Sorry this has taken me so long to get out, but I've been busy trying to finish up my first original. Who knew that writing a book took so much work? Just in case I didn't make it clear… it's pretty hard but I am nearing the finish line for a final draft. Anyway… Happy Holidays to everyone and as always… Thanks for reading. 😊
Chapter 3
The early morning sun was just beginning to peak over the darkened horizon, painting the sky with pink and orange ribbons as Jane made her way across the backyard towards the guest house with Valley tucked in her arms. A unicorn backpack was slung over one shoulder and a sleepy toddler over the other as she followed the pathway towards the front door where her mother stood and waited.
"I don't know why I agreed to meet up with Frankie and Frost this early in the morning for a run, but I'm starting to have second thoughts..." Jane said as she approached Angela, standing in the doorway with a small smirk on her face.
"It just means I get to spend more time with my little jelly bean." Angela reached out to take Valley from Jane's arms. "Morning Joe, go do your business before I let you in." She said to the little pup at her feet as she held Valley close to her.
"And a good morning to you too, Ma." Jane pouted.
"Sorry, but sometimes I just can 't help myself around this little cutie." Angela playfully pinched Valley's side causing her to giggle even though she was only half awake. "Maura getting ready for work?"
"She's already left, had an early morning meeting before the clinic opened." Jane tiredly ran her fingers through her hair and shook her head. "I don't know how she does it, Ma. She never sleeps."
"I'm sure that's an exaggeration, but she does work hard, I know. Things will get better with time, I'm sure." Pressing her cheek against Valley's, Angela gave Jane a hopeful smile. "You knew it would take time for things to settle after the clinic opened."
"I know, but she's working just as much as when we were on the force but at least we got to work together. Now, I hardly see her." The pout was back as Jane's shoulders slumped.
"These things take time." Angela reached out to give Jane's cheek a gentle pat. "It'll all be worth it in the end. I can take Valley tonight if you need some time alone." She offered as a consolation.
Biting her lip in thought, Jane looked down at her feet as she contemplated the last time she and Maura had spent an evening alone. "Maybe, if Maura doesn't have to work late."
"So, what if she does? I'll make you a nice lasagna that you can keep warm in the oven and you can have a nice dinner no matter what time. In fact, I think I have one of Maura's favorite red wines somewhere in there." She hitched a thumb over her shoulder to indicated she was talking about her kitchen.
"Thanks, Ma. I guess we'll take you up on keeping Valley for the night." Jane tried to smile, but the early hour was making it difficult. "Whatcha got planned for today?"
Angela shifted her weight from one foot to the other as Valley wiggled a little in her arms to find a comfortable place to rest her head. "A trip to Costco." She said with a smile. "You need anything?"
Furrowing her brow, Jane pondered the question. "I'll ask Maura and text you later if that's okay."
"That'll work…" Angela said, then looked down at Joe Friday who waited patiently to be let in. "You all done?" She asked the pup and got a quick bark in return. "You want to come in for a cup of coffee before you head out? You look like you could use some caffeine."
"Nah, I told Frankie I'd meet them at 7:00, so I'd better head out." Jane sighed heavily. "You know, she'll probably sleep another hour or two if you let her." She said as she leaned closer to her daughter to place a quick kiss on her forehead. "Love ya, Butterbean." The term of endearment caused Valley to giggle again.
"Another nickname?" Angela asked. "I can't keep up with them all." She huffed in mock indignation.
"This one'll make you laugh. Have her sing you the Butterbean song and you'll get it." Jane smirked as she turned to leave. "Love you guys." She called out with a tired wave of the hand before disappearing through the sliding back door into the house.
"Butterbean…" Valley giggled again as she nestled closer to Angela.
"You still tired, baby girl?" She asked as she pushed honey blonde bangs away from sleepy dark, brown eyes. "How 'bout we lay down for a little while?" Valley nodded and snuggled closer.
Angela carried her precious cargo and the unicorn backpack into the living room. "Let's make you a nice spot on the couch so Joe Friday can join you." She said as she set Valley down and began to prop up some pillows at one end. "This should be good."
Valley wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands before crawling over to the pile of pillows her Nona had arranged for her. "Tank you, Nona…" she sighed as she laid down and waited for the soft blanket to cover her. Popping back up to look around for Joe Friday, she frowned. "Where's Joe?" Her voice trembled with uncertainty as she continued to look around.
"She's right here." Angela gave the space next to Valley a little pat to cox Joe Friday up on the couch. "But don't tell Mommy, you know how she feels about Joe being on the furniture."
Valley nodded, indicating she understood that it was their secret and waited patiently for the little pup to spin around several times to find a comfortable spot to drop down on. When Joe Friday was finally settled, she wrapped an arm around her and closed her eyes.
"I'm going to go get a cup of coffee, I'll be right back." Angela leaned down, giving Valley a quick kiss on the forehead and Joe Friday a scratch behind the ear. Both of her charges sighed contently as they drifted off to sleep.
As Angela tip-toed across the hardwood floor towards the kitchen, she couldn't help but glance back over her shoulder at her granddaughter. Her heart filled with joy at the sight of the sleeping toddler and she said a small prayer of thanks. She cherished these moments that filled her day with the wonder and excitement of being a grandmother and jumped at the opportunity to spend time with Valley whenever Jane and Maura offered. Of course, living next door made it an easy and frequent task, something she adored.
The smell of freshly brewed coffee indicated the coffee maker had finished its job, so she grabbed a mug and filled it about two thirds, leaving enough room for her cream. Standing at the sink with the hot cup in her hand, she stared out the window and took a tentative sip to make sure it wasn't too hot. The aroma tickled her nose with the promise that the fancy coffee maker Maura had insisted she use had produced a good cup of coffee. She watched the sky outside change color before her eyes as the sun's rays finally reached the backyard, casting everything in long shadows that now painted the grass in bright light and shade. A long, slow sigh escaped from her lips. It was as if she had been holding her breath since Jane left, afraid to let it out for fear that Jane would sense her unease. The thought that things were about to get harder for her daughter and daughter-in-law taunted her, causing that worry line to appear between her eyebrows as she frowned. With Maura's schedule at the clinic taking precedence over everything else, she couldn't help but worry at the toll it was taking on Jane and Valley. It was, however, something they had talked about and something they had all accepted to allow Maura the chance to fulfill a lifetime goal. But the cost was something she wasn't sure was worth the price.
Taking a sip of coffee, Angela smiled at the rich, creamy taste that rolled over her taste buds and let out another sigh, but this was one of contentment. She had seen times like these come and go with Jane and Maura and every single time they had come out stronger on the other side, so she knew things would be okay. They always were when it came to her girls. They loved each other too much to let anything get in the way and that included crazy schedules.
The chime of her phone in the next room indicated she had received a text message, so she carried her coffee towards the big leather chair she loved to curl up in. Setting her cup down, she grabbed the soft, fleece blanket that lay over the back of the chair and wrapped it around her legs before she sat down, tucking her legs beneath her.
"Let's see who's texting me this early in the morning." She whispered to herself as she grabbed her phone to see who it was. With the swipe of a finger, she brought the home screen up and clicked the message button to find a message from Constance waiting for her. "Hmmm…" she pressed the button to open the text and smiled at the words.
"Have a free day, was wondering if you might like to go to lunch and do some shopping." The message read and Angela glanced over at Valley before typing out her answer.
"Spending the day with Valley. Would love for you to join us."
"Sounds like a dream. Shall I pick you up?"
"Sure, if you don't mind taking us to Costco." Angela typed back, a small smile spreading across her face at the prospect of taking Constance to Costco.
"What's a Costco?"
Angela laughed out loud at the response, even though she had expected it. "It's a big store that has just about everything you could possibly imagine."
"Okay then. What time?" Constance answered back.
"Let's make it eleven o'clock. And don't bring that deathtrap convertible." Angela frowned as she typed that last line.
"You do realize that deathtrap convertible is a Mercedes, one of the safest cars on the road?"
"Don't care." Even though Constance couldn't see her, Angela poked her bottom lip out in a mock pout.
"Okay, I'll bring the Range Rover." Constance conceded.
"See you at eleven." Angela smiled triumphantly at the answer she received in Constance's last message that was followed by a thumb's up emoji. She couldn't help but chuckle at the use of the emoji that Constance at one time refused to use because she thought it was juvenile to respond to texts with pictures, that is until Valley showed her how fun they could be.
"Well…" Angela said, causing Joe Friday's ears to perk up with curiosity. "I think we have our day planned." She leaned back into her chair and turned on the tv to watch her favorite morning shows. With a soft snort, Joe Friday acknowledged her words before going back to sleep.
Jane bent over and rested her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. She could hear Frost's heavy breathing next to her, followed by Frankie who finished the mile run right behind them.
"Nine minutes and eighteen seconds." Frankie panted as he looked at his Apple watch. "Not bad. That beats my last time by three seconds and I almost caught up to you guys." He said, pushing sweaty bangs away from his eyes so he could look at Jane and Frost.
"Still doesn't beat us though." Frost waved a hand at Jane and then himself.
"I know." Frankie huffed. "But she's a robot." He pointed to Jane and scowled.
Silence followed his insult, causing him to raise a suspicious eyebrow in her direction. "Hey…" his voice was tentative and unsure. "What gives? You've been quiet all morning."
Jane continued to bend over as she tried to catch her breath, shrugging her shoulders in answer.
"Yeah…" Frost gave her a curious glance. "You've usually danced around two or three times in a victory circle by now, singing 'I am the champion'."
Pushing herself up to stand tall, Jane took a long, exaggerated breath before looking up at the sky and releasing it. The sun was finally up, painting the horizon with warm yellow streaks across a light blue background and she shivered even though sweat ran down her forehead and cheeks. She had pushed herself hard to finish first, as she always did, but this time something else spurred her on other than the sweet taste of victory.
"Janie?" Frankie put a hand on Jane's shoulder, pulling her from her deepening thoughts. "What's up?" His brotherly instincts were kicking in, giving him the sense that something was wrong with his normally boisterous, if not annoyingly obnoxious sister.
Taking another deep breath, Jane wiped at the sweat that continued to run down into her eyes, at least she told herself it was sweat. "It's nothing." She said as she stalked off towards the bleachers and the bag that held her sweatshirt and bottle of water. She didn't glance back to see if they were following her nor could she make eye contact because she was afraid that they would press her further with more questions she wasn't ready or even sure she could answer. She should have known better though. They did follow her and the expressions on their faces said everything they didn't need to. "What?" She frowned at the worried looks directed her way.
"Whatever it is you're selling, we ain't buyin'." Frost said.
When Jane reached her bag, she grabbed her sweatshirt and pulled it over her sweat-soaked t-shirt before plopping down on the closest bleacher.
"You may as well spit it out, cause we ain't leaving till you come clean." Frankie looked down at her, his hands on his hips and his head cocked to the side in question.
"Alright, alright…" she threw her hands up in the air in surrender. Taking a moment to think about what she wanted to say drew an impatient 'Well' from both Frost and Frankie at the same time causing her to scowl at them both.
Her mind wandered to the thing that was bothering her and her hesitancy drew a frustrated huff from above, so she nodded her head indicating she was ready to talk. She sat quietly and waited for Frost to take the empty space on her left and Frankie to take the one on her right. They sat in quiet contemplation as the air stirred up a dust devil that moved past where they sat, kicking up dirt and debris in its wake. When it disappeared in a flourish of dust, Jane cleared her throat, indicating she was ready to speak.
"Maura and I haven't had sex in over a month." The words tumbled from Jane's mouth, surprising all three of them.
Frankie was quiet as he rubbed the back of his neck, glancing over at Frost for help but all he got in return was a shoulder shrug and shake of the head.
"What? No smart ass remarks?" Jane rolled her eyes.
"What do you want me to say? Sorry?" Frankie finally spoke.
"You pushed me to talk and that's all you've got? Thanks, but no thanks." She went to push herself up but was stopped by Frost's hand on her arm.
"Hey, wait a sec." Frost gave Frankie a stern look. "What's going on? You and Maura okay?"
Jane's shoulders dropped as she relaxed back down on the bench. "Yeah, we're fine. It's just we haven't been able to spend any alone time together and when we do…well…she's just too tired to do anything but go to sleep. I miss her."
"I'm sure it'll all pass once things settle down at the clinic." Frost tried to reason. "You guys knew things were going to be hectic for a while."
"I know and yes…" Jane let out a heavy sigh. "We knew things were going to be like this, but I still miss her…" she hesitated and shook her head. "I miss us."
"You need us to watch the munchkin so you can have some alone time?" Frankie offered with a note of enthusiasm in his voice.
"It isn't that..." Jane said. "Although I do appreciate the offer and Valley does love spending time with you and all…" she gave him a small, thankful smile. "We have our alone time, in fact, Valley has been sleeping in her own room every night, except that one night I let her watch Snow White. Man, I didn't realize how scary that movie is with the ugly old witch and all. It took a week to get her eat apples again."
"Yeah, that is a creepy one." Frankie shivered.
"So, what is it? What's got you so mopey?" Frost asked.
"I don't know. I guess I just wonder what she's doing all day. When we worked together at the department, I saw her all the time. Now…" she shrugged again, at a loss for words.
"Well, what's your schedule for today?" Frost stretched his legs out in front of him and leaned back on the bleacher to look up at the sky.
"I've got classes until twelve and then one more at two o'clock this afternoon, then I'm done for the day." Jane tilted her head back to look at Frost, an eyebrow raised in question.
"Why don't you take her lunch and spend an hour with her at the clinic. That way you get to spend some time together and see what's she doing."
"That's a great idea…" Frankie interjected. "I love it when Steph brings me lunch. "It makes me feel special and I get to spend some time with her."
"Maybe…" Jane sounded skeptical.
"Maybe nothing." Frost pressed. "Call Carly and have her make you a nice picnic lunch and just do it. It will be romantic and show initiative."
"Okay, I'll give it to you…it's a good idea." Jane acknowledged with a smile, but before she could say anything else, both Frost and Frankie's cell phones went off at the same time.
"Rizzoli…" "Frost…" Both said at the same time and it made Jane smile at the memory of her and Maura answering at the same time with "Rizzoli…Isles…" except now it was Rizzoli-Isles because they were married. And then suddenly, she felt a flutter in her chest at the thought that they were indeed partners in life, and she needed to remind herself and Maura that no matter how busy they got, it was important to make time for each other. So, with that in mind, she pulled out her phone and called Carly to ask her to make a picnic lunch so she could dial up the romance knob if only just for one day.
"Um, what is the name of this place again? Costmore?" Constance asked as she looked around the large warehouse filled with everything she could possibly imagine and even things she couldn't.
"It's Costco…" Angela said as she placed Valley in the shopping cart. She smiled at her granddaughter who held up the seat belt indicating she should snap it.
"Costco…" Valley nodded her head as if she had known the name all along. "We at Costco, Gigi." She pointed to the steel corrugated ceiling above her and then looked around, her eyes as wide as Constance's from all the stimuli surrounding them.
"I can't believe I've never been here before. It looks quite intriguing." Constance gave Valley's belly a playful pinch causing the toddler to laugh.
"This is one of our favorite places to spend an afternoon, isn't it, Valley." Angela grinned at the look on Constance's face as they moved past large pallets of the products featured for the month. "And you can get pretty much anything you need, from food to TVs and even tires. But our favorite…" she tickled Valley lightly causing them both to laugh. "Our favorite is the samples. Right, Butterbean?"
Casting a sideways glance at Angela, Constance couldn't disguise the look of confusion on her face. "Butterbean? What happened to Alley Roo?" She asked.
"I don't know. The nicknames change daily, and I can't seem to keep up." Angela answered with a crooked grin. "But apparently there is a song we need to listen to get a better understanding of this new one."
"Butterbean…butterbean…" Valley giggled.
"Yep, Butterbean it is today." Angela sighed as she pushed the oversized shopping cart past the TVs.
"What in the world is the Butterbean song?" Constance asked as she trailed behind Angela, still looking around in awe.
"You know, Gigi…" Valley interjected. "Butterbean song by B2's." She stated matter-o-fact.
Constance looked at Angela to see if she understood what Valley was saying. When Angela shrugged her shoulders, it was all the confirmation she needed to realize she was out of touch with pop culture. "I have no idea what you're going on about, but I'm sure I'll find out soon enough." She said as she looked around at the huge pallets of products lining the aisles.
"You got my list?" Angela asked Valley who held up a piece of paper. "Good girl. Now, where should we start?"
"Toys!" Valley cheered and held her arms up in the air.
"We'll get to the toys, I promise but I think we should start with the kitchen stuff. I need some new casserole dishes for your mommies so I can put some meals in the freezer, so you don't have to eat take out when they're too tired to cook dinner." Angela turned the cart towards one massive aisle filled with dishes and pots and pans.
"Still working the late nights?" Constance asked as she followed along.
"Yeah, especially Maura…" Angela answered, her focus on finding what she was looking for.
"I haven't talked to her, like actually talked to her, in ages." Constance frowned. "I hope she isn't doing too much. I know how important the clinic is to her but…" she hesitated. "At what cost." She reached over to run her fingers through Valley's honey blonde hair.
Angela was quiet for a minute, her eyes scanning the shelves and then she stopped and turned to Constance. "I'm worried." Her shoulders dropped and she shook her head. "There just seems to be a distance between them that I've never seen before."
"I know. But things will get better once they hire more staff. In fact, Maura texted me this morning that they are interviewing a psychologist and some physician assistants. I hope it allows her to spend more time at home." Constance had to stutter stop so she wouldn't run into Angela.
"Well, I'm going to keep Valley overnight so they can have some alone time. I think they need it. You should stay for dinner if you'd like."
"That sounds lovely. What's on the menu?" Constance asked.
"I don't know." Angela's eyes lit up when she found the casserole dishes she was looking for. She grabbed three of them and set them in the cart. "Why don't we have a look around and see if we can find some inspiration."
"They have food here too?" Constance asked, an arched eyebrow in question as she looked around only seeing appliances and kitchen utensils but then again, they were only on the second aisle of this monstrous place called Costco.
"You have no idea. And we still haven't gotten to the samples." Angela said as she continued to push the cart. "The samples are the best part, aren't they Valley."
"Yummy…" Valley sighed and rubbed her belly.
"I can't believe I've never been in one of these places before…" Constance said as she continued to look around in wonder.
Angela glanced over at Constance and couldn't help but laugh. The stuffy, uptight woman she had come to know had changed over the years, but she didn't think she had changed enough to frequent their neighborhood Costco. "Well, now you have me and Valley to show you around and to share our many secrets to shopping here."
Constance nodded as she followed along, looking up and down the large aisles filled with everything, including a kitchen sink. She couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of Maura shopping at such a big store, but then again, a lot had changed and Maura's proclivity for order had taken a back seat to the life she and Jane now lived. It made her happy though as she thought about her daughter and how much she had grown since Jane had come back into the picture.
As Constance continued to get lost in her thoughts, something caught her eye and she suddenly realized they had come to the produce and bakery section. Piles of oranges and lemons sat high atop tables crowed with grapes and strawberries. Tomatoes, both red and yellow in all different sizes adorned the spaces alongside avocados and strings of garlic and she nodded knowingly at the sight that reminded her of the fresh markets of Europe, only on a much smaller scale as if that was even possible in Costco.
"How 'bout some cuties… for the cutie." Angela tickled Valley causing her to squeal in delight as she readily agreed. "What do you think about this?" She turned to Constance and smiled as she waved her hand over the huge tables filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. "And over there is the cooler with salads, mushrooms, and squash among many other things." Pointing towards a large produce cooler, she indicated what she was talking about.
"This place offers everything, doesn't it?" Constance continued to look around.
"That it does. And there's the samples." Angela pushed the cart towards an older lady handing out small paper cups filled with some sort of pastry.
Constance followed and took one of the cups, glancing at the contents with caution. "What is it?" She asked, an uncertain look on her face.
"It is a raspberry, cream cheese Danish." The older lady said as she handed one of the samples to Valley after getting a nod from Angela. "They are on sale for $6.99 and you get two." She said as she waved her hand over towards a large stack of the raspberry delicacies to her right.
With wide eyes, Constance looked at the large box containing two of the Danishes. "You get that for only $6.99?" She asked with an undercurrent of disbelief in her voice. "It's huge!"
"That's why I split everything with Jane and Maura. It's way too much for one person…or even two or three." Angela smiled around the taste of raspberry and cream cheese in her mouth. "But these are so good. You think we should get some?" She asked Valley who nodded emphatically.
"Dis Mommy's favorite." Valley used the back of her hand to wipe at the crumbs that had gathered in the corners of her mouth, essentially smearing a small streak of raspberry across her cheek.
Liking her thumb, Angela then used it to wipe away the small smear causing Valley to squirm. "Hold still you little stinker. You've got raspberry on your face." She said as she continued to wipe.
"No Nona…you got's germies. Mommy said people got's germies on their hands." Valley tried to reason as she continued to try and move away.
Angela tried not to laugh as she shook her head. "You're too smart for your own good." She said, glancing at Constance who was also shaking her head.
"She sounds like a mini-Maura, doesn't she?"
"She sure does." Angela did her best to stifle the laugh that tried to break free. "And she acts just like a mini-Jane."
"Heaven help us." Constance couldn't stop herself from laughing. "So, what other wonder's does this place offer?"
"Well, prepare to be amazed…" Angela crowed as she pushed the cart towards the middle of the store. "New pajama's for Valley."
"Yeah!" Valley cheered.
"Pajamas?" Constance mused. "I guess this place really does have everything." She sighed as she followed Angela and hoped that new tires weren't on the list that Valley was waving around enthusiastically.
Jane sat behind Maura's desk, spinning around in the large, black leather chair she had helped pick out several months earlier. Before dizziness could set in, she reached out and grabbed the edge of the desk to stop her momentum, but it was too late as the world around her continued to spin. She sat quietly for a moment, waiting for everything to come to a standstill and then leaned back, propping her feet up on the desk in a reclined position. As she waited for Maura, she studied the office décor and smiled at the simple, understated design of family photos and books…lots of books. It was a stark contrast to who Maura was, anything but simple. There was, however, a small child's table in the corner providing a place for Valley to play and have fun while visiting.
A picture sitting on Maura's desk caught Jane's attention and she smiled at the memory it evoked of their honeymoon. A wistful feeling came over her, tinged with sadness at the easy, relaxed smiles on their sun-kissed faces. It hadn't been that long ago, but today it felt like a million years. Over the past several months, things had been anything but easy and it was mostly due to Maura's new job. Pushing her hair over her shoulder, she let out a heavy sigh even though she knew times like these wouldn't last forever…even if it felt like they might. She realized her melancholy mood was brought on by the fact that she missed Maura.
As she continued to drift away on thoughts of Maura and their time together in the Virgin Islands, the memory of making love under the stars and skinny dipping in the tropical waters outside their private villa made her skin tingle and she could feel her cheeks flush. It wasn't until she heard far off voices getting closer that she came back to the here and now with the slightest bit of regret at having allowed her bad mood to catch up with her.
"Look, I need a break…" Maura sounded irritated and tired. "Tell Amy or Steve to handle the next few interviews."
"Do you want me to order some lunch and we can eat while we go over next week's schedules?" Kelly asked with a hopeful tone to her voice that made Jane frown.
Before Maura could answer, she appeared in the doorway with a surprised look on her face at the sight of Jane sitting behind her desk, apparently waiting for her arrival.
"What are you doing here?" Maura's tone was slightly harsh as the fear that something was wrong washed over her.
The irritation in Maura's voice caused Jane's shoulders to drop with instant regret at having shown up unannounced. "Um…" she began to say as she pushed herself up from Maura's chair, nervously clearing her throat.
"I'm so sorry…" Kelly interrupted before Jane could say anything else. "I don't know who let you into this office, but you don't have permission to be in here." She turned her attention to Jane, a scowl on her face.
"My wife doesn't need permission to enter my office." Maura's brows knit into a frown. She still wasn't sure why Jane was there unannounced but then her eyes fell on the picnic basket and relief washed over her followed by a wave of love for the thoughtful act.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry." Kelly tried not to sound contrite as she raced across the room to shake Jane's hand. "I'm Kelly, Maura's assistant."
"I know who you are…" Jane didn't take the dainty hand offered, instead, shoving her hands in the pockets of her sweat pants. "We've met, several times before." She couldn't help but scrutinize the young blonde who had curves for days…not that she noticed things like that when she had Maura to look at. Her eyes fell on Maura's surprised expression and she gave her a quick wink.
"Yes, of course…" Kelly said in a slightly dismissive way as she stopped her advance on Jane and then turned to Maura with an expectant look. She frowned at the slight flush that colored Maura's cheeks brought on by the roguish grin now on Jane's face.
"You can take a lunch break..." Maura said to Kelly even though her eyes continued to hungrily gaze upon Jane.
"But we still have so much to do. I thought we could work through lunch." Kelly tried to reason and hide her disappointment.
Maura blinked a few times to break the spell she was under and then turned her attention to her assistant. "That won't be necessary, it'll wait." She said as she stepped to the door of her office, holding it open for Kelly.
"But…" Kelly started only to be interrupted by Maura holding a hand up to stop her.
"It'll wait..." Maura said with an impatient sigh. Kelly gave her a quick nod before throwing a dirty look over her shoulder at Jane, whose eyebrows shot up in mock surprise. "And I don't want to be disturbed for at least the next thirty to forty-five minutes. Is that understood?"
Kelly stood in the doorway and again nodded her understanding. Tossing her long blonde hair over a shoulder, she tried to hide her huff of impatience but instead sounded like a petulant child being sent away to her room. "Okay, I'll try to get some of the scheduling done so we won't have to stay too late tonight." She glanced over at Jane with a smug smile on her face.
"Oh, we won't be working late tonight…" Maura said in a way that brokered no argument.
"Um… okay…" Kelly seemed surprised by Maura's statement before turning to leave, disappointment radiating off her as she closed the door.
When they were finally alone, Jane let out a sigh of relief. There was something off about the young blonde, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. The strange, almost possessive behavior towards Maura had her wondering if maybe Kelly wasn't as straight as she claimed to be. Before her thoughts could take hold of her and set roots of worry, Maura ran her fingers through her hair and offered an appreciative smile. Jane realized that Maura had seen the picnic basket and knew that her gesture had not gone unnoticed. "Wow, you're a tough boss." She said with an amused grin. "It's kinda a turn on though." Wiggling her eyebrows, she laughed and sat back down in Maura's chair.
"Yeah?" Maura cocked her head to the side and regarded Jane with a curious expression. "I don't remember giving you permission to sit in my chair." Her tone was playful.
Jane crossed her arms and leaned back with a smirk. "I thought I didn't need permission." She challenged.
"Well, I am the boss around here and it is my chair." Maura tried to reason as she moved closer to Jane. "Perhaps we can work out some kind of arrangement."
"An arrangement, huh?" Jane asked with a raised eyebrow. "Do you have anything to bargain with? I could be bribed for the right price."
"I might have something…" Maura said rather cryptically. When she finally reached Jane, she looked down at the smug grin.
Giving Maura a slow up and down look, Jane licked her lips before biting down on the bottom one. "I suppose I could be persuaded…" she paused and then winked.
"You know what that does to me..." Maura said as she leaned forward and rested a hand on the arms of the chair, bringing her face level with Janes.
"Yeah, I do." Jane cleared her throat rather nervously. She realized she was in over her head by the hungry look in Maura's eyes but the flutter in the pit of her stomach gave her a sense of excitement and anticipation she hadn't felt in… too long. "Are you ready to make an offer I can't refuse?" She dared to ask.
"I suppose I could…" Maura started to stay but stopped when movement outside her office window caught her attention. Letting out a long, slow sigh of frustration, she looked back at Jane with an apologetic expression on her face.
Jane knew the minute Maura's attention was drawn to the window that their 'almost' intimate moment was over. 'Damn blinds on backorder.' She thought to herself. "Um, the blinds haven't come in yet?" She asked even though she already knew the answer.
Maura just shook her head and gave Jane a sad smile. "I suppose it wouldn't help if I told you that having you take me right here on my desk has always been one of my fantasies?"
Swallowing the lump that had suddenly appeared in her throat, Jane tried to laugh but it came out as a cough instead. "You trying to kill me?" She asked in a playful tone.
A moment of silence charged with sexual tension passed between them before Maura leaned forward to place a soft, yet lingering kiss to Jane's lips. "I've missed you… and us." She said, echoing Jane's words from earlier that morning.
"Well…" Jane drew the word out before continuing. "My Ma is gonna take Valley for the night… so… um… maybe we can continue this later?" She asked hopefully.
Maura was quiet as she regarded the hopeful spark in Jane's eyes. She realized that she had put work before her family, something she had never done before and guilt washed over her. "I suppose I could be persuaded." She tried to joke.
"I can be quite persuasive."
"Yes, you can. I look forward to making you work for it, though." Maura said, suddenly feeling the urge to reconnect with her wife again and again…and again. "I'm sorry I've spent so much time away from home… and not just physically but emotionally, as well. You don't deserve that. I've never let work keep me from you before and I'm not going to do it anymore."
The sudden seriousness of the conversation caused Jane to sit up straighter. "We both knew this was a big endeavor and that it would take you away from us for a while, but it won't last forever." She tried to sound understanding.
"No, it won't last forever because I'm in the process of hiring an administrator so I can just concentrate on being a doctor and not having to run the business too."
"Really?" Jane asked, surprised by Maura's news.
"Yes, and I've narrowed it down to two people. I just need another month and then I'm going to hand the business end off so I can be at home with you and Valley more."
"That's wonderful news." Jane grabbed Maura and pulled her down to her lap and into a hug. "Does that mean you'll have time to get pregnant instead of me? She was joking, but only a little.
"Sorry, but we both know that my getting pregnant wouldn't be a good idea just yet, so I'm afraid you've drawn the short straw on that one." Maura snuggled close to Jane and rested her head on a strong shoulder. The whiff of Jane's lavender shampoo caused her to close her eyes and hum in delight. "But I promise that I'll be home on time tonight and we can, I don't know, perhaps revisit that fantasy of mine in my home office."
"As long as you wear your glasses and that killer pinstripe suit you've got, cause if we're gonna do it, we're gonna do it right." Jane gave Maura a gentle squeeze.
"Okay, enough of that… what's in the picnic basket?" Maura pinched Jane's side playfully.
"Well…" Jane said as she relinquished her hold on Maura so she could open the basket to reveal all the goodies Carly had packed for them. When Maura oohed in all the right places, she gave a silent thanks to her brother and Frost for thier suggestion that she bring lunch. It had been a good idea, one that had led to them talking about making changes for the better. Not to mention Maura revealing one of the many fantasies that Jane was always ready to fulfill.
"Butterbean, butterbean…" Valley danced around Angela's living room in her new Toy Story pajama's much to the amusement of her grandmothers. The B 52's song that played in the background on the Bluetooth speaker she had shown her Nona how to use was cranked up to almost full volume. "I like Butterbeans!" She sang as she wiggled about causing Joe Friday to follow her lead.
"They call this music?" Constance rolled her eyes but couldn't stop herself from laughing at Valley's antics.
"I suppose so." Angela giggled at the fact that Valley knew all the words. "She's pretty good at that." She couldn't help but be proud of how coordinated the toddler was. Even when she spun around, she managed to land gracefully on the floor next to Joe.
They continued to watch as Valley entertained them with not one but three different renditions of the same song before declaring herself tired and ready to move on to the next activity. "All done!" She heaved a heavy breath as she dropped down on the couch next to Constance for a quick hug and snuggle. "Gigi… no tickling." She started to giggle when Constance gave her side a gentle poke. "Or I get to tickle you back." Popping up to look at her grandmother with a hopeful look, she waited to see if she would get to return the favor, but Constance held her hands up and laughed.
"I give up." Constance glanced at Angela for help but got a smug smirk in response to her silent plea. She watched wide-eyed as Valley scrunched her fingers in to little claws, bared her little baby teeth, and then growled.
"I'm gonna get you Gigi..." Valley warned as she continued to mimic a baby bear about to pounce.
"You wouldn't?" The question was barely out of Constance's mouth when Valley launched herself on to her lap and began to tickle back. Although it was light and gentle, Constance let out a squeak of surprise.
"How about a Nona and Gigi tickle sandwich." Angela jumped up from the chair she was sitting in, not wanting to be left out of the fun. She quickly made her way to the couch and wrapped her arms around Constance, trapping Valley between them in a hug.
"No, not fair Nona." Valley squealed in delight as she allowed her two grandmothers to hug and tickle her.
When everyone had had their due, Angela and Constance let go and laid back, freeing Valley to do the same.
"I'm exhausted." Constance blew out a heavy breath and wiped at her brow. "Is it wine-thirty yet?" She asked Angela with a hopeful tone.
Before Angela could answer, the buzzer in the kitchen went off letting her know her ravioli lasagna was finished. "The ravioli lasagna is finished." She pushed herself up from the couch and looked down at Valley and Constance who looked worn out. "And yes, it's wine-thirty. I've got a nice bottle of red that Maura gave me that'll go well with dinner."
Constance let out a groan as she pushed herself up from the couch as well, but then hummed in delight at the thought of a glass of wine as a reward for her hard day's work of shopping. Not that it had been hard, but still, it had been a long day. "Sounds like a plan."
"I hungry Nona…" Valley said as she followed Angela and Constance with Joe Friday pulling up the rear.
"I suppose it's time for you to eat and then get ready for bed." Angela glanced at the clock. It was after six and she wasn't surprised that Jane and Maura weren't home yet. Jane had texted her and said they would be out late, something about putting up some blinds in Maura's office. She thought it was a strange thing for them to do on a night they could be spending having a romantic dinner, but then again, Jane and Maura never did things conventionally. "I think we'll get the Butterbean taken care of, then we can sit down later to a nice quiet dinner and maybe watch some Grace and Frankie." She said as she turned to Constance.
"I like the sound of that." Constance looked around the kitchen for the bottle of wine Maura had mentioned. "How about I open the wine and let it breathe a moment."
"Okay, it's over there." Angela pointed to a bottle on the counter by the window. "I'm going to turn the oven down and fix Valley some dinner."
"Can I watch Toy Story, Nona?" Valley asked. "Peeze…"
"I don't think I have it, honey." Angela tried to recall what DVD's she had in the tv cabinet.
"I have it…" Valley said as she ran towards the door to head across the yard to the main house.
"Hold up there, missy..." Angela called after the little flash that flew past her.
"I get it, Nona." Valley stopped in the door and waited, hands on her hips, head cocked to the side looking impatient… looking just like a mini-Maura.
Angela couldn't help but smile as she followed Valley. "We'll be right back." She called to Constance who was concentrating on the bottle of wine and not paying them much attention.
As they made their way across the yard, Joe Friday took this time to run around before settling down with Valley for bedtime. The house was dark and quiet as they approached the back door and for a moment, Angela wasn't sure if they should go in. Maybe they had decided to come home early and were indisposed but a quick glance over the fence revealed that there was no car in the driveway.
"Mommy and Mama not home yet?" Valley whispered as she reached for the doorknob to open the back door.
"No, I don't think so… and wait, I've got to get the key first." Angela said as she reached into her pocket, pulling out her small key ring.
Valley waited patiently, but when the door was finally opened, she flew into the house straight for the tv cabinet. As she went through the box, she began tossing cases over her shoulder searching for the one she wanted.
"Hey, you're making a mess here." Angela sighed heavily at the endless energy that continued to pour from Valley. She started to pick up the stray DVD's and moved across the room to set them on the end table next to the recliner. As she set them down, something caught her eye and she froze. Sitting on the edge of the table was a folder with the name of a fertility clinic written across the top and her heart began to race. 'Jane and Maura are going to have a baby…' she thought to herself. She tried to will herself not to jump to conclusions but what else could it mean?
When Valley found what she was looking for, her excited cheer startled Angela from her thoughts and she grabbed the DVDs off the end table to put them back in the tv cabinet. She didn't want Jane and Maura to know she had seen the folder because it was obvious, they weren't ready to tell anyone yet. Of course, if that was the case, they shouldn't have left it out where anyone could see it. And she had seen it and opened it to take a quick glance. With the DVD's in her hand, she made her way across the room to put them away, almost unaware of the fact that Valley had headed back to her cottage without her. "Hey, wait for me!" She shouted after the toddler who seemed to move quicker than lightning.
The sound of Valley talking to Constance caused her pause. Now that she knew Valley wasn't alone, it wouldn't hurt for her to stop and take one last look at the file. She had to because she was sure she had read it wrong. Flipping open the file one last time, she let out a gasp when she realized she wasn't seeing things. The application for artificial insemination was in Jane's name and that could only mean one thing… that Jane was going to get pregnant. A huge smile spread across her face as she shut the file and headed towards the door. With a giddy excitement in her step, she jogged across the yard towards Valley and Constance who watched her with a curious expression.
"What's up? Constance asked.
"You're not going to believe what I have to tell you, but I need a glass of wine first." Angela couldn't wipe the grin from her face as she bent down to pick Valley up and hug her close. Anticipation filled her with a new excitement for something she never thought would happen. She wasn't going to have just one grandchild, but two and she couldn't wait to tell Constance. Things were looking up and the fear and uncertainty she had felt earlier for Jane and Maura dissolved as Valley snuggled against her and Constance followed her in the house waiting for the big news that would change their lives, yet again.