Rory has never expected so eagerly to receive a message from Paris. The young Gilmore was holding her breath until the email alert popped on her phone. It was time to see Logan's terms for the custody arrangements.
Two weeks ago, Paris presented an initial proposal that Rory approved. Then the document was submitted to Logan and his lawyer. Paris had finally gotten a reply two days before, with a few adjustments. After reading it all carefully, she was ready to share the details and give some legal advice:
Everything Huntzberger is asking is pretty reasonable, Rory. That's not only my honest opinion as a lawyer, but also as a mother. I'll list the requests below, one by one, so you can check for yourself - don't worry, I stripped down all the legal nonsense for you. Call me in case you have any doubts.
Rory scrolled down the email and ran her eyes through the list. Everything seemed okay until she read the last topic. It was something she wasn't prepared for. Segue, a sick feeling started to grow in the pit of her stomach. Trying to shake it off, the young Gilmore looked away from the phone to process the new information.
The girl got so worked up by the message, she realized she completely forgot the world around her. As Rory focused again on her surroundings, she was surprised to see a familiar road. One she hasn't been down in years.
"Weren't we supposed to be on our way to Hartford?" Rory asked her mother and designated driver. "The ultrasound appointment is in one hour and Logan's waiting... What are we doing in the old Independence Inn premises?"
"Business," Lorelai responded behind the wheels. "As a big shot entrepreneur, I'm going full Jerry Maguire after promising partners. I'm seriously about to yell 'Show me the money'".
"Okay, Tom Cruise." Rory chuckled, loosening up a little. "Before you send copies of your big manifesto to the whole town, could you explain what kind of business partners? After the fire, I never got to know what was done with the place. The last thing you told me was when Taylor alone shut down a Walmart investment."
"And I still haven't decided how I feel about the situation. I'd have a blast making a scene at Doose's, criticizing the prices and threatening to go to the competition... On the other hand, it would be so hard to see that beautiful property giving place to a generic supermarket chain, you know?"
"Yeah. Especially a place that was such a part of your lives..." Rory gave her mother a sweet smile, as memories of her childhood suddenly rushed her mind. "I think this means Taylor gets brownie points for dodging the Walmart bullet, huh?"
"I guess you're right... At least, the alternative preserved the landscape. Tom and some secret investor bought half of the original property a few years ago for a new housing development project. It is gorgeous and they managed to keep the same Stars Hollow's vibe. No wonder the townhouses were sold out quickly."
"Wow! Stars Hollow's been upgraded to a bigger snow globe. I'd never guess that. The sign with the official population countdown's been stuck on 9.973 people for years"
"We have to keep up appearances, hon. But I'm pretty sure we are over ten thousand citizens now and dealing with some real big city problems. Oh, the price of progress," Lorelai sighed, feigning disappointment. "Anyways, the other half of the land, the one near the lake, was sold last year. It's now a perfect venue for weddings, birthdays, business parties... I believe there will be many visitors coming to town in the future and if they need a place to stay..."
"You want to assure The Dragonfly is on the top of the list. Gotcha!" The girl clicked her tongue. "But why the sudden urgence?"
"Taylor mentioned the owner is in the house today," Lorelai raised her eyebrows. "I know it is a small detour. But I'm just going to introduce myself, hand the brochure about my humble inn and invite the guy to a lovely meal in our restaurant. I promise it will take just a minute," Lorelai claimed, parking the jeep near a festive building by the lake.
"Go get them, tiger!" Rory encouraged joyfully, watching her mother getting out of the car and heading towards a small group of people.
While Lorelai engaged in a conversation with an older man, Rory turned away to observe the lake. It took only a sec for her to recognize the scenario. That was the exact place she used to call home when she was a little kid.
Of course the old shed didn't exist anymore. It was probably torn down together with the remains of The Independence Inn. Still, she couldn't resist hopping off the car to give a closer look around.
Rory was once so proud of this part of her story, she even dared to share it with her grandmother. That's why it was funny how the girl didn't give it much thought in years. Until the book adventure, this piece of her past completely slipped her mind. Perhaps, the most solid evidence of how disconnected she's been from her own roots.
But the journalist was forced to think about it all in order to put those memories down in words for the book. So, everything was now fresh again in her head. From the colourful window curtains to the fresh air of the quiet nights with her mother by the lake. As a result, standing here was such an overwhelming experience as coming back to Richard's old library in the empty Gilmore mansion.
Rory felt like these two realities suddenly started to collide inside her. But she wasn't sure if every piece of such contrasting backgrounds could coexist in just one person.
The girl was still silently contemplating the view, absorbed in her thoughts, when Lorelai touched her shoulder.
"Hey, Houdini! Nice trick disappearing from the car. I went back and puff! You were gone..." Lorelai's good mood faltered after she noticed her daughter's anguished face. "Something wrong?"
"No... I'm alright. I was just... trying to find some balance," the girl exhaled and paused for a moment to put herself together. "Don't worry." She added firmly, already on her way back to the jeep. "We gotta get going anyway. It's time to solve the mistery about the sex of this baby. Otherwise you'll end up with a grandkid named Bennie Gilmore."
-o-
For someone wearing such a fancy suit, Logan didn't seem so confident today. Anxiety truly got the best of him and the girls found the man pacing next to the reception desk at the doctor's.
Rory has never seen Logan so nervous, not even when he proposed in front of her entire family. However, the reaction wasn't a surprise to the young Gilmore. She knew exactly what was going on. The girl felt the same hearing Bennie's heartbeat in the first ultrasound. Now, it was Logan's time to put a face to his child - or, at least, get a sight of a blurred baby.
No matter how much they've talked about the pregnancy in the past months, this is the moment about to make everything real for him. A nervous breakdown was totally acceptable under the circumstances, since kids were never discussed even when they used to be a couple.
Sympathetic towards Logan's current state of mind, Rory abandoned all formalities and approached him humorously to lighten up the moment.
"What's the occasion?" Rory teased the elegant outfit.
"Er... I don't..." He glanced at his suit and shook his head. "I was seriously so wired earlier, I couldn't think of anything else. I grabbed the first thing I saw. I think it was either the suit or me showing up only in my boxers, Ace."
"It wouldn't be the first time you parade in public half naked. Back in college, Finn showed me some compromising pictures of one of your crazy trips..."
The memory instantly made the young Huntzberger laugh and instantly the initial tension was gone. Logan was prepared to say something else, but he didn't get to it. Before the man could speak another word, the doctor's assistant opened the door and called for Rory's name.
A few steps apart from the soon-to-be parents, Lorelai remembered how the first doctor's appointment was important for mother and daughter to talk some things through. Now, given the intricacy of the situation, she realized it was Logan and Rory's turn to get some time in private for an honest eye to eye conversation. So, the woman finally came close them and announced:
"You two go. I'll wait here, okay?!" She said, alternating a reassuring look to both.
"That's nonsense," Logan protested. "I know better than getting in the way of you two."
Rory was about to complain either, but her mother interrupted.
"Relax... I've already been a guest on this talk show, Huntzberger," Lorelai smirked and winked at Rory, sending a message in a secret code only her daughter would understand.
In fact, Rory quietly thanked her mother for sitting this one out. After Paris's email about the custody earlier, the young Gilmore spent the entire drive to Hartford thinking of different scenarios to address the subject with Logan. The quiet moments before the ultrasound seemed like a perfect opportunity to rip the bandaid off. That's why she just nodded and gestured to Logan to move.
Walking side by side, the soon-to-be parents headed to the examining room. The door closed behind them and the assistant asked Rory to get on the exam table, disappearing afterwards through another door to call the doctor.
Comfortably settled on the table and ready for a few more minutes of waiting, Rory broke the silence in the room.
"So..." The girl spoke to get Logan's attention.
"So..." He replied, expecting Rory to continue.
"We haven't discussed names yet. Any thoughts?" The young Gilmore resumed quickly, choosing to start the conversation with something soft.
"I was actually getting used to Bennie..." Logan joshed.
"That's out of the table," Rory quipped. "Along with Krystal, Charity or any sassy stripper name Finn may have suggested."
"Then I'm out of ideas," Logan winced jokingly and scratched the back of his neck. "Seriously, I don't think my family is really good with names, Ace. Honor named my niece Justice. Every time they are announced in some mother and daughter event, it sounds like a Law & Order spin-off."
"And, of course, you are tormenting Honor with this, right?"
"What can I say? I'm just fulfilling my duty as a younger brother," He smiled and then proceeded in a more serious tone. "To be honest, I didn't think of any ideas because I assumed you'd like to name the baby after Richard or Lorelai."
"Well," Rory guiltily bit her bottom lip. "I was really considering Richard for a boy. However, after a lot of debate, I'd like to break the Lorelai's dynasty."
"Oh, really?"
"Uhum. I was thinking about... Ellie, as a discrete tribute to two generations of Gilmore Girls. E from Emily and L from Lorelai. What do you think?"
"Ellie Gilmore..." Logan stated with amusement, before confirming with a gentle expression. "I think it sounds perfect."
"Okay then. We narrowed our options and the final decision is on mother nature," Rory chuckled and watched Logan leaning against the table. He seemed more relaxed now. Therefore, she decided it was time to get into the most delicated point of the email she had read previously.
"So... You want Richie or Ellie to stay with you in London for half of the summer, huh? Paris has just updated me about the custody agreement."
"Ace..." Logan sighed and turned to face her. "I understand it seems like a lot... Especially because I also requested Thanksgiving with the kid and probably went a little over the top with the idea of sharing Easter somehow... But I do think it would be important for the child and me if we could have an established routine together in London."
"Listen... I swear I'm not trying to gatekeep you. I have no objections about Thanksgiving and even Easter, though I have no idea how to make this one work," she crossed her arms on her chest and continued. "I'm just having a hard time with the concept of Bennie being miles away for over a month. The situation is completely new to me..."
"Okay, I get it. I really do. But you need to see things from my point of view. The child needs to be somehow part of my world too, or I'm going to be only a recurring visitor in the life you two will have here."
"I know..." Rory rubbed her forehead and took a deep breath. "Then... Can we agree to wait until the baby completes at least three years old? I'm not asking only because I need more time to wrap my mind around the situation. It's just... I really have no idea how to arrange something like that for a child so little... It's a 5.000-mile trip."
Logan didn't answer straight away. He stared at the floor and weighed for a moment. When the man looked at Rory again, he finally spoke. "Sure. We can include the age condition in the final version of the agreement."
"Thank you."
Rory was truly glad they were able to find common ground. She even managed to give a timid smile to prove it. However, the wrinkles on her forehead indicated otherwise. They betrayed a concern that was still hanging on in the back of her mind, making it impossible for Logan to ignore the young Gilmore frowning.
"Anything else bothering you?"
"I can't help but wonder about Mitchum and Shira," Rory blurted. "Your parents' reaction can be rough, to say the least... and I don't want them to make this kid feel unwanted."
"I spoke to the old man before coming here, Ace... I gotta say I was expecting a full blowup, instead he actually sat there and just listened to me. He wasn't happy, but he said we were adults to deal with the situation. So, I don't believe the old folks are going to be a problem. They can surprise us."
"They certainly can," Rory scoffed, sounding more harsh than she intended.
"I get that there is a bad history between you. But come on... Could you try to be a little less defensive?
"Well, you can't blame a girl for doubting their good intentions after..." She swallowed the rest of words, clearly irritated.
"After what?"
"Nothing!" The young Gilmore huffed.
"Rory... If we want things to work out, we gotta be open..."
"Fine!" Rory uttered, staring daggers at Logan. "My grandmother had already told your parents about the baby and Mitchum actually paid me a visit a few weeks ago. Our conversation was far from pleasant. That's all you need to know." She noticed the man's jaw clenching and anger stirring up inside him. Before he could let it out, she intervened. "Forget about it. I already gave him a piece of my mind."
"So, basically, you put the old mogul in his place and made my life easier, huh?" His shoulders sunk. "Now I feel useless."
"I never needed rescuing, remember?" They exchanged an understanding look for a second. The brief pause helped Rory calm down to finished her argument. "But... Considering our brand new custody arrangements, this child will need you to navegate a sea full of Mitchum's, Shira's, Elijah's..."
"And I won't let the kid down." Logan jumped in. "I can handle my father, my mother and the entire Huntzberger dynasty. I promise to protect Bennie from my family's crazy emotional drama and manipulation."
"That's all I needed to hear."
The minute Logan and Rory nodded at each other to guarantee they were on the same page, the door opened. By the timing, someone could say the doctor was monitoring the whole conversation from a crystal ball and waiting to make an entrance. The woman in white coat took a look on Rory's file and greeted playfully:
"Hey, miss Gilmore! Why am I not surprised you scheduled this ultrasound on April 1st?"
-o-
After the details were settled about the custody, the following days were dedicated to sign the papers and make everything official. Logan returned to London when the bureaucracy was done, while Rory started to prepare for the baby's arrival in two months.
The journalist sent her manuscript to as many publishing houses as she could find. In the meantime, She also was writing some extra pieces for Patch . com. Rory wanted to have some articles up her sleeve to submit later, because she knew it was impossible to start chasing stories right after giving birth.
Needless to say, it's been a busy week for the young Gilmore and she was in desperate need of a dessert. To be more specific, the girl was craving for Weston's twelve-layer German chocolate cake. So, she dragged Lorelai out of the house on a Saturday morning to get it. The plan was working fine, until they found the place closed.
"Oh, come on. It's ten o'clock already. Perfect brunch time. Why aren't they open?" Rory whined.
"Huh! How strange... the ice cream shop is closed too. It's not likely for Taylor to give everyone a day-off on a sunny weekend."
"On the way here, I noticed the beauty shop was also closed."
"And Gipsy's doors were down..."
"We didn't even bump into Kirk in one of his crazy errands today... Where's everybody?"
"Not in Luke's or Doose's for sure," Lorelai pointed, after moving a few steps to check it out. "They are actually open, but there's not a single customer inside."
"That's odd... Miss Patty always has a class on Saturday mornings and she wouldn't cancel to face the wrath of a bunch of tired moms... Unless..." Rory knitted her browns. "Follow me. I have a hunch."
The girls crossed the street towards the dance studio. Rory pressed her ears against the door and confirmed her suspicions. Without saying a word, she asked Lorelai for help to push the sliding door and they found all the usual suspects sitting in a secret town meeting. Taylor was standing up near a sign with a picture of Rory and the words "baby name". It didn't take much for mother and daughter to catch up on what was under discussion.
"Well, well, well... Look what we have here... Stars Hollow's own conspiracy," Rory said ironically.
"Oh, please. Don't be silly!" Taylor fired back, with annoyance. "The town only wants to participate somehow in the baby naming process. Before you barged in here uninvited, we were just finishing a collective proposal for you. That's all."
"Well, then let me hear it."
"I believe it's pretty reasonable. There's a 50/50 chance," Taylor defended, before explaining the details. "If it is a girl, you get to decide completely on your own. No interference whatsoever. But if it's a boy we all can have a saying in it. You will present the options for us to vote and choose the name of the new baby boy in town."
Rory tilted her head for a second. Then she just shrugged. "That's fine by me!"
The room was filled with excitement and everyone started clapping to celebrate the positive response. Lorelai was the only one confused, standing next to Rory.
"What are you doing?" Her mother muttered. "You already know it's a gir..." She shushed immediately when Rory elbowed her ribs. The direct order to zip it was followed by an exaggerated raised eyebrow to indicate the obvious answer. The woman finally got the message. "Oh, bravo! That was a mastermind move!"
A/N: I know the last four words in the end of AYITL were the major point of the revival, but I need to highlight something Rory said just before them. She wanted to remember every detail of her life in Stars Hollow really well. And I think it is so deep. In my opinion, Rory's been disconnect of this part of her life - and it's a important one. I read somewhere that Rory became too much Emily and Richard's granddaughter and lost the Lorelai in her along the way. So, I believe remembering the past is not only an exercise to finish the book but also a way to reconnect with her roots. This doesn't mean I think Rory is a hardcopy of Lorelai. Far from that. All I'm trying to say is: she needs to find balance between these two realities to create her own path.
Since Richard is gone and Emily is living in Nantucket, Friday Night Dinners are over for good. But I think the whole social class conflict is really important in GG universe. That's why I think this custody thing is a perfect way to maintain the dynamics. Do you think the arrangement is going to work?
About the sex of the baby, sorry for torturing you until the very end of the chapter. I honestly could go either way. I've built a profile both for Richie and Ellie. Why did I choose what I did? Because I realized I already threw a lot of unknown on Rory's way. The custody is something completely new for her. It's not like anything she experienced in her childhood between Christopher and Lorelai. So I decided to give her one thing familiar. However, I have an interesting idea about this child personality... And if I do write about it in the future, you'll see a lot can still be surprising about the new Gilmore generation. Review and let me know if you'd like to read about it too, okay?