Touch of Hellfire

☕️8☕️

"Man, it's cold out there," Mom muttered. "No arguments here," Rory agreed. "Come in and sit by the fire," Grandma said. "I'll make you three a drink and then we can talk."

We sat down on the couch. "So, Lorelai, how are you?" Grandma asked Mom. "I'm fine," Mom answered her. "Rory?" she asked next.

"I'm fine, too," Rory said. "Heather?" she asked me.

"I'm good, yeah," I told her. "How are you, Mom?" Mom asked her. "Also fine," Grandma answered her. "We're all fine, look at that," Mom mumbled.

"So, Lorelai, are you dating?" Grandma asked her. "No, I'm not," Mom told her.

"Any chance of getting back with Max?" Grandma wondered. "No, no chance," Mom wanted the subject changed so badly.

I opened my mouth to say something but I missed my chance. "What about that man, at the diner?" Grandma continued the interrogation.

"We're just friends," Mom told her. "Are you going to be single for your entire life?" Grandma was desperate for an answer.

"Okay, what is going on?" Mom had enough.

"I visited the family mausoleum today," Grandma explained. "Just to make sure it was in shape, I was looking around and there is limited space. There are slots for me, Richard, you, Rory and Heather but after you three, no more room, so, if you do marry, where do I put him?"

"Uh..." Mom took a very long pause. "I looked into expanding the crypt next door, but the family wouldn't discuss it with me," Grandma told her.

"Why are we all talking so morbidly?" I asked them, raising my eyebrow. "It was suggested that we should buy an annex," Grandma told us. "An annex?" Rory raised her eyebrows, uncomfortable by the topic of conversation, as was I.

"If we get it and you do marry someday, we have to move someone," Grandma told her. "Aunt Cecile?" Mom suggested. "She was annoying and told bad jokes."

"Good point," Grandma agreed with her. "Just put me in the annex," Rory suggested. "You are not abandoning me!" I exclaimed. "Or just throw Rory and Heather in with me," Mom joked.

"I'd like my own resting place," I muttered. "Same," Rory piped up.

"Sorry I'm late," Grandpa came down the stairs. "Did I miss much?"

"We were discussing who to move to the annex," Grandma told him. "Cecile, she was a horrible woman," Grandpa voted. "You go to that annex, I will haunt you until the end of time," I grumbled at Rory.

"Evil!" Rory whined.

We sat at the table for dinner and it was quite tasty, in my opinion. "This is really good," I said to Grandma. "What is this?"

"No!" Mom stopped me. "Every time I tasted something great, it turned out to be profoundly disgusting."

"Like?" I wondered. "Snails," Mom told me. "Ew," I muttered.

"So, Dad, how's retirement?" Mom asked Grandpa as Rory and I inspected our plates. "Fascinating, actually," Grandpa told us. "I'm noticing a lot more things that I usually just ignore and walk past, like your mother moved a vase in the hall and I noticed, I also notice when she changes her hair or wears shoes that didn't match her purse."

"When was that?!" Grandma demanded. "Last Thursday," Grandpa told her. He turned to Rory. "I also noticed a first edition Flaubert, in mint condition, shoved behind my Churchill biographies, interested?"

"My life is good!" Rory smiled and followed Grandpa out. "Any news from that studio in Los Angeles?" Grandma asked me. "Nothing yet," I told her. "Still a little soon, the competition is international."