Falling Out and In Again
Another Thing to Get Use To
"So.you're really leaving huh?" a voice came from the doorway.
"Yeah. I can't take it anymore. I'm sorry baby." She replied
"I know, it's alright. Go. I'll be fine, after all you'll be back to visit some, and I'll be able to come see you over breaks and stuff." The voice replied
"Promise?" she asked
"Do Gilmores ever break a promise?" Rory asked
"Of course not." Lorelai said giving Rory a huge hug as she closed the suitcase and put it by the other three. Lorelai felt a tear run down Rory's cheek and onto her own. "Don't cry, we'll see each other a lot still. I promise." Lorelai said wiping Rory's tears away.
"But Memphis? That's so far from Stars Hollow.and all they listen to is country. Blegh." Rory said wrinkling her nose
"I guess its just something I'll have to get use to." Lorelai said quietly. She was silent for a while.
"I'll.I'll help you take these down to the car okay?" Rory said, breaking the tense silence. Lorelai nodded. She really did not want to fall apart in front of Rory, not this time. It was time for her to be the mom and not heap her problems on her 20-year-old. She looked around the room at the emptiness of the drawers and closet and sighed. She wished she could stay, she really did. After all this was really the only place she knew. And Memphis.she knew no one and nothing about Memphis. But, a hotel just inside the city limits had offered her a job, and with the happenings of the past couple weeks she'd jumped at the opportunity. She wasn't selling the house, after all it was officially hers now and besides.Rory could use it when she came home on breaks. Lorelai sat down on the bed and recounted what all had happened over the past two weeks, and wished she'd just wakeup from this nightmare.
[flashback: two weeks prior]
"Mom? Are you here?" Rory called from the doorway. She saw a hand flop to the top of the couch and assumed it was her mother. She perched herself on the arm of the couch. "So.how are you?" she asked. Lorelai didn't respond. Judging from the puffy eyes, tear streaked face, three used boxes of tissue and all the uneaten junk food still lying in their packages on the table, she assumed she was in the same state she was six hours prior. "I told grandma you were sick and that's why we weren't coming." Rory said. Lorelai just nodded. Rory sighed. There was no use even trying, she was still extremely upset and she wouldn't be surprised if she didn't move from the couch for another two days. "Well, I.um.I'm going to bed okay?" Rory said. Lorelai just stared at the TV. "Night mom, love you." She said leaning over and kissing her on the cheek before resorting to her room. She wanted to cry for her mom, the bottom had just fallen out from under her, and it was going to take a long time for things to get back to normal, if they ever did.
Lorelai waited until Rory had gone to her room and closed the door before she sat up. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and wanted to lay down and cry herself into oblivion. She stared down at her hand and fingered the tan line where her ring had been. Key word being 'had'. She didn't know where things had started to go wrong, she supposed it was just the things she'd grown to love about him, either ceased to exist or really got on her nerves. Something had set them off and things had just escalated. She only things she really remembered was some of the horrible things he'd said about her, taking off her ring and slamming it down on the table, and running out of the diner after saying 'It's over Lucas Danes. It's over', and then she'd been here for the past 9 hours crying her eyes out like a baby. Things had been so good for so long, and then once they were finally engaged, everything fell apart.everything.
[back to present]
"Mom? You ready?" Rory called
"Yeah just a second." Lorelai called back wiping her eyes and standing up and smoothing out her pants. She walked downstairs and found Rory standing by the door.
"So.I guess this is it huh?" Lorelai asked
"Yeah, but.I'll be down to visit soon. I promise." Rory said wrapping Lorelai in a tight hug.
"I'm gonna miss you so much." Lorelai said starting to cry
"Then don't go." Rory said, returning those tears
"But I have to babe. I have to." Lorelai said pulling back and looking at Rory. "I can't stay here anymore. I can't handle seeing him everyday, I just can't. It's for the best." Rory nodded and hugged her again. They stood there hugging for what felt like forever before Lorelai finally pulled back and kissed Rory's forehead and picked up two suitcases and headed for the car. Rory followed suit and picked up the third and fourth and took Lorelai's lead to the car.
Lorelai stopped on the third step when she saw Luke walking away. She wanted to just run inside and slam the door and never come back out. Her chest tightened and tears sprang to her eyes as she watched him walk sorrowfully away.
"Mom.talk to him. Get coffee on the way out, do something." Rory pleaded.
Lorelai shook her head. "No." she said softly. She and Rory carried the suitcases to the Jeep and threw them in the back before they hugged one more time. "I'll miss ya kiddo." Lorelai said squeezing Rory nice and tight.
"I'll miss you too mom. You'll never get there if you don't go.so.go on. Get. Have fun." Rory said ushering her mom into the car.
"Don't have too much fun without me. No wild college keg parties at the house unless I'm up on 'vay-cay' alright?" Lorelai asked cracking a smile.
"Scouts honor." Rory said. "Love you."
"Love you too." Lorelai said as she backed out of the driveway and pulled out onto the road. She past Luke's and noticed him watching her as she drove away. She diverted her eyes back to the road and left Stars Hollow without looking back.
[several hours and several hundred miles later]
Lorelai stopped at a gas station and jumped out of the car doing the "potty dance" all he way into the store and into the stall. After relieving herself she bought some coffee and chocolate and headed back out to the car. She noticed her cell had a missed call and a new voice mail message on it, figuring it was Rory she hit the button to call her voicemail and almost hit an innocent pedestrian as Luke's voice echoed out of the phone.
"Hey Lorelai, its me.uh.Luke. Listen I.well I.I talked to my sister in Memphis, and I told her you were moving to town. Here's her number, she said she'd be glad to show you around. Um.okay.bye."
Lorelai stared down at the phone, baffled by the fact that he'd called. She sat the phone back down on the seat next to her and no less than five minutes later it rang again.
"Hello?" she asked
"Um.hey. Get my message?" Luke asked
"Yeah.thanks" Lorelai said quietly
"No problem. Listen, I uh, I left a map on your front seat just incase you loose your way. But don't worry, once you hit Sallisaw it's all interstate." He said
"Thanks Luke." Lorelai said
"Um.bye." Luke said
"Bye. Oh, wait, make sure and give Rory extra coffee today.she didn't want me to go." Lorelai said
"I will. I know you need to go, but before you do I want you to know that I.nevermind. Bye" Luke said hanging up the phone. He stared off into space for a few seconds before adding "She's not the only one wishing."
"Who's not the only one?" Rory asked as she plopped down on the stool.
"Nothing." Luke said as he busied himself getting some coffee for Rory. Fifteen minutes later she, and everyone else had already left so Luke finished cleaning up and closed the diner early. He sat down on a stool at the bar. He stared down into a cup of tea and felt like dropping his macho man image just for a second and letting his emotions run rampant. He idly stirred the tea with a spoon and looked up and saw an image of Lorelai dance through his mind. "I wish you the best, and I wish you nothing less than everything you've ever dreamed of. I hope you find love along the way.but most of all.I wish you'd stay." He said quietly. "I wish you'd stay." He wanted to call her, but he couldn't bring himself to. After convincing himself it was alright, he picked up the phone
Lorelai was stopped at a Burger King debating on what to order when she heard faint strains of a country song through the speakers. She sat down on a booth and listened. I figure right about sundown
You'll be in West Tennessee
And by then
Maybe I'll understand why you had to leave
I know that you've done some changin'
And I know there's no changin' your mind
And yes I know
We've been through this a thousand times
I'm sorry for still holdin' on
I'll try to let go and I'll try to be strong, and I'll
Wish you the best
And I wish you nothing less
Than every thing you've ever dreamed of
And I hope that you find love along the way
But most of all
I wish you'd stay
Yeah, everything you've ever dreamed of
And I hope that you'll find love along the way
But most of all
I wish you'd stay
I wish you'd stay
"And that was Brad Paisley with "I wish you'd Stay" going out to a wandering Gilmore from someone missing her very much." Said the DJ's voice.
Another Thing to Get Use To
"So.you're really leaving huh?" a voice came from the doorway.
"Yeah. I can't take it anymore. I'm sorry baby." She replied
"I know, it's alright. Go. I'll be fine, after all you'll be back to visit some, and I'll be able to come see you over breaks and stuff." The voice replied
"Promise?" she asked
"Do Gilmores ever break a promise?" Rory asked
"Of course not." Lorelai said giving Rory a huge hug as she closed the suitcase and put it by the other three. Lorelai felt a tear run down Rory's cheek and onto her own. "Don't cry, we'll see each other a lot still. I promise." Lorelai said wiping Rory's tears away.
"But Memphis? That's so far from Stars Hollow.and all they listen to is country. Blegh." Rory said wrinkling her nose
"I guess its just something I'll have to get use to." Lorelai said quietly. She was silent for a while.
"I'll.I'll help you take these down to the car okay?" Rory said, breaking the tense silence. Lorelai nodded. She really did not want to fall apart in front of Rory, not this time. It was time for her to be the mom and not heap her problems on her 20-year-old. She looked around the room at the emptiness of the drawers and closet and sighed. She wished she could stay, she really did. After all this was really the only place she knew. And Memphis.she knew no one and nothing about Memphis. But, a hotel just inside the city limits had offered her a job, and with the happenings of the past couple weeks she'd jumped at the opportunity. She wasn't selling the house, after all it was officially hers now and besides.Rory could use it when she came home on breaks. Lorelai sat down on the bed and recounted what all had happened over the past two weeks, and wished she'd just wakeup from this nightmare.
[flashback: two weeks prior]
"Mom? Are you here?" Rory called from the doorway. She saw a hand flop to the top of the couch and assumed it was her mother. She perched herself on the arm of the couch. "So.how are you?" she asked. Lorelai didn't respond. Judging from the puffy eyes, tear streaked face, three used boxes of tissue and all the uneaten junk food still lying in their packages on the table, she assumed she was in the same state she was six hours prior. "I told grandma you were sick and that's why we weren't coming." Rory said. Lorelai just nodded. Rory sighed. There was no use even trying, she was still extremely upset and she wouldn't be surprised if she didn't move from the couch for another two days. "Well, I.um.I'm going to bed okay?" Rory said. Lorelai just stared at the TV. "Night mom, love you." She said leaning over and kissing her on the cheek before resorting to her room. She wanted to cry for her mom, the bottom had just fallen out from under her, and it was going to take a long time for things to get back to normal, if they ever did.
Lorelai waited until Rory had gone to her room and closed the door before she sat up. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and wanted to lay down and cry herself into oblivion. She stared down at her hand and fingered the tan line where her ring had been. Key word being 'had'. She didn't know where things had started to go wrong, she supposed it was just the things she'd grown to love about him, either ceased to exist or really got on her nerves. Something had set them off and things had just escalated. She only things she really remembered was some of the horrible things he'd said about her, taking off her ring and slamming it down on the table, and running out of the diner after saying 'It's over Lucas Danes. It's over', and then she'd been here for the past 9 hours crying her eyes out like a baby. Things had been so good for so long, and then once they were finally engaged, everything fell apart.everything.
[back to present]
"Mom? You ready?" Rory called
"Yeah just a second." Lorelai called back wiping her eyes and standing up and smoothing out her pants. She walked downstairs and found Rory standing by the door.
"So.I guess this is it huh?" Lorelai asked
"Yeah, but.I'll be down to visit soon. I promise." Rory said wrapping Lorelai in a tight hug.
"I'm gonna miss you so much." Lorelai said starting to cry
"Then don't go." Rory said, returning those tears
"But I have to babe. I have to." Lorelai said pulling back and looking at Rory. "I can't stay here anymore. I can't handle seeing him everyday, I just can't. It's for the best." Rory nodded and hugged her again. They stood there hugging for what felt like forever before Lorelai finally pulled back and kissed Rory's forehead and picked up two suitcases and headed for the car. Rory followed suit and picked up the third and fourth and took Lorelai's lead to the car.
Lorelai stopped on the third step when she saw Luke walking away. She wanted to just run inside and slam the door and never come back out. Her chest tightened and tears sprang to her eyes as she watched him walk sorrowfully away.
"Mom.talk to him. Get coffee on the way out, do something." Rory pleaded.
Lorelai shook her head. "No." she said softly. She and Rory carried the suitcases to the Jeep and threw them in the back before they hugged one more time. "I'll miss ya kiddo." Lorelai said squeezing Rory nice and tight.
"I'll miss you too mom. You'll never get there if you don't go.so.go on. Get. Have fun." Rory said ushering her mom into the car.
"Don't have too much fun without me. No wild college keg parties at the house unless I'm up on 'vay-cay' alright?" Lorelai asked cracking a smile.
"Scouts honor." Rory said. "Love you."
"Love you too." Lorelai said as she backed out of the driveway and pulled out onto the road. She past Luke's and noticed him watching her as she drove away. She diverted her eyes back to the road and left Stars Hollow without looking back.
[several hours and several hundred miles later]
Lorelai stopped at a gas station and jumped out of the car doing the "potty dance" all he way into the store and into the stall. After relieving herself she bought some coffee and chocolate and headed back out to the car. She noticed her cell had a missed call and a new voice mail message on it, figuring it was Rory she hit the button to call her voicemail and almost hit an innocent pedestrian as Luke's voice echoed out of the phone.
"Hey Lorelai, its me.uh.Luke. Listen I.well I.I talked to my sister in Memphis, and I told her you were moving to town. Here's her number, she said she'd be glad to show you around. Um.okay.bye."
Lorelai stared down at the phone, baffled by the fact that he'd called. She sat the phone back down on the seat next to her and no less than five minutes later it rang again.
"Hello?" she asked
"Um.hey. Get my message?" Luke asked
"Yeah.thanks" Lorelai said quietly
"No problem. Listen, I uh, I left a map on your front seat just incase you loose your way. But don't worry, once you hit Sallisaw it's all interstate." He said
"Thanks Luke." Lorelai said
"Um.bye." Luke said
"Bye. Oh, wait, make sure and give Rory extra coffee today.she didn't want me to go." Lorelai said
"I will. I know you need to go, but before you do I want you to know that I.nevermind. Bye" Luke said hanging up the phone. He stared off into space for a few seconds before adding "She's not the only one wishing."
"Who's not the only one?" Rory asked as she plopped down on the stool.
"Nothing." Luke said as he busied himself getting some coffee for Rory. Fifteen minutes later she, and everyone else had already left so Luke finished cleaning up and closed the diner early. He sat down on a stool at the bar. He stared down into a cup of tea and felt like dropping his macho man image just for a second and letting his emotions run rampant. He idly stirred the tea with a spoon and looked up and saw an image of Lorelai dance through his mind. "I wish you the best, and I wish you nothing less than everything you've ever dreamed of. I hope you find love along the way.but most of all.I wish you'd stay." He said quietly. "I wish you'd stay." He wanted to call her, but he couldn't bring himself to. After convincing himself it was alright, he picked up the phone
Lorelai was stopped at a Burger King debating on what to order when she heard faint strains of a country song through the speakers. She sat down on a booth and listened. I figure right about sundown
You'll be in West Tennessee
And by then
Maybe I'll understand why you had to leave
I know that you've done some changin'
And I know there's no changin' your mind
And yes I know
We've been through this a thousand times
I'm sorry for still holdin' on
I'll try to let go and I'll try to be strong, and I'll
Wish you the best
And I wish you nothing less
Than every thing you've ever dreamed of
And I hope that you find love along the way
But most of all
I wish you'd stay
Yeah, everything you've ever dreamed of
And I hope that you'll find love along the way
But most of all
I wish you'd stay
I wish you'd stay
"And that was Brad Paisley with "I wish you'd Stay" going out to a wandering Gilmore from someone missing her very much." Said the DJ's voice.