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Every day that week flowers arrived for Rory and every day Lorelai threw them out. There were no more letters but they came with silver cards with Rory's name on which her mother tore up in disgust. Rory tried to write the letter as the doctor had asked but her mind felt foggy and lost. Words dribbled from the pen and each attempt would end with her scrunching the paper up, closing her eyes in frustration. One morning Lorelai went into Rory's room and she came out with something in her hand, an odd expression on her face.

"What's this?"

It was Logan's letter. Rory bit her lip and looked down at the laundry she'd been folding.

"Rory?"

"It's from Logan."

"I know it's from Logan," Lorelai said, going over to her. "I saw his name on it. When did it arrive?"

"On Monday, with the first bunch of flowers."

"Rory! You said there wasn't anything with them!"

"I said there wasn't a card!" Rory retorted, knowing it sounded weak. Lorelai sighed and put a hand on hers, stopping her from folding her shirt.

"Honey. Why didn't you say anything?"

Rory shrugged and walked over to the couch, her mother following.

"I didn't want you to throw it out."

"I wouldn't have done that unless you wanted me to," Lorelai said gently. "If it means something –I didn't read it, but -"

"It doesn't!" Rory said angrily before shaking her head. "I don't want it to. I don't want to keep reading it."

"Sweetie, do you want me to throw it away?"

Rory paused and shook her head.

"No. Not yet."

"Okay," Lorelai said softly, handing it over to her. "I won't say any more about it."

"Thanks, Mom," Rory said quietly. They sat in companionable silence and Rory rested her head on Lorelai's shoulder.

"How come you went in my room, anyhow?"

"Oh – I wanted to borrow your alarm clock. It hiccups when it goes off."

"Mom, that was your alarm clock. You loaned it to me so I'd laugh when I got up, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Lorelai grinned. "Well, I'm sick of my boring alarm. Can I take it back?"

"Gladly."

Lorelai laughed and kissed the top of her daughter's head.

"What's with all the paper on the desk?"

"I've got to write a letter to Logan," Rory said, wrinkling her nose. "I mean, I don't have to, but the doctor said I should. She thinks it'll clear my mind."

"Doesn't sound stupid."

"I feel stupid writing it," Rory admitted. "I can't think of what to say."

"Well, you're under a lot of stress right now, mostly because of him."

"Yeah, I guess. What time is it?"

"Almost twelve."

"I've got to go to Lane's," Rory said regretfully, getting up. "I've folded all your laundry, it's ready to put away."

"I knew there was a reason I missed you being home," Lorelai grinned. "Thanks. I'll see you later, sweets."

Rory kissed her goodbye and got her jacket. It was turning into summer outside and halfway there she took it off, tied it around her waist and wiped her brow. It was almost as hot as California. Rory felt nervous as she approached her friend's house and she shook herself. It was ridiculous to be nervous to see Lane but she felt anxious as she rang the bell and waited.

Lane looked a little flustered as she opened the door. Nico was in her arms and Lane sounded tired as she greeted her friend.

"Hey," Rory said. "Everthing okay?"

"Oh, fine," Lane sighed. "This one just finished a two-hour crying fit."

"Yikes."

"Hopefully it's worn her out. It's naptime, huh, Nico?"

Lane looked hopefully at her daughter who squirmed slightly in her arms, wrinkling her nose.

"Okay, I know she's not six months yet but she looks seriously unimpressed," Rory remarked. Lane groaned.

"I know, she's rebelling already. This is God laughing at me for listening to rock music as a kid."

"What do you think Nico will do?"

"Hide Bibles?" Lane grimaced. "Come on, let's try putting her to sleep. Nico, it's downtime."

Nico frowned at her mother as she lay her in the crib. Lane carefully put her elephant beside her and she and Rory tiptoed away, leaving the door ajar. It was only when they were both seated on the couch that Lane let out the breath she'd been holding. Rory did the same, not knowing that she'd been so tense.

"Sorry the place is such a mess," Lane winced, looking round. "I was going to tidy earlier but Nico..."

"It's fine."

"No, it's a sty," Lane sighed. "Not like your place. I bet that never gets messed up."

"Right." Rory looked at her hands.

"Rory?" Lane asked, catching her tone. "Is something going on?"

Rory exhaled and looked up, seeing her friend's concern.

"I need to tell you something," she said. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."

"Rory, what is it?" Lane asked as she fell silent. "You're starting to scare me."

"I...it's Logan. It's us. He cheated on me. He was sleeping with someone else and I left."

Lane stared at her in shock and Rory added bitterly,

"Maybe he still is, I don't know."

"Wow, Rory. Are you okay? Stupid question," Lane said hastily as she saw Rory's face. "But I mean – are you?"

"I'm not looking like a human water feature anymore," Rory told her. "So there's that."

"Rory."

"No, I'm not okay, Lane," Rory said unhappily. "It hurts, it – I don't want to cry anymore but it's worse, it's like someone's put a piece of concrete on my chest and it hurts, Lane, it really, really hurts."

Lane looked at her sympathetically and Rory continued,

"And he's sent me a letter asking me to come home and I don't know what to do. He says he still loves me."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," Rory said defeatedly. "I still love him but he's slept with someone else and I...I'm so messed up, Lane."

"Oh, Rory."

"What would you do?" Rory asked, looking at her. "If you found out Zach-?"

"I don't know," Lane said uncomfortably. "I mean, I don't think Zach would ever –"

"I know – hypothetically. Or if you were unhappy. What would you do?"

"I don't know if I could stay with Zach if he did that to me," Lane said. "And right now we're so busy it's hard to think about us."

Rory nodded and Lane quickly added,

"I love Zach though, and I know he loves me. We just don't have a lot of time –"

"Lane, I'm sorry," Rory said guiltily. "I didn't mean to – I'm sorry."

"Rory, it's okay. Is Logan still alive?"

"What?" Rory asked and Lane clarified,

"Lorelai hasn't headed over there with a knife or anything?"

"Believe me, she tried," Rory said, laughing for the first time in days. "She's been great."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I'm staying with her. She doesn't want me to go back. I know I shouldn't but I still love him, Lane. I can't help that."

Lane nodded sympathetically and Rory added,

"My doctor wants me to write a letter to him."

"Your doctor?"

Rory bit her lip.

"I didn't tell you. I've been going to the doctor the last few weeks because she thinks I have depression."

Lane's mouth fell open slightly and Rory blushed.

"Yeah."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I guess. You know, it's interesting," Rory said, shaking her head. "One day I was Logan Huntzberger's wife and the biggest part of my week was grocery shopping and now...now I'm going to counselling and don't even know if I'm married anymore."

"Do you wish you hadn't found out?"

Rory hesitated and shook her head.

"If I hadn't he'd still be sleeping with her," she said. "And I'd still feel guilty about seeing Jess."

"You're seeing him again?"

"Of course."

Rory was going to say how Jess didn't want her to go back but the strange look in her friend's eye stopped her so instead she added,

"You know, Lane, even if I hadn't found out...I've been unhappy for a while."

"Yeah," Lane said comfortingly and, out of nowhere, tears started down Rory's cheeks.

"I just wish things could be how they used to be."

"Oh, Rory –" Lane reached over to hug her and Rory cried,

"When did it change, Lane? Why did it change?"

Lane didn't say anything but let Rory sob.

Rory left a few hours later. Lane had made them cups of tea and they talked about marriage and kids.

"It doesn't seem real, sometimes," Lane had sighed. "My life before."

"It's almost like a dream," Rory said thoughtfully. "Isn't it?"

Lane smiled and Rory got up to leave. She couldn't imagine being a mother too.

Lorelai got home around five and gave Rory a kiss.

"I'm going to the grandparents' tonight," she reminded her. "There's cold Chinese in the fridge or Al's got a special on tonight, if you're feeling adventurous."

Rory hesitated and then said,

"I'm coming."

Lorelai looked up in surprise.

"Coming where? You don't mean the House of Horrors?"

Rory nodded and her mother exclaimed,

"Why? If you show up with me and not Logan they'll know something's wrong."

"I know. I'm going to tell them."

Lorelai stared and then made Rory sit down on the couch, putting a hand to her forehead.

"Mom!"

"Sorry, just checking for signs of sickness. You can't be serious, Rory."

"I'm completely serious."

"Why? Last week you were adamant not to tell them."

"They're going to find out eventually," Rory said resignedly. "We go the same club, people will talk, and I'd rather they heard it from me than some old guy on the golf course, which will mean an endless phonecall from Grandma."

"Honey, you're still have an endless monologue, it'll just be face to face instead of through a receiver you can hang up."

"It's better than she hears it from me and I get it over with," Rory said with determination. "Now, can I go?"

"Yes, you can go," Lorelai sighed. "You're a lot braver than me."

"Hey, it's where I got it from."

Lorelai and Rory left an hour later, Rory beginning to doubt her decision. She had felt fine getting changed and buckling up in the car but now, as they approached Hartford, Rory was beginning to feel queasy. It was too late to back out and she swallowed as they pulled up into Emily and Richard's drive. Lorelai looked over as she parked the car.

"You okay?"

Rory nodded silently and Lorelai said,

"You know, I haven't told them you're coming. If you want, you can stay out here in the jeep, or we could drive back now and say –"

"Mom."

"Yeah, okay," Lorelai sighed. She turned off the ignition and got of the car, Rory following. She was wearing a dress she had found at the back of her closet with pink flowers on. Rory hadn't worn it since she was about eighteen but it didn't look strange and she hoped her grandmother wouldn't notice. She followed Lorelai to the door, feeling an impending sense of doom she hadn't experienced since she had gone to court. This almost felt worse.

Lorelai rang the bell and Emily answered almost instantly.

"Lorelai!" she beamed and then her eyes widened. "And Rory!"

"Hey Grandma," Rory said in a small voice.

"Where's Logan, is he with you?" Emily asked, glancing over her granddaughter's shoulder. "I didn't know you were coming. Isn't that an old dress?"

"It was last minute, I'm sorry," Rory said apologetically. "Logan couldn't come."

Emily frowned but didn't say anything. She ushered them inside and called,

"Richard, the girls are here!"

"Girls?" Richard asked, frowning as he came into the foyer and looking up. "Rory!"

"Hi Grandpa."

"It's Rory, Emily!"

"Yes, I know Richard, I didn't think I'd been talking to a hologram," Emily snapped. "Come on, let's get drinks."

"Rory, what in the world are you doing here?" Richard asked, pouring a glass of wine and handing it to Rory. "I didn't know you were coming."

"Kind of a spontaneous thing, Dad," Lorelai cut in. Richard nodded, confused, and asked,

"Where's Logan?"

"He couldn't come," Lorelai said and Richard asked,

"Why, is he sick?"

"Oh, in so many ways," Lorelai muttered and Emily snapped,

"No one's asking you, young lady. You're not the one married to Logan. Rory, where is our son-in-law?"

Rory hesitated and drank some her wine, Emily looking at her expectantly.

"He's got a bug," she said eventually, losing her courage. "He's resting up so I came to keep Mom company."

To her relief Emily nodded and laughed.

"I don't know if that's very good of you, Rory, leaving Logan while he's sick. That poor husband of yours must fend for himself."

Rory tensed slightly but said mildly,

"He wanted the apartment to himself. That way he can play videogames."

Emily and Richard laughed.

"I thank heavens every day that sort of nonsense wasn't invented when we were first married," Emily said, patting Richard's knee. "Although he would insist on playing Chuck Barry and endless games of solitaire."

"Now Emily..."

Rory sat back and closed her eyes, letting her grandparents' chatter wash over her. Lorelai whispered,

"Are you okay?" and Rory nodded a silent assent. They listened to Emily and Richard reminisce until dinner was ready twenty minutes later.

The maid brought out steak and Rory sighed happily at something new to talk about.

"Steak!" she said gladly as the plate was placed in front of her. "I love steak!"

"I know Logan loves it too," Emily said. "You can wrap some up for him if you like."

"Oh, I'll do that."

"Though he may not like it if he's got a bug. I do hope you left him something adequate to eat, Rory," Emily said critically. "The poor man is ill and you left him without a maid."

Rory nodded, clenching her fork and Emily added,

"It would have been easier if you called first. We would have made more for another person."

"Oh Emily, as if there isn't enough to feed an army," Richard said irritably. "We always have too much left over."

Emily raised an eyebrow but didn't argue the point. For a while everyone ate in silence.

"So, Rory," Richard said, putting his fork down as he finished. "When can I expect to see you and Logan at the club again?"

"Now Richard, don't start," Emily said before Rory could try to answer. "They've only just joined."

"And they should be making the most of it! New members get all sorts of benefits and I've only played golf with Logan once!"

"I –"

"And you can make friends there too, Rory," Richard continued. "It's not just us golfers!"

"Oh, you don't want to be friends with those women," Emily said dismissively, making her husband glare. "They're terribly vapid!"

"What do you propose Rory do?"

"Join the DAR, of course," Emily said happily. "Everyone misses her and they know her."

"Why, there's no reason why she couldn't do both!"

"Um, guys," Lorelai started to say, catching sight of her daughter's face, cut off by Emily snapping,

"Be quiet Lorelai, this isn't about you. Rory's new in Hartford again and we want her to meet the right sort of people."

"At the club."

"At the DAR!"

"At both so she can use her family discount!"

"Well, I hope," Emily said, eyes twinkling and Rory threw her fork down.

"Stop it!"

"Rory!" Emily exclaimed as her granddaughter stood up, red in the face. "What on earth are you doing?"

"There will be no DAR," Rory said, eyes blazing. "There will be no club and no family discount."

"Rory, what are you talking about?"

"Logan isn't home sick," Rory said, drawing a deep breath. "Logan and I are taking some time apart. We're separated."

There was a long, awful silence. Emily and Richard stared at Rory, who sat back down, embarrassed, aware of her mother's sympathetic gaze. She was glad she hadn't gone alone.

"Whose fault is it?" Emily demanded.

"What?"

"Whose fault is it?" Emily snapped. "You heard me. Whose idea was this, to take some time?"

"It was mine," Rory said defiantly and Emily clapped a hand on the table. "What?"

"I knew it, I knew it. This is all your fault, Lorelai!"

Lorelai had been drinking a glass of water but she stopped and spluttered.

"Excuse me?"

"This is all your fault, Lorelai!" Emily shouted, sounding as though she was ready to burst into tears. "This is the example you set for your daughter and now she's going to be divorced, just like you!"

"Stop!"

"What else has she ever known?" Emily snapped. "You got pregnant at sixteen and refused to get married –"

"Because we were sixteen!"

"And you turned down that teacher who wanted to marry you, the night before the wedding –"

"It wasn't the night before!"

"Oh, near enough," Emily scoffed, her tirade unbroken. "Then you got engaged to that man in the flannel though obviously that didn't work, you proposing to him –"

"Hey!"

"And when you finally did get married, it was for five minutes!" Emily shouted furiously. "All this girl has ever known is instability and you running off with other men!"

"How dare you," Lorelai said in cold fury. "I kept that side of my life completely separate from Rory until she was an adult, you know that, and you act as though I was getting married to someone new every week!"

"The lack of commitment was always there! Why do you think Christopher never wanted to settle? He only ever wanted you and you had to do things your own way!"

"My way worked!"

Emily snorted.

"This child grows up into a beautiful young woman and marries a wonderful man. Your father and I heaved a sigh of relief that she hadn't inherited your bad habits and now she's run away at the first sign of trouble, just like you! Like mother, like daughter, she's stubborn and won't compromise and now she's divorced at the age of twenty-five and it's entirely your fault, Lorelai, your fault!"

"Logan cheated on me!" Rory shouted, making everyone stop and stare at her. "It's his fault, not Mom's, so don't you dare attack her!"

"What?" Emily asked, her fury halted.

"Logan slept with another woman," Rory told Emily, shaking with anger. "He's been cheating on me since we got here so don't you dare go blaming Mom, not now, not ever. Don't you ever speak that way to her again!"

"Rory!"

"You know, I'm not hungry," Rory said, scraping her chair back. "I don't want to sit here and listen to you attack Mom like this."

"Rory, stop this!" Emily exclaimed. "Just sit down, I don't understand."

"Logan had sex with another woman, what else is there to understand?"

Emily flinched at the bluntness of the words and said,

"Rory, calm down. Just sit back down and eat your dessert. We'll talk about this calmly."

"I'm sorry, I can't calm down," Rory said. "I'm not feeling terribly stable right now, maybe that's why I'm in therapy."

"You're what?"

"That's right," Rory said, not backing down from the stunned look on her grandmother's face. "I'm in the same league as someone who licks mailboxes."

"Rory!"

"Mom, I'll be outside," Rory said, stepping away from the table. "Goodnight, Grandma, goodnight, Grandpa. Thank you for dinner."

Emily stared as she started out of the room. Rory had just reached the front door as she heard her grandfather say in a dazed voice,

"I'll be in my study." She ducked out of sight, watched him go in and the last words she heard was Emily tearfully berate,

"Their children would have been beautiful."