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Snapshot #2: Sisters
February 2019
Gigi's always believed being enrolled in a boarding school is the earthly equivalent of being trapped in your own personal hell for ten months straight, but today she considers being slightly wrong, because while she stands waiting at the school's main entrance, bag in hand, and admires the winter wonderland only February in Massachusetts provides, she thinks that out of the four boarding schools she's attended, Andover might be the one she hates the less. She eyes her wristwatch with impatience, and contemplates calling the car service once again, but she's interrupted by a high-pitched voice coming from behind.
"Gee you're still here? You left the dorms hours ago," her roommate Shannen asks surprised.
"I'd like to suppose there's a lot of snow on the road for my car to reach full speed," she picks on the loose ends of her blonde braids and sighs, "Besides, my father won't be home until five."
"If he shows up at all," Shannen adds, earning a scowl from the blonde.
"Of course he will, he promised!"
"Gi, you've told me it's always the same: he says he will show up, and you get all excited about it, and then he bails on you for some work thingy at the last moment, and you forgive him altogether and pretend he didn't break your heart for the millionth time."
"It isn't that bad, he's a busy man that's all, and this time, I know it'll be different. It's my sixteenth birthday, not just a regular day! At any rate the worst thing he could do is being late."
"Well then you can be late together, like father like daughter!" Shannen jokes, and Gigi's look sobers. She puts her mouth over her friend's with rush.
"Can you shut up? Or lower your voice? It's definitely not funny Shan," she argues, and releases her.
"Oh please Georgia, everybody knows about the party, for god's sake everybody did something at the party not just you, I mean, have you even talked to Terry ever since?" her friend wonders, and Gigi shakes her head in response, "And have you gotten around it yet?"
"It's the first order of business arriving home," she answers swiftly, "And I'll call you the second I get around the news to give you a very well deserved update."
"You better do, or else who's gonna design all the announcements?"
"There'll be no announcements whatsoever."
"E-mails then? Or maybe a short ad in one of your sister's newspapers!"
"Like I'd even have a normal conversation with her, let alone for a publicity favor."
"How long has it been since you last talked?"
"To put it lightly, I had braces and pink stripes in my hair."
"Yikes."
"Yeah; whoever said blood is thicker than water obviously hasn't met my family."
The car finally arrives, and the two friends hug quickly before saying their goodbyes.
Christopher Hayden might be a loaded, successful businessman, but deep down he's still the same simple guy whose only known way of spending benjamins is buying motorcycles, so they still reside in the same two-bedroom apartment he had when Gigi came into the world. She's supposed to act like a normal teenager and complain about the lack of space in her relatively small bedroom, but she likes the apartment, and the stillness that surrounds it; it gives her a sense of normality and stability lacking from her constant rotation around schools and countries. Her iPhone beeps for the third time in ten minutes, and she almost responds to her mother's urgent texts, but if Sherry's lived for more than five months without trying to contact her, she'd be able to wait until tomorrow morning for a court response. The doorman greets her warmly when she steps out of the car, and helps carry her luggage upstairs, though she keeps a tight grip on the small plastic bag between her hands. Traffic was terrible after taking the main highway, so the journey lasted a whole hour and a half more than foreseen, the outskirts of Hartford being reached around a quarter past six. On top of all, her dad's phone seems to be out of battery, as her messages aren't sent or notified as received.
"Dad, I'm home!" she says when she reaches the door, and takes her keys out.
She juggles with the apartment keys in a rush, and when she finally opens the door, instead of running into a very annoyed but present parental figure, she meets complete obscurity and silence. The apartment is dead empty, even the maid has left for the day, and the only light in it is the incandescent orange of the answering machine. She leaves the plastic bag on the counter, and presses the listening button hoping to hear whichever news people've left.
Message Number 1 - Chrissy darling, why do you have an iPhone if you don't know how to use it? I called because I wanted to tell you what a great time I had last night -
She skips 'whatever bimbo her dad's screwing at the moment' message, and her heart jumps when she hears the next one.
Message Number 2 - Christopher, it's Sherry. I think it's about time Georgia comes home to Paris for at least a few days, so if you'd be considerate enough to send a check to pay for all the extra expenses – Beep.
Gigi releases the breath she was holding and stops the tears pooling in her eyes from falling down, anger and a foreign tingle of disappointment boiling in her chest. Of course Sherry needed money, so of course she'd try to talk her into going to Paris to get the bills paid deceivingly by Chris. There's one message left to hear, and Gigi thinks her day couldn't get any worse than it is.
Message Number 3 - Hello Mrs. McDonald, this is Mr. Hayden's assistant calling to inform you that Mr. Hayden won't be having dinner at home this afternoon, so he asked me to tell you that you're free to go home as early as you wish because he won't be arriving until late, goodbye!
She cannot believe it.
She's always optimistic about her father; she's always put her damned faith in him, and she's always giving him the benefit of the doubt after she gives him another chance.
This time, she's fucking done.
Shannen was right. Not only didn't he show up, and not only did he make plans for the night, he totally forgot about the late birthday dinner she planned for a month, and for which she went through a ridiculous amount of paperwork to get the permission to leave Andover on a regular school day. She's a firm advocate against the dumb blonde stereotype, but she can't help but feel like a stupid idiot whose as naïve as a three-year-old child. The tears come down and she lets them run freely as she contains her urge to scream and break some expensive shit around the apartment. She kicks her bag against the counter, and the plastic bag falls, dumping its content on the floor. The sight of the thin box half brings Gigi back into her senses, and she grabs the box and her belongings to exit the front door, but not before taking the time to write a hasty note.
By the time you remember you have a daughter, you'll find out you've already lost her. Congratulations on fifteen years of fatherhood. G
She slams the door closed, and a framed picture of the two Haydens falls. The glass cracks over their smiling faces.
You've reached the Straub Residence, but we're unavailable as of this moment, so please state your name and business with us and we'll call you back as soon as we can. Beep.
"Hello Grandmother, it's Georgia, I need to talk to you as soon as you get back home, okay? Call me back, love you."
Welcome to the Gilmore-Danes residence answering machine! Woof that's a handful of a denominator for such a simple and humble house, totally fault of my lovely husband Luke! Anyways, it's obvious neither of us is home right now, or maybe we don't want to answer you, so ple- Beep.
Hey! Apparently technology has evolved to the point that cellphones can have personalized answering machines, so I can warmly greet you to the Lorelai House of Pleasure mobile number, if you want to spice up your life with some honey lovin' from this lovely Betty, leave a message and I'll get back at ya, sugah'. Beep.
"Lorelai? It's Georgia, I mean Gigi, your ex-stepdaughter and the fruit of Chris' erratic passions, I happen to be in Hartford at the moment but my family's too busy to pick up the phone, and I just need someone right now, are you at home? I could call a car and…" Beep.
She takes the last bus leaving for Manhattan. It's almost empty, thank God, and so she makes herself comfortable in her minuscule seat. She takes her phone out and leaves the button pressed for a few moments.
"Siri, google Lorelai Gilmore Huntzberger."
New York at night is buzzing, and so is the phone, loud across the room. Logan looks up his laptop for the first time in hours to see if Rory's going to get it. She's knocked out on her side of the bed, predictably after dealing with the toddling hurricane that is Charlotte at ten months old, and his partner – girlfriend, lover, or any title in the Oxford English Dictionary but wife? – looks so peaceful and lost in her sleep he decides not to interrupt her rest. He gets up to answer the call, but the numbers on the digital clock beside the phone startle him. Who's calling his home at almost midnight?
"Yes?"
A young, raspy voice speaks at the other side of the line.
"Um, hey, is this Rory Gilmore's home?"
"It depends, who's looking for her?"
Silence, and a sharp breathe.
"Are you Logan Huntzberger?"
"Yes I am, look, it's late; who's calling?"
"Hi Logan, it's Georgia – I mean, Gigi Hayden… Rory's half-sister."
His body relaxes in realization, and his demeanor changes.
"Gigi Hayden, wow it's been what, nearly twelve years? You must be in high school by now."
"Yeah, I'm in the spring semester of my freshman year at Andover."
"Andover as in Massachusetts? I didn't know you were living in this side of the pond!"
"I haven't lived in Europe since I was six years old Logan," her voice tightens, and continues, "Anyways I didn't exactly call to chit chat, is Rory there?"
"Yes she is, but let me tell you, she's currently in her fifth dream of the night, so I don't know how much it'll take to wake her up, but if there's something I can do for you…"
"Yes there is, actually," she chuckles nervously, "Could you come and pick me up?"
"From Andover?"
"No Logan, look, I'm at the 86th Street Bus Station, and it's really late, I'm freezing my ass off, and I'm also on the verge of a really serious nervous break down and believe me, Rory didn't get all of her dramatic flare from Lorelai, so please, do me this one big favor the sake of our nearly non-existent half- sibling-in-law bond."
"You're here in New York?"
"I had nowhere else to go."
He's heard the loneliness that colors her voice before in his own voice, and he sighs.
"It's going to take me at least fifteen minutes to get there, more depending on the traffic."
"As long as you don't bail on me you can arrive whenever you want."
"Okay then, I'll see you soon."
He's about to hang up when she stops him.
"Logan," she starts, and her voice quivers, "I don't really know you, and you don't really know me, but from one stranger to another, thank you."
"No problem, kid."
He hangs up and grabs his coat and keys, and approaches to Rory's side of the bed. It takes him five complete minutes to bring her back to the land of the living, but as soon as he mentions the name Gigi Hayden, her eyes snap wide open.
Gigi is cold, tired, and emotionally drained by the time Logan and her enter the penthouse. Rory's waiting by the living room, coffee mug in hand, and she stands up abruptly when she hears them enter. The siblings freeze, and stare at each other for the first time in several years.
In the blonde's eyes, Rory Gilmore looks the same, maybe a little bit chubbier than before, but the loveliness Lorelai Gilmore once held had definitely been passed down to her offspring.
In the brunette's eyes, the baby girl in pigtails she once babysat and played with has disappeared, instead replaced by a tall, slender young teenager with under eye-bags, long blonde hair, and exhuming unfamiliarity.
Rory recovers from her shock, grins, and engulfs her sister in a big bear hug, while Gigi stands there, careful about her movements.
"Oh my god it's been so long! What were you, nine, ten? I was over the second Obama campaign and dad, you and I had lunch and your hair was pink, right? Oh, and the braces! You had braces on but now you don't and your smile is beautiful! Not that it wasn't beautiful before…"
"Rory," she's used to Shannen's intensity, but she's forgot about the famous Gilmore pace, "It's good to see you too, it certainly has been too long," she tries to avoid being accusatory, but the only thing life's taught her right are sarcasm and bitterness.
"I know, and I'm sorry for losing touch, it's just that this past decade has been…"
"Erratic?"
"Yeah, and hectic."
The sisters fall silent, and Gigi takes a look around the apartment. Rory and Logan motion for her to sit down on the large couch, and she gladly accepts.
"Would you like anything to drink? Water, chocolate, coffee? You like coffee, right?"
The teen chuckles.
"I do like coffee, but I'm feeling quite uneasy at the moment, so I'm fine thank you."
Rory smiles, but as noticing the seriousness in Gigi's face, her excitement fades.
"So Gigi, what brings you to New York at midnight on a Friday?" Logan asks casually, seating next to Rory.
"You're always welcome, at any day or hour," the glare her sister sends her boyfriend is legendary, and she stifles a laugh, "But it is kind of unexpected, aren't you supposed to be at school, Choate right?"
"Choate was three years ago," she corrects, and Rory frowns, "I'm in my freshman year at Andover, FYI, and yes we don't have any near holidays, but my birthday was on Monday, and don't worry about it, it isn't a big deal so don't beat yourself over forgetting it, and I asked for a special permission to spend the weekend at Dad's to celebrate, but obviously, plans fell through."
"Tell us about it, I think Logan and I could give a lecture on absentee fathers if the subject came to be."
"My dad isn't an absentee," she snaps, and quickly regrets it, "He's just, he's still grasping fatherhood."
"After sixteen years? And another eighteen of barely there effort?"
"Okay he's a shitty dad but so what, even from a thousand miles away Sherry manages to be one to, so I'm perfectly used to it, as long the credit card bills are paid I'm fine," her throat tightens and she tries to believe what she just said, but her heart and the weight she's on her shoulders tell a different story, "Chris tends to cancel last minute, and I know for a fact I wouldn't be this upset if I didn't feel like crying and needing some support at the moment."
Her hands shake, and Logan and Rory cross looks, both getting worried about the fragile girl on their couch. Rory stands to seat next to her sister, and puts her hand on her back.
"Hey, is something wrong? You can tell us anything Gi, we'll help with anything."
"Yes if you need money, or a place to stay, or a way to bribe your teachers for an A+ on your history paper…"
"Logan!"
"Sorry Ace, just trying to light up the mood."
They both focus on the blonde, whose knuckles are white from clutching her purse too hard.
"I went to this back to school party in the Upperclass dorms last month, and I ended up sleeping with this guy, Terry," the adults' shocked expression doesn't go unnoticed by her, and she barely smirks, "Please, don't be so prude, as if you didn't have sex when you were younger."
"I first had sex when I was in college, not in my freshman year," Rory tries to reason, but fails.
"Whoa, who said it I was a virgin?" her sister's eyes widen, and Gigi sighs, "Okay I'll stop talking about my sex life now, but I'll just add that I had a couple of other encounters with him, but last week, something happened."
"What, did he hurt you or something?" Logan's voice is grave and concerned.
Gigi's eyes look up, and they're filled with tears.
"Gosh no, he's a gentleman, but when I said something happened, it's more like something didn't happen," she takes out the pregnancy test she's been carrying around all day, and puts it on the table in front of her, "I'm late."
"Holy shit," Rory puts her hands over her mouth, and her pulse quickens slightly.
"That was a mirror image of my reaction," Gigi brushes off some lone tears off her cheeks, "And I was planning on telling Dad tonight because he's been through this before, I mean…" she moves her hand to signal Rory's being, "But of course, he had to forget about our dinner, and I called my grandmother, but she wasn't home, and then I think about Lorelai and how she's the perfect guidance for this kind of predicament, but she wasn't home either, and she didn't answer her phone, and then I thought of you, my estranged half-sister who lives in New York with her kid and her boyfriend after finally finding her happily ever after, but then I realized I didn't have a clue on how to contact you, so I just took my things and hopped on the next bus to New York, and I'm tired and sure I'll have a cold tomorrow and I know I need to know if my life's gonna do a 360 turn, but I didn't want to do it alone."
"Oh, Gigi," Rory exclaims, and hugs her sister tightly, years of absence vanished between them, "I may not be the ever-present sister you need, and I'll definitely give dad a piece of my mind the next time I see him, but you can always count on me, Logan, Charlotte, even my mom okay? If you're related to one Gilmore you get the whole deal man, that's how it works."
Gigi attempts to smile, but fails miserably.
"What if I'm pregnant? I'll be a total disappointment."
"To whom?"
"To myself."
The sisters' hug strengthens, and Rory caresses her hair.
"Georgia, before we assume stuff, maybe you should take the test, but also, before you actually know, just have in mind that having a baby at sixteen isn't the end of the world, but the beginning of a new one, okay?"
"You sound like a Lifetime movie, please stop."
"Kid, my life is the ultimate Lifetime movie."
"Oh yeah I heard about it, you're a wedding crasher now right?"
Rory throws a pillow at Gigi's face, and ushers her through the guest restroom door.
"We'll be right outside!" she shouts, and takes her place besides Logan, who grabs her hand in support.
"This feels like a dèja-vu, and I wasn't even alive during the first teen pregnancy of the family," Rory muses, and her coffee's cold, but she drinks it anyway.
"I can't believe Chris would just send his daughter to a boarding school without wondering about her wellbeing once in a while," Logan comments, and Rory pats his knee.
"I'm sure he does his best, but unfortunately his best isn't enough," the restroom door opens, and Gigi walks out with the test wrapped on toilet paper, and a blank face.
"Okay, let's wait."
They talk a little bit about school and Char when the timer they set starts ringing. Gigi moves in slow motion, and Rory and Logan sit still, the immensity of the moment swallowing any noise.
Georgia Hayden picks up the pregnancy test, and looks at the results. Her chest rises and falls one deep time, and her mouth transforms into a watery smile.
"Negative."
Gigi releases the sob she's been holding for the entirety of the day, and Rory closes her eyes in relief.
"I am not pregnant, I am NOT pregnant," the blonde repeats to herself, "I've got to call Shannen and tell her to stop the announcements."
"You were planning to announce your pregnancy?"
"My friend, she's great at graphic designing and she wanted to do this cute little posters…"
An INXS tune blares from her phone, and she answers the call swiftly.
"Hello?" her father's voice on the line is frantic, and apologetic, and so familiar and warm she tears up at the sound of it, "Hi Daddy, no no I'm okay, yes Dad don't worry about it, we'll rain check only if you swear on your motorcycle you'll show up, look I'm sorry for the note I didn't mean it, but I was so angry… yeah I guess I had the right don't I," she glances at the couple waiting expectantly on her, and she shifts her phone to her other ear, "Look Daddy it's late and I've had a frantic day so why don't I call you tomorrow? I'm fine Dad I promise, I'm actually in Manhattan," she sits next to Rory and puts her arm around her shoulder, "Who am I with, is that even a question? I'm with my sister; I'm with Rory, and Logan too actually."
Five hours ago she had no mom, no dad, and no support. Right now, she's regained a sister, a brother-in-law, and cute as a button little baby niece.
"Yes dad, I promise. I'm fine. I love you. Talk to you later."
