It won't be like this for long

Chapter 1

Ten years after the birth of the Huntzburger twins.

October 6, 2029, Saturday

Lorelai "Rory" Huntzburger turns 45 years old

Rory Huntzburger has kept a journal since right after Mia was born. The older she got, the more she wrote in her journal. It was like talking to an old friend. When she writes in her journal, someday it is more about remembering the past, than writing about the events of the present.

Rory is sitting on the sofa with her legs curled up under her in the family room of the Gilmore Manor writing in her journal. It should be called the Huntzburger Manor, but this house would always be Richard and Emily Gilmore's home. The home that she sent many a Friday night sitting at the dining room table. Of course, that was not the same table. She loves her husband dearly. He is a wonderful Dad to their 3 children and she could not ask for a better husband. He is well respected in Hartford, New York, London, and any other place that he is known. But she could not see him sitting at the head of that table. The head of that table belongs to Richard Gilmore.

Richard passed away in April of 2024. His third and final heart attack was just too much. Emily was upset. He promised her she could go first. Rory, Lorelai, and Emily mourned the great man, along with most of Hartford. Richard was a well-known man, everyone loved him.

2024 was not a year that would be favorable to read about in Rory's journal. Her Grandpa passed away in April 2024. June 2024 Shira was diagnosed with breast cancer. She passed away in August 2024. Francine passed away in her sleep September 2024. Yes, 2024 was not a good year.

You would think after 2024 life would only get better. At the beginning of 2025, Logan and Rory started talking about moving HPG headquarters back to Harford. The twins were 5. They were attending pre-school in Great Neck along with 12 years old Mia. After much back and forth. Emily gave them the Gilmore Manor. She moved into an apartment in Hartford.

Rory and Logan immediately started renovations. Rory loved this home, but she wanted to make it fit her family. While they were in the middle of renovations, Luke and Lorelai were in a car accident. A semi lost control on a snowy night in February 2026. They both lost their lives. Rory was so distraught that she could hardly get out of bed. Logan took a leave of absence from HPG to take care of Rory, Emily, and his family. After much therapy and love from her family, Rory became a productive member of society again. The renovations continued.

Rory was left Lorelai's part of the Draganfly. Logan took over the business end of Lorelai's Will Rory was too distraught to care. Logan promoted Michel to manage the Inn. After Rory was back to her old self Sookie sold her part of the inn to Rory.

Luke's diner was left to Jess, April, and Rory. Rory was glad to sell her part to Jess. Jess and his wife moved to Stars Hollow. As much as he disliked this town when he was younger, it had started to grow on him as he grew up. At first, he moved into the apartment above the diner. After a couple of years, he got married. His wife Hanna is a nurse at the hospital in Hartford. They bought Lorelai and Luke's house from Rory at a steal. Jess runs the diner, but he has also written several books.

After Francine died, Christopher moved back to Hartford. He moved into his family home. Of course, renovations to follow. Gigi is 26 and just starting Law School. With lots of encouragement from Rory and Chris, Gigi took a gap year after graduating high school.

Rory inherited all of the Gilmore estates when Emily passed away in 2028. Emily had already become frail. She never recovered after Richard's death. When Lorelai and Luke died in that awful wreck, Emily just gave up. Logan tried, but he couldn't get her to snap out of it. After Rory processed the loss of her mother and stepdad, she tried to talk with Emily. Rory wasn't sure if that helped or hurt.

Rory closes her journal, gets up off the sofa, and walks to their office to put her journal away. It was almost time for her family to return. Logan was throwing her a birthday party tonight. The party planner and her crew left earlier after decorating. The caterers are expected any minute. She had asked for two things for her birthday. One was for Logan and her children to be together at home Sunday, peacefully. The other was for a few hours to herself today. Logan knew that her birthdays were hard on her. He would do anything to take the sadness out of her eyes.

Rory was still in the study when she heard all the commotion in the family room. Yes, family room. During the renovations, Rory turned the front parlor into a family room. It was not formal at all. It was comfortable. With big stuffed chairs, a sectional that the whole family could cuddle on, and a couple of loveseats, for when they needed to separate the children.

Rory entered the family about the time that Logan started yelling Happy Birthday.

"I'm right here, no need to yell," Rory said walking toward him to give him a kiss. "How was your golf game?" She asked them. Logan was headed up the stairs to shower and get changed.

"Great, Ace, these decorations are perfect. Now, all we need to do is move the furniture in the family room against the walls to give us room to dance." He was dancing as he went up the stairs. Rory was shaking her head thinking how much she loved that crazy man. She turned her attention back to her son.

"Did you have fun today?" She asked him. At 10, almost 11 years old and the only male Huntzburger grandson, he often gets caught between his dad and his pops. Logan enjoyed spending time with all his children. But somehow, every time Logan and Hayden planned something Mitchum found out and inserted himself. Even though Mitchum has been retired for years, he still has an office in the building. He normally doesn't interfere with Logan's management of the company, but he still has contacts. A Saturday on the golf course at the Country Club was surely full of business associates wanting to talk with Mitchum or better yet, using Mitchum to talk with Logan. Logan has grown into himself. He is a much better businessman than Mitchum or Elias ever thought of being.

"I called Grampa before we left. I asked him to come with us. He did, so me and Grampa played golf while Pops drug daddy to talk to all those men. Grampa let me drive the golf cart." Hayden said. "I had fun," He started upstairs as Mia and McKenzie came through the front door.

Both girls were laughing and carrying shopping bags. The 5 year age difference did not bother the girls. Mia at 16 didn't mind taking her siblings to school every morning. She enjoyed spending time with them. Her newfound freedom, her car, afforded her opportunities she didn't have before. Rory didn't like the idea of Mia's car being brand new at 16. Between Logan and Rory, they had four cars. Rory argued that she could just drive one of those. Logan told her that he would not let her drive his Porsha or his tesla. He claimed that he needed his Mercedes GLA 250 Suv, besides she didn't need a big car.

"Mia, you will need to move your car before the guests start to arrive," Rory told her. "Did y'all have a good time? Did you buy my birthday present?" Both girls looked at each other and giggled.

"Mom, after the singing of Happy Birthday and opening your presents, can we be excused to the basement to watch a movie?" Mia asked. She had learned the art of a sub-party at a young age. Her cousin Trac introduced her to them. He's 21 now and goes to Yale.

"Sounds good to me. You know the younger kids will be here too. Why don't you invite Katherine over to help you? I will pay you to babysit." Katherine is Mia's best friend. On the first day of Chilton, they met and have been together ever since.

Rory knew that Colin and Stephanie were coming. They would bring their 2 boys, Andy 8 years old, and Charles 6 years old. Finn and Rosemary will be there. They finally got together after Finn chased her for so many years. They have a 3-year-old girl. MaryGrace. Robert and Julia will bring Julia's niece that they are raising. She is 13 years old. Her name is Julie Ann. That was all the children she could think of right now. Lane and Dave will be here, but Steve and Kwan are grown, men. Well 22 years old, but they are away at school. Zach and Lane divorced a few years ago. Dave and Lane started dating again, getting married last year.

"Great, I will have to go pick her up," Mia said. Before Mia got her car, it would have been up to her or Logan to pick up and drop off. Last year their full-time nanny got married. Logan and Rory offered her a nice severance package and wished her well. They still had a part-time nanny, but now that Mia had a car, she was not seeing the need to keep her. She just hated letting anyone go.

"Ace," she could hear Logan yelling for their bedroom. She shook her head and started upstairs. She was sure he couldn't find his sock, or shoes or something.