Official Choices

"Hannah. She's your cousin, by my brother. That's him and his wife standing behind her. Jonah and Celia."

She smiled and tapped his photo, "And you. All by yourself. You never dated, after mum?"

"I did, eventually. But, I never really found anyone."

Lorelai turned around, "I want to meet them. Everyone. Like... Grandma Lorelai. And Hannah."

"Your grandmother's gone. I'm sorry." He said sadly, "That's why we did the photo, when we did. She was, getting close. About two years ago, now. Hannah's actually the same age as you, embarrassingly enough."

She grinned cheekily, "Oh? You and your brother make us on the same night, or something? Complaining about mum going to sex parties."

"Ew." Mateo responded quickly, "I... Eugh. Oh well, open secret. You were both conceived on New Years. Had a family party here, for it. Ten months later, two girls."

Lorelai giggled and sat down on the couch, "I know you said mum was a slut, but I'm still having a hard time picturing that. I should probably be glad, scar me for life."

"Don't call her a slut."

She raised an eyebrow, "I don't think you get how much I hate her. First time she hugged me, that I can ever remember, is after she told me that my father wasn't actually dead. That she pretty much kidnapped me from him."

"She probably had her reasons. Being a parent is hard, complicated." He said calmly, "We all make mistakes, and with a kid, mistakes last forever. It's terrifying. And kids... Well, they're either trying to kill themselves, or make you cry."

She crossed her arms, "I. Hate. Her."

"Okay. Message received... But don't call your mum a slut."

Lorelai rolled her eyes, "Sure. Whatever. So, you're a kind of artist. That's what I want to be. I'm going into film, editing. I know that it isn't a well paying thing, and getting it as a career is going to be hard, but I like being creative. Guess... I get that from you."

He burst into a huge and proud smile, looking at her like she was the only thing in the world. Making her flush hotly, and she bit her lip and shrugged, "Mum hated me doing stuff like that. Waste of time. She wanted me to be an accountant."

"Wow." He said in surprise, "Bleeding out your eyes, boring. Comparatively."

She nodded, "Totally! But with mum, it was all about making sure I was earning money. Just, money, money, money. That was all she cared about. Not if I was happy, doing stuff."

"I should bring you by my work, one day." Mateo said suddenly, "Introduce you to the team. It's advertising, but we've got some editing teams who do stuff for TV. They'd let you sit in, see what they do."

"Really!?" She said in surprise, "I could... Just rock up, and they'd be okay?"

He nodded, "Oh, yeah. We're a chill bunch. Me bringing along my long-lost daughter would go down fine. Advertising isn't exactly film, though. Not quite as exciting as movies."

"I don't care. I get to see the professionals." She said quickly, grinning at him, "That'd be amazing. But, on meeting people... I know grandma's... Gone... What about your brother and his family? Where do they live?"

Mateo grinned and checked his watch, "Well, I was trying to keep that a surprise. Can you hang around for... About another hour or two?"

"Yeah..."

He smiled up at her, "Jonah, Celia, and Hannah, are coming over for lunch. They live within walking distance."

Her stomach did backflips, and she stared at him, "I'm going to meet the other side of my family. Oh my god. Oh my god. I... Wow. I have good timing."

"Radically good." He smiled, "If you hadn't been there, when I got back, I would have headed into work for an hour or so. We would have completely missed each other."

"I... I'm happy." She said quietly, wiping at tears that began to roll down her cheeks again, "I... Can I call you... Dad?"

He shrugged, "Sure. Or Mateo. Or whatever you like. Totally up to you. I know I wasn't there for you, but... You're my daughter."

"Daddy, I love you." She found herself saying, wanting to jump across the room and hug him. She hadn't meant to say it. Felt like it was too much, way too soon. But... She did.

His own eyes watered, as he tried to hold back his tears, "You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear that. You're going to break me."

She sniffled, and then put the box of paper on the floor and patted the couch, "I... Can I hug my dad? Please?"

He walked over and sat down beside her, and she wrapped her arms around him. He was firm, solid. There was absolutely nothing about him soft, anywhere. Like hugging a brick wall.

Still, she'd never felt so comforted before.

"Lorelai." She whispered, and squeezed him tightly, "I'm Lorelai, your daughter. Holy fucking shit. I've got my dad back from the fucking grave. And he's awesome."

He nervously hugged her back. Almost afraid to touch her. He was probably still feeling like a stranger to her, too scared to know what was appropriate or not.

She shifted in closer to him, "So... No girlfriend to make mum jealous, then? Um... I give up. My mind's blank. Just... Tell me. Tell me everything about you."

"Not much to tell." He seemed to relax a little, "I see my brother and his family, every other weekend. I go running most days, like you saw before. I work."

"How old are you?"

"Thirty seven."

She ran a quick calculation in her head, "Oh, wow. So you were only like a year older than me, when you had me? You don't look it."

"Thanks." He said sheepishly, "I try and stay in shape. Take care of myself... Oh! Your birthday was yesterday. We should do something, for you. Do you want to surprise the others, or should we give them a chance to grab you a present?"

Lorelai leaned back, "I had a party, yesterday. Don't think you would have approved. Drinking games, dick balloons, and condoms."

"Depends. How many guys saw you naked?"

She flushed and looked down, "I'm... A virgin."

"Nothing to be ashamed about. Nothing to rush, either." He replied calmly, "Seriously. You can be forty, and it wouldn't be a problem. Don't rush into things."

"Like you did."

He laughed, "Yeah. Like I did, with your mother."

Lorelai smiled up at him, "I'm happy you did, though. Because I'm here. And because I get you. I... I'm not in a rush. No boyfriend. S'pose that's good, you don't need to intimidate him."

"Ah, screw that." He turned up his nose, "Best way to make sure he takes care of my daughter, is to make sure the both of them trust me enough to tell me anything."

She frowned, "I don't have a boyfriend... But if I did... I would get so mad if he ended up best friends with my dad. That's so much worse than getting embarrassed."

Her daddy just grinned at her.

She rolled her eyes at him, and then looked around the house, "So, um... Birthday. I don't really want another party. I... My birthday was finding out mum lied. That still really fucking hurts. But... Could we do a family photo? Like that one?"

"Of course." He squeezed her for a moment, "That probably was going to happen, anyways. Hannah took the photos. She wants to start her own photography company. Art is in the blood."

Lorelai frowned, "Jonah... Uncle Jonah. What does he do for a living?"

"Nothing. He's a stay at home, dad. Which is to say, he takes care of the house, and helps Hannah out with everything, and cooks, and does a ton for Celia." Her dad informed her, "Celia is the breadwinner. She's a researcher and tour guide. Mostly in it for the science. Those two are... Well off."

She frowned, "I know it's a bit taboo... But you're not too badly off, yourself, are you?"

"That's... True." He acknowledged, "I own this house, for one. More than I can say for most people my age. I lucked out, career-wise. I started working at an agency before I was even halfway through my degree. Saved most of it."

Lorelai smiled at him, "I'm not meaning to pry. Especially if you don't want to tell me."

"Let's just say that I can help get you started in life." He said with a small smile, "And maybe that I've had a bank account for you, since the day I found out Ruby was pregnant. Uni isn't going to be a hassle."

She stared, "Wasn't expecting that."

"I'm your dad. I'm going to take care of my princess."

Butterflies filled her stomach as he called her a princess. Just hearing how proud he was of her, made her feel... She wasn't sure what she felt.

Her brain and heart had been doing cartwheels since she'd found out that he was still here, and that he'd been looking for her ever since she disappeared from his life.

"I don't want to go home." She realised.

He sighed and squeezed her, "I don't want you to, either. But you disappeared on me. Don't do that to her, even if you hate her. Let your mum know that you're okay. She still raised you, without me or anyone else."

"I guess." She said glumly, and pulled out her phone.

Then an idea occurred to her, and she held it up, and took a selfie, excitedly. She caught him looking kinda goofy, smiling at her. She took the picture and fired it off to Kirstie, and to her mum.

She also set her lockscreen to the picture, before putting her phone away. She looked up at him, staring at his smooth-shaven face, trying to memorise every hidden little pock mark.

"Problem?"

She shook her head and nestled it onto his shoulder, "I... I found you. I'm never going to forget what you look like, again. Never, ever."

Her phone began to ring. She checked the caller ID, and shoved it back into her jacket angrily.

"Your mum, huh?"

She nodded, and ground her teeth together, "Don't think she realises I'd rather piss on her than talk to her, right now."

"Gross."

She shrugged, "She lied to me. She'd deserve it."

"Being a -"

"Stop it!" She snapped, and looked at him, "Okay? I get it. She's my mum. She did raise me. Take care of me. But right now, I don't want to hear it. I want my dad. That's it. I hate her. I just want to be with you."

"I'm not exactly sending you home, am I?" He said reasonably, "I'm showing off my wonderful daughter to the rest of her family. I won't bring up Ruby, again. I wasn't trying to hurt you."

She winced, and fell against him. "I know, I know. I... I'm sensitive. It's still raw. So... How much longer, until I meet them?"

"About ten minutes. Probably."

She snuggled in, "Can I just hug you, until they get here?"

"Sure."

"Call me, my name?"

"Sure, Lorelai." He sent shivers through her whole body.

---

She hated the doorbell, when it went off.

It was exciting to be meeting her uncle, aunt, and cousin. Crazy exciting. At the same time, though, it meant that she needed to detach herself from Mateo's side, and there was nothing she wanted to do less.

He stood up, stretching, and then smiled at her, "Stay here. Stay quiet. Let's surprise 'em."

She grinned, tucking her legs up onto the couch as he went over to answer the door. Watching him in anticipation as her palms began to sweat.

"Mateo!" Jonah announced, grabbing him in a hug and patted him roughly on the back, "How have you been?"

"Not bad, not bad." Her daddy answered, letting them in. He kissed Celia's cheek as she entered, "You three?"

Her aunt shrugged tiredly, "It's been a week, Teo. It's been... Oh, hello. You've got company?"

Her cousin poked her head around the corner, as all three of them suddenly noticed her sitting on the couch. The redhead stared for a moment, and then her jaw dropped, "Fuck!"

"Language, Hannah!" Jonah snapped at his daughter.

The woman shook her head, "But, Dad! It's her! That's Lorelai!"

Celia smiled nervously towards her, "Hello. Sorry to barge in. We're a bit of a noisy bunch... Are you really, Lorelai? He found you?"

"She found me." Her dad answered proudly, "I came home, and there she was, waiting."

She stood up, and walked over to them, holding out her hand to shake Jonah's. He grabbed her in a quick and rough hug, "That's no way for family to treat each other. And you're family."

"You're so embarrassing, dad." His daughter complained, crossing her arms, "I'm Hannah."

She smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, dad's been telling me about you guys. Wanted to surprise all of you. I... Well, I only just found out he was... Here."

Hannah frowned, and rolled her jaw, "Your mum said he was dead, didn't she? Total bitch."

"Hannah." Jonah said gratingly.

Lorelai shrugged, "It's true. And that's my sentiment, as well. But, anyways... You guys came for lunch? Sorry, haven't set the table. Been too busy catching up on years of hugs."

"Why don't you two head outside and sit on the swing?" Celia suggested, "Leave us old folk to deal with the food."

Hannah grabbed her wrist before she could complain and dragged her outside, and into the smell of sea salt.

The redhead half-jumped onto the swing, tucking a leg up beneath her. "Wow. Sorry, I'm probably embarrassing you, but, fuck. You disappeared when I was still a toddler."

"You're my age, aren't you?" Lorelai said carefully, sitting down beside her, "We were both young."

"Few weeks apart... Oh my god. It was your birthday. Recently." The girl realised, "Your eighteenth. How did it go? I got grounded, because of mine. Can't go out, unless it's with dad or mum, at least until I move out. Not that I want to."

Lorelai smiled sadly, "Yesterday. Which was when mum told me dad wasn't dead. So... Yeah. It sucked. What did you do to get grounded as an adult?"

"Oooh." Hannah chuckled nervously, "Eh... You're going to think I'm a slut. I lost my virginity. To... Like... Six guys."

"That's why dad said that!" Lorelai said, understanding. "No wonder he was worried about me. The hell! What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't." Hannah confessed and shrugged, "Total regret. Don't do a me. That was the worst fucking way to lose my cherry. Kinda happy to be grounded, to be honest. I don't want to see any of those guys again. it wasn't... Planned. I got drunk, they took advantage. I mean, they were drunk, too, but... Still."

Lorelai squeezed the woman's shoulder, "That's gotta hurt."

"Don't remember it." She shook her head, "But... Let's just say I'm happy to be home with just my family around. I'll get over it. Especially if my fucking goddamn cuz is sticking around! You're here!"

She laughed nervously at the excitement, "You're going to make me try and live up to some kind of legend, if you keep that up. I'm nobody special."

"As if." Hannah scoffed, "Your dad spent years looking for you. Crazy cash, too. Nada. Zilch. Completely disappeared off the face of the planet. And then, after a single day, you find him? You've got the luck of the devil, cuz."

"Mum changed my name." She said quietly, "Named me Beatrice. Triss, to my friends. And... Well... Lorelai. That name is way cuter. Not cute, actually. It's the name of a princess. I love the shit out of it. I want it back."

The redhead smiled at her, "Lorelai. Yeah, that suits you. You are a total bombshell. Sexy little siren to tempt the sailors to their deaths."

She flushed in embarrassment, "I'm sexy?"

Hannah glanced towards the glass doors for a moment, and then shocked her by kissing her. She sucked in her breath through her nose as a tongue briefly played across her teeth.

The woman leaned back, grinning at her, "Fuckin' sexy, cuz."

"Oh my god. You're bi." She whispered, still shocked.

The woman scrunched up her nose briefly, "And you're still sexy... Oh. Don't tell dad I did that. Please? I was just trying to make a point. But we're family, so he'd probably hit the roof, and I'm already trying to make up for being a total slut and disappointing him."

"Close with your dad?" Lorelai tried to remember how to breathe.

Hannah nodded, "Yeah. I... I hate how often I hurt him. I make dumb choices, all the time. But now I'm supposed to be an adult, and I've got no idea how. My first official choice as an adult was basically an orgy. So... Yeah."

"I wish I knew it." She smiled sadly, "I wanna know my dad, like that. He... He's not that comfy to hug, but he makes it feel special. Makes me feel important. Mum made me feel like I needed to pay rent just to breathe."

The redhead shook her head, "Bitch... So... You're not mad at me, either, are you? For making the point, that way? Just realised. It was weird, even if we weren't... Cousins."

"You do like calling me cuz." Lorelai said slowly, "Not sure how I feel about it. You often do that?"

"Not think things through? All the time."

She rolled her eyes, "Kiss strangers."

"No." Hannah said innocently, "I just... You're like a sexier, hotter, version of me. I wanted to do it since I saw you. Sorry."

"I'm the sexier one?" She said in confusion, "Have you seen your hair? I wish my hair was that sexy. How long do you spend on it?"

"Long enough that dad always complains." Hannah laughed, and then she frowned, "Though, you think redheads are sexier? I like blondes, more. Wish I was one."

Lorelai giggled at the irony, and then the glass door slid open, and Celia stepped out, carrying three trays. "What are you two gossiping about?"

"Oh, just tastes in girls." Hannah said casually.

She flushed, "Hannah was. I was just getting around to telling her, I'm not like that."

Celia laughed, setting down the food on a table, "Don't mind her, Triss. Our Hannah has always been very forthcoming. She's an open book, when it comes to romance."

"You're really bi?" Lorelai whispered to the girl next to her.

Hannah shrugged, and whispered back, "Dunno. Only girls I've kissed are you and mum. And she doesn't count."

"You kissed her." Celia overheard and shook her head, "Don't let your father hear. He's already worried about you."

"She didn't think she was cute!"

Lorelai flushed, "Can we... Drop the subject? You're the photographer, right, Hannah?"

"That'd be me." The woman nodded proudly. "Why?"

Celia chuckled, "Obviously, she wants a family photo, darling. We've got your emergency camera kit in the car. I'll bring it in, after lunch. Which, girls... What do you think?"

The stomachs of both girls growled noisily as they dragged themselves away from their embarrassing thoughts and towards the trays.

Hannah bounced over, snagging a couple sandwiches before retreating back to the swing. She handed one to Lorelai, speaking with her mouthful, "Warm chicken salad. Favourite."

"Me, too." She said more politely, and took a tiny bite out of hers. Tasting a sweet mayonnaise, and enjoying the watery crunch of the lettuce.

Celia headed back inside, to get something else.

Hannah glanced at the door again, and then whispered, "Umm... Sorry. That I kissed you. I shouldn't have."

"It was... Nice. Surprising as shit. But nice." Lorelai said carefully, "Your mum seems nice."

The redhead sighed, "You're trying to avoid talking about it."

"You're my cousin." She hissed.

The woman shrugged, "Yeah. Kissin' cousins. I meant what I said about wanting to, the moment I saw you. And I meant it, when I say sorry. I shouldn't have."

"You want to steal my sandwich right out of my mouth, don't you?" She glared.

Hannah shrugged, "Maybe not a sandwich. Gum would be fun. I... Wait. You're not utterly repulsed at the idea of it?"

"Not... Repulsed." Lorelai said carefully, "But it's also never happening, again. So just drop it."

The woman breathed a sigh of relief, "Awesome. And there I was, thinking that you'd go and hate me. Wow. And again, sorry."

"What are you apologising for?" Jonah set down some drinks on the table, before grabbing a sandwich of his own and sitting down on a nearby chair.

"Nothing." Lorelai and Hannah answered simultaneously.

Hannah's dad shook his head, "Thick as thieves, already. I think I should be very afraid, right about now."

"Well, she has an interesting way of breaking the ice." Lorelai teased Hannah, who went white and quickly shook her head. Begging her not to tell on her.