Chapter 5 Notes: Jess and Jeremy head to Stars Hollow. There will be some details later on how Jess and Rory got to where they are now with each other. I know the timing is off from the revival because it's fall again and Rory should have had her baby by now, but I wanted it to be autumn for Jess and Jeremy's story line, but I didn't want to have to write the baby into the story, so in my story Rory got pregnant a few months later than canon and is still pregnant a year after the revival. Also, I tried to keep April in character with who she was on the original show not the revival. I thought the April story line was a contrived plot device, but I always liked April as a character. April's pre/early teen years always felt very realistically developed to me. I liked that she was socially awkward and insecure with kids her own age, but very enthusiastic about math and science and that she was the only female main character to play a team sport. I want 11-13 year old April to stay gold for as long as possible. :) I didn't really understand the character of April in the revival. Thanks so much for all the reviews and follows. I love hearing what you guys think of this story!
Disclaimer: I own nothing except my own obsession with Gilmore Girls.
Jess knew he had a golden parenting opportunity staring him in the face. The chance to be a real hero. To put Jeremy's happiness before his own comfort in a big way. To be looked back on later as one of those parents who could fix any hurt. Who could magically dry tears over a scraped knee with a well-placed kiss or cure the flu by making cinnamon and sugar toast and knowing which sick day movie to put on. Here was his chance to be the kind of parent he had always wanted when he was a kid. He stole a quick glance at Jeremy, silent and serious in the passenger seat of his Mazda, before bringing his eyes back to the road in front of him. The boy wasn't sulking. Jess couldn't accuse him of that, but the kid was sad. Very sad. And Jess was the only one who could fix the situation.
As Jess drove out of Pennsylvania, he thought back to earlier that morning. They had started their Saturday morning the same as they had their last three, with a trip to the animal shelter. The first time they had visited, after they had been given a quick tour of the facility, they had been encouraged to pick a dog to take on an outing, with the idea being that they would socialize the dog and possibly introduce the dog to friends or meet someone in the park or on the street who would be interested in adopting the animal. Jess had let Jeremy pick what kind of volunteer work he wanted to do, and Jess had just been relieved that they weren't going to be spending their morning cleaning dog poop as he had imagined. He had let Jeremy pick out the dog, and when the boy had come back with a timid, slow moving, senior dog, a brown and black mutt named Winston, who had gone grey in the muzzle, Jess had almost been dumb enough to question the boy's choice and point out that a younger dog might be more fun since they could take it hiking or something. Almost. Instead he had watched Jeremy get down on one knee and gently pet the dog's head. When the boy looked up at Jess, asking if this was ok, saying that he knew Winston was older, but maybe they could just walk to the park and let Winston lie around in the grass or something, that Violetta, the shelter manager, had told Jeremy that no one ever chose Winston because of his age and she knew he would really enjoy the outing and companionship, Jess was glad that for once he had kept his damn mouth shut. He assured Jeremy that his choice was just fine and told him that they could drive Winston to the park so that he could conserve his energy for walking around and sniffing once they got there.
They had been back to visit Winston the following two Saturdays, taking him to the park each time in the backseat of Jess' car. They had developed a comfortable routine. They walked a little way along the flat part of the trail in the park and then found a shady spot to sit in the grass with Winston. Jess had thought about bringing a book, as he would have done had he been alone with the dog, but he wanted to maximize this opportunity to bond with his foster son, and they mostly spent the time talking or people watching, with Jeremy always sitting within petting distance of Winston, with a hand rubbing behind his ears or gently petting down the length of his back, and Winston lying on his side, with what looked to Jess like a contented smile on his face at Jeremy's attention.
This morning, they had been greeted at the shelter with the news that Winston's number was up as of this coming Wednesday. Jess had been surprised to hear this, having assumed the place was a no-kill shelter. Violetta had told him that she wished it was, but unfortunately, it was a city run facility and they didn't have unlimited funding. He couldn't believe he hadn't researched this better and avoided setting Jeremy up for this kind of experience. Jeremy had taken the news wordlessly, avoiding eye contact as they got Winston leashed up for their outing, and being extra quiet at the park, solemn expression on his face, not speaking unless Jess asked him a direct question. Jess had tried to bring up how Jeremy was feeling about the news, but Jeremy had just shaken his head, eyes trained on the dog in the grass in front of him and said he was fine. It sucked, but he understood. He still wanted Winston to have a nice time that morning, though. They had returned Winston to the shelter after a mostly silent hour and a half or so at the park, and now they were both quiet, each lost in their own thoughts as they headed toward Stars Hollow.
What struck Jess the most was that Jeremy hadn't asked him if they could adopt Winston. Jess knew Jeremy had become attached to the old dog, that even after a month in his new high school, Winston was the only real friend the boy had made so far in Philadelphia. He knew Jeremy didn't feel completely settled in Jess' home yet and probably didn't see himself as having the right to ask Jess to take in another living thing in need of care. That's what got Jess. It's not that he wanted the kid to guilt him into taking the dog, it was more the idea that Jeremy may never have been comfortable enough in any home he had lived in since he lost his parents to ask for something, even something he wanted this badly.
Jess didn't really want a dog. He never had. It's not that he didn't like them. He did. And Winston was a good dog. But, it seemed like a lot of extra work and responsibility. Matthew's family had a dog and it always seemed to Jess that the dog was more of a hassle than his two-year old, with always needing to figure out who was going to be home to walk and feed the dog or who would watch the dog when he and his girlfriend went out of town. And, was it too early to make this kind of commitment? Jess could still easily picture Jeremy leaving and walking out of his life when he turned eighteen or when he graduated high school. He didn't really know what Jeremy's thoughts were on any of that, and it seemed too soon to bring it up. So much still felt uncertain and out of his control. Then Jess would be stuck with a dog that he hadn't really wanted in the first place, feeling ridiculous and pathetic.
But, right now, the one thing Jess felt like he could control was the outcome of the current situation they were dealing with. He knew it wouldn't cost him anything that he wasn't capable of giving to show some kindness to the down-hearted boy sitting next to him. His mind went back to his first night at Luke's, when his uncle had given up his own bed to Jess when Jess had looked skeptically at the inflatable mattress that he had been expected to sleep on. The precedent had been set. Luke had become someone Jess could rely on to put his needs and comfort before his own. And when he had turned up unexpectedly in Luke's apartment asking to move back in with him a few weeks after crashing Rory's car, he had already known what Luke's answer would be. And when he had returned to Stars Hollow after his time in California to reclaim his car, he had been annoyed, but not surprised, to find that Luke had stuffed an envelop full of cash above the visor. He had already come to see Luke as someone who would always do whatever he could, to not just help Jess and take care of him, but to make him happy. And now Jess wanted to be that person for Jeremy. He tried to picture himself and Luke in this situation when he had been Jeremy's age. Luke would have moaned and groaned, gone on a mini-tirade about the responsibility of taking care of a dog, about the fur getting all over his apartment, the dirty paws tracking mud indoors, because Luke did not like change. But, he knew his uncle would have let Jess wear him down in the end and taken the dog in anyway to make Jess happy, and eventually Luke would have come to appreciate the animal because he was that kind of guy.
Jess glanced toward Jeremy, who was staring out the passenger window. "Hey, Jeremy."
Jess waited for Jeremy to look at him, keeping the boy in sight out of the corner of his eye as he drove.
"I was just thinking. I know you're sad about Winston. I am, too."
"It's ok, Jess." The boy's tone was level, but expressionless. "I'll get over it."
"I was thinking maybe you don't have to."
Jess registered Jeremy's surprised expression with a quick glance, wishing he wasn't driving so he could really look at Jeremy, wanting to see the payoff of his decision on the boy's face. "What do you mean?"
"Do you think maybe Winston would want to come live with us?" Jess asked casually.
"Are you serious?" Jeremy asked.
"No, I'm just messing with you because I'm a complete dick." Jess laughed. "Of course, I'm serious! I know you really care about him. And, I feel like between the two of us, we can handle having a dog. What do you think?"
"Jess….yeah, I mean, thank you. I will do everything! All the walks and feeding him. You won't have to do anything, I promise! Thank you so much!"
Jess could hear the smile in Jeremy's voice, but glanced over anyway to see Jeremy looking the most joyful Jess had ever seen him. Jess thought to himself with a swell of pride that he had done that. He had put that huge grin on his foster kid's face.
"Are you sure it's ok? I mean, you want Winston, too, right? I don't want you to just do this for me, if you don't even want a dog, I mean…." Jeremy trailed off tentatively.
Jess shrugged nonchalantly, eyes straight ahead on the road in front of him. "I wasn't in the market for a dog if that's what you're asking, but I'm not the only person in this family anymore. Stuff shouldn't just be about what I want now. And, Winston's a cool little guy. I think it'll be fun to have him around."
"Thank you, Jess, seriously. I really appreciate this. This is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me. Thank you so much."
"You're welcome, Jeremy. Now how about you call the shelter and let Violetta know that we want to adopt Winston. We'll get back into town on Monday night and we can go by and get him Tuesday after you get out of school."
"Ok. I'll call right now." Jess stole another glance at Jeremy as the boy pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and started scrolling and typing to look up the number, a wide grin still in place on his face. Jess liked seeing the kid this happy, and mentally patted himself on the back for making it happen. It made him feel like a good parent, one who had done something right for a change.
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Jeremy followed Jess to the door of the diner, his backpack slung over one shoulder and nerves fluttering around in his stomach.
Jess paused in front of the door, then chuckled. "See this?" He pointed to the sign on the door and Jeremy leaned forward to read it. 'Luke's Diner is a peanut-free environment. Please help us keep it that way.' "That's new. That's all for you." Jess smiled at Jeremy and Jeremy felt his stomach clenching at the pressure. From what he could tell, Jess' uncle was the most important person in Jess' life, and Jeremy wanted to make a good first impression and not cause any problems, and if the man had already made changes to his diner because of him, it felt like he was off to a bad start.
"That's really nice of your uncle. I would have been ok, though. I could have just avoided anything with peanuts. I feel bad that he changed his menu just to accommodate me…..."
"Don't feel bad. Luke likes to worry about people he cares about. It's his favorite, right up there with watching the Red Sox." Jess smiled at Jeremy and patted him on the side of his shoulder, encouragingly. Jeremy took in Jess' wording, the casual assumption that his uncle would care, or maybe even already did care, about Jeremy. Maybe this was how it would feel to really be a part of a family, that other people would care about you based solely on your importance to person they already cared about.
Jess was opening the door now and Jeremy took a deep breath and followed him into the restaurant. It was lunchtime and every table was occupied. An older man was moving quickly behind the counter, picking up plates of food and setting them down in front of customers. He looked up and smiled broadly when he saw Jess, wiping his hands on a dish towel and coming out from behind the counter as Jess met him halfway across the floor. Jeremy watched them hug from his spot by the door, the older man's face lit up with joy. He wasn't sure if he should have followed Jess, but he had hung back so as not to intrude on their family moment. He took two tentative steps further into the diner, feeling awkward and also a little sorry for himself that he couldn't remember ever being greeted by anyone as enthusiastically as Jess had just been greeted by Luke.
Luke had a hand on Jess' shoulder and a huge smile on his face as they talked. The man caught Jeremy's eye and said something to Jess, tilting his head in Jeremy's direction. Jess looked back at Jeremy confused, as if he had expected Jeremy to have been right behind him. He motioned to his uncle and led the man over to Jeremy, who tried to control his nerves and school his face into a friendly and pleasing expression.
"Hi, Jeremy. I'm Luke, Jess' uncle. It's great to finally meet you." The man held out his hand and Jeremy reached out to shake.
"You, too." Jeremy found his forced smile morphing into a genuine one in response to the man's welcoming energy. He noticed the resemblance to Jess immediately. The way the man's eyes crinkled with happiness when he smiled, his warm expression. But, Luke seemed like a lower-key, less image-conscious version of his nephew, with his backward baseball cap and flannel shirt that both looked like they had seen better days. Jeremy felt no trace of the trying-too-hard vibe he had often gotten from Jess in their first days together. Luke seemed more secure with himself and less impressed with himself at the same time. And age appropriate to parent someone Jeremy's age. Jeremy couldn't help feeling that this was the guy he had been hoping to find the day Ms. Garcia had delivered him to Jess.
"All right, how about we get you two some lunch? C'mon over here and sit at the counter. You can talk to me while I work. I need to stay through the rest of the lunch shift, then I'm off for the rest of the time you guys are in town."
Jeremy followed Luke and Jess to the counter, put his backpack on top of Jess' duffel on the floor to save space and sat on a stool between Jess and a tall thin man who was openly staring at them. A bell dinged, and Luke looked toward the kitchen. "Gimme one minute, guys, I'll be right back. And just so you know, Jeremy, everything in here is peanut-free, so feel free to have anything you want." He tapped the countertop with his palm and smiled at Jeremy before walking over to pick up and deliver the ready order.
Jeremy felt uncomfortable under the gaze of the man next to him and did his best to avoid looking at him, hoping the guy would take the hint and leave him alone. No such luck. "Are you the reason that this establishment is now a peanut-free environment?" The man's voice was expressionless to the point of monotone and Jeremy wasn't sure how to take it. "My Tuesday isn't the same without my regular peanut butter themed lunch of a PBJ sandwich and apple slices with a side of peanut butter for dipping. It's thrown off my entire week really."
"Oh, uh….sorry, I guess."
Jess leaned into Jeremy's space to respond. "Hey Kirk. If you don't back off my kid, a lack of peanut butter is going to be the least of your worries. Got it?"
The man next to Jeremy, Kirk, frowned slightly in response, but seemed otherwise unbothered, as if he were accustomed to be threatened. "You don't need to get hostile, Jess. I was just making conversation." Jeremy was surprised at Jess' knee-jerk reaction to protect him from Kirk's accusations. And even though Jeremy got the impression that Kirk was more of an annoyance than someone who posed any real threat, it had felt good to have Jess stick up for him while he had still been fumbling around for a response of his own.
Luke walked up behind the counter, with a pencil and small notepad. "Hey, did you notice the new menus, Jess?"
Jess looked down at the unopened menu on the counter next to him. "Oh, yeah, you updated the cover graphics. Very nice."
"Not just the cover, my friend. Check out the new vegetarian section I added on the back page." Luke was smiling as he turned to Jeremy, who flipped his own menu to the back to look.
Jeremy looked up confused, and worried he was missing something obvious. "Mine just has an article about a British feminist on the back."
"What? Oh, that's an old one. My step-daughter wrote that article for the New Yorker. You can hold onto it in case you want to read it while you eat. It's good stuff." Luke dug around under the counter and handed Jeremy another menu. "Here's a new one."
"Wow." Jeremy heard the sarcasm is Jess' tone. "Your veggie section bumped Rory's article off the menu, Jeremy. That's pretty big."
"Stop it." Luke's voice had the long-suffering tone of someone who had parented a sarcastic child. "I had Rory's article on there for about a year, but I needed room for the vegetarian section. I framed a copy and hung it by the door in case anyone wants to read it." Luke paused. "I'm not really sure she liked her article being on the menu anyway. I think it might have embarrassed her once she moved back." Luke turned his attention to Jeremy, the smile back on his face. "So, what do you think? What would you like?"
"I'm not sure. This all looks so great it's hard to choose."
"I wanted you to have choices. I've been reading up on the vegetarian stuff and I saw that one of the main vegetarian complaints was that some restaurants only have one vegetarian dish. And that's not right, I mean, you might not be in the mood for that one thing, right? You should get a choice just like everybody else."
"Well, he certainly has choices now." Jess mused as he read through the page-long vegetarian section.
"Thank you, this is great." Jeremy looked up at Luke and returned his smile. It felt good here, easier, like he would be content to stay here and work his way through all ten items on the vegetarian menu, soaking up Luke's easy-going attitude as he ate. "Thanks for doing this, really."
"It's my pleasure, Jeremy. I can't have my great-nephew going hungry, now can I?"
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After lunch, Jess and Jeremy brought their bags upstairs to Luke's apartment and were settling in to wait for Luke to be done working when there was a sharp knock on the office door. It was pushed open before Jess could yell come in.
"Jess!" Jeremy looked up from the couch where he had been digging through his backpack for his toothbrush to see a girl with dark, curly hair rush into the apartment excitedly, dropping a bright purple backpack and pulling Jess into his second hug of the day. Not that Jeremy was keeping a tally or anything.
"Hey April!" Jess was grinning as he released the girl. She was young, maybe only a few years older than Jeremy. "It's so good to see you. How was Alaska? I want to hear all about your trip."
April sighed happily. "Alaska was amazing! I have so many pictures to show you. The ones I texted while I was there were just the highlights. This research trip was the coolest thing I've ever done! We were in this tiny little town on the coast. The closest actual city was hours away. It was just me, Professor Kempton and two other research assistants. And, get this, I got to call Professor Kempton, Judith. How cool is that?"
"That makes sense, you are kind of a grown up now. I hate to be the one to break it to you. Enjoy it, though, getting to call your boss by her first name gets old pretty quick." Jeremy watched Jess smile fondly at the girl, feeling forgotten on the couch. He knew April was Luke's daughter and Jess' cousin, and he had known there was a large age difference between them, but he hadn't expected Jess' behavior and energy around April to feel so quasi-parental and so similar to how he treated Jeremy. Jeremy felt an involuntary tightening in the pit of his stomach that he recognized as jealousy.
April laughed. "I know! You're right. But, it felt very cool anyway. And she let us break midway through the summer to go up to Barrow for a few days. That's above the Artic Circle and she thought it would be a sacrilege if we got that close and didn't visit. We went to this polar bear viewing area, and I got to see freaking polar bears! How amazing is that? And it was daylight for the four days straight that we were there, it was so cool! The land of the midnight sun and all that. And after the research wrapped up, we went to Denali, where Judith's wife met up with us, who is equally as awesome of a lesbian scientist, except she's a chemist, and we did all this hiking and got to see all this beautiful scenery and all these amazing wild animals, and oh, my god, I talk too much!" Jeremy had caught April's eye and quickly looked away uncomfortably, settling his gaze back on his open backpack.
He could tell she was coming toward him now, so he stood up. "Hi, I'm April, Jess' cousin." She held out her hand and Jeremy shook it. "It's so nice to meet you. I'm sorry for going on like that. I was just really excited to tell Jess about my trip. I should have introduced myself first. My mom always says that my manners go out the window whenever I get excited about something. She says I get too single minded like a dog with a bone."
Jeremy felt overwhelmed and was wondering if he had missed his opportunity to introduce himself and if it would look weird if he said hi now, when Jess walked up behind April and put a hand on her shoulder, speaking to her in a mock whisper. "You do know you have to take a breather to let the other person say hi, too, right?" Then in his normal voice. "I apologize for my cousin, Jeremy, they apparently don't teach social etiquette at MIT."
April smiled and threw an elbow back at Jess' stomach, landing it softly at the last minute, a gentle contact between people who were comfortable in each other's space. "I'm sorry. I'm really glad to meet you, Jeremy."
"Thanks, it's great to meet you, too. And your trip sounds incredible." Jeremy struggled to think of a question to show his interest. "Uh, what animal were you researching?'
"The king eider. It's a sea duck that breeds in the Artic. No one I tell has ever heard of it, so don't feel bad if you haven't either, but I can show you some pictures later if you want."
"Yeah, that would be great."
"So, how are you liking living with this guy?" April hooked her thumb over her shoulder toward Jess. "Does he spend as much time staring at himself in the mirror as I've always suspected? My guess is about three or four hours a day because the guy still has to sleep and go to work sometime." April giggled as Jess slung an arm around her neck from behind, in a mock attempt to strangle the girl with his forearm.
"Oh, really? Is that how it's going to be?" Jess asked, his tone amused.
"You better watch it, Jess." April latched onto Jess' arm with her hands, widening her stance and bending her knees, getting ready to counterattack. "I took a self-defense class last year at MIT. I know how to kick an attacker where it counts!"
"Stop, no one's kicking anyone where it counts." Jess released April and turned to see his uncle closing the apartment door behind him and walking toward them. "Seriously, is this how you two behave in front of my great-nephew?" Jeremy tried not to smile, even though it was kind of funny watching Jess getting scolded like a little kid.
Jess smiled. "April started it." April scoffed and pushed at his shoulder forcefully enough to make him take a stumbling half-step away from her.
Luke shook his head. "I'm all set downstairs. Do you guys want to head over to the house now? I know Lorelai and Rory really want to see you guys and meet Jeremy."
Jeremy watched as Jess and April exchanged quick looks. Neither looked excited at the prospect. Jess spoke first. "Might as well." Jeremy heard the unspoken 'get it over with' at the end of Jess' sentence. If Luke heard it, too, he didn't look surprised or offended. April shrugged her agreement. Jeremy hadn't heard as much about Lorelai and Rory as he had about Luke and April, and now he sensed there was tension between the two halves of Luke's blended family. He felt an extra twinge of anxiety about making a good impression.
"Oh, and Rory is very pregnant." Luke's expression was serious now. "She's not having twins. She's not having triplets. I want to be very clear here. She is only having one baby. She's just very pregnant and she's sensitive about it. So, no one better say anything stupid to her about it. Got it?"
Jess turned to his cousin, a fake stern expression on his face. "He's talking to you, April." April barked out a laugh and pushed at Jess again.
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It started with formal introductions which already felt off from the rest of the day. "Jeremy, this is Luke's wife, Lorelai Gilmore, and his step-daughter, Rory Gilmore." Jeremy saw an expression he couldn't interpret flit across Rory's face. "Lorelai and Rory, this is Jeremy Cooper, my foster son and all around great kid."
"Hi, Jeremy." Lorelai said with a smile, moving one hand in a small wave from her spot next to her daughter on the couch. "It's nice to meet you." Jeremy realized Luke hadn't been exaggerating about Rory. She looked ready to pop as she sat on the couch, her feet propped on the table in front of her. He wondered if she just looked extra big because she seemed like such a slight, thin girl otherwise. He could see why people had asked her if she was having multiple babies. She waved at Jeremy, too, a tired smile on her face and kindness in her eyes. Even tired and pregnant, Jeremy thought she was beautiful.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you, too." He said. "Both of you."
"So, Jess, what happened? You heard I was pregnant and wanted to beat me to the punch and give Mom and Luke the first grandchild?" Rory was smiling when she said it, but the comment sounded off to Jeremy, like the smile was covering underlying hostility.
"Yes, Rory. You caught me. My choice to raise a child was all about you." Jeremy snapped his head toward Jess, surprised by his foster father's passive-aggressive response. He had never heard Jess speak like that before without it being some kind of joke. No one else seemed bothered or surprised by the exchange.
"So." Luke cut in. "I was thinking we would all have a family dinner here at the house around seven, then maybe we could watch a movie or play a board game or something after. I'm making veggie enchiladas. Jess, I haven't told Liz that you're in town yet, but I told her I'd go over there on Monday to help her and TJ with some kind of follow up issue with the produce cult. Do you want to come with me?"
Jess turned to Luke. "Maybe. Probably. I don't know. I'll let you know." Jeremy knew things weren't good between Jess and his mom, but he was surprised that Jess was so conflicted about even just a short visit with her.
"What's new over in Philly? What have you guys been up to?" Lorelai asked, her eyes on Jeremy.
"Uh." Jeremy looked to Jess to the field the question, but when he remained silent, Jeremy answered. "We're getting a dog."
"Really? Jess, you didn't tell me that. That's exiting! What kind of dog are you guys getting?" Luke perched on the arm of the comfy looking chair that April had curled up in, the only chair in the room other than the couch, leaving just Jess and Jeremy standing awkwardly while everyone else was seated. Jeremy realized how small this room was and how inadequately it was set up for a family this size. He thought about how Jess would have been the only person still standing if Jeremy wasn't there, and he wondered if that would have made Jess feel out of place with his own family.
"Uh, his name is Winston, and he's some kind of mutt, I guess. The manager at the shelter said she thinks he has some shepherd in him, but he's mostly mutt, and much smaller than a full shepherd. He's a really good dog, though, right, Jess?"
Jess seemed to come back to himself when he answered, his voice infused with the warmth to which Jeremy had become accustomed. "Yeah, he's a cool little guy. We were volunteering at the animal shelter and they were ready to put him down this week, so we decided to take him home. We're picking him up on Tuesday. We should probably go by the pet store and pick up some stuff for him while we're here so that we can go straight to the shelter on Tuesday after school."
"Aww, that's so great!" April said. "Do you have a picture of him?"
"Uh, I do." Jeremy pulled his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through. "This is him." He walked over to April and handed her his phone.
She smiled as she looked at the picture. "Aww. I love older dogs. He looks like he has a lot of character. I'm so happy for you guys."
"Let me see." April passed the phone to Luke, who held it an arm's length away.
"Want me to go grab your reading glasses, old man?"
"Pipe down, Jess." Luke squinted at the phone. "He looks like a great dog. Dogs are the best." Luke stood up and passed the phone to Rory. "I never thought I was a dog person before Paul Anka, but now I can't imagine life without the little guy."
"Yeah, now Luke cooks special meals for Paul Anka." Lorelai said, a smirk on her face. "Steak. Eggs. Whatever Paul Anka wants. That dog has Luke whipped. It's pretty cute."
"He does not." Luke protested. "I enjoy cooking for Paul Anka. He's always appreciative and he never fills up on junk food before dinner." The smile Luke shared with his wife felt intimate and personal, like an inside joke without a punchline. Lorelai broke eye contact as Rory handed her Jeremy's phone. She looked at the picture of the dog and handed the phone back to Jeremy.
"Luke, you're such a big softy." Rory said, her voice teasing. "But, it's ok, no one's judging you for it. It's what's going to make you a good grandpa to this little girl." She patted her swollen stomach.
"It's a girl?" April asked. "That's awesome! Good work, Rory. We need another girl."
Rory nodded and held up both hands palms out. "Hey, just doing my part for the sisterhood."
"Where is Paul Anka, anyway?" Jess asked, looking around.
"He's hiding in his usual spot. He doesn't really enjoy guests. New people scare him." Lorelai tilted her head to indicate the area behind her. Jeremy looked toward the back of the couch and saw a shaggy gray muzzle about a foot from the floor, peeking out from around the side, moving in exaggerated respiration.
"I see his nose." Jeremy said, hoping the dog would come out and provide a distraction. "Hey buddy." The muzzle froze mid-breath and the protruding snout quickly disappeared behind the sofa. "Oh, he's gone."
"Don't take it personally, Jeremy." Rory said. "He's a little shy."
"So." Lorelai stood up from the couch. "Are you guys up for some Bop-It?"
"Sure." April said, at the same time that Luke said. "Lorelai."
Jess shrugged his consent. "Whatever." And Jeremy did his best to hide his surprise.