MAYBE TOMORROW ... gilmore girls

chapter six

October 2000

19:00

214 Oak Tree Lane, Stars Hollow

JETHRO WAS right. It really isn't that hard to find people in Stars Hollow.

I drive through the town, not needing to check street signs because I only need to follow the mass migration of people to the street a few corners into town. It's a beautiful two-storey house. I have no idea how my sister can afford it. I would give up everything I own to live in a house like this. I bet all the walls are painted warm colors and there are throws everywhere in case a chill runs through the house. And there will be love carved into every corner.

I have never lived in a house this beautiful.

Most of Stars Hollow must be at Lorelai's house. I've never seen people gathering on a porch before, sitting on the wooden stairs, handing over glasses of soda and laughing. Laughing loudly, actually. I park behind Lorelai's truck – there are no other cars in the driveway, and I guess you don't really need to drive when you live just around the corner.

I grab the gift bag from the passenger seat and swing out of the car. Nobody on the porch turns to look at me, far too engrossed in their conversations. I slip past them all and through the front door, into another crowd of Stars Hollow residents who barely mumble greetings as I walk by.

Lorelai must have spent all day decorating. Every time I look up, I am faced with yet another multi-coloured lantern on a string. Red. Blue. Green. I reach up to tap a yellow one gently and watch it swing back and forth. There are pink balloons and streamers everywhere. I never had balloons at any of my birthday parties, just cheese boards and old men I never knew handing me cheques I'd cash the next day at my mother's behest.

Rory and Lorelai are surrounded by people. It's the complete antithesis to last night, when we'd stood in our respective corners and refused to leave, trying our hardest to stay away from everyone else. I try to slip in as quietly as possible, but my bag swings against a lampshade covered in seashells and I spin around to catch it before it falls and smashes – everyone spins around to face me.

I gulp as I slowly turn back around, fingers itching around the gift bag swinging from my hands.

"Auntie Leighton!" Rory jumps up from her seat to wrap me up in a hug. She's wearing a pink feather boa and a paper crown. And she's smiling so hard her face looks like it hurts. I've never seen her smile like this. "Thank you for coming. Especially after last night, you didn't need to."

I uncurl Rory's arms from my shoulder so that I can see the smile on her face. "Of course I did. I'm not missing another birthday."

I cannot believe I ever allowed myself to miss this. The way her face lights up entirely and her eyes shine with joy. For once in my life, I feel as if I am loved without strings attached to it. Maybe, family can be more than just the blood in our veins.

Lorelai appears behind Rory's shoulder and she's smiling too. I share a look with my sister and smile back at her. I have never felt more like Lorelai than I do when we're smiling. Everyone has always said we have the same smile, that shines just bright enough to light up a room, that scrunches up our eyes until all you can see is cheek.

"I hope that's for me." She nods down to the bag in my hands and I remember, suddenly, where I am. I quickly glance around the small living room full of Stars Hollow residents and notice a pair of sparkling dark eyes behind silver glasses watching me from across the room. He winks. Heat rushes through my face as I turn back to Lorelai. I can feel it starting to prickle in my ears and then it scurries across my skin, pinpricks of blood and heat making their mark on my pale cheeks.