Glimpses

Chapter 72

April 28th, 2022

For Rory the day followed a surprisingly similar path that her dream had - except of course for running into Jason in her mother's living room doing his walk of shame, and surprisingly she actually still had the bathing suit she'd worn when she'd been pregnant with Em somewhere in the bottom of her drawer hence avoiding any chance of exposing herself at the Inn's reception.

It was funny, how thinking back everything she'd dreamt of spoke about her insecurities. Her worry for her mom and Luke, her self-consciousness concerning her looks, her fears, and actually giving her a viewpoint she hadn't considered before. She understood now that Em could not only be jealous but she could in fact be worried about her mom's health. Em always worried. She picked up things an adult hardly realized she had been subjected to at all and while Rory hadn't had that kind of a serious talk with Em yet, not wanting to push her, she knew she might need to.

They'd just spent the morning swimming and hanging out by the pool at the Inn, just the two of them, while Lorelai finished up some tasks at the office - another alteration from her dream.

After they'd showered and gotten dressed again they made their way to the dining room, both Em and Rory already feeling starved, they finally met up with Lorelai.

"Are you wrinkled enough yet?" Lorelai asked, directing the question mostly to Em. She was wearing a sharp burgundy pencil dress with a keyhole neckline detail. It was amazing how she pulled pieces like that off being a lot more brave in her choices than Rory sometimes was.

"Just a little," Em replied.

"Why don't you go play in the playroom while we order you some food," Lorelai suggested, gesturing towards the small play area, which was invitingly full of legos.

"So - is your little Feris Bueler's Day off working for you? Are you feeling better?" Lorelai asked, caringly. It was insane how many déjà-vu-s Rory had already had that day, movie references included.

"I guess. I did need it... though I can't help to feel a little guilty now," Rory admitted. She had in her mind wondered who had substituted for her and what her students thought.

"Oh hush, none of that. You're too goody two shoes for your own good," Lorelai chimed, leading Rory to her favorite table in the place. It was a corner table with a welcoming light blue velvet couch.

"I had the strangest dream tonight...," Rory began, shaking her head, still not quite believing it.

"Stranger than that dirty dream I had about Batman and Robin?" Lorelai asked, having explained the dream to Rory in too vivid detail. Just like she'd once dreamt about Paula Anka's meeting, the name of her new dog was similarly infused into Lorelai's dreams.

"I dreamt that you got together with Jason," Rory described, speaking in a hushed tone as if scared someone might overhear her.

"Jason? What, like Jason Stiles?" Lorelai exclaimed, bursting into laughter. But the laughter seemed forced.

"Yup," Rory replied, seriously and nodded assuringly.

Lorelai continued to laugh, as if it was the funniest thing in the world - perhaps overdoing it a little.

"What?!" Rory asked. "You're not, are you?" she added.

"No, of course not," Lorelai replied. "But I did see him the other day," Lorelai confessed a second later. Even if a lot less these days, it sometimes felt like the two did share a connection, which used to express itself by the two of them finishing each-other's sentences. Perhaps now it was more subconscious than ever.

"You did? Where?" Rory asked, demanding some details. There was just something in her mother's eyes, some twinkle, that hadn't been there in months and it made her suspect something. The dream really hadn't helped, making her very suspicious.