Chapter Two
A New Room
"Wait!" Mia said. "You can't take a baby out in this weather."
"I'll just wait on the porch until it lets up," Lorelai replied. "If that's all right with you."
Mia gave a reluctant sigh.
"The least I can do is get you two dried off."
Lorelai walked back to the desk. Mia left for a few seconds and came back with two large towels. Lorelai wrapped her baby in one of them and handed her to Mia. She toweled off her hair, then blotted herself off as best she could. Mia handed the baby back to her.
"Are you hungry?"
"I could eat. And Lorrie could use a fresh bottle."
"Come with me," Mia said. "And by the way, in case you haven't guessed, I'm Mia. As well as the owner, I'm also the general manager of the Independence."
"It's nice to meet you."
Lorelai followed her into the kitchen. Mia started going through the massive refrigerator looking for something to warm up. She found home-made vegetable soup √ just the thing for a cold, rainy night.
While the bowl of soup was heating up in the microwave oven, Mia showed Lorelai where the milk was and let her fix Lorrie a bottle.
Mia carried the bowl of hot soup, a loaf of French bread, and a butter dish into dining room as Lorelai followed with Lorrie and the bottle of milk. Mia returned to the kitchen and returned with silverware, a glass of milk for Lorelai, and a cup of coffee for herself.
While Lorelai ate, Mia watched her with some amusement. She was having trouble trying to feed herself and Lorrie at the same time.
Finally Mia said, "Why don't you let me do that while you eat?"
Lorelai hesitated, then handed Lorrie and the bottle to Mia, then went back to her meal. This time it was Lorelai who watched Mia as she fed the baby.
"She's beautiful," Mia commented. "How old did you say she was?"
"I didn't, but she's a year old."
"You were very young when you got pregnant."
"I know."
"So you're going to call her Lorrie?"
"I guess. I don't really like it, but I can't think of anything else. If I called her Lorelai, it would get too confusing when she got older."
"I have a cousin who named her daughter Lorelai. And she also has a daughter named Holly, who's a year older. And whenever Holly tried to say 'Lorelai' it came out 'Ror-eye'. Eventually, it turned into 'Rory'. But no one ever called her that except Holly."
"That's a man's name."
"I suppose it is. But so is Mike, and Alex, and Robbie, and Billie. But there are girls with those names."
"Rory . . . Rory. That's not so bad. I think I kind of like it -- Rory."
"No, it's not so bad at all."
Lorelai finished her meal, then asked for a cup of coffee.
"It's in the kitchen, and clean cups are in the cupboard. You can get it when you take your dirty dishes in."
When Lorelai returned with her coffee, she sat back down opposite Mia and Rory. Mia seemed happy holding her, and she saw her opportunity.
"I need a job."
Mia didn't expect that, but, somehow, it didn't surprise her, either.
"Do you have any skills? Anything I can use?"
"I'm not afraid of hard work, if that's what you mean. And I'll do anything √ wash the dishes, sweep and mop the floors, dust, take out the garbage, wash windows. . . ."
"In other words, you want a job as a maid."
"That's as good a job as any."
"Lorelai, are you sure? The clothes you're wearing aren't cheap, so I know your parents have money. How do I know after I give you a job and you realize how much work it is, you'll decide it's √ beneath you, and then quit on me after your first paycheck, or before?"
"Because I have nowhere to go. I haven't seen much of the town yet, but what I've seen, I like. I want to live here. And I WON'T go back home, not ever!"
"Well, we'll talk about that tomorrow. I do have a room I can let you use for tonight, no charge. The guests using it checked out this afternoon and it hasn't been cleaned yet. If you want to change the sheets and blankets, mop the floor, wipe down everything, and clean the bathroom, you and Rory can sleep there tonight."
"You have no idea how much I appreciate this. And I swear to you, if you give me a job, it will be the best investment you ever made."
Mia chuckled.
"Well, if nothing else, you're certainly sure of yourself."
Lorelai started to take the now-sleeping Rory, but Mia told her to get the room cleaned up first. She told her which room it was, and where she could find clean linen, the broom and mop, a sponge, bleach and cleanser.
A half hour later Lorelai was finished and came back into the dining to room to hear Mia softly humming to Rory. Reluctantly, Mia handed the sleeping baby to her mother.
"So, do you live here, at the inn?" Lorelai asked her.
"No, I have a house. But when it's storming like it is now, I usually sleep in one of the empty rooms. Or if we're full, I have a cot in my office."
Lorelai thanked Mia again, said good night, and went back upstairs to her room.
As Mia watched them go up, she was having mixed emotions. She knew Lorelai should be home with her parents, but there had to be a reason she left, a good reason she hoped. And she was sure that eventually Lorelai would tell her why.
It was at that moment Mia realized she had decided to let Lorelai stay, for as long as she wanted. If it had been her daughter that ran away from home, she would hope that someone would take her in and care for her. There was something very endearing about Lorelai, and her beautiful baby.
Mia had a son, John, who was a few years older than Lorelai, but it was as if the daughter she never had just walked into her life.
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