The Gilmore-Grey Union Book II: The Homecoming

By Michael Weyer

POV: Maxine

I don't like driving long distance. I truly don't. At my age, driving is a task in and of itself. I especially don't enjoy having to leave Hartford and make my way to a small town where my son and his new wife are waiting for me.

It takes me a while to find a parking space as it appears this town predates Henry Ford by several generations. I soon find myself lost, something I thought would be impossible in a podunk this size. Fortunately, I'm able to get directions. Unfortunately, it's from a woman who immediately ranks as one of the most bizarre I have ever met.

"Oh yes," she says, taking a drag on her cigarette. "I met Rory and Vincent earlier. Oh my, my, that boy…I have to tell you, if I was younger…well, hell, even now, I could have soo much fun with that boy…"

Given how this woman could probably crush Vincent like a bug, I shudder to think what kind of "fun" she's imagining. "Yes. I'll, ah, be sure to pass that along."

"So, why are you looking for him?" she asks. "Oh! Is he your, ah, own plaything?" She gives me a wicked knowing smirk.

"No, actually, he's my son."

The smirk vanishes. "Oh. Well, I do think they went to Luke's." She points the way to a building nearby.

"That's a hardware store," I say as I stare at the sign overhead.

"No, it's a diner."

"Then why is there a hardware store sign hanging over it?"

"That's his father's. He never got rid of it."

I sigh deeply and rub my face. Somehow, I already know I'm going to regret walking through that door. I take a deep breath and head over to the diner/hardware store, opening up the door and entering.

I will deny it, of course, but I must feel a certain tiny thrill within me at the terror on the faces of my children at my appearance. I look them over before concentrating on the two people on the other side of the table.

I've met far more teenage mothers than any person has a right to in their lifetime so I'm not terribly surprised at how young the mother is as I imagined Vincent and Amy were. She seems rather professional at the moment, if a bit confused. The daughter…

My daughter-in-law…

Well, she's pretty, I have to say that, which is good. And she seems to be holding up well in all of this. It's a bit early to get the full impression of course. After all, when I first met Gillian, I had no clue as to the high-strung behavior she had within herself.

"Hello, Maxine Grey," I introduce myself.

"Lorelai Gilmore, this is Rory." I shake hands with both, Rory looking me over and obviously nervous.

"May I sit?" I do before anyone says anything and take off my coat. "So…what is good to eat here?"

"We have coffee," Lorelai says as she and Rory hold up their cups. "We're okay at the moment."

"Rory's been drinking coffee since she was nine," Amy says.

My appraisal of these two takes a mild blow. "Oh." I shrug it off and move on. "Well, then…it appears you are a member of the family now. Hopefully, that is a situation we can soon remedy."

"Mom," Vincent starts but I hold up my hand.

"Now, Rory…If I can call you that." She nods. "Rory, you seem like a nice young lady and I appreciate how difficult a situation this must be for you. But the basic fact is, I am not allowing my son to stay married to a 21 year-old."

"Um, Maxine?" Lorelai states. "No offense, I fully agree but you really can't allow or not allow anything for my daughter."

I give her a cool look. "Ms. Gilmore…Believe me, I know exactly what you're going through but you have to realize this situation cannot stand."

"I do agree," she says. "But I also have to tell you, it's not entirely up to us."

"She's right," Amy chimes in. "This is Vincent and Rory's problem, Mom."

"Actually," Lorelai says. "I meant it's not up to us as in my parents are going to want to have a say in this."

"Well, I don't see that being much of a problem," I say and am taken aback by the sardonic laughs the two of them make. "Am I missing something?"

"Yes and be grateful for that," Lorelai states.

I shuffle in the chair. "Well, whatever the case, I'm hoping we can handle this is in a civil manner. I would hate to make this more difficult than it is."

"Too late." That comes from a gruff man with an equally gruff voice who has just appeared by the table to pour some coffee.

"I beg your pardon?" I ask, a bit thrown.

"Mom, this is Luke," Amy introduces us. "He's Lorelai's fiancée."

I nod to him. "I assume this is your place?"

"No, actually, there was another guy named Luke who owned it. I legally changed my name in order to run it."

I make a thin smile at his sardonic answer. Oddly, I find myself liking him instantly. "Well, Luke, I believe this is a family matter so if you don't mind terribly…"

"He is family," Rory states. "More than my own father has been. So he has as much a say in this as you do."

"Unless he pushed you out of a very small crevice of his body, I daresay my say is a bit more than his."

Lorelai snorts loudly at that and he glares at her. "Sorry," she says. "But she does raise a good point."

He points at her. "Don't make me cut off your coffee."

She smirks back. "Ah, ah, can't threaten me like that anymore."

"Why not?"

"You cut off coffee, I cut off sex."

Vincent nearly chokes on his own drink as Amy snickers. "Okay, line has been crossed!" Rory calls out.

I close my eyes and rub my temples as it hits me that this is going to be more of an in-law nightmare than Gillian or Michael ever were.