Rory Gilmore was finished. Fed up of being on the road for months, accompanied solely by stale coffee, and mediocre conversation. She never complained it was the experience she needed, to land a better job. Closing her laptop she stared out of the hotel window, in the distance the white house flag billowed in the breeze.
Its patriotic colors a tiny speck against the ever large landscape of Washington.
This week was different she was going home, back to Star's Hollow and to celebrate the long awaited event of her mother and Luke's wedding.
Every detail was planned differently from the one two years before; it seemed both Luke and her mother learned from the last time. Two years that's how long it had been since she had last been home, since she had set foot on those familiar streets, and two years since she had a decent cup of coffee.
She had wanted to ask who was going to attend the wedding, when in fact she wanted to know if there was going to be a particular person there. She would not mention his name; he would remain nameless as long as he had to. If she spoke or even thought of his name deep pangs of regret would cause her heart to crack, she sometimes wished she could go back to that moment.
That moment when she visited him and they were alone, accept it when he kissed her and forget those words she shouted. And forget about the cheating boyfriend and finally accept what she wanted.
But as always her head ruled her heart in most decisions and just once she wished she listened to her heart. Placing her laptop in its bag, she picked up her purse and left her hotel room.
He stared at the white invitation held lightly in his hands, the gold cursive handwriting staring back at him. He should RSVP he owed his Uncle that much, when he thought of his uncle his thoughts strayed to her. Blue eyes that got almost everything she wanted, those same blue eyes that threatened to throw him over the edge. But there was no point living in the past, he had grown to live with the fact she no longer wanted him.
He moved on and became an acclaimed writer with a book on the best sellers list, he didn't need anyone's acceptance this was his own accomplishment. He found himself dating after a couple of years; he could even admit he was happy enough. The only turning point was when she whispered she loved him; he found he could not say it back.
He looked into her eyes and realized they were not the color of the sky on a warm summer's day, or that her hair was the color of chestnuts in the autumn.
So he remained on his own, a humble author with no real time for any romantic entanglements. He hurriedly signed the card and placed it back in the white envelope, staring at the address he had memorized.
A place, where every corner brought you back to the middle, where you could be with people but still be on your own. And where a tree stood on the bank of the river, two set of initials carved into the bark.
He sometimes wondered if those initials were still there, if she had ever visited that tree. If she had shed, angry tears just as he had, when she crushed him.
It was time, time to end this painful chapter. To travel back, to that damn hell town, and to finally get rid of the past. Sealing the envelope with the tip of his tongue, he carried it with him down to the street. His fingers holding it within its grip, his breath caught in his throat.
Was this really worth it? To open that kind of pain again?
It felt like a wound that had never fully closed, but to only injure yourself in the same place. He took once last look at the envelope, relaxed his fingers and let it disappear into the mailbox.
Rory yawned as she stepped off the bus in Hartford, carrying her large bag across her shoulders. She spotted her mother standing by the newspaper stand, her face buried deep in a magazine as she waited.
Standing behind her she found herself smirking, listening to her mother mutter under her breath.
"You know you have the E channel for that?"
Lorelai gasped and pushed the magazine back on the rack, grabbing her daughter by the shoulders.
"You're here, I can finally relax."
"How are the plans going?" Lorelai grabbed the bag from Rory's shoulders and threw it over her shoulder.
"So far so good, apart from, Emily's participation. She's insisting on swans in the lake, and I never happened to tell her about the required permits." Rory smirked and followed her mother out to the car.
"Were you able to get more than a couple of days off, or do you have to get back after the wedding?" Lorelai turned her head to see her daughter, her eyes darting to the road.
"I quit. I've applied to a couple of newspaper."
"Rory, is that wise?" Rory turned in her seat, her fingers playing with her seatbelt.
"Mom, I've been on that damn campaign for two years now. Enough was enough."
"Alright, just as long as you know what you're doing." Rory nodded and stared back out of the window.
Lorelai parked the car and removed her seatbelt; Rory opened her door and grabbed the bag from the back seat. Entering the house she dropped the bag on the floor and stood in the foyer.
"It's so good to be home." Rory breathed.
"Yeah, it's good to have you home. Now you either get settled or relax, or we can start the usual welcome home appearances." Lorelai dropped her keys next to phone.
"Actually I'm starving and I really wanted to see Lane." Rory admitted.
"Okay plan good, we head to Luke's and then you can visit Lane and the boys."
Rory walked with her mother through the square, and waved over to Miss Patty. She was glad she was back, and it felt like she had never left. She stopped suddenly standing outside Luke's, looking through the window nothing had changed. The only difference in the scene was that Luke was minus the flannel shirt, and from the look on her mother's face it was a good move on his part.
Rory pushed on the door and entered the diner, standing in the middle of the diner. Looking at the counter and remembering many a breakfast where she had read many books, while waiting for her mom. Luke looked up when he heard the bell above the door, his face breaking out in an instant grin.
"Rory, it's been too long." Luke enveloped her in a hug, his arms fitting around her small frame. A far cry from the awkward hugs she received as a teenager.
"Same here Luke, or do I call you daddy now?" Rory turned her head to see her mother smiling.
"Now I know your teasing me, so you want a coffee?"
"I've waited two years for a cup of your coffee." Luke patted her on the shoulder and moved behind the counter and grabbed two cups.
"So what are your plans?" Luke grabbed a plate and placed a doughnut before sliding it towards Rory.
Luke glanced at Lorelai and did a double take, when she held out her empty hand.
"What?" Luke stared at her.
"Ugh, where's mine?" Lorelai pouted and looked at Rory.
"You're here every day; Rory's been away for two years Lorelai." Rory smiled over the brim of her cup.
"What kind of lame excuse is that? Give me my sugar."
"No, you said yourself; you didn't want to eat anything fatty or sugary." Luke pointed out.
"I also said Leo Dicaprio was going to be my cabana boy. …Please?" Luke looked away too late, those blue eyes that had perfected the soft look that always got what she wanted.
"Rory, the pout." Lorelai leaned in and whispered, both Gilmore girls staring at the tough diner owner.
"Jeez." Muttering he grabbed a muffin and placed it in front of her.
"Oh how I missed you." Lorelai nudged her biting into the blueberry muffin.
Luke and Lorelai watched as Rory, hurriedly crossed the street and towards the square to Lane's.
"Does she know yet?" Lorelai turned to Luke and clearly worried about what was about to happen.
"No, how can I tell here. It's better if she doesn't find out yet."
"They're going to run in to each other, and when they do I'm going to be nowhere around." Lorelai stared at him, as he gave her a pointed look.
