Chapter 10

(February 2008)

"Still loving the snow?" Luke growled, pounding the steering wheel of his truck.

They'd been stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on Route 80 for over an hour. Even though the plows were out in full force, since the snow was actively falling, the roads were slick and only two lanes were accessible.

"Uh-huh" Lorelai grinned, just to torment him. "Any clues where we're going?"

It wasn't like Luke to be spontaneous. Or plan surprises. She'd merely been informed that morning to clear the weekend and pack a bag. With such a vague description, she prepared for multiple scenarios, thus her suitcase was bulging. Though she'd been pestering him for hints, he held firm.

"No. I told you, it's a surprise."

Finally, hours later, they arrived at a resort nestled in Poconos.

Luke entered the lobby, lugging his duffle bag and Lorelai's heavy suitcase. After stamping the snow off his boots, he immediately scowled.

"No. This is all wrong."

The hotel had seen better days, given the shabby furnishings and well-worn print carpeting. But that wasn't why Luke was complaining.

A huge banner hung above the main desk, "Welcome Lovers". An explosion of red cardboard hearts hung from the ceiling, along with red and white streamers and paper cupids.

"What is this?" Luke said.

Knowing her boyfriend as well as she did, Lorelai immediately realized that he had no idea that this was Valentine's Day weekend. She stifled a giggle, knowing that she'd only make him feel worse.

A stocky man at the front desk enthusiastically greeted them. "Welcome! And you're…"

"Leaving." Luke said, tightening his grip on the baggage.

"Nonsense, it's late and the weather's terrible."

He motioned for a young man to take their suitcases, which Luke reluctantly released at Lorelai's insistence.

"You must be the Danes since you're the last on our list to arrive. I hope the roads weren't too bad. We've reserved the Champagne Dreams room for you which comes with all sorts of amenities. There are special group events this weekend including a steak dinner and dance." He winked as he said, "Tomorrow night's sexy shot contest is extremely popular. Remember, all alcohol is included in your package."

They reluctantly followed the bell hop, who had taken possession of their luggage.

When they stepped into their room, Luke's mouth hung open.

"I'm gonna kill her."

The room appeared to have been originally decorated in the 1970s. The decor relied heavily on bright orange with touches of avocado green. The wallpaper featured massive shiny orange flowers with fuzzy black leaves. An enormous, completely circular bed covered with a wild orange print spread took up part of the room, with mirrors on the ceiling. Yet the center focal piece of the cramped room was a jacuzzi tub that resembled a gigantic champagne glass, composed of a transparent material that was badly scratched. Several stairs led up to the entrance.

"Here's a list of your extras." The bell boy pulled out a card and proceeded to read. "Free champagne and chocolate covered strawberries; scented body lotion and bubble bath, masks, body glitter-"

"Stop! Please, just stop. Don't continue." Luke interrupted, shuddering.

"Let me know if you need anything. Enjoy your stay." The boy said as he placed the card on the dresser and backed out of the room.

Luke's fists tightened. "I'm gonna kill her."

Lorelai hadn't seen Luke this worked up in a while. She started to sit on the bed then thought better. "Let me guess, Liz helped?"

Luke always bent over backwards for family. And many times, it did not turn out well. TJ thinking he was the contractor for her home renovations had been only one of many incidents. Liz had been so thrilled when she and Luke had reunited. Most likely Luke had asked her for assistance. Liz probably felt that she'd gotten them a great deal for a romantic weekend.

Unable or unwilling to speak, he nodded.

Lorelai sauntered over to the dresser and picked up the card. "We have two choices. We can enjoy the Champagne Dream amenities."

He glared at her while she scanned the list.

Feigning innocence, she exclaimed. "What? You don't like chocolate covered strawberries and champagne? What about body glitter?" Anticipating his reaction, she moved towards the awkward monstrosity. "We could try out the jacuzzi."

"God no! You don't know who's been in that thing or what they were doing. You could break a leg getting in and out of there." He was utterly disgusted by the prospect.

"Since all the alcohol is included, we could spend the entire weekend in a drunken stupor." She raised a suggestive eyebrow towards him but Luke wasn't appreciating her joke.

What other choices did they have? In this weather, driving home wasn't an option.

Yet did they really want to spend the night here?

Then it occurred to her.

"I have a friend out here with B&B connections. Shall I give her a call?"

"Yes." Relief was evident in his voice.

XXX

"It's freezing in here!" Lorelai cried, as they entered the dimly lit cabin.

While her B&B friend's inn was fully occupied, the cabin in the back was vacant. Since she hadn't planned on having people staying there this weekend, the temperature was frigid. Lorelai could see her breath.

Keeping her coat on, Lorelai dashed towards the blazing fire in the large stone fireplace.

Warming her hands, she said, "This is wonderful. Come on over!"

"In a minute." Luke turned on some lights then lugged the suitcases into the bedroom.

"Better than the last place?" Lorelai called over her shoulder.

Returning, Luke agreed. "Yeah"

Rustic would be the best way to describe the cabin. Wooden furniture with animal motif coverings. Rough-hewn oaken coffee table and end tables. A stuffed deer head mounted on the wall.

Luke brought over a heavy blanket that he'd found in the bedroom. He and Lorelai removed their coats then sat on the floor before the fire, wrapping the blanket about them.

Leaning against his chest, Lorelai said, "This is nice."

"It'll do."

The tone of his voice suggested that he was still disappointed that Liz's arrangements had been so horrible.

"We can work with this. Now we just need some food." Lorelai said.

It had been hours since they'd eaten.

Luke sighed. "Did you see any food places along the way here? And it's past ten o'clock. If there's any place, most likely it wouldn't be open now, regardless of the snow."

Even though he was starving, he was tired and had no desire to drive more on the icy roads.

Lorelai scanned the room. "Hey! There's a mini-frig."

"So?"

She knew how she'd handle a late-night last-minute check-in. Crossing the room to investigate the mini-frig, she was delighted to discover club sandwiches, beer and champagne, and chocolate chip cookies. She made a mental note to send Sandy a gift for all she'd done.

"This isn't how it was supposed to be." Luke said, while pulling the coffee table closer to the couch.

Lorelai placed the sandwiches on the table.

"Cheer up. Once this place warms up, it'll do just fine. Besides, I know a way we can keep warm." She winked.

After consuming the sandwiches, they wrapped up in the blanket and fell asleep on the couch, near the fire.

XXX

"Can't you do something about that?" Logan sighed. He was stretched out on the couch watching TV.

The crying became louder.

They'd thought they'd have more quiet time. Nora had only been down for thirty minutes. It was a pathetic Friday night where they only wanted to sleep and barely cared what was on the TV. Neither of them realized that it was Valentine's Day.

Seated on a chair near him, Rory said, "It's your turn. See if she needs a diaper change."

"Fine."

His curt response conveyed his annoyance as he climbed the stairs. It irked her that she had to constantly remind him to do his part. He was the father. What did he think that meant? Didn't he tell her that he wanted to be more involved than his father had been?

On the other hand, she was also afraid of pushing him too hard. At this point, she wasn't overly thrilled with parenthood either. She didn't want to remind him that a baby wasn't originally part of their plans. And as much as she admired her mom, after what she'd experienced, she had no desire to do this completely on her own.

She'd taken Paris' advice and starting using afternoons as her own time. Once she started catching up on sleep, she focused her efforts on maintaining housework. Her attention was predominately focused on the job search.

Logan returned with Nora, who was wide awake. Clad in pink-stripped footy pajamas, she giggled and rubbed her eyes.

"You're supposed to try to get her back to sleep."

It irked her when Logan violated the schedule.

"I will."

He reclined on the couch, balancing the baby on his chest. She cooed with pleasure.

"Good luck getting her back into the crib later."

Rory had learned that lesson that hard way. Transferring a sleeping baby into a crib was nearly impossible. She'd spent way too many nights on the futon in the baby's room.

"We'll see. How's the job search going?" he asked.

Rory stiffened, taking offense. "Not very well. I look every day but nothing looks promising. You know journalism is changing, right? Newspapers are closing all over."

"Let me contact my dad. He gave us money for the house and for Nora. He's got connections. He owes us." Logan insisted.

This had been a source of contention for days. While Rory was touched that Logan's parents had set up a trust fund for Nora, she had no desire to be more obligated to them.

"No."

"You're being stubborn. You know you want to get back to work."

While that was true, she wasn't ready to grovel before Mitchem Huntzberger. She was also concerned that she wasn't completely back on her feet yet. Logan seemed to feel that since he was working full time and managing with limited sleep, that she could too. But his body wasn't undergoing the physical changes associated with pregnancy and childbirth.

"You're a writer. Why don't you just write?"

As if it were that easy. Rory had started going to the coffee shop some afternoons just to write about anything, to prime the pump so to speak. But her thoughts were still jumbled. She couldn't focus.

How could she do a writing job if she couldn't think straight?

What was wrong with her?

"It's not that simple." Changing the subject, she said, "My grandparents want to visit."

"God. Can't we put that off?"

They were barely managing day-to-day. The amount of effort required to entertain guests sounded daunting. Even the thought of dressing up Nora in one of those frilly outfits and going out in public was unnerving. They weren't up to it.

"I don't think so. But they won't stay with us."

"They'll still want to see our place." Logan reminded her.

"Yeah."

She sighed. That meant extensive cleaning which required extra energy.

"It's nice that they want to see her," Rory said.

"I know. It's just…you know." Logan stroked Nora's wispy curls with his fingers as her eye lids grew heavy.

"Yeah."

This was one subject they agreed upon.

Her mother had been a helpful house guest. She didn't care if the bathrooms were dirty. She'd been eager to lend a hand and help with the baby. Rory couldn't imagine her grandmother changing a diaper or burping a baby.

Not feeling optimistic, she replied, "I'll do what I can."

XXX

The next day, she hid in their bedroom, seated on the floor with her back against the bed frame. Upon her insistence, Logan had reluctantly taken the baby out in the stroller for a walk. She wanted him to experience the realities of being out in public with a small child. Their discussion had gotten heated.

She longed to call her mother to vent but she didn't want to interrupt her romantic weekend with Luke. Instead, she called a friend.

As soon as Lane said hello, Rory started in, knowing her time was limited. "Logan is driving me crazy! Unless I remind him, he doesn't do a thing to help around the house or with the baby. He acts like it's so easy for me. Is Zack like this? What did you do to get through this?"

Not waiting for a response, she continued. "I still can't find a job and when I try to write, utter garbage comes out. When am I going to feel normal again?"

Taking a breath, she said, "And I'm so lonely-"

Lane interrupted her. "Rory, this isn't really a good time."

"Oh." After a moment, she added. "I'm sorry."

"You know, I have bad days too." Lane explained.

Rory realized most of their conversations had been rather one-sided lately. She hadn't been listening. Lane had two babies instead of one. And early motherhood hadn't been part of her plans either.

"What's going on?"

"Brian is moving in with his girlfriend."

For most people, sharing a one-bedroom apartment with your boyfriend and his best friend would've been a deal breaker. It had only gotten stranger when Brian remained after they were married and then had twins. For most couples, it would've been a serious issue.

Not for Zack and Lane.

Ashamed, Rory confessed. "I've been a bad friend. I'm so sorry Lane. I've been so caught up in my own drama that I haven't listened to you. Tell me more."

"Brian is the baby whisper. He can get a kid back to sleep within minutes and place them back in the crib. Do you know how important that is?"

Rory could hear the desperation in her voice.

"Yeah, I do. I really do." Rory's stiff back reminded her that she'd spent too many nights on the futon with the baby.

"It just keeps getting worse. Not only is Brian leaving but the boys are starting to walk. My life is over."

"Isn't that good? That the boys are walking?" Rory was appalled to see clumps of dust underneath her bed. She chose to ignore it, turning around and resting her back against the bed frame.

"Rory, they already get into everything when they're crawling. We had to baby proof the entire apartment. Baby locks on all the cabinets and even the toilet. Now imagine when they both can walk. Running isn't that far behind and then they can take off in separate directions. I don't have enough hands. I'll never be able to leave the house without having a nervous breakdown. And I'm already sick of being trapped in the house."

Trapped in the house?

Then Rory remembered her mother had told her about the massive snowstorms they'd been having. With the balmy San Francisco weather, she and Rosa had been able to take Nora on walks to local parks several days a week.

"That would suck. How's Zach doing with all this?"

"He's bummed too. He's been getting more studio work, which is better pay than the diner. And it builds his reputation as a musician as well. Some folk group loves his banjo playing. But he's not around as much. We've been trying to work on the kid's music project too but there's always distractions."

"It's a really great idea. You'll get it going."

Sensing Lane was fading, Rory asked, "Do you like her? Brian's girlfriend?"

"Yeah, she's into him. She seems to get him. I'm happy for them. Thank God I still have my mother nearby."

"That would be nice."

Rory hoped she didn't let her jealousy show.

XXXX

"Are we at the right place?" Luke asked as they entered a restaurant.

The B&B staff had assured them that Mike's was a fabulous steak place. However, it was decidedly lacking in atmosphere with cheap tables, plastic red and white checkered table clothes and a one-page laminated menu that featured photos of the food.

Instructed to take a seat anywhere, they selected the table that was farthest away from the pool table where several young men were engrossed in a game.

Luke's lip curled as his fingers got stuck on the tablecloth. He wiped them on his jeans.

"Real classy place here."

"C'mon, as long as the food is good, who cares?" Lorelai was determined to enjoy this weekend getaway.

They'd spent the morning ice skating on a lake. Lorelai was amazed that the quiet and vastness of being outdoors was such a different experience than skating about a rink. She hadn't cared as much for snow shoeing, though that might have been because she'd neglected to bring sufficiently warm clothing.

Luke teased her. "You'd think going away on a winter weekend that you'd pack winter clothing."

"I did. Flannel jammies. Heavy sweaters. Fuzzy boots."

"I meant outdoor clothing. Heavier water-proof gloves. Long underwear."

"You foolish man. You know I don't do anything athletic. Besides, I've always wanted to wear one of your flannel shirts." She joked.

While perusing the menu, Luke sighed.

"This is all wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"This place. The food. It's not what I had in mind."

"Seems okay to me. There's steak, steak with potato, steak with shrimp. Why isn't there any chicken? And where's the vegetarian option?" She teased.

Getting excited, she said, "Look at the chalkboard. There's a Valentine's Day special. Two T-bone steak dinners, baked potatoes, with salads and chocolate lava cake for dessert. And a bottle of wine. Can't beat that."

After much convincing, they ordered the Valentine's Day special. Although the wine was inexpensive, it was palatable. They clinked glasses.

As they ate, Luke remained quiet. Lorelai didn't understand why he was so disappointed. Things hadn't worked out as planned but the cabin was cozy. Ice skating had been fun and while this place was a dive, it oozed local charm. The steaks were huge. And excellent. She hadn't been able to finish hers.

Then it came to her.

She realized what was going on. This wasn't Luke's normal gruffness or protesting a commercial holiday created by big business. A surge of adrenaline shot through her.

This was something entirely different.

This wasn't the type of place where you'd ask the waiter to slip a diamond ring into the dessert. If you gave it to him, you might never see it again.

Taking a chance, she insisted. "Ask me."

It startled him that she could read him so well.

"No! It's all wrong. It's supposed to be classy."

"No, it's not." She assured him. "Ask me."

"Lorelai-"

Getting overly excited, she cried a little too loudly. "Yes!"

Several of the pool players turned their heads.

"Will you let me do it?"

He produced the ring from his jacket pocket. It was the same ring as she'd worn before. He hadn't returned it or thrown it aside. She'd missed having it on her finger.

"Lorelai, will you marry me? And please don't make me get on one knee. God only knows how clean these floors are."

"Yes!" She leaned towards him and kissed him.

The gang at the pool table gave rousing cheers, while Luke's face turned red. Lorelai beamed as Luke put the ring on her finger.

"This was a lousy proposal. You deserve better."

"Are you kidding me? Luke, I don't need a thousand yellow daisies or the Eiffel tower. At one point in my life, I thought I did. I've had both. And you know what? Neither one of those relationships lasted. What I need is the right man. And that's you."

Their eyes met as they held hands across the table.

The waiter interrupted them, delivering their chocolate lava cake. Lorelai dove into hers with gusto.

"Wait a minute. You didn't finish your steak."

"Dessert is a separate matter." She assured him, licking her spoon.

"When do you want to have the wedding?" Luke asked.

Remembering the issues of the past year, Lorelai said, "I don't need a wedding."

"That doesn't sound like you. Don't you want to have a ceremony in the town square with a big party afterwards? Like Rory's graduation party?"

"That does sound fun. But I don't want to take the spotlight away from Rory and Logan. Maybe we should wait."

Luke pointed out the obvious. "They're already married."

"Yeah. But celebrating with friends and family is just as important to them." She was determined that this wasn't going to be an issue this time. "I'm not worried. We'll figure it out."

XXXX

"Look, you're a writer. You don't have to have a job to work your craft." Anna reminded her.

Today, Rory was taking a walk while talking on the phone. While she'd never been a big fan of exercise, she longed to return to her non-flabby, pre-baby figure. The weather wasn't exactly warm but she'd worn a light jacket.

"I know you're right, it's just hard to concentrate." She crossed the busy intersection and headed toward the park where there would be less traffic noise.

"Wish I could tell you it gets better. But motherhood is a juggling act. Just focus on what you know. How are you doing with the nanny?"

"Good. Rosa has lots of helpful suggestions. She's wonderful to have around."

"You're really lucky."

Rory was getting a little tired of hearing that. She didn't feel lucky.

Once she reached the park, she found a bench to sit on. She didn't need to overdo on the exercise. She could also enjoy the view of the palm trees and other towering trees that she didn't know the names of.

"You ought to write about daycare options in your area." Anna suggested.

"You mean, like a mommy blog?"

Rory had no desire to go that route. She'd attended Yale. She fully intended to be a professional journalist not some deluded amateur blogger appealing to a limited audience.

"No. I'll bet local magazines would be very interested in that type of spec article. And even if they're not, it gives you something to focus on. It's a starting place."

"Maybe I'll try that."

She closed her eyes. The sun was finally coming out and the warmth of its rays felt wonderful.

She had to ask Anna something else. But she was afraid.

"When did you…feel it?"

Anna knew what she was talking about. "Overwhelming love for your child?"

"Mom did immediately."

"Yeah, not so much for me. It took a while to kick in. But it did. I was never a baby person. But it's different when it's your own kids. You're just starting to get to know Nora. Give it time."

Rory longed to have the relationship with her baby that she and her mother shared. Currently all she felt was resentful that the baby was sucking up all her energy and she had nothing left for anything else she wanted to do.

"Rory, you and your mom are close. But she's not perfect. I'm sure it took time for her to bond with you. And be gentle with Logan. Believe it or not, this isn't an easy transition for him either."