we think our hearts break only from endings

#1 blocking fan

Members of the Owls, a black women’s softball team in the 1930s

Posts were made on July 1, 2024.

Izzie Stevens + pink

Luke escorted Jess outside. It was a lovely Saturday in late spring, and the town was busy and humming with activity. It wasn't peak tourist season-that was usually in the fall, when the leaf peepers arrived in en masse- but they were beginning to slither into town as summer loomed ahead. "Today is an important day Jess. I'm going to teach you how to be a true Stars Hollowan. Think of yourself as a solider. Your battlefield? Main Street. What's one of the most important rules of war? Know your enemy. That is Taylor Doose." Just A few paces later, Luke and Jess reached Doose's Market next door. The bell above the door jangled. Taylor was in an impassioned debate with a young girl who wanted to sell girl scout cookies in front of his store. "Mr Doose, my cookie sales won't siphon customers away from your store. You don't sell Thin Mints. Why would you not want the extra business?" "Young lady, I do not want anything being siphoned into or out my store! I don't want a gaggle of sugar addicted zombies roaming my carefully arranged aisles, desperately looking for their next sweet fix that I cannot provide!" "Fine Mr. Doose, I will just ask my mom to drive me to the new Kmart in Hartford, and I'll sell my cookies there!" She turned heel and walked out the door past Luke and Jess. Luke could read Taylor like a book, and he knew nothing pissed him off more than hearing about people shopping anywhere but in his precious Stars Hollow. Especially a big box department store. This kid already knows how to push Taylor's buttons. She's going places, Luke chuckled. "And what do you find so amusing about all of this, Lucas?" Taylor huffed. "That new Kmart is going to run you out of town Taylor." "Well, I'd like to see The Kmart provide the exceptional quality and customer service that I provide here at Doose's Market, and..." He looked down and realized Luke had a child in tow. "What is that?" Taylor looked aghast. He reached for a broom, intending to shoo this small child out of his place of business like he was a stray cat. "I'm Jess," he said quietly, looking slightly terrified. "He's Liz's kid, I'm babysitting today... Do you really need to get the broom out Taylor? He's just a baby. He's not a hooligan. Or whatever you're calling "The Kids" these days." "All little boys grow up to be hooligans who loiter in my store and cause unending chaos!" "Taylor, no teenagers have ever come into your damn supermarket to bother you. They all leave town and go to Hartford. I never hung out here. Although back in 10th grade, me and my pal Rich were bored one night and we decided to bypass your store and toilet papered your house." Taylor's eyes narrowed. "That was YOU?" Taylor gasped. Jess giggled. "Oh, you should have seen it Jess. Taylor was so mad! He came out in his underwear screaming at us, but we ran away and he never caught us! There was toilet paper everywhere! It took him hours to collect it all! He was on his roof picking up toilet paper!" Soon Jess and Luke were both laughing hysterically. "Young man, your uncle never laughs," Taylor huffed at Jess, "Except now, and of course it's at my expense!" "Toilet paper! Toilet paper!" Jess repeated over peals of laughter. Taylor grimaced and went to grab his broom again. "Do not steal anything!" He shouted after them as Luke escorted Jess down an aisle. "Let me teach you another important life lesson Jess. Well, two of them. One. It's okay to steal food from a store if you need to feed your family. Two. It's okay to steal from a store if the shopkeeper is a jerkass like Taylor Doose. And here's another thing. We all think Taylor cheats on his taxes. He has a home on Cape Cod he shouldn't able to afford." "I HEARD THAT." Taylor yelled over the shelves. "Doesn't exactly sound like you're denying it," Luke shouted back. What do little kids eat? Mac and Cheese? Grilled cheese? Something with cheese? Chicken nuggets? I'm not going to feed him food from a box. My wallet's a little thin right now. I didn't realize I'd be taking a crash course in child nutrition and psychology today.

Jess Gets A Name ~~Jess Is Two~~Luke Reaches Out Jess Meets Babette Jess scampered up to the kitchen table. He was too small to reach his plate, so Luke sat him on a phone book. He placed a plate with two pancakes in front of Jess and served him the glass of milk. "Ever had pancakes before Jess? Does Mom ever make you pancakes?" Luke was trying to probe Jess' mind to see if he would spill any information about his life with Liz, who was a persistent liar and wholly unreliable. Luke didn't know how much two year olds really knew or could express, but he definitely knew they had absolutely no filters. Jess shook his head no. It was a start, at least. He would have to gain Jess' trust. "Your uncle makes the best pancakes!" Babette chimed in. "Even better than Al's?" Luke replied. "Mmm. I don't know Sugar. It's kinda a toss up!" "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence Babette." Luke chuckled. He turned towards the cupboard for a few moments to grab a fork and knife, figuring that a kid that small would need to have his food cut into pieces. When he turned around, the two pancakes on Jess' plate had vanished, and Jess was coated in pancake crumbs. "What the? You ate all that already?" "More." Jess insisted. "Okay, you can have mine, here you go..." before Luke could even finish a sentence Jess was grabbing the pancakes off Luke's plate and shoving them hand over fist into his mouth, showering himself and the floor in a sea of crumbs. In his frenzy to eat he knocked the cup of milk clear off the kitchen table, sending shards of glass scattering across the floor. He was so hungry that the breaking glass didn't even phase him. I don't know what's going on here, but this doesn't seem normal. "Slow down kid, you're going to choke!" Luke panicked. He had already devoured four pancakes in under a minute flat. "Babette, this doesn't seem right I don't think my sister is feeding him." "Oh, I'm sure the little sweetheart is just stressed out. He's had a rough night." Luke didn't feel confident in her assertion. Jess was scavenging the empty plates for crumbs, like he was a starving dog in a pound. "It's okay Jess, there's more food. I won't let you go hungry. We'll go to the grocery store today and buy you some good things to eat." "You two have a nice day in Stars Hollow, I'll clean up the dishes and the glass. If you see Roberta Wilson, tell her she still owes me 14 dollars." "I don't know who that is Babette, but sure. Could you help me get some shoes on him so he doesn't step on all of this glass?" Luke and Babette put a pair of donated second hand Velcro sneakers on Jess's feet and swept the crumbs off his clothes. This poor kid was abandoned by his own mother and she didn't even love him enough to leave him with a pair of fucking shoes for his feet.

After Luke hung up the phone, he found Jess still sitting on the couch in his wet pajamas, unbothered, reading the nature book. Luke was developing a picture of Jess: he was very timid, quiet, sensitive, intelligent, and well behaved. He wasn't a typical rambunctious toddler. "Against all odds," he thought to himself. "You like that book Jess? That was your grandpa's. He loved fishing." "I read?" He asked sweetly. "Sure Jess. You can read while we wait for Aunt Babette to come over and give you a bath." Jess continue to peruse the book. What happened next threw Luke for a loop. "The. Fish. is. In. the. Pond." He sounded out the words on the page slowly but clearly. Jess beamed and looked up from his book to Luke for approval. Luke was completely floored. "Jess, how the heck did you read that? That's incredible! You're not even 3! Great job kid." Little Jess beamed with happiness. "Amazing. Your mother sure didn't teach you that, " he thought to himself. "Jess, you have to show your Aunt Babette how you can already read." And like God himself sending a messenger down from heaven at that moment, there was a knock on the door. "Let me in Sugar. I wanna meet the little tyke!" Luke flung open the door and hugged Babette like he didn't want to let her go. "Okay Luke! You're gonna pop me like a balloon!" She laughed. "I bought some stuff for the little cutie. I'm going to call the ladies at the church and the knitting club and see what else we can collect for ya. You're lucky ya know me Luke, I got connections all over town!" "That's so generous of you Babette. I uh...thank you. I don't know what to say. I owe you." "Oh it's nothin. You call me any time sugar. Now where is that little cutie? Let me at em!" She looked over Luke's shoulder and Jess was gazing at her from the couch. It seemed like he was always quietly and silently drinking in the world around him. You could hear the gears turning in his little brain. "Oh, Luke, he is just a DOLL. What's your name sweetheart?" "Jess," he replied shyly. "J-E-S.S." "Babette, this kid can already read and spell. Isn't that amazing? He's kind of shy though." "So you ain't a yapper huh, that's okay Jess, you just let me do all the yappin. I'm gonna tell you the story about my old boyfriend Murray, the one who got swallowed by a shark!" "Aunt Babette'll give you a bath and I'll make you some pancakes Jess." Luke went to his bedroom to change his wet sheets and then to the kitchen to make breakfast. He could overhear Babette in the bathroom assuring Jess that the shark spit Murray out after Babette swam after him and punched him in the nose, and the mayor gave her an award for bravery. He could have swore that the last time he heard this tale, it was an alligator, not a shark. He plated two pancakes for Jess and poured him a glass of milk. He fancied himself a pretty decent cook. Maybe one day he'd open his own restaurant. Luke tried to help himself to a pancake, but he was too stressed to eat and had no appetite. He picked a few pieces off while he waited. His thoughts wandered again to his sister. What the hell am I going to say if he asks me again where his Mom is? I have to to do everything I can to distract him today. Babette emerged with Jess, his dark hair wet and tousled, wearing clean shorts and a Ninja Turtles tshirt. "Thank you again for the clothes... for everything Babette. Can I uh, ask you one more big favor?" "Anything doll." "Could you please house sit while I take Jess out for the day. I don't want to miss Liz if she calls or shows up. Could you answer the phone if it rings? You can invite some friends over if you want. Invite Patty. Play cards. Whatever you want." "Sure, I got no plans today on account of my Saturday bocce ball club canceling their meeting. Our president Lucille is in a dispute with Taylor over the size of the bocce ball court, he says it's two inches over regulation, she threatened to beam him in the forehead with a bocce ball, it's gettin political!” "Nothing new under the sun with Taylor huh," Luke chuckled.