Touch of Hellfire (Pocket's Version)

🎬19🎬

"Hey Grandma, I'm doing this project in school about family history, is it alright if I borrow some baby pictures?" I asked her.

"I can dig something up," Grandma reassured me. "And I'd need some of Mom too," I added.

"Heather, we've had this conversation...."

"I don't believe you," I said to her. "I don't have any," Grandma told me. "How is that possible?!" I was shocked. "Because your mother burned them all when she was seven," Grandma told me.

"Why would you do that?" Rory asked her. "I'm sure you were cute."

"She was," Grandma nodded. "Wait for it," Mom murmured under her breath.

"In most respects," Grandma added.

"There we go," Mom threw her hand up in exasperation. "What does that mean?" I asked Grandma. "Your mother had an unusually large head," Grandma explained to me. "She told me constantly," Mom rolled her eyes. "It only affected your balance slightly Lorelai," Grandma told her.

"Change the subject!" Mom whined.

"Are these new chairs?" Rory asked Grandma. "Why yes, I got them in Maine last summer, they just finished restoring them."

"I don't see much of a difference," Mom turned around to look at the chair. "The arch is higher, the legs are completely different," Grandma told her. "I'm short two chairs, there were supposed to be twelve. I searched three years, it's Peg Mosley's fault."

"What a cruel woman," Mom joked. "You could try Kim's Antiques," Rory suggested.

"What's that?" Grandma asked her. "My best friend Lane, her parents have this antiques store in Stars Hollow," Rory explained to her.

"Is that so? Why did you never tell me about it, Lorelai?" Grandma asked her. "I got lost in my big head," Mom grumbled.

"We could show you around Stars Hollow if you want on Saturday," I offered to Grandma. "I'd love to," Grandma smiled at us.

***

"French toast, crispy bacon, scrambled eggs and pancakes and lastly, pancaked, two eggs over easy," Luke served us our breakfast. "Oh," Mom looked at her pancakes. "They're on top."

"Oh no," I grimaced, sipping my coffee. "What is it?" Luke looked around the table. "It's like two eyes staring at me. I can't eat it."

"You order the same thing," Luke pointed out. "But the eggs are on the side," Mom told him.

"It's the same food!"

"I need the eggs on the side."

"So, you want a brand new plate? Or I can take this in the back and move the eggs to the side, then what?"

"Then I can eat," Mom smiled at him. Luke rolled his eyes and took the plate away. "So, when is the judgemental express arriving?" Mom asked us.

"Grandma will be here at noon," I told her. "You sure you don't want to have lunch?"

Mom shook her head. "What are you doing then?" Rory asked her. "I'm doing important things, like not having lunch with my mother."

"Lorelai!" Rachel waved at her and came over to our table. "I'm developing my pictures from the Firelight Festival, I think I can make a book out of this, faces of small town America and this was my last shot in my roll."

She handed Mom a photo as Luke came back. "What's that?"

"A picture Rachel took of us at the Firelight Festival," Mom told him. "Well, here's your plate, no eyes," Luke put the plate down as Rory and I sifted through Rachel's photos. "Ooh, that building's pretty," I showed Mom the photo. "That's the Dragonfly," Mom gaped. "I totally forgot about that place."