Chapter 29

Tiramisu For Two

The conversation at the table remained stilted while Rory and Jess were upstairs getting the final course, the guests all silently agreeing on one thing - they would be happy when this dinner was over. Lorelai glanced at Luke, trying to catch his eye. He reached for her hand under the table, giving it an assuring squeeze. Luke chanced a look in Emily's direction to see her tracing an invisible pattern on the table cloth with her spoon. Richard was sitting back and appeared to be taking a nap. Christopher had excused himself from the table and was browsing through the books stacked on a table by the front window. Luke looked back at Lorelai, raising his eyebrows and nodding to the stairs. She shrugged her shoulders, if they knew what was good for them they'd be out the fire escape and in the next town by now given how well the dinner was going so far and the fact that they still had one other very big piece of news to share, one that no amount of scheming on Emily's part could ever erase.

Jess and Rory were stalling. They both acknowledged the fact but neither made any attempt to go back downstairs with the promised dessert.

"The sooner we go down the sooner they eat their Tiramisu and we can kick them out and never have to see them again," Jess pointed out.

"I don't want to kick them all out. Dad has been so good about everything so far and Grandad too, I feel like he was making an effort at least, but grandma?! How dare she just sit there like that! I'd rather she had just left. And now, now we have to go down there and tell them we're having a baby too?" Rory was in a state of panic at the mere thought.

"What if I go down there and tell them and if the coast is clear I'll come back up to get you. I don't want you to have any more stress than you've already had tonight. It's not good for you or the baby." he pointed out.

"Would you really do that for me?" she asked.

"Of course Rory, if that's what you want, I told you I'd do anything for you and I meant it." Rory nodded at him before settling herself back down at the kitchen table. Jess picked up the dish containing the dessert and went down to their guests.

"Rory's not feeling well," he excused his fiancé, "but there's one more piece of news she still wants me to share with you." All eyes were on him as he placed the dessert dish down in the middle of the table. He started to speak when he felt Rory's presence behind him.

"Thank you Jess, I can't make you do this on your own." she placed the serving spoons he'd left in the kitchen next to the dessert on the table. Stepping back to his side, grasping his hand in hers she took a deep breath and announced "we're having a baby."

Emily gasped and rose from the table before Rory could say another word. Observing his wife's behaviour Richard made his apologies and followed his wife to the door, leaving without bothering to collect their coats.

"Well everything makes sense now doesn't it? Like mother like daughter." she laughed a humourless laugh as Richard started the car and turned it towards the Gilmore mansion.

Lorelai stood up to comfort her daughter, "she'll come around hun, just give her time. She has to come back and get her coat at some point anyway." Rory shuddered at the thought.

Christopher came over to shake Jess's hand and congratulate him for the second time that evening. He waited for Lorelai to step aside before wrapping his arms around his daughter. He had to admit he was pretty shocked by the news but he had a good feeling about the young couple. He saw true, unguarded affection between them. In a way they reminded him a bit of him and Lorelai in their youth, he just hoped they got a happier ending.

"I think I'm going to go to," he told his daughter, "you call me if you need anything. Jess, I had a look around while you were getting dessert and I really like what you've done to this place already. I was planning to discuss this after dinner but I guess now is as good a time as any, here's my card, I'd like you to give me a call if you're ever looking for an investor." Jess took the card, unable to completely conceal the surprise on his face.

"Thank you Christopher. I'll give it some thought and let you know." They shook hands once more. Christopher nodded towards Luke and Lorelai who had returned with his coat and scarf, saying a blanket "goodbye" to them both before showing himself out.

"So, that went as I'd expected, better than I'd expected or worse than I'd expected? I will be pondering this for days and I don't think the answer will be as easy as 42 this time." Lorelai glanced over at Luke who was now clearing the remainder of the plates from the table.

"How about help you clear up and then leave you to dissect this memorable evening alone?"she suggested.

"Don't worry about that," Jess assured them, gesturing toward the table. "You've already done enough for us today. Thank you, both of you. This would have been a hell of a lot worse without you here." Rory nodded in agreement.

"I'll come by and collect the chairs and boxes tomorrow then?" Luke asked, he was feeling the stress of the day too and was suddenly very weary. Luke went upstairs to gather Lorelai's purse and their coats, meeting the trio back at the door. Hugs of varying degrees of awkwardness were exchanged.

"You didn't even have any tiramisu!" Rory cried after them as they walked out the door, as if that was the one factor that might have kept the dinner party from ending in such an abysmal way.

The doors were locked, the candles blown out, and the last of the dishes stacked in the sink to wash in the morning when Rory and Jess sat together at their kitchen table.

"Tiramisu?" Jess offered Rory a spoon. She took it gratefully, spooning a generous serving of his delicious creation into her mouth.

She smiled at him across the table, "this alone makes up for the rest of the evening! Magical tiramisu for two."

Jess smiled back at her, it was going to take a lot more than a dessert for her to move on from the events of this evening but he was relived to see her smiling. They could talk about the rest tomorrow.

"Hey Jess," she said as they got ready for bed, "you know how in 'A Tale Of Two Cities' Dickens says 'it was the best of times, it was the worst of times...'? I feel like that sums up our day." She looks down at the ring on her finger that hadn't been there when she went to bed the night before. "Yes," she agreed with her own comparison, "I vote we focus on the 'best' bits for now and deal with the 'worst' bits tomorrow. Now how about you tell me a little story while I try to go to sleep. I like the one about the Spring wedding on a bridge, tell me that one." Tucking his future wife in then climbing into bed beside her, Jess indulged her with her request, watching as her eyes drifted shut, kissing her forehead before turning out his bedside lamp, snuggling up beside her and giving in to sleep himself.