Archive of Our Own

At Tommy's house, on a Red Sox game day.

Jane and Frankie were at Tommy’s place watching a Red Sox game, while Maura, Nina, and Susie were at the pool with TJ and his half-sister Emma, along with his cousins Abby and Michelle. All the kids were thrilled to be learning how to swim with their mothers and aunts, and they knew that afterward, they were going to visit their beloved Nonna Angela.

The living room was dimly lit, the curtains drawn because of the bright sunlight; only the television illuminated their faces. Beer cans lined the coffee table, next to a half-empty bowl of popcorn and a half-eaten pizza. The Red Sox were leading 4-2 in the seventh inning. The three Rizzolis were sitting on the couch: Tommy in the middle, Frankie to his left, and Jane to his right.

Tommy, his eyes glued to the screen, said

"Still… we chose some unusual partners."

Frankie bursts out laughing, nearly spilling his beer.

"Yeah. Especially since we didn't choose women of Italian descent. Strange when you think about it."

Jane slowly turns her head, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm married to Maura, who's of Irish descent. You, Frankie, are married to Nina, who's Black. And you, Tommy, are married to Susie, who's of Chinese descent."

Frankie says,

"Despite that, Pa and Ma never held it against us."

Jane shrugs, grabs a slice of pizza.

"They just want us to have children. Period."

Jane bites into the pizza, chews slowly, then continues:

"Okay, Tommy: you had TJ with Lydia, and now you have Emma with Susie. Frankie, you have your twins, Abby and Michelle." And me… well… »

Tommy and Frankie exchange a glance, then burst out laughing at the same time.

Tommy pats Jane on the shoulder.

"You've got to get on with it, sis. Pa and Ma are just waiting for it. And you'll see, it's nice."

Jane eats her slice of pizza, wipes her fingers on a dishcloth left on the armrest, and suddenly becomes serious. The noise of the crowd on TV fills the silence.

"Maura wants a child too. And she wants a Rizzoli child first. Me… I want a mini-Maura. With her little know-it-all mannerisms, her impossible questions, and with Maura's honey-blonde hair and freckles… But anyway… Maura really wants a Rizzoli child first. She says it's important for the lineage, for the family, all that."

Frankie whistles softly.

"The Rizzoli lineage... Maura talking about lineage, I can't picture it."

Jane smiled in spite of herself.

"She's capable of pulling out our family tree if you get her started."

Tommy turned his head toward Jane and said:

"So, what do you really think?"

Jane stares at the screen, not really seeing it. The Red Sox have just hit a home run, the crowd roars, but the sound seems to come from very far away.

"I think it's going to happen. We've been talking about it for months. We've even started looking at the options. Dealer, all that… Maura's already got it all figured out."

Frankie laughs softly.

"Of course she's already got it figured out, I'm sure she was thinking about it the day after you two got together."

Jane rolls her eyes, but her smile is tender.

"She wants the first one to have my eyes. Or my stubborn streak, or my curly hair, or my dimples, I'm not sure. She says it'll balance out her… too-perfect side."

Tommy puts a hand on his sister's shoulder.

"Maura's always loved the Rizzoli look, especially yours, so it's no surprise. You two are going to be amazing moms, Jane. Really."

Frankie raises his beer.

"To the future mini-Rizzoli-Isles."

Jane raises her can in turn, a genuine smile this time.

"To the future little terror who will have the best and worst of both worlds."

They clink glasses. On the screen, the Red Sox have just won. But in the living room, the victory seems to lie elsewhere. No one has moved. Empty cans are piling up, the TV is now playing the post-game commentary in the background. The atmosphere is relaxed, a little nostalgic, as always when the three Rizzolis are together without any pressure. Jane grabs another slice of pizza and says with a wry smile:

"Maybe later on, TJ will find a beautiful, purebred Italian woman to have a whole bunch of truly Italian Rizzoli children with."

Tommy bursts out laughing and shakes his head.

"Yeah, maybe… but for now…"

Jane and Frankie simultaneously raise an eyebrow, perfectly synchronized—that brother-sister look that needs no words.

Tommy says, smiling,

"Right now, TJ is totally smitten with his classmate, Rosa Diaz. He talks about nothing else. I swear, sis, that kid's going to be into Latinas, it's written in the stars."

Jane and Frankie burst out laughing at the same time. Jane nearly chokes on her pizza and says,

"Kiddie love! That stuff doesn't mean anything. Look at me: I've never, ever been attracted to a girl before Maura. Zero. Nada. Niente. I was convinced I was gonna end up with some burly, slightly gruff Italian"

Frankie wipes his eyes, still doubled over with laughter.

"Hey! If Maura had lived in our neighborhood when we were kids, you wouldn't have lasted two weeks, Jane. It would have been over for you right away."

Jane nudges him with her elbow, amused.

"And you, Frankie. You had a crush on Anna Mae Jackson. And when we were in gym class, I saw you drooling like an idiot every time she made a basket."

Frankie blushes slightly, but laughs anyway, her hands raised in surrender.

"I admit it. Totally. She was… wow. Gorgeous, with her dark skin, her braids, and that smile. I was done for. I couldn't even dribble when she was on the court."

Tommy turns his head toward Frankie and says,

"Anna Mae Jackson! I remember! You wrote her name on your basket ball, you cheesy romantic."

Frankie shrugs, a nostalgic smile on her face.

"Yeah… and she never gave me the time of day. But hey, that didn't stop me from liking girls like Nina later on. On the other hand, I never saw Tommy attracted to an Asian woman."

Tommy laughs and says,

"Well, you have to admit, there weren't any Asian women in our neighborhood. No, it's true I preferred women of Italian descent, and then there was Lydia, but well, I was younger and dumber too, but at least it led to TJ, so I guess my time with Lydia was worthwhile."

Then he looks at Jane and says,

"When you and Maura became really close friends, it led to me meeting Susie, and you know the rest."

Jane shakes her head, touched.

"We all met people we never would have imagined. And look at us now: so happy."

Frankie said,

" Yes, we couldn't be happier."

Tommy raised his can.

"To our unconventional taste in love, to our kids who will probably do the same as us, and also to Pa and Ma who have always been so welcoming to our partners!"

Jane and Frankie clinked their cans together, and Jane laughed and said,

"To our unconventional taste in women, and to Pa and Ma!"

And Jane, Frankie, and Tommy start laughing and tell each other they have a wonderful life with wonderful women.

The End