Gilmore Girls: Precious Ties

Chapter 20: The Long Flight & New Friend

A delicious, most welcome meal was served to Rory once they were in the air. Laura also seemed very pleased the food had arrived and commented, "This little guy is always hungry.....although I'm not surprised —he's so active!"

"How far along are you?" Rory asked thinking about how excited she would be to feel her baby move but that was a few weeks away yet.

"Just 26 weeks but I'm already feeling so big! It's my first..." Laura revealed.

"Yeah, me too," Rory said without thinking.

"Oh, so how many weeks are you?" Laura asked looking pleased they had some more common ground.

"I'm just 12 weeks," Rory said but thought inside that it felt like much longer.

Noticing Laura's sparkling wedding and engagement ring, Rory asked, "So is your husband already back in Sydney?" She instantly regretted the question when she noticed Laura looking down and nervously fidgeting with her serviette.

"Blake was a New Yorker....we met when I was working there four years ago....We married and bought an apartment there....everything was perfect ....." Laura began.

Rory was sure she knew what was coming next. Relationship problems seemed so common and it kind of made her feel better that she wasn't the only one but she was surprised when she heard Laura continue with her story.

"........then he was diagnosed with brain cancer —Grade IV Glioblastoma Multiforme...we had only just found out we were expecting....it was devastating!"

"That's so awful!" Rory said feeling uneasy about where this conversation was leading.

"Blake's doctor assured us he could most likely operate to remove most of the tumour to give him more time ......but further tests revealed the tumour was actually inoperable......He had a combination of radiation and chemotherapy ......but the cancer was so aggressive, .......it only gave us eight weeks..........Blake passed away when I was just 12 weeks into my pregnancy."

Rory just didn't know what to say or where to look as her eyes had filled with tears. "......Oh Laura —I'm so sorry for your loss! .....What a difficult time for you!" Staring out the window, trying to compose herself, Rory was suddenly gripped with fear.

"I don't want to be alone like that....I need this baby to know his father," she thought.

"I still can't really believe he's gone....it all happened so suddenly...I didn't really have time to adjust to him having cancer and then the next thing I knew I was standing there at his funeral.....I have been staying with Blake's sister while I sold our apartment and organised the move back to Australia so I could be near my family," Laura explained.

" You seem awfully strong Laura. How did you manage?" Rory was curious to know.

"Well I couldn't have done it on my own! I've been lifted up on days when I didn't think I would even be able to get out of bed! I had always heard people saying God helped them through grief but I had no idea what they meant until now.... He has been amazing.....even though I hardly know what to say to him....sometimes you know, I try to pray but instead I just cry .... the pain is still so raw....I keep waking up expecting Blake to be lying beside me.......I just miss him so much........I have a long way to go and some days are better than others....they say grieving takes time...but at least I have this little one," Laura said looking down at her bump.

"That's so good you have him and you have your faith....I actually talked to God a few weeks back too.." Rory chuckled as she remembered, "I'm not into religion and going to church but it did feel good to have someone to talk to.....I actually thought I might even read the Bible at some point... just to get to know a bit about God...I feel a bit weird talking to something or someone I don't know."