Chapter 1
"Jess?" Rory called, stumbling through the bedroom in her bathrobe, tripping over clothes the entire way to the closet.
"Yeah?"
"Have you seen—"
"No, and I've been looking for it since we moved so if you find it, let me know," Jess said, grumbling as he bounced his five-month-old daughter in one arm and attempted to make breakfast with the other, a task Ellie was deeply entranced by, staring intently at the pan of eggs on the stove.
Rory came into view in the doorway of the bedroom with her hands on her hips. "You've been looking for my black pushup bra since we moved to New York?"
Jess paused. Halted his egg scrambling. "Okay, no, but now you're making me wish I had been."
Rory laughed as she resumed her search.
"Why do you need that bra specifically?"
"It looks best with the dark blue blouse," Rory explained, passing in front of the bedroom door again.
"Bras can go with blouses?" he asked, befuddled.
"In the months we've lived together, how have you learned so little?"
"Gotta admit, I'm normally more interested taking off the bra to notice how it pairs with the shirt you're wearing."
"Pig," Rory laughed. "Ooh, found it!"
"Hurry up and get dressed so you have time to eat breakfast," Jess said, plating the eggs and bumping his hand on the hot pan in the process. "Ow, crap," he hissed, sticking the burnt finger into his mouth to ease the pain. His own finger was quickly followed by Ellie's entire hand, always curious as to what her parents were doing and why.
"You okay?"
"Fine," Jess said, his words garbled around the baby hand. He playfully chomped on her fingers, eliciting shrieking giggles.
Rory hurried into the room, buttoning the top of her blouse and taking a seat at the island, laughing as she watched Jess extract Ellie's hand from his mouth. "You didn't have to make me breakfast."
"You've got your big meeting today, you need sustenance," Jess said, taking a bite of his own eggs.
"Well, thank you," Rory said, grinning. "You're sure you're good to stay home with Ellie today?"
"Rory, for the thousandth time, yes. I've got those resumes I have to look through and some writing to do, nothing I can't do from home."
"I know, just, the agreement was for me to work from home while you set up with new location, and—"
"And that's still the agreement, except for the days when you have meetings. It's fine, my job is still flexible, and it's not like this is an everyday thing."
Rory swallowed thickly, nervous nausea settling in her stomach like a rock.
Not an everyday thing indeed.
She'd been at the Weekly Briefing for almost two months now, a small, online based newspaper dedicated to delivering news to the good people of New York City in a concise and easily digestible format that they can read on their laptop in between meetings or on their Blackberry on the train. She'd originally sent her resume to them in a sort of last-ditch effort, a thought of, "well hey, if no one else will take a chance on me, maybe this tiny paper comprised of no more than twenty-five people will."
And, well, they had.
She'd received a letter singing her praises and explaining how excited they would be should she decide to join their team as assistant editor. It was a job that was done mostly from home, communicating over Skype and IM and editing through shared documents, only having to go into the office once a week for meetings and final layout.
It was basically the best thing she could have asked for. Something that she could do while staying home with Ellie while Jess figured out how to open the new location – hiring a couple people to work with him, marketing to authors, setting up meetings with literary agents, et cetera – and it was an editing position in which she got to learn from the primary editor while also dipping her toes into the real world of journalism. And in the few weeks since they'd miraculously stumbled upon an apartment with two bedrooms and good lighting, just barely in their price range and only a short train ride to both Jess and Rory's jobs, she'd fallen in love with it. With the people she worked with, with the work itself. It was hard, of course, especially while also figuring out how to be a stay-at-home mom. But, she was almost thriving.
Today, however, was her first big meeting. Her big meeting, meaning she had been given the task of running it. Making assignments for the following week, approving the final layout for the paper that would go out Monday morning, and basically it was her first chance to prove herself as an editor.
It was beyond scary.
She stared down at her breakfast with a newfound disgust, the thought of eating suddenly sounding like a very bad idea should her nerves cause everything to come right back up the second she set foot in front of the team.
"Rory?" Jess asked, his voice laced with concern.
Rory looked up at him where he stood with a spatula in his hand and their baby propped in the crook of his arm. God she loved them both, couldn't believe how lucky she was to have them. She pressed her lips together in a thin smile before glancing away and taking a sip of her coffee.
"Hey, you're gonna be fine," Jess said softly, coming around the kitchen island to sit next to her.
"I know," Rory whispered, nodding.
"Do you really? 'Cause right now you look offended by breakfast, and breakfast is one of your favorite things."
"Aside from you and Ellie, of course," Rory said, taking Ellie's hand in hers.
"Rory," Jess said softly, firmly. "C'mon, talk to me."
Rory let the curtain of false confidence fall with her shoulders.
"What if I totally screw it up?" she whispered.
"Then you figure out what to do better next time."
Rory frowned, slightly offended Jess hadn't jumped to her defenses and insisted she wouldn't mess up.
"Hey, the likelihood of something going wrong is low. But even if something happens, it won't be the end of the world, alright?" Jess said, ducking to meet Rory's averted gaze. "But you have to remember, you're good at what you do. You know this stuff in and out. Hell, I know this stuff in and out because of how much you talk about it. You'll go in there, you give the team their assignments, you answer all the questions you've prepared for, and you don't take shit from anyone that complains, okay? You're gonna be fine."
Rory nodded and took a deep breath, diving back into her breakfast with confidence.
"Hey, tell me about the resumes you have to distract me," she said past a mouthful of pancakes.
Jess wrinkled his nose, hating that he had to hire someone to come work with him. He liked when it was just him, Matt, and Chris. Hell, even they had taken some getting used to at the beginning. Now, he was in charge of bringing in one or two people to work with him in New York. People that were experienced and knowledgeable and probably way too bright and sunny for him to ever enjoy the presence of.
"Do I have to?" he asked, grimacing as he put Ellie down in her playpen.
"Oh, come on, you're a big boy, you can play nice with your employees."
"They're not my employees yet, I don't have to play nice."
"Operative word being 'yet'. They will be someday soon, and you don't want to scare them away."
"Who says I don't want to scare them away?"
"Your business partners, your girlfriend who would like you to fulfill your dream and have a paycheck, you, since you want to keep this location open."
Jess scowled at Rory and she lifted her hands in defense.
"Hey, you asked!"
"You sure you don't want to go over your meeting notes one time?"
"Nope. Stop being evasive and tell me about the people applied to work with you."
Jess groaned and grabbed a folder of resumes, skimming through them lackadaisically.
"Alright, uh… this guy's sixty-three and went back to school to get an English degree, this lady's a mom with like… zero experience…"
"Zero?"
"She worked at her college library for two non-consecutive semesters and claims the experience taught her everything there is to know about the publishing industry," Jess said, grimacing at the resume.
"Yikes."
"No kidding. Uh, let's see… this guy just graduated but he has a fair amount of experience, this chick… uh, she's only like eighteen. Not a lot of formal experience but she submitted some writing samples…"
"She sounds promising," Rory said before she downed the last of her coffee.
"Yeah…" Jess mumbled distractedly, eyes scanning the writing samples.
She was good. Powerful imagery, clear and concise language, and her writing carried the weight of life experience, more than the average eighteen-year-old had. Rory just smiled at Jess softly as he became engrossed in his work, but a quick glance at her watch sent her heart into her throat.
"Crap, I have to go."
Jess snapped his attention up to Rory as she bustled about gathering her things. As she bolted into the bedroom to get her work bag and into the living room to kiss Ellie goodbye, Jess quickly finished packing her lunch and handed it to her as she practically ran out to the door. Jess caught her wrist before she could make her way out, however, and pulled her close to him to press a firm kiss to her lips, caressing her cheekbone with his thumb.
"I love you," he breathed, warm against her mouth, sending chills down her spine.
"Love you, too," Rory said, her voice wobbly, suddenly feeling a little flushed and unsteady.
"Get outta here, you're gonna be late," Jess said with a smirk and a light pat on Rory's behind as he ushered her out the door. Rory's smile didn't drop the entire trip to the office.
The walk to the train was what she could imagine would someday be refreshing. But, in the thick August heat with the smells of the city stuck in the air – car exhaust and garbage with the occasional whiff of urine – and the temperature causing sweat stains and sticky hair, it was mostly spent trying to get below ground where it was a little cooler as quickly as possible. But, once on the train, she genuinely enjoyed her commute, though it didn't smell much better. She'd worked hard to get her sea legs on the subway, now almost able to manage the jostling movement of the train without stumble – and in heels, no less. She would read her paper and go over her notes for the day and spend the time feeling like she was playing grown-up.
Then, however, she'd have to exit the train and brave the heat again, but she'd get to work – a small office in an old brick building that had character and smelled old in the best way possible – and she'd greet Elsa at the front desk and go check in with George, the editor in chief, and sit down at her desk to check her emails and prepare for the day.
In the couple of months in the city, she greatly enjoyed her days at the office. Days of getting to know her coworkers and feeling electric in the fast-paced environment of a newsroom. Days of getting her feet under her as a real editor and proving her worth to the highly experienced people around her.
She also appreciated getting to work from home. Of course, she often missed getting to work around everyone else. Staying home alone with an infant could get pretty lonely and she frequently found herself having full conversations with someone who only communicated in cries and grunts – honestly, Ellie was a pretty good sounding board as Rory worked through pieces that needed heavy editing. But work was often interrupted by a baby crying because she was tired, lonely, hungry, or dirty, and it made for a very unique work environment.
If Rory was honest, she savored the days she got to go into the office. Not because she didn't love getting to spend most of her time with her baby, but because she also loved the energy of getting to work in a newsroom.
As she approached the building, stopping to get a coffee from the cart outside, she felt a tension in her shoulders but a smile on her face. She inhaled the musty scent of the old brick as she entered, taking the old rickety elevator to her floor and stepping into the hustle of the newsroom with her chin held high.
The day went about as smoothly as it could.
Everyone showed up for the nine o'clock meeting right on the dot, all shuffling in with their laptops and notes and travel mugs full of coffee or tea, the occasional donut or pastry on a napkin in front of them. The second she started talking the room fell quiet, and Rory felt her nerves dissipate. She checked in with each lead reporter, all of whom were ready and prepped with what they needed for what they were working on for the following week. She gave out assignments, and though she put on a stern front, she inwardly rejoiced when the staff pushed back against a couple of the decisions she had made – they were comfortable enough with her being in a position of authority to complain. Then, she was off to track down the last remaining pieces for the paper that would go out Monday morning.
She walked at a fast pace around the office space, tracking down reporters at their desks.
"Janice," she greeted, stopping at a cubicle. "Talk to me about the piece on Senator Craig."
"Just finishing it up now," Janice replied, focused on her computer.
"Any new developments since we last talked?"
"Looks like he's stepping down since pleading guilty," Janice said, a grim expression on her face.
Rory frowned. "Well, at least he won't be in office anymore."
"No kidding. Can you imagine? How does someone in that kind of position of leadership get off with soliciting someone?"
"I think he got off just fine," Rory chuckled before clearing her throat. "Sorry, that was crude."
"No, don't apologize," Janice laughed. "You're just voicing what everyone else was thinking."
Rory smiled. "Are you able to work the developments into the edits I gave you?"
"Yep, no problem."
"Great, have it in my inbox as soon as possible," Rory said, tapping the cubicle wall as she walked away.
"You got it, Gilmore," Janice replied, still focused on her work.
Rory went about the rest of her day with a bounce in her step, a bright feeling of confidence in her chest. By the time she finalized the layout and got it primed to be sent out first thing Monday morning, she was exhausted in the absolute best way possible. A feeling of accomplishment and success carrying her home to her family who she found in the living room, Jess lying on the couch with Ellie standing on his chest, her legs wobbly and her little hands held tightly in his.
"Hey," Jess greeted with a smile. "How'd it go?"
Rory grinned brightly as she plopped down on the couch at Jess's feet and took Ellie from him to get the baby cuddles that she'd been missing all day. She talked a mile a minute about how good everything had gone, how flawlessly the meeting went. All the while, Jess listened with a smile and a soft look of pride in his eyes.
"Anyway, yeah. It went really well, but I'll stop babbling about it," Rory said, her cheeks a little pink.
"Hey, I'm always happy to listen to you babble," Jess said, sitting up on the couch. "But I also think the kid is probably getting hungry," he said, gesturing to how Ellie was now pulling at Rory's blouse in search of her dinner.
Rory laughed and unbuttoned her shirt, positioning Ellie to feed her.
"Hey, what sounds good for dinner?" Rory asked Jess.
He shrugged. "It's takeout night. We have yet to find the best Mexican food around us."
Rory's eyes lit up. "Oh yes, George was just telling me about this taco truck not that far away from here."
"Taco truck it is," Jess said, going to get Ellie's stroller ready for a walk.
"Oh, how'd the resume review go?"
"Good, actually."
"Don't sound so surprised," Rory laughed.
"Well, I seriously wasn't looking forward to this part of the expansion."
"Really, I had no idea!" Rory said sarcastically.
"Don't mock. But there's a good handful of people that seem worth interviewing."
"Aren't you interviewing all of them?"
"That doesn't mean they're worth interviewing."
"Oh, right," Rory laughed. "You start Monday, right?"
"Yep," Jess groaned, sitting back down on the couch with a sigh. "I won't even have the guys there to help me field the crazies. It's all on me to field them before giving Matt and Chris my opinions," he grumbled.
"You'll survive," Rory said, buttoning her blouse and shifting Ellie to burp her. "And when you get home, I'll be waiting with a reward for making it through your worst nightmare."
"Oh yeah?" Jess asked, smirking. "What kind of reward?"
Rory leaned across the couch, kissing Jess softly, leaving him wanting more.
"You'll have to wait and find out," she whispered. "I'm gonna go change, then we'll go get dinner?"
"Huh," Jess said, smiling as Rory got up from her place on the couch.
"What?"
Jess turned to look at Rory.
"I suddenly find myself looking forward to Monday," he said with a smirk.
"I wonder why," Rory laughed.
The weekend passed with ease.
It was spent finally unpacking the last boxes from their move to the city before doing a deep clean on the apartment. It was spent grocery shopping and meal-planning, together finding more recipes to add to their collective cookbook, trying to diversify their cooking skills.
Besides their regular weekend tasks, they decided it was time to look for an affordable air conditioner because it was sweltering in their building. Ellie was constantly fussy from being uncomfortable in her clammy skin, and Jess and Rory were right there with her. But, they hoped even a small, cheap window unit would help a little.
And, thankfully, it did.
Sunday night, as Jess slept next to her, Ellie comfortably asleep in her crib in the corner of the room, the air conditioner bringing the temperature down a considerable amount in that one room, Rory was taken back to the previous summer. Days spent working at Truncheon, nights spent in a dark apartment with three guys eating Dollar Tree popsicles with damp washcloths on their necks. Rory spending a great deal of time feeling even more miserable with what she had convinced herself to be heatstroke or a stomach virus but was now sleeping across the room from her, snoring softly.
Oh, how much life had changed.
She couldn't even begin to imagine what the next year would have in store for them.
A/N: We're baaaack! And so happy to be here. SO sorry this took so long, but at least it's here now! Will be doing my best to be posting weekly on Sundays, make sure you follow for updates! :)
