AN: I had some issues with this chapter not saving my changes, so I accidentally posted an earlier version with the notification you probably got.


Chapter 91

December 23rd, 2021

Lorelai was excellent at avoiding conversations she didn't want to have. She did some of her best organizing and decorating when she was upset, and this was certainly it, the fact being evident to Rory who'd watched her mother rush around the Sandcastle like a hurricane, ensuring every little detail in the place was up to Gilmore standards. Rory would never say it out loud, but that was something her mother had most definitely inherited from her own mother.

By the time it was dark, the Christmas tree was up, decorated in silver and pink, tiny little needle-felted elves hung from every door and hook Lorelai had been able to find, creating a hint of Christmas magic. There were wreaths on every door, garlands on the fireplace and tables, Lorelai's decorating frency having left Rory simply observing her mother throughout the day, waiting for her to tell her what was up. She had guesses, but she hoped it wasn't the answer she assumed.

By now Lorelai was sitting by the kitchen island, Em next to her, threading string through popcorn and cranberries just like she'd done every year when there had been someone under the age of 10 around.

"Any requests for dinner?" Logan inquired, as he returned, having just brought in an armful of firewood for the fireplace. He'd been feeling a little awkward too, both of them being on their toes a little due to Lorelai's sudden appearance.

"I was thinking maybe leave the roast for tomorrow, it takes longer to cook. So maybe the salmon?" Rory suggested.

"Potatoes or rice… or veggies?" Logan asked, shooting the question towards Em, trying to engage her.

"Daddy makes yummy corn rice," Em replied.

Logan cast a quick glance at Rory, unsure what he was supposed to do. Was he supposed to try to make said dish and give it his best or on the contrary screw the dish up to give Jess an advantage, or just suggest something different?

Thankfully Logan was a quick thinker. "How about we try coconut rice?" he suggested, recalling seeing a can of coconut milk in the cupboard.

"I think you liked that once," Rory reminded Em. "We got it from… Little India I think," she added, unsure if Em recalled the names of the places they'd been for meals or not.

"Okay," Em agreed. But before anyone had really a chance to do much of anything else, she popped the big question, "When is grandpa Luke getting here?"

That definitely hit a cord with Lorelai, she was no longer able to hide her emotions behind the Christmas jollyness. "He's not, he had to go see auntie Liz," Lorelai said, clearing her voice, barely getting the line out, and excused herself. Rory could tell she was notably upset, a slight sniffle escaping her as she headed for Emily's former study.

"I'm sure you'll see Luke just after Christmas, you can ask daddy to take you to see him," Rory replied, running her palm over Em's hair, calmly, as if nothing was amiss. She rose, and followed Lorelai, giving Logan a head's up to keep an eye on Em.

"Mom?" Rory asked, as she stepped into the room, seeing Lorelai leaning against the wall, looking out to the darkness, her arms crossed on her chest, sniffling now more notably.

"Do I need to say it?" Lorelai asked, sounding like she was just on the verge of sobbing.

"Some detail would be nice. My brain won't know which novel to go by otherwise," Rory replied, intentionally naively.

"We had a fight, he wasn't willing to come… we said some hurtful things," Lorelai admitted, not sounding like he wanted to elaborate much.

"I kind of figured that part," Rory said, and stroked her mother's arm, offering a hug.

After the hug broke, Lorelai managing to calm herself a little, Rory just had to ask.

"So it was never about coming here because of grandma, was it?" Rory asked.

"Nah… I've actually been here once or twice since, alone if you can believe it," Lorelai replied. Luke was the type of man who wanted alone time every once in a while, hence she would normally just either go visit Sookie or if she was busy, take a plane over to Nantucket. She understood well what her mother had liked about this place, better than Rory realized. Sure, the first time coming here had been hard, but it had felt like visiting Emily without the annoying commentary. Here Emily's aura, if one believed in such, lingered with all of her good sides - her courage, her will, her determination.

"You have?" Rory responded in disbelief.

"Eh," Lorelai simply shrugged her shoulders, feeling a little guilty for not telling her.

"But Luke… is he still upset about me and Jess or what?" Rory asked, it still not quite fitting into her head that something could set Luke off like that.

"In part… I don't know if you remember this, but when the four of us went to the Vineyard that one time for Valentine's Day… he was grumpy throughout that weekend. He hardly wanted to leave the room, eat or enjoy any of it. And I guess I didn't realize how much Logan bothered him until now. I just thought he felt out of place, you know… big fancy house and what not… I am not even sure if it is Logan or just the type of people he represents to him. I don't know... But he's like painting this picture of Jess as this perfect and thoughtful guy over Logan being anything but, and you and I both know what it can never be as black and white. And I guess that whole custody thing is a blast from his past with the Anna stuff, and he was trying to get Jess to build a case against you. I just couldn't believe it. I don't think Jess is going for it… for what I can tell.. But I just… I just don't get him. It's like this whole thing just opened up this other side in him that I'd nearly forgotten. And I just… I couldn't listen to him any more, I just had to get out of there. You are my family and I know you feel the same for Em - you come first. So I'm here," Lorelai explained, speaking hastily.

"Here you are," Rory sighed. "I'm sorry," she added, not liking the details of Luke's views.

"Yeah… and I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like I didn't support you guys. I maybe be tentative, I may give him a hard time on occasion. You know, prank him and charge him extra for a room if I feel like it.. But I'm trusting you with your decisions - your heart, your family…you're not stupid and you're not a little kid," Lorelai replied, and hugged Rory again.

"Thank you, I think I just got my Christmas gift early," Rory said, truly appreciating the feeling that she at least had Lorelai in her corner. She wasn't sure how she felt about the reasons for it, or the price it seemed to come with. She didn't want to cause her mother's divorce either… but this wasn't about her. It was Luke who needed to get his act together. Why did he care this much anyways? It was not like it was April that he was fighting for. Even Jess seemed to have accepted it… at least that was the impression she'd gotten from him over these past few weeks. He'd seemed more chipper, more… adventurous if she went by his odd engagements that she'd barely heard of - that squash game, that mysterious appointment that night when he'd met up with Logan for drinks. She really had begun to believe that he was over it. But this whole thing did raise the suspicion that just maybe Jess' change of faith had been a little sudden.

"Ah, I might hold a grudge for you and Logan later but… eh..?" Lorelai responded, jokingly, fighting her frustration and disappointment in her husband with humor. That was all she had left right now, besides her family.

"Yeah but…," Rory began, but didn't really know what to say. She wasn't going to blame her decision, her adult and thought through decision to be with the man that she loved, for causing problems in her mother's marriage.

"And no buts. It's Christmas. Christmas is sacred. This one Em actually might really remember. This is what she'll compare all the rest of the holidays to and we really can't screw up can we, can we?" Lorelai continued, turning the switch in her head again, wanting to go thread a few more miles of popcorn onto a string. "I refuse to spoil this because Luke is being Luke… He deserved a good scare! If he's the man I need him to be, then he'll get over it - he has to. I'll make him apologize if I have to. He needs to see that this is not the way to do it. And if he doesn't… well..," Lorelai blabbered, trailing off to the plot of Eat, Pray, Love.

Rory and Lorelai made it back to the kitchen some minutes later, pausing briefly at Richard's portrait on their way there, wordlessly. In the kitchen then saw Em throwing popcorn towards Logan who was attempting to catch the bites with his mouth, having already miraculously gotten the fish in the oven and rice on the stove. The two really seemed to be getting along, even if it included playing the role of a circus clown at times. But it was what it represented that counted.