Ch 2

Last night Richard and I returned from Europe and attended the function for the Durham Group, and I am still trying to believe how things have changed. Admitting that I was surprised to see Lorelai at one of Richard's business functions would be an understatement but seeing that she was with Christopher was the ultimate surprise but a pleasant surprise for a change after a lifetime of less than thrilling shocks. When she and I went off to a more private spot at the function, we only had time for an abbreviated conversation for her to explain what was going on before Mike Armstrong whisked my daughter away for something very official. As she left my side she mentioned that we would talk more on Friday at dinner. I did not get the chance to get her alone for the rest of the evening, and fortunately I did not encounter any nosy questions from any of my DAR friends before Richard and I snuck out completely exhausted. When I awoke this morning, I knew my day would include tracking my daughter down for a full explanation. If she thought she could escape me until Friday when she would likely dodge dinner, she would be mistaken.

Richard had to go into the office and catch up on some of his international calls. I feigned disappointment when he excused himself from breakfast, but I secretly smiled pleased with my opportunity to learn more about what had been going on the past two months.

As soon as I had made it outside to my car and pulled out of the driveway, I realized that my daughter's professional life had changed as much as her romantic life had changed. In that instant, I realized I had no idea where my daughter reported for work everyday. I wondered if my daughter still had her house or if she had moved. I stopped at a light and panicked not knowing what to do. I suddenly had a flashback from over twenty years ago when my daughter was gone from my home and not knowing where she was or how to reach her. The only difference today was technology. While the light was still red I dialed Lorelai's cell number.

The phone rang and just when I thought that the voice mail was about to pick up, someone answered, but it was not my daughter's voice. Christopher? My mind still raced with questions on everything I had hoped to ask Lorelai.

"Hello, The beautiful Lorelai is unable to take your call at the moment, May I assist you." He recited this greeting as if it was normal for him to be answering her phone. His tone indicated that he cared for Lorelai, but I hope this is not how he answers her calls for business matters. Or did he know it was me, and they are just playing games.

"Christopher?" Was all that I was able to get out. I was rather shocked that he was answering Lorelai's phone yet somehow relieved that he was still in Lorelai's life.

"Emily!" He seemed to say this loud enough for someone else to hear, assumingly as a hint to Lorelai. "How are you this morning?" he continued.

"I am fine, thank you, Christopher. Is Lorelai there? I would like to speak with her." I asked him hoping he was not quite picking up on the sense of need in my voice.

"Glad to hear that you are having a good morning, Emily. Let me track her down." He then moved the phone away from his mouth and yelled "Lorelai! Your mom's on the phone." I hear Lorelai faintly in the background ask him to take a message because she is running late. Running late! Is she serious? That is no excuse to not talk to your mother.

Christopher comes back to the phone and relays Lorelai's message. How weak he truly is! Before Christopher finishes being Lorelai's messenger, I interrupt and demand to speak to my daughter. I hear a bit of a commotion in the background then Lorelai made her way to the phone. By this time I was driving out of Hartford on the way to Stars Hollow not knowing where my daughter was or what I would find once I got to wherever it is that I was driving.

"Hi, Mom" was the greeting that finally brought the dead line back to life. "What's up?"

What's up? Was she serious? "We need to talk." That was all that needed to be said, or at least that is what I thought.

"About what?" Was she serious?

"About what? Lorelai Gilmore, I leave for Europe two months ago and you are engaged to a small town diner owner. You own and run your own inn. I return from Europe two months later, without a word from you, and discover that both of those major things in your life – things that you are supposed to tell your mother – have all changed. I don't even know where you work or where you are living. Why haven't you told me of these changes in your life? Why don't you tell me anything? I know that we have had our differences over the years, but I thought that since Rory is back in school and you assisted me after my botched surgery that things were finally decent between us, but as usual you cannot stand for me to be right." Silence on the other end. This was quite a rant for me, especially over the telephone and not in person when I can corner her and guilt her into committing to something on a grander scale than Friday night dinners. I must be slipping.

"Are you done?" That is all that she has to ask me, if I am done.

"No. Where are you? I want to continue this in person!" I need to know where my daughter is and where she is going and how she spends her time. Now I am sounding like a stalker, but I am just a concerned mother who is tired of being kept out of my daughter's life.

"I am running late for a meeting, but what if I meet you at the club for lunch around one?" Seriously? The Club? She has not voluntarily gone to the club since…I can't remember her ever voluntarily going to the club. "Fine. See you at one" was all I was able to reply.

Now that I am halfway to Stars Hollow I have to pull over to catch my breath and wonder what has come over my daughter.

One o'clock could not get here fast enough. I had spent the remaining few hours of the morning running errands and checking up on a few things around the house. I also had to fire the incompetent who was our maid after she unpacked my suitcases entirely inappropriately and had to hassle with the agency to arrange for a new maid to begin immediately. Unfortunately, one will not be able to start until first thing in the morning so Richard and I will have to dine out this evening.

I arrive to the club at 12:55 just to have a slight edge on Lorelai whom I am certain is running behind schedule. After all, she hasn't been on time for anything in her life. That is when I see her look at her watch then excuse herself from a table full of gentlemen. She shakes a few hands and rubs one on the shoulder. That is when I realize that she is rubbing Richard's shoulder. What is going on that Lorelai would go to her father rather than me? I am angered, hurt, but I will not let her win.

Lorelai walks up to me. "Hi, Mom. Hungry?" She smiles, but I know she is up to something, but she is not mentioning the table that she just left nor is Richard making his way over to greet me.

"Mmm. We have a reservation." That is all I am able to say before going up to the hostess then following her to the table that awaits us overlooking the golf course. We sit down and after I take a sip of my water I ask "What's new in your life?" as if I did not have my breakdown over the telephone this morning and that this is the first conversation of any kind that we have had since before I left.

"Well, I took a job with the Durham Group. I am a consultant of sorts, so I get to travel around a little and consult." She says this as if this is nothing, but she does seem a bit excited about traveling.

"What about the Dragonfly?" I have to ask. That hotel meant everything to her, and I thought that Richard told me he was convinced that she was not interested in selling her interest.

"I technically still own it with Sookie, but it is now under the management of the Durham Group. I don't have a hands on role anymore and try to only go back into Stars Hollow on as limited a basis as necessary." I am shocked that she does not want to go back to Stars Hollow! That is the place that has kept her from me for so long that I am shocked especially as she considered that place "home" more than our home ever was.

"Lorelai, what happened?" I have to know what has happened to break her up from Luke and bring her together with Lorelai, especially because all of my efforts in this area failed, I was curious to find out the cause.

"Luke and I broke up." I did not say anything in hopes that she would continue. "He didn't want to marry me. And well, Christopher is Christopher and he is more amazing than ever. I've been spending more time in Hartford."

Just then the waitress came to take our orders. Lorelai ordered coffee and a sandwich. I had a salad. After we'd ordered Richard came up to our table and I acted surprised to see him not acknowledging that I had seen him earlier at the table with Lorelai hoping that he would confess what had been going on earlier. He did just that in explaining that it was a Durham Group working lunch. He also indicated that he was going to meet someone for a round of golf and informed us we had prime viewing seats of some hole. He left by giving both of us a kiss on the cheek. I was trying to remember the last time I had seen Richard be that affectionate toward Lorelai. Seemingly, everything that I have been wanting for over twenty years is finally coming into place. I knew that she was with Christopher and that her career was taking off. Christopher was not holding her back, but more importantly I was dining with my daughter at the club!

Christopher POV

The last two months have been the best in my life. Lorelai is truly the most beautiful woman in the world and the love of my life. It was hard to believe that things were truly coming together for us, but two months is an amazing milestone for us.

When I saw Lorelai show up at my door, I invited her in, but I in no way expected my life to change how it did. Lorelai was ready to be in a committed relationship where children didn't get in the way. Lorelai had always been there for Gigi. Even though it was difficult at first for Gigi to share Daddy's attention and affection, she and Lorelai have bonded. Lorelai has more or less been living with us for at least the past month as it is closer for her commute into work. Last night seeing Lorelai in her element at the function for the Durham group, I knew that everything is lining up to be amazing.

Today I am meeting Richard for a round of golf. Golf is not quite my game, but I have been able to get more practice in since my grandfather passed away allowing me more time away from work. When I told Lorelai about this, she couldn't believe that I was going to voluntarily spend time with her father, but her parents and I have always had a special connection. Richard has always believed in me and supported me in ways that my parents never could.

Our tee time was set for 1:30. When Lorelai told me that she was going to have lunch to defuse Emily at the club, I advised her to get a table overlooking the golf course so I could catch a glimpse of her. When I got to the first hole, I looked toward the dining room hoping to see Lorelai, and I was not disappointed. She saw me and waved a slight wave seemingly in an attempt to fly under Emily's radar as she was talking to someone who appeared to be the waitress. Just as I was about to blow kisses up to her, Richard walked up with his caddy, and we hit the first hole. We had decided to only play nine holes since Richard had to be back at work this afternoon.

Idle small talk took up the bulk of the first 7 holes, but now the conversation hit a serious note when he mentioned Lorelai. Richard talked about how impressed he was with Lorelai's seemingly new business aptitude. "It is so remarkable to be sitting in a meeting with one of my top clients and that company president turns to my daughter for assistance. Mike tells me that she is doing well. I must tell you, Christopher, that I am pleased with this change." He congratulated me as if it was my doing that Lorelai had gone to work for the Durham Group and for her success in doing so.

"Well, Richard, Lorelai is an amazing person. Everything that she has done in her life has been amazing. She is the strongest person that I have ever known." I can see that he is pleased to hear me compliment his daughter. "I love her." This does not come as a great shock to him. "I want to be with her for the rest of our lives." This confession seems to surprise him more than my profession of love. I wonder what he could be thinking since he goes silent and his face is too difficult to read, but then that could be attributed to lining up his shot on our final hole.

We finish up our round of golf in silence. I could not bring myself to say anything else following my disclosure. I thought that he would be pleased, but after my final putt, Richard broke our silence. "Be good to her or I will destroy you." With that he patted me on the back which ended in a partial hug before he retreated back to the locker room for his steam. I was rendered speechless, and I did not want to disappoint.

Uncertain of what time it was, I was confident that Lorelai and Emily had finished their lunch and had gone on about their days. However, to my shock, I saw them still sitting at their table talking and found my way into the dining room where I kissed them both hello but had a special "hello beautiful" for Lorelai, and I pulled another chair up to their table.

Emily seemed less than thrilled that I would interrupt her time with her daughter while also thrilled with the visual of us together.

­

Emily POV:

Lorelai and I are having an amazing lunch. I cannot remember the last time that we have been together for this long of a meal, much less the last time that it happened with just the two of us here, alone without Rory. From our table we were able to see Richard and Christopher begin their golf which was quite exciting. It was almost as though all of my dreams had come true in this moment.

Much to my surprise, Christopher joined us at the end. At first I was a bit upset to have to share Lorelai, but looking at both of them together when he greeted her with "hello beautiful" was much more touching than I could have imagined! I can't believe it, but my family is coming together just as I have always hoped that it would!