Attachment Issues // Jess Mariano

CHAPTER 2:

"I hope you find someone who knows how to love you when you are sad." - Nikita Gill

"So, we're gonna go see your mom tonight..." Ty says, trying to get her to talk about it, but she doesn't. He can tell she's anxious about it but he doesn't say anything more, seeming to understand how little she wants to talk right now. "It'll be great, hun. I'll be here the whole time."

"I know." She says, pulling on her sweater awkwardly as if wishing it would swallow her up. Tyler places her leather jacket over her shoulders and grabs his keys off the table, having to pull her out of the house to get her to move. She's clearly terrified as he drives down the road to the other Gilmore house, even with Abbey Road playing in the stereo and her favorite song blasting. Normally the girl would sing along, but not tonight. No, she's too nervous to move, let alone sing.

"I love you, Delilah, you know that right?"

"I love you too, Ty."

The pair walk up to the door slowly, Delilah looking at it as if it'll eat her... which actually doesn't sound too bad right now. Slowly, Ty makes his way forward, giving her plenty of time to stop him before knocking on the door.

"Hey, Tyler, Delilah..." Lorelai trails off, eyes stuck on her daughter. She looks a lot like Rory, only less young and soft. She looks so much like Ty that Lorelai isn't sure if she's really her daughter or if she's his.

Her curly brown hair is swept up into a high ponytail and there's a tight sweater clinging to her like a vice, and Lorelai can nearly feel the waves of fear coming off of her.

"Hey Lor, it's nice to see you." Tyler greets her, but her daughter stays silent, much to her disappointment.

"Yeah, it's nice to see you too, Tyler."

"Great, so uh... how do we do this?"

"Well we've got a few friends joining us, and my daughter, Rory, she's in her room studying right now... do you remember Rory, Delilah?" She stutters out, finally landing on a good first question.

"She's seen photos and letters and things, Lor."

"Oh, good... so then... come inside, yeah, come inside." Lorelai offers, holding the door open for the pair. Ty takes her daughter's hand as he pulls her inside, and she can see that she visibly tightens when she's behind her.

"Oh, who's this?" A woman asks, standing in the kitchen. She's pretty, clearly around Lorelai's age, and she's got hair that bobs around her shoulders. There's also a man there who seems to be absorbed in cutting up his vegetables.

"Sookie, Jackson, this is my uncle Tyler and my... my daughter, Delilah."

"What?" The woman, Sookie questions, slapping the man's arm to get his attention. "This is Delilah, I mean- I mean you're Delilah?" And suddenly Delilah is swept up in a hug. Not from her own mother, no, but from this random woman she doesn't even know. Still, she allows it to soothe her. "I haven't seen you since you were eight years old!"

"Yeah, uh, I lived in Massachusetts..." Delilah says awkwardly as someone else knocks on the door. Lorelai takes it as the first chance to run away from the room suffocating with her daughter's presence.

"Coming!" She shouts as she goes. "Hey, perfect timing! Sookie's about to break her record for the most food served outside the roman empire."

"Sounds great."

"Sure does."

Two people say at the same time, voices mashing together so much that Delilah can't tell them apart.