Chapter 1:
Today, my happy, Logan-free bubble popped. I knew Richard would want to know, one day, the identity of his father. Logan was the person of whom we never spoke. He wasn't mentioned by me or anyone else for that matter. Now that he was an adult, I felt as if I couldn't keep the secret anymore.
"Mom, we need to talk," Richard said in a no-nonsense tone.
"About what?"
"I want to know my dad. I'm eighteen now, and I think I have a right to know," he replied.
"Oh," I said and my face fell. "I had always hoped this day would never come, but here it is. You've certainly got the Gilmore curiosity. Whether it's the hunger for knowledge or the quest for information unknown, it's in your genes."
There was a rock at the bottom of my stomach that had suddenly become the biggest boulder imaginable. Crap! What am I going to tell him? That his dad is media mogul Logan Huntzberger? And what happens when he decides to find him? Paternity tests? Yelling? I thought. I didn't know if I could face him after keeping something like this from him. The fact of the matter was I wasn't sure I wanted to face him.
Richard stared at me, waiting for the answer to satisfy his needs. I knew if I put this off, it would become a point of contention between us. I didn't want to ruin our relationship.
"Well? Who is he?" he asked impatiently. "If you don't tell me, I'll find out for myself. I know where you keep your journals in the attic."
I let out a chuckle. "Funny, that's how Aunt April found out Papa Luke was her dad. She read through her mom's diaries and letters. She figured it was one of three guys and did her own DNA test for a science fair project," I replied as I'd recalled the awkward situation Luke faced many years ago.
"So, you're saying it could be three different guys? Mom, that's gross!"
"That's not what I'm saying at all," I said adamantly. "It was definitely only one guy."
"Just spill already, Mom! I'm not getting any younger here," he replied with an anxious smile.
I couldn't help but smile thinking back to the times I'd shared with Logan. Here I was with a permanent reminder of him. Every time I looked at Richard's face, I saw Logan. His smile went on for days and made his eyes crinkle. The only difference was he had blue eyes, like mine, not brown like Logan's. His dirty blonde hair was always perfectly messy, just like his dad's. Crap! I need to get out of this Logan rabbit hole, I thought. I took a deep breath and answered him.
"Fine, but promise me you'll let me help you in all of this. It might not be the best idea to randomly show up on his doorstep like Buddy the Elf!" I referenced his favorite Christmas movie. He'd watched it over and over and was completely hooked thanks to Dad. No other Christmas movie compared in his book.
"Ok, ok, I promise! The suspense is killing me! I've been waiting a very long time for this, Mom," he pleaded.
"I know you have, dear, but when you hear it, I hope you'll understand my reasoning for keeping it from you...and him."
"He doesn't know I exist?" he asked in disbelief.
"No, I couldn't bring myself to tell him, and I wanted him to go ahead and live his life...without us. He was set to live a very different life from the one we know. His family had been very clear that I was not fit to be a part of his preordained life. I didn't want to complicate things for him after we said our goodbyes almost nineteen years ago," I replied. God, now I'm rambling to my own son! He's not Logan, Rory, I thought.
"I'm not sure I'll ever understand that, Mom," he said. "Now, quit stalling like Nana!"
Where does he think I learned the skill? I thought. "Your father is Logan Huntzberger..."
I watched Richard's reaction as I blurted out his name for the first time in years. As I suspected, his jaw nearly hit the floor. We sat in silence for a few minutes. I let Richard process this news.
"Like the Huntzbergers?"
"Yes, those Huntzbergers."
Again, we sat in silence as he continued to wrap his head around this new-found information. Then he looked at me with a very serious expression.
"Mom, I have something I should probably tell you."
"Oh?" I asked. I was very concerned coupling the statement with his serious look.
"I think I met my sister...well, technically half-sister, but..."
"What? When? Where? How do you know?" I asked, firing questions at a record pace.
"A couple of summers ago, at tennis camp, I met a girl named Vivienne. She didn't tell me her last name because she was afraid I'd treat her different, but I found out later it was Huntzberger," he recalled.
"Well, that could be Honor's daughter. Wait, no, she'd go by whatever Josh's last name was," I said, thinking out loud.
"Who are Honor and Josh?"
"Honor is your father's older sister, and Josh is her husband."
"Anyway, she and I became very close," he started.
Panic set in and there was a lump in my throat thinking of the worst-case scenario. "You didn't...?"
"No, Mom. It wasn't like that. She was beautiful, and every guy wanted her, but I felt more protective of her. We talked and hung out a lot. People thought we were dating, but we're just friends, I swear!" he explained.
I felt the lump fade away, and my heart rate returned to a more normal pace. I was relieved that there wasn't anything romantic between them. I also knew that he didn't seem to have the same kind of sexual prowess his father had when he was younger, but they were raised in completely different ways.
"Ok, that's good. I hadn't even considered that he would have any other children, but procreation for the sake of an heir was inevitable."
"Gosh, Mom, you make it sound like the royal family or something."
"It kind of is in their world. Passing on the family empire and name is important to his family."
"Wow! That sounds so foreign to me, and it sounds nothing like Viv either. She was so grounded and normal. She wasn't like the kids at school," he realized.
"Chilton is a great school, but I know how it is to be different from the other kids. I wasn't raised like them, and neither were you, despite the fact that our family has a great deal of wealth," I replied, admitting that we were part of that group of elites. I'd never really talked with Richard about things like that. I wanted him to be grounded as I had been when I was growing up. I'm surprised how quickly he's grown up before my very eyes.
"You never told me that before, Mom."
"I'm surprised the kids at school never said anything to you. It's not as if it's a big secret or something. I just wanted you to be grounded," I replied.
"I guess some of them may have said some things, but I didn't pay much attention to them," he answered.
"There's still a lot for you to learn, Richard. Let me tell you a little story," I began as I told him our complicated family history. I included the time Logan and I spent together, without being too detailed. I figured since he was learning some of the truth, he may as well be privy to the whole truth.
"So, you're the heir to TWO family fortunes?"
"Is that all you're taking from this, Richard? There are more important things than money and family names," I chastised. "I thought I taught you better than that!"
"No, you did, but I'm just trying to wrap my head around all of this. It's so much new information and I want to make sure I've got my facts straight."
"But the answer is yes, I'm the sole heir to the Gilmores, and I'm the eldest for the Haydens. Aunt GiGi is the other half of the latter, although Grandpa Chris isn't terribly keen on having her inherit any of the Hayden empire. He thinks she's spoiled and has an inflated sense of entitlement."
"You are blowing my mind, Mom!"
"Let's get back to the business of your father," I said, bringing him back from the crazy money fog he seemed to be stuck in.
"Yes, my father, Logan Huntzberger," he replied. "So, what's the plan? How do we do this?"
I wasn't sure he'd be happy with my answer as it didn't involve a cut-and-dry kind of plan. It was a little more delicate than he seemed to think it was.
"Well, how about you let me take the first steps?"
"Mom, that's going to take forever! You're just trying to delay," he said.
"No, it's just very delicate, and I promise, I'm not trying to delay anything."
"It took you eighteen years to tell me. How long is it going to take for you to finally tell him?"
I had to admit the kid had a valid point, and I was on much better terms with him than I was with Logan.
"Touche, Richard," I replied and he grinned. "I'll make a few calls today, as I've got some connections who might be able to put me in touch with him if I can't get ahold of him myself."
"Really? Today?" he asked hopefully.
"Yes, I'll make the call today while you are at tennis practice," I reassured him. "As I said before, I think it's best he hear it from me first."
"Crap! I've gotta get going or I'll be late!" he exclaimed looking at the time. "Thanks, Mom! You have no idea how much I appreciate this!"
He flashed a quick smile and flew out the door.
