Finally where we should be

The Prodigal Daughter Returns

Spending hours in the bookshop was always Rory's favorite hobby in Stars Hollows. It even beat coffee at Luke's and that's a tough opponent for a person known for drinking way more caffeine than humanly possible. So, there she was again, one more afternoon, looking for comfort in the middle of the bookshelves in her hometown.

Although the collection avaiable in a small town is not so impressive and full of titles as the great bookstores in New York, where she used to live before moving back with her mom, it was always reassuring to go through the covers and think about the different universes inside.

As a true bookworm, Rory loves classic novels, epic narratives and existentialist biografies. But, lately, she has been looking for a different kind of literature. Since she told her mother about the baby three weeks ago, her shopping list was all about pregnancy.

As the fiery-red Autumn leaves coloured the streets of the quirky town along the month of November, Rory bought books about being pregnant, some guides for breastfeeding, handbooks teaching how to take care of newborns and even a copy of Parenting for Dummies - which was suggested by Lane, her best friend, mother of twins and perfect alibi to avoid the curious eyes of Miss Patty, Babette or any loving citizen of Stars Hollow during her searches in the maternity section of the bookshop.

"The rest of the town will discover eventually, you know?" Lane said, after a long quiet minute gazing at the shelves with Rory by her side.

"Yeah... But I am not ready to handle the whispers and the gossip about my current situation, or the questions about the father of the baby," Rory replied, barely making a sound so no one could hear.

Rory feared, once the news were out, everyone would remember the successful future she planned and give her pitty glances for her failure as a journalist. They thought she was going to conquer the world. Damn it! They organized a freaking going away party for her years ago. Now, she was back with no job, no money and no car.

She also believed in great acomplishments after the graduation in Yale. All seemed to be on track when she left town to cover Barack Obama's presidential campaign for a small website. They loved her work and offered the young journalist a full time position, but Rory declined. It was time to aim bigger. After all, she had an Ivy League diploma on her hands.

But things didn't work out as Rory imagined. She wrote some stories for established publications now and then. The last one for The New Yorker surely made her mom, her grandmother and especially Luke proud.

However, it was not enough to open the doors to big newspapers and finally ensure a steady job with a regular paycheck. On the other hand, she never truly considered looking for a position in smaller newsrooms. She had the right to be picky, right? She was a Gilmore, destined only for greatness. Her grandparents always said so.

"Are you having second thoughts?" Lane asked, staring at Rory's troubled face.

"Not at all. It's scary for sure and different from everything I planned for my life... But the moment I found out... I don't know. It seems something's started to change. I've spent the last years kind of lost, drifting and waiting for my big shot to happen. I think I was absorbed in that fantasy world of the Life and Death Brigade. Suddenly, I realized it was time to grow up." Rory sighed, taking in the words.

"Then, welcome back to the real world!"

Lane gave Rory a warm hug and they both laughed, but Rory couldn't stop thinking that Lane didn't even say she was wrong about the last years of her life...

Rory pushed the thought away while Lane purchased a new edition about child development and left the store carrying the book. As she followed her friend home, another fear sillently began to spread in Rory's mind: would people compare her to Lorelai? Both single mothers, afraid of settling down and with a roller coaster love life.

Stars Hollow witnessed as her mother stumbled from one boyfriend to another until finally admitting feelings for Luke, although it took over 10 years for them actually go down the aisle. The town probably would now expect the same drama from Rory. As the old saying goes, an apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

But this Lorelai doesn't have a Luke. Not anymore. She once had someone like him, someone she could trust to be there, no mather what. But she broke his heart too many times. And now it was too late for another chance.

The sound of Lane screaming with the kids pulled Rory back from her thoughts before she went down a path full of hard memories and regrets. There was no time now to wallow. A baby would be in her arms in a few months and she had almost zero experience with children.

That's why she offered to babysit for Lane one night per week until she was too pregnant to do anything. It was a win-win situation: Rory, as a good student, would have the opportunity to practice and learn a little about dealing with children, while her friend gets some time off to enjoy a romantic night out with Zack.

Tonight is going to be the her first time alone with the boys. Rory was trying to keep a brave face, but she was really nervous to see if things would work out.

Different from many teenage girls, Rory never babysat to earn some cash when she was younger. Thinking about it, she never had a summer job or had to work at all for money. She dedicated her time for studies, getting into college and then graduating. Her mom, her father, her grandparents and even Logan at some point took care of the bills. That was the first time she realized how privileged she was. Could it be the reason she struggled so much as a young woman in the real world?

Marty, the guy who had a crush on her back in the early years of Yale, had to bust his ass working between classes to afford an Ivy League education. Maybe she could have learned something from him if she had made different choices in the past.

Rory got lost in her thoughts and didn't realize almost one hour passed by. Meanwhile, Lane had already showered and was all dressed up in front of her.

"Rory, we are leaving. We'll be home by ten. Call me if you need help. I even wrote down Zack's number and the restaurant's phone in case of emergency." Lane said in a panicked voice, passing a piece of paper to her friend.

" Okay, you have..."

Before Rory could finish the sentence, Lane interrupted her rambling a series of instructions in case of misbehavior.

"If they don't listen to you just turn off the TV and disconnect the videogame. I can show you where to cut off the power of the house if necessary. There are candles under the sink..."

Rory cut in to calm her friend. "Lane! Everything is going to be fine. Just go and have fun. You and Zack look like a couple of rock stars."

"Which one?" Zack spoke for the first time, waiting for the answer in a bit of agony. "Please, don't say Sharon and Ozzy Osborne!"

"I was going for something like Courtney Love slash Kurt Cobain or Patti and Fred Smith," Rory quickly added, expecting it was the answer he was looking for.

"A little tragic, but cool!" Zack smiled. "See, babe. We still rock!" He said with enthusiam, embracing Lane and leaving the house.

Only one minute had passed since Lane and Zack left the house when two energetic 10-year-olds rushed into the living room screaming and fighting about some game or cartoon character Rory has never heard about.

"It's my turn now to play Groot!" Both yelled, pushing each other.

In shock, Rory frowned and murmured to herself. "Oh, boy! This going to be a long night."