Chapter 3: That Human Touch
Sookie refilled Lorelai's coffee cup as she asked, "But they're sure now?"
Lorelai nodded sadly and said, "Yeah. That guy from the magazine called back last night and told us they had recovered all the bodies."
"Oh, my God," Sookie said, "Poor Rachel."
Lorelai nodded, "I know." They sat quietly for a moment, while they both blinked back tears.
"So how is Luke taking it?" Sookie asked.
Lorelai sighed as she responded, "He's really taking it hard." Lorelai sipped her coffee then said, "You know I don't think I ever saw him cry before yesterday."
"That is so sad." After a moment Sookie asked, "So how are you taking it?"
"Me?" Lorelai asked. "I'm fine. I mean I liked Rachel, but I didn't know her that well. I'm mostly upset for Luke."
Sookie shook her head and said, "No I mean how do you feel about your fiancé getting so upset over an old girlfriend?"
Lorelai gave Sookie a surprised expression and replied, "I'm fine, why would it bother me if Luke is grieving because his old girlfriend got killed?"
"Because your fiancé is doing some major grieving over an old girlfriend."
Lorelai sighed deeply and said, "Oh, Sookie, I'm a terrible person. I mean here a perfectly nice girl has died a tragic death, and I'm upset because my boyfriend is experiencing severe grief, because it's his old girlfriend. I can't tell you how much it bothers me to see him like this over a girl that left him on more than on occasion. But then I think what if it would have been Christopher, or even Max. I would be a total wreck. Even though I'm not with them I still care about them. But then I think about Luke all broken up about Rachel and it's like someone is tying up my insides in huge knots. I must be some kind of monster."
"Oh, sweetie, that doesn't make you into a monster."
"It doesn't?" Lorelai asked.
"No it just means you're human," Sookie explained. "I mean, remember Bonnie?"
"You mean Jackson's old girlfriend?"
"Yeah, last summer she calls and says she's going to be passing through town the following week and wants to stop by. And without even checking with me Jackson says yes. Well, I was furious, but I kept telling myself that I was being irrational, and Jackson's old girlfriend was not going to be coming into town to try and steal him away from me, and besides I knew that even if she was, Jackson loved me and would never leave me."
"But, I still worried about it for the next week. Then as the day gets closer there and Jackson is acting as excited as a six-year old waiting to open his presents at Christmas, which only made me madder."
Lorelai sipped her coffee as she smiled Sookie's analogy.
"But you know what? When she finally does show up, she's not alone. She's with her husband, and two little kids, and she's pregnant with their third. So anyway we have this big barbecue, and a really nice visit, and it turns out that I spent more time talking with Bonnie, than Jackson did."
"So you liked her, huh?" asked Lorelai.
"Yeah, she was nice, and she had no intention of trying to steal Jackson. She just wanted to see an old friend."
"That's nice."
Sookie nodded then said, "Yep, but once they packed up the kids and drove off, I was glad the bitch was gone. That, my friend, is called being human."
Sookie refilled Lorelai's coffee cup as she asked, "But they're sure now?"
Lorelai nodded sadly and said, "Yeah. That guy from the magazine called back last night and told us they had recovered all the bodies."
"Oh, my God," Sookie said, "Poor Rachel."
Lorelai nodded, "I know." They sat quietly for a moment, while they both blinked back tears.
"So how is Luke taking it?" Sookie asked.
Lorelai sighed as she responded, "He's really taking it hard." Lorelai sipped her coffee then said, "You know I don't think I ever saw him cry before yesterday."
"That is so sad." After a moment Sookie asked, "So how are you taking it?"
"Me?" Lorelai asked. "I'm fine. I mean I liked Rachel, but I didn't know her that well. I'm mostly upset for Luke."
Sookie shook her head and said, "No I mean how do you feel about your fiancé getting so upset over an old girlfriend?"
Lorelai gave Sookie a surprised expression and replied, "I'm fine, why would it bother me if Luke is grieving because his old girlfriend got killed?"
"Because your fiancé is doing some major grieving over an old girlfriend."
Lorelai sighed deeply and said, "Oh, Sookie, I'm a terrible person. I mean here a perfectly nice girl has died a tragic death, and I'm upset because my boyfriend is experiencing severe grief, because it's his old girlfriend. I can't tell you how much it bothers me to see him like this over a girl that left him on more than on occasion. But then I think what if it would have been Christopher, or even Max. I would be a total wreck. Even though I'm not with them I still care about them. But then I think about Luke all broken up about Rachel and it's like someone is tying up my insides in huge knots. I must be some kind of monster."
"Oh, sweetie, that doesn't make you into a monster."
"It doesn't?" Lorelai asked.
"No it just means you're human," Sookie explained. "I mean, remember Bonnie?"
"You mean Jackson's old girlfriend?"
"Yeah, last summer she calls and says she's going to be passing through town the following week and wants to stop by. And without even checking with me Jackson says yes. Well, I was furious, but I kept telling myself that I was being irrational, and Jackson's old girlfriend was not going to be coming into town to try and steal him away from me, and besides I knew that even if she was, Jackson loved me and would never leave me."
"But, I still worried about it for the next week. Then as the day gets closer there and Jackson is acting as excited as a six-year old waiting to open his presents at Christmas, which only made me madder."
Lorelai sipped her coffee as she smiled Sookie's analogy.
"But you know what? When she finally does show up, she's not alone. She's with her husband, and two little kids, and she's pregnant with their third. So anyway we have this big barbecue, and a really nice visit, and it turns out that I spent more time talking with Bonnie, than Jackson did."
"So you liked her, huh?" asked Lorelai.
"Yeah, she was nice, and she had no intention of trying to steal Jackson. She just wanted to see an old friend."
"That's nice."
Sookie nodded then said, "Yep, but once they packed up the kids and drove off, I was glad the bitch was gone. That, my friend, is called being human."