Spring 2008
"And the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay goes to..Final Body, written by Heather Gilmore."
I rose from my seat, smiled at the cameras and I stood up on the stage, taking my award and I stood in front of the microphone.
Now I was speechless, but for this moment I had to pull myself together.
"For nearly twenty years, I've been thinking about what I was going to say on this stage but now that I'm here, the speech I wrote is irrelevant because I didn't get here alone. The first people I'd like to thank are my grandparents, who put me through the greatest schools in America and gave me the greatest opportunities. The next person I'd like to thank is the amazing Nina Russo herself, without her there would be no Final Body. The next people I'd like to thank are the residents in my home town in Connecticut, who always had faith in me and encouraged me to keep going. I'd like to also thank my closest friends, Tessa and Andrea, who always had my back through the toughest times and kept me from going insane. Next, I'd like to thank my fiancé Jess. He always believed in me and even when I was close to giving up, he picked me back up. Lastly, the two most important people, my mom Lorelai and my sister Rory. Every Saturday, my mom would sit me and Rory on the couch and we'd watch movies, when I was ten, I said to her that one day I was going to make a movie become rich and marry Leo DiCaprio. Since that night I started writing scripts and I showed them to her and she loved them. I made my own short movies with my sister and we'd play them for her. They supported my choices from day one and they're always there for me and they helped me up when I was down. Without any of those people, I wouldn't be here today, so don't thank me for writing the scripts and bossing around the directors, thank them because their contributions are what truly brought Final Body to light, not me, them. Thank you."
A round of applause sounded through out the entire venue. Honestly, I was scared that the freaking orchestra was gonna play me off.
"They were gonna play her off," I heard someone backstage saying. "But her speech was so touching they decided to be nice and let her finish."
I smiled to myself, holding my award.
Winter 2016
"Damn it," I grumbled digging through my bag. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!"
"It's in the kitchen!"
"What?" I called back.
"Your phone!"
I ran downstairs and grabbed it. "What would I do with out you?" I asked Jess.
"Crash and burn," he told me. "I married a crazy woman."
"You signed up for this," I reminded him. Roxy looked up at us and then back down.
"Roxy is turning into a real teenager," I told Jess. "Getting sick of us," he agreed. "We're leaving, Amilia's looking after you."
"Bye Roxy," I shut the door. We put our bags into the trunk of the car and Jess got into the driver's seat while I rode shotgun.
"Are you sure SNL is okay with this?" Jess asked me. "I email the sketch scripts, still need a life," I explained. "Isn't it crazy?" Jess mumbled. "Next April, we've been married for nine years."
"I know," I laughed. "Achievements of the decade, still married."
"Hey, you won an Oscar for Final Body, that deserves to be on the list," Jess told me.
"I still remember the day you proposed, literally in that tent with everyone, I was nervous as heck, you dropped the question and I said yes in a heartbeat," I smiled. "Only feels like yesterday all that happened, graduating from Columbia..everything."
***
"Mom! Rory!"
"Hezzy!" Rory cheered and tackled me in a hug. Mom hugged me tightly as well and went to hug Jess. "How's Roxy?"
"Getting sick of us, Amilia's dog sitting," I told her. "Next time bring Roxy," Mom told me. "I've missed you both."
"Coffee, tacos," Mom announced. "Yes please," I sang. "So all that stuff on SNL making fun of Trump, that was you?" Rory asked in shock.
"Yes, it was me," I winked at her. "So updates?"
Jess went to park the car while I went with Mom and Rory. "So Taylor wants to go full on sewer in this town," Mom muttered. "Delightful," Rory commented. "Rory! Heather! You both look fabulous!" Miss Patty called from across the street. "I loved the digs at Trump!"
"They're my best ones," I called back.
Rory's phone rang and she answered it. "Hello? Hello?!"
Yeah, we learned that Stars Hollow is not the best place to take calls on iPhones due to the crappy signal.
"Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in!" Kaia announced. "Hey," I went over to her and hugged her. "You and Tessa back from California?"
"For a bit," Kaia told me. "Loved the digs on SNL by the way."
"Thank you very much," I bowed. "How is Tessa?"
"Trying not to tear her hair out of her skull," she explained. "That stupid bint!" Tessa ranted. "Your best friend is here," Kaia told Tessa. "Dude!"
"Hi," I said. "You bitch," Tessa hugged me. "You said you'd call!"
"I've been busy," I defended myself. "Making fun of Trump," Tessa laughed.
"Oi, he's been made fun of on everything, not just SNL," I told her. "Maybe I'll see you around," Tessa said. "I'll come find you before I go," I said.
"Say hello to the hubby," she called after me. "Yes ma'am," I saluted her and walked off and rejoined Mom and Rory.
"I smell snow," Mom smiled and the snow fell on our heads.
***
Mom unlocked the front door and we strolled in. Luke came over to us and hugged us both. "That article and that sketch," he was fanboying, to be specific. "Wow! They were terrific!"
"Who did you write about?" Jess asked Rory. "Naomi Shropshire," she told us. "Oh Crazy Lady," it came back to me.
"Well now I feel like I've met her," Luke said. "And Heather, who knew that one person could make fun of the presidential candidates so much."
"Clinton mentioned me on Twitter," I told him. "She just said that I made Trump seem so authentic, she couldn't tell which one was which."
"Are you eating?" Luke asked Mom. "They're just tacos," she defended herself. "But I'm making a whole dinner!" he exclaimed. "I made mac n cheese and parmesan cutlets."
"With garlic bread!" I piped up. "Ooh and tater tots!" Mom added.
"I am not making tater tots!" Luke insisted. "Uh oh, triggered," Jess sang.
"Heather put the mini donut down," Luke scolded me. I pouted and put it down before I ate it. "Face it babe, there's no winning with him," Jess told me. "It worked when I was a teenager," I sighed. "But now, you're putting everything evil into SNL," Luke said.
"You should've seen me the night it was airing," I laughed. The door bell rang and Luke answered it. He quickly ran back. "That guy, Jeffery, no, Allen or..Billy.."
"Who are these people?" Jess asked him. "Rory's boyfriend," Luke clarified. "Paul's not here," Rory tried to deny it. "Paul's here," Luke rained on her parade.
"Oh crap!" Rory complained and went into the foyer. "Paul's here," Rory announced not so enthusiastically.
"Am I the only one who forgot this guy existed?" I wondered. "No," Jess, Mom and Luke said in unison.
Paul came in and put flowers on the table. "Can you believe it's been two years?" he said as he was getting something from his jacket.
"I forgot who that guy was," Jess whispered to me. "Be glad you're not the only one," I said, putting on the fake smile.
While we were in bed, I heard this weird tapping sound. "What the.."
I untangled myself from Jess' arms to investigate. I walked downstairs to hear a woman saying 'five, six, seven, eight' from a video. I went into the kitchen to find my sister tap dancing. "What are you doing?" I asked her. "Stress tap dancing," she told me.
"You always were a crap dancer," I laughed. "Want food?" Rory asked me. "Sure," I nodded.
"How's married life?" Rory asked me. "Perfect, I don't wanna sound the cliche girl but my life is great, I have a great job, I have a husband and I have Roxy."
"Ever thought of having kids?" Rory asked me. "Never comes up really," I admitted. "We both have careers and..kids never really came up."
I looked up at Rory. "I miss Grandpa."
"Me too," she mumbled.
We just sat together for a little while.
***
The whole gang went to Luke's the next morning for some breakfast. "Look on the back of the menu," he said.
"My New Yorker piece!" Rory smiled. "So proud," Mom told her. "I'll have coffee."
"Me too," I said. "I need all this to go," Rory handed Luke a list.
Kirk strolled into the diner in a great mood. "My business has its first official fare, I am flying! And this area over here would be perfect."
"For what?" Luke asked him. "My new business Ööö-ber," he said. "Do not make that sound!" Mom scolded him.
As Kirk was telling Luke about his business, Mom handed me a bagel. "Please."
I took it and threw it at Kirk and it hit him in the head. There was a knock on the window and someone was waving at Rory. "Crap, I forgot about Paul!" she groaned.
"Cut him loose," I told Rory before getting up. "Relieve him."
"I keep forgetting," Rory mumbled. "That's what makes it funnier," I giggled.
***
"I'm off!" I called to Jess. "You sure you don't want back-up?" Jess wondered. "I'll be fine, I haven't been up for a while," I said. "And you have that meeting first thing in the morning."
He kissed me goodbye before I got into the car.
I drove to Hartford and I rang the doorbell. Grandma answered the door and hugged me tightly. "No husband?" she asked me. "He has a meeting first thing so he's having an early night," I explained to her.
"Thirty two and you still look radiant as ever," she smiled. She led me into the living room and I gasped and clapped a hand over my mouth.
Grandpa's portrait..took up the whole wall!
"It's..it's.." I stuttered.
"The whole wall!" Rory finished my sentence from the couch. I joined her and Rory on the couch.
"You asked for it that size, right?" Mom asked her. "Of course I did," Grandma told us, giving us martinis. "Cheers!"
"This can't be what you wanted!" Mom argued. "It is!" Grandma snapped at her.
"The guy obviously took down the measurements wrong so now you're pretending that's what you intended!"
"Fine, I screwed up! You happy?!" Grandma stormed off
Fall 2016
Me, Jess, Grandma,Luke, Rory and Mom were in the limo, heading for the funeral.
Jess kept a tight grip on my hand throughout the ceremony. "I can't believe he's gone," I murmured once the ceremony was over.
We went back to Grandma's house for the wake and me and Rory kept an eye on Grandma. "Girls I'm alright," she told me. "Okay," I murmured and we kept walking after her.
"Girls, I really am alright," she insisted. "We know," Rory and I held hands.
Grandma had hired a new maid who she couldn't understand for the life of her. She looked at me and Rory. "What language was that?"
"It was a mix of Portuguese and Italian maybe," I muttered. "There definitely was some Spanish," Rory told her.
"No I'm pretty sure it was Portuguese," I said. Jess gave me that nod, letting me know we had to go because work was in need for that last sketch.
"We should go," I said sadly to Grandma. "Michaels needs that script yesterday basically."
She gave me a hug and Jess a hug. "Drive safe."
Although what I didn't know, was that the family had fractured that night while doing work emails.
Winter 2016
Mom had just finished telling me and Rory the story of her big fight with Grandma, about how she got drunk and told a not so amusing anecdote.
"Yikes," I muttered. "Yikes indeed," Rory added. "It was awful," Mom sighed.
We were called in for dinner and we sat around the table. "It's meaty," I noted. "But what meat?" Mom mumbled.
And we had a very unexpected guest for Friday Night Dinner. Kirk.
Yes, Kirk.
"So are you getting your own place Rory?" Grandma asked her. "Well, I stay in Heather's or Paris' when I'm in New York," Rory told her. "Well you forget your sister is a married woman," Grandma pointed out. "But I'll get my own place eventually," Rory told her.
"So you're homeless?"
"I'm not homeless."
"You're okay with this vagabond existence she's leading?" Grandma asked Mom. "Rory if your sister is pregnant, you won't be able to stay because the bedroom will be saved for the baby."
"One, I'm not pregnant," I said as the doorbell rang. "And two, we converted the attic into a guest room, our attic is huge and we actually do have another bedroom."
"And you have a nice basement," Rory pointed out. Luke came in the door and was about to sit down but Mom stopped him as he was about to sit in Grandpa's spot.
The maid gave him his dinner so he ate it standing up since Kirk was hogging his usual spot.
"What do you think of Rory's living situation?" Grandma asked Luke. "Well she's an adult," Luke mumbled.
"Rory is a thirty two year old college educated woman without a permanent address!" Grandma exclaimed. "Am I the only person who thinks this isn't normal?"
***
"Finally caught a break," Jess panted. "Yeah, who knew you had a need for speed," I joked. "Well we hardly get anytime for ourselves, I'm just glad those Rockefeller douchebags gave you a break," he muttered.
"Hey, they pay me well," I told him, kissing him. "You know, I had two original proposal plans," Jess told me. "Did you?" I looked up at him and he held me close.
"I was going to be a big romantic dope and do it on the Empire State Building where we had our first kiss," he said. "Then I decided against it, I thought maybe graduation party, but Logan stole my thunder."
That's why he was reaching into his pocket.
"And at the party I just thought..screw it," he told me. "And I still said yes," I murmured. "I like to think we'll have mini Marianos soon."
"You think about having kids?" Jess wondered. "Of course I do, do you?"
"Yeah, I do," he said. "But things are good right now."
"Really good," I agreed with him. "But I'll never forget what you said to me when you came home from New Zealand..it took me by surprise," he laughed.
"That I said we forgot to break in the downstairs bathroom?" I started laughing and ran my hand through my hair.
"You were in the door for less than twenty seconds!"
I rested my head on his chest and after college, he really got buff, arm wise, his hair was longer but not too much and he had full stubble, way different to the Jess I met in the town square fifteen years ago.
He leaned down and kissed me again and we picked up where we left off.
He was hovering over me, pinning me down and kissing my neck but sudden barking made him stop. "Great timing," he sighed and rolled off me. "I swear to God, she's out to get me."
"She's stopping you from having sex with your wife?" I asked him. "Yes," Jess mumbled. I kissed him before putting my sweats on. I looked out to see the stupid cat. I hammered on the window to make it go away.
It hissed at me and ran. I walked back upstairs and I took the sweats off and got back into bed.
"It was that fucking cat again wasn't it?"
"Yep."
***
I came home at one on Saturday night. "My God," I yawned. I noticed Jess up on the couch with Roxy. "You are too sweet,"I told him and he pulled me down onto his lap.
"Saturdays suck sometimes," I sighed as I nuzzled my head into his shoulder.
"How was the show?" Jess asked me. "Good," I murmured. "You're exhausted," he pointed out. He looped his arm underneath my knees and carried me upstairs to bed as I was falling asleep on him.
"You're strong," I pointed out, burying my head into the pillow. Jess kissed my cheek. "Get some rest, I'm gonna put Roxy to bed."
Once he left the room, I conked out.