June 22, 2017 A Real Family

Lorelai heard yelling and whooping. She looked over and saw Liam squatting down looking at the fish. She took another picture of him. Lucas was holding his Pop pops fishing pole, and Luke was telling him what to do. Liam Sr., was standing next to little Liam.

"Liam, be careful," his G-pa told him.

"Funny," he giggled. Little Liam kept on touching the fish and laughing as the fish flopped on the sand. Liam Sr. picked up the fish he had caught and put it in the large bucket that they had brought down earlier with the other fish in it. Little Liam, who was curious, had his face near the opening of the bucket and was looking down at the fish. Suddenly there was a big splash and Liam Sr. looked at his grandson. Little Liam was leaning over and trying to reach for the fish. The fish slapped its tail and water splashed out and his face and shirt were all wet.

"Ishy spas me, G-pa," he said laughing. Liam Sr. grabbed a towel that was near by and wiped off his face. Lorelai had caught the whole thing on her telephone.

Walking over to her daughter she beamed.

"Mom you look so happy. What are you laughing about?"

"Your son," she said showing her daughter the video. Putting her arm around her daughter's shoulder she continued, "This…is what a family is. You have your family now Rory, and I am so happy for you ."

Smiling back at her mother she said, "Actually mom, we have our family. They are as much as yours as they are mine."

Rory hugged her mother, which was awkward because Rory was wearing the Bobo and Lyn was in it. Lyn's little head was sticking up from the top and Lorelai leaned down and kissed it. Liam who had removed his shirt and thrown it on the sand, came running up to them with a big smile on his face.

"Me too, me too." Lorelai picked him up and gave him a hug and a kiss.

"Where's your shirt Liam?" His mother asked him.

"Off," he told her with a grin. "Ishy spas me. Bad ishy."

Lorelai kissed him again and she carried him as they continued to walk closer to the shore where the men were, who now were standing ankle deep in the water. Suddenly there were more whoops. Luke's fishing pole was beginning to bend. Lucas was standing holding the pole and Luke walked behind him and began to help him. Liam was clapping his hands as they all stood on the beach as waves crashed into the shore and watched as Luke helped Lucas reel in a fish. Lucas and Luke pulled, and they could hear the whirring noise the reel made as they pulled the fish closer to shore. Finn was recording the moment on his phone as Angus grabbed the net as he and his boys went splashing into the water to get the fish.

"Do you want to go and see the fish that Lukie caught with Pop Pop?" Lorelai asked Liam.

"Yes, Ookie cot ishy, Nana. Mama Ookie cot ish!"

Liam was excited and yelled to his mom as Lorelai carried him to the edge of the beach. She put him down, and Lorelai squatted next to him as they talked and looked at the fish. Rory was standing behind them on the beach holding her daughter as Finn walked over to his mother in law and his son. Finn continued to take pictures of all of them on his phone. He turned towards his wife and took a picture of her and the baby. She threw her husband a kiss and winked at him. Her mom was right. Looking around the beach at her sons, stepfather, mother, and her in laws, her nephews, and best friends, she understood what her mother meant when she said that this was what a family is. Rory grew up with just her mom and the people of Stars Hollow as her extended family, but now she had a real family, thanks to Finn, for her and her children. She felt movement and looked down at Ashlyn who was beginning to fuss.

Steph came walking over to her holding her son.

"Steph we are so lucky."

"I know," Steph replied as she looked at the crowd standing and laughing on the shore.

"Who would have thought, Gorilla Girl, that we would have all this and would be married to two of the biggest bachelors and man whores on the Yale Campus," Rory said to her best friend.

"Yes they were quite the man whores back then, but they have grown up to be amazing business men and wonderful husbands and fathers," Steph responded with a smile.

Ashlyn began to cry, and Steph looked down at her.

"I'm heading up to the house to change Conrad, are you heading up?" she asked Rory.

"Yes, I just want to get Liam and see if I can get him to settle down for a nap."

"Good luck with that. He seems to enjoy touching the fish."

The girls laughed. "He is all boy, Rory, and just like his father, he appears to be fearless."

"Yes, he is Finn's mini me. Did I tell you I caught him climbing up on a chair that he pulled over to the counter? I asked him what he was doing. He smiled at me and said, "Me, big boy", then he stood on the chair and started to climb on the counter."

Steph started to laugh and called for Bella and Liam.

"Bella come up to the house with me, Aunt Rory and the babies. Liam do you want to come too?"

Bella dropped the stick she was playing with and went over to Liam and took his hand.

"Come on Liam let's go play in the house."

"K" he responded, then turned and waved goodbye to the fish. The two of them started to run towards Rory and Steph.

"Bella, Liam, slow down and wait for Nana," Lorelai yelled as she followed the two little ones who were running towards their mothers.

When Lorelai got near Rory she lifted her granddaughter who was still fussing out of the Bobo. Placing the baby in her arms she carried her as they all walked to the house. Liam was holding Bella's hand chattering and Lorelai and Rory, who were walking behind them, listened as the two of them talk.

"Liam do you want to play house when we get inside?" Bella asked him.

"No, me eat," he answered.

"Okay we will play house after we eat," she told him.

The two children were only nine months apart. Bella was like a little mother towards Liam. She loved to read him her version of the princess story books and she could convince him to be the daddy when they played house.

Rory and Lorelai had to stifle a laugh as they listened to their conversation.

Turning towards his mother Liam asked, "Mama me eat Nana's bikkie?"

"Okay but first we have to wash your hands before you eat."

"Why?" Bella asked her.

"Because you were touching the fish and the sticks," Rory told the two little ones.

"Bella, honey, go with Auntie Rory while I go and change your brother," Steph told her daughter as she headed toward the stairs taking Conrad into Liams room to change his diaper.

"I will go and change Lyn and you can get things ready for the kids," Lorelai told her daughter as she brought the baby upstairs into her room, so she could also change her.

Lorelai quickly changed the baby who cooed and chewed on her fist. She lifted the baby and walked down the stairs to the kitchen. Holding Lyn in her arms she sat down at the table where Liam and Bella were waiting patiently for their bikkie's and a drink. She watched as her daughter prepared Lyn's and Conrad's bottles first, then brought Liam and Bella each two cookies that Sookie had made, to the table for them. Rory poured her mother a mug of coffee and then filled Bella and Liam's cup with milk. She noticed that Rory added a little bit of coffee into Liam's cup.

Smirking she asked her grandson, "What are you drinking, Liam?"

He smiled at her saying, "Nana's milk."

She laughed, "That was supposed to be our secret."

Rory rolled her eyes at her mom and said, "You know there are no secrets in this home."

Liam smiled as he finished his drink. Climbing down from the chair he was kneeling on, he went over to his Nana who held Ashlyn on her lap. He then kissed his sister's cheek and walked to the family room and climbed on the couch where he waited for Bella.

Rory handed her mom the bottle and then walked back into the family room. Bella had finished her snack and joined Liam on the couch. Rory picked up the control for the television and turned on Pup Patrol on Netflix hoping that Bella and Liam would fall asleep watching the show.

"Mama me no want Pup me want Mickey," Liam told her then putting his thumb in his mouth he leaned on the big pillow.

Rory surfed the channel until she found the Disney cartoon with Mickey and turned it on. The two children were happy.

Steph came down the stairs and entered the kitchen with Conrad and began to feed him. Rory came into the kitchen and noticed that Lyn was asleep in her mother's arms. All that fresh air had made Lyn hungry and tired. Rory took the baby from her mother and brought her back to her crib. Lorelai got up and made more fresh coffee. When it was ready she poured herself and Steph a cup then sat down to talk to her.

"Are you ready for the christening tomorrow, Steph?"

"I think so, Colin's father and stepmother are coming, my parents are arriving later tonight from Palm Springs. You will finally get to see them again. Colin also invited the Huntzbergers, and they are coming too."

"Will this be hard for Rory and Finn? I mean five years ago they had a big fight, then two years ago when Liam was born things still were strained."

"Lorelai you remember, it wasn't easy for Finn and Rory. Logan was so jealous, and he hurt Finn badly. Logan tried to ruin their marriage so many times."

"I remember, but it did make Rory and Finn's marriage stronger. If I had been Rory, I would have run away. I am happy she didn't follow my example. Finn is the best thing that ever happened to her. I told her when she broke up with Logan the first time that someday she would meet the right man and not hesitate. Finn was the right man. Who knew that for him it was love at first sight. "

Steph smiled and said, "I know. Those two are very strong and they are good for each other. Watching them go through those first eight months of their marriage convinced Colin and I that we could make a marriage work. If they could overcome the obstacles that the Huntzbergers gave them and make a strong marriage then we could too. They inspired Robert to marry Olivia and Tristan to marry Juliet too."

"What are you two talking about?" Rory said to Lorelai and Steph when she returned to the kitchen pouring herself some coffee.

"Just remembering the last five years, so much has changed in your lives," Lorelai said.