It wasn't until Jane had left her that Maura actually realized how cold and how quiet her bedroom could get. As she lied down, she heard the faint sound of Bass slowly moving around in the kitchen, but there were no other noises. Not more than half an hour had passed since she left and she already missed Jane's sarcasm and the banter between the two of them. She missed the way Jane would not only let her cuddle up to her at night, she would insist that she did. She missed the way Jane promised to give Maura her undivided attention during Sports Center, but would only take in about half of the words Maura would say. She missed running her fingers through Jane's unruly dark hair when they kissed and all of the sweet nothings Jane would whisper to her after they made love—or after they had sex. It wasn't lovemaking, at least not for Jane. For Jane, it was strictly for pleasure. Maura had gone from being her best friend to being a distraction, someone to keep her mind off of her failed love life.

Maura got up from her bed and pulled out a picture of the two of them that was taken without either woman knowing. For Maura, that picture served as proof that Jane saw her as more than just a distraction and more than just her friend with benefits. She analyzed every single detail of that photo, every single detail about the way Jane was standing and the way Jane looked at her. Maura analyzed the photo so much that she could have probably re-created it from memory. Every time she looked at the photo, she felt the urge to show Jane and to tell her what the photo meant to her and what it could mean forthe two of them.

That is exactly what she did less than an hour ago and that is exactly what put her in her melancholy state. Maura had just given herself to Jane so intimately, both letting their guard down and feeling grateful that they had. The sight of Jane between her legs was enough to make Maura climax, but that was never enough for Jane. Jane thoroughly and gently explored every inch of Maura's body—sometimes with her hands and sometimes with her mouth until she could literally feel how ready Maura was for her. Maura would always try to touch Jane in the process, but Jane would never allow that. Pleasuring Maura was her priority and she wouldn't allow herself to stop unless she knew Maura had been completely satisfied. Maura's moaning served as an ego boost to Jane and further proof for Maura of how Jane felt about her.

Jane was in a state of post-coital bliss, but all Maura could think about was showing Jane the photo of the two of them. Before Jane could ask what she was doing, Maura stepped out of bed and turned around to make sure Jane was enjoying the view of Maura's body. As expected, Jane's eyes were exactly where Maura wanted them to be. Maura stayed uncovered for a little longer than she had to, but she was reveling in Jane's gaze and adoration of her body. She was not only aroused by Jane herself, she was aroused by Jane's arousal and the almost predatory look on Jane's face was enough to make Maura feel a tightening sensation between her legs.

Maura wanted to make love to her again—she should have made love to her again—but she grabbed the photo and gingerly handed it over to Jane. It had now been forty-five minutes since Jane had left and Maura could still recall everything that was said between the two of them regardless of how badly she wanted to forget. All Maura really wanted from Jane was to be acknowledged. She was falling for Jane and she knew Jane was experiencing something just as real and intense as she was, no matter how much she denied it. She'd allow Maura to have a taste of what life could be like if they were in a monogamous relationship, but it would never last. She'd tell Maura she was the only woman in her life, but Maura knew what that really meant. There were still men in Jane's life and, although they were few and far in between, she wasn't ready to give up her heterosexual label regardless of how much she loved the taste and—even the scent—of Maura's arousal. Maura also had men in her life, but her affairs with them were for the sole purpose of making Jane feel jealous. Sometimes it worked, but other times Jane would barely notice. She knew it was childish, but she was willing to go to great lengths to convince Jane to claim her as her woman.

Instead of coming to terms with her feelings, Jane stormed out and left Maura alone to wonder what was in store for the two of them. For the first time that winter, Maura didn't have Jane's arms to keep her warm throughout the night. All she could do was turn up the thermostat, put on some warm pajamas, and try to get some sleep before her thoughts about Jane consumed her even more.