"What do you think. . . should we go with the coral flowers or lilac hearts?" Rory asked, holding up two different crib beddings.
"Whatever you like. I trust your opinion." Logan said nonchalantly.
Crystal, the sales girl who was helping them build their registry, nodded, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "But we value your opinion as well, ! Right Remi?"
Rory rolled her eyes. "It's Rory."
Logan picked up a small white teddy bear, playing with it absentmindedly. "Crystal please. I've told you is my father. Call me Logan."
"Ohh of course Mr. . .I mean Logan."
Logan flashed his million dollar smile at her, causing Crystal to blush furiously as she giggled.
"I'm going to look at cribs." Rory groaned, needing to get away from Crystal before she wrung her neck. Crystal had been not too subtly flirting with Logan the entire time they had been in the store. While Logan had not even acknowledged Crystal's advances, Rory was practically seething with anger. She was angry that Crystal was throwing herself at Logan, but she was even more mad that she was mad! She was the one that had declared her and Logan Were 'just friends' , she was the reason they were not together, she was the one that had set Logan free. She had no right to be mad, but here she was, white knuckled and a scowl across her face.
"You don't like Crystal?" Logan asked as he approached Rory who was eyeing a simple white crib.
"She's not doing her job. I don't know anything about baby stuff, she's supposed to help tell us what we need. "
" because she's too preoccupied with flirting with me."
Rory glanced up at him, making eye contact for the first time. "You noticed?"
Logan chuckled, picking up a hint of jealousy in Rory's voice. "You really think I'm that aloof? She's pretty in your face about it. I think the whole store noticed."
"What do you think of this crib?" She said, gesturing to the crib in front of her.
"I like it. It's elegant, not too fussy."
"You don't think it's too plain?"
He shook his head "it's simple, a classic beauty. Like you."
Rory's stomach flip flopped. "Logan. . . "
Logan came up behind her, so close Rory could feel his breath on the nape of her neck. Logan wrapped his arms around her, giving her a stiff hug. As his arms wrapped around her, she could feel herself begin to melt into him, surprised at how much she wanted him to hold her close and never let go. "Just telling the truth Ace."
Rory quickly backed away, putting her large baby bump between them. "So are you going to make a play for Crystal?"
Logan's eyes widened. "Make a play for Crystal?"
"She's cute, obviously into you, you should go for it." Rory nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. Thinking about Logan asking Crystal out made her stomach churn.
"I don't think I should be thinking about dating, when I'm having a baby with you in about four months."
"Having a baby, not dating. We're not together. "
"It doesn't have to be like that"
"Don't do this here."
"Do what? It needs to be said. Are you really going to let what happened at my parent's party get between us? To stop us from being happy?"
"Oh My God, it's not just your parents' party. Our whole relationship has been a fiasco. In case you forgot, we were broken up. You decided we weren't going to be together anymore when you gave me that ultimatum. The only reason we're back in contact is the fact that for some great reason, the universe chose us to be the .001 percent that gets pregnant on birth control."
"I didn't want to break up with you, I wanted to marry you, start a life with you and you told me no. Do you know how much that hurt? Do you know how painful it was to walk away from the only woman you've ever loved, because she doesn't want to move forward with you?"
"Doesn't want to move forward with you? I never said I didn't want to move forward with you. Logan ,The day after you graduated, you left for London to follow your father's dream for you. Not even your own dream. . . your dad's! I stuck with you, through it all. The weird hours, always being alone at events and holidays, only seeing you when you could sneak away for a few hours. . . I stuck with you through it,But you couldn't give me time to follow mine? "Factoring me in '' was just tossed aside, when you got the job in California. . . you blamed it on me, and said you don't want to move backwards, yet it seemed like you just wanted me to conform to your new career path, and throw mine aside. Don't you get it Logan? We don't work! What happened at your parents' party? That was just the icing on the cake."
Hurt flashed in Logan's eyes, knowing that he had been so selfish with her. "Rory, walking away from you was the stupidest thing I've ever done, and you and I both know that I've done some pretty stupid stuff."
Rory glanced over at the crib, her eyes stinging with fresh tears. "Do you see this crib Logan? In four or so months, there's going to be a tiny, helpless little baby in there. A baby that WE are responsible for. I don't want to still be arguing when we bring her home. I Don't want any of this back and forth, yo-yoing that we've been doing. Ever since you came back, we've been on then off, then on, then off, I'm giving myself whiplash! I need a clear head, no more clouding my thoughts, figuring out what we are or aren't. I want to be the best, level headed, calm version of myself that I can be for her. Do you understand?"
Logan nodded. "I understand."
"Ok. good."
"But Ace?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm not giving up on us. Ever. I'll do the friends thing, I'll be in your life in whatever capacity you'll let me be, but I will never stop loving you. I'm sorry that I hurt you, and it's true, I let my dreams takeover. I wish that I could go back, and redo it all, but I'm here now, and I'm telling you, I'm not giving up. I'll do the stay at home dad thing if that's what it takes, I'll take her to work strapped to my back, I'll give up everything so that you can do what you've always wanted to do. I'll wait until we're grandparents if I have to, but I am not going anywhere. I love you."
Rory locked eyes with him, desperately wanting to fling herself into his arms and tell him that she loved him too, that he didn't have to wait because she'd take him right now, and that everything was ok. However her stubbornness prevailed. She stared down at the empty crib feeling bereft.
He stood up walking over to her. "How weird is it that we're going to be bringing home a baby soon?"
Rory swallowed hard. "I've been thinking, What about the name Abigail? Or maybe Emma?"
Logan chuckled slightly.
"You don't like those?" Rory asked, furrowing her brow slightly.
He smiled. "No, they are all great, but Rory, you and I both know that little girl is a Lorelai."
Rory smiled back at him, Logan saying what she had known deep down inside all along. "She's definitely a Lorelai."
Logan placed his hand gently on the small of her back. "What about Lorelai Emilia Richelle?"
"Emilia Richelle?"
"Emilia after your grandmother, Emily. Richelle. After your grandpa, Richard. Her name would represent the three most important people in your life."
She hugged him, squealing with delight. "Logan it's perfect!"
Logan smiled, reveling in her embrace. For just a minute, everything seemed perfect, just the way it should be.
…
Lorelai burst into Weston's, bumbling about at her usual chaotic hurricane pace. She glanced around for a moment until she spotted Logan sitting at a table, surrounded by plates of pie.
He stood up as she approached the table, pulling out her chair. "Lorelai! Hi! Thanks for meeting me."
"Well you know me, any mention of pie and I'm there! And when you said pie, you meant pie! That's a lot of pie!"
He shrugged nonchalantly. "I couldn't remember which was your favorite so I just ordered one of each. I know you Gilmore's take pie very seriously."
Lorelai smiled, eyeing a piece of coconut meringue. "So I'm sure you didn't invite me here to talk about my pie preferences and watch me gorge myself on pie. What's up?"
Logan cut off a small piece of pecan pie. "I need your help."
"My help?"
"I want to win Rory back."
Lorelai gasped, the bite of whip cream shooting back into her throat making her gag. "You want me to help you win Rory back?"
"I've tried everything, but there's no persuading her. Lorelai, I'm desperate."
Lorelai took a sip of water, clearing her throat. "Oh Logan."
"I know it's pathetic, and I hate groverling, but I love her."
"I know you do."
"Does she still love me? Am I a lost cause?"
"You're not a lost cause, Logan she loves you, she really does."
"She's pushed me away ever since I've been back in contact with her."
"She's pushing you away because she loves you."
"How does that make any sense?"
Lorelai let out a small chuckle as she studied a piece of cherry pie. "Oh honey, she's a Gilmore , we don't make sense."
Logan shot her a confused look.
Lorelai put her hand softly on his hand. "Logan, Rory has trust issues. Honestly I'm to blame, My relationship with Christopher screwed her up royally. What does she feel for you? It's strong, it's passionate, it's . . . .real.. . .and that scares her. She reflexively pushes you away. She self sabotages herself when things get too good, and realizing that you're here, and you want to be with her, and support this baby, for her it's too good to be true. She needs time. It won't be easy, and it won't be quick, but by being there, showing her that you're not leaving her, that you're going to be there even when things get hard, that's how you win her back."
He gave her a sweet crooked smile that broke her heart. "I guess I knew that all along, I just needed to hear it." It comforted him to know that the speech at the baby store that had come directly from his heart, was exactly what Rory had needed to hear. He was once again getting in tune with her, knowing what she needed, some, and times before she even knew.
Lorelai nodded. "You're a good guy Logan. I know we had our differences when we first met, but you've really stepped up, and I can tell how much you care about my daughter and granddaughter, and I appreciate that."
Logan pushed the pie around on his plate. "Can I confide in you about something? I'm terrified. Absolutely terrified. I'm going to be responsible for a baby, a living, breathing, human that is going to rely on me for everything and I've got to somehow figure out how to not screw her up."
"Oh Logan, you're not going to screw her up."
"My dad wasn't the best role model. . . "
"Um, excuse me, you've met my mother."
Logan laughed. "If I could be half the parent you were. . ."
Lorelai shook her head. "At sixteen I packed up my infant and left with no clue where I was going. I had no money, we lived in a potting shed the first years of Rory's life, and one time I left her in a bucket in a hardware store. I was not the perfect parent. The fact that you're worried about being a good dad? That already shows me that you're going to be a good dad."
Logan grinned softly, his cheeks a slight pink hue. "I hope so."
Lorelai nodded. "I know so."
