Don't You Remember – Chapter 13
Jane didn't sleep well after she went home after asking Maura out. She had asked her out and had no idea where she was going to take her. She thought she could take her to a fancy restaurant but that wasn't her style and probably all of her previous dates had done that. She wanted to do something different, something that Maura wouldn't be expecting, but what?
She knew this was an important date as it was their first. Sure, they had gone out to lunch and to the Dirty Robber with the guys but this was their first official date after declaring that they had feelings for each other.
Jane had put Zoey to bed and then put herself to bed. She continued to toss and turn, never falling asleep. Zoey had sensed that something was wrong with her mother when she had put her to bed. Jane hadn't offered to read her a story and that had never happened before.
Jane had received a phone call from Frankie earlier that night informing her that their Aunt Rosa had passed away. Jane loved her aunt and was saddened by the news. Although the family had already known that it was just a matter of time before she passed away, it still hurt.
She didn't want to cancel her date with Maura because it had taken her getting jealous of that damn woman, Addison, for her to get up the nerve to tell Maura that she liked her and wanted to go on a date with her.
Addison's parting comments didn't help either. Jane hadn't been thinking of having sex with Maura yet. She wanted to take things slow and do things right. She felt that Maura might be the one. The one that she had been waiting for. The one that she would spend the rest of her life with. She didn't want to have sex, she wanted to make love to her, but only when the time was right.
She knew that she needed to go on a few dates with her first. She still had so much to learn about the medical examiner and Tony. God, she never thought she would meet Tony and now here she was planning a date with Tony's adoptive mother. So much could go wrong, but then it could go right also. So yes, this was an important date, a start to something that could last a lifetime if she didn't fuck it up.
Her mind was racing trying to think of where to take Maura. She hadn't heard Zoey enter the room. Jane was laying on her side and suddenly saw Zoey trying to crawl up on the bed. Jane reached down and helped her. Zoey normally went to sleep with no problems but tonight she was wide awake. Jane asked her, "Z why aren't you asleep?"
"I'm worried about you, mama." She was worried, her mama was acting differently and it caused her to be concerned.
Jane immediately replied, "That is sweet Zoey but I'm fine."
"But you were crying earlier and then again after Uncle Frankie called you."
"I know little one. Nonna's older sister, Rosa, passed away today." Jane hated having to tell Zoey right before they fell asleep for the night but she didn't want to lie to her daughter.
"Is nonna okay?" Zoey asked as she was concerned about her nonna.
"She will be baby. Remember we had talked about how Aunt Rosa was in a car accident and the doctor's said it would only be a few days before she passed away as her injuries were too severe? So, it was not a surprise that she passed away but it still makes me sad." Jane explained. She had never had to explain someone dying.
Jane had never explained to Zoey about her father dying as she felt that Zoey was still too young. Maybe now she would have that conversation with her after they attending Aunt Rosa's funeral.
"I remember. God will take good care of her." Zoey said as she hugged her mama.
Jane smiled at her daughter and how smart, caring and compassionate she was, "Yes, baby he will. We will have her funeral this weekend."
"You are still going out with Dr. Mo tomorrow night, right?" Zoey was concerned that her mama would cancel their date and she wanted her mama to take Dr. Mo out. She wanted both of them to be happy. She had noticed that their faces light up when they see each other.
"Of course, Aunt Rosa would have wanted me to, so I will. I just have to think of somewhere special to take her. She is a special woman and I want her to like me." Jane had turned so she could see Zoey's face.
"She likes you mama, I can tell and I like her and Tony also. I want Tony to be my brother." Jane smiled at Zoey's response and thought, 'if she only knew that Tony was her brother.' In time all would be revealed. Jane was not going to rush that conversation.
"You really like him?" Jane didn't want to ask Zoey too many questions about Tony but she also wanted to know all about him.
"Yes, he is not like the boys at my preschool. He is nice and loves to play with me." Zoey explained. Jane could tell that Zoey really was taken by Tony and she was happy that they got along. She hoped their friendship wouldn't change when they found out that they were brother and sister.
"I'm glad, because I have a feeling that we will be seeing Maura and Tony quite a bit. We need to get some sleep though. Do you want to stay in here with me?"
"Yes, please mama." Zoey stated as she gave her mama a goodnight kiss.
"Okay, lets snuggle up and get some sleep. Good night bug."
"Good night, mama."
When Jane woke up in the morning, she was still so unsure of where to take Maura that she almost put herself in a panicked state. She finally decided it would be best if she simply took Maura for a nighttime picnic and then for a walk along the Charles River.
She had figured that previous dates had probably taken her to fancy restaurants or to the Opera or a play, but that wasn't her style. She wanted to do something that they both would be comfortable with.
In Jane's opinion first dates were supposed to be a way of getting to know each other. A fancy restaurant, the opera or even a play were simply places to go together and didn't allow for much talking. Well, they could talk at the restaurant but it would have to be accomplished in between bites of food. You would also have to dress up and Jane really wanted to take a walk along the river with Maura. She wanted to have the opportunity to hold Maura's hand if she felt that the timing was right.
Once she arrived at the precinct, she stopped at the Division One Café and picked up a coffee for Maura and headed down to her office. This was something she had started doing weeks ago and Maura loved seeing Jane first thing in the morning.
Jane knew exactly how Maura liked her coffee. If they had been called out on a crime scene, she would stop and get Maura a tea if it was past 10 AM as she knew that Maura only had a coffee first thing in the morning and then she switched to tea.
Jane lived on coffee, she drank it all day long. Her mother often told her, 'I swear Janie, I think your blood might be pure coffee the way you drink coffee all day long.' Jane always just told her, 'Ma, you are being silly. My blood is red, just like any hot-blooded Italian woman.' They always laughed afterwards. Jane was so happy that her mother was back in her life. For as much as she nagged her growing up, she had missed her.
During their conversation, Jane informed Maura that she would pick her up at 7 PM for their date. Maura smiled she was looking forward to their date. She asked Maura to simply wear a nice pair of pants that she would be comfortable walking in.
She had a nice picnic basket but didn't want to be lugging that around during their walk so she thought to make sure that everything was disposable. She could wear a backpack and have things like plates, silverware and glasses in the backpack. The backpack would serve as her picnic basket. Now that she had that figured out, she would plan the meal.
Maura had been a little surprised by Jane's request to wear a nice pair of pants. When she got home from work, she took a shower and then put on a pair of dress jeans and boots. She wore a nice sweater knowing that the weather would cool down a little and she didn't want to get cold. She had no idea where Jane was going to take her, but she trusted her.
Jane tried to think of everything. She wanted this meal to be special. Her mother had cooked her a fresh lasagna that afternoon. Her mother had cooked so much food as she dealt with the death of her older sister, Rosa. She knew that Jane was going on a date and had instructed Jane what to serve for her dinner. Jane knew already but she listened to her mother knowing that she was just grieving. Jane just let her tell her what and how to do it.
Jane wasn't sure how her mother was going to take the news that she was going out on a date with a woman, but Angela didn't care. She just wanted her Janie to be happy. She knew that Jane hadn't dated anyone since Zoey was born, so she was happy that her Janie was moving on with her life. She knew that Jane loved Casey and felt that this woman must be special for Jane to be all worked up like this over a date.
Jane had spoken briefly to her mother when she had dropped off Zoey that morning and when she picked Zoey up, Angela gave her all the food. She cooked everything she thought Jane might need for her date and then some. Jane wouldn't have to cook for a whole week with everything that her mother had given her.
Jane was thankful that the food was hot and ready to be placed into appropriate containers for her date. Jane went home and quickly took a shower. She threw on some shorts and a t-shirt and then went to the kitchen to sort out all the food and pack her backpack before returning to her bedroom to get dressed for her date. Jane was still nervous as she grabbed her backpack and Zoey and headed over to Maura's.
At 7 PM sharp Jane arrived for their date. Jane was wearing a nice pair of Jeans with boots similar to her work boots but nicer. She knew that Jane would be able to walk comfortable in the boots. Jane was also wearing a nice sweater so Maura was pleased with her attire that she had selected.
Before Jane had the chance to say anything, Zoey hugged Maura and told her, "You look so nice Dr. Mo, I hope you and my ma have a great time. Is Tony here?" Tony appeared right then and took Zoey's hand and led her into the house. Jane and Maura just stood there as their children took off like they didn't even exist.
Maura offered for Jane to enter the house. "You look relaxed in your jeans, Jane. I don't think I have ever seen you in jeans."
"Thanks, Maur you look beautiful." They walked into the living room where Tina was sitting on the couch reading a magazine.
"Jane, this is Tina. I would say Tony's babysitter but that sounds so strange. Tina helps me out, she is more like an assistant than a babysitter."
"Hi Jane, it is so nice to finally meet you. Maura has briefly told me about you and your team that she works with. I know this is the first time that you are leaving Zoey with me but please trust me that I will take great care of her. I have been looking after Tony since he was about three years old."
"Yes, Tina has been a great help to me. I met her after my nanny had moved and I still needed help with Tony. Tony took to her right away. He loves her and thinks of her as a big sister rather than a babysitter."
"That is sweet, well I guess I should call Zoey out here so we can get going." Jane had stated and Maura called both children out to the living room so they could say their goodbyes. Tina had seen Zoey but had not watched her before so Jane introduced Tina to Zoey and told her, "Now, I want you to be on your best behavior for Miss Tina, okay?"
"Yes ma, I will be. Now can you and Dr. Mo go on your date already so Tony and I can go back to playing?"
"Geez, little one I thought you might miss me a little." Jane faked like she was crying. Maura couldn't help but start to laugh at Jane's antics. Jane gave her a look like 'do you mind, I am trying to be serious here.' That just caused Maura to laugh more.
Zoey told Jane, "Okay, ma, I will miss you." She gave Jane a big hug and then Maura and turned and went back into Tony's room to play. Tony just followed her after saying goodbye to Jane and Maura. Jane just shook her head.
"Thank you, Tina. I will have her home at a decent hour." With that said, Jane gestured for Maura to head to the door and Maura mouthed 'thank you' to Tina and they were out the door. Tina liked Jane, she could tell that she had a great sense of humor. Tina had noticed how relaxed Maura was with Jane and she was happy for her friend, she deserved to be happy.
Jane drove to her favorite portion of the Charles River and parked the car. She immediately ran around the car to open Maura's door for her and then reached into the backseat behind where Maura was sitting and grabbed her backpack. As she closed the door and placed her backpack on her back, she asked Maura, "I hope you like Italian food?"
"I do." Maura replied as Jane led her on a walking path. They strolled along the walking path for a few hundred feet before they approached a bench that was split in two with a little table in between. Jane dug a small blanket out of her backpack and laid it out where she wanted Maura to sit. She wanted to make sure that there was no dew or anything else on the seat for Maura.
"Please, have a seat." Jane instructed as she pulled more items out of the backpack. The bench overlooked the Charles River. It was still daylight but the sun was starting to go down and they could see a beautiful sunset appearing.
The table was small so there wasn't that much space separating Jane and Maura. As they chatted Jane pulled out a table cloth, plates, silverware, glasses and a bottle of wine from her backpack and quickly set the table. They continued to talk for a few more minutes as they observed the sun setting and sipped on their wine.
Jane had found out that Maura loved sunsets so she wanted to make sure they timed their arrival so that they could be seated when the sun set. Once the sun had set Jane reached into the backpack and pulled out their dinner. She had portions already set on the plastic reusable plates. The meal was still hot, which Jane was thankful for. She had the plates in an insulated bag to maintain the heat.
Maura was impressed with the plate of food that Jane had set in front of her. There was lasagna, a small salad, a dinner roll and a canolli. Jane topped off their wine and they had a nice relaxing dinner. They each asked each other questions about themselves and why they chose the career they did. They were enjoying their dinner.
When dinner was done, Jane reached in her backpack and pulled out a small garbage bag. Maura picked up their wine glasses as Jane folded the table cloth into itself which captured everything from the table and she placed it inside the garbage bag. She would deal with that later. She secured the garbage bag in the backpack and they rose. They walked slowly along the river and occasionally sipped their wine. When their glasses were empty, Jane asked, "would you like some more wine?"
"No thank you." Maura replied and Jane quickly secured the glasses inside the backpack. She wiped her hands off and once the backpack was secured on her back again, she took Maura's hand as they continued to walk and talk. Jane could see the smile on Maura's face when she took her hand.
They reached a vista area and they leaned against the railing as they continued to talk, moving closer to each other as the seconds passed. They were so close that Jane felt comfortable leaning in to kiss Maura. She felt as though sparks were flying as their lips touched. It felt great. She had dreamed of kissing Maura but she had no idea it would feel this great.
Jane didn't share with Maura that she had never kissed a woman let alone been in a relationship with a woman. She had read up on the subject and was confident that she could be in a physical relationship with Maura. If the kiss was a tail of what was to come, she was all in. She might be brave enough to tell her in the near future but for now she was fine with kissing Maura. She felt as though kissing Maura might become her new favorite thing to do.
There was a bench close by and Jane maneuvered them to the bench and sat down quickly pulling Maura to sit on her lap as they continued kissing. Maura swung her legs over to one side so she could face Jane easier. She was enjoying kissing Jane and didn't want it to end. She felt like she had known Jane for ages and was so comfortable with her.
It seemed like they had been making out for hours when Jane's watch alarm went off. "What is the alarm for Jane?" Maura asked as she was enjoying herself and didn't want any interruptions.
Jane looked at Maura and simply explained, "this is our first date and I told Tina I would have you home at a decent hour. Zoey will need to go to bed soon, so I set alarm to make sure we would be headed home at a decent time." Maura smiled and thought, 'how thoughtful but I would rather continuing kissing her. I don't know if she knew that she called my house home. She may not have meant it but I would like to think that she did.' They stood up and starting walking hand-in-hand back to Jane's cruiser.
Jane opened the door for Maura and after Maura entered the car, she shut the door and then removed her backpack and put it in the backseat. Jane drove them back to Maura's. Maura used her key to get in and noticed both Tony and Zoey asleep on the couch. They had been watching a movie with Tina, each one of them having their head on Tina's lap.
Jane and Maura both smiled at the sight. Tina carefully extracted herself from the children and picked up her jacket and purse. Maura thanked Tina and she left. Tina knew that Maura would settle up with her later regarding payment for the evening. Maura took off her boots and motioned for Tony to wake up. She only needed him awake enough so that she could help him walk to his bedroom. He was already in his pajamas. Maura took Tony to his room.
Jane looked at her daughter dressed in some of Tony's pajamas. The sleeves and bottoms were rolled up as she was so much shorter than Tony. She looked cute in his pajamas. Jane just sat down and took Zoey's head and carefully rested it on her lap. Zoey stirred a little turning in so her head rested against her stomach. Jane rested her hand on Zoey's stomach and waited for Maura to return. She didn't want the evening to end just yet.
Maura came back a few minutes later wearing a Harvard Medical School t-shirt and a matching pair of sweat pants. Jane thought she looked adorable. She had never seen Maura look so comfortable. Maura sat down beside Jane after placing a blanket over Zoey and asked, "Would you like something to drink?"
"No thank you." Jane replied and then asked, "Can I continue to kiss you? I enjoyed kissing you."
"Yes, I enjoyed kissing you as well." In between kisses, Maura asked, "Can I take you out on a date after we have our date with our children?"
Jane couldn't think of anything she would rather do, "Yes, I would like that." They continued kissing for a few minutes before Jane pulled away and said, "I better get this little one home in her bed. Can we come by tomorrow after the funeral?"
"Yes, I would love that." Maura replied as Jane rose and placed Zoey so that her head was resting on her shoulder. "We will see you tomorrow early evening then." Jane leaned in and gave Maura one more kiss before making her way to the front door.
Maura sadly opened the front door and watched as Jane and Zoey made their way to Jane's cruiser. Maura stood at the door until Jane left. When she could no longer see Jane's cruiser she shut and locked the door. She leaned against the door with a huge smile on her face. She was happy. Jane made her happy and she was looking forward to seeing her tomorrow.