Note: Thanks for all the nice reviews! They made my day. I know the story has been a bit corny lately, especially with the very happy Emily and Richard. It really doesn't sound like them at all, even if she is trying to win her daughter back. I'll try to explain some of her motives in this chapter. So read and enjoy.
Hope Floats
Chapter 30:
Lorelai is sitting by the counter in Luke's Diner, smiling at Luke.
"Would you stop cleaning? The diner was already clean the first three times you cleaned it." She grabs the hand that has been cleaning the counter the last two minutes.
"Everything is gonna be just fine. Emily is probably gonna be polite, or at least she'll try to be. And if not, well it is Emily! We decided al long time ago that we wouldn't let her have that influence on us. And in the worst case scenario, you can always kick her out if she gets out of line."
Luke looks her in the eyes. "Well that is easy for you to say. You're her daughter and she doesn't want to loose you, so she has to be nice to you. But as for me, that's another story all together. As you might well remember, she doesn't like me and she never fails to remind me of that with that sharp tong of hers."
"Ah, you're so cute when you're nervous. Don't worry honey; I'll divert her attention, so she won't bother you. So how about a cup of coffee as an early reward?" She gives him her sweetest smile.
"Nice try, but you're not bribing me. You already had your two cups this morning."
Lorelai starts to pout. "Ah that's not fair, Luke! You know I need that coffee. How could you be so mean to me? You truly don't love me do you?"
"Ah geez Lorelai, don't throw that at me. You know it is because I love you so much and our baby girl you are carrying, that I'm doing this. So how about a nice cup of tea or a cup of decaff?"
"Oh, make it a decaff." Lorelai says, still pouting.
Luke gives her a small smile and she smiles back at him. Neither of them noticing Emily who just walked in the diner.
"Well hello there! I'm glad to see you are taking such good care of my daughter, Lucas!"
Lorelai spins around. "Mom, hi! How long have you been here?"
"I walked in just in time to see you harass Lucas here into giving you a cup of coffee. Lorelai you should be ashamed of yourself, you know that coffee isn't good for you or the baby."
Then she turns around to Luke, who is still standing there, staring at the two of them. "It's nice to see you Lukas. I'm really looking forward to this lunch. Lorelai and Rory have been telling me how wonderful the food is and how they couldn't live a day without it."
Luke starts to stutter. "Uhh…Hello Mrs. Gilmore….uhm…it is nice to see you to." He doesn't know if he should shake her hand or not.
Lorelai can see the panic in his eyes and decides to step in.
"Mom! Why don't we sit down? Luke saved us the table by the window, so we would have the best view." She starts to walk and lead her mother by her arm.
"Well that was very considerate of Lucas. Just one moment Lorelai!" Emily says and turns around to walk back to the counter.
"Lucas! There are some things I would like to say to you."
Luke opens his mouth to say something, but is interrupted by Emily.
"No please let me speak. I know I have been treating you very badly and I hope that someday you can forgive me for that. I know I have been wrong in treating you that way and I know now that you are the best thing that ever could happen to Lorelai and Rory. I have been very foolish in my beliefs that they could do better than you, but I've been proven wrong. So I hope you could find it in your heart to forgive me someday and I would like to invite you to join us on one of our Friday night dinners, that only if you feel like it of course." She looks at him expectantly.
Luke is speechless. He looks at Lorelai who is standing behind her mother. She is looking confused and speechless, standing there with her mouth wide open.
He turns back to Emily and gives her a smile. "Thank you Emily. I would be happy to join the girls on of these evenings. That is, of course, if I can get somebody else to take over for me in the diner."
Emily is very excited. "Oh that is great Lucas, absolutely marvelous." Then she turns to Lorelai again. "So let's have some lunch, shall we?" And she walks over to the table by the window, where she sits down and takes up the menu.
Lorelai is still shocked and looks at Luke, who just shrugs his shoulders and smiles at her before is starts helping his next customer.
She walks over to the table, where her mother is sitting, and drops down at the chair across her.
"Wow mom, what was that all about?"
"I don't know what you mean Lorelai" Emily replies, while she pretends to be studying the menu.
"You know very well what I mean, mom! Now speak!"
Emily puts the menu down. "Lorelai! Can't a person apologize for their bad behavior and try to make up for it?"
"Yes mom, a person could, but not you! You never apologize to anyone, let alone to someone you despise as much as Luke."
"Oh Lorelai! I'm so sorry you think that. Listen there is something I've been meaning to tell you. I haven't told you before, because I didn't want you to worry and I didn't want you to come back to me out of pity."
"Pity? What are you talking about, mom?"
"Three months ago I was having a DAR meeting, when suddenly I felt pains in my chest. Well it wasn't really suddenly; since I had been feeling them the whole day, but they really intensified at that moment. It felt like I was going to die. They called the ambulance for me, which brought me to the hospital. Once in the hospital they gave me something for the pain and ran some tests on me. It turns out that I have a heart condition."
"What, a heart condition? What does that mean?" Lorelai is looking very frightened right now.
"Don't worry about it Lorelai. It isn't as bad at it seems. It seems like my heart isn't always running in the right rhythm. They call solve this with medication, and they told me I could very well live for another 40 years. All I have to do is take the medicine and avoid stressful situations."
Lorelai let's out a long sigh.
"But you see, the thing is, I really thought I was going to die. And once they patched me up and I was lying in the bed waiting for the results, my so called friends came in to visit me. All I could think of at that moment was how I didn't want them there at all and that I only wanted to have you, Rory and Richard there."
By now, both the Gilmore girls have shiny eyes, with tears on the verge of breaking through, but Emily continues her story.
"After that I did a lot of thinking. You know, Lorelai, you probably won't believe me, but I used to be a lot like you." She was smiling now, just remembering.
"Your father is the only one who still sees the person I used to be. And even he lost the sight of me once in a while. So I spent my time thinking on how I had changed and what had caused that change. I blamed Richard's mother, because she always put me down and told me how I was never good enough for her Richard. I tried to live up to her standards, but it never was enough. By the time I realized that I had changed, it was already too late. I was already sucked into the Hartford society circle."
Emily sighs and Lorelai squeezes her hand to encourage her to go on.
"Then I thought about how I could have let it get this far between you and me and that is when it hit me. I couldn't blame all of my changing on your grandmother. I realized that I have been doing the same thing to you as your grandma was doing to me. Only the difference is that you stood up for yourself and I didn't. I think I must have known you were doing the right thing all along, but I wasn't able to accept that, because that would mean seeing my own mistakes."
"Anyway I just want you to know that I'm sorry for all the things I have put you through. I've had some long talks with your father and I've decided that I want to go back to the girl I used to be, but I will need some help with that cause it is very easy to slip back to into old patterns."
Lorelai smiles at her. "Well don't worry about that, mom. He will let you know loud and clear when that happens, like I always do."
"Yes I guess you did. I just wasn't ready to hear you. But believe me I'm ready to hear you know. I know our relationship isn't very good and I don't expect it to be better over night. I just want to get to know you and Rory and even Luke a bit better."
Lorelai gives her mom a hug. "I would like that too, mom!" She whispers softly in her ear. "I would like that too!"
Luke sees the two of them hugging and smiling at each other and walks over to their table to take their order.
"So, what can I get you ladies?" He says to them smiling.
Lorelai is beaming back at him and Emily starts to look at the menu again.
"I'm sorry Lucas, I haven't had the time to look at the menu yet." Emily says looking up at him.
"Mom! You can call him Luke you know, that is what we all call him."
"Lucas is fine, Emily. Can I suggest the day special Ceasar has made? It is a panini sandwich with mozzarella, ham, tomato and pesto."
"Well that sounds absolutely wonderful. What are you taking Lorelai?"
"I think I'll just stick to my usual. I'll take a burger and chilly fries."
"Well I'll have the same Lorelai is having, Luke! Thank you."
"Allright, two burgers and chilly fries coming up." He says and walks away, smiling.
A/N: Okay this was another chapter (corny I know, but I can't help it ). Please tell me what you think and review!
