What's Next?

It's a Double Birthday

Jess awoke on the earliest of mornings to the sounds of his very pregnant wife sobbing. Normally, he would have wrapped her in excessive comfort at the sight of just a single tear but this pregnancy deemed Rory extremely emotional over every little thing; the worst it had ever been.

"What's wrong, honey?" Jess put a soothing arm around Rory.

"It's just..." Rory was hysterical and hiccuped. "My babies..." Her words were practically inaudible. "They're so old!" The Great Flood was reoccurring in that very room.

"Hun, I'm gonna need an Ark if you keep all these tears comin'"

Rory just sobbed harder.

Jess facetiously rolled his eyes and hugged Rory. "They're still our little girls, babe."

"Not so little anymore." Rory wiped her eyes.

"They're growing up so fast." Jess got up. "C'mon, we have a lot of preparation to do before the party."

Rory grabbed her mug from the bedside table. "But first, coffee."

*****

"How are my two birthday girls?" Lorelai exclaimed as she walked into the house.

"Gamma!" Rosalyn and Adley toddled up to Lorelai and each grabbed on to her leg.

"Up!" Adley put her hands in the air.

Lorelai has lifted Adley to her side. "Look how you have grown."

"Me!" It was Rosalyn's turn to want attention.

Lorelai laughed and put her on the other hip. "Beautiful babies."

Rory came into the room wearing a loose-fitting dress and white sandals. She hadn't told Lorelai yet about the baby...or anything rather. Life for the Mariano's had been hectic and exhausting, barely leaving time to breathe let alone Rory getting in a talk with her mother.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in forever." Rory had a sad, pathetic look on her face. "I miss you."

"Aw, hun. I miss you too." Lorelai could tell that something seemed a little off with Rory. "Are you okay?"

Rory tried to play off that she wasn't expecting a fourth child, that life wasn't spinning out of control and that she most certainly was not okay. "I'm fine, mom." She tried to say but her words got flubbed and she put a hand over her mouth when no more words could come out.

Lorelai put the twins down and wrapped her daughter in a hug. "Oh, sweets." She rubbed her back in circles over and over. "Let's sit down."

Rory told Lorelai everything. How she was expecting a fourth child, how she so badly wanted Luke and her to stay in Stars Hollow. Rory was about sick by the time she finished blubbering and had to excuse herself to the bathroom to release the contents of her stomach. "Mom, I need you more than ever."

Lorelai felt her own eyes water as she saw how hurt her baby girl was. "Honey, we won't go anywhere. I'll keep my job here, Luke can too."

"Mom," Rory hesitated. "You don't need to change your plans for me. I'm just extra emotional right now for obvious reasons."

Lorelai shook her head. "Rory, if you want us here we will stay. A pay increase would be nice but it's not like we can't get by. I'm doing fine right now and we have enough money to be secure for a while."

Rory just wiped her eyes again.

"Now, you just sit back. I got this party under control."

*****

"Lorelai, please stop moving. I need to get this sign up." Luke could barely keep his grip on the  ladder because Lorelai wasn't being a very good holder.

"Sorry, I was distracted." Lorelai watched as Rosalyn and Adley chased each other around the living room.

Adley came running to Lorelai. "Gamma!"

"Woah!" Lorelai went to stop her but pushed the side of the ladder and Luke came tumbling down.

"Uh-oh." Adley watched her grandfather slip.

"Whoops." Lorelai put a hand over her face. "Are you okay, honey?"

Luke squinted his eyes sinisterly. "Just fine, doll." He said the last words with added vexation.

"Sorry." Lorelai went to help him up.

Luke stopped her. "I think you've helped enough for one day."

"Gampa okay?" Rosalyn came over to check on Luke.

Luke sucked up his pride. "Yes, sweetheart."

"Me help." Rosalyn picked up Luke's cap that had came off during the fall and handed it to him.

"Thank you so much." Luke got up.

"Wow, you let the two year old help you." Lorelai jokingly rolled her eyes.

"She's not in the way like you are." Luke smirked to let Lorelai know he wasn't mad at her.

"How's everything going?" Jess came in the room.

"Pretty good until Amelia Bedelia showed up." Luke snickered.

*****

Everything was set up and it was about time for the party.

"This looks great," Rory admired the decor. "Very nice job, you guys."

Lorelai smiled. "Thank you, I did it all myself."

"Sure and I conquered Rome." Luke retorted.

"Regardless, everything so good!" Jess chimed in.

"Can I have cake?" An impatient Haeven could not keep her eyes off of the giant, two-tiered cake that was just inches from her face.

Rory laughed and directed her away from the cake. "In a little bit. Let's go see what presents Ros and Adley got."

Haeven was not entirely satisfied. "Kay."

They sat in the living room and Jess helped the twins open their gifts.

"Paper! Paper!" Adley cheered and waved the wrapping paper in the air with her hands.

"Why get a gift?" Jess joked. "No, Adley. The gift is inside." He showed her inside the bag.

"Toy!" Adley reached in and picked out the giraffe. "G-aff."

"Yes, Giraffe."

Rory helped Rosalyn with her gifts. "Thank you guys for the wonderful gifts, the girls already love them."

"I'm glad." Lorelai and Luke smiled.

"Cake time, nooooow?" Haeven was becoming jumpy.

"Yes, baby. Now let's have cake." Rory cut Haeven a small piece.

"Gramma, sit with me." Haeven grabbed her hand.

"Okay, honey." Lorelai sat on the couch and Haeven crawled on her lap and ate her cake.

Rory admired the bond the girls had and was internally glad that Lorelai and Luke were not going to move. She wanted that same bond to be had with Rosalyn and Adley as well and the new little one.