Disclaimer: I don't own anyone you may recognize.
A/N: This is a sequel to a previous story called Jessie; constructive criticism is always welcome.
Thanks to Linz for everything.
xoxoxo
Chapter Seven
Once the two adults had gone, Jess retrieved the contraband dinner from her room and made Will's dinner. She had a bowl of corn flakes, a green apple (minus the skin), and a tall glass of water. Will, who had learned the puppy-dog eyes from the woman who had invented them, asked if they could eat in the den and Jess agreed since she'd seen what was in there earlier.
Will made a beeline for the TV where he had neatly stacked three DVDs that he now brought to her. "Which one?"
Jess examined the movies and picked The Incredibles since she had not yet seen it. Together, they snuggled on the couch and giggled over the family of superheroes' misadventures.
When she was tucking him in later on, she squinted at him and said, "How come you never let Luke tuck you in?"
Lifting his little shoulders, Will said, "I like when Mommy does it."
"Luke does it as good as Lorelai. He used to tuck me in, you know."
"It's not the same. You didn't have a mommy." Will's words were so matter-of-factly delivered that Jess almost winced. Almost.
"That's what I mean," she told him. "Luke was just as good."
"I'm not like him," Will said plaintively. "And I don't think he likes that I'm not like him. Remember when he got me the fishing rod for Christmas? I hate fishing!"
"I know, but you can't just give up."
"Why not?"
"Because you can't," Jess said. "Parents have to love you, that's their job. He loves you just as much as your mommy does, more probably," Jess finished, hoping this wasn't too over the top.
Will seemed to be considering this before he said dubiously, "More?"
"You're his first born son. Do you know what that means?"
"No."
"When people, especially men, have kids, they always want the boy first."
"Why?" he asked, suspicious.
"I don't know. They just do. So think about that."
"Maybe," Will said.
xoxox
"So?" Luke asked shifting in his seat nervously, as if he expected his wife to tell him that Jess was hooked on smack, but not to worry because there are great clinics for problems like this these days.
Lorelai's warm look softened him somewhat, and she took his hand across the candlelit table and said, "What she told me was in confidence. She asked me specifically not to tell you, so I'm afraid I can't."
"What!"Luke asked, shocked and pulling away. Lorelai had not given him this information when they were in the truck on the way to the restaurant because she'd known he would want to pull over or worse, go home.
Lorelai took Luke's hand again and said, "Let me tell you something. If she had come to you with this problem, you would have been mortified, and she would have been mortified for having to talk to you about it and making you mortified and the whole thing would have been so uncomfortable that you would have avoided each other for weeks."
Luke's face softened again. Lorelai wouldn't lie to him and he trusted her, but he didn't want to believe what she was telling him. "Give me a broad, undefined hint," he finally demanded.
"Underwear," she said. "In color."
Luke cringed, nodded and picked up his menu. "Let's order."
xoxox
When they arrived home that night they could see lights burning in the den. Sure enough, Jess and Sam were camped out on the floor in their pajamas, their faces slathered with mud-masks. They were watching Sean of the Dead and while Sam had clearly devoured a bag of corn chips, Luke could see that Jess was daintily picking at a bowl of carrot sticks.
"Hello, ladies," he said from the doorway.
"Hey, Uncle Luke," Jess answered without taking her eyes off the movie.
"Hey, Mr. Danes," Sam said a little too flirtily. Jess shot Sam a dirty look and Luke chose to ignore the whole inference.
"Does your mom know you're here?"
"Uh huh."
"How was Will?"
"He was great," Jess told him. "We watched a movie and played some board games, then I read to him and he's asleep now."
Lorelai joined him in the doorway just then and said, "Ohh, pajama party!"
Luke left them to their own devices and headed for Will's room. The door was half-open and the little night-light bathed the room in a soft yellow glow.
Pushing the door open, Luke found his son wide-awake, with a flashlight in hand, looking at the pictures in Where the Wild Things Are. Startled, Will looked up at the intrusion.
"Good book?" Luke asked gently.
"I'm just looking at the pictures."
"That's okay."
Will looked at his father closely, then he unexpectedly and uncharacteristically said, "You wanna read it to me?"
"Yeah, sure," Luke said, pleased.
So Luke settled onto the bed as he used to with Jess, and read by the light of the nightlight until Will fell fast asleep.