The Forgotten Gilmore

Chapter Thirty-One: Friday Night Dinner

The Gilmore mansion buzzed with the usual Friday night energy, and Alessia sat at the dinner table, pushing a piece of broccoli around her plate. It had only been a few years since the weekly dinners became a tradition—something her grandmother, Emily, insisted on once she and Rory turned sixteen. Initially, it felt like a chore. But now, it was just part of the routine, albeit one she would've gladly skipped tonight.

"Alessia, dear, please stop playing with your food," Emily's voice was sharp but wrapped in faux gentleness. "It's distracting."

Alessia immediately stopped, though her mind was far from the plate in front of her. She was still thinking about the last few days—how everything had shifted between her and Logan, and the whirlwind of emotions that came with it.

Emily turned her attention to Rory. "So, how's Yale? I hope you're keeping up with your studies."

Rory nodded politely. "Yes, Grandma. Everything's going well."

Richard, her grandfather, who had been reading the financial section of
The New York Times, folded his paper and joined the conversation. "I heard that Yale is implementing some new policies regarding the student housing system. How are you finding it?"

"It's fine. I'm enjoying it, really," Rory replied.

Alessia remained quiet, half-listening. Lorelai, noticing her daughter's distraction, decided to poke at her. "So, Less, anything new? You seem lost in thought. Must be something interesting happening."

Alessia glanced at her mom, knowing exactly where this was headed. "Not really," she lied, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Nothing interesting?" Lorelai raised an eyebrow. "Not even... oh, I don't know... a certain someone with a certain amount of swagger and charm?"

"Lorelai," Emily interjected, clearly annoyed. "Let Alessia be. We're not at a high school lunch table, for heaven's sake."

"Sorry, Mom. My mistake," Lorelai said, not sounding sorry at all. She turned back to Alessia with a smirk. "But if you want to talk about, I don't know, certain exciting events of the past week, you know where to find me."

Alessia shot her a look, but before she could respond, Richard cleared his throat.

"Well, I must say, this sounds rather intriguing. What exactly have you been up to, Alessia?"

"Nothing," Alessia said quickly, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. "Just... Harvard stuff."

"You've been at Yale?" Rory asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

Alessia swallowed. "Not exactly. Just, you know... around."

Rory's eyebrow shot up. "You've been around? Alessia, you were literally staying in my dorm."

Alessia waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, I mean, but it wasn't like... a big deal. Just a couple of days."

Rory looked unconvinced. "It was more than a couple of days."

Emily, oblivious to the growing tension, cut in. "I do hope, Alessia, that you're not neglecting your work at Harvard." The way she emphasized Harvard had the unmistakable stamp of pride and pressure mixed together. "You know how much effort it took to get there."

Alessia braced herself, expecting Lorelai to jump in with a biting comment or some sarcastic remark about her getting distracted. Instead, Lorelai did something completely unexpected.

"Oh, come on, Mom, let the kid breathe! She's not going to fail out of Harvard just because she decided to live the wild life for a few days at Yale. Right, Less?"

Alessia blinked in surprise. Of all people, her mom was the one defending her? Their relationship had been rocky for as long as she could remember—full of missed connections and misunderstandings. Lorelai rarely passed up a chance to critique her, especially when it came to her decisions about school or life. And now, here she was, stepping in between her and Emily's relentless criticism?

"Yeah, totally. I'm managing everything just fine," Alessia said, still processing her mom's defense.

Rory shot her a sideways glance, her suspicion about what had really gone on still simmering under the surface, but she didn't press the issue further. Instead, she leaned back in her chair, clearly tucking the conversation away for later.

Meanwhile, Emily pursed her lips and redirected the conversation, talking about her upcoming charity gala. Alessia half-listened, her mind still swirling with the strangeness of Lorelai stepping up for her.

Alessia glanced at her mom again, still a little off-kilter from the unexpected show of support. Lorelai caught her eye, giving her a small, almost imperceptible nod, as if to say, Don't let them get to you.

Alessia let out a quiet breath. For the moment, it seemed the storm had passed, but she couldn't help wondering what it all meant.