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It was safe to say that things hadn't been going Ronnie's way lately. First, the dreaded transfer to Chilton, where she was constantly reminded that she wasn't really part of the inner circle. Then, her fallout with Brooke, a friendship she thought was unshakable. After that, things with Matt had taken a turn she hadn't seen coming, and now, as if the universe was actively conspiring against her, her father—Christopher—was back in town.
Ronnie could feel the tension building in her chest. She had always resented how her father came and went as he pleased, like he could just waltz in and out of their lives without consequence. He'd be there for the fun parts, but when things got tough, when you needed him to actually show up, he was nowhere to be found. His absences had become a pattern, one that only deepened Ronnie's sense of abandonment. It wasn't that she hated him—she didn't even know if she could hate him—but she certainly didn't trust him.
Meanwhile, Rory, ever the optimist, had a different view. She liked Christopher, despite his flaws. In fact, Rory seemed to believe that this time, things might be different, that Christopher was actually trying this time. Ronnie couldn't understand that. It wasn't like Rory had been blind to the way Christopher had always flitted in and out of their lives, but she still held on to the hope that he could change. This visit to Stars Hollow was different, she said. He had never been here before.
Ronnie, however, knew better. She wasn't fooled by the sudden appearance. She could already sense the tension between her parents, even though Lorelai wasn't openly saying anything. The tightness in her mother's smile, the way she made sure everything was perfect for Christopher's arrival—it wasn't lost on Ronnie. Lorelai had always protected them from the pain Christopher caused, but Ronnie knew the truth. He could never be the kind of father she needed him to be.
And yet, for some reason, she admired her mother for that. Despite everything Christopher had done—his frequent disappearances, his failure to show up when it mattered most—Lorelai had never given up on her. She had chosen Ronnie and Rory over everything, and that was something Ronnie could never ignore. Lorelai had built a life for them, a life that didn't need Christopher, and that was something Ronnie had come to respect deeply.
Ronnie's bitterness wasn't just about her father's absence—it was about the way he made her feel. Like she was never important enough to stay for, never worth the kind of commitment she so desperately craved. And yet, there he was, standing in their living room, acting like nothing had ever happened, like it was perfectly normal to just pick up where they left off. Ronnie wasn't sure if she was more angry at him for being back or at herself for caring enough to feel anything at all.
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After an intense Friday night dinner at her grandparents' house—one that included her father, Christopher, and his parents—Ronnie felt like she couldn't breathe. The tension in the room had been suffocating, everyone walking on eggshells, trying to avoid the elephant in the room: Christopher's return. She couldn't stand it anymore. She needed space, needed quiet, needed to think.
