I heave a heavy sigh and walk impatiently and tired through the room, silently praying for some rest in the next two hours. Who am I fooling, I guess that won't happen at all. "You know, she's a great person," I mumble and furrow my brows. "I know that she'll do anything for you no matter the cost. I have seen her doing things that no other people would do for anyone." I take another deep breath and furrow my brows. "Sometimes she can be a handful but she only wants the best for you." I don't expect to get a response and I smile a little. "I know that our story can scare people off and perhaps I shouldn't have told you that already because you must think that she and I are crazy and that we can't keep our hands off each other." I stop and swallow hard before I continue. "But I can tell you that you are her everything since you came into her life and it is only fair to you to know how much we mean to each other. I know we had our ups and downs but -" I trail off and look down, my eyes lock with curious light greens and my heart jump. No, I am not talking to Maura's new boyfriend or soon-to-be husband, I'm talking to a three-months-old baby boy who refuses to sleep at all. The boy has an olive complexion and wavy brown hair. Oh boy, he's going to cause a lot of trouble when he's old enough, or even already before that.

I'm rocking him and know that won't work at all but my hope dies last. "You better don't tell your mother that I told you this story, Enzo." I say and he's cooing in response. He stole my heart right the moment I met him the very first time and then I was lost once and for all when I heard the sound for the first time. Every time Enzo is cooing or gurgling my heart jumps in delight. I take a deep breath and shake my head while I look down at the boy, still wondering how this happened. I stop rocking Enzo for a moment and furl my brows, again shaking my head. I know how this happens but it is always astonishing to hold such a little creature after all the proceeding and growing and hormonally fighting while this human is growing inside of a woman. And then, in the end, everything is forgiven and forgotten right the moment you hold this little human in your arms for the very first time.

I literally stare at Enzo and take a deep breath. "You know, Enzo, your mom is an extraordinary woman. She's very smart and kindhearted, she will do everything for you so you will be happy, kid. Sometimes she can be a little … peculiarly and then it's your job to keep her back, at least when I'm not around. And sometimes you think that your mom will embarrass you in front of your friends, but I can tell that she won't. You can be really proud to call her your mother. There is no one better in this world than her. You can, believe me, son." I nod at him and smile. "There won't be anyone in this world who will love you more than her. Sometimes it will be hard for her to show you that but you have to give your mom time than." I can see that he gets sleepy and I carefully place him in his crib. "And sometimes you have to give her a break, like right now." I tuck him in and cares his little belly. "And there is no chance in this world to stop me loving you, too," I whisper and watch his eyes falling shut slowly.

I straighten my back and take a look in the room. It took me three months and the help of my brothers to set the nursery up, I started right ahead when I got to know that Maura was pregnant. Okay, not right away. I needed a six-pack of beer and then three weeks to progress the information before I was able to start planning the nursery.

My mother was all a flutter the moment she got to know that Maura was pregnant and I had to tell her to back off before she'd squeeze Maura and the unborn child to death. My mother didn't complain about my harsh tone that time.

I look one last time for the night at the sleeping boy and turn to leave and then I freeze. I see Maura leaning against the doorpost, her arms crossed and her eyebrows raised. "Tell me that you did not tell our son the story how we got together."

I blink a few times and frown. "I did not tell our son the story of how we got together."

"Jane!" She hisses.

"What?" I whisper in a high-pitched voice and walk towards her. "You ask me to say so." I chuckle when she rolls her eyes with a huff and place my hand on her belly now, whispering, "I still can't believe that he slipped out of you."

Maura starts to snicker. "Enzo hardly slipped out of me, Jane."

I blink a couple of times again and I say, "Yes, he did." I know that he didn't, I was there, too. I fully remember the seven hours of crying out, threatening my life and my almost broken hand. I also remember that Maura repeatedly told me how much she was hating me and that she'd never forgive me for putting her through all of this. And after really painfully long seven hours Maura was holding this little miracle in her arms and she was looking at Enzo like she was silently asking where the hell he came from and then her face was full of bliss and so was my heart. I have never seen such a bright smile of hers before and I am sure that I was smiling like a Cheshire cat that moment, too.

To cut a long story short, I erased all the swearing and threats of Maura until the moment we met our son for the first time in person.

I heave a sigh when she takes my hand in hers and I can't resist the urge to run my left thumb over the wedding band that is adorning her finger. All of it still feels like a dream. Okay, some of it more like a nightmare but that's long in the past. I mean, look where we are now, four years after Maura moved Sacramento.

She smiles at me and wiggles her brows, looking past me. "You know, we always can work on a second one."

I know exactly what she means and follow her eyes. "Like right now?" I chuckle when Maura rolls her eyes and place my hands on her shoulders, turning her gently around and leading her in the direction of our living room. "I think right now we should get you some wine and me a load of beer."

I hear her chuckle and it warms my heart. Sure, we still have some arguments but during them, neither of us grab our belongings and run out of the house although sometimes I want to. But I think both of us have grown up and grown stronger together. Both of us realized that we made mistakes and we learned from them, trying to avoid them.

I still see Maura's puzzled face when I stopped my car at a valet parking of a really fancy restaurant and she asked me what we were doing there because I am not a fan of fancy placed but that night I was. At some point, we started to fight in front of the poor guy who only wanted to do his job. I hardly remember why we started fighting, I guess it was because I picked this kind of restaurant for that night even though they always make me feel uncomfortable and then I start complaining. However, at some point I had had enough, opened the glove compartment and nearly threw a little back box at Maura, telling her that actually, this was the reason why I wanted to come to this place. Maura opened the box and looked right at an engagement ring. Its nothing too big but took me two salaries, thank God I actually had some savings back then. I told Maura that I picked one of her favorite French restaurants because I had planned to propose to her. The shock was written all over her face because I said that I planned it, perhaps then she thought that I had changed my mind.

Well, that was the most romantic proposal in human history.

I lead her to the couch, turn her around again and push her gently onto the couch. "I get you a drink."

"Jane -" She starts and wants to get back to her feet but I push her back down, harder.

I point sternly at her. "Sit. Down!"

She presses her lips to a thin line and crosses her arms over her chest.

I ignore her behavior and head to the kitchen, getting a wine glass out of the cupboard and filling it with a red wine before I get myself a beer out of the fridge. "Let me take care of you sometimes, Maura," I state while carrying our drinks to the living room.

Maura rolls her eyes and takes her glass from my hands. "Jane, you don't have to."

I sigh heavily and sit down on the couch, placing her feet on my lap. "Yes, sometimes have to, and stop being so stubborn."

She smirks and sips her wine. I know exactly what she wants to say and scoff, sipping my own drink. I glance long at her and shake my head with a smile.

She frowns and asks, "What is it?"

"I still can't believe that we came this far," I answer honestly and run my hand up her shin. "I mean us being married and having a beautiful baby son. I didn't see that happen three years ago."

Maura studies me for a moment and lowers her glass. "To be honest, me neither, Jane. After all, we went through … After all, I put you through I didn't think that we actually would stand a chance."

I let the words sink in and reply slowly, "That's … very encouraging."

She chuckles but her eyes are soft. "I mean that we wouldn't come together again after all."

I take a deep breath and furrow my brows. I know exactly what she means. During Maura's pregnancy, we all were thinking that she was having a mental disease because she was actually considering to move to California and replacing once and for all her former mentor.

Honestly, I have always told her that I was born in Boston and that I'd die in Boston, and that moving to California would be out of question for me.

I tried to talk to her about her idea and to explain that I could nowhere else in the USA continue such a career as in Boston, that I would have to start from the scratch while I already have the chance to become the head of Homicide here.

I don't even remember how a normal discussion has turned into a full-blown argument.

Anyway, I ended up staying at a hotel for three weeks and my mother almost had a breakdown because she felt like she had been back in time when Tommy and Lydia didn't quite agree on who was supposed to take care of T.J, and when my little brother was ready to fight for custody.

At that time I wasn't quite sure how the whole thing would turn out and I literally spent days and nights researching what possibilities I had in such a time.

Not only Ma went crazy during this time, Tommy himself almost went off at the deep end and said that Maura could be glad that he doesn't hit women, especially pregnant women, I think I was too much in a daze that evening to react to his statement. Frankie and Nina had been the ones who gave him a warning but at the same time they agreed with Tommy.

During that time, they clearly stood behind me. Even Korsak had avoided Maura in this time or tried to avoid her as much as possible.

I think if I had given Maura a reason for this consideration, I would have been the one who would've plough a lonely furrow, but we were all assuming that things were going well between Maura and me.

Until this day I cannot explain what prompted Maura to do this, and I have never got an explanation.

I can only explain Maura's sudden change of mind by saying that our mothers, Ma, Constance, and Hope, had urged Maura to reconsider the whole thing and to consider what kind of impact this decision might have on the life of our unborn child. In any case, shortly before her departure, she had suddenly changed her mind.

Maura and I didn't get back together immediately either and I avoided her, but nothing in the world has stopped me from coming to the preventive check-up and at some point, we got closer again and left this mess behind. After all, we are two responsible people and are perfectly capable of finding solutions. I don't think that many had been surprised that we became a couple again.

I look long at Maura and can't help the smile. "You won't get rid of me that easily, Maura."

She smiles back at me and leans back. "And for that, I am really grateful."

I nod slowly. "Me too."

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This is it, guys. This story has come to an end but I promise that there will be a sequel because I won't leave you with such a poor ending.

Anyway, I hope you like this last chapter and I want to thank you all for your kind words and your patience.

Thank you all!

I hope to see you at the sequel and that you will like that as much as this one.

And for those who are waiting for updates of my other stories, I am working on it.

Enjoy this epilogue.

Lots of love,

T73