He went to Eli's first baseball practice, the boy picking up on the idea of the game. It wasn't much different from t-ball when it came to gameplay and rules, a pitcher being the main difference. It had been a week since their fight, and he didn't know what to do. She'd been avoiding him and he did the same, going out with Colin or visiting Emily. He found it odd that he visited the elder Gilmore, but she always told him she enjoyed the company.
He understood Rory's hesitancy, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. He had always put her first from the beginning. He would drop everything - girls included - when she called him to come over for whatever reason, whether it be a fight with Logan or having a bad day. It hurt that she kept pulling and pushing, especially recently. It was as if as soon as they were getting into a good rhythm, she disrupted it with one thing or another. And he knew why. It was Logan. It would always be Logan.
Knowing that he was going to always be second wasn't the problem. It was a fact he'd come to realize and accept early on. The problem was how Rory was handling it. She kept trying to find a reason - any reason - to call off their whole arrangement. He understood her desire of normalcy, but he had a feeling she still didn't understand that normal didn't include Logan anymore. As much as he loved Logan, having been like brothers for so long, he resented him a little bit. He had gotten the girl, loved the girl, married the girl. But he left the girl heartbroken and just plain broken, and now Finn was the one having to pick up the broken pieces.
"We need to talk," he finally told Rory after Eli had gone to bed. Despite having avoiding each other, he kept his routine the same which always included Eli.
"Finn, now is not the time," she responded, turning her back to him and going back to thee article she was working on. With a huff, he sat in the chair next to her, determined.
"Okay. You work, I talk. I'm tired of this, Rory. I'm tired of this push and pull you've been doing, this hot and cold. It ends now." Those last three words made her typing falter as she looked up at him. "You need to decide. In or out. I know you still love Logan, Love. We all do, but you're letting it hold you back. This house, for example, is a time capsule. The only thing that's changed is the downstairs bedroom. His clothes are still in the closet, his cologne still on the dresser. It's been five years. I'm not telling you to forget him or stop loving him, but to start moving on with your life. Move on with me." She looked up at him, shutting her computer. He was waiting for an answer to a question he didn't even ask.
"I love you, Finn. I love the idea of loving you. But I don't know what to do. When we lost Logan, it was as if a part of me was lost with him, if that makes sense." He nodded as she continued talking. "I want to be able to go all in, I really do. I think part of it is being scared - a big part of it. I'm scared of forgetting him, of you leaving us, of disappointing Eli. It scares me to think that I have to factor him into every decision. I realized that long before he was even born, but now with me feeling like it's okay to put myself out there again… I don't want his father figure being like my dad."
"I'm nothing like your father, Love," he reminded her. "Been with you both for everything. A couple of times, yeah, I had to leave for one reason or another, but I always made it up to you guys. More importantly, I always came back." She nodded, a look of thought on her face.
"I'm in, Finn. Officially, one hundred percent in." He smiled, kissing her softly.
He didn't know what to expect. He didn't want her changing things just to make it seem she was okay. But at the same time, he hoped this was giving her that push that she needed to be able to make those changes. He'd noticed some before that day, like when he woke up and she wasn't wearing her wedding rings. It came as a shock, and when he asked, she shrugged and told him it was time. He didn't know what that meant at the time, but he did then. It was time for both of them to change a little bit.
A/N: I know this was much shorter than most of my updates, but I feel like it holds everything it needs to. I hope it answers some of those questions you guys have been asking. As always, I enjoy your reviews and comments. They keep me motivated to push through those tough writer's block moments. I hope you guys enjoyed.