A/N: Here is the next entry; I'm having a fun time writing this. I certainly plan on continuing this for awhile, into the series for sure. I think. Well, I'm going to post this now; I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

You know how to tell me if you did.

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

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July 4, 1985

What a crazy place I have come to call home. Today was the Fourth of July, Independence Day and Mia gave me the day off. I was really hesitant about that. I've worked six days a week since I started here just over a month ago. It seems a lot I know, but it really isn't. I mean, well, yeah, it's a lot but I appreciate the job so much that I'm fine working hard. That and I am saving every cent I get. I want to buy a house for Rory and me; we can't live in the shed forever.

Babies are expensive too.

Mia has been a wonderful employer and friend. She set up a play pen in her office where Rory spends her days while I'm working or I have this little baby carrier thing that she got me that I strap Rory in and I can carry her around with me while I work too. It's great.

But, back to Independence Day and my first holiday away from my parent's house and this little drabble.

It seems fitting that my first holiday on my own is Independence Day huh? I'm not only celebrating the country's independence but my own. I'm celebrating my freedom, my self-discovery journey into adulthood. Seems ironic, I can't even buy a pack of cigarettes or a lottery ticket but I have a daughter and I'm living on my own.

God, tequila and ten minutes really can really change your life in the blink of an eye.

But anyways.

The people of this town are absolutely wonderful. I ventured into the heart of Stars Hollow today with Mia for their Fourth of July festival. It was beautiful. The whole town was decorated in red, white and blue and there was a band playing the gazebo and there were carnival games and people everywhere.

According to Mia people come from all over for Stars Hollow's festivals. I feel lucky claiming this town as my home. Mia, thankfully, could tell that I wasn't up to talking to tons of people and having their prying eyes sent towards me, so we stayed off to the side and of course I left early, the excuse used that I had to get Rory to bed.

Though I did meet a few people and I can tell, hopefully, that this town will welcome me with opening arms.

Here is a rundown of some of the people I met today.

So, the couple I ran into the first night I was in town, the couple who told me about the Independence Inn (yeah, about that too, how ironic), I finally meet officially today. It's Babette and Morey. According to Mia they are a very sweet, yet strange couple and after talking to them tonight I whole-heartedly agree. They were pulling their cat along in a wagon with a little house attached. Apparently, they weren't able to have kids themselves so Cinnamon, the cat, is their 'baby.' Strange, but hey, whatever floats their boat.

I also met the head of the town gossip tonight, Miss Patty. She runs the dance studio in town and knows everything about everything in town. She seems very friendly and I can't wait to get to know her more. She's already trying to get me to sign Rory up for dance lessons, but I think I'll wait till she can walk and run before I try the whole dance thing.

Then there was Kirk. I'm not even sure that words would be able to accurately describe this guy. He didn't seem that much older than me, maybe three or four years, I do know he's out of high school now, but he still lives with his mother. Mia said she's only met the woman once and that was quite an occasion. Despite his young age he seems to be able to do almost anything, or at least he thinks he can do anything. He prided himself on telling me that currently he's working four different jobs. That I can't believe. I'm having a hard enough time working one, but then again I have Rory to think about too.

Taylor Doose, owner of Doose's market is someone I'd rather not run into again, but I guess that is going to be impossible. He's the town selectman and he oversees everything that happens in Stars Hollow that coupled with him being the owner of the market, I'm bound to see him, quite a bit. He didn't seem to like me much, but Mia says that he acts that way with everyone. That made me feel a lot better. I guess that is his way of showing he cares? I don't know, we'll see.

After meeting the strange occupants of the town I walked around aimlessly for a bit, trying to get my bearings.

That is when I saw him, the same man that helped me at the bus station the night I left my parents; he was walking out from the cemetery by the church, a sad expression on his face. I wanted to talk to him, to thank him for his help, but I didn't reach him in time. He disappeared, almost literally before I could reach him and I didn't have a clue as to which way he went.

I wonder if he lives here, in Stars Hollow. If he does I surely hope to run into him again. Maybe I'll ask Mia about it.

Even though I've blocked out a lot of this last part of my entry for tonight, I figured I should indeed document in for the future. In case anyone decides to take my life and make a movie or TV show about it, I want it to be as accurate as possible. Then I'd be famous.

I'm rambling again, back on topic.

I finally made contact with my parents. Well, my dad actually.

I'd put it off and avoided the subject with Mia for weeks after I moved here and started working for her.

Weeks.

Till she finally cornered me and forced me to talk. To talk about my past, Chris, my parents, Rory, to talk about it all. I didn't think I'd ever want to talk about the past with anyone, but oddly enough I found it very easy to open up to Mia and all at once everything spilled out, including the tears that I'd been holding in for so long.

Maybe that's why she forced me to take today off, since this nice conversation happened just yesterday. God, just yesterday, it feels like it was ages ago. But then again, my now almost six month old daughter is growing way too rapidly for my liking. I swear they were just placing her in my arms for the first time last week.

I'm off again and rambling. I can't seem to stay on topic tonight, my mistake.

She told me I should really call my parents; let them know that I was alright, and possible tell them where I was.

I agreed for contact but no information, I couldn't handle if my parents showed up demanding me to come home.

And they would, I know that.

So, I called my dad yesterday, at his office, knowing that I could talk to him without my mother's input and criticism. To say I was shocked at the conversation would be putting it very mildly.

"Mr. Gilmore's office," Margie, my dad's secretary answered, way to cheery just like normal.

I took a deep breath in before answering quietly, "I need to speak to Mr. Gilmore please."

I tried to make my voice sound calm and collected, though it wasn't working too well. I was nervous, and frankly, can you blame me?

"Of course," Margie replied and I wanted to reach through the phone and strangle the woman, "may I ask who's speaking."

"Um," I hesitated, "it's Lorelai."

"Oh," Margie gasped, "of course Miss Gilmore, one moment please."

She knew. Of course she knew, my dad wouldn't be able to function with Margie, so it only made sense that she would know after a month that I'd vanished, leaving behind nothing more than a note and my childhood.

My dad's voice came on the line forceful and urgent, "Lorelai? Lorelai, where are you? How could you just leave like that? What were you thinking? How are you? Are you alright? How is Rory?"

"Dad," I started, my voice shaking, "I'm fine daddy. Rory and I are fine."

"Where are you?" he asked, "I'm coming to get you right now."

"No," I told him, my voice finally starting to sound confident, "I'm not going back."

"What are you talking about? Of course you're coming home; your mother and I have been worried sick."

"I called so you wouldn't have to worry," I answered, "but you have to understand, I'm not going home."

"Lorelai Victoria Gilmore," my dad said sternly and I shook my head, as if he could see me.

"Daddy please," I interrupted, it was no or never. "I can't raise Rory like that. I won't raise Rory like that."

"But…"

"I can't daddy," I insisted and I heard him sigh softly.

"I understand," he answered quietly and to be honest I almost dropped the phone. "You never embraced this lifestyle."

"It's just not for me daddy," I told him and I could see him in my head nodding in agreement.

"Are we ever going to see you and Rory again?" he asked hesitantly.

"Of course," I answered quickly, "I wouldn't keep her away from you. It probably won't be often though."

"How can we contact you?"

"Um," I stammered, "I still didn't really want him knowing exactly where I was, is that really horrible.

"Please Lorelai," he asked, "I won't try to bring you back and I'll keep your mother away, but I need to know that if something happens we can call you and tell you."

I could hear the tears in his strained voice and that broke my heart. My father was a business man, he didn't cry, he didn't show emotion, ever, but in this call I'd heard so much. I rambled off the Inn's phone, telling him that was a work number he'd be able to leave me a message I'd get almost instantly. After a few more murmured words and his promise again to keep my mother at bay we hung up the phone. Setting the phone back down on the hook in Mia's office I sat back in her car and sighed. That is when a few stray tears trickled down my face.

Quickly wiping them away I got up and went to finish my shift.

Yesterday feels like it was weeks ago. That simple phone call, I have a hard time believing it actually happened just yesterday.

I'm exhausted now.

You would think a day of relaxing and not working would keep me pumped with energy, but nope, I'm here, curled up in my bed, my sleeping daughter beside me and my eyes are starting to droop, so this is where I sign off and say goodnight.

Tomorrow I'll be back at work and strangely enough, I can't wait.

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A/N: Please review. I know I beg at the end of each post, but I really enjoy getting them. Hope you liked, but even if you didn't tell me.

Thanks!