I know. It took me forever to update, but be patient. For mere journalists like me - who can't rely on a trust fund like Rory - working hard is the only way to pay the bills. Anyway... I hope you enjoy this chapter and please review, review, review!
What to Expect (and not expect) When You're Expecting
"Are you happy now?" Rory gave Lorelai an exasperated look, after the door slammed behind them. "You got us kicked out of Lamaze class! Couldn't you keep the Orange is the New Black jokes to yourself?"
"How could I resist? That woman totally thought I was the Alex to your Piper. And don't act all mad on me now. You know it was funny. You were laughing the whole time. It's not my fault the woman didn't get the prison references because she is some kind of monk that doesn't watch TV in her free time."
"It took me a long time to find one instructor who wasn't a complete loony hippie, mom!"
"Which brings me to the point: why did you even enroll for this? You've already decided to have a C-section! Half the exercises we did are useless in that case."
"I know I won't need the breathing exercises to push the baby out and I certainly didn't want to discover how women may lose the control of their bowels during natural birth..." The young Gilmore shuddered and then continued. "But focusing on finishing the classes helps."
"Helps with what?"
"Getting my head out of things..." Rory sighed and her shoulders hunched, as she leaned on the door. "What if I don't connect with her, mom? What if Ellie and I turned out to be like you and grandma? Arguing and butting heads about everything!"
"Not possible. She won't be able to put up a fight in the beginning. Her communication skills will be basically limited to cooing and babbling until she is two years old. The strategy is to use that time to brainwash her to agree with you." Lorelai smirked, trying to keep things fun. After facing her daughter's annoyed expression, she decided to take the conversation more seriously. "Hon, my mother and I are just like England and Scotland. Our relationship was forged in an endless war over the power to decide how I should be living my life. There are tons of wrong words and resentment piled up over the years, which makes our interaction difficult even after we've ceased fire. You and Ellie don't have the same back story. So you two are going to be just fine."
"Ellie and I could be like Russia and Georgia." Rory jabbered. "Two countries that once formed an alliance, eventually got involved in a fight over territory and wound up rivals."
"God! All the geopolitical talk is giving me a headache."
Rory ignored her mother and blurted her deepest fear. "I can mess this up so badly... I have no problem hurting people to have things my way. Remember how you hated me when I dropped out of college and moved to the mansion?"
"Wait a minute. I never hated ya..." Lorelai tried to object, but Rory interrupted her.
"Maybe Ellie will end up hating me and choosing to live with Logan in England for good. Talk about bad karma, huh?!"
"Okay, hold on a sec..."
"I could be such a terrible mom that she prefers living close to Shira Huntzberger!" The young Gilmore moaned.
"I see someone has put a lot of thought into this..." Lorelai raised her brows. "But do you have any idea of how insane it sounds?"
"Okay," the girl rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. "Maybe I'm being a little over dramatic..."
"Oh, you don't say!" Lorelai teased.
"But... I just can't stop thinking that there'll be many situations to navigate with no clear answer, you know? And it's not only about co-sleeping or not... Everyday a bunch of questions pop into my head... I've come to realize there are a Iot of things beyond my control," Rory held her mother's gaze. "The one thing in my power right now is wether or not I'm going to ace Lamaze classes and receive a stupid piece of paper in the end saying I did it well."
"I don't think you are going to get a diploma when you finish this, hon..." Lorelai kindly smiled at the girl. "However, I see your point. So I'm gonna make sure you'll be back in the instructor's good graces by next week. You won't believe how many conflicts can be solved with a free relaxing weekend at a lovely inn and a delicious courtesy dinner."
"That sounds promising... Should we wait here then? To make a peace offering after class?"
"Oh, no. If there's one lesson my battle experience against Queen Elizabeth taught me is to never approach enemy lines right after you send a grenade. If you want to achieve your tactical goals, it's better to wait until the dust settles. So we are going to retreat today and let the woman cool it off. Besides, it may take a lot of time to get through to her and you have an appointment, Miss Daffodil. If you miss the Spring Parade rehearsal, Taylor is going to make a scene and May 20th will be forever remembered in Stars Hollow's history as the day Lorelai Leigh Gilmore let down her beloved hometown. They may even organize a reenactment of the moment and include it in the annual event calendar."
"Talk about a man who can hold a grudge..." Rory scoffed. "Please remind me: why did I agree with this?"
"Well... You fooled the whole town about the sex of your daughter and when you finally announced it was a girl, everyone congratulated you with warm loving hugs... A reaction that sent you on a serious guilt trip because you knew you were crushing the dreams of all the people you intentionally misled to believe there was a real chance to decide the name of your baby. Did I leave anything out?"
"Nah. That's pretty much it," the girl shrugged humorously. "Let's hit the road then. I can't have the people I've deceived waiting, right?!"
"You are speaking like a true con woman," her mother mocked.
Rory would never admit it aloud. But there was more involved in the decision to accept the invitation to the Spring Parade. Guilt was only the reason why she didn't back down along the way, even when Taylor assumed it would be totally ok to discuss her birth plan during a town meeting to check the delivery date and organize the town calendar to make sure another Ice Cream Queen fiasco wasn't going to happen.
Anyway, Rory accepted to participate in the parade simply because she knew it would be a funny way to introduce Ellie to her hometown traditions. Deep down, it was a connection she was hoping to share with her daughter one day. And saying everything started in the uterus was a hell of a story to tell in the future. It just seemed like a Gilmore thing.
Lorelai allegedly had the same impression and, of course, she wanted to take part in it as well. So the future granny willingly volunteered to be in charge of costumes - a job she hadn't taken in years, despite Taylor's numerous requests. But both girls would never imagine that Luke would be also on board the idea. It was a shock when the man registered his name to run against Kirk for the title of Head of the Float Committee. The diner owner even put together a presentation for his campaign. Although Rory and Lorelai almost messed up his plans bringing popcorn as a joke to watch his speech to the town council, he got the position and a T-Shirt with his new silly title in capital letters.
As the first act in power, the man established he would be responsible for building Rory and Ellie's ride for the parade. He also declared Kirk would not be involved in the Float Committee for security measures. However, being a softie underneath, the diner owner secretly recommended Kirk to take care of the town decorations. It was an easy sell once Luke mentioned who was the person behind the amazing wedding set up in the town square a few months earlier.
The behind the scenes nonsense only made the entire experience an authentic Stars Hollow's moment for Ellie's biography. It was enough to make the heart of an 8-month pregnant woman full of joy. So, no matter how hard Rory was trying to deny it, she was indeed super excited for the big event taking place the upcoming weekend.
-o-
The festive ornaments around the town square and the frenzy of the visitors in the streets were a sign that today wasn't going to be another normal lazy Sunday in Stars Hollow. In addition to the cute decorations, a perfect blue sky and a breath of fresh air provided the right ingredients for a Spring celebration.
Luke was probably the only person contrasting the blissful picture. The man was grumbling inaudibly things as he crossed the streets, avoiding direct contact with any jolly fellow along the way and responding to everyone who dared to smile at him with a pesky sigh. It was difficult to be a ray of sunshine - or, at least, his version of it - when Taylor's crazy demands were driving him to the brink of a nervous breakdown.
Much of his bad mood dissipated the moment he got to the concentration area and saw the girls giggling at the floats. The man would never understand what was so fascinating to them, just like he still didn't quite comprehend Lorelai's obsession about snow. But seeing the girls happy always had a good effect on him and he almost cracked a smile too - almost! He held it together to live up to his crabby reputation and not give Taylor the satisfaction, because the guy was approaching to nag him again.
"Did you find the number plates to identify the vehicles?"
"Yes, Taylor!" Luke exhaled angrily.
"Then let's get to work! Chop, chop!" The old guy pressed, clapping his hands impatiently. "The number plates are not going to attach themselves to the floats and we need to organize everything to start the parade in 10 minutes."
Luke was trying to concentrate on the previous happy thought, but Taylor's condescending tone finally pushed him over the edge.
"What difference does it make? This not Macy's Thanksgiving Parade," Luke ranted at his nemesis, gesticulating in a harsh way. "We have only seven floats and each one represents a specific flower, Taylor. Why can't you just use the damned plants to identify the stupid vehicles?"
"Because not everyone is a botanist, young man. I don't want to take any risks."
"He does have a point..." Lorelai chimed in, suddenly making her presence noticed. "I have no idea which flowers those two floats are supposed to be. They both look like daisies to me."
"Stop encouraging him!" Luke growled.
"I'm just saying... God forbid there's a bomb in one of the so called daisy floats and I see it. But, given the panic and high adrenaline levels, my brain freezes and makes it impossible to distinguish one from the other, which leads me to wrongly inform the authorities about the device. When everyone realizes my mistake, plot twist: it would be too late and the entire town is blown up. I could have saved the day if only I could have yelled "BOMB ON NUMBER 3," Lorelai added playfully.
"Thank you, Lorelai! Unfortunately, not everyone understands why it doesn't hurt to be cautious. We need the plates to identify the floats for security measures. Numbers are a universal language. Everyone can count, Luke."
"Argh... Fine!" Luke caved, scratching his baseball hat in frustration. "But you better stay away from me when I'm holding that hammer, Taylor. Or I swear to God!" He threatened at the slightest indication that the older guy was going to follow him.
Lorelai was still having a blast for one more well-played mischief, but the large grin quickly disappeared from her face when she realized Taylor was standing next to her and not looking happy. With Luke gone, the guy clearly needed something else to obsess about. Before he could turn his attention to her, the woman was already on the move to join Rory again near the daffodil float.
Oblivious about the commotion nearby, the journalist was actually enjoying her time taking photos of the floral creations on wheels. Maybe she's been too emotional the last few days and easier to impress, but Rory was a little mesmerized by the colorful and artsy floats.
Although the figures weren't gigantic like the ones from the parade in New York, the floats were really interesting to see because each shape was carefully woven with seasonal flowers. The metallic structures built by Luke were covered with petals and turned into bees, fruits, gardening tools and many other images related to the season. All thanks to the magical hands of Babette, Miss Patty, Lulu and other volunteers.
Rory was so dazzled by the work that she wrote in detail for Patch. com about the event preparations. She even reported how the celebration was impacting the local flower producers in Connecticut and included in the piece research about other similar parades in the United States, Europe and Asia. The journalist was proud of the material, yet she was surprised to see the article becoming a hit on the website and creating a buzz about the parade in Stars Hollow.
As much as the girl was thrilled for the positive responses, attracting so many strangers to town wasn't the plan. Specifically when she was going to be in the spotlight. Until last New Year's Eve, town events have never drawn that much attention before and being a part of them used to be like presenting a silly play in the living room for family and friends. But not today. So, obviously, the young Gilmore was a bit nervous this time. She actually was restless all night and woke up with a knot in the pit of her stomach. The uncomfortable feeling has been coming and going since this morning.
When Lorelai finally got to Rory, the girl was dealing again with that uneasy sensation. As the beginning of the parade was getting closer now, the young Gilmore felt the knot in her stomach tightening. She wondered if her body was somatizing the distress because she could swear even the muscles from her belly were tense for a while.
Lorelai was about to break the news about the latest feud between Luke and Taylor, but she forgot all about it after one look at Rory's distraught expression. "Is everything okay here?"
"Um-hum," the girl released a deep breath. "I think my nerves are just getting the best of me."
"Are you sure? You look tense..."
"That's why I need you to entertain me. I wasn't ready to play Ferris Bueller in front of a bunch of strangers."
"Never thought of you as the stage fright kind."
"And I'm not... when I'm wearing a serious outfit and have something relevant to say. But it's not the same if you are wearing a flower costume, seated on a throne shaped as a plant vase with a watering can on top of you and a rainbow in the background." The girl furrowed her eyebrows, a little self-conscious.
"Rory, one of the secrets of life is not taking yourself too seriously..." Lorelai grabbed the girl by the shoulders so they could be face-to-face. "Your goddess Christine Amanpour, a woman who covered major war conflicts and interviewed the Dalai Lama, accepted to appear in Zoolander 2 for God sakes. A film in which Ben Stiller saves humanity with the power of his good looks. It's unclear to me if she read the script previously or not. But, despite knowing the ridiculous plot of the first movie, she agreed to participate in a sequel anyway and have her name mentioned among the cameos of many dumb famous people, like Justin Bieber. Guess what? I don't see a single person doubting her work as a great journalist."
"You were waiting to bring this up since we watched it last week, right?"
"Oh, you know me too well." Lorelai replied jovially. "I couldn't think of a better way to illustrate how important going through some embarrassment can be to a future mommy. It helps you grow a thicker skin to handle the humiliation of loud tantrums at the supermarket or having food spitted on you in public."
"You'd be such a terrible motherhood inspirational Instagram guru..." Rory chuckled.
"Or maybe I'd be a huge success for telling it like it is. Ha!" Lorelai claimed with enthusiasm, patting Rory's arm. "People are getting sick of those super staged photos and positive captions full of unrealistic expectations about maternity."
"Okay... Guess I should take my place then and get ready to enjoy this amazing opportunity to gain some meaningful and embarrassing life experience, huh?!"
"Now you're talking, sister!"
Rory had already reached the first step to get on the float when Luke arrived, with a hammer in hand and a number plate, to identify the vehicle as ordered by Taylor.
"What are you doing?"
"Getting on the float. I'm supposed to be the centerpiece, remember? That's the whole point of this silly costume."
"I told you not to do this alone."
"Luke, it's not like people need to hang me on cables like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible to get me up here. You built steady steps to make it easy to hop on and hop off. I think I can handle it."
"But you are carrying all this extra weight and..."
"So you're saying I'm fat?"
"You better think twice before saying another word, my friend." Lorelai whispered to her husband. "You are now in a very dangerous territory."
"No! It's just... I mean... Errr... You're growing an entire person inside you and... I... I should probably just shut my big mouth and let you do your thing."
"A-ha! You owe me 20 bucks," Lorelai celebrated, unveiling a secret bet she and Rory had going on.
"Nuh-uh!" The girl protested. "I saw you whispering something in his year."
"Oh, hon. I didn't need to bribe him or anything. I told you he was freaking out because of your mood swings. Especially after Roryzila threw the harmless bathroom scales at us the other day."
"Come on, Luke! You used to be a tough guy. I'd never imagine you'd break this easily", Rory mockingly feigned disappointment. "And just to be clear, mister scaredy cat, I didn't throw the scales at anyone. I was only throwing it away from me. I had no idea you were standing in the same direction."
"Are you two done?" Luke sighed. "I'd love to stay here making a fool of myself to keep you entertained, but the parade is going to start in a few minutes. You, Miss Venus Flytrap, is float number five," he said and hammered the number plate on a visible place. "I have two more to do, but I'll come back to drive, okay?"
Lorelai opened her mouth to suggest she could drive, but the man intervened before she made a peep.
"Don't even think about it. We both know what happened the last time you tried to drive a stick."
"Oh, God! That was ages ago," Lorelai objected, following Luke to defend her dexterity as a driver.
Rory smiled as she watched the couple walk away. The girl knew her mother didn't really bother about Luke's comment, but bantering was Lorelai's favorite hobby. The woman just couldn't help it.
Alone again, the young Gilmore got to the decorated seat and made herself comfortable. In the spare time, she grabbed her phone and asked one of the volunteers to take a picture for Ellie's future photo album. Rory was happily looking at the last shot when Luke came back.
"Ready to go?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," Rory nodded, starting to feel that knot in her stomach again.
Luke quickly checked everything one more time to be sure the girl was safe and then he jumped on the vintage pick-up truck ahead to put the show on the road. When the vehicle started moving, Rory felt the tension rising and the muscles of her stomach tightening one more time.
I've gotta put myself together. Or I'll have a stroke before we leave the concentration area. The girl reprimmended herself, holding her belly to calm down. Seconds after, the unsettling feeling was gone. She straightened her body right in time to see Lane giving her an excited thumbs-up.
As the floats went down the street to get to the starting point of the parade, the young Gilmore got distracted watching three little girls beaming at the floral creations and rushing their parents to the town square. Rory pictured Ellie as one of them and started to wonder what her daughter would look like.
Imagining the color of the baby's eyes and if the child's hair would be dark like hers or sand blond like Logan's, the mom-to-be didn't realize the float had stopped. It took about seven minutes to go from the concentration area to the starting point of the parade. Now the only thing to do was waiting for the line to move until her vehicle could reach the square.
As music and people cheering announced the first float entering the central area, another uneasiness wave seemed to hit Rory's body. And this time the tension felt worse. Come on! There's nothing to be nervous about. It's just 30 minutes of public humiliation for a good cause. Think about the little girls. Repeating the self-encouragement in her mind, the young Gilmore apparently succeeded to relax. By the time the line began to move again and float number two reached the town square, the discomfort was gone. But the situation sounded an alarm in Rory's mind. Perhaps she should ask her mother about these weird spasms going on and off.
The girl scanned the area and Lorelai was nowhere to be found. Guessing the woman was already in the town square among the rest of the people, Rory grabbed her phone and was about to send a text, but she let it go. The girl remembered how much she heard about the infamous Braxton Hicks contractions and figured it was about time to experience them after 8 months of pregnancy. There was no reason to worry her mother about this. The conversation could wait until the end of the afternoon.
The line continued to move at a slow pace as vehicles three and then four entered the central area. When Rory felt the daffodil float in motion again, she took a deep breath to get ready for the commotion in the town square. But it didn't work so well. The strange tension suddenly was back, straining every muscle of her belly and making it impossible to greet people with a bright smile. The journalist wasn't sure Braxton Hicks contractions were supposed to be that intense. She tried to keep a straight face, but she was already wincing in pain.
Lorelai caught the exact moment on camera. The woman had found a perfect spot in the crowd to get the best shot of Rory on the colorful float. But the image captured on screen wasn't the one she expected. Still holding her phone, the older Gilmore sent a message full of question marks to her daughter and immediately started to make way through the visitors. She was glad for not wearing heels today, because a little running would be necessary to reach Luke on the truck.
Moving fast, Lorelai got to the passenger's window and tapped to draw the man's attention.
"What the hell?" He yelled, stretching to roll the window down without taking his eyes off the road.
"Pull over!" Lorelai ordered, struggling to keep the pace.
"Enough with the pranks! Get out of the street before you pull a muscle. All this physical exercise is too much for you," Luke replied and turned to the steering wheel.
"I'm serious!" She panted. "Hit the brakes."
"I can't. Rory could fall back there if I just stop harshly like that. And there are two floats behind us. I'm not gonna be the one causing an accident."
"Okay, then just take the next exit!" The sound of a message alert caught Lorelai's attention for a moment. She checked her phone and exclaimed. "Shoot! Let me in! Quick!"
"Geez!" He complained, leaning to unlock the door. "Are you insane?"
"Luke, I need you to hijack this float from the parade right now. Run over Taylor, if necessary."
"You know I'd gladly get rid of that man. But can you please explain what's going on?"
"Rory is not smiling and waving like Miss Congeniality in the back. I think I got an explicit photo of the precise moment she was having a contraction. Given the text she just sent me about nasty cramps going on and off, I suspect she is getting in labor."
"But the baby is not supposed to be born yet!" The driver uttered, sounding a bit desperate.
"Due dates are just a suggestion, Luke. Babies will always come on their birthday. And, apparently, Ellie is going to celebrate hers in May, not June. She's a true Gilmore girl, already doing things her own way. That's why we need to get out of here. The hospital is 30 to 40 minutes away, depending on traffic. I know Rory is capable of doing many things, but giving birth roughly in the gazebo or in a moving car is not one of them. So, please, do something."
Luke saw the opportunity to turn at the nearest adjacent street and maneuvered the float carefully to the exit. Taylor was petrified by the unexpected change in course and approached the vehicle yelling at them to go back, but Lorelai had the perfect response to shut the guy down.
"Bomb on number five! I repeat: Bomb on number five!" She screamed at a wide-eyed Taylor's.
As soon as the float parked at Peach Street, Lorelai jumped off the car and found her daughter in the middle of another contraction. Considering the time the photo was taken earlier, she estimated the contractions were about six minutes apart. From Rory's expression, they were getting stronger.
"Luke, I already did my cardio for the day. I need you to run home and get the jeep, please. I'm sending Lane a message asking her to meet you there and pack an emergency hospital bag." Lorelai explained, while helping Rory go down the float.
"I'm on it!" The man nodded and then rushed towards the house.
Rory leaned against the truck, still a little overwhelmed by everything. Confused, Taylor joined the girl and Lorelai to demand answers.
"Where's Luke going? You need to go back there! Stat!"
"Sorry, mister. No can do," Rory spoke after the contraction was over.
"Unless you want the Spring Parade to become an off-season Christmas production of the birth of baby Jesus," Lorelai added.
"Oh, boy!" Taylor reached his walkie-talkie and began to shout instructions. "Black Swan down. Black Swan down. Bring the stand-in to the changing point. I'm sending the coordinates. Attention: a spare driver is also necessary!"
"Roger that!" Kirk's voice came out of the device.
Apparently, Taylor never got over the journalist ditching the grand opening of the sweet shop years ago. So, he clearly prepared a backup plan to replace the young Gimore at short notice. In a minute, Lulu turned the corner dressed with an outfit similar to the one Rory was wearing. A devoted Kirk was right behind her.
Lorelai quickly assisted Rory take off the huge flower headpiece and handed it to the understudy. Lulu put the accessory on and sat on the plant vase throne. The girls were eavesdropping on Taylor denying Kirk's persistent pleas to steer the float, when Luke came back with the jeep.
Mother and daughter got settled in the back seat of the car, ready to hit the road. But it didn't move. Luke hesitated for a second, watching Kirk's attempts to get on the driver seat of the pick up truck.
"I'm not sure it's safe to leave them unsupervised. The idea of those two lunatics together around a car still makes my skin crawl," Luke said, absorbed by the traumatic flashback of a 1964 Ford Thunderbird crashing into the diner.
"LUKE!" Lorelai urged as her daughter began to whimper, announcing another intense contraction. "I'm aware you have new responsibilities as Head of the Float Committee, but I need you to focus, man! Everything is going to be fine and if not, thanks to Richard Gilmore, you've upgraded to a very expensive insurance plan that protects you even from Count Olaf's evil schemes. So, I'm 100% positive it's enough to cover Stars Hollow's series of unfortunate events. We need to go! Now!"
The urgent tone was enough to bring Luke to the present time and back on full driver mode. "Okay, okay! We're going. Buckle up!" It was the last thing he said before the sound of the tires screeching echoed outside.
-o-
The drive to the hospital was a mix of frantic phone calls with contractions getting stronger and close together. Logan was the first one to receive a call, after all he was a 7-hour flight apart from where the action was happening.
Despite the different timezone, it was easy to reach the young Huntzberger on his private number. The baby news left him speechless for a moment, but, after the initial shock, he promised to get there as soon as possible and hung up the phone in a hurry to make some travel arrangements. Lorelai didn't know if he was planning to buy a last minute plane ticket or an entire private jet, but he sounded determined. No matter if it was already night in London.
Second on the list, Emily was way more chatty on the phone. The woman demanded details about Rory's health insurance, inquired about the evaluation of the hospital they were going to, lectured Lorelai for supposedly not being attentive enough to prenatal care recommendations and even got into a pointless fight with her. Three contractions came and went away in the meantime. The last one was so intense that Emily heard her granddaughter wailing in the background of the conversation. Only then, the senior Gilmore assured to be on her way to Hartford and ended the call.
Christopher was the last to be contacted. Lorelai tried his cell three times, but it went straight to voicemail. She also called his house. Again, no success. The woman was leaving him a message when Rory felt something leaking between her legs.
"I think my water just broke," the girl announced with a shaken voice.
"Well," Lorelai put down the phone and searched her brain for the right thing to say to calm Rory. "There's nothing to worry about, remember?" She patted her daughter's arm and carried on. "You were the person who told me that the water breaking is an overused Hollywood cliché to rush the characters to the hospital for narrative climax purposes only. We don't need to be rushed. We are almost there."
"Right..."
"As a matter of fact," Luke stepped in. "We'd be at the hospital right now if there weren't so many red lights in this damned city!" He ranted in his typical grumpy style." What is it? Some kind of philosophical traffic sistem to force us to stop, smell the flowers and enjoy the journey of life? Newsflash: it's not working. I'm not happy at all!"
"I hear you, Luke." Rory exclaimed, feeling another aggressive contraction coming.
By the time the pain was over, they arrived at the hospital and the journalist spotted her doctor waiting at the admission area. The young Gilmore texted her the minute they had left Stars Hollow. After a few follow-up questions, the obstetrician informed she was heading to the hospital to meet them.
Thankful because the woman really didn't lie about the VIP treatment, Rory gave her an emotional hug. She was relieved things were finally getting back on track. At least, delivery would go according to the plan. No more surprises for the day.
Rory followed the doctor to the examination room, while Lorelai stayed behind to deal with the admission forms. The girl changed her clothes for a gown, just in time for another contraction to start.
The doctor helped the young Gilmore lay on the table and instructed the girl to breathe until the pain subsided. She was still monitoring an exhausted Rory, when Lorelai knocked and entered the room.
"It's good you joined us." The doctor greeted. "Can you keep an eye on her for me? I just want to do a quick pelvic check-up"
"Sure. I can squeeze her in my busy schedule of filling in forms, getting ice cubes and responding to texts and phone calls."
By now, the physician was so used to the girls' antics that she only chuckled and put her gloves on to proceed with the exam. Something about her expression got Lorelai a bit worried though. She tried hard to ignore it. So she focused on comforting her daughter. She was doing a great job, until the doctor finally spoke again:
"Rory, as I suspected, you're fully dilated."
"Okay..." The girl acquiesced, uncertain about what to say.
"And it's not just that. Your baby's head has already moved into the birth canal. Without noticing, you've started to push at some point. So, our plans are about to change. We can't go through with the Cesarean delivery."
"No, no, no, no... Things were not supposed to be like this," she started to hyperventilate. "There's probably some technique you could try to pull her back. I can change the position, if it helps."
"Listen, there's no time for anesthetic to be administered for a C-section. In the current stage, trying to revert the natural course would only cause distress for the baby. That little girl wants to get out. She is already in the right position. I can give you meds to ease the pain. But I need you to continue pushing now, deal?"
"Deal," Rory's voice began to quaver and her eyes were watering like she was going to cry, but she held it in.
"Then we better start moving" The doctor pressed a button and a nurse entered to transfer Rory to the delivery room.
Lorelai held Rory's hand, walking side-by-side the bed the girl was now laid. They crossed the corridor quickly and another contraction began when they got to the maternity unit.
As the doctor instructed the young Gilmore to push, the nurse plugged the equipment to monitor both the new mother and the baby. Lorelai was now watching the woman prepare the intravenous medication, when she felt her daughter tightening the grasp on her hand.
"You're doing great," Lorelai encouraged, touching her forehead and remembering the moment she was in the same position many years ago.
The long and extreme contraction finally subsided, giving Rory's body some time to recover and also absorb the analgesics injected into her bloodstream.
Two more contractions came and went away, forcing the girl to push in order to help the baby out. The effort was enough for the top of Ellie's head to be seen outside.
"We are almost done, Rory. Once the head breaches, the rest will get easier." The doctor guided. "So breathe, gather your strength and get ready for the next one."
When another contraction emerged, the young Gilmore embraced the urge to push harder until she reached a critical point. Although the OB was trying to stimulate Rory to continue, the girl faltered. She felt like she hit her body limit and it was impossible to go any further. Not even the drugs were enough to eliminate the pain of every muscle being strained at the very maximum.
"It's too much. I can't. I can't do it anymore," Rory cried out, tearing up in response to the doctor's appeals.
A brief silence took over the delivery room as the medical team tried to figure out the next move or something to say.
All of a sudden, Lorelai raised her voice. "Yes, you can!" The woman looked her reluctant daughter in the eye and insisted. "You survived jail."
"I'm not kidding!" Rory whined.
"And you bossed around those convicts in community service."
"You are not helping!" The journalist grunted stubbornly.
Recognizing a spark of the girl's fiery determination, Lorelai pressed more. "Then remember how mad you got with your grandma meddling your life"
"STOP!" The young Gilmore yelled this time, facing the rise of one more contraction.
Her crazy mother ignored her. "Or how about Mitchum Huntzberger coming to our house to offend you, huh? I mean, it wasn't enough for him to say you didn't get it..."
"I HATE YOU." The girl vociferated, looking ready to punch someone and start a fight.
"Good! Now I need you to turn this rage into one more push! Come on!"
"Yeah!" The doctor unexpectedly joined Lorelai's cheer. "Channel all that raw emotion to get your daughter out."
The strategy was insane, but apparently it worked. Powered up by outrage, Rory was back on the game and decided to get the baby out with every fiber in her being. So she pushed vigorously following the doctor's guidance. The young Gilmore felt one last stretch and held Lorelai's hand tighter, as Ellie's head finally passed through. The shoulders and the rest of the body came subsequently, draining the rest of the new mommy energy.
Drowsy, Rory heard Ellie's first cry whilst the nurses followed the procedures to make sure everything was okay with the child. When the baby was finally placed in her chest for the first time, a very smiley Lorelai whispered:
"I guess you won't need Lamaze classes anymore."
-o-
Lorelai was still wired after the emotional last hours. A confusion of feelings came over her since a tiny baby girl materialized in front of her eyes. As much as she witnessed many important moments in Rory's life before, it's always been as a mother. But today, for the first time, she also got to be Ellie's grandmother. That was a completely different experience.
All the excitement was keeping the woman awake in the quiet hospital room. It was almost 4 AM and, from her chair, she's been watching Rory sleep. The girl blacked out shortly after the delivery, a side effect of heavy medication combined with physical exhaustion.
The peaceful silence was disturbed by a soft moaning that brought Lorelai up to her feet. In the blink of an eye, she was on Rory's bedside to check if everything was okay. No matter how old you get, the protective instinct never goes away. You'll understand it soon. The woman thought, gently caressing her daughter's hair.
Making sure the girl was comfortable, Lorelai moved towards the door and carefully left the room to go after some coffee. She was walking down the corridor when she heard a familiar voice asking about Rory Gilmore, probably to one of the nurses of the night shift.
The woman followed the sound, turning the corner to find Logan in the next corridor. She waved from a distance and immediately a glimmer of hope appeared in the young Huntzberger's eyes as he walked in her direction.
"Did you hijack a British Airlines airplane or steal someone's jet to get here?" Lorelai teased.
"The plan was to get here fast, which means no police involved," Logan replied with a mischievous smirk. "So, I did what rich people do best. I pulled some strings and called in favors... Finn let me borrow his family jet and his pilot."
"Oh, don't forget to refill the tank before you return it to him."
"Of course. I'll wash it clean too. It's common courtesy," he chuckled and rubbed his neck anxiously. "So..."
"Everything went well," Lorelai informed, putting the man out of his misery. "Rory is sleeping right now, but both her and the baby are okay."
Logan exhaled and nodded, grateful for the good news. He remained in silence for a moment and then blurted. "We had all the details planned, you know? I organized my schedule. I was coming in the first week of June, to be here at the delivery date and stay until they were out of the hospital..."
"Yeah, I know. But that daughter of yours is a piece of work, man." Lorelai gave him a kind smile. "For what's worth, the important thing is that you are here now and, if you are really invested in participating in Ellie's life, I can assure you there'll be many moments from now on to be present."
"I truly am. Believe me... I've signed a bunch of papers to arrange that."
"Good!" Lorelai responded with a small head gesture. After observing Logan for a moment, she offered with some resistance. "Would you like to talk to Rory? We can wake her up..."
"No, no. Let her rest. I woke her up once in the middle of the night and let's just say I'm never doing that again, unless it's a real emergency."
"Smart choice!" Lorelai sniggered. "Do you want to meet Ellie then? I can take you to the nursery and force you to play a game to guess which one is the correct baby. It's my personal version of 'The Price is Right'. I did it with my mom earlier and it was a blast."
"I'd love that."
They walked quietly side by side. As soon as they got to the nursery window, Lorelai pointed to a fussy baby girl.
"I present you, the one and only Ellie Gilmore."
"Look at that! She's a rebel," Logan exclaimed, approaching the glass and trying to interact with the baby.
"Do you want me to bring her here?"
"Oh... It's late," the man nervously shifted on his feet. "We shouldn't bother the nurses. They are clearly busy."
"It seems like a quiet night to me. Your rebel baby is the only one tossing in the crib, ready to break some rules," Lorelai suggested and walked to the door of the nursery.
"Then, as a father, I believe it's my duty to be the accomplice of her first transgression, huh?"
The young Huntzberger chuckled and watched Lorelai disappear through the door. She came back with the baby in her arms, taking Ellie closer to him.
"She's perfect," Logan hushed and touched the tiny hands, with an expression of pure admiration.
"Do you wanna hold her?" Lorelai noticed the man hesitating for a second, but she realized it was not because he didn't want to get the baby. He was only not certain of how to do it. She gave him a confident nod for reassurance and then placed the child in his arms.
As the initial doubts disappeared, a genuine smile spread across Logan's face. "Hey, Ellie!" He gently kissed the baby's forehead. "It's dad."
Not another word was necessary after that. It was an instant connection. Something Lorelai desperately had wished to witness when Christopher was in the same spot many years ago.
-o-
The morning light brought one more visitor to the hospital in Hartford. Around 10 am, Christopher showed up asking the receptionist for directions to Rory's room. The man was so agitated that he didn't listen to the instructions closely. So he got lost in the corridors and ended up wandering near the nursery. Luckily, Logan was coming back from a coffee run and bumped into him.
"Christopher?" The young Huntzberger called, a bit unsure because he hasn't seen Rory's father in years.
"Logan?! My God!" The man shook his free hand enthusiastically. "You flew in from London and got here before me? That doesn't make me look good."
"To be honest, I was the first person they called. It bought me some extra time," Logan shrugged jokingly.
"Ah! Phone privileges! Now it makes sense..." The man paused and took a glance at the nursery window. "Since we are both here, could you do the introductions? I'm curious to meet my grandkid" he sighed playfully. "Whoa! It's so weird to say that."
"All of us are getting old..." The young Huntzberger tapped his shoulder. They turned to the window and Logan instructed. "See that girl wearing the onesie that says 'Fresh out of the oven'?" He waited for Christopher's confirmation. "That's Ellie."
"A comedian already? Emily must have loved the outfit, huh?"
"In fact, she was coerced to buy it as a gift. She wanted something much more fancy. But, apparently, Emily is on probation, which means Lorelai and Rory are calling the shots."
"I bet they are..." Chris smiled, observing the baby for a while and thinking in silence about some parts of Rory's manuscript. "Could you point me in the direction of the other Gilmore I came to visit?"
"Sure! It's this way."
Logan walked Christopher to the door of Rory's room and invented an excuse to leave. Lorelai followed the example and said she needed to make some calls, in order to give father and daughter some privacy to talk.
Rory was the one to speak first. "Hey..."
"Hi, kiddo..." The greeting worked as an invitation for Chris. He approached and sat next to her bed. "I just met Ellie."
"Oh, it was about time..." she forced a smile. "Mom tried to call you yesterday..."
"I was out of town. My phone had no service. I came as soon as I got the message."
"That's okay, dad."
The man exhaled sharply. "No, it's not." He stopped for a second, staring at his hands. "I've finished reading your manuscript... And It seems that all I do is saying I'm sorry."
"You read it?"
"Yeah. I even made notes..." Chris looked up again to face the girl.
"Really?" His daughter inquired dryly.
"You are surprised I actually read it, huh?"
"Well, you didn't say anything before. I didn't know you had pointers. I already sent the copies..."
"The notes are not on your storytelling, Rory." Christopher wrinkled his forehead. "The notes are about me. It was painful to turn the pages and realize how my actions made you feel unwanted. Please understand that I never intended to cause that. I thought you knew I love you, despite my reckless absence. Now you got so used to having low expectations about me that I honestly... I don't know how to fix it. You are not a kid anymore... I have no idea how to make it up for the past."
"I don't know how to fix it either," Rory admitted and a defeated expression came across Christopher's face. He averted his eyes, not sure of what to do next, until the girl suddenly spoke again and drew his attention. "But I'd be willing to talk about something to start from."
"Alright..." Christopher stood up, with confidence running through his veins again. "I could propose another misguided grand gesture, but I think it's about time to concentrate on the basics... So, how about... answering the phone, returning calls and a bold action like taking the initiative to ring you on a regular basis as a first step?"
"It definitely sounds like a realistic good beginning," Rory responded with a sincere smile. There was no bitterness hidden in her thoughts this time.
A/N: Ellie's arrival is definitely the highest point of the chapter. I wanted it to happen during some town event (like when Sookie's pager beeped in the middle of a live-painting festival) and I wanted it to be a surprise for everyone. Did you suspect from the beginning Rory was in labor? Did the title of the chapter gave it away? What do you think of the entire experience for Rory?
Before you ask, of course Logan eventually talked to Rory in the hospital. But it wasn't important to include this scene. I've been hinting in previous chapters that I want to explore Logan as a father in this story.
I'm aware that Amy Shermam Paladino admitted she intended to make a parallel between Christopher and Logan. But the thing is: a parallel is not a mirror (at least, in my opinion). So I don't think she meant Logan is destined to commit the same mistakes Chris did as a father. Logan is not 16. He is a grown-ass man, with a stable/successful career and rich AF. If he wants to be a father, the family business is not an impediment. Any thoughts about that? How about Christopher's promise to do better?
I'll get into details about how I interpreted the Chris/Logan parallel in the next chapter. I'm doing my best to finish it and publish it on Sunday. Fingers crossed!