LORELAI

When I went to go tell Luke to get Rory a burrito, I hadn't planned on talking to him until Caesar was done making it. I just dreaded going back back to the fiery wrath of Rory. I was annoyed. Luckily, when I returned (burrito in hand) things seemed to have shifted. Based on the glances Paris kept shooting Rory when Rory started edging into rude territory? Rory must have got chewed out Paris style while I was gone. I wasn't mad about it either.

EMILY

After breakfast I went upstairs to broach the topic of the shake with Katalina. The door was open and she was hanging up clothing from the bag Sookie brought and placing them in a pile on the bed. I walked in.

"Who brought your bag upstairs for you? Madeline?" I asked

"I brought it up," Katalina replied, turning around.

"You mean you had someone bring it up for you?"
"No. I carried it up?" Katalina said, sounding confused.

"There is no reason for you to be lifting anything heavy."
"It wasn't heavy."

"Katalina. There are risks involved."

"Emily, that bag could not have weighed more than 10 pounds and I promise you I could lift more than 13… or 14 pounds before… before this happened. That's what the studies and statistics show… the risk is there if it's not a 25% decrease."

"I don't care about what studies and statistics show. I care about your health and the health of my great grandchild. So in the future, I would appreciate it if you have Madeline or Richard carry anything like that for you." I said firmly

"Alright." Katalina said, sighing a little. Showing that side of her that reminded me of Lorelai.

"Now. The reason I came up to your room-"
"Let me guess. Those shakes Sookie brought."

"Yes."

"We just had breakfast," Katalina said, resting her hand at the top of her stomach, which truly was just convex enough to signal pregnancy, but not convex enough to be unable to be hidden.

Almost instantly after her hand settled there her eyes went wide and she dropped her hand

"I'm sorry. I – you know. I really just need to get the last of these clothes hung up. Why Lorelai sent so many options, I don't know… Then again, I do like options, especially since none of these clothes are even mine for some reason... But I really should just get to it," she stammered, avoiding eye contact, and going right back to hanging up clothing, placing them on the bed.
"Do you have any more clothes that need to be hung up?"
"This is the last one - the only one that is actually mine," Katalina said as she pulled something else out of the bag, "then I need to go bring them into the closet," she said gesturing toward the pile on the bed, "and then I need to put my bathroom stuff away."

"I will carry these into the closet," I said sweeping up the pile from the bed, "The toiletries can wait. We need to have a chat." I continued as I walked into the closet.

"I really would just like to put them up so I can tuck this bag away."

"Then I will have Madeline put everything in the bathroom for you."

There was a pause as I hung items up. When I emerged Katalina was looking into the bag

"Come along now," I said walking toward the bedroom door. I turned around and Katalina had still not moved, "Katalina, come on we're going downstairs." I stood facing Katalina until she began to move toward the door.

Once downstairs I called for Madeline.

"Madeline. There's a bag upstairs on Katalina's bed. Inside there are some items that need to be put away into the adjacent bathroom. Can you do that?"

"It's no big deal, I can do it," Katalina said.

"Katalina, you said you wanted it done and Madeline is capable of handling that task."
"I can just go up and do it though. I don't want Madeline to have to do it" Katalina said.

"I don't mind doing it." Madeline stated.

"Of course not. You're being paid. But see Katalina, she doesn't mind. Now Madeline, the bag can go in the bedroom closet on a shelf once it's emptied."
"Alright Mrs. Gilmore." Madeline said, leaving the room.

"Let's sit." I said as I found my usual position in the chair across from the sofa.

Katalina remained standing.

"Please. Sit."

She took a seat on the sofa.

"I feel I may have given you the wrong impression this morning. Last night, to be quite honest, I nearly forgot all that you're currently experiencing. So I was a bit taken aback this morning. I mean, there was a glimpse you were beginning to show the day we went shopping. However, truly had I not known you were pregnant, it would've seemed like you'd indulged earlier in the day or something else. So I wasn't anticipating that discovery this morning or rather the fact that it would bring me right back to Lorelai."
"I'm sorry."
"Katalina, do not apologize to me when I am trying to apologize to you. I truly meant what I said that day in the kitchen before we went shopping. I am not embarrassed by you showing. I am not upset that you are showing. This morning, it just brought back unsolicited memories. I am sorry my reaction to those memories caused any doubt for you as to my happiness my great grandchild is growing."

"It's alright. I can understand. Sometimes when I am a passenger in a car with Lorelai or Luke… and we park outside the house behind another one of the vehicles? Sometimes my chest gets a bit tight. Unsolicited memories of that night… trapped in the passenger seat of a vehicle behind the parked cars in the driveway. So trust me that I understand. Uncontrollable reactions. Memories are funny things. You never know what will trigger them. So thank you though for letting me know. I felt terrible placing my hand there in the bedroom after I saw your face in your closet this morning. That I stirred some sort of emotion up for you again or worse that you would think I had done it on purpose to cause a reaction."
"Does Lorelai know?"
"About this morning? No. I haven't spoken with her since last night."
"I mean about your driveway?"

There was a pause.

"It's never been something I felt she would benefit from knowing."