What's Next?

War and Peace

Everything I know, I know because of love.
-Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

~
The struggle conflicting the Gilmores and the ones they held nearest was communicating their love and need for affection to one another. Jess loved Rory and Rory loved Jess; Lorelai loved Luke and Luke loved Lorelai. But it wasn't that simple and could never be that simple. Times could not be expressed by a simple love song or a sappy romance film; it's not understandable in such contemporary forms because love is just not that easy.

~

"Hello, mom." Jess entered the sweet bungalow in which Liz and Tj lived with their, now 11 year old daughter, Doula.

"Jess!" Liz ran up to welcome her son in a warm embrace. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too. You should really put a lock on this door. What if I was a robber?"

"Good point, I'll get on that." Liz walked over to the kitchen and began putting coffee her Mr. Coffee machine.

Jess took a seat when a young girl with blonde hair, wearing a Nirvana shirt and ripped pants came walking in. "Who hit you with the Grunge stick?" Jess took in her 90's outfit.

"What's Grunge?" Doula asked, adjusting her black lace choker.

"You can't be serious," Jess pulled her close. "You really are my sister."

Liz laughed and the kind binding of her children, something she wished Jess could've had growing up.

"Mom."Jess turned to her and looked down to his lap.

"Yes, honey?"

Jess breathed in and paused before answering. "...I'm scared." He finally quipped.

Liz stopped with the coffee and turned around. "What?"

"I said I'm scared."

"I know, but...why?"

"Me and Rory, and this lady from work..." Jess started to feel uneasy. "Let me just tell you everything."

It had been years since Jess had felt confident enough to explain his life to his mother, but he felt at this time it was good that he did. So he told her all of it, from Haeven to his work, from Rebecca to Rory...

***

Lorelai was cooking dinner when the doorbell rang. She opened the door, to see Rory and Haeven in her carrier. "Rory?"

Rory stood, her lip began quivering and her eyes started to glisten with fresh tears.

"Oh, hon. Come inside." Lorelai grabbed the carrier.

"Mom..." She could barely speak.

Luke came walking in, and Lorelai mouthed "Take Haeven upstairs" Luke did and understood that mother and daughter needed to be left alone.

"Tell me what's wrong, sweets."

"My marriage is failing," Rory now fell into Lorelai's chest, heaving softly. "I don't know what to do."

"Sweetheart," Lorelai focused on Rory's face. "Tell me what's going on."

Rory gathered herself and told her mom. "There's this girl at Jess's work, Rebecca," Rory felt her eyes start to water again. "I'm afraid there's something between them."

"Jess and Rebecca?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes, I don't know what I'm gonna do."

"Rory, you need to talk to him," Lorelai kissed her daughter's head. "He'll never know how you're feeling in less you have a discussion with him..."

***

"You need to talk to her," Liz grabbed her son's hand. "She needs to know how you feel."

"I know, but what if she hates me. What if she leaves me for someone better?"

"Better? Honey, listen," Liz scooted closer so Jess could fully grasp what she was about to say. "I've seen the way Rory looks at you, I've noticed how she attaches herself to you every chance she gets. I'm betting that she's just as worried about something."

"Do you mean that, mom? Do you believe it?"

"With every part of me, yes," She smiled. "She looks at you the same way Lorelai looks at Luke."

I know it's short! I'm sorry. Longer chapters to come now that I'm on spring break for a week. Thank you everyone for reading, voting and commenting, I couldn't do it without y'all. 💖