Friday Night Dinner
Rory pulls up the car in front of the Gilmore mansion. She was moving a few boxes home to try to begin her move home from Yale and managed to get to Stars Hallow in time to pick up Lorelai and the twins. They quickly unpacked Rory's car and hooked the two car seats into the car and surprisingly only arrived a few minutes late. Both Gilmores get out of the car, each opening a back door to pick up a twin. "You want Liam or Olivia?" Rory asks. Lorelai purses her lips trying to decide. "Or do you want to flip a coin?" Lorelai looks at Rory like she's crazy.
"We're not flipping a coin over my kids!" Lorelai exclaims. Rory shrugs.
"Well then, which is your favorite?" Rory asks. Lorelai's mouth drops open.
"I don't have a favorite!" Lorelai squeals. Rory laughs, knowing she was just baiting her mother. Lorelai gives Rory the evil eye.
"You're a devil child." Rory shrugs like she doesn't care.
"If I am, I got it from my mother," Rory responds. Lorelai shakes her head looking back at the twins.
"Well I'll just go with the lazy excuse and take Liam because he's closer to me," Lorelai decides.
"I figured you would say that." They both take the twins in their arms and walk over to the front door.
"Okay, remember our agreement? Nothing about Luke or the fact that he's not here. And nothing about the trial run of the inn," Lorelai reminds Rory, who smirks.
"Okay, first, do you really think they're not going to notice that Luke's not here, I mean it's pretty obvious?" Lorelai shrugs.
"It's possible."
"Oh yeah. And they already know about the trial run coming up, you mentioned it a few weeks ago when you were trying to get Gramma off your back about flinging a lima bean across the table," Rory comments. Lorelai gasps.
"It slipped!" Lorelai insists. Rory giggles. Lorelai grimaces. "Okay, well, let's just…" She reaches out and rings the doorbell.
"Hey, did we ever decide if we're going to ask Gramma about living at the hotel?" Rory asks. Lorelai's eyes go wide.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because, I don't know, it would be weird," Lorelai responds.
"Like it's not weird enough that they're not living in the same house and trying to get us to believe they are!" The door opens and Lorelai and Rory quiet. "Fine, you win," Rory mutters walking inside.
"I can take your coats," the maid offers. Lorelai and Rory share a look.
"Umm… we're not wearing any coats," Lorelai tells the maid, looking at her like she's out of her mind. The maid just stares at her.
"But I'm supposed to ask…" The maid looks down nervously. Rory's eyes go wide, but Lorelai just smiles. She touches the maid's shoulder.
"Don't worry, you did fine. I'll give them a good report," Lorelai promises her. The maid gives Lorelai a slight smile and scampers off. "It just gets weirder and weirder," Lorelai mutters. Rory giggles. They walk into the living room where Emily sits on the sofa, a glass of wine in her hand, staring off in the opposite direction of Richard, who stands by the minibar. "Hi Dad, Mom."
"Oh Lorelai, Rory, we didn't even hear you come in," Emily greets them standing up.
"Well I drugged the twins so they wouldn't cry," Lorelai replies. Emily gasps. Lorelai rolls her eyes. "I'm kidding, Mom." She shakes her head. "Man, that didn't even work when Rory was little." Emily gives Lorelai a look.
"So, how is the end of your first year?" Emily asks Rory.
"It's all right, I did pretty well," Rory responds.
"Of course you did, Gilmores always excel at Yale," Richard beams. Rory blushes.
"Yes, of course," Rory responds, bashfully.
"Lorelai, wine?" Richard offers. Lorelai glances at Liam squirming in her arms.
"Well I… no I'm fine," Lorelai responds, knowing she can't carry both and preferring to keep Liam safely in her arms. Lorelai and Rory walk over and sit on the couch opposite Emily. "So, Mom, how is that thing you and Dad are going to next weekend?" Emily shoots Lorelai a puzzled look.
"What thing?" Emily asks.
"Oh, uh… you know… the thing… with the people… and the dresses…" Lorelai attempts, trying to get something out of her parents. Emily raises an eyebrow.
"Oh, that thing," Emily responds with a slight smirk.
"Your mother and I don't have a thing this next weekend," Richard tells Lorelai, apparently not getting that Lorelai was making it up.
"Oh." Lorelai blushes.
"Unless, of course, you're inviting us to that trial run you've got going on," Emily recalls. Lorelai's mouth drops open as she glances at Rory, who shrugs.
"Sure, would you like to come?" Lorelai offers, forcing a smile. Emily arches her eyebrow.
"You're really inviting me to Stars Hallow?" Emily asks.
"Sure, you. And Dad, of course. I could get you two the best room possible," Lorelai responds, recovering quickly.
"Well I'm not sure I…" Richard tries.
"Oh Dad, I would really appreciate it if you both could come. It would mean so much to me and Sookie to get your support for all the hard work we've put into the place," Lorelai probes. Emily lowers her eyes, glancing slightly over at Richard, who is also looking down. She looks back up at Lorelai.
"We would be happy to go," Emily says evenly. Lorelai grins at Rory, who shakes her head. "Will Luke be going?" Emily asks as Lorelai's face falls. Rory watches Lorelai, trying to figure out how to help her mom. Lorelai swallows, her throat suddenly dry.
"I… um… I" Lorelai stammers. Emily watches her carefully. The maid walks in.
"Excuse me, Mr. Gilmore you have a phone call," she says and quickly runs out of sight.
"Excuse me," Richard says, thankful to leave the room. Lorelai watches him go, almost wishing she had an excuse to leave.
"Lorelai, where is Luke tonight?" Emily inquires. Lorelai presses her lips together, her sad eyes looking away.
"He had something to be at," Rory lies. Emily raises an eyebrow.
"Really?" Emily asks in disbelief.
"No, Mom, Rory's lying for me," Lorelai admits. She sighs. "Luke didn't have a thing. He didn't come because he… because…" Lorelai rubs her forehead, trying to find the words to explain what's going on.
"You're still wearing your engagement ring Lorelai," Emily reminds her. Lorelai glances down at the ring on her finger, playing with it lightly with her thumb. She runs her other hand over the back of Liam's head, leaning down and kissing the top of his head.
"Yes, I am," Lorelai murmurs. Emily studies Lorelai for a moment. Rory glances at Lorelai and then turns Olivia around to face her, making faces at her little sister.
"Are you all right Lorelai?" Emily asks. Lorelai glances up at Emily with a poker face.
"Of course, why do you ask?" Lorelai responds quickly.
"Lorelai, I saw your argument at Trix's memorial. And I can see you're keeping something inside now. After all, I am your mother," Emily reminds her.
"Since when?" Lorelai mutters.
"Excuse me?" Emily asks, snidely. Lorelai sighs.
"It's just that… you only want to be my mother at certain times. When you think that there's a chance you can drag me back into your world," Lorelai explains. Emily puts her glass of wine down.
"I'm sorry you feel that way, Lorelai. I'm not sure how this can change things, but I would like to be your mother. I'd like you to be able to open up to me and not always keep me at arms length."
"Like Suyuan and June Woo, we come from two different worlds," Lorelai replies. "I can't understand yours and you can't understand mine."
"Well, then give me a chance," Emily requests. Rory glances over at Lorelai, wondering what Lorelai's going to do. Lorelai looks over at Olivia, wondering what her relationship with her younger daughter will be like years from then, since this time they're more than 16 years apart. And she decides to take a chance.
"I haven't told Luke I love him," Lorelai says.
"And do you?" Emily asks carefully.
"Of course!" Lorelai responds quickly. She sighs and nods. "I do. I really love him."
"Then why…?"
"Because I was scared. But I'm not anymore. When you put up a glass wall, it keeps you from getting hurt but it also keeps you from getting touched. It's a risk. 'Someday you're gonna have to come up with the courage to admit you care'," Lorelai expresses. Rory smiles softly, recalling Lorelai's anecdote.
"Yes, that's true," Emily agrees. "But you haven't told him?" Lorelai shakes her head.
"No, I…" She touches her fingers to her mouth, sniffing, trying not to cry. "No, he hasn't given me a chance. He just gets angry. He…" Lorelai closes her eyes, remembering their dance at Liz's wedding. She sniffs. "He thinks I want more than him. He thinks he's not good enough for me." Lorelai opens her eyes and stares at Emily. "And I know that's what you think, but I…" Emily sighs.
"No, and I know that's what you would like to believe, that I disapprove of everything in your life, but it's not true. It's not true at all Lorelai," Emily tells her.
"But you were so horrible to him. You look down at him," Lorelai contends. Emily nods.
"Yes, but if you love him, if you truly think he's the one for you, then he is. And I'll learn to be okay with that. Because, after all, I'm your mother, and all I want is for you to be happy." Lorelai glances around.
"Seriously, someone pinch me. I think I've entered the twilight zone," Lorelai says. Rory rolls her eyes.
"I always thought that eventually you would realize that the life your father and I can offer you is the only thing that will make you happy, but I suppose at some point I have to let that idea go," Emily states. Lorelai looks puzzled. Richard walks in.
"Come on, dinner's on the table," he says. Rory glances up at him and back at her mother and grandmother, who are staring at each other.
"Mom?" Rory says. Lorelai glances over at her.
"Oh yeah, we should," Lorelai realizes. "We have to get home before the twins's bedtime." Lorelai stands, glancing back down at Emily. "I… thank you… for listening…" Lorelai shakes her head, confused, and walks into the dining room carrying Liam, with Richard following her. Rory and Emily stand.
"Did you really mean that?" Rory asks Emily.
"Whether or not I meant it isn't the point, Rory my dear," Emily replies and walks into the dining room. Rory glances down at Olivia.
"Just once I'd like to not go to dinner with the Carringtons," she mutters and then carries Olivia into the dining room.