"How was it?" Jess asked me from his place by the stove as I entered our apartment. The place smelled of coffee and pasta.

Over the time that we had spent living together, we had learnt how to cook some food so that we didn't starve to death or go completely broke by only buying takeout. After a lot of trouble -mainly broken eggs on the floor and burnt spaghetti because someone forgot to add water- we had finally managed to successfully prepare edible meals for the two of us.

I put my bag and coat on the hook by the door. "The same as it was last week," I fill up two mugs of coffee and sit down at the table. Getting an internship at one of the top law firms in New York was hard, but keeping up with all the work they had given me was harder.

"Well, would you like some good news?" Jess asked as he plated some spaghetti bolognese on a plate for the two of us.

I sigh and put my head in my hands. "After this day, the news I need is that the Bangles are getting back together."

He laughs lightly before setting the plate in front of me and taking a seat at the table. "Well, it's slightly less exciting." I urged him to continue as I take a forkful of my spaghetti. "The book sold two thousand copies."

At his words, the food nearly fell out of my open mouth. "Two thousand?" I repeat as he nods his head in confirmation. "Wow, that's amazing!" I say with a wide smile on my face.

"I know," Jess agreed as he looked down at his plate. "It's going really well, better than I ever thought it would."

"I just know it's going to get better," I say confidently. "I'm so proud of you, I told you it was great."

The knock at the door cut off Jess' response. Both of our heads turned to the door in confusion. I tried to think if there was anyone we were supposed to be expecting.

"Rory?" Jess asked me as I shook my head. She wasn't supposed to come till next week.

"Liz?" I asked if his mother could be here but he merely shook his head as well. I made a move towards the door but Jess stopped me with a hand on my arm. "Don't open it," he chided as I raise an eyebrow. "This is New York, it could be a serial killer."

The person on the other side of the door knocked once more, getting impatient no doubt. "It could also be Britney Spears, it is New York after all," I throw his words back in his face as I open the door.

A man stood on the other side of the door. He had on a hat that covered some thinning blonde hair. He had a face that showed that he was no older than 40 and he had green eyes that made me confused because I felt like I'd seen those somewhere before.

Jess came up behind me and put his arm around my shoulder. "Can we help you?" He asked as he sized the guy up.

The man looked between Jess and I before his gaze rested on me. "Are you Cassandra Quinn?"

"Depends on whose asking and what for," I replied warily. I may be a grown adult, but when my mother says don't talk to strangers, I usually listen.

The man shifted his weight between his feet nervously. "I just need some legal help and someone mentioned you and I thought you'd help me."

I look to Jess to see if he heard everything I just did. The fact that this strange man that showed up on our doorstep knew what I do in college."Don't take this the wrong way," I told the man, "But what makes you think that I'd help you? Do I know you?"

"Um, no. But, technically yes." The man stuttered out as I waited for him to continue. "I'm your father."

It was as if the words didn't register in my head. I mean I heard him, but I just didn't process that my father was suddenly at my doorstep.

"You're her father?" Jess asked somewhat hostile. "You?"

"Yes, I'm Frank Martins." He told the two of us, mostly me. He said that as if he expected me to know that name or at least recognise it. But I really didn't, I didn't know anything about my father.

I ignore the man and turn to Jess. "Would you call my mum and ask if she knew a Frank?" I ask him. Jess merely nods and with one cautious look to Frank, he walked inside to phone my mum.

"Are you sure?" I asked Frank, "Cause it would be pretty messed up if you're wrong."

"I'm sure," he told me grimly as if not wanting to believe that he himself had a daughter. That hurt.

I let out a heavy breath as I looked behind me to see Jess talking on the phone. For some reason I knew that I didn't need my mother to confirm that he was my father, I had seen those eyes everyday in the mirror after all. That's why they felt so familiar, they were my eyes.

"Do you wanna come in?" I offered awkwardly as I leaned against the doorframe.

"Um, yeah. Thanks." Frank said as he walked passed me.

I closed the door behind me as the two of us stood by the dining table. "Spaghetti?" I offered meekly as I gestured to our half eaten meals.

"No, it's alright." He declined as Jess put the phone down.

He walked up next to me and nodded subtly. "Took a lot of coaxing, but yeah. It's him," he told me softly. I invited Frank to sit down at the table with us as I unpacked what had just happened in the last ten minutes.

"So Frank," I began, just because he was my father didn't mean that I was gonna start calling him Dad. He didn't earn that yet. "Can you explain to me what you're doing here?"

"I'm in some trouble," he clarified. "I need help, legally and financially." I felt my heart deflate at his words. I hoped that he would at least mention wanting to see me and know who I was.

"So nothing to do with me?" I say sadly. "Nothing to do with wanting to see me or get to know me?" I asked hopefully.

Jess and I watched as Frank hung his head low. "To be honest," he began as I nodded for him to continue. "No, not really."

I could see Jess wanting to say something but he held himself back, something I was very grateful for. "You don't wanna know me?" I repeated as I felt myself suddenly feel empty. "Your own daughter?"

"Listen," Frank said, clearly uncomfortable at being called out. "I just need some legal advice and money then I'll get out of your hair."

That was the moment I realised it. That all those years that I had wondered where my father was. Those late nights where four year old me stayed up and asked my mum 'When's daddy coming home?'

All that for nothing. This guy didn't even give a damn about me. In his head the day he walked out on us was probably the best day of his life. 'Dodged a bullet,' was probably all he said to himself whenever he thought about me. All he wanted was some cash.

I ignored the lump in my throat as I spoke. "What makes you even think I have money. I'm a college student." Out of the corner of my eye I could see Jess glaring at Frank. He was clearly trying to stop himself from doing something in a matter that didn't concern him much.

"I don't need much," Frank pleaded as I rolled my eyes at him. "I'll take anything. I just need help."

"My mum needed help and you left her," I spat out through my gritted teeth as Frank avoided my accusing gaze. "So why should I help you when you didn't give her the same courtesy."

She never told me but I knew how hard it was for my mum raising me all on her own. With her parents in a whole different country and her still trying to hold down a job. Surviving on one year of college. And yet, she did it all in her own.

"Please," he pleaded as I shook my head at him. "You're my last option." As much as I didn't like him I felt a sliver of pity toward the man.

Pity that he really didn't have another option. And here I was, turning him away. All on a stupid grudge. However, even if I wanted to help him I couldn't do anything. I didn't have a fortune to fall back on and I couldn't even represent him in court. But a horrible part of me knew even if I could I wouldn't do it.

"Just do what you do best and walk out the door," I said with a tilt of my head toward the door. Once Frank saw that there was nothing he could do to change my mind, he went out the open door that was held open by Jess. Not even giving me a second glance.

Jess walked back over to me and took a seat next to me. He hugged me from the side as I buried my head in his shoulder. "You okay?" He asked me as I pulled my face up to look at him.

"Yeah," I said truthfully as I rubbed at my red nose. "I'm kinda glad to know that I didn't miss out on much."

Pulling me closer to him, Jess hugged me tighter. "Yeah, the guy was a prick," he began. "Like if Angelica from Rugrats and Janice from friends were all mushed into one character."

I laugh lightly at his attempts to cheer me up. "Don't forget adding Dolores Umbridge," I commented.

He kissed my forehead lightly and leaned his head on top of mine. "How could I forget," he says as I smile. "I love you," he mumbled into my hair.

"I love you too," I say as I move my head to give him a small kiss that was interrupted by the phone ringing.

Both of us pulled part to look at the phone. Jess quickly got up and answered it. I watched as he listened to what he other person said before saying a quick, 'Okay.'

He handed the phone to me, "It's your mum." I take the phone in my hand as Jess grabs a book from the shelf, leaving to the bedroom to read. Not before giving me a small smile that made my heart melt all over again.

I mentally prepared myself for whatever she might say. "Hello?" I asked into the phone.

"What the hell is going on over there?" Was the first thing I heard from my mother. "Jess practically forced your fathers name out of me and suddenly he hangs up?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, "It's a long story." I tried to avoid the topic.

"Well would you look at that?" My mum says sarcastically. "I've got time. Now spill it."

That was when I recounted the whole endeavour of Frank Martin showing up to my door up until the moment I practically shoved him out. The whole time my mum didn't say anything. It was so quiet on the other line that I could hear her breathing clearly as if she were right next to me.

"I'm sorry you had to meet him that way," she apologised sadly. "If it were up to me, you never would have met him at all."

"It's alright, mum." I assure her quietly. "I feel kinda relieved to know that we didn't need him."

"Never have and never will." She agreed strongly and I could her the truth in her voice.

I nod my head, silently agreeing with her. "But did you ever think things would be easier with him around?"

"Nope," she says without any hesitation or uncertainty in her voice. "He would've just added more trouble."

"Did you ever wonder about him?"

"Sometimes," she tells me honestly as I cling onto every words she says. "Like when I couldn't make your third grade parent-teacher meeting and felt so mad that I had to work double shifts just so that I could buy you those colour pencils you wanted."

"Didn't Luke go to that meeting for us?" I asked her as I recalled Luke coming into school and people asking me if he was my father. And having to tell them no, cause I didn't know my father.

"Yup," my mum confirms as I smile lightly. "So it's fine that we didn't have him, cause like I said before, we got a whole family here."

"Did you ever think of finding someone for yourself?" I ask suddenly, seeming to shock her into silence. "Like how Luke and Lorelai found each other?"

For my whole life or as long as I could remember, my mum never had a boyfriend. Sure she had people ask her out and she went on dates but it never went further than the first date. Which I could never understand why, cause I'd seen plenty of guys that would be good for her but she never did anything about it.

I heard her sigh on the other line. "First off, I want you to know that I love you very much." She starts making me confused at where this was heading. "I never found someone because I never wanted too. I never wanted the life that Lorelai and Luke or you and Jess have together."

"I'm fine on my own and I quite like it." She continued on as I listened intently. "I like waking up at whatever time I want and not having to worry about who's going to use the shower first. I like choosing what food I want and not thinking about if the person with me likes it or not."

"Now, I loved it when you were with me all the time and I really miss it, I do. But I need time to be with myself and watch the movies I want and eat the food I want. I haven't done that since I was 19." She pauses for a second as if to make sure I was still on the line. "Do you get that?"

I nod my head then remembered she couldn't see me. "I do, mum." I tell her honestly. "I really do and I'm glad that you can finally have that."

"Thanks," she mutters quietly that I could barely hear her. "I just wanted you to understand."

"Now I do," I say with a small smile. "Alright, this heart to heart thing was fun but I gotta go. I'm tired." I joke as I hear her laugh on the other line.

"Yeah this is too much emotions for one night." She retorted playfully. "We shouldn't hug until next month, it'll balance it out."

"Got it," I responded with a smile on my face. "I'm gonna go to bed now, love you."

I heard her groan on the other end, "What did I just say?" I laugh at her as she continued on. "Alright then. Later, loser." With that, she hung up the phone. Leaving me to my thoughts.