The Forgotten Gilmore

Chapter Forty-Three: The Ask You Can't Refuse

Beau sat on his bed, phone in hand, absently scrolling through social media. His wrist, though healing, still throbbed occasionally—a constant reminder of that ill-fated ice hockey game. His dorm was quiet, his random roommate out, and the peaceful solitude was rare and welcome.

Then, his phone buzzed. Mom.

Beau sighed, already feeling the tension build in his shoulders as he answered. "Hey, Mom."

"Beau, hunny, there you are!" Her voice was sugary sweet, but he recognized that tone all too well—she was about to ask for something. "How are you, darling? How's school? Your wrist?"

"I'm fine, Mom. The wrist is getting better," Beau replied, wary of where the conversation was headed. His mother rarely called unless she needed something, and the upbeat tone only meant one thing: a favor.

"Oh, good, good," she said, brushing off his reply with an air of distraction. "So listen, I have a little favor to ask you."

There it was.

Beau closed his eyes, already bracing himself. "What's up?"

His mother's voice shifted, taking on that familiar mix of exasperation and manipulation. "Your sister is driving the nanny insane. Poor Lily, you know how difficult she can be. The nanny's at her wit's end, and your father and I are just so swamped with work. You know how busy we are defending clients—absolute nightmare cases."

Beau's grip tightened on the phone. "What are you asking me to do, Mom?"

"Well," she said, dragging out the word like she was making it up as she went along, "we were thinking... maybe Lily could stay with you for a little while? Just until we sort things out."

Beau blinked. "Stay with me? In my dorm?"

"Yes! Just for a little bit, of course," his mom chirped as if it were the simplest solution in the world. "She adores you, and you know how much of a handful she can be, especially now that the nanny's had enough."

Beau rubbed his forehead, feeling the beginnings of a headache. "Mom, that won't work. I have a roommate, and it's not exactly... kid-friendly here."

"Oh, come on, Beau. You always make things work," his mother said, her voice taking on that subtle edge that meant she wouldn't take no for an answer. "I'm sure your roommate will understand. And besides, you've been through worse. It's just Lily. What's a few days?"

Beau hesitated, searching for the right words. "It's not that simple. I can't just—"

His mom cut him off, her voice sharper now, laced with a touch of guilt-tripping. "Honestly, Beau, you act like we're asking you to babysit a wild animal. She's your sister. She looks up to you. And frankly, we don't have time to deal with this right now. You know how important our work is. Clients' lives depend on us."

Beau winced, feeling the familiar pressure tighten around him. It was always the same—his parents were too busy, too important, and everything else, including their kids, came second. Still, he tried one last time. "Mom, I have exams coming up, and my schedule is—"

"Oh, Beau, stop making excuses," she interrupted again, her tone turning icy. "You always make things harder than they need to be. Lily's not going to destroy your precious routine. Just let her stay for a few days, help out your family for once."

The words stung more than he wanted to admit, and Beau bit the inside of his cheek. His parents had always been like this—making him feel guilty for their own lack of involvement, always twisting the narrative until it was his problem. And Lily... well, she was difficult, but it wasn't her fault their parents were never around.

"Fine," Beau finally said, resigned. "She can stay for a few days."

"See? I knew you'd come around. You're such a good boy," his mother cooed, the warmth returning to her voice now that she'd gotten her way. "We'll send her over tomorrow. She's so excited!"

Beau sighed, already feeling the weight of the decision settle over him. "Yeah. Okay."

"Love you, darling. You're doing us such a big favor." And with that, the line went dead.

Beau tossed his phone onto the bed and ran a hand through his hair, frustration bubbling under his skin. He glanced around the small, cluttered dorm, imagining Lily's presence here and how chaotic things were about to become.

He wasn't sure what was worse: his parents' constant manipulation or the fact that, no matter how hard he tried, he could never seem to say no.