Happily Ever After- Gilmore Girls sequel

Chapter 8

Rory and Jess enter their house and are greeted by Lorelai. "You're here!" Rory exclaims.

"Surprise! Jess thought it best we come now instead of later." Lorelai hugs her daughter. "How's my grandson?"

"We?" Rory looks towards the kitchen to find Luke cooking. "Hey Luke. Who's working the diner?"

"Cesar got it. Your mom demanded we come now. Well more like 8 o'clock in the morning. But yeah." Luke grumbles as he starts getting ready to cook lunch.

"Oh, Luke. You act like I dragged you." Lorelai laughs. She then turns to Rory and says "Once I told him you needed us, he was rushing me into the car. I didn't know he had already packed up suitcases just for this scenario."

Rory laughs along with her mom. "Thank you for coming. How long are you guys staying?"

"I plan on staying until the baby arrives." Lorelai answers.

"I will have to be back at Stars Hollow on Monday. But I'll be around." Luke says.

"Ok, we're going to let you gentlemen stay and cook. We're going upstairs." Lorelai leads Rory into her bedroom. "Man, this place is small."

"I like it. Enough room for the three of us." Rory says.

"I'm not complaining. We lived in a shed before, remember."

Lorelai walks to the crib. "Are you ready?"

"We have everything for the baby."

"I don't mean that. I mean are you ready to be a mom to a newborn? You know, waking up every two hours, having no sleep, breastfeeding, everything."

"I don't know. I guess I'm as ready as I can be." Rory sits on the edge of the bed and voices her fears. "Mom, what if I'm not made to be a mother? I mean I never dreamed of being a mom. Always journalist. Christiane Amanpour."

"She's a mom. And look what you're doing now. You have this nursery so decorated Martha Stewart would be proud. It will all kick in when they give you that baby." Lorelai joins Rory on the bed. "So tell me how your tour went."

As Rory relates to Lorelai her birthing plans and tour of the ward, Lorelai couldn't keep her shock off the face. "Don't you remember me telling you that giving birth to you is like doing splits-"

"On a box of dynamite. Yeah how could I forget." Rory laughs.

"And you want no pain meds?"

"I'm open to it. Just want to try without first."

"Hey, ladies, you gonna come down for lunch?" Luke calls from downstairs.

"Be right there, hon." Lorelai calls back. As she helps Rory off the bed, she whispers to Rory, "Should I go to a hotel? I don't think I want to hear you and Jess at night."

"Mom." Rory blushes in embarrassment.

*****

During the rest of the week, Lorelai helps Rory around the house. They have their to go bag filled with books, baby clothes, pajamas, slippers, a robe, iPod and charger.

Rory plays tour guide for her mom, showing her best places for cheesesteak subs, going to the LOVE park, seeing the Philadelphia Museum of Art and going to several coffee houses.

Lorelai also tagged along several times to events Rory wrote articles about. As Rory shows her around the city, Lorelai realizes this place has really become home.

"Wow, no wonder you love this place." Lorelai says.

"It's not like Stars Hollow. But it's home."

"So have you talked to Emily about your book?" Lorelai asks Rory as they picnic at Washington Square Park.

"No, the book is right now put in the back burner. Between working and preparing for this baby, I just have been so busy." Rory says. Just then Rory winces as she feels a sharp pain on her belly.

"Hey, are you ok?" Lorelai asks.

"Just some Braxton Hicks. They come and go." Rory reassures her.

As they continue to eat their subs in silence, Rory brings up the elephant in the room since her visit to the hospital. Who will be in the suite with her?

"Mom, I want you in the room with me. But I don't know about Jess or Logan." Rory says.

"Honey, let them figure that out on their own. The last thing you should worry about is them. They can take turns or Logan can stay. Or Jess can stay. I don't think you should worry about it. I'll just make sure the waiting room doesn't turn into a Jerry Springer episode." Lorelai jokes.

"I'm just glad we didn't need Maury." Rory laughs.

"Hey, if the baby comes out with fur all over, we may have to find that Wookiee then." Lorelai laughs along with her daughter.

*****

Friday night, Rory and Jess decide to introduce Philly to the Gilmore movie night. Since it's Rory's turn to choose, she chooses to watch Creed.

"This isn't like a Christian rock concert DVD is it?" Lorelai jokes.

"Mom, just watch." Rory says as she grabs a slice of pizza and presses play.

Rory puts her feet up on Jess's lap as she lays her head on the other armrest. Lorelai has the recliner to herself.

Halfway through the movie, you can hear audible snores coming from Rory. Jess wakes her up and leads her to bed.

When he comes back downstairs, he's surprised to see Lorelai still in the living room.

"Hey."

"Hi." Lorelai knows Jess has changed from the angry teen she knew but she still sees that sometimes.

"You want a beer?" Jess asks.

"Yeah."

Jess opens the fridge, takes out two bottles and hands one to Lorelai.

"You surprise me, Jess." Lorelai admits.

"How?" Jess sits back on the couch.

"I know you said you'll be here for her always. But I keep expecting you to run." Lorelai opens her bottle and takes a sip.

"To be honest, I did also. I keep expecting myself to run. But I don't want to be like Jimmy. I don't want to leave Rory. I love her. I wouldn't be who I am if it wasn't for her." Jess says.

Lorelai gets up and walks to one of Jess's photographs hanging on the wall. "You have a good life here. I know I have never said this. But I am proud of you. I finally see the changes my daughter has been talking about."

"Thank you."

"Just don't screw it up." Lorelai drinks the rest of her beer, sets it on the counter and leaves Jess alone.