Disclaimer: This is an original story based upon the characters of Gilmore Girls. No profit will be made from this story and no copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: Thank you to all who read and reviewed the last chapter. I am always grateful for feedback. Just as a side note, my best friend's mom was in the hospital this last week with a collapsed lung. She is out and is just fine now—she was in really great shape. The experience made me think though. This woman is one of my dearest friends and though I would be devastated if I lost her, during that short time when it was scary, I knew she knew how I felt about her and that was comforting. I need to do better on showing all the people I love that I love them while I have them with me. Anyway, just wanted to share that with all of you. I hope you enjoy the next chapter.

For a minute, we just looked at each other. We never really had been close—she had lived in Paris my entire life. But now—there was a connection, a bond that neither one us had allowed but could not deny now.

Both of us were teenage mothers

Both of us were the "daughters" of Emily Gilmore.

Carefully, I hung the dress back in the wardrobe and crossed the room to meet her. She met me half way and hugged me tightly to her.

"I'm so glad you're here," I whispered. She hugged me tighter,

"I am too Honey," she whispered back in my ear. We separated the hug and then went back to sit on one of the many chests in the room. There was so much I wanted to ask her, wanted her to tell me.

"How are you?" she asked.

"I'm getting married!" I said excitedly.

"Is he a good man?" she asked.

"Yes, he is" I replied, feeling that "swooney" feeling again thinking about how much I loved Luke.

"So you're happy?" she asked, and I noticed how intense her eyes were.

"Yes, I am," and then swallowed as a fresh round of tears came on. "I really am happy."

She took my hand in hers and squeezed it. "I'm glad you're happy Honey," she replied. It was sweet but still awkward. Was it because I barely knew her? Was it because she reminded me so much of Mom? Or was it because I knew her secret? Did she even know that Mom had told me? I knew I didn't have time for a heart to heart right now. But something told me that the truth needed to be spoken here—just the two of us. I turned to look at her and she was looking around at all the beautiful things Mom had put in the room. The lace curtains covering the window, the wardrobe filled with special dresses, the chests packed with mementos. She turned back and smiled at me. She seemed to know what was coming next, she looked resigned, ready for it.

"Go ahead," she said, "Ask me."

I waited for a minute and then just asked it.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

She sighed, "I was ashamed. You have to understand Lorelai, going through the pregnancy, and all that meant and then loosing the baby—it was devastating to me. Even after I had married and had Carl and Rebecca, I still couldn't bring myself to talk about Emily Ann."

I looked down at my feet, nervously twisting them around. "When I got pregnant, I'd never been so scared. I was too young, should I put the baby up for adoption, could I be the kind of mother I needed to be? It was a terrible, lonely time for me. If I would have known, if could've had someone to talk to, someone who had been through it all before—it would've made all the difference."

"I know Honey, I know," she replied quickly. "I thought about telling you so many times. I just couldn't bring myself to do it." She paused for a minute and I saw the tears in her eyes. "Lorelai…I know you're hurt, and I know I've hardly been an aunt to you over the years. But…can I ask you a favor?" I nodded, wondering what she wanted.

"You know, I came to see you when you were a baby, and I got to hold you and rock you and at that time I didn't even know if I would have any more children. When I was rocking you, I thought that maybe you could be my girl too and that wouldn't make me so lonesome for my Emily. So I planned out our future right then and there. I was going to be the best aunt in the world. Then I had my two children, and time just got away from me I guess. Lorelai…Honey, will you forgive me for being absent in your life, for not telling you and sharing your hard time with you?"

"Of course," I said. I was tired of grudges, someone was asking my forgiveness now and I wanted to give it to her wholeheartedly.

She smiled and dried her eyes. "Lorelai, would you let me stand in for your mom? Would you let me help you into her wedding dress and get you ready for your special day? Can I do that for you?"

Now I was crying. I nodded yes and we stood up. It was only then that I saw the carved lettering on the chest I was sitting on. It said, "Lorelai"

"Just a second Aunt Hopie," I replied and slowly lifted the chest. Inside it was filled with baby clothes, and dresses I had worn throughout the years. I saw something else though underneath one of the clothes and took it out to look at it. It was a picture, in the backyard. There was a crude looking snowman and next to it, was me—three or four, proud as could be.

And there, kneeling down, with one arm around me, and her head resting on my head, with jeans, large boots, no makeup on, and her brown curls in disarray under a pink knit hat was mom.

"Oh my," I said and Hopie came over to see what I was looking at.

"What is it?" she asked.

I just shook my head, dumbfounded. "It was mom." I replied and looked out the window. "All of my life, I've loved snow. It's magical for me. Everything good in my life has happened when it snowed. Rory asked me one time why I loved snow so much and I told her that when I was little, there was a maid that I loved who would always take me out and play in the snow. I always loved it. I never could remember her name, but all I remembered was she had a pink knitted hat and every time she'd put on that hat, it always meant that something wonderful would happen—something magical." I stopped for a minute remembering more—"I used to call it the magic pink hat, because I thought it had the power to make it snow." I bit my lower lip in a futile effort to keep the tears away.

"Lorelai," Hope said suddenly, "Look in the chest, beneath that organdy dress there." I reached down and sure enough pulled out the magic pink knit hat. "It was mom," I said again, trying to wipe away the tears. "It was mom."

"Honey," Hopie said gently, taking the dress out of the closet. "Your father is having a limo sent over and I'll take the dress with us to Stars Hollow." I stood up, taking the handkerchief she offered me, but unable to take my eyes off the hat.

"Okay, I'll meet you there." I said. "There's something I need to do". Still wearing my old wedding dress, I lifted it up and ran down the stairs to the back entrance of the house. Slowly I walked outside and looked up at the sky.

"I don't know if you're up there." I began. "I don't know if there is Heaven, but if you're listening, I just want to tell you that I'm sorry." I paused and fought back more tears.

"Mommy, I don't know what happened to you. I don't know what you went through that made you the way you were. Maybe it was the demands you felt, the pressures you felt to be perfect and be somebody you weren't. Maybe it was me. I don't know. But whatever it was, I am just sorry you had to go through that and I'm sorry for whatever added weight I put on you. I forgive you for everything. You were a good mom, and I forgive you for all your mistakes. I was so lucky to have you in my life and I am so sorry for all the hurt I caused you. If you are listening to me, I hope one day you can forgive me." I held the pink hat up to my heart. "I love you Mom."

Suddenly the words from the letter that went with the tiara came into my head

"The whole angel army couldn't keep me away. Somehow I'll be there."

And then it began to snow.