Pictures
Slightly AU.
Disclaimer: Of course they're not mine, Lorelai and Luke would have been married by Season 2 if they were! Don't sue, I am a college student -all you will get is four loud parakeets, two hyper dogs, and twelve rabbits! (Oh, and a lot of vet bills.)
Emily had never noticed the pictures before tonight. Standing in the foyer of her daughter and son-in-law's house, she suddenly noticed the picture of Lorelai and Rory, sitting at the counter of what Emily assumed to be the diner.
Next to it, a picture of Luke. It was a candid shot, for Luke was sitting on the steps of the house, looking upwards, a small smile creasing his face, his lips parted slightly in something resembling awe. Emily wondered what he was looking at.
Further wandering showed snapshots of a life and family. In the living room, a picture of Luke and Lorelai at their wedding. Lorelai, still in a beautiful dusky rose gown, Luke still in his tux, with the addition of his beloved blue baseball cap. Emily remembered the conversation that had led to that.
"Where's your hat?"
"You think I carry the hat with me everywhere?"
"You don't?"
Minutes later, Luke had emerged from the inn, hat firmly in place. "I didn't realize I had grabbed it." Sheepish.
"You do carry it everywhere!" Triumphant.
On the mantle, a picture of Sookie, Jackson, and Davy. Rory, her arms wrapped around Luke's neck, leaning over his shoulder, both of them grinning. Paris and Rory, sitting on the front steps of their dorm at Yale, solemnly looking at the camera. Luke and Jess, Luke giving the camera a tolerant glare, Jess smiling slightly at something off camera. Lane and Dave, standing in front of the gazebo, arms twined about each other in the halo of twinkle lights.
On the end table, Emily was amused to see a picture of Luke and Jackson, asleep, their heads at opposite ends of the couch, but their legs tangled slightly. Judging by the edge of Christmas décor in the corner of the picture, they were sleeping off the after dinner turkey drowsiness.
On the long table, Emily was pleased to see a picture of her and Richard. Another candid shot of Luke, working on his truck. Grease stained jeans, a dirty gray T-shirt, and a rag sticking out the back pocket, someone had used magic marker and written "The Boss" with an arrow pointed to the rag. Rory lying in the front porch swing, reading. Michele, Sookie, and Lorelai standing in front of the desk at the inn.
On the wall, half way up the stairs, was a collage of pictures, Jess, in a cap and gown, wielding his diploma, looking almost gleefully at the camera. Rory and Jess, sitting in a corner booth at the diner, heads bowed over their books, a half eaten plate of fries between them. Luke and Lorelai leaning against each other on the front steps of the house. A shot of Luke and Jess, Luke turning to say something, Jess' mouth twitched upwards in a sarcastic smile. Lorelai and Rory, a picture taken at graduation. In the center of the collage was something resembling a family portrait, Lorelai propped on the counter, clutching a cup of coffee, Rory and Jess, books handing to their sides, Luke leaned on the counter behind them. All four had been smiling, looking straight at the camera. The picture had been blown up to an 8" by 10", framed, and Emily was certain that a professional couldn't have taken a better picture. The shot had captured the group perfectly, caught the personality, the love, that was between them.
Emily thought suddenly of the pictures in her own home, more precisely of the family portrait hanging above her fireplace. None of her photos showed the essence of the people. None of them caught people in happy smiles or showed the love and familiarity. No pictures showed achievement, or gleefulness, or amusement.
Emily returned downstairs, and entered the kitchen. Rory, home from Yale for the winter break, and Jess, finished with his second semester at the community college, were trying to make order from the chaos of Christmas ornaments in the box on the table before them.
Emily set down in a chair and looked up at her grandchildren. "How difficult," she said, "is a digital camera to operate?"