Morning

by ksfd89

A little oneshot about Lorelai and Rory's life before moving into their own home in Stars Hollow

A little oneshot about Lorelai and Rory's life before moving into their own home.

Morning light filters through the window and onto her mother's head. Rory leans up on her elbow, looking down. Lorelai's eyes are tightly closed, her body stiff. Rory knows she hasn't slept all night. A glance at the clock by the bed shows it's still early and Rory tries lying back down and going back to sleep but it's no use. She's too aware of her own body, worried she'll wake her mother, and has a sudden urge to pee. Rory carefully slides out , careful not to disturb her mother, who finally succumbed to exhaustion in the small hours. A glance behind her shows Lorelai is still sleeping and Rory holds her breath, conscious of each of her mother's sighs. Rory quickly pads across the room, slipping between the curtain that curtails their bathroom, and relives herself. After washing her hands she brushes away the furry taste in her mouth that comes with sleep, splashing water over her face. A look in the mirror shows the same face, framed with long hair, and Rory frowns at it. She's never noticed any difference and is always perplexed when her mother says she looks older. Rory is nine years old and doesn't believe her mother when she tells her she's growing up too fast. Time trickles slowly for Rory but she doesn't mind, can't imagine a day where she's old enough for high school, let alone Harvard, where she's going to go one day. The thought of going to college excites and terrifies her all at the same time and, for now, Rory is happy to live at the Independence Inn with her mother in Stars Hollow. It's where she's spent most of her nine years and Rory can't imagine life anywhere else.

Rory dries her face and hands and steps out from the curtain to see her mother sitting up. Guilt swells inside and Rory runs back to the bed. Sunlight is tickling the rosebud wallpaper and Lorelai smiles, patting the space beside her which Rory left.

"Mom, it's early."

"I know," Lorelai wrinkles her nose. "I need coffee. Do you think it's too early to go to the inn?"

"Mom, it's six o'clock." Rory says, crawling back under the covers. "You should go back to sleep."

"I'm awake now," Lorelai says, smiling at her. "I have work."

"Not for three hours," Rory argues. "Mom, don't get up. I'll make you coffee."

That makes Lorelai laugh. She's only allowed to make it with supervision and, blushing, Rory adds,

"Or I'll get you some water. You don't have to get up."

Lorelai laughs again, kissing her daughter's head and pulling her close to her.

"Honey, this is an incredible amount of effort just for me waking up. I appreciate the coffee offer, but I think I'm going to hold off. You know ours always tastes gross, no matter who makes it. Are you trying to confess something?"

Her mother's tone is light and teasing. Rory hardly ever gets in trouble, thinks of her mother as her best friend, but feels her mother stiffen as she says,

"You didn't sleep last night."

"Rory."

Lorelai rolls over slightly, leaving a gap between them and Rory insists,

"I know you didn't."

"I just didn't sleep well," Lorelai says stubbornly. "It's no big deal."

"Mom, you're mad about something."

"Rory, I said I'm fine," Lorelai argues, a snap to her tone. "Now, I'm going to get up and get dressed because dammit, I have three hours before work and I'm not going to waste them arguing about if I slept or not!"

She throws back the covers and marches to the sink. Rory watches as she fills the percolator, which leaks if it's more than half-full, shaking in the coffee with too much force. The shed has running water and electricity but it's temperamental, frequently sputtering out and often at the same time. Lorelai's back is to her daughter but Rory can tell she has that look on her face, the look when she wants to cry but won't. Rory slowly gets out of bed, opens the closet they share and picks out her clothes for the day. Normally her mother puts on the radio as they dress. Today is not one of those mornings.

By the time Lorelai has showered, and yelped at the icy water, she's in a good mood again, or at least a better one than before. She fixes Rory a bowl of cereal, despite Rory always doing it herself, and is apologetic.

"I'm sorry I yelled."

"You didn't yell."

"Well, I'm sorry I was mean. I didn't –"

"Sleep well," Rory finishes for her. "I know."

Lorelai smiles but Rory knows not to ask further. The Gilmores finish their food in silence and Lorelai takes the bowls to the sink.

"Ready for the day?"

"You know I am. Are you?"

Lorelai sighs, smiles and rolls her eyes.

"Kid, don't get me started. Come on, let's go."

Lorelai works as a maid in the Independence Inn. She and Rory live in the potting shed, across the little stream, but they can spend as much time in the inn as they want. It opens at seven and Rory often spends time before school there, reading in a chair or helping her mother clean. When she was a baby, her mother took her to Stars Hollow, away from her grandparents, and found the Independence Inn.

"I asked for a job, any job and they gave it to me," Lorelai says, telling Rory the story she knows by heart. "And I needed a place for you to live, for both of us, and Mia gave us the potting shed and here we are. It had to be Fate. That or the Yellow Pages."

Rory always laughs at the last part but her mother's eyes are sad. They always are by the end of the story but Lorelai smiles, breezily changing the subject. Her mother got pregnant with Rory when she was just sixteen and left home soon after. She doesn't talk about her parents often, and the subject is sore. Lorelai was expected to marry Christopher, Rory's father, when she got pregnant but she wouldn't, or couldn't, and things have been strained ever since. Rory can see she's not going to get anything more out of her mother this morning and goes to school in silence.

Shame circles Rory like a cloud all day. She shouldn't know why her mother is mad, shouldn't have been listening. It was yesterday afternoon, during the lull before dinner, and the telephone rang. Rory was reading, Lorelai was dusting, and they both looked up in surprise when Michel came over, holding the phone.

"It's for you," he said to Lorelai. "Some lady and she sounded rich. I am sure I'd rather talk to her than you."

Rory knew it was her grandmother without even asking. Lorelai took a deep breath before getting the phone, looked over and said,

"Rory, go help Sookie, okay?"

Rory didn't go in the kitchen. She got up, went around the door and stayed, listening. She knew it was wrong but it was as though her feet were melded to the floor, her eyes glazed to the jamb.

"Hi, Mom. Yes, it's me, who else calls you Mom?"

Lorelai looked tired and the conversation had barely started. Rory watched as she pushed some hair back and said,

"I'm fine, we both are. Mom, I was just going to ask how you were. You didn't give me a chance to – I'm sorry. How are you? Good, I'm glad you're fine. Yes, we're still here. I'd have told you if we moved."

A pause and then,

"Yes, I would. Mother, I would tell you if we're moving and we're not. No, I – Mom, I don't mean we're never moving, just not right now and – why exactly are you calling?"

A sigh and Lorelai ground her foot into the carpet.

"I know you can call me, I didn't mean – I'm sorry. Yes, I know it's my birthday on Saturday. I've already put in my order for cake."

Lorelai's grin disappeared and a look of horror passed over her face.

"What? Oh, Mom, you don't need to – Christmas wasn't that long ago. What calendar are you using?"

Lorelai's expression shifted to one of resignation.

"Saturday it is. Can't wait. I'll give your love to Rory. Say hi to Dad. Bye, Mom. Bye."

Rory ran from the door and into the kitchen, where her mother appeared a few minutes later, mouth in a firm line. Rory glanced up at Sookie, terrified at being given away, but all Lorelai wanted to ask was where the coffee was and seemed to forget her daughter was there. They ate a quiet dinner, went to bed early and now, Rory knows, her mother didn't sleep all night.

Unlike most kids she knows, Rory loves school. She loves learning, even lessons when they're boring, and takes a book wherever she goes. Today, however, she can't concentrate, and the teacher has to say her name twice before she looks up. This is so unusual that her teacher asks if she's okay and Rory blushes, mumbling she's fine. In recess Lane scouts her out and asks,

"What's wrong?"

Lane is her best friend but sometimes Rory wishes she didn't know her so well. She shrugs, kicking an old tennis ball that's lying on the playground.

"Nothing."

"You didn't raise your hand once in class," Lane returns, kicking the ball back. "Are you sick?"

"No, it's just my mom. She didn't sleep well."

Lane frowns, still lost, and Rory adds,

"I think my grandparents are coming."

"Your grandparents?" Lane echoes, staring. "The ones in Hartford?"

"I don't have any other grandparents," Rory says, before realising. "Well, I guess I do, but I've never met them."

"I thought you only saw your grandparents at Christmas."

"I usually do. They're coming for Mom's birthday."

Lane pauses, waiting for Rory to reply and when she doesn't asks,

"Is it a bad thing? I thought you liked your grandparents."

"I do," Rory says, still staring at her feet. It's hard to explain. She likes going to her grandparents' house. It's big and luxurious with three bathrooms and a tennis court and her grandparents give her great gifts. The food is incredible too and Rory always enjoys it until she looks at her mother. Lorelai has the same look every time, a kind of squirming discomfort and wish to be home. Rory imagines it feels like when she got sick in class that time and threw up, but at least that was only once. Lorelai doesn't find the questions her parents ask as interesting as Rory does and when they drive home she groans, complaining of what she calls an Emily headache. Last year, when Rory came back from the bathroom, her mother came running to meet her, saying it was time to go. Rory didn't know what happened but saw a tear fall down her mother's cheek when she didn't know Rory was looking.

"I do like them," Rory says eventually. "I guess. I don't think my mom wants to see them though."

"Maybe it won't be so bad," Lane says eventually. "Do you want to play hopscotch?"

"Okay."

The girls get up, start the game and are giggling by the time the bell rings. The afternoon passes more quickly than the morning and Rory goes to Lane's for an hour after school. Lane has started a secret CD collection and shows Rory how much she's hidden under the floorboards, until they hear the call of Lane's mother, Mrs Kim. Rory feels Mrs Kim can tell she's lying, when she asks how her mother is, and Rory is glad to go home and away from her stare. Lorelai still has work for another hour so Rory lets herself into the shed, dumping her backpack. She carefully uncovers the gift she made last week and wraps it, before burying it behind her books again.

Lorelai is using the computer when Rory comes into the inn. She's technically still a maid but Mia wants to promote her, and Lorelai has been using the computer system for a while now. She taps a few buttons as her daughter comes in, curtseys and pretends to dust the desk before twirling Rory around in her arms.

"Hey, you," Lorelai says fondly. "How was school?"

"It was okay."

"Just okay?" Lorelai asks and Rory shrugs. Lorelai sighs.

"My day was kind of sucky too," she says, putting Rory down. "I didn't sleep well last night."

"I know."

"And I was upset about something," Lorelai admits. "You were right, I just didn't want to talk about it. Come here."

She leads Rory over to one of the couches in the lobby and says,

"My parents are coming on Saturday. They kind of sprung it on me and I don't know how long they'll be here, but I do know it's going to be an interesting birthday. Anyway, that's why I was a grouch when I woke up."

Rory nods and Lorelai frowns.

"You don't seem very surprised."

"Mom, please don't be mad," Rory says hesitantly and Lorelai remarks,

"Good starting point." She's smiling, which Rory takes as hopeful, and admits,

"I listened to you talk on the phone, when you told me to go in the kitchen. I'm sorry."

"You listened in?"

Rory can't tell how angry her mother is. Rory hardly ever gets in trouble. She and Lorelai are like best friends and besides, Rory has never wanted to do things other kids get in trouble for, like skip school or not do homework. Lorelai makes jokes about it starting when she's a teenager but Rory can't see it. Rory expects to be in trouble now but Lorelai just sounds surprised and Rory says again,

"I'm really sorry Mom. I shouldn't have done it."

"No, you shouldn't have," Lorelai agrees but she doesn't seem angry. Instead, she looks at Rory and says,

"You knew all last night?"

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you say something?"

"You didn't want to talk about it."

"You've got that right," Lorelai sighs. She looks sad but gathers herself, sits up and says, "Rory, if I ask you not to listen to a conversation you have to respect that, okay?"

"I know," Rory says in a small voice. "I am sorry, Mom."

"I know you are," Lorelai says wearily. "It's okay."

Rory leans into her arm, glad to be forgiven and Lorelai bemoans,

"I have to spend my birthday with my mother. Why this year?"

"Maybe she just wants to see you."

"It's Emily, there's an ulterior motive." Lorelai wrinkles her nose and gently pushes Rory up. "Up, kiddo. I've still got twenty minutes."

Rory helps her dust the furniture until Mia appears, saying they've done enough for the day, and pretends her watch is fast when Lorelai says she still has five minutes left of her shift. She also adds which of the rooms are still free and, grinning, Lorelai and Rory run back to the shed for their things. While it has running water, it is never very hot and there's no television. As the room is empty this night, they can use the shower and watch the television for as long as they want. They can always use the ones in the inns, as long as guests aren't in the room, but Rory knows Lorelai wishes they had their own.

"Someday," she tells Rory, "we'll have our very own house, with our very own TV, and good coffee and water which won't run out."

Rory is always torn about this; she likes the idea of all these things but is upset at the thought of leaving the inn, where she's lived as long as she can remember.

"Would you miss the inn?" she asks carefully and Lorelai smiles, kissing her cheek.

"Angel, the inn will always be our home. That won't change, I'll still work here. Someday, I'll own my very own inn too. Won't that be cool?"

Rory will miss the life she knows but doesn't tell her mother. It's the same kind of sadness she feels at the thought of going to Harvard, when she's grown up. She knows she won't be able to explain.

Saturday comes more quickly than Rory knows her mother would like. She gets up early, Lorelai still asleep, and makes birthday pancakes. Rory drops shell in one but scoops out what she hopes is most of it, and decides not to mention it to her mother.

"Happy Birthday Mom!"

"Hey," Lorelai smiles, sitting up. "Thank you, sweets. For me?"

"I'm not the birthday girl," Rory grins. "What kind of syrup do you want?"

Lorelai eats the pancakes and says they're delicious, and doesn't even mention tasting any shell. Rory makes coffee to go with them but when she asks if Lorelai wants her present now she shakes her head.

"I'm going to save it until this cra-happy day is over," she says, catching herself. "God, what time is it? We need to get ready."

"Mom, they're not coming until eleven."

"We still need to get ready," Lorelai says stubbornly. "And no word about the potting shed, okay?"

"Why?"

"Because they'll make a big deal about it," Lorelai says. "Trust me."

"Okay," Rory agrees. "But I don't –"

"Rory, please," Lorelai says, her voice tired. "It's my birthday."

"Okay," Rory nods, hugging her. "Okay."

The girls are dressed in their best clothes by eleven. Rory is wearing the dress from her birthday last year but it's too small. It digs into her arms and is tight around her hips, but she doesn't mention it. There was no time to make her a new one, and she couldn't wear the one from Christmas again, so Rory tries tugging it loose as she can. Lorelai wears an old dress she found at the back of their closet and sits stock still on the sofa, waiting. Barely has the clock struck when the door opens and Rory's grandparents come in.

"Lorelai!" Emily cries, smiling widely. "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks, Mom," Lorelai says, trying to smile back. "Hi, Dad."

"Lorelai. Happy Birthday." Richard nods, hesitates and then turns to Rory. "Why, this can't be the same girl we saw at Christmas! Look at how much she's grown!"

"Yes, she has," Emily says as they hug. "But she'll have grown a lot more by next Christmas, which is when we usually see her. I dare say she needs a new dress though. They both do."

"Mom," Lorelai says loudly. "Let's get a drink, shall we?"

A smile is fixed on her face and Sookie brings out a tray with three glasses of wine and one of soda.

"It's so nice to meet you, Mr and Mrs Gilmore," she says, handing them the glasses. "I'm Sookie, I work here at the inn."

"Are you a maid too?" Emily asks and Sookie giggles uncertainly.

"No, I'm the chef. Actually, Lorelai is working up to a promotion. Did she tell you?"

"No," Emily says coldly. "She didn't."

"I was working around to it, Mom," Lorelai says. She throws her drink back so not to answer further and Sookie quickly says,

"Just let me know if you want more drinks. I'll serve your food at twelve-thirty."

"What food?" Emily asks, turning back to Lorelai, who frowns and says,

"You said you were coming. I asked Sookie to make us some lunch."

"Well, I assumed we'd go home for lunch."

The smile on her mother's face starts to slip as Lorelai asks,

"Then why did you ask to come here?"

"I wanted to see where my daughter works," Emily says simply. "It's been a long time, Lorelai, and it's been a long time since you've come home too. I thought you could come home for lunch."

"Mother, you could have mentioned that."

"So you could think of reasons to leave early?" Emily snaps. Sookie looks from face to face, surprised, and Rory can't release her breath.

"Fine," Lorelai says eventually. "That's fine, Mom. We'll have a lovely lunch at your place."

"Wonderful," Emily beams, assured again. "Sookie, I am terribly sorry about the food going to waste."

"Oh, it won't at all," Sookie says quickly. "Does anyone want another drink?"

"Yes," Lorelai says at the same time Emily says,

"No, thank you. We'll be going now."

Sookie hurries back to the kitchen, looking relieved. Lorelai and Rory have just picked up their purses when Mia suddenly appears.

"Mr and Mrs Gilmore," she says, extending a hand. "How nice of you to come."

"And how nice it is to see you again," Emily says, coolly shaking it. "I dare say you can fill me in more than what I know about my daughter's news."

"I'm sure Lorelai has a lot to tell you," Mia says deftly, and, turning, adds, "Happy Birthday, dear."

"Thank you," Lorelai says quietly and, as they file to the door, Rory catches a glimpse of her face. Her mother looks and sounds younger than her and Rory feels a sudden surge of protectiveness.

It does not take long to drive to the Gilmore house. Rory wishes she had time to walk around the grounds properly, soak it all in, but they are hurried to the door by her grandmother who says excitedly,

"We have a surprise, Lorelai."

"You know much I hate surprises," Lorelai jokes. "What is it, Mom?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise!"

Emily opens the door and ushers them inside. The surprise is made clear by Lorelai's gasp at who is sitting on the sofa with a glass of wine.

"Christopher," she exclaims. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to see the birthday girl," Christopher says, getting up. "Happy Birthday, Lorelai."

He walks over, hugs her and then hugs Rory too, who has resisted the urge to shriek at seeing him.

"And I wanted to see our little girl. Hey, Rory!"

"Daddy!" Rory laughs, hugging his neck tightly. "You didn't tell us you'd be here!"

"He never does," pipes in Lorelai and Christopher laughs, ignoring her.

"I wanted to surprise the Gilmore girls. How's the birthday going?"

"Filled with excitement," Lorelai says through gritted teeth and he laughs again.

"Twenty-six, huh? Welcome to the closer to thirty club!"

"Oh, great."

"They'll be expecting us to act like adults soon," Christopher teases and Lorelai says,

"Well, we do have a nine-year-old. We had to act that way sooner."

"You need a drink, Lorelai," Richard says, ignoring Lorelai's remark of,

"You're telling me!"

He pours Lorelai white wine and Rory soda and they sip in silence until the maid announces lunch. It's lamb chops with chocolate icecream for dessert, and when Emily comments that's it for the children at the table, Rory gets the sense it's not just for her. Conversation is stilted and Rory's dress is uncomfortably tight. After lunch Lorelai opens a present of a lampshade, and the look of surprise isn't feigned. The maid hands out slices of cake which didn't even have candles to blow out and suddenly conversation runs dry. Rory reads the information on the back of her grandfather's newspaper, for something to do, and Christopher asks,

"So how is the inn?"

"Just lovely," Emily answers for Lorelai. "As quaint as ever."

"Sometimes the simple things are best," Richard adds and Lorelai says loudly,

"It's doing fine, Christopher. Why don't you come see it?"

"Yes," Emily adds. "You should see where they live, in maid's quarters. I dare say Lorelai wanted to give Rory a bohemian start in life."

Lorelai starts fixedly at her empty plate and Emily remarks,

"It's more interesting than any stable childhood."

"Excuse me!" Lorelai flings her napkin down and storms from the room and upstairs. Rory waits for a moment, tries slipping from her seat, but her grandmother says,

"Allow me. You catch up with your father."

Rory hears her walk upstairs and turns to Christopher. She waits for him to look at her and, when he doesn't, tugs at his sleeve.

"Daddy, do you want to hear about my school project?"

"Sweetie, Daddy's got to make an office call. Can it wait?"

"Okay," Rory says, deflated, and Richard offers the telephone in the hall, where Christopher goes. Richard disappears into the study and Rory, left alone, sneaks upstairs. There is no one to stop her.

"Why do you always throw a tantrum?" Rory hears Emily ask. "We were having a perfectly pleasant conversation."

"Oh, is that what you call it? You and Dad making digs and Christopher – you should have told me. Rory's going to want to see him more."

"As she should!"

"Mom, you know I agree, but Christopher has never been good at keeping promises."

"He was willing to keep the promise to marry you!" Emily says sharply. "But you just had to run off like that! Away from all of us!"

"Mother, I don't want to get into this."

"Young lady, we just asked for a lunch and conversation and you had to throw a fit!"

"You make it that way!" Lorelai shouts. "Why this year? Why this birthday, Mom?"

"Don't you know?" Emily asks tearfully. "It's been ten years, Lorelai."

There's a pause and Emily goes on,

"It's been ten years since you celebrated a birthday with us. You were just sixteen years old and only days later you told us what you'd gotten yourself that year."

"Mom, please –"

"And you wouldn't even get married," Emily says. "And even though you still haven't found anyone and even though Christopher still adores you, nothing's changed."

"I haven't found anyone?" Lorelai exclaims. "Mother, it may surprise you, but most guys my age aren't lining up for someone with a nine-year-old kid. Hell, most of them don't even want to get married yet! Nobody my age is trying to find someone!"

"No, it doesn't surprise me," Emily snaps. "And I can't imagine anyone is going to want to marry you, not for a very long time."

"Mom, don't –"

"The father of your child is still willing, I know he is. Rory needs her father."

"I know she does!" Lorelai says furiously. "But her father is never around! And if I had married him, back then, he would be miserable."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do. Just because we didn't follow your plan you think I'm unhappy. I'm happier now than I ever was living here."

"Fine, Lorelai. Go back and play at being a maid, where you can't afford new clothes for you or your daughter. We would have given her everything but you still don't care. It may seem fun to live at a motel now but in a few years –"

"It's an inn, and I'm getting a house. Maybe not now, maybe not tomorrow, but soon I'll have a house. It's going to be wonderful and happy and better than this place ever could be!"

"Well, you won't need a maid," Emily remarks. "You already are one."

"I'm getting promoted," Lorelai says in a tight voice and Emily says,

"Yes, I know, and not from you."

"And you're asking why?" Lorelai laughs. "Thank you for the gifts, Mother. We have to go now."

"Lorelai!"

Rory runs back downstairs just in time for her mother to follow.

"We're going," she sniffles. "Grab your stuff."

"What about Daddy?"

"Lor!" Christopher cries, coming in before Lorelai can answer. "Don't go yet. Come on."

"Christopher, I can't," Lorelai says, eyes bright. "I just can't, okay?"

"Happy Birthday," Christopher says quietly and she smiles.

"Thank you. Come on, Rory."

They take a cab to Stars Hollow and stop in the town instead of the inn. Lorelai realises they've left the lampshade on the backseat but simply laughs, saying they had no use for it anyway.

"I need some food," Lorelai says, wiping her eyes. "That lunch did not fill me up."

They walk into Luke's, which Lorelai discovered recently. It's run by a guy around Lorelai's age and Rory knows he has a soft spot for them, despite being grumpy most of the time. The diner is empty and Luke has his back to them, cleaning the coffee machine.

"Hey," Lorelai calls, trying to steady her voice. "Can I have some coffee when you're done with that?"

He turns around, looking surprised, and says,

"Sure." He looks curious and Rory announces,

"It's her birthday."

"Rory!"

"Well, it is!"

Luke smiles.

"Happy Birthday. What kind of burger do you want?"

"Cheese, and fries, and Rory will have one too. We just got back from a hideous lunch at my parents'."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," Lorelai says, settling on a chair. "I bet your parents make you actually feel happy on your birthday."

There's a pause and then Luke says,

"My parents are dead."

Rory shoots a look at Lorelai who is horrified.

"Oh God – I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Luke says, waving a hand. "You didn't know."

"I feel horrible."

"Don't. And don't hold off complaining about yours on account of me."

"I'll sound like a jerk if I say they're asses."

"Mine were too, some of the time."

Lorelai smiles and then seems to remember Rory sitting beside her.

"Forget I said that."

Rory laughs and they lapse into silence. Luke brings over coffee for Lorelai and cocoa for Rory, along with a plate of pancakes.

"Happy Birthday!"

The pancakes are chocolate chip, dribbled with syrup and scattered with strawberries and Lorelai's mouth drops open. Rory is positive they'll taste better than hers, as well as looking so.

"Thank you. You didn't have to do that!"

"I wanted to," Luke says, smiling. "Happy Birthday."

Lorelai and Rory dig in and, as soon as they've finished, Luke brings over their cheeseburgers. Rory excuses herself to wash the syrup from her hands and when she comes back can hear her mother and Luke talking. They haven't seen her and Rory stands by the counter, not telling them. Eavesdropping has become addictive, but she tells herself it would be rude to interrupt.

"So what was so terrible about today?" Luke asks and Lorelai sighs, shaking her head.

"No one will want to marry me."

"What?" Luke laughs. "Why not?"

"Because I can add teenage mother to my resume," Lorelai grimaces. "And I didn't marry the father of said child when I got pregnant."

"But you're young," Luke says. "I mean, what's the rush?"

"Ask my mother. She thinks no one ever will want to be with me."

"That's not true," Luke says and, when Lorelai grins at him, he coughs and says, "I mean in general. Why does your mom want you to marry Rory's dad anyway? She's never mentioned him."

"It's the done thing," Lorelai says sadly. "In her world. Christopher was there today – that's Rory's dad. That made my birthday even more interesting. I don't wish I'd married him, but it would have been nice to have had some warning. For both of us."

"Yeah," Luke says quietly and, just as Rory is about to walk over, he says, "Don't listen to your mom."

"I know. Rory's enough."

"I know. That and – what I'm saying is, she's wrong. You're independent and smart and incredibly annoying…"

Lorelai breaks into laughter and Luke says awkwardly,

"Someone will want to marry you. Hypothetically, I mean."

"Hypothetically?"

"Well, in the future. Someone who can handle your addiction to coffee. Someday."

"I'm not looking to get married," Lorelai tells him. "But someone, someday, would be nice."

"Yeah. I know."

They look at each other, smiling, and Rory is suddenly frozen. There is a tightness around her chest which has nothing to do with the dress and she has a strange urge to shout, call her mother back to her. There's a blush to her cheeks Rory's never seen before but the spell is broken as the door opens and someone comes in. Luke coughs, gets to his feet, and Rory goes over to eat her food. They walk around the town a little longer but finally go back to the inn. Mia and Sookie have made Lorelai a cake but even though it's delicious, Rory is happy to go back to the shed and Lorelai throws herself on the bed, groaning.

"What a day."

"Do you want your present?"

Lorelai sits up, a childish happiness on her face.

"Oh, yeah!"

Rory gets it out from behind the books and Lorelai gasps as she unwraps it. It's a picture of them taken at the beach last summer and Rory says shyly,

"I painted the frame in class. Do you like it?"

"Rory, it's perfect. I love it, sweetie. Thank you."

She pulls Rory down next to her and they lie on the bed, watching the sun set. Lorelai's been talking about getting Rory a trundle bed, which they can slide under the double one in the day, but Rory is happy not to. She likes the safety of sharing with her mother. They hear calls from across the water and Rory remembers the event at the inn tonight.

"Mom, they're lighting the fireworks!"

"And all for me," Lorelai teases, allowing her daughter to pull her off the bed and out into the spring evening. "They're pretty."

"They're beautiful," Rory agrees. They sit on the bank and watch as bright springs of red, green, pink and purple light up the sky and reflect in the water.

"It's like a present for you," Rory says and Lorelai runs a hand through her hair.

"Do you know what the best gift I've ever gotten is?"

"What?"

"You," Lorelai says, nestling her close. Rory is suddenly shy, wants to say something to show she feels the same, but all she manages is,

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too, kid. More than anything."

Rory finds her mother's hand and holds it firmly, relaxing into her arms. They don't say anything else and Rory watches the sea of colour across the sky. It seems to celebrate her mother and Rory closes her eyes. It's enough. She will do great things.