"Ok, so I'm leaving here to get them in 10 minutes. Can you walk Hershey?" Rory said
"Sure. Do you want me to make dinner or do wanna order something?"
"Up to you" Rory set Lena down in the playpen that was in the living room.
"Meatloaf, Mac and cheese, and broccoli?"
"Sounds great. Ok, I gotta go"
"Drive safe and let me know when you get there"
"Always" she kissed him "bye"
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
"Rory!" Lorelai shouted when she, Luke and April walked out of the terminal "where's Lena?"
"Well, hello to you too, mother who I love"
"Hi Rory" Luke said
"Hi" April said
"Hi. Where's Lena?"
"She's at home"
"Why is she at home?"
"Why would I bring her?"
"I wanna see her"
"You're about to spend a week with her"
"But I wanted to see her now" Lorelai pouted
"So, April, are you excited to start college?" Rory asked, ignoring Lorelai
"So excited!" April said "I've never been this far from home before, though"
"You get used to it" Rory assured her
"But your dad never will" Lorelai said
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Hey, just a heads up before we go in, Lena might be sleeping so watch the volume" Rory said as they walked up to the house "Logan?" Rory called out when she opened the door
"Hey guys" Logan said, coming up to the door, holding Lena
Lorelai took Lena from Logan "hi Logan"
"Hi" Logan chuckled "do you guys need help with your stuff?"
"We got it, thanks" Luke said
"Where's Hershey?" April asked
"She's in Lena's room" Logan said
"Why?" April asked
"I don't know" Rory shrugged "she likes it in there"
"Hey, where's your ring?" Lorelai asked Logan
"I take it off when I cook"
"Why?" April asked
"A couple of months after we got married we were cooking and when I went to wash something my ring almost went down the drain" Rory said "since then we kinda made it a habit to take our rings off when we cook"
"That's smart" Luke said
"So, what'd you cook?"
"Meatloaf, Mac and cheese, and broccoli" Logan said "and Ace made rolls"
"You made rolls?!" Lorelai asked, surprised
"I can cook"
"Since when?"
"Since always. Just because Logan does most of the cooking doesn't mean I can't."
"How did I not know this?"
Rory shrugged
"Hey, can we go in the pool?" April asked
"Of course!" Logan said
"If you wait until it's dark out there are colorful lights in the pool" Rory said
"Cool"
—————————————————————————
After they ate dinner April and Lorelai were in the pool, Logan was sitting on the edge with his feet in the water and Luke was sitting on a chair near the pool.
"Oh, my god!" Lorelai said, excitedly when Rory came outside with Lena "cutest baby bathing suit ever!"
"Yeah, I like the lemons" April said
"Thanks. She's never actually been in the pool before" Rory said
"Really?" Lorelai asked
"Yeah" Rory handed Lena to Logan
"She's 3 months old. You live in California and it's been summer, and you haven't put her in the pool?"
"We haven't been in the Pool this summer" Rory said "I was still recovering and then we were in Stars Hollow"
"Can I take her?" April asked
"Yeah, just be careful" Logan gave Lena to April who put her in the water
Lena started crying
"Sorry" April said
"Don't worry, it's not you" Rory took Lena from April "she probably just doesn't like the cold water" Rory said, wrapping Lena in a towel
"You hated water" Lorelai said
"I did not!"
"You totally did! Every time I would give you a bath you would look at me like I was torturing you"
"I don't remember that"
"It'd be weird if you did"
Rory sat down on the edge of the pool, next to Logan.
"Luke, you don't like the water?" Rory asked
"Not really"
"So, April, do you know who your roommates are gonna be?" Logan asked
"Nope" April sighed "I know that we'll be 3 girls in the dorm though"
"My best college dorm tip for you is to label your food" Rory said
"Why?"
"Because it sucks when you're up at 2 in the morning, studying and you go to get something to eat because you're starving and you find that one of your roommates ate your food because it wasn't labeled"
"Noted"
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
"April!" Luke shouted
"One second!"
"We gotta go!"
"I know!"
"Hey" Lorelai said, putting her hand on Luke's arm "baby in the house. Cool it with the shouting
"Sorry"
"Ok, I'm ready" April came running down the stairs
"Your stuff is already in the car" Luke said "thanks for letting us borrow it, by the way"
"Anytime" Logan said
"You didn't forget anything?" Luke asked
"Nope" April said
"Ok, let's get going" Luke said
"Bye April" Rory hugged her "you're welcome here anytime"
"Thanks"
"Good luck" Logan said
"Thanks. Bye"
================================
"Wow!" Rory said into her phone "that's so soon. I thought it'd take longer" ..... "ok, the 20th. Got it" ...... "alright, bye" Rory hung up
"Who was that?" Logan asked
"Quinn"
"The publisher?"
"Yeah, it looks like my book will be released in stores the day after thanksgiving and she wants to have a launch party the sunday before thanksgiving"
"Wow, that's great!" He hugged her
"It's so soon though" Rory said "that's in 2 months"
"What's the problem?"
"I don't know. It just started feeling really real. What if the book doesn't do well?"
Logan put his hands on Rory arms "If the book wasn't good it wouldn't be getting published" he said softly. Rory didn't say anything "you're so smart, and so talented, and you're an amazing writer. If I was half as good at my job as you are at writing I'd have taken over the internet by now"
Rory took a deep breath
"Hey" Logan put his hand under Rory's chin "you know that I love you and I'm proud of you no matter what happens, right?"
"Mhmm" Rory nodded
Logan kissed her "come here" he wrapped his arms around her
—————————————————————————
Later that night, Lorelai and Luke were back from dropping April off, Lena was asleep and everyone was in bed. Logan has his arm around Rory and her head was resting on his chest.
"Hey" Logan noticed Rory looked upset "what are you thinking about?"
"The book" Rory sighed
"What about it?"
"I just...really want it to do well"
"It will"
"But you don't know that"
"You're right, I don't. But I know you, and I know how great of a writer you are, and I know that books don't get published for no reason"
"I love you"
"I love you, too, Ace" He kissed her lips then her neck
"Logan"
"What?" He kissed her neck again
"Lena's in here"
"She's asleep" He kissed her lips
"My mother is on the other side of that wall"
"So, we'll be quiet"
"Logan..."
"What?"
"We can't do this right now"
"Yeah, fine, you're right"
"Welcome back to the realm of reality" Rory chuckled
"Night, Ace"
"Good night"