Brad had left only a few days after our goodbye. Chilton is definitely lonely at this point but I am lucky to have Rory by my side.
'Your coffees', Jess hands them over to me when I want to pay, but he holds up his hand. 'They are from the house', he assures me.
Gladly I take them and walk home again. It has been a long day in Chilton, not only have I decided to join the newspaper, but now Paris wants me to write an article about how being famous can influence your life. Of course she has first informed the teacher, now I have no right to tell her I don't want to do this.
I walk over our lawn, taking my keys when out of nowhere the door already opens. Lydia standing more serious than usual. Wearing an apron for the first time in years.
'I brought you also a coffee, I wasn't sure what you wanted but -'
'Good afternoon Ms Scott, welcome home', she says doubting and she can clearly see the confusion in my eyes. Instead I walk inside, laughing at her face when I don't take her serious.
'Ms Scott? Are you joking what is -' But then I see him.
My father walks over to me with a bright smile as if he hasn't been away for three years. His hair a little more gray than it used to be.
'Madelaine, I'm glad to see you', he says and hugs me awkwardly. I can't bring up to say anything. 'Two coffees? Dear, is that what they teach you in this town? I have warned your mother just to send you to private school but she thought Stars Hollow would be a better solution.'
I follow him stunned towards the kitchen after he takes both my coffees and ditches them in the container. Lydia is restless, I can see it by the way she follows us desperately.
'Where is mom?' I ask after a moment of silence, seeing the kitchen is empty. He doesn't even bother to look at me but instead turns over to Lydia.
'Would you want to make me and my daughter dinner?' He demands her and she nods, quickly taking the food out of the fridge. The whole time I stay with her, not wanting to accompany my father but she doesn't answer any of my questions. She is frightened by him.
Once dinner is ready and we sit at the table, he sighs deep, getting a better look of me.
'It is clear this town hasn't done anything good for you', he mumbles. I swallow my food little by little.
'Madelaine, you could have become so much. A dancer, an influencer. But you all gave it up for what? Harvard?' He laughs about his own joke but I don't believe it is funny at all.
'Where is mom?' I ask again, but a little more tense this time. He hasn't even explained his sudden presence and all I can hope is that he won't stay too long. He cleans his mouth with his napkin before answering me, his gaze more serious this time.
'Your mother isn't feeling well', he claims and I raise an eyebrow. 'What is wrong with her?' I keep on asking. After a while he turns to face me, the blue in his eyes painful.
'Your mother is very sick, Madelaine. I believe we don't have to discuss this during a nice dinner'.
'A nice dinner? Tell me what is going on with mom, can she be cured?' I ask desperate. It is that moment he looks at his plate, the pain in his eyes. I stand up and walk over to the door.
'Madelaine stay here!' He demands, but I can't. They have been abandoning me for years only because I'm not the daughter they wanted and now my mother is sick?
I slam the door behind me, running into the cold air of March, the snow slowly disappearing. I run for minutes, trying to control my thoughts but it doesn't help. Running always helps, why not now?
Finally I reach the gazebo, and I fall down on the wet grass, catching my breath like a stupid idiot. Stars Hollow seems completely abandoned.
I take out my phone, trying to reach Brad but he doesn't answer, of course he doesn't, he is becoming a star. His voicemail turns on and I try to control the sobbing, but fail enormously.
'My mom is ... sick and my father is back home', I stumble over my own words. 'I'm sorry to call you like this but please call me back', I mumble and hang up. I lay in the cold grass for a while, staring at the stars in the sky. They are so beautiful.
I feel myself dreaming away when the rain touches my skin, my clothes soaked when someone yells my name.
'Madelaine!' I hear an echo and only seconds later feel the warm hands of a young man around my face, trying to see if I'm conscious. 'What the hell are you doing?' The person asks again and finally I see Jess' face above mine. I must be dreaming.
I feel the tears, or rain, streaming down my face. Him trying to get me straight up but I fail and we both fall in the grass. He mumbles something I try to ignore and after a few other tries he gets me up. I'm feeling too weak to stand alone.
'You are coming inside', he demands me. 'No, please ...' I beg him but he ignores me. 'You are completely soaked', Jess mumbles and drags me over to Luke's. Of course it has to be him to find me.
Who else?