Chapter 191
June 5th, 2022
Rory felt incredibly relieved having the interview over and done with, and having now had even more time to make up with Logan while Em had been in Stars Hollow for a couple of days. It was there she was headed now to pick Em up.
Logan and Rory had had an emergency session with Birdie this morning, and lots of analyzing, pro- and con lists and mutual reflection had gone into it to get them back into a good place. It was like going to the emergency room, though they both already felt like going there was about the same as going to the emergency room several days past trauma, the wound having already begun to heal on its own. They had some tools to deal with these things already. Surprisingly enough - even the interview had helped, reminding them how they'd gotten here and how lucky they truly were.
The fact that telling their, no matter how complicated, story, or even a simplified version of their story was doing wonders for their appreciation of each-other, had planted a seed of an idea that maybe having the chance, no longer an obligation, to tell that story to friends and family at their wedding wasn't even the worst thing in the world. The event organizer had been given the task to organize extra invites, some accommodations and order extra food, chairs and everything else important, while Rory and Logan put together an extended guest list. They chose not to be bothered by having more guests than already planned - it was a way of thinking that Birdie had advise them to take if it really was unavoidable. They knew the alternatives, but they didn't want to keep hiding or fighting - accepting it felt easier.
Stars Hollow was at its usual summer mode - people watering their lawns, kids running through the sprinklers, others strolling along the town square with ice cream cones or shakes in their hands, many of the children also rushing towards the pool with their floatable toys, someone having barbeque. A perfect small-town Sunday. It made her nostalgic, but she no longer felt homesick when she came there. The sense of belonging was no longer there, and if she really did think hard - the only place she felt she belonged was not a city or a house, but it was with Logan and Em.
Rory pulled up in front of the Apparatus Bay, seeing a closed sign on its door but its windows open. As she got out of the car, wearing a casual pair of maternity bikers and a flowy light pink tunic, and got closer he could hear two very off-key singers singing 'If you're happy and you know it'. It took her a fraction of a second to realize one of those voices was Em, and the other… perhaps a few seconds later - was definitely not Liz, Doula or Jess. It was Lisa, sounding almost as horrible as she herself, but the fact that she was singing with her daughter, allowing herself to be silly for her sake, made Rory smile, and for once not jealous at all.
Rory knocked on the window before trying the door, unsure if it was even open.
"Hi!" Rory chimed.
"Oh, hi," Lisa replied, turning off the music from her watch.
"Mommy!" Em squealed, being happy to see her and rushed in for a hug. The kid looked a little dusty, it was understandable considering they'd been packing.
"Wow, you look like you've been busy!" Rory exclaimed, looking over her daughter from head to toe.
"Um, yeah - she wanted to help," Lisa said, apologetically. Lisa was dressed in a simple pair of denim shorts and a halter top, looking like she was in really good shape for her age.
"It's fine," Rory replied. She hadn't seen Lisa in weeks, and she certainly hadn't seen her with her bump.
"Jess went to get us some food, there must be a line at Luke's," Lisa explained.
"We can wait a little, can't we?" Rory replied, casting a look at Em too. If she hadn't had lunch yet, it was probably better she ate something before they headed off. It was then Rory really took a look around the place, realizing they were packing up not just Jess' place, but also the store.
"How's the…?" Lisa was about to ask at the same time as Rory said, "I didn't know…," beginning to ask about the store.
"You go first," Lisa said. It was funny, how she was kind of trying to impress Rory too, at least be on her good side, instead of treating her as some potential threat.
"I was just surprised you're packing up the store," Rory replied.
"Oh! Jess didn't tell you?" Lisa exhaled, worriedly.
"Daddy's moving the store to Providence!" Em declared, sounding actually excited.
"Is he now?" Rory reflected in a surprised tone, raising her eyebrows, just as Jess entered, declaring, "I've got lunch, come and get it!"
"Oh, hey," Jess said, noting her, while Em already jumped towards the take-away bag with burgers inside.
"So you're really moving?" Rory asked without a greeting.
"We just found this amazing space, it's right on Westminster. Really hip and becoming.. Reminds me a lot of the neighborhood Truncheon started out in Philly," Jess explained, and quickly pulled up the real estate ad on his phone.
"Wow, looks good," Rory commented, being really able to picture Jess there. A lot more than in Stars Hollow, in fact.
"Everything just fell into place… I went to see it, then the next thing I know the realtor has a brother-in-law who's a contractor and had just an opening to paint the place, and well they should be done next week. The upstairs still will have the basics, just as we talked if Em wants us to stay here instead," Jess explained. The plan had been that while he moved, he could still spend time with Em in Stars Hollow so there wouldn't be too many changes for the girl all at once.
"Yeah, but if there's no store - what's the point? Sure, I mean… ask her what she wants but I don't want you coming here just for my convenience," Rory explained, feeling very understanding and generous, the therapy session having helped her to try and think about the other person's perspective more.
"Ah.. we'll see. It's not like everything will just happen in a week anyways," Jess said.
"So, you okay? Lorelai told me something was up, she didn't really go into the specifics? The baby's good and all?" Jess inquired, caringly, while Em and Lisa ate their meal on Jess' store desk.
"Yeah, I am. Better. Baby's good too," Rory replied in short. "Oh, and it's a girl," she replied, happily, speaking quietly. "Don't tell her yet, I want it to be a surprise," she added, nodding towards Em.
"That's great," Jess said, and perfectly naturally offered her a hug. Lisa seemed surprisingly cool about it, or at least she didn't show any big reaction other than a quick glance towards them. "Congrats," Jess added to her ear.
Hugging him still felt good. He had been important to her for a long time, and he would always be important, even if not in the same way.
"Oh and I should warn you that there's a story coming about me and Logan… not that you read that type of magazines but we just figured it was easier to just do it than create this big mystery around us," Rory explained as the hug broke.
"Look at you being all famous," Jess noted, grabbing a burger himself from the bag. The way he said it wasn't complimentary, and Rory knew it. He didn't get things like that, but Rory wasn't looking for approval. She'd just needed to tell him in case anyone called him or asked for a comment even though she hoped that it wouldn't come to it.
"Yeah, I know," Rory noted, reading the general direction of his thoughts without him having to say anything. "I'd rather be interviewed for something I did than just the association but this is how it is…," Rory added and Jess nodded, understandingly. Rory knew he agreed, and would like to see the same.
Half an hour later, Em's things packed, Rory having eaten half of Em's fries and Em's hands and face washed to make her look a little more presentable, they were on their way. But instead of going straight home Rory wanted to try something.
"Guess what, Em?" Rory asked, glancing over her shoulder towards the back seat, trying to sound as excited as she could.
"What?" Em replied, being already a little puzzled why they were at the mall parking lot.
"You feel like going shopping with me for a bit?" Rory asked.
"Yeah!" Em cheered, having a similar love towards shopping like her mom and grandmother - and great-grandmother had she ever known her.
They went into a couple of stores where Rory often bought Em's clothes, getting her some essentials - leggings and a few simple dresses. But as they went further into one particular store, Rory squatted down a little, nearly losing her balance, having not expected her center of gravity to be off by that much already.
"Hey, do you think you could help me out a little?" she asked her daughter.
"What, mommy?" Em asked, already holding her littel tote bag.
"I found out that you're getting a baby sister the other day. A little girl. I was hoping maybe you could help me pick out some things for her too. What do you think she'd like?" Rory asked.
And for the first time Em's face lit up with excitement. For the next hour she went around the store, acting and probably also feeling, rather important - pointing out various pieces of clothing and toys she was sure her sister would love. There were a lot of things Rory knew she'd probably never use - but if this made Em look this eager, finally being something else but skeptical of the development, Rory's mission for the day was complete.