Author's note: Wow, I was floored by all the shout outs and messages! Thank you for all your lovely words, they've made me so happy.
As promised, this is the epilogue.
See you all on the flip side!
She had accepted the fact that she would never be a perfect mother in the traditional sense of the word, but whenever she would have to resort to dressing Lola in mismatched clothes, or realize that neither positive or negative reinforcement would prevent Samuel from trying to erase vital information from her computer with a mere swipe of his chubby finger, she would recall a memory from her own childhood - her mother driving her to Chilton in shorts and cowboy boots, her grandparents having her portrait painted in a misguided attempt to rewrite history, Luke crying at her graduation -, and she would be reassured, that being perfect can come in many shapes and forms.
She was trying to remind herself of this very fact as she balanced her oversized bag, Lola in her carrier and the panic in her chest that the sight of Samuel running up the stairs induced in her. She could see the trip and loss of balance, the horrifying fall even before it happened, but what she was genuinely surprised by was that she didn't hear the horrible sound of Samuel hitting the ground and starting to cry, but a quite chuckle as someone caught him and lifted him high up into the air.
"Slow down, little guy. We wouldn't want your daddy to get distracted by you ending up in the hospital, would we?"
That last part was directed at Rory and she felt herself exhale a deep breath as she came face to face with the smooth faced man, who was now holding a miffed Samuel with surprisingly experienced hands.
"We've gotta stop meeting like this" she said, rolling her eyes.
"Like what?" the man said with a hint of amusement in his voice.
"With you making me feel like a failure" she murmured under her breath.
"Far from it, Miss Gilmore" the man said with an easy shrug, letting Samuel descend from his arms and race to his mom, hiding astonished behind her feet, sneaking glances at his mysterious savior.
"You know after all these years, I still don't know your name" she said, studying the man and his impeccable suit.
"That means I'm doing my job well" came his easy reply.
"Or your job for that matter" she said, not backing down, eyebrow arching slightly.
"That's okay, you'll find out soon enough" the man said with a hint of a smile and she squinted her eyes studying him.
"Why is that?" she asked, feeling uneasy.
"Master degrees aren't so your husband can be named general, Miss Gilmore. We have bigger plans for him" he said, studying Lola in her arms.
"Do those plans put him in a cushy suit like yours?" she asked, watching as the man's eyes darted to her, with a surprised glint.
"That would be the goal, yes" he nodded.
"You wanna give me a time estimate?" she asked, her tone reflecting her chronic exhaustion as she chuckled.
"It depends on a couple of things. But hopefully before this one goes to school" he said, reaching out a hand to touch Lola lightly on the head.
She watched the movement with careful concern, her eyes landing back on the man.
"What are you worried about now?" he sighed, his eyes still set on Lola and Rory wondered how he sensed her feelings so accurately.
"I've never seen you dressed in a uniform, that makes me think you're some shadowy governmental figure. I'm not sure he'll appreciate his hands being tied" she wondered out loud.
The man's eyes met hers again, the amused smile once again evident on his face.
"Miss Gilmore. My position comes with a lot of burden and responsibility, but it sure as hell does not depend on whoever whackhouse is sitting at that office at the time" he said, moving passed her to descend the stairs of the building.
She looked after him, pondering his words.
"You might want to hurry, it's about to start" he said, not bothering to turn back and she realized he was right and she had already been late before their impromptu encounter.
She reached down to grab Samuel's hand and pulled him up the stairs, racing towards the big glass door of the building.
She spotted Stella waving at her, the minute she entered and she smiled at her relieved.
"Let me help" Stella said, taking her bag from her and sliding her hand into Samuel's free hand.
"Thanks Stella" she said.
"You okay?" her friend asked.
"Yeah. I feel like I haven't been not late for the past two years" she groaned.
"With two under three. What did you expect babe?" Stella chuckled.
They walked toward the stairs, leading to the hall she had come to be familiar with.
"Is it just me or do you wish we didn't have these things to come to?" she whispered as they climbed the stairs.
"You mean if they wouldn't give them a reason to give them medals? Yeah, I feel you" Stella whispered back to her conspiratorially just as they stepped into the huge hall. "They do look hot in them dress blues though" Stella said with a chuckle as they were met with the sight of Tristan's crew standing at attention while general Grayson started his speech.
"They do, I guess" she agreed under her breath.
"You think? Otherwise I don't know how you got roped into two under three" Stella whispered back to her and they snickered quietly, sharing a wink.
She tried to concentrate on the speech, hushing her daughter fussing in her carrier. She was a true Gilmore girl that one, with eyes as blue as her mother's and the voice of her grandmother. And also some of her father's mischief she suspected.
Her toddler was still holding on to her hand, looking around in astonishment at the crowd gathered, but she knew it would be only a matter of time before he got his bearings and his courage, letting go of her hand to explore the premises.
She was almost thankful they were late and besides it was not going to be a big and loud affair, this one.
She looked around to be seeing only people she knew by heart by now, the family of those in Tristan's Delta crew.
She turned her attention back to the general, speaking without a microphone but still commanding the room.
"We are here today, to honor those quiet professionals who won't be applauded and celebrated at parades, won't have their names written on landmarks and their faces preserved in history" he said and she was drawn to look at the handful of soldiers standing in their dress blues on the far side of the hall.
"Yet their dedication, their selfless professionalism, their quiet endurance are what this country is built on, and the secret strength that protects it. There are no great deeds without sacrifice, there are no acts of heroism, without unwavering and unfaltering support. The reason this crew is able to do all it does is because of all the people here today, making their own sacrifices. I am honored to be handing out this Superior Unit Award in recognition of the efforts of Combat Applications Group 14-7 for their actions during Operation Inherent Resolve. It is an award fit for only the best, but is a mere symbol of the gratitude we feel towards these men and their families."
Rory watched as the decorations were given out one after another, the last one being placed on her husband's chest.
Her eyes met his, blue on blue, and her chest expanded with a calmness only he could give her.
She felt Samuel break free from her grasp as soon as the formality was over and the quietly buzzing crowd moved towards their family members.
She watched as the small crowd parted slightly, Tristan walking towards her with an excited Samuel sitting on his arm.
"This one got away" he chuckled as he greeted her with a kiss.
She sighed.
"Yeah, he's been doing that a lot today" she said, trying to give Samuel her best scolding look.
She watched as the little boy studied the colorful decorations on his father's chest and her eyes landed on the purple heart, her face becoming troubled for a moment.
"What?" Tristan nudged her gently and she forced a smile on her face.
"Nothing, I've just been thinking of…"
"Spinner?" he asked, finishing her sentence for her and she looked at him with a sad smile as she nodded.
"I've been thinking about him too" he said, focusing his pale eyes on Samuel, still enthralled by his medals.
"And something else also" she heard him say and she furrowed her brows in question, their eyes meeting.
"Remember when we first met?" he asked, his eyes focused on hers, pale blue and beautiful.
"In English class?" she asked, confused, and he chuckled, shaking his head lightly.
"No, I mean here" he said and Rory was reminded of the day, now seemingly a world away.
"Yeah?" she nodded.
"I need to tell you you were right. You were right and I was wrong about your article" he went on, his words calm and quiet.
She searched her memory, realization dawning slowly as she considered his words and she felt her heart constrict as she listened, waiting for him to go on.
"I need you to know that you were right and you and Sammy and Lola..., you are all I think about. You are all I think about to get back to" he said quietly, his eyes drifting over Samuel and Lola before focusing back on her.
She smiled, closing her eyes as the tears were stinging her eyes.
"Tristan…" she sighed, moving into his free arm.
"I just wanted you to know that" he whispered into her hair before kissing the top of her head and she held onto him, the four of them standing together in the joyous crowd.