Don't You Remember – Chapter 7
Present Day
Jane and Maura were having lunch at the Division One Café. They had become friends quickly since they met when Maura became the Chief, Medical Examiner. They didn't have much time after work so they tried to have lunch together whenever their schedules would allow. Sometimes the cases they were working on wouldn't allow it, so they enjoyed the days when they could enjoy lunch together.
They had almost finished their meal when Jane's phone rang. She immediately picked it up, she knew from the ringtone who the caller was. "Ma, what's the matter?" It was her mother, Angela, and she had the day off and had volunteered to pick Zoey up from preschool. Jane knew that her ma would have picked up Zoey already.
Jane didn't even greet her mother, she needed to know what was going on. She could hear Zoey crying in the background. Angela had promised not to call Jane while she was at work unless it was important. Jane had to set boundaries as her mother had a tendency to call at all hours for random stuff that could've waited until she was finished with work.
"Zoey fell at school right before I picked her up and she wants to talk to you. She is crying something fierce and only wants you." Angela told her daughter. They had mended their ways within a few days of Zoey being born and were steadily becoming a family again. Jane was allowing her mother to spend more time with Zoey.
It was a hard road for Jane after her parents had kicked her out of their family home right before her high school graduation. Their decision had led Jane to make a decision that she felt bad for every day. Every time she saw her parents, she was reminded of the little boy she had to give up for adoption. She thought of him often.
Zoey's first year of life was an adjustment period for Jane and she realized that she needed help and Angela wanted desperately to help Jane. On Zoey's second day of life Jane accepted her mother's help. Angela realized she never should have pushed Jane away the last time she was pregnant. Angela loved that she had a granddaughter and she wanted to make sure that she was there for Jane and Zoey.
Angela hated that she had kicked Jane out of the house when she was 18 and pregnant. She never asked Jane about how she survived during that time and whether she had the baby or not. She didn't want to rock the boat with her daughter and possibly lose the opportunity to be a grandmother to her precious little granddaughter. She figured when Jane was ready she would tell her what she wanted her to know.
"Okay, please put her on the phone." Jane responded as she motioned to Maura that she would be just a minute. She needed to take this phone call.
"Hey little one, what happened?" Jane asked her three-year old daughter in somewhat of a quiet voice as they were in the café still and she didn't want everyone nearby to hear her conversation. She had a reputation at the precinct of being a tough person and chatting with her three-year old daughter in her mommy voice wasn't anything like the persona that she displayed at work.
In between her sobs Zoey explained, "I fell mama. My knees are scraped and I need you to kiss them and make them better."
Jane squirmed in her seat as she told Zoey, "Baby, I am at work." She was looking around the room to make sure that no one was paying attention to her while she talked on the phone. She smiled at Maura. She knew Maura could hear her part of the conversation but she didn't care if Maura heard her. She felt as though she could be herself around Maura. She didn't have to put on her badass persona for Maura.
"I know but can't nonna bring me by so … " Zoey started crying again before she couldn't finish her sentence. Jane couldn't stand to hear her little girl cry. She would do almost anything to make her little girl feel better.
"Okay, but it has to be quick." Jane replied and she could instantly hear the changed in her little girl's voice.
"Thank you, mama." Zoey replied as she handed the phone to her nonna.
"I guess we will see you in about five minutes." Angela told Jane before saying, "Bye baby." Angela was already enroute to the precinct as she knew Jane wouldn't say no to her little girl. Angela was taking a chance that Jane was at the precinct and not out looking for clues or a in search for a suspect for her case.
"Bye Ma." Jane replied as she disconnected the call and turned back to Maura. "I guess I am going to have a visit from my daughter in a few minutes."
Maura smiled, "You have a daughter?"
"Yes, a rambunctious little three-year old named Zoey. My ma says she is a mini me. She swears that Zoey is the spitting image of me at that age."
"Oh, I hope I get to meet her." Maura said as they spent a few minutes finishing their lunch. Just as they were leaving the café, Zoey and Angela entered the precinct. Zoey walked quickly to her mother as she called out for her. She knew better than to run in the precinct.
Jane's face lit up when she saw her daughter. She bent down to intercept her little girl as she approached. Zoey held out her hands for Jane to pick her up. Once she was settled in her mama's arms she said, "Hi mama, I have boo boos."
"Hello, I heard now where are exactly are those boo boos of yours?" Jane asked and Zoey pointed to her knees. Jane stepped back into the café and sat Zoey down in one of the chairs so she could examine her knees. Zoey had worn shorts and a polo shirt to school as it was hot outside. Jane could see the scrapes as soon as she saw Zoey but she knew she had to ask Zoey where her boo boos were. It was part of the routine they had every time Zoey got a boo boo.
Maura stepped over and glanced at Zoey's knees. She observed that the little girl has some cuts that still needed cleaning. Jane introduced Maura when she felt Zoey clinging tightly to her and starring at the beautiful doctor. "Zoey, this is my friend, Dr. Maura Isles. Can you say hello?"
Zoey was a little shy as she tried to hide behind her mother, "I don't want to see a doctor, mama, just you. You fix my boo boos."
"Oh, it is okay baby, Maura is my friend. She is not here to see you as a doctor but I bet she could finish cleaning up those cuts before I apply kisses to your knees." Jane reassured Zoey.
Zoey thought about it and then looked at the doctor and then her mama before she replied, "Okay, but then I need my magic mama kisses."
"Of course, after all that is why you came to the precinct so that I could give you my magic mama kisses." Jane glanced over at Maura who smiled and mouthed, 'my office.' Jane nodded back and picked up Zoey. "Let's go down to Maura's office and we will get you all cleaned up and then I can apply my magic mama kisses that I happen to know will make you feel so much better."
Angela, who had stepped over to purchase a cup of tea for herself, walked over. "Hello, I am Jane's mother."
Jane realizing she had not introduced Maura to her mother stated, "Sorry, Ma, this is my friend, Dr. Maura Isles. We are going to take Zoey down to Maura's office to get her knees cleaned up. Would you like to come down with us?"
"Yes, I would." They stepped over to get visitor passes and then proceeded to the morgue so that Maura could clean up Zoey's knees. Angela and Maura greeted each other and then they preceded to Maura's office.
Once in her office, Maura motioned for Jane to sit on the couch with Zoey. Maura grabbed her medical kit and reached in her bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out a selection of band aids. Zoey's eyes lit up when she saw the variety of band aids.
Zoey was sitting on Jane's lap and Maura bent down so that she could take a better look at the cuts. She needed to clean the wounds and knew that it was going to sting so she told Zoey, "This is going to sting. Do you think you can be a big girl and hold onto your mama's hands while I clean the wounds?"
"Yes, I will squeeze mama's hands if it hurts." Zoey replied as she smiled and Maura and looked to her mama for confirmation that she could squeeze her hands if she needed to. As soon as Maura applied the disinfectant Zoey scrunched up her body and curled into Jane. Maura tried to hurry as she knew it was uncomfortable for Zoey. A few more swipes across both knees and Maura was finished.
"There, Detective Rizzoli, it is your turn to work with our patient." Maura announced.
Jane looked at Maura with a puzzled look and then smiled as Zoey announced, "I'm not a patient, I am Zoey and mama's not a doctor, she's a detective."
"Well, she is my assistant right now and it is her time to do her part in getting you all fixed up, my dear. When she is finished, you can pick which band aids you would like for your mama to put on your knees." Jane smiled again at Maura understanding that she was trying to put on a professional face for her patient.
"Yes, doctor, let me wash my hands." Jane put Zoey down on the couch next to her nonna and went into the private bathroom and washed her hands. They were playing doctor right now and Jane wanted to make sure she was following all of the rules.
Zoey had such a huge smile on her face as she looked at the band aids, it made Jane smile. Zoey asked, "Why do you have so many children's band aids?"
Maura was just about to answer Zoey when Jane walked back in the room and said, "Okay, who needs some magic mama kisses?"
Zoey's face lit up, "I do, I do," she shouted as Jane approached and kneeled down to apply lots of magic mama kisses to Zoey's knees. Zoey handed her the band aids that she had selected. When Jane put the last Scooby Doo band aid on, her phone rang followed by Maura's.
"Rizzoli," Jane replied as she answered her phone while trying to tickle her daughter. She was unsuccessful as Zoey knew her mother's antics and was able to squirm away and hide behind her nonna.
"Dr. Isles." Maura answered as she smiled at Jane being playful with her daughter. Jane playing with Zoey was such a cute sight to see. Zoey had stood up on the couch and was now standing between her nonna and the back of the couch. Maura loved being a mother and enjoyed seeing that side of her friend now that she was with Zoey.
After a minute, Jane picked up Zoey and gave her a big hug. "I have to go to work little one. I will see you later tonight, okay?" They were walking to the elevator as Angela and Zoey couldn't stay in Maura's office while they went to a crime scene.
"Okay mama, bye." Zoey said as they stepped out of the elevator on the first floor.
Maura told Zoey, "It was so nice to meet you Zoey, I hope I can see you again."
Zoey smiled at Maura and said, "Bye doctor." She held out her hand for Maura to shake. Maura shook her hand and offered her a huge smile.
Jane pushed the UP button for the elevator as she needed to go to the third floor and get her things. Maura rode with the crime scene techs and met Jane at the crime scene. Jane had meant to ask Maura if she had any children but was sidetracked by the new case. Maybe later she would remember to ask.