The Gilmore-Grey Union

By Michael Weyer

Part 9

POV: Vincent

I watch as Rory paces angrily across the room. I can tell she's pretty upset, well, more upset than the circumstances already warrant. I can see a light sheen in her blue eyes and I realize she's close to crying.

"Um, you ok?" Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Vincent Grey, accomplished author.

She brushes her hair back as she looks to me. "My mom's mad," she softly says. "I mean, she was mad before but now..." She shakes her head as she sits on the bed. "Now, I think she hates me."

"Ah, come on, she can't hate you," I say as I sit next to her.

"You don't know her or me," she retorts. "I've just done something so stupid…"

I try to soothe her. "Hey, as someone who's done more than a few stupid things over the years, trust me when I say that mothers can be very understanding. Sure, they'll hang it over you for the rest of your life, but they can understand."

She gives me a weak smile. "You really suck at cheering people up, you know that?"

"I've been told before."

She shakes her head. "I just feel so….God, I already felt bad about dropping out of Yale and moving in with my grandparents and------"

"Wait, wait, you dropped out of Yale?" I have to admit to being surprised. I know how tough a school that is and this girl doesn't strike me as the type to just drop it.

"Yeah, it was…well…I had a…bad experience with a newspaper editor and…" She shakes her head. "Sorry, it's really hard to get into."

"Okay, I get it," I say as I hold up my hands. "I guess we've got bigger things on our minds to deal-----" I'm interrupted as my cell phone rings. I take it out and open it to speak. "Hello?"

"It was very cold the night you were born. I was in labor for twenty-seven hours. The doctors wanted to use forceps to get you out but I said no, I didn't want you to be harmed in any way, not my darling baby boy."

I close my eyes and let out a huge sigh. "Hi, Mom."

"Vincent," she says and she's using her patented 'it is only through sheer force of will that I am not screaming' tone. "I have put up with quite a lot from you over the years. But this, I must say, completely takes the cake."

"Mom…"

"You got married. To a woman you barely knew. How old is she anyway?"

I pause for a long moment and I hear her sigh deeply. "You don't even know, do you?"

"Um…yeah, of course, I know how old she is! Come on, Mom, do you think I'm a complete idiot?" As I speak, I give Rory a shake while emphasizing the "how old she is" remark to try and let her know what I'm saying.

"Vincent, you truly do not wish me to answer that question right now."

Rory holds up both hands, flexes her fingers twice then holds up one more finger.

"She's 21, Mom." I give her a thumbs-up that she returns.

"21," Mom repeats. "Well, at least she's voting age, which is much higher than my expectations were. But still, Vincent, what were you thinking?"

"I wasn't."

"Well, at least you're correct on that. I didn't even know you could do this in Atlantic City! Las Vegas, certainly but New Jersey? Honestly, Vincent, who gets married in New Jersey? Even people who live in New Jersey want to get married somewhere else!"

"Mom, we're trying to figure this out now----"

"Well, you're certainly not going to stay married to her! You can get an annulment, I'm certain you can find a lawyer around there. Preferably one not associated with the Mafia."

"I'm glad you're taking this so well, Ma."

"Oh, Vincent…Vincent, Vincent, Vincent…" I can see her shaking her head now. "When you get back, we are going to have such a long, long talk…"

I wince at that. "Mom, come on, I'm an adult."

"Not the way you're acting, Vincent. This is without a doubt the most idiotic, the most immature, the most-----"

The door suddenly opens and I see a young man enter. He stops in place as he stares at us both in surprise. It's as he does that I finally click onto the fact that this isn't my room.

"Ace?" he asks, his eyes on Rory. "What…what's going on?"

She licks her lips. "Um…Logan….hi…." She looks at me and waves in my direction. "Um, Vincent, this is Logan Huntzberger, my boyfriend. Logan, this is Vincent Grey my…my husband."

As the young man's eyes go wide, I quickly speak into the phone. "Ma…I'm gonna have to call you back."