We Shall All Be Healed

Disclaimer: Not mine. The titles of the chapters come from songs on the Mountain Goats' album "We Shall All Be Healed."

This is taking place a few years after graduation from Yale. Rory is the assistant of the editor of Logan's father's newspaper, and Logan is the head of the Huntzberger empire. They are married. Until recently, it was going well.

Prologue: A Mouthful of Surprises

Mrs. Lorelai Leigh Gilmore-Huntzberger couldn't bring herself to leave her bed. She really wanted to, only her comforter was made of solid lead. Solid lead under the guise of soft,plum-colored egyptian cotton with feathers inside. It was soft, comforting, but so heavy. It made feel brittle, weak, like a baby bird paralyzed after a fall from the nest. The longer she stayed in bed, the more it poisoned her. The longer she stayed in bed, the quicker she would die.

Oh, how good that sounded. The more she thought about it, the more she didn't want to get out of bed. Dead people don't have ringing phones. Dead people don't have "concerned friends" calling at all hours to voice their sympathies, to get the latest bit of juicy gossip, to rub a little jealous salt into Rory's gaping wounds. Dead people don't have husbands who--

Right now, the phone's angry ringing was Rory's savior. She reached over and took it off of the nightstand, angrily jabbing the button marked "Talk."

"For God's sake, what?"

"Rory, I must insist that you answer the phone properly."

Rory gave herself a mental slap. "Hello, Grandma, how are you?"

"I'm fine, but I'm rather concerned for you. You seem to have inherited your mother's telephone etiquette."

"Sorry, Grandma. I've...not been well lately."

"Rory, dear, your grandfather and I really do miss you, and we would absolutely love it if you and Logan would join us for dinner friday night."

"Grandma, Logan won't be coming with me to any more dinners."

Emily sighed heavily. When she spoke, her voice was firm. "You will not leave that boy, Rory, do you understand? If you do, you'll regret it, just like your mother."

"Grandma! This is nothing like Mom and Christopher!"

"Please, Rory, it's exactly the same. You're going to leave him, and he's going to straighten up for some other woman just because you couldn't forgive and forget."

"Logan is my husband, Grandma. We made promises to each other, promises to love and honor and be faithful to one another. He was supposed to have been straightened up already, that's why we got married, that's why we could promise each other that. I shouldn't have to forgive and forget because he shouldn't have needed forgiving in the first place."

Silence. Another sigh. Then: "Plus...he left me."