Chapter 3 – Stars Hollow's Super Hero
Later that day, Lorelai did everything she could to make sure everything would be as perfect as possible for Rory's birthday party since there would be no cake. She hung decorations all over the house in Rory's favorite colors, and made everything sparkly and pretty just for her daughter. She pulled out all the party music and games and adorned Rory's head with the same famous "Birthday Girl" crown that she wore every year. Lorelai knew this was going to be a great party, cake or no cake.
"I know exactly what I'm going to wish for when I blow out my birthday candles!" Rory gleefully said, as she scurried about the living room in the new pink party dress her mother had made for her a few weeks ago.
Lorelai didn't know what to say. What would Rory do when she found out there would be no cake? Should she tell her now? Or let her know during the party? No, that wouldn't work. She didn't want to make a scene and embarrass herself in front of all her Stars Hollow friends. She had to tell her now.
"Rory, I need to talk to you about something." Lorelai said, as she pulled Rory over to sit on the couch with her.
"Ok, what is it?"
"It's about your birthday cake."
"Right. Is Sookie making it or are we getting it from Weston's? Wherever you're getting it from, I want it to be half chocolate and half vanilla with strawberry frosting."
This was breaking Lorelai's heart. She was dreading the look that would be on Rory's face after she told her the news. She was, however, glad to hear that her taste in foods had been passed on to the next generation of Gilmore's.
"Rory, there's not going to be a cake."
"There's not?" Rory was confused. She wondered how they could have a birthday party with no birthday cake, especially when her mother was such a big fan of the dessert.
"No, there's not. We just couldn't afford it this year. But I promise next year you'll have an even bigger and better cake than you would have had this year. I'm so sorry, sweets."
"It's okay. I understand. Can I still make my birthday wish?" Lorelai was amazed at how understanding her daughter could be at such a young age.
"Of course you can. What is it?"
"I wish-"
"No wait, I have an idea." Lorelai stood up, walked into the kitchen, followed closely by Rory, opened a drawer, and took out a small candle from birthdays passed, and lit it. She bent down and held it in front of Rory and said, "Ok. Now make your wish."
"I wish you would stop calling Luke Duke," and she blew out the candle with all her might.
"Haha, that's a good wish." Just then, they heard something at the door. It wasn't a knock, but more like a shuffling. Lorelai dropped the blown out candle onto the kitchen table and followed Rory to the living room window.
"Who's out there?" Rory asked.
"I don't know. I don't see anyone." Lorelai walked over to the front door. She opened it slowly and looked outside. There was no one there except Mother Nature's wind blowing softly in her face. Rory had suddenly appeared right behind her.
"Look at this," Rory pointed to a large white box sitting before their feet. "I wonder what it is."
"It says 'Happy Birthday' on it. It's probably a gift. Why don't we bring it inside and open it up?"
"Ok!"
Lorelai picked up the mysterious box and carefully brought it into the living room and set it down on the coffee table. "Tear her open."
Rory swiftly lifted the lid to the box, and both she and Lorelai gasped at what lie inside. It was the most beautiful birthday cake they had ever seen. It was pink (obviously symbolizing the deliciously created strawberry frosting) with the words "Happy 9th Birthday, Rory" written neatly on top in green letters. There were pretty yellow daisies decorating the top and sides. It was simply a miracle.
"Wow, look, Mom! It's a birthday cake. I thought you said we weren't going to have one this year?"
"I thought we weren't." Lorelai said, astonished by what was happening.
"Who is it from?"
"I have no idea. There isn't a card or anything on it."
"It's like a Nancy Drew mystery!" Rory said happily. She had just finished the last book of the Nancy Drew series and was moving on to bigger, better books.
"Exactly." Lorelai said. She was so happy that her little girl would have her cake for her birthday. She couldn't help but wonder who on Earth it could be from. It couldn't be from Sookie. She said she was low on money, and if she had made the cake, it would be much more extravagant than the cake that lay before her. Surely it wouldn't be from her parents. They didn't even know about the party. Then she began to think… Could it be from- wait. There was no way. She pushed the thought out of her mind and completed her decorating.
The party went over spectacularly. There was word spreading through the entire affair about how delicious the cake was. Everyone kept asking who the person was that made the heavenly creation, but no one knew. They might have assumed that Lorelai made it herself, but they all knew better than that. If she had attempted to make it, there wouldn't be a kitchen for them to gather around in to watch Rory open her presents. One by one, each present was carefully opened. There was a new tutu from Miss Patty, a pink garden gnome from Babette, and a brand new copy of 'The Rules and Regulations of the Town of Stars Hollow' from Taylor. That one was probably meant more for Lorelai to see. He was going to get her to stop throwing her gum wrappers on the ground in front of his market no matter what it took. She loved each and every present from each and every person. As the night wound down, and Lorelai and Rory hugged and kissed everyone goodbye, they both agreed. The party was a huge success.
The next morning, Lorelai and Rory walked into Luke's, as usual. They sat down at a table and waited to be served, as Luke was no where to be seen.
"Look, Mom, Luke finally changed the special," Rory said.
Lorelai glanced up to the neatly written chalk board, which now read "Special: Blueberry Pancakes and Hash Browns". Suddenly, she realized that the handwriting looked very familiar. She racked her brain trying to figure out where she's seen it before. Then it dawned on her. The writing on the chalk board matched the writing she saw on the cake box the day before. Luke had made the cake. He had been listening to her and Sookie's conversation the other day, and had made a cake for her daughter's ninth birthday.
Just then, Luke walked out of the kitchen and towards their table with his order pad in hand.
Lorelai smiled from ear to ear at him, and said, "Hey, Luke."
The (Possible) End.
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