Chapter Eighteen – Future Uncertainties
As the five of them sat inside the restaurant, looking over the menu, Logan looked over at Rory. "Are you okay?" he whispered to her and she nodded. "I feel like I should have done my research here. I should have figured out which of the meals would be best for -"
"I think right now, I should just avoid certain foods but I know there's a lot of iron in the fish and if I have a salad too," she commented as Logan looked to her surprised. Rory laughed and bowed her head. "Okay. You have to promise not to tell my mom that I actually ordered salad over soup. I think the baby is just going to be healthier with -"
"I won't tell your mother whatever you want and I think a balanced meal would be best," Logan said before kissing her cheek again.
Zara leaned forwards as she admired them, "You two are really sweet," she commented.
"Aren't they just," Finn said before stretching his arms out. "I think I might get myself a second glass of wine, might as well bring the whole bottle. Now, our fearless leader," he said as he focused on Logan who blinked in surprise that he was getting the attention. "Are you sure that I can't persuade you to join us in using this fine vin de table to toast the baby Huntzberger-Gilmore?" he asked and Logan shook his head.
"Sorry, guys," he said as he grinned to Rory. "Until the baby gets here I have my comradery in other places. I'm feeling that desire to be a good father," he said as he took a sip of the water in front of him. Rory grabbed his hand and squeezed it showing her support.
"This must be so exciting to you," Zara said, "You must be gearing towards how to be a good mother."
"Well, if he's got a father following his own father's footsteps he will need a strong mother," Colin commented and Logan looked down with a frown. His desire was to be ten times a better father than his own was. His dad wasn't someone who had brought him paternal love and stopped him from fearing that he had done something wrong. He was scared about his relationship with him. Logan never wanted for his child to have fear especially if it came from him.
"Logan is going to be much better than his dad," Rory declared and Logan smiled hearing that.
"Hear Hear!" Colin said as he raised his own glass of wine. "Speaking out about Mitchum Huntzberger let the flags fly and the trumpets blare."
"And just think about it, those days of sitting on the sofa and eating bonbons and nice cakes," Zara commented and Rory stared at her, she put the fork down and the waiter came along. Rory barely had the ability to concentrate on the waiter taking her order and she felt herself drawn closer to Logan as he wrapped his arm around her securely.
"Ace, she doesn't mean it," he whispered to her as he kissed her shoulder.
"You can't seriously be thinking about continuing your education in your condition. If it was me, I would make sure that the child was cared for financially and emotionally," Zara said.
"You know," Finn added, "She's got a point. Take a page out of Sheira's book, Rory, my love," he said and Rory could already sense the alcohol in his system. "If you don't have to work, why try? You'll be pampered with all you need. You'll have Logan to pay for everything you might need. Just be a mother and a wife, it's such an easy role."
Colin looked at his friend with a strange and puzzled expression, "I doubt that our Rory here would want to do anything to derail her journalistic pursuits."
"Journalism?" Zara shook her head, "You can't take a baby with you on those types of things."
"I was - " Rory said before looking at Logan nervously, "We were – my mother and there are people who can."
"Rory's finishing up school and then she'll be able to work. We've discussed it," Logan said scared to see Rory having doubts when she was so determined and had been confident about finishing up her education as well as having this baby. Logan would do anything in his power to help her and that was why he hadn't invested in what seemed like a very good deal, why he was working so hard under his father, why he had made personal sacrifices for their new family.
"I mean, didn't you want to do those more adventurous journalism things," Finn said and Rory nodded, she had wanted to be a hard-hitting writer, she hadn't wanted to be slowed down in her career. "You can't take a baby into a fox hole."
"I know that but…" Rory said and Logan leaned into her.
"Ace? You doing okay?" he asked. He knew that the mood swings would happen at some point and he didn't want for her to just think that her dreams would be gone because she became a mother. This was their baby and they each had a responsibility in raising them. Yes, he would personally have trouble thinking anyone aside Josh and Honor were capable of taking care of their children from his own family but Rory had people who would help. Her mother had been the person most involved in bringing her up and so that would be better than the nanny he had had.
"I mean," Colin said as he tried to cheer Rory up, "You must expect for there to be some delay but at times it can take years to get one established enough to land those types of jobs. You will have a name though, hyphenated or not, that demands respect."
"Yes, I understand that my dreams will progress at a little slower of a speed but I'm truly looking forward to -" Rory said before she heard Finn laugh again.
"You know there is still time to have an abortion," he said bluntly and Rory's eyes widened as she heard that. "Might be best if you still want to prioritize that career, love."
Rory felt the tears in her eyes before she folded the napkin onto the table and pushed her chair out. She had little time to register that Colin was trying to argue with his friend and Logan had pushed his chair out and placed his palms firmly on the table, he was too angry about this to figure out which words to use. Rory couldn't handle it though and she ran out of the restaurant attempting to hold back her tears.
Logan glared at Finn again before grabbing Rory's purse she had left behind and rushed out after her. He saw her standing on the dock, looking out at the water. "Ace!" he said before seeing her start to hyperventilate, he drew her into his embrace. "Ace, he's drunk, he's an idiot. Don't let his words sink in too deep. I love you. We'll love this baby," he said and Rory closed her eyes.
"He might be right," she said and Logan shook his head wanting to argue with her but Rory spoke again before he could get the words out. "My dreams might be over. I might have to, maybe it would be better if -"
"Don't say it," Logan said, jumping to the wrong idea. "Ace, I thought you were looking forward to our child. I thought that -"
"I was but to think that I might never achieve what I've wanted for so long," Rory told him and Logan looked at her. He looked out onto the water with a painful expression in his eyes. He moved away from her a step or two to the side.
"I wouldn't be able to forgive you," he told her and Rory looked at him nervously, she blinked back tears as she saw his strong, determined expression. Wait? Had he just jumped to the wrong conclusion and thought that she was actually thinking about aborting their child. No. No matter what people told her, she wouldn't be able to do that to the child, to him, to them. "I'm sorry. If you're having second thoughts then I'll raise the child alone but I think that I have a right to -"
"I would never," Rory said as she looked at Logan feeling betrayed that he had misjudged her like this. "I want to have our child but I just need to figure out how I can focus on how to reach my dream or make a new dream. I'm not going to be a stay at home mother. I don't -"
"I'm already figuring out ways that I can work from home," Logan told her before reaching out for her hand, he squeezed it again. "Rory, I really am sorry for thinking that. He got into my head. We'll figure it out together."
"Or find a new dream," Rory said looking down sadly.
Logan placed his hand under her chin and raised it so they were looking into each other's eyes. He smiled as he saw her start to gain some of her confidence back. "We'll figure it out together. I still want you to follow your dreams. You have me, okay?"
Rory nodded and hugged him before reaching down for a large rock. Logan watched her and smiled softly as she hurled it out to the bay. She heard people talking about her disapprovingly but Logan didn't care, he grabbed her another rock.
"Imagining throwing that at Finn's head?" he asked and she laughed with a nod. He was glad that she looked like she was happier again. "Throw this one for me," he asked and she did so. Logan wrapped his arms around her from behind and let his head rest on her shoulder. "Did you want to go home?"
"No. Let's go back in," she said before he kissed her and she dried her eyes. "But let's find something to make fun of him about?" she asked.
Logan reached for her hand and squeezed it before nodding. He was still incredibly pissed that such a thought had ever been vocalized. "Sounds fun," he nodded. He sighed. He still had his own work to sort out so that he could be more present in Rory's life before the baby was born but somehow he would have to figure out how to help her achieve her dreams. He wanted an independent and fun-filled mother to his children and wife to himself, not one of those boring women bred into high society.
End of Chapter Eighteen
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Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Seventeen
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