I can't even remember why I left. Well, I can. I left because she was strangling me; she pushed my final button, and then denied me my pop-tart rights. But I don't know why I left when I did. Mom left for a DAR meeting and Dad was at work, so I grabbed the duffel bag that had been sitting in my closet for a month. One day after I came home from Chris's with Rory, Emily yelled at me for who knows what, so I stormed up the stairs and filled that bag with clothes for Rory and me, diapers, blankets, and the little money that was my own. I was going to run away. But then I looked at my daughter, and I knew I had to do the responsible thing. I had to stay until it was impossible.
But it didn't take long for it to become that way. Emily started to yell at me daily and Chris stopped talking to me altogether. That cold December fifth, I grabbed that bag and put two-month-old Rory in her tiny pink snowsuit and ran for the bus stop. I didn't stop running until I got onto the bus.
"I need a ticket for as far as I can go with five dollars." I stated firmly, but still panting from the run. Gilmores never run. The woman who was driving the bus gave me a disapproving stare when she saw the little pink bundle in my arms, but I ignored it, I was used to those. I knew that much money wasn't going to take us far, so I had to ration it. For once in my life, I only had so much. I took the ticket from the driver's hand and looked for somewhere to sit.
I found a seat in the middle and got comfortable but Rory started to fuss. "Hey there kiddo, it's going to be okay now, we're free! No more poofy dresses or hair bows, sweet girl. It's just you and me against the world." I said, trying to soothe my two-month-old. She calmed down after a bit and fell asleep in my arms.
After only thirty minutes of driving, the bus came to a halt. The driver turned back and motioned towards me. "Stars Hollow. This is all the further I can take you." I nodded in reply and got off the bus. Gosh it's cold out. I remember thinking. Rory was startled by the cold wind hitting her tiny face and started to cry. I tried to block her face with my hand while taking in my surroundings. A warm and welcoming-looking bakery was the closest building and I ducked inside. The smell of coffee tickled my nose and I realized that I hadn't had any of the elixir of life since that morning. I sat down with Rory in my arms and a kind older woman came up to me.
"Why hello there! You must be new in town. I'm Fran, the owner, and you look like you need pie." She exclaimed, leaving a confused Lorelai in her wake.
She looked down at the little bundle in her arms. "Hear that little stuff? Apparently I need pie. I think we might like it here," I said, delighted. The tiny Rory offered a smile in return.
"Oh! I didn't even see her! Is she yours? She is beautiful." The woman cooed while handing me a piece of apple pie.
I smiled and nodded, "Thank you, yes she is mine. But to tell you the truth, I'm scared." I said before realizing what I blurted out to someone I'd never seen before. But strangely, it felt good to get it out. I guess she had been the first person not to judge me in, well, a very long time.
The older woman furrowed her brow in worry and pulled up a chair. "Why is that, honey?"
"I just don't know what I'm going to do! I'm responsible for a whole person other than me now and I'm afraid that I did the wrong thing running away. I mean I don't even have a place to stay. If it were just me, I'd sleep on a park bench, but now I have to worry about Rory." I hung my head. Why did I always have to babble? Rory started to fuss and I knew she was getting warm in her snowsuit. I unbuttoned it with utmost care and lifted my pride and joy out of the hot clothing. "Oh sorry, sweet pea, you must've been getting pretty toasty in there." I cooed.
Fran smiled and asked to hold her while I ate my pie. I accepted and dug into the bakery product. She got up suddenly and handed Rory back to me after I had devoured the piece.
"Now don't you worry about where you will stay tonight, I'll call Mia. She owns the Independence Inn down the road. She'll put you in a room. And if you ever need anything, you call me, okay? Here's my number," she ordered, lovingly somehow. She wrote the number down on a napkin and handed it to me before scuttling off into the kitchen behind the display cases full of delectable treats. I shook my head in disbelief. I had just been treated with more care than I had in months.
When I looked outside, I saw it was snowing. "Do you see that Rory? That is the first snow of the year." I whispered as I propped her floppy head up so she could witness snow's first miracle in her life. "It is magical. It gave us this little town where they will take care of us. We're going to be okay sweetie." I kissed the top of her head while she blew bubbles happily. I chuckled and shook my head as Fran walked back into the room with two steaming cups of coffee.
She held the mug out to me, I snatched it from her hands and downed it without putting the cup down. I finished off with a contented sigh and realized that Fran was looking at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my ears. "Did you just drink that entire thing?" she managed to say while still looking at me like I was insane. I sheepishly nodded and Rory whimpered. I giggled and tipped my mug up to her lips, letting her suck the remaining four drops from the bottom.
"I figure I might as well let her have a sip. She'll end up like me anyway," I shrugged.