Chapter 33

Emily and what looked like maybe the gardener met Rory and Tori at the airport.

"Rory, Victoria" Emily yelled and waved as they came into sight. After all the hugs and kisses, Johnny, the handyman, she learned, helped them load the car. Emily didn't drive anymore, but she owned a car. Berta used it. She drove Emily where she needed to go. Johnny was the driver today.

When they got back to the house, Tori went upstairs, while Johnny unloaded the car.

"Just leave them at the door," Rory told him. "I will get them upstairs."

"Just sit with me for a while, rest." Emily said. "Would you like a glass of wine?

"No, ma'am, but I will take a bottle of water." Rory got up to get the water, "Would you like me to pour you a glass of wine?"

"No, water will be fine." Emily said. Rory brought the water back to the sitting room and sat next to Emily.

"Tell me," Emily said. "How are things with you and Logan?"

Rory smiled. "Things are good. Everything is still on schedule. He is moving into the Manor while Tori and I are here. Trying to make the transit seamless. We figured if we didn't make a big deal about it, we could just go on like him being there is normal. He already spends the weekends there and some week nights."

"Shira and Lorelai leaving ya'll alone?" Emily asked.

Rory took a sip of water before answering. "You know, they both think they are being slick. Lorelai throws hints here and there, but I ignore them. Logan hasn't said anything, but Honor said she gets calls daily from Shira"

"I just can't understand what the problem is. Shira should be happy for Logan." Emily said. "And Lorelai, I've never been able to understand her." Emily took a sip of water, replacing the cap before sitting it on the table.

Rory could help but giggle to herself. She guessed her grandma started to change after her grandpa passed, but she never thought she would see the day Emily Gilmore was drinking water out of a bottle.

"Rory," Emily said, causing Rory to look at her. "Do Lorelai and Shira know?"

"Grandma?" Rory said.

"Child," Emily said. "I am not as naive as people think. I have known from the beginning. I figured you and Logan had your reasons. I could see some of those reasons. I can't say I liked the idea of Victoria being without a dad for all these years, but Chrisopher stepped up as did Luke. In a way I am glad she didn't get to know Mitchum as her grandfather. Lawd knows Shira isn't much of a grandmother."

Rory sat in shock. She couldn't believe Emily knew and didn't tell her. She couldn't believe Emily was not mad. "Thank you Grandma, for keeping our secret." Emily nodded.

"I'll tell you about it all while we are here." Rory said.

"I would like that," Emily said. "You are going to tell everyone the truth, I mean the ones that matter?"

"We are still working on that. Logan doesn't want Tori to hate him for not being present during her first four years. He wants to wait until she is old enough to understand. I suggested he just adopt her when we get married." Rory sighed.

"I am sure it won't be long before Mom figures it out. I want to control the narrative. I just don't know if it is possible." Rory stood up. "I'm going to take the bags upstairs and check on Tori." Emily nodded.

"Hey, Kiddo," Rory said to Tori. "What are you doing?" Tori was sitting at her lego table building with legos. She had her crayons out on the floor. Looks like she had been coloring.

"Momma," Tori said. "Look." She was showing her the lego. "I forgoted I had these."

Rory smiled at her. "Yes, remember, we left them here so you would have something to play with when we visit." Tori nodded.

"When is Daddy Logan getting here? I want to go to the yard." Tori asked.

"You mean Martha's Vineyard?" Rory asked.

Tori nodded. "Daddy Logan said it wasn't his island, just his house on the yard."

Rory couldn't argue with that logic.

"I'm going to unpack, then come help you unpack." Rory said. She stood up. "You hear me? I will help you. We are not unpacking everything. We need to save something to take with us to the yard." Rory left the room to go unpack.

When she finished unpacking, she checked on Tori. She was not in her room. When she got downstairs, she found her asleep on the couch.

"She came down wanting a snack, but fell asleep waiting on Berta to cut some fruit." Emily told her. "I put the blanket over her. Don't want her to catch a chill."

"Grandma, let's go out on the patio. I want to talk with you." Rory said. Emily nodded.

When they settled, Rory began. "Before mom gets here, I need to tell you about the knock down drag out that mom and I had. Logan and the gang refer to it as the Friday night that never ends."

"I was there when you and Logan stood your ground with Shira and Lorelai." Emily said.

"Yeah," Rory said. "This was before. Mom didn't talk to me for almost a month."

"Well we know how she does when she doesn't approve." Emily said.

"Well, it all started Friday morning. Gigi needed me to come to New Haven. She was having a fashion emergency." Rory said. She was smiling thinking about Gigi calling in a panic. "She needed to borrow my Gianavito Rossi Piper leather over the knee boots.

Emily chucked. "I can remember being in college and calling my sister Hopey to bring me one of her skirts I had to have for a party."

"Well, Gigi has a tendency to call all the time about fashion emergencies. When really she just wants to borrow my clothes." Rory said.

"Well, I was in New Haven shopping with Gigi, because, of course, she needed a sweater set to go with my boots, when Tori's teacher called. Tori had thrown up. I explained I was not in town, but I would call her step-daddy to pick her up." Rory saw Emily grin. "It is easier than saying my boyfriend."

"What I didn't realize was I had missed two calls from the school, so while I was on the phone with her teacher, the school secretary was calling the next person on Tori's contact list." Rory said.

"Lorelia?" Emily said.

Rory nodded. "I had talked with Logan on my way to New Haven, so I knew he was working from home. I called him asking him to pick her up."

"They both showed up?" Emily asked.

Rory nodded. "Yes. Logan's name is not on the approved list, but I had given her teacher his name. When Lorelai got there, Logan was already in the office waiting for them to bring her to him. That didn't go over very well with Lorelai. She had a few choice words, according to Logan, not so pretty words and loud. So loud that she was asked to leave."

"Logan said when Tori entered the office, she was being carried by the school nurse. When she saw him she wanted him. He took her from the nurse, but because Lorelai was there and she was on the list, she was allowed to take her."

"Logan was okay with that. He said it made him feel good about the situation that they wouldn't let just anyone leave with her. The only problem was Tori started crying, wanting Logan not Lorelai."

"I bet Lorelai was upset." Emily said.

"Yes, but she was victorious. Logan called me to tell me what happened, but I was on the phone with the school, who was calling to tell me what happened, so he left a voicemail. So did Lorelai. After talking with the two of them, I told Gigi I needed to go." She told her.

"When I got to Stars Hollow, she was upstairs in Luke's office asleep. Lorelai had to get back to work. I picked her up and took her home with me. Logan was there when I got there, he helped me get her settled in bed with her books, and tablet. We discussed canceling Friday night dinner, but Janet, one of our friends from Yale was coming, so I called Kenzi to come sit with her upstairs."

"When Lorelia and Luke got there, everyone else was already having drinks. Lorelai passed everyone and went straight upstairs. She stayed up there until Tori fell asleep. I went up there several times to get her to come eat. Luke took Tori some mashed potatoes up to her room, but even he couldn't get her to come down."

"When she finally came downstairs, she ate, then helped me clean up." Rory was shaking her head. "She let me have it. She told me what an unfit parent I am. She told me how irresponsible I was by sending Logan to pick her up when he wasn't even on the list. She told me that bringing Tori into Logan's world was a big mistake and not to come crying to her when Tori was a spoiled trust fund baby."

"Didn't she realize whether Logan was in our lives or not, she is a trust fund baby. Grandpa left a sizable trust fund for any children I would have. Dad set her up with a scholastic trust fund to take care of all her school, from K-4 to Grad School or even her doctoring."

"But anyway," Rory said, sighing, "This was all said or yelled while everyone was in the living room and kitchen. All heard."

Rory turned her head when she heard the patio door open, Tori was coming out. "That is why they are calling it the Friday night that never ends. It is continuously brought up at Friday night dinners."

Tori crawled in Rory's lap. "Tori's graduation program only allows two people to come," Rory said, running her fingers through Tori's hair."

"She didn't like that either?" Emily asked.

"That is one of the reasons I wanted to tell you about this before she got here." Rory said.

"Hey," Rory said looking down at Tori. "Go get your bathing suit on and we will go to the beach for a little while before supper."

Tori jumped up, to go upstairs. When Rory stood up, so did Emily. She hugged her and told her everything would work out. Logan loves them.