I honestly thought there might be another one after this, but alas, no. This is the final chapter of this story and I know it's taken me 2 years, but I'm glad to finally finish it. I have an idea for a part 3, though I don't want to commit to that until I'm ready to see it through. Either way, I plan to keep writing for now. What I write next depends. I know I have Blank Page to finish, but we shall see.

The table sat empty, Tommy and Emma were in the kitchen and Maura left to use the bathroom. For the first time she'd got back there, Jane was alone with her mother. She stared at her, desperate to find the words she wanted to say, yet helpless to the lack of ability to speak in that moment.

"I should help," Angela said, standing up.

Jane placed a hand on her arm. "Don't."

She sat again, nodding. "I guess we should talk."

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry." Angela stared into Jane's eyes, holding her gaze. "I'm so sorry that I didn't fight your father harder or do the right thing. I failed as your mother, I failed to be the person should have always protected her babies."

"He wasn't easy," Jane said, lowering her head.

"Like hell he wasn't."

Jane sighed. "I heard you, at the hospital."

"Oh." Angela's voice broke. "I regret every moment of the last fifteen years, Janie, I regret it so much and I can't take it back, there's no way to take it back but I wish to God every single night that I could."

Swiping a hand across her cheeks, Jane sniffled. "I'm sorry I never came back."

"You didn't come back because you knew you wouldn't be welcome," Angela said, gripping Jane's wrist. "We didn't make you feel like this was your home anymore, and that was wrong."

Jane tears from her eyes and shook her head. "I don't know how to fix this."

"Me neither."

They sat in silence, Angela's fingers resting over Jane's wrist. Every time she opened her mouth to speak, the words floated away. The anger she held so deeply inside dissipated slowly.

"Maybe we can't."

A loud wail escaped Angela's throat. "Don't say that, Janie, don't say that. Please don't say that. I need to fix this."

"I didn't mean…" Jane stood, wrapping her arms around her mother's shoulders. "I didn't mean we can't move past it. But we can't change what happened. I want to try and move forward. If you're willing to try too."

"I will."

The shake of Angela's shoulders subsided, and Jane returned to her seat, her fingers in Angela's hand on the table.

"It's gonna take time," Jane said. "I don't want you to push, or fight me on this, we need to take it slow."

"Maybe we can have dinner every so often."

A smile involuntarily spread across Jane's face. "I'd like that. But maybe without all the family."

"Your brother will come around."

"Maybe, maybe not, but I don't wanna miss out anymore."

Angela leaned forward, kissing Jane on the cheek. "You don't have to. If Frankie doesn't wanna be cordial, he's not invited."

"Don't do that."

"Janie…"

"No." She sat upright, her shoulders back. "Don't cut him off like that. We can all be in each other's lives. If he doesn't want to come to dinner when I'm gonna be there, then that should be his choice. Not yours."

"You can bring the kids, you know…both of them."

Another silence fell between them. Fresh tears strolled down Jane's cheeks, she brushed them aside. "They'd like that. Ma, Isabeau is such a great kid. You'll like her. She's beautiful, and she's got the biggest heart. I don't know if Charlie and I would have got through half of what we did if it wasn't for Maura, and Isabeau."

"Isabeau's an unusual name."

"Apparently it's French."

"Is Maura French?"

"No, Beau's dad Alejandro is Greek." She paused, analysing her mother's expression, cautious of saying too much. "Maura spent quite a lot of time in France when she was younger. They're different, Ma. They're classy and refined and it makes me want to be a better person."

"I always knew you'd land on your feet, Janie. I love you so much, and I am so proud of the woman you've become. I couldn't be prouder to call you my daughter."

"Shucks, Ma," Jane said, rubbing her glistening eyes again. She stood up and opened her arms, waiting until Angela stepped into them and they embraced. "I love you too."

X

"Can you drive? My arm's aching," Jane said, holding her arm to her front. "This wrist support is worse than having a cast on."

"Really?" Maura asked, taking the car key. "It's worse?"

"Not really." Jane rubbed her hand across her arm. "Still hurts."

"You've only had your cast off for a few days," Maura said, unlocking the car and opening the driver's door. "Hopefully it won't be long until you can take the wrist support off too. You're lucky it's healed quickly, and you've been able to get the cast off so soon."

"Not soon enough."

She climbed into the passenger side and sunk back against the seat. The last couple of hours had left her drained. Mixed with the pain, Jane felt her whole body's exhaustion. She closed her eyes and listened as Maura started up the car.

"You okay?"

Her fingers rested on Jane's shoulder. She sighed. "Yeah. Tired. I need some painkillers."

"Did you ever sort out an emergency kit for your trunk?"

Jane grunted. "No."

"Jane!"

"What?" she asked, shrugging, which only caused her arm to hurt more. "I'm not like you, I don't care to be prepared."

"We'll be home soon."

X

By ten, Jane climbed into bed, her body and mind beyond the exhaustion she'd felt just a couple of hours earlier. She'd appreciated a moment with her son falling asleep in her arms after he'd woken from a dream. She shuffled down under the covers, resting her head against Maura's shoulder.

"I have a good feeling about tomorrow," Jane said, nuzzling her nose against Maura's neck. "The house will be ours and we'll be able to finally be settled together, properly, as a family."

"Did we make the right decision?" Maura asked, wrapping her arms around Jane's shoulders. "The viewing was so short."

"It felt right."

"I don't usually go off instinct."

"I noticed." Jane held her hands close. "You're amazing, and you're smart, and you think about all the things that matter but the moment we walked into that house we both felt it. Alejandro and Ramone did too. You can't deny that it felt like home."

Maura sighed, slipping down under the covers beside her. "It did."

They lay in silence, Maura's arms still wrapped around Jane's shoulders, her mouth peppering kisses along her cheek.

"It's gonna be okay," Jane said.

"I hope so."

"Today's been big." Jane rolled over, capturing Maura's lips. "I still can't believe that I met you, it was the greatest thing that ever happened to me, Maur."

Resting her face against Jane's cheek, Maura kissed her skin. "I feel the same way."

The feel of Maura's lips on her skin spurred Jane on, and she pulled her closer into her arms, sending kisses across her collarbone. Moving forward, Jane pressed her body against Maura's, straddling her as their kiss deepened.

Before they could do anything further, the sound of four little feet running across the hallway filled the air. They stared at each other, silent for a moment, until the bedroom door banged open and they lay back in their individual spots.

"Hi Mommy," Isabeau giggled, jumping onto the end of the bed, a stuffed giraffe in her hands. "I had a little dream."

"Was it a good one?" Maura asked, opening her arms and wrapping them tightly around her daughter.

"It was a little one," she said, nuzzling her face against Maura's chest.

Jane watched the open doorway, expectantly, and sure enough a moment later her brown-haired boy sprang across the bed and settled against her.

"You okay?" He nodded. "I thought we already gave you kisses and cuddles."

"We want more," Charlie said, kissing Jane on the lips. "More Mama kisses."

She ran a hand through his hair and kissed the side of his face repeatedly until he pushed her away. "Like that?"

"More!" he shouted, and Jane blew bubbles on his face. "Not like that!"

"Kisses Mommy!" Isabeau screamed, moving her face to Maura's mouth.

Maura pressed her lips together and shook her head until Isabeau moved her head a little too fast and bashed her in the mouth. Running a hand across her bruised lip, Maura placed a number of kisses upon her face. "Okay, kisses."

Within half an hour, both children were fast asleep between them, their mouths open as they breathed evenly.

Jane reached her hand out across them, grasping at Maura's fingertips. "It's a good job I love them as much as I love you."

"I was just about to say the same," Maura said, gripping Jane's hand. "I love you."

"Love you too," Jane said. "But maybe tomorrow night we can find a way of having the bed to ourselves?"

"Maybe when we move, we can send them to Alejandro and Ramone's and lock the doors."

"I like that idea." Jane laid her arm down across the children, and Maura rested her arm alongside it. "Goodnight, Maur."

"Goodnight Jane."

The End - this story is complete