Chapter 4

(September 2007)

Lorelai's heels clicked on the pavement as she strode towards the front door of her parents' house. Her stylish black dress complimented her figure. However, unlike the past few months, she wasn't attending Friday night dinner alone. Looking distinctly out of his element, Luke stood by her side, wearing gray slacks and a maroon V-neck sweater. He'd even omitted his omnipresent baseball cap. She paused dramatically at the doorway, her finger hovering near the doorbell.

"This is it. Are you sure you want to do this? It's the point of no return." She teased. Noting the stiffness of his shoulders, she assured him. "Really, I understand if you want to bail. Frankly, I wouldn't mind bailing myself."

"Just ring the damn bell."

Over the summer Lorelai and Luke had gradually eased back into a relationship. It had taken time, neither wanted to crowd the other. By the end of August, most of Luke's daily wardrobe of jeans, T-shirts, and flannel shirts, had their own drawer at Lorelai's house. While the topic of marriage or their cancelled wedding had been skillfully avoided, they did agree that communication was an issue for them.

They'd taken some steps to address that. Lorelai had been included at dinner with April while she was visiting Stars Hollow over the summer. Upon the announcement of Rory's engagement, Luke realized that, as much as he dreaded it, attending Gilmore family dinners was important too.

Lorelai was touched by his devotion but insisted only a sadist would subject himself to her parents every week. They agreed that attending dinner every other weekend would suffice. At least, they'd see how the first one went tonight.

Emily greeted them as the maid showed them into the living room.

"What a surprise to see you. Luke, isn't it?"

Irritated, Lorelai responded. "Yes, Mom, you've known him for years. Of course, you know his name. I told you this summer that we'd gotten back together."

Or had she? Sometimes it was better for her mother to not know the details of her life.

In good spirits, Richard joined them. "Well, hello everyone. Drinks?"

Having learned from past mistakes, Luke insisted on a beer while Lorelai requested a dirty martini.

Emily was positively glowing. "Have you talked with Rory? I have some more ideas for the wedding."

For the life of her, Lorelai couldn't understand why Rory had consented to her mother planning her wedding. Didn't she understand what a massive society production it would become? That wasn't Rory's style. After three weeks, she was already tired of hearing her mother's elaborate impractical ideas.

Richard handed Emily her drink as he joined her on the couch.

"A destination wedding at Cape Cod would be marvelous. It's so beautiful there. We could set up chairs outside that darling little chapel. You remember that one, Richard?"

He grunted, in response.

"That would be wonderful for a spring or summer wedding. We could serve fresh seafood at the reception. And people could combine attending the wedding with spending time on the Cape."

"Sure, Mom," Lorelei replied, barely listening. She took a large swallow of her drink. None of her friends had summer homes on the Cape. But as long as her mother was looking into spring or summer dates, that would allow her to put off telling them about Rory's pregnancy.

She planned to avoid that for as long as humanly possible. There was no good way to share that news.

Lorelai said, "You know, the Inn used to do a great job with weddings. Any place with a garden could be really nice." The businesswoman in her couldn't resist adding. "And with an inn nearby, it would be convenient for guests to spend the night."

"It's too bad they're no longer in business and your new property doesn't have extensive gardens. But you wouldn't want to host the wedding, anyway. You'll want to enjoy the day, not be preoccupied with all of the arrangements." Bubbling over, Emily continued. "I found someone who can bring butterflies to fly down the aisle with the bridesmaids. Wouldn't that be splendid?"

Lorelai stared into her martini, bored.

"How many bridesmaids does Rory want to have?"

She shrugged.

Emily prattled on. "I also found this wonderful ice sculptor. He does an amazing job. He creates swans, flowers, even the Eiffel tower. Picture it, the girls' dresses could be artic blue. The men could wear ivory with coordinating artic blue cumber bunds. I'll bet he could make snowflake ice sculptures. Wouldn't that be impressive?"

Lorelai couldn't resist poking holes in her mother's grandiose plans. "I don't think summer and ice sculptures go together."

"You may have a point. That would work much better for a Christmas wedding. There'd most likely be snow outside. The girls could wear matching ivory fur muffs and capes. Wouldn't that be darling?"

It was starting to sound like Disney on Ice. Lorelai thought she was going to vomit. She fought to keep her mouth shut.

"Dinner is ready," the maid announced as she stepped into the room.

"What time is it, Dolores?" Emily sharply asked, turning toward the young woman.

"Six forty-five."

"And what time is dinner served?"

"Seven o'clock."

"Then why are you wasting our time?"

The young woman stared at the floor. "The soup is on the table. I thought you'd want to enjoy it while it was hot."

"Of all the ridiculous things! Dinner is served at seven. Not six forty-five. Not at six fifty-nine. Seven. And everybody knows that soup is never served before the guests are seated. That's not how things are done." She looked in askance towards her husband, who seemed equally displeased.

"I'll take care of it." The maid mumbled, with color rising in her cheeks.

"You do that."

Even before the maid had left the room, Emily complained to her husband. "For Heaven's sake, you'd think she'd never worked in a reputable home."

"Serving soup before guests are seated," Richard muttered. "This one isn't going to last very long."

Lorelai smiled wickedly towards Luke, elbowing him in ribs, trying to get him to laugh at the Richard and Emily show. He didn't seem nearly as amused as she was.

Emily brightened as she returned to her favorite topic of conversation. "I forgot to tell you. I've already started planning the engagement party for next month. I found a promising caterer. Betty Deegan had her for her little soiree last week. She makes the most delicious crab puffs. You're going to love them."

Alarm bells went off in Lorelai's head.

Next month?

No.

That wasn't going to work.

Panicking, Luke caught her eye. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it, trying to assure him that she knew what she was doing.

Emily continued. "I'm putting a guest list together. Let me know who you want to invite from your charming little hamlet." More critically, she added. "The Huntzbertgers haven't been answering my calls."

"Mom, you do recall they didn't treat Rory very well in the past."

That had started the events which lead to Rory's disastrous decision to steal a yacht and leave Yale for a semester.

"And you also remember that they've cut Logan off financially."

Richard acknowledged this. "That's right. But he's a bright boy with good connections. And he's a Yale man. He'll land on his feet. He's got a good position out there in San Francisco. He told me about it at Rory's graduation party. He'll find his way."

Flipping open her calendar, Emily asked, "What weekend do you think will work the best? October thirteenth or the twentieth? Or maybe even the twenty-seventh? I'll need to book the caterers soon. And the musicians. I was thinking a string quartet would be lovely."

"That does sound nice." Richard agreed.

Luke cleared his throat uncomfortably, looking at Lorelai.

Lorelai said, "Mom, you don't need to host an engagement party. You're already planning the wedding. And you know they've both been working long hours. Rory doesn't have just a nine to five job. She's traveling all over the country and many times she's working through the weekend. She and Logan have barely been able to visit each other. I don't think coming in for a party is going to work. They're also trying to save money. Flying home for the weekend gets expensive."

Bending her chin so she could glare more critically at her daughter, Emily replied. "I'm more than happy to work with their schedules and to pay for their flights. Honestly, Lorelai, it's as if you don't want me to do something nice for them. And I'll need a photo for their engagement announcement for the paper. Get that to me as soon as possible."

Luke squeezed her hand tightly, but she ignored him.

She had to stop this. But how? The image of Rory showing up at a high society party, six months pregnant, would destroy her parents. Her father would literally drop dead. Her mother would never speak to either of them again.

What was she going to do?

She downed her martini for liquid courage and inspiration.

Maybe they could disguise the fact that Rory was pregnant? She hadn't gained much weight. She could wear baggy clothes. Claim it was the latest fashion.

Or Lorelai could allow her mother to make arrangements for the engagement party and then convince her at the last minute that Rory had suddenly fallen ill or had to work unexpectedly and couldn't attend after all.

That might work.

Luke said, "You have to tell them."

She was flabbergasted. Her non-confrontational boyfriend had just pulled the pin from the hand grenade of chaos and tossed it into the room. Didn't he understand his role here as supporting player? Didn't he understand what craziness they were dealing with?

Emily's tone became sharper. "What on earth is he talking about? Lorelai?"

Lorelai held Luke's gaze, pleading with him, trying to silently telegraph that he needed to deny what he'd just said or make up some kind of excuse. She squeezed his hand, letting her nails start to dig into his skin. He shifted to avoid eye contact, staring at the rug as if fascinated by the pattern.

Annoyed, she sighed.

"We're well acquainted with the drama, Lorelai. I don't understand what the problem is. Rory agreed that Emily could help her with the wedding plans. She asked for her help. Could it be that you're jealous?" Richard asked.

Trying to buy time, Lorelai spoke slowly. "I just think…Rory and Logan might…want to wait a while for all this. They're going through so much right now."

While Lorelai might be able to bluff a little longer, this type of tension was new to Luke who was clearly cracking under the pressure.

"It's not fair. Tell them."

Why had she thought it was a good idea to bring him along to her parents? After all this time, didn't he understand that information was on a need-to-know basis when it came to her parents? And timing was always a critical variable.

What was wrong with him? He was supposed to be on her side.

"If you don't, I will."

Her parents stared at her.

Lorelai was shocked. Had Luke been replaced by a pod person? He clearly meant business. While she doubted that he could handle the impact of the bomb he would be delivering, she was amazed that he was so firm in his conviction.

"It's not our news to tell."

Her words were directed more towards Luke than her parents. Sensing his threat wasn't idle, she conceded.

"I'll call her."

"Lorelai!"

She ignored her mother and walked into her father's office, closing the door behind her. She hoped that her daughter would be available. Rory had a busy schedule.

"Mom?" Rory answered on the third ring.

"Yeah, it's me."

"What's wrong?" Rory knew from her mother's tone that something was off.

"I'm at Mom and Dad's. Friday night dinner, you know. Were you aware that she's planning a massive engagement party for the end of October with a Disney on Ice themed wedding over Christmas?"

"What? That's not going to work."

"No, it's not. You have to tell her."

There was a pause. Then Rory said, "I…can't."

"Trust me it will be far worse if you show up six months pregnant to your engagement party. That's something they might never get over."

Filled with sadness, Rory said, "They're going to be so disappointed in me."

"Been there, done that."

"I don't want them to hate me."

"Too late. You have to tell them."

"Mom, I have exactly two hours to finish and file this story. I'm starving. I haven't eaten all day and there's nothing nearby. Out of desperation I may have to eat bags of potato chips from the vending machine. I haven't had time to text Logan today and he's needy these days. Please, can you tell them?"

Lorelai considered it.

"Between being pregnant, traveling with the job, and balancing a long-distance relationship, I can't handle one more thing. And it's already giving me nightmares imagining how disappointed they'll be with me. I just can't do it, again. Please, Mom."

Lorelai scanned the books on the shelves of her father's office as she deliberated. Rory was an adult. This was her news. She should deliver it.

But Lorelai always had a soft spot for her daughter.

"You're lucky I love you. For you, I'll do it."

Her parents were used to being disappointed with her. She could shoulder the brunt of their reaction for her daughter's sake.

"They're used to being mad at me."

"I just don't want them to hate me. Or ignore me."

Lorelai reassured her. "Honey, they won't do that. It'll take them time to get used to the idea, but it'll eventually work out. It's gonna be okay. Get your article done, find some food then get some sleep. I'll call you tomorrow to let you know how things go."

"Thanks, Mom. I love you."

"Love you too."

Lorelai took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and strode into the living room where her parents looked expectantly towards her.

Think Band-Aid she reminded herself – just rip it off.

"Mom, Dad, there's no good way to say this. Rory's pregnant."

She saw the familiar wash of shock and disappointment on her parents' faces. She'd hoped to never see that again.

"Dinner is ready." The maid announced as she entered.

Emily sent over a withering glance. "Not now."

The maid scurried away.

"Is this your idea of a joke, Lorelai?" Richard asked. "Because it's in incredibly poor taste. Rory has a bright future ahead of her. Why would she do something as foolish as that?"

More softly, Lorelai answered. "Things happen. You know that."

She watched as the light went out of her father's eyes and his face grew pale. He left, firmly closing the door to his office.

Emily rose. "What is with you two? Do you intentionally mock me and try to humiliate me in front of my friends? I'll be the laughingstock. How long were you going to sit on this little bombshell? And why are we always the last to know?"

"It took Rory a while to decide what she wanted to do. And tracking down Logan took time. She called you about the engagement right after she called me. She's still figuring things out."

"And now you drop this on me. Only right before I was going to make a complete fool of myself. I don't know why I expected any different. I've never been part of your little inner circle. But I thought I had a place in Rory's life. Then this happens. The two of you continually leave me out in the cold."

At this point, if she were here by herself, Lorelai would've slammed a few doors on the way out of the house. She'd had more than enough of her mother and her rigid standards.

Luke was still perched silently on the edge of the couch, trying to blend into the background.

Yet her daughter's words were fresh in her memory. Despite their quirks, Rory valued her relationship with her grandparents and dearly wanted to maintain it. She struggled to remain as calm as she could.

"Mom, there's a reason she asked you to help plan the wedding."

Emily's voice became sharper. "Sure. A way to distract me. You barely told me about your own wedding plans until right before the ceremony was supposed to take place. I guess this is goodbye for both of you. We paid for Chilton and Yale. You don't need us anymore."

"Mom, it doesn't have to be that way."

"She didn't even bother to tell us herself. She thought we were fools."

Lorelai tried to reassure her mother. "That's not it. That's not it at all. She has a lot on her plate. The job, a long-distance relationship, the pregnancy. She's under a lot of stress. She asked me to tell you because she couldn't bear the thought of disappointing you."

She nudged Luke's shoulder and he scrambled to his feet to join her.

"Take a few days to calm down then talk to her. Mom, I can assure that Logan is the father of this baby. Their timing is off. That's all."

Emily replied. "I assume you can see yourselves out. Suddenly I'm not very hungry."

XXXX

Lorelai stared out the window as Luke drove. The radio was off, which was how he preferred it. While she favored listening to music, she usually had no issue respecting his choice. Only tonight the darkness and the awkward silence emphasized the tension between them.

So many emotions were running through her.

Had her parents dismissed her for good?

She was ashamed to admit that part of her was over-joyed by that prospect. Being around her parents always felt like a juggling act. You never knew what they were going to throw at you. And eventually you'd drop all the balls and ruin everything, despite your best efforts.

Yet over the past years, it had felt like they'd made strides in building their relationship, meeting each other part way. Had all that progress been lost in one night?

Knowing her daughter, being out of contact with her parents would devastate her.

Lorelai was infuriated by her parents' snobbishness and pompous ideals. What did it matter that Rory was pregnant and not married? Was it their business? Who were they to judge? Rory didn't care about the society page or Vera Wang dresses. She didn't care about fancy engagement parties or elaborate weddings either.

And Luke.

She studied his silhouette as he focused on the road ahead, resting his fingers on the steering wheel.

What was going on?

She felt betrayed by his actions. She thought she could count on him. That he was rock solid, permanently in her corner. She didn't want to confront him, knowing that he'd react poorly. Yet if she didn't say something soon, she was going to implode.

And if they were going to survive for the long haul as a couple, they needed to address this. They needed to be able to handle conflicts. She couldn't just ignore this incident.

Running her fingers against the car door, she tried taking several deep breaths to calm herself, while watching the distant pinpoints of light from buildings along the highway.

Think non-confrontational, she told herself, releasing the final cleansing breath. You held it together talking to Mom. You can do it now too.

"What was that?" she accused.

That came out much sharper than she'd intended.

Luke answered. "You had to tell her. What else were you gonna do?

Automatically defensive, she snapped. "Yeah. Maybe I did. But that was my decision, not yours."

He didn't respond.

The silence stretched for several minutes. Lorelai's stomach grumbled loudly. She hadn't had time for lunch and now her opportunity for dinner was ruined. In theory they could've stopped for something on the way home. But she had no desire to have this conversation in public.

Luke broke down first. "I'm sorry. But she had to know."

"That's what you keep saying. But I could've stalled them. I could've pushed the party back until the after the baby was born. Or Rory could've worn a baggy dress! You didn't think of that, did you? You put me in a terrible position. I have to prepare myself for dealing with my parents. Plan a battle strategy. Then I could've handled it better."

Luke responded. "You'd still have to tell them, eventually. Whenever they heard, there's no way that news was going to sit well with them. Putting it off would only make it worse."

"Maybe. But it still wasn't your news to tell."

"That's right. Why didn't you let Rory tell them? She's an adult."

She wasn't expecting that from Luke. She said, "She couldn't. She hates the idea of disappointing them. Besides, that's what you do for your kid. You know that."

"Yeah, I think I do."

Lorelai was still angry. "You hung me out to dry there. I don't appreciate that."

"I'm sorry. But you had to tell her."

"Not now!" She was having trouble letting this go.

Luke's voice rose. "When? After she booked the caterer and sent invitations? There was never going to be a good time."

"But it was my decision. Not yours."

"Fair enough. I just couldn't take it."

"I know."

Feeling a little calmer since he admitted he was wrong; Lorelai scanned the passing billboard for Al's Pancake World which reminded her of Rory. From that point, it would take exactly twenty minutes to reach their front porch.

"You seriously didn't involve your mom in planning your weddings?"

Luke was surprisingly talkative tonight. She chose to ignore the plural and focused on her first failed ceremony.

"God no. I didn't want it to be the Emily show. I didn't want her sniping away about my choices or putting down the groom. Or scaring him off."

Maybe the darkness of the car and the fact they were a captive audience made Luke bolder.

"Why didn't you marry Max?"

And she'd thought she was calming down. What a loaded question.

"It's okay. You don't have to talk about it."

She was tempted to take him up on that offer. She hadn't talked with anyone about it. Not Sookie. Not Rory. Anyone.

"It's hard to put in words." She thought a moment. "Something wasn't right. Max was a great guy but when he started to become more of my life – spending time at my house, meeting friends in Stars Hollow, it felt wrong. Like our worlds weren't going to merge well."

"Maybe you just didn't give it enough time."

"No, it was more than that." Lorelai said firmly. "I think I was in love with the idea of Max, but not Max himself. Does that make any sense?"

He shrugged.

Speaking of marriages, she wondered if he was ever going to ask about Christopher. Talk about the elephant in the room. They'd never mentioned him. Only in passing, as in, "Chris called to get Rory's schedule". Frankly, she'd had enough emotionally charged conversations for one day, possibly enough for a week.

She didn't want to rock the boat. That conversation could get ugly fast. And unless she threw herself out the car window, there was no exit strategy.

She didn't want to think about her impulsive marriage to Christopher. And even more, she didn't want to dreg up the feelings that lead to that relationship in the first place. Things were good between her and Luke now, why risk it? What good was talking about the past?

She became irritated with Luke.

If he wanted to know about Christopher, he'd have to initiate. He'd have to be the one to ask.

Maybe she would've considered volunteering that information if she'd had two more of those martinis tonight.

No, it would take far more than that.