CW: super brief mention of anorexia
I also used a lot of dialogue from the show in this chapter. I tried to use as little as possible, but there was a lot that I felt was necessary
Richard burst into the dining room with unusual jubilance as the four Gilmore women picked at their dinners in silence on Friday night. "I am sorry I'm late, but I come bearing wonderful news," he announced as he sat down, putting a napkin in his lap. "I just got off the phone with my mother."
"Your mother?" Emily echoed, exchanging a nervous glance with Juliet.
"Yes, I did. She's fine, she sends her love and. . ." Richard paused for dramatic effect, looking like a ten-year-old on Christmas Eve. "She's coming to visit."
Juliet suddenly felt cold all over. "What?"
"What?" Emily asked, her eyes wide.
Lorelai's mouth dropped open. "You're kidding."
Emily's eyes flitted over to her younger daughter, before focusing on her husband. "When?"
"Yeah, Dad, when?" Juliet echoed, turning to her father.
Rory turned to her grandfather with an excited smile. "I'm gonna get to meet my great-grandma?"
Richard nodded. "Lorelai the First."
"I was named after her," Lorelai told her daughter smugly.
Rory giggled. "I figured."
Juliet nudged Lorelai under the table. "Lor, ask him when."
"When's she coming, Dad?" Lorelai asked, turning to her father.
Richard turned away from Rory to glance at his oldest. "What was that, Lorelai?"
"Oh, her he hears," Emily muttered, rolling her eyes.
"When's Gran coming?" Lorelai repeated.
"A week from today," Richard answered, immediately returning to his granddaughter. "Rory, I'm telling you, it's going to be such a treat."
Emily stood up, placing her napkin in her chair. "Excuse me."
"I'll be right back," Juliet whispered to Lorelai, squeezing her knee briefly before standing up to follow their mother. She had to run a little to catch up to Emily's brisk, purposeful stride through the house, touching her mother's shoulder when she reached her. "Mom?"
Emily startled, putting a hand over her heart as she turned around. "My God, you scared me!"
"Sorry." Juliet lowered her hand apologetically. "Um, what do you need me to do?"
Emily exhaled wearily, then turned back around, gesturing for her youngest to follow her. "Come with me."
When the dessert plates had been cleared and her mother and sister still hadn't returned to the table, Lorelai went in search of them, following the sound of Emily barking orders at her youngest to the basement.
"Mom? Jules?" Lorelai called, glancing around at the holiday decorations and designer luggage that were stored around the space.
"Where do you need this?" Juliet was asking Emily, holding up a hideous porcelain vase.
"First-floor bathroom," Emily answered without looking away from the box she was rummaging through.
"Got it. Be right back." Juliet turned around, nearly bumping into her sister. "Oh. Sorry, Lor."
Lorelai furrowed her brow and trailed after the younger woman. "What are you guys doing?"
Juliet glanced over her shoulder with an eye roll. "Getting the house ready for Gran."
Lorelai narrowed her eyes in bewilderment. "By unpacking the entire basement?"
"You know how Mom yelled at you when she found out you exchanged those crystal candlesticks for the monkey lamp?" Juliet asked, flicking on the light in the bathroom before carefully placing the vase on the counter.
Lorelai smirked. "They're really happy monkeys."
Juliet huffed out a laugh, before adjusting the vase's position on the counter ever so slightly. "That's how Gran is with pretty much everything she's given Mom and Dad over the years, so now Mom's completely freaking out because she has a week to unpack thirty-something years of presents and put them exactly where Gran expects them to be."
"Okay, did I step into a parallel universe?" Lorelai asked, looking around the room for a hidden camera or something. "When did you and Mom get all buddy-buddy?"
"We're not buddy-buddy," Juliet countered, moving the vase again. "Gran just hates us both, so we want this visit to go as smooth as possible."
Lorelai scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Gran does not hate you."
"No, you're right, she just pities me because I 'hardly have any Gilmore blood'," Juliet said with a bitter smile. She raised her eyebrows. "I could explain ninth-grade Biology to her, but . . ."
"Cut her some slack. Ninth grade was about a hundred years ago for Trix," Lorelai quipped, earning a weak laugh from her sister. She smiled back reassuringly. "And I promise, she doesn't hate you. I mean, you're the great white hope of the Gilmore clan, my friend. No matter how much Gilmore blood Gran says you have."
Juliet managed a small laugh, lowering her eyes. "I think that title belongs to Rory."
"Jules, Rory may be the greatest kid in the world, but to a lot of the Hartford elite, and probably to Gran, too, she's still the scandal baby I had when I was sixteen," Lorelai said with a self-deprecating lift of her eyebrows. "You, on the other hand, were born to grown, married parents, you had a coming-out party, you finished high school without a single teen pregnancy, and you have two degrees from Yale."
Juliet shrugged, chewing the inside of her cheek. "I guess."
"Juliet, get back down here!" Emily called shrilly from the basement. "I need help carrying this!"
"Coming," Juliet called back, giving Lorelai a wan smile as she turned off the bathroom light.
"So tell me more about her," Rory said from the passenger seat, turning to her mother on their way home from dinner.
Lorelai shrugged, her eyes flicking briefly away from the road. "I don't really know that much."
"Well, you know more than I do," Rory prodded, leaning the side of her head against the headrest.
Lorelai thought for a moment, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. "Well, let's see. She moved to London when Grandpa died but she didn't like to travel, so once a year Mom and Dad would go to visit her, usually leaving me and Auntie Jules behind—much to our relief by the way," she said, giving her daughter a wry smile. She shrugged. "That's it. The rest I know from stories just like you. But, uh, your grandparents started taking Jules with them to London after you and I moved out since they were afraid she'd give you a cousin if they left her alone for too long, so I bet she could tell you more."
Rory nodded. "I'll ask her."
"Good."
"I hope Gran likes me," Rory said thoughtfully.
Lorelai glanced over at her daughter with an affectionate smile. "She'll love you."
"I hope she and Grandma get along."
"She'll love you," Lorelai repeated with mock enthusiasm.
Friday night, the younger Lorelais pulled up to the Gilmore mansion with a regifted hat rack sticking out of the back of the Jeep and nearly knocking a taillight out of Juliet's Honda.
Lorelai hopped out of the driver's seat, waving animatedly at her sister. "Hey!"
Juliet waved back with a strained smile, pulling her coat more tightly around her. "Hey. What are you so happy about?"
Rory heaved an exaggerated sigh. "She's been like this all day. She's excited to see Grandma all upset and freaked out because of Gran."
Juliet shot her sister a look. "Gran hates me too, did you forget that?"
"I told you, she does not hate you," Lorelai argued with an eye roll. "Why would she hate you?"
In answer, Juliet pointed to her auburn hair, which she'd twisted into a tight bun at the nape of her neck, as though she was trying to hide it from view.
Lorelai rolled her eyes again, looping an arm through her sister's. "Okay, there is no way Gran hates you just because you look like Mom. No one's that petty." She paused, reconsidering that. "Well, Emily Gilmore might be that petty."
Juliet snorted at that, ducking her head.
"But once Gran sees how good you grew up, she'll absolutely love you," Lorelai continued, squeezing her sister closer. "And Rory and I will be there for backup, so you have nothing to worry about, okay?"
Juliet nodded with a small smile. "Okay."
"Okay." Lorelai released her, walking over to the back of the Jeep and struggling to pull the hat rack out. "Now, help us get this to the door."
Juliet smirked. "Mom called you, too?"
"Yeah, what used Christmas present did she make you give back?" Lorelai asked distractedly, trying to use her foot as leverage against her bumper.
Juliet made a face. "A sculpture of naked baby angels– here, let me help." She moved to the other end of the hat rack, grimacing as she lifted it. "God, how much does this thing weigh?"
"Like a thousand pounds," Rory answered, coming to help her mother and aunt. "We could barely get it out of the house earlier."
"Here, put it down," Lorelai ordered just before they reached the door, sounding out of breath.
"Jesus Christ," Juliet muttered with a wince, shaking out her arm.
"What are we doing?" Rory asked, lowering the hat rack to the pavement.
Lorelai gestured vaguely in the air with her hands. "Well, in case Gran comes to the door, you know?"
Rory nodded. "Good thinking."
"I mean she's 80," Lorelai said, glancing over her shoulder at them as she stepped onto the porch. "The eyes have got to be gone right?"
"Let's just try to keep her inside the house," Rory suggested, following her mother.
"Good thinking," Lorelai said as she rang the bell.
Emily answered the door, glancing between the three of them conspiratorially. "Do you have it?"
Lorelai nodded. "We got it."
"Hurry up, bring it in here," Emily commanded, ushering them into the house.
The three younger Gilmore women hurried over to the hat rack, struggling to lift it.
"Use your legs," Juliet said with a wince.
"Mom?" Lorelai called desperately. "A little help, here?"
"Right, sorry," Emily said, her heels clicking on the driveway as she hurried to help them.
Even with four of them lifting the hat rack, the combination of its weight and cumbersomeness made moving it into the foyer an ordeal.
They finally set it down, and Emily carefully examined its place on the floor. "I think it was maybe a little more on the left." She twisted her lips together nervously, putting a hand on her face. "Oh God, I should have put tape down."
"Mom, you don't think that the coat rack could've moved a quarter of an inch in five years?" Lorelai asked, arching an eyebrow.
Emily nodded manically. "You're right. Put your coats on it."
Juliet hurriedly draped her coat over one of the reptilian figures, then turned to her mother with a jittery smile. "So, where is she?"
Emily made a face. "In the living room, scratching the diamond pendant I bought her against a mirror." She blew out a steadying breath, then surprised them all by taking her younger daughter's hand and giving it a squeeze of solidarity. "I suppose we shouldn't keep her waiting any longer."
When her mother dropped her hand, walking briskly ahead of the three of them, Juliet looped her arm through Lorelai's, touching her head briefly to her shoulder.
"You'll be fine," Lorelai whispered reassuringly as they stepped into the living room.
Emily plastered on her best hostess smile. "Mom, look who's here."
"Who?" Gran asked, not looking up from her examination of the diamond pendant.
Emily blinked, keeping the smile on her face with Herculean effort. "Well, look."
"If I wanted to look, I would look. I haven't looked therefore you must draw your own conclusions," Gran sniffed, only looking up when Richard handed her a drink. "Ah, thank you, dear boy."
Richard beamed at his mother, unbuttoning his blazer as he sat down. "You're welcome, Trix."
"Trix?" Rory whispered in her mother's ear.
"Dad's pet name for Gran," Lorelai muttered with a smirk.
Emily's smile turned sardonic. "Isn't it just darling?"
Lorelai waved, smiling brightly. "Hi, Gran."
Trix glanced up from the pendant, her expression resembling a smile. "Lorelai."
"Yes, it's so good to see you again," Lorelai said genuinely, taking a step further into the living room.
Gran's eyes landed on her younger granddaughter. "Juliet."
Juliet resisted the familiar childhood urge to curl up and attempt to disappear into the wall or hide behind Lorelai, instead smiling tremulously at her grandmother. "Hi, Gran."
"And this is Rory," Richard said, smiling proudly at his granddaughter. "You haven't met her yet."
Trix's brow lifted in interest. "No, I don't believe I have."
Rory smiled shyly. "Hello."
"Rory. My son speaks of you constantly," Trix told her great-granddaughter. "He seems very fond of you."
Rory glanced at her grandfather with an affectionate smile. "Oh, well, I'm very fond of him, too."
Richard returned the smile, before tapping his mother's knee. "This little girl is as smart as a whip, Mom. I think she has a great deal of you in her."
"How nice. Come. I want to get a very good look at all three of you," Gran ordered, ushering them closer. She turned to her son with a smile. "They're tall."
Richard let out a guffaw. "Well, yes, they are."
"How's your health?" Trix asked them.
Lorelai nodded, wrapping an arm around her daughter. "Oh, good."
"Very healthy," Rory agreed.
"And Juliet? How's your health? You were frail and sickly the last time I saw you," Gran said, narrowing her eyes.
Juliet had been seventeen and deep in the trenches of anorexia when she'd last seen her grandmother. She swallowed, giving the old woman a polite smile. "I'm better now, thank you."
"Good." Trix nodded, turning toward Lorelai with a smile of condescending sympathy. "Your sister always had more Allerton blood than you did, poor thing."
Juliet exchanged a brief eye roll with her mother over her shoulder.
"But, if you're healthy, then it would seem that the Gilmore blood has won out, as it often does," Gran continued as she glanced at Juliet, throwing her hands up in a shrug. She turned to her son. "Richard, do neither of your daughters drink?"
"Uh, well. . ." Lorelai chuckled, exchanging a smile with her sister.
Gran scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Emily, get these women something to drink."
"Oh, I'll do it," Richard said with a genial smile, standing up.
Lorelai smiled at her father, smoothing her skirt to her legs as she sat down. "Oh, thanks, Dad. White wine?"
"Me too," Juliet said quietly, lowering herself onto the couch beside Lorelai.
Trix turned to her older granddaughter, pursing her lips. "So Lorelai, since I've seen you last, you've grown up, gotten pregnant out of wedlock, raised a child, and still haven't bothered to get married. Have I left anything out?"
"Well, sometime in between growing up and getting pregnant, I got my ears pierced," Lorelai quipped with an uncomfortable laugh.
Trix narrowed her eyes. "I've always hated a scandal. However, I've always appreciated self-sufficiency. Tell me, how do you support this child?"
Lorelai seemed to steel herself for disapproval before she answered, "I run an inn."
"Hard work?" Gran asked, leaning toward her namesake conspiratorially.
Lorelai chuckled, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Yes, it is."
"Good. Hard work is good for a woman—makes her stronger. I admire people who enjoy hard work," Trix said with an approving nod. "And Juliet, have you also managed to escape the life of a bored, languishing housewife?"
Juliet's eyes flicked over to her mother, whose jaw was tightly clenched at the pointed comment, before turning back to Gran with a small smile. "Um, I'm a doctor at St. Joseph's."
The old woman's brows went up. "St. Joseph's?"
Juliet nodded. "Yes."
"Did you know I built the maternity wing at that hospital?" Trix asked pompously, as though she'd been in a hard hat leading the construction crew herself.
"Yes," Juliet answered as she avoided looking at Lorelai, knowing they'd start giggling if she did.
"Juliet also graduated summa cum laude from Yale Medical School," Richard informed his mother with rare pride in his voice.
"Hm. Well, at least your brain is Gilmore, even if the rest of your head isn't," Trix said, looking pointedly at Emily.
Emily cleared her throat with a bitter smile. "Well. I'm going to go get the hors d'oeuvres."
After an excruciating dinner in which more passive-aggressive remarks were leveled at Emily and Lorelai and Juliet were instructed to come to dinner the next night, the three younger Gilmore women pulled their coats from the brass hat rack and walked out into the cooling spring air.
"Bye, Lor. See you tomorrow," Juliet said, pecking her sister's cheek quickly, before turning to her niece and doing the same. "See you Sunday."
Lorelai frowned. "Wait, you're not staying with us tonight?"
"Well, you and I are both working tomorrow, and Rory's got her study group thing all day, so I figured I might as well stay in Hartford tonight." Juliet paused, looking between them both. "Is that okay?"
"What? No, of course, it's okay! You're right, it makes more sense than staying with us," Lorelai said with a too-bright smile. She wrapped an arm around her sister's shoulders, her smile turning teasing. "So, are you staying at your place, or . . ."
Juliet ducked her head, feeling her face burn. "Stop."
"Yeah, don't be gross, Mom," Rory agreed, making a face.
"I said nothing gross!" Lorelai exclaimed defensively, buttoning her coat.
"You implied something gross," Juliet countered, digging her keys out of her purse.
"What, I can't even imply gross things anymore?" Lorelai asked with mock incredulity. "What kind of censorship is this?"
Juliet rolled her eyes as she unlocked her car and climbed in. "Goodbye."
As dinner concluded the next night, and the Gilmores made their way into the living room for brandy, Trix held out her arm to her older granddaughter. "Lorelai, walk with me. I have something that I want to discuss with you."
Lorelai nodded, taking the older woman's arm. "Okay."
"Your father told me that you borrowed money from your parents for Rory's school," Gran said in a whisper, as though it were some scandalous secret.
Lorelai exchanged a glance with her sister over her shoulder. "Well, if you're worried about them getting the money back–"
Trix interrupted her, holding up a finger. "You know, Shakespeare once wrote 'Neither a borrower nor a lender be'. Do you consider Shakespeare a wise man?" Her eyes flicked over to Juliet with a bitter smirk. "I mean, as something other than as a source for children's names like your mother does."
"Uh, sure, yeah." Lorelai nodded, even though she was pretty sure her sister's name had been entirely her father's idea.
"We certainly don't mind loaning Lorelai the money if that's what you're worried about," Emily told her mother-in-law as she sat down on the couch.
"Certainly not," Richard agreed from the drink cart. "Rory is first priority in this house."
Trix lowered herself primly into the armchair beside Emily. "I'm not concerned about whether you mind or not. Loaning money is a dirty business. It's distasteful and I don't care for it." She turned to Lorelai. "As you know, I came into town to check up on the family investments and to talk with our lawyers. I have some things to put in order, and one of them is setting up a trust fund for Rory."
"Wh– that's amazing," Lorelai sputtered, reaching out and squeezing Juliet's hand. "Really?"
Trix nodded. "Now, normally I would set up a fund that she would have access to when she's 25. However, considering the situation, if you like, I will arrange for her to get it now."
"Now?!" Lorelai repeated, her eyes widening.
Emily's head whipped around to face her mother-in-law. "Now?!"
"That way she can use it to pay for Chilton," Trix explained with another nod.
Juliet squeezed her sister's hand with an encouraging smile while Lorelai blinked rapidly, her mouth dropping open. "Oh Gran, I don't know what to say, that is so generous of you."
"My mother is a very special woman, isn't she?" Richard said with a proud smile.
Lorelai shook her head, unable to contain her smile. "Gran, this is– I don't know what to say."
"Nothing now would be preferable." Trix stood up, heading for the stairs. "I have arranged for you, your sister, your mother, and I to have tea tomorrow before I leave. Say it then. Good night, Emily, Juliet."
"Good night," Emily said, her eyes darting skittishly between the two Lorelais.
Juliet managed a genuine smile at her grandmother. "Good night."
Richard stood with a genial smile, buttoning his blazer. "Well. I'll just uh, walk Mother upstairs and be right back."
As Trix and Richard left the room, Lorelai turned to her sister with a stunned laugh. "Oh my God!"
"I know," Juliet said with a wide smile, staring after her grandmother in disbelief.
"Oh my God!" Lorelai repeated, pulling her sister into a one-armed hug. She laughed again, standing up. "Wow! Um, I guess we should be going. Thanks for dinner, Mom. I'll see you tomorrow."
Juliet followed her, giving her mother a small wave over her shoulder. "Bye, Mom. See you tomorrow."
"Lorelai," Emily called, hurrying after them. "You're not honestly considering accepting that money, are you?"
Lorelai let out a snort. "Um yeah, of course I'm considering it."
Emily shook her head. "I don't think that's very wise."
Juliet frowned, exchanging a look with Lorelai. "Why not?"
"Because she's a young girl," Emily explained, clasping her hands tightly together. "She won't know the first thing about managing that money."
Lorelai shrugged. "Yeah, well, I'll help her."
Emily arched an eyebrow. "You don't know the first thing about managing that money either."
"Mom," Juliet chided gently, tilting her head.
"How do neither of you see the pitfalls in accepting that money?" Emily asked, looking between her daughters. She gestured to Lorelai with a scoff. "I mean you're the one that brags about how special your relationship with Rory is. I'm stunned that you want to jeopardize it like this.
Lorelai frowned in confusion, pulling her coat from the rack. "What are you talking about?"
Emily shrugged with that affected nonchalance that always drove her daughters crazy. "Well, you know as well as I do that money is freedom."
"And?" Lorelai asked, flipping her hair over the collar of her coat.
"If Rory has that money she won't need you anymore," Emily said, raising her eyebrows.
Juliet resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Mom, come on."
Emily ignored her younger daughter, focusing on Lorelai. "She'll be self-sufficient, she won't need you to pay for anything, she won't have to turn to you."
"Everything in a relationship isn't about money, Mom," Lorelai said with a laugh but glanced nervously over at her sister.
Juliet nodded in agreement as she reached for her own coat. "Yeah, I mean, Rory doesn't need me to pay for anything, and we're pretty close."
"Pretty close?" Emily repeated with a short laugh. "Is that what you want, Lorelai? To be pretty close to your own daughter? Equal to her aunt in all but name?"
Juliet lowered her eyes uncomfortably and Lorelai shook her head, pursing her lips as she turned to leave. "Okay, you know what? Say goodbye to Dad for us as soon as the voices in your head subside."
"Why should she wait to backpack around Europe with you?" Emily asked, arching an eyebrow when her daughter turned around. "She could afford to go herself. And she could take a friend, or a boyfriend, or anyone."
"Yeah, well, she wants to go with us," Lorelai said tightly.
"Well now of course she does, she doesn't have options," Emily scoffed, pointing a finger in her eldest's face. "But the minute you give her options . . ."
Lorelai threw her hands up in frustration as she wrenched the door open. "Okay, that's it. You're nuts and I'm going– in that order."
"It's terrible not to be needed. You'll see!" Emily called after Lorelai desperately. When Juliet made to follow her, she caught her hand, gripping it tightly. "Talk to her, please. You can't let her take that money."
"It's her decision, Mom," Juliet said, attempting to pull out of her mother's grasp, but Emily held firm. She pulled a little harder, trying to stay calm. "Let go, please."
"She'll never come back here, you know," Emily hissed.
"What?" Juliet asked, confused that her mother was being so open about her true motivations.
"If she gets that money, Lorelai will never come back here. She won't have to," Emily explained, her eyes filling. "Is that what you want, Juliet? To go back to Friday night dinners with just me, you, and your father?"
A pit began to form in Juliet's stomach at the thought of going into her parents' house alone again, but she bit her cheek, not wanting to give her mother a reaction. "I see Lorelai and Rory plenty of other times during the week."
"Just talk to her," Emily pleaded, wrapping her other hand around Juliet's forearm. "She'll listen to you."
Juliet took a deep breath, pulling her arm away, and this time her mother didn't stop her. "See you tomorrow, Mom." She hurried down the porch steps, wrapping her coat more tightly around her.
Lorelai, who was leaning against the side of the Jeep, immediately straightened as Juliet approached her. "What did she say to you?"
Juliet shrugged. "She wants me to convince you not to take the money."
Lorelai scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, my God. Of course, she did. I can't believe that woman!"
"I know," Juliet agreed with an eye roll of her own. "She's completely projecting."
"It's because of Friday night dinner, right?" Lorelai asked, stepping closer to her sister. "She doesn't like that I won't be obligated to her anymore, right?"
"That's definitely part of it." Juliet nodded, putting an arm around Lorelai's shoulders. "Let's talk more at your house."
Lorelai shook her head. "No, I'm too wired to face Rory right now. Let's stop for coffee. And tea, obviously."
"Okay," Juliet said softly. She glanced at her sister sideways. "Um, do you want to go to . . ."
Lorelai shook her head again, more vigorously this time. "No. I can't. I haven't gone to the diner without Rory since Elle MacPherson and her plane hairless head stepped foot in there. It's too hard."
Juliet frowned sympathetically. "I'm sorry."
Lorelai smiled sadly. "Whatever. Wanna see if our usual place is open?"
The cafe where they met on Tuesdays and Thursdays was closed for the night, so the sisters sat across from one another at a Taco Bell. Lorelai was unusually quiet, picking at the cheese on her tacos instead of eating them.
Juliet watched her, playing with the straw in her Diet Coke. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking 'how could she'?" Lorelai asked incredulously, pushing her tacos aside disgustedly. "I mean, she's just trying to manipulate me so I have to keep going to Friday night dinners until the day I die, and then she'll figure out how to force me to attend via Ouija board!" She let out a bitter laugh. "And it's working! What if this money does change my relationship with Rory? What if she does decide to go to Europe with Lane or Heath Ledger instead of us?"
Juliet was silent for a moment, thinking. "I really don't think that's gonna happen, Lor."
"But what if it does?" Lorelai argued, leaning forward slightly. "I mean, if I had access to that money when we were kids, I would've left the house so fast."
Juliet blinked in surprise, feeling the pit in her stomach make a reappearance. "Faster than you did?"
Realizing what she'd just said, Lorelai backtracked, covering her sister's hand with her own. "Hey, no. That's not what I meant. I'm sorry, I'm letting Mom get in my head."
"It's okay." Juliet shook her head, forcing a smile. She turned her palm upward, squeezing Lorelai's hand. "But you were right when you told Mom that relationships aren't all about money. I mean, you and I have never owed each other any money, and we're still close, right?"
Lorelai nodded, staring at their joined hands. "Right."
"And I don't technically owe Mom and Dad any money, and I've been having weekly dinners with them since I was eighteen."
Lorelai glanced up with a furrowed brow. "Yeah, why do you go to Friday night dinners? I could never figure out why."
Juliet shrugged, taking a sip of her drink. "I don't know. Remember when I first started at Yale and Mom had a really rough time with the idea of me moving out?"
Lorelai nodded in confirmation with a wry chuckle. "Yeah, I remember."
"She would just show up at my dorm unannounced all the time, wanting to get lunch or go shopping or something, and then she'd get mad if I had a class or I didn't seem as excited to see her as she wanted me to be, so she'd yell at me, and then it would throw off my whole day. So I just figured if I went over there for dinner once a week, I could, like . . . prepare for it, and then she would leave me alone for the rest of the week. And that's pretty much what happened." Juliet shrugged again, lowering her eyes to the table. "And. . . I don't know. I think I sometimes feel like I do owe them money, even though I don't really. Like, they paid for undergrad, they paid for medical school–"
"Well, yeah, but that's what they're expected to do. There's not a single person in their world whose Daddy didn't pay for their Ivy League education," Lorelai pointed out dryly. She twisted her lips together. "And I hate the idea of Rory becoming part of that world, you know? I don't want this money to turn her into someone who goes through a new maid every week, or who has maids in the first place. My kid has a really nice head, and I don't want it getting guillotined when the revolution comes!"
"I think that's fair," Juliet agreed.
The corners of Lorelai's mouth turned up slightly. "Yeah? You don't think I'm being dramatic or controlling or childish?"
Juliet shook her head. "No. I think one of the best things you did for Rory was to get her out of that world. It breeds selfishness, it breeds narcissism, and it's hard to see how bad it is when you grow up in it. It's amazing you managed to do it."
"Oh, well, Laurence Fishburne came into my room one night and offered me a little red pill," Lorelai quipped, smirking as she reached for her tacos again. Her smile faded just as quickly as it appeared. "But I'm already exposing her to it again. She's going to Chilton, she's golfing with Dad at the club, she's watching Mom go through maids faster than Zsa Zsa Gabor went through husbands, I . . ." she trailed off with a helpless shrug. "I worry that her getting this money just because she's a Gilmore might make all that worse."
"Yeah," Juliet said softly, unable to come up with something that would calm her sister's fears.
Lorelai inhaled, glancing up at her. "I don't have to tell her right away, do I?"
Juliet gave her a look. "Lor, no. You have to tell her."
"I didn't say I wasn't gonna tell her period," Lorelai protested defensively. "I just– maybe we should wait until we know more, you know? I mean, this trust probably has limitations, right? I don't think Gran's the type to write a check for hundreds of thousands of dollars and just hand it to a sixteen-year-old. What if I tell Rory tonight, and she's all excited because now she can get that pony and stables she's always wanted, and then at tea tomorrow we find out there's a No Pony clause in the trust? She'll be crushed!"
"A No Pony clause?" Juliet repeated, smirking.
Lorelai rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."
"I do."
"So, we tell her tomorrow?" Lorelai asked hesitantly.
Juliet sighed. "We tell her tomorrow."
They drove in silence to the tea house on Sunday, their hands clasped on the Jeep's center console. Lorelai kept her eyes studiously trained on the road, her lips tightly pursed, while Juliet kept casting concerned glances at her sister's profile. Lorelai pulled into a parking space, and the sisters climbed out of the car, still saying nothing. Just before they entered the building, Juliet gave Lorelai's arm an encouraging squeeze, which she accepted with a wan smile.
"Hi," Lorelai greeted, sitting down at a table with her mother.
Juliet smiled. "Hi, Mom."
Emily returned the smile tightly. "Hello."
"Where's Gran?" Juliet asked, glancing around the empty table.
"Torturing the bathroom attendant, I suppose," Emily quipped, glancing back at the menu.
The sisters exchanged a look at that, each privately thinking of the many attendants at various restaurants and stores who their mother had tortured.
Lorelai forced a smile, opening the menu as she glanced around the room. "So um, this place seems . . . clean."
"Yes, it's famous for its cleanliness," Emily said dryly. "So, what did Rory say when you told her? About the money, I mean. She must have been very excited."
Lorelai glanced over at her sister nervously, before taking a breath and smiling at her mother. "I'm telling her tonight. Gran was pretty vague about the terms of the trust, and you know how Rory is, she'll have lots of questions, she could give Walter Cronkite a run for his money, so I wanted to know more."
"You didn't tell her?" Emily asked, a small smile appearing on her face.
Lorelai kept the smile frozen on her face. "No."
Emily let out a smug chuckle. "Well . . . something I said must've really struck a chord with you."
Lorelai shook her head, her lips tightly pursed. "No, Mom, Jules and I discussed it, and–"
"You and Juliet discussed it?" Emily asked, her eyebrows lifting as she turned to her youngest. "So you convinced her not to take the money?"
"That's not what happened," Juliet said, gripping the sides of her skirt.
"Well, one of you must have reconsidered based on our conversations," Emily said primly, that smug smile still on her face. "I'm simply curious which of you it was."
"I didn't reconsider," Lorelai argued, fighting to keep her voice even, and Juliet laid a placating hand on her thigh. "I just told you, I want to have answers to all her questions before I tell Rory."
"Well, yesterday you could hardly wait to get home to announce your great fortune to her, and now you want all the facts as though you're writing a police report." Emily shrugged with affected indifference. "And you haven't told her that now she has her own money to put herself through school, to go to Europe–"
One look at her older sister's face told Juliet that Lorelai had nearly reached her boiling point. "Mom, come on. Please."
"What do you mean 'come on'?" Emily asked innocently. "I'm simply telling your sister that I respect the decision that she made."
"She means that we all know this isn't about my relationship with Rory," Lorelai said, her voice rising. "This is about you not wanting to lose control over me."
Emily's eyes widened, and she whirled on Juliet. "What did you tell her?"
"She didn't tell me anything, Mom," Lorelai scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I may not have graduated summa cum laude from Yale Medical School, but I'm not an idiot. I figured it out on my own."
"Why do you always assume the worst about me?" Emily asked, her voice growing watery.
Lorelai chuckled bitterly. "Well, because I'm usually right."
"Oh, yes, because I'm just the worst mother in the world for wanting a relationship with my daughters?" Emily cried, throwing her hands up in the air.
"You do have a relationship with your daughters," Juliet said, attempting to adopt the clinically compassionate tone she used on her patients.
"Do not patronize me, Juliet Leigh," Emily warned through clenched teeth.
"Sorry," Juliet apologized automatically. "I just–"
She was cut off as Trix returned from the bathroom. "Lorelai, Juliet– you're here."
Lorelai plastered on a smile. "Hi, Gran."
Juliet turned to her grandmother, taking a breath. "Hi, Gran."
"So, have you ordered the tea yet?" Trix asked, lowering herself into her chair.
Emily shook her head. "No, not yet."
Gran nodded. "Well, good, because I'm afraid I'm going to have to take my leave of you a little earlier than I had anticipated."
"What, why?" Lorelai asked, glancing at her sister in confusion.
"My train leaves tonight and I have a little last-minute packing to do," Trix said, tightening her grip on her purse. "Plus, I really don't wish to witness any more of this ugly little fight you three seem to be having. Raising your voice during high tea, who ever heard of such a thing? It's like Fergie all over again."
"I'm sorry," Juliet apologized, lowering her gaze to the table.
Lorelai nodded in agreement, feeling chastened. "Yes, we're done. Please don't leave."
"I can see now that offering that trust fund was a bad idea," Gran said evenly, glancing around the table in disapproval. "After all, taking into account the maturity level of those involved, this large amount of money would probably not be safe."
"No, Gran, that isn't true," Lorelai protested, shaking her head. "Rory is an incredibly mature kid."
"Oh, I'm sure she is. It's you I'm worried about." Trix glared at her daughter-in-law. "And I'm sure she gets it from you."
"But–" Emily began.
Trix cut her off, standing up. "Tell Rory goodbye for me. You two are welcome to visit me in London anytime. Emily, please get my coat. I will meet you outside. Goodbye, Juliet."
"Bye, Gran," Juliet said softly, watching her leave. She turned to Lorelai, ready to ask if she was okay, then blinked in surprise when she saw her shoulders shaking with laughter.
"Well, you won," Lorelai said, gesturing to their mother with a smirk. "You didn't want me to take the money and I'm not taking the money, that's called winning."
Emily was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry."
Lorelai waved a hand in resignation. "Forget it, Mom, it's no big deal."
"No, it is a big deal. Here Rory had this wonderful opportunity and we– and I . . ." Emily trailed off, while her daughters exchanged a look of surprise at the rare display of accountability. "Maybe I can talk to her."
Lorelai snorted. "Oh yes, that'll work."
Emily heaved a defeated sigh, then began to dig in her purse for her cell phone. "Well, I'll go to your father."
"Mom." Lorelai put a hand on her forearm. "It's fine."
Emily leaned back in her chair slightly. "Really?"
Lorelai sighed, shrugging. "Well, it's not fine, fine, but we can call it even as long as we don't have to take the coat rack back."
"Deal," Emily said with a genuine smile. She glanced at the door, gathering her purse as she stood up. "Well, I'd better get out there before she leaves me here."
Lorelai gave her mother a small smile. "Bye, Mom."
"See you Friday," Juliet said with a tiny wave.
"See you Friday," Emily echoed as she turned to leave. After a moment, she turned back, reaching out and tucking a strand of Juliet's auburn hair behind her ear, before giving her daughters one last smile as she left.
Let me know what you think!
Also, since we're getting toward the end of season 1, would anyone be interested in reading a sequel to this story? I have a plot kind of halfway mapped out that would roughly follow the timeline of season 2 (probably not nearly as closely as I've been following season 1 because there'd be a lot of plotlines in season 2 that wouldn't make sense in this universe), but I just want to make sure there's still interest after this first story.
Thank you for reading :)