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2.10: the bracebridge dinner
14: ❝ leaving old life behind ❞
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✨☕️✨

"I don't know, I'm not used to it." Everleigh starts saying as she glances at her best friend, Lydia , " Last year the whole Christmas season would be boring. Blaze's family would come over, me and my dad would have a dinner with them and that was it. Nothing else, not a single tradition."

"Yeah, well, Stars Hollows goes fully out for Christmas. It's as if everyone channels their inner Martha May around this time around." Lydia mentions. Both girls making their way out of the school.

Everleigh wasn't lying, she wasn't used to it. In fact, she wasn't really keen on Christmas or its holidays. Never was. — Maybe when she was just a kid but what kid doesn't love Christmas. It's all about presents, Santa Claus and a lot of chocolate. As she grew older, however, things changed and opinions shifted.

"It's strange to me. I barely got to celebrate the holidays with my dad growing up and now I'm celebrating with the whole town at once." The girl says, biting her bottom lip, "So strange."

She knew she was having a dinner at the Independence Inn and a lot of people were attending. A lot of activities happening and Everleigh was freaking out. Her dad would stay for the dinner with Blaze and his family and then disappear to New York to visit Everleigh's sister. And so on every year until this year. It was a drastic change.

"If it makes things better, this is the craziest I've seen Stars Hollow go —." Lydia adds, trying to ease the girl's nerves but whatever she was trying to carry on saying, faded away. Students of Stars Hollow High erupt in loud chatter, grabbing both teens attention.

When Everleigh and Lydia looked up, they wasn't too sure what they were expecting: Mostly Everleigh, rather than Lydia. "You have to be kidding me!" Was the first thing that came out of Everleigh's mouth, picking up her speed to catch up to the scene.

"Oh, this is gonna be amazing!" Was all she heard from Lydia.

The scene in question — Blaze pushing Jess's chest, making the guy stumble but not hard enough. Jess manages to swing a fist his way to which Blaze dodges it. Both going back and forth. Everleigh had a lot of questions running through her head but at the same time, none at all. She was too stunned to speak or think.

The girls approached the fight just as Dean, who she didn't realise until now, ran up the guys, breaking them apart. Not until Jess tried to carry a fight with Dean but he was having none of it. Dean pushes Jess away from him but his arms held out just in case he tried to carry on, "Jess, knock it off, man!" Dean says, Everleigh glances at her boyfriend, to see his focus still on Jess, puffing as another student holds him back. Not even realising she was there. Lydia's hand grasped around Everleigh's arm, making her stay still. "What the hell is your problem?!"

"Nothing." Jess says nonchalantly.

"You saw it was me, Jess. Why did you keep on punching?" Dean takes a step closer to Jess.

Jess shrugs with arms out, "Had momentum."

"Well I was trying to help you." Dean defends himself.

"I don't need your help but,"Jess steps closer to Dean, slapping his bicep. Dean glares, "Thanks for the offer."

And just like that Jess walks away, without another say or another glance. Everleigh stood still and so did everyone else. She wasn't too sure what happened or how it even started but she was pissed off at Jess and Blaze. Interfering with a fight wasn't even a suggestion. She wouldn't know what to do. So she stood frozen in her place.

That was until Lydia spoke up, "I always imagined Jess and Blaze fight but didn't think it would come true. Damn."

Everleigh gives a pointed look to Lydia, "Not now, Lydia."

"I'm just stating the obvious." Lydia shoots her hands up as the other girl marches towards her boyfriend.

Before she approaches her boyfriend, she looks at Dean, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Dean says, acknowledging his friend, "I don't know about Blaze."

She groans and walks up to her boyfriend, his expression softens seeing her, "Eve —"

"What was that about?" Everleigh interrupts, looking her boyfriend up and down. Making sure there was no injuries from the incident. She hears footsteps trail behind her and as she glances up she sees Dean step next to her.

"Yeah, man, what was that about?" Dean asks, their attention to Blaze.

"He..." Blaze's eyes linger on Everleigh longer than it should and she arches her brow waiting for him to carry on. Then they fell on Dean and he couldn't find any words, "He is a jerk." Blaze settles for that.

"From my point of view it seemed as if you started it," Everleigh admits.

Confuses laces her boyfriend's features, "Yeah but you don't know why."

"Do I wanna know?" The girl pushes further.

Lydia intertwines, rising a pointed finger, "I wanna know."

Lydia's comment goes unnoticed as Dean interjects, noticing more tension raising, "Okay, let's just chill out. It doesn't really matter why or who started the fight. There's people around us."

In that moment, Everleigh realised students were still lingering around and whispering among themselves. Focus on the group and she really didn't have the energy to entertain everyone right now.

"Dean's right. You, especially, need to calm down," Everleigh directs the comment towards her boyfriend as she grabs his hand, intertwining their fingers. "Let's just all go back to my place and order some food. I'm starving."

"I'm fine." Was Blaze's only response. His tight hold onto her hand, told otherwise.

"Whatever you say, Rocky."

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"So we not going to talk about it?" Is the first thing Blaze says as soon as Lydia and Dean left the house, leaving the couple alone.

Did she want to talk about it? Yes.

Was she too curious? Also yes.

But did she want to talk about it knowing how it would end? No.

Ever since the fight happened, that's all she could think about. It was her boyfriend and her close friend getting in a physical altercation that bothered her the most. If it was someone else, she wouldn't care.

"Nope." She plops down on her bed. Blaze stands by it, not knowing how to carry a conversation, his eyes dart everywhere but her.

"You're being weird." Blaze comments.

"How so?" Everleigh glances at him, crossing arms.

"Eve," He stars, gaining her full attention, "As long as I have known you, you need to know everything about anything. I remember you didn't sleep until you found an actual reason why Full House abruptly stopped airing and that was just a show. So you not asking or pushing the subject of the fight is you being really weird."

"Maybe I've changed." Everleigh suggests and Blaze raises a brow, "I could be." Blaze rolls his eyes, sighing and finally decides to join Everleigh on the bed. As he sits down next to her, he wraps an arm around her and the girl instantly leans her head against his shoulder. The girl turns the TV on and mutters, noticing Blaze dropping the subject, "Thank you."

"For what?"

The girl doesn't move her eyes from the screen, "For not pushing. I think me not knowing is better for everyone."

A silence fell between the couple, her boyfriend taking in her words, not knowing whether to comment or leave it as that but them not arguing was nice. It felt like they were a normal couple finally. Even if there was still part of him that knew Everleigh had a feeling what the whole mess was about.

And she had a feeling, she knew the reasoning. The girl was just too scared to face it.

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Everleigh Morgan was staring at the Independence Inn from the inside of her car. It was odd being back. — Last time she was there was when she and her dad have just moved to Stars Hollow.

It only has been five months or so, since she's lived there and it already feels like she's lived in this town for years. So many things have happened since moving and she's met so many incredible people. She has built so many friendships within a short period of time and part of her felt like she truly has left her Chicago life behind.

Sometimes thinking back, she reminisces on her friendship with Agnes and she'd be lying if she said she didn't miss their connection. Even to this day, she has the urge to just dial her old friend's number and talk about everything that has happened since moving. Talking about how different Dean has become for better and worse, to talk about her friendship with Lydia or even, how much she has come to appreciate Jess. She really needed someone like Jess in her life.

But then the same thought came with a heartache.

Flashing images came flooding back from the night Blaze and Agnes shared a kiss and just a tiny flashback like that made her stomach twist in knots.

She wasn't over it, she knew that. Moving on like that was harder than she could've imagined. But trying was all that mattered.

Leaving her old life behind maybe was for better. Stars Hollow really gave her a big opportunity to start fresh. Maybe that's why she took Blaze back. Maybe that's why the universe brought him back in her life: New town, new beginnings. New everything.

Starting fresh: out with the old, in with the new.

Maybe. Just maybe.

It felt as their break-up happened yesterday. How she stepped her foot inside the Independence Inn, meeting Lorelai for the first time and having fear to start fresh with no knowledge what the town had to give it to her. Yet five months later, she was back to have a dinner with half the town  she has come to adore.

    Coming back to reality, the girl exhales sharply and steps outside of the vehicle. She felt nervous and sad coming here alone. She really wanted her dad with her for moral support and his immature comments but he also was a father of two daughters. Everleigh knew she saw more of him than her sister Emberly could and she couldn't fault him in that. Even if she had to attend things on her own.

Walking into the Inn, she was shortly after greeted with a bright smile from Lorelai and forced one from Rory, "Everleigh! I'm so glad you could make it."

"Wouldn't want to miss it," Everleigh replies to Lorelai and gives a sympathetic look to her, "I'm really sorry my dad couldn't. He always goes to New York around this time to see my sister. "

"No matter how many times I hear it, I still can't believe there's two of you." Lorelai comments.

"Yeah, well," Everleigh brings a sarcastic smile on her face, "If you met us both, we're like Burke sisters. We look alike but we're nothing alike."

"Fascinating," Lorelai mumbles, turning to Rory who was too quiet, "Don't you think so, Rory?"

"Mhhmm," Rory hums finally looking up from the room and handles the room key to her, "You're in room forty-nine."

"Thanks," Everleigh replies, taking the keys from her as Lorelai gives her an odd look. Everleigh notices, "And thank you Lorelai for inviting me, I appreciate it a lot."

"No worries, kiddo." Lorelai curtsies and the girl giggles, "Glad to be at your service."

"Dean said you was coming with Blaze," Rory finally says, Lorelai gives her a jab.

The mention of her boyfriend surprises her and for a second she didn't know how to respond, "I– no... he is coming in a bit with his family. He got held back."

"Oh," Rory replies and nods her head, "Well I hope you two have a wonderful time tonight."

"Boy, was I starting to think my daughter has gone mute," Lorelai laughs, trying to loosen the awkward tension, "But I guess not."

"Thanks, Rory." Everleigh smiles towards the other teen and her eyes dart back to Lorelai, "And don't sweat it, I would be overwhelmed and probably sat somewhere in a corner weeping."

"Surprisingly it's running smoothly and no complaints have been reported," Rory mentions, hugging the board she was holding.

"Sounds like a success to me."

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The girl really never noticed the paintings on the walls in the Inn. It was such a simple thing to pass by when you're not on a mission. She was waiting on her boyfriend to come downstairs in the waiting area and to pass the time she was observing the place in much more detail than before. She knew a lot of people that were waiting around but they all were much older than her.

Her eyes carried on scanning the people until they landed on the one specific guy. Jess was sitting down in a far corner, his head buried in a book. Her gaze lingered on him a lot longer than it should've but she couldn't help herself. She was still annoyed at her friend and it almost seemed like he could feel her gaze as he looked up, eyes darting around until their eyes met. She let a moment pass until she realised what was happening and turned away. Making herself focus on the painting in front of her.

Just as she was observing the painting, footsteps kept coming closer and closer to her frame. She was scared to look just in case their eyes meet again, "You're ignoring me."

She sighs, not looking at him and she crosses arms, denying, "I'm not."

"You haven't spoken to me." Jess says standing next to her, looking at the same frame as her, "So you're ignoring me."

"Well, maybe, today's the day I ran out of topics to speak about." Everleigh glares at him.

"Oh, please." Jess chuckles, facing her, "You can make a conversation with anyone."

"When I'm being put on spot then yes I will find a way to speak to someone, even —," Everleigh sees him drop his head, smirking and she realises something. She squints and softly slaps his bicep, "Actually, it doesn't matter. I know what you're doing."

"You do?" He leans against the wall, his eyes not leaving the girl. She opens her mouth to respond with a pointed finger and closes it straight after, looking away. "Oh, so now you're giving me a silent treatment. Interesting." She doesn't budge and Jess starts thinking, "Are you mad at me or something?"

Now that got him a reaction, she scoffs loudly, "Please tell me you're being serious right now." He shrugs, "The fight? My boyfriend?"

"Huh, didn't know you had one." Jess comments.

"Oh you know, the one you usually see me with, blonde, an inch probably shorter than you. Name's Caleb but goes by Blaze. Does it ring a bell?" The girl asks sarcastically.

Jess pretends to think, pressing his lips together and a second later clicks his fingers, "Oh, that boyfriend. You're still with him?"

"You're unbelievable." Everleigh rolls her eyes at him and before she could hear another remark from him. Lorelai saves the night by bringing everyone's attention to her and Sookie.

"Everyone, everyone." Lorelai announces, standing in front of the entrance doors. Her eyes looking around to find her boyfriend but he was nowhere to be seen, "First of all, I want to welcome you to first ever and probably-never-ever-held-again. Because-Sookie's-on-the-verge-of-a-breakdown bracebridge dinner."

"I'm fine, everything's fine." Sookie reassures.

"I also wanna thank mother nature for snowing in the trelling paper company in Chicago so I could throw this great party for all my friends instead." Lorelai says, "It's a very special night, and so, since I don't get to eat unbelievably strange food with ny friends every day. I've arranged a little surprise. — Outside as we speak is a line of horse-drawn sleighs and everyone, gets a ride."

The gathered crowd applaud at the announcement, excitement expressed from everyone in their own way. Expect of course from Luke whose shoulders fell and sighs, and Jess as he rolls his eyes. The girl thought by the time Lorelai would've finished her speech Jess would've disappeared but he didn't.

"So line up. Keep in order. There's two per sleigh, and no cutting in front of each other." The Gilmore woman adds, "That goes for everyone except me, 'cause I'll be damned if I'm gonna miss a ride in a horse-drawn sleigh."

As the people laugh at her comment, Everleigh couldn't help but keep searching for her boyfriend and she was getting irritated by his absence. She for sure didn't want to miss this chance and try a horse-drawn sleigh.

"Still looking for your boyfriend?" Jess asks with a smirk. She ignores him and keeps looking around. "I was here before he was? Who would've thought."

She takes no notice and finds her best friend, talking to his sister, "Dean, have you seen Blaze?"

"Ehm, no." Dean looks around , "I was hoping you could tell me where's Rory."

She hugs herself and looks around, "No, I haven't seen her either. She was with Lane the last time I saw her."

"Dean, I wanna go!" Clara appears next to Dean, tugging onto him, "Come on, let's go."

Dean exhales heavily and she knew how Clara could get especially if she had to patient. So instead of having his little sister whining for longer, he gives Everleigh a hug with a sympathetic smile written across his face, "If you see Rory, can you let her know I went with my sister."

Everleigh smiles, watching Clara running off, "Will do." She watches her best friend run off after his sister and chuckles. Seconds later, Jess reappears, only this time he had his coat on, even noticing he was tangling her own coat in front of her. She rolls her eyes and grabs it from him, "I'm not going with you."

Jess puts his hands in the coat's pockets, "Okay."

She eyes her friend before walking past him, making her way outside towards the sleighs. Of course, the boy's footsteps trailing behind her, "Jess, I was being serious. I'm not going on the sleighs with you."

"You can't seriously think your boyfriend will just magically appear next to you?" She stays quiet, waiting in the line with Jess next to her, "Besides it's two per sleigh so we gotta follow the rules, remember?"

"You're annoying." Was all she could think of to say.

"I know." Jess agrees, as they are the next ones in line for the sleigh, he walks in front of her, extending a hand out for her to take , "Shall we?"

Everleigh glances at his hand, then to him and then the sleigh. Her eyebrows intertwine as she exhales loudly and takes his hand. He helps her get on it and walks around to sit next to her. She didn't want to miss this opportunity because her boyfriend was no where to be seen. It was Jess or no one. So if she had to get on a sleigh with Jess, so be it. People weren't happy they were friends anyways.

It bothered her how patient Jess was being. He allowed her to be stubborn and be mad at him while still tolerating his presence. If it was her boyfriend, he wouldn't started an argument. Jess didn't.

The two sat silently on a sleigh as it was taking them around Stars Hollow. "Can I ask you something?"

A smile tugs on his lips and he tries holding it back, "Thought you didn't want to speak to me." Jess glances at her, only to see how worried she was. The boy sighs before asking, "What is it?"

"Why did you get in a fight?" She asks quietly. He presses his lips together and looks away, "And you can't pretend you have no idea who I'm on about."

"He's a jerk. That's why." Jess finally says, avoiding her eyes.

She laughs dryly, "Of course you would say that."

There was a silence.

"He told me to stay away from you." Jess admits, finally looking at her. He couldn't read her expression anymore, it was a mixture of everything.

"Why?" She asks.

"Beats me." Jess shrugs. Everleigh bites the bottom of her lip as her eyebrows crease together once again. She couldn't help but to think of Blaze and how sensitive the subject of Jess was. At times it really felt like she was walking on the eggshells. Almost like he could read her mind, Jess adds, "He shouldn't treat you the way he does, you know? You're allowed to hangout with whoever you want."

Everleigh looks down at her hands, "I know that. — He knows that."

"He's a jerk." Everleigh tries defending her boyfriend but before she could, Jess carries on, "This whole town is weird and full of jerks."

"Then why don't you leave?" Everleigh wonders. She wasn't even trying to be mean or a hypocrite. He knew his mom was in New York, he could pack up his stuff and leave. — Even though, part of her wished he didn't.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," She shrugs, " We're on a break. You can just pick up and go back home."

A sad smile crosses his features, "My mom didn't want me to."

Her shoulders fall, "I don't believe that."

"That's your right. I guess."

"How do you know she doesn't?" Everleigh pushes further.

"Luke told me it was his idea, that I should stay," He replies and shakes his head, "It wasn't his idea."

All she could do was to look at him. There was nothing she could say to make things better. Her own mom didn't want her. She knew how it felt. The teen noticed how the boy was slowly opening up to her and she wasn't taking that for granted either.

She looks at him and says, "You're a nice guy, Jess. People just don't want to see it."

"You think so?" He raises a brow.

"Of course," She admits, wondering whether or not she should say the next few words but she felt like he needed to hear it, "You're one of the few good things that has happened to me this year."

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Once arriving back at the Inn, the pair made their way to the dining area. At least they were guided to the dining hall after arriving. They just did what they were told. They just wanted food now.

The duo on a way back to Inn, didn't touch up on anything that required opening up during their talk. Instead they just had a light conversation on the way back.

As they entered the hall, a long tall table was represented in front of them. Some of guests looked up as they entered the place and some were too deep in conversations to notice the two teens. She however picked up on the faces that noticed them and of course one of them had to be her boyfriend.

Jess being Jess picked up on his stare and managed to wave his way. She rolled her eyes, pushing his hand down and forcing the guy to make his way to his own seat, while she made to hers.

She sits down slowly next to Blaze, watching his reaction. Waiting to be ignored, him huffing and puffing or something but there was nothing. Instead her boyfriend intertwines their hands together and leans in to give her a kiss on the cheek. As much as she appreciated the affection she got, it felt odd. There was tension in the air, it certainly didn't help when the pair was sitting opposite Jess and Luke either.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get on a sleigh with you," Blaze apologises and that takes her by surprise. "I tried finding you but you was gone by the time i came downstairs."

"Uhhh." Was all she could think of. She's used to apologising, especially if something involved Jess, "It's fine. I tried to find you myself but I didn't know where you were."

"Yeah, sorry. I ended up going with Rory cause I couldn't find you and she couldn't find Dean. So we went together."

For a second, Everleigh froze. She wanted to react, she wanted to do something but he didn't when she walked in with Jess. Part of her felt hurt: he missed out a nice opportunity to go with his girlfriend and went with someone else. Especially when it felt like it was done behind her back. But then again, she was overthinking too much.

"It's okay." She mumbles. That's all she could think of in that moment. He didn't even look at her.

She glances at Jess, only to see him watching her. His eyes knit together in a way to ask if she was okay. All she could do was give a pressed smile his way and looked away.

"Hey, Paris," Lorelai says to a girl sitting next to her on the other side, "How's it going?"

"Fine, good." The girl nods. She observes the other teen, finding her features awfully familiar, along with her name. But she couldn't think of it, "Thanks for having me."

"Oh, it was our pleasure."

"Did you notice the anachronisms?" The girl points out, before Lorelai could leave.

"The what?"

"The period discrepancies. They were pretty blatant." Everleigh glances at the girl next to her and then to Lorelai who just hummed and agreed with everything the teen had to say. It brightened up her mood, "I mean, forget that the nineteenth century didn't include recessed lighting, or the fossil watch that your server was wearing but water in that period would not have been served with cubed ice."

Everleigh's eyes widened at the long rant over something so small yet so smart. She could tell, Lorelai didn't understand a thing she said , "Right."

"And your servers are wearing nylon-blend shirts." The adds, " And nylon was invented by a scientist at DuPont in the 1920s. It shattered the illusion."

"Oh, floggings will be administered." Lorelai replies and Everleigh couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yeah, Lorelai could you remember about that the next time you come up with something," Everleigh chippers in, bringing both of their attentions to her, "It's throwing me a bit off."

"So you agree." The girl turns to her.

"Uhhh..." Everleigh looks up at Lorelai, wide eyed. The Gilmore woman just simply pats her head, walking away and Everleigh had no choice but to turn back to the girl. "Sure."

"Good luck." Lorelai whispers to Everleigh who only could look at her in pure panic and the woman walks off. Leaving the two teens on their own.

To change the subject Everleigh introduces herself, "You seem very familiar, I'm Everleigh."

"Paris." The girl replies, looking at her with an arched eyebrow, "You're friends with Rory, is that right?"

"Uhh—" She scrunches her nose, "More like acquaintances. She's dating my best friend."

"Sorry, I only assumed because I saw you at our Shakespeare play at Chilton."

"Don't sweat it, Dean invited me to tag along." Everleigh shrugs.

"So how did you find it?" Paris asks.

"Find what?"

"The play? What stood out for you? Cause personally —"

Suddenly, Everleigh wished she swapped seats.

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After the meal, Everleigh left the dinner table to head back to her room. Cause quite frankly she was stuffed and probably fed for the rest of the year. Nor does she want to see that much food for a long time.

As soon as she entered her room, she plopped down on the bed and she couldn't move ever since. She felt like she just came back from her grandparents house.

A knock interrupts her peace later at night and a small groan leaves her mouth. Standing up and making her way to the door she was stunned to see who was behind it. Swinging the door open, her brows knit together.

"Lorelai? Hi? Is everything okay?" Everleigh greets the woman.

"Me? Yeah, I'm just checking up on you." Lorelai nods as Everleigh allows her in.

"Why?"

"You're only sixteen, even if you're not my kid, leaving you unsupervised doesn't sit well with me." Lorelai admits and part of that made the teen girl feel appreciated but she shrugs anyways

"I'm fine. I'm used to doing things on my own. I've done it for years." Everyleigh wasn't wrong, she was okay. Saying those words out loud did seem concerning but she didn't mean it.

Lorelai sits down on the edge of the bed while Everleigh stands still, "I know, I know. so I've heard."

"I'm sensing there's a but..." The teen draws out.

"But you're not a grown adult," Lorelai points at her with an open palm, "and well, you being under my roof, I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"Honestly, Lorelai, it's no big deal, I'm okay and I appreciate you checking up on me." Everleigh reassures the woman who looked awfully concerned for her but the girl would also sense this wasn't the actual reason why she was here. So she carries on, " Look at me, I get a whole spacious room on my own with a king sized bed. It's every girls dream."

Lorelai does look around the room and she could see a tiny tug lingers at the corner of her lips, "I tried to make it as comfortable as possible for you. Michel wasn't thrilled but he never is."

"Thank you." Everleigh finally says.

There was a pause. A few seconds silence fills the space between the girls.

Lorelai scratches at the back of her head and starts, "Hey, so listen, I've noticed your dad mentions a lot him visiting your sister but it always sounds like he's doing it on his own and never with you. Is that true?"

And there it was.

Everleigh felt uncomfortable, not many people knew her situation with her mom or her sister or anything like that. She always has kept it a thing of her and her dad. The topic itself felt like a big weight on her shoulders as she sits down next to Lorelai and sighs,

"Yeah..."

The woman turns to face her, eyes darting all around to find the answers, "Why?"

"My mom," Everleigh pinches her nose and looks away, " When my mom and dad broke up, she took off with my sister , leaving me with my dad. She refused to let my dad to see Emberly for weeks." Everleigh pauses, waiting to see judgment on her face but instead she simply listens, taking in the information, "I just remember the whole divorce was really messy, my dad was demanding a full custody for both of us but something wasn't working out in his favour. I never found out what. — then later on, my mom changed her mind but the agreement was if he wanted to see Emberly it had to be only him and then he could see her whenever. Me on the other hand? I can only communicate with my sister through letters and occasionally send some of my pictures so she knows at least how I look like now."

"My god, I'm so sorry." Lorelai places a hand at the back of her shoulders, "That's awful."

"Meh." Everleigh brushes off the pity, "I don't care anymore as much, been doing this since I was ten. — The heartache has fully healed."

"It doesn't make sense to me." Lorelai starts, "We've only had a few conversations here and there but from what I've seen and heard, you're a smart and good kid."

"According to my mother, I had many flaws, too many and I was never as good or gifted as her first born."

"Wow, Gladys Leeman strikes again." Lorelai comments, making the girl chuckle.

"The resemblance is just uncanny." Everleigh adds.

But that didn't make the woman sitting next to her, change the subject. "It breaks my heart, hearing all of this. Can I give you a hug? I'll give you a hug." Lorelai pulls the teen into a warm hug and she relaxes under the woman's touch, relief washing over her. Once Everleigh was free from the hug, Lorelai asks, "How does your sister feel about it? If you don't mind me asking?"

"I think she's okay with it now. It's always been 'what my mother says, she does.' Sort of thing. So she's a Miss Perfect. My presence would corrupt her whole goody two shoes reputation she's got going on."

"Do you miss her?"

Everleigh looks down, playing with her fingers and sighs heavily, "Yeah."

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REFERENCES:

☕️  lydia : "it's as if everyone channels their inner martha may around this time around."

movie ━ how the grinch stole christmas ( 2000 )

—

☕️ everleigh: "whatever you say, rocky."

movie ━ rocky ( 1976 )

[ if no one knows the concept, everleigh called blaze rocky because sylvester stallone played a character named rocky who is a boxer ]

—

☕️ blaze: "i remember you didn't sleep until you found an actual reason why full house abruptly stopped airing and that was just a show."

tv show ━ full house ( 1987 - 1995 )

—

☕️ everleigh: "if you met us both, we're like Burke sisters."

tv show ━ two of a kind ( 1998 - 1999 )

—

☕️ lorelai : "wow, gladys leeman strikes again."

movie ━ drop dead gorgeous ( 1999 )

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this was longer than i planned but it makes up for the time i didn't post, right?

the conversation between lorelai and everleigh wouldve been a lot longer but it felt like i was dragging it out, so for now, you get a tiny scoop as of why this story only has everleigh and mark (her dad).

also by the time i publish this, it will hit 70k reads which to me that sounds so crazy but thank you for supporting this story even to this day. lots of love <3