A few hours later Lindsay and her best friend from high school Erika Stanley were walking around the mall in Hartford.

"Lindsay, are you sure you're okay?" Erika asked for about the millionth time.

Lindsay sighed. She could lie again and say she was fine or she could tell the truth. She decided to go with the truth. "No,not really." She paused for a minute as they headed inside a store. "Dean's been really moody and distant these past few weeks. And this morning I thought I'd let him sleep in. But he got mad at me because I didn't set the alarm so he could get to work on time. I don't know what's wrong with him. And then he told me in front of my mother that he was filing for divorce."

Erica immediately hugged her friend. "I'm so sorry!" she said. She pulled away and was quiet for a minute. "But Linds, I gotta admit, you two haven't looked happy for a few weeks." Lindsay had opened up her mouth to say something but Erica held up her hand. "Don't get me wrong I'm sure Dean loves you, but I think deep down he's always going to love Rory Gilmore. You should have seen him the first time they broke up. He was miserable and so was she."

"But he broke up with her because she couldn't tell him that she loved him!" protested Lindsay who knew the story well.

"Yes, but think about it from Rory's point of view. She had never had a boyfriend until Dean. You know how she loves to read. So when she couldn't tell Dean that she loved him he broke up with her."

"Then why'd they get back together?" challenged Lindsay crossing her arms. She didn't like Rory very much and was jealous of her.

"Because they really loved each other," Erika pointed out. "Now, I know the way she treated him in the end was bad and he didn't deserve that, but admit it, every now and then a girl has to fall for a bad boy like Jess."

"I'm sorry, why are we talking about Rory?" asked Lindsay.

"Because I think Dean could possibly still be in love with Rory."

"You think he's leaving me to be with her?"

Erika shook her head. "Of course not. And even if he is, I'm sure he'd at least wait several months to start a relationship with her. That is, if she feels the same way about him."

"But why would he marry me if he still loves her?" asked Lindsay. They walked to the food court and got some food before resuming their conversation at a table.

"Have you ever wondered why he asked you out so soon after he and Rory broke up?" challenged Erika.

"No, but I was ecstatic that he noticed me," admitted Lindsay.

"Well, you're the rebound girl," Erika pointed out.

Lindsay swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. "I was Dean's rebound?" she whispered.

"I'm afraid so," said Erika.

"But I'm his wife," said Lindsay. "He chose me."

"He might have asked you to marry him, but Lindsay, Dean chose Rory a long time ago."

"But what's so great about her?" asked Lindsay. She could already feel the tears forming and was trying so hard to hold them back.

Erika bit her lip. She knew how smart Rory was and that she had got accepted to Yale. She even knew that it was because of her that Dean had chosen Southern Connecticut State instead of a community college. She knew all this because her boyfriend David Coleman was best friends with Dean.

Lindsay noticed how silent Erika was. "It's because Rory's so smart and goes to Yale, isn't it?" she asked letting the tears fall. "So what? I should have been more like her? Is that it? I can't help it that college isn't for me. College isn't for everybody! And Dean supported my decision on taking a semester or two off to work. Why am I not good enough? Why?" she cried laying her head down on her arms.

Erika felt sorry for Lindsay. "I'm so sorry Lindsay. I knew you wouldn't want to hear why but yet you figured it out." She was silent for a moment. "Come on, let's go on home. Maybe you need to wallow."

"But I don't want to!" wailed Lindsay. "I want my husband to love me like he had with her!" As they walked out of the mall with their things, Lindsay decided she was going to try to be more like Rory. She might not succeed but if it kept Dean from leaving her then she'd be happy.

When Lindsay got home later that evening she found her mother in the kitchen cleaning up the kitchen.

"Hey, sweetie," said her mother. "How was your day with Erika? I'm sure a girl's day was fun."

Lindsay bit her lip. "Uh, yeah, it was fun. Is Dean here?" she asked.

Theresa came around the counter to her daughter. "Honey, he moved back in with his parents. He came by a couple of hours ago and got all of his stuff. He also apologized for the way he acted this morning." She looked at her daughter and saw the hurt in her eyes. "Lindsay, this could be a good thing. You and Dean are so young. I don't know why I was even so excited about you getting married right out of high school. I should have told you to date Dean more before deciding if he was the one."

Lindsay nodded her head as if she agreed which she didn't. "But I love him, Mom," she protested. "And I know he loves me. I just have to try harder at being a good wife to him."

"Lindsay, I hate to tell you this, but it really is over. Dean said he's not asking for much. Just everything that's rightfully his."

Lindsay's mouth dropped open. "So he wants the wedding presents that had had his name on it? But that's not fair! They're as much mine as they are his!"

"Lindsay, please, don't fight this," begged Theresa. Dean had told her he didn't want a huge fight with Lindsay about the divorce. He just wanted to come to an agreement and get it over with. For some reason Theresa had a strange feeling that Dean still had feelings for his ex-girlfriend but right now it was just a feeling. And even if he did get back together with his ex then at least he did the right thing by divorcing Lindsay and not drag her heart around town.

"You're seriously supporting this?" asked a bewildered Lindsay. Her dad walked in just then and she could tell he knew everything. "Daddy, tell Mom that Dean loves me and won't divorce me! Tell her!"

Thomas just shook his head. "Linds, I'm sorry. But I agree with Dean here. And your mother. You and Dean are far too young to be married right now."

Lindsay stood there dumbfounded. She couldn't believe her parents were actually siding with her Dean her own husband. And if she actually did go along with this then he'd be her ex-husband. "I don't believe this!" she shouted. She turned around and ran upstairs to her room. She laid down on her bed and started crying. She couldn't believe Dean had actually moved out. And right before Christmas. They had hardly been married three months and already he was divorcing her. They were still considered newlyweds. And Lindsay had wanted to start a family with Dean so badly and now she'd never get that and that made her cry harder.