Ann Florrick woke up feeling the effects of the anesthesia; she saw a familiar figure at the end of her bed.

"Mom?" but her eyes were playing games on her.

"Hi aunt Ann." Grace Florrick answered. "How are you feeling?"

"Jesus, you look like Jackie when she was your age." Ann said. "I feel like someone who had an appendectomy. Sorry you had to come here. You were my last emergency contact."

"No problem." Her niece replied with a smile. "I've never been to Minneapolis. I brought Angie with me, a family road trip. So what happened to...uh...Jenny?"

"Jenny got Alzheimer's and her family took her to a retirement home. I couldn't go so I'm living alone now. My neighbors usually help me but they're out of town."

"Sorry to hear it."

"Hey, that's what happens when you fall in love with an older woman." Ann shrugged. "Do you know if I can go home?"

"I'll get your doctor."

By the end of the day, Ann was discharged from the hospital, her nieces took her back to her house. Angie looked around her estranged aunt's home. It was full of trinkets, photos, records, paintings and plants.

"Is Aunt Ann…like a hippie?"

"She's peculiar for sure."

The teenager took a picture frame with a photo of the Judge, Jackie and Peter as a kid. Ann wasn't in the photo. "Were grandma and grandpa homophobic? Is that why aunt Ann left?"

"l'd like to think there were more nuances to the situation." Grace said.

"There was more to it." Ann walked into the living room.

"Aunt Ann, be careful." Grace rushed to help her. "If you need anything just tell us."

"I'm fine. I don't feel like resting in my room. I'll just sit here."

"I'm gonna get you a pillow."

"Why did you cut ties with your parents?" Angie asked. "Seems extreme."

"I wasn't like them." Ann took the frame from Angie.

"What do you mean?" The youngest Florrick was very curious.

"I didn't share their view on life."

Grace handed her aunt a blanket and pillow and helped to be comfortable.

"Do any of you know about Patrick Florrick?" The older woman asked them.

"No. Who is that?" Angie looked at her sister.

"He was our great grandad."

"Do you know he was a fraud?" Ann smirked.

Again, Angie looked at her sister for an explanation.

"Oh, yeah. He was maybe a conman and bigamous." Grace explained. "We don't know his real name, he disappeared after he was caught."

"Holy shit!"

"Angie!"

"Sorry. But that's crazy."

"Jackie told you?"

"She did." Grace nodded.

"I think that messed up my father for life. He cared so much of how people view him and his family, he wanted to be unimpeachable and I didn't fit in with them. I wanted to be different."

Ann looked at the photo of her family. "They are all gone now."

"Do you miss them?"

"I always miss them." Ann closed her eyes and dozed off.

"Come on." Grace nudged her sister. "We gotta clean up and cook."

Jacqueline Hamilton, for a brief moment in her life, thought she was gonna be an opera singer. Maybe not a lead singer, but she did make it into the final casting for the company's chorus. Instead her parents insisted on getting her a job where she could meet a nice young man to marry her. They got her a secretarial job in an insurance company on Columbus drive, where suave John Florrick would winked at her every time he walked by on his way to the legal apartment.

"He's handsome, isn't he?" a fellow secretary asked her, Jackie found the question dumb. It was obvious he was good looking. But what were his intentions?

"What are you humming?" John caught her in the break room one afternoon.

"Oh, it's 'Un Bel Di Vedremo' from…"

"Madame Butterfly" The lawyer snapped his fingers. "I knew I recognized the melody."

He took her out on a date, dinner and a late showing of 'Ocean's Eleven'. He held her hand and asked her if he could kiss her goodnight, Jackie said yes. More dates, flowers, boxes of french chocolat, more kisses, hands under her blouse.

"Mr. Hamilton, I want to ask for your daughter's hand." John Florrick said at the family dinner he arranged. Jackie was confused about why John didn't ask her first, but she didn't mind it for much longer, she was living the dream. She quit her job, walked out of the office with a big ring on her finger and a big smile. Eat your heart out, girls. I won the big prize. Did you know his dad was an alterman and had his own business? Yes, I know, John and Jackie ha ha ha. He's gonna be a Judge.

Big moment, big wedding announcement in the Chicago Tribune, a big summer wedding with more than 200 guests… And an awkward wedding night. Jackie's first time.

"It gets better." John whispered in her ear and kissed her softly. "I promise, you'll like it."

Jackie blushed. "Okay." It did get better at least.

Jackie enjoyed being a wife. She loved decorating her home, learning to cook John's favorite dish (roast beef with potatoes), she took pride in how impeccable were John's white shirts thanks to her. She could sing and iron shirts for hours.

When she got pregnant, she was as happy as she could be picking baby clothes and knitting hats and mittens. They had a baby girl, they named her Ann. Jackie was happy to have a little girl who could dress up with the prettiest dresses. Then she had Peter, and she loved dressing him up in little suits. It was a magical time for Jackie, taking care of her family...then things got complicated. Jackie found a lipstick stain in one of John's impeccable white shirts. Jackie went to her mother for advice, her mom slapped her on the face.

"You can't go around telling tales about your husband!" her mom told her "It's your marriage, you need to keep it private."

Jackie read a couple of advice columns on the subject of cheating husbands. No answers there. She had to confront John about it.

"I need to tell you something." John said to Jackie over dinner, Jackie felt her heart sink. Was he gonna confess something?

"We're going to Hawaii!" A surprise vacation for the whole family, Jackie understood that John felt guilty and this was his way to say sorry. Every now and then, she got a gift from her husband that made her suspicious. Jackie told herself that those nameless women didn't matter. What mattered was her family.

"Please Annie, wear the dress I got you." Jackie pleaded with her daughter. "We're gonna be late for church."

"I don't understand." The twelve year old was adamant about her decision. "Women wear pants, mom. You wear pants too!"

"Not to church."

"We don't even go to church that often."

"It's Easter. We have to look our best, you'll look pretty. We'll have ham later."

"I really don't want to, mom. Please."

"Fine." Jackie raised her hands. "Wear what you want. But don't be surprised if your dad gets mad at you." Indeed the Judge wasn't pleased with her daughter, instead of scolding her the Judge made sure to keep her out of the photos.

"See?" The next day the Judge presented the newspaper to her daughter. There was an article about their church celebrating Easter, the judge and his family were featured, minus Annie. "This is what happens when you don't want to be part of the family."

"I just didn't want to wear a silly flower dress."

"You should do as you're told." The judge insisted. "When you turn 18, then you can do whatever you want."

Jackie agreed with her husband; Ann needed the lesson. A family must stick together, no matter what.

What's the sense in sharing, this one and only life

Endin' up, just another lost and lonely wife

You'll count up the years, and they will be filled with tears

Love only breaks up, to start over again.

You'll get the baby, but you won't have your man

While he is busy loving every woman that he can, uh-huh

Say I'm gonna leave a hundred times a day

It's easier said than done!

"Is mom okay?" 10 year old Peter watched Jackie singing and dancing to Candi Staton's 'Young Hearts Run Free' for the 3rd time in a row.

"No, she's not." Ann replied. "It's dads fault." Both kids rested their arms on the handrail and watched her from above.

"Come on kids, dance with me." Jackie opened her arms to her children. "You know, I could've been a singer. Oh, young hearts, to yourself be true. Don't be no fool when love really don't love you, don't love you."

"What's going on here?" John Florrick entered the house, he loosened his tie and put his suitcase on the sofa.

"I'm just having fun."

"Have you been drinking? Where is dinner?"

"Oops. I forgot to make it." Jackie shrugged.

"Come on, Pete." Ann grabbed her little brother. "Let's go to our rooms."

"Okay, okay." John turned off the turntable. "You're upset about something."

"Screw you, John." Jackie drank up the last sip of her cocktail. She headed to the kitchen and threw the glass into the sink.

"Woah, woah." John said concerned. "You're gonna break it."

"They saw you, John."

"Saw me?'

"Mary Jo saw you and your clerk leaving a motel last Saturday."

"And you believe Mary Jo?"

"Are you seriously gonna deny it?"

John thought about it for a moment before going for a classic. "She doesn't mean anything to me."

"No John, you don't get to say she doesn't mean anything to you when you hired her to work with you every day." Jackie replied. "You like her, you think she's smart."

"But you're my wife."

"AND YOU'RE SO UNFAIR TO ME!" Jackie yelled at him. "I don't know how you can be a judge when you're so unfair to me."

"Jackie…"

"I love you, I've been a good wife, a good mother to your kids and you go fooling around. And, and, you know you're my only one. You know you'd been the only man I've been with "

Jackie started to sob. "So unfair."

"No, no, no." John held her close. "Please, don't cry. I'm so sorry my love. I'm so sorry."

He kissed her cheeks, then her mouth, her neck. "You're the world to me, Jackie."

The married couple never saw little Peter come down the stairs, took a peek inside the kitchen, saw his dad going down on Jackie and ran back to his room very confused. Although as an adult, he would know how to make your wife less angry at you.

Ann woke up the next day of her surgery. Her nieces were still there.

"You slept almost 12 hours." Grace told her. "We got your breakfast and your medicine."

"Thank you." Ann took the plate from Grace. She looked at her niece and frowned. "Are you always like this?"

"Like what?"

"Yeah, she's always like this." Angie added. "The nicest person on earth."

"Is that a dig?" Grace asked her younger sister.

"It feels weird, you being nice all the time." Angie shrugged.

"She's a politician, by definition, she's not nice." Ann said.

"I understand the disillusionment with American politics but…"

"I'm not a voter Grace, you don't have to convince me of anything." The older woman said.

"You're right." Grace said. "We're just here to help you."

"Alright, help me go to the bathroom."

The morning continued with breakfast and going out for a walk to help Ann get her strength back. Then in the afternoon, they all visited Ann's record store. A young woman with purple hair was minding the place.

"Ann! I heard an ambulance was at your house. What happened?"

"I'm okay."

"Wow." Angie admired the record store. It had thousands of records and cassettes tapes, vintage shirts, bands posters on the walls and a photo of Ann and Prince together. The teenager didn't know who he was but he looked important. "It's so cool!"

"What kind of music do you like?" Her aunt asked.

"Uh…I like Olivia Rodrigo."

"Okay…Then you should check out this band." Ann gave her a record.

"Babes in Toyland?"

"It's good old punk. You can have it."

"I don't have a record player."

"Tell your mom to get you one. She has plenty of money."

"But how do I play it?" The teenager looked at the record on her hands, the weird title of Spanking Machine. She really had no idea. "Can I just stream it?"

"No. Come on. Please, help my niece with the record player. Let's put some music on." She told her employee. "Play track 7 twice!"

"Got it boss."

Grace stood close observing her aunt. "It's a nice store."

"I told you I'm doing fine." Ann replied. "I don't know what Pete told you, but I have a good life."

"Dad didn't tell me anything. Did he know you at all?"

"My brother knew me. He knew I was free."

"Free from what?"

"From that weight on your shoulders."

Grace clenched her teeth and Ann noticed the reaction. "It's gonna get you girl, one of these days, it's gonna get you. My dad died young of cancer, your dad was murdered. How are you gonna end up? All that self imposed 'greatness' for what?"

Ann Florrick saw her dad throw the newspaper into the garbage bin, she knew something was wrong, the Judge always read the newspaper from beginning to end. The teenager got the newspaper out and skimmed through until she found the article about her father. Judge Florrick was accused of corruption, at 15 years old, she didn't quite get it, but it involved real estate as bribes. She tried to confront her dad about it, but he only dismissed her concerns in a patronizing way.

"Why won't you talk to her?" Jackie caressed her husband's hair. They were in bed, the Judge was reading a book. "Ann just wants to get to know you."

"She accused me of being corrupt." The Judge took off his glasses. "I'm not gonna debate that with her or anyone. I already have to deal with this shit with the press and now in my own home?"

"Okay, okay." Jackie said, then turned off her night light. "Nevermind."

"So...Peter is a quite handsome young man."

Jackie was in her weekly bridge game with her neighbor friends. The ladies were gathered in Jackie's dining room. She was a good host. She had ice tea and snacks for everyone.

"He's tall too. How old is he, Jackie?"

"He's only 15 years old. He can still grow more." Jackie said very proud.

"My daughter has a crush on him." A friend told her. "She wishes Peter was her boyfriend."

"Is that so?" Jackie raised her eyebrow.

"What?"

"What do you mean, dear?" Jackie asked

"You made a face. You don't like my daughter for your son?"

"I never said such a thing. Your daughter is…cute."

"Cute?" The woman noticed how Jackie used that word. "What do you mean cute?"

"Oh there's nothing wrong with being cute at her age. I'm sure she'll blossom later."

"Hey mom." Ann interrupted the game. The women were in awe when they saw the teenage girl had cut her hair very, very short. "I'll need to talk to you in private. I'll be in my room."

"I..." Jackie literally clenched her pearls "Excuse me, ladies."

"Well, Ann looks cute with that hair." The friend said sarcastically.

"What are you doing?" Jackie entered the teenage room. "What did you do to your hair?"

"Mom, look." She took out a piece of paper from her backpack. "My high school diploma."

"How do you get this?" Jackie asked. "Graduation is next week."

"Mom, I'm 18 years old, I got my diploma and I'm leaving home. I told you and dad before."

"You're not serious."

"I'm serious, mom. I'm sorry but I can't do this, I can't pretend to care about any of this." Ann told her mom.

"Any of this?" Jackie frowned. "You mean the wonderful life that your father and I gave you?"

"It's not for me, mom."

"It is for you." Jackie insisted. "You have to learn to enjoy it, like I enjoy it."

"You want me to be more like you? Why?" Ann asked Jackie. "Mom, you're not happy. You're not enjoying this."

"I'm happy."

"You used to sing all of the time, mom. I remember you singing while you were cooking, while you were driving us to school, helping us with our homework. Now you don't even play music anymore."

"Don't be silly. I am happy." Jackie insisted to Ann and to herself. "I'm very happy."

"Then let me try to be happy, my way. Please, mom." The teenager hugged Jackie.

"Alright, is this what you want? Then goodbye forever, Ann."

"Forever?"

"You wanna go out there and be your own person, fine." Jackie shrugged. "But if you walk out that door, you can't come back."

Ann thought her mom was bluffing, so she didn't back down. "Alright mom. Goodbye forever."

Jackie stood in the room as Ann packed her stuff. She was waiting for the girl to change her mind. She didn't.

"What's going on?" Peter Florrick entered the room.

"I'm leaving Pete."

"To college?" The teen boy was confused

"No, I'm leaving for good." Ann gave him a big hug. "I promise to call you. Be good, little brother."

Jackie never admitted that her daughter was right, she wasn't exactly happy with her marriage and with Ann gone, she closed her heart even more. By the time Peter left for school Jackie and the Judge were just going through the motions. Jackie only seemed to care about her son; Peter going to college, to law school, getting a good job, finding the right girlfriend, the right wife.

"Are you getting married just because Alicia is pregnant?" Jackie asked her son. "We're in a safe place here, Peter. You can tell me if you need help."

"We've been living together for almost a year, mom. I love Alicia and I know she's the one."

"Is she? Not to be crude, but I don't see Alicia as a good wife." Jackie insisted. "Someone who really gives you your place."

"Mom, for God's sake. We're living in the 1990's not the 1890's. I'm in love with Alicia."

"Love isn't enough." Jackie replied.

"Wasn't love enough for you and dad? You're still together after all these years."

Jackie looked at her son and smiled, she wasn't gonna admit anything now. "You're right Peter. You should marry her because you love her."

"And you promise me to try to like Alicia?"

"I'm sure she'll grow on me." (Jackie never liked Alicia until the day she died.)

When the Judge got sick, it was a quick death. He got his diagnosis in March, he was dead by September. Jackie was grateful that he didn't suffer as much. The day of the funeral, Ann showed up.

"Are you gonna talk to Ann?" Peter asked his mother. "She's here for you."

"I have nothing to say to her."

"Mom, you're gonna regret this."

"Me? Not her?" Jackie shook her head. "I'm her mother, she needs to come to me and apologize. Not the other way around."

The grandkids were a blessing for Jackie, they were a welcome distraction and source of love at least while they were little. Once they became teenagers, Jackie was once again on the wrong side of the arguments she wasn't sure why. But she still needed love.

As she grew older, Jackie didn't expect romance anymore. She had an affair with her tennis coach, but she didn't find it fulfilling. She felt a connection with Christian Romano, her nurse, but she was paying him which made her doubt the relationship. Then she met Howard Lyman by chance in an elevator.

"Were you a singer in the Opera?" Howard asked her as the elevator doors closed.

"Uh…no." Jackie was caught by surprise, she hadn't thought about her time in the opera in decades.

"Do you like opera?"

"As matter of fact, I do."

"Wanna go with me to the opera?"

Howard was a breath of fresh air for Jackie. He was paying attention to her, interested in her. Jackie liked that very much. When Howard proposed to Jackie, she happily said yes. A few days after their engagement Peter got arrested again, Jackie didn't care as much, after all, she no longer depended on her son, she had Howard now. Of all people, Alicia volunteered to have the wedding reception in her apartment, Jackie accepted it. At that party, Jackie found out Peter and Alicia were finally divorcing.

"Alicia. Thank you. It was beautiful." The older woman found her daughter in law in the apartment.

"Jackie, I'm glad you're happy."

"And I won't be seeing you again."

"Why not?"

"You're divorcing my son." Jackie told her. "And I just wanted you to know we're more alike than not. Good night and thank you."

Thanks to the Florricks post divorce dynamics, Jackie really didn't see Alicia again. Except for Peter's funeral and Grace's wedding.

"It's nice to meet you. Mrs. Florrick." Connor shook hands with Jackie. Grace and Connor were at Jackie's apartment to inform her about their engagement, after Howard's death, Jackie spent most of her time in her home, passing time with her hobbies. She had more than enough money, she cashed in all of Howard's stocks. She was rich.

"You can call me Jackie." She observed the young architect, he was handsome, tall but not as tall as Peter. He had kind eyes that light up whenever he saw Grace. "So…you're an architect. Any building in the city is yours?"

"Not really. I mostly do renovations and some restaurants." Connor didn't feel the need to pretend he was a big shot architect. "But we do have steady work at the firm."

"Where are you gonna live?"

"In Highland park, grandma." Grace answered. "Remember dad gave me the house."

"Ah, yes. That house. You know your grandfather gave Peter that house as a present."Jackie recalled. "Of course, the Judge got it as a present too from a developer."

"What do you mean?" Grace didn't like what she just heard. A judge receiving presents?

"It was a different time." Jackie shrugged. "Are you pregnant?"

"No, grandma, I'm not." Grace replied.

"You're just in love and ready to be Mrs. Flanagan."

"Actually, I'm changing my name." Connor clarified. "Grace will be a Florrick for life."

"I see." Jackie looked at the young couple and smiled. "Not only do you have my blessing, I'll also pay for your wedding."

"What? Grandma you don't have to."

"Gracie, I have no use for Howard's money. I'm not going to travel or buy jewelry. I'll give you the wedding that you deserve as my granddaughter."

"That's very generous of you, Jackie." Connor told her. "Thank you."

"I only need to speak with you Grace, in private."

Connor left the room so grandmother and granddaughter could talk.

"Besides the wedding, I'm going to inherit you all my money, Grace." Jackie told her to Grace's surprise.

"What about Zach and Angie?"

"Zach left for Europe and Angie is still a child. If you want to share with them, that's up to you." Jackie told her. "You're the one my dear."

Jackie put her hands on Grace's cheeks and kissed her forehead.

Grace was 6 months pregnant when Jackie, on her deathbed, asked for her.

"Grandma, I'm here." Grace stood next to the hospital bed. "Can you hear me?"

In the room Ann and Ramona observed the encounter. Grace held Jackie's hand, she reacted to the touch.

"You…" Jackie whispered something very softly, Grace got closer so she could hear her.

"Okay, grandma. It's okay." Grace kissed Jackie's forehead. "It's okay."

Jackie Florrick passed away a few hours later.

"What did my mother tell you?" Ann stopped Grace in the hospital hallway. "What were her final words?"

"Aunt Ann, I'm sorry but she didn't tell me anything, it was nonsense."

"What? She whispered something to you."

"She asked me if I had enough lunch money.'" Grace told her. "I don't think she even knew who she was talking to."

"Oh."

"Sorry for your loss."

Back in Ann's home, her neighbors were back from vacation and took over from Grace for Ann's post surgery care.

"Thank you for coming kiddo." Ann told her niece. "I know we don't know each other."

"You're my dad's sister, so you're family." Grace said.

"That's a nice sentiment." Ann gave Grace a quick hug. "Take care."

Grace and Angie took a taxi to the airport. The teen was holding the record her aunt gave her.

"There is a lot of cursing in the record. I'm not sure mom is gonna let me play it."

"It's art. I'm sure Ramona won't mind. She used to be in a band."

"Playing drums." Angie smiled. "Mom probably already knows the Babes in Toyland, maybe she has a favorite song."

"I'm sure." Grace rested her head on the seat and closed her eyes.

"Grace?"

"Hm?"

"Sorry for saying you're weird for being nice." The girl apologized sincerely. "Not even mom is nice to me all the time. Especially when I don't clean my room."

"I just want to be a good person." Grace said. "I just want to be good."

Featured songs: "Un bel dì vedremo" from Madama Butterfly, "Young Hearts Run Free" by Candi Staton and "Pain in My Heart" by Babes in Toyland. Follow the official playlist* in Spotify and Apple music.

*No a real thing.

What was real? Mary Beth Peil was an opera singer in the 60's