Chapter 19: The Spirit of the Gift
Two hours later, when Rory returned from her shopping trip, she found Lorelai on the couch watching TV.
"Hi, sweetie," Lorelai greeted. She noticed the large bag with the logo of one of the office supply super stores and said, "Wow, you really did need some stuff for school."
"Well, you know me," Rory explained, "If there's somewhere I like to shop at almost as much as the book store, it's the office supply store."
"What about the candy store?"
"That's good too." Rory sat down her bags, then walked to the couch and sat down saying, "So, do you feel better after your nap?"
"Yeah, I do. Thanks."
"How's your stomach?" Rory asked.
"It's fine as long as I don't eat anything, or drink anything."
"So, still a little funky, huh?"
"Yeah pretty much."
"So do you think you need to go to a doctor?" Rory asked.
"If I'm not better in a couple of days." Lorelai grabbed Rory's knee and asked, "So, you want to do Teriyaki Joe's for lunch. They have a great new buffet."
"Mom," Rory replied. "I don't think that you should be eating at Teriyaki Joe's if your stomach is giving you problems."
"Oh, but that's the beauty," Lorelai started. "I can eat lots of food, throw up, then eat some more. It'll be great."
"Ewww, you're sick, you know that?"
"So, tell me something I don't already know."
"Okay," Rory said standing, up. "I got you something while I was out."
"You did? What is it?" Lorelai asked. "Is it candy?"
"No, it's not candy."
"Is it aaa… a new pair of boots?"
"Nope, not boots," Rory answered as she walked over to her bags and picked up a small plastic bag with the logo of a big drug store chain.
"Okay, then is it one of those ice scrapping thingies?" Lorelai asked.
"Now why would I buy you an ice scrapper?"
"Well, because mine broke last winter, and you know that I'll never think to buy one myself till after I need it and since you always think ahead…"
As Rory walked back to the couch, she said, "Well, I'm sure that in some alternate universe that made some kind of sense, but no, no ice scraper."
"So, what then?"
Rory reached into the bag, pulled out a long and narrow box and handed it to her mother. The box was half pink and half blue, with the word Expectations in a stylized script.
Lorelai stared at the box for a moment, then her eyes lit up, she grabbed Rory's arm and asked, "Oh, my God, Rory, are you pregnant?"
"What!? No, I am not pregnant."
The smile began to erode from Lorelai's face as she said, "Then, who? Brenda?"
"My roommate? No."
"Lane?"
"No, not Lane."
Lorelai narrowed her eyes at Rory and asked, "Sookie?"
"Nope."
"Sherry?"
"Uh-huh."
"Miss Patty?"
"Yeah ,right."
"Your grandmother?" Lorelai said, her eyes brightening. "Am I going to have a little brother or sister?"
"What? Mom, no."
Lorelai shrugged and said, "I give up. Who?"
Rory looked Lorelai directly in the eyes and replied, "I think you know who."
Lorelai paused for a second and then she tossed the test onto the coffee table, threw up her hands and said, "Nope, not happening."
"Mom."
"I am not pregnant."
"Mom."
"There's no way."
"Mom."
"Why would you even think that I might be pregnant?"
"I don't know, maybe it has something to do with you being sick all the time, and being very emotional. The kind of emotions caused by raging hormones."
Lorelai shook her head and said, "No, that's just a bug, or stress."
"Uh-huh."
"It is."
Mmm, yeah."
Lorelai shook her head, and declared, "Rory, there is no way that I'm pregnant. None."
"So, then you haven't got anything to lose by taking the test," Rory challenged.
"You take it. You're so much better at tests than me. You even enjoy taking tests."
"Cleopatra, queen of denial."
"Besides," responded Lorelai. "Those things aren't always accurate."
Rory reached into the bag, pulled out two more boxes, and said, "That's why I bought three."
When Lorelai continued to look reluctant, Rory said, "Come on."
Lorelai sat back on the couch, crossing her arms and pouting.
"Look," Rory started, "if you take one, so will I. It'll be the latest in a long line of wacky Gilmore girls, mother-daughter bonding rituals."
Two hours later, when Rory returned from her shopping trip, she found Lorelai on the couch watching TV.
"Hi, sweetie," Lorelai greeted. She noticed the large bag with the logo of one of the office supply super stores and said, "Wow, you really did need some stuff for school."
"Well, you know me," Rory explained, "If there's somewhere I like to shop at almost as much as the book store, it's the office supply store."
"What about the candy store?"
"That's good too." Rory sat down her bags, then walked to the couch and sat down saying, "So, do you feel better after your nap?"
"Yeah, I do. Thanks."
"How's your stomach?" Rory asked.
"It's fine as long as I don't eat anything, or drink anything."
"So, still a little funky, huh?"
"Yeah pretty much."
"So do you think you need to go to a doctor?" Rory asked.
"If I'm not better in a couple of days." Lorelai grabbed Rory's knee and asked, "So, you want to do Teriyaki Joe's for lunch. They have a great new buffet."
"Mom," Rory replied. "I don't think that you should be eating at Teriyaki Joe's if your stomach is giving you problems."
"Oh, but that's the beauty," Lorelai started. "I can eat lots of food, throw up, then eat some more. It'll be great."
"Ewww, you're sick, you know that?"
"So, tell me something I don't already know."
"Okay," Rory said standing, up. "I got you something while I was out."
"You did? What is it?" Lorelai asked. "Is it candy?"
"No, it's not candy."
"Is it aaa… a new pair of boots?"
"Nope, not boots," Rory answered as she walked over to her bags and picked up a small plastic bag with the logo of a big drug store chain.
"Okay, then is it one of those ice scrapping thingies?" Lorelai asked.
"Now why would I buy you an ice scrapper?"
"Well, because mine broke last winter, and you know that I'll never think to buy one myself till after I need it and since you always think ahead…"
As Rory walked back to the couch, she said, "Well, I'm sure that in some alternate universe that made some kind of sense, but no, no ice scraper."
"So, what then?"
Rory reached into the bag, pulled out a long and narrow box and handed it to her mother. The box was half pink and half blue, with the word Expectations in a stylized script.
Lorelai stared at the box for a moment, then her eyes lit up, she grabbed Rory's arm and asked, "Oh, my God, Rory, are you pregnant?"
"What!? No, I am not pregnant."
The smile began to erode from Lorelai's face as she said, "Then, who? Brenda?"
"My roommate? No."
"Lane?"
"No, not Lane."
Lorelai narrowed her eyes at Rory and asked, "Sookie?"
"Nope."
"Sherry?"
"Uh-huh."
"Miss Patty?"
"Yeah ,right."
"Your grandmother?" Lorelai said, her eyes brightening. "Am I going to have a little brother or sister?"
"What? Mom, no."
Lorelai shrugged and said, "I give up. Who?"
Rory looked Lorelai directly in the eyes and replied, "I think you know who."
Lorelai paused for a second and then she tossed the test onto the coffee table, threw up her hands and said, "Nope, not happening."
"Mom."
"I am not pregnant."
"Mom."
"There's no way."
"Mom."
"Why would you even think that I might be pregnant?"
"I don't know, maybe it has something to do with you being sick all the time, and being very emotional. The kind of emotions caused by raging hormones."
Lorelai shook her head and said, "No, that's just a bug, or stress."
"Uh-huh."
"It is."
Mmm, yeah."
Lorelai shook her head, and declared, "Rory, there is no way that I'm pregnant. None."
"So, then you haven't got anything to lose by taking the test," Rory challenged.
"You take it. You're so much better at tests than me. You even enjoy taking tests."
"Cleopatra, queen of denial."
"Besides," responded Lorelai. "Those things aren't always accurate."
Rory reached into the bag, pulled out two more boxes, and said, "That's why I bought three."
When Lorelai continued to look reluctant, Rory said, "Come on."
Lorelai sat back on the couch, crossing her arms and pouting.
"Look," Rory started, "if you take one, so will I. It'll be the latest in a long line of wacky Gilmore girls, mother-daughter bonding rituals."