Willow Danes

Escrow

I switch out of my uniform and then sit at the kitchen table for a couple hours to study. By the time I come downstairs the breakfast rush is over.

I help out and no one really questions why I'm not in school. Those who do ask Luke, not me, and get told to mind their business.

Zach comes in to tell Lane he got then passes to see a band on Saturday.

"You free for dinner tonight?" he asks her.

"We'll discuss it when I get home," she replies.

"Okay, bye."

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am in escrow," TJ announces as he enters the diner.

"What?" Luke questions.

I place my hand on Lane's shoulder.

"Kill me now. Please. Please."

"I am in escrow. I got the papers to prove it," TJ says.

Before either of them can notice me I squat down behind the counter.

"What is he talking about?" Luke asks.

"We bought a house," Liz says.

"What!?" Luke and I both reply.

Lane lightly nudges me with her foot and I cover my mouth.

"It's beautiful. White," TJ says.

"But you just started looking."

"They were looking?" I mumble to Lane.

"I know. We bought the first house we saw," Liz says.

"Oh, Liz."

"No, I'm telling you. I walked into this place and just felt it."

Luke comes around the counter.

"Felt what?" he asks.

"The vibe."

"That's right. She felt the vibe, and now I'm in escrow," TJ says again.

"Did you at least have an inspector look at this place?"

"Hey, we don't need some guy with a clipboard to tell us what we already knew, which was this white house was for us. Hey, kid," TJ says, spotting me by Luke's feet.

"Willow! Did you hear the great news?" Liz asks.

"Yeah, I hear everything. Congrats," I say as I stand up.

"This is so great, and please, don't be worried about this. The place is great."

"It's on a corner. It's got room for a pool. It's air conditioner-ready. It's landscaper-ready. It's alarm ready, and it's got three bedrooms if you build on two," TJ says.

"It's got a roof, right?" Luke asks.

"Of course it's got a roof, and as soon as we replace it, it won't leak as much."

"Just be happy, okay?" Liz asks.

"Oh, sure," Luke replies.

"That's right, buddy. Smile, man, 'cause I'm in escrow. Coffee. On the house. You like that? On the house?" TJ jokes.

"You're paying for coffee for the entire diner?" Luke asks.

"What? Am I made of money? I'm in escrow. Throw in the coffee, buddy. We're celebrating."

"I got it," Lane says.

"I'll help," I tell her.

I get to work making a new pot as she starts filling cups.

"You're not really bugged, we're moving here, are you?" Liz asks Luke.

"Does he even know what escrow means?" Luke asks.

"I doubt it, but he's so happy," Liz says as TJ goes around high fiving people.

I turn back to her as the coffee brews.

"Hey, Mom."

My body actually hurt as that word left my mouth. She turns to look at me.

"Yeah, hun?"

Don't call me hun. Lorelai calls me hun.

"Do you think I could come over later, so we can talk? You know, just the two of us."

"Yeah, sure babe," she replies.

She is quickly distracted by TJ again which is good because I am visibly uncomfortable. Enough for Luke to give me a questioning look.

I wave him off and shake my head as a nonverbal way of telling him I'm fine. I go back to the coffee.

--

Luke closed the diner early and started making dinner for him and Lorelai. I got ready and was gone before she arrived. I drove over, following the directions she gave me.

TJ drove to where their storage unit is and got some of our old furniture to put in the house, leaving just the two of us. When I arrived Lis opened the door.

"Willow. Come in. Come in," she says.

I look around.

"The old owner left a few things. It's only a futon and a couple dining room chairs, but it'll hold us over until TJ gets out other furniture in."

"The place looks nice, Ma," I say, still looking around.

I actually wasn't lying. It wasn't the nicest place, but was great compared to some of our old apartments. It's dingy, and kind of run down, not very well light.

With some real furniture, curtains, and some cleaning it'd look pretty nice. I look at her and smile.

"It's a house," I tell her.

"I know! It's so great," she replies.

My face drops when I remember what I came here to talk to her about.

"Hey, can we sit? I really need to talk to you, and it's kind of serious."

"Ugh, yeah, sure, hun."

With that damn hun again. We both settle on the futon. I sat for a minute trying to process how I was going to tell her. She can see the wheels turning in my head.

"What wrong, Willow?"

"Um..."

"You're not pregnant are you!?" she asks.

"No! No. Hell, no. I'm still very single, and you know."

The word virgin was not coming out of my mouth in front of my mother.

"Okay, good," she sighs out.

I pick my bag up off the floor and rest it on my lap. I reach my hand in, but pause, changing my mind. I take my hand out of the bag and rest back against the futon.

"So... tell me about Charlie."