The rest of the evening didn't provide a lot of alone time for Logan and Rory, Finny waking saying something was hurting though he struggled to really communicate what himself, Rory finding it out by touching - probably an ear infection - she figured. But there really wasn't much else to do than just hold him and make sure he took his pain and fever medication.
As they both finally made it to bed, it was safe to say that they were both exhausted, Logan having taken it upon himself to deal with the twins and help Rory however he could. In times like this he was really reminded by how hard this actually was, even with a live-in nanny. Rory was living in a world to uncertainty too - even not knowing when she'd get to be at night, knowing that the kids' needs always took priority. Logan had seen a lot more of this when he'd been home more when they'd had Finny, but somehow then with Finny usually being quite a sound sleeper, it hadn't seemed as challenging.
"Logan?" Rory whispered, not quite wanting their dialogue to end just yet, as they were both under covers in the dark room. Both had hoped in their own minds to maybe get some intimate time together, but that wasn't going to happen, the tiredness being so overpowering - and they'd just had to live with that.
Logan replied by reaching out his hand to her, taking her hand in his.
"I want you to talk to me... always, about anything..," she whispered, sounding sleepy.
"Okay," Logan whispered, knowing Rory must've been dead tired at that point, well past 1 AM.
Rory snuggled closer to him so he could feel her breath on his skin.
"I'm sorry," he added, now feeling like perhaps he too had been too harsh on her. He too understood that beneath all that it was just her worry for him that had led her to do these things.
"When you come back, let's do something together, just us. I think we need it," Rory mumbled.
"I think we need it too," Logan sighed, kissing her forehead. He heard her breathing change, falling asleep finally. He stayed up for a few more minutes, feeling her, listening to her and sorting out his thoughts. He didn't want to mess this up, promising himself to try harder, pay more attention, talk and listen and rebuild that trust that for a second there had felt so fragile.
"Hey!" Logan exclaimed as he saw his old friend approaching him, half by accident, at Terminal 8 at JFK. Logan didn't really come to airports a lot of time in advance, knowing by now all the quick routes of getting around, his Lounge access cards providing him with all sorts of services that helped these things. But as Logan's flight had been delayed by an hour at the last minute and Finn's flight had been a half hour early - there they both now stood in the Flagship Lounge catching actual facetime for a few minutes.
"Hey, mate," Finn hugged Logan. "Well, if there's one thing to count on, it's the inability of airlines to stick to their schedules," Finn chuckled.
"That was quite a holiday you took this year," Logan said. Sure, they'd just talked like 30 hours ago, but still - it was good to catch up in person.
"Well… I needed it. And it's good I did..," Finn replied, not needing to explain why his change of itinerary had been vital to meeting Charlie. He still hadn't told Logan about G, his reasons for leaving, and he really didn't want to, still being ashamed of it.
"So she's really doing this?" Logan asked, still not quite believing that Finn was fully letting go of his bachelor lifestyle. Despite being tired from the long flights, Finn did look happy, and Logan could really tell.
"Looks that way. I'm flying over the week after next to help her move," Finn explained.
"If you need help with the visa or something, let me know - we have this guy at work who's become an expert at this by now," Logan offered.
"Thanks," he replied.
"Oh, and Finny's sick right now - so he might not be up for much entertainment right now, but if you go I'm sure he'd be happy to see you. Just at your own risk, you know," Logan added, knowing Finn was going to drop by the house in the next few days.
"Right, poor kid," Finn sympathized. "How did it go with Rory?" he asked.
"We talked, definitely needed that. I'm a bit of a mess… but I think we'll work it out," Logan sighed. He was optimistic, hopeful - though he knew there was still work to be done. "Just don't tell her what I told you… I was just…," he added, not quite knowing why he had said all those things. But then again he was glad he had spit those unpleasant things out rather at Finn than Rory, or the damage would've been perhaps irreparable.
"Temporary insanity, got it," Finn winked. He knew he was probably still going to talk to Rory, not knowing that Rory might have a few scolding words to say to him about G too, but he liked to check in on both sides of this - he had been their biggest fan through thick and thin, he wasn't going to stop now.
Finn let out a deep exhale as his apartment door buzzed open and he stepped into the polished concrete floored penthouse. The floor to ceiling 24 ft windows that glanced out over the city's skyscrapers, but instead of the colorful autumn vista he'd left the place with, he now saw a grey and foggy city that really had a very depressing effect on him.
The place had just been cleaned, the fridge was stocked and there was a whole winter wardrobe waiting to be worn in the closet - but all he felt right then was the shadow of that loneliness he'd felt in this place before he left.
It didn't take him a lot of thinking to pull out his phone and dial the number that was always among the first three on his recent calls list these days.
"Hey, love!" Finn greeted the gorgeous face that appeared on his phone screen.
Charlie was in her apartment, dressed in a cosy button up sweater, her hair loosely braided over one of her shoulders.
"Back on the same continent, yay," Charlie replied, knowing his flight plan and seeing his surroundings not really resemble that of an airport, even a first class lounge.
"Yup, just got back… god, this place is depressing," Finn exhaled. "Definitely could use some of that sunshine that comes with you in here," he added.
"Well - do I get a tour?" Charlie asked, excitedly. She'd just done the same about her place to Finn yesterday when she'd gotten back. Her flight had been a truly long one - having flown home through Los Angeles and Dulles, hence she'd been off the radar a little longer, making Finn almost exhibit withdrawal symptoms from not talking to her, so he was happy to see it.
Finn was tired from his flight, but he desparately just wanted to hear her voice, he wanted to feel like she was there.
"Well... here we have the lounge and living room combo," Finn said, showing her around the large room around him. One wall was composed of a hidden wood-panelled cupboard, which held pretty much anything he owned, even the TV was hidden unless he was using it. The area had two large low back leather couches, perfect for both entertaining and lounging.
"Wow..," was the general exclamation he could hear from the phone.
He showed her the kitchen, black marble kitchen with similar wood cupboards on one wall was next.
"Some kitchen desk space for you, a bit more than you had on the boat," Finn chuckled teasingly. Charlie had done the majority of the cooking on the boat whenever Finn had been doing the sailing. They hadn't really objected to the role division, somehow it just had come naturally to them.
"A bit yeah," she laughed, as pretty much anything was bigger than the one foot kitchen desk the boat had had. But if was definitely a grand kitchen, spacious and with top notch appliances which to her made her concious about the humbleness of her, no doubt also expencive, but much less lavish kitchen.
"So we have some small breakfast nook here, dinner table - which has been rarely used though, and then here we have the study," Finn showed her one by one, not really thinking of these as highly important areas. "And of course, most importantly - this is the bedroom. And I know it's very… manly right now - but seriously, I meant it - you have free reign in here," Finn said as they reached the sleek and minimalistic bedroom with the concrete floor and a bed in the middle of the room with dark sheets. "I have missed this bed however," he added landing onto it, his phone still in hand.
Finn moved his body around the bed, as if attempting to get comfortable, having switched his camera around by then.
"Hmm… something doesn't quite feel right," Finn made a thoughtful face, playfully. "I know, someone's missing," he smiled smugly.
"I love you," Charlie replied, leaning her chin onto her knee and watching him.
"How are things over there?" Finn asked, after a short pause in thought, missing and admiring her in her simplicity.
"I met up with my dad today," Charlie shared.
"Everything okay there? How did he take it?" Finn inquired. Sure, he knew he was going to meet her dad when he flew over in less than two weeks, but he truly had to admit that the idea hadn't really registered with him. He wasn't used to being in that position of having to impress someone other than the girl. So he was definitely a little nervous.
"Yeah, he said he almost didn't recognize me," Charlie chuckled. It was quite a compliment really, as the context he said it in was that he hadn't seen her this happy in a while, and that was coming from a man of few words.
"Do I need to prepare a speech or something to explain why I'm stealing you away?" Finn inquired, scratching his head.
"No - he's moved himself more than once for a woman, so I doubt that'll be an issue to be honest. But he can be a little withheld and seem like he's hard to please, you know," Charlie warned him, hoping he knew the type.
"I'll take that into account," Finn sighed.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine - I'll be there too," Charlie soothed him.
"So what's your week going to be like?" Finn asked, positioning his elbow behind his head for support.
"Monday - I'm going to meet with my soon to be ex-boss... probably, apologize, tell them that I can't work for them. I'm tentatively giving them the option to send me some things that can be done from the distance. I feel pretty shitty letting them down to be honest," Charlie sighed.
"And then I might go see my mom over the weekend, start sorting through all the stuff I have on storage, packing…," she described. "I got to take my car in to get serviced, talk to few people who want to rent this place and … ugh.. I don't even know, but I've started a list you see," she explained and held up the legal pad she had scribbled on.
"Ah, I've always had an appreciation for girls with lists, you'll love my friend Rory, Logan's wife," Finn added. He'd talked about her before with Charlie, but between all the names she'd had to learn in his family at Christmas, he was pretty forgiving if she forgot a few.
Charlie laughed, appreciating all the ways Finn managed to squeeze compliments into the tiniest things.
"I'm kind of nervous about the move, to be honest," Charlie confessed. "Excited too but… yeah, it's a big step," she added.
For a moment Finn was hit with a pang of panic.
"Don't panic.. I'm still doing it, just…," Charlie added, seeing the worry in his face.
"That things look different from another perspective," Finn finished her sentence.
"I guess," she replied with a shrug. She was worried this would just be a holiday romance - that once reality really hit they too would get hit. So far that hadn't happened, even when not being in the same city, but the worry was there.
"How different are they looking?" Finn felt like he needed to ask, already regretting perhaps being so enthusiastic about his video tour of the place some minutes ago.
"Still pretty good, just I kind of hate this stress that just like was shoved onto me the minute I landed. Work, apartment, insurance, car… the life of a backpacker was a kind of a picnic in comparison," Charlie sighed.
"Is it something your dad said or…?" Finn asked.
"Well - he thinks that we're rushing a bit, but he understands that long distance sucks," Charlie explained. "But it's much easier to move before I'm settled in again, so it kind of makes sense too," she added.
"Anything I can do to help it?" he offered.
"I guess.. The practical person in me wants us to talk through some practicalities, like how we divide costs and so on. I just don't want to move and then start fighting over stuff like that," Charlie said.
Finn let out a crooked smile - he knew she was like that - insisting to split things and do what was legally the correct line of action. But he really had no issue taking care of her, but he knew enough not to argue with her at this point either.
"Fine - we'll talk. But not today, okay, love?" Finn suggested, letting out an involuntary yawn. He knew the discussion wasn't going to be easy, but to start this off right - with honesty and openness - it needed to be had rather than not had, Logan's example being freshly in his mind.
"Love you," Charlie said, letting him get some rest.
"I love you too," he replied.
"I believe' we've been in this very same situation before," Paris smiled broadly, as she shook Celeste's and Jess' hand, seeing them back at the Dynasty Maker's clinic.
"Different city," Jess smirked back at her. He really didn't like these private clinics much - they were too greedy looking, pretentious. But he did want the best care, and with Hartford close by and they still had Paris' offer for complimentary services after what had happened with Celeste's personal records years ago, it really was a rather easy choice to return.
"Different doctor too, but I can sit in if you want," Paris suggested.
"Could you?" Celeste asked, surprising them both. Paris had essentially offered it out of politeness, not really expecting them to want it, but she could see genuine concern in her face. Celeste was worried about a lot of things - and that was probably not going anywhere until she was holding a healthy baby in her arms.
"Sure, no problem," Paris put on a smile. After all this did come with another perk - getting to be in the same room with Vikki who was going to be their main OB.
"The doctor is ready for you," the nurse, dressed in peach-colored scrubs, announced.
"Thank you, Ingrid," Paris said, shocking the nurse with her unusually pleasant manner. Paris had definitely been acting a little out of character since Vikki happened - she was more tolerant, cheery and even polite - the world was definitely more colorful than it had been a few weeks ago.
"This is our newest member of staff - Dr. Irwing, comes highly recommended and I can vouch for her myself," Paris assured as she introduced her to the others. "And these are our clients from New York who've recently moved to CT, but they're also my friend Rory's friends. And we aim to provide nothing but the best for them," Paris added, having already told Vikki before that these were pro-bono clients.
"Nice to meet you," Vikki shook Celeste's and Jess' hand. "Have a seat," she offered.
It didn't go unnoticed by Celeste at least that the two women seemed awfully similar, almost like in sync, and there was definitely a palpable...something... between them. But she was too nervous herself to really dwell on it.
"I've gone over your notes and results from Dr. Palmer at the SH Family Medical Group and I don't really have anything to critique. They've run all the appropriate tests and scans and things are looking good. You're still a little early for the real ultrasound, but we'll go over some vitals, ask a few questions, do basic heart monitoring and talk a little about the genetic testing you wanted to run," Vikki spoke rapidly, almost firing words like Paris normally would.
"So I understand that this was a bit of a miracle baby?" Vikki looked over their file once more.
"It seems so," Jess replied with a humble shrug.
"And you are sure you don't wish to do an early paternity test or test your sperm count to confirm this?" Vikki asked, getting a frown from her two clients. "I just have to ask this, your notes don't show whether this has been asked before," she corrected herself.
"It's not necessary," Jess said plainly.
"It's an envy worthy man you've got there, if I were to say so off the record," Vikki added smilingly, glancing briefly at Paris, still looking for the right balance of familiarity with these patients as they seemed to know Paris a lot better than just any clients.
"I know," Celeste replied, taking Jess' hand.
Vikki smiled, realizing that the comment hadn't been perceived badly, feeling relieved.
"So I see these were the dates of your last periods, right?" Vikki asked, continuing to list a few dates and explain that the last bleeding she'd experienced was likely just implantation bleeding. "And this means that the due date should be August 16th or thereabout," she added.
They soon headed over to the examination room and checked the baby's heartbeat with the internal ultrasound, saying how it was too soon for a doppler.
Soon enough the tiny blob was visible in the screen of the dimmed room and so was the heartbeat.
"How strongly do you think I could've influenced it by having some wine and probably more coffee than I should've before finding out. Plus my meds," Celeste asked.
"Well… there's no telling really unfortunately. Fetuses at this stage are fragile but at the same time sometimes surprisingly resilient. But I can just tell you that a lot of people find out quite late and haven't had any clue, so you wouldn't be the first to do those things and have things turn out without complications," she replied.
"We can do the noninvasive prenatal diagnosis at ten weeks - this requires a simple blood sample, and that we can schedule now. And if there are anything of concern there we can run consecutive tests at later weeks," Vikki explained, continuing to explain about quad marker tests, amniocentesis and CVS that could be done later.
The two asked a few more questions concerning any issues the scarring of the uterus Celeste was worried about could cause, and Jess requested special attention to be paid at potential bleeds fearing that the most from experience. Celeste had been bleeding slowly to an enclosed area behind the placenta last time, and they'd very nearly missed it, the main symptom just being anemia.
"I promise, we'll offer you nothing but the best care," Vikki assured.
As there were no more questions and the future visits were scheduled, Celeste, Jess and Paris left the room.
"I also wanted to say congratulations, even if it is early," Paris said, hesitating for a moment but then hugging the two one by one, causing Jess to exchange glances with Celeste.
"Did she clone herself or something? And what was with the prep?" Jess asked Celeste jokingly, taking her hand, having never seen Paris like that.
They still hated this waiting game, but it was not like they could do anything to speed things up either.
AN: Finn's place is a combination of two properties (and some of my imagination). Outside (talked about in previous chapters and a bit of the inside): 240 Park Avenue South Penthouse (video on youtube) and interior (thematically) Olga Akulova Novopecherskie Lipki apartment on Dezeen.