Hello everyone, and welcome back!
It took a little longer than I expected, but I finally managed to update! A couple of the dialogues between Constance and Maura are said in the episode Burning Down the House (Season 2; episode 15) In case you find them familiar.
Please comment and review; they help to improve!
B. M. Adams
Xoxo...
Insert the usual disclaimer here*
General's POV
Life went back to the relative calmness that the life of a homicide detective and a chief medical examiner with three children could have. The "Doyle" incident was left behind, and not much came from there; the team managed to stop much information from getting to the press. Now, the summer was in full swing, and the family had a lovely trip planned. Maura, Lily, and Lucas were already at the Isles' residence in Cap Cod, spending a few days with Constance, who managed to open her schedule for a few days to spend time with her grandchildren. Jane was in the middle of a complex case and had been unable to leave with Maura and their smaller kids. Megan volunteered to stay with Jane so she wouldn't have to do the drive on her own, even though it was not a long drive, and so she could be present for Christina and Garret's birthday. They weren't planning anything specific, but the three of them were pretty close. There was a different close both moms started to notice between Megan and Garret; it was the way they looked at each other. They knew there was something going on between them, and even if there was nothing yet, they were sure they had a certain liking for each other. Jane wasn't specifically happy thinking about her daughter dating, but it was a natural part of life and growing up, as Maura rationalized.
Jane left work at around 5 pm the day before they both had to leave for Cape Cod and managed to finish the paperwork for the case they had just successfully closed, though it was one of those cases that left them exhausted and mentally drained. A couple of young teens were gruesomely murdered and raped by a guy they met on a dating app. The nature of the case made it impossible not to extrapolate to her own teen and the dangers that lurked out of the safety of their home. She knew it was irrational to simply lock her kids home forever to prevent any harm, but on days like this, she wanted to do just that: keep them at arm's reach and never let them go.
She drove to pick Megan up from her friends' house, where she had been spending much of this summer, to get ready for an early departure the following morning. Jane got to the house and waited outside after letting Megan know she was there to pick her up. The girl came out and approached the car.
"Hey! Sweetheart," Jane said, opening her arms for the girl.
"Hi, Ma," she replied, walking into her Mama's open arms. Jane hugged a little tighter and a little longer than usual.
The teen was taken aback. "Ma, you're squishing me," she mumbled. Megan knew right then that there was something going on with her Ma. She was too quiet, and that lengthy hug without much reason gave away something in her mind.
"Sorry," Jane whispered, letting go of the girl and smiling, caressing the girl's hair.
They both got in the car, and they remained silent. It was strange that Jane was not making any conversation, so she decided to figure out what had her mother so out of character.
"Hard day at work?" she asked, looking at Jane.
Jane chuckled softly and diverted her gaze for a second from the street to her daughter. "That is an understatement, sweetheart," she said, turning her gaze back to the street.
Again, Megan was puzzled at the simple response, "You want to talk about it?" Megan asked.
"Nah, it's only work. I'm just tired," Jane dismissed Megan's question. Knowing her mother, Megan didn't push. When they arrived home, Megan went to her room and stayed there for about a couple of hours while Jane laid down on the couch and turned the TV on. She was absentmindedly watching an old comedy movie, not really paying attention but keeping her mind from work.
When it was already dark, Megan left her room to go downstairs to get something to eat; she went by her mother's room but saw the lights turned off and empty, so she walked to the stairs case, finding all the lights again off, but as she descended the stairs, she noticed a faint beam of lights coming from the living room. The teen peaked her head through the door's threshold and saw Jane lying there. Megan came inside the room, and Jane noticed her presence, propping herself on the couch.
"Hey, you alright? All packed?" She asked as she saw the girl walking straight in front of the couch.
Megan nodded but didn't reply. She wiggled her way over Jane, forcing the older woman to scoot over from the backrest of the couch to make space for the teen. "Wow, where do you think you're going?" she giggled.
The teen chuckled and cuddled up against the woman, who instantly surrounded her with her arms. "I prefer to be on the inside," she said, placing her right leg over Jane's and her arms draped around Jane's torso. Her head rested on the woman's shoulder.
"You know you're 16 and aren't supposed to snuggle up with your parents. You are supposed to rebel against us and get a boyfriend named Chad or something with a motorcycle and tattoos," Jane joked, obviously enjoying having her daughter cuddle up against her.
Megan chuckled again. "Would you like that?" Megan asked mischievously.
"Absolutely not, young lady," Jane said. "So, what brings you almost to make me fall from the couch?" the detective asked.
Megan shrugged and kept watching TV. Jane quizzically looked at her. "Hey, what's up?" Jane asked, now concerned in her words at the girl in her arms' lack of response.
"Nothing happened," She said, looking up to see her mother.
"So?" Jane kept on asking.
"Can't a girl just cuddle with her mom just because?" Megan tried to rationalise with the woman, but her smile gave her away.
Jane softly smiled. "Hey, I'm not complaining", she began. "But you are not the type that just snuggles up," she said matter-of-factly. "Well, it's been a while since we've had a chance to have one-on-one time together".
Again, Megan only nodded, now resting her head just below Jane's chin. "What happened at work today?" Megan said, snuggling further into the woman.
Jane sighed, "Hard case." She simply said. Silence fell upon them, but Jane knew Megan wouldn't let it go so easily.
"So, involved kids?" Megan guessed.
Jane shook her head "Two teens" Her answers came like a dropper.
Megan nodded and decided to drop the subject. They continued to watch the movie in silence for a while. "Garrett asked me to go with him to the homecoming dance before classes begin…as in a date," Megan suddenly said.
Jane wasn't that surprised; she knew there was some feeling between them. "Do you want to go with him?" Jane asked, looking down at the girl.
Megan shrugged. "I don't know," she simply said. Jane allowed Megan some time to continue without interrupting her. "I think he's cool and kind," she continued. But what if going with him and getting involved in a relationship… doesn't work out and we ruin our friendship?" the girl asked, somewhat mortified.
"Don't you think you are getting a little too ahead of things?" Jane rationalised. Again, Megan shrugged. "I'm gonna tell you a story. Before your Mom and I were brave enough to tell each other about our feelings, we spent way too many years pretending to be best friends. I even almost got married and had a child before we got the guts to get together… we both were scared that by confessing our feelings, we would ruin our friendship. That didn't happen and couldn't be any happier of how things turned out. We get to go to bed every night by each other's side, and we have the best kids we could ever ask for," Jane said, tightening her embrace with the girl. "What I mean is, sometimes you have let things happen on their own curse. You won't be able to foresee the future and know the outcome of things," Jane explained in a sweet tone.
The teen again remained silent but nodded, understanding that her mother had a point. "I'm not a fan of you dating any guy. I think I will never be," Jane joked, trying to lighten the mood. "But this guy's nice, and I can see he likes you," she confessed.
Megan's eyebrows furrowed, puzzled by her mother's words. "The way he looks at you and how attentive he is with you… The poor kid has a real crush," Jane said, laughing.
"Really?" she whispered curiously, following the statement Jane had made.
The brunette nodded. "Yes… I'll tell you this: if you decide to go with him but don't want to start a relationship with him, you can simply tell him that you will be his date for the dance, but you aren't ready to begin a relationship. If he really likes you, he will wait… but it is entirely your choice, sweetheart. Do what makes you the most comfortable," Jane reassured the girl, smiling lovingly at the girl.
Megan nodded. "Thanks, Ma," she said, snuggling back against Jane's chest.
After a few minutes of silence, Jane noticed the girl was already asleep. She smiled, "Goodnight, sweetheart," she said, kissing the girl's temple.
Maura's POV
The kids were happily playing with the sand on the beach, and I was sitting quietly on a chair with a tea in my hand. I was tremendously missing Jane and Megan. I decided to text Jane. I knew the case she was working on; I had done the autopsies of both of the young victims, but the gruesome details of the crime were all reported and written by her, making her relive the horrors inflicted upon those two little girls. One was Megan's age, and one was just a year older. It was hard with all crimes; both those that involved younger children and teens were especially hard. Meanwhile, I was deep in my thoughts when my mother came behind me and sat on the chair next to mine.
"How are you, chérie?" She said with a glass of wine in her hand, "You seem very deep in your thoughts," my mother then said, looking at me.
I turned my gaze towards her. "Nothing, in particular, Mother, only thinking about how much I want for Jane and Megan to arrive", I said.
Constance smiled and sipped from her glass of wine. "Have you heard anything about them?" she asked.
I nodded. "Yes, Jane called when they arrived home; she said her things were all packed, and Megan was packing hers. They should be there by 9 or 10 tomorrow morning," I informed her.
"That is lovely," she said, taking another sip from her glass. We looked at the kids for a little while.
We looked back at the kids, who were now running towards us. "Mom, can we watch a cartoon on the big TV?" Lucas eagerly asked me, followed by his sister, who said, "Please," repeatedly.
I chuckled. "That is something I think you need to ask Grand-mère." I smiled at them. "And ask properly, please." I encouraged the children with a smile.
"May we watch TV in the living room, Mémé?" Lucas asked with his sister next to him, smiling brightly and expecting the answer her grandmother would give them.
Constance smiled. "Of course, darlings. But only for a little. We are having dinner soon," She replied, smiling and caressing both cheeks.
"Thanks, Mémé!" Both kids shouted in unison. "Race you to the living room. The winner gets the remote!" Lucas then said as he took off, running towards the house.
Lily took off just after her brother, "Not fair!" she said as she tried to run fast enough to catch up the boy.
"Kids, no running inside the house," I then said sternly, looking at the kids as they ran to the house.
"Sure, Mommy!" They shouted again, stopping at the entrances of the house and properly clearing their feet and sandals of any residual sand.
Both women returned to a conformable silence when my mother spoke. "You and Jane have done an incredible job with the kids," she said, looking at the sunset.
I turned my head towards her, impressed at her sudden comment, "I sometimes think I could have been more present for you" She then continued unexpectedly, "In fact, I should have been more present in your life," I was at a loss for words at my mother's speech.
"Mother, you don't." I started saying, but she interrupted me.
"But I do. I often think of how many things I missed because I put my work and my career before you. Both me and your father," She said, nostalgia present in her eyes. "I wish... I wish I'd stopped being busy... And just enjoyed you," She confessed.
"Stop; Mother is ok," I tried to reassure her. I had never thought that I would hear my mother with such guilt in her voice. I would have loved a more present mother and father. But with the years, we've built a better relationship, and I was content with how things were. When I was younger, I would've never imagined my mother spending even a full day with me. Now, we were spending a full week with her, and she was being so loving to the kids that I was astonished.
"But it's not," She said, looking deeply into my eyes. "It is very true that your life gets lived while you are doing other things." She sighed. "And I lived mine while you were out there figuring out, from a very young age, how to live yours without me or your father to guide you through it, and that wasn't fair on you," She said. And I could see, perhaps for the first time in my life, regret in her eyes.
"I've been absent for so much of your life and even my own grandchildren's. I pursued my career while travelling, always finding something that seemed more important at the time. And in doing so, I neglected the most important thing of all—you." She then continued, gripping the wine glass tightly in between her hands
My heart ached at my mother's words. Yes, there was a good amount of benign neglect on their part, but the fact that she was openly saying it was simply something I had never imagined. "Mother, I..." I tried to counter her speech when she spoke again.
"Please, let me finish, darling," she said, putting her hand up to stop me from interrupting her. "I know I cannot change the past, but I need you to know how deeply I regret not being there for you. Not just as a mother, but as someone who should have been your support, your confidant." She spoke, her eyes now shimmering with unshed tears. Tears filled my eyes as well; I had never heard her speaking with so much emotion. I remained silent, allowing her to finish.
"I've watched you from a distance, Maura. I've seen your achievements, your resilience, and your compassion. You've become an extraordinary woman, a brilliant medical examiner, an amazing wife and a loving mother. And I am so incredibly proud of you." She expressed. Her words hung in the air, filling the space between us with a warmth that I didn't know I had been missing for so long.
I took a moment to gather my thoughts and words. I didn't know what to say, and I was taken so aback by her unexpected apology. "Mother, I understand why you were absent. It still hurts—not at first. I never knew anything different," I said, trailing off, really not knowing how to continue.
She left her glass of wine on the little table between us and reached across, taking my hands in hers. "I know, and I'm so sorry for the pain I have caused you. But seeing you, the beautiful life you have made for yourself, and seeing you with your children, the way you nurture and care for them, it shows me that despite my failings, and definitely not because of me, you have become everything I could have hoped for in a daughter and more."
I squeezed my mother's hands back, and the tears that welled up in my eyes finally fell down my cheeks. "Thank you, Mother. That means more to me than you can imagine." I said, the lump in my throat preventing me from continuing.
We sat there for a while, holding hands, letting the unspoken words of forgiveness and love mend the wounds of our troubled past. Inside, Lucas and Lily continued to play and watch TV, their laughter filling the air, a testament to the love and care Jane and I bowed once to give them. A love I had learned to give despite, or perhaps because of, the absence of my own upbringing.
General POV
The following day dawned bright and clear, casting a golden hue over the kitchen window as Maura prepared breakfast. She hummed softly to herself, feeling a sense of happiness and warmth after the heartfelt conversation she had had with her mother the previous day.
The doorbell rang, breaking her thoughts. Maura quickly wiped her hands on a kitchen towel and made her way to the door, opening it to reveal Jane and Megan standing there. Jane smiled brightly, her dark chocolate eyes sparkling with warmth and love, while Megan was next to her, holding a bag in her hands.
Jane moved forward first, sweetly pecking the blonde's lips. "Good morning, my love," she greeted her cheerfully.
"We brought muffins," Megan then enthusiastically said, lifting the bag in her hand and smiling.
Maura stepped out of Jane's embrace and approached the girl, hugging her tightly. "Thank you, sweetie," she said, kissing her cheek. "I missed you," Maura then said.
"Miss you too, mom," Megan heartfully said as she hugged Maura.
As they stepped inside, Constance was coming down the stairs. "Oh, lovely to see you two are already here."
"Hi, Constance," Jane said, approaching the woman. "It's nice to see you, too," she said as she kissed her.
The older woman then moved to the teen and greeted her as well. "So lovely to see you, darling," She said as she kissed the teen's cheek.
"It's lovely to see you too, Constance" She reciprocated. Not long after, the kids woke up and ran downstairs to meet their Mama and their sister. The morning went by in a blur of conversation and laughter. When the day warmed up, the three siblings went to the beach to play. Constance was in the foyer reading, and Jane and Maura were in the kitchen putting the remaining dishes away.
"I'm listening," Jane said, looking at her wive with expectant eyes. Maura turned towards her quizzically, not understanding what she meant.
"Come one, you're beaming. What happened?" She asked, moving closer to the blonde and hugging her from behind. "Did something happen with your mother?" she asked again, now resting her chin on the crook of Maura's neck.
Maura turned around and hugged the brunette. "My mother apologized," she said, resting her head on Jane's chest. The detective was impressed by the confession but didn't say anything, letting the blonde have the space to share what happened.
"She apologized for being absent during my life," Maura continued. "She said she regrets not being there for me," Maura recalled. Jane rested her chin on top of Maura's head and tightened her embrace on the blonde. "And she expressed how proud she is of my achievements," she mumbled into the embrace.
Jane didn't know what to say; for Constance to say those things, it must have been hard. "That must have been hard for her to admit," Jane said.
"It was," Maura agreed. "But it was also hard for me to hear. I've spent so many years feeling hurt and neglected by her and father's absence. Hearing her apologize and acknowledge those feelings... it was overwhelming."
The brunette let go and grabbed the blonde's hand, giving them a reassuring squeeze. "You deserved to hear that from her, Maura. And I'm proud of you," Jane heartfeltly said, kissing Maura's hand.
Maura nodded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears and the immense love she felt for the brunette in front of her. "It felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I never realized how much I needed to hear those words until she said them."
Jane pulled Maura closer again in a tight hug, wrapping her arm around her shoulders. "I'm glad she finally said them. You've always been so strong, but even the strongest people need to hear they're loved and appreciated," Jane remarked.
Maura leaned her head on Jane's shoulder, finding comfort in her presence. "She also said she's proud of how we're raising our children. It meant a lot to hear that from her, too."
Jane chuckled a hint of pride in her eyes. "We're doing a pretty good job, if I do say so myself." She exclaimed
Maura laughed softly. "Well, Megan is not so much our doing," She joked. By this time, they heard the kids running towards the house. "The troops are coming," Jane said, chuckling.
"Do you want to go to bet they are hungry already?" Maura said.
"That is a bet I will surely lose; of course, they are coming for food." Jane laughed, and the three siblings came into the house. "Hey, you three, dusted all the sand off; remember, no sandy feet in the house," Jane said as the three of them came onto the terrace and nodded.
"Did you three have fun?" Maura asked, coming towards them.
"Yes!" Lily squealed. "We made a sandcastle, and we buried Meggie," She said happily.
Maura laughed. "Yeah, I can see you were having fun," she exclaimed. Then Jane's phone rang, and she went to pick it up. It was Angela calling.
"Hay Ma!" Jane greeted her mother.
"Hi, honey. I just wanted to check in and see how you all are doing?" Angela asked.
"It's all good, Ma. The kids are having a blast," she explained. "Hey, kids, say hi to Nonna!" Jane said, pointing the phone towards Lily and Lucas.
"Hi, Nonna!" the two of them said in unison. Megan was looking for some water in the fridge, so she came a few seconds later and said, "Hi, Nonna. We miss you," Megan said as she opened the bottle of water.
Right when Megan came to the phone and spoke to Angela, Constance came into the kitchen, and Jane finished speaking with Angela.
"Megan, I have a question, Darling," Constance said, pretending a serious tone. Maura and Jane exchanged curious questions about where this was going.
"So, you casually just called Angela Nonna, but I'm still Constance... I can't help but feel offended." She said casually as she approached the kitchen island to take a seat.
Jane and Maura looked at each other, impressed by Constance's playfulness, and waited to hear the teen's response. Megan kept a straight face and raised her hand in surrender. "You're right, Mémé. That is so rude on my part." She followed the woman's mood.
Both mothers smiled brightly and looked lovingly at each other as they saw Constance cross the kitchen and give the teen a quick hug.
They fetched some snacks together, and as they ate, Jane leaned over to Maura and whispered, "Looks like things are really coming together, huh?"
Maura nodded, her eyes showing so much happiness. "Yes, they are. And I couldn't ask for more."
The room was filled with laughter and warmth, a testament to the family's love and resilience. As the day unfolded, Maura felt a deep sense of contentment, knowing that they were all moving forward together, bound by love and the promise of new beginnings.
Thank you for reading. Please comment and review!
B. xx