Lorelai returned from her bathroom trip.
"I'm getting myself a coke. Do you want one too?"
"Yes, please." – Rory said without taking her eyes off the wall. The slide changed and she smiled at the picture. It was one of Lorelai trying to shove a piece of chocolate in Luke's mouth who was protesting. Rory laughed and Lorelai joined her as she came back from the kitchen.
"Boy he put up a good fight but I won anyway…and I was so pregnant then."
"Maybe you won because you were so pregnant."
"Are you implying he let me win?"
"That's what I'm implying, yes." – Lorelai gasped shocked.
"That's not true. Take it back. Oh, look that's when you slipped on the foil and fell with your face down between the cushions."
"Yeah, thanks for taking first the picture and then helping me up."
"You're welcome babe. That was great evening. We ate, laughed, sang Christmas Carols, decorated the tree."
"Hmm, I remember me and Luke decorating the tree while you sat on the couch and ate and sang Carols to annoy Luke."
"Didn't I just say that?"
"I like this picture. It's really nice. I didn't even notice Luke taking it."
"Yeah, neither did I." – Lorelai said staring at the picture. It was a picture of her, Rory and Emily sitting in the living room with the decorated tree behind them. It was one evening with her mother that she didn't mind remembering.
December 2006It was a week before Christmas. Luke and Rory were decorating the tree while Lorelai sat on the couch balancing a bowl of popcorn on her belly.
"You're are supposed to string the popcorn and not eat it."
"But Luke I'm pregnant. Pregnant women need to eat a lot."
"You always eat a lot. Pregnant or not."
"Pregnant women don't like criticism and sarcasm."
"You should have known better than to put that bowl in front of her, Luke."
"Hey, mean daughter. Watch out missy. You're getting competition now. I just may bequeath everything to your little sister or brother."
"Oh , you wouldn't dare. You know I should get the "Charlie's Angels" plates."
"I think…" – Luke was interrupted by the doorbell. – "Are we expecting someone."
"No one besides our baby." – Rory rolled her eyes and put down the lights.
"I'll go see who it is." – When she opened the door she found herself face to face with her grandmother. – "Grandma?"
"Hello Rory. May I come inside?"
"Of course." – Rory stuttered. When Emily entered she heard Luke and Lorelai debating where to put an angel.
"You can't put this on the top of the tree because it's not made to be on the top of a tree." – Luke told her.
"But I want an angel on the top of the tree and not a stupid star."
"We don't have…" – Luke stopped mid-sentence when he noticed Emily standing in the living room. Lorelai moved around on the couch to see what had caught his attention. She was shocked to see her mother.
"Hello Lorelai."
"Emily." – It hurt Emily to hear Lorelai call her by her name and not call her mom or even mother.
"Hello Luke."
"Mrs. Gilmore." – The coldness in his voice hurt too.
"Grandma would you like something to drink?" – Rory asked trying to lighten up the situation a bit.
"A glass of water would be nice." – Luke stopped Rory before she could go to the kitchen.
"Rory, I'll get the drinks you stay here."
"Yeah, you stay here Rory." – Lorelai said and stood up. She walked upstairs as fast as her pregnant body allowed it. Luke, Rory and Emily watched her go. Neither of them tried to stop her. Luke and Rory didn't stop her because they knew that Lorelai needed some time to process Emily's surprise visit. Emily didn't stop her because she didn't want to say something and make the situation even worse.
When they heard the bedroom door close Luke turned to the two other Gilmore women.
"I'll go and talk to her."
"I'm sorry Luke. For everything." – Emily said and Luke was surprised how straightforward she was. – "I came to apologize for the way I treated you both."
"Even after such a long time Lorelai didn't tell me everything that happened that night. To be honest it's not necessary that I know. All I need to know is that you caused her pain and Rory too. I will only accept your apology if Lorelai does. Now I'll go upstairs and convince Lorelai to come back down. You better not hurt her again." – Luke said and ran upstairs. A few minutes later Luke and Lorelai walked down. They were holding hands. Lorelai finding strength in Luke's grip to face her mother. Emily and Rory who were talking on the couch fell silent when they saw them. Lorelai sat down on a chair next to the fireplace and Luke stood next to her.
"Fine. I'm here. What is it that you want to tell me." – Emily looked around the room before her eyes settled on her daughter again. She cleared her throat and then spoke.
"I came to apologize. Maybe it's too late but I have to try. I'm so sorry for all the ugly words I said. I'm sorry for meaning them at that time. I know now that I was wrong. All I wanted was for you to be happy. I know you were happy but I refused to see it. Mainly because I define happiness differently than you. Luke I'm sorry for treating you the way I did. I'm sorry for causing you both pain.
I hope you see that I'm telling you the truth and that you'll find a way to forgive me."
"Why now?"
"Excuse me?"
"Why now? Why are you apologizing two years later?"
"Because I'm stubborn. I couldn't admit to myself or to anyone else that I was wrong and…" – Emily trailed off.
"And what?"
"I saw you two in Hartford last week. You walked out of a shop and I was shocked to discover your round belly." – Luke, Lorelai and Rory could see the unshed tears in Emily's eyes. – "You looked so happy and content. Luke said something and you laughed rubbing your belly with the hand that wasn't holding his. I was hurt and upset. It made me sad when I realized that I had no idea what was going on in you life." – Although Rory had continued to go alone to the Friday dinners she never mentioned anything about Lorelai or Luke. Emily knew that they were married. Rory told her the week before the wedding. She told her probably in hope that Emily would apologize to Lorelai but that never happened.
Now Emily was in their home asking for forgiveness.
"I spent the few past days only thinking about you. I don't want things to be this way between us. I don't want to regret not being a part of your life or you not being a part of your fathers and my life. I want to be able to know my grandchildren." – Emily finished and was glad that she wasn't crying. The room was silent. Everyone waited for Lorelai to say something but Lorelai was experiencing a rare moment. She was speechless. Emily got up to leave.
"I should go now. I'm sorry if I interrupted your evening." – Rory rose with her grandma. Emily was almost out of the living room when Lorelai's voice stopped her.
"Mom? Do you know how to string popcorn?" – The question sounded silly and usually Emily would have replied something sarcastic but she only nodded her head slightly. Lorelai picked up the bowl with popcorn and hinted to Emily to sit back down. Emily gladly did. The tension left the room and both Rory and Luke exhaled a breath of relief.
For the rest of the evening they didn't talk about the past. They mostly talked about the baby and Christmas. Luke and Rory finished decorating the tree. When Rory sat down on the floor next to her mother Luke brought the empty trimmings boxes outside. When he came back he looked at the three of them talking. It was rare to see. He then noticed Lorelai's digi-cam and took a picture of the "Gilmore girls".
Later when Emily got back home she immediately called Richard – who was in Washington DC – and told him the good news.
Christmas was spent in Stars Hollow. It was Luke's idea to invite her parents. Lorelai was glad that things with her parents were again like they used to be before the fight. Emily still disapproved of Lorelai's clothes and humor. Lorelai still got annoyed at her mother's constant criticism. The only difference was that Richard and Emily finally welcomed and accepted Luke.
TBC