"Yes Mama. I'll be right there."
"Lane! Lane!"
"I'll be right there, Mama!" Lane reiterated, as she wended her way through the antiques in her mother's shop. "It's not easy for me these days…"
"Ah, there you are," Mrs. Kim smoothly continued, as she pulled out a chair at the kitchen table. "Here. Sit."
Once Lane had eased herself into a chair, her mother thrust a stack of paper at her.
"What's this, Mama?" Lane warily asked.
"Sign. Start signing," Mrs. Kim commanded, handing her daughter a pen.
"What's this?" Lane asked, curious.
"It's your Merry Christmas letter."
"My merry what?" Lane responded as she gave the top sheet of paper the once-over.
"The Van Gerbig Merry Christmas letter. American tradition for married couples."
Lane had no answer to the look her mother was gifting her with at that moment.
"You must sign each one. Then we send out to everyone."
"But Mama, there must be a hundred of these."
"Not one hundred, seventy-two." And after a beat, Mrs. Kim continued. "Do you think I need to translate it into Korean?"
"No! No!" Lane quickly responded, grabbing the pen. "OK, OK, I'll sign them. But first let me read…"
"Very well. You have one hour before the postman comes for express mail pickup."
Dear Friends and Family,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We hope that 2006 has been kind to you, and that 2007 will be even better. This has been a good year for us, and for that, we, the Kim family, and Lane's new husband, are thankful.
At this time last year, Lane and her Seventh Day Adventist musical ensemble had returned to Stars Hollow following a lengthy tour. Her mother commissioned Mr. Zack Van Gerbig, her musical ensemble's singer, to compose a new musical piece. Following a lengthy process, he was chosen as worthy of receiving Lane's hand in marriage.
Although the musical ensemble tour and Lane concentrated primarily on churches within a 5-to-6-hour drive, the tour was very successful.
In April, Lane and Zach were married and celebrated with two ceremonies for the sixty-two Koreans in attendance. MR. Zack Van Gerbig was a very good groom and wore the proper Korean garments. After the wedding, unfortunately came the honeymoon.
After the honeymoon, Lane returned and was pregnant. The Kim family is going to be welcoming twins in the New Year. This is most auspicious.
Lane continues to work at Luke's Diner when she is not busy with her musical ensemble. As part of her duties there, she was excited to get an opportunity to spend time each week minding the proprietor's daughter. Excellent practice for a mother to be!
Zack continues to provide for his family with various jobs and working on his songs. Both Lane and Zack have taken on the Christian duty of carrying for a young man, Brian. Otherwise, most of their time is spent scheduling the musical ensemble, driving to engagements, driving home from engagements and working on music.
We are thankful for your support and friendship and feel blessed as we continue to grow in our marriage, especially during the Holiday season, which Lane loves.
Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and most auspicious Happy New Year. And when you are in Stars Hollow, please keep in touch and stop by Kim's Antiques.
Mr. and Mrs. Zack and Lane Van Gerbig
"Mama," Lane looked up at her mother, who was still watching her with an expectant look on her face. "This is your letter, not mine…"
"But a proper married couple needs a proper letter," Mrs. Kim insisted.
"But Mama…"
"Very well, I will send them out without your signature."
"But Momma, you can't just send this out…" Lane continued to protest. "It's not hip. It's not me and Zack. It just not…"
"I see. My daughter is ashamed," Mrs. Kim concluded, even as she was interrupted by a customer. "I'll be right there.'
"Mama, let me think about it. Let me talk with Zack. I promise, we'll send out cards or something this year."
"Don't touch anything! Be right there!" her mother continued. "Oh. This area is not part of the store. May I help you?"
"Sure. Hello. I'm Anna Nardini, April's…"
"I know who you are," Mrs. Kim interrupted. "Are you here to spy?"
"No no. I assure you, we compete in different, uh, markets," Anna Nardini assured the antiques dealer. "It's just that I've actually never been here, even all those years ago, and now I'm always rushing with April and…"
"You break, you pay."
"I understand." Anna turned her attention to Lane. "Hi Lane. Thanks for watching April the other night."
"No problem," Lane replied, clearly uncomfortable.
"So you not signing?" Mrs. Kim interjected.
"No. Not right away. Please, mama…" Lane implored one last time, even as Mrs. Kim huffed and disappeared into another corner of the store.
"Mothers," Anna sympathetically clucked.
"Yeah. Can you believe, she wrote a Christmas letter for me and Zach?" Lane arose and replaced the kitchen chair. "I'm headed over to the diner. See you there…"
"Thanks again, Lane," Anna replied, surreptitiously picking up a copy of the letter as she browsed in the store.
Next: Anna Nardini…