A Gilmore's Return

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Fractures Between Sisters

Alessia sat on the steps outside her dorm, the autumn breeze tugging at her dark hair as she scrolled through the dozens of half-finished photos on her camera. She felt... stuck. Again. The project on identity was supposed to mean something, but so far, all it meant to her was stress.

She was so focused on her work that she almost didn't hear the sound of footsteps approaching.

"Alessia?"

Her head snapped up. She blinked in surprise as Rory stood in front of her, arms crossed, a smile on her face that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Rory?" Alessia said, her voice equal parts confused and shocked. "What are you doing here?"

Rory shrugged, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. "Mom mentioned you had some time off today, so I figured I'd stop by. Thought you might want a visit from your big sister."

Alessia raised an eyebrow. "By a few minutes."

"Still counts," Rory said lightly.

Alessia hesitated, then stood and gestured toward the dorm. "Well, come on, then. I'll give you the grand tour."

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The tour was pleasant enough at first. Alessia pointed out her favorite spots-her dorm room, the photography lab, the café where she lived off overpriced espresso. Rory followed along, making polite conversation and even cracking a few jokes that reminded Alessia of old times.

But as they walked through Harvard Yard, Alessia began to feel a shift. Rory's questions became more pointed.

"So, this is where you take all your artsy photos?" Rory asked, gesturing vaguely at the historic buildings.

Alessia glanced at her sister. "Yeah, it's for my project. You know, the one I told you about."

Rory hummed. "Must be nice to have all this... inspiration right at your fingertips."

"It is," Alessia said cautiously.

Rory's gaze lingered on the campus around them, her smile faltering. "I used to dream about coming here, you know."

"I know," Alessia said softly.

Rory laughed, but it came out brittle. "Guess I wasn't good enough for Harvard."

Alessia stopped walking, turning to face her sister. "Rory, that's not-"

"It's fine," Rory interrupted, her tone sharp. "I mean, Yale's great, right? It's prestigious, and everyone loves it. But Harvard... Harvard was the dream."

Alessia frowned, the weight of Rory's words settling heavily between them. "You know you're amazing, right? Like, you don't need Harvard to prove that to anyone."

"Yeah, sure," Rory said, looking away.

The air grew tense as they continued their walk. Alessia struggled to find the right words, but Rory's jealousy had seeped in too deeply, and every attempt to lighten the mood only seemed to make things worse.

By the time they reached Alessia's dorm again, Rory's smile had all but disappeared.

"Well," Rory said, her voice clipped, "it's good to see you're doing so well here. Living the dream and all."

"Rory, don't do this," Alessia said, frustration creeping into her voice.

"Do what?" Rory asked, her eyes flashing. "Be honest? It's just... hard, okay? Seeing you here. Seeing you get what I wanted so badly."

Alessia crossed her arms, feeling her own anger rise. "You act like I stole this from you. Like I didn't work my ass off to get here."

"I'm not saying you didn't!" Rory snapped. "I'm just saying... it's not fair."

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

"Maybe it's not," Alessia said finally, her voice quiet but firm. "But it doesn't mean I don't deserve it."

Rory's face softened, guilt flickering in her eyes, but she said nothing.

"I love you, Rory," Alessia added. "But you can't keep holding this against me."

Rory looked away, swallowing hard. "I should go."

Alessia watched her sister leave, her chest tight. The visit had started out hopeful, but it ended like so many of their interactions these days: with a widening gap neither of them knew how to bridge.