Willow Danes

Seeing Mom and Meeting the Boyfriend

We walk up and are both shocked to see mom is there.

"I forgot something," Jess says, before rushing to get what he needed.

"Oh, my god, this is freaky. It's like fate. Jess and Willow didn't know we were here. I had no idea Jess would come by, and now look at us together. All the men in my life are drawn here to me," Mom says with her arm around Jess.

"And my girl," she says, coming over to hug me.

"This is positive. This means something. Do you feel it?"

I feel like you're crazy.

"I sure do," some random guy says.

Who the hell are you? Please don't tell me...

"Baby, these are my kids. This is Jess and Willow. Willow, Jess, this is TJ."

"Guess what it stands for," TJ says.

"No," "No, thank you," Jess and I say at the same time, causing us to glance at each other.

"Oh, you'll stay for dinner," Mom says, pulling us both to the table.

"I gotta go check on my car."

"Yeah, Momma. I have plans," I say.

"Come on. We're making a tin of food. There's beer," TJ tries to persuade.

I don't like you, Sir.

"My beer," Luke adds.

"I'm not hungry," Jess says.

"Me, either," I add.

"Oh, please, stay for a little while. I think you guys are really gonna get along great," Mom says.

Luke just grins at Luke and me. Really Diner Man, no help. Jess finally breaks, giving a fake smile as he sinks into his chair.

I give Luke and Jess and glare as I take the seat between Jess and TJ.

"TJ's really enjoying Stars Hollow. Aren't you, Baby?" Mom asks him.

"Oh, yeah, this place is great. It reminds me of New York"

"How?" Jess and I ask at the same time.

"You know," he replies.

Jess and I share a look, and an eye roll. Like a bag of rock, this one.

"Neither one is in space," Luke says.

Please don't help.

"No, that's not it," TJ says.

"No, really?" I ask.

"Course not," Luke says at the same time.

"There's an energy, right?" TJ asks.

"There is. I feel it," Mom says.

"Of course you do," I mumble.

"A very similar energy," Mom continues.

"Liz showed me your old house and your school. Like the picture of you in the shorts," TJ says.

"My brother was very big in athletics in his day. And the ladies loved him"

"Ew," I mumble again.

"Ask Carrie. They went out," Mom adds.

"Oh, yeah?" TJ asks.

"Crazy Carrie and I did not go out." Luke says.

"They just made out," Mom corrects.

"Ew," I say again.

"We did not make out. We did not go out. We did nothing that involved the word out," Luke replies.

"I think he's still hung up on her," Tj says.

"A lightning bolt, please," Luke says.

"Ditto," I mumble.

"I gotta go," Jess says, starting to stand.

"Same," I reply quickly, getting up to follow him.

"Oh, okay, but come back after you've checked your car. We'll save you some food. You look good. Handsome," Mom tells Jess, holding his face.

"If I was a girl, I wouldn't kick him out of bed," TJ says.

Again, Ew. After her moment with Jess she turns to me.

"You go too, but I also want you back to eat," she says to me.

She walks up to me and runs her hand through my hair and then down the side of my face. I leaned into her touch just like Jess did, closing my eyes the same as him.

Moments like this between us and our mother came far too far apart. They were almost non-existent.

So even when we were upset, and wanted nothing to do with her we severed them.

They were some of the very few times our mother acted like a mother, and we never knew when another moment like this would come.

She pulls us both close to her, one on each side, and hugs us tight, patting our backs.

"Come, back, okay?" She says.

"Okay," Jess and I both reply quietly.

"Yeah, if you do, I'll draw your portrait on my Etch A Sketch," TJ adds.

"Hey, can't miss that," Luke says.

"We'll see," Jess says as we walk out.

"Hey, uh, guys, wait a sec," Luke says.

We wait just outside the door for him.