A Different Life

four

The day of the graduation party had arrived. Rory was laying in bed building up the mental courage and the strength for the day ahead. She looked around her and Logan's bedroom thinking this could be the last time she was there. Lots of memories good and bad from Logan's leaving party for London, after the jailbird party- she started to smile thinking of how that ended but then she remembered why she was in her current situation. It had been quite the 10 days since everything had gone to hell. One good thing to come out of it all had been the improvement in her relationship with her Dad and her Grandmother Francine.

Flashback

Rory sat perched on the edge of her seat in her grandmother's lawyers office, well her firm really. She was waiting for her Dad and her grandmother to arrive. After five minutes they arrived, it was a formidable entrance if ever there was one. Her Grandmother came in on the arm of her father followed by 5 lawyers, based on appearances three senior partners and two junior partners.

One of the senior partners seated to the right of Francine cleared his throat before beginning. "We are here to review the trust funds, inheritance, and succession plans in regards to the Hayden family. Francine, I believe you had some things you wanted to say."

"Yes Lorelai, we didn't exactly get off to the best start and we have done some apologizing for that. I want you to know that what is contained in these documents isn't out of guilt. You have earned all of it. You deserve it as an important member of this family."

"Lorelai we have flagged the important points on each document and also where it requires signatures. I'd also like to be clear that if you feel you need to you can get these reviewed by external representation. The first set of documents outline your trust funds from the Hayden family. As you are graduating you will have access to two of these straight away. Of the remainder one will become available at 25, one at 30 and the remaining funds will be released either when you turn 35 or get married whichever event occurs first. At this point I would also like to stress that unlike some succession plans there is no marriage requirement hidden in your inheritance plans. Do you have any questions so far?"

"No questions so far, please continue," Rory responded.

The meeting continued covering all of the bases that Francine had outlined prior to the meeting.

That had been 4 days earlier. They had followed up the lawyers meeting with lunch and some shopping for her new future. It had been a bonding experience, one which she had never had the opportunity to have with Francine. They actually ended up having a lot in common, Francine had a sharp wit and a wicked sense of humor hidden underneath the society exterior.

Taking a deep breath Rory reached for her cell to make a call she wasn't looking forward to.

"Lorelai's house of pleasure, how can I make your dreams come true?"

"Mom"

"Ooo, it's the graduate! Are we looking for some Dustin Hoffman style pleasure?"

"Mom, I wanted to talk to you about the party tonight."

"Oh kiddo, the regret kicking in that you agreed to the party? I'm sure we can come up with an early escape plan, we have some time."

"Mom, I'm trying to have a serious conversation here!" Rory blew out a deep breath, her bangs in her eyes, sometimes her mother was just too much.

"Sorry kiddo, I thought finals being over meant easy town, do we need to discuss job offers? Summer plans? world domination?"

"We will circle back to that world domination thing, but for now I just want to discuss the party tonight. I'm not going to go into details as I don't have time for that, but Mom tonight something is going to happen that will probably shock you but I want to let you know I have a plan."

"What do you mean Rory? What's going on that you can't tell me about?" Lorelai said, sounding agitated.

Rory took a deep breath trying to think what she could say to mollify her mother. "Mom, it's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just I don't think if I told you that you could be calm tonight and that is what I need from you. We will have lots of time in two days to analyse everything I promise."

"Okay kid, if you say there is a reason I will give you a pass for now, but I won't forget this!"

"That's all I'm asking for Mom. I'm going to come home and go to the party with you, Logan is on a trip and might be late arriving so I might as well come and get ready with you."

"I see I'm the back up plan."

"Yep that's it exactly Mom, I'll see you in a few hours."

Rory and Lorelai pulled up to the Gilmore house at 7.00pm that night, the drive was all lit up with fairy lights and there was a valet.

"Wow kid, looks like Adolf and Eva went all out for this shindig." Lorelai said as she got out of the jeep and straightened her black dress, something modest enough for Mom of the graduate but also didn't age her past her thirty eight years.

"Oh God Mom, I don't know if I can do this."

"Rory you deserve this party and to be celebrated, come on inhale then exhale, then we need to get in and hit the bar before adolf finds us. I wonder if they will have my little pony in a cup like your birthday, it was your signature drink"

Lorelai's joke had the desired effect of calming Rory down, she smoothed her tea length black dress down and buttoned her little gold jacket that she was wearing overtop as she marched to the bar for the first of many martinis.

Richard: "Ladies and gentlemen, first let me thank you for coming to celebrate my granddaughter's graduation."

Emily pinches Richard's arm.

"Ouch! I do beg your pardon. Celebrating our granddaughter's graduation."

The group gathered laugh.

Emily: "I can't let him take all the credit. Have you seen her? Can you blame me?"

More laughter is forthcoming from the crowd.

Richard: "So, when my wife and I sat down to write our toast, we ran into something of a problem. All of our words sounded too mundane, too insignificant to mark such an auspicious occasion as Rory's graduation from Yale. So instead... maestro..."

"Oh My God Mom they are singing?!" Rory whispered to Lorelai.

"I know kid, I hope someone is filming this shitshow" Lorelai laughs.