PART 3
"Lorelai." Emily said, opening the door.
"Hi, Mom." Lorelai, Luke, and their children stepped into the house. Servants were running around doing last minute preparations.
"Well, don't you all look lovely." Emily said, sizing up the family.
"Thanks, Grandma. You look great too." Rory said, giving her grandmother a hug.
"Happy Birthday, dear." Emily said to Rory.
"Thank you, Grandma." Rory said to her grandmother.
"Richard! They're here!" Richard Gilmore appeared in the doorway.
"Well hello everyone. Aren't you looking dashing tonight."
"Hi Grandpa." 4 voices came back at him.
Just then the doorbell rang. Rory ran to open it and was shocked to find Paris and Jess.
"Jess? Paris! I didn't know you guys were going to be here!" Rory said, hugging her long time friends.
"It's great to see you, Rory. Happy Birthday." Paris said. Rory could see that over the years, Paris had changed. She was no longer so uptight but much more laid back. She wore a pale pink calf length silk skirt and a simple white sleeveless shirt and a black leather jacket. Her shoulder length hair fell in soft layers. Jess looked very put together in a nicely fitted navy blue suit and a light blue silk shirt and a navy blue tie.
"How are you guys? Still together, I see." Rory asked, leading them into the house.
"Yeah, it's about 2 years now." Paris said with a smile.
"That's great."
"How 'bout you, Rory? Any men in your life?" Jess asked.
"No...although Tristan is trying to set me up." Rory said with a laugh.
"I still can't believe that the jerk from Chilton days became your best friend and married my little cousin." Jess said with a laugh.
"It will always boggle my mind." Rory said with a smile. "They met when I came home on weekends from Yale and brought Tris with me, although Jinxie was only 15 then. I brought him home on holidays and weekends because his parents were always off on business. They dated after Jinx graduated from Chilton and as she went through Yale. They were together 2 years when they got married." Rory said.
"Jess, Paris!" Lorelai interrupted the conversation. A round of hugs went around because Paris was a close family friend and Jess was, of course, family.
Jess threw an arm around Jinx and said, "Hey, Jinxie. How's married life?"
"Fantastic. You should really try it, Jessie." Jinx and Jess adored each other, and she was the only one who got away with calling him Jessie.
"That's awesome. I can't wait for the next big event." He said.
Lorelai spoke up. "The next big event? Are you planning something big, Jess?"
"No...the baby." Jess said.
"Baby? Paris, you're pregnant!" Lorelai gasped.
"NO!" Paris cried out. All eyes turned to Jess.
"Jessie, you got some splainin' to do!" Lorelai said in a Ricky Ricardo impersonation.
He glanced around questioningly. "I stopped in Stars Hollow on the way here and talked to Kirk, Taylor, Patty, Al, and Babette, against my will of course. They all told me Jinx was pregnant. I thought it was weird because I thought I would've heard it from Luke, but they are all credible sources."
"HA!" Lorelai burst out. Everyone else remained eerily silent. "Well, I always thought Taylor was on crack, but Al surprises me."
Emily spoke up. "Jinx, can you explain this?"
Jinx glanced to Tristan. "I...I'm pregnant."
Gasps were heard, Luke gripped his forehead, and Rory looked sympathetically at her sister.
"Jinx. Pregnant? And you didn't tell us?" Lorelai asked, sounding injured.
"I meant to Mom, but I just haven't had the time and I wanted to do it with Tristan and it never worked out. I was going to tell you about the babies." Jinx said.
"How does Miss Patty know?" Meg asked.
"She must have heard Tris and me talking about it." Jinx said.
"Babies?" Rory asked, confused.
Jinx stomped her foot in frustration, and Tristan stepped up and put her arm around her. "We're having quintuplets."
"Oh my god!" Rory squealed.
Lorelai just nodded her head.
"Congrats, Jinxie." Luke said, breaking the ice. He stepped forward and wrapped his little girl in his arms.
"Thanks, Daddy." Jinx said. One by one, everyone stepped forward and hugged Jinx and then shook Tristan's hand. Sometime during all of this, Lorelai escaped.
"Don't worry, Jinx, she'll be fine." Rory whispered to Jinx when she hugged her.
Jess turned to Tristan. "So, Tristan Dugrey, boasting father."
"Yes...and Jess Mariano, delinquent cousin." Tristan said, shaking his hand.
"Tristan." Jinx grabbed his arm.
"Eh, I'm past that stage." Jess said with a smile.
"Or at least you like to think so." Paris said, moving to his side. He put an arm around her shoulders and she put her arm around his waist.
"Mr. Dugray?" The maid, Marta, was being followed by a slim, very tall man with black hair and emerald green eyes. He looked to be about 30 and was wearing a sharp black suit.
"Ah, Steven! Glad you could make it. Thank you, Marta." Tristan said. He shook hands with the young guy and pulled him toward the group.
"Everyone, this is my best friend Steven Cashen. He's a business associate from way back. We actually roomed together at Yale and then for a few years after in Hartford. He was my best man, but the wedding weekend was very busy so I'm not even sure you met him. Steve lives here in Hartford, but he travels often. I thought he would enjoy a little party while he was in town. Steven, you know Jinx."
"Yes, hi Jinx. Good to see you again, congratulations on the babies." He said, kissing her cheek
"You know about the babies?" Jinx whispered sheepishly.
"Yeah, Tristan told me. Congratulations."
"Thanks Steven. It's nice to see you again, too."
"This is Jinx's sister, Meghan, her brother, Jack, and my father-in-law Luke Danes. This is Luke's nephew, Jess Mariano, and his girlfriend and a friend of the family, Paris Gellar. This is Richard and Emily Gilmore, our hosts and Jinx's grandparents. And finally, last but not least," Steven shook hands with each person as Tristan introduced him or her, "my other sister-in-law, the birthday girl, Miss Lorelai Gilmore."
Rory laughed and shook her head. She stuck out her hand saying, "Rory. Please call me Rory. It's nice to see you again, Steven."
"Nice to see you too." He said, shaking with her.
"You two know each other?" Luke asked.
"Well Tristan was one of my best friends in college, so I met Steven a couple of times." Paris, Tristan, and Steven began to laugh and Rory started to turn red. She smiled and winked at them, though.
"Rory?" Jinx asked, amused.
"Paris and I ended up in Steven and Tristan's room a little...err...intoxicated more than once. Completely innocent, though. We were on the 5th floor and they were on the 2nd." Rory said, causing more laughter from Paris, Tristan, and Steven and a little blushing from Paris.
"Rory, I can't believe you ever got drunk, with Paris, Tristan, and Steven none-the-less, and ended up sleeping on some guy's floor." Jinx said, rolling with laughter.
"It wasn't some guy!" Rory said, defending herself. The family just laughed more. "It was Tristan!"
Before this conversation could go any farther, Emily interrupted.
"Rory, I would like to get the annual picture. My photographer is here for your party and you are all looking very nice. It is a wonderful opportunity." Emily said.
"Sure, Grandma, that's fine." Rory said. "I'll go find Mom. Excuse us, Paris, Jess, Steven. We have to take a family shot every year on my birthday. A tradition started a long time ago."
Rory found her mother in the kitchen sucking down coffee and dragged her to the living room. The photographer fussed and fumed but finally set the family up in front of the mantel. Behind them on the wall was the portrait of Lorelai, Richard, and Emily. They took Tristan out of the picture, and took another few. The kids stood in age order, height order, a Luke and Lorelai picture, a Jinx and Tristan picture, and every possible combination of siblings, and finally Emily announced they were finished.
Everyone chatted for a while and soon more people began to show up and the group dispersed to mingle.
"Tris, buddy, could I talk to you?" Rory was overly cheery as she approached Tristan, Jinx, and Steven.
"Sure, Ror." He said, equally overly cheery.
Rory pulled Tristan into the library. "Tristan, you're trying to set me up!"
Tristan laughed. "Rory I am shocked that you think I would do something like that!"
"Triscuit."
"Alright, fine, I am. But at least give it a chance. He is successful, rich, and all around a very nice guy. I think if your sister wasn't already married she'd give you a run for your money." Tristan said.
"Tristan, I can find guys on my own!" Rory cried, extremely frustrated.
"I know, Rory. Just cut me some slack and go talk to the guy. He doesn't know I am doing this. I just asked if he wanted to come to the party. I know for a fact he is completely unattached and hasn't been attached for quite some time, though." Tristan gave her a pleading look.
"I can find my own guys." She muttered. Tristan put an arm around her.
"I know you can."
"It hasn't been that long since my last date. I just haven't found anyone I like." She muttered some more.
"I know."
"Fine, I'll talk to him. But I'm not making you any promises, Tristan. I am not going to make something work that shouldn't just for you. This is about me." Rory said.
"Thanks Ror." He said.
She turned and stalked out of the library. He followed and they arrived at Jinx and Steven around the same time.
"Sorry to steal Tristan. It just couldn't wait." Jinx smiled knowingly at her sister, but Steven just nodded good-naturedly.
"Steven, Tristan introduced you to my sister Rory, right?" Jinx asked.
"Actually, we've already met." Rory said.
"Yes, but we haven't had much chance to talk. Could I get you a drink, Rory?" Steven asked.
Rory smiled. "That would be great."
Steven led Rory into the next room where drinks were set out.
"White wine, please." Rory said. He poured her a glass and one for himself and they sat down on a sofa.
"So, tell me about yourself." Steven said, truly interested.
"Well, as you already knew, my name is Lorelai Gilmore, but my mom laid claim to Lorelai first, so I go by Rory."
"Your mom seems young." He said conversationally.
"She is. I am the oldest and I'm 27. Jinx is 22, my sister Meg will be 19 in December, and my brother Jack just turned 16. My mom turned 43 in March."
"43?"
"Yeah, do the math." Rory said, taking a sip of her drink.
"She had you at 16?" He asked.
"Yeah. My grandparents wanted her to marry my father, but if Mom is anything, she's independent. Stubborn might be a better word, actually." Rory laughed a little. "She moved to Stars Hollow, where we all still live, and raised me there. I guess you could say we grew up together. When I was 4, she married Luke and when I was 5, Jinx was born. Three years later Meg was born, and three years after that, Jack was born. By the time Mom got to her last child, most women her age were on their first." Rory said with a smile.
"Wow. That's a great story."
"Yeah. My mother is phenomenal. Luke is too. Neither had much money or college educations, but Luke converted his father's hardware store into a very successful diner and Mom worked her way up in the inn business. She started as a maid and now she has her own inn with her best friend." Rory stated proudly.
"That's incredible. You should write a book about what it was like growing up in your house. It would be an inspiration to young people who find themselves caught in the position your mother was 26 years ago." Steve said, leaning forward in his seat.
"Actually," Rory said confidently, "I am in the process of writing a book that is just that---growing up Lorelai. I am getting my siblings to each write a part. Then I'll just have to have someone publish it."
"You're a writer? I guess I forgot that about you since college."
"I was a journalism major at Yale. I worked at the Times for a few years before I moved back to Stars Hollow."
"The New York Times?" He asked, mouth open.
"Yes." She said with a smile. "I still write feature pieces for the Times and some other papers by correspondence, but my main job is editing the Stars Hollow News. A step down from the Times, I know, but I'm content with writing feature pieces right now. Now enough about me; tell me your story."
"Well, I am 28 years old. I was born and raised in Chicago where my dad is a doctor. As you know, I went to Yale. I have two sisters, Beth and Brooke and a brother, Joseph, who goes by Trip. Long story. Beth is 26 and engaged to a hometown guy. Trip is 20 and he is at Harvard. He wants to be a lawyer. Brooke is 15 and not too into school. She isn't enjoying the academic aspect of high school, although she loves socializing. Mom and Dad don't want to force her to go to college, but she won't go on her own." He said with a smile.
"Mom is determined that all of her kids go to college, and for the most part we don't mind. My sister Meg sounds a lot like your sister. Jinx, Jack, and I went to Chilton but Meg has never been into school, so she tried out Chilton, didn't like it, and decided to go to Stars Hollow High, our local high school. She is now reluctantly taking classes at Hartford community college." Rory said. "I did the whole college thing and I already went back for my masters. Jinx graduated last fall from Yale, which made everyone proud, and my brother is Ivy League bound."
"That's good. We can use more well-educated people in the world." He said. They smiled at each other and right then, a mutual bond was formed.
:Ring ring:
Meg was walking past the phone when it rang. She picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Hi. Is this the Gilmore residence?" A feminine voice asked.
"Yes it is." She said politely.
"I am looking for Steven Cashen. He is a friend of Tristan Dugray. I'm his sister."
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