an attempt to speak to Harper and Sophie's level. "But that date is still kinda far away."

"How far?" Harper asked.

"December 5th," Maura replied.

"How far's that?" Harper asked.

"It's a little less than three months away," Maura said.

"How far's that?" Harper repeated.

"Well, it's a little less time than Sophie and I have been home," Maura replied.

Harper's eyes widened in horror. "But that's soooo long," she said, and Maura hadn't been expecting that reaction. She supposed three months was a long time for a three-year-old, even if it didn't seem like it to her.

"It'll go fast, I promise," Maura said quickly.

Harper's face scrunched adorably as she thought about it. "Is that farther than Christmas?" she asked finally.

"It's before Christmas," Maura replied, happy to be able to give a positive response. "So, it's closer than Christmas. December 5th if between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Mama's birthday is in a little under two weeks. Then, it will be Bella's birthday. Then, Halloween. Then, Thanksgiving. And then, your adoption. After that comes Christmas, followed by Sophie's birthday and Michael's birthday. Emma and Finn's birthday is about two months after Michael's birthday."

"Before Christmas," Harper confirmed. "Before Santa comes."

"Yes," Maura replied. She started chewing on her bottom lip nervously as she watched Harper contemplate this information. When neither Harper nor Sophie said anything, Maura continued, "I was thinking we could make a countdown. Each day, you get to check off another day. That way, you'll know exactly when your adoption day is coming. How does that sound?"

"How do we make a countdown?" Sophie asked. "What's a countdown?"

"Something I get to check every day," Harper said matter-of-factly. Close enough, Maura thought to herself.

"Well, I looked up a couple of different options. One option would be to make a big poster. We would then write each number on the poster and each night before bed, Harper could cross off one of the numbers. Another option is to make a paper chain. We would make a paper link for each day, and Harper would get to remove one each night before bed."

"I wanna do that!" Harper said.

"I wanna make one too!" Sophie added.

"Why don't all three of us work together to make one for Harper?" Maura suggested. "Can you help us make Harper's, Soph?"

"Yes!" Sophie said excitedly.

"Okay, great," Maura said with a smile. "We're going to need colored paper, glue, crayons, and scissors."

"I know where the art stuff is!" Harper said, instantly pushing herself off her chair. Sophie followed quickly. Maura laughed and followed the two girls to help make sure they got the right supplies.

Making the paper chain ended up going better than Maura had expected. She cut a bunch of paper strips in different colors, and the girls spent the morning coloring each and every strip. As they finished each strip, Maura would add it to the chain. Since Harper and Sophie weren't handling the scissors or glue, it also didn't end up being anywhere near as messy of a project as Maura expected.

Maura was just counting out the loops in the final product to make sure they had the right number – seventy-seven – when Jane walked through the door.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Jane asked as she set the bag she was carrying on the counter.

"Mama! Look!" Harper said, standing on her chair and pointing to the paper chain on the table.

"Wow, look at that!" Jane said, walking over to the table. "And please sit in your chair, Harper."

Harper instantly sat down, but her excitement was still high. "I getta take a loop off each night before bed…and…and…and then, when all the paper is gone, I getta get adopted!" she said so quickly that she was nearly out of breath.

Jane squeezed Maura's shoulder as Harper continued to excitedly explain the paper chain to Jane. Sophie made sure to point out that she helped as well.

Maura still wasn't completely sure whether or not Harper understood the process, but she at least seemed to understand the concept of the countdown – and she was excited by it, which was even better.

"Alright, I really need to get the groceries out of the car before everything melts," Jane said.

"I'll help," Maura said, standing from the table.

"Can we bring Harper's chain to our bedroom?" Sophie asked.

"Why don't you guys let me carry it up after we get the groceries put away?" Maura suggested. She didn't want them to accidently rip it while carrying it upstairs. Even though it was fixable, it would likely lead to a meltdown first.

"'Kay," Sophie said.

Working together, Maura and Jane got the car unloaded relatively quickly, and they were almost done putting everything away when Maura realized it had been too quiet for too long. When they had started, the girls were still giggling in the family room, but she could no longer hear the giggles.

"Where are Harper and Sophie?" Maura asked.

"Probably upstairs," Jane said, looking around. We would have heard the door open.

"I'm going to check," Maura said, leaving Jane with the groceries. As soon as Maura got to the top of the stairs, she could hear Harper and Sophie in their room.

Maura pushed open their bedroom door, and she had to stifle her laughter. "What are you guys doing?" she asked half incredulously and half amused.

"Making Olaf pretty!" Sophie said happily. The cat was lying on his back with his white tummy and paws in the air. He slept like this all the time. The unusual part was the streaks of blue, purple, and green on his fur. Harper and Sophie had watercolor painted the cat.

"Oh yeah?" Maura asked. She was trying really hard to hide the amusement in her voice, but she knew she was failing miserably. Technically, the girls should probably get in trouble for painting the cat, but since it didn't actually hurt the cat (and he looked happy with the attention – and the brush probably felt like petting to him), Maura couldn't actually be upset.

"Yeah, look!" Harper said, pointing to the cat. "Isn't he pretty?"

"Mmm," Maura hummed noncommittally. "Is that where paint is supposed to go?"

"No?" Sophie said, but she didn't sound like she was sure about that answer. She looked back and forth between the cat – who looked completely content – and Maura, who was trying to maintain her composure.

"Uh, paint goes on paper," Harper said as she too looked between the cat and Maura.

"Is Olaf paper?" Maura asked.

"No, but he's white," Sophie said.

"His tummy's white," Harper corrected immediately.

"Yeah, that's why we painted his tummy," Sophie added. "Now, he looks pretty!" The smile on her face told Maura that the girl was not at all sorry for painting the cat.

Suddenly, Jane appeared behind Maura. "What…?" she started to ask until she laid eyes on the cat. Jane was completely unsuccessful in hiding her laughter.

At the sight of Jane, Olaf rolled over and trotted over to Jane, looking to be picked up.

"Well, look at you," Jane said to the cat. "What did you let Harper and Sophie do to you?"

"We made him pretty!" Sophie said proudly.

"Yeah, he is pretty," Jane said. "But, uh, you both know the rules about paint."

"Only on paper," Harper confirmed.

"Which means not on the cat!" Maura tried to scold, but the smile on her face definitely lessened the impact of her statement.

"Oh!" Sophie said as though she just now realized that they probably shouldn't have painted the cat.

"How did you guys get the paint anyway?" Jane asked as she scratched Olaf behind the ears.

"Oh, I probably left it open when I got the glue and scissors," Maura said, remembering how her hands were full earlier before they made the paper chain. They kept all of the kids' art supplies together, but Harper and Sophie could only get to the paper, crayons, and colored pencils without help. The paint, glue, scissors, etc, were in a draw that had a hook that was out of their reach. If the hook was undone, though, they could reach the drawer.

"Are we in trouble?" Sophie asked, scrunching her face in displeasure.

"But we made Olaf so pretty!" Harper whined, pointing to the cat still in Jane's arms.

Maura and Jane exchanged a glance. "No, but next time, please don't paint Olaf, okay?" she said. "Keep the paint to the paper."

"Okay," they both agreed.

"Okay, can you guys clean this up, though, so we can have lunch?" Jane asked.

"I'll help them while you make lunch if you want," Maura said to Jane. Even though she knew that Harper and Sophie knew better, she still felt a little guilty for leaving the drawer open.

"Sounds good, but first, I'm gonna dry Olaf off a bit," Jane said, carrying the cat to the bathroom. "Luckily, it's just watercolor paint. I can't imagine if it was that thick paint."

Maura finally let herself laugh before stepping into the room to help the girls clean up. Maybe it was silly, but these were definitely her favorite kind of memories.

A/N: Thank you to lilleels for the watercolor painting the kitty idea!

This story seems to be losing readers, which may be partly because of the end of summer and the start of the school year. However, after asking on Facebook and Twitter if there was anything in particular that people thought might be contributing to this, the most common answer was too much time between chapters (well, the most common answer was that people still love the story, and for that, I am beyond grateful), so I'm going to try focusing on this story more than my others (although, the muses usually dictate what I work on, so we'll see how that goes ). Also, I feel like as soon as I tell you guys I'm going to do something, the muses are like, "oh you think so, do you? We're gonna prove you wrong!"