Her name was Rory, his name was Logan. She was from a small town and of low class. He was from the big city and his father owns some of the best newspaper's the world has ever seen. They both went to Yale; they both were on the newspaper at Yale. He was following in his father's footsteps. She was following her dreams. He was in love with her, and his family didn't approve. She was in love with him, and her mother was proud.
He was being pushed to higher ground; she was working her way up in the world. They were from completely different worlds, but they fit together perfectly. After they graduated from Yale, his parents shipped him off to London. She found out she was pregnant. He never knew about the baby. She never thought he'd return. She'd been working for the New York Times for five years, and had a six year old daughter. She lived with her mother the first year after Ellie was born. Now she and Ellie live in a small two bedroom, one bathroom apartment near her work and her mother.
When he returned, he searched for her. And when he found her, he didn't expect what he found.
As I walked through the New York Times newspaper office, I searched frantically for her. I would ask anybody who passed, "Do you know where I can find a Rory Gilmore?" they would always point him in the same direction. Finally he found her office. She had her own office. He knocked on her door, and a little blonde haired and blue eyed six year old girl open the door. She smiled up at him with a toothy grin and said, "Hello, what do you need from mommy today, sir?" I was shocked.
But then I heard her voice say, "Ellie, who is it?" then she stepped out from behind the little girl. She bent down to pick her up and as she did so she asked, "How can I help you, si-"but she stopped mid sentence when she saw my face. "Logan?" she asked in a quiet voice.
She put the little girl down on the ground and said to her, "Honey, mommy's got some stuff to take care of, go play with you toys and I'll be right back." The little girl smiled and nodded her head. She walked off into the other room and closed the door. "Logan, when did you get back? How, how did you find me?" she asked me with worry laced all over her words.
"I asked around, and I found out you worked here, so I came to see how you've been doing. It seems you're happy. But what's with the kid?" she looked down and said in a quiet voice, "Logan, I'm happy you're here but you need to leave. Ellie doesn't need any more stress." I was confused, very confused.
"What do you mean by that? She's a little girl, what stress does she have?" I asked, then it donned on me, "Ace, who is that kid?" she looked up and said with pride, "She is Elizabeth Lorelei Gilmore-Huntsburger,"
'Elizabeth Lorelei Gilmore-Huntsburger?' I thought over and over. "You don't mean that she's?" I wasn't able to finish that sentence because Rory than opened the door wider and said, "I suppose you want to sit down?" I nodded my head and sat on one of the leather seats.
"Logan, she is your daughter, but I understand if you don't want to take that responsibility. I already know what I'm going to tell her when she's older and asks who her father was and why he wasn't there." I looked up at her and was shocked at what I heard. "You were never going to tell me about her were you?" I tried to stay calm but this was just too weird.
"Logan you have to understand that I didn't think you'd come back, I waited for three years, but you never wrote, never called, what was I suppose to assume? For all I knew you'd died! So how was I supposed to know anything about when you were going to come back, or anything?! Look, Logan, she's so smart, and she's a wonderful kid. I have tons of home videos I could show you; I have all her firsts on tape." I couldn't believe it, had this all happened in such a short time, and I did call, I did write, for god's sake I texted her all the time!
"Ace, what are you talking about? I called, I wrote, I even texted you!" I shouted, my anger boiling up inside. Then the little blonde haired girl pocked her head out from behind the second door. "Mommy, why is the man yelling so loud?" she asked. Rory got up and said, "Don't mind the crazy man, Grandma Lori and Grandpa Luke should be here to pick you up soon anyway. So get your things together, and Grams said to pack lots of games." She was so calm with her, so…so kind. Motherly almost.
As I kneeled down next to Ellie, I couldn't believe she might actually have a father figure in her life. She deserves somebody who could be a good father to her. I just wish I knew if he was up for it. I know his parents didn't like me then; they'd probably hate me now.
"Hello, hello! Grandma Lori's in the house!" I heard my mom shout. I looked over my shoulder to see Logan and my mom staring at each other. My mom with venom, Logan with fear. "Hello, Lorelei, long times no see?" he said. My mom looked over at me, than lipped, "why is he here?" I just shrugged and lipped, "I don't know."
Ellie ran up to my mom and said, "Grandma Lori, Grandma Lori! Guess what, guess what! I get to be one of the forest fairies in the ballet! Cool huh? Aren't you happy?!" she squealed in excitement. My mom smiled and said, "I know, I talked to Miss Patty today and she said she was very happy that you'll be able to do it." Ellie looked at my mom like she was the best thing alive. "Oooh, really? Can I go to miss Patty's today Grandma? Can I, can I, please?" she pleaded in her cute high pitched voice. "I suppose, but only if you watch a movie with me and Grandpa Luke first." Ellie nodded and jumped out of my mother's arms and ran to me. "Bye bye mommy, I'll see you later right?" I nodded and said, "I pinky promise, I'll be there before dinner time." I kissed her on the forehead and walked her out, thanking my mom for taking her for the day. My mom looked back and said, "It was good seeing you again Logan, maybe we'll see each other more often?" then she left.
I turned to Logan and said; "I guess we have some things we need to talk about, huh?" he nodded and sat on the other side of the couch. I shook my head and said, "Let's go out to lunch, shall we?" He got up and said, "I'm paying." I shook my head and said, "You pay for yours and I'll pay for mine." He began to protest, but I just shook my head and said, "Nope, not gonna change my mind." Then I walked out of my office and into the hallway in front of it.
Rory looked over at Logan and said as they got to the parking lot. "Your car or mine? Or do you wanna drive separately?" He looked at her and said, "Your car? Or my car, cause I'm not driving separately in case you try to lose me on the way." Rory shook her head and said, "Fine my car, and I drive." He nodded and followed her.
"Nice car, I like the stickers on the windows to, very classy." Rory looked over at him and said, "She's your daughter to. But you never told me if you want her to know about you, or if you want to be in her life." Logan didn't know if he wanted that. He was only in his early twenties for god sake! But Rory had had this little child when she was probably still new to the real world, and just out of college, so he had no right to talk. She probably never got to go out and have fun in Vegas with Madeline and Louise or anything because of him.
"Do you want my honest thought on this subject?" he asked her. "Of course. I mean Logan, she's still young, but she is old enough to have lots of questions and expect to get answers. And she is also getting to old to just have her father jump in and say, 'I'm your dad, except it.' With this thing, it's going to take time. And it's going to take time that's running out, and running out fast. You have to make up your mind soon, Logan, or else the chance will leave you." He didn't know what to say, this Rory was different from the one he knew six years ago. She was older, and wiser.
"Rory, what happened to you? What happened to us? We used to be so perfect, now, I don't know anymore, what happened?" Logan asked. Rory shook her head and sighed, "You left Logan, and I had a baby. I grew up, and had to make a living not just for myself but for my daughter as well. Thank god for Paris, and my mom and Luke or else I wouldn't have made it anywhere and I would have had to give up Ellie." Logan looked at her curiously. "Paris?" he asked. Rory looked over at him and said, "Yeah, as soon as Paris found out I was pregnant she changed her focus from surgical studies to pediatrician. She's Ellie's doctor actually. Ellie calls her Aunty Pair. It's quite funny actually." She started laughing and Logan sat awkwardly in the passenger seat.
"So it seems you've got your life all worked out huh?" He asked. Rory looked over at him and laughed, "Hardly, Ellie has to stay after school on weekdays so I can work, and even then my mom has to pick her up on her way home from work. On weekends my mom comes to work and picks her up so I don't have to keep her at work with me all day, and my only day off is Sunday. I only ever see her in the morning, at night, and on Sunday but even then I'm busy doing the finishing touches on my work. When she was little I submitted my work through email to the editor so I wouldn't lose my job. I might have been there for some of her firsts, but my mom and Luke were there for them all." I could see the regret in her eyes, and changed the subject.
"Is she a good kid? And did she say she does Ballet?" Rory nodded her head and said, "Yep, don't know where she gets it from but one day Miss Patty asked her if she wanted to try a class, so I let her try and she fell in love with it. The shocking thing is she's really good. And once she gets her skates on and you put her on some ice, it's like you're watching an American Michelle Qwon. I think we have a future figure skater on our hands." She laughed and sighed, "I wish you could have been there for it all, Logan. She was so small, so fragile. Her first words were Daddy you know. I cried that night, the night she said in her sleep, "Daddy." I would tell her stories about you to her. Before bed, I would tell her stories about how we met and fell in love." She sighed and said, "Here we are." Logan looked up to find they were at a small diner.
Logan got out and said, "This looks nice."And walked inside behind Rory. "Hey Rory, do you want your usual seat?" a young waitress asked. Rory nodded and motioned for Logan to follow her. The waitress sat them at a small table near the back by a window. It was quiet and smelled of freshly baked goods. "Do you know what you want or do you want some time to look over the menu?" she asked. "I'll have an iced tea and he'll have coffee, extra cream?" Rory ordered their drinks. "Sure," Logan said to the waitress. She nodded and walked off.
"Come here often?" he joked. She smiled and nodded her head. "Actually, yes I do. It's close to work, and Ell's school. She loves their pancakes and they even add extra chocolate chips just for her." He smiled. His daughter, Rory's daughter. He was still trying to get over the thought that he even had a kid, much less one with Rory. "She looked like you, ya know. When she was born. Now she's getting darker hair, but I think it'll always be blonde. She's quite the artist as well. Over half of the fridge at home is covered in her art work." Rory laughed at the thought.
"You really love her, don't you?" Logan asked.
Rory looked up at him and smiled and said, "Yea, I really do."
