The glow of late afternoon filtered through Rory's apartment, catching on the edges of bottles and burp cloths strewn across the small space. The pile of dirty laundry sat like a silent cry for help. Thankfully, Al's Pancake World and Luke's Diner were both within equal walking distance, ensuring she never went hungry, thanks to her friends and family. Her laptop, however, sat on the coffee table, unopened for the fourth day in a row, taunting her.
She wanted to write. She needed to write. If there was ever a time to get a book published, it was before Christmas. But the energy it took to sit down and focus for more than five minutes felt monumental. Between feeding, changing, and rocking Nora—who'd decided sleeping on a flat surface was not her preferred sleeping position—Rory had started to wonder if she'd ever string a coherent sentence together again.
The baby let out a small, contented gurgle from her bouncer, and Rory glanced over, seeing her daughter tug at a colorful, crinkly owl toy.
"At least one of us is having a good day," she muttered, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. She hadn't gotten around to showering that morning, but the clean T-shirt and leggings she wore were already a big improvement from earlier.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. She shuffled over, already guessing who it was, having agreed upon Jess dropping by sometime that afternoon. Jess stood there with his laptop in one hand and a bag of Danishes in the other.
"I come bearing food and productivity," he said in a mockingly enthusiastic tone, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.
Rory raised an eyebrow. "You've really got this whole supportive friend thing down, huh?" Despite the sarcasm, she was genuinely glad to see him. A small glimpse of normalcy in her upside-down world.
"Figured I'd give it a shot. Thought I'd check in… and maybe gently remind you that printing deadlines don't take maternity leave," he added with a faintly apologetic smile.
Of course, Rory knew it—she still had an obligation to get Jess's book out. Thankfully, it was already down to the finishing touches. What little work she had gotten done over the past week had revolved around his novel. But she couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't putting in her very best.
They spent the first hour discussing Jess's novel, diving into the kind of details that come up in the final stretch: whether a particular subplot needed trimming, if the pacing in the middle chapters dragged, and how to refine the last lines for maximum impact. Rory was usually meticulous, jotting down notes and offering feedback with the same energy Jess had poured into his writing. But now, she just tried to keep up—tidying the kitchen counter between comments, hunting for her misplaced notes and other items, and keeping Nora entertained in her bouncer.
Thankfully, Nora was often just happy hearing Rory's voice.
"How's your writing going?" Jess asked just as Rory bit into her second Danish.
Rory sighed, gesturing to the chaos around her. "Look at this place, Jess. Do you really think I have time to write?" Her tone came out sharper than she'd meant, defensive. The truth was, the chaos around her was already piling on the pressure. She didn't need Jess pushing her too.
"Not traditionally, no," Jess said. "But maybe there are ways you could try to get some words down? Record audio? Voice-typing? You dictate, I type?" he suggested, watching as Rory frowned at each option. The latter sounded the least awful, considering Rory wasn't a fan of listening to her own voice or fixing the mess of errors voice-typing usually created.
"I can help, if you let me," Jess added.
Rory folded her arms, skeptical. "Dictating? Really? That feels... weird." It felt too personal, even though Jess had always been the first to read her work. She hadn't handed him a chapter since Nora's birth six weeks ago.
Jess smirked. "Better than letting the draft collect dust and your writing muscle atrophy. Let's give it a shot. Worst case, it doesn't work, and I leave you to procrastinate for another year."
Rory sighed but relented. "You just expect me to start dictating now, don't you?" she asked, rolling her eyes as she flopped onto the couch.
It took Rory a moment to get rolling, having to go back and remember where she left off, but Jess helped with that, reminding her. Little by little, keywords, ideas, and citations began to form.
"I was thinking about how each mother in my family has had their own version of... let's call it complicated guidance," Rory began, standing to lift Nora and carry her to the changing table. "Lorelai rebelled against Emily's perfectionism by doing the opposite of everything she was taught. She made her own way and dragged me along for the ride. And Emily? She led with control, structure, and guilt. It was like she needed to sculpt us into statues that fit her vision of success."
Jess's typing was steady, the soft clicks blending into the background.
"And then there's me," Rory continued, lifting Nora against her chest. "What kind of mother will I be? Some bizarre mix of the two? Too structured one day, too loose the next, having mental breakdowns on my days off? My kid will probably grow up thinking I was either overbearing or clueless—or both."
"Sounds pretty normal," Jess interjected lightly, not looking up from the screen.
"Maybe," Rory said, sniffing Nora's diaper—thankfully a false alarm. "But it's hard not to wonder how the choices I make now will shape her later. I mean, will she think I was a pushover because I let people like my dad, or even Logan, in and out of my life? Will she think I was strong for doing this on my own? Or will she just think I was crazy for trying to do it all at once?"
Nora let out a small gurgle, trying to bite her fist with her gums. Rory smiled and pressed her lips against her daughter's soft hair.
Jess stopped typing and glanced at her. "You do what you think is best. Second-guessing yourself is already a sign of good parenting, in my opinion. Speaking from experience, I mean..." He trailed off, his thoughts drifting to his mother.
Before Rory could respond, her phone buzzed on the table. She glanced at the screen, her stomach flipping when she saw Logan's name.
"I should probably take this," Rory excused herself, rising from her seat.
"Go ahead," Jess exhaled, putting down the laptop and offering Nora a cloth book.
Rory placed the baby back in the bouncer and moved a few feet away to answer the call. First, she hesitated, then pressed the button. "Hi," she said, keeping her voice neutral while glancing over at Jess, who was now entertaining Nora with the cloth book.
"Hey," Logan replied. "How's Nora?"
"She's good," Rory said. "She's sleeping a little more now, which is a relief."
Logan's tone softened. "I've been thinking about you..." The 'both' at the end lingered unspoken, left for Rory to imagine. Sure, they'd been in contact a handful of times—mostly texting pictures and chatting casually. Phone calls like this were rarer, somehow feeling more personal.
"I'll be back in the States in a few days," Logan added. "I was hoping to see you. Both of you."
Rory shifted uncomfortably. "Um, yeah. That could work," she said, aware of Jess still sitting at the table. "Were you thinking of coming here, or...?" She hesitated. "I'm not sure we're up for a drive to the city just yet."
Jess looked up then, his expression neutral but his gaze slightly pointed. "Maybe not in Stars Hollow?" he suggested, his tone low enough to seem casual but audible enough for Logan to hear.
Rory glanced at Jess, caught off guard. For a second, she hadn't thought of it herself. She felt grateful for the suggestion but oddly self-conscious about the interaction.
"Who was that?" Logan asked, his voice curious but measured.
"Um... that was Jess. You remember him, right?" Rory said, trying her best to sound nonchalant. The layers of complication she felt in the moment were impossible to ignore, making her tone falter slightly. "He's just helping me with some work stuff," Rory added quickly, not liking how much she felt the need to explain herself.
Logan was quiet for a moment before responding. "Uh-huh," he said, as if dismissing the answer, and added, instead, "But I guess Hartford, then? If not Stars Hollow?"
Rory shifted again. "That could work."
"Maybe..." Logan hesitated. "If you're willing, could we actually meet at Honor's? She's been dying to meet Nora—and to see you too."
Rory blinked, caught completely off guard. "Honor?" she repeated, her voice rising slightly.
"She has a house in Avon—not her usual place, but it's quiet and close," Logan said, beginning to explain but stopping himself mid-sentence.
"Uh... I guess?" Rory said hesitantly, her mind spinning. She hadn't anticipated involving Logan's family in this.
"Don't worry—it's just her and me," Logan assured her quickly, as if reading her thoughts.
"Okay," Rory exhaled, already beginning to mentally plan the outing. What to wear, what to pack, how to time the car ride so Nora wouldn't completely hate it—it all started rushing through her mind.
"We'll talk more when I'm there," Logan said confidently, the conversation ending with a note of finality.
Rory nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "Okay," she said, her voice quieter now.
As she ended the call and returned to the table, Jess looked up from his laptop. "Everything okay?"
Rory sighed, picking Nora up from the bouncer. Her daughter stretched her arms toward her, demanding attention. "He wants us to see his sister," Rory said, gently adjusting Nora in her arms.
"That's unexpected," Jess said, tilting his head slightly.
"Yeah. I never thought anyone in his family would find out," Rory admitted. "Sure, his wife knows, and a few of his friends. But his sister? I don't know—it kind of threw me."
"Is she trouble?" Jess asked, watching Rory's expression carefully.
"Not that I know of," Rory said. "She used to be kind of nice, actually. A bit over the top, but we got along great."
"So, what's the problem?" Jess pressed, leaning forward slightly.
Rory frowned, narrowing her mouth in thought. "I just didn't expect to have to lie so much to my kid. First, there's Logan—the 'old friend' we see every now and then. Now, instead of 'Auntie Honor,' there's going to have to be 'Old Friend Honor,' too?"
Jess leaned back, folding his arms. "I guess it's a matter of setting boundaries. If it's too much, you've gotta tell him. Less assuming, more talking—as they usually say."
Rory raised an eyebrow at him. "Since when did you get so wise, huh?" she teased, keeping the mood light. But in reality, she knew he was right. She had been keeping a lot of things low-key, avoiding certain topics because they felt too dangerous to approach.