Disclaimer: Gilmore Girls is the creation of Amy Sherman-Palladino.
Chapter 11: Rory and Lane
Hartford, Connecticut, St. Joseph's Hospital, Thursday, May 18, 2017, 4:30 pm EST
Although it had not been the intention to visit with Lucas all afternoon, Logan and Rory wound up staying at the NICU for nearly two hours. While some of the time had been spent arranging the DNA test, most of the time had been spent with Lucas. Sensitive to the baby's need for sleep, several attempts were made to leave the infant when it looked like he had fallen asleep. But then they'd delay their departure a second too long and the baby would awaken. Then, seeing Lucas awake, they'd change their minds about leaving -reasoning they'd might as well stay a little longer since he was already awake.
The two relived the visit as they made their way back to the maternity ward.
"I don't know. Seemed intentional to me."
"Logan, he wasn't waking on purpose to keep us there. That's too...too...devious for a three-day-old."
"Hm," Logan let out a breath. "If he takes after me at all, I think we gotta allow it as a possibility, Ace. It's definitely something I'd do to keep you by my bedside."
"You would, huh?"
"Would. Have. Will do so in the future first chance I get."
Rory halted their progress and swung around to scowl at Logan.
Undeterred, Logan continued to grin. "I'm just saying I wouldn't put it past him." He shrugged. "The timing was too convenient."
Chuckling in stunned exasperation, Rory shook her head. After a few seconds, she resumed her pace back to the maternity ward. Logan followed suit.
"I can barely handle you and now I have a mini-you to contend with."
"Ace, you handle me fine. You're just outta practice. It's like riding a bike. Once you climb on again -"
"Ssh! You're working blue! Don't tell me you're not and that I'm imagining it. My imagination is not that good."
Logan cleared his throat, still wearing a half-smile. "It's not your imagination. You just have a dirty mind. Maybe you still have some pregnancy hormones that haven't worked their way out of your system yet."
Rory stopped mid-step again. Shutting her eyes, she cringed in horror. "Oh my God. How do you even know about that?"
"Come on, Ace. I'm more than just a pretty face. I can read. I actually read a lot on the flight -medical stuff, mommy blogs. It helped to stay busy."
The serious tone of Logan's final comment wasn't lost on Rory. Her eyes shot open and she turned to look at him.
"I'm sorry we called when we did. I mean it was a pretty hectic first couple of days. I was kinda out of it for a while. But, if I'd waited until today, things are a lot better today. You wouldn't have -"
"Rory, I wouldn't be here now if you'd waited a second longer. And I'm right where I'm supposed to be." Logan gently threw his arm over Rory's shoulders and turned to give her a quick kiss on her temple. He was pleased to note how she leaned in without hesitating, wrapping one arm around his back and placing the other on his chest. "It's only fair I had a worry-filled flight. You were here worrying. I had no right to have an easier time."
"Well, when you put it like that, I suppose you're right." Logan watched as Rory's eyes closed. She let him lead her along the corridor.
"You tired, Ace?"
"Hm. Just wanted to rest my eyes for a few. I'm good." Logan watched as Rory yawned. "He was definitely not impressed by Macchu the Alpaca."
"At least it didn't scare him."
"Oh, speaking of scary, what exactly is going on with you and my grandmother? Did she threaten to shank you? Cause I'm pretty sure she knows what it means."
"How does Emily Gilmore know how to shank?"
"I'm not saying she knows how to do it but she understands the concept. From when I had to do community service. She did some research." Rory paused before continuing. "Hm, although now that I think of it, with everything she's learned about whaling, she could probably improvise something pretty easily."
Whaling? Didn't Lorelai mention whales?
"What exactly has been going on with the Gilmores, Ace?"
"Let's see. Mom's opening a second location to the Dragonfly. More rooms and a spa. Grandma moved to Nantucket and is a docent at the Whaling Museum. Mom and Luke got married last November. Luke's still got the diner. Grandma's dating but not dating a semi-retired venture capitalist named Jack Smith." Rory yawned again. "I'm writing a book. I was working at the Dragonfly. Oh, and I had a baby on Monday. I think that brings you up to date."
"You think?"
"Yep. What's new with Honor and Josh?"
"Baby number three arrived about three months ago. A little girl."
"Cool. Lucas has a cousin close in age."
"Yes and a couple of others old enough to torture him. Honor sends her love. She wants baby pictures."
"Honor knows?"
"Honor knows. She has ways of making people talk."
"People? You mean Finn, Colin, and Robert? Somehow I don't think water boarding was necessary." Rory fell silent. "The reason everyone's together in London is because of the wedding?"
"Yeah."
"Wow. I can't believe the timing. If Lucas hadn't been born early -"
"Yeah."
"What do you think would've happened if he hadn't...?"
"Hey! It didn't happen that way so we don't even need to think about it! I can tell you I would've pushed for the quickest divorce in Huntzberger history once I knew the truth."
"Oh."
"Yeah. 'Oh'."
As they entered the lounge area outside Rory's room, a flash in the form of a slight Korean woman flew at them. Rory disentangled from Logan as she positioned herself to return the other woman's embrace.
"Rory!"
"Lane! It's so good to see you!"
"Me? It's so good to see you! You look so much better than the last time I saw you!"
"Thanks." Rory turned to Logan. "Lane was here on Tuesday. Yeah, I feel better. And Lucas is doing much better. It's all good."
"That's great."
Hugs accomplished Lane took a step back from Rory and took notice of Logan.
"Ah, I see the rumors were true."
Logan nodded. "Yep. Hi Lane." He held out his hand. "How are you?"
"I'm good."
"Zach?"
Lane nodded, as she shook his hand. "He's good. The boys are good. Our twins, Steve and Kwon, are ten now. I'd say 'long time no speak but it actually wasn't that long ago."
"No, it wasn't." Logan shifted his gaze to Rory. "I should let you visit with Lane, Ace."
"You taking off?"
He nodded. "I'm gonna go back to the hotel for a while. I have some calls to make. Maybe if Emily's back, we can pick up our game of her giving me a play-by-play of which whaling tools she'd use on me if it were socially acceptable."
Surprised, Lane giggled before turning a questioningly glance to Rory.
"Oh, yeah," Rory nodded, a half smile, half frown on her face. "It's like that."
"Hm," nodded Lane. "Well, the boys love hearing your grandmother talk about the whales getting stabbed with the killing irons." She glanced at Logan. "But I can get that hearing a lecture where you're the one being stabbed with the killing irons might be uncomfortable."
"Emily Gilmore. Scaring kids of all ages, all across New England."
"Oh, please. Kwon and Steve don't scare easily. Zach, though." Lane shook her head. "Your grandma's stories make Zach a little green."
Logan smiled at her. "Lane, good seeing you."
"Yeah, you too."
Logan's next words were directed to Rory. "Your mom and Luke coming back tonight?"
"I think so. I'll give my mom a call in a bit."
"I'll send you a text if it looks like I'm gonna come back tonight."
"Okay. Sounds good. I assume you can receive my texts now?"
"Yes." Logan leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll give you call later tonight even if I don't come back."
Rory nodded. "Okay."
As the two women stepped inside Rory's room, Logan couldn't help but overhear a few words.
"So?"
"So what?"
"What's going on with you two?"
"I don't know."
"What does that mean?"
"It's complicated." Logan stifled a grin as he heard Rory let out a groan of frustration. "I guess you could say we might be on our way to being back together."
"But you're not back together?"
"No. Not yet." Rory fell silent. "At least, I don't think we are. But maybe? How can I be a mother? I suck at relationships! I can count on two hands -two! - the number of times I've been in a relationship but not sure if I was in a relationship! What kind of person is habitually confused as to whether or not they're in a relationship?! A mother should know if she's in a relationship with her baby's father, right?"
Part of Rory's tirade sounded muffled. Like she'd buried her head in a pillow. But Logan caught every word. Lane, bless her, did her best to comfort Rory.
"All right...He's here now and he seems serious. That's good. What did he say? Is it back together as in proposing to you in front of everyone he knows? Or back together as in 'meet me at the Dorchester'?"
"Pretty sure it's the first one."
"So he's not engaged anymore?"
"No, he is. At the moment. Yeah."
"Okay, so he is still engaged? Ohhh...What am I gonna say to your mom if I see her? You know I've never been able to hide anything from Lorelai Gilmore. She's even worse than my mom."
"Just make sure you leave before she gets back. And if you do see her, don't say anything beyond 'hi, bye.'"
Finally, one of them pushed the door shut. Logan stared at the now-closed door.
Damn. He was still engaged. Wasn't he?
Logan knocked on the door before opening it. Peering into the room he met Rory's eyes.
"Ace, next time I see you, I won't be engaged." He turned to Lane. "That's for you too, Lane."
"Uh, okay."
Grinning, Logan backed out of the room a second time.
Rory's jaw dropped. Lane, puzzled, looked at her friend intently.
"Did he hear us? He must've heard us, right?"
"Yeah, Lane. I'm sure he heard."
Logan pulled the door shut and made strides toward the elevator bank. No turning back now. Not that he had any intention of doing anything other than what he'd just told Rory and Lane he was doing.
Now to make it happen. Pulling out his phone he called for his driver.
"Frank? Ready to go. See you in a few."
Smiling, he stepped into the elevator. Everything on this side of the Atlantic was going as well as he could've hoped. Now, it was time to check on how things were going across the pond.
AN: Thank you for reading.
05/20/2017