Lorelai walked quietly into her house, dropped her purse and keys onto the kitchen table and immediately checked the contents of the fridge. Half a carton of sour milk, prehistoric leftover pizza, and a jar of relish. Definitely not breakfast. After a few moments of quick thought, she knocked gently on Rory's bedroom door. "Rory..you awake?"
"Yep."
"Can I come in?"
"Sure."
She opened Rory's bedroom door an inch and peered in.
"Whatcha doing?"
"Reading."
"Ahhhhhhh. No surprise there." Lorelai entered the bedroom and marvelled for the millionth time over what a great kid she had. Rory was snuggled under her covers with a book, looking sleepy and flushed. Lorelai smiled and crawled under the covers with her. "Good book?"
"Yeah." Rory put the book down and kissed her mother on the cheek. "Where were you?"
"I was..out." Lorelai replied, a sudden tiredness in her voice.
"You ok?"
"Yep." Lorelai lied. "Hey, you up for some breakfast, Einstein?"
"Sure, but we don't actually have anything edible in the house." Rory wrinkled her nose.
"Which is precisely why we are going out." Lorelai added, making a mental note to go to the supermarket on Monday.
"Luke's?" Rory queried innocently.
"Ummmmmm..no." Lorelai began to pick at a semi loose thread on Rory's comforter. "I was thinking we could go to Al's."
"But, today is Saturday and Al has his abbreviated menu. Luke has blueberry pancakes." Rory pouted.
"We are not going to Luke's." Lorelai said quietly.
"Why not?"
"Because."
"Because why?"
"Just because, ok?" The words were said a little more harshly then Lorelai had meant, and Rory blinked in surprise. "Sorry, hon..I have had a rough morning."
"It's ok, Mom. We don't need to go to Luke's. Al's is great. In fact, I hear he has excellent muffins." Rory hugged Lorelai gently, beginning to get an idea of where her mother had been that morning.
"Thanks, kiddo. Have I told you what a fabulous daughter you are lately?"
"Every day."
Lorelai nodded then stood up suddenly, pulling Rory up with her.
"All right. Get dressed! I'm hungry."
"Ok...."
"Meet me at the front door in ten minutes?"
"You bet."
Lorelai grinned at Rory, and then left the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. The grin disappeared the moment the door clicked shut.
Roughly ten minutes and one missing shoe later, Lorelai and Rory were ready to face breakfast at Al's. Lorelai had changed clothes, thanks to a neurotic need to start the day fresh, and felt marginally better. She had even managed to muster up a wee bit of enthusiasm over the idea of breakfast. She was dying for a cup of coffee, and could hardly wait for that first sip. Granted it wouldn't be as good as..
"Luke!" Rory yelped in surprise. "What are you doing here? I mean..nice to see you..great, even..but..I am babbling. Going to stop now."
Luke looked incredibly uncomfortable. Two styrofoam cartons and a coffee carafe filled a bag that hung precariously on one arm, while a tray that held two large cups of coffee balanced on the other arm. It was also obvious that he carried his heart on his sleeve.
"I brought breakfast." Luke said, daring a quick look at Lorelai. "And coffee. Lots of coffee."
"Yep."
"Can I come in?"
"Sure."
She opened Rory's bedroom door an inch and peered in.
"Whatcha doing?"
"Reading."
"Ahhhhhhh. No surprise there." Lorelai entered the bedroom and marvelled for the millionth time over what a great kid she had. Rory was snuggled under her covers with a book, looking sleepy and flushed. Lorelai smiled and crawled under the covers with her. "Good book?"
"Yeah." Rory put the book down and kissed her mother on the cheek. "Where were you?"
"I was..out." Lorelai replied, a sudden tiredness in her voice.
"You ok?"
"Yep." Lorelai lied. "Hey, you up for some breakfast, Einstein?"
"Sure, but we don't actually have anything edible in the house." Rory wrinkled her nose.
"Which is precisely why we are going out." Lorelai added, making a mental note to go to the supermarket on Monday.
"Luke's?" Rory queried innocently.
"Ummmmmm..no." Lorelai began to pick at a semi loose thread on Rory's comforter. "I was thinking we could go to Al's."
"But, today is Saturday and Al has his abbreviated menu. Luke has blueberry pancakes." Rory pouted.
"We are not going to Luke's." Lorelai said quietly.
"Why not?"
"Because."
"Because why?"
"Just because, ok?" The words were said a little more harshly then Lorelai had meant, and Rory blinked in surprise. "Sorry, hon..I have had a rough morning."
"It's ok, Mom. We don't need to go to Luke's. Al's is great. In fact, I hear he has excellent muffins." Rory hugged Lorelai gently, beginning to get an idea of where her mother had been that morning.
"Thanks, kiddo. Have I told you what a fabulous daughter you are lately?"
"Every day."
Lorelai nodded then stood up suddenly, pulling Rory up with her.
"All right. Get dressed! I'm hungry."
"Ok...."
"Meet me at the front door in ten minutes?"
"You bet."
Lorelai grinned at Rory, and then left the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. The grin disappeared the moment the door clicked shut.
Roughly ten minutes and one missing shoe later, Lorelai and Rory were ready to face breakfast at Al's. Lorelai had changed clothes, thanks to a neurotic need to start the day fresh, and felt marginally better. She had even managed to muster up a wee bit of enthusiasm over the idea of breakfast. She was dying for a cup of coffee, and could hardly wait for that first sip. Granted it wouldn't be as good as..
"Luke!" Rory yelped in surprise. "What are you doing here? I mean..nice to see you..great, even..but..I am babbling. Going to stop now."
Luke looked incredibly uncomfortable. Two styrofoam cartons and a coffee carafe filled a bag that hung precariously on one arm, while a tray that held two large cups of coffee balanced on the other arm. It was also obvious that he carried his heart on his sleeve.
"I brought breakfast." Luke said, daring a quick look at Lorelai. "And coffee. Lots of coffee."