Chapter 2

September 12, 2023 Tuesday

Rory was just leaving her mother's house in Stars Hollow when she got a notification that she needed to be on a conference call in 30 minutes. Along with the notifications, her partner apologized for the short notice.

Rory quickly entered her study at the Gilmore Manor. Dialed up the conference call and waited. While she acknowledged everyone, she texted Tristin to see if Amy or his assistant could pick up Chloe. This happened occasionally. Something pops up not on their schedule.

She normally would have her housekeeper pick her up, but she already left for the day. She only works 2 full days and 2 half days. This leaves Tristin's assistant or Amy. Her dad is out of town this week and Gigi just started her sophomore year at Yale. Gigi was usually her fall back but remembered Gigi telling them about her busy week.

Tristin texted back that it was being taken care of. Chloe will be at the penthouse when she is ready to pick her up. Once upon a time this would have bothered Rory. Amy picking Chloe up and taking her to the penthouse instead of bringing her home, but she has learned that Amy is not out to take her place in Chloe's life, she is a welcome addition.

While Rory listened to her partner and their latest author. Her mind wondered. Sometimes she thinks she doesn't have enough time in the day. She is raising a daughter, well co-parenting, first and foremost. She is a partner and senior editor in a publishing company based out of New York, Read(ing) Works. She is author to a series of childrens' books as well as a series of murder mysteries. And people (her mother, mainly) are always asking what she does with her time.

When Rory finished her unscheduled conference call, she called Amy. "Hey, I got your text that she is at the penthouse. I will be there to pick her up in a few. I just finished my call, I need about 30 minutes to type the notes up and send emails, then I will pick her up." Rory told Amy.

"Take you time. She and Josey are working on homework now." Amy told her.

"Good. See you shortly." Rory told her before she hung up the phone and started typing.

As Rory was pulling her Range Rover into the guest parking at Tristin's apartment building she was thinking about how this suited Tristin better than the Gilmore Manor did. When they were married they lived in Washington DC in a penthouse, not an apartment, not a condo, not a townhouse, but a penthouse. Tristin had money and he was used to spending it. Now he is a high priced defense attorney.

Before she got out of the car, she dug in her purse for her key card to let her in the building from the garage. After she found it, she opened the door and headed for the desk where Jeffery was seated.

"Hey, Jeffery." She said,

"Hello Ms. Gilmore. I saw Miss Chloe head up with Ms Amy earlier. You must be here to pick her up."

"Yes, got caught on a conference call earlier so I asked Amy to pick her up for me." She replied as he picked up the phone and punched in some numbers.

"She is expecting you." He said as he came around the desk to the elevator. He reached in and swiped his key and pushed 'penthouse'. "Have a good day." He said before moving back to the desk.

When Rory got off the elevator she passed the other penthouse door. She wondered who could have moved in. She rang the bell at Tristin's door.

"Hey," Amy said as she opened the door. "Come on in." Amy had on an apron with flour all over it. Rory gave her a curious look. Amy is a real estate agent who mostly worked from home. This is not the look she usually sees.

"Oh, don't mind me." Amy said. "Chloe, Josey and I are baking cookies for 'family night' Thursday at the school. She showed me the note in her bookbag and asked me to help her. We bake some weekends when she is here."

"Oh, I was going to get Sooki or Sara to do it, but this is better. She gets to help." Rory said as she entered the kitchen.

"Hey Mom," Chloe said. Rory smiled at her and waved. She preferred to be called Mommy or Momma. Mom just made Chloe sound so grown up, or teen like. "We are baking cookies."

"I see that." She said, "You must be Josey." She acknowledges the blond headed girl standing next to Chloe. "I'm Rory, Chloe's momma.

"Yes ma'am, I'm Josey." Josey said.

Amy checked the time in the oven. "Looks like you timed it just right. The cookies are ready to come out of the oven. Stand back girls, let me get them." Amy said.

"Hey," Rory and the two girls turned toward Tristin's voice. "I smell cookies. Please tell me those are for me." He said.

"No daddy," Chloe said, rolling her eyes. Rory couldn't help but smile. "They are for 'family night' at school tomorrow."

"Thursday," Rory corrected her.

"What a shame." He said, walking up to Amy giving her a kiss and sneaking a cookie. "Maybe just one." He said as he walked out of the kitchen.

The girls and Rory laughed at Amy swatting him.

After a few minutes, Rory told Chloe to get her stuff together so they could go. As she was gathering her bookbag, the doorbell rang. She was closest to the door, Amy waved her to answer. "It's just Josey's dad or brothers."

She opened the door to see Logan Huntzburger standing there.

"Ace?" She said,

"Logan?" She said,

Tristin walked up behind her. "Well let him in." Tristin said laughing. "I thought it would be a nice surprise." He continued to laugh looking back and forth from Logan to Rory.

"Josey is your daughter?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, Chloe must be yours," He said. She nodded.

"I told you it would be funny when they realized who each other was." Tristin told Amy.

Amy was smiling."Come on in Logan. We are just baking cookies for 'family night' at the school Thursday."

"I was going to ask about that. My boys are in the 5th grade. Is that still considered Elementary School? I drop them off at a different drop off than Josey." He asked.

Rory answered. "Yes, Elementary runs through 5th grade. Next year you will drop them off on the other side of the building." Logan nodded.

"So do I need to bake cookies for this shindig?" he asked Josey. She went to her book bag and pulled out her note. He looked at it. "Oh, I should bring a cake. Pound cake to be exact."

"There is a wonderful bakery about two blocks from the school. I am sure if you put your order in tomorrow they will have it ready by Thursday night." Rory told him

"So you don't think I can bake a pound cake?" he asked.

"I didn't say that. I know you can cook, I just wasn't sure about baking." Rory said.

Before Logan could answer they heard someone in the hall calling for Logan. He shook his head and went to the door.

"Logan, bloody hell," Finn said. "I just went to the bathroom and you left." Finn walked in talking to Logan. "I couldn't find….Rory?"

"Hey Finn," She said.

He grabbed her, hugging her as he picked her up. "I have missed you. Oh I was so hoping Logan would find you again."

"I have missed you too Finn, but please put me down." She said, Logan stood back smiling watching. Tristin, Amy and the girls didn't know what to think.

He put her down. "Finn, this is my daughter, Chloe, her dad Tristin and his girlfriend Amy. Everyone, this is Finn. I don't know how to describe him other than he is Finn.

It wasn't long before Rory told Chloe they needed to leave. As they were leaving Finn followed her out.

"Rory, stop by Logan's so we can catch up. I want to know all about you and what you have been doing since the Obama campaign" Finn said. Rory and Finn kept in touch until after the Obama campaign. They lost touch after her and Tristin got married.

"Finn, maybe some other time. I need to get back to the house. I'll talk with you later?" She asked. He nodded.

Rory and Chloe left the building going home.

Meanwhile, as Logan followed Finn and Josey out the door, Tristin stopped him. "I know I was married to her, but I don't think she ever got over you." Tristin said as he shut the door.

Logan stood there, facing the closed door. "Well," He said with a smile on his face.