Chapter 35 Shira's Story

Rory woke up and rolled over. She wanted to snuggle with Logan. His side of the bed was cold. She could hear the boys in the playroom. She went to the bathroom, grabbed her robe and headed out the bedroom door. She stopped at the boy's playroom. They were fussing. "Boys, have you had breakfast yet?"

"No, ma'am," Will said.

"Logan is on the phone, he told us to come get dressed. We didn't" Chris said with his head down.

"Well, put the toys away and get dressed. I will go start breakfast."

When she came down the stairs, she could see Logan on the patio with his winter coat talking on the phone. He did not seem very happy. She thought it was best to just leave him be for the time being. She is sure he will tell her if there is a problem.

The boys came down for breakfast, ready to eat. Rory fixed them some fruit and a pop tart. That is her go to breakfast. When she sat down to eat, Logan entered. He was removing his coat. "Hey, you look cold. Couldn't find somewhere else private to take the call? My office is a lot warmer." She told him

"I'm fine. Just had several phone calls back-to-back." Logan told her while he poured himself another cup of coffee.

"Anything I need to be concerned about?" She asked.

Logan looked at her. "Yes, but we will talk later" He said looking at the boys. She smiled at him and nodded.

Before they finished breakfast Karson came in. She fixed her cup of coffee and a pop tart. She sat down at the table as the boys were getting up. "Karson, didn't get a chance to talk, who was that guy you were talking to at the Dragonfly?"Logan asked.

Karson's face turned red. "His name is Matthew. He works at the Dragonfly. He is saving money to finish college."

Rory was smiling. "Yes, I know Matthew. He seems to be a sweet boy. Just be careful. You know I am here if you want to talk." They sat and talked for a while.

As Logan was getting up to take their dishes to the kitchen the doorbell rang. Logan went to the door. It was Patty. She was looking for Rory. She wanted to know where she should park the catering trucks. Logan instructed her to follow the drive to the back and she will see the servant's entrance.

Logan returned to the dining room. "That was Patty. She was not sure where you wanted the catering truck. I instructed her to follow the drive, she would see the servant's entrance. This is not your normal catering company?" He asked.

Rory said, "No, I had some problems with the normal caterer. Because I do not use them on a regular basis, they could not hold a spot for me. I am using one that Mom uses sometimes to help Sookie." Logon just nodded his head as Rory got up to go to the kitchen to make sure Patty had everything she needed.

Karson went to get ready. She is taking the boys to Stars Hollow to spend some time with Lorelai and Luke. Rory just needed them to be out of her way while the caterers got everything ready. This company was a full service. They clean, decorate, cater and clean up again. Rory was going to work in her office for a while so that she would be there to answer any questions but be out of their way.

Karson and the boys left, making sure what time they should return as Logan was descending the stairs. "Logan, what are your plans for today?" Rory asked. "I'm going to work for a while in my office so I will be out of the way but close."

"I have to make some phone calls. I think I will go into the office. It should be quiet. No one is working today because of the party tonight." Logan kissed Rory as he was leaving. "Hey, call me if you need me, or just come to the office."

Rory went one more time to check on Patty and her crew. She grabbed a cup of coffee and headed to the pool house/office. While Rory was working on some editing that her publisher sent her, Logan was ringing the doorbell at the Huntzburger Manor.

Evelyn answered the door. "Logan, is she expecting you?"

"Good morning Evelyn, No I don't believe so. Is she here?" He asked.

"Yes, she is still in her room. She has not been down this morning." She told him.

Logan looked at his watch. It was almost 9:30. "Could you please tell her that I am in the study and would like for her to join me?"

"Yes sir" Evelyn turned to head upstairs while Logon went to the kitchen for a cup of coffee.

He was on the phone in the study. He had been there for a while. He heard her coming down the hall. He looked at his watch. Nearly an hour had passed. Shira opened the study door "Logan, what is the meaning of this? I was not expecting you." Shira said as she sat down on the sofa in the room.

"Look, I'll call you before I head over there. I should be before lunch." And hung up the phone. Logan rose to shut the door and kissed his mother on the cheek. "Good morning Mother. I trust you slept well?" Logan said as he took a seat behind the desk. This is the same room that his father used to have him sit in while waiting for his lecture on doing better in school or stop being so irresponsible.

Logan was lost in his thoughts when someone knocked on the door. Logan gets up to open it. It is Evelyn with a cup of coffee for Shira and a refill for Logan. "Thank you, Evelyn," Logan said as she left, closing the door behind her.

"Mother, there are several things I would like to address with you." he told her.

"Logan is this necessary. You come to my house, demanding a meeting. Have me sit in this study like you are going to reprimand me." Shira said as she took a sip of her coffee. Logan was not sure, but he thought he smelt liquor. Maybe it is just left from last night.

"I want to talk to you about the fact that you ignored Rory last night. I appreciate that you were nice to the boys and thank you for the gifts to them and me, but I noticed there was not a gift for Rory." He stated.

"Well, I didn't know if she would come,"She told him.

Shira!" Logan said.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I was going to wait and get her gift. I was not sure what to get her. She is such a simple person and well the time just got away, and I forgot. Would you like for me to call her and apologize?" She asked as she sipped on her coffee.

"No, Mother" Logan said as he looked at his laptop at the next item on his list. "I want to discuss Cynthia and Jessi."

Shira stood up. "Logan no. I do not want to talk about it. We will talk later. I am still digesting."

"Mother, sit down." Logan said. Shira stared at him for a moment. He could tell she was debating how far to push him. She finally took a seat. "How long have you known about Jessi? I know that you are aware of all the 'extra activities' that Mitchum has been involved with over the years."

Shira just nodded her head. "I think I know why you put up with it. Grandpa would not let you get a divorce back then. Would he?" Shira just looked at Logan.

"All right mister hotshot. Let me tell you about my life as Mrs. Mitchum Huntzburger." Shira said as she stood up and started pacing the room. "As I am sure you are aware, I was pregnant with Honor when we got married. Your grandfather found out I was pregnant and made us get married. I was already about 15 weeks when we married. I was not showing, so no one knew. Your grandmother, bless her soul, sat us down and told us that when the baby was born, we would say he/she is early." She paused a moment.

"I was just a timid girl, 20 years old. I was visiting a friend in New York when I met your dad. We got along pretty well. I stayed in town with my friend. I got a job waitressing tables. Your dad and I would see each other when he was in town. He was usually with some of his friends." She sat down in a chair across from Logan. "I found out I was pregnant. I called him. I got his number from a mutual friend. I told him that I needed to talk with him. He told me he would see me next time he was in New York.

"Several weeks passed and I had not heard from him. I started doing research. I went to the library and looked up Huntzburger publishing. I took a bus to Hartford and knocked on the door to the manor. Your grandmother answered the door. I told her I was looking for Mitch. She told me that Mitchum was not there. She asked me to come in. She asked me how far along I was. She could tell things like that. She told me I was pregnant with you before I knew it.

"Anyway, I broke down. I was tired, hungry and my hormones were all over the place. She fed me then had a maid show me to the guest room. That is where I was, asleep when your father got home. After long discussions, Elis finally put his foot down. We were to be married. He told Virginia to plan a wedding for two weeks from Saturday. Your grandmother did not argue. She took out her planner and started making phone calls. Your father just turned around and left. I didn't see him for almost a week. Your grandmother told me that he was okay, he was just getting everything in line."

Shira took a deep breath and continued. "True to his word, your grandfather made sure we were married. Your father took me to London on our honeymoon. For the first few days it was wonderful. By the third day I was getting sick, day and night. Your father decided that if I was going to be sick all the time that he would go to work.

"So after about a week, I was feeling better and decided to see if he would like to go to lunch. I went to the building and was told his office is on the 9th floor. I got off the elevator and could see his office door. There was not one at his secretary's desk, so I just knocked on the door. I could hear him in there. I open the door. That was the first time I knew of him cheating on me. On my honeymoon."

"That was the first time. After about the 3rd or 4th time, all of this was before Honor was born, I just stopped caring."

Logan looked at his mother. "I am so sorry that dad treated you like this. I am sorry that Grandpa treated you like this."

"I told your grandmother about it. She scolded Mitchum. He didn't stop, he just hid it better." Shira said. She wasn't smiling, she wasn't frowning. Logan looked at his mother and for the 1st time, he felt sorry for her. He felt sorry for the life she was forced to live.

Logan and Shira talked for a while, Logan doing most of the listening. Logan felt sorry for Shira, but he also told her that none of that gave her any right to treat Rory the way she was treating her. Logan hugged her neck and kissed her cheek before he left. It was getting late, and he had to talk with his dad before the party. He did not want to think about this during the party night.