Logan slowed his pace at the sight of a familiar figure drinking his morning coffee while browsing his phone on a bench in Central Park he had not expected to see. It was a miracle he noticed anybody, usually being absorbed in his mind and the sound of his selection of music in his earphones.
"Good morning," he stated, breathing heavily, allowing the earphones to fall to his shoulders.
"Well I'll be damned," Finn exclaimed, "Rory gave you a city pass?" he inquired humorously, putting his phone back in his pocket.
"I thought you were on your way to Morocco?" Logan asked, standing closer, doing some stretching.
"I am, later today. Have one last meeting here, and it got postponed by an hour, so here I am just killing time," Finn explained.
"God, I can't remember when I last took a trip just for the kicks of it," Logan sighed, feeling a tad envious.
"Well if you're still the same guy you were in college, then go pack your bags, I do have Paris' tickets she won't be using just going to waste," he offered, half-jokingly, knowing that Logan was far too responsible these days to do something like that.
"But I am not the same guy, Finn," he sighed.
"So you and Paris? Never would've pictured that back in college," Logan added a minute later.
"Me and Paris," Finn reflected. "You know, she may appear all tough and cold, but she really isn't," he replied, feeling some pressure to justify himself, having heard from Colin and Logan how some people had feared Paris during college. However, he'd stopped caring. The reality was that leaving her for three weeks was much harder than he'd expected.
"As long as you are happy, Finn," Logan said sincerely, patting him on the back approvingly.
"How is Rory doing? I haven't seen her much recently, it's been Lauren mostly or you who have been doing the logistics," Finn inquired. Even if he did see her, it was never really an in-depth conversation, just the exchange of Leah-related information - when she ate or slept, whether she had a cold or needed new clothes. Even if he'd ask how she was, he got little more than a "getting there" or "fine" in reply. And it wasn't even that she didn't want to share, but the momentum needed for a conversation like that never happened when you were essentially just handing over a child.
"So and so," he began, picking his words carefully in his head. "We just had a fight the other day, and basically it all boils down to the same stuff, but at the very least she's seeing Cara regularly, and there's some progress I suppose. I've gotten her through a couple of more overwhelming situations without her crashing completely, so she has some idea at least that what is in her head is just that and it can be overcome," Logan added on a serious tone.
"I guess that's good," Finn replied. "Your fight wasn't anything serious was it?" he inquired feeling it was indeed his need-to-know whether he had to prepare for looking out for Rory, even simply as the mother of his child, if there ever was an issue that would drive Logan and Rory apart.
"She got this idea in her head that we should do a prenup just so 'other people' wouldn't think badly of her," he said using air quotes. "And well I told her that this was something she needed to overcome if we were to get married," he simplified.
"That's rough," Finn sighed, understanding where Logan was coming from. Prenups were made to protect one's assets quite commonly in their circuits but more often they just left a bad taste in the mouth, as if people were not sure of themselves, or it had been something one of their parents had demanded doubting the sustainability of the marriage. Both he and Logan would've expected this suggestion from Mitchum, but not from Rory.
"At least she seems to be working on it, she said she wouldn't bring it up again, told me to forget about it, but still the words are out there. Still doesn't feel good, you know," Logan added.
"I can imagine," he replied.
They parted on good terms, Logan wishing his somewhat forgotten, but still very real, friend a good trip. Finn couldn't help to worry about Rory, but there was little he could do at this point, it was for Logan and Rory to work out.
Rory had just walked up three flights of stairs to reach Gwen's apartment. The place was a humble but clean red brick building, one step up from the typical student apartment but then again Gwen wasn't exactly the most classical student to begin with. Rory knew Gwen worked as a proofreader on the side, and this enabled her to support her mother who lived in Cardiff. She was unmarried and had no children, and seemed relatively content with her life that she shared with her Pomeranian called Pocket.
"Hey stranger," Gwen greeted, showing her in. "Down Pocket," she hushed at her white Pomeranian.
"Hi, thanks for seeing me," Rory replied, hesitantly.
"I'm was just listening to this online lecture, I'll just keep it playing the background if that's okay," she commented.
"Alright, if it is no trouble," Rory noted, taking a seat on the couch next to her desk.
"So how have you been?" she inquired, "Did you have a meeting with your supervisor yet?" she added, leaning back in her desk chair.
"I've been...," Rory sighed, adding, "I guess struggling is the right word. School has been okay, Prof. De Vries seems objective and matter-of-fact, and that is partially why I am here."
"So spill," she suggested, impatiently.
"Before I do, I just want you to know that I've been dealing with depression for a couple of years now. And a part of it I've been having some trust issues, hence me being a little hesitant to share. And for that I apologize. It's not personal," Rory explained. "And I guess if you are still up for it, and if you still want to, I am ready to give our friendship another try. I know this is going to sound just like I am only hoping to be friends with you because I need your help, but these things just happened at the same time. It's up to you if you believe it or not," she added, having little faith in her interest in actually becoming friends with her after the way she'd treated her.
"Depression is a beast, my mom has it," she shared, adding, "she's disabled, so she hardly leaves her apartment. Her circuit is really small and it's really difficult to help her in her situation even if she is on the right meds and getting Skype sessions."
"Wow, I didn't know," Rory commented, feeling for a moment like her problems were inherently insignificant in comparison.
"But what is it that you need my help with exactly?" Gwen inquired.
"My thesis requires interviews, altogether 12, in London and New York. The problem is that me marrying Logan, compromises some of the integrity of the research. I cannot go asking his employees, some indirectly but still, about their career-paths and honest reflections on the obstacles and ladders that have had on their way to where they are now," she explained.
"So you need me to do the interviews or something?" Gwen asked.
"Yes, that is exactly it, if of course your schedule enables it. You'll get paid of course and all the expenses are covered, over all it should be something like one week in London and one week in New York. You could stay a little longer in the UK if you wanted to go visit your mother or friends," she clarified. "Professor De Vries figured the interviewing abilities of someone in our class are far more trustworthy than someone off the street I might hire," she added.
"Hmm.. I want to do it honestly, it'd be quite interesting too frankly. I thought your proposal was fascinating. But could you perhaps handle my proof-reading while I do that? I'd hate to lose my vacation days on it," she replied.
"That I can do," Rory agreed.
"You want some coffee?" Gwen asked, closing the meeting window on her computer.
"Only with my oxygen," Rory replied.
"Rory, I miss you," Lorelai called, having hesitated making that call for nearly a week. She hated not talking to her the way they once used to. At their dinner with Emily she'd realized there really was no turning back time. She'd waisted enough time with her own mother and she didn't want to do the same mistake with Rory. Rory was getting married and moving on. Period. Begging to get her back in her life was what she aimed to do, if she had to, even if it meant keeping her opinions to herself.
"I miss you too," Rory replied, surprised to hear from her. It was easy to forget momentarily what issues they had. She held onto that feeling desperately.
"Want to come over?" she asked.
"'Want' and 'can' don't match at this point. It's Leah's bedtime soon. She's here now for three weeks straight. Finn is travelling, remember?" Rory replied.
"Oh right, I'll guess I'll just come there then," Lorelai suggested.
"Okay, come," Rory agreed, not quite sure what she'd agreed to exactly. Logan was in New York for three more days that week, and she was on her own. While her days were busy with research and homework, the evenings were full of tv and toddler-approved activities, offering little that she truly looked forward to. She hoped that just for that evening they could just hang out like they used to, trying to push the memory of Lorelai's hurtful words to the back of her mind.
Lorelai arrived an hour later carrying Chinese food and ice cream.
"Is she asleep yet?" she inquired.
Rory nodded, helping her with her bags. She aimed to be careful with what she said, not wanting to bring up any of the topics they discussed in therapy these days.
Lorelai hung up her coat and grabbed the remote. "I saw this was on tonight," she said, referring to one of their go to classics.
"Oh, not the oompa-loompas," Rory sighed, returning with two cans of soda.
"No, we need this," she replied determinedly, opening the container of noodles and digging in. There was no arguing with her on this.
"But this is the newer version," Rory exclaimed, turning the sound down just a bit so that Leah wouldn't wake.
"It'll have to do," Lorelai replied.
"Ugh, I know I should've bought whipped cream and chocolate sauce for the ice cream," Lorelai commented disappointedly an hour later.
"You know, I am not used to eating like this anymore," Rory sighed, spread out between the couch and the coffee table.
"Damn Logan and his healthy eating habits," Lorelai muttered, jokingly.
"I had a fight with him," Rory shared, after a few minutes of silence.
Lorelai didn't know what to say. Rory actually sharing what she thought had become rare, she knew she couldn't blow this.
"You guys okay?" Lorelai asked, carefully.
"I hurt him, but I think it'll be okay, I hope at least," she explained.
"What happened?" she continued.
"I told him I wanted a prenup, it didn't go over so well. Just like Emily said it would," Rory replied.
"Most guys in his position would cheer for that suggestion," Lorelai noted, eating a spoonful of ice cream.
"I guess it was more the reasoning behind it. I apparently have a problem accepting other people's opinions. I talked to Cara about it as well. I just need to get over it. I have to. Logan wants me to accept him as he is, even if it comes with a changed public image for myself, and I can't blame him. He's taken me with all this baggage without hesitation, and it should be the least I can do," she explained.
"Well I guess we'll just have to get used to this new you together," she replied, placing a hand around her daughters neck and pulling her close for a hug.
"Thank you for coming over, mom. I really needed just this," Rory replied, feeling a little emotional.
"Now, how about you tell me what you are going to buy for your wonderful mother once the joint bank account thing kicks in," Lorelai laughed trying to lighten the mood.
