Gilmore Girls: More in the Life

Chapter 37

The weekend following Thanksgiving, Emily stood in the kitchen of her Nantucket home, thinking of her beloved. Christmas was quickly approaching, the second without Richard. Time was said to heal all wounds. It had been nearly a year and a half and she had yet to find any truth in that.

Richard's death was sudden. His third heart attack, this one fatal, took her husband from her. One moment he was alive, breathing, yelling at a nurse; the next, he was in his next life. Emily didn't get to say goodbye, get to tell him one last time how much she loved him or how happy he made her. He was just gone.

Emily recalled the funeral with such clarity. She could hear the minister's words as he spoke about the pillar that was Richard, the life he lived. The guests who expressed their sympathy, the dinner afterwards. She remembered everything. Including Lorelai's brazen recollection of her father. Even now, it hurt that all she could think of in those moments was that terrible story she told.

Didn't Lorelai ever see how much love and care Richard gave her? He tried so hard to connect with her but she always resisted. That's why it surprised Emily to see how much Richard's death affected Lorelai. Once the doctor pronounced him, Lorelai's eyes filled with despair. She grabbed for Rory's hand, clinging to it as if it provided her the strength she needed to deal with the loss.

And Rory. She and Richard had such a wonderful relationship. Rory didn't just lose a grandfather; she lost a friend, a confidant, a supporter. Richard was so proud of her and all she accomplished. He got copies of every piece she had published, no matter the newspaper or magazine. Any time she was ever in the area, he cleared his schedule to make sure he was able to see her.

Richard was going to have a great-grandchild. One that he would never meet or hold. This child would never feel the warmth of his hand or see the twinkle in his eye. This child would only get to know Richard through stories and pictures.

Rory stood up to Emily. Rory defied her usual calm nature to defend her unborn child. On one hand, Emily was proud to see that love that already existed between mother and child. On the other, it saddened her to know that she herself never truly knew that deep connection. Emily loved Lorelai, there was no question. But when daughters grew up, they were supposed to become friends. Why couldn't she and Lorelai have evolved to that?

That letter. The one that Lorelai claimed she didn't leave on Emily's bed. But it had to be her.

A thought startled Emily. What if Lorelai really didn't leave that letter? What if it really was the maid? All these years, Emily assumed it was Lorelai's way of seeking revenge on her for being relatively strict. Just like getting pregnant at sixteen.

Was the status of her relationship with Lorelai her own fault?

Oh no, what had she done?

*****

Lorelai had been taking the fertility drugs for a couple of weeks now. At the instruction of the doctor, she was also monitoring her ovulation. Based on the at-home tests, Lorelai believed she had ovulated the week before. She and Luke had ensured to set aside special time for marital activities. She knew if she took a pregnancy test now, it may not yield accurate results. But yesterday, she went for an appointment with Dr. Williams. He drew blood and sent it to the lab for testing. He said he should get the results early this afternoon.

Looking at the clock, Lorelai saw that it was 1:10pm. So early afternoon had arrived but no call had come through.

The waiting was torture. She decided to busy herself with tasks around the inn.

Within several minutes, Lorelai had grown antsy again. Making her way to the kitchen, she hoped a cup of coffee and a chat with Sookie would do her some good.

Bursting through the door to the kitchen, she spotted Sookie at the stove, stirring a fragrant sauce. "Hey Sookie, entertain me."

Sookie turned around, reaching for Eric to take over at the stove while Lorelai poured coffee.

"Jackson tried to cross pollenate crops again. This time, the resulting...thing...wasn't very good."

"What did he try to cross pollenate?"

"A tomato and a zucchini."

Lorelai wrinkled her nose. "Eww. What was he trying to make, a tomachini?"

Sookie laughed. "Or a zuccato."

At that moment, Lorelai's phone began to ring. She paused, taking a deep breath before lifting the screen into view.

Dr. Williams.

Lorelai excused herself, answering the phone to ask the doctor to hold while she moved into her private office.

Once there, she tucked her hair behind her ears, took another breath, and returned to the line.

"Dr. Williams, I'm sorry. I wanted to run to my office where it's quiet."

"No need to explain. I just wanted to let you know that the results of yesterday's blood test came back."

Breathless, Lorelai nodded. "Okay. What's the verdict, doc?"