When Rory was 16, Lorelai had called off her engagement to Max Medina, packed up the jeep with their things, and drove without a destination in sight. They encountered a few hijinks along the way, but eventually ended up at Harvard. The trip had always been a highlight to Rory, but to her mother it was a different story. "Don't be like me, don't run from your problems' ' Lorelai had always harped when that trip was brought up , wanting better for her granddaughter. Rory had always agreed, certain to not let history repeat itself, yet here she was, her Prius filled to the brim,Orie asleep in the backseat , running and scared. Running away from Logan, her feelings, and her problems. Her mind had replayed different scenarios over and over, but they all ultimately ended with the conclusion that Logan was lying to her. She had been reluctant to start anything with Logan, After all it wasn't just about her anymore. She spilled her heart to him, only to run into her worst fear. When she first started driving, she didn't know where she was going. She just knew she had to get away from Logan, her mom, the town. . . everybody. She was suffocating and needed air. Then she remembered her grandmother's open invitation to visit her in Nantucket.
The deafening noise of the ocean and a cool, salty breeze greeted Rory as she neared the end of the long gravel driveway. Emily sat perched on a small bench in the yard, clad in a casual cozy tan and white sherpa pullover. She stood up, waving as Rory parked the car.
"Grandma Emily!" Orie exclaimed, bolting out of the car and running over to Emily.
Emily hugged her tight. "You've gotten taller since your birthday!"
Rory approached, sitting her bags down in the grass. Emily hugged her. "Oh Rory, so good to see you! I've got to say, when you called and said you were headed here I was a bit taken aback, but it's such a pleasant surprise!"
Rory shrugged. "You said we were welcome to visit anytime so here we are! I hope we're not imposing on you."
Emily shooed her. "Nonsense. Come on, let's get you set up in your rooms."
…
"Ok Baby Sitter's Secret, let's see how your secret compares to the Sorority Girl's Secret." Lorelai said, choosing the cheesy lifetime movie from her DVR.
"Why do they always have secret in the title?" Luke groaned. "They could save themselves a lot of trouble if they just told the truth."
Lorelai rolled her eyes. "The truth does not make for compelling television."
Luke shook his head. "I'm going to take a shower. Tell me if the husband or the boyfriend did it."
"What makes you so sure the husband or the boyfriend does something?"
He started up the stairs. "It's always the husband or the boyfriend on these shows."
Lorelai snuggled into the couch, and pushed play. She heard the shower start, and then suddenly there was a knock at the door. "Seriously?" she muttered under her breath. She paused the movie, and there was another loud knock at the door, followed by a frantic assault of the doorbell. "JUST A MINUTE!" she yelled. She flung the door open, all her anger leaving as soon as she saw a disheveled Logan on her front porch. He was more casual than she had ever seen him, clad in gray sweats and a red Nike hoodie, his chin stubbly and unshaven. Dark circles pooled under his eyes, his entire face long and weary. "Logan?! No offense dude but you look like crap."
"Is Rory here?" he asked meekly.
"No, I haven't seen her since last night. She swung by to get Orie, but she didn't even get out of the car. . ."
He sighed loudly, running his hands through her hair. "Lorelai, I screwed up."
Lorelai's stomach dropped. "Logan, what's going on?"
"It was a misunderstanding. . . and now I've lost them both all over again. I would never take Orie from her. I promise.. . I. . ." Logan broke down, openly sobbing.
Lorelai wrapped her arm around him, leading him inside. "Logan you've got to tell me what's going on, you're starting to scare me."
Logan wiped his eyes. "Rory found some custody papers my father had drawn up. I never wanted anything to do with them, I had just shoved them in that drawer and forgot about them. I came out of the bedroom and they were thrown on the ground, and Rory was gone."
"Gone? What do you mean gone?"
"Like she left. She grabbed her things and left. After calling me a Brooks Brothers Justin Bieber and insulting me for twenty minutes, Paris finally admitted to picking her up from my house, but she said she dropped Rory off at home. I've been at her house all day, and she's not been home. I sat on her porch for three hours before coming here."
"Take a deep breath Logan," Lorelai said, trying not to panic. "She's probably at Lane's."
He shook his head. "I've checked Lane's, the bookstore, Luke's, all over town."
Lorelai began to nervously pace back and forth. "Ok let's stay calm. . .stay calm. OH MY GOD STAY CALM. RORY'S MISSING. . . AND SHE HAS ORIE WITH HER. . .OH STAY CALM.. ."
Just then Lorelai's phone chirped, snapping her out of her spiral. She glanced at her phone and exhaled, breathing a deep sigh of relief. "She's with my mother."
"Your mother?"
"Not sure what's going on, but the girls are here with me. Felt like I should tell you." Lorelai read from her phone. "They drove up to my mom's."
Logan's face lit up. "I can be in Hartford in an hour!"
Lorelai shook her head. "My mother moved to Nantucket. .. right before Rory announced she was pregnant. The ferry has already stopped running for the night. So unless you can swim the Nantucket Sound you can't get there until morning."
Logan dropped his head, crestfallen. Lorelai placed an arm around him. "Come on, let's have some pie."
Logan followed her into the kitchen sitting down at the table. Lorelai glanced over at Logan, once again remembering the young carefree boy that had sat at the very same table sharing pie with her. Back then, she had been worried that Logan wasn't worried enough. She had seen the way Rory looked at him, and knew that one day most likely sooner than later, he would become her son in law. Now here he sat, not her son-in-law, but the father of her granddaughter, and worried sick.
She held up a cherry pie and an apple pie. "Pick your poison."
Logan shrugged. "Apple?"
"Ah a traditionalist!" She said cutting him a piece. She handed Logan the slice and a fork. He stabbed the fork into the pie, not saying a word.
"It's not your fault." Loreali said.
"If I would have just thrown away those stupid papers. . ."
"It's my fault." Lorelai said, sliding into the chair next to him. "I've not given her the best relationships to base love off of. Rory panics. She likes to jump the gun. She's always waiting for something to go wrong , and now that she thinks something has gone wrong, she's doing what I inadvertently taught her. Running away."
Logan sighed, discouraged. "She's cut me out of her life multiple times now. Maybe I just need to cut my losses and move on."
"Logan, I can't tell you what to do. I can tell you, the change I've seen in Rory since you've been back in her life. . . .how happy she was, how complete. . . the way her face glowed when she talked about her plans with you, Logan, she loves you. I know it's been a wild ride, but Rory's smart, she'll come to her senses soon."
Logan took a small bite of pie. "I hope so."
...
The sliding glass door slid open, startling Rory. "Grandma!" she yelped, nearly jumping out of her skin.
Emily walked out onto the second story patio, where Rory was sitting with a small lantern.
Rory closed her book. "Did I wake you grandma? I'm sorry."
Emily sat down next to her, overlooking the crashing waves. "Some nights, when I have too much on my mind I like to sit out here and just . . ."
"Not think?" Rory replied.
Emily glanced over at her. "Exactly. Is Orie asleep?"
"She was out like a light. She loves it here."
Emily placed her hand on hers. "Your grandpa would have absolutely loved her. He talked often about a little baby with your blue eyes and Logan's blonde hair."
Rory's innocent doe eyes looked up at her. "He did?"
Emily nodded. "He did. He really liked Logan. A man that could give you the life that you deserve, yet wouldn't squash your goals and ambitions."
Rory swallowed hard, a solid lump forming in her throat. "Grandpa would be so ashamed of me."
Emily's face grew stern. "Nonsense!"
"He would. The cheating, the child out of wedlock, lying to Logan. . . I'm sure you all are ashamed of me. I'm ashamed of myself." Rory buried her face in her hands.
Emily tilted Rory's chin up, looking her square in the eye. "Rory, I want you to listen to me. While yes, I'm not particularly fond of the unfaithfulness, or the way that Orie came to be, I am overjoyed that she is in our life. Your grandfather and I were never thrilled that our 16 year old daughter got pregnant, but we never once regretted you. Just like you, that little girl is the light of all of our lives, and is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of."
Rory began to cry. "Grandma, I've ruined everything. Logan and I. . . We were finally happy but I. . . I found custody papers at his house. I know he said he'd never take her from me, but . . . I. . .instead of talking to him, I ran. I ran scared, and I've messed it all up. I don't even know how to fix this! There's no way to fix it. I can't have a normal relationship. "
Emily smoothed Rory's hair, as Rory sobbed into her chest. "What she tackles she conquers."
Rory looked up at her grandma, puzzled. "What?"
"Your grandfather said it. I was worried sick about your decisions about planning the DAR Fort Drum event, and your grandfather just looked at me and said, 'What she tackles, she conquers.' He knew that whatever you put your mind to, whatever you attempt to do, you succeed. Rory relationships are hard, but it's nothing you can't do. You're a Gilmore after all."
Emily stood up, grabbing Rory's hand. "Come with me. I want to show you something."
Rory followed her into her bedroom, where Emily pulled out a small porcelain trinket box.
She placed a small object in Rory's hand.
Rory held it up examining it. "A leaf?"
Emily nodded. "A leaf. That leaf is the last memory I have of your grandfather. It fell onto his casket at his funeral. Not a leaf on that tree had changed, it was only the beginning of autumn, but this leaf came tumbling down. A sign from the heavens."
Rory clasped the leaf delicately to her chest, tears streaming down her face.
"He's been gone for six and a half years but it feels like an eternity. I was lucky enough to spend fifty years with him, but I still wish to have back all the nights I gave him the silent treatment over some little miniscule spat, or how many times I thought to myself, "This man is driving me absolutely stark raving mad!" All those moments, wasted. I can't get those days back. How I would love to have your grandfather bore me to tears with insurance talk right about now! Yes, in the moment he made me mad. I ran from him too. Don't you remember that silly little separation we had? However, at the end of the day, none of that mattered. I loved your grandfather, and that's all that mattered."I wished we'd worked on our problems, instead of running away. I wished we could have more time but it's too late for that now."
She placed the leaf back into the trinket box, closing it gently. She placed her hand solemnly on top of Rory's. "Go get him before it's too late."