Chapter 8

When: Tuesday, December 21, 2027

Where: The Logan Huntzburger Estate in the Hamptons

The plan for Christmas is that the family will start coming on Tuesday and Wednesday. They will have the annual Huntzburger Christmas party at the Yacht Club Thursday, December 23, They will do Christmas morning at the Logan Huntzburger Estate. After that, there will be no scheduled activities until New Year's Eve. They would attend a party at the Yacht Club.

Rory was trying to make her way downstairs. It was a slow go. Her ankle was not broken, but it is a bad sprain. The doctor put a boot on it. Advised her to stay off of it. Right now it will heal in a couple of weeks if she stays off of it. Richie was coming in the front door carrying wood for the fireplace.

"Mom, stop. Let me help you." He hurried to put the wood down and brush himself off. He walked up the stairs. Rory expected him to let her lean on him, but he picked her up bridal style and came down the stairs.

"Richie. Please be careful, don't drop me, don't hurt your back." Rory was saying. Logan was coming in from the patio when he saw Richie carrying his mother.

"Wah, let me get the blankets. Set her on the couch." Logan said.

"Richie be careful, I could have waited on your dad." She said

Logan looked up at her. "He is 18 and strong as an ox. I was strong like that once, but I am 46 years old. My back hurts most mornings when I get up. It's okay, let him carry you." Logan said.

Rory was laughing at him. "So I can call you an old man?" Rory said with her arms around Richie while he was lowering her to the couch.

"What can I get for you, Ace?" Logan asked her

"Can you sit with me for a few minutes?" She asked

"Sure."He told her as he sat on the sofa, putting her feet in his lap.

Logan sat with Rory, he was watching a football game and she was reading. It wasn't long before Richie was watching football with his dad. Katie came down the stairs next. She was hungry and wanted a snack. Rory told her to go get the grapes out of the refrigerator and to pop some popcorn. When the popcorn started popping, Hayden made it downstairs.

"Hey, are we watching a movie? I smell popcorn." He asked

Logan looked at Rory then back to Hayden. "If you will go help your sister in the kitchen getting everything ready for a movie, we can watch. This game has 47 seconds in it." Logan said.

"Where has Hayden been hiding? This is the first time I have seen him today?" Logan asked. Richie just scuffed. "You have something to say?" Logan asked. Richie shook his head. When Katie and Hayden came back with red vines, M&M, popcorn, and pop tarts, Logan moved over to give Katie room. She sat down next to Rory and snuggled into her. Logan was on the other side of her, she had her feet on the ottoman. Richie grabbed a lap blanket and sat on the end of the couch. Hayden took up residence beside his dad. They put on 'It's A Wonderful Like."

Rory wondered sometimes what life would have been like if Lorelai supported her marriage to Logan. Instead of fighting every holiday, they could make cookies and have so much fun:

She was remembering the Christmas when Richie was two and Hayden was still a baby. She was breastfeeding Hayden and running after Richie. They had a nanny, but it was still a lot. She did most of her shopping online that year. She and Logan both were stumped at what to get the parents for Christmas. Logan suggested a cruise. Rory got an idea.

"We can give everyone a Cruise for Christmas, then in January we call all to go together." She told him. She was excited. She had that gleam in her eye that Logan loved so.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" He asked. He was worried about being a ship, even a big ship with Mithcum and Shira for a long period of time, not to mention Lorelai, with her and Emily constantly at each other.

Rory nodded. Logan got up with his travel agent and booked a Cruise for Him, Rory, a nanny, and both boys. He got them a suite. He then booked the same cruise for Honor and Josh, Mitchum and Shira, Luke, Lorelai and April, Christopher and Gigi, Emily and Richard. He showed it all to Rory. She was excited. She wanted to give it to all of them at the same time. This was a time that Rory still thought there was a chance she and Lorelai could have a civil relationship.

When Christmas came around, everyone met at Rory and Logan's house in the Hamptons. They had sandwiches and snack food. This was a week before Christmas. After everyone was settled, Logan stood up.

"Help yourselves to food and drink" Logan told them, as he welcomed them to his and Rory's home. Rory stood beside him with Hayden in her arms. Logan took Richie from Honor. "We, the Logan and Rory Huntzburger family, would like to give each of you your Christmas presents a little early." He said as Rory reached over to the tree and removed the envelopes.

The two of them handed the envelopes to each couple. When they opened it, Honor was the first to speak. "Are we all going at the same time?" She asked. Rory was smiling, she nodded. "Oh, Girl we're gonna have some fun. We can go shopping to get ready for the trip, we can dance and swim. I am so excited." She was hugging Rory which was making Hayden unhappy. He was getting squished.

"When is this Cruise?" Lorelai asked.

"I booked it for the last week in January. It will be cold here so we can cruise to the tropics and warm up." Logan said.

Lorelai looked at Luke. "We can't go," Lorelai said. Rory just rolled her eyes.

"Lorelai, your daughter, and her family are trying to do something nice for you and your family," Emily said. Her daughter frustatied her so.

"Mom, we can't go. April will not be able to go with us. Right, Luke?" Lorelai said, elbowing Luke. Luke kind of shrugged his shoulders.

"You don't know until you try. If she can't go, then maybe the two of you could and then you can take her on another one later on." Shira said. Who would have thought Shira would be the peacemaker in this situation.

"We don't have the kind of money to take two cruises." Lorelai snapped.

"Mom, if you and Luke can't come, we understand. If you need to transfer those tickets to another time, we understand that too. We just want you to be happy." Rory said. She started upstairs, "I'll be right back, I am going to change him and give him to Patty to put to bed. She heard Lorelai say something about not putting her own child to bed.

Katie said something to Rory that brought her out of her own head. "Sweetie, What did you say? I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention.

"I asked you if you wanted some popcorn?" Her youngest daughter said.

Rory smiled. "Yeah, I'll take some popcorn." She was laughing when Katie was trying to hide the bowl from her.