Jess Mariano's Sister

Visiting Mom

-- Edited --

Willow's POV 

Jess was still in California, Luke and Nicole were on their cruise, and the Gilmores were in Europe. It was now the beginning of July and I was on the bus, on my way to see Liz. I had my iPod playing as I looked out the window.

It's weird to be going back to New York. I have not been since Luke came to get me. Liz and I had talked on the phone about everything she wanted to do while I was in town.

She would pick me up from the bus station, taking me back to her place and then we were going out to eat. She was better this time; she had gotten help.

--

I just stepped off the bus and I'm on my way to find my mother.

"Willow!" a voice yells.

I look around and see an arm waving in my direction, and then I see the blonde hair. I smile and make my way up to my mom. When I reach her she pulls me into a hug.

"Hi, Baby," she says, holding me tight.

"Hey, Ma," I reply.

She pulls back, resting her hands on my shoulders, looking me over.

"Did you get a little taller?" she asks.

"Just a bit."

"I can not believe my baby's 16," she says.

I had my 16th birthday on the 22nd of June. Luke and Jess called, Rory and Lorelai called, mom called, and Scarlett and Theo made me a cake.

I didn't tell anyone else it was my birthday. I didn't want anyone to go to the trouble of trying to do something.

I know if Luke had been home he would have thrown me some kind of party, and Jess probably would have done what he normally does.

Since I was eight Jess would wake me up at midnight and give me a new book. It was always something he knew I had never read, but he had, so that we could talk about it. I miss him.

Mom led me to the subway, and we made our way to her house, the whole time she was asking how life in Stars Hollow had been. When we get to her apartment she asks me if I like anyone, so I finally tell her about Scarlett.

I sadly could not count on my mom to be a mom, but I know she's very open-minded. She was very accepting, but shocked.

"I don't think I ever would have guessed," she says.

"So tell me about her. How'd you meet?" she asks.

I tell her as we walk to where she wants to have dinner, a little pizza place about a 10 minute walk from her place.

We eat and chat. It's nice to have my mom around. That is, when she's not drunk or high. She was doing good; she didn't drink, and if she did, it was one beer every blue moon.

She was clean, except for the occasional joint which I'm not going to fault her in because if I could get some in Stars Hollow without Luke killing me I'd have some every now and again.

She also had a job which is great. Not only was her rent being paid on time, but she also had money saved. I'm happy for her.

--

Life was good. I had planned to stay with mom for two weeks, but everything was going well, so I called Miss Patty and let everyone in Stars Hollow know that I was staying another week.

It was going well until three days into my third week. I had four day left in my stay with Liz, and she suggested I come back to live with her.

"Jess is gone, and I'm doing well at the moment. It'd be so much fun to have my girl back," Liz says.

"What do you mean mom?"

"Why don't you come back to live with me? We can get you enrolled in school here again and get your stuff from Luke's." she says.

"I don't think that's a good idea mom."

"Why not? We are having so much fun here. Everything is great."

"That's what we thought last time. And now I have friends, and I have Scarlett."

"You'll make new friends here."

"I didn't last time," I replied.

"You had friends."

"No, mom. I had Jess, and only Jess. He was the only person I had, and you sent him off to live somewhere else because having him here would interfere with the life you wanted to live," I say, getting upset.

"That's not true. You always had me, I love you guys."

"Did we have you mom? From what I remember we had Luke more often than we had you."

"I'm sorry. I'm better. I love you."

"Are you sure mom because to be completely honest I never felt very loved."

There are tears running down my face. I want so badly for her to be fine. I wish I could drop everything and have enough faith in her to just come back, but I know my mother too well.

It's too good to be true.

"Mom, I think I'm gonna head back to Stars Hollow tonight. I am happy you have everything together, I think you're gonna to great this time. You where I am and you know Luke wouldn't be mad if you came for a visit."

She stops and thinks for a minute, then looks back up at me and nods.

"Ok, I can't really stop you. Even if I tried to stop you you'd just run off. You be good for Luke and give him a hug for me," she says.

I hug her and then go to pack my stuff. We hail a taxi and I convince her to let me go alone. I arrive at the bus station, buy my ticket and find my bus.

I call Sookie as I search and tell her I'll explain everything when I get home and then call Luke. Turns out we both had news because he told me about Nicole and we agreed to wait until we saw each other before we got into any details.

It's good I was sitting alone because the first 15 minutes on the bus were filled with me crying. I then started listening to music and fell asleep.