The Other Gilmore

The Arrival and a Heart Attack

Frankie arrived in Paris, feeling nervous, excited, and everything in between. Once she was through customs and had collected her bags, she saw a man holding up a sign with her name on it, so she walked up to him. He greeted her with a nod, took one of her suitcases, then led her to the parking garage.

As they drove into the heart of Paris, Frankie reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. It was late at night in Stars Hollow, but she knew her mother would still be awake, so she dialed and placed the phone to her ear.

"Frankie! Did you make it? How was the flight? Did you sleep? What time is it there? How are you? Are you excited? Are you at your place yet? Tell me everything!" Lorelai rambled. She was missing her daughter like crazy, and it had been less than a day since she had seen her.

"I'm fine, mom," Frankie laughed, leaning back in her seat. "I slept some, but I'm definitely tired. It'll be tough to stay awake, so I'll go to bed early tonight. My flight was good. I got picked up by a driver, which is pretty cool. I'm assuming he's taking me straight to my apartment, but I'm not sure. I might be going right to the ballet. I doubt I'll rehearse today, since I just got off a flight, but we'll see. We're driving right now, so I'm not at my place yet, but I am excited. It's an adventure, and I'm looking forward to meeting everyone."

"That's wonderful, honey."

"Is that Frankie?" Christopher called out in the background.

"Yes!" Lorelai yelled back. "Get in here if you want to say hi!"

Frankie could hear the commotion of Christopher rushing to get to the phone, knocking over what sounded like a chair in the process.

"Hi, Frank!" he exclaimed into the phone. "How was the flight? Did you make it to your place yet? Did you sleep? Are you excited? Tell me everything!"

Frankie grinned. "You and mom are exactly the same, I swear."

"What? Why?"

"She asked almost the exact same questions."

Christopher chuckled, glancing at Lorelai as he sat on the arm of the couch. "It's why we work."

After talking to her parents for a little while longer, the car stopped in front of a building, and Frankie looked out the window. The driver got out and opened her door, allowing her to step onto the street.

"I think I'm at my apartment, so I should go. Can I call you guys later?" she said into the phone, taking some Euros out of her wallet to tip the driver.

"We're about to head to bed, but we'll call you in the morning, okay?" Lorelai replied.

"That sounds good. I'll talk to you guys later. Love you."

"Love you, too, Frankie!" they called out, then hung up the phone.

Frankie grabbed her bags, checked in with the building manager, then made her way up to her apartment. She looked around once she was inside and smiled, letting out a content sigh. It was a cozy space, with a small kitchenette that connected to a living space, one bathroom, and one bedroom. There was a balcony off the living room with a beautiful view of the city, and Frankie couldn't wait to sit outside and drink her coffee in the morning, taking in her new home.

Just as she was finishing emptying her suitcases, there was a knock on her door.

"Bonjour," she greeted with a smile as she opened the door.

"Oh, uh, sorry, I don't speak French," the man said with a sheepish smile and slight British accent.

"You don't speak French, yet you live in Paris?" Frankie asked raising an eyebrow with a smirk.