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On Saturday, after her shift, Rory lingers, watching Maya clean a table. Rory twirls a dishcloth in her hand, hesitating, until finally Maya looks up and asks, "What?"
"Um, I was wondering if you had any extra shifts. Maybe a couple of hours...nothing big." Maya raises an eyebrow and Rory quickly adds, "Or more, I don't mind."
"Huh. Never picked you as a lifer."
"Excuse me?" Rory asks, lost, and Maya sighs.
"You wanted this as a summer gig. Frankly, I thought that might be a little much for you but that made sense. Never imagined you staying longer."
"I just want some more hours."
"But are you staying longer?"
"Maybe," Rory says slowly. "I'm not sure."
Maya nods and then says, "Can I ask why? I don't know why you're in New York and frankly, I never cared that much, but call me curious. You're definitely not from the city."
Rory stares at the dishcloth balled up in her hands before glancing back up. "I grew up in Stars Hollow...it's near Hartford."
"I know that place," Maya says. "Cindy, one of many who used to work here, drove through it a couple of times. Said it was like if cotton candy was made into a town."
Rory laughs at that. "Sounds about right."
"So you left," Maya prompts and Rory nods. "Just wanted to see the big city?"
"No...I go to college in New Haven. I go to Yale."
"Knew you were a college chick. Explains why you talk like you're from a book the whole time, not that I'm the biggest reader."
"I guess," Rory says awkwardly. "I came here for summer with my boyfriend."
"I knew it," Maya says, slapping her hand on the greasy table. "Didn't get the impression you were here on some independent thing. Who's the guy?"
"He's the nephew of this guy who runs a diner back in Stars Hollow...he lived there for a while."
"So you kids thought you'd check out New York?"
"Jess already checked it out. He grew up here - he lived here before he moved to Stars Hollow. We broke up last year and then I came here with him for summer."
Maya is staring, hand on hip, and Rory shifts uncomfortably. She waits but Maya stays silent, so Rory adds, "Anyway, some of his hours where he works got cut so I wondered if you had any more I could take."
"What about Yale?"
"I might take some time off...I don't know."
"Are you kidding me?"
Rory blinks, caught off-guard. She expected that reaction from her mother, even from her friends, but not her boss. Rory never figured Maya would even have an opinion.
"It just feels weird heading back to school," she tries to explain. "I've lived here now, I've lived a whole other life."
"One summer is not your life."
"I know - that's not what I meant."
"Listen up," Maya says, dropping the cleaning rag on the table for emphasis. "You're still basically a kid. This city can be a mean, hard place and I'm not saying that to be an ass, which I know I like to be. I'm saying this because you have a chance. I never gave much of a crap about school and none of the teachers exactly inspired hope either. We all knew none of us were going anywhere and I dropped out as soon as I could. But someone gave enough of a damn to push you to go to Yale, plus you're obviously smart. You have a real education. Don't throw out a future for a guy."
"I'm not throwing it out for him," Rory says, stung. "He never asked me to leave - in fact, he wants me to finish school."
"So you've got a smart one too. Why the hell not?"
"I just - I want to know what else there is," Rory says helplessly. "My whole life has felt planned. I don't mean I'd never go back, but it doesn't feel like the right time to be in school. Maybe I'll travel, see the country. I just...I'm tired. I'm tired of always having to be a certain way."
Maya gives her a long look.
"I'll give you a few hours on Fridays," she says finally. "Because I know you need the money and by now you're just about competent. But I mean what I said Rory...pay attention, because this is probably the only time I'm going to spout some wisdom or whatever. Don't let yourself get ready for work and see that you've ended up staying here another ten years. I thought I'd see everything once and got as far as Pennsylvania when I ran out of cash, and I won't tell you how I earned enough to go home. But back I went and ended up here, and this place turned into my whole future."
Rory doesn't know what to say. She slowly unknots her apron and says, "Thanks."
"Sure," Maya says, sounding a little awkward too. Rory focuses on picking up her things and then adds, "Maybe we'll take a roadtrip, my boyfriend and I."
Maya snorts, making Rory frown and says, "You know there's more guys, Rory. More guys, more sex...don't tie it all to your first."
"Maybe I want to."
"Maybe you will," Maya agrees. "But don't assume it. Never assume anything, kid."
"Thanks for the extra hours," Rory says. Maya nods, turning back to cleaning the table as Rory slowly walks back to the apartment.
Jess has left early for work and Rory makes herself a sandwich, careful not to take more than two tomatoes. Her stomach is still growling but Rory ignores it, instead taking a shower and tidying up the small mess in the bedroom. She guesses she could get ready for bed but it's ridiculously early. Usually after work Rory is so exhausted that lying down is all she can think of but right now she's wired, as if she drank a triple strength espresso. Rory paces around the apartment, yearning to do something, though unsure what. Restlessly, she goes back into the kitchen to make some coffee and, as Rory picks up the bag, her mind wanders to Lorelai. Rory pictures what she's doing now - probably watching a movie or maybe working, as the Dragonfly is presumably hectic right now. Rory doesn't want to think about her mother but her brain refuses to budge. Lorelai is probably drinking coffee too, wherever she is. Maybe she's with Luke, her new boyfriend. It still hurts knowing she never told Rory about it. Rory feels angry mixed in with sad and finally she gives up on making the drink. Any desire for it has gone. It hurts thinking of her mother and it hurts thinking of Luke too, knowing he's in a fight with Jess.
Without thinking, Rory grabs her car keys. Scribbling a quick note to Jess she picks up her purse and runs down the unpleasantly scented steps, out into the hot night and into her even hotter car. Rory keys the engine and drives straight back to Stars Hollow, not bothering with music which is usually impossible. It's a still night, a steady drive, and soon Rory is pulling up outside the diner and slowing to a halt.
Once she's parked Rory lets herself release a breath. Is this a stupid idea? Very possibly. A glance across the road shows that Luke has just closed up and is wiping down the counter. Her mother is nowhere to be seen.
Before her bravery disappears, Rory quickly crosses the road and tries the door. It's unlocked despite being closed and Luke looks up.
"We're not -" he starts to say and then stops when he sees Rory. Slowly, he puts the rag down and straightens up.
"Hi Rory," he says quietly and Rory tries to smile.
"Hey."
"Sit down," Luke says after a pause and Rory pulls out one of the stools. Without asking, Luke makes her a cup of coffee and passes her a slice of apple pie.
"On the house."
"Thanks," Rory says gratefully. For a moment she eats and drinks, too hungry to feel self-conscious, until she brushes away the crumbs and looks up. Luke is looking at her with a concerned air and Rory takes a deep breath.
"How's...things?"
"I'm fine," Luke tells her. "And your mom, she's fine too."
"You're still dating?"
Luke looks surprised that she knows but simply nods. "We are."
"Good," Rory says, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I'm happy for you."
"Rory -"
"Luke, I'm sorry," Rory says in a rush. "I'm not sorry that I went with Jess but I'm sorry you're fighting with him. Don't be mad at Jess - please, don't be mad. I can't stand it. I can't stand you being upset with us."
"I'm not upset with you," Luke says gently. "I couldn't be mad at you, Rory."
"But you're mad at Jess," Rory points out and Luke falls silent. "Don't be - please. I wanted to go with him."
Luke stares at the counter and Rory goes on, "Luke, he misses you. Don't you miss him?"
"Of course I miss him," Luke says gruffly. "He's my nephew. He's a little punk but I got to be fond of the kid. But he shouldn't have asked you to - you're too young for this."
"Why is it his fault more than mine? Neither of us are kids."
Luke lets out a kind of laugh and as Rory frowns he says, "I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you,I just - you're very young."
"I'm not going around Stars Hollow in angel wings anymore."
"That's not what I meant. I just mean you're young. You should be thinking about the future."
"I feel like I've thought about the future since I was a little kid," Rory says quietly. "Mom would...never mind. I just thought maybe she'd understand."
"Your mom wants the best for you," Luke says, looking into Rory's eyes. "You're her kid. You're so smart - you'd always spread your books all over the tables in here - and you could do anything. And it hurts her that you're living in New York instead of finishing college."
"I'm not saying I'll never go back...I just want to see what else there is."
Luke nods in a non-committal way and Rory asks curiously, "Did you ever want to go to college?"
"I couldn't go. My mom died and I had to help my dad with the store. And then he died not too long after that."
"But if you could?"
"No," Luke admits. "I never wanted to. I've never talked about this much with anyone, but I was glad I could blame it on my parents, not wanting to go. It was hard, even before they died, but I knew I belonged here. I love this town, Rory, and all I wanted to do was stay here and make something of my own. And I don't regret it. But you and Jess...you've always had that curiosity about what else there is. I knew neither of you would stay here. I knew you'd go to Yale and Jess...I didn't know where the hell he was going, I just knew he'd never stay."
Rory looks at Luke for a moment and says, "Do you think he's smart?"
"Jess is too smart for his own good."
"Luke."
Luke lets out a sharp sigh. "Yes, I think he's smart, God knows where he gets it from. That's what drives me so crazy. He's such a smart kid and he won't put in any effort in. Instead, he drops out of high school, goes to see the bum who abandoned him, takes some Kerouac trip and loafs around New York with his girlfriend!"
Rory bites her lip and Luke coughs, sounding embarrassed.
"I wanted more for Jess, that's all," he says. "He could do more, if he tried."
"I know," Rory says quietly. She's thinking of telling Luke about Jess's notebook when Luke interrupts her thoughts.
"I know you're not a little kid now, though I still have trouble remembering you're not. But I mean it when I say you're young...it seems a lifetime ago that I was twenty. I wasn't half as grown-up as I thought."
Rory can't picture Luke as her age, or as a kid at all. In her mind he has always stood behind the counter in his uniform of flannel. To think of Luke as any younger seems insane, and Rory is shaken from her efforts as Luke leans forward.
"Your mom misses the hell out of you," he says seriously. "That's why she's so mad, Rory, it's because she loves you so much. She wants you go to and accomplish everything she knows you can. You should be doing more than staying in New York. You both should - you and Jess."
Rory concentrates on swallowing the last dreg of her coffee. Some apple from the pie got caught on the cup and for a moment she focuses on the unexpected sweetness.
"Are you happy with Mom?" she asks and Luke nods.
"I'm glad she's happy," she says. "I knew she'd be happy with you." Happier than she could ever be with Dad, Rory silently adds.
"Thanks, Rory," Luke says, sounding touched. "I'll tell her you stopped by. Unless you don't want me to."
Rory shrugs and Luke adds, "Maybe you should talk to her."
"Maybe," Rory says quietly. "I should go."
"You can stay, if you want," Luke offers. "I'll stay at your mom's."
"No - I'm fine. I'm good to drive."
Luke nods and, as Rory gathers her things, she says suddenly, "Please talk to Jess. I know he misses you too."
"Will you talk to Lorelai?" Luke asks seriously and Rory hesitates.
"Maybe."
"Good enough for me," Luke says. He gives Rory a small smile and, impulsively, Rory says, "Do you know Jess has a notebook?"
"A notebook?"
"Filled with really great writing. He could do anything too."
"I know he could," Luke says, sounding sad as Rory goes to the door. "I'm sure."