After some hours of sitting watching movies, Lorelai was lost in different world and she let her mind become completely absorbed. It was something she had always been able to do, get lost in film, no matter how stressed she became she could always rely on her favourite movies to escape for a few hours.
Her breathing was calmed and she felt herself become relaxed and almost hypnotised by the lights from the screen. Her parents sat beside her, they were quietly watching but were also cautious to tend to Lorelai's need worried that she might leave at any moment. It felt like a luxury to them to have her here with them on her own accord.
Occasionally the silence was interrupted by Emily checking if Lorelai wanted something to eat or drink.
Lorelai secretly would have liked all her usual movie time candy but she knew there wouldn't be any kept in the house and she knew if she asked for it her mom would be sending the maid out to buy some and didn't want the fuss, so instead she simply said "No I'm full"
After a while her eyes starting to droop heavily and she yawned deeply. Emily noticed immediately. "Would you like to lie down? You could go up to your old bedroom if you like?"
Lorelai looked over, again taken aback by her mother's concern for her. She was acutely aware that she couldn't risk driving herself home being this tired.
"Ah…thanks Mom but do you mind if I just lay down here?" Ordinarily her mom would say no, falling asleep in ones living room was not proper but Lorelai asked anyway since they were being so accommodating, she had a sense they would give her anything she wanted at this moment.
Her parents exchanged glances as if the request was unfathomable before Richard spoke. "Of course Lorelai, I'll get Gretchen to fetch you some blankets" He left the room promptly.
Lorelai looked sheepishly at her mother, "Sorry its just I like having the sound of the movies in the background…soothing you know?" She said softly and sadly.
Emily's eyes shined, there was something so fragile about her daughter right now, her words held no malice, no sarcasm. It was just sheer sadness and a fear of being left alone. It struck her that she felt like her mother for once.
"I understand Lorelai, its no trouble" After a moment she tilted her head "Does Luke know you're here?"
Lorelai's eyes widened at these words "Oh! God no I…." She said and scrambled around looking frantically for her handbag where her cell was kept.
Emily stood with a smile and went to leave the room. "It's OK, I'll get it"
Lorelai let herself fall back down onto the couch, "Thanks mom" she said cradling her head in her hands. Luke would be worrying about her, she knew she should tell him where she was but there was a part of her that wanted to delay thinking about it for a while longer.
Her mother marched back into the room holding her back before her. "Thanks" Lorelai reached for it and immediately felt inside to retrieve her cell. She could see it flashing. "Oh gosh" She whispered.
"He's been trying to get hold of you?"
She nodded, her eyes still transfixed to the screen which was telling her that Luke had tried to contact her no less than 10 times throughout the day. There were a few voice messages too and she reluctantly listened to them.
"Lorelai? Its me Luke. Look I figure you might need space and all and that's fine, whatever you want but please let me know if you're OK. Its fine if you don't want to see me, but I know you're not home yet and I just need….I just need to know you're safe…OK, bye"
She felt terrible then, he was right to be concerned, she had told him she would call him when she was back and he had assumed that would have been hours ago.
Their last conversation felt like it had occurred in another life time and she had lost track of the day, she felt selfish for not wanting to speak with him especially with her mom studying her so she decided a message would suffice. She text him saying she was fine and would be home soon and not to worry and then pocketed her cell.
Her father laid the blankets on the couch and she settled back into them, her mother uncharacteristically pulled a blanket over her shoulders and tucked the edges in. Their eyes met briefly "Thanks mom, look you guys don't have to sit with me, I know you have things to do, IM fine I should just nap a little before driving back, that's all" she tried to smile at them to show them she meant it.
"Ok Lorelai, well we're here if you need us" and they both left the room.
Her eyes shut and she let herself drift.
Some hours later Emily peeked through the open living room door, her daughter had slept for just over an hour. She stood over, her once pale face now had a flush of colour. She always marvelled at Lorelai's beauty, people were always telling her what a pretty daughter she had. Rory had a understated beauty about her but Lorelai was breath taking. She reached her hand out to gently brush over her cheek with the back of her finger agonising over whether she should wake her, it was just after 5pm now.
Just as she contemplating leaving her for another 20 minutes, Lorelai's eyes fluttered open. "Hey"
"I was just wondering whether I should wake you"
"What time is it?" Lorelai asked sitting up and pushing the blankets off of her, her body stiff from the firm sofa. She looked at clock on the wall and her movements became faster. "Oh gosh, I better get going"
Her mother stepped back to allow her to stand up "Is Luke waiting for you?" She asked wryly, hoping to get an update on their relationship status and wanting to know whether Lorelai would be retuning to an empty house.
Lorelai was adjusting her bag strap onto her shoulder as she responded with hesitation. "He's there if I want him to be, I just can't handle re hashing everything just yet…." She paused "Not today"
Emily nodded. "well you could always sleep here for the night?" She asked hopefully, worried about what Lorelai would do in her home alone.
Lorelai shook her head, beginning to walk out of the room. "No I….I need to get Paul Anka, and….and I cant avoid going back forever….thanks for letting me…." She gestured towards the sofa and Tv.
"Anytime"
Lorelai was at the doorway, she smiled over at her father who had come out of his study. "See you guys Friday then?"
They nodded as she turned to step outside the open front door.
"Lorelai?"
Lorelai turned to look back.
"You'll fix it…you and Luke…it'll all work out"
Lorelai nodded and averted her eyes.
She parked her car in front of the garage as usual and made a beeline for Babette front door, she prayed that the conversation exchange that would inevitably take place would be kept to a minimum. She just wanted her dog and to get in the house.
Babette opened the door whilst Lorelai hand was a centimetre away from the doorbell. "Hey Suga! Morey heard you pull into the driveway and I figured you'd stop by to get Paul Anka, he's missed yo-" Before she could finish her sentence Paul Anka came rushing past her legs and jumped onto Lorelai, his paws braced on the tops of her thighs.
Lorelai laughed, the first true laugh in the last couple of days. "Thanks Babette….hey boy….Paul Anka….mommys home…you miss mommy?" She scratched behind his ears and gazed at him fondly.
"You wanna stay for dinner Suga?" Babette interrupted the petting, her eyes wide.
Lorelai politely declined and noticed that Babette didn't put up much of a fight, she must have looked worse than she thought. She gratefully took Paul Anka and walked back to her house, sighing deeply as she entered. She avoided going into Rorys bedroom, instead she went straight upstairs to her bathroom. Her own reflection startled her.
"Woah" she gasped to herself, no wonder her parents had been treating her like a china doll. Her face was only left with the barest remnants of the make up shed applied very early that morning. She had a few uneven smudges of eyeliner round her eyes, her lips were dry and lipstick free from the nervous chewing and her hair was flat and messy from her nap.
She turned on the shower and let it run whilst she brushed her teeth vigorously making an effort to also scrub her lips to slough away the dryness. She shed her clothes and stepped into the steamy shower cubicle, taking care to massage her scalp as she washed her hair to alleviate the tension in her head. She stepped out and wrapped herself in a towel and without drying herself or combing through her wet hair she lay her damp body into her bed.