Growing Apart

An old friend

For most people, this was their favourite night of the week. They would finish work and, meet with friends without worrying about having to wake up early on the next day. The weekend had arrived. As planned, Maura and Frankie went out in an attempt to make her forget about her problems for a minute. When he saw an advertisement for a queer womxn party, it got clear where they were going. The truth was that although there were a few LBGTQ+ spots in Boston, they heavily focused on gay men. So, it was not like they had many options to chose from.

Two hours had passed. Defeated, Maura sat on the couch Frankie was on. He had been watching her the whole night, making sure she was enjoying herself while encouraging her when she felt hesitant.

M: "This is pointless."

F: "It seemed like you were having fun."

M: "Well, not anymore."

F: "What happened"

M: "She wouldn't shut up about cats."

F: "Ok...Now, what really happened?"

M: "I can't stop thinking about Jane."

F: "Maura..."

M: "I thought things were fine, but during the week, she barely spoke to me and stopped showing at The Dirty Robber!"

F: "Yeah, I don't know what happened. She's probably focusing on Casey."

M: "I can't even stand hearing his name!"

W: "Maura?!"

The two looked up from their seats.

M: "Wendy?!"

W: "Oh my God! It's really you!"

Maura, still surprised, stood up and hugged her. The last time she saw Wendy was in a surrealist art exhibition. She looked terrific, as usual—even more than how she remembered her. The doctor couldn't believe it had been two years already. Why did they stop hanging out? They used to have so much fun...Then, she remembered. The closest she got to Jane, the less time she made for others. Also, having Wendy courting her all the time, no matter how flattering it was, was getting a little too much. Still, she was quite happy about having run into her. Maura held her hand and led her to the coach, both sitting down.

M: "Frankie, this is Wendy, an old friend. Wendy, this is Frankie"

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Maura woke up, with the light coming from outside. She hated when she slept with her clothes on. The last thing she remembered was Frankie driving her home and she laying on the bed wishing the walls would stop dancing. She stood up, still dizzy, and walked to the bathroom to take a quick shower. She should have stuck with her usual drinks instead of going for cocktails made with clearly cheap ingredients. Taking a look at herself in the mirror made her feel even more miserable. It seemed like she hadn't slept in weeks which, to be honest, wasn't such a lie. Well, at least she wasn't worrying so much about Jane. Then, it hit her. She was actually thinking about her. The doctor shut her eyes, mumbled Frère Jacques and tried to concentrate on something else. Wendy! She still looked stunning; both enjoyed to talk about art, plus Maura felt like she needed a bit of attention and care. Everyone needs to feel loved once in a while, to be reminded how great they are. Although she enjoyed solitude and never had problems with being alone, she needed a self-esteem boost. On another note, taking their history together, maybe Wendy wasn't such a good idea. When they first met, it was impossible to deny their chemistry, but Maura could never be what she wanted nor needed.

Contrary to what many people thought, the doctor wasn't looking for someone with the same interests and level of education as her. If that would happen, then better, but there were traits much more vital in a person. Wendy didn't have any of those. She was a fantastic person but definitely not what she wanted in a partner. Still, they had lots of fun the night before.

Now, dressing up while thinking about the conversation, Maura suddenly got tense. Casey. She couldn't believe she forgot about him. Casey saw them last night. Not too long before they left, she saw him talking to Frankie. Frankie left both of the women alone to get them drinks, and when he returned, they bumped on each other. Maura saw it all happen. The Rizzoli was as puzzled as her to see him there. However, she pretended she didn't see him. It was bad enough having to deal with the idiot when he was with Jane.

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All polished and feeling fresh, the doctor prepared herself to watch the news. Walking to the living room, she slowed down when she saw who she least expected.

M: "Jane?!"

Jane got up from the couch and walked towards her.

J: "Hey. Am I disturbing?"

M: "What? Don't be silly."

J: "Well, in that case, I made you coffee aaaand brought you cannolis."

M: "Yummy! Thanks."

Maura grabbed herself a cup of coffee and food and sat on the kitchen island. Jane sat next to her.

J: "You look tired."

M: "I feel worse."

J: "I...Casey told me he saw you guys last night."

M: "Yeah, me and Frankie really needed some fun."

J: "Since when do you two like clubbing?"

M: "We...we were just trying something different."

J: "Maura, you hate clubbing..."

M: "What was he doing there, anyway?"

J: "Working. I'm the one that should be asking you that."

M: "I-I just...Fine! I wanted to meet new people."

J: "Lesbians?!?!"

M: "Don't act so surprised. I've told you before about m-"

J: "You did, but I didn't know you still like women!"

M: "People can't change their sexuality, Jane! Some might take time to discover and accept who they are, but they can't change it."

J: "And did you have any lucky? Casey said you seemed quite close with a girl."

Maura was extremely uncomfortable with the situation and tried everything not to look directly at the detective. She also didn't understand why Jane was making such a big deal out of it. She knew her friend hated when she didn't know about what was going on, but she had been so distant it was not like she could expect things to be like before.

M: "Wendy. She's an old friend."

J: "Old friend such as in friend or..."

M: "Just a fling, nothing serious."

J: "You never told me about her."

M: "Really? I must've forgotten."