In The Forgotten Gilmore, Alessia Gilmore grapples with adolescence in Stars Hollow, a town where gossip flows as freely as coffee at Luke's Diner. Overshadowed by her mother Lorelai's bond with twin sister Rory, Alessia finds solace in her irrevere...
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The hospital lobby felt cold and sterile, the fluorescent lights flickering overhead as Alessia paced, her heart racing with anxiety. Riley sat nearby, glancing at her occasionally, his own worry palpable in the tense air between them.
Time stretched into an agonizing blur. They'd been waiting for what felt like hours, but it was only a little over thirty minutes. The antiseptic smell of the hospital mixed with the soft beeping of machines in the distance, creating a backdrop of dread that settled heavily in Alessia's chest. She fidgeted with the hem of her coat, biting her lip as thoughts spiraled.
"What if something's wrong?" she whispered, more to herself than to Riley.
"Hey, don't think like that," he said gently. "Isabella's strong. She'll pull through this."
Alessia nodded but felt the pit in her stomach deepen. She needed her mom. She needed someone to tell her everything would be okay, someone to just be there and reassure her that it was all going to turn out fine. But her mom wasn't here. Just like always.
As if summoned by her thoughts, Lorelai burst into the waiting area an hour later, her hair a mess and a worried expression etched across her face. "Alessia! Oh my god, I just heard!"
Alessia's heart sank at the sight of her mother. It wasn't that she didn't want Lorelai here; it was that she had needed her hours ago, and she hadn't shown up when it mattered.
"What took you so long?" Alessia shot back, her voice sharp and edged with frustration. "I called you! I needed you!"
Lorelai stepped closer, her expression faltering. "I was on my way. I got here as fast as I could! Traffic was awful. I—"
"Traffic?" Alessia interrupted, the hurt bubbling to the surface. "You think I care about traffic? Isabella's in the ICU! I needed you, and you were—where? Just stuck in traffic?"
"Alessia, please," Riley said softly, sensing the tension in the room. "Your mom's here now."
"No," Alessia said, shaking her head, tears pricking at her eyes. "She's not here now, Riley. She wasn't here when I needed her. She wasn't here for any of it—when Dad left, when I had my first breakup, or when I got into Harvard. She never has been!"
"Alessia, I'm here now," Lorelai pleaded, her voice softening. "I came as soon as I could. I'm here for you. I'm—"
Alessia's emotions surged, and she felt a break forming inside her. "It doesn't matter if you're here now! I'm scared! I don't know if Isabella's going to be okay, and you weren't here for me when I needed you. You just—left me to deal with it all alone!"
The words spilled out, each one heavier than the last, a lifetime of resentment and disappointment flooding forth. Lorelai's expression shifted, a mix of hurt and understanding flashing across her face.
"Alessia, I—"
"Stop! Just stop!" Alessia shouted, her voice breaking. "You don't get to make excuses! I needed you to be my mom, and you weren't. I've spent my whole life feeling like I didn't matter, like I was always in Rory's shadow. And now, I can't even count on you to be here when something really matters!"
As the tears streamed down her cheeks, Alessia felt the weight of everything crashing down on her—years of feeling neglected, the fear of losing Isabella, the pain of her mother's absence in her life.
Lorelai stepped forward, her own eyes glistening. "I'm sorry, Alessia. I really am. I never meant to make you feel that way."
Alessia turned away, anger and sadness swirling within her. "I just need you to be here for me now. Just... be here. I don't want to do this alone."
Riley moved closer, putting a hand on her back, offering quiet support as the weight of the moment settled around them. Lorelai stood there, uncertainty hanging in the air, wanting to bridge the distance but unsure how to reach her daughter.
"Let's just wait for news on Isabella," Riley said gently, breaking the suffocating silence. "We can all do this together."
Alessia nodded, trying to calm her racing heart, but the fracture in her relationship with her mother felt more profound than ever. She turned her attention back to the waiting room doors, willing them to open, hoping to see Isabella walk through.
