The Gilmore Girl

Season 1, Episode 6: In the Office

Emily POV: 

Emily got the call the next morning, Rory filling her in on what Lily had done and then had gone on a run before they could talk. 

Lily had always seemed like such a good kid, like Rory had been but more outgoing and with Lorelai's wit. She was a good kid, not one to drink underage. The thought made Emily sick. Perhaps that foul Anthony boy got her to do it. If she had done that, who was to say she hadn't done... other things? 

She had been trying to reach her great grandaughter since the call, to no avail. It seemed like her phone was out of service. So now Emily had to wait for Rory's promised call after she talked with her daughter. 

That had been almost three hours ago. Emily was seated in her office, similar to her late husbands office, with the phone waiting in front of her as she finished off her coffee. Emily gave up drinking after Richard died, and her coffee addiction had only gotten worst from it. Though she would never tell her daughter that they had that in common. 

Emily loved having her own office, she finally understood why Richard almost never left his. Though he had someone waiting in the other room, and she didn't. 

She was alone either way, with no other choice. 

It was a nice space though, and where she kept all of Richards things. She called it her office, but deep down she knew it was for Richard. She couldn't imagine living somewhere without an office for Richard. 

Emily admired Rory's oil portrait as she waited the call, thinking of how Lily should have one done to go next to it. Maybe Lorelai when she came back with that horrible husband of hers. Though the wedding had been lovely, Lorelai had gone with the wedding Emily had always dreamed for her. The Russian Winter theme, but simpler than Emily had imagined. She hadn't been involved in the planning of it though, despite offering multiple times. Emily had enough sense to not remind Lorelai that the wedding theme had been her idea though. 

Instead of going on a honeymoon they started a savings, and now they were using that savings to travel the world. The plan all of those years ago was to take Rory with them, but then Rory got pregnant from Jess and married him. At least that's what she claimed. 

Lily looked nothing like either of her parents, except for her mothers eyes and that certain gilmore set of features. Her colouring was off though, and her nose and mouth as well. Next to Jess, Lily and him could be perfect strangers. 

The phone rings, and Emily had to force herself to wait until the third ring to pick up as if she hadn't been waiting three hours for this call. 

"Hello?" Emily asked. 

"Hi Grandma, it's Rory. I wanted to call and fill you in, I just had a talk with Lily. Are you busy now?" she asked. 

"No, go ahead. I'm all ears." Emily answered briskly. 

"Okay, good. I really need to get someones opinion on this since Jess is at work already. So I talked to Lily when she got back, with eggs, which seems like a guilt gift but we needed eggs so that was good. Lily told me that her friend Ella spiked the pitchers of Shirley Temples with something so she could get drunk without anyone noticing. And that she called Ella, to end their alliance as she called it, this morning before her run. What do you think?" Rory sounded out of breathe when she finished, her voice wavering with anxiety. 

"Did she look at you when she told you this?" Emily asked, trying to recall the signs she used to look for in her own daughters behaviour to whether or not she had been lying. 

"Eye contact. Is that bad?" Rory asked, fear clinging to her voice clear as day now. 

I don't know, Emily thought to herself. For most it would be no, that meant they weren't nervous but Emily had never seen Lily nervous. 

"Yes, that's a good thing. She would avoid eye contact if she were lying." Emily decided, hoping that her answer would make Rory feel a little better and that it was the truth. 

Emily Gilmore did not want to believe for a second that her great grand daughter would lie about such a thing. Lily had always been so sensible, so Emily was hoping she hadn't lost it when she would need it most. 

Lily reminded Emily so much of herself, perhaps that's why she put all of her faith in her. 

Rory sighed a breath of relief. 

"She just seemed so calm about it... and I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. If that's normal or not..." A sob croaked from across the landline. 

"I... I don't even know my own daughter," heavy crying followed that, "I'm nothing like my mom. She was my best friend and knew me as well as she knew herself. I'm a bad mom, grandma." Rory cried. 

"No, of course you're not. Lily is a fantastic girl." Emily tried reassuring her, though Emily had been the one to care for Lily all of her early childhood and a little later on as well. Rory had been too busy, trying to put her life together. 

"I know. But I didn't do any of that." Rory sniffs, her crying coming to an end. "Sorry, I didn't mean to start crying like a baby." 

"Rory, don't you ever say sorry for crying. Do you understand?" Emily asked and Rory mumbled something around "yes". 

"I have to go, grandma. I have to be at the inn in half an hour and drop Chris off at soccer on the way. I'll see you friday night dinner though, right?" Rory asked. 

"Of course. Seven, don't be late." Emily reminded her before she hung up. 

Emily turned back to her work for the museum, trying to not think too hard about whether Lily was or wasn't lying. And what that would mean.