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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Alessia sat curled up on the couch, half-heartedly flipping through a magazine while Rory and Lorelai bustled around the kitchen, preparing their makeshift "feast" of frozen waffles and tater tots. Rory hummed as she sorted through a stack of CDs, and Lorelai popped the tater tots into the oven with a grin.
"Ready for the first course?" Lorelai called out dramatically, as if she were about to serve something gourmet.
"Ready!" Rory echoed with a laugh, grabbing a plate of waffles.
Alessia smirked, tossing the magazine aside. "If frozen waffles count as a 'course,' what's dessert? Microwave popcorn?"
Lorelai gave her a playful look. "Why, yes. We'll be following up with a sophisticated course of Pop-Tarts, too."
Rory grinned as she handed a plate to Alessia. "Don't forget the soda pairing."
Alessia felt a flicker of warmth at the easy banter. She wasn't always a part of these moments, but tonight felt different. Lorelai had actually invited her into their chaotic pre-wedding tradition. Maybe this was a small step toward finally being included.
Before she could enjoy it, the phone rang, cutting through the light-hearted moment. Lorelai grabbed it off the counter, her expression immediately stiffening.
"Hello?"
It didn't take more than a second for Alessia to realize who was on the other end of the line. Emily Gilmore's crisp, commanding voice echoed through the receiver, and Alessia tensed instinctively. Whenever her grandmother called, it usually meant things were about to go sideways.
"What do you mean the dress is falling apart?" Lorelai said, her voice rising in frustration. "Mom, I'm not a seamstress!"
Alessia exchanged a glance with Rory, who shrugged and bit into a waffle. Of course Emily was freaking out over something at the last minute. It was a Gilmore family specialty.
Rory gave an exaggerated sigh, reaching for a soda. "Guess we better eat as much junk food as we can before Grandma gets here."
Lorelai set out the game plan. "She comes, I fix, she goes, we Rock. Now eat."
Alessia leaned back into the cushions, her mood dipping. She'd been hopeful for tonight, thinking she might finally get to feel like part of the family. But now, with Emily on her way, it seemed like the familiar pattern was about to set in—Rory and Lorelai locked in their routine, while Alessia watched from the sidelines.
Twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang, and Emily swept into the house with her usual air of control, her eyes narrowing at the sight of the junk food spread across the coffee table.
"This wasn't your dinner, was it?" Emily asked, her tone sharp as her gaze landed on Rory.
"Just a light snack," Rory replied casually, barely looking up as she popped open a soda.
Alessia lingered near the couch, observing as Lorelai took the crumpled dress Emily brought and began assessing the damage. The rapid-fire exchange between Emily and Lorelai was as sharp as ever, each of them throwing barbs wrapped in thinly veiled sarcasm.
Alessia bit her lip, trying to find her place in the conversation. But, as usual, it felt like the battle between her mother and grandmother left little room for anyone else. She sipped her soda in silence, hoping she wouldn't fade completely into the background.
While Lorelai worked on fixing the dress, something unexpected happened. Emily, clearly stressed, leaned back in her chair and sighed. "Lorelai, do you have anything... relaxing?" she asked, her tone surprisingly subdued.
Lorelai paused, glancing at her. "You mean...like tea?"
"No, something stronger," Emily said. "But I suppose I'll settle for tea if that's all you have."
Lorelai gave her a wry smile. "I'll whip up something relaxing," she said, heading to the kitchen to get some alcohol. When she came back, she handed a cold glass of rum and coke to Emily and, without missing a beat, tossed bottles of soda to both Rory and Alessia. "Non-alcoholic for the underage crowd," she teased.
Alessia caught the bottle, surprised. Lorelai didn't usually go out of her way to include her in moments like these. She glanced down at the soda in her hands, a simple gesture that felt oddly significant.
"Hello?" Lorelai answered her phone while Emily was in the bathroom, the inflection in her tone immediately catching Alessia's attention.
Alessia leaned in slightly, curious to hear the other side of the conversation. The scene shifted in her mind as she imagined her grandfather, Richard, jovial and commanding, filling the air with his rich laughter and cigar smoke.
"Lorelai! How are you?" Richard's voice boomed, resonating through the line.
"I'm fine, Dad, how are you?" Lorelai replied, rolling her eyes, which made Alessia suppress a smile.
"Oh, don't you worry about me. I am in good hands. Isn't that right, boys?" Richard called out, and Alessia could hear the chorus of agreement in the background. It was classic Richard, always the center of attention.
"Geez, Dad, hanging out at the bathhouse again?" Lorelai quipped, her teasing tone evident.
"I am at my bachelor party, Lorelai, and I just thought I'd call and see how your little gathering was going."
"Dad, this is just a regular...get-together," Lorelai clarified, the effort to keep a straight face almost palpable.
"Now, I want you to have a wonderful time, and go as crazy as you think is necessary. But make sure your mother doesn't mix her alcohol. Sometimes when she has a little bit too much vodka, she forgets and moves on to gin. I need her sober and looking beautiful for tomorrow."
Alessia couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of her grandmother, Emily, getting tipsy and mischievous.
"Okay, Dad. Will do," Lorelai replied, her laughter ringing out, causing Alessia to feel a warm bubble of anticipation for the night ahead.
"Just return your mother in one piece, preferably without tattoos, please."
"Okay, will do," Lorelai echoed, amusement still dancing in her voice as she hung up the call.
"Okay, so here's a fun twist for your viewing pleasure," Lorelai announced, turning to face Alessia, who had been listening intently. "My father thinks your grandmother is here for her bachelorette party."
"What? Why does he think that?" Alessia asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"I think she told him that," Lorelai said, her expression mixed with incredulity and exasperation.
"Oops," Alessia replied, biting her lip to suppress a grin.
"Ah, were we supposed to throw her a bachelorette party?" Lorelai mused aloud, the weight of realization settling over them.
"I don't know. You're the maid of honor. Aren't you supposed to plan these things?" Rory said, folding her arms.
"I didn't think you had a bachelorette party when you hadn't been a bachelorette for forty years. Oh my God, she is going to hold this against me for the rest of my life," Lorelai groaned.
"So what do we do?" Alessia asked, trying to stifle her laughter at the absurdity of it all.
Lorelai sighed, glancing toward the kitchen as the doorbell rang. "I guess we figure it out."
