Chapter 13 April
"What's this?" Lorelai's eyes widened as she hurried over to admire a five-tiered cake that was sitting on the kitchen island at the Dragonfly Inn. It was skillfully decorated with fluffy white icing, fresh strawberries, and delicate pink flower petals.
"Fancy! Is this for Rory and Logan's wedding?"
"Yeah. In fact, your mother's coming to inspect it sometime this afternoon." Sookie replied.
Lorelai made a mental note to be some place other than the inn at that time.
"It looks fabulous. What's in it?"
"It's a lemon chiffon cake with layers of white chocolate and lemon filling."
Her mouth was already watering. She wondered if she could sneak a slice or at least drag a pinkie through that inviting frosting. But Sookie would never forgive her if she marred her perfect presentation to her mother, of all people.
"How are the plans for dinner coming along?" Lorelai asked as she discretely stepped closer to the cake.
Sookie turned her attention to a pan on the stove. She checked the sauce she was preparing, inspecting the liquid in the pot, while stirring it gently with a wooden spoon. "Give me a minute. This has to thicken just right."
A young man diced peppers while another assistant carefully prepared melon balls. Lorelai was glad to see that some of the kitchen help was working out. As kind as Sookie was, she could be exacting when it came to her kitchen staff.
Stirring the sauce, Sookie said, "Penne pasta with fresh asparagus and tomato cream sauce."
"Sounds delicious."
Finally satisfied with the thickness of the sauce, Sookie passed the pan over to one of her assistants. After giving him detailed instructions, she approached the center island to focus her full attention on Lorelai.
"How are the wedding plans coming along?" She asked, with a mischievous gleam in her eye.
Although she knew fully well which wedding her friend was referring to, Lorelai choose to focus on Rory's ceremony.
"My mother booked a reception hall in Hartford and a nearby church. She found a caterer and a band, with a brass section. Don't tell her this. I hate to admit that's pretty impressive given that the wedding is next month."
When Sookie turned to answer one of the assistant's questions, Lorelai tried to run her index finger closer to the base of the cake, just to taste the frosting. But Sookie whirled about too quickly.
"Don't do it! Don't ruin my cake! Your mother is hard enough to please! Step away from the cake!"
Lorelai raised her hands in mock surrender and took a deliberate step back. "Okay, okay. It just looks so delicious. I'm dying to taste it."
"And we will. Later." Sookie put an arm about Lorelai's shoulder and firmly guided her further away from the cake. "Tell me more about the wedding."
"Mom special ordered the bridesmaids dresses so they're already in. They're fun – vintage twenties style. Fancy flapper dresses with lace and beading. The color is blush which I guess means a light pink. I need go for a fitting soon"
"Does that mean I should wear a vintage dress too?"
"It's up to you. You don't have to."
"Sounds kinda fun," Sookie said.
Leaning against a counter, Lorelai said, "To me, it seems like Rory's wedding is coming along nicely but I'm not my mother. She's probably agonizing about finding the perfect shade of blush for the flowers or pillow mints. Or trying to find trained doves to release at the ceremony."
Sookie smiled. "What about your wedding?"
Lorelai looked away and shrugged.
For some reason she was feeling pressured. Even though she'd officially taken her mother out of the picture, she still felt uneasy.
And she had no idea why.
Luke wanted to marry her. She felt it in her bones. And she knew deep in her heart that he was the one for her.
What was her problem?
"The way you're acting, you'd think you didn't want to get married."
"No! That's not it at all. I'm just…." She couldn't find the words to express what she was feeling.
"Afraid. That something will happen again."
Sookie remembered Lane's wedding reception where her drunken friend had rambled on and on in front of half the town about how she wasn't getting married on June third.
Lorelai didn't want to believe it. But it was true. Once Sookie had put it into words, she had no choice but to accept it.
"But the crazy thing is, nothing's gonna stop the wedding this time. I know Luke's all in. He initiated everything this time," Lorelai said.
"Guess you're gonna have to trust him. You both went through a rough patch. But you learned from it and ultimately got back together. That's what's important."
"You're right." Looking longingly towards the cake, Lorelai asked, "What kind of cake are you making for me?"
XXXX
Luke's diner was nearly empty when Lorelai stopped by around two-thirty. Kirk was the only customer, camped out at a table near the window, nursing a cup of coffee while methodically reading the newspaper. Luke was behind the counter, frowning over a pile of receipts.
Reaching the counter, Lorelai playfully covered the receipts with her palm.
"Hey!" Then his scowl turned into a grin when he saw who it was. His tone became gentle. "Oh. Hey. What're you doing here?"
"What kind of greeting is that?" She leaned forward to kiss him, then pulled up a stool. "My mother's at the inn, inspecting a wedding cake."
"Ah. Now your visit makes sense."
Lorelai teased him. "What do you mean? I come here all the time." She leaned closer to him. "I hear the guy who runs this place is pretty cute and he makes a mean cup of coffee."
Taking the cue, Luke reached for a mug and produced a warm cup of coffee for his fiancée.
Lorelai was impressed that he was so observant.
After taking a sip from her mug, she asked, "What do you want to do for our wedding?"
He stared at her. "What're you askin' me for? Isn't that your job? What do I know about that stuff?"
"It's our wedding. Our new life together."
He shrugged. "I don't know."
Knowing Luke as well as she did, she was fully aware that his response didn't mean that he didn't care. It was just that the minor details didn't matter to him.
"Have you thought about where you want to live once we get married?"
Adjusting his ball cap, he said, "Why do we have to do anything different? You're happy. I'm happy. I love being at your place. Though we eventually might want to upgrade your kitchen. And if the weather's bad or I have to work early, it's convenient having the apartment above the diner. I wouldn't want a stranger living there. We don't have to make any big changes."
She loved that Luke was so practical.
That reminded her of a previous wedding gift that had never materialized. It was difficult to talk about that dark period. But it would help her process those emotions. Suppressing her feelings had caused part of the trouble in the first place.
"Did I ever tell you my parents were going to buy us a house as a wedding gift?"
She remembered that moment so clearly, sitting in a real estate office, wondering what on earth her mother was up to. She'd been her mother's errand boy all day, driving her about and she'd been irritated and exhausted. When her mother had described the house to her, that was the moment when it had finally hit her. That she and Luke weren't going to get married.
"Were?" Then he caught on. "Oh. Wow."
"It had at least four bedrooms, several acres and a stable. And, get this, even a Stars Hollow address."
Luke was still processing her statement. "Wow. I don't know what to say about that." Sheepishly he admitted. "I must admit even before we were engaged, I put in a bid to buy the Twikum house for us."
"You did? That's why you were so chummy with Taylor back then! I thought that was odd. What made you change your mind?"
"I don't know. It was too much, too soon. I shouldn't have done it without consulting you."
"You're probably right. Though, that's a great house too."
"It'd be nice to have more space for kids." Then he realized what he'd said. Wondering if he'd inadvertently put his foot in his mouth and assumed too much, he added. "You know, when they visit."
Looking directly into his eyes, Lorelai said, "I like kids."
He grabbed her hand and squeezed it.
"More space might be nice. We can adjust as we need to. My place will be fine when Logan and Rory and Nora visit for the wedding. They can share Rory's room. They'll be cozy."
"And there's always my apartment for Jess. We don't have to rush into anything," Luke said.
"That's right. We don't even have to get married."
Becoming more serious, Luke said, "Yes, we do. Because it means something."
"Yeah, but we don't have to rush to throw together a wedding ceremony." She'd learned the hard way that Luke didn't like to be pressured.
"Don't you think it would be nice to get married the same weekend the kids are in town? Everyone will already be here. With the kids in different states, it's hard to coordinate when they're home. And it's also hard for them to get time off from work or school or other commitments. If Rory gets married on a Saturday on Memorial Day weekend, maybe we could get married the next day on Sunday."
Even though it could be a logistical nightmare, the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea.
"Luke, you're a genius!" Rushed to kiss him. "But how am I gonna put together a wedding in month without the Dragon lady taking over?"
"Do you still have the dress?"
With regret, she shook her head. It had been too painful a reminder to keep.
"Get a new one. It doesn't have to be fancy. Get whatever feels best to you."
Wedding planning made Lorelai pause. She thought of her mother's endless lists. The color of the bridesmaid's dresses, the flowers, the men's cummerbunds, the breath mints, the goldfish in the ornamental pond. All those details made her head want to explode.
She didn't want that. Never did.
"You know, Liz and T.J. planned their wedding in Stars Hollow in a week. It wasn't fancy, but it was nice. If they can pull something like that off, I'm sure we can do it even better."
Wheels started turning in her head. She loved the idea of getting married in the center of Stars Hollow. Her true home where she was most comfortable, surrounded by those she loved most. It wasn't the wedding dress or flowers or the band that mattered. It was the man she was going to share the rest of her life with.
Her mother would despise it which further confirmed how perfect the plan was.
Although there would be a ton of details to organize in a very short time frame, Lorelai was starting to feel excited about planning her wedding ceremony.
XXXX
"What's all this?" Logan loosened his tie as he approached Rory who was standing at the kitchen counter, with a bottle of wine and two fluted glasses. Nora was gurgling nearby in a sling chair that was perched on top of the kitchen table.
"We are celebrating" Rory said. "I followed up with Emma's contact at Working Mother's Magazine. It's not a huge deal – just a local publication for the San Francisco area–"
"And they bought your story!" Logan said. She nodded vigorously. "That's great news!" He threw his arms about her, hugging her. Then they kissed.
He reached for the wine bottle, frowning as he examined the label. He looked for the cork, then realized it was a screw cap. He opened the bottle and poured into the waiting glasses
"I'm proud of you, Ace." Holding his glass up to hers, he said, "To the start of big things."
"I don't know about that." Rory demurred.
"Don't take away from the moment. You earned this."
They clinked glasses then sipped from them. Both made faces.
Logan shuddered. "Not the finest wine. But a celebration is a celebration." Turning towards the stove, he asked, "What are you making?"
In a continued effort to cut costs, they'd started preparing pasta for dinner once a week and had also stocked up on some frozen entrees.
"Spaghetti."
"Forget that. Like I said, this is big. We need a real celebration. Let's order from the fancy Indian place tonight to celebrate the official start of your journalism career. This is what credit cards are for." Taking another sip of the wine, then wincing, he added, "And let's get some decent champagne." Anticipating Rory's objections, he said, "Not the five hundred dollar a bottle kind. Domestic not imported."
Rory didn't need to be convinced. She dumped the water from the pot into the sink while Logan found the take-out menu.
As he skimmed, he suggested. "I say we get one of each type of meat – lamb, chicken, seafood and beef. And several types of bread."
"We can't eat all that in one setting."
"Yeah. But that's what left-overs are for."
Rory never thought she'd hear Logan say that. It was funny how much their lives had changed over the course of a year.
The baby started to whimper, so Rory removed her from the sling chair and began to rock back and forth with her.
After Logan placed the order, he took the baby over to the couch. Holding her up and looking into her brown eyes, he said, "You hear that, Nora? Your mommy sold an article!"
Rory prepared a bottle of formula and brought it over. She handed it to Logan then sat on the couch beside them.
"What's next?" he asked as he popped the nipple into Nora's mouth.
"They're interested in working conditions for mothers at certain companies in the area."
Logan carefully repositioned Nora in his lap and continued to feed her. "That sounds up your alley. Lots of interviewing. Aren't you working on something else too?"
Rory was pleased that he remembered. "Yeah, I'm researching plans for a proposed low income housing project." She'd gone to the city council meeting just a few nights ago.
"And you keep telling me you're doing research for Anna. Anything new there?"
"You remember, I do fact checking for her. Michelle Obama is looking into different platforms to pursue if Barack gets elected. Stuff like childhood obesity, bullying and education opportunities for the under privileged. I've summarized some of the research and wrote parts of the articles too."
"Does this mean you might have a connection with Michell Obama if they make it into the White House?" Logan was impressed.
Rory didn't think it would come to that. "I don't know about that. But Anna's giving me credit for the work I've done. She's including me on some articles that are going to be published in The Chicago Tribune."
"Not one but two different publications! Impressive!" He beamed.
"It's a start."
"Have you followed up with your Grandfather's contact at the San Francisco Chronicle?"
Rory started to automatically deny it. Then she realized that this was a way to get into her industry. Especially if she was starting as a freelancer.
"I'm calling first thing tomorrow."
XXXX
For a change, the customary cloud cover had lifted, allowing the warmth of the sun's rays to filter through. Despite this, Rory and Logan robotically pushed the stroller down the uneven sidewalk, bleary-eyed and exhausted.
It had been a rough night. No matter what they did, Nora wouldn't settle down.
"Think we need to call the doctor?" Rory asked, twisting a lock of her hair nervously about her index finger.
They paused to concentrate on crossing the busy street at the intersection. Once they'd successfully navigated it, they continued on autopilot, heading towards the entrance of their favorite city park.
"And tell him what? That she won't fall asleep at night but she's asleep in the stroller now?" Logan was equally frustrated.
"Rosa and I do everything we can to keep her awake and on schedule during the day." Rory insisted, defending herself.
"That's not what I'm worried about. This just doesn't seem normal."
Logan paused, stopping the motion of the stroller, to arch his shoulders back and rub his eyes. Spotting an empty bench, they headed towards it. It was one of their favorites with a view of massive trees. Nora usually enjoyed watching the squirrels chase each other.
"Just when you think things are getting better…" Logan sank onto the bench, rubbing the side of his face.
"Yeah." Rory joined him. "Rosa thinks she's teething."
He pivoted to face her. "Don't the books say she's too young for that?"
"Yeah, But she's chewing on her hands and drooling. And she doesn't have a fever. You know what my mom suggested-"
Logan's voice rose. "No! We're not putting whiskey on our daughter's gums, no matter how desperate we get." He peered over to the stroller to make sure he hadn't disturbed the baby. She was still sleeping peacefully. "I can't handle more nights like this."
"I feel the same."
Rory leaned against his shoulder and laced her fingers between his.
"Maybe we should wake her up?"
As much as Rory was enjoying the peace and quiet, they'd pay for it later when the baby stayed awake all night.
"No!" Logan felt the same as she did. "At least, not yet. Just a few more minutes." He closed his eyes.
Rory could've sworn that her eyelids were shut for only a minute before Nora started babbling.
She felt Logan stir and bend to talk to the baby. "Hey there gorgeous." He pointed out the pigeons foraging for crumbs at the overflowing garbage can. Then the squirrels scampering about the massive tree trunk, gleefully chasing each other.
When Nora started to cry, Rory reluctantly opened her eyes and dug into the diaper to retrieve a teddy-bear shaped teething toy that the baby promptly started chomping on.
Rory could barely think straight due to the intense pounding in her temples. Yet she wanted to address something.
"Have you thought about Emma and Chris' invitation to their beach house this month?"
"Are you kidding? If Nora has a night like last night, they'll never talk to us again."
"Those are valid concerns. Emma told me they know nothing about babies and that they want to learn from us. Before their baby is born."
He laughed. "Talk about the blind leading the blind."
Nora giggled, pointing to a pigeon.
"She's really nice. I don't think she'd judge us."
"Chris is cool too. He's covered for me at work several times when I just had to close my eyes for a few minutes. They're good people. But look at what happened trying to have brunch with your grandparents – all the outfit changes and the crying." He bent to catch Nora's toy before it hit the ground.
"Emma says she's okay with it. The weekend would be low key – hanging around the house or on the beach. Maybe watching movies or drinking wine. They love James Bond movies too and have all of them on DVD. Wouldn't that be fun."
Logan leaned back against the bench, stretching his neck. "It's tempting."
"I want to go. Don't you?" When he didn't answer, she added. "She said they'd cover everything." Before he could object, she said, "I didn't tell them anything about our finances. I swear."
Leaning forward, Logan put hands on his cheeks. "Great. They figured it out on their own. How humiliating."
"Logan. We're okay. I know counting dimes and clipping coupons isn't what you're used to. It kinda sucks. But we're okay. And wouldn't it be fun to go to the beach? And spend time with friends?"
"Maybe…"
She'd give him another day to think about it. She changed the subject to another matter.
"Have you decided who you want for your groomsmen for the wedding?"
Logan had been dragging his feet. Rory was keeping it simple with her mother as maid of honor and Lane and Paris as bridesmaids. There were several other friends she could've included such as Anna or Lucy. Or Honor. Or April and Gigi. But Logan was having enough trouble coming up with three names.
"Finn and Colin?" she asked. They seemed like obvious choices.
"I guess." His response wasn't enthusiastic. His eyes drifted to the mischievous squirrels darting about.
Logan hadn't mentioned either of them in a long time.
"You are still friends?"
Those guys were glued at the hip at Yale. All their ridiculous Life and Death Brigade antics and elaborate trips and parties.
He shrugged. "I guess. They stopped by San Francisco last June. When they realized how severely limited my options were, they left."
"Oh."
Poor Logan. He must be wondering who his real friends are. But, she reminded herself that Logan himself wasn't in a good place last June either.
"If I had to pick a friend right at this moment, I'd pick Chris."
"Really?"
Rory hadn't realized the two had spoken so much at work. Then again, he had mentioned they'd gone to lunch together several times, with her approval. She was glad.
"Why don't you ask him to be your best man?"
"Wouldn't that seem weird?"
"Tell him it'll keep Finn and Colin from fighting over the position." It might be stretching the truth but did it really matter?
"Good idea. Wouldn't you need to ask Emma to be in the wedding too?"
"I think she'd understand."
"Chris has been encouraging me to go for the promotion."
"What all does that involve?" Logan had mentioned it several times but never gone into details.
"New job responsibilities. Ones I could handle. There might be some travel but I'd make sure it was limited. We could possibly be moving to the Palo Alto location. Or Oakland."
Rory swallowed hard, trying to disguise the tremor of fear that went through her. Even though Logan had mentioned moving before, it hadn't seemed real, so she hadn't given it much thought. Now, it was sitting before her. This would mean changes.
Potentially big changes.
She tried to remain positive as Logan continued.
"It would mean more money. Thanks to my parents and your grandparents, we could put a down payment on a nicer place. Maybe one with a yard. And a dedicated office space for you."
It would be handy not having to lug her papers and computer to Starbucks every day. Though she would miss this park, with their bench and their tree.
"I'd like that." Rory agreed. "Decent hot water and thicker walls would be wonderful too." In their present location, they had to carefully time the use of the shower, dishwasher and washing machine.
Then she realized that moving away from the city might also require buying a second car since public transportation options were limited. Otherwise, how would they both be able to do their jobs?
Where would they find the money for that? Her father?
And what about her beloved Rosa? Panic grabbed her and she grasped the edge of the wooden bench tightly, breathing faster. Would her nanny drive that far from the city? Did she even have a car?
She took a deep breath to steady herself. She'd deal with these issues when she needed to.
With more confidence than she felt, she assured Logan. "You'd do a great job."
She leaned closer against his shoulder, feeling the warm fabric of his jacket against her cheek. Then she remembered. "Oh, speaking of jobs, I forgot to tell you, I have an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle on Tuesday."
"That's great!"
"Actually, it's not for a specific position. More of a meet and greet with my grandfather's contact. But at least it's a new contact. Maybe I can sell them my housing story."
"A step in the right direction."
Despite her best efforts, her eyelids gradually slid then remained shut and she started to drift off. In the distant background, she could hear the baby cooing, giggling sometimes. The ends of Rory's mouth rose. She must be watching the squirrels.
She had no idea how much time had passed when she heard Nora wailing, which jarred her awake. She'd dropped her teething toy which was now covered in sand and saliva. Rory dug into the recesses of the diaper, convinced she could find a substitute as Nora's cries became more urgent.
Becoming desperate, she pulled everything out of the diaper bag – diapers, bibs, spare clothing, baby Tylenol. No teething toys.
Logan retrieved the teething toy, wiped it on his pants and gave it back to Nora.
"Logan! Think of all the germs!"
Judging from Logan's slow response, he'd been dozing too.
"We need to head back." He insisted.