Dear Readers
I have finally found my muse again for this story, I hade a computer that crashed and I crossed my fingers to the very last that they could recover everything but I lost 12 chapters that I had already written for this story and that simply sendt my muse of running. So I hope that I can get you all back into this universe and that I can keep the story running.
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Lorelai was quiet all the way to the hospital, she had opted for a loose-fitting sweater and leggings for her outfit – it hid the pregnancy some, but she didn't feel comfortable. She wanted to meet her baby sister, but she really didn't want to go to the maternity ward of the hospital she herself soon would visit. As they pulled up, she felt her baby move around and she sighed. Richard eyed her in the rearview mirror before exiting the car.
"Are you coming Lorelai? Richard asked as he had picked up the huge bouquet of flowers he had bought.
"Yeah yeah." Lorelai said and grabbed her bag.
The walked along the hallway and Lorelai felt that everybody's eyes was on her and her pregnant belly, she clutched the bag a little closer to her and tried to keep her eyes on her father's back, but from time to time she also glanced at the small bouquet she had bought for her mother which resulted in bumping into Richard as he stopped at the nurse's station. He looked at his daughter and smiled wide at her before returning his attention to the nurse.
"How is Mrs. Gilmore doing this morning?" He asked
"All is well Mr. Gilmore; your daughter was just wheeled into the room, so she is most probably nursing at the moment." The nurse said with a smile.
Richard thanked her and turned to Lorelai "I'll go in and see how everything is and I will come and get you, so sit in the chair there and wait." He instructed
"Come on dad, everyone is starring at me!" Lorelai complained.
"No Lorelai that is how it will be, and nobody is starring at you. Now sit." Lorelai flopped down in the designated chair and watched her father disappear behind the door besides it.
A nurse walked up to Lorelai "Are you alright miss? Do you need help of any sorts?" she asked concerned
Lorelai knew this would happen, so she started rubbing her belly and looked the nurse straight in the eye "I'm not pregnant but I do enjoy small children when they're covered in chocolate sauce!" the nurses eyes popped wide open, and she quickly moved away from Lorelai, satisfying the teenager. Lorelai put on her headphones at pressed play on her Walkman.
Inside the room, Richard was even more over the moon with his newborn than twelve hours previous. Emily was nursing the baby when he entered.
"Emily darling, you look fantastic. I brought you these..." he showed her the pure white roses he had brought with him "…and I brought Lorelai – she is waiting out in the hall; you finish nursing and then I will get her." Richard cupped his large hand around the baby's head looking on in amazement of the nursing rituals.
"Lorelai is here?" Emily's eyes lit up and her smile widened even further when Richard nodded "Well get her in here, she is not some stranger that needs to wait outside." She demanded and Richard quickly obeyed.
Lorelai entered slowly, not from lack of confidence but because her mother had wanted her in, but her father didn't.
"Come closer." Emily said as she reached out towards her oldest, Lorelai did so and looked at the bundle in her mother's arms.
"I brought you these…" Lorelai mumbled and handed her mother a small wildflower bouquet "…and I got this for the baby." She said while digging out a small present from her bag, she lightly placed the small box on the bed.
"You bought a present for the baby?" Emily questioned.
"Of course – it's my sister." Lorelai rolled her eyes, Emily noticed but let it slide.
"That is very sweet of you dear. Do you want to hold her?" the oldest Gilmore indicated towards the baby in her arms.
"Uhm…. what if I drop her?"
"You won't. Plus, you need to learn sooner than later." Emily stated
"Ok fine." Lorelai reached out towards the baby.
"Go sit in the chair over there, your father will hand her to you there." Lorelai flopped down in the chair and Emily handed over the baby to Richard who cooed the baby all the way over to Lorelai and placed the baby in her arms. In the meantime, Emily unwrapped the small box Lorelai had placed next to her and pulled out a small bunny shaped rattle. "Aw Lorelai it is so sweet, Thank you. Richard look." Richard nodded and smiled.
"You're welcome. She is so tiny. It's like a doll." Lorelai looked at the small fingers of the baby.
"Well she is not much bigger than a doll." Emily smiled at Lorelai sitting with her baby sister in her arms.
"What's her name?" Lorelai questioned without looking away from the baby.
"Melinda." Emily said and was shocked to see Lorelai's eyes snap up to hers. "Is something wrong with that name Lorelai? Don't say that you had picked that for your little girl." Emily felt sadness run through her.
"What more?"
"What more what?" Richard chimed in
"She can't possibly just be Melinda Gilmore – what is her full name? And no I did not have Melinda as a name."
"Oh now I get you – Melinda Hope Gilmore." Richard said proudly
The room feel silent – nobody said anything – after a couple of minutes quietness Lorelai drew in a breath and huffed.
"What is the huffing about?" Emily asked
"It's just the name!" Lorelai started shaking her head. The baby started fussing and whimpered slightly "Could you please take her." She said towards her father who immediately took the baby in his arms and Lorelai got up.
"What is wrong with the name?" Emily asked as Richard handed her the baby.
"You named her after your two favorite people in the world."
"What is wrong with that."
"Who am I named after?"
"Your grandmothers." Richard answered
"Exactly – mom's two least favorite persons. Are you sure this wasn't planned." Lorelai threw her hands up in the air only to let them fall down her sides again
"Lorelai please."
"No – I'm going home – I'm not wanted anyway." She grabbed her bag and hurried out the door before any of the adult could react.
"Oh Richard, please go after her – tell her that it's not what she thinks!" Emily sobbed and so did baby Melinda, playing of her mother's emotions. Richard left the room "Don't worry Melinda, your big sister is just very emotional at the moment – she is going to love you don't worry." Emily said as she tried to convince herself more than the baby.
Out in front of the hospital Richard caught up with Lorelai and placed a hand on her shoulder "Lorelai, you don't just leave like that."
"That's my decision." The teenager snapped back
"No, it is not, you have upset your mother a great deal and your sister for that matter. Why do you say things like that?"
"When the shoe fits!"
"No this has nothing to do with anything fitting – yes it has the name fit the baby – your mother and I had made a list of names and none of the names we had decided on is used – the baby simply looked like a Melinda to your mother, and I picked the middle name – but again you solely blame your mother. When you were on your way, we had a complete name for a boy and for a girl – and it has to do with honoring the family – had you been a boy you would have been named Charles John Gilmore. This has nothing to do with favorite or least favorite people – it has to do with family and status."
"I don't give a damn about status!"
"What about family?"
"Family matters of course – but…."
"But what?"
"I just feel insignificant to you and mom right now."
"You would never be insignificant to us – you are our daughter and you have been our head focus point for sixteen years and now suddenly that place needs to be shared. Soon we will have to share you – we have been the most important people to you since your birth…"
"Besides my nannies and maids and teachers and friends and…" Richard held up a hand to stop her rattling
"Since your birth we have been there for you, and we have been the ones that has made your life livable – but in a very short time, to short a time for your father, that will all be changed – you will have your focus on that little baby girl. But could you please for at least your mothers sake just for the next period of time just be happy for your mother, well yes and me and Melinda?"
Lorelai was quiet for a while "I'll try ok – tell mom I'm sorry and can I have some money for the bus?"
"No I'll call you a cab, if you don't want to go back inside and say it yourself." Richard offered
"No I better go home I don't want to say more wrong things to mom – tell her she looked good for someone who just had a baby and…. Uhm …..Melinda is cute." Richard handed her money and got a cab for her and saw her of before going back inside.
Emily looked up expectantly as the door opened but upon only seeing Richard her face fell a little "You didn't catch her?" she asked
"Oh I caught her and she told me to tell you sorry for what she said, she hadn't thought things through before wording her accusation. And she also told me to tell you that you look good, and that Melinda is cute." He put a finger under Emily's chin and lifted her head to face him, as he said what Lorelai had asked him to and he smiled at his wife.
Emily sniffed softly and smiled back at him "That was nice of her – I would have preferred her telling me."
"I know – but right now you are emotional and so is she." He gave her a soft kiss. "You do look amazing darling – did you sleep alright?"
"Thank you – was only up three times nursing your offspring, the nurses took the diapers as I get dizzy when I stand up."
"You get dizzy – why?" Richard was concerned
"Just the aftermath of the birth. So, they want me to stay in bed for today and only do the nursing."
"So, they want to keep you here for how long?" Richard inquired
"A week in total – I have already made arrangements for getting home earlier, hired a nurse, and they have almost agreed due to the circumstances I have at home."
"What circumstances? I can handle driving back and forth Emily."
"Did you already forget that our sixteen-year-old daughter is very pregnant and could give birth any day for that matter!" Emily pointed out
"No, I did not forget – but I don't want you to rush anything. You and Melinda just needs to relax and get to know each other. I will go a call the family now and inform them of Melinda arrival." He walked towards the door and just as he reached it he turned around "Oh I almost forgot I have bought a present for my newest daughter as well." He walked over to the small table and presented Emily with the pink teddy bear.
"Thank you darling, I am sure she will treasure it, but for now I will place it here and leave the little bunny rattle from Lorelai with her. I hope you understand."
"More than anything." Richard replied and gave her a kiss before leaving the room.
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I hope that the muse will come back a little stronger than she is now - but we are getting there.