"Rory, Logan, it's so nice to see you here, together. Isn't it wonderful to see them Richard?" Emily had come to the door the second the doorbell rang, thrilled with the world. Not only was she seeing her granddaughter, something that didn't happen nearly often enough since she graduated last year, but Rory had seemingly reconciled with Logan and Emily had visions of tiny little blonde hair, blue eyed babies running all over the pristine sandy beaches of Cape Cod within five years.
"It is always wonderful to see my granddaughter, Emily- although I admit I'm not opposed to the company she brings with her, either." Richard smirked as he pulled Rory in for a hug- noting that she seemed a bit thin and peaked, although, obviously, not quite as bad as when she had been in the hospital for pneumonia a few weeks ago. He turned to shake Logan's hand as Emily hugged Rory and allowed Logan to kiss her on the cheek before gesturing for them to follow her into the sitting room.
"May I offer either of you something drink- a martini perhaps, Rory?"
"Actually, Grandma do you happen to have any wine open?" Emily was a bit surprised at the request, Rory always drank the wine she served with dinner but rarely requested it instead of a dirty gin martini.
"Well of course I have wine- would you like red or white?" Rory was visibly nervous and damn that 6th sense of Emily's, she could tell something was up and was carefully looking her granddaughter over, as though she could divine the source of the nerves just by staring. Dammit, Gilmore, why couldn't you just take the martini? The truth was that she had every intention of keeping a clear head tonight- just one glass of wine would be perfect, but one of her grandmother's particularly dry (re: 98% gin) martinis would be much tougher to keep her wits about her.
"Actually," Logan stepped in, wanting to bail Rory out- she was fidgeting a little bit under Emily's gaze, not something she did often, and he assumed it was more about the second announcement she had to make than the first, maybe he could ease the tension a little bit and give her the reaction to their engagement she was counting on now to make up for the one Lorelai had given. He took her and and squeezed it, giving a her a a look of reassurance. "Emily, I don't mean to be too forward, this is your house after all, but is there any chance you have a bottle of champagne lying around we could open?" Emily instantly stopped pouring scotch for Richard at the bar cart and looked up, warily. She looked at Logan who seemed very calm, perhaps too calm, before looking to Richard who seemed just as mystified as her, before settling on Rory who was just holding Logan's hand and not looking at anyone in the room. Richard was the first to speak.
"I believe I have a bottle of champagne somewhere around here- but can we inquire as to whether there is something specific we are meant to be celebrating?" Suddenly Rory looked up at her grandparents, smiling brilliantly as she blurted out:
"We're engaged!" Emily and Richard were stunned- they knew that the couple had only recently gotten back together and now they were engaged? They looked at the two, wondering if this was real and Rory just held up her left hand to show them the ring- the diamonds catching the light in the room and sparkling, but not nearly as much as her eyes and her smile. Richard and Emily looked at her and then each other- this wouldn't be something these two would joke about, would it? Certainly not, Lorelai perhaps- Lord knows that girl had been engaged enough that it hardly mattered anymore when she changed her status- but not Rory and Logan. Logan and Rory just looked besottedly at each other, smiling like they were the only two people in the world and that was enough for the older couple to break out in huge grins. Richard stood excitedly, clasping his hands together, beaming as he moved over to them.
"Congratulations you two!" Rory stood as he approached, hugging Rory tightly before dashing off to find his best bottle of champagne- this was a momentous occasion, a true cause for celebration! Emily hurried over to examine the ring, remarking on Logan's exquisite taste in jewelry- happy tears forming in her eyes as it sank in that her granddaughter was marrying the Huntzberger heir- regardless the falling out Logan and Mitchum had last year, she was confident it would all shake out in the end. She had hoped for this day so long ago and thought it was out of the question- hell, she had worried that Rory would never settle down and have a family after she turned down Logan and went off to work for that website, living out of a suitcase, on a filthy bus like a gypsy.
"Oh, Rory, I'm just so happy for you, for both of you- this is such wonderful news!" She hugged her granddaughter and then, surprisingly, turned and hugged Logan just as Richard returned with glasses and an open bottle of 1996 Taittinger- one of his best bottles. In fact, the last time they had drank this vintage had been the night that Rory announced she would be attending Yale- he had held onto this bottle and a few others of the same for quite some time; secretly he always thought of it is as belonging to special moments with his granddaughter- he had another stowed away for her wedding and a few more he hoped to break out when she had children... or won her first Pulitzer. He had even gone so far as to leave them to her in his will- perhaps just an old sentimental fool's notion, but one that made him smile.
Handing everyone a glass filled with bubbly he held up his glass to make a toast- reveling in the small touches and large smiles between the beautiful young couple, he couldn't help but think of this same moment- so many years ago when it was him and Emily as the besotted, exultant duo- standing on the edge of everything- believing love could conquer all. He turned to Emily, his wife and partner of so long- through financial ups and downs, raising a child and all of the joys and tribulations that had come with it... they had weathered so much together, hand in hand, as partners, the two of them against the world- and it was hard not to see these two the same way. What was he to say in this moment? How could he best express his hopes and wishes for this couple? Then a memory struck, he smiled and he started.
"I'll never forget the day, about 4 ½ years ago when I got a call my beautiful granddaughter, Rory here. She was absolutely livid, I believe I even heard her throw about the term "jackass" and "miscreant"; well, I was more used to hearing Latin or Ancient Greek from this demure young woman, so I was instantly clued in that she was more than a bit upset. When I asked what was wrong she just told me that she needed my help. After a few more questions I was able to get more of the story and we began to form a plan.
"You see, apparently some over-spirited Elis had played a bit of a practical joke on her and her entire philosophy seminar- two young, and I'll substitute the word idiots for the terms she used, had burst in on her class, professing their love for her and fighting over her, all in pursuit of a laugh. Now, Rory knew that she had two choices- she could get mad at them and yell and scream, or she could get even. Well, being a Gilmore, she obviously decided on revenge and thus was our truly devious, dare I say Machiavellian plot, hatched.
"A few days later, I found Logan and his two dopey friends outside of McClellan Hall- she assured me they would most likely be there for the excellent coffee cart, not attending any kind of lecture." Logan had the decency to look sheepish at that and Emily was further charmed by the young, handsome man- almost as handsome as Richard had been. "Well, once the target was identified, I approached- at first chastising him for the impropriety of his public display of affection, but then assuring him I had spoken with his father, the engagement announcements were being printed as we spoke, the prenups signed and stamped. I patted him on the shoulders and bid him welcome to the family." Rory and he were laughing at this memory while Emily looked torn between absolute horror and amusement at her husband's scheme; meanwhile, Logan just grinned, remembering the fear and terror he felt as Richard had walked away. It must have taken at least twenty minutes for the roaring in his ears to stop and his pulse to come down to anything resembling normal- still another quick text to Honor to ask if their mother had said anything about him recently to figure out the con.
"Well, who could have guessed back then that I would some day be standing here and sincerely bidding Logan welcome to our family, and may you two have as many years of love and happiness as I have had with Emily- my partner and truest love." Just before everyone went to sip he thought of an addendum. "Oh, and Logan- she is a fine girl, and I still only want her to be happy." He winked at him then, Logan smiling and nodding, putting his other arm around Rory's shoulder, letting Richard know that was all he cared about as the two raised their glasses in understanding, Emily and Rory following suit. "To Rory and Logan."
Rory and Emily were both teary-eyed now as they toasted the happy couple, everyone smiling and laughing as Rory explained to Emily how they had reconnected months ago and had been emailing and having regular (sometimes multiple times a day) phone conversations for the last 8 months. She then gave the reader's digest version of the impromptu proposal on the beach, how Logan had the ring already- he smirked at Emily's cooing over how he had bought the ring the day before their "first" date, so sure he would never let her slip through his fingers again.
"What can I say, Emily? I knew one day I'd find a way to get her to wear it- I knew it would take some time, but I definitely wasn't letting go again." Richard couldn't help but beam at this sentiment, understanding it fully.
"You're a good man, Huntzberger- with, if I may say, exquisite taste." It was clear he was not talking about the jewelry."I have to say, when things went sour with you both last year we were obviously disappointed- but it does appear as though the time apart, however long it lasted, seems to have done the two of you a great deal of good; flourishing careers and a new sense of purpose and grounding. I admire that, in both of you."
Emily and Richard then told Logan the story of their proposal- shocking the young man that it had been in the middle of a fight and how, rather than going down on one knee and offering flowery words and promises, he merely shoved a closed ring box at her, which she then accepted and said "fine". It was hardly the polite and proper engagement story Logan had come to expect from couples like them and it made him genuinely laugh.
The evening wore on and somewhere around 9:30 Emily asked innocently.
"So, have you given much thought to when the wedding will be? I know that you love the winter, Rory, but it might be a bit tight to try and plan this kind of affair by the end of this year, so I was wondering what you two thought of a summer wedding- maybe at the Cape, or even Nantucket, wouldn't that be lovely?" She was clearly daydreaming about Rory in a strapless Vera Wang gown, walking down the aisle carrying a bouquet of lilies and roses, a string quartet playing as the ocean served as the perfect backdrop for their "intimate" affair, trying to keep it under 400 guests at the absolute max- Rory did not, after all, enjoy a "fuss".
"Now, now Emily, they just got engaged for heaven's sakes! And I'm sure that Rory will have plenty on her mind as soon as she's back on the campaign trail. Why, I would imagine she'll want to postpone quite a few decisions about a wedding until the campaign begins to wind down. Incidentally, Rory, when will you be returning to work? Not that we don't love having you so near us, but I have to say that I find most of the people writing about this election to be drier than melba toast, or they are somehow still besotted with Senator Clinton, unable to read the writing on the wall of the electorate. I can't tell you how much I miss your insights and witty bon mots in that blog of yours- not to mention the fact that you have at least a dollop of common sense and foresight when contemplating the general election in the Fall."
And just like that, two comments from the elder Gilmores and the delightful cocoon of celebration was ruined. And while perhaps they didn't notice the way that Rory's shoulders sagged, her deflation wasn't overt, but to Logan it was as though all the air had been sucked out of their side of the room- the grandparents looking expectantly at them for answers. That was when Logan squeezed her hand, tightly, understanding her anxiety- the moment had come, she couldn't really delay or deflect any longer.
"Actually, Grandpa, I'm afraid I won't be going back out on the road. At least not for a while." OK, the world was still spinning, they were surprised, but seemed more curious than anything else. "I'll still be writing for Hugo, mostly about politics of course, and we're looking into options for me to cover the conventions and the debates, but I'll be doing everything on a freelance basis for a while- write when I can while I focus on other things."
"See, Richard- every girl grows up dreaming about her wedding, it's perfectly normal! Rory, I think it's very smart for you to be prepared to dedicate yourself to this, it's a once in a life event and we're going to want to make sure every detail is absolutely perfect.
She took another sip of bubbly- a slightly less prestigious bottle had been opened after the '96 Taittinger but she barely noticed, she needed the liquid courage.
"Actually, Grandma, we won't be setting a date for a while. We need the time to deal with... other matters." She was looking at Logan, trying to steel herself for what she needed to do. He just nodded and smiled at her, clearly she needed to make this announcement herself. After a deep breath she moved forward.
"You see, over the last several months I've been dealing with some health issues- you probably remember that I was home in January with mono and I actually had an upper respiratory infection that had me in the hospital for a few days a few months before that. So when I was in the hospital the morning after Mom and Dad's wedding party the doctor originally believed it to be a fairly nasty case of pneumonia. However, he was also very thorough and good at his job- he looked at my records from the last year which prompted him to perform additional tests and they were able to uncover the underlying problem." No need to mention that it may have been her itchy hand that saved her life, that would have Richard suing every health facility she came in contact with over the last year for malpractice. They looked at her concerned and she felt terrible that she was about to say the worst thing to them she ever had- even admitting to having stolen a yacht had been easier- there was a simple solution- throwing money at the problem was a viable option to fix it. That wasn't going to work here. She squeezed Logan's hand so tightly her fist when bright white, taking all of the courage from him that she could.
"Grandma, Grandpa, this is so difficult to say so please let me get it out and then I'll be happy to answer any questions you have. I was diagnosed with Nodular Sclerosis Hodgkin's Lymphoma." She paused to see that Emily was looking at her in disbelief, as though Rory would ever joke about something like this- she almost rolled her eyes, knowing that was what her grandmother was thinking. Richard, on the other hand, had just frozen still- he wasn't moving, but his eyes were tearing up and his face had gone pale and a bit gray. Logan looked to Rory who looked on the very edge of a break down- tearing up and a bit frozen herself- instinctively he jumped in to do his best to comfort and reassure them.
"We actually went to get a second opinion last week at Sloan Kettering in Manhattan. We saw an amazing Oncologist who assured us that with Rory's age and her generally excellent health, as well as the stage of the lymphoma, if we pursue the treatment plan they've laid out she should be in full remission by the Holidays. The good news, although that's a relative term here, is this is actually one of the most curable cancers out there and we caught it in plenty of time to treat it and get her back to 100%. We're not even entertaining more morbid or terrifying thoughts." Rory looked up at him and mouthed thank you- so clearly grateful that he bailed her out just there. He leaned in and kissed the side of her forehead, whispering, "Anytime, Ace."
She turned back to her grandparents- still in shock but trying to recover their wits. "Grandma, Grandpa, I know this is really sudden and more than just a little bit scary and upsetting, believe me, I've had time to process it all and I'm still kind of a mess. I have an 18 mm lymphoma in my chest, which is why I've been having so much trouble with respiratory infections and the like. The plan is to put me on a 4-drug chemo cocktail that's supposed to shrink it right up and kill it. We had one of the top doctors in the country confirm that after 4-6 months of chemo, which should begin next Tuesday, and then, depending on how it goes, possibly a few rounds of radiation treatment, I'm going to be perfectly fine- practically better than new, even." The room was still silent, Emily had tears falling down her face and Richard was just ashen as he tried to take in what he was being told, his eyes staring at some invisible spot in the carpet. They sat in the quiet for a few moments before Richard spoke- coughing just a bit as he tried to find his voice again.
"And you're, uh... you're sure this is the best doctor to consult? We don't need to make any calls, contact the Mayo Clinic or anything? Because I hope you know not to be concerned with the cost of anything, you just have any bills directed to me and they'll be taken care of. We need to make sure you are getting the absolute best of the best- anything less is unacceptable." Rory smiled a bit at that, knowing that was an entirely unnecessary gesture; while she wasn't sure of the specifics, she actually thought her dad might be worth considerably more than her grandparents at this point, setting aside Logan's fairly sizable wealth, (even a cut-off trust fund baby is still a trust fund baby); but she understood this was her grandfather's way of trying to feel useful.
"Yes, Grandpa, he's the absolute best doctor they have- and you know the best doctor at Sloan Kettering is pretty much the best doctor in the world." She smiled softly in thanks at his gesture. "But thank you for the offer. Like Logan said, I'm feeling very positive and optimistic about my prognosis and while I know it won't be easy going over the next few months, I will get through this." She was nodding her head resolutely- just as much to convince herself as anyone else in the room. It was quiet for another minute or two before Emily spoke next.
"Rory, how is your mother handling this?" Rory looked just a bit shocked that was her first question.
"Well, you know Mom. She's still trying to take it all in but she's been so busy meeting with realtors and architects and trying to figure out what to do with the house and how to expand the inn...and Gigi will be back from her visit to France soon so she'll have that distracting her."
"Please let her know that I'll call her tomorrow."
"Of course, Grandma. I'm sure she'll like that." Emily harrumphed at that one- they both knew it was a lie.
"Logan, I understand that your company in California is doing very well right now- may I inquire, is Rory going to be moving to California with you?" Emily asked it with a bit of trepidation in her voice, she wasn't sure what she was going to do if her granddaughter moved all the way across the country while undergoing treatment for cancer... well, that's not true, she'd be leasing a house as nearby as possible to help out.
"Actually, I've already been speaking with my two business partners and they're being incredibly generous and flexible so we can make arrangements that work best for our circumstances. In the beginning Rory is going to receive her chemo treatments weekly, so I'll work from here for a month or two unless there is a serious need for me to fly back to Palo Alto and be in the office. Then, once she goes to every other week, I'll be here for the week of treatment and back in Palo Alto if necessary for the off week. And we've been considering expanding with an East Coast office for a few months, I believe this is the kick in the rear that we needed to make that happen- so I'll spend some of my time out here scouting locations and beginning that process so I can relocate here permanently."
"Well that's good news indeed- barely a year in and you've already created a need to expand to a second coast? That's remarkable, Son!" Logan couldn't help but preen just a bit at Richard's words- what he would give to hear even a fraction of that pride from his own father, it was nice to feel like he wasn't the screw-up disappointment that he often felt himself to be after spending any time with his father.
"Thank you, Richard, I wish I could take more of the credit for our success, but honestly it's all because the product is so good, I worry most days that I'm holding them back."
"Oh, I'm sure that's not true, Logan, we all know how talented you are, I am positive any success you have achieved has been well-deserved. But, I have to admit I'm very relieved you won't be whisking Rory across the country from us, especially in light of... this news." Rory mentally rolled her eyes- why could no one just call it was it was? She had cancer, a lymphoma, Hodgkin's Disease- it didn't matter which name you used, it couldn't be wished away by simply ignoring it and refusing to utter the word.
"Well, thank you, Emily- I have to admit that it's a relief I can be back here for her and stay with the company- I do genuinely enjoy the work, but I couldn't possibly be anywhere else but at her side as she handles this."
"Isn't that just so sweet- so romantic. Why, you two are just the picture of young love, it's exhilarating just being around you. Rory, tell us, I'm sure you told your parents- were they just as thrilled as we are with the engagement?" No mention of the Huntzbergers, Emily wasn't an idiot, she had no illusions that Logan and Rory would patch things up there on this visit- nor did she much care. Since Rory's graduation she had finally heard the entire tale of Mitchum, Elias and Shira's behaviors towards her granddaughter and honestly believed she'd be fine never seeing those horrid people ever again.
"Oh, you know my mom, she has her concerns, but Dad was excited and happy for us. Mom will come around." Everyone knew she was saying it to try and convince herself more than anyone else, so Emily let it slide.
"Well, you know your mother, as adventurous as she is, sometimes change can shock her- she just needs some time adjust and adapt. I'm sure she'll come around in no time and then we can begin to think about shopping for a gown- oh, I should call Miss Celine, make an appointment. After all, the dress sets the tone for the whole event and it can be a waiting list of a year if you want something custom done, even if you aren't ready to set a date, it can't hurt to begin looking." Rory was seized by a sudden flash of brilliance- something that may just help both her and her grandmother stay positive through treatment (and hopefully her mother, if she'd consent to being a part of it).
"Well, I can't say I'm ready to go and try on gowns or anything, but maybe we could make every other chemo treatment wedding planning day? I apparently just sit there for 4-6 hours at a time with the IV, and the sickness isn't really supposed to hit until towards the end or the next day. We could sit and look through magazines, there is wi-fi in the clinic so we can do research online from a laptop while there. What do you think?" She turned and looked at Logan, would he be ok with that? In true Logan form, he just smiled in response to her- there was no need for her to bite her lip in concern that he'd disagree; hell, they could get married at a drive through in Vegas or in front of 1000 people at Versailles and he wouldn't care, if at the end of the day she was his wife, it would all be perfect.
"I think that's a great idea, Ace. We both know that we're going to need serious help, especially if Shira decides suddenly she wants to be involved, and Emily, you're taste is exquisite. I'm sure that between you, Ace and Lorelai it will be the perfect wedding and the planning could be a nice way to spend the time in treatment. Definitely better than trying to binge watch seasons of Project Runway." She smiled at him, knowing he was saying yes more to help her than the fact that he actually wanted Emily Gilmore all that involved in planning their wedding, and that made her even that much more sure that her mother was so wrong and this was so incredibly right.