All Too Well (Gilmore Girls)

The Story of Us

"Ava Victoria, you need to get come and get your shoes on right now," Rory shouted through the apartment to her daughter.

"Can I wear the pink ones?" The little girl padded into the room slowly and looked up at her mommy, pleading with her big blue eyes.

"Honey," she said as she stooped down to match her daughter's height "the blue ones look so much better with that pretty dress you are wearing, don't you think?"

"But I like pink mommy," Ava said as she poked out her bottom lip.

Rory shrugged, she knew from bitter experience exactly when she should pick her battles and when she should let things slide, especially with a strong-willed three-year-old like Ava. "Sure, if you love pink that much, you can wear the pink ones. Now go get yourself ready."

Ava beamed at her mommy and skipped down the hallway of their apartment to get her favorite pink shoes out of her closet, happy to be getting her own way.

Rory bent down to collect up all the abandoned toys from her living room floor just as there was a knock at the door. She turned to glance over at the clock. Right on time, she thought to herself, never early, never late, he was always extremely punctual. She walked down the hallway and opened the door to greet him.

"Hi, Hi, come in," she said as she ushered Logan into the apartment "She's just in her room getting her shoes on."

"Great, there's no real rush, we've got some time before we have to head out," he said as he sat down on the sofa.

"So, what are your big plans for this weekend?" Rory asked as she continued to tidy up the room.

"The usual dinner tonight at my parent's house and then...well, I'm not entirely sure yet, the weekend is wide open. What about you? Got a busy schedule this weekend?" Logan asked.

"Oh you know me and my action-packed lifestyle" she rolled her eyes. "No, nothing major really. Steph is coming over tomorrow and we're going out for lunch..." she started to say before they were interrupted by the sound of a little ball of energy hurtling towards them down the hallway.

"Daddy!" Ava squealed when she heard her father's voice. She bounded into the living room and jumped straight onto his lap.

"Hey Princess" Logan said happily as he kissed the little girl who had bundled herself up on him. "Are you all ready to go?" he asked her.

Ava climbed off his lap and stood proudly "I am, Daddy. I got my shoes on myself."

"I've got to say, sweetie, I am really loving the pink shoes, good choice" he smiled as he gave Rory a knowing look – fully aware that there was no way on earth she would have paired the fuchsia pink ballet pumps with the pale blue dress that his daughter was wearing.

"Oh no," Ava said dramatically "I forgot Mr Woof" as she remembered her favorite bedtime companion.

"Well, you had better go get him then!" Logan laughed as she ran off again. He watched his daughter as she left the room.

Sometimes he found it hard to believe that she actually belonged to him – she was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid his eyes on, that was, apart from her mother of course. With her breathtaking blue eyes and her dark hair falling in soft waves to her shoulders, Ava looked just like a mini-Rory, everyone commented on it and Logan had to admit it was true, even though sometimes it pained him to see the comparison and reminded him of what he had lost. The personality of the little girl, however, was all Logan. She was a complete whirlwind and seemed to have inherited her father's 'seize the day' attitude, which Rory had never considered to be entirely a bad thing.