SADIE, SADIE...
THE entire town of Stars Hollow was yellow thanks to the array of daisies the Gilmore girls had passed out after Max's big proposal. And whilst Lorelai technically hadn't accept said proposal, Hayden knew it was only a matter of time, which was why she'd taken point over all the planning. Hayden took a look at the clipboard in her hand (something she'd picked up at the stationary store) as the three made their way to Luke's "Okay, destination."
"Ooh!" Rory perked up, glancing to their mother who walked between them, flowers in hand "You should get married in Italy."
"All the way from home, same topic." Lorelai sighed "There's tons of stuff going on in the world. Big stuff."
"Like?" Hayden challenged, raising a knowing eyebrow.
Her mother shrugged "Balkans."
"That was ages ago." Rory rolled her eyes "Read a paper."
"Ugh. They make my hands black." Lorelai complained.
Hayden looked to her list "Fine if you don't want to decide on a location, how about music? I'm thinking you should walk down the aisle to Take My Breath Away by Berlin."
Rory nodded animatedly "With a huge bouquet of something that smells really good."
Lorelai snapped her fingers "Pot Roast."
"And you should wear a long veil with your hair up." Hayden ignored her sarcasm "Show off that swan neck of yours."
"Ugh, I'll take any other subject in the world for two hundred Alex." Lorelai grumbled.
Rory frowned "Why don't you want to think about this?"
"Because I haven't made my mind up about the yes or no part, so I don't want to start fantasizing about dresses and flowers or doves and tulle until I do, so please change the subject."
Rory considered her words before turning to Hayden "I think the bridesmaids should be able to pick their own dresses."
"It would be criminal not to go with blue." Hayden mused, pointing her pen towards her eyes "Not with these peepers."
Lorelai sighed heavily "You know how on All in the Family when Edith would be yapping about something and Archie would pretend to make a noose and hang himself or shoot himself in the head?"
The twins gave her innocent smiles "Yeah?"
"I don't know." Lorelai shrugged "Something about this moment just made me think of that."
"Fine, I'm done."Rory held up her hands, waving the bouquet of daisies in her hand "I'm taking these to Lane."
Lorelai nodded "Okay. Meet us at Luke's."
"Oh, get me a paper please!" Rory called back as she crossed the street.
"But my hands!" Lorelai pouted before turning to Hayden "So, you wanna tell me why you're so invested in this wedding?"
Hayden frowned "You're my mother."
"And you're going through your first heartbreak." Lorelai shot back and Hayden swallowed thickly "I'd hardly say planing someone else's wedding is the recipe to help fix that."
"I'm fine." Hayden gave her smile before grabbing the bouquet of daisies from her arms "You should get Rory's paper and I should get to work."
Lorelai frowned as she watched her turn and walk away "Hayden!"
"I'll save you some coffee!" Hayden called back without turning around, hands clenching around the stems of the flowers as she exhaled shakily. She was fine. Putting on her smile, Hayden headed through the door to the diner, skipping her way behind the counter just as her boss came bundling out of the kitchen, plates in hand "Morning, Luke!"
"Morning." He muttered, frowning at her chipper tone. It was a far cry than when he'd last seen her. He was quick to set the customers waffles down before heading back to the counter, watching the Gilmore girl fluff out the daisies she'd put in a jug of water "That's for juice, not flowers."
Hayden rolled her eyes good-naturedly and placed the flowers by the register before looking up as the bell jingled overhead. She waved her mother and sister over to the free table by the window only to falter as she watched their fellow townspeople gather outside, pressed up against the glass "So this is what goldfish feel like."
"They're waiting to see how Luke reacts to the news." Rory informed her and Hayden nodded in understanding. She glanced to her boss worriedly.
"Which is ridiculous." Lorelai scoffed and picked up her menu "Hmm. Let's see, what looks good. I'm so unbelievably hungry I'm gonna have to order breakfast and lunch, crazy huh?"
Rory sighed "Mom, go tell him."
"I will."
"Now."
"Why?"
Hayden gestured to the window where Kirk was squished "Because any minute now the window is about to give birth to Kirk."
"This is crazy." Lorelai grumbled "Why is everybody making such a big deal about this?"
"You're joking, right?" Hayden questioned.
Rory's eyes widened "Everyone knows that Luke has a thing for you."
"Luke does not have a thing for me."
"Yes he does." Hayden argued.
Rory nodded "Tell him."
"Uh, we can barely get through a single conversation without biting each other's heads off." Lorelai denied.
"Some would call that flirting." Hayden pointed out.
Rory shot her a look "Tell him."
But Lorelai was still stuck on the idea that Luke Danes liked her "Everything about me repulses that man. My coffee drinking, my eating habits. Remember when I called him Ranger Bob last week, he hated that!"
"Luke hates everything." Hayden agreed "Except you."
Lorelai frowned but got to her feet and Rory perked up "Will you get me a muffin when you're up there?"
Their mother looked to Hayden "Isn't that your job?"
"Oh I'm not going near that counter until you're finished." Hayden shot back and plopped down in her mother's chair "Go on."
As Lorelai went to deliver the news to Luke, Hayden turned her attention to the crowd of watching townspeople, grimacing as she watched Kirk's cheek smushed and stretched against the glass, his eyes rolling back into his head before slowly he began to slip down, his shirt sticking to the window pane baring his torso "Ah, that is not what you want to see in the morning."
Rory matched her expression before turning to her sister, watching her carefully "How are you doing?"
"I've seen worse of Kirk." Hayden waved her off, watching as the townspeople helped pull the man in question free "That's nothing."
"I meant with Tristan..." Rory began hesitantly and sighed as she watched her sister tense "You don't have to pretend with me—"
"I'm fine, Rory." Hayden gritted out, putting on her smile before jumping to her feet as their mother returned "Oh look, I should get back to work."
Muffin's in hand, Lorelai glanced from the townspeople outside to Rory who was frowning as she watched Hayden rush off "Now what's going on?"
Rory tore her gaze away and glanced back to the window "Oh, uh, Kirk passed out."
Lorelai nodded, plopping down in her chair before sliding the plate across the table "Here's your muffin."
"Thanks." Rory raised an eyebrow as she grabbed it "How'd he take it?"
"Fine," Lorelai shrugged lightly, a churning feeling in her stomach as she glanced to Luke who was rolling his eyes but trying not to smile as Hayden tucked a daisy into the pocket of his flannel shirt "he took it fine."
Lorelai might not have believed that Luke liked her but one thing she knew for sure was that if there was one thing, one person Luke Danes didn't hate, it was Hayden Gilmore.
☕️
PULLING up outside their grandparents house in Hartford, the twins hopped out of their mother's jeep but as Lorelai went to follow, she was tugged back inside and Rory frowned "Everything okay?"
"Yeah, I'm just tied to the emergency break." Lorelai grunted as she tried to pull the strap of her purse free from the gear stick.
Hayden raised an eyebrow "How did you do that?"
"Oh, you know--With a flourish and a big ending." She shot back sarcastically before finally freeing her purse "Okay, I got it. Let's go." The three headed towards the door when Lorelai suddenly paused "Oh, my coat."
Rory sighed as they watched her rummage back into the car "It's pretty warm out for a coat."
"Yeah, well, it tends to cool off the minute I get in that house." Lorelai grumbled as she held it in her arms.
Hayden smirked "And here I thought hell was warm."
Rory nudged her sister with a disapproving frown before looking to their mother as she patted herself down "You good?"
"I'm good—My keys!"
"Mom..."
"They're in the ignition." Lorelai turned back once more and reached over to grab them "Okay, I got 'em. Let's go."
Hayden's eyes narrowed "What is wrong with you?"
"Nothing." She shot her daughter an innocent look.
"You got lost coming here." Rory pointed out.
Lorelai shrugged "I took a wrong turn."
"Six times." Hayden deadpanned.
"Well, my self preservational instincts at work ladies and gentlemen." Lorelai retorted.
"And then the coat and the keys and the..." Rory trailed off.
Lorelai hugged "I got stuff on my mind."
"Max stuff?"
"No, stuff stuff."
Hayden sighed "You're lying."
She knew that because she was too.
"I'm being mysterious." Lorelai defended "That's what women do."
Rory sent her another look "Mom."
"Oh look, doorbell." Lorelai smiled tightly as she pressed it "Pretty sound."
Rory folded her arms across her chest "You know, you always make us tell you what we're thinking."
"Yes, and the lesson we have learned from that is neither of you should ever become a spy."
Hayden scoffed "I resent that."
The door opened before Lorelai could argue and Emily beamed as she greeted the three "You're here. Richard, they're here!"
"Wonderful!" Hayden heard her grandfather call from further inside.
"Come in, come in, come in." Emily ushered them to do so.
But Lorelai paused "Uh, no."
Emily frowned "Why?"
"Because you're scaring the children." Lorelai mocked, wrapping her arms around her daughters.
"Oh stop that. Get in here. Scaring the girls, you're so silly sometimes." Emily scolded, waiting for them to step inside before closing the door "Let's get you a drink. Put your coat down. Oh, and are you hungry? I had Antonia make some Roqueford puffs. Antonia, bring the puffs! Come, sit down, sit down. Richard!"
"Say nothing until I get there!"
Emily rolled her eyes as she lead the girls into the parlour room "Well, hurry up!"
"Mom, what's going on?" Lorelai questioned before wincing as her mother dragged her towards the couch "Ooh, the nails, the nails, the nails."
Emily smiled widely as she headed for the drinks cart "So, tell me what's new with you girls."
"Uh, nothing."
Rory looked to the woman "Hey Grandma, what about you? Did something special happen?"
Emily grinned, champagne in hand "Well, as a matter of fact-- Oh for goodness sake. Richard, dammit!"
"Mom, why don't you just tell us what's happening now?" Lorelai sighed.
"Oh, all right. I can't wait for your grandfather any longer." Emily's grin returned as she sat down "Well, you know I'm very good friends with Bitty Charleston, the headmaster's wife."
Lorelai nodded "Mm-hmm."
"Well, we had this... little arrangement where she keeps me aprised of all the goings on at Chilton. You know, she tells me all the gossip on the students and their parents, and any piece of information I might find useful." Hayden's stomach churned "Well, this afternoon she called to tell me the class list just came out, and Rory has finished in the top 3% and Hayden is set to be the new captain of the varsity dance team!"
Lorelai nodded slowly as Hayden slumped in relief "I know."
"You do?" Emily blinked in surprise "Well, who do you know at Chilton?"
She gestured to her daughters "Um, Rory and Hayden."
"Hi." Hayden waved.
Emily frowned in disappointment "Oh."
"It wasn't definite, but I had a pretty good idea." Rory admitted.
"Zuri told me before school ended." Hayden shrugged.
Richard was beaming as he entered, slipping off his spectacles "Girls, wonderful news. Rory you finished in the top 3% of your class and Hayden you'll be captain of the dance team!"
"Oh yeah, Dad, J. Edgar Hoover over here was just telling us." Lorelai hooked a thumb towards her mother.
"What?" Richard whirled to his wife in disbelief "I told you not to say anything before I got here."
Emily rolled her eyes "Well, you took too long."
"No, no, we already knew." Lorelai chimed in.
But her parents ignored her efforts to defuse the situation "It's a simple request."
"Just hang up the phone." Emily shot back.
"Okay, good news either way." Lorelai looked between them with raised eyebrows "Let's all agree on that."
Richard turned to the twins "I am immensely proud of you girls."
Emily beamed in agreement "Yes, we knew you could do it."
"Oh, we certainly did."
"We have to celebrate." Emily suddenly declared "Next week we will have a special dinner."
Rory shook her head with a smile "Grandma, all of your dinners are special."
Hayden nudged her with her elbow as she muttered "Suck up."
"Well, this one will be extra special. We'll make all your favorite foods, and you can invite some of your friends." Emily grinned "Hayden you can bring that charming boyfriend of yours."
Lorelai's eyes widened along with Rory's as they watched Hayden's face drop "Mom—"
"There's an excellent chance that presents might be involved. He can celebrate with you." Richard added, unaware of the painful clenching of his granddaughters heart "Maybe he can bring Janlon."
"Dad—"
Emily cut Lorelai off "Oh Richard, no business in front of the girls."
"Guys!" Their daughter finally snapped.
Emily's eyebrows furrowed as she turned to her "What, Lorelai?"
Lorelai sighed heavily "Clearly your contact at the school doesn't get all the latest gossip."
"What on earth are you talking about?" Emily questioned exasperated.
"We broke up." Hayden choked out as she kept her expression neutral.
A tense silence followed the news before an unaware Antonia appeared in the doorway "Dinner is ready."
Emily cleared her throat "Thank you, Antonia... Shall we?"
The girls stood and Lorelai paused "Uh, just go ahead and start without me. I gotta check in at the inn. Michel's there by himself, people could die."
"Well, hurry up." Emily told her before leading her granddaughters into the dining room. She hesitated as she glanced to Hayden, watching the girl silently settle her napkin over her lap "I'm very sorry to hear your news, Hayden."
"Did he do something?" Richard blurted "Did he pressure you?"
Emily's eyes widened as did the twins "Richard!"
"No, I know teenage boys and I know what they're capable of." Richard scowled "I never liked that boy. I knew he was trouble."
Before Hayden could chime in, her mother joined them with a grin. And whilst Rory let out a squeal and rushed to hug Lorelai, Hayden found herself slumping back in her chair with a twist in her gut.
Her mother was marrying Max.
☕️
WITH the wedding officially on, Hayden was in full planning mode, ticking off everything she could from her clipboard; next step was the dress. She sat at the kitchen table with her mother, bridal magazine's spread out in front of them "So, what kind of dress are you thinking of?"
"Um... the one Stephanie Seymour wore in the Guns n' Roses video."
"Classy." Hayden shot back in amusement "Totally you."
As Lorelai tossed a rolled up wad of paper at her daughter, Rory returned from her phone call from Lane who was certain her mother was sending her to Korea for much longer than the summer "Did you pick put your colors yet?"
"Yes."
"Really?" Rory was surprised "What?"
Lorelai smirked "Spumoni."
"Okay, that's it's, I'm planning this wedding without you." Hayden scoffed "You will have no say and I may not even let you come."
Her mother and sister shared an amused glanced before the phone started to ring and Rory answered it "Hello? Oh, hi Max." She looked to her mother who perked up "Ring shopping? Very interesting... Okay, well, anything with the word 'Foxy' on it is a big crowd pleaser."
Lorelai nudged her and she leant away with the phone still placed to her ear.
"Okay, I'm listening. Gold band, square diamond, simple, classic." When her mother shook her head, Rory sighed "I'm not sure that's really her. Next. White gold engagement band, small diamonds around it, with wedding band that fits into it." Their mother flipped her hand back and forth with a shrug "That's a possibility. What's the third one? From the twenties, hmm."
Hayden chuckled quietly as she watched her mother sit up before panting like a dog "Large diamond in the middle. Diamond clusters on the sides... A little deco." Lorelai barked in excitement "That sounds great. Uh, good going. She's gonna be ecstatic. What? No. No, that's just a wild jackal that hangs out here sometimes..." She sighed in defeat "One sec." She held out the phone to her mother just as the doorbell rang "Here boy."
Whilst Rory left to allow Dean inside for movie night, Lorelai smiled in amusement as she took over the phone "Oh, hello Max, what a pleasant surprise. I just walked in."
Feeling the same churning in her stomach as she watched her mother on the phone, Hayden silently excused herself and headed out to the back porch. She leant against the railing, looking out into the night with a sigh. It was so quiet, still and Hayden hated it. She hated the peace, she hated having time to think, because she only thought of Tristan.
The sound of the back door opening had her snap out of those thoughts to see Dean with a rag in hand "Your mom wants the water bottle changed."
"I'm afraid it comes with the territory of being with a Gilmore girl." Hayden admitted with a chuckle "She had Tristan--"
Her breath hitched as the words slipped out and she was quick to swallow the rest down and turn her back to Dean as she returned to the night air. The Forester boy frowned as he set the rag aside before joining her, giving her enough space but remaining close enough to provide what comfort her could "I was never exactly his biggest fan but I am one of yours, so I'm sorry you're hurting, Hayden." He glanced over at her and she met his gaze and he sighed at the sheen in her eyes that were identical to Rory's "He doesn't deserve your tears and he didn't deserve you."
☕️
FRIDAY night dinner had been a tense and awkward affair with Dean as a guest, what with Richard silently glaring at his untouched dinner while the Forester boy stumbled over himself to try and make a good impression.
Rory looked to their silent grandfather with a frown before clearing her throat "Grandma, I can't believe you found the recipe for Beefaroni."
"It wasn't easy." Emily admitted "Antonia thought I'd gone insane."
"Well..." Lorelai trailed off from beside Hayden who snickered.
Emily shot her daughter a look "No one needs a comment from you."
"No, I was just gonna say, what's the secret?"
"Well, let's just say it's not beef."
Hayden grimaced as she set down her fork "And now I'm Vegetarian."
When Lorelai and Rory followed suit, Emily turned to her granddaughter's boyfriend "Dean, would you like some more?"
"Uh--" Dean glanced to Richard who eyed him harshly and he sighed "No. I'm fine, thanks."
Emily got to her feet "Well, then I guess it must be present time."
"You didn't have to." Rory assured.
"But we won't complain." Hayden beamed.
Lorelai nodded "Oh yeah, Mom, you didn't have to. Unless you got something that'll fit me too, in which case, good going."
"Here you go, girls." Emily told them as she handed them each a gift "Congratulations, we're so proud."
Rory smiled "Thanks Grandma."
Hayden looked to their still silent and stewing grandfather "Thanks Grandpa."
He gave her a slight nod with a weak smile and Emily looked between them excitedly as she returned to her seat "Now go on, open them."
Whilst Rory carefully slipped the bow off her gift box, Hayden was already nose deep inside her own and gasped as she pulled back the white tissue paper to reveal a pair of satin dance shoes "Oh, wow."
"The girl at the store said these were the best there is." Emily revealed, pleased with her awed reaction "I thought they'd be perfect for Chilton's dance captain."
"They are." Hayden assured looking between her grandparents gratefully "Thank you."
Richard heart clenched as he looked to the girl and swallowed the lump in his throat as he nodded once more whilst Lorelai looked to her mother with a smile "Nice job, Mom." She turned to Rory who had just finished opening her own gift and her smile fell "Oh, pens. All yours."
But Rory appreciated the expensive stationery "It's beautiful."
"I think the top student deserved the top tools." Emily added.
"Thank you so much." She turned to her grandfather "Really."
Lorelai nodded "Uh, uh, well, pens are very nice, but I just bet there is a fabulous fancy dessert just sitting out there in that kitchen of yours."
"As a matter of fact there is." Emily smiled "Twinkies."
Lorelai blinked in surprise "What?"
"Well, Hayden told your father that was her's and Rory's favorite dessert." Emily admitted and Hayden beamed at the man at his memory "Antonia, please bring out the Twinkies."
"I can't believe I just heard you say those words." Lorelai admitted with a shake of her head.
Emily shot her a look "Well, don't get used to it."
Richard cleared his throat "So, Dean, where are you planning to go to college?"
Dean blinked in surprise, it was the first he'd been addressed by the man all night "Oh, uh, well I..."
"Geez Dad, start off with 'what's your favorite baseball team' or something." Lorelai mumbled.
Richard shot her a look "I'm talking to Dean."
"I don't know yet." he admitted.
Richard held back a scoff "You don't?"
"No, not yet."
"Well, what kind of grades do you get?"
Emily sighed "Richard, please, don't grill the boy."
Richard leant forward, clasping his hands together as his elbows rested upon the table "I'm not grilling the boy Emily. It's an easy question. A's, B's, C's?"
"I get a mixture actually."
"Mixture?" he chuckled "What's the ratio?"
Emily shot her husband a scolding look "Richard."
"I'm just trying to get to know the boy Emily. After all, Rory brings home a young man to dinner, the least we can do is learn something about him."
"He changes a mean water bottle." Lorelai chimed in but it only added to the awkward tension.
Dean stammered nervously "I get a couple A's, couple B's, few C's."
"Really?"
"I'm not great in math." Dean admitted.
Lorelai nodded "Yeah, except who is really? You know, except mathematicians or the blackjack dealers, or I guess Stephen Hawking doesn't suck, but you know--You know what else is good though Mom, is a Ho-Ho. Because if you can't find a Twinkie, you know, treat yourself to a nice Ho-Ho." A silence followed and Lorelai looked towards the kitchen desperately "How long does it take to open a box?"
"She's making them." Emily informed her.
Lorelai's eyes widened "She's making the Twinkies? You're kidding."
Emily looked to her husband pointedly "Oh Richard, wasn't there a book you wanted to give Rory?"
"In a minute." he waved her off and kept his gazed locked on his granddaughters boyfriend "So Dean-- You do know that Rory is going to an Ivy League school?"
Dean nodded "I know."
"Harvard, Princeton, Yale." Richard listed.
Lorelai sent him a look "He said he knew Dad."
"You need top grades to get into a top school."
Dean frowned "Yeah, well, Rory's really smart."
"Yeah, she is really smart." Richard scowled "So is Hayden. And talented. Which is why she'll be going to the best performing arts school in the country; Julliard."
Rory turned to her mother helplessly "Mom?"
"Yeah, why don't we all go sit in the uh--"
"So, how are you planning to make a living once you graduate from this college you haven't thought anything about yet?" Richard ignored their attempts to change the topic as he remained later focused on an uncomfortable Dean.
Rory frowned "Grandpa, can we talk about something else?"
Emily got to her feet with an awkward smile "I'm going to get that book."
"I asked you a question." Richard raised an eyebrow at Dean.
"I-I don't know what I want to do." he admitted.
Richard scoffed d"You know, when I was ten years old, I knew exactly where I wanted to work."
"That's because you were always picked last for dodgeball." Lorelai joked in attempt to lighten the mood earning a nudge from Hayden who's gaze darted between her grandfather and Dean like a tennis match.
"I knew I wanted to go to Yale, and put on a nice suit everyday and be a very important man in a very powerful firm. And I knew I wanted to travel and see the world."
Dean could only shrug "Well, that's great."
"I wanted to see La Traviata at the La Scala Opera House. I wanted to walk the ruins of Pompeii. I wanted to travel the far east--"
"And be a ballerina or a fireman."
Richard shot his daughter a look of contempt "Lorelai, this isn't funny."
Her lips pursed "It's a little funny to think of a ten-year-old kid dreaming of the La Scala Opera House."
"Rory does. Hayden too." he retorted "They want to travel. They have plans."
"They're special." Lorelai argued.
Richard nodded "Yes. Exactly. Our girls are special."
Dean frowned "Well, I know that they're special."
Emily returned, book in hand "I got it."
"Dean is special too, Grandpa." Rory chimed in, frowning at her grandfather.
Dean shook his head "Rory."
"You don't even know him." Hayden pointed out.
Richard's jaw tensed "I know enough."
"No you don't." Rory denied "Dean is incredible and he's special to me and I bring him here and you attack him."
"I will not be spoken to like that in my house." Richard scowled.
Emily looked between them in a panic "Richard here, give her the book."
"This family has standards." Richard declared "You live up to them, and you should expect that everyone that you spend time with live up to them also. You are a gifted girl with immense promise, and you should learn very early that certain people can hold you back and lead you to make mistakes you can never take back."
"Grandpa, stop it!" Rory snapped "You cannot treat Dean this way. You treated Tristan like a grandson and look how that turned out— we brought him in, treated him like family and he broke my sisters heart! She said she loved him and he didn't say it back!"
Lorelai's eyes widened as she felt Hayden tense up beside her "Rory!"
"Well, maybe it's a good thing!" Richard shot back.
"Richard!" Emily gasped as she looked to her granddaughter who's face had fallen, heart clenching painfully inside her chest. Did he really believe she deserved that?
Richard spotted the sheen in her blue eyes and swallowed thickly as he stood, tossing his napkin onto the table "I'm sorry, excuse me, I have to work."
"Grandpa!" Rory called after him but when he only continued on to his office, she got to her own feet "Thank you for the dinner and the gift Grandma, but I really think we should be going."
Dean gave the woman an awkward smile as he followed suit "Thanks. Sorry."
"Am I crazy?" Lorelai questioned after the couple headed for the car and looked to her mother in disbelief "That's supposed to be us right?"
Emily sighed before turning to her remaining granddaughter with a frown "Oh, Hayden--"
Hayden cleared her throat as she too got to her feet, unable to meet neither her grandmother nor mothers concerned stare "Can we just go home?"
"Yeah, kid." Lorelai muttered softly as she followed suit "Let's go."
☕️
THE drive back to Stars Hollow had been a silent one with the twins stewing in the back seat while Rory allowed Dean to stretch out his long legs up front. Lorelai sighed as she lead the pack towards their front door and paused as she turned to Dean "Well, want to come in and have some dessert? You never did get your Twinkie."
"Uh, no thanks." He stuck his hands into his pockets with a small smile "I think I should get going."
Rory frowned "Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, well, Dean, all I can say is that tonight, you officially became a Gilmore Girl." Lorelai gave him a wry smile "Feels good, huh?"
Dean returned it "Yeah."
Leaving the couple to say their goodnights, Lorelai placed a hand on Hayden's back and headed inside. She stayed silent until they reached the kitchen and Lorelai watched as her daughter leant against the counter, arms folded weakly across her stomach "You okay kid?"
Hayden lifted her gaze to meet her mothers "How could he think having my heart being broken is a good thing?"
Lorelai sighed "Twinkies."
"What?"
"He got Twinkies for dessert." Lorelai stepped towards her, placing her hands on her upper arms "I don't think my father has ever loved anything in this world as much as he loves you and Rory."
She frowned "So?"
"So, he's scared Hayden. He's scared that one mistake, one wrong boy will ruin your future."
"Like you and dad did." Hayden realised before shaking her head "I'm not getting pregnant."
Lorelai smiled sadly "You look so like me, and act so like me that sometimes it scares me too."
Hayden's eyes welled with tears at the admission and Lorelai's mimicked the action "I don't even have a boyfriend anymore, so you guys have nothing to worry about. You can be happy like Grandpa about that."
"Your grandpa doesn't want you in pain, kid, he wants you and Rory to be happy and to have every opportunity you deserve." Lorelai assured, rubbing her hands up and down her daughters arms "I'll tell you what... If you cut him a little slack, I'll wear my porn star t-shirt to dinner next week."
Hayden gave a watery chuckle as she sniffled back her tears "Deal."
💭
Finally got the first update out! But I'm really excited to write season 2 and what I have planned, and of course, introduce Jess! So stay tuned for more💛