Find Your Way Home
He drove into town for the first time in ten years and noticed that nothing had changed. Everything looked the same way he left it. Life didn't stop because he left, time didn't stand still while he was away. Everything was exactly the same. Everything except him, and who he'd become.
He'd skipped town and ended up with a best seller eventually. It was a long, painful tedious road, but he got there all by himself. It was his proudest accomplishment.
And he owed it all to her. His muse, a girl he hadn't seen in a decade, but would recognize the moment he saw her again. At least he'd hoped so.
He parked his car in front of one Luke's Diner and paused. He thought of what he would say to his uncle whom he'd lost contact with some ten years ago. There was so much to say, so much he owed him. Yet, he could not get out of the stupid rental he'd picked up in Hartford. Sighing he opened the door and slid out.
Before he made it completely inside, he caught a glimpse of his uncle Luke and remembered the first time he walked inside the diner.
He smiled at the memory of his uncle showing a mischievous version of himself around the quaint but productive diner. He remembered the hell he'd caused his first year, and how much he calmed down in his second. Not enough to get a high school diploma, he thought bitterly.
He sighed profoundly and bravely walked inside the diner. The only reaction he could hear was gasps and sudden quietness inside the diner. The change of moods caused his uncle to turn around and notice him for the first time.
"Jess…"
"Hey Uncle Luke, I'm back."
Rory Gilmore was a woman of many talents. At twenty-eight years old she had accomplished many things in her life. She graduated from Yale and became a freelance writer for The New York Times. Being a freelancer gave her the freedom to live in her hometown close to her mother Loralai and step father Luke.
Unfortunately this morning her talents were doing her no good since she could not seem to get her six year old daughter, Lori, ready for school.
"Lori", Rory stressed, "you're going to be late. Mrs. Hendricks doesn't like for you to be late."
"I don't want to go to school!"
"Lori… we've talked about this… you have to go to school…"
"Daddy says I don't… Daddy says he'll buy me a diploma…"
"I bet he said that", Rory mumbled.
It was just like Logan Huntzberger to throw his money around, especially at his daughter. Somehow this always made Rory look like the mean parent.
Logan and Rory dated throughout college. They'd met at Yale her sophomore year and fell in love. When he proposed to her at her graduation, she couldn't accept it. He ended up leaving to San Francisco, but a month later Rory found out of her pregnancy. Logan tried to convince her they needed to be together for the baby, but Rory prided herself on the foundation she'd been raised. She knew she didn't need a man to help her raise her daughter. However, she did want Logan to have a relationship with his daughter; therefore he visits as often as he can.
Rory sighed at the bathroom door she'd been staring down for almost an hour. Lori didn't look like she'd be coming out. But Rory knew better. She'd timed it almost perfect when she heard Loralai coming into the apartment.
"Hello… where is the most beautiful six year old on the planet?"
Immediately the bathroom door opened widely and a small child bounced through the small apartment into her grandmother's arms.
"Lori, where's mommy?"
"Mom… can you dress her now that the bathroom's available", Rory yelled from the inside.
"Yeah honey", Loralai laughed, "trouble again this morning?"
"Lots", Rory mumbled changing for her day. Even though she worked as a freelance writer for The Times, she needed a solid job, so she worked with Loralai and the Inn as a PR. She loved the job, and she loved being able to be close to her mom.
"Well", Loralai said as she was dressing Lori, "look on the bright side… today is the last day of school and now its Summer time. You've both survived your first year… congratulations."
"Gee thanks", Rory muttered.
"Come on", Loralai said picking up Lori, "if we hurry we can have breakfast at Luke's."
"Yey! Grandpa Luke's!"
"Lori, can you say that in front of Grandpa Luke again", Loralai begged her granddaughter.
"Mom", Rory scolded, "don't teach my daughter how to irritate Luke!"
"Fine", Loralai mumbled.
Luke was standing in his office with Jess. Jess looked at the room that was his home for two years. Over the years Luke had turned it into his official office, so that would mean he probably moved.
"You finally moved", Jess tried to break the ice.
"What are you doing here Jess", Luke got straight to the point.
"I wanted to tell you something, and I didn't think you'd believe me unless I showed you", Jess said.
"What is it?"
Jess searched through his messenger bag and took out a wrapped package. He handed it to Luke and watched anxiously as he opened it.
Luke ripped the paper carefully until he saw it was a book. He read the cover and blinked. He had to read it three times before he realized what he was reading.
"Find Your Way Home, written by Jess Mariano", Luke read the cover, "Jess you wrote a book."
"It's actually a best seller. Can you believe it", Jess smiled sarcastically.
"Does that mean you finished high school?"
Jess smiled at his uncle. "I got my GED and went to college. I got a degree in English and started writing. It took me six years to finish this book."
"Wow", Luke couldn't believe it, "just wow. I'm proud of you Jess."
He grabbed his nephew in a hug for the first time in years.
"I'm glad your back, Jess."
"It's good to be back, Uncle Luke."