Chapter 5: Christmas Morning
It's 5:00 in the morning, Luke and I are sleeping peacefully, then our 21 year old daughters' voice rings out, "Get up, get up, get up! It's Christmas! Presents mom! Get up!"
"Rory, you always do this. Any other day you'd be sleeping till noon. But always on Christmas, you're on the early bird schedule. Haven't you caught the worm yet?" I say to her, completely blown away that I can make sentences this early.
"I can't help it, mom, it is Christmas! Now come on!" She says, and runs down stairs.
Soon I hear Luke yell down to her, "Don't touch those presents!"
"But da-ad!" she pleads.
"NO!" he says getting out of bed and into his robe, and then he hands me mine. We head downstairs, hand in hand, and see Rory impatiently waiting by the tree.
"Can we open them now?" She asks like a child.
"Yes." I tell her, and she goes at it like she did when she was five, wide eyed and excited.
---Later---
"Okay, there isn't anymore." she says.
Luke and I look at each other and I nod. He pulls out a package from under the couch, and hands it to Rory.
"Hey, you've been holding out on me." she says jokingly.
"No, hon, you have to open that one over here, so Luke can snap a picture of your face." I tell her.
"Uh, ok." She sits next to me, and waits for Luke to get in his position. Once he is, she starts to tear the paper, she gets to the box and I smile at Luke, who smiles back. She opens the box and flings the red tissue paper, and brings out the shirt, unfolds it and reads it out loud, " 'I'm the BIG Sister'" it takes her a moment, but she gets it and Luke snaps the picture of her 'omigod, this is so exciting' face. She hugs me, till I can't breathe then gets up and hugs Luke and asks, "When did you find out?"
"Two days ago. And it was not easy keeping 'it' a secret" I say, touching my stomach.
"Well, it was easy for me, but you're mom is terrible at keeping secrets." Luke says, retuning to the couch.
"You two have such little faith in me." I tell them.
"Mom, are you going to tell Grandma and Grandpa about the baby?" she asks; and she and Luke look at me waiting for the answer.
"I know you both want me to tell them about the baby, but…I don't want to get your guys' or my hopes up. The Gilmore's are not going to be happy about our baby Luke. I will tell them; as much as I don't want to. I mean, God, I would love for them to see how happy and in love I am, and be happy about baby Danes here, but-I know they won't." I say, and grab Luke's hand.
"Do you want us to tell them as a family? You know, mom, dad, sister and baby?" Luke asks.
"Yeah, come on mom, let dad and me come with you. Please." she pleads and pouts, who would have thought that 'The Lorelai Pout' could work on The Pout master?
"God, I can't believe that I taught you that." Rory laughs, "Yes, lets tell them as a family." I finish.
"Ok, when? Today when we go to dinner?" she asks.
"Yeah" I answer, "Good pout by the way babe."
"Thanks, I learned from the best." she says with a smile.
"Lets go to Sookie and Jackson's, and then we can tell them about the baby, and come back here and get ready for Christmas dinner." Luke suggests.
"Yay! More presents!" Rory yells in excitement and bounds down the hall way to her room.
I turn to Luke and say, "She's five, I swear. So, are you nervous?"
"About tonight?" I nod. "Yeah, kinda" he answers.
"Me too. Just know that whatever they say about you or our baby, that I love you and this baby more than anything, except Rory of course. Believe me, they, more specifically, she, will tear us apart." I tell him.
"I know all this. Now, I want you to know that I love you, Rory and the baby. No matter what they or she says, I'm with you for the rest of our lives." he says, then kisses me. "Lets get ready for Sookie's," he says after he pulls away, and we head up stairs.