I'm back!
After Luke scared Kirk off, no one came back the next day to poke around the Gilmore house. Kirk went live one more time though, but from the town square, explaining to his followers how outrageous he was by the treatment the press gets from 'The Powerful Families in Stars Hollow'.
Despite the hate message implied, Rory had fun watching this one. Especially when Luke appeared on screen at the end of the video and Kirk shrieked like a helpless girl, running without clear direction to escape Luke's loud and threatening swearings.
But the lack of an audience outside the Gilmore's door didn't mean the circus left the town. Rory knew a simple milk run to Doose's or the diner would be enough to be again under the public eye and overwhelmed with a lot of questions she wasn't ready to answer yet. So she decided to play dead and didn't leave the house for two days straight.
As the internet was now safe again and free from Kirk's interference, Rory managed to fill in all the requests for refunds on Baby R Us website and organize all the items to be returned by mail as instructed. One thing out of her to do list. As soon as Luke took away the extra boxes of her room, she immediately settled her laptop back on the desk and concentrated once again in the next chapter of her book.
All the recent commotion about the baby sent Rory back to how uncomfortable she felt at 16 years old by the attention her relationships got from Stars Hollow. However, as a grown up, she was able to see they didn't mean any harm. After the first painful break-up, Miss Patty just wanted a chance to give her a comfort hug. Babbete only tried to share some experience about man. And Kirk, well, Kirk was Kirk, but he was simply telling he was sorry. Yes, it was truly annoying. Still, it was merely their way of showing they cared.
Then, for the first time, Rory wondered if she wasn't overreacting a little bit about keeping the pregnancy in secrecy. It was already real and the bump would start to show in a short time. After all, she had decided to have the baby and she wasn't changing her mind.
Rory came to understand that trying to hide the situation was exactly what set Stars Hollow on fire. So, she figured out it was time to come clean and restore the peace. She only needed the perfect opportunity to gather everyone and deliver the news at once.
For a second, Rory considered publishing a full disclosure in the Gazette or making the announcement with a megaphone in town square. Both really practical ideas, but she would sound megalomaniac or just completely crazy - even for Stars Hollow's standards. She was still thinking of a better way to get the word out when an event alert popped up on her computer screen to remember a town meeting tonight. It was definitely the best chance to find everybody in the same place, at the same time. Except for Luke, but the baby was old news for him.
There was not much time left to get the plan on the move. So, Rory called Lorelai to guarantee her mother would be there, on time, for moral support. Then, she changed to her lucky outfit, arranged her hair, looked at herself in the mirror one last time for reassurance and left the house towards the meeting.
Rory imagined she was going to lose the nerve and call the whole thing off before she reached Miss Patty's studio, where the meetings took place at least once a month since she could remember. However, it seemed like she was wrong. Rory pushed the sliding door and found Taylor alone inside. He was now alarmed by the entrance of the young Gilmore. Probably, because it was the first time ever one of them got early to a meeting.
"Is there anything I can do to help you, young lady?" Taylor said, without taking his eyes off some papers in his hands.
"I'd like to have a word during today's meeting."
"Well, then you should have submitted a formal request within 48 hours in advance like everybody else. This is not New York City. We have rules here. Or do you think I'll give you special treatment?" He answered, finally looking up to face Rory. Of course the man was going to be difficult.
"Please, Taylor, it is really important," Rory begged.
"Could you tell me the subject matter of this unexpected request?" He inquired, narrowing his eyes.
"No," Rory replied in defense, crossing her arms on her chest, "I think it is better to address everyone at once."
"Then, the answer is still NO." Taylor fired back and looked down again to the papers in his hands.
Apparently, Rory didn't think things through. Again. It was funny because this sentence could resume a lot of her life choices lately. Why else would she have a one-night stand with a man dressed in a wookie costume or show up unprepared to a job interview? These questions have been stuck on her mind since she was obligated to take a step back on her plans for the future. And living again in Stars Hollow, well, it was difficult not to think of what happened with the girl she used to be: responsible, hardworking and a little control freak. She has been reckless and entitled for so long that it seemed like a part of herself - a very important one - was completely lost along the way. The fact Taylor called her out about this was even more depressing.
Instead of just quitting and blaming Taylor the rest of the night, Rory came up with a new plan. One that demanded more patience and a good strategy. If she won't have a minute to speak during the meeting, all she has to do is wait until the end to get people's attention. She once spoke up and made the whole town listen to her, back when she was only a shy teenage girl. She had the skills and the courage to do it one more time.
In silence, Rory sat strategically next to the door, thinking it would be easier to stand up and stop everyone from leaving at the end of the meeting. She observed people arriving and taking their seats while Taylor organised the cards with topics to be discussed tonight. At least, there were not many. A small victory for the day.
The room was already full, when Lorelai joined her daughter. "Better late than never, huh?!" Rory scowled. Anxiety took the best of her while she waited alone.
"I'm not late. I'm strangely on time. Taylor is not even up yet. And I don't recall ever getting here before giving the man at least a one hour head start on his ramblings," Lorelai replied. "So, did you ensure you'll have your spotlight in the meeting?"
"Not exactly", Rory bit her lip. "But I already have a backup plan. We just have to be a little more patient..."
"Oh no! To survive an entire meeting without prescribed pills I'll need food and a large coffee." Lorelai looked through the door, staring at the diner on the other side of the street.
"Don't even think about leaving now. You may have special treatment at Luke's, but there is no way you'll get your order before the meeting begins and Taylor is already onto me. I don't want him to think we are messing with him."
Lorelai sighed and crossed her arms like a spoiled kid who heard the word 'no' for the first time. She was still pouting when Taylor listed the items on the agenda for the night, but suddenly she dropped the attitude, grabbed her phone and started to write a text message. Rory could only imagine what was so urgent.
Half an hour later, Luke entered the room with two bags to Lorelai. "Don't get used to it. The diner has no delivery service and I'm not UberEATS. This is only for Rory", he muttered through gritted teeth.
The scene made Taylor stop his long speech about the new requirements for fences in town. "Food is not allowed in here, young man." He addressed to Luke.
"It is not food. Lorelai forgot her notepad and she wants to write down all this useful information you are sharing today," Luke scorned, giving Taylor an angry smile.
The girls's eyes shifted from one man to the other, doing the best to look innocent and control the urge to dig in their meals, in order to sustain the lie.
"It sure looks like and smells like food to me." Taylor acused.
"And you definitely look like and talk like a lunatic to me... Still you are the one in charge of this town" Luke stormed out, turning to the door and heading back to the diner. Taylor blinked for a moment and recomposed himself, going back to the issue of the fences.
Doose's voice started to sound like a lullaby after the girls were well-fed and comfortably seated on their chairs. Shamessly, they dozed off for the rest of the meeting, leaning on each other. Almost one hour had passed by when Taylor wrapped up the discussion and dismissed all the people present. Mother and daughter jerked awake with everyone standing up, ready to leave. Rory could swear the old man did this on purpose, just to get back at them.
Despite the foggy head, Lorelai was able to think fast and block the exit to give Rory time to get her grip.
First, Rory tried to be polite. "Guys, if you can just be quiet for a moment. It will only take a minute. I have something to tell." No one listened to her and the crowd buzz was getting louder.
Afraid of losing momentum, Rory got off her chest the bossy tone she developed during her time working as editor of The Yale Daily News. "HEY!" Now a deep silence took over the room. All eyes fixed on the town prodigy. Stars Hollow never saw this side of the girl.
"You went lurking outside my house, broadcasted about our life and even gambled. It's time to hear me," Rory examined their faces for consent and kept going. "I am the one with child, Taylor." She paused to think how she just sounded like a dramatic soap opera character. "I'm not getting married any time soon, reverend Archie!" She stared at the priest. "The father of the baby doesn't live here, okay Miss Patty!" The girl turned to the dance teacher. "And Kirk, you will pay me 30% of your profits with the bets!" The guy gulped and nodded in fear by her demand. "Any questions?" She lashed out.
After a brief hush, Babbete was the only one with courage enough to raise her voice in the quiet room. "This means you are back, sugar?"
Rory soothed her expression and took a minute to really look at the faces around her. Instead of judgement, she saw herself surrounded by hopeful sparkling eyes. Even Taylor's.
Moved, the young journalist answered gently. "Yes... I'm back!" Not mad at the question for the first time.
The response came as a cheerful group celebration. "YAYYYYY!" And all the previous tension in the room vanished.
Rory jumped, caught by surprise. She smiled back, speechless, and accepted many warm hugs and happy taps on her shoulders. But it didn't stop there. Babette offered to babysit, Morey guaranteed free piano lessons, Miss Patty promised to teach the baby girl or boy to be a great dancer (or just more coordinated than Rory) and Kirk ensured the first job for the kid (no matter how uncertain his future career would be).
Taylor was the only person a bit annoying. The man had the nerve to ask if the baby could replace the mother as the face of his candy shop. "You are getting old, you know?! It's not really good for the business," he looked down on Rory. Yet, one unpleasant comment wasn't going to kill the mood today. Not when everybody else showed so much support, ecstatic to be again part of her life.
Suddenly, Rory was secretaly embarrassed by how she's been despising her hometown. Like it was a synonym of failure. Truth is she couldn't remember when Stars Hollow started to be associated with that negative idea. The great Norman Mailer was an enthusiastic of the small town in Conneticut and even became a regular at the Dragonfly Inn, driving Sookie insane because he would only order iced teas the whole afternoon. Then why Rory Gilmore was better?
She never hated that place. It was exactly the opposite, her struggle in the first year of college was because she loved it too much and didn't know how it could fit in with her big career aspirations. But the quirky people, silly festivals and quiet movie nights were a huge part of who she was. Denying that so hard sent her down a path she wasn't too proud.
Embraced by that familiar comunitty of weirdos, Rory rested her case, admitting to herself: That's me, Rory Gilmore, Yale graduate, journalist, aspiring writer, just a girl from a small town... And I am finally back home.
A/N: I'm posting this chapter early to sum up Stars Hollow's first reaction about the baby. The town will back off... for a while. Leave a review and tell what do you think Rory is going to do with her carrer from now on. Do you think she still can be successful? PS: I promise something about the dad next chapter =D