Jane Rizzoli
Casey leaned against the counter, a towel wrapped around his waist. I was standing between him and the bathroom sink, carefully running an electric shaver under his chin.
"Like this?"
"Mmhmm."
My fingers ran across the bristles on his face, sometimes trailed behind the bare path left by the razor. I wasn't really sure which texture I liked best.
"There." I set the razor down.
"Jane, you've only shaved half of my face."
"I know." I placed both hands on his cheeks and rubbed gently. One soft and smooth. The other rough and scratchy.
"No, I still can't decide."
"What are you doing?"
"I don't know which side I like better," I said, still running my hands over Casey's face.
"Hmm..." Casey grabbed my wrists and pulled them away. "Maybe I can help." He bent his head and rubbed his face against mine.
I laughed. "That tickles."
He ducked his head and rubbed his face along my neck.
"S-stop." I couldn't stop giggling. The nerves of my sensitive skin picked up on the slightest touch. I distantly registered my robe loosening.
"How about this?"
My laughter was cut short. "N-no that... that's not ticklish."
Casey had me pinned against the counter, bending me over it as he ravished my mouth.
I kissed his neck and ran my hands along his arms.
Casey took a deep breath and grabbed my wrists. "You're not wearing your ring," he said questioningly.
I pulled on the thin gold necklace around my neck and pulled the ring out from under my robe. "I wasn't sure if I should wear it on my hand or if I should wait until we tell everyone. Ma will know as soon as she sees me wearing the ring, and once my mother finds out, everyone will know. I was also thinking we should tell Isa first."
"Alright," Casey nodded.
I grabbed his hand and practically skipped towards the door. This has definitely been a trip to remember, but I couldn't wait to go home to see my baby girl.
"Wait, Jane. You forgot something."
"Forgot wh-" A tug on my arm caught me in midstride, causing me to spin around. Casey bent his head and I ran smack into his lips.
He rubbed his mouth across mine, nibbling lightly before lifting his head.
"That."
My eyes were closed, eyebrows lifted as though stuck in shock.
"Jane?"
My eyes fluttered open.
"Are you ready to go?"
"Go where?" I whispered.
"We'll have to hurry if we're going to make our flight back to Boston."
"Oh... oh right." I shook my head slightly.
Casey gave me a teasing smile. "Did I catch my detective off-guard?"
"N-no, of course not." I was about to step back, but Casey caught my face in his hands.
"Then let me try again."
He kissed me until we both forgot everything except for the press of the other's lips.
__________
I passed the door of the house and tripped over a plastic pegasus. Swearing between clenched teeth, I grabbed the culprit and threw it in my bag only to trip over a Barbie car.
"The hell..." Unsure of what the next obstacle would be, I finally looked up and scanned the main room only to gasp in horror. Toys had been left haphazardly on the ground all over, turning it into a real minefield for bare feet.
"Ma?"
"They're back!" A high-pitched voice – excited at the most – put an abrupt end to my thoughts and heavy little steps ran down the stairs echoing shrieks of joy.
Isa threw herself in my arms— allowed me to lift her into the air—and covered me in kisses.
I chuckled and pressed a kiss on the top of Isa's head before placing her back down on the floor.
"Daddy!" Isa smiled and headed off towards her father.
"Izzy." Casey smiled at his little girl and opened his arms to pull her in for a sweet hug. "Did you have fun with Nana?"
"Yah." Isa nestled into Casey's side, her head resting on his chest. "But I missed you two."
Casey smiled and smoothed the curly strands of hair that were supposed to stay into a braid.
"Next time we'll bring you along," Casey said softly, showing a loving smile. "Just the three of us."
"Really?" Isa's eyes widened as her lips curled up into a big smile.
"Really." I smiled and reached over to pinch Isa's cheek.
"Yeah!" The small girl smiled and bounced up in excitement.
Casey chuckled as we dragged the rest of our luggage into the house.
Isa sat properly on the couch as realization dawned on me.
"Isa, dear. What did we say about toys in the house? Hmm?"
She furrowed her brow then grabbed a small blanket abandoned at her feet. "That they have to stay in my room."
"Then why are they here, all around?"
She shrugged. "Why not."
Ma came downstairs, way too fresh and enthusiastic to my taste.
"Ma, I don't know if you had noticed or not but my house is a complete mess. Don't you think the least you could do is o tidy up a little?" I said.
Ma snorted – shrugged – and motioned at the kitchen so Isa would follow her to help and prepare dinner. "Don't you think you and your brothers weren't tornadoes?"
Baffled, I settled back in Casey's arms, the contact soothing me immediately. I closed my eyes and tried to relax but it did not last long. "Isa! If your toys are still here in five minutes when I open back my eyes, you are in deep trouble."
Silence. Stifled voices, Ma telling the girl to go and tidy up the mess she had left behind.
"Do you prefer gnocci or lasagnas, Janie?" As if nothing had happened, Ma casually asked the question and waited for an answer. For some reason, it made me cringe.
Yet happily. Coming back home to my mother's dishes was not such a bad way to finish the day. On the contrary.
I followed Casey upstairs with our things, peeling off my clothes and changing into the sundress I had already picked out for the evening. Then I went to my dresser and from my jewelry box took out the engagement ring. I had been wearing it on a necklace since Casey proposed and this was the first time I was going to wear it on my hand since the night he gave it to me. Casey came up behind me, slid his arms around my waist, and looked over my shoulder at my hand.
"Are you ready?"
"Of course," I said, turning into Casey's body and giving him a kiss on the lips. "I love you. I'm excited to tell the family that we're getting married."
Casey stepped away and pulled off his t-shirt and went into the closet to put on a button down shirt for dinner.
Afterward, we traveled down the hall to Isa's room. She was on her bed on the iPad. Casey and I sat down on either side of her. Casey wrapped an arm around her tiny shoulders, and said, "What are you playing?"
She showed us the app she was playing with that involved collecting and dressing up dolls. I had turned on the appropriate parental restrictions for her age, but otherwise let Isa have the freedom to download the apps she wanted. She played a lot of games but also used a number of educational apps she often heard about at school.
I tended not to pay too much attention because usually she would use an app for a few days or weeks and then move on to something new.
"Can we talk for a few minutes?" I asked.
"Am I in trouble, again?"
"No, baby."
I waited for her to put the iPad down before saying, "I want you to be the first to know that we are going to get married."
"You mean daddy's going to live with us...forever?!" Isa looked up at me with sparkling dark eyes.
"Forever and ever," Casey smirked, combing his fingers through messy curls, and turned his head to press my lips against his in a deep, loving kiss
"I've never been to a wedding."
"There hasn't been the opportunity for you to go to one before," I said softly, tucking a strand of hair behind Isa's ear as she leaned her head against my shoulder. "Is there anything else you want to ask me about Dada and I getting married?"
"Um...I don't think so."
"Okay." I took Isa's chin and quickly pecked her lips as I smiled at the girl. "I love you."
Isa wrapped her short arms around my neck and snuggled in close. "I love you too, mommy."
I smiled when I felt a strong arm wrapping around my waist, he kissed the back of Isa's head.
"I love you too," I whispered as I placed a kiss on his jaw. "Thank you for this."
Casey's forehead rested against mine and we smiled at each other, overwhelmed by familiar love.
After breaking the news to our little girl, the three of us went downstairs hand in hand. Everyone else was taking their seat at the table at Ma's direction. Tommy, and Frankie were seated on one side of the table, while Ma and Isa were across from them. Places were set for Casey and I at each end, but instead of sitting down, we stood together at the head of the table.
"Before we eat," Turning to Casey, I said, "We have a special announcement to make."
I was expecting Casey to make the announcement, but I was unaware that Casey and Isa had made other plans. Casey turned to Isa and said, "Izzy, want to do the honors?"
Isa put a big smile on her face, more excited about being able to be the one to make the announcement then about the announcement itself, said, "They're getting married!"
Ma immediately jumped up, and saying most to herself, "I knew it, I knew it," she pulled both Casey and then me into bone crushing hugs. "Congratulations."
Tommy and Frankie offered their congratulations and gave hugs to both of us as well.
"I'm so proud of you, Janie." Ma interjected, hardly able to contain her own excitement.
I squeezed Ma's hand and said, "Why don't we sit down and eat before the food gets cold?"
Dinner proceeded reasonably well. Ma asked us to tell everyone how we got engaged and we both told everyone about everything we had done on our trip to Italy.
Then Frankie and Tommy tried to tell embarrassing stories about me to Casey while Ma tried to keep them under control. Then they talked about the upcoming football season, trying to get Casey to give up his allegiance to the 49ers in favor of the Patriots.
I largely observed the rest of the conversations at dinner. I enjoyed seeing Casey interact with my family. After dinner was over, he worked on cleaning up, sending Ma out of the kitchen by insisting that she had already done enough by helping prepare food.
While Casey busied himself in the kitchen, I was in our large backyard sipping a cup of tea and watching Isa play with my brothers. Tommy had even gotten Ma involved and they were playing some kind of variation on four square, seeming to make up the rules as they went along. Isa was continually laughing as Ma tried to play but squealed every time the ball came near her.
I felt a bit of discomfort in the pit of my stomach and groaned. Tears burned behind my closed eyelids and I lifted my hand to cover my eyes.
Ma came over and said, "Janie, come inside, I want to take pictures with everyone before your brothers have to leave."
She gathered everyone in the living room and then gave directions to everyone for pictures in front of the fireplace. One of Casey and Isa, me and my brothers, then with the boys only. She then passed off the camera to Frankie for a picture with Casey and I together and then pictures with Casey himself.
Ma took the camera back for a picture of Casey, Isa, and I and then took a series of pictures of just me and Casey. She took a few with us standing next to each other, then Casey moved behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. She took one picture of us both smiling at the camera and one with Casey kissing my cheek. Ma snapped a final picture of us both laughing, neither looking at the camera but both looking ecstatic.
A few minutes later, after Ma and my brothers had left, I was sitting on the front porch, enjoying the watery sun shining on my face as my hands rested on my pregnant belly. The baby wasn't big enough to move yet, but I sensed him or her in there. I knew it wasn't possible, but I did. There was a tiny human being inside of me and I already loved that human being with all my heart.
When I heard small footsteps, I opened my eyes and smiled as I saw Isa walking towards me, holding her bear against her chest. "Hi, baby. Where's your Dad?"
"He's gonna put the stuffs away." Isa used her hands to uncross my leg, eliciting a sweet chuckle before she climbed into my lap, snuggling into warm arms.
"Hm." I kissed the top of Isa's head and pulled her close. It was getting harder. My belly was getting bigger and soon I wouldn't be able to hold Isa like this. "Did you have something to drink?"
"Yah."
"Did you finish your drink?"
Isa snuggled into my chest, signaling that the answer to that question was 'no'. The girl was very bad at finishing her drinks and food.
I chuckled. "Go finish it, honey."
Isa sighed and slid off my lap, taking her bear with her as she headed inside to grab her drink. After only a short moment, she came back with a juice box in her hand and climbed back into my lap.
"Oh my sweet cuddlebug." I laughed and brushed Isa's messy curls back.
Isa took a sip of her juice and wiggled in my lap to get comfortable against my belly. "Mommy?"
"Hm?"
Isa lifted her head from my chest and looked at me with wide eyes. "Are you going to go away again?"
I brushed Isa's hair out of her face and smiled at the beautiful girl. "I'm not going anywhere, honey," I said softly as I kissed the top of Isa's head.
Isa giggled quietly. "'Kay."
Casey suddenly walked onto the porch and sat in the chair next to me and our daughter.
A relieved smile curled my lips as I looked at him, resting my chin on top of Isa's head as I stared into his eyes that sparkled with love. Tears burned in my eyes and I swallowed hard to get rid of them. My hormones were in overdrive. Or, my happiness was in overdrive. I couldn't feel the difference. With my beautiful little girl in my lap, the love of my life next to me, the sun shining on my face... Life seemed pretty perfect.
That same night, Isa sat nestled against my side on the couch in the living room, her thumb sucked into her mouth as she listened intently to the story I was reading as the rain quietly clattered against the windows.
"If you believe in courage and kindness and occasionally, just a little bit... of magic." I ended quietly before closing the book in my lap, eliciting a deep sigh from my daughter. I chuckled and brushed my hand through her hair.
"Is magic real, Mommy?" Isa looked up at me with big brown eyes.
I smiled. "No, honey. Unfortunately not. But love is. And I think love is a kind of magic."
"Really?" The girl lowered her thumb and her eyed widened.
"Oh, yes." I nodded.
"Can love gives me a beautiful dress like Cinderella?"
I chuckled. "Not like the Fairy Godmother did. But love can make you just as happy as Cinderella was with the prince."
Isa nodded and leaned back into my side with a content smile. "I wanna find a prince too."
"You will, one day."
"Not for a while though!" Casey said as he entered the living room after taking a shower. "She's not dating until she's twenty, Jane."
"Twenty?" I laughed and looked at him, dressed in a T-shirt and sweatpants. "She's too pretty to keep away from boys until her twenties, love."
Casey smirked. "Yeah, I was afraid of that." He shook his head and walked towards the couch. "C'mon, bedtime Izzy!"
"One more story?" Isa pouted and showed us the look that she knew very well would bring us to the edge of giving in.
Casey chuckled. "No way, Mommy already read you two today!" He lifted Isa off the couch and over the back of it. "It's time for bed."
Isa nodded and rested her head on Casey's shoulder in exhaustion, eliciting a chuckle from the blonde. "Bed."
"Hold on," I reached out my arms for the little girl, turning in my seat, "kiss."
Isa leaned down to give me a kiss before allowing Casey to take her upstairs.
It only took Casey a few minutes to put the girl to bed. She was exhausted. I smiled lovingly when I saw him coming down the stairs.
He walked around the couch to sit on the coffee table in front of me.
I wiped a tear from my cheek and threw my arms around his neck, squeezing him into a tight hug. "I love you," I whispered through the lump in my throat. "I'm so happy and I love you so much."
Casey smirked and nuzzled into my curls that were a bit messier than normal, but even more beautiful. "I love you too, Jane," he mumbled. "You and Isa both."
Later that night Casey and I lay in bed, Casey pressed against my back with his arm securely wrapped around my waist while we recounted the various separate conversations we had today with my mother, Frankie, and Tommy. At the end, I said, "I think a wedding in our backyard with immediate family and a few friends would be perfect."
"Mmm, okay," Casey agreed as he pressed kisses against my neck.
"Casey..." I said and rolled onto my back.
Casey slid his hand under my top and traced his fingers on my stomach.
I pulled down on Casey's head so I could kiss his lips and then I said, "Let's get married soon."
"Like how soon?" Casey asked.
"As soon as we can pull it altogether. Next month?"
"Okay," Casey happily agreed.