"Okay," Lorelai agrees.
"I don't know what I am doing. I am a screw up, and I know that. I know what you think of me, too. I am so angry at myself for screwing everything up. I am used to it, but this is Rory we're talking about. I have ruined her whole life. She had a future. She had everything planned out, and in one night I manage to take it all away from her."
"Jess, calm down."
"I can't calm down. I don't know how to be a dad. I can barely take care of myself. Tell me what to do."
"Give me five minutes."
"Why?"
"I'll get dressed, and we will go acquire coffee."
"Okay," he agrees.
Five minutes later she returns to the living room wearing a pair of lounge pants, and a t-shirt. She grabs her keys, and he follows her to the car. They ride to Luke's in silence. They enter the diner, and she takes a seat at the counter. Jess ducks behind the counter, and pours them each a cup of coffee. They hear footsteps, and Luke comes out of the storeroom.
"What the hell, Jess?"
"We need the coffee," Lorelai insists.
He locks eyes with Lorelai, as Jess takes a seat next to her.
"Is this the twilight zone, or something?" He furrows his brow, "What the hell is going on here?"
"Does he know? He's going to kill me."
"What's with Spazz McGee, over there?" Luke stands across the counter from Lorelai.
"You'll find out eventually," Lorelai begins.
"Jess are you in some sort of legal trouble? Are you running from the law? Why are you here with Lorelai? You two aren't exactly…"
"Jess, why don't you go for a walk?" Lorelai suggests.
He nods in understanding, and makes a beeline for the door.
"Why are you palling around with Jess? I thought that he left. Why is he back? What kind of trouble is he in now?"
Lorelai interjects to stop Luke's rambling, "Your nephew knocked someone up," she responds, unable to keep it to herself any longer.
"Oh," Luke shrugs, "I figured that would happen eventually."
"It certainly caught me off guard."
"Who is it? Is it that one trashy girl he was seeing for a while?"
"No. It is most certainly not."
"Then who is it?"
"The absolute last person on earth either of us would consider."
"Clue me in."
"It's Rory," Lorelai adds.
Luke takes a deep breath, "Ah, I feel like I'm going to be sick."
"Have a seat," Lorelai suggests.
They sit on barstools at the counter for several minutes in silence. Eventually Luke rises from his seat to lock the door, and put the closed sign up. He returns to the counter, where he sits next to Lorelai.
"This is some elaborate prank the two of you concocted to see if you could give me a coronary, right?" Luke hopes.
"No," Lorelai responds, flatly.
"Why aren't you strangling him?"
"If I strangle him I have to strangle Rory too. They are equally to blame for this."
"I highly doubt that," he argues.
"She is just as culpable here, as he is."
"What are we going to do?"
"Not murder them, is my first goal."
"How did this happen?"
She grows quiet. She shrugs, "I don't know. All I can think is that I failed her as a parent."
"Lorelai you did not fail her as a parent."
"I did not want this for her. She deserves more than this. Never in a million years did I want her to struggle like I did. She has no idea how hard it is to be a teenaged mom. I don't know what to do. I don't even know what to say to her. I am terrified that I am going to say the wrong thing, and completely alienate her. I know how much she needs me right now, and I'm not sure that I have what it takes."
"You are not your mother," he answers softly.
"Really? I am starting to feel like it. I am even younger than she was when I told her I was pregnant. I want to tell her that it is never going to work. I want to tell her that reality is harsh, and she will be lucky to finish a year of college, let alone four. I want to tell her that she has dreams, and goals, and not to throw them away. I can't. I can't stand there and tell her any of that, because what kind of hypocrite would I be?"
"So the only option you have is to lend support to whatever decision she makes."
"She has already made a decision. She isn't living in reality. Wait until she finds herself studying for finals until midnight, only to get up for three a.m. feedings."
"You need to be honest with her."
"I can't. I don't know how to say what needs to be said without crushing her."
"Delicately."
"How do you suggest I do that?"
"Picture her child sitting next to her while you're talking to her."
"When did you become the rational one, Luke? You should be pissed off. Your nephew knocked up the golden child."
"Is that what this is really about? You're upset because it was Jess?"
"Somehow, it would seem that Jess is the one person that I am least upset about."
"How?"
"I didn't raise Jess. I raised Rory. I am disappointed that she would let this happen. I know that there are two parties involved here. I just wish she would have considered what she is going to have to give up in order to do this."
"Have you ever told her what you gave up to have her?"
She furrows her brow, and falls silent. It occurs to her that while Rory has seen her struggle at times, she has never revealed the true cost, or opportunities missed to her.