Aki- Another. Thanks for the support. I love you reader, but I love you reviewsers more. Finally, the reason Amber and Brendan broke up...

I think I did

"I was just so upset that night. It was Devon. It was Brendan. It was…hormones. Then you were acting so much like a mother, and Dad was just standing there…and I exploded."

"I know what it like is to have everything pile up until you are at the breaking point. Hell, I didn't talk to Mom for almost six months after that happened to me."

"When didn't you talk to Grandma for six months?"

"A long story for another time."

Amber put her head down on Lorelai's kitchen table and grunted. "Why is it so hard?"

Rory patted her on the shoulder, "Its life kid, it's not supposed to be easy." A silence filled the room, yet it was one quit unlike the ones the mother and daughter had recently shared. The ones filled with confusion, pain and doubt. This silence was one of comfort and love and warmth.

Rory was hesitant to bring up the question on her mind. Not just after her and her daughter's relationship had just been remedied. But he had to know and Amber had to release whatever it was that was hurting her.

"Why did you breakup with Brendan?" she asked slowly.

Amber lifter her head off of her arms and looked at her mother, "I'd rather not talk about it."

"Amber," Rory persisted, "You have to talk about it. You can't keep it a secret anymore. That just makes everything worse. Makes it harder."

Amber sighed and slumped back in her chair, knowing her mother was right. "We broke up because I was stupid."

"I didn't want to obvious reason," teased Rory.

Amber glared at her mother.

"Okay, the real reason. I'll stop joking," said Rory, putting up her hands defensively.

"Thank you," replied Amber smartly.

Rory indicated for her daughter to go on with her story.

"Remember the Saturday before me and Brendan broke up, we had that big date."

"Oh, yeah. We went shopping for it!"

Amber continued her story, ignoring her mother's strange outburst. "I don't know what I was doing or thinking or feeling. I hadn't planned it,….but it just came out."

"What came out?" asked Rory.

Amber hid her face been her hands for a moment before opening them to look at her mother and saying in nostalgic wonder and disbelief, "I told him I loved him."

Rory eyebrows went up in surprise. "Wow." She hadn't been expecting that.

"Yeah, that was basically his reaction," added Amber, putting her hands down.

"And what did he say?" Rory asked in wonder.

Amber paused before answering, "Well, of course I freaked because I hadn't planned on saying it and so I told Brendan that he didn't have to saying anything back…"
"And he didn't," guessed Rory.

Amber nodded. "The next week was so tense. Every word, every moment, every stare was awkward and weird. I could tell he thinking it over…everything….us. And every second Brendan didn't say he loved me back, I doubted what I said, until," Amber trailed off.

"Until," prodded Rory.

Amber sighed. "Until Friday when I did an even more stupid thing and took it back."

"You didn't?" asked Rory in disbelief.

"I did," admitted Amber somberly. "Then he got upset and I got upset because he was upset and we fought." Amber sighed hand buried her face in her arms on the table before concluding, "And here we are."

Rory stroked her daughter's hair comfortingly in a silent moment.

"Did you really love him?" asked Rory quietly and sadly.

Amber lifted her head to view her mother, eyes watery and red. She sniffed and replied weakly, "I think I really did..."

Next chapter- re-enter Jess