Sadly the Author to the story used in this chapter isn't known to me again.

Dec. 23rd

One last story. One more story and the Calendar was over. Emily Gilmore looked at the one she had in mind. In fact she did have this particular story in mind ever since she'd started the calendar, but was never sure whether or not to send it. Things were good right now and she felt she should do so. She read it once again.

The Limits of Love

After the divorce, her teenage daughter became increasingly rebellious.

It culminated late one night when the police called to tell her that she had to come to the police station to pick up her daughter, who was arrested for drunk driving.

They didn't speak until the next afternoon.

Mom broke the tension by giving her daughter a small gift-wrapped box.

Her daughter nonchalantly opened it and found a small piece of a rock.

She rolled her eyes and said, "Cute Mom, what's this for?"

"Here's the card," Mom said.

Her daughter took the card out of the envelope and read it. Tears started to trickle down her cheeks.

She got up and gave her mom a big hug as the card fell to the floor.

On the card were these words:

"This rock is more than 200 million years old. That's how long it will take before I give up on you."

Yes, she would send it. Granted, she never did have to pick Lorelai up because
of an arrest for drunk driving, but if she hadn't gotten herself pregnant, a DUI arrest would have been more than likely just a matter of time given Lorelai's wild partying days back then. They did however have lots of other fights. And she never reacted like the mother in that story. She reacted with curfews, grounding and other punishments. That didn't seem to work though. She always knew Lorelai was sneaking out. Sometimes she called her on it, grounding her even longer sometimes she ignored it, because she knew it wouldn't change anything to fight again. And sometimes Emily Gilmore was too tired to fight with teenage Lorelai. And Richard had always been away.

She knew that even though she was often angry at Lorelai and couldn't understand at all why she had to rebel against everything she said, she loved her. She was her daughter and she loved her. Simple. But she wasn't sure Lorelai knew. Thinking about it she came to the conclusion that Lorelai maybe thought she wasn't loved. And this was far from the first time that she wished she could just come out and tell Lorelai that she did love her. So this story would be it. And she'd add a note. And risk everything. Now or never. Emily opened her pen.

Dear Lorelai,

So this was the last one. I hope you enjoyed it. About today's story, while you never were arrested for drunk driving I recognize you in this story. Sadly I don't recognize me. I never gave you such a gift and I wish I had. Maybe things would've gone differently then. I don't know.

I guess that sometimes it looked as if I've given up on you. But I hadn't. Not really. I always waited for you to come back, but I know I didn't take enough action. It's not because I didn't want for you to come back, you don't know how much I wanted that, but because I thought you didn't want it. I still think I'm right about that. However this is long in the past now and you assured me that you are back now and for that I'm very grateful and I hope and pray it'll stay that way.

Reading this story I want you to know one thing. To me it was always clear, but I'm not sure it was to you. I love you. I always have (and yes I mean that, even when we had our worst fights) and I always will. You are my daughter and I love you. Now I said it. Wrong, I wrote it. I know there's a difference. I can only hope that I'm also able to say it to you one day. I'm proud of everything you've achieved Lorelai. And I'm so looking forward to next year.

Love, Mom

Emily quickly slipped the note into the envelope, fearing that reading it again, she wouldn't send it. Now she waited for darkness to put it into Lorelai's mailbox. And then she'd anxiously wait for her reaction. Tomorrow would be a long day.