I love you. I need you to know that before I continue writing this letter. I need you to believe it. I love you, and I know you love me too. I don't know how much time will have passed between the time I broke your heart and when you read this. I know you're hating yourself for reading this, for feeling those feelings of love for somebody else. I know you.

I need you to know that it's okay. I never expected you to never move on, to never find another person who would love you like I do. Any man would be lucky enough to love you, would be lucky enough for you to love him back. If I have an inkling of who it might be, I hope it's Finn. He's loved you for as long as I have. I had to pry that admittance out of him, but it came with a string of apologies and guilt. If I hadn't stolen your heart when I did, he would have.

It's okay to love again. I want you to be happy, and whoever it is - Finn or not (even though I'm almost one-hundred percent sure it's Finn) will make you happy. If you're even considering the possibility of being in love with them, I know they make you happy.

Love them like you love me. They will love you the same, but hopefully treat you better. Hopefully they will never break your heart like I have. I love you, again and always. Be kind, love with all your heart, and be happy.

She hadn't fully prepared herself to read the letter, for him to tell her it was okay to love again. She wasn't ready to accept it, but he had. He had accepted that she'd be in love long before she considered even considering it. Setting the letter on the counter, she cradled her head in her hands and let her eyes close as she tried to comprehend everything going on in her life and her mind.

There wasn't a single point in time that she could point to and say that it's where she started falling for Finn. A part of her knew Logan was right, though. There had always been that seed planted in her heart, ready to grow. She'd felt it with every movie they'd watched together when Logan wasn't around, felt it with every second after they'd lost him. It had always been there, and it terrified her.

Her mind shifted to her world, Eli. Finn had always acted like a dad for Eli. He was the one who'd helped him learn to ride a bike, had been there for every birthday and school event. Hell, he'd gone to every t-ball game. She knew Finn loved Eli, and now she wondered if he loved the boy like a son. She wondered if Eli would be able to love Finn like a father. Quickly, she started worrying if she was trying to replace Logan in her life, in their son's life.

"Mom," she said after dialing the familiar number. "I need your help." After explaining the entire situation, still seated at the counter, the elder Lorelai chuckled on the other end of the phone. She didn't understand what was so humorous about her situation.

"Babe, I saw this coming for a while now. I know you've probably read one of Logan's letters, because surely he wrote one for something like this. Listen to it! He hasn't been wrong so far with those letters. Now, my advice for you is to follow your heart. You're going to have doubts and concerns. Talk to Finn, figure whatever this is out. That boy is head over heels for you. Now, I've gotta get back before Michel and Sookie kill each other, but think about it, okay?" She took a deep breath as she lifted her head from the crane position she'd assumed and looked at the picture on the refrigerator.

With a smile she answered her mom. "I will. Thanks." She hung up the phone, setting it down on the counter next to the letter. Taking another deep breath, she stood from her spot and walked upstairs to the bedroom to get dressed. As she climbed the stairs, she looked at the pictures. They hadn't changed or been added to since they'd lost Logan. The one of his high school graduation and the ones of him, Colin, and Finn still hung in their original spots. The ones from their wedding still at the top. She smiled as she remembered that day, his words, the feeling of his lips on hers.

There was a lot she still remembered about him. Some days when she made her morning coffee, instinctually, she'd make a coffee for him - two sugars with a tablespoon of French Vanilla creamer. It would sit on the counter all day before she realized what she'd done, then she poured it out, typically along with tears falling down her cheeks. She didn't cry over him much anymore. That wasn't saying she never did as she'd shown earlier that day. There were days she woke up from a dream of him to an empty bed. She'd smell the bottle of cologne that still sat on the dresser, remembering how he smelled.

Rummaging through the closet, she chose a simple button-up with rolled up sleeves and a pair of jeans. She wasn't planning on leaving the house, so her feet remained bare. Her hand brushed over the separating factor between her half of the closet and his, a t-shirt she'd seen him wear a thousand times before - the one he was wearing when he proposed.

"Hey, Love," she heard Finn say from downstairs. "I figured I'd stop by before I have to go pick Eli up." Smiling, she walked back downstairs as she pulled her hair up in a loose bun. She saw him standing in the middle of the living room with a smile on his face.

"How did your presentation go with the whole 'Bring Your Dad to School' thing?" They both sat on the couch, facing each other. She brought her legs up under her, leaning towards him slightly.

"It went fairly well. I talked about the hotel business and what I did for it. Then I talked about what Logan did, explaining that he was Eli's dad but that he couldn't be there. Eli was beaming the entire time and before I left, he gave me this big bear hug." Eli had always gotten along with Finn. After losing Logan, he was the only one who could get the young boy to calm down. She didn't know if it was because Finn was the calmest of them all or it was just because he was a guy, but it worked.

"I can't thank you enough for this, Finn. It means a lot to me, and it meant even more to Eli." He just smiled, pulling her in for a hug. It was different with Finn than it had been with Logan. Logan's hugs were always gentle, as if she was going to break. Finn on the other hand gave her bone-crushing hugs, ones that rather than feeling breaking felt safe like a security blanket. When they pulled apart, she was smiling again as she thought of the letter.

"Finn," she said timidly, keeping eye contact with him. "For the past five years, you've been through this journey with me. I lost my husband and you lost your best friend, and you've been raising Eli like your own son. I don't know how to thank you enough. I need to be honest with you though." Taking a deep breath, she tried to gauge his reaction. He looked concerned, worried. He didn't have a reason to be, but he didn't know that. It reminded her of when Logan came back from London and she thought he was going to break up with her. This time, the true news was much happier.

"Rory. You don't," she cut him off, grabbing his hand in hers as he tried to stand. Pulling him back down, she smiled softly again.

"Finn. I think I'm falling in love with you." His eyes got wide. She saw him swallow the lump she knew was in his throat. His grip on her hand got a little tighter. "It's been five years, Finn. You've been there for everything. You were there for everything before we lost him. I pulled out the box, knowing he had to have written a letter for this moment. He did. He told me if he hadn't stolen my heart, you would have. Finn, this feeling isn't new to me. He was right. There was always that idea that if he wasn't there, I would have fallen for you. I am now."

She didn't know what was going through his mind, but she felt him relax and could hear him sigh softly. They stayed sitting there for a moment longer before he leaned in slowly and their lips brushed softly.

She knew she wasn't going to forget Logan or stop loving him. There was still that small amount of guilt she felt. She shouldn't have been falling in love with his best friend, but here she was, sitting on their couch kissing Finn. And it was the first time anything felt right since her last day with Logan.

A/N: I'm back, as promised. I feel like I've finally found a good balance between the Rogan and the Finn/Rory. As I had told you, this is still very much Rogan and I'm hoping I showed it. I have some news, too. I've decided that with some editing and some minor changes, I will try and get Don't Say Goodbye published. I'll let you guys know how that's going, but it will affect how often I update this story. It's probably not going to be as often as DSG was, but I'll try to update every few days. As always, I hope you enjoy and I can't wait to read your reviews on this story as well!