Just Another Gilmore

The News

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm pregnant."

—————

Lorelai stared at Rory in complete shock, mouth open but no sound coming out. After about fifteen seconds of this, Rory was starting to get a little disconcerted.

"Mom, are you okay? Words, Mom, full sentences, you can do it."

Lorelai stuttered for a moment and then managed to get out a broken "H-how?"

Rory scoffed a little but didn't make eye contact. "Two things I never expected in this life. One: Lorelai Gilmore, world champion talker, at a loss for words, and two: Lorelai Gilmore, teenage mother, asking me how I ended up pregnant. And both in the same conversation! Will wonders never cease?"

Unfortunately for Rory, her world champion talker mother chose that moment to rediscover her ability to speak. Or, more accurately, to yell. So much for that attempt at lightening the moment.

"How can you be so cavalier about this, Rory?! You may not be sixteen but you still have no job, nowhere to live, and no boyfriend around to help you support this child as far as I can see! Do you even know who the father is? Is it the Wookie? Oh my God, Rory, did you seriously get knocked up by a Wookie?! God, I mean I know I didn't set the greatest example but you were supposed to be smarter than me, you were supposed to be better than me! Do you think it was easy raising a child without a father? I got lucky, because I got the best kid in the world, and maybe you will too, but when you're the only person around to get up five times a night with a little ten-pound mass of screaming that refuses to settle, it won't seem like such a walk in the park, believe me! And--"

Lorelai had been pacing in front of the gazebo steps, too worked up to notice Rory's sudden inability to look up from her jeans. When she finally looked at her mother, the tears in her eyes stopped Lorelai in her tracks. Rory hadn't cried in a long time, at least not around Lorelai. Panicked, sure, plenty, but not cried. Maybe even not since she'd ended things with...

"Oh my God." The realization hit Lorelai and she immediately sat down and put her arms around her daughter, who was sobbing like she was sixteen again. "I think I can take back at least 60% of that speech now, huh?"

After a few minutes, when Rory calmed down, Lorelai quietly said, "It's him, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Rory sniffed.

"You're sure?"

"Trust me."

"Does he know?"

Rory shook her head miserably.

"Oh hon... you gotta tell him. Even if he doesn't want to be involved..." Lorelai paused for a moment and then continued carefully. "... Even if you don't want him to be involved... you can't keep something like this from him, especially not when he's about to get married."

Rory cringed at the words, not because she was upset about his impending marriage, but because she knew that if she told him, Logan would try to convince her to be with him, to let them be a family, and she wasn't sure she wanted that. She wasn't sure of anything anymore.

"You're right," she whispered. "I'll tell him."

—————

They walked back to the house in pensive silence, arms linked like they'd done a thousand times before, but with none of the lighthearted banter they usually exchanged.

As they walked inside, Lorelai began to make some coffee, to no one's surprise.

"So... who else knows?" She asked.

Rory shook her head. "No one. I found out a few days ago, but I didn't want to spoil the wedding. I'm sorry if I did anyway, I know you guys haven't even gone on your honeymoon yet."

Lorelai stopped what she was doing and pulled Rory into a hug. "Oh sweetie. You didn't spoil anything."

"Good." Rory pulled back and sighed. "I'm gonna go for a walk. Could you tell Luke when he gets back?" She asked nervously. "I know he'll be supportive, I just don't think I can take telling another person today and I don't want you to have to keep it from him for my sake."

"Of course," Lorelai said as Rory headed for the front door, but then popped her head back into the kitchen.

"Just um... tell him not to say anything to Jess yet, would you? Thanks," and she disappeared, leaving Lorelai to mull over just why exactly Rory cared whether or not Jess knew as she finished making one pot of very, very strong coffee.