Disclaimer: This is an original story based upon the characters of Gilmore Girls. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit will be made from this story.
Author's Note: Thanks for all who have read and reviewed in the past chapters. This story is a lot slower in coming, I apologize. I hope you enjoy this next segment.
"You're very annoying," I said, picking up the phone without even bothering to say hello. I didn't even have to look at the caller ID to know it was her. She had called seven times that morning.
"Well, I learned from the best," she said mockingly. "Are you sure you're okay?" I sighed, although secretly I was enjoying the attention—even though I knew about half was worry and the other half was overwhelming curiosity to know what in the world my midnight freak-out had been about.
"Yes Lorelai, I'm fine. I promise. Goodbye"
"This isn't over Mother," she replied with a mock threatening voice. She was determined to wheedle the truth out of me.
"I didn't think it was Dear," I replied.
"Mom?" she got in before I hung up the phone.
"Yes?"
"Really…what was the dream about? You scared me last night,"
I paused for a minute and part of me really wants to tell her to confide in her.
"It's silly Lorelai. It was just a dream."
"Okay Mom. Is the offer still open for Friday?" she asked.
My first inclination was to say "Really? You'll really let me baby-sit?"
"Yes, it's still open. I would love to baby-sit for you."
There was a slight pause and I held my breath, almost forgetting about the dream in the excitement of being able to baby-sit Alicia.
"Okay Mom, that would be nice of you," she said and as soon as she hung up the phone I did a little dance. My baby granddaughter all to myself for the whole night!
Friday didn't come fast enough. Suddenly I felt twenty-four again, I hadn't taken care of a baby, any baby since Lorelai. Even the year when Lorelai and Rory lived with us, Lorelai never let me baby-sit Rory. Once Rory had colic and was up all night screaming. Richard and I laid in bed grumbling about the fact that Lorelai had refused a nanny.
"Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous," Richard said with his pillow over his head. Eventually he was able to block out the sound and fall asleep. I was having a little harder time. I had remembered back to when she was three and had her terrible ear infections. I had laid awake night after night, listening to her scream, crying myself and unable to sleep. Time after time I had gotten up to go to her, when Richard would catch my arm. "Emily," he would say, "Let the nanny do her job." And so I laid there—helpless. Maybe that's where I had gone wrong. Maybe I should have told Richard off in no uncertain terms that I was the mother of this child and it was my job—no one else's to take care of her. Maybe it was while lying there screaming in pain that she decided she had to go through life on her own, that I was someone she couldn't depend on.
"Mom?" I felt her pushing me awake. "Mom wake up,"
I hadn't realized I had fallen asleep. I looked up at her and for a minute I was certain I was still dreaming. She looked like she had when she was eight years old and had come to me because she had had a nightmare—and I had sent her away.
"What is it?" I asked. She bit her lip and I could tell she was desperately trying to keep the tears away.
"I don't know what to do—she won't stop crying,"
I didn't think, didn't hesitate—she had come to me and I wasn't going to turn her away again. I stood up and grabbed my robe. I hurried with her down the hall and took the crying baby in my arms. For a minute, I was terrified—I had completely forgotten how to do this. I just held her and rocked her, patting her back. Then I remembered something—when the last nanny had quit and I had lied to Richard saying that I didn't have time to hire another one. I was going to sit up with my own child. I held Rory tightly to me and began to dance with her.
"Bill—I love you so, I always will." I sang as I danced slowly with her. It was like going back in time. Slowly, Rory's cries softened to a whimper and then her head got heavy on my shoulder. She was asleep. I felt like a million dollars.
"Lorelai, she's asleep" I whispered, turning towards Lorelai. She had collapsed in the chair, her face showing the relief and exhaustion she felt. I laid Lorelai's baby down in the crib and then helped my baby over to her bed and tucked her in. I walked to the door and then turned to look back at them—my two babies.
By the time Friday came I was ready. I had completely baby-proofed the house, bought one of those things where you lay the baby underneath and they play with all the brightly colored knobs and ribbons. I even had gone to the library and rented a baby book and had poured over it during Richard and I's evening reads. I could hardly wait for the doorbell to ring. It finally did and there stood Luke and Lorelai both looking as though they were about to leave their child with wild animals.
"Stop worrying you two," I said as I held out my arms for Alicia. "We're going to have a wonderful time."
I was so excited to have Alicia with me that I didn't even mind Lorelai's ridiculous list of do's and don'ts she read off to me as if I were a twelve year old teenager.
"Okay, Mom—here's my cell-phone number, and Luke's cell-phone number and Rory's cell-phone number and the number to the restaurant and the number to the movie theater. Do you think you'll need any others?"
I rolled my eyes, "No, I don't think so—oh wait, what's the number for 911?"
"A-ha, funny Mama" she said smiling. "Are you sure this is going to be okay?"
"Yes, I promise! Now go"
Lorelai and Luke both kissed Alicia four times and then finally they were out the door. The car started and Alicia and I waved out the window to them.
"Now Sweetie, you are going to have a fun time with Grandma aren't you?" I said, bouncing Alicia on my hip.
Alicia turned to me, and began to scream.
An hour later and after five rounds of "Wedding Bell Blues," I was in the car driving around and around.
"That's it, It's all right Sweetheart," I looked back at her through my rear view mirror. She was crying in sporadic bursts now. Finally I got an idea—another pastime when Lorelai was a baby and I couldn't get her to stop crying. I turned left and headed to the mall.
When Alicia was born, I went out and bought a car seat, a stroller, and a crib to keep at our house. It was wishful thinking believing that she would have regular occasion to use them, but it was such fun to pick them out and have them on hand just in case. I pulled in to the parking lot of the mall and got the stroller out of the back seat of the car. Together, Alicia and I headed off to the mall, ready to induct the next Gilmore woman into the love of shopping.
My plan worked like a charm. Alicia was delighted by all the hubbub of the mall. She stopped crying and looked around at all the lights and people.
"That's my girl," I said chuckling. "You're a born Gilmore." I was having so much fun myself that I didn't notice someone calling out my name. Finally I turned and was shocked to see Lorraine Shetford waving at me.
"Lorraine? Oh my goodness, I can't believe it!" I said as she made her way to me. "I haven't seen you in ages!"
"Emily!" she said warmly and embraced me. George and Lorraine Shetford had lived next door to us for a few years when Lorelai was a baby. She had moved away when Lorelai was about two. I hadn't seen her since.
"It's so good to see you," she said smiling.
"Oh it's so good to see you!" I said back. "Where are you these days? What are you doing?"
"We're still here in Hartford actually. A place out in the country."
"Oh," I said, trying to smile but a little hurt that she was still in Hartford and hadn't made an effort to contact me in so long.
"Who is this?" she said, leaning down to smile at Alicia.
"This is my granddaughter Alicia," I said smiling.
"You mean to tell me that your little baby Lorelai has a baby of her own?" she said incredulously. I laughed.
"Two babies actually. Her oldest is getting ready to graduate from Yale next year," I said proudly and then quickly changed the conversation. I hoped Lorraine wasn't doing the math of how old Lorelai had to have been when Rory was born.
"What about you? You were pregnant when you moved. What did you have a boy or a girl?" I asked.
She stared at the floor for a minute and then looked up at me. "A girl, but she died," she said quietly, "A few days after she was born."
A deep sadness settled over me. "I'm so sorry."
She smiled sadly, "It was a long time ago. Don't worry about it."
She stood up and instinctively I hugged her to me again. She returned the hug and seemed grateful for it.
"Well, I have to go. George is waiting for me out in the car. We should get together Emily. We have so much to catch up on."
"Yes Dear—let's. I want to hear all your news,"
She stooped to finger Alicia's hand. "I'll call," she replied and walked away. I watched her go for a minute, wondering where the time had gone. As she disappeared into the crowd, a whine from Alicia brought me back to reality.
"Well baby girl," I said. "Let's keep going. We don't have much time. If we're not there when your mother gets back she'll kill me."
We strolled along the walkway until I came to one of my favorite stores and saw a crowd gathered. That meant one thing—sale! I steered the stroller closer and started pushing my way through the crowd. A large group was gathered at the evening dresses and I made my way over there. There was a gorgeous black Vera Wang with diamond sequins on the bottom. I reached out to touch the price—it was ridiculously low. Oh that dress would be perfect for my next DAR function! I stared at it for a moment, thinking of how jealous Julia Boulter would be when I showed up in that dress.
"What do you think Sweetheart?" I turned to ask Alicia as I reached out for the stroller handle.
My hand found nothing.
I turned around and the world stopped…
…along with my heart.
Alicia was gone.
For a moment I just stood there paralyzed, loosing precious moments. Finally I found my breath again and I lunged forward searching for the stroller among the crowds. Had someone bumped it? She was nowhere. I ran outside the store searching frantically for any sign. I had my back turned for a moment! What could have happened? It wasn't until I got outside that the full reality of my situation came upon me. Suddenly I could feel black clouds descending.
"Help!" I screamed. "Help!" I started running up the walkway, searching frantically for any signs of someone with Alicia. Store clerks were coming out to see what the rucus was.
"Someone call the police!" I screamed. "Someone's stolen my granddaughter!" That seemed to get their attention. Suddenly policemen were surrounding me asking me questions, and yelling commands in their radios to seal all the exits.
"Help me, please help me. You have to find her!" I sobbed. One helped me to a bench and I watched as they scattered.
Finally I heard a radio go off. "I have a baby that fits the description. Dark black curly hair, dressed in white jumpsuit."
"That's her!" I screamed. "That's her!"
"We have her at the mall office. A lady reported she was in a crowded store and grabbed the wrong stroller. Apparently she has an identical one. We checked out the story, seems accurate. We'll hold the baby till the grandmother gets here."
I took off running down the stairs and down the walkway until I got to the mall office. I threw open the door and took Alicia out of the policeman's arms, sat down on the bench and sobbed.
It took about forty five more minutes before I was able to calm myself down enough to leave. I knew Lorelai and Luke would be home soon and as I slowly fastened Alicia into her car seat, I kissed her on top of her forehead.
"You've already scared your grandmother tonight young lady. We don't need to scare your parents too. I won't tell if you won't."
I drove home and about twenty minutes later Luke and Lorelai came. I kept my hands in my pockets so Lorelai wouldn't see them shaking. She seemed so relieved to have Alicia back that she didn't seem to notice any signs of my scare. I kissed Alicia goodbye that night and hoped Lorelai didn't see the tear that escaped. It was okay, it was just an accident, everything was okay.
But when I woke up screaming that night from another nightmare in the park, I couldn't help but feel that something was really terribly wrong.