The Gilmore Girl

Season 1, Episode 2: Happy Birthday Dougie

Emily POV: 

The party was going to Emily's liking so far, the decor was perfect, the waiters competent, and the food timely. It was a full house too. 

Emily had missed throwing parties ever since leaving the DAR, she had gone cold turkey. It felt nice to be back though, even if it was just for one night. Emily loved Rory, but she was her mothers daughter after all so she had to take it into her own hands. 

Rory had come in the ugliest dress she had ever seen though, and was speaking with an older woman with a nervous smile while Jess stood at her side. They're son, Christopher, was somewhere doing something that Emily did not want to know. She was still angry that her husband was a mere middle name while Rory's flake of a father got the first name. At least Lily was named after her, before Rory gave her the nickname Lily. 

Lily was still making her rounds, welcoming each and everyone of her guests and chit chatting for a bit. Emily had lost sight of her. 

After being dragged into five conversations, Emily was making her drink to avoid talking to anyone else. She had woken up in a mood again, they came and went ever since her husband passed away. She had had a dream about him, waking up and going down the stairs to see him there. Smiling at her, holding his hand out to help her the rest of the way down to have dinner. Olivia Newton John had been there but everything else had felt so real. When she had woken up it had taken her an hour and her will power to drag herself out of bed. 

It had been years, so many years yet he was still there. In every corner of her mind, in her most private thoughts and her most painful yet happiest memories. 

She had married so young that she didn't know who she was without him. She still didn't know, maybe she would never know. 

Lily waved at her from across the room, and she lifted her drink up in a salute. Lily had never looked like her mother, Rory, or supposed father, Jess, and Emily had been trying to figure out for years who her real father was without bringing it up. 

Emily had thought of Logan, but he had been engaged at the time of Lily's birth and was now married with children as far as she had heard. 

"Is it a good time to make my speech?" Lily asked, suddenly appearing at her side. The decor was all done in pastel blues and a crisp white, with lilies everywhere. 

Emily was just glad that Lily's dress looked nothing like her mothers. And no one else was wearing blue, just like Lily had wanted. 

"Of course," Emily replied and clinked on her glass. 

"A speech, from our birthday girl now." She announced and a loud cheer exploded. Lily beamed at the response. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, friends and family, thank you for being here today. This is a very special day for me as I celebrate my 16th birthday with all of you. I'd like to thank my incredible grandmother Emily Gilmore, can we give her a hand?" 

Another round of applause as Emily smiled, hoping it looked real enough. 

"Now, back to the matter at hand: Me! Today may be my special day but I want to make it special for all of you too. So, in any minute, waiters will start to serve sushi rolls, salmon puffs and other small foods on trays. No food table, find a waiter or starve. For drinks, we have shirley temples and club sodas. And of course, there will be cake, and creme brulees for those people who don't like cake. I would like to once more express my gratitude to you all gathered here. Your presence truly means the world to me. Thank you for making this a day to remember." 

Another round of applause. 

A tall guy with neat blonde hair, a white expensive suit and charming smile comes to drag Lily back to his group. 

He holds his hand out at Emily, which she shakes. 

"Anthony Dieppe, pleased to meet you Emily." Anthony says in a slight french accent. Emily shakes his hand with a tight smile. "Your father owns that fashion line, correct?" Emily asks, trying to be cheerful. Anthony smiles proudly. "Yes, my father is Gabrielle Dieppe. He worked with your late husband many years ago, said he was a good man. My deepest sorrows for your loss." 

Emily smiled tightly, nodding as her words left her. 

"Anthony and I have English together. He's a poet." Lily informs her with a smile. 

"And Emily is the best writer." 

Emily frowns at the use of her full name. 

"Oh, yes. I despise nicknames. Pathetic really, and very childish." Anthony informs, reading her face. 

"Do you mind if I steal her away now?" he asks and Emily smiles, nodding at them to go so she can go upstairs to have an asprin without anyone noticing. Lily looks back to make sure it's okay, but Emily just waves at her to go and mingle. 

He reminded her of the boy she dated before Richard, the only one. Rory was her mothers daughter, but Emily liked to think Lily was hers. 

---

The cake was perfect. Three tiers of red velvet with cream cheese icing and beautiful lilies made of fondant around it, with gold dusting's on it. 

Everyone sang Happy Birthday, Emily leading it. 

Lily smiled as they sang, loving the attention, just like Emily at that age. Emily snapped her fingers at the waiter, and the cake was taken to have to candles taken out. Lily decided blowing out candles equalled spitting on the cake which equalled disgusting. 

"Aren't you going to blow the candles?" Jess asked, and Rory stifled a laugh, knowing what was coming. Emily tuned out as Lily gave him her famous candle on cake blowing speech. 

"Great party, grandma," Rory hugged her. "Thank you, Rory. I think it turned out fairly well. Lily seems happy." Emily replied, trying to stay humble. 

"She's over the moon happy. You really outdid yourself, and that says a lot." Emily patted her grand daughters shoulder. "I'm sure you would have done the same for her," Emily reassures her. Rory smiles sadly, looking at her shoes before whispering, "You know she wouldn't." 

Emily racks her brain for something good to say, but before she can Chris is lunging for the cake and Rory is off trying to get him. 

It was perfect. Lily, standing there, surrounded by friends. It was how she had hoped Rory's sixteenth would go, all of those years ago yet nothing had gone perfect. But Richard had been there, not this. 

And the lump in her throat returned.