Fic: Home - Chapter Two, General (GG)
May. 5th, 2003 01:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rubykatewritingTITLE: Home
AUTHOR:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rubykatewriting
PAIRING: This fic features Lorelai and Luke in an established relationship with children; Sookie and Jackson are still doing what they're doing; and Jess is a widower; it will eventually end up Rory/Jess.
RATING: PG
SUMMARY: Now he can’t imagine calling any other place home. Jess returns to Stars Hollow.
DISCLAIMER: Luke Danes, Lorelai Gilmore, Jess Mariano, Sookie St. James, Jackson Belleville, Emily and Richard Gilmore and Rory Gilmore belong to others. I am only borrowing them. No harm intended.
WARNING: Major character death pre-fic, which is discussed and dealt with through remainder of fic.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Multiple chapters.
For a second or two, Lorelai Danes is afraid her husband followed through with his threat and spiked her coffee with decaf. Either that or Jess Mariano is actually standing in Luke's diner, amiably chatting with an older couple while they peruse their menus. There was never anything amiable about Jess Mariano.
God, it's me, Lorelai . . . please let this be a caffeine-deprived delusion, she thinks to herself. Her next thought: is it possible I read one too many Judy Bloom novels during my misspent youth?
Luke glances up at her while he's waiting on customers at the next table. He gives her a one-shouldered shrug, which she hopes means he'll explain later and in great detail. She glances once more at Jess, unsure what to make of his return, and then walks over to the counter, sliding onto a stool near the register. Quinn walks over, a cup nearly brimming over with coffee in his hands. He may be new, but he remembered this after the first day: always approach Lorelai prepared.
"Hey, Lorelai," he greets, his usual smile in place. Quinn is a tall, gangly fellow, and is usually annoyingly chipper. Always ready with a big smile and a friendly hello.
"Good noon, Quinn!" she replies enthusiastically, mimicking his cheerful mood.
He smiles, pushing his glasses back into place on his beak-like nose. "What?" he asks, thick black brows zipping together. They remind Lorelai of birds people draw for background, bold V's of black against the horizon.
"Good noon." She holds up her watch and points. "See, it's exactly noon. Technically, one cannot say 'Good afternoon' since it is not yet after noon. So, good noon to you!"
His face goes slack and he's probably stocking this up as another one of Lorelai's weird little ideas. She has a suspicion that Luke warns all of his new employees about her. Just smile and nod and keep her coffee cup full.
As Quinn begins to fidget, most likely dying to get away from her as soon as possible, she wonders if her brain will only truly be appreciated after she's long gone. Letting out a pitiful sigh and giving him the pity eyes (no smile, pucker out the lip, big eyes), she mumbles, "I'll have a burger and cheese fries."
With what she thinks is a groan of relief, he disappears into the kitchen. Smiling happily to herself, she sits, quietly humming "I Know What Boys Like", and sips her coffee. Luke is wrong; she doesn't live to torture his staff. It's simply a bonus.
The diner is nearly full with only one or two empty tables, and a nice hum of conversation, not too noisy, not too quiet. She likes it like this. A bright fall day, a nice cool breeze - probably the last warmth before winter fully sets in. The kids are starting to settle back into the school routine - which reminds her, she needs to call Mrs. Abernathy about the note she sent home with Will yesterday. As she pulls out her cell to call the school (she might be able to catch her on her break), Luke sits down beside her, his knees brushing her thigh as he settles on the stool, and she feels a shiver of delight trill up her spine. "Hey," she smiles. She drops the cell back into her purse and slowly twists to face him, their knees bumping.
"Hey," he says, his voice low and raspy. He leans forward, weight on the balls of his feet, with his butt hovering just a fraction of an inch over the stool, and gives her a quick kiss hello. It is only a warm brush of lips against hers, familiar, but her heart quickens a little, beating an unsteady rhythm against her ribs. She turns fully to face him, her legs - crossed primly at the knee - fitting between his open thighs. Sitting back down, his hand immediately goes to her thigh, palm flat and tempting against her bare skin, his thumb unconsciously caressing the inside of her knee. She is glad it wasn't too cool to get away with no pantyhose.
"Jess was waiting when I got here this morning. I didn't have a chance to call you yet," he explains softly, apparently able to keep his eye on the ball. (She smirks a little; she's starting to use sports analogies and she has only Luke to blame.)
Shrugging, she waves her hand dismissively and takes another sip of coffee. "Did he tell you anything?"
"A little." Luke looks around to make sure no one is eavesdropping. "He has a daughter."
Lorelai doesn't say anything, her mouth a little zero of surprise, and she can only stare at him. This is definitely not what she expects. Of all the things she ever imagined Jess might become -Professional criminal? Yes. Daddy? No. Definitely not.
"Babe?" Luke leans in close as if to check she's still breathing. "Huh," he sits back, stumped, his head cocked to the side. "So that's what silence sounds like. I'd forgotten."
She smacks his shoulder. "Watch it, mister," she warns, poking him in the chest with her index finger. "Do you want to risk being cut off from all things dirty?"
He straightens up, chuckling. "I'm watching it." He points down at himself. "This is me officially watching it."
"Good to know," she comments, grinning. Suddenly curious, she glances around the diner. "Is she here?"
Luke shakes his head. "She is out exploring as we speak." A funny look crosses his face and he looks around. "Hey, what time is it?"
Lorelai glances at her watch. "Twelve-oh-five," she reads off slowly. Before she can ask, he is walking to the door. He hurries out onto the sidewalk and she runs to catch up. Standing just inside the doorjamb, hand resting on the doorknob, she watches, eyebrow quirked, as he looks around the square and down both streets. "Um, Luke, honey, what are you doing? Is this some new thing you're doing to irritate Taylor? Randomly standing out on the sidewalk, looking about like a crazy person? Trying to scare off the tourists? Luke?" She waits, her foot tapping the linoleum floor, but he doesn't answer. Okay, humor him, she thinks; he certainly humors me more often than not. She hops down the steps to the sidewalk, ready and willing to go along with his apparent break with reality. "Alrighty, Luke, what are we looking for?" she whispers, bending at the waist, leaning forward to look around the corner.
He looks at her, face scrunched up in concentration. "What? Oh! She's - Wren - Jess' daughter - been gone since this morning."
"So?"
He gives her a pointed look. "She shares genetic material with my nephew."
"Good point." Lorelai searches for a full five seconds before she realizes she has no clue what the kid looks like. Shaking her head, she asks, "Mind filling me on what she looks like?"
This distracts him for several minutes as he stares up at nothing, eyes getting squinty with thought. "About this tall," he guesses, hand midway up his chest, then he shrugs, his eyes going big. "I don't know. She's ten years old. What's the going height for ten year olds this year?" He pauses, lost in thought again, then continues, sounding more confident, "blond hair, brown eyes, skinny. She's wearing overalls."
"What are you two doing?"
They both start and whirl around. Jess stands in the open doorway, eyeing them quietly; as if he's not sure he should ask. This is Stars Hollow after all, Lorelai thinks and laughs; it's easy to forget how strange this town is when you're amongst the crazies. Hell, when you are a card-carrying crazy yourself. Luke rolls his eyes at her and turns to Jess. "We were wondering about Wren. She's been gone a long time."
"She's in the gazebo," he replies calmly, waving vaguely with a dishrag towards the square. Luke and Lorelai peek around the corner and study the gazebo. After a few seconds, a blond head pops up; one Lorelai assumes is attached to the body of his daughter. "She came back and told me where she was," Jess informs them, a grin on his face, walking back inside. He holds the door open. "By the way, hello, Lorelai," he calls, giving a little nod of his head, as he trots behind the counter.
"Hello to you too, Jess!" Lorelai smiles happily at Luke, thwapping him on the arm. "See! Friendly."
He grimaces. "I'm so proud." He glances out the window worriedly, readjusting his baseball cap. Lorelai studies him; he has never been a fidget. As she opens her mouth to press him (order him) to tell her what has him so out of sorts, Jess calls out, "Hey, Lorelai, your order's ready," holding up the plate.
She tugs on his shirtsleeve. "Come sit with me," she requests, dragging him along before he can answer. She relieves Jess of her lunch and Luke picks up her cup of coffee off the counter. They head towards their usual table, the last one at the back, right next to the kitchen. They sit side-by-side in front of the windows, facing the rest of the diner. She immediately removes the offending tomato and lettuce, setting them on the rim of her plate with a mild look of disgust. Luke eats them without comment while Lorelai upends a ketchup bottle over her plate, tapping the neck label. For several minutes, she eats her hamburger and fries in silence, letting the din of the other customers fill the void of conversation at their table. But she can only handle no talking for a little while. Glancing at Luke, she finds him watching Jess with an unreadable expression on his face, arms crossed over his chest in that way he does when he's thinking really hard. Curious, she bumps him with her elbow, giving the order, "Spill."
"He was married. To Wren's mom, I mean," he says quietly. "She died."
"Oy -!" Lorelai drops her half-eaten hamburger, her appetite gone. "You couldn't have eased me into information like that? Like, hey, he bought a dog. The dog was really loyal. Then, so yeah, he was married. She died," she complains, pushing her plate away. Sighing, she sits back, shoulder brushing his. She scoots over so they sit shoulder to shoulder, their bodies touching along the length of their arms and thighs. "When?" she finally asks, tucking her arm under his, her hand resting in the crook of his elbow.
Luke meets her eyes briefly. "About two years ago. She had some kind of cancer."
Lorelai thinks about the little blond head in the gazebo. "That made Wren eight, right?"
"Yeah. Jess said something about a birthday dinner and packing." Luke shakes his head, feeling his chest tighten. He squeezes her hand.
"God," Lorelai breathes. She thinks about Rory. About Emma and Will. "I can't imagine."
He turns his head and presses a kiss on her forehead. His gaze lingers on her face, noticing the tears pooling in her blue eyes. "I love you." He touches the platinum band on her left ring finger.
She licks her lower lip, tugging it between her teeth. "Love you too," she mumbles, her voice wobbly. They lean into each other for several minutes.
"So are we going to your Mom's tonight?" Luke asks.
Lorelai nods, letting out a little sigh. She finds it harder to be in the house now. The sadness in her mother's eyes is becoming unbearable. "Mom said to drop by after six." She looks at her watch and realizes she has to be back at the inn soon. Regretfully, she separates from him, and kneels on the seat of her chair, leaning over him. Her look is private and she wants to touch him. To be naked with him and assure herself he is alive, still vital.
Luke smiles up at her, his hand idling pawing her hip. "I'll be home to help with the kids by four-thirty," he promises.
She kisses him with a little more passion than usual. "See you then," she murmurs.
-
Lorelai walks to the elementary school and slips inside. She heads to the first graders' room first. Emma sits near the front (alphabetical seating) and she is busy, writing with the care of someone new to the process, chewing thoughtfully on her lip. Her black-brown hair sticks out every-which-way in thick, springy curls. Whenever Lorelai has to leave early in the morning, her daughter's hair is allowed to go without a good brushing because Luke can't bear to do it. "I can't make my daughter cry!" Luke argues, getting that flustered look on his face at the very mention of styling his daughter's very unruly hair.
A smile lights up her face as she turns the corner to the classrooms for the higher grades (through sixth). Her husband is definitely in denial; he is so wrapped around Emma's little pinky.
The fourth graders' have two classes this year and they rotate after lunch, which means Will is now with Mrs. Abernathy for math and science. Standing covertly to the side of the window, she spots him in the corner desk towards the back of the classroom, his nose firmly planted in a book. The rest of the class sits in clumps of twos and threes, sitting in and on top of their desks, talking and acting like kids do when the teacher is out.
But not Will. He is very much like Rory in that respect. Quiet and unassuming, but with a daunting intelligence. Prior to her father's death last spring, she and Luke took a meeting with the principal and Miss Pryor (his third grade teacher) about the possibility of Will skipping fourth and starting fifth grade in the fall. But after Richard's accident, his grades dropped; and since he started fourth grade in September, both Mrs. Abernathy and Mr. Danville have complained about his anti-social behavior, both with his classmates and during class activities.
She doesn't have the heart to pressure him. Her little boy misses his grandfather. He, like his older sister, adored Richard Gilmore. Will had just started golfing lessons with Richard at the club when Luke picked up the phone late one Tuesday evening. (She remembered thinking nothing interesting happened on Tuesdays as the phone began to ring, helping Emma into bed.) Richard was taking a right hand turn when another driver ran a red light. He never regained consciousness.
An image of Wren pops into her mind and her eyes study her son for several minutes, an idea taking root. Maybe it's because of Wren's own loss that Lorelai thinks of her, but whatever the reason, she feels a sort of hope bloom in her chest.
chapter one | chapter three | chapter four | chapter five
chapter six | chapter seven | chapter eight | chapter nine | chapter ten
AUTHOR:
rubykatewritingPAIRING: This fic features Lorelai and Luke in an established relationship with children; Sookie and Jackson are still doing what they're doing; and Jess is a widower; it will eventually end up Rory/Jess.
RATING: PG
SUMMARY: Now he can’t imagine calling any other place home. Jess returns to Stars Hollow.
DISCLAIMER: Luke Danes, Lorelai Gilmore, Jess Mariano, Sookie St. James, Jackson Belleville, Emily and Richard Gilmore and Rory Gilmore belong to others. I am only borrowing them. No harm intended.
WARNING: Major character death pre-fic, which is discussed and dealt with through remainder of fic.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Multiple chapters.
For a second or two, Lorelai Danes is afraid her husband followed through with his threat and spiked her coffee with decaf. Either that or Jess Mariano is actually standing in Luke's diner, amiably chatting with an older couple while they peruse their menus. There was never anything amiable about Jess Mariano.
God, it's me, Lorelai . . . please let this be a caffeine-deprived delusion, she thinks to herself. Her next thought: is it possible I read one too many Judy Bloom novels during my misspent youth?
Luke glances up at her while he's waiting on customers at the next table. He gives her a one-shouldered shrug, which she hopes means he'll explain later and in great detail. She glances once more at Jess, unsure what to make of his return, and then walks over to the counter, sliding onto a stool near the register. Quinn walks over, a cup nearly brimming over with coffee in his hands. He may be new, but he remembered this after the first day: always approach Lorelai prepared.
"Hey, Lorelai," he greets, his usual smile in place. Quinn is a tall, gangly fellow, and is usually annoyingly chipper. Always ready with a big smile and a friendly hello.
"Good noon, Quinn!" she replies enthusiastically, mimicking his cheerful mood.
He smiles, pushing his glasses back into place on his beak-like nose. "What?" he asks, thick black brows zipping together. They remind Lorelai of birds people draw for background, bold V's of black against the horizon.
"Good noon." She holds up her watch and points. "See, it's exactly noon. Technically, one cannot say 'Good afternoon' since it is not yet after noon. So, good noon to you!"
His face goes slack and he's probably stocking this up as another one of Lorelai's weird little ideas. She has a suspicion that Luke warns all of his new employees about her. Just smile and nod and keep her coffee cup full.
As Quinn begins to fidget, most likely dying to get away from her as soon as possible, she wonders if her brain will only truly be appreciated after she's long gone. Letting out a pitiful sigh and giving him the pity eyes (no smile, pucker out the lip, big eyes), she mumbles, "I'll have a burger and cheese fries."
With what she thinks is a groan of relief, he disappears into the kitchen. Smiling happily to herself, she sits, quietly humming "I Know What Boys Like", and sips her coffee. Luke is wrong; she doesn't live to torture his staff. It's simply a bonus.
The diner is nearly full with only one or two empty tables, and a nice hum of conversation, not too noisy, not too quiet. She likes it like this. A bright fall day, a nice cool breeze - probably the last warmth before winter fully sets in. The kids are starting to settle back into the school routine - which reminds her, she needs to call Mrs. Abernathy about the note she sent home with Will yesterday. As she pulls out her cell to call the school (she might be able to catch her on her break), Luke sits down beside her, his knees brushing her thigh as he settles on the stool, and she feels a shiver of delight trill up her spine. "Hey," she smiles. She drops the cell back into her purse and slowly twists to face him, their knees bumping.
"Hey," he says, his voice low and raspy. He leans forward, weight on the balls of his feet, with his butt hovering just a fraction of an inch over the stool, and gives her a quick kiss hello. It is only a warm brush of lips against hers, familiar, but her heart quickens a little, beating an unsteady rhythm against her ribs. She turns fully to face him, her legs - crossed primly at the knee - fitting between his open thighs. Sitting back down, his hand immediately goes to her thigh, palm flat and tempting against her bare skin, his thumb unconsciously caressing the inside of her knee. She is glad it wasn't too cool to get away with no pantyhose.
"Jess was waiting when I got here this morning. I didn't have a chance to call you yet," he explains softly, apparently able to keep his eye on the ball. (She smirks a little; she's starting to use sports analogies and she has only Luke to blame.)
Shrugging, she waves her hand dismissively and takes another sip of coffee. "Did he tell you anything?"
"A little." Luke looks around to make sure no one is eavesdropping. "He has a daughter."
Lorelai doesn't say anything, her mouth a little zero of surprise, and she can only stare at him. This is definitely not what she expects. Of all the things she ever imagined Jess might become -Professional criminal? Yes. Daddy? No. Definitely not.
"Babe?" Luke leans in close as if to check she's still breathing. "Huh," he sits back, stumped, his head cocked to the side. "So that's what silence sounds like. I'd forgotten."
She smacks his shoulder. "Watch it, mister," she warns, poking him in the chest with her index finger. "Do you want to risk being cut off from all things dirty?"
He straightens up, chuckling. "I'm watching it." He points down at himself. "This is me officially watching it."
"Good to know," she comments, grinning. Suddenly curious, she glances around the diner. "Is she here?"
Luke shakes his head. "She is out exploring as we speak." A funny look crosses his face and he looks around. "Hey, what time is it?"
Lorelai glances at her watch. "Twelve-oh-five," she reads off slowly. Before she can ask, he is walking to the door. He hurries out onto the sidewalk and she runs to catch up. Standing just inside the doorjamb, hand resting on the doorknob, she watches, eyebrow quirked, as he looks around the square and down both streets. "Um, Luke, honey, what are you doing? Is this some new thing you're doing to irritate Taylor? Randomly standing out on the sidewalk, looking about like a crazy person? Trying to scare off the tourists? Luke?" She waits, her foot tapping the linoleum floor, but he doesn't answer. Okay, humor him, she thinks; he certainly humors me more often than not. She hops down the steps to the sidewalk, ready and willing to go along with his apparent break with reality. "Alrighty, Luke, what are we looking for?" she whispers, bending at the waist, leaning forward to look around the corner.
He looks at her, face scrunched up in concentration. "What? Oh! She's - Wren - Jess' daughter - been gone since this morning."
"So?"
He gives her a pointed look. "She shares genetic material with my nephew."
"Good point." Lorelai searches for a full five seconds before she realizes she has no clue what the kid looks like. Shaking her head, she asks, "Mind filling me on what she looks like?"
This distracts him for several minutes as he stares up at nothing, eyes getting squinty with thought. "About this tall," he guesses, hand midway up his chest, then he shrugs, his eyes going big. "I don't know. She's ten years old. What's the going height for ten year olds this year?" He pauses, lost in thought again, then continues, sounding more confident, "blond hair, brown eyes, skinny. She's wearing overalls."
"What are you two doing?"
They both start and whirl around. Jess stands in the open doorway, eyeing them quietly; as if he's not sure he should ask. This is Stars Hollow after all, Lorelai thinks and laughs; it's easy to forget how strange this town is when you're amongst the crazies. Hell, when you are a card-carrying crazy yourself. Luke rolls his eyes at her and turns to Jess. "We were wondering about Wren. She's been gone a long time."
"She's in the gazebo," he replies calmly, waving vaguely with a dishrag towards the square. Luke and Lorelai peek around the corner and study the gazebo. After a few seconds, a blond head pops up; one Lorelai assumes is attached to the body of his daughter. "She came back and told me where she was," Jess informs them, a grin on his face, walking back inside. He holds the door open. "By the way, hello, Lorelai," he calls, giving a little nod of his head, as he trots behind the counter.
"Hello to you too, Jess!" Lorelai smiles happily at Luke, thwapping him on the arm. "See! Friendly."
He grimaces. "I'm so proud." He glances out the window worriedly, readjusting his baseball cap. Lorelai studies him; he has never been a fidget. As she opens her mouth to press him (order him) to tell her what has him so out of sorts, Jess calls out, "Hey, Lorelai, your order's ready," holding up the plate.
She tugs on his shirtsleeve. "Come sit with me," she requests, dragging him along before he can answer. She relieves Jess of her lunch and Luke picks up her cup of coffee off the counter. They head towards their usual table, the last one at the back, right next to the kitchen. They sit side-by-side in front of the windows, facing the rest of the diner. She immediately removes the offending tomato and lettuce, setting them on the rim of her plate with a mild look of disgust. Luke eats them without comment while Lorelai upends a ketchup bottle over her plate, tapping the neck label. For several minutes, she eats her hamburger and fries in silence, letting the din of the other customers fill the void of conversation at their table. But she can only handle no talking for a little while. Glancing at Luke, she finds him watching Jess with an unreadable expression on his face, arms crossed over his chest in that way he does when he's thinking really hard. Curious, she bumps him with her elbow, giving the order, "Spill."
"He was married. To Wren's mom, I mean," he says quietly. "She died."
"Oy -!" Lorelai drops her half-eaten hamburger, her appetite gone. "You couldn't have eased me into information like that? Like, hey, he bought a dog. The dog was really loyal. Then, so yeah, he was married. She died," she complains, pushing her plate away. Sighing, she sits back, shoulder brushing his. She scoots over so they sit shoulder to shoulder, their bodies touching along the length of their arms and thighs. "When?" she finally asks, tucking her arm under his, her hand resting in the crook of his elbow.
Luke meets her eyes briefly. "About two years ago. She had some kind of cancer."
Lorelai thinks about the little blond head in the gazebo. "That made Wren eight, right?"
"Yeah. Jess said something about a birthday dinner and packing." Luke shakes his head, feeling his chest tighten. He squeezes her hand.
"God," Lorelai breathes. She thinks about Rory. About Emma and Will. "I can't imagine."
He turns his head and presses a kiss on her forehead. His gaze lingers on her face, noticing the tears pooling in her blue eyes. "I love you." He touches the platinum band on her left ring finger.
She licks her lower lip, tugging it between her teeth. "Love you too," she mumbles, her voice wobbly. They lean into each other for several minutes.
"So are we going to your Mom's tonight?" Luke asks.
Lorelai nods, letting out a little sigh. She finds it harder to be in the house now. The sadness in her mother's eyes is becoming unbearable. "Mom said to drop by after six." She looks at her watch and realizes she has to be back at the inn soon. Regretfully, she separates from him, and kneels on the seat of her chair, leaning over him. Her look is private and she wants to touch him. To be naked with him and assure herself he is alive, still vital.
Luke smiles up at her, his hand idling pawing her hip. "I'll be home to help with the kids by four-thirty," he promises.
She kisses him with a little more passion than usual. "See you then," she murmurs.
-
Lorelai walks to the elementary school and slips inside. She heads to the first graders' room first. Emma sits near the front (alphabetical seating) and she is busy, writing with the care of someone new to the process, chewing thoughtfully on her lip. Her black-brown hair sticks out every-which-way in thick, springy curls. Whenever Lorelai has to leave early in the morning, her daughter's hair is allowed to go without a good brushing because Luke can't bear to do it. "I can't make my daughter cry!" Luke argues, getting that flustered look on his face at the very mention of styling his daughter's very unruly hair.
A smile lights up her face as she turns the corner to the classrooms for the higher grades (through sixth). Her husband is definitely in denial; he is so wrapped around Emma's little pinky.
The fourth graders' have two classes this year and they rotate after lunch, which means Will is now with Mrs. Abernathy for math and science. Standing covertly to the side of the window, she spots him in the corner desk towards the back of the classroom, his nose firmly planted in a book. The rest of the class sits in clumps of twos and threes, sitting in and on top of their desks, talking and acting like kids do when the teacher is out.
But not Will. He is very much like Rory in that respect. Quiet and unassuming, but with a daunting intelligence. Prior to her father's death last spring, she and Luke took a meeting with the principal and Miss Pryor (his third grade teacher) about the possibility of Will skipping fourth and starting fifth grade in the fall. But after Richard's accident, his grades dropped; and since he started fourth grade in September, both Mrs. Abernathy and Mr. Danville have complained about his anti-social behavior, both with his classmates and during class activities.
She doesn't have the heart to pressure him. Her little boy misses his grandfather. He, like his older sister, adored Richard Gilmore. Will had just started golfing lessons with Richard at the club when Luke picked up the phone late one Tuesday evening. (She remembered thinking nothing interesting happened on Tuesdays as the phone began to ring, helping Emma into bed.) Richard was taking a right hand turn when another driver ran a red light. He never regained consciousness.
An image of Wren pops into her mind and her eyes study her son for several minutes, an idea taking root. Maybe it's because of Wren's own loss that Lorelai thinks of her, but whatever the reason, she feels a sort of hope bloom in her chest.
chapter six | chapter seven | chapter eight | chapter nine | chapter ten
