MELLIFLUOUS | gilmore girls ¹

chapter one!

chapter one! the first of many

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Theodora Gilmore was regretting not taking Paris Geller's advice and pretending to be sick, her mother and sister were minutes away from arriving and as every second passed she was regretting her decision even more. Thea anxiously waited beside her grandfather, her tattered copy of Wuthering Heights propped open on her lap.

"Richard, Thea. Look who's here," Emily announced, strutting into the sitting room with an anxious-looking Rory trailing behind her.

"Rory. You're tall," Richard pointed out, lowering his newspaper and focusing his attention on his eldest granddaughter, removing his glasses and folding his paper.

"I guess," Rory shrugged, nervously looking down at her sister and grandfather.

"Well, what's your height?" Richard asked as Thea focused her deep green eyes on her twin, who she hadn't seen the previous Easter.

"Five-seven," Rory answered, frozen in place in front of her grandfather and sister.

"That's tall," the silver-haired Gilmore continued, looking towards his wife, who was preparing drinks for their guests, "She's tall. A lot taller than our Thea."

"Hi, Dad, Theodora," Lorelai smiled, walking into the room a hopeful smile on her face.

Thea closing her novel and looking over at Lorelai, quickly correct her, "It's Thea."

"Lorelai, your daughter is tall,"

"Oh, I know. It's freakish," Lorelai joked  her gaze focused on Thea, who now sat tapping her fingers on Emily Brontë novel, "We're thinking of having her studied at M.I.T."

"Champagne, anyone?" Emily asked, moving over to the two Stars Hollow Gilmores, balancing a tray of champagne flutes.

"That's fancy," Lorelai mumbled, taking a glass for herself, Rory doing the same seconds later, following her mother's lead.

"Well, it's not every day my girls are here for dinner on a day the banks are open," Emily witted, moving over to her husband and youngest granddaughter, who both took a glass from her,
"A toast. To Rory entering Chilton and an exciting new phase in her life."

"Here, here,"

Thea waited for her grandfather to finish his champagne, before handing him her glass to drink for her. The young girl had never liked the taste of champagne, which had always made it hard at her grandmother's social events.

"Well, let's sit everyone," Emily suggested, gesturing towards the two sofas. Rory took a seat between her grandfather and sister, while Lorelai bravely decided to remain standing, "This is just wonderful. Education is the most important thing, next to family."

"And pie. Joke, a joke,"

• • • • • • •

"Rory, how do you like the lamb?"
Emily wondered as the family sat gathered around the spacious dining table.

Thea uncomfortable shifted beside her mother, who she'd, unfortunately, got seated next to, not daring to utter a word to anyone.

"It's good,"

"Too dry?"

"Perfect,"

"Potatoes could use a little salt, though," Lorelai spoke up.

"Excuse me?"

"So, Grandpa, how's the insurance biz?" Rory asked, in an attempt to diffuse any oncoming argument between Lorelai and Emily.

"Oh, people die, we pay. People crash cars, we pay. People lose a foot, we pay," the older man answered simply, before returning to his lamb.

"Well, at least you have your new slogan,"

"And how are things at the motel?" Richard questioned his daughter, a genuine smile forming on Lorelai's face as her father took an interest in her life.

"The inn? They're great," Lorelai answered, the smile remaining on her face.

"Lorelai's the executive manager now. Isn't that wonderful?" Emily added, focusing her attention on Thea, hoping that the young girl would take notice and compliment her mother on her position.

"Speaking of which, Christopher called yesterday," Richard casually spoke, taking a small sip of his wine.

Thea looked up from her potatoes at the mention of her father. Christopher Hayden had called the previous night to check up on Thea and to see how her field hockey match had gone. Christopher had always made sure to call his youngest at least once a week, no matter where he was or what he was doing.

"Speaking of which? How is that a speaking of which?" Lorelai asked, a confused look replacing her smile.

"He's doing very well in California. His internet start-up goes public next month. This could mean big things. A very talented man, your father," the Gilmore male explained, looking over at Rory since he had mentioned it to Thea the previous night.

"She knows,"

"He was always a smart one, that boy. The girls must take after him," Richard beamed at his granddaughters.

"Speaking of which, I'm gonna get a coke," Lorelai sighed, pulling herself from the table, "or a knife."

The twins watched their mother storm away into the kitchen, a nervous look appearing on Thea's face. Rory glanced over at her sister, losing her confidence as her mother left the room, "I think I'm gonna go talk-"

"No, I'll go," Emily cut off Rory, and getting out of her wooden chair to follow her estranged daughter into the kitchen, "You can stay and keep your grandfather and sister company."

The distant sisters watched as Emily left the dining room and stepped through the door into the kitchen. Thea leaned forward slightly and pulled the tattered Brontë novel from behind her back, immediately immersing herself back into the events of the novel.

The girls' grandfather had fallen asleep in his chair, almost moments after his wife and daughter had left.

Rory looked between her sister and grandfather, wondering how Thea kept her sanity in this house.