There was a very difficult dinner. Walnuts on salads. Despite the request to not have Walnuts on salads. Emily's eye rolls. A threat to dismiss the maid. Richard rolling his eyes at the request. Again?
"I distinctly told her not to put walnuts on the salads. Walnuts are on the salad. She does not follow directions. It's as simple as that," Emily said.
Rory stared. She thought about how Lorelei would have handled this conversation. How the tension would have been defused. Or at least made funny. This was awkward.
The maid returned. Once again, there were walnuts on the salad. And Rory was served first.
"Again with the walnuts," Rory said before her grandmother could say anything. She was nervous. She did not know how to handle the silence. She filled it with how she had seen her grandparents handle situations. "Is it that hard to follow directions?"
The maid took Rory's remarks. She then nodded and scurried off. Emily smiled.
"I'm glad you're understanding standards, Rory."
Rory nodded. Her feet shaking a bit. All she could do is think of Lorelei. And how upset she would be. But Rory did not want to think of these thoughts.
"Well, you taught me there are a reason why we have standards. And it's a shame when people can't meet standards," Rory said.
"Especially when you pay for them to be met."
The pause lingered as Rory waited for her food.
After dinner, Richard brought Rory a soda.
"You know, Rory," Richard said. "I'm attending a reunion event at school tomorrow. From my singing group. We are having a dinner. And you and your Grandmother are going."
"You sang, Grandpa?"
"I did."
"I did not know that. Are you good?"
"My showerhead says so," Richard said. "You know, if you'd like, I've love to bring you to Yale for the day. I know you have an event at the Young DAR Society meeting that evening. We can arrange to have you—"
"No, I'd love to go," Rory said before Richard could finish. He chuckled a bit. He knew from Rory's tone that the Young DAR society was not how she wanted to spent a Saturday evening. That, he knew, would be a discussion at another time. And, preferably, not with him.
Richard and Emily and Rory walked around the campus. Richard and Emily discussed how they met, as well as Penilyn Lott, the woman who Richard was dating before Emily arrived in a blue dress. Emily ran to the bathroom to fix an article of clothing that had stopped fitting properly. Richard and Rory sat on a bench together talking about the history of the building.
They walked into a gigantic, old building. A spectacular building. The administration building.
"Well, I'd like to stop here for a second," Richard said. "This is the office of a very good friend of mine. The Dean of Admissions. And I just so happened to tell him all about you and this visit. And he absolutely insisted that he meet you."
Nerves went up Rory's spine as Richard steered her inside.
Emily was aghast. Richard sat nervously.
"Richard," Emily said. "I do not appreciate you lying to me."
They argued for a bit. And then sat in silence after Emily told him not to even look at her.
Soon, 30 minutes later, Emily and The Dean left. Smiling and laughing. He thanked her for the book recommendation.
As he left, Richard smiled and asked how it went.
"I can't believe you. I can't believe you did this to me. I wasn't prepared for this, Grandpa. At all," Rory said, flustered. "I would have brushed my hair. I would have brought my transcripts."
Richard tried to interject. But Rory would not let him.
"I would have taken this meeting if you asked me to. Just because you wanted me to," Rory said.
Richard began to apologize. But Rory would not let him.
"I would have taken this meeting because I've already worked on my application to come here. I wanted it to be a surprise," Rory said as Emily's mouth dropped a bit. "Because I intend on going here, Grandpa."
He laughed and Emily did, too. And then they both gave her a huge hug.
Emily finally asked.
"What happened to Harvard?"
Rory smiled.
"Safety school."
This was a landmark event in Rory's life. She spent it with Richard. She spent it with Emily. Lorelei was at home in Stars Hollow, wondering if she was missing out on such moments.
