"Yeah?" Celeste picked up her phone, seeing already it was Rory. She didn't know Jess had texted her, she wouldn't really have been very surprised if he had, and she glanced a thankful look across the living room where Jess was keeping Evie busy with home made colored salt dough and the Play Dough spagetti maker.
"I'm so sorry. How are you holding up?" Rory asked in a compassionate tone, not bothering with greetings. They didn't need it.
"Thanks," she exhaled. "I don't know... ," was her honest reply. She'd cried a little yesterday, but today she felt cried out.
"Logan sends his condolences," Rory added.
"How's London?" Celeste asked, wanting to talk about something else.
"It's good, it's really good," Rory replied, feeling like she shouldn't be feeling as celebratory under the circumstances.
"Good," she breathed out. She was glad her two best friends, Jess excluded, were communicating properly again.
"I was thinking about driving up there tomorrow - offer you my shoulder," Rory suggested.
"You don't have to, really. Be with your kids," Celeste tried to assure her. Her tone didn't sound too convincing but she was serious. "I'll be in Hartford for most of the day anyways - I have classes," Celeste explained, those words catching Jess' attention, across the room, as well.
"I'm sure they'd give you an extension or something, there's more than reason to..," Rory hesitated. To her it really didn't seem realistic that she was going to class the very next day.
"I'm okay, really - It's good for me to get out. Think about something else. I mean it's almost like nothing's changed really…," she tried to explain. That was the thing - nothing much had changed for her. Her life would go on as it had been going, hopefully with less stress and fewer surprises.
"You can call Logan if you want..," Rory offered, getting a look from Logan's direction curious to the context, as he leaned against the window sill.
"Maybe… we'll see," she replied.
"When's your therapy?" Rory asked with concern.
"Tuesday morning," Celeste replied, understanding that this was just Rory looking out for her, but she didn't quite appreciate people looking at her as if she was going to shatter to pieces the next second. She kept saying she was fine but not even Jess believed. It didn't feel like the loss of a parent, not really - more like a loss of an inconvenient acquaintance - or at least such were the comparisons she kept searching for. Fine - there was a sting to it, but it was nowhere as bad as Rory and Jess seemed to assume.
"Good," Rory exhaled, hesitantly.
"You can come Thursday if you want - or not...," Celeste began, adding, "Jess is going to New York that day," she added. She didn't want to be a burden, but she did miss her.
"I just might," Rory promised. She didn't like the idea of her alone, even if she was with Evie. It was the first she was hearing from Jess coming to New York - but she didn't need to - they were free to come and stay at the townhouse whenever. But under these circumstances she was rather surprised to hear Jess was still planning on coming - it must've been something important.
"Good, I need to go give a blood sample in Hartford but other than that I'm free," Celeste explained. Rory was feeling more and more like it would be good if she could go by herself this time, being torn in her mind between the kids and her friend. She probably could use someone to hold her hand over at the clinic as well.
"Okay, I can probably come meet you there," Rory suggested.
"Oh, shoot, I forgot," Celeste suddenly recalled something. "I have to set up for the town meeting in the evening," she explained.
"Well, I can also help with that," Rory suggested, feeling happy to be of at least some assistance. It as going to be a long day, but she surely could just drive back later, or maybe even bring Hallam if she didn't want to drive at night.
As they hung up, Jess felt he needed to say it.
"I can postpone New York, you know," Jess said.
"You don't have to - Rory's coming," Celeste said. "I'm okay, really," she assured.
"If you say so..," Jess mumbled, and kissed the top of her head as he passed her, going to get a glass of water. He wanted to see it before he would believe it.
In London, Logan looked at Rory expectantly, wanting to know how Celeste was doing. He was feeling rather guilty for the lack of communication between Celeste and himself these days. And while he knew Rory had no issues with them talking, he wasn't sure how Jess would take him calling her to catch up. Sure they talked when they were together, but they hadn't really had one on one time in a while. Nobody liked the thought of someone else understanding their wife better than they did.
"She claims to be fine," Rory said.
"Is she?" Logan asked for her hunch.
"I don't know," Rory admitted. Maybe it was possible that she was fine?
Logan made a mental note to call Celeste in the next couple of days, sensing that this might indeed be something that Rory couldn't fully help her with. The least he could do was try.
"The kids next?" Rory stared at him and her phone.
"Yeah," Logan replied, and walked over, taking a seat next to her on the bed.
"Hey, kid!" Lorelai picked up her phone.
"Hi!" the two replied almost in unison.
"Come on, Finny, it's mommy and daddy," Lorelai urged Finny to come to the phone, and switched the call to video.
"Mommy, when will you come home?" Finny made a plea.
"I'll be there in the morning," Rory promised, her heart melting and guilt becoming prominent.
"Hi there, Finny - what have you been up to?" Logan asked, hoping to get a joyous response from him.
"Mommy, do you promise that you'll be here before I wake up?" he asked instead, leaving Logan disappointed. It was clear he was playing favourites, his absence having left at least some mark on the boy.
"I will try my best," Rory assured, knowing there was always some possibility of the plane being late, making a mental note to buy him a box of Allsorts from the airport. It was beyond her where the kid had gotten a liking for licorice candy.
"So how are you two love birds doing over there? London still in the same place? Cars still drive on the wrong side?" Lorelai asked, as Finny scattered, leaving Logan even more disappointed, truly having missed her.
"Oh, we're fine - a little hung over," Rory admitted to her mother, ignoring the other questions.
"That's my girl!" Lorelai exclaimed, demonstratively.
Lorelai moved over to the floor to put the phone down in front of the twins who were playing on their activity blanket.
"Hey Emma, hey Leigh!" Rory waved her hand.
"You're getting so big," Logan noted.
Leigh's face lit up at the sight of her parents at least, while Emma had other things on her mind, pushing herself up to sit, and bit onto a teether.
"I think she might be teething," Lorelai added and the trail of drool on Emma's chin was certainly an affirmative sign as well.
"Great," Rory exhaled, the knowledge promising some restless nights.
They talked a little longer with the twins, not that it was an actual conversation, when Rory suddenly noticed G walking past the blanket and sitting down on the couch near them.
"Do you mind giving the phone to G for a sec," Rory asked.
"Hey!" G greeted Rory.
"Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I got you a birthday venue. The 31st, 6 PM at the Color Factory. Let me know how many people you want there, so I can book a table at the Lamerciere for after," Rory said, hoping she'd like the idea.
"Oh, wow, thanks - I've heard of that place," G responded, approvingly. "But I don't think I want a big crowd - Mason, Horuma and Philipa, she might want to bring a boyfriend - so that's four plus me," she began. "You guys… Then maybe Doula might want to come - maybe with Celeste?" she continued, she was almost about to add that she was thinking about asking her dad, but Rory interrupted her.
"I'm not sure if Celeste feels up to it… but I'll ask," Rory said.
"Why? What's going on?" G asked, almost slipping by asking if everything was okay with the baby.
"Her mom died," Rory shared.
"What? Her mom died, when? How?" Lorelai budded in. While they weren't bosom buddies, she was her employee and she was family, even if by a distant route.
"Yesterday," Rory replied, continuing to explain the circumstances and how she'd just spoken to her and was planning to visit.
After that they never really got to any other subject than that, Lorelai going on about how she should be sending flowers to Celeste, her inner Emily Gilmore kicking in. Yes, she did have one.
Logan simply ran his hand over his face. He really just wanted a moment with the kids but it looked like that wasn't happening. Rory squeezed his hand, knowing he was missing them. Just a few more days until he'd be home - with her and the kids.
Charlie's Dodge Journey had purred down the Everett Turnpike and then the MA-128 for the last few hours, their last rest stop having been somewhere in Vermont. They'd gotten fairly lucky with the weather, the roads being cleared, the air being a dry, brisk and chilly 30 degrees without too much ice on the roads.
Charlie missed one exit, heading towards Hyde Park in the suburbs of Boston, but thankfully quickly settled for another as her GPS instructed. The trip had been over five hours long, six and a half if they counted their stops, and they both felt relief of finally getting to where they'd set out to go.
"This is the street, I think," Charlie noted, taking a turn to Child Street, her GPS having gotten lost in the last few minutes due to some recent road construction. "The house stands out, it's dark grey, sort of got that Adams Family feel without the horror," she explained as they searched for the house nr 76.
"When were you last here?" Finn asked Charlie. They'd spent the drive going through each-other's playlists, talking about their college days and childhoods, finishing up with the best road trips either had ever been on. While this wasn't particularly a long one, or under ideal conditions i.e it being winter outside, it was most definitely one of the most significant ones for either of them.
"She came to me the year before, I haven't even seen her youngest, Dawn, since she was born," Charlie admitted. "Her son, Dan, is 8.. Or 9 now?" she pondered, continuing to explain briefly how Olivia also had another older half sister.
Charlie pulled up in front of the correct house, behind the black minibus.
"Ugh… boy, does it feel good to stand," Finn exclaimed, stretching out his muscles as he climbed out of the passenger's seat. Charlie had insisted on driving her own car, he really didn't mind - but it was still not a position that he was used to.
Charlie shook her shoulders, the long drive having tensed up her shoulder.
"I tell you what, I can drive the rest of the way, alright?" Finn suggested, seeing her make rounds with her shoulders. They still hoped to get to New York that same day.
Charlie smiled at him and gave him a quick kiss of gratitude.
"Oh my god!" came a squeal of excitement form inside and Olivia, wearing a long wrap cardigan, came jumping out and threw herself onto Charlie. The two really couldn't look more different, as Charlie had said there simply being that something about their noses and their earlobes that seemed similar.
"Hey, sis," Charlie replied, hugging her back.
"So this is Finn," Charlie introduced him, taking his hand.
"Nice to meet you, Finn," Olivia hugged him in greeting, and invited them in.
"The kid should be back with Derek in a few minutes," Olivia explained, as the two took off their jackets.
The place definitely had character, black and white checkered floors in the hallway and kitchen, dark blue and red walls with a wood trim in most of the other spaces. The place had certainly seen better days, but it all seemed sort of deliberate - a controlled chaos of some sort. The walls were decorated in a miscellaneous collection of art, more than half of them rather in 3D, something resembling installations, sculptures, rather than traditional paintings. The styles varied from nudes, abstracts to something that almost looked like the Etruscan Fertility Goddess. This was definitely a home of a creative person, as they knew Olivia to be.
"Do I know you from somewhere?" Olivia asked suddenly, causing Finn's heart to plummet, a minute after Charlie had popped into the bathroom.
"Well I do believe we were both at Yale with some overlap," Finn admitted, hoping desperately that Olivia, who no doubt looked great in her petite form, had not been one of his conquests.
"That may well be - I might have seen you around sometime," Olivia replied. "Charlie, oh my god, you look so tanned," she switched over to Charlie again, as she returned. Charlie was wearing a white sweater which definitely brought out her golden sun-kissed complexion her year in Australia had given her, despite all the sunblock in the world.
After the kids and Olivia's husband got back, Olivia insisted they have a late lunch with them. Their stomachs were already grumbling so neither was really objecting. Charlie retold the story of how they'd met and what their plans were, in more detail, and Olivia talked about their life, how her husband and the kids were doing. She was living a calm and fairly uneventful life - her art and the art scene in general giving her some spice.
"So you're finally getting my baby sister out of Canada?" Olivia exclaimed after they'd finished their meal. "I already suggested she move here after she finished her undergrad," she added.
Charlie rolled her eyes.
"Well, I was right about him, wasn't I?" Olivia commented.
"I know, I know," Charlie replied. Apparently Olivia had never really been team Greg.
"And where in New York are you staying? I might be coming over for a show in February," Olivia mentioned.
"Rose Hill, Park Avenue South," Finn declared.
"Right at the heart of the bustle," Olivia nodded approvingly.
"Almost," Finn noted, with a shrug. He had nothing against having Charlie's sister visit, he was almost about to offer taking care of her hotellroom, but he didn't want to flaunt.
"So what's in New York - work I assume?" Olivia inquired from Finn, already having established that most of his family was back in Australia.
"Work, friends," Finn listed. "Hey, maybe you know them? Rory and Logan Huntzberger, Rory used to go by Gilmore tough," he shared.
"You're kidding?" Olivia exclaimed. "Those two are together - still? Again? I don't even know…," she pondered.
"You know them?" Finn almost coughed, having just taken a sip of water.
"Yeah, I hung out with Rory all the time, I even met Logan a couple of times," Olivia said. "Well it seems Finn was just two degrees away from you all this time," she added, laughingly.
"Life works in mysterious ways..," Charlie noted, smilingly. Somehow the knowing left her with the gut feeling that it really was all about the right time and the place. Had she not stuck around in Canada with Greg as long as she had, had issues with her health and gone to Australia to get away from them, she might have never met him. But it did leave her wondering - that perhaps, there might have been another way she could've met him sooner, if one were to discuss the concept of faith.