Gilmore Girls: Breaking Free

Chapter 3: Settling In

The smell of the sea was invigorating and as Rory walked she felt herself having greater clarity than ever.

"I can do this....I can be a working mom and even work from home....it will be easier for me than what it was for my mom because I am qualified and basically there are so many journalistic jobs that can be done online....there are other things I could do too....maybe run some writing workshops for the oldies up here....that would be a great money maker! Retirees are always looking for new things to do....and they probably wouldn't mind having a baby in the class! .....I like that idea and then there's my book ...I really hope Jess might be able to publish it for me in parts so I can get paid while I'm writing the rest!....I'll have to have a chat with him about that....."

Rory felt better than she had since finding out she was pregnant, now that she had pretty much decided to go it alone. She knew that it was a long road ahead in terms of being ready for the baby and all that motherhood entailed but it actually felt good to have direction in her life —something that had been absent the last couple of years.

"I'll also have to find an obstetrician up here and go for my first appointment....I just want to know that everything is going well with the pregnancy...." Rory thought as she typed some reminders into her phone.

As she headed back in the direction of the house, she noticed a car pulling into the driveway. She presumed it was probably just Bella. It was great to have the help and all the spoiling but Rory was determined that as soon as she was able, she would leave the Huntzburger mansion and take care of her own little place.

"Hello....Bella?" Rory said as she entered the kitchen where a middle aged woman of possibly Italian descent was pulling out a tray of cookies from the oven. "I'm Rory Gilmore....wow those smell amazing!"

"Oh welcome Miss Gilmore, lovely to meet you! Hope you enjoyed your first night here. Was everything okay in your room?" Bella asked while making a start on her next item for the oven.

"It was more than okay," Rory replied enthusiastically, "I've never slept in such a comfortable bed! I really enjoyed the delicious lasagne you made for me....I feel very spoilt!"

"That's good....very good to hear because Mr Logan said to 'go all out' and spoil you! You must be a very good friend of his!" Bella surmised as she continued to assemble ingredients on the bench. "He says you love to eat and that's great because I love to cook! Cleaning this big place is okay but cooking is my favourite thing in the world! There have been very few overnight visitors here in the past year so this is such a treat for me to know you are staying for a while!"

"Yes I'll be here a little while...just until I get back on my feet...Logan is truly very generous and I really appreciate how much effort you put into your cooking. I hope to learn something from you while I'm here!" Rory said trying to take note of how Bella was cutting up the vegetables.

"I'm making some minestrone for your lunch. Mr Logan said you would be writing and you would need good hearty meals to keep you warm! A good bowl of soup with some freshly made sourdough will help you think too!" Bella promised, not knowing how very special it was for Rory to hear Logan's plans and how thankful she felt knowing his baby would be getting all the nutrients it needed to grow.

Sitting in the study, Rory stared out the window for quite some time before she opened the new laptop and turned it on. The view was almost a distraction at this point but she was sure she would get used to it. Glancing at the screen she smiled as she realised that everything had been setup and somehow, the screensaver was a picture from the city of Hamburg where she and Logan had met again and reignited their relationship.

"If only I hadn't suggested the no strings attached 'Vegas Agreement'.......it was a disaster waiting to happen because I always needed more of Logan....he might have been open to something more but he had Odette and he thought I had Paul so even though there definitely was plenty of passion when we were together, when we were apart, there was nothing for me! He had to give his attention to Odette and I supposedly was building a relationship with Paul but my heart was never in it because when I fell in love with Logan, I never stopped loving him! ....I guess I never will because this baby will be a reminder of him forever!" Rory thought as she watched an unexpected tear splash onto the desk.

In London, Logan was resisting the urge to call or message Rory again. He had loved hearing how happy she was with the house but he knew he couldn't risk being in touch regularly because Odette might find out and that would not go down well at all! He was already in trouble for missing his appointment with the tailor and the first thing Odette said when she returned from Paris was that he looked terrible and needed a haircut!

Logan hadn't realised just how much his relationship with Odette had relied on having time with Rory every few weeks. It kept him sane and brought much needed joy to his life, making it easier to bear the burdens of a life centred around the family business. Now that it was no longer possible to spend time with her, he had tried to throw himself into a full time relationship with his fiancée but she was not at all like Rory and would never fulfil him like she did. His constant thoughts of Rory only made him more and more unsettled with Odette! Logan resented his family for getting him into this position in the first place. He felt like a prisoner and sadly knew there was no way out!