The Other Gilmore

Birthday Parties, Part 1

"Any special requests for dinner next week, girls?" Emily Gilmore asked as Lorelai and the twins were getting ready to head back to Stars Hollow one Friday night.

"Oh, um –"

"Well, you see –" the twins spoke at the same time, stammering for the right words.

"Mom, I want to talk to you for a minute, and girls, why don't you go say goodbye to Grandpa," Lorelai cut her daughters off, motioning with her head to scamper out of the room.

"Very smooth," Frankie mumbled, grabbing Rory's hand and walking out of the living room. The twins found their grandfather in his office, said goodbye, and met their mother out in the Jeep.

"So, how would you guys like two parties this year?" Lorelai asked, trying to be upbeat.

"You couldn't get her to cave," Frankie sighed.

"No, but she did agree to make the string quartet learn 'Like A Virgin'."

"Well, you tried," Rory said, a half smile etched on her face.

"Girls, I promise, Saturday night, we'll do it up right at home – a Stars Hollow Extravaganza."

"So, is this party Grandma's having gonna be a big deal?" Rory asked.

"Not really." Lorelai pondered the question for a moment. "The government will close that day. Flags will fly at half-mast. Barbara Streisand will give her final concert...again." The twins groaned as Lorelai continued. "Now, the Pope has previous plans, but he's trying to get out of them. However, Elvis and Jim Morrison are coming, and they're bringing chips." Lorelai finished her tangent with a goofy smile, looking at her twins with a proud glint in her eye.

"You ask a simple question..." Frankie muttered, shaking her head as her mother started the car and began driving back to Stars Hollow.

For days, all Frankie did was go to school, then to Ms. Patty's studio, then home to sleep. She wasn't worried about her and Rory's birthday, but she was worried about Rory. She had been acting off for a couple of days. Frankie had tried to get to the bottom of it, but her sister had shut her down, so she gave up digging for answers.

It was now 4:03 in the morning, and Lorelai was gently waking up her youngest, taking her hand and walking the sleepy teenager over to her sister's room.

"Happy birthday, little girls," Lorelai whispered. She climbed in the bed next to Rory, and Frankie crawled in next to her mother, curling up into her side. "I can't believe how fast you're growing up."

"Really?" Rory asked, her arm linked through her mother's. "Feels slow."

"Mmh-mmh, trust me, it's fast. What do you think of your lives so far?"

"I think it's pretty good," Frankie said, looking over at Rory, who nodded in agreement.

"Any complaints?"

"I'd like that whole humidity thing to go away," Rory stated.

"I'd like to be a little taller," Frankie piped up.

"Alright, I'll work on that," their mother agreed.

"So, do we look older?" asked Rory, looking up at her mother from her pillow.

"Oh, yeah. You walk into Denny's before 5:00, you got yourself a discount," Lorelai joked.

"Good deal," whispered Frankie as she laid her head down on her mother's shoulder.