Searching for my Identity

18. Chapter What now??

I want to thank you guys for the months you're following my story. You guys are great, and I know there are always better writers and stories. But I hope that I have already touched many hearts of my readers. It is essential to me that I get criticism and above all, I want to know what you like best about the story and the protagonists. Please feel free to leave a comment after reading the chapter. It would be a blast. Thanks to My beta reader @Linda Prosser1

Lorelai sat in front of her desk and was wondering how she will explain to Rory how Nathalie now knows about Norah. It wouldn't be an easy phone call to make. No, it will be tough for a call, and she wasn't sure how she could explain to Rory that Nathalie had found the album and that it was Sookie who let it slip.

"Stop being a coward Lorelai..", she scolded herself, and taking a deep breath, she called her daughter.

"Hey, Mom," Rory greeted her. Rory just rushed into the kitchen to answer the phone. She put the shopping bags on the kitchen table when she saw Grace and Jacob reading their favorite books in the living room.

"Hi Rory, you got a minute? I need to talk to you, and it's pretty important," Lorelai replied trying not to sound too nervous.

Rory frowned and wondered what her mother needed to discuss with her. "Mom, I always have time for you. I'm all ears," she smiled.

"Great and how are Jacob and Grace?" Lorelai asked.

Rory began to put the food away that she had just purchased in the fridge and the pantry as she listened to her mom.

"They're fine Mom. What did you want to tell me that was important?" Rory asked as she finished putting the last item away before walking into her office. "

"Oh, Yeah, have you seen Nathalie yet?" she asked wondering if she made it home yet.

"No, not yet, is there a problem with Nathalie?"

"Well, I... I don't know how to start. It all went happened so fast..." Lorelai began to explain, and Rory felt her heart beat faster. Rory had a strange feeling and only hoped it wasn't true.

"What happened, Mom?"

"I'm sorry, Rory, but I forgot to lock my office at the Dragonfly Inn, and Nathalie sneaked in and took one of the photo albums off the shelf.

She must have been looking through it when she found the photo that Logan always carried with him," Lorelai paused for a moment.

"Nathalie then went to Sookie and asked her who the other baby was. Without thinking Sookie told her it was her sister Norah." Lorelai went silent waiting for her daughter to say something.

The next minutes seemed like an eternity to mother and daughter. Neither of them dared to say a word. The silence became almost unbearable.

"Mom, how could you have been so careless? We agreed not to tell her before her 18th birthday. I... I don't get it, Mom." Rory found her voice again, closed her eyes and felt the rising tears.

"I'm sorry, Rory, you have to believe that. Nathalie left before I could say anything. "

"Mom, do you know where she is now."

"No, but don't worry, she's probably on her way home. She would never run away," Lorelai said trying to calm her daughter but knowing that she was furious.

"Mom, can you imagine what Nathalie thinks of Logan and me right now? She's going to hate us for keeping the news that she's got a sister, from her for 14 years.

She will never understand that we.. we were trying to protect her, but you had to ruin everything by not locking your stupid office!" Rory's voice was growing louder now. Lorelai felt like she was a tiger trapped in a cage while she paced back and forth in her office.

"Rory how many times should I say I'm sorry and believe me I blame myself more than you can imagine. But the truth is that Nathalie knows now that she has a sister she didn't know about for 14 years." she fired back and was getting mad too. Her angriness, coupled with fear and grief, grew up unstoppably in Lorelai.

"It hurts you? Mom, how do you think I feel about this? Logan and I will have to explain everything to her and, this will open up old wounds again for us. I'm... I'm scared, mom. Our 14-year-old daughter probably wants nothing more to do with us. "

Lorelai listened in silence as her daughter continued to speak and her tears fell from her eyes.

"I failed as a mother. If only I had paid more attention.", Rory's voice became quieter.

Lorelai heard her daughter's voice begin to quiver and finally, she heard the uncontrollable sobs. Her guilt made her wish that she had driven to their home and spoke to her. All she could do now was try to reassure with words.

"Sweets, you're a fantastic mother to your kids. Please stop crying, honey. Should I come over now?" Lorelai offered her daughter.

"No mom, I need to realize that it is no longer a secret anymore. I need to talk to Logan. We need to discuss how we will explain to Nathalie why we kept this from her. It's just so hard I mean..", Rory sobbed and was at a loss for words.

For years she and Logan never discussed what they should do if the children ever found out about their missing sister Norah. They never wanted to face this, and now she had no idea how she and Logan were going to explain to Nathalie, Grace, and Jacob that Nathalie had a twin sister who was kidnapped when she was an infant.

Most of all, she was afraid to tell Logan. Their marriage had improved a lot since they had returned from Martha's Vineyard and the journal entries brought them closer than ever before. Rory didn't want him to lose him.

"Oh, Rory, honey I know that her finding out like this wasn't ideal, but I'm here to support you both. I can come and sit with you both when you explain this to your children. Rory, I'm so sorry that this happened. Please don't be angry at me."

"Mom, I could never be angry or hate you over this. You've done so much for us over the last 14 years. You dried so many tears and held me in your arms when I didn't know what to do and when I was standing on the edge because Logan was turning into his father," Rory interrupted her mother and wiped away her tears.

"Oh, Honey, I know the last few years have been especially difficult for you and Logan. We can all hope that you will find a good solution to explain to your children that they have a sister." Lorelai cleared her throat and took a quick look at her watch.

"Right, and I gotta go, mom. When I know more about the next steps, I'll give you a call, okay?"

"Of course. We'll hear from each other yeah? Take care; I love you! See you soon!"

"I'll love you to mom, see you..." Rory ended the conversation and felt a little more secure, and before she could leave the office a, the door was opened by her husband. "Hey Ace..", he smiled at her and entered Rory's office.