Left Behind | Gilmore Girls

𝟎𝟎𝟓: 𝐁𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞

There was another Friday night dinner, but Richard had gone to Germany for business. Richard had promised to bring Elsie back a snow globe for her collection. Every time he traveled to some place, he would bring her back a snow globe from where he visited.

Now, Elsie had to sit next to Rory and act like Rory didn't embarass her by screaming at Elsie in front of their whole class. Granted, Elsie felt a little guilty for telling Rory that they weren't sisters. So, Rory stayed out of Elsie's way while Elsie stayed out of Rory's way, which was working perfectly fine for them.

Lorelai asked, "So, where'd you say Dad was?"

"Away on business," Emily said.

Lorelai asked, "Location's top secret?"

"Oh, Germany," Emily replied.

"Germany," Lorelai said. "Is Dad's firm insuring Nazis now?"

"Your father doesn't know any Nazis," Emily told her.

"I know, Mom," Lorelai said. "I was just—"

"What?" prompted Emily.

"Joking," Rory cut in. "She was joking."

"Oh." Emily replied, "Hard to tell."

Elsie nodded, because she still didn't get Lorelai's sense of humor.

"Yeah, well..." Lorelai started.

"Oh, I'm afraid I have some bad news," Emily said. "Claudia died."

Lorelai asked, "Who?"

"Claudia," Emily said. "Your cousin Claudia." Lorelai stared at Emily, who repeated, "Claudia!"

"Oh," Elsie said. She vaguely remembered Claudia. She baby-sat Elsie when Emily and Richard had things to attend too and they couldn't bring a four-year-old with them.

"I'm hearing the name, Mom," Lorelai said. "I have no idea who that is."

"Claudia's your cousin, for all intents and purposes," Emily said. "She baby-sat Elsie a few times."

"Oh, now we're getting to it," Lorelai said.

"She was your father's grandmother's sister's girl," Emily explained. "So to you, that would make her—"

"Nothing?" offered Lorelai.

"First cousin twice removed for you, but three times removed for me and Rory," Elsie stated.

"Yes, well...the funeral's on Thursday. I thought we'd all go together," Emily stated.

"Ooh, whoa," Lorelai said. "Two problems: impossible to get away from the inn on Thursday. Two, I've never met this woman."

"You most certainly have," Emily told her.

Lorelai asked, "When?"

"Several times," Emily told her.

"I'll take one," Lorelai said.

Emily explained, "We went to her house in Groton to see the first moon landing. She'd just gotten a new Philco."

"I have no memory of this whatsoever," Lorelai stated.

Elsie wished she had no memory of the Red Wedding in A Storm of Swords.

Emily looked at Elsie and said, "Elsie, correct me if I'm wrong, but men have walked on the moon regardless of whether your mother remembers it or not."

"I've heard rumors of it happening," Elsie stated and took a drink of her Coke.

"I know men have walked on the moon," Lorelai said. "I just don't know Claudia."