Lorelai had managed to save up a little from her wages to help fix up the potting shed. Little by little she had been able to make it feel more like a home for her and Rory. First some new linens for the bed. She hadn't minded the ones Mia loaned her, but she wanted some that were her own. Then little things here and there. The most recent purchase had been a bit of wallpaper to spruce up the walls. Looking around, she couldn't help but admire her handiwork.
"Hey Rory, what do you think?" said Lorelai, picking up Rory. "It's taken me a couple months, I know, but it's been nice to know I earned it." Rory only chattered baby talk. Rory was wearing an outfit Lorelai had made for her out of one of her old shirts. "Doing the best for me and my bestie...yep we're going to be best friends."
Lorelai sat Rory down when she heard a knock on the door. She opened the door to see Mia - or as she was thinking these days, her saint since she had been so generous with them. She was curious why Mia was here as Lorelai had just finished her shift a couple hours ago. "So how come you didn't tell me today is your birthday?" asked Mia, looking at Lorelai.
"How did you find out?" asked Lorelai curiously. "I've kept it pretty quiet around here...I only told Danielle...wait she spilled didn't she?"
"Like a broken dam." said Mia with a chuckle. "Happy 18th birthday, Lorelai." Mia handed over wrapped present.
"Mia, you really shouldn't have." said Lorelai. "And I can't accept."
"I should have and you will." said Mia, walking in and sitting in a chair near Rory. "Now open it while I play with everyone's favorite little girl."
Lorelai looked at Mia hesitatingly and opened the gift. It was a new pair of tennis shoes. "Don't think I haven't noticed the fact yours are starting to rip on the sides. Don't even argue with you can't accept them - you can." said Mia, getting up. "Now hope you enjoy the rest of your birthday!" Mia walked out.
"That was nice of her, don't you think, Rory." said Lorelai, pulling the shoes out of the box. Upon examining the shoes, she noticed there was something inside the right shoe. Lorelai pulled out a note wrapped around 3 $20 bills. The note read 'Don't you dare fight me on this - buy yourself something nice. Love, Mia' Lorelai sighed, knowing Mia wouldn't take back the money. Lorelai went to sit the box down by the bed when she thought to look in the left shoe. There was a $20 gift card for a baby store in the mall and on the back of the card read 'And for Rory too!' Lorelai couldn't help but laugh. "Guess we're going shopping tomorrow, kid, as it's my day off."
The next morning, after Lorelai and Rory were both up and dressed, Lorelai got Rory into her stroller and they caught the bus in town to the nearest mall. Lorelai had missed the days she could shop at the mall for hours. It didn't take long for Lorelai to pick out a new pair of slacks for herself and a couple new shirts and then a new outfit and a teddy bear for Rory.
Walking through the mall on the way back out, Lorelai caught site of a payphone and thought about Chris and her parents. She knew she was now of the age where Emily and Richard wouldn't be able to force her to come home. Lorelai dug some change out of her pockets and first tried the Gilmore residence. The phone rang twice before Lorelai freaked and hung up the phone. "You know what, it would be better to send a letter." Lorelai said to Rory as they walked out of the mall and catching the bus back.
Once back in their home, Lorelai got Rory settled and sat down at the little table with some paper and a couple stamped and addressed envelopes. She wrote out a letter to Christopher first that read:
'Hey Chris! I know you have likely been worried about us, but this letter is for you to know we're both safe and happy. I'm working as a maid, believe it or not, considering we both grew up with maids. I work at an inn in Stars Hollow. I hope you can come by sometime and see us. Rory's getting bigger by the day. -Lorelai'
Lorelai got folded the letter and put in one of the envelopes after adding the name of the inn and the address to the bottom. Thinking for a moment, she pulled out a photo another maid had taken of her and Rory the other day and slipped it in the envelope before sealing it.
Lorelai grabbed a new piece of paper and sighed as she started the note to her parents:
'Mom and Dad, I know you two have been worried about me. I am fine and Rory is fine. You will never understand my reasons, but I had to leave and lead my own life and I waited to write this so you would have to respect that. Trust me and Rory are both happy and healthy. I'm working at an inn and considering going back for my GED. I hope one day you will forgive me and we can talk. -Love, Lorelai'
Lorelai read through the letter again before adding the inn's address to the bottom like she had the last letter. She wasn't sure how she would explain her living conditions to her parents if they showed up - hopefully she could convince them they had a room inside the inn as they would never accept the potting shed as her home. Lorelai looked around the potting shed, thinking about how nice it was to be able to make her own decisions. Lorelai folded the letter and put it in the envelope and sealed it.
"So Rory, shall we go and see what's for lunch up at the inn?" said Lorelai standing up. Lorelai picked up Rory and walked up to the inn. Before walking to kitchen, she dropped both letters in the outgoing mail for the day. As she started eating, she hoped she was making the right decision telling her parents where she was...but it wasn't like she could keep it a secret forever. Looking at Rory, she knew it wouldn't be right to keep them from her. Hopefully one day her parents would respect the decision she had made.
Should I continue this story or not?