JESS

After Kat was done eating, we went back to the house and sat down on the couch.

"I think Lorelai knows."
"About?"
"Rory."
"What about Rory?"
"The article."
"How?"

Kat walked over to the answering machine and played me the message from Lauren. I had heard Lauren's voice previously the first time I visited Kat in the hospital.

"Did Lorelai hear that?"
"Yeah. I hadn't heard it before now. Lorelai said she heard it this morning and told me the gist of it. She knew I didn't request Rory, but I tried to act like Lauren likely had just assumed I had."
"Lauren didn't misunderstand. That's what she was told."
"I know. I don't even know that I convinced Lorelai."
"Because it's not what happened."
"It doesn't matter though."
"Kat."

"She got fired Jess."
"Wait, what? I mean I sort of gathered she pitched that to keep her job, but I didn't realize when it didn't work she got fired."
"Yeah."
"Fuck."

"Yeah."

"Who's paying for her apartment? Rent in NYC can't be cheap."

"I don't know. I feel responsible. If she had told me her plan originally..."
"I love Rory. I will always love Rory. We go back a long way. She even defended me when she shouldn't have to Luke and to Lorelai, but this isn't your fault. This is Rory's fault. She messed up some deadlines, thought she was going to get fired, and tried to use you to keep her job."

"That's not fair."
"You're right that's not fair. It wasn't fair to you. She tried to act like she was helping you, when she was really just trying to help herself. She thought you'd never find out too. Does she even know you found out?"
"Honestly? I've maybe spoken to her for an hour max if you count up all our interactions."

"She's lucky."

"She's not lucky, she's unemployed."

"How did you hear she got fired?"

"Lauren mentioned it... Wanted to make sure I was still okay going forward with things."

"Does Lorelai know? There's no way she does."
"All I know is that they're not talking as much as they used to."

"Then Lorelai definitely doesn't know. You'd have heard it. I still don't get it. If I hadn't have been there at the hospital with you when you had that one conversation with Lauren? I wouldn't have ever believed it. The fact that Rory told them she missed deadlines, because she was trying to get an exclusive expose with you? All before she even discussed it with you? It's not her. It's not Rory. It's fucked up."

"Why else would she have done that?"

"Oh you're right. I literally have zero doubts, but it's still not Rory. Something is going on."

"Do you think I should just tell Lorelai everything?"
"I don't know. I mean I would be talking to Rory, but I know Rory. You don't. No one knows you know, so you could not say anything, but fuck that."

Kat started laughing.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Every time you say 'fuck' the baby kicks."

"I still can't believe you're pregnant."

"It's definitely weird. Do you want to feel it?"

I must have given her a strange look

"You don't have to. You'd actually be the only person aside from Lorelai and obviously myself to feel it."
"I don't think I've ever felt a baby kick."
"It's weird." She said while taking my hand.

"So if I say fuck-" and with that I felt a super soft kick.
"See just like clockwork."

"That is so weird." She let go of my hand, but I left it there until I couldn't feel anything else before dropping it, "Even seeing you with a bump is still weird."
"It's definitely new along with all the new clothing in the back of my car to accommodate it."

"The clothing from your shopping trip with Emily is still in your car?"
"Don't judge me. I was tired yesterday when I got home. I slept until that town meeting I told you about."
"Want me to bring them in?"
"No. They're fine out there for now. I'll do it later.. or more likely? Luke will see me doing it and take over. Your uncle..."
"Your father."

"My father... that's new too. I called him that this morning. He literally just stared."
"No one's called him that before. Luke is big into dads. The diner? His dad's old hardware store."

"William right?"
"Yeah. Luke takes the dad role seriously. Anyway. You said while shopping that Taylor freaked at that town meeting. You good?"
"I'm good. If it had happened before I was in the hospital? Maybe a different story. Honestly though? I was able to reset a little in the hospital. I feel way better than I did before."
"Good."

"The way you speak about Rory... Do you still love her?"
"I love the Rory I knew. I don't know about this Rory, the one who would try to capitalize on others. I don't know that Rory. The Rory I knew though? The Rory I dated? I will probably always love that Rory. I regret that relationship so much."
"Why?"
"I bailed on her. Repeatedly. When she was in college we crossed paths. I was in a better place, she wasn't."

"Ships in the night."
"Ships in the night. Shoulda coulda woulda sort of thing. Like when I was able to be who she deserved to be? She wasn't the same Rory. She was dating some asshole with money. It wasn't the same."

"Maybe one day you'll both be in the same place at the same time."
"You do realize this is the person who sold you out."
"Like you said... she must be going through something. I'm not going to tell Lorelai. I should be the bigger person and let Rory by the one to tell her, whenever that is "

"I don't know if that makes you a bigger person or if it's just letting Rory get away with doing that to you. I don't think what she did to you will make her editor's cut."
"I don't care. It worked out since I agreed to do it anyway... and Lauren was kind to me. It also set things in motion that needed to be set in motion, maybe? Like I'm going to see a therapist on Monday."
"You're going to see a therapist on Monday?"
"Yeah and even that oddly worked out. Since according to that message on the machine, the article is coming out Monday."