Chapter 24: Friday Night Dinner at the Medinas
At Max and Lorelai's apartment...
"So Heather, I assume you and Logan will be going to the Fall Dance at Chilton?" Max asked them one Friday night during their weekly dinners.
Heather nodded glancing at Logan who had joined her for this particular dinner. "But I'm not sure what I'm going to wear yet..."
"You could wear the dress I bought for you?" Logan offered.
Heather nodded.
"Or..." Lorelai started, hesitating to bring it up but then finally deciding to anyway. "I could make you a dress."
Heather's eyes immediately lit up. "That's a wonderful idea."
Lorelai smiled happily. "Well, how about I go ahead and take some measurements now?"
Heather nodded and they went back into Lorelai and Max's extra bedroom where Lorelai kept her sewing machine.
Max and Logan sat there for a few moments in an awkward silence. Finally, Max spoke up, "So Logan, you and Heather seem very close."
Logan nodded. "Mr. Medina, I care for her a great deal. She's different than everyone else at Chilton. She's genuine. She's not a fake. She doesn't like me for my money or my last name. She likes me just the way I am."
Max nodded. "She wasn't tainted by the world that you and Lorelai grew up in."
Logan nodded. "Exactly."
"So what do your parents think about you and Heather?"
Logan took a deep breath at Max's sudden question. "Wow, you got to the point quickly, didn't you?"
Max nodded. "Listen, I've been around the Chilton community long enough to know a little bit about Mitchum and Shira Huntzberger."
Logan sighed. "I think they're coming around. They see last names and connections–not people first. They weren't thrilled that I was dating a diner owner's daughter from some backwards town. They didn't see what I saw–a beautiful, intelligent young woman with a lot to offer the world."
Max nodded with a smile. "I liked Heather from the very moment I met her."
"Of course, now she's the granddaughter of Emily and Richard Gilmore and Straub and Francine Hayden. Now she's someone. I'm glad they're warming up to her–but..."
"You wish it hadn't taken the connections..."
"Yes. And now..."
"Now they want Heather to take her place in society?"
"Exactly. That's not what Heather is about. Actually from what I can tell it's not what Lorelai is about either?"
"No, it's not. It's a big part of the reason why she left all those years ago."
At that point, Max and Logan fell silent as they heard the laughing voices of Lorelai and Heather reenter the room. Heather smiled at Logan. Logan smiled back–happy that she was so at ease with her mother. When Logan had initially met Heather–he could tell that there was some sort of deep void in her life–something missing. He had guessed after learning about her history that it had something to do with her real family. But now watching Lorelai and Heather–he knew exactly what it had been. It was Lorelai. Somehow a part of Heather had always known that someone was out there for her. Now she was finally realizing it. Logan smiled. It was good to see Heather so happy.