Life Choices, Challenges and Changes

Chapter 44 Gilmore Christmas Party

Chapter 44 Gilmore Christmas Party

Emily hired a professional decorating company from Hartford for her annual Christmas party. The Ainsley Group came highly recommended by her neighbors and women in the DAR organization, so she made an appointment with the owners, Phil and Renee Ainsley, right before Thanksgiving. They brought photographs of homes and businesses that they decorated in the greater Hartford area. After looking through the pictures, they discussed the options and Emily decided to use the Nutcracker Ballet as the theme for this year's party. Emily adored the Nutcracker Ballet, and when Lorelai was young, they would go to see the ballet every Christmas Season in the city. Richard gave Emily her first Nutcracker the first Christmas they spent together, and since then, each year he would add to the collection. When Lorelai was born, Emily started a collection of ballerina decorations and put them in storage when Lorelai left with Rory. Renee showed Emily ideas on how she could use both sets of decorations this year.

The day before the party, Emily, Richard, and the maid carried up her collection of nutcrackers and ballerina ornaments to use in the decorating. They had set them up in the front foyer for Phil and Renee to use. At eight am, the morning of the party, Renee and Phil arrived to begin decorating the inside and outside of the Gilmore home. Phil's team oversaw the outdoor decorations while Renee collaborated with her team decorating the interior. Emily and Richard left the house letting the Ainsley group decorate their home.

Emily and Richard returned to their home at three-thirty after spending the morning and most of the afternoon shopping. As they pulled into their driveway, Emily noticed the lights on the bushes and the gate. Lumineers lined the driveway with wreaths hanging in each window. They saw two men putting the finishing touches on the fountain, and Phil was directing men as they loaded their vans. Richard pulled their car to the garage and parked beside the Dragonfly van.

"Oh good, Sookie is here. Richard, stop the car, I need to go inside to talk to her." Emily quickly opened the car door leaving Richard to park the car and carry in the packages that Emily had bought. Rushing into the house, Emily interrupted Sookie, who was directing her staff.

"Sookie, I want to go over the menu with you again. I need everything to be perfect."

Just then, Lorelai appeared from the dining room with Renee.

"Mom, Sookie, and I have everything under control. Why don't you go upstairs with Dad and put your packages away," Lorelai told her as she took some of the packages from her father.

"But, Lorelai...,"

Lorelai gently nudged her up the back stairway and carried the packages up to the spare bedroom. As Richard and Emily walked up the back stairway to the second floor, the delivery van for the liquor arrived. Emily and Lorelai were separating the packages into piles when her maid came looking for her.

"Mrs. Gilmore, the delivery for the liquor, just arrived. Miss Sookie wants to know where you want it."

"Oh, let me find Richard."

"Richard? Richard, where are you?"

"I'm right here, Emily, in the closet where you told me to put the packages."

"Oh, well, the liquor just arrived. You might want to check on it."

Richard turned and followed the maid to the kitchen, where the delivery man was talking with Sookie.

"Neil, I heard you have a delivery for me?"

"Yes, Mr. Gilmore. I was able to get that Australian Zinfandel you wanted along with the ingredients to make that special drink for the party."