He is trying to find a tie to match his suit. Jess has been in the bathroom for an hour, and he desperately needs to get in there. He is afraid. He is shaky. He is on the verge of tears, and it scares him to death because no one's seen him cry since he was seven years old.
Today is the day. His sister's funeral.
Jess emerges from the bathroom. He's been painfully quiet since arriving in Stars Hollow. Luke worries about him.
"Ready?" Luke asks softly. Jess nods in response, brushing past his uncle and exiting the apartment. Luke nods and follows.
As he heads towards the church, he spots them. Lorelai Victoria Gilmore and her lovely daughter, Lorelai Leigh. They're ambling towards the church, through the square. He wears a tight smile when he reaches them.
They don't exchange words. Lorelai gives him a little wave. Rory takes his arm, as if to steady him, and leads him into the church. Lorelai takes a deep breath and follows suit.
He spots Jess and they all take their seats next to him. The service begins and he pretty much spaces out.
It ends and everyone files out of the church. They make their way to the cemetary.
When they're lowering the casket into the ground, that's when he almost looses it. It's going down so slowly and he just wants it all to be over. He quickly walks away, over to a nearby tree. He hides behind it and sinks down, pressing the heels of his palms into his closed eyes and breathing deeply.
Suddenly, he feels two slender arms wrapping around him. He opens his eyes to the blurred form of his best friend. She rocks him back and forth slowly, pressing a gentle kiss into his neatly combed hair every so often.
After the burial is complete, he let's Lorelai bring him to her house. He lets her talk him into telling her about his little sister. He lets her listen to countless stories about his childhood. He lets her see him laugh. He lets her see him cry.
He returns to the diner late that night, and he heads straight for his apartment. He flips a switch and light floods the room.
He can't believe what he sees in his bed.
Rory Gilmore and Jess Mariano.