Chapter 9: Snowy Sidewalks
Rory and Lorelai didn't speak the next day, unless Rory was talking to her director-to-actress. They avoided each other outside rehearsal. They didn't speak to each other until Wednesday morning at the end of the final rehearsal.
"That was great, everyone," Rory said. "The play starts at 7:30 tonight at the new theater. Be here at 7:00 to get ready."
Everyone left and Rory got her stuff together.
"Hey," said a voice.
Rory turned around. It was Lorelai.
"What are you still doing here?" Rory said.
"I wanted to apologize," Lorelai said. "I shouldn't have gone on the date. I was going to cancel, but the one-year anniversary is an important date. But, it's not as important as making a pact with you. I'm sorry."
Rory knew that Lorelai was being sincere and she knew she was being unreasonable that day.
"I'm sorry, mom," Rory said. "It's not your fault. It's mine. I mean, when I got that phone call from Dean I was pretty upset. I had this whole attitude like if I couldn't be with my husband no one could be with their boyfriend or husband. But, I was way out of line."
"So, you forgive me?" Lorelai asked.
"Yeah," Rory said. "You forgive me?"
"Yeah."
Rory and Lorelai hugged.
"Luke's?" Lorelai asked.
"Yes, I'm starving," Rory said.
THAT NIGHT
It was five minutes to curtain. Rory knocked on her mother's dressing room door.
"Come in," said Lorelai.
Rory walked in. Her mother was staring in the mirror.
"Mom, five minutes until curtain," Rory said.
"Okay," Lorelai said, nervously. "I'm almost ready."
She looked pale as a ghost. She stared wide-eyed at the mirror as if she were possessed by a ghost or something.
"Mom, are you okay?" Rory asked.
"I can't do this," Lorelai said.
"Of course you can," Rory said. "You've done this a million times."
"But, this is in front of people I don't know," Lorelai said. "What if I forget my lines? What if they hate me?"
"Mom, it's going to be okay," Rory said. "Look, you've done this. You show pride and potential up on the stage. Just, pretend you are actually in New York City and not here in the theater. Also, know that I love you and that I will always be proud of you. You can do this."
"You're right, honey," Lorelai said, giving Rory a hug. "Thank you."
"Your welcome," said Rory, going outside.
She went backstage. She had to make a little speech before the play. Taylor was giving his.
"Before we start our production," Taylor said. "I'm going to ask the author/director of this play/book to speak to you all. Ladies and Gentlemen, Stars Hollow's very own Mrs. Rory Gilmore Forester."
Rory walked out onstage as the audience applauded loudly.
"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen," Rory said. "Most of you have read this book, but if you haven't the play is pretty easy to follow. Taylor had the citizens of Stars Hollow make suggestions for a production to put on for tonight. Most of you know about my close relationship with my mother. Well one night my mother thought of using Snowy Sidewalks for a play. When we suggested it to Taylor he thought it was a great idea. These people have worked long and hard to make this book come to life before your eyes. So, without further ado, I would like to present to you..Snowy Sidewalks."
Rory walked off stage as the audience applauded once again. The play went on smoothly. Everyone was great and Lorelai looked confident on stage. Everyone liked the play. The especially liked Clara and Lorelai. They both got standing ovations.
Rory and Lorelai met up with Luke after the play and walked to Rory's house.
"You were great," Rory said. "I'm really proud of you, mom."
"So am I," said Luke, giving her a sweet kiss.
"Thank you, Luke and Rory," said Lorelai, kissing him again.
"You guys make me sick," Rory joked, taking out her keys. "Get a room."
"Okay, we'll just go up to your room and make out," Lorelai joked right back.
Rory put her house keys in the lock, but when she turned it, it was unlocked. No one has an extra key except Dean, Rory thought. Suddenly, it occurred to her what happened. Someone had obviously broken in.
"Oh, my god!" Rory exclaimed.
"What?" Lorelai asked.
"Someone broke into my house," Rory said.
"Are you sure?" Luke asked.
"The door is unlocked," Rory said. "No one else has a key except Dean and he's in Chicago and isn't coming home for five days."
"Okay, honey," Lorelai said. "Calm down. We're going to go inside and check on everything."
Rory opened the door.
"Kitchen looks fine," said Luke.
Lorelai went into the living room and stared at the couch.
"What?" Rory asked.
"Well, the person who broke in is still here," said Lorelai. "And that person didn't steal anything. He's lying down on the couch."
Rory grabbed a frying pan and held it up over her head and ran into the living room. When she saw the person on the couch she immediately dropped the frying pan. The person who broke in was.
"Dean," Rory said. "I thought you weren't coming back until Monday."
"I took the red-eye home," Dean said, sitting up. "And I quit."
"You did?" Rory asked.
"Yeah, I got a job interview today."
"What?"
"You are looking at the new sports director of Stars Hollow High."
Rory squealed and hugged Dean who gave her a good, sweet, slightly intense kiss.
"Oh, get a room," Lorelai joked.
Rory gave her a dirty joke. Later, Luke made coffee and they all sat in the living room.
"I have some news," said Rory, putting down her mug.
Everyone put down their mugs and stared at her.
"What?" Lorelai asked.
"Mom, remember last Friday when I went to the doctor's?"
"Yeah."
"Well, it turns out that...Dean and I are going to have a baby."
Lorelai squealed and she and Luke hugged Rory. Then Dean picked her up and twirled her around like he always did. Outside the town troubadour sang:
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our savior
Was Born on Christmas Day
To Save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy
A/N: I know I didn't need to do that whole song at the end, but the high school chorus and I have been singing it for two months and this was the last thing to do to get it out of my head. Okay, there's an epilogue.
Rory and Lorelai didn't speak the next day, unless Rory was talking to her director-to-actress. They avoided each other outside rehearsal. They didn't speak to each other until Wednesday morning at the end of the final rehearsal.
"That was great, everyone," Rory said. "The play starts at 7:30 tonight at the new theater. Be here at 7:00 to get ready."
Everyone left and Rory got her stuff together.
"Hey," said a voice.
Rory turned around. It was Lorelai.
"What are you still doing here?" Rory said.
"I wanted to apologize," Lorelai said. "I shouldn't have gone on the date. I was going to cancel, but the one-year anniversary is an important date. But, it's not as important as making a pact with you. I'm sorry."
Rory knew that Lorelai was being sincere and she knew she was being unreasonable that day.
"I'm sorry, mom," Rory said. "It's not your fault. It's mine. I mean, when I got that phone call from Dean I was pretty upset. I had this whole attitude like if I couldn't be with my husband no one could be with their boyfriend or husband. But, I was way out of line."
"So, you forgive me?" Lorelai asked.
"Yeah," Rory said. "You forgive me?"
"Yeah."
Rory and Lorelai hugged.
"Luke's?" Lorelai asked.
"Yes, I'm starving," Rory said.
THAT NIGHT
It was five minutes to curtain. Rory knocked on her mother's dressing room door.
"Come in," said Lorelai.
Rory walked in. Her mother was staring in the mirror.
"Mom, five minutes until curtain," Rory said.
"Okay," Lorelai said, nervously. "I'm almost ready."
She looked pale as a ghost. She stared wide-eyed at the mirror as if she were possessed by a ghost or something.
"Mom, are you okay?" Rory asked.
"I can't do this," Lorelai said.
"Of course you can," Rory said. "You've done this a million times."
"But, this is in front of people I don't know," Lorelai said. "What if I forget my lines? What if they hate me?"
"Mom, it's going to be okay," Rory said. "Look, you've done this. You show pride and potential up on the stage. Just, pretend you are actually in New York City and not here in the theater. Also, know that I love you and that I will always be proud of you. You can do this."
"You're right, honey," Lorelai said, giving Rory a hug. "Thank you."
"Your welcome," said Rory, going outside.
She went backstage. She had to make a little speech before the play. Taylor was giving his.
"Before we start our production," Taylor said. "I'm going to ask the author/director of this play/book to speak to you all. Ladies and Gentlemen, Stars Hollow's very own Mrs. Rory Gilmore Forester."
Rory walked out onstage as the audience applauded loudly.
"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen," Rory said. "Most of you have read this book, but if you haven't the play is pretty easy to follow. Taylor had the citizens of Stars Hollow make suggestions for a production to put on for tonight. Most of you know about my close relationship with my mother. Well one night my mother thought of using Snowy Sidewalks for a play. When we suggested it to Taylor he thought it was a great idea. These people have worked long and hard to make this book come to life before your eyes. So, without further ado, I would like to present to you..Snowy Sidewalks."
Rory walked off stage as the audience applauded once again. The play went on smoothly. Everyone was great and Lorelai looked confident on stage. Everyone liked the play. The especially liked Clara and Lorelai. They both got standing ovations.
Rory and Lorelai met up with Luke after the play and walked to Rory's house.
"You were great," Rory said. "I'm really proud of you, mom."
"So am I," said Luke, giving her a sweet kiss.
"Thank you, Luke and Rory," said Lorelai, kissing him again.
"You guys make me sick," Rory joked, taking out her keys. "Get a room."
"Okay, we'll just go up to your room and make out," Lorelai joked right back.
Rory put her house keys in the lock, but when she turned it, it was unlocked. No one has an extra key except Dean, Rory thought. Suddenly, it occurred to her what happened. Someone had obviously broken in.
"Oh, my god!" Rory exclaimed.
"What?" Lorelai asked.
"Someone broke into my house," Rory said.
"Are you sure?" Luke asked.
"The door is unlocked," Rory said. "No one else has a key except Dean and he's in Chicago and isn't coming home for five days."
"Okay, honey," Lorelai said. "Calm down. We're going to go inside and check on everything."
Rory opened the door.
"Kitchen looks fine," said Luke.
Lorelai went into the living room and stared at the couch.
"What?" Rory asked.
"Well, the person who broke in is still here," said Lorelai. "And that person didn't steal anything. He's lying down on the couch."
Rory grabbed a frying pan and held it up over her head and ran into the living room. When she saw the person on the couch she immediately dropped the frying pan. The person who broke in was.
"Dean," Rory said. "I thought you weren't coming back until Monday."
"I took the red-eye home," Dean said, sitting up. "And I quit."
"You did?" Rory asked.
"Yeah, I got a job interview today."
"What?"
"You are looking at the new sports director of Stars Hollow High."
Rory squealed and hugged Dean who gave her a good, sweet, slightly intense kiss.
"Oh, get a room," Lorelai joked.
Rory gave her a dirty joke. Later, Luke made coffee and they all sat in the living room.
"I have some news," said Rory, putting down her mug.
Everyone put down their mugs and stared at her.
"What?" Lorelai asked.
"Mom, remember last Friday when I went to the doctor's?"
"Yeah."
"Well, it turns out that...Dean and I are going to have a baby."
Lorelai squealed and she and Luke hugged Rory. Then Dean picked her up and twirled her around like he always did. Outside the town troubadour sang:
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our savior
Was Born on Christmas Day
To Save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy
A/N: I know I didn't need to do that whole song at the end, but the high school chorus and I have been singing it for two months and this was the last thing to do to get it out of my head. Okay, there's an epilogue.