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A tiny high-pitched sound pierced through what had been a deep dreamless sleep. The sound kept repeating itself and there was a light touch on her arm becoming more insistent as sleep tried to keep its hold on her. Lorelai began to become slowly aware of a familiar pounding of her head, a very dry mouth and the feeling of being crouched in a space smaller than her cozy bed at home. She was hungover but definitely not in her bed.
“Mi-mi!” The little voice insisted again, still trying to shake her arm. She was now awake enough to recognize that little voice as her baby grandson wanting her attention. So, she was either at Rory’s apartment or the kids were over at her house. Judging by the feel of the surface she was laying on she figured she must be asleep on Rory’s couch.
“Uuuuuuuh.” She groaned as she stirred a little and rubbed her eyes. She remembered now, there was a hotel and inns conference in Hartford the previous night and she’d taken Rory as a plus one because her daughter hadn’t been out since having the baby.
“Mi-mi!” The baby boy insisted again. She took a deep breath and prepared herself to open her eyes, knowing she’d be extremely sensitive to Rory’s bright living room.
“Lila, sweetheart will you-“ She heard a man’s voice coming from her left and heard light footsteps coming in from the hallway. Jess must have been cooking breakfast and her older grandchild must have come in from her room.
The footsteps became closer and she heard a girl’s voice, confirming her guess that it was her granddaughter coming towards her. “Yes I’ll get him! Ricky, come on buddy, let Mimi sleep for just a little bit longer, please. Let’s go eat breakfast, alright?” The girl told her brother sweetly, picking him up and holding him against a still flat hip.
“Mimi!” The baby cried, displeased that his Mimi was not giving him the usual attention. Lorelai sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes one last time, before cracking a small smile and searching for her grandchildren’s forms in the startingly bright room.
“I’m happy to see you too cutie, I just don’t look it.” She shrugged. Baby Richard calmed down at finally receiving the acknowledgment he was so interested in and allowed his big sister to carry him over to his highchair and to deposit him there.
“Good morning Lorelai.” Jess called out to her from the kitchen island.
She cringed at his loud voice and rubbed her temples. “Hey, I’m-“
“Very tired after the conference last night?” Jess cut her off, nodding in the direction of the tween girl in the room. “Yes, you are. There is some water and a box of aspirin waiting for you on the coffee table.”
Lorelai felt the scent of fresh coffee hitting her nostrils. Jess and Rory had a new coffeemaker she was insanely jealous of. She felt disappointed a cup of coffee wasn’t on the coffee table instead of the water but figured the blander beverage would at least be good enough to push down that aspirin and reached for the items anyway. “Thanks.”
Lila walked back towards the couch and scoffed. “You can say Grandma is hungover Jess, I’m not stupid.” The girl rolled her eyes and dropped herself on the couch cushion next to Lorelai’s feet.
Lorelai felt herself smile from behind the water glass. Her first grandchild was still a sweet and caring girl, as could be seen by the way she handled her little brother, but with the teen years on the horizon she was pleasantly amused to notice her temperament was becoming more and more like her namesake’s. She was becoming more sarcastic and quippy, sometimes coming up with smart, quick remarks that made Grandma super proud. Lorelai swallowed the pills with half the water and nodded to the girl. “Yep, Mimi is completely trashed hun.”
“Can I be your escort when I’m old enough?” Lila asked, half-joking half letting some genuine little girl excitement and wonder escape. In her mind nobody was cooler or more fun than her grandma and she was counting down the days until she could tag along with the older Lorelais to more grown-up places.
“Someone has to teach you how to hold your liquor and how to play blackjack!” Lorelai winked. Lila smiled brightly.
“You know, sometimes I wonder how Rory turned out like she did.” Jess quipped from the kitchen.
“Oh, but she was a wild one too that daughter of mine!” Lorelai said, amused at her granddaughter’s eyes lighting up with curiosity.
“Spill Grandma!” Lila begged only to be cut off by a “Hey!” coming from Jess and pouting a bit in response. Jess motioned for her to go over to the counter to help him set-up for breakfast and she got up from the couch.
Lorelai stopped the girl when she walked past her end of the couch. “Hey, Jess is right, I’m not telling you any of that until you are very old so you don’t get any ideas.” Lorelai told her, pinching one of Lila’s still baby-faced cheeks. She motioned for Lila to come closer to her as if she wanted to whisper something in her ear, only to end up saying it loud enough for Jess to hear it. “But according to my will you get the mugshot, alright?” Lorelai grinned, earning another grin in return.
“Lorelai I heard that!” Jess told them.
“What?” She shrugged. “She knows I’m joking, don’t you sweets?” She asked Lila who nodded in return. Truth be told the youngest Gilmore girl was yet to be told about stolen yachts and other transgressions from her mother’s youth but it was still fun for Lorelai to allude to them vaguely enough to not be clear whether or not she was joking, if only to annoy her daughter.
“Lila can you cut these into tiny bits for your brother?” Jess asked holding a plate with two small baby-safe pancakes.
“I’m on it.” Lila made the rest of the way to the kitchen and readily began to do as asked while her little brother watched her intently. Lorelai remained on the couch taking in the domesticity of it all. Pancake breakfasts. Her grandchildren around the kitchen island. Jess with rolled up shirt sleeves flipping the last pancake into a stack and throwing utensils into the sink. Rory coming into the room in her pajamas with hair stuck to her face.
“Coffee. Now.” Rory dragged her feet towards Jess still half-asleep.
“And good morning to you too.” Jess quipped. He handed her a steaming mug filled with coffee he had already prepared for her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, walking two steps past her to get a fork from the drawer. Rory took her first sip of the day and closed her eyes, visualizing the caffeine flowing through her body and booting up her system. When she opened her eyes her mood had improved greatly, and Jess had come back to her and was resting one hand on her hip, pulling her towards him very softly. She closed the remaining space between them with a proper good morning kiss, steaming mug between them and all, much like their good morning kiss from the previous day and the one before that.
“Good morning.” She beamed at him as they broke their kiss and then moved closer to the couch to see how her mother was doing.
“Hey! How come you get coffee?!” Lorelai whined as the scent wafting from the mug got stronger.
Rory swung Lorelai’s legs off the couch and tapped the side of the still half-full glass of water. “Because I’ve already finished my water like a good girl.” Rory teased. Lorelai groaned and made the effort to chug down the rest of the glass.
“There is a cup of coffee waiting for you right here along with some pancakes Grandma!” Lila called from her stool at the island. Rory extended a hand to her mother and the two made their way to the food awaiting them. Rory deposited Lorelai in what was usually her spot next to Lila and kissed the top of the girl’s head when done.
“Good morning my loves, did you sleep well?” She asked her children, knowing only her daughter would answer.
“Yep.” Lila replied through a mouth full of pancakes. Rory then turned her attention to her son, happily munching on the bits of food his sister had cut up for him.
“And thank you for letting mommy sleep in today Ricky!” She gushed, dropping a kiss to his head like she had done for his sister. Ricky squealed with delight and held out his tiny spoon packed with homemade applesauce towards her.
“Can I get a thank you for helping with your beauty sleep?” Jess asked as he walked past them to get the backup stool they kept in the pantry for himself so that Rory could have his usual seat next to the highchair and across the island from Lila.
“Of course you can!” Rory replied, kissing him quickly as he crossed paths with her with the stool.
“You are soooo corny!” Lila rolled her eyes.
“I know right?” Lorelai agreed with her, not really meaning it. Jess and Rory ignored them both and finally sat down to eat. Ricky was still holding his spoon towards his mom and began whimpering and moving it around more frantically.
“Do you want mommy to feed you by the spoonful little guy?” Lorelai asked. Instead, Rory sighed and leaned over to Ricky, opening her mouth and allowing her son to shove the spoon in it. The baby then pulled the spoon out of her mouth and cheered at finding it free of food.
“My God, it’s in their genes!” Lorelai exclaimed in feigned horror. “The Danes men’s evil plans to make us eat fruits and vegetables! I got you figured out kid, don’t bother trying it with me!” Lorelai told her grandson jokingly, earning two high pitched squeals of amusement from Ricky over how silly his Mimi was being.
“You two want to talk about genes when you have Lorelai the fourth sitting right next to you?” Jess pointed out, making Rory and Lorelai’s prides soar. Lila subconsciously sat up straighter as if trying to seem taller and older.
“She’s still not done with her training but she’s shaping up to be one of us alright.” Lorelai quipped, discreetly spilling some of her coffee into her granddaughter’s milk like she always did whenever she had the chance. Jess pretended not to notice, knowing any previous comments he’d made about Gilmore coffee intake had fallen on deaf ears, and instead changed the subject.
“Did you two have fun last night?”
Lorelai groaned, remembering the hangover, and covering her face with her hands. Rory poured her mother some more coffee and smirked. “Dancing queen over there sure did!” She sang.
“I thought it was just a conference with some drinks at the end?” Jess asked still confused over how Lorelai and Rory had come home so tipsy and so late.
“It was supposed to be, but mom convinced the manager to break out the sound system they use for weddings.”
Lorelai’s head snapped up and her hand flew straight to her chest. “My God, I think there is a business card in my bra?! Rory, why is there a business card in my bra?”
“There may be 5 or 6 of those in there actually, you started shoving them down your cleavage when you ran out of room in your pockets.” Rory shrugged. “I have never seen anyone network so efficiently though, I think you conned a guy into giving you free pillows and towels for a year over a lost limbo battle.” She smiled. Lorelai managed to yank one of the business cards from her bra, while Jess pretended to find the syrup patterns on his plate super interesting.
“Oh right! Stan with the fluffy towels!” She said as she inspected the card. “I hope I was the one who put his card in here…” She added and Rory mouthed “You were” over her coffee mug.
“So… we have concluded that the old ball and chain can’t leave town without some Coyote Ugly level craziness happening, good to know.” Jess said.
“Is grandpa done helping Aunt April with the baby stuff?” Lila asked, with just the teensiest hint of jealousy. Since being told her new cousin would be a girl she’d been feeling a little sensitive over Luke having another granddaughter besides her and one who would be actually blood related to him.
“They had finished painting the nursery yesterday when I called, he’s planning on helping Mike set up the furniture today and then he’ll hit the road after dinner.” Lorelai told her. “And in case you were wondering he still loves you just as much and will still want to hang out with you after Daisy is born.” Lorelai told her as if reading her mind and nudging her arm. Lila blushed in mild embarrassment and muttered something that vaguely sounded like “I know”.
“So Daisy is back in the running for names?” Rory asked.
“It has been alternating between Daisy and Annabelle but I’m hoping Daisy wins that one so that I can get away with buying her floral everything without being called out on daisies being my favorite flowers. I already made fairy and teddy-bear themed bedding for our other grandkids when they were newborns, the third set I make could be with a daisy print.”
“Oh! You sweet talked some guy who sold fabrics into giving you discounts last night too, see if you can find his card!”
“Yeah… I don’t think I can reach any more cards without flashing Jess, I’ll try to find it later.” Lorelai shrugged.
“Stupid tiny pockets.” Lila shook her head. The comment made Lorelai and Rory chuckle and crack proud smiles.
“We accept her! We accept her! One of us! One of us!” Lorelai chanted as she tucked the girl into her side.
“Grandma I’m trying to eat over here!”
“You don’t expect us to ignore the crucial step towards becoming a woman that you just made, do you? It goes resentment of pink, weird hang ups about random but oddly specific parts of your body, training bras, hatred for small or inexistent pockets in women’s clothing, and periods! You are almost done checking all the boxes kid!” Lorelai beamed. Rory felt torn between feeling sympathetic for her daughter’s mild embarrassment, amused by her mother’s antics or melancholic over the idea of her first baby growing up.
“I don’t walk to talk about periods this early in the day!” Lila groaned.
“To make it up to you, how about we finally allow you to have real coffee once you get yours?” Rory proposed.
“Really?” Lila asked hopeful.
“It was grandma’s criteria for me, only fair we uphold tradition.”
“Ok Mom!” She cheered. Lorelai spilled some more coffee into the glass of milk.
“Now that we are talking about you anyways-” Rory began. “-you were already in bed when we came home last night, how was weekend with dad?”
“It was alright. We went over to Aunt Honor’s on Saturday so they could talk rich people things while I beat Gray and Graham at chess.” Lila gloated. She usually wasn’t too competitive but her older cousins were just sore enough losers to make beating them at things fun. “Yesterday we ordered in lunch and watched a Twilight Zone marathon. He promised next time we can watch all 3 High School Musicals.”
“That sounds fun.” Jess replied simply. While he and Logan still didn’t get along too well each party had been continuously working on displaying as little emotion as possible when referring to each other for Lila’s sake.
“…Then we listened to my study notes in the car on the way here and Ricky helped me revise before Jess and I put him down for the night.” She continued.
“Aren’t you a lucky little guy getting free tutoring?” Lorelai cooed at her grandson. “If we turn on BabyTV you’ll tell us you find the repetition of the bunny going down a slide over and over to be a sad commentary on the state of capitalism-fueled stagnation of human creativity!” She joked. Ricky promptly decided to aim the last spoonful of his applesauce at his own forehead, squealing in delight at his own mess.
“You tell ‘em Ricky! Keep fighting the status quo of not being covered in food little brother!” Lila quipped.
“I don’t like to have to be the establishment, but I’ll do it if it means he won’t start crying when he realizes his head feels sticky.” Jess stated as he got up from his seat and ran a small towel under some water. “Come on son, let your old man clean that face.” He said to the baby as he quickly wiped the towel across his face. “There, all done.” Ricky tried to reach for the dirty piece of cloth but Jess threw it in the sink before he could get it. Noticing her brother’s lower lip begin to tremble, Lila threw her napkin at the highchair, landing it right in front of Ricky who happily started squishing it randomly with his tiny hands.
“You’re welcome!” Lila said before scarfing down the last bit of pancake from her plate.
“Pretty good shot there, that grandfather of yours isn’t doing too bad coaching your team”. Jess teased.
“And despite my confusion at a Gilmore willingly playing team sports it is all worth it to see Luke wearing sweatpants more often.” Lorelai grinned.
“TMI Grandma.” Lila cringed.
“I’m old, I get to be mildly inappropriate about your grandpa’s butt sometimes! Besides, who bedazzled your baseball cap? And your backpack for that matter?” Lorelai asked poking the girl at the sides.
“Grandma I have to get to school!”
“Yes you do, are you done with breakfast?” Rory asked.
“Yep.” Lila replied as she gloriously downed the rest of her milk spiked with coffee.
“If you don’t finish those blueberries I’m putting them in your lunchbox.” Jess replied pointing to her plate.
“Fineee.” She sighed and quickly shoved the eight or so berries in her mouth as she got up to walk to the bathroom.
“Do you want me to help you with your hair?” Rory called after her.
“Do you think you can do that headband-like braid?”
“I can give it a shot at least.”
“Alright, let’s roll.” Lila replied and the two left the kitchen to tend to the task. At seeing his mother and sister leave the room so suddenly, Ricky started to whimper and to reach in their direction.
“You want some love too little guy?” Jess said as he got up and quickly gathered the little boy in his arms before he could start crying. “Shhhh, it’s ok, Daddy’s got you now.” He said as the baby settled his head into the crook of his neck and promptly quieted down. Jess rocked him very gently out of habit as Lorelai appreciated the scene from her seat.
“You would lose so much street cred right now.” She teased.
“Well, he’s more than worth it, don’t you think?” Jess said, rubbing little circles over his son’s back.
“They are.” Lorelai smiled kindly. “And you aren’t half bad at the whole dad thing.”
Jess settled a calmer Ricky on his hip and started clearing the dishes from breakfast with his free arm. “After we told you that Rory was pregnant with him I promised you I would be the dad I wish I would have had growing up, I’m just trying my best to keep to my word.”
“You must have wanted a really dorky dad as a kid.” She teased.
“You think I’m dorky?”
“Just enough to be a good dad, I was just messing with you.” Lorelai admitted.
“I just don’t want them to ever feel unsafe or unloved.” Jess said sincerely. “I want them to have stability, especially Lila with the whole being split between two different households thing…”
“Lala!” Ricky yelped into his father’s ear.
“Yeah buddy-“ He said trying to ignore the adorable assault to his left eardrum. “- we love your Lala, don’t we?”
“Sissy.” Ricky replied happily.
“That’s right, Lala is your big sister. And who is that?” Jess asked, pointing to Lorelai who was just enjoying the scene and not helping clear the table at all.
“Mimi!” The baby replied happily, making Lorelai’s heart melt.
“That’s right, the moment you start calling me Grandma like your sister does now my heart will die.” She told him walking over to Jess and tickling her grandson’s side. “Was that too dramatic?” She asked Jess.
“Just enough for Emily Gilmore’s daughter.” He quipped.
“Ouch! Just when I thought we were finally getting along!”
“I wan Mama!” Ricky interrupted.
“She’s with Lala right now buddy, could I interest you in your Teddy instead? Or Mimi?”
“Mimi!” Ricky replied reaching his arms towards Lorelai.
“Would you mind?” Jess asked more out of courtesy than anything else. Lorelai simply nodded and held out her arms.
“Give me that sweet little boy!” She gushed as the toddler was promptly passed over to her. “How are you doing today sweetie? Happy to hang out with your favorite person that doesn’t live here?”
“Mimi.” Ricky nodded settling his head against Lorelai’s shoulder as his Mimi held him close and kissed his head.
“I love you too you little Pokémon.” She replied.
“Don’t Pokémon repeat their own names over and over and not someone else’s?”
“Look at your daddy being a dork Ricky!” She teased. “I’m sad to inform you it’s likely genetic, your grandpa Luke is a Trekkie and he managed to get your sister to watch reruns with him, she was William Shatner for Halloween the year you were born…”
“Luke will have to wait before trying to convert this one, at the moment he is more interested in being held during most hours of the day than in anything we can show him or read to him.”
“He may be clingier but he’s an easier baby than Lila was, she had moods, this guy is either happy as a clam or asking for cuddles, aren’t you?” She asked as Ricky remained happily settled against her and played with a strand of his Mimi’s hair.
“God I hope he stays this calm into his teens.” Jess sighed, partly dreading the karma-sponsored possibility of one day having to parent a teenage boy anything like his old self.
“Rory remained pretty calm into her teens for the most part if it makes you feel any better.”
“I’d love it if he turned out to be even the tiniest bit like her at that age.” Jess confessed as he rolled his shirt sleeves down once he was done clearing the kitchen island from breakfast.
“Maybe you’ll get lucky, he’s already got her eyes.” She offered. Having a baby granddaughter as a newlywed those years ago had been wonderful and Lila would always hold a very special place in Lorelai’s heart but being a grandma to baby Ricky was its own brand of special and sweet, not only because he looked eerily like his mother at that age, but also because she got to see Rory have the happy ending she had wished for herself.
“Thank you for saying that.” He replied in earnest.
“Anytime.” Lorelai replied before finishing what little was left of her coffee with her free arm. “Oh and Jess?”
“Yeah?”
“Will you just propose to my daughter already? I gave you my blessing the day this guy was born remember?”
Jess felt momentarily taken aback by the quick change in subject but quickly recovered his footing as he remembered the day his future mother-in-law was referring to. “Remember that I didn’t even get around to asking you for it when you announced you’d be happy if I married Rory? Yeah, I do, it was pretty out of the blue even for you.”
“As you know, I didn’t always like you-“ She began.
“You don’t say?!”
“ -but you have more than redeemed yourself in my eyes by being a supportive friend to her, and by caring for my grandkids with equal love and care. Just in the past hour you made us all breakfast, handled two coffee deprived Gilmores, a moody preteen and a clingy toddler, all in the breeziest way possible. Donna Reid’s got nothing on you!”
“I don’t know, she may look prettier than me in a dress…”
“It has to fit and the two of you do.” Lorelai told him kindly. “Besides, you two are practically married anyways and have both said you’d like to make it official someday.”
“I’ll ask her if she doesn’t ask me first, don’t worry about it.” Jess confirmed.
“Preferably before I go night-night forever?” Lorelai asked while simultaneously cooing at her grandson who was suddenly super interested in playing with her chin.
“Before Lila goes off to high school, I promise.”
“Deal.” She beamed, unaware of Rory and Lila returning to the kitchen area.
“What is a deal?” Lila asked as she slung her backpack over her shoulder.
“Nothing sweetheart, we were just playing with Ricky.” Jess dismissed and went to retrieve his suit jacket from the master bedroom.
“Now doesn’t that braid look pretty!” Lorelai exclaimed.
“Not as pretty as the girl wearing it.” Lila replied cheekily.
“Hey, I taught her to say that!” Lorelai said proudly.
“Are you ready for me to take you to school Lilaloo?” Jess asked as he returned to them now with all the belongings he needed for his meeting at the original Truncheon office in Philly.
“Yep, I have a test to crush.”
“That’s my little nerd.” Rory told her sweetly before giving her uniform clad daughter a kiss goodbye. “I love you, have a great day at school.”
“Yeah, use those brains and work that plaid girl!” Lorelai cheered before getting her own hug and kiss goodbye.
“Bye Grandma, feel better.”
“Bye sweets, good luck on that test.” Lorelai turned her attention to Ricky. “Will you give your sister a goodbye kiss?” Ricky put his hand to his mouth and then pulled it away, in what could be interpreted as an attempt at blowing away a kiss. “Good boy!” Lorelai cheered. Lila gave Ricky a quick kiss on his forehead and then skipped out the front door ahead of Jess.
“See ya later!”
“Wait for me! You can’t drive yet!” Jess quickly kissed Rory and their son goodbye and gave Lorelai a quick hug before dashing after Lila, leaving Lorelai and Rory alone in the kitchen with a barely verbal child.
“Is Ricky clinging to you too much?” Rory asked.
“This sweet little angel? Nah, I’m enjoying his sweet baby phase for as long as it lasts.”
“Lila calls it his cuddly koala stage.”
“Did you hear that cutie? Your whatever-this-is phase is alliteration friendly and everything!” Lorelai gushed.
“Lala!” Ricky called out.
“I’m sorry sweetie, Lala is off to school now but she’ll come back later to play with you ok?” Rory told him.
“Speaking of school, when do you have to leave for work?” Lorelai asked, knowing that unlike herself her daughter didn’t have the morning off.
“I don’t have classes until 11, I can chill with my mommy for at least an hour.” Rory replied as she plopped herself on the couch with the remote in hand and tapped the cushion next to her waiting for Lorelai to join her. “I could do an hour and a half if you drop off your grandson at daycare for me on your way back to Stars Hollow…”
“Fiiiine, I’ll drop the kid off for you!” Lorelai conceded as she sat down with the toddler securely in her lap. “But I’m dressing him in that cute little flannel shirt I got him and sending pictures to Luke to annoy him with. And to Liz so she can tease him even more.” She added.
“I’m okay with this arrangement, pleasure doing business with you.” Rory extended her hand and the two women shook hands in agreement. Lorelai replayed her conversation with Jess in her head and was unable to hold back a slight smirk, as if her face wanted to taunt Rory with chants of “I know something you don’t know la la la la lala”.
“Mom, you are smirking.”
“No I’m not!” Lorelai spat, wiping the grin off her face the best she could.
“You were too!”
“Was not!”
“Lie!” Ricky yelped happily. Lorelai looked at him in exasperated betrayal.
“See? Even the baby agrees with me.” Rory gloated.
“I thought we had a good thing going kid! You selling me out now? When I’m in such a fragile hungover state? My own blood treating me like this?!” Lorelai told him. Ricky emitted something akin to a giggle in response.
“Come on mom, say whatever it is that you want to say.”
“Oh, it’s nothing interesting…” She replied. Rory held her gaze steadily on her face refusing to let the subject go, so Lorelai figured it would be best to try to throw her off.
“So… dad Jess…” Lorelai began.
“Yep.” Rory nodded, trying to surmise where Lorelai was headed.
“Dad Jess, in a suit.” Lorelai continued.
“He’s going to a meeting in Philly with boring important money people, it’s still t-shirts when he’s working from home and maybe Henley’s when he goes into the Hartford office.”
“Dad Jess, in a suit, making the kids pancakes and bringing you coffee…” Lorelai continued. Rory smiled coyly at the image, figuring Lorelai had just been amused by the now-domesticated-former-bad-boy Jess Mariano.
“Yeah, he’s great isn’t he?” Rory asked rhetorically.
“You look happy kid.”
“I am mom. I really am.” Rory beamed.
“Good.” Lorelai smiled in return.
“Also I got lucky with him last night after you were passed out on my couch.” Rory added, making Lorelai cringe slightly.
“When you grow up I hope you treat her this mean.” Lorelai told her grandson. Rory smirked victoriously and the two women spent the following hour going over the previous night’s events and their plans for the week. One of the plans Lorelai did not disclose was her intention to start stockpiling bridal magazines to ensure they’d have a full arsenal when the time to plan another Gilmore wedding came along.