Chapter 66

November 22nd, 2017

"Oh wow," Lorelai exhaled in a whisper, her face in awe.

"I know...," Rory replied, keeping an equally hushed tone, as they stood at the kitchen doorway.

"I got to take a photo of that. It's not something you see every day," Lorelai began, already beginning to think where she'd left her phone.

"There's no use, I've tried. It's impossible," Rory cautioned.

"Oh, alright then…," Lorelai sighed, disappointedly.

They were watching Jess play with Em, at the time 3-months old, on the baby blanket on the floor in the middle of the living room. Jess was making silly faces to the baby, clearly enjoying the giggling of the little girl. The giggling was something new, and it had been a real breakthrough for Jess connecting with the girl, the first few months having passed sleepless, exhausted and with the baby mostly in Rory's arms, feeding. Now they were really seeing another side of Jess. The rough teenage trouble-maker was suddely smiling, baby-talking and soothing the baby's stomach in the most gentle movements one could imagine.

There sat a father who didn't just change diapers or kept Rory fed and hydrated, but one that was forming his bond with the child by the hour.

There were moments like this, when Rory almost felt like she was floating in a bubble - almost as if surrounded by the feeling the song 'Bloom' by Lullanas had left her with from a few days ago. Everything was well, she had an adorable, healthy, baby and a man who clearly loved both her and the baby. That outcome wasn't so bad, was it? Sure, her career was still just taking baby steps, but somehow here at her mother's house, inside the holiday bliss with the kitchen already giving off the most wonderful homey aromas, with the people who cared about her and that she cared about - it really didn't seem so bad. Rory felt hope.


November 25th, 2021

The kitchen at the Crap Shack was off limits for the day officially, Luke having done all the prep work that could be done, but naturally that was never really something to stop Lorelai. The delicious smell of the turkey that was getting to its final shade of golden brown in the oven was filling the house by the minute. It was really quite brave of Luke to leave the turkey like that while he'd gone to pick up April and her girlfriend from the airport.

"God, I'm stuffed," Rory complained, as she slouched down on the couch by her mother, watching 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles'. Rather just talking over it than watching, really, but that was the norm.

"Have I taught you nothing!?" Lorelai shot back, feeling equally stuffed, but her reason was the bowl of popcorn and empty ice cream bucket on the coffee table. "You never eat the bread," she added, knowing the reason Rory was full was that she'd just been to Lane's for another early dinner, while Lorelai had had her own little virtual Thanksgiving meal while talking to Sookie via Facetime while Sookie cooked at her own house.

"I didn't eat any bread, just breadsticks… I don't know what it is with sticks, something about them being long and having that special crunch. A little salty, garlicy... I just couldn't stop myself. They're addictive, thye should make a Breadsticks Anonymous group for people like me," Rory theoretisized with a sigh.

She hadn't really had a lot of chances to hang around with her mom lately. It had just been a bunch of quick meets to hand over Em, Friday night dinners with Luke around, which had limited certain discussions, and brief texts on which celebrity Lorelai should pick for her Hall Pass. On the latter Lorelai had been struggling between Clooney, Lenny Kravitz and Ryan Gosling at this point.

"So was it weird going to Lane's without Em?" Lorelai asked, having just gotten a brief explanation that Em might start spending some holidays with Jess so far.

"Kind of. It's not really the same without the little pilgrim. But I guess I'll live as I'll see her in… an hour?" Rory explained, raising her head to glance at the clock on the wall. It had become a tradition ever since the girl could walk that she'd dress her up in a little pirgrim outfit.

Thanksgiving at Lane was always interesting, it being an interesting American-Korean menu with fried shrimp, fish cake soup, roasted sweet potatoes and a Tofurky as staples. And it was also an interesting chance for Rory to get a glance into the future what teenage boys were like, Lane's sons now being 15, and they were certainly not the kind of boys she hoped to have lurking around when Em would be that age, the guys having taken a lot more after their father than their mother. Sure, she didn't have anything against the adult Zack, but the teenage Zack had not really been her cup of tea. Even Lane knew that.

"Yeah, never thought you and Jess being related would come in handy," Lorelai teased.

"You've spent all day thinking of saying that, haven't you?" Rory shot back along with an annoyed look. She knew they weren't really related, naturally. It had never been weird for them, unless someone who didn't know how long their history was were to point that out. Thankfully, that had only happened a few rare times.

"Yeah, but you know what I mean. At least you don't have totally separate lives. Nobody misses the big stuff, everyone wins, Em wins," Lorelai discussed.

"Well, now yes. But you should've heard him a few weeks ago. He was suggesting he get all the holidays while I get weekdays. You should've heard him. He's never talked to me like that, not at our worst," Rory explained.

"He was planning to have Em for Christmas?! Seriously?" Lorelai exclaimed, it being the first time she was hearing of this.

"He was," Rory nodded.

"Is he out of his mind?" Lorelai continued, clearly this being a topic in which side she was siding with if it came to that. "What is he going to do - go take her to see the mall Santa and serve her a Santa Burger?" Lorelai added, not sounding pleased by the prospect. Christmas was a BIG DEAL at this household.

"Well he can cook, but yeah, I know what you mean," Rory replied. "Thankfully, he was open to compromises later on," Rory added.

"You can't really blame him for being mad," Lorelai admitted.

"There's jealous, there's dissapointed, there's not liking what's happening and then there's malicious," Rory sighed. "He's been easier these past few times, but it's like now I know there is this side of him, you know…," she explained. That was the thing really - it was the first time she'd genuinely felt like Jess had wanted to hurt her, to deprive her of. No matter what Jess said now, she was on her toes with him now. Just in case. It wasn't that easy to undo something like that.

"Right..," Lorelai exhaled, thoughtfully.

"But enough about that. I'm here today for Em...," Rory said, not wanting to spol her mood. She just hoped they could have a civil time, and she could do her own little traditions with Em like every year for the half a day she would have with her.

"And not me?!" Lorelai said dramatically.

"Of course you too…," Rory threw her arms around her mother from the side.

"Though, I was thinking..," Rory began, a moment later and released her grip.

"What?" Lorelai asked, as if expecting something ominous.

"I think it's time for you and Logan to spend some time together," Rory suggested with a sneaky look.

"Oh-oh," Lorelai responded, sounding alarmed.

"We'll be in Boston Friday-Saturday, but maybe a coffee or something before I pick up Em on Sunday?" Rory suggested. She knew her mother wasn't Logan's biggest fan, she'd never been. But they had to start somewhere.

Lorelai was saved by the ringing of her phone - the ringtone being Push It by Salt-N-Pepa - but Rory just knew that there really wouldn't be much Lorelai could say to talk her out of it. She was determined to assure her by actions rather than words how serious they were.

The call was from Luke, telling her the plane was delayed by half an hour and he was still stuck at the airport, and asked the girls to take the turkey out of the oven, which was bound to turn into a whole spectacle knowing the two.


AN: Sorry for the short chapter. I'm struggling with time a bit. Thanks for the reviews.