Chapter 14
Christopher reentered the diner and found Rory shaking in a chair at one of the tables. Jess, Luke, and Lorelai were surrounding her and he paused for a minute. The four of them were a family now and he couldn't help but wonder if there was room for him anymore. Had he lost his chance to be a part of their lives?
"Rory." His voice was half a whisper; she didn't look up. "Can I talk to her alone?"
The boys looked at Lorelai unsure, but she nodded her head in agreement. Lorelai, Luke, and Jess left them alone and Christopher took a seat beside Rory. "I'm sorry Dad," she cried softly.
"Don't be sorry. I'm the one that should be sorry."
Rory looked up at him; confusion filled her eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I know that I haven't been around for a while and I feel really terrible about it," he told her and paused for a minute like he was thinking really hard. "I want you to know that I'm not happy about the whole baby situation, but I am in no place to judge."
"That's true," Rory agreed.
"And I know what it's like...to be you and Jess right now," he added. "So don't be afraid to call me up and talk to me about it. Hopefully I'll be able to give you some advice."
"Thanks Dad." She was very relieved at her father's sudden change of tone. She went over and hugged his neck quickly, then waved Jess over. He looked nervous and reluctant to agree, but eventually made his way over to the table (slowly). "Sit down."
"Okay," he sighed and took a seat beside her. "So what's going on?"
"We need to have a discussion," Chris told him with a growl.
"Dad," Rory warned.
"Sorry." He paused for a minute to regain himself. "Do you have a job? How old are you? Are you going to college? Where will you live? Do you have any money saved?"
"Umm..."Jess mumbled, trying to remember everything he asked, " I work at Walmart and here at Luke's. I'm 17. Yes, I plan of going to college. I don't know where we'll live but we are going to get an apartment in Boston when Rory gets into Harvard. And yes, I have money saved."
"You do?" Rory questioned, surprised. "You never told me that."
"I know. I have about $3,000 saved up."
"Where did you get all that money?" she wondered.
"Most of my Walmart pay check went to the bank, all of my money from the diner and I had some saved before I came here," he explained. "And I sold my car. I only got a thousand for it."
"I did not know that." She smiled and took his hand.
"I know $3,000 is not enough but I figure we could use it for the hospital bill and some things that the baby needs like clothes and food."
"Well, it seems like this baby is going to have a pretty decent dad," Chris told them, and Rory looked at Jess with pride.
**5 months Later**
It's been 5 months since Chris's visit and he has started to call at least twice a week. With a little help from Lorelai, Luke, and Rory's grandparents, they were able to buy the baby everything it would need. Everything was going perfectly and Rory was now 9 months pregnant, her due day was next week.
Rory and Lorelai were sitting on the living room couch and watching reruns of 'I Love Lucy.' Lorelai smiled and laughed as Lucy shoved chocolates down her shirt. "I love that Lucy." She smiled at Rory.
"Me too," Rory replied. "She kind of you reminds me of you."
"Hey, I've never stuffed chocolate down my shirt," Lorelai defended herself and Rory gave her a look. "Fine, but it was one chocolate and it was white chocolate. That's completely different."
"Says who?" Rory questioned. "It's still chocolate."
"Fine, but at least I never baked bread that grew to the size of our kitchen."
"I'm sure if you ever made bread you could manage it, Lucy," Rory mocked and Lorelai smiled as they resumed watching the show.
Five minutes later, Jess came run in the front door. "Hey, there's this thing called knocking. Ever heard of it?" Lorelai wondered out loud.
"Sorry," he replied, holding out a paper to Rory. "Look," he ordered and she took it. She looked it over for a minute and her face brightened.
"Oh my gosh, Jess," she screamed as he helped her stand up and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm so proud of you."
"HELLO!" Lorelai yelled.
"Mom, he got straight A's on his report card," Rory gushed, then turned back to Jess. "I told you. You are so smart Jess, all you had to do was try."
"Wow, congrats." Lorelai smiled.
"Thanks Lor."
"Ohh, this one's trying to congratulate you too," Rory told him as she felt the baby kick and Jess placed his hand on her stomach. His grin widened as the baby kicked again.
"Did you have dinner Jess?" Lorelai wondered. "We were just gonna go to Luke's."
"Yeah, I was going back there anyway," he replied. "I have Luke's car if Rory doesn't want to walk."
"No, that's fine I need a little fresh air and it's not that far." Rory told him as he grabbed her coat. "Jess, it's June, I don't think I need that."
"You never know, it could get cold out."
"Wow, what happened to you?" Lorelai questioned. "Aren't you the same boy who stole a beer from my fridge and gave me an attitude the first time me met?"
"No so much anymore," he answered as they left for Luke's.
Christopher reentered the diner and found Rory shaking in a chair at one of the tables. Jess, Luke, and Lorelai were surrounding her and he paused for a minute. The four of them were a family now and he couldn't help but wonder if there was room for him anymore. Had he lost his chance to be a part of their lives?
"Rory." His voice was half a whisper; she didn't look up. "Can I talk to her alone?"
The boys looked at Lorelai unsure, but she nodded her head in agreement. Lorelai, Luke, and Jess left them alone and Christopher took a seat beside Rory. "I'm sorry Dad," she cried softly.
"Don't be sorry. I'm the one that should be sorry."
Rory looked up at him; confusion filled her eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I know that I haven't been around for a while and I feel really terrible about it," he told her and paused for a minute like he was thinking really hard. "I want you to know that I'm not happy about the whole baby situation, but I am in no place to judge."
"That's true," Rory agreed.
"And I know what it's like...to be you and Jess right now," he added. "So don't be afraid to call me up and talk to me about it. Hopefully I'll be able to give you some advice."
"Thanks Dad." She was very relieved at her father's sudden change of tone. She went over and hugged his neck quickly, then waved Jess over. He looked nervous and reluctant to agree, but eventually made his way over to the table (slowly). "Sit down."
"Okay," he sighed and took a seat beside her. "So what's going on?"
"We need to have a discussion," Chris told him with a growl.
"Dad," Rory warned.
"Sorry." He paused for a minute to regain himself. "Do you have a job? How old are you? Are you going to college? Where will you live? Do you have any money saved?"
"Umm..."Jess mumbled, trying to remember everything he asked, " I work at Walmart and here at Luke's. I'm 17. Yes, I plan of going to college. I don't know where we'll live but we are going to get an apartment in Boston when Rory gets into Harvard. And yes, I have money saved."
"You do?" Rory questioned, surprised. "You never told me that."
"I know. I have about $3,000 saved up."
"Where did you get all that money?" she wondered.
"Most of my Walmart pay check went to the bank, all of my money from the diner and I had some saved before I came here," he explained. "And I sold my car. I only got a thousand for it."
"I did not know that." She smiled and took his hand.
"I know $3,000 is not enough but I figure we could use it for the hospital bill and some things that the baby needs like clothes and food."
"Well, it seems like this baby is going to have a pretty decent dad," Chris told them, and Rory looked at Jess with pride.
**5 months Later**
It's been 5 months since Chris's visit and he has started to call at least twice a week. With a little help from Lorelai, Luke, and Rory's grandparents, they were able to buy the baby everything it would need. Everything was going perfectly and Rory was now 9 months pregnant, her due day was next week.
Rory and Lorelai were sitting on the living room couch and watching reruns of 'I Love Lucy.' Lorelai smiled and laughed as Lucy shoved chocolates down her shirt. "I love that Lucy." She smiled at Rory.
"Me too," Rory replied. "She kind of you reminds me of you."
"Hey, I've never stuffed chocolate down my shirt," Lorelai defended herself and Rory gave her a look. "Fine, but it was one chocolate and it was white chocolate. That's completely different."
"Says who?" Rory questioned. "It's still chocolate."
"Fine, but at least I never baked bread that grew to the size of our kitchen."
"I'm sure if you ever made bread you could manage it, Lucy," Rory mocked and Lorelai smiled as they resumed watching the show.
Five minutes later, Jess came run in the front door. "Hey, there's this thing called knocking. Ever heard of it?" Lorelai wondered out loud.
"Sorry," he replied, holding out a paper to Rory. "Look," he ordered and she took it. She looked it over for a minute and her face brightened.
"Oh my gosh, Jess," she screamed as he helped her stand up and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm so proud of you."
"HELLO!" Lorelai yelled.
"Mom, he got straight A's on his report card," Rory gushed, then turned back to Jess. "I told you. You are so smart Jess, all you had to do was try."
"Wow, congrats." Lorelai smiled.
"Thanks Lor."
"Ohh, this one's trying to congratulate you too," Rory told him as she felt the baby kick and Jess placed his hand on her stomach. His grin widened as the baby kicked again.
"Did you have dinner Jess?" Lorelai wondered. "We were just gonna go to Luke's."
"Yeah, I was going back there anyway," he replied. "I have Luke's car if Rory doesn't want to walk."
"No, that's fine I need a little fresh air and it's not that far." Rory told him as he grabbed her coat. "Jess, it's June, I don't think I need that."
"You never know, it could get cold out."
"Wow, what happened to you?" Lorelai questioned. "Aren't you the same boy who stole a beer from my fridge and gave me an attitude the first time me met?"
"No so much anymore," he answered as they left for Luke's.