Picking up the pieces.
I don't own anything all belongs to amy.
Chapter six: New plans.
While Rory was at her scan, Luke and Lorelai were having a well-earned break at home. Cuddled on the sofa, Lorelai looked at her husband and wondered how she got so lucky. She had an amazing daughter, who was carrying her first grandbaby, a step daughter who despite their somewhat rocky start she had an amazing relationship with, and a lovely husband who loved her despite her many obvious flaws.
"Hey Luke..." Lorelai says, stuttering slightly as her nervousness overcomes her and the thoughts start swirling around her head.
"Yeah?" He responded, shifting his position to see her better.
"Do you ever wish we could have had another child?" she asks.
"Well…" Luke starts. "I'm upset that I missed so much of April's life, but I love the life we've built and I can't say I feel like I am missing out on anything. But, yeah, I guess it would have been nice to get to have a role in the start of kid's life. I came into Rory and Aprils lives after the hard part was already done really." He replied. Wondering where this conversation with his wife was going.
"How would you feel about having a child now?" Lorelai asks almost silently.
Luke stared at Lorelai "Really?" he asks and she nods in return.
"Rory's all grown up and starting her own family, April is grown up and off discovering herself. They don't need us anymore, our work is done there. How amazing would it be to have our own bundle of joy? I mean think about it, a little person that is part you, and part me. You could teach it to cook and fix things, and I could teach it all of the appropriate pop culture references; together we could create the greatest human alive." Lorelai quips
"I know we have already talked about this before and had all the appointments with Paris and I understand the risks involved and that we will need medical assistance thanks to my so called advanced age – which is a load of bull if you ask me - the way I see it if Katy Segal and Janet Jackson can have babies at 50 so can Lorelai Gilmore-Danes." She rambles. When she looks up she can see in Luke's eyes that he is seriously considering the idea.
"I do like the idea of raising a child with you, but I have a counter proposal. How would you feel about adopting a child instead of having a biological child?" He suggests. Lorelai bites her lip nervously.
"Adoption. I hadn't thought about adoption. But I get the feeling that you may have had it on your mind before this conversation so let me into your brain Mr. Danes, what is drawing you to adoption?" She asks.
"It's just that there are so many kids that in foster care and that number is rising every day thanks to the opioid epidemic that is taking a toll on our country. When I hear that I can't help but think of Jess, and what a mess he was when moved in with me because of Liz's addiction and issues. He could have easily ended up in foster care at multiple times in his life. In fact there a couple of time that he almost did. I feel it would be selfish of us to have a biological child especially when like you mentioned there are a number of health risks involved just to have a baby that shares our DNA when there are so many kids that need help. Help that we can give them." Luke states, the passion in his voice almost bringing Lorelai to tears as she is overcome with love for her husband.
"We have proven multiple times over that DNA does not make a family; Rory, Jess, and April prove that point tenfold. You love April and Jess like they are your own despite the fact there is no blood shared between you and I feel the same about Rory. I do not need her to share my DNA to feel like she is my daughter with every bone in my body. I really feel like it's a win-win situation Lorelai. We are given the chance to start a family of our own and a disadvantaged child that desperately needs love and nourishment gets a family that will love them forever. And that's not just including us, its Rory and April as well and your mom. We're one big happy family." Luke says.
"Luke Danes you amaze me more and more every single day." Lorelai says the tears that were once just threatening now spilling down her face. "I have never thought of it that way and I am sorry I haven't. You are absolute right about everything and I think adoption may be the perfect compromise."
"Why don't we do a little research then and look into it further?" Luke suggests not able to hide his joy.
"Definitely." Lorelai says excitedly. "I'll start making some calls first thing tomorrow to see where we would need to start."
A few weeks had passed since Lorelai and Luke's conversation. They now found themselves at the local family services office in Hartford discussing the adoption process and going over their options with the case worker who would be assigned to them should they be approved to proceed on the adoption plan.
"Have you thought this through completely? It's very different adopting then raising your own blood." The case worker says softly. Lorelai nods.
"Yes. We absolutely have. If it helps ease your mind we both have children from previous relationships; we understand what it means to accept and love a child that isn't biological your own and neither of us have the slightest issue with that. We have also talked about every possible scenario we could come up with and those that Google threw at us that we didn't already think of until I ran out of things to say, and trust me that is no small feat. We know what we are we getting ourselves into and we are ready. We are ready to open our heart and our house to give a child that needs a home, a kind loving home at that." Lorelai asserted.
Over the course of the meeting, the group discussed the options and the possible avenues that would lead to their end goal of adoption. They all decided it would be wise for Luke and Lorelai to talk to their family over the course of the next few weeks since they were approaching the Holiday season anyway which would just mean delays in paperwork and everything else anyway and then in the New Year and start the proceedings if that's still what they wanted.
After much insistence from Lorelai the case worker agreed to go ahead and have the agency start the background checks on the couple now so since that could take a couple of weeks in itself that way once they confirmed they wanted to continue the process, they would be able to get started right away and not wait in limbo for the background checks to be returned when that time could be used more productively.
After their meeting, the pair decided to stop at Emily's house and tell her their plans knowing that Emily was in Hartford and not Nantucket for the holiday season this year. Lorelai was nervous; in fact she hadn't been this nervous since she was about 15 years old. She didn't know how her mom was going to react.
She and her mother had come a long way in their relationship since her father's passing and she was hoping that her mom would be supportive of their decision to adopt even though it wasn't the socially acceptable thing to do since she was approaching fifty and was soon to be a grandma herself but for the first time in her life her mother was so hard to read so she didn't know what to expect. Lorelai took a deep breath before reaching out and ringing the doorbell.
Emily answered after just a couple of seconds. "Well hello Lorelai. Hello Luke." She says. "This is a surprise; it's nice to see you. And on a day that the banks are still open as your dad would say." Emily chuckles as she leads her daughter and son in law into the living room. "Now I know better than to think you just dropped by to say hi. I assume there is a reason behind your visit is there not?"
"Well actually Mom…." Lorelai hesitated. "Luke and I need to talk to you. We have something very important we would like to discuss with you. Is now a good time?" she asks biting her lip in nervousness. Luke can sense his wife's nerves and encases one of her hands in his own hoping to calm her nerves and his own if he is being honest.
"Of course Lorelai, this is actually a fine time. Berta has left for the day and I have nothing to do and nowhere to be. Would you like a drink while we chat?" Emily asks.
"I'd love a coffee mom." Lorelai says and the trio head into the newly remodelled kitchen that now includes a top of the line coffee bar that Emily has installed just for Lorelai and Rory as well as a little sitting nook that was made to resemble one of Emily and Richard's favorite Italian bistros.
Once they are all seated Emily speaks up. "What's going on Lorelai? I haven't seen behave this way in a while" "Well Mom… Luke and I have been decided that we do not feel as if our family is complete so after discussing it between ourselves over the last few weeks…..we decided that we are going to adopt a baby, or a child, we aren't really sure yet on the age range. We've talked about all of the options in great length and both decided we want to expand our family and we both feel like adoption is the way to go." Lorelai says.
"We actually went and met a case worker today to talk through our options and get the very early steps of the process started. " Luke adds. Lorelai looks over at her mom trying to gauge what is going through her head so she can brace herself for whatever reaction the eldest Gilmore may throw at her.
"That's such a wonderful idea." Emily says after a long minute as she stands and walks over to envelope her daughter in hug. "What sort of time frame are you looking at?" she inquires as she returns to her seat.
Luke smiles at Lorelai, who is looking much more relaxed after her mom's positive and encouraging reaction.
"We have the festive period to check with family hence our visit today we wanted you to be the first to know, and then in the New Year we start the interview process." Luke informs his mother in law.
"Once we pass that there will be a series of home visits by family services as well as parenting classes, CPR class, mandatory sessions with the department psychologist and a handful of other smaller things that need done and then we can start meeting children." Lorelai explains excitedly. "It will not be a fast process by any means but hopefully by this time next year we will have a new child in our family permanently."
"Thank you for sharing this with me Lorelai, it means a lot that I am the first person you have discussed this with. I'll do whatever I can to help" Emily says encasing her daughter in a hug.
"Thanks mom. I'll definitely keep you updated as we go through the process. I'm sure we will need references and will obviously family help and support." Lorelai replies.
"Of course Lorelai I am here for whatever you need." Emily says softly sighing when she's done speaking.
Lorelai frowns slightly. "Mom are you ok?" she questions.
Emily nods and Lorelai can see the expression on her face harden slightly. "It's just that I'm starting to plan this year's Christmas and New Year's party And I am finding myself struggling without your father . He may not have had a hand in the actual planning of the details but helped keep me calm through planning process. He always knew just what to do to make sure I kept my head and didn't get over stressed or crazy." Emily says giving Lorelai a look that clearly said this was not the time for jokes that they all knew were on the tip of her tongue. "This is the first year I'm throwing it since he's been gone since we took last year off and I feel like I did the first time I planned a party after we married; I am just so out of my element right now."
"Oh mom…I'm so sorry I know this has to be extremely hard on you." Lorelai comforted. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she questions.
"Not at the moment Lorelai, but thank you very much for offering I really appreciate it. However I may need your and Rory's help once we get a little closer to the event. Currently I'm still contacting vendors. It is just getting so hard to get exactly what I am looking for. I know exactly what I want but finding competent vendors that can supply everything is becoming such a struggle. There are all of these new vendors in the area but none of them seem up dealing with a party of this stature."
"I completely understand what you are saying, it seems we have had an influx of new companies calling at the Inn too trying to get us to let them supply everything from linens to laundry soap but it seems like for every ten companies that solicit our business only one is actually worth considering in the end. I can send you my list of vendors if you'd like. You can see the companies we have ruled out and why. I am sure if they aren't up to my standards they certainly won't be up to yours. There are also notes on the ones that we use frequently and what made us choose to give them our business." Lorelai suggested.
"That would actually be extremely helpful Lorelai, thank you!" Emily beamed. "Sure mom, anything I can do to help." Lorelai says before noticing the clock. "Shoot. Sorry mom, we need to get going, we have Jess and April coming for dinner tonight, and we are going to tell them and Rory about the adoption." She says.
"That is fine I have calls to make for the party anyway. Are you and Rory free to come round next week and discuss plans for the party?" Emily asks.
"I'll ask her and one of us will phone you later if that is ok?" Lorelai suggests.
"That would be wonderful. Thank you." Emily leads her family back to the front door hugging them both goodbye.
After they left Emily walked over to her small writing table and pulls her binder over to continue planning her party. She got lost in her thoughts however of how proud she was of her daughter. Even as she approaching the second half of her life and was about to become a grandma herself Lorelai was still going after something she wanted, something new, something different, something that could be downright terrifying and she was facing it head on and diving right in.
And here was Emily a ball of nerves and full of fear while planning her party. This was something she was good at, and had been doing for so long that two years ago she would have been able to plan this party in her sleep but suddenly without Richard here beside her she had been questioning not only the competency of the vendors she was looking to employ but her own as well.
She sighed in frustration as she looked over some of the notes she had taken earlier in the week. Suddenly she heard the ping signalling a new email had arrived and when she looked at her iPad to see if it was anything important she realized it was the spreadsheet containing the list of vendors that Lorelai had told her about with detailed notes about each one. The pride for her daughter swelled again as she looked over the list, it was clear that Lorelai had taken a lot of time compiling and keeping up with the extensive list. Gathering some of her own notes and her phone, she started making phone calls to vendors.
She started feeling slightly more at ease and more like the Emily of old after the first few calls seeing as she received multiple compliments from a few of the vendors that Lorelai had recommend thanks to her extensive knowledge of party planning.
The phone call to the florist was Emily's favourite. It was a fairly new shop but according to Lorelai's notes they were prompt, knowledgeable and provided quality products. She described to the lady exactly what she wanted, in what amounts, sizes and colours. The florist said she was so happy that there was finally someone who was confident in what they needed. In fact she asked Emily if she was a professional party planner, because in her experience it was generally only the professionals that were so well prepared and knew the exact terminology she needed to use to get precisely what she wanted.
Emily replied that she wasn't but she had been planning parties for over 50 years and she learned a long time ago that in order to ensure she got the correct thing she needed to know how to ask for it in the correct terms. The final comment from the florist was that was a shame she wasn't a profession as there weren't many decent planners in the Hartford area and there were a lot of people who could stand to learn a few things. That comment really got Emily thinking and the next phase of her life suddenly started to become a little clearer.