The Other Gilmore

The Last Summer

After spending a wonderful day at Ms. Patty's rehearsing for her audition, Frankie finally made her way home. When she opened the door, however, she heard Rory yelling at Lorelai.

"You know what, mom? If you're heartbroken, you rent An Affair to Remember, you have a good cry, and you drown your sorrows in a pint of ice cream. You get a hideously unflattering breakup haircut. You don't sleep with dad!"

"Woah!" Frankie exclaimed, entering the living room. "What's going on?"

Lorelai sighed, watching Rory walk away. "Christopher called and left a message, wanting to talk about what happened, and Rory overheard."

Frankie huffed, storming after Rory as she walked down the driveway. "What the hell is your problem?"

"Mom slept with dad."

"Yeah, I know."

"And you don't care?"

"No, frankly, I don't. Wanna know why? Because it's mom's life, and Luke has been an ass as of late. Who she does and doesn't sleep with has nothing to do with us, and if she found comfort in dad, then so what?"

"She slept with him the night she and Luke broke up!"

"Who cares! They were broken up, Rory!"

"She didn't take us into consideration!"

"We're 21! We're adults, and so are they! Who freaking cares? I don't get why you do. This doesn't affect you, at all!"

"Me and dad were just starting to get to a good place again. That's why I care."

Frankie rolled her eyes. "Their relationship is not any of our business. Let it go."

Rory just scoffed and stomped away, leaving Frankie on the front lawn.

"You didn't have to do that," said Lorelai as Frankie reentered the house.

"Yeah, I did."

The mother of two gave her youngest a small smile before heading up to her room.

Two weeks later, Frankie traveled to Philadelphia to audition for the Pennsylvania Ballet. Jess picked her up from the station, and she stayed the night with him, then he took her to the audition the following morning. She danced beautifully, and the company said they would give her a call when they had made their decision.

For the rest of the summer, Frankie went back and forth between New York and Stars Hollow, teaching at the dance studio in her neighborhood again, and coming home on weekends. She anxiously awaited the call from the Pennsylvania Ballet, wanting desperately to know whether she should be packing her bags or if she would be staying put.

When Emily and Richard were back from Europe, the Gilmore girls went to Friday night dinner. Lorelai was dragging out their arrival by pestering her daughters to maim her so they wouldn't have to go in. She was dreading having to announce that her wedding to Luke was off, and Frankie couldn't help but roll her eyes. Not wanting to wait any longer by the front door, she reached around Rory and rang the doorbell.

"Why'd you do that?" Lorelai whined.

"Because I was sick of waiting for someone else to do it."

When the door opened, a little girl appeared. The trio stood there, shocked.

"Hello," the little girl said.

"Hi," said Lorelai.

"Hello," Rory repeated while Frankie waved awkwardly.