Chapter Two
Rory shifted a little in her sleep and let out a small breath, before her face broke into a small grin, "You came."
"Of course I did." Lorelai said, softly, not realizing Rory was still dreaming.
"I don't wanna wake up." Rory mumbled, and Lorelai felt her heart sag a little.
"But if you don't, I can't give you your present." Lorelai said.
"A present?" Rory said, sounding intrigued.
"Yeaaaaah." Lorelai grinned, drawing out her voice for emphasis, "It is 4:03 am on your birthday."
"If I open my eyes, are you going to be there?" Rory asked, sounding uncertain.
"There's a 199.94 chance." Lorelai smiled down at her sleepy daughter.
Soft blue eyes fluttered open, and a hand reached up to smooth her wet hair back, and Rory's face broke into a sleepy smile, "Hi."
"Happy Birthday." Lorelai said simply.
"I didn't think you'd come." Rory said, as she sat up slightly, and moved pillows so she was propped up.
Lorelai moved so she was sitting next to her daughter, and put a pillow under her head, "It's your birthday. Of course I did."
Rory smiled, and then her face looked solemn, "I'm sorry."
Lorelai nodded, "I know you are. Let's just celebrate today, okay? We'll talk later."
Rory smile grew, "Okay." Lorelai handed Rory a small package. It was rectangular in shape, and wrapped in blue and green sparkly paper, tied with multicolored ribbons, "Wow, pretty. Did you wrap this?"
Lorelai nodded, "I did. I thought the blue matched our eyes."
Rory moved the box to her ear and shook it. No sound emanated from the interior, but she felt the familiar shape of a book, "Which book is it this time?" Rory asked, wondering if something she'd ordered from Amazon had arrived after she'd left her house.
Lorelai's face stayed void of expression, "One that you've never read before."
Rory began carefully taking off the ribbon and opening the paper slowly, "I still have plenty of books in the world to read, we all know that." After the package was opened, she realized that it was not a book in her hands, but a journal. Decorated with small colorful handprints and a picture insert in the middle, the wire-bound notebook was clearly not brand new. Rory recognized the picture in the middle of her and her mother way back when Rory had been four years old. Mia had taken the picture of Lorelai and Rory sitting in a large chair, a book spread over their laps.
"I've always loved that picture." Lorelai said, running her fingers over it, "It's just you all the way, reading and sitting with Mommy."
Rory opened the small journal to realize that it was, indeed, old. As she read the date inscribed on the first page, it was 20 years old, to be exact, "October 8, 1985." She began reading the entry, which was in her mom's handwriting, still the same now as it was 20 years before,
"Lorelai Leigh Gilmore,
You are one year old today! Happy Birthday, sweet girl. Everyone is always saying how fast children grow up, so I have decided to make this little book for you, to give to you when you get older. I hope "older" never comes, but then again when you are older, you'll be someone to talk to in more than just one-word sentences. You and I have quite an adventure ahead of us, seeing as I'm planning to leave Grandma and Grandpa's house soon. They dote on you, and are wonderful, but it's almost time for us to move on. You continue to amaze me little Lorelai Leigh, as you babble, smile, crawl like an energizer bunny, and giggle at my jokes. I love you, darling, happy first birthday.
Love, Mama"
Rory flipped through the book, and realized that the date on the entries stayed the same, but the years changed. She looked up at her mom, eyes glistening with happy tears, "You did this every year."
Lorelai nodded, "I wanted a way to write down memories, so I could preserve them with words as well as pictures."
"I love it. Thank you." Rory reached for her mom, and let herself be enveloped into a hug.
"Read the last entry." Lorelai said, flipping the pages to the entry dated that very day.
Rory looked down and realized there were only five sentences written on the page. Five little sentences that said all they needed to say, "I'm so sorry, honey. I love you, and I am so proud of you. Whatever you do is fine with me as long as you're happy. I learned in the past 21 years that what is most important is to stand by your loved ones and not judge or control them. Whatever you need and want, I'll help you. Love, Mom."
Rory looked up at her mother again, and realized Lorelai's eyes were shiny with tears. Lorelai rarely ever cried in front of her daughter, but she was now. Rory pulled her mom into a hug, and they both held each other like a lifeline. As they pulled away, Lorelai looked her daughter in the eye, "How's your birthday now?"
"It's getting better." Rory admitted, "Much better. I think the storm cloud has passed."
"How does it feel to be 21?" Lorelai asked, as both women shifted down in the bed so they were lying next to each other, looking at the ceiling.
"No different than being 20." Rory shrugged, "I thought it would be different."
"After awhile, it doesn't feel different anymore." Lorelai chuckled, "Wow, I can't believe you're 21. So it was 21 years ago now that I was lying in this exact position, except I had a huge, fat stomach, and big, fat ankles, and was swearing like a sailor."
Rory rolled her eyes, "A sailor on leave." She interjected, knowing this story by heart now.
"And while some have called it the most meaningful experience of your life, to me it was something more akin to doing the splits on a crate of dynamite…"
"I love you, Mom."
"And I was screaming and swearing, and being surrounded by a hundred doctors, I just assumed there was a really good use for the cup of ice chips they gave me."
"But, there wasn't."
"But pelting the nurses every time they came in or messed with a gadget or checked my cervix was really fun."
"I love you, Mom." Rory repeated, snuggling closer, wanting the warm familial contact.
"Shh, you'll miss the part where he sees your head. So, there I was lying in a huge amount of pain, and the doctor checks me, and tells me he sees a head of dark hair…" Lorelai continued the familiar story, and Rory let herself be drawn to sleep listening to her mother's voice. They'd talk tomorrow, but now Lorelai really wanted Rory to have a great birthday.