Saintly Sinner Logan Huntzberger
April 2017
New York, Upper East Side
Logan sighed in relief as he reached the end of the loop. Looking for a change of scenery, Logan decided to hop the train from his Tribeca neighborhood uptown to run the Central Park Loop.
After his run he ducked into the first café he saw to get a morning coffee. As he walked from the counter, he spotted Honor and Darby sitting at a table in the corner. With his coffee in hand, he approached his sister and cousin. "Hey" he called to them. Darby and Honor looked towards Logan's direction. Their eyes grew wide and they instantly tried to wave him off mouthing, "go away" and "leave". Logan was initially taken aback, but then suddenly heard a voice from behind which told him why Honor and Darby were acting so strangely.
"Hello, Logan." a voice behind sim greeted. Logan instantly put on his polite "family" smile and turned around. "Hello Aunt Susan", He greeted with a kiss on the cheek.
Susan was his Uncle Dave's wife and Darby's mother, a Grand Dame of the Manhattan social scene, and his mother's best friend and confidant (the two bonded over the trails and tribulations of being "regular" girls marrying into the Huntzberger craziness.)
"Hello, Logan, what a nice surprise to see you. Do you live up here now?"
"No, just happen to be in the neighborhood."
"How fortuitous. Logan these are my friends Delia Spencer and her daughter Anneliese. Ladies this is my nephew Logan."
Logan and the ladies commenced the with pleasantries. They informed Logan that they, along with Darby and Honor, were planning an Alumnae event for the Beardsley School and were in Manhattan today scouting out locations. Talk revolved around the event, they people expected to attend, the money they were hoping to raise. Soon though, things turned to personal matters, namely Logan's personal matters.
"So Logan dear, how are you doing? I feel like we have not had a chance to talk the last few family get-togethers."
"Life is motoring along well Aunt Susan," Logan said, giving Honor and Darby knowing looks. "That's great. You know girls, Logan is about to become a father." 'So we heard. We got the shower invite. We're just so excited for you." Delia said. "Well, Rory and I look forward to seeing you," Logan replied.
"So, Rory? Rory Gilmore is that right?" Delia asked, "Is she the daughter of Richard and Emily Gilmore?"
"Granddaughter actually."
"We've been to a few occasions at their house in Hartford." Susan reminded Delia, "Those salmon puff she always served were divine."
"We haven't seen Emily in a while," Delia remarked.
"Well she has taken some time since her husband's passing, so I hear. She's moved to Nantucket, yes?" Susan inquired
"I think so," Logan answered, although not entirely sure. "Well, it's not surprising," Delia said rather dismissively.
Feeling a bit taken aback by the comment about Emily, Logan was about to ask for further explanation when Amelia broke in, "So Logan, do you live in this neighborhood?"
"No actually Tribeca. I went running this morning. I thought I'd run the park for a change of scenery."
"Tribeca? Analiese was looking for a place in Tribeca, weren't you dear?" "Yes, Mother," Analiese answered somewhat embarrassed.
"Analiese is on the partner track of her law firm. She's a graduate of the JD/MBA Program at Yale. Didn't you go to Yale Logan?"
"Yes," Logan responded, "for undergrad."
"Did you love it there? Analiese just loved it there, didn't you dear."
"Yes,' Analiese responded looking at Logan apologetically, "Yes I did."
The conversation went painfully went on for several more minutes before Honor finally came to the rescue, "Look at the time, we need to go or we will miss our first appointment."
Logan stood up with everyone and walked with them outside. He waited with them until their car arrived, saying his goodbyes to everyone.
"Well," Analiese said, "I'm going to be taking off too." "Oh, so you're not going with them?" Logan asked "Oh, no I was just here for the coffee. I'm an Exeter Alum." "Gotcha," Logan said good-naturedly.
Delia hugged her daughter goodbye and then stood between her and Logan. "You know, you two should get together for coffee or dinner. Really you have a lot in common. Analiese dear, why
don't you give Logan your card." The horrified Analiese just looked at her mother.
"Sure" Logan chimed in, desperately just wanting to get this encounter over with, " I would love to get your contact information."
Analiese handed Logan a card. Satisfied with her work, Delia got into the car and drove off.
Analiese and Logan stood looking at the car as it drove down Fifth Avenue. "Well, this was fun," Analiese said, somewhat embarrassed.
"Yes, it was," Logan replied. "Well see ya." "Take care."
With that Logan turned and headed back to the train. As he was about to enter, he finished his coffee, open the lid and stuck the business card in the empty cup before throwing it in the garbage can.
The next morning Logan called Honor, who spent the first 5 minutes of the conversation laughing about their café encounter. "The look on your face when Aunt Susan came up behind you was priceless." She reported.
"Yes, I am so happy that my unpleasant surprise has provided you with so much entertainment." "You've survived worse." "Barely. "So I saw Delia was trying to push you and Analiese together. What happened after we left?" "Nothing. She was thoroughly embarrassed so we just left."
"Delia was pretty forward."
"It's weird. She is fully aware that I am about to become a father with another woman, and she tried to forge some love connection with her daughter?"
"Well, yea, but even one of the Menendez brothers has a wife, so you never know." "Don't you find that strange? You would think my situation would be a drawback." "Yea, well some people don't see it that way." "How so?"
"Do you really want to know? Do you really care?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Look, if were just me I wouldn't care. But this affects Rory and my kid. I need to be prepared, so tell me."
"Well, some people see your situation as being admirable, even somewhat saintly, which in their eyes makes you more attractive."
"Saintly?!"
"Yes! Your broken engagement caused quite a stir. Mom and Dad official explanation was that you both called it off mutually because "it just wasn't right." Well, you and I know such a simple explanation as not acceptable, so people began to speculate."
"What did they say?"
"There was a 'Team Logan' and a 'Team Odette' if you will. Some believed that the break up was your fault, given your past reputation. Others thought that Odette, being French and all, had a fluid idea of monogamy. It went into overdrive when you moved back to the States. People saw it as you running from a scandal that you either suffered or caused. The gossip eventually died down, and then the baby shower invites came out and gave it new life. Now it's all about Rory and whether or not she got pregnant on purpose. Some see Odette as the poor jilted fiancée and Rory as an opportunist. You, on the other hand, are either the sinner or a saint."
"And how is that?"
"Well 'Team SInner' says that you are getting what you deserve. You tried to play both women and now you are being saddled with a kid. While 'Team Saint' sees you as a victim of sorts; you made a mistake and doing the noble honorable things by living up to your responsibilities."
"Let me guess Aunt Susan's friend is..." "Team Saint."
"Oh dear God."
"Well..."
"...And I detected some snark when Emily was mentioned. What's going on there?"
"Well, as I understand, Emily had a bit of a meltdown last fall. Something about a DAR meeting where she started raving that everything was bullshit, then she started throwing cookies at an applicant and the board before walking out."
"Wow!"
"Oh yes. Mom said that she keeps in touch with a few people, but has pretty much removed herself from the social scene. Instead now spending her days whale watching in Nantucket."
"Rory did mention something about her becoming a docent at the Whaling Museum."
"Well, I think Emily as well her mother, is part of why there is so much more controversy around Rory."
"How so?"
"There's the fact that Rory's mom was unmarried and sixteen when Rory was born. Something about apples not falling far from trees? Also, it seems that broken engagements are not unusual among the Gilmore women because apparently Richard was engaged before, and I quote, 'Emily swooped in a spirited him away from that lovely Pennilyn Lott.' "
"Go, Emily!"
"Apparently, many felt the first fiancee was much better suited for Richard than Emily."
"How was that?"
"The first fiancées was from a well established, well-liked old money family, while Emily's family was new money, so many saw Emily and her family as being social climbers and the marriage being just a stepping stone."
"And people see Rory as being the same."
"Well, the stories are shockingly similar."
"Except Odette was going to break up with me anyway because she found someone else."
"No one really knows that bit of information."
"I can't believe this."
"Well, what can you do? I mean really do you even care? It's not like you or Rory live in their world."
"I don't care if they talk about me, I'm used to that. I hate anyone talking smack about Rory or our kid. It's none of their business. You know, this would have just died down if Mom didn't' stir the pot with this shower. I should have put a stop to it at the start."
"I don't' think it's fair for you to put this all on Mom."
"Really? Are you taking her side? This is a surprise."
"You know why she is throwing this shower?"
"To save face?"
"It may seem that way, but really she is doing it for the baby."
"What?!"
"Listen, Logan, I can go on for years about what crappy people our parents are, but when it comes to the grandchildren, mom and dad are no joke. It's weird but true. After you told them mom and dad agonized how to handle the news, not because they were concerned about the controversy... ok yes, they were concerned about the controversy, but mostly they did not want it to seem that they were embarrassed about the baby. The last thing they wanted was for people to think that they were ashamed. Really, Logan, their excitement is not fake. They figured they would just get ahead of the story, own it, be the proud grandparents and spare the kid even more controversy."
"It makes them look good taking the high road,"
"Yes, but by getting ahead of the story, it gives them the power to spin the story in their favor, thereby protecting your kid. Logan, you should know how vicious these people can be."
"It makes me wonder why we even associate with them."
"They are a necessary evil to the continued success of the family. Don't like it? Move to a cabin in the woods."
"Ok."
"Can I ask you something? How would you have handled it? I mean letting people know about the baby?"
"I don't' know. I just would have let people know when it was necessary to know. As far as I am concerned, all the important people have been informed, the rest can go fuck themselves."
"Ok"
"Why do you ask?"
"I'm just making sure that your feelings about this have not changed."
"No Honor, my feelings have not changed. The circumstances may not be ideal, but I am happy, I am happy that I am having a baby with Rory."
"Well, then nothing else matters."
"Yes, nothing else matters."