Disclaimer in first chapter!
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed/favorited/followed so far!
I will be posting my follow-up to "Presenting a Wedding," soon if you were wondering. Just a few more things to work out for that story but I promise I won't keep you waiting too much longer!
Now onto the next chapter!
Lorelai pondered the idea that she may be going slowly insane. The evidence resided in the fact that she was now willingly sitting in the living room at her parent's house and had even accepted their offer to stay the night when she tearfully admitted that she didn't want to go home. Combine that with the fact that admitted her fears of not marrying Luke to her mother and actually took the advice her mother gave her, and the idea that she might be going slowly insane seemed plausible.
She didn't to want to admit it out loud or even to herself really, but talking openly with her mother about Luke and her relationship felt kind of, for lack of a better word, nice. For once her mother was listening to her and taking in her concerns without being judgmental in her usual way. Okay, so she would never admit that out loud. Not like anyone would believe her if she did.
Lorelai looked up as Emily walked into the living room with a robe in one hand and a bundle of clothes in the other.
"Here's a robe and some things I found of Rory's that she left here," Emily said as she held out the items to Lorelai. "You can change into this if you would like. I thought this would be better than sleeping in your dress. I can even have the maid wash your dress for you when she comes by in the morning."
Lorelai accepted the robes and clothes from her mother. "Thanks. I guess I'll go change then."
"Bring your dress back down when you're done," Emily ordered as Lorelai got up and started to walk towards the staircase.
The logo on the front pocket of the robe caught Lorelai's attention. She studied it carefully and realized that she had a robe with the very same logo on it at home. She turned back towards her mother with a humorous glint in her eyes.
"Is this the robe from the spa?" Lorelai asked, her eyebrow raised. "You actually kept this?"
"Well of course I kept it Lorelai," Emily replied. "You saw me put it into my suitcase."
"And I also saw you trying to return it when I was getting the car. I figured you would find a way to return it as soon as we got home. You were so worried about the spa charging," Lorelai pointed out. She chuckled. "I can't believe you kept this."
"I kept it because it is symbolic of our trip together," Emily commented, she remembered Lorelai's words from that very trip. "The night that you turned me into a thief."
Lorelai smirked. "You vicious trollop."
Still chuckling over the fact that her mother still had the robe, Lorelai turned and made her way up the staircase. At the top of the staircase, she turned down the hallway and entered the bedroom that served as her refuge from her parents for nearly seventeen years. The irony was not lost on her that she was now using the room as a refuge from her own life instead of a refuge from her parents. There was always a first time for everything.
Minus the dollhouse, her room still looked basically the same as when she left with Rory many moons ago. The same posters still hung on the wall though Emily Gilmore disapproved of them at the time. Turns out her mother never changed it into a gift-wrapping room as she once suggested as she was going to do. Lorelai found a small comfort that her room was still her room despite her nearing the age of 40.
She stripped off her dress and rifled through the clothes that her mother gathered for her. She found a pair of pajama bottoms that Rory had borrowed from her and never given back as well as a t-shirt from Yale. Once she put the pajamas and stolen spa robe on, she headed into the bathroom.
Thanks to crying in front of Luke and breaking down in front of her parents, her face was streaked with mascara-stained tears. She wet a rag and ran it over her face cleaning it of the tears and smeared mascara. Some scrubbing later, her face was clear of tear stains and mascara but the puffiness around her eyes still remained.
When she left the diner and made the decision that she couldn't go home or go to Sookie's two nights in a row because that just seemed pathetic or even go see her daughter because she was busy with her boyfriend, Lorelai found herself driving to her parents. Then as if on autopilot, she walked up to their door. As soon as the door was opened and her parents asked what was wrong, she broke down. Her father ushered her inside and she sobbed onto his shoulder. She made sure that they knew Rory was okay but didn't spill on what made her so upset though Emily did have an idea.
When Lorelai stopped sobbing and apologized to her father for wetting his pajama shirt with her tears, Emily sent Richard to bed telling him that she should talk to Lorelai alone. It took some convincing but Richard eventually went to bed leaving the two Gilmore women alone.
Lorelai caught the reflections of her engagement ring in the mirror and pouted. They hadn't broken up tonight but it seemed that was the direction they were headed in, especially if things didn't change soon. The thought brought tears to her eyes but she fought them off telling herself that she was not going to cry again. At least not right now.
Lorelai walked out of the bathroom, grabbed her discarded dress, and headed out of her bedroom. Once downstairs, she dropped off her dress and the wet rag in the laundry room before looking around for her mother. Emily did tell her to come back downstairs after all.
"Mom?" she called out.
"Kitchen," came Emily's reply.
Lorelai walked into the kitchen and took in a very strange sight. The strange sight being her mother standing in front of the stove stirring something in a pot. She crossed her arms and walked over to her mother.
"What are you doing?" Lorelai asked.
"I'm making us some hot chocolate," Emily answered.
"Hmm," Lorelai nodded. Strange. She had never once seen her mother cook or make hot chocolate growing up. But hot chocolate did sound really good. "Where's the little packets at?"
Emily looked to her daughter but continued stirring. "What little packets?"
"You know the little packets with the chocolate powder and the teeny-tiny marshmallows that you stir into the hot milk to make hot chocolate," Lorelai explained to a very confused Emily. "You don't know what I'm talking about do you?"
"I know what you're talking about Lorelai, I'm not an idiot. I just don't understand why on Earth someone would make hot chocolate from a packet," Emily replied.
"Because it's easy," Lorelai said. "And you get marshmallows." She watched as her mother continued to stir a pot of now steaming milk. "Well if you don't have packets, how do you make hot chocolate?"
"I use real chocolate, no powder."
From the counter beside her, Emily grabbed a bowl of finely chopped chocolate and slowly added it to the pot. With one hand continue to stir the milk and slowly melting chocolate, she grabbed a bottle of vanilla and asked Lorelai to open it. She took the now open bottle back from her daughter and added a few drops to the mixture on the stove.
"Ooh," Lorelai cooed as she looked into the pot. "Fancy."
"Hand me two cups," Emily said as she pointed out the cupboard for the cups.
Lorelai nodded and grabbed two cups down from the cupboard. She set them down and watched as her mother carefully poured the hot chocolate into both of the cups. Once the cups were filled to the brim, Emily set the pot down and turned off the stove. She then picked up both of the cups and passed one off to Lorelai.
Lorelai looked down in the cup then back at her mother. "No marshmallows?"
Emily shook her head, "We don't have any marshmallows."
"Whipped cream?"
"No."
"Sprinkles?"
Emily let out an exasperated sigh. "Are you five?"
Lorelai feigned a pout. "Not as fancy now," she mumbled under her breath.
Even though it was mumbled, Emily still heard Lorelai clearly. "You'll be fine," she commented. "Let's go sit down."
Lorelai followed her mother out of the kitchen, through the dining room, and into the living room. To Lorelai's surprise, Emily didn't take her usual seat. Instead she sat down on the couch across from the one that Lorelai chose to sit on. Seeing her mother in the kitchen was a strange sight but seeing her mother curl up on the couch in her robe while clutching a cup of hot chocolate was an even stranger sight. All of the strangeness seemed fitting though.
Lorelai blew up on her hot chocolate to cool it off before taking a sip. "This is really good Mom," she complimented before taking another sip. "I didn't know you could make hot chocolate."
"I'm capable of many things Lorelai," Emily replied. "I made it for you when you were little."
Lorelai shook her head. "No, I don't remember that. I think you think you made this for me when I was little."
"I did make this for you when you were little Lorelai," Emily insisted, her voice beginning to sound irritated.
"Still don't remember that. This is the same incident as the mashed banana on toast. Except that this isn't gross and it's something I actually want."
Emily blew out a breath before recounting a story from Lorelai's childhood. "You were three years old. You came to me one morning begging for a sip of my coffee. I told you no, that you were too young for coffee. Of course, you got upset. So in order to calm you down, I told you that I would make you a special drink. And of course you loved the idea of anything special and just for you. I took you into the kitchen and you stood in a chair by the counter while I made the hot chocolate. Then you insisted that you drink it out of the same type of cup I did. You pretended it was coffee."
Lorelai looked down into her cup and let out a small, dejected, "Oh."
"I don't make it very often."
"Right." She thought for a moment. "Did I at least get marshmallows then?"
"I believe you did."
"Man, I miss being three."
A silence enveloped the room as the two woman sipped on their hot beverages. Both were avoiding the elephant in the room. But Lorelai knew that it was just a matter of time before her mother would bring it up. Soon the hot chocolate was gone and the cups were taken back to the kitchen by Emily.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Emily asked as she walked back into the living room and took back her spot on the couch.
Lorelai played innocent. "Talk about what?"
"The reason why you showed up here this late," Emily replied.
"What, I can't stop by and visit my parents this late at night? Can't have a slumber party complete with hot chocolate?" Lorelai joked. When her mother didn't laugh or even crack a smile, she shook her head. "You don't have to do this. You can go ahead and go to bed. I'll be fine."
"You showed up here and broke down in tears. You're obviously not fine," Emily replied. "Did something happen with Luke?"
Lorelai avoided her mother's gaze. "I don't want to talk about it."
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
Emily arched an eyebrow. "You're telling me nothing happened?" she questioned. "You just decided to drop by and stay the night? You cried on your father's shoulder and now you're telling me that you're fine and nothing happened?"
"There's not much to say."
"Lorelai," Emily prompted.
"I said I don't want to talk about it," Lorelai said through gritted teeth.
Emily huffed. "Fine. I'm only trying to help you here. I figured you showing up here meant that you needed help with something. I was wrong obviously. If you want to be stubborn and not talk about what's bothering you then fine, I'll just go to bed. I swear you are just like your father."
Mumbling under her breath about just how stubborn Lorelai was and how much she was like her father, Emily stormed out of the living room and headed towards the staircase. She was halfway up the staircase when she heard sniffling sounds coming from the living room. She turned around and saw her daughter bent over with her head in her hands as she tried not to cry. Emily walked back down the staircase and headed back towards Lorelai. She sat down next to her daughter and placed her hand gently on her shoulder. As much as she wanted to talk with Lorelai, Emily stayed silent.
Lorelai made a sniffling noise before lifting her head from her hands. "He didn't even try to stop me. He just let me walk away."
"Who? Luke?" Emily asked even though she already knew the answer.
"No, Paul Anka," Lorelai retorted. She wiped at a few stray years. "Yes, Luke. I don't think he even heard what I was saying. I told him how I felt, how I've been feeling these past few months and nothing. He just let me walk away."
Emily tried to choose her words carefully to say something reassuring and comforting but she couldn't stop herself from saying, "Well the man is an idiot Lorelai."
"Mom," Lorelai groaned as she pulled away from her mother's touch.
"That's not what I meant to say," Emily said defensively. "But it is true. The man is an idiot Lorelai. An idiot that lacks obvious fashion sense."
"Mother," Lorelai chastised, "Just because I'm upset and mad with Luke right now does not mean t hat I'm going to sit here and let you insult him. If you're going to do that then this is over and I'm going to bed."
"Lorelai please stay," Emily said in a pleading tone. "Just hear me out."
"Fine," Lorelai grumbled. "One more insult and I'm out of here."
Sure at the moment she thought Luke was a real idiot and kind of a jerk for letting her walk away and for how he treated her these past few months but she knew a lot of that talk was because she was angry with him. But no matter her feelings towards Luke at the moment, she still didn't want to hear Emily insult him.
"You love him and he loves you, anyone can see that. I could see that by the way he looked at you the first time I met him. You two getting together was just a matter of time," Emily explained. "After what you two have been through, some of it at my own hand, he's not just going to let you walk away."
Lorelai snorted. "Well he did. Just a little while ago in fact. I walked away and he let me. So there goes your theory."
"I didn't mean it literally," Emily snipped. "What I'm trying to say is that just because this happened tonight, just because he didn't come after you when you left, it doesn't mean that it's over. This doesn't mean that things are going to end between you two."
"Yeah, well I'm not so sure I believe in that," Lorelai replied. "We fought, he didn't seem to care. That doesn't exactly spell out a happy future."
"Every couple has fights. Your father and I fight, sometimes we fight a lot. But fights can be normal, they can be good for a couple. They can help get things out into the open when just talking doesn't work," Emily informed her daughter. "Sometimes you have to have a fight in order to work through things."
Lorelai shook her head. "But this wasn't just a fight. It was a bad fight. It might have been 'the fight'," she said with air quotes. She blew out a breath. "It was terrible."
"Every fight can seem like 'the fight,' under the right circumstances. You two love one another. I know that if you truly want to then you can work through this," Emily said.
"I asked him to let me into his life. It doesn't even have to be something huge like April spending the night at the house or anything, just something small like me being in the diner the same time she is, but he can't let me in. He won't let me in. He refused. I'm torn," Lorelai admitted. "I don't know how much longer I can do this."
Emily shook her head, "Well I certainly don't know everything that you two have been through lately but from what I do know, I can tell you that he is an idiot. Quite frankly he sounds like he's been a jerk if he's not letting you into his life. Honestly, you deserve better."
Lorelai groaned loudly and stood up from the couch, "That's it. We're done talking," she snapped before turning to march away.
"You deserve someone who wants to share their life with you. Someone who will let you in. He's an idiot for not wanting you in his life," Emily said softly. "Only an idiot wouldn't want you in their life."
Her mother's words caused Lorelai stop her pissed-off marching away. As her mother continued to talk, Lorelai stayed with her back facing her mother.
"I know I don't tell you like a mother should tell her daughter but you are a wonderful person Lorelai. Everyone in that weird little town of yours absolutely loves you and Rory. Your father and I learned that while we were looking for you a house. If Luke can't see how wonderful you are and refuses to let you into his life then I am sorry but he is an idiot. That's just my opinion," Emily remarked.
Lorelai wiped at a few tears that managed to roll down her face. She cleared her throat to try and hide any emotion. Her mother had never really complimented her in that way before. She nodded her head, "Okay, night Mom."
Lorelai turned to walk up the staircase but was once again stopped by her mother's voice.
"He'll come back Lorelai. You two will work through it. It might take a little time but he'll come to his senses eventually. I know you probably don't want to wait but a little time could be good for the both of you," Emily stated. "You'll be fine. You're strong. You're a Gilmore."
Lorelai smiled to herself. "Thanks Mom. Night."
"Goodnight Lorelai," Emily replied.
Emily sat back down on the couch and watched her daughter climb the stairs and then disappear out of sight. The circumstances could definitely be better but she was glad that her daughter actually came to her and was staying the night. Maybe, just maybe, she thought, this could open up new doors for them. Doors that would lead to them having a better, more understanding relationship.
After thanking Babette for watching after Paul Anka while she was out last night, Lorelai collapsed down onto the sofa. She was exhausted. After talking with her mother the night before, she found it hard to sleep. The weirdness of her mother being the one she went to for comfort after a fight with Luke weighed heavily on her mind. The universe was definitely pulling some very strange tricks for her. She wanted to sleep but knew that as soon as she closed her eyes, all she would see was Luke and their fight and him letting her walk away.
Coffee.
She needed coffee. Sure she already had two cups at breakfast this morning at her parent's house but more coffee was never a bad idea. Compared to her usual morning consumption of the delicious beverage, she was behind and she couldn't let that happen. No way, no how.
On her way to the kitchen for her caffeine fix, Lorelai noticed the blinking red light on her answering machine told her that she had new messages. With hope, even though she already knew it was a false hope, that maybe Luke left a message for her, Lorelai pressed the button to receive her messages.
No such luck.
There were no messages from Luke. She should of figured that since he didn't even try to call her cell phone either. The only messages on her machine were from Babette and Sookie. Babette's message talked of Paul Anka and how she would check on him since she heard a crash from that way and didn't see the jeep at home. And Sookie's message was just what she expected from her chef friend. The message was filled with promises of listening and plenty of offers to make whatever comfort food Lorelai may need after her fight with Luke.
Lorelai promptly erased the messages and promised herself that she would call Sookie later to talk but for right now she didn't want to talk. She just wanted to be alone. It seemed like a better option than going out and facing everyone who would only try to coddle her since she was sure everyone knew about the fight by now. The Inn didn't need her today. She could afford a day off – a mini vacation.
A vacation.
Maybe a vacation is exactly what she needed. Time away from Stars Hollow. Time away from the townies who cared deeply for her but would still want to intrude on her personal business. Babette already knew about the fight and already tried to reassure Lorelai that things would be fine. She even offered to drag Luke down the aisle if she needed to.
Time away could be good. Time just to herself. Luke did say that he needed time so what was so wrong with her taking a little time as well? Leaving might not be the best option in order to work things out with Luke but a vacation did sound tempting. A vacation so she could sort out her thoughts. Just a few days. That's all.
Just her, her thoughts, and of course Rory.
But first, coffee.
Rory nearly tripped as soon as she walked through the front door of the Crap Shack. She looked down at the offending object that almost caused her to fall and was surprised to see that it was her mother's suitcase. Sitting next to the suitcase was a small duffel bag that she also knew belonged to her mother. Beyond confused as to what her mother's luggage was doing fully packed and by the door, Rory called out for her mother.
"Mom?"
"Rory?" Came her mother's reply. "Is that you?"
"Does anyone else call you Mom?" Rory asked as she set her purse down on the small table by the door and headed towards the stairs.
"Paul Anka would if he could talk. Sometimes he barks and it sounds like mom but that could just be me," Lorelai answered. A few seconds of silence passed. "Are you coming up or shall I come down?"
"I'm coming up," Rory responded.
At the top of the stairs, Rory was greeted by her mother whose look she could best describe as frantic. Her eyes had that wild and crazed look to them that she only got when she had a crazy idea. The smile on her face rivaled that of the Cheshire Cat but there was just something about that smile that told Rory it wasn't sincere.
"There you are kid!" Lorelai exclaimed. "I was just about to call you."
"What's going on?" Rory asked. "Why do you have packed bags downstairs? Are you and Luke going on a trip?"
Rory hoped that was the answer. She heard the rumblings throughout town and even a more clarified version from Sookie about what happened between her mother and Luke last night. Although the town did have a knack for twisting the details around and Sookie had a knack for not fact-checking. But if her mother was going on a trip, she and Luke could be possibly be going together and they could be using this trip as an opportunity to just get away from everything and reconnect. Okay…she didn't want to think about them reconnecting – at least not in that way.
"Oh no, Luke and I are not going on a trip together," Lorelai replied a little too quickly. "In fact you, my sweets, need to head on back to New Haven and pack a bag."
Rory tilted her head to the side and took a step back from her mother. The look on her mother's face was starting to freak her out. "Wait, what?"
"Catch up!" Lorelai declared as she moved past Rory and bounded down the staircase. "Pack a bag! Head back to New Haven and pack a bag." At the bottom of the staircase, she made a beeline for Rory's room. "Or you may have enough stuff here to pack. Hell you can even borrow my clothes. This time only though."
Rory followed er mother into her childhood bedroom. "Why do I need to pack a bag?"
"Boy that Yale education is not paying off. Maybe you should of went to Harvard," Lorelai replied as she began to rifle through dresser drawers to see if her daughter had enough clothes for a trip. "You need to pack because you and I are hitting the open road. We're going on a trip."
Rory stood by her bed silently as her mother grabbed a duffel bag from the closet and began to shove clothes into it. She feared the worst. Last time her mother acted this frantic and demanded that she pack because they were going on a trip was because of a broken engagement. The rumors going around town only heightened her suspicions. She tried to check her mother's left hand for a ring but her mother was too fast. She was a human blur.
Lorelai stopped her packing when she noticed Rory just standing there. "What are you doing babe? I told you to pack."
"Mom," Rory said softly. "What's going on?"
"Well I was thinking about you today and I know that today is the day that Logan was supposed to leave for London so I figured a trip with your dear mother would help you get your mind off of him leaving," Lorelai explained even though she knew it was a big fat lie. "How are you doing by the way?"
"Fine." Rory brushed off her mother's question. She wasn't concerned with herself right now. "So this spontaneous trip has nothing to do with Luke?"
"Luke? Why would this have anything to do with Luke?" Lorelai questioned. "I told you this trip is to help you get your mind off of Logan. Listen sweetie."
"Well I may have heard some things. Things about you and Luke," Rory admitted. "Not so goodish things about you and Luke."
"From who?" Lorelai asked, her tone clipped. "What kind of things?"
"I stopped by the Inn because I thought you were working. Sookie asked me how you were doing after your fight with Luke because you never called her back. She heard it was pretty bad and that you left the diner in tears." Rory softened her voice. "Mom, what happened?"
"What it sounds like, we had a fight," Lorelai answered simply.
"Okay. Was it just a fight or..."
"Or what?"
"Or did you two break-up? Last time we had a spontaneous road trip was because you were not marrying Max." Rory took a deep breath before asking. "Is that was this is?"
Lorelai shrugged her shoulders and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I honestly don't know. I haven't spoken to Luke since last night."
"Are you okay?"
Lorelai closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she tried to control her emotions. No, she wasn't okay. She was far from being okay but that was nothing new. Not really anyways. She hadn't been okay for months now. After a few soothing breaths, she opened her eyes and turned towards her daughter.
"Rory, you know I love you. Please just give me this trip. I need this trip. I need to get away. Don't make me go alone. Just a few days. Just me and you. Just like old times." Lorelai sighed. "Please Rory."
Rory nodded quickly. She could read her mother. She saw just how much this trip was needed. Sure, she had things to do over the next few days but that could be handed with a few phone calls. Her mother needed her and that's what mattered. If her mother wanted a spontaneous road trip then the least she could do was tag along for the ride.
Roy started to move around the room, stopping every few seconds to grab things to pack. She found herself asking, "Where are we going?"
"That's my girl," Lorelai whispered to herself before answering Rory's question. "That's the best part! I don't know! We can decide that for ourselves out on the open road."
More Luke in the next chapter.
Hope you enjoyed this.
As you know, reviews are always welcomed. They help to provide inspiration when writing out the chapters. So if you could take a little time to review, it would be greatly appreciated.
