Chapter Six
Sorry about the problem!
Stepping out into the perfectly kept garden Rory leads Jess to a small bench meant for two people, under a tree that during the day would offer a lot of shade, but for right now it gave a lot of privacy. It takes Rory awhile to even open her mouth to speak but Jess doesn't push her to begin but when she does her voice is firmer than he would have expected.
"I met Michael in my sophomore year at Yale, he was a senior so he was graduating that year but we continued to see each other after he graduated with a business degree. We married the summer after junior year and I found out that I was pregnant with Austin in the middle of my senior year; he was a surprise but not an unwanted one because Michael and I had always talked about wanting kids, maybe not that early...but still. So a couple months after I graduated I not only started working at the New York Times, in a position a professor got me, I also gave birth to my son. Michael had been one of 6 children, the other five were girls, so he was glad to have a son and we were incredibly happy and then two years later I had Shaya. But a year later while the nanny we had hired was watching Shaya she wasn't paying enough attention to Austin and he slipped out of the apartment, ran out into the road and was hit by a car." Rory takes a deep breath, wipes at her eyes, but never stops the story. "Michael and I were both depressed for a long while afterwards, but in time I realized that I still h ad a daughter I had to take care of and a job I loved. So I concentrated on my deadlines and raising Shaya, and I saw a grief councilor once a week also, she really helped me a lot. Michael on the other hand had loved Austin with everything he had in him and never actually saw anything else to live for.
"Things went like that for awhile, two years actually. On the day of the second anniversary of Austin's death I don't know what happened, it was almost as if he completely lost it. A lot of things about that night are unclear for me but there are other parts that I remember all to well." Rory takes a deep breath again but this time there are no tears to wipe away and her voice is almost strong as she states the words, almost as if she were declaring that he wasn't going to control her any longer. "What I do remember is this, he raped me and the next thing I know I was awake in the hospital. With Luke and my Mom right beside me for all of the two weeks I was in the hospital. At my mother's encouragement I quit my job in New York and bought my half of the Stars Hollow Secret and the house I live in now."
For the first time Jess interrupts, "he should be in jail, not showing up randomly at your family's events."
Rory shakes her head now, "I don't want to explain to my children that they can't see their father because he is in jail."
"Children?" Jess asks changing the topic.
Rory nods, "Shaya and the baby."
"What baby?" Jess questions suddenly confused.
Rory gives Jess and odd look, and then setting her hand on her small stomach she asks her voice changing to a slightly more amused tone she asks, "you didn't know I was pregnant?"
Jess shakes his head, "I had no idea."
"When I found out that I was pregnant the doctor told me that it was amazing that I didn't miscarry and she told me that there would be a chance that I still could up until my third month. But I've made it all right and I still have two months to go."
"There you are." Lane appears then, "I'm really sorry to interrupt but your mom's been looking for you. She's going to throw the bouquet and she refuses to do so until you are there front and center."
Rory sighs and rolls her eyes at Jess and they both stand up and follow Lane back inside where several of the towns single women are standing in a bunch, "good Rory, Rory get in the group!" Lorelai announces the instant Rory walks into the room.
"Mom, please..." Rory shakes her head.
"I won't hear of it, get your little butt in that circle right now." Lorelai insists.
Sighing Rory does as she says, and not only does Lorelai throw the bouquet right at her it smacks her in the face, "thanks Mom, exactly what I wanted."
Lorelai grins and shrugs and Kurt asks, "so the garter now?"
Luke's eyes go wide and he shakes his head, "I'm not giving into this ridiculous tradition."
"Luke!" A chorus of his name goes around the entire town of Stars Hollow.
Luke shakes his head, "I'm not doing it!"
Lorelai walks over and slips her arm in Luke's and kissing him on the cheek she looks up at him, batting her eyes lashes and in a slightly babyish voice asks, "please Luke, pretty please?"
Luke sighs and shakes his head but eventually he gives in and the garter is caught by Kirk of all people. Rory laughs and poses with Kirk for the obligatory pictures and then turns back to her mother, "thanks."
Lorelai grins, "sure."
Luke comes up beside her then, "we have to go change or we are never going to make out flight to Florida."
Rory laughs, "I can't believe you guys are going to Walt Disney World for your honeymoon."
Lorelai grins again, "Luke's never been there. I felt bad for him." Pulling Rory aside from the group she asks, "are you sure you are going to be all right here? We can change out tickets for later until we make sure that the Michael thing has died down."
Rory shakes her head, "I'm fine here in Stars Hollow, you saw everyone, Michael is not coming back. Enjoy your honeymoon."
Lorelai kisses Rory's cheek, "we will. But just the same Sookie has all the numbers to reach me, but try my cell phone first because I didn't tell anyone I was taking it so I know it will be you."
"You realize I am 28-year-old right, not eight?" Rory asks.
Lorelai nods, "of course. All right, I love you." She kisses Rory and then Luke does the same and then they say good-bye to everyone else.
Sorry about the problem!
Stepping out into the perfectly kept garden Rory leads Jess to a small bench meant for two people, under a tree that during the day would offer a lot of shade, but for right now it gave a lot of privacy. It takes Rory awhile to even open her mouth to speak but Jess doesn't push her to begin but when she does her voice is firmer than he would have expected.
"I met Michael in my sophomore year at Yale, he was a senior so he was graduating that year but we continued to see each other after he graduated with a business degree. We married the summer after junior year and I found out that I was pregnant with Austin in the middle of my senior year; he was a surprise but not an unwanted one because Michael and I had always talked about wanting kids, maybe not that early...but still. So a couple months after I graduated I not only started working at the New York Times, in a position a professor got me, I also gave birth to my son. Michael had been one of 6 children, the other five were girls, so he was glad to have a son and we were incredibly happy and then two years later I had Shaya. But a year later while the nanny we had hired was watching Shaya she wasn't paying enough attention to Austin and he slipped out of the apartment, ran out into the road and was hit by a car." Rory takes a deep breath, wipes at her eyes, but never stops the story. "Michael and I were both depressed for a long while afterwards, but in time I realized that I still h ad a daughter I had to take care of and a job I loved. So I concentrated on my deadlines and raising Shaya, and I saw a grief councilor once a week also, she really helped me a lot. Michael on the other hand had loved Austin with everything he had in him and never actually saw anything else to live for.
"Things went like that for awhile, two years actually. On the day of the second anniversary of Austin's death I don't know what happened, it was almost as if he completely lost it. A lot of things about that night are unclear for me but there are other parts that I remember all to well." Rory takes a deep breath again but this time there are no tears to wipe away and her voice is almost strong as she states the words, almost as if she were declaring that he wasn't going to control her any longer. "What I do remember is this, he raped me and the next thing I know I was awake in the hospital. With Luke and my Mom right beside me for all of the two weeks I was in the hospital. At my mother's encouragement I quit my job in New York and bought my half of the Stars Hollow Secret and the house I live in now."
For the first time Jess interrupts, "he should be in jail, not showing up randomly at your family's events."
Rory shakes her head now, "I don't want to explain to my children that they can't see their father because he is in jail."
"Children?" Jess asks changing the topic.
Rory nods, "Shaya and the baby."
"What baby?" Jess questions suddenly confused.
Rory gives Jess and odd look, and then setting her hand on her small stomach she asks her voice changing to a slightly more amused tone she asks, "you didn't know I was pregnant?"
Jess shakes his head, "I had no idea."
"When I found out that I was pregnant the doctor told me that it was amazing that I didn't miscarry and she told me that there would be a chance that I still could up until my third month. But I've made it all right and I still have two months to go."
"There you are." Lane appears then, "I'm really sorry to interrupt but your mom's been looking for you. She's going to throw the bouquet and she refuses to do so until you are there front and center."
Rory sighs and rolls her eyes at Jess and they both stand up and follow Lane back inside where several of the towns single women are standing in a bunch, "good Rory, Rory get in the group!" Lorelai announces the instant Rory walks into the room.
"Mom, please..." Rory shakes her head.
"I won't hear of it, get your little butt in that circle right now." Lorelai insists.
Sighing Rory does as she says, and not only does Lorelai throw the bouquet right at her it smacks her in the face, "thanks Mom, exactly what I wanted."
Lorelai grins and shrugs and Kurt asks, "so the garter now?"
Luke's eyes go wide and he shakes his head, "I'm not giving into this ridiculous tradition."
"Luke!" A chorus of his name goes around the entire town of Stars Hollow.
Luke shakes his head, "I'm not doing it!"
Lorelai walks over and slips her arm in Luke's and kissing him on the cheek she looks up at him, batting her eyes lashes and in a slightly babyish voice asks, "please Luke, pretty please?"
Luke sighs and shakes his head but eventually he gives in and the garter is caught by Kirk of all people. Rory laughs and poses with Kirk for the obligatory pictures and then turns back to her mother, "thanks."
Lorelai grins, "sure."
Luke comes up beside her then, "we have to go change or we are never going to make out flight to Florida."
Rory laughs, "I can't believe you guys are going to Walt Disney World for your honeymoon."
Lorelai grins again, "Luke's never been there. I felt bad for him." Pulling Rory aside from the group she asks, "are you sure you are going to be all right here? We can change out tickets for later until we make sure that the Michael thing has died down."
Rory shakes her head, "I'm fine here in Stars Hollow, you saw everyone, Michael is not coming back. Enjoy your honeymoon."
Lorelai kisses Rory's cheek, "we will. But just the same Sookie has all the numbers to reach me, but try my cell phone first because I didn't tell anyone I was taking it so I know it will be you."
"You realize I am 28-year-old right, not eight?" Rory asks.
Lorelai nods, "of course. All right, I love you." She kisses Rory and then Luke does the same and then they say good-bye to everyone else.