CHAPTER 17: Rocks and Sand
"I've made a decision about something... I've decided that I'm moving to Stars Hollow."
After dropping his bombshell, Logan can see the look of shock and surprise etched into Rory's face. Even if it wasn't already so obvious, he would have been able to read what she thought about the matter without her even saying a word.
Before Rory has a chance to collect her jaw from off the ground and before she has a chance to protest, Logan uses her shock to his advantage by holding his hand out, pausing her from any protests as he desperately begins to explain, quickly.
"Look, Ace, before you say anything about how this is going so fast, I just want to say you're right, it is going fast. But, I've got nine years worth of catching up to do. Also, I want you to know that this isn't just a whim. I've thought about it. I want nothing more than this."
Rory takes a quick glance around the room and behind her, making sure that their daughter hasn't just heard Logan's announcement, too. Then, she snatches up his hand and pulls him behind her.
"Shush. I don't want Elle to hear that and get her hopes up" Rory says as she drags him outside, in order for them to speak in private on the balcony. As soon as they reach their destination, she lets go of her rough grasp on his hand and crosses her arms in front of her.
"You can't move to Stars Hollow, Logan."
Logan scrunches his face up in confusion, wondering if there is a legitimate reason as to why he couldn't possibly move to the small town or as to what is stopping him from relocating. "Why can't I?"
"Okay, for starters, your job. Aren't you based in LA? At best, maybe, you could work from New York since at least that's a city."
"The wheels are already in motion for me to be based out of New York. They have been since the day after I found out about her being mine. I'm going to work from home, mostly. I might go into Hartford a couple of times a week, but I will still most likely need to commute into New York once a week or so for anything I can't do from here or if there's any meetings I have to be at."
Rory's arms stay crossed, her eyebrows stay furrowed and her pout remains tight as he explains his plan before she begins her attempt at making a counterargument.
"Well, the phone reception is abysmal here and don't even get me started on the internet... Do you realise that there's nowhere to buy alcohol in Stars Hollow after 6? And, the price for everything is so exorbitant thanks to Taylor Doose and the billion taxes he puts in place to fund all the town events."
"Jeez, if the whole journalism thing doesn't work out, I think you could score a job at Stars Hollow Real Estate... You're doing an excellent job at selling the town to me..." Logan chuckles sarcastically, although not one thing that Rory has said has worked to change his mind or dampen his plans even slightly. Taxes and mark-ups aren't exactly game-changers for an entrepreneur.
Despite her failure thus far, she continues at it; extracting every negative that she can think of to try and change Logan's mind.
"Well, do you even know the name of your doorman at whatever penthouse you live in now, because, in Stars Hollow there is absolutely no such thing as anonymity or privacy... Kirk knows what time you got up in the morning, the mailman reads your mail before you do, then Babette and Miss Patty will argue over what colour underwear you're wearing today."
Logan simply shrugs complacently. "Let them argue..."
Rory just huffs with frustration as she crosses her arms in front of her. She tries to think of more reasons to present to Logan, but he continues to speak before she has a chance.
"Yes, okay, I understand Stars Hollow isn't New York or L.A. or London or Sydney or even Hartford, Ace. But, I'm not moving to Stars Hollow for Stars Hollow... I'm moving to Stars Hollow for Elle."
With his latest comment, Rory's tight expression loosens and her crossed arms uncross as they just hang limp by her sides.
Logan can tell that he's doing a better job at reasoning with her than she is doing at reasoning with him, so he continues to speak and he continues to explain.
"Listen, do you remember the first day that Elle and I properly met up here to spend time with each other? That day I started freaking out about how I was doing everything wrong and remember you told me to think about my dad and what I wanted from him as a child. Your advice got me thinking... I've asked myself that question and I've thought about what I wanted from him as a child. For some reason, the thing that stands out in my mind, the thing that I always wanted was for my dad to pick Honor and I up from school or to at least be home when we did."
Rory remains silent, sensing that Logan hasn't finished explaining. So she simply nods her head, gesturing for him to continue speaking and to continue explaining, as he does.
"It's going to be hard, but it would be hypocritical for me to not even try to do what I had always wanted from my own dad, now that I'm a dad... So, I want to be in a position to be able to pick Elleigh up from school as much as I can or to at least be able to be there for when she comes home from school. I want to hear about her day. I want to hear about what she learnt and what she did during her day. I want to know about her friends. I want to help her with homework and I want to take her out for doughnuts after school. That's what I always wanted and that's what I always wished for. So, it's something important for me to be able to do with Elle."
Rory continues to nod, thinking his explanation through before releasing a big, deep sigh.
"Okay... Okay, you're a big boy. You're your own person. I can't stop you. But, I please beg of you to only go through with this and only tell Elle if you are 100% sure that you can follow through with it and if you don't think you'll have to move away after a week of doing the hard yards."
A smile creeps over Logan's face. He doesn't need Rory's approval to follow through with his plan and to move to her small town. But, he's glad that he has it; sort of.
"There's not a doubt in my mind, Ace. I'm going to make it work. I don't care if it makes my life or my job harder to manage. You see, it's like that example about the rocks and the sand."
Rory gives Logan a vague look. She doesn't even need to repeat it for him to realise that she's not clued up about what he's talking about. "The rocks and the sand...?"
"Yeah, the rocks and the sand, you know? You have a bucket. You think about what the most important things in your life are – they are the rocks. Then, everything else in your life is the sand... The sand fits in around the rock when you put that in the bucket second, after the rock. Elle's the rock. Work and everything else is the sand... It's going to have to fit around her. "
The brunette nods at Logan's illustration, not quite knowing exactly what to say to that. Not to mention, the more he speaks, the more she realises that he seems to be proving her wrong. He seems to have thought this through and he seems to know what he's setting himself up for by moving to Stars Hollow.
After a brief silence, Rory releases a sigh and admits defeat.
"Have you looked at any places yet? Run any of the places that you're looking at by me and I'll tell you if there's anything that the listing's not telling you."
"A couple... I'll send the link's on to you. Thanks Ace."
The exes share a smile and another silence before Logan remembers another Pandora's Box that he needs to open and bring up with the mother of his child.
"There's one other thing that's been on my mind. It's about my parents."
Logan's parents... Mitchum and Shira Huntzberger... Also known as: lovely and lovelier.
Rory knew this day would come.
No matter what, Rory can't change the fact that her daughter has the blood of Mitchum and Shira Huntzberger flowing through her; that they are related to that little girl through blood. And, unfortunately, her daughter's paternal grandparents are not exactly favourite people in the world.
"I've been thinking that it's about time that I tell my family about Elle... After all, they're going to have to meet her one day."
Thank you to everyone who has been sticking with story, loyally reading and reviewing. I know this chapter's on the shorter side, but there's a few longer ones to come. I'll try to get the next update posted sooner rather than later to compensate.
So, Logan's set on moving to Stars Hollow. How will he go with settling into the small town? Not to mention, will Stars Hollow accept him? Also, how will Mitchum & Shira react to meeting Elle? We'll see that unfold in not the next chapter, but the one that follows it.
Next chapter: Logan begins his big move and Rory faces the feeling of déjà vu. Plus, you'll finally see what went down all those years ago on the day that Rory went to tell Logan about Elle.