Chapter 36 – The Gilmores

It was the first summer day of the year so, despite the early hour, the sunlight was already filling the room. They were still in bed and he was laying on his side, his head resting on his elbow, waiting for her to wake up. He was trying to capture every inch of her in his memory with this perfect luminosity on her skin. They were going to be apart for a week but it wasn't going to be as painful as it was during the first weeks. Since the end of the spring session, Robert had spent most of his time in New York. He went to DC and Chicago several times for his book, but that was never for more than two days. They had reached a stage where they were completely part of each other's lives. When they were physically separated, the presence of the other in their mind was safely there.

She could feel the slight breeze interfering with the warmness of his body next to her. Her eyes were still closed but he knew she was awake as she was having difficulty holding her smile.

"I think I've never told you how incredibly beautiful you are, it's like you're coming straight from heaven to dazzle me."

She giggled, raised her eyes to him and beamed. She was never bored by his words, no matter how cheesy they could be. It was his game, every morning he would compliment her and he was certainly not tired of doing it.

"I'll definitely miss this moment when you're gone," she said playing with his locks as she stretched her neck to kiss him.

He was leaving to Barcelona for a meeting and he would be back directly to Boston for the summer session. Having him almost every day these past few weeks was a blast, she was still amazed how they got along each other. After that 2009 summer, she never would have thought that life would turn out so well four years later. From now on, it would be her new motto - "give life some credit".

"Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked.

"I'm wondering how I'll manage not being able to touch you for six entire days. What about you? What are your plans?"

"I'm going back to Connecticut for the weekend, starting with Friday night dinner at my grandparents'."

"So, it will be official then, you're throwing us into the real world?" His mouth quirked up.

"You don't want me to tell my grandparents?"

"If it were only up to me, I would have already shouted it out loud to the whole world months ago, but I have to admit that having you only for me in our bubble worked for me too. Have I told you that I met Emily at the Harvard-Yale Football game last year?"

"No, you didn't. Did you two talk?"

"Of course we did, she was very nice to me and asked me why we weren't dating."

Rory giggled. "And what did you answer?"

"That it was difficult to date someone that was not living in the same city."

"So tonight, I'm going to tell that actually, it's not that difficult?"

He chuckled. "Indeed it isn't, but that's because I'm an extremely resourceful man."

She shivered at his gaze.

"How do you do that?" she asked

"Do what?" he said, now circling his finger around her navel.

"Make me feel sexy and turned on when I have to get up to go to work."

"Easy, you're are the sexiest woman that I know. If you want we can multitask and go shower together," he winked.

She frowned her brows, pondered for two seconds and jumped out of bed pulling him with her.

She made a mental note to thank her grandmother for the remodeling of the bathroom before she moved in the apartment. The shower area was absolutely ideal for the playful activities they liked to have in with high tech shower heads, even if she doubted it was Emily's first intention.

"So, do you have any plans for the summer?" he asked while towel drying his hair.

"Besides spending the summer with the hottest Harvard faculty member?"

"You're also doing Ben Berger from Social Studies?"

She kissed him to wipe off his smirk.

"Seriously, aren't you teaching during the summer session?"

"I am, but it still leaves me three weeks in August, we can go anywhere you want." He pulled her to him.

Rory smiled. "Anywhere with you?"

"Of course with me, unless you prefer to go with Berger?" His mouth quirked up.

"I'll go anywhere as long as it's with you. Did you do your annual trip to France already?"

"Nope, how much vacation will you have?"

"I'll check this morning at the office and I'll let you know."

# # #

She knew she had to tell her grandparents she was dating Robert before they heard about it. Even if the Semples weren't from Hartford society, there was still a risk as her grandfather was doing business with Semple Brothers. She was sure that the elder Gilmores would be thrilled by the match, but what she was more uncomfortable with, were the following questions. Nevertheless, she had missed them, even if her grandmother could sometimes be noisy, she was glad to be back in Hartford.

"Rory we're so happy to have you, it has been such a long time." Richard hugged his granddaughter tightly.

"I know Grandpa, I'm sorry. I wish I could come visit you more often but my work is very time consuming and I often use my weekends to catch up on sleeping and reading for pleasure." And having mind-blowing sex with my boyfriend.

"You're glowing, have you been on vacation?" Emily asked while sitting in front of her in the living room while Richard was handling them their drinks.

"Nope Grandma, just the great air in Manhattan."

"So, with all this work, did you have time to meet anyone?" Emily enquired.

"Actually, that's one thing that I wanted to tell you this evening, I'm dating Robert Semple."

"That's such wonderful news. I don't know if he'd told you but we met him at the Yale-Harvard game last year. So, how long have you been seeing each other?"

"A little more than four months but we don't get to actually see each other that much as he's still teaching at Harvard."

"So, I guess that if you're telling us you two are serious?" Emily pried.

"Yes, we have hit a good groove," Rory admitted.

"So how do you plan to fix the situation? Are you planning to quit your job to find one in Boston?"

"Actually, Robert applied for a tenured position at Columbia."

"Is it wise for him to quit his job at Harvard?" Richard asked with a concerned tone.

"Well right now he has a junior lecturer position at Harvard which is very good given how old he is, but a tenured position is much better and an incredible opportunity. He'll be able to work more on his research than on the teaching."

"Sure, but wouldn't it be better for his career if he stayed in Harvard to wait for a tenured position there and that you moved to Boston?" her grandmother asked.

Rory was dumbstruck. Was she really suggesting that she should be the one to leave her job because she was a woman?

"Why should I move to Boston if he can move to New York? I'm not sure I could find a job like mine in Boston, there are only University press publishing companies there, their editors have at least a master's degree. Robert is a very rational person. He wouldn't apply to that position if it wasn't interesting for him."

"If you say so. Then, if Robert gets this position, will you two get married?"

Rory choked. Where did that come from?

"Emily, don't you think it's a little premature? They've only been dating for four months," Richard said, trying to advocate for his granddaughter even though he would be more than thrilled if these two lovebirds could tie the knot.

"Well the boy is willing to change his work plan for Rory, so I'm guessing he's quite serious," Emily answered in a chastising tone. Then it struck her, maybe her granddaughter was willing to live in sin and not get married or worse… She stared at the young Gilmore.

"Rory, please don't tell me you aren't going to say no to this man, once again." Emily stared at her granddaughter with a questioning look.

"Grandma, we're far from being there yet, but I promise I'll make sure that if one day he were to pop the question, he doesn't do it in the middle of a party and I'll be prepared" Rory answered trying to keep calm. Jeez, I want everyone to stop reviewing my life and telling me what I should do. I'm gonna do what I want.Then she couldn't help a smile and thought that she absolutely wouldn't mind spending the rest of her life with Robert.

# # #

Lorelai was happy to have her daughter for the weekend for herself. Since Rory had started dating Robert, she hadn't spent a whole weekend in Stars Hollow. Her mother had filled the kitchen with all possible junk food and the freezer was full of different ice creams. Multiple kinds of movies were prepared depending on the mood, she was ready for a great movie night.

Luke shook his head and smiled

"I know Rory hasn't been here for a while, but you two speak at least three times a week on the phone."

"I know but just talking is not enough, I miss the real Rory, my own flesh, and blood."

"You know she has a life of her own now, but it doesn't mean that she loves you any less."

"I know, but I miss the friend part."

"I'm sure you could still have it if you weren't constantly bashing her boyfriend. Do you realize that she has to segment her life because of that?"

Lorelai's gaze darkened in anger and Luke knew it wasn't good for him but on the other hand, he didn't like the situation. He had never met Robert but he pitied the poor guy who was the target of his girlfriend's wrath at the moment.

It was not that Lorelai disliked Robert, she never had even met him yet, but the idea that Rory could be entering New York high society was making her sick, and above all in worldwide finance. She couldn't help linking Robert with money, which for her always came with obligations and therefore loss of freedom.

Deep inside her, Lorelai knew she was a little irrational as the young Semple was teaching at Harvard, but she had seen his family multiple times in the press. She just couldn't bear the idea of her smart daughter turning into one of those fake brainless society women with their high-pitched voices, only concerned with parties, looks, and gossip. She wanted more for her offspring, she wanted what she'd missed by getting pregnant at sixteen, she wanted it all for her brilliant daughter.

Part of the reason was to get back at her parents and at the Haydens. This world which couldn't understand her when she was a teenager, this world who couldn't forget the mistake of falling in love at sixteen. Of course, in the end, everything turned out fine, she had an amazing daughter, she was now happy in her love life with an extraordinary boyfriend, she was successful, but the first years were tough, so difficult. Not because she was a maid, but because all of sudden she had lost it all, her family, her boyfriend, her life and had to start everything from scratch. Undoubtedly, it was the consequence of her choice to run away from them, but what choice did she have? She could hear her mother crying every night, that she had put shame on her family. She remembered that she had considered abortion or giving her baby for adoption, but she just couldn't. Not that she was religious, but her baby was the result of her love for Chris. She didn't know by then that the Haydens would do what they could to separate them, that she would be left by herself. Even if Mia was there for them, she never had forgiven this world. She had promised herself that she would protect her daughter, the most precious treasure she had from this evil world, they wouldn't be able to harm her, not if she was alive. Logan had been out of the picture, she won't make the same mistake with Robert and let him destroy her. These people were evil, of course, they could be nice, but as soon as you did something that wouldn't fit in their perfect image of what should be, then they could crush you like they did with bugs.

Rory had missed her mother and really wanted to get along with her as they used to do. Therefore, she tried to avoid mentioning him. It was killing her because all she could think about was him. Lorelai also tried to control herself and ducked any subject that could involve him. It was a weird weekend but hopefully, Lane was there so Rory could have a break of the tension with her childhood friend. It was fun to share with her and it was like things were inverted, Lorelai was the mother they were hiding things from.

A/N: Sorry for the late update life has considerably taken over. Hopefully, anonymousgg was amazing as usual and edited the chapter in no time.

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