It was a day like any other. I got up, made myself some extra strength coffee, and began editing some preliminary chapters for my next book. I wanted to have something prepared for my meeting with my editor later that day. Logan was due back from a business trip at some point in the day, and Viv was at school. With Richard at Yale, it made for an empty house. For the most part, Logan and his daughter had been living at my house. Viv even had her own room, and while it was much smaller than the one at her dad's, she liked the fact it was half the distance to Chilton. I'll admit I enjoyed having her around because the house didn't feel quite as empty.
When I had just settled in for some hard work, my phone rang. It never fails.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Rory, it's Luke," he said, sounding almost panicked.
"Is everything ok?" I asked, concerned.
"No, it's your mom," he revealed. I was stunned, and my brain started going a million miles a minute with worst-case scenarios. "She collapsed at the Dragonfly. The ambulance took her to Hartford."
"Which hospital?"
He told me, and I began making a mental checklist of what needed to happen.
"I'm on my way," I replied.
After hanging up, I grabbed my purse, keys and headed to the car. I opened the garage before starting the engine. The moment I stepped on the brake to shift the car into gear, it felt funny. That's when I realized I was still in my slippers and pajamas. I raced back into the house to make myself marginally presentable. Thankfully, I remembered some coffee. The hospital was on a ten-minute drive, and for once, traffic was in my favor.
I checked in at the front desk and went to the room where they said my mom was, but it was empty. I began to panic and scanned the room for any clues. Then, I heard my mother's voice behind me.
"Where's Luke?" she asked, sounding almost irritated.
"What am I? Chopped liver?" I retorted.
"He was supposed to meet me here. I also specifically told him not to worry you. I'm perfectly fine," she replied.
"Mom."
"He just doesn't listen," she continued.
"Mom -"
"He's supposed to be here," she interrupted me.
"Mom!" She finally turned her attention to me. "What going on?"
"Nothing. You don't need to worry," she replied.
"That's a lie, and you know it," Luke's voice proclaimed from behind me.
"It's nothing," she insisted. "And I don't want to hear any more about it!"
"Obviously, it's something, Mom, and you're hiding it from me," I retorted and gave her a chastising look.
"I fainted at the inn today," she began. "No big deal."
"It's more than that, Mom," I argued. "Now, are you going to tell me, or do I need to tell you that you sound like grandma?"
We were at a standstill for what felt like an eternity when she finally caved.
"Fine," she conceded. "The doctor saw a small lump during my last physical."
"For the record, I told her to tell you about it right away," Luke added.
"When did you find this out?"
"I didn't want to bother you with Richard going off to college and everything going well with Logan," she said, making excuses.
My voice squeaked as I nearly yelled at her, "Almost four months ago?!"
"It's not a big deal," she rebutted.
"Seems like it's a big deal since you kept it from me, and then you fainted at work," I said sternly. Just as I finished, the doctor came into the room and looked quite serious, as if he were about to deliver some somber news.
After asking my mom a few more questions, the doctor gave his verdict. He listed her options, and I listened intently. I was completely stunned that she'd hidden the face she had cancer from me. Déjà vu swept over me, recalling the exact same situation with my late grandmother. Even the treatment course sounded eerily similar. The doctor told her she was staying overnight just for observations.
"Luke is staying so you can go home," she said.
"Mom - "
"No arguing with your ailing mother," she retorted half-heartedly. I could tell this was her attempt to deflect the severity of the situation with humor.
"Now, you're ailing? Funny how that works," I joked back.
"There's no use fighting because you won't win this one," Luke chimed in. "I've got it."
"Fine, but let me bring you some dinner later on," I contended.
"And miss out on the wonderful hospital food?"
Everyone laughed.
"I'll text you when I'm on my way," I said.
"Don't forget some real coffee!" she reminded me.
"First thing on my list! I am your daughter!" I squeezed her hand. "I'll be back later."
I left without another word. I managed to make it to my car before the tears began streaking down my cheeks. I tried to remind myself that Grandma had beaten the same disease, and the prognosis was good in most cases. By the time I got home, I'd managed to compose myself. I had a meeting later with my publisher to discuss ideas for my next book, and I needed to be able to focus.
Logan: Dinner at my place tonight? I've got some very exciting news!
Rory: Sure, I've got a couple of errands to run after my meeting.
I wondered what kind of news he had that was so exciting. How am I going to break the news about my mom to him? Before my meeting, I called my favorite Chinese restaurant to schedule a pick-up for my mom and Luke.
The meeting went exactly as I expected, with one exception. My publisher wanted me to start thinking about a new series or potentially a spin-off series. I knew this one would have to come to an end eventually, but I was not prepared for that day.
I quickly grabbed the food I'd ordered, some coffee and rushed to the hospital.
"Oh, my angel daughter!" My mother lauded. "You've brought me my life's blood!"
"I told you I would."
"She hasn't been without," Luke informed me.
"Yes, but there's only so much coffee machine 'coffee' I can handle," she said, making air quotes. She took a sip and gave a dramatic sigh. "So much better! And Chinese? Is it -"
I interrupted, "Yes, your favorite place."
Before anyone could say anything, my mom had dug into the food.
"What time should I be back tomorrow? I'd like to see you before you head back to Stars Hollow."
"I was actually going to ask if you could give her a ride home because I've got to leave early," Luke requested, and I gave him a confused look. "Tomorrow is delivery day."
"Can't Caesar take care of that?" Mom asked.
"It's his day off," Luke explained. "Besides, he never notices when things are wrong. Remember the time I ended up with forty cases of buns and not the forty dozen I'd ordered?"
"You'd think after so many years he'd have it down," I replied. "Instead, cold bananas are still his greatest accomplishment."
"Don't remind me," he sighed.
"Of course, I can bring Mom back home," I said.
"I'll let you know what time tomorrow," she added.
"I hate to do this, but I've got to get to Logan's. We're having dinner tonight," I excused myself.
"What fancy place is he taking you?" she wondered.
"It's just at his house."
"Tell him hi from me," she requested.
"I will," I agreed. "See you tomorrow."
I wonder what his news will be. It's got to be better than my mom and publisher. He said it was good, but what does that mean? He's already a multi-millionaire with a prestigious company, so what does that leave?
When I got to his house, I let myself in with the key he'd given me. I didn't use it often, but that was due to the fact we spent most nights at my house.
"Rory, is that you?" his voice called out.
I wasn't expecting him yet. I had been hoping for a few minutes alone with a scotch before he got home. I hadn't even begun to process all the news I'd gotten today.
"Hey -" I replied, walking into the kitchen where I saw him in front of the stove with an apron tied around his waist. "What's going on?"
"I'm making you a special dinner," he proclaimed.
What the heck does that mean? No! He wouldn't have said he had good news and then propose. He wouldn't spoil that surprise, I rationalized silently. "Oh?"
"Here - have a glass of wine," he said, handing me a full glass.
"Do I need to be drunk for this?" I half-joked. I still had the feeling my gut was right.
"No," he chided playfully.
"Ok." I took a sip. "What's this good news?"
"We had someone quit at work today."
"How is that good news?"
"In a couple of weeks, I'll be headed back across the pond," he explained.
"I'll reiterate my previous question," I said.
"I want you to come with me," he replied excitedly.
"Really?" I asked in almost disbelief until reality hit me. "What about Viv? And Richard? What if something happens?"
"Well, my sister can take care of Viv, and I'm sure that if the need arose, your mom or Luke could help out Richard until one of us could get back," he answered.
"I just don't think it's a good idea," I said firmly. He didn't know about my mom, and I didn't want to rain on his parade.
"I thought you'd jump at the chance. What's going on?" he asked.
"My life is here - my job, my family, my friends," I replied almost defensively. I really didn't want to say anything about Mom's health because I hadn't fully processed it. I knew it would mean a million questions I couldn't answer.
"Since when do you turn down travel and adventure? Especially London..."
Thinking for a moment, I tried to figure out a way to tell him without worrying him about my mom. Words eluded me until a pungent, burning smell wafted up to my nose. "Logan - "
"Oh, shit!" he exclaimed as the smoke alarm sounded.
Logan made fast tracks to the oven, where he turned off the burners and stove. I started opening windows in an effort to cut the smoky cloud that had formed in the kitchen.
"How do I get this damn alarm to turn off?" he grunted, trying to find a switch.
"Like this," I said and grabbed a magazine, waving it furiously back and forth, fanning the detector.
"I see you've had practice," he chuckled. "Did this often happen at your house?"
"Ha, ha," I laughed. "Yes, and we got tired of Babette running over every time she heard it. You'd think at some point she would have stopped, but she didn't.
"I doubt my neighbors can even hear, let alone care about my well-being," Logan said.
"Oh, thank God!" I cried when the beeping finally stopped.
"Now," Logan turned his attention back to the subject at hand. "Why won't you go to London?"
"What are we going to do about dinner?" I asked simultaneously, trying to avoid the topic he'd been so persistent about. I wanted to distract him, and it was obviously not going to work. Honesty was the best policy, but I didn't want to disrupt our flow. Everything had been smooth sailing up to this point. You've got to tell him, I lamented silently.
"Ace, I thought we were..." his voice trailed off.
"We are," I began and paused. How do I do this? I really don't want him to worry or go overboard.
"Then what is it?" he begged, grabbing my hand.
"It's..." I stopped. He gave me a look that said whatever it was, it would be all right. I took a deep breath. "My mom. She's... sick."
He looked stunned. "Rory, I'm so sorry. I'm canceling London."
"Logan, don't do that. Just go ahead, and I'll stay here to take care of her."
"If I say I'm canceling London, I'm canceling London. Someone else can go. I've got plenty of young go-getters who would kill for this opportunity. Besides, with today's technology, it's like I'm there anyway," he reiterated firmly.
It felt like that day back at Yale when he gave me a similar speech about being my boyfriend. I was relieved because I didn't want to face this alone.
"Have you told Richard?" he asked.
"No. I don't want to say anything until midterms are over. I remember dealing with my grandfather, and that was a very trying time," I replied. "It would have been worse had it not been for you. I just don't want him to have to deal with that on top of everything else."
"Then I won't mention it to Viv either," he agreed. "If one knows, so does the other."
"What am I going to do?" I felt the tears welling up. "it's the same thing my grandmother had."
"We'll figure it out, Ace," he assured me, wrapping his arms around me. "And I'll be right here by your side."
I could say anything. I didn't want to tell him, but I was glad I did. Just his presence was comforting, and I certainly didn't want to be alone. I think reality finally set in, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Emotions had swept over me, and there was no going back as the tears streamed down my cheeks faster. I couldn't face the idea of losing my mother. Leaning on Logan, I cried and felt myself go weak in the knees. He caught me, pulling me back up.
"Are you ok?" he asked quietly.
I shook my head.
"Let's get you to the couch," he suggested. I nodded my head and wrapped my arm around his waist as he guided me to the next room. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. "I'm going to order some food. Any preference?"
"Pizza," I whispered. "Or Chinese."
Logan made two calls because he didn't want me to have to choose. It wasn't as if I had much of an appetite, but maybe I'd be able to eat something. I couldn't speak, couldn't find the words to describe how I felt, and he wasn't going to force me to say anything. Sitting next to me, he kept an arm around me, pulling me close.
When the tears finally stopped, he gently kissed my forehead. I was unable to look at him. I wanted to, but I knew the stream would start again because everything made me emotional right now. Giving myself a few more moments, I breathed him in. Whatever his scent, be it pheromones or hygiene products, it had a calming effect on me. Slow, deep breaths helped me settle even more.
The ringing doorbell brought me back to reality, and suddenly, I was extremely hungry. I felt slightly better but not completely normal. Although, to be honest, I've never been one hundred percent normal. I blame that on my mother and wouldn't change it for anything.
While Logan went to the door, I poured us another glass of wine. I also grabbed some forks and napkins. He returned with two pizzas and a bag full of Chinese food. The large coffee table became our dining area, and he sat on the floor beside me. I got everything situated and took a deep breath. He offered a soft, reassuring smile, and I knew that things were going to be ok.
"Are you sure you're alright?"
"I'm starved. Let's eat."
