Chapter 166
"Hey, sorry to wake you," Rory said softly into the phone, when Jess picked up an hour or so later. She heard him yawn.
"No apology necessary. What's going on there? Did you find out what happened with Lane's Mom?"
"Mrs. Kim…well, she had a heart attack. And has a pretty serious case of heart disease. They said she can't live independently anymore, so we're staying this weekend to help Lane move in to take care of her."
"Oh my god," Jess said, sitting up, "That's awful. How is she?"
"She's…handling it. She's putting on a brave face. And her mom made it through surgery well and gets to go home in the morning. But I won't be home for a few days."
"Don't give it a second thought," Jess said dismissively, "Do you need help? Does Luke?"
"That's the other thing," Rory sighed, "We're okay on help for now, but may call you if that changes."
"And Luke?"
"…Zack's still gone."
"What?" Jess said. Rory could hear the fury in his voice. She sighed.
"I know, it's awful. He still hasn't shown up. Mom sent Luke to find him, and apparently Luke did, but he won't come home."
"Does he know what's happening?" Jess asked incredulously. Rory nodded, before remembering Jess couldn't hear her.
"Yeah, he does," Rory answered, finally cracking a small smile, "Apparently Mom left him a very angry voicemail."
"…I'd pay to hear that," Jess admitted, "But…how the hell can he do that? What about the kids?"
"Sookie's watching them for now. She's gonna help us with the move this weekend, and I think that'll mean taking care of the kids a bit more. But they're gonna move in with Mrs. Kim with Lane."
"And Zack?"
"No idea. Luke told Mom he'd found him, and that he wasn't interested in coming home yet, but didn't even say where he was. It seemed like there was bad service." Jess sighed heavily.
"That's just…that's crap. I mean, what the fuck."
"…my sentiments exactly."
"If you're gonna be a husband and a father, be a husband and a father," Jess said pointedly. Rory, picking up on the implications, sighed softly.
"I'm sorry, Jess. We don't have to…"
"It's fine. He's just a prick. Lane deserves better."
"Lane deserves the world," Rory pointed out, "…but yeah, at this point, I think she'd settle for not a total asshole."
"…not that she should have to."
"Not that she should have to," Rory agreed, "But…yeah. I took tomorrow off work, and we're gonna get Mrs. Kim home, and then work on getting Lane moved in. Hoping I'll be back Sunday, but…"
"There's no rush. Just keep me updated," Jess said. "And…tell her…"
"I'll tell her," Rory promised, cutting him off with a smile, "Thanks, Jess."
"Anytime. Anything you need. I'm not going anywhere," he promised. She smiled broadly, in spite of the situation. They weren't married, they hadn't even really talked about kids…but this was who Jess was. And she loved him for it.
"I know. Me either. Talk to you soon."
"Talk to you soon."
Four hours later, the doctor reappeared. When he came out and saw Rory, he approached her cautiously. She smiled.
"Lane signed the form, so you can talk to me," she said, gesturing at the nurse's station, where the nurse nodded at the doctor, "And they'll come as soon as I call them."
"Well, then, it's probably time to call them," he said, smiling, "Mrs. Kim is ready to come home."
Rory grinned, nodding at him as he walked away, and calling her mom quickly, who answered on the first ring (Rory was starting to doubt that Lorelai had actually gotten any sleep) and promised that they'd be at the hospital in ten minutes. She hung up, still worried for Lane, and sad for her, but relieved that Mrs. Kim was okay and that she was coming home.
"Mama, I…"
"Lane. You cannot move back into the house. You have a family, and a husband."
"…but…"
"No buts. Your marriage is more important. You must do everything you can to protect it," Mrs. Kim said firmly. Lane sighed, and Lorelai and Rory exchanged a glance. "What? What is it? I can see you two…"
"Look, Mrs. Kim," Lorelai said softly, and kindly, "I completely agree with you."
"So you think Lane…"
"I think that right now, we should just focus on getting you home. Zack's out of town anyway, so it's probably best Lane and the boys stay with you, just to be safe, you know? She's not a child anymore but she is a woman, and her husband is away."
"…of course," Mrs. Kim said, finally nodding, "Lane, you and the boys may stay with me until Zack gets home, of course. For your safety, only."
"Thank you, Mama."
"But when he gets home, you must go home to him. It is important for your family," Mrs. Kim said pointedly. Lane nodded, trying to hide her misery and fear. Rory jumped in quickly.
"Mrs. Kim…"
"I still don't understand how you are here on a weekday. Don't you have…"
"I took the day off work."
"That's ridiculous," Mrs. Kim scoffed, "You must do what you do and I will be absolutely fine. Without any help. How is that boy of yours?"
"Jess?" Rory asked.
"I never liked that boy. He was so sneaky."
"He grew up a lot, Mama. He owns his own business now," Lane said quietly. She turned to Lane, surprised.
"A business? What kind of business?"
"A bookshop, and a publisher."
"Two businesses?"
"It's two parts of the same business," Rory explained.
"They gave the boys books when we visited, Mama. It's quite successful." At this, Mama Kim smiled.
"…very good. I suppose he must have grown up. And Lorelai?"
"Yes?"
"What about you? If I recall, you did not approve of that boy."
"No, I didn't. But…"
"But what?"
"Things changed. He…he changed. And he makes Rory happy."
"Does he keep her safe?" Mrs. Kim asked. Lorelai smiled. Right there. That was the fundamental difference that had always existed between herself and Mrs. Kim. And in her years as a mother, she'd really come to understand Mrs. Kim's perspective.
"Yes, he does," Lorelai said, cutting off Rory, who was looking incredulous and about to butt in, "I always know she's safe if she's with him."
"…very good." Mama Kim muttered. Rory shot her Mom a confused look, and Lorelai returned it with a pacifying acknowledgment, thinking, "You'll understand this when it's you."
Lorelai knew some people didn't want kids, and that such a feeling was genuine. She also believed, in her heart, that Rory was not one of those people. When Rory was a little girl, she'd run around the house, saying the things she'd do when she was a mom, like building a slide inside the house and having picnics in the middle of the winter so that the snow would fall on the food. As she grew, she saw the way Rory was curious about babies, and a little afraid of them. But never repulsed. As Rory got older, it became clearer and clearer to Lorelai that Rory's sentiments towards motherhood were more based on fear than on actual disinterest. She knew that Rory wanted her freedom. She knew that Rory had loved her childhood, had loved Lorelai, and worried about her ability to measure up. She knew Rory was nervous about the idea of marriage, about the idea that you could pick someone to be the other parent to your kid, but you couldn't make them stay. Like Lorelai hadn't been able to make Christopher stay. And she understood why all of that, together, had made Rory a little bit standoffish about children.
Lorelai would be completely okay with it if Rory didn't want kids. She'd be a bit bummed, because she thought Rory would be a great mom, but it was Rory's choice to make, and, like just about everything, she'd support her daughter the best she could. But Lorelai really didn't think things would go that way, especially with Jess. Lorelai knew her daughter well enough to know that Jess would be someone Rory could see as a dad, a good dad, a dad who wasn't going anywhere, for their kids. And Lorelai anticipated Rory deciding that was what she'd want. If not, that was fine. She was so happy that Rory was happy now. But Lorelai couldn't lie, she was, in fact, getting her hopes up, that Rory would be a mom, an incredible one, the one Lorelai knew she could be.
"Mom, what are you thinking about? You looked dazed," Rory pointed out, looking suspiciously at her mom as Lorelai stared out the passenger seat window, lost in thought. Lorelai jumped, startled, and then turned to smile at her daughter and Lane, who was also looking at her suspiciously.
"Nothing important," she said, giving Rory a soft smile and a nod. She caught Lane's eye and Lorelai could swear that Lane knew what she was thinking. Maybe it was a mom thing. Lane gave her an almost imperceptible nod, and then they both turned back to their windows, content to be lost in thought as they headed back to Stars Hollow.
