"Logan, what about Eli?" she protested as she was getting ready for bed. Logan was already lying down, blanket pulled around him. He'd been cold recently, never able to get warm enough to be comfortable despite his flaming hot skin. She took the earrings off, setting them in the jewelry box before walking over to the bed and laying next to him. His arm snaked around her shoulders, and she let her head rest on his chest. One arm draped across his torso and she couldn't help but smile just a little bit.
"Your mom already agreed to watch him. It's our anniversary, Ace," he then reminded her. "I want to do something just you and me." At that point, his voice was nearly pleading with her. They both knew things were going downhill, especially since his fall. They'd called several of the hospice care services, finding the one that would work with them for as long as he had. His nurse, Michael, would stop by once a day to make sure things were okay. If Rory wasn't home, he'd stick around for a couple hours to make sure Logan had everything he needed. Occasionally, he had to help out, whether it be grabbing something from the top shelf or helping Logan down the stairs. Michael would be there until the end, and she thanked him for it every time she saw him. It was typically in a hushed voice, a sincere thank you that Logan never heard. He didn't need to, she knew he knew about her conversations with Michael.
"Okay." She finally relented. For just a few days, they could forget about it all. They could be a happy couple enjoying their anniversary and worrying about their son. It would be the first time they were away from him for any length of time, but she knew Logan had it all covered. His surprises always included a game plan for their responsibilities, and this was one of them. "So, where are we going?"
"You know I can't tell you that.. It would ruin the surprise." She could hear the smile in his voice, which, in turn, made her smile as well. "I miss our years at Yale," he then told her softly. "I miss all of it. I miss surprising you all the time, going out. I don't miss those fights we had, but I miss the idea that the world was at our fingertips."
She knew she missed it too. Life was so much simpler when they were at Yale together. Sure, it was only two years together before he graduated - and those two weren't spent entirely exclusive - but it was so simple. From her LDB article to Finn's birthday party. All of it was so much fun. She wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world. Those years together were the best they were going to have.
The next morning, she woke up alone. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence, but she didn't hear any retching coming from the bathroom, so that was a good sign. She stood up, stretching and looking around. He already had bags packed for their trip which excited her. It was more real since he had the bags packed. The next day. It was the next day that they left for the undisclosed location. She smiled, reminding her of the LDB trip. Colin thought she could see through the blindfold, but it was just the reporter in her.
As she made her way to the nursery, she looked at the photos on the walls. It was bits and pieces from their lives together and separate. She saw a picture from his high school graduation, some of him and his friends. She saw ones with her and her mother, her and Lane, Stars Hollow in general. Then came the pictures of them. The London Party, the Felon Party, Finn's birthday party with his arm wrapped around Whitney and hers around Robert, some of them at the Pub or Rich Man's Shoe. All of them brought a smile to her face, not once faltering until she came upon their wedding pictures. She was happy, there was no doubt about that. It was the circumstances surrounding the wedding that made her smile falter. Would she have married him so soon if he hadn't have been dying? She couldn't answer that, a part of her never wanting to know the answer to that. She loved him, that's what mattered.
She opened the door to the nursery, the smile coming back to her face. Logan was sitting in the rocking chair, holding Eli who was babbling. It was a picture perfect moment, and she wished she had her camera or at least her phone to capture the moment. She leaned against the doorframe, watching the two who were oblivious to her presence. If there was one thing she loved more than anything, it was to see the two together. Logan was a natural when it came to raising Eli. And Eli was definitely a daddy's boy. From the time he started kicking, he'd only calm down for Logan. Now, he was so much happier around his dad. Always a smile on their son's face when Logan was holding him.
She saw their baby reach out, grabbing onto Logan's bottom lip and pulling. He just smiled, kissing the small hand that had a death grip. When Eli let go, Logan kissed his cheeks. "Can you say 'daddy'?" Logan asked, pulling away with a smile. He'd been trying to get Eli to say it for a couple months at that point. "Daddy," Logan said again, waiting as Eli babbled away.
"D-D…" Logan's eyes lit up as Eli babbled. "Da-da." Logan beamed with pride and Rory couldn't help but smile along.
"Looks like you won the bet," Rory finally said, Logan looking up at her with a smile still. He just nodded, going back to playing with Eli. She walked out, shutting the door behind her. It was their time and she'd seen plenty.
Making her way downstairs, she thought back to what she'd just seen. It filled her with happiness and joy to see Logan with Eli like that. For once, her mind didn't wander to the ever present guillotine above their heads. No, she saw a father and a son bonding. Even if Eli could never remember his dad, that memory was enough for her to never doubt Logan's love for his son - if there even was a reason to doubt it.
She wondered if her mom had memories of Chris like that. Did he ever spend time like that with her, allowing Lorelai to see the unconditional love he had for his daughter? It made her wonder about all the times he came back into their lives out of the blue, whether or not Lorelai could look back at one of those memories and forget all the doubts she had. Her mother had doubts, for sure. She'd told Rory never to get her hopes up when it came to Chris, and maybe it was because of the lack of devotion he'd had early on.
Her mind was occupied when she pulled the box of Pop Tarts out of the cabinet, popping them in the toaster. She couldn't get the heartwarming moment out of her head, and she didn't want to. She wanted those moments to stick with her because she knew she'd need them. There was going to be a day that she'd start to forget things about him, but she'd never forget him with Eli.
"Hey," she heard him say from behind her. A smile graced her face when his arms wrapped around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder. Her hand found his, lacing their fingers together as they stood like that in the kitchen. Both in a state of bliss, both never wanting those moments to end. He kissed her cheek, her smile staying in place.
"So, he said his first word. As I said earlier, you won the bet," she told him. She could feel him relax against her, could tell in his words that he was happy without having to look at him.
"Another first. He's getting so big and growing up so fast. Six months old, Ace. Our boy is six months old." She nodded. "And he's only going to get bigger and older. He's down for his nap, by the way."
"I love getting to see you with him like that. So, we leave tomorrow?" It was his turn to nod. She smiled as she grabbed the Pop Tart out of the toaster, offering him a bite which he took without hesitation. "And you won't even give me a hint as to where we're going?" This time he shook his head. She let out a small sigh, taking a bite of the Pop Tart.
"And I already packed for you and put the lock on the suitcase, so you can't peek." Her brows furrowed. It was like him to do something like that.
"So, you mean when we arrive at this location I'll be wearing only lingerie?" He laughed, kissing her neck softly.
"Don't worry about that," he assured her. She took another bite of the Pop Tart and he took the second out of the toaster, claiming it for himself. They stood in the kitchen, his arm still wrapped around her waist, both eating their respective Pop Tarts. No words were said, both caught up in their own thoughts as they ate. When finished, however, things took a new turn in the form of a spin.
Logan spun her to face him, their lips crashing together. At first, she tensed up, but soon relaxed into him as their lips moved together as one of his hands found its way up the back of her shirt, resting in the middle of her back. Her arms wrapped around his waist, tongue tracing his bottom lip. Slowly, they made their way to the downstairs bedroom, Logan kicking the door shut behind them. For a little longer, they were just two people madly in love.
She woke again, this time, Logan was curled into her. She could hear Eli through the baby monitor, so she slowly detangled herself from Logan, careful not to wake him. His skin was still flushed, and she could feel a blush creeping along her cheeks as she pulled on the shorts and shirt that had been discarded on the floor a couple hours earlier. Making her way up the stairs, all her mind could focus on was what had just happened between her and Logan, a smile spreading with the blush.
"Hey, baby," she said softly as she walked into the nursery, pulling Eli out of his crib. He pulled on her hair as she bounced him gently. "What's up, buddy? Diaper change?" she suggested, laying him on the changing table. Unfortunately, she was correct. It was the one thing she disliked the most about having a baby. Diapers were not fun, in fact, they were nauseating and disgusting. Eli babbled, playing with his own feet as she changed the diaper. When she finished, she pulled him back into her arms and he pulled on her hair once again. "You hungry?"
She walked downstairs, making small one-sided talk with him. A smile on both their faces as she sat him in the highchair. He continued babbling as she pulled the baby food out of the cabinet before grabbing a bib and spoon from the drawer. She sat in the chair across from him, feeding him the squashed green beans. She didn't want to leave him, but she knew he would be fine with her mother and she also figured Logan had it figured out in case something happened.
"You both awake?" Logan asked. He was just in the sweats he wore earlier, opting out of the shirt. She nodded as Logan sat next to them, answering his obvious rhetorical question.
"I don't know if I can leave him for a whole weekend," she told him as she fed Eli another spoonful of the green beans.
"Ace, I've got it covered. Eli will be with your mom, whom you've trusted on a multitude of occasions to watch him. It will only be for a couple of days, and we'll have cell signal, so you can call each day if you'd like," he assured her yet again. She just nodded, continuing the task of feeding their son. She never truly understood separation anxiety until that moment, but she also knew she'd understand it even more when Lorelai would pick him up the next day.
And she did. Eli wasn't the only one in tears as Lorelai left their house with him in tow. Rory was as well, clinging to Logan who kissed her forehead and held her close. "We'll see him in a couple days," he assured her once more. She nodded, wiping away the tears. "Now, are you ready to go?"
It was two days worth of relearning each other on the beaches of Aruba. The aqua color of the ocean surrounding them, the feeling of the white sand between their toes. It was relaxful, peaceful. It was everything the two needed for their anniversary. She was glad to get that time with him, to be a couple in love. They called the two days they were gone to talk to Eli, to make sure he was okay. Rory realized she wasn't the only one who missed their son, but Logan had a way of hiding it better. Despite that, it was a perfect weekend followed by a week of perfection until it all came tumbling down again.