Reflecting their own light: Rory and Logan

Chapter 25

The gasp was followed by confusion.

The cake was purple.  Not pink.  Not blue.  Purple.  Like Barney the singing dinosaur purple.

"Well, this is an absolute disgrace!  This is completely unacceptable!  I'm going to call the bakery and let them know just how incompetent they are!" Grandma said after a couple of minutes of confused silence.

"Emily, I'll go take care of it right now.  I can't believe they did this to us," Logan said, walking into the kitchen.

Once Logan left, people started whispering amongst themselves.  The longer Logan was in the kitchen, the louder people got.  I was in disbelief that Logan managed to pull this off, and that they screwed up the cake.

"Does this mean you're having Barney's or Grimace's baby?" Mom asked. 

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you...." I said, laughing.

"Guess it's a good thing the cake wasn't brown and furry!"

"Mom, stop trying to make the Wookie happen!"

Logan entered the room.  "You will not believe the excuse the bakery gave me," he said.

"What's that?" I replied.

"They said they just hired a new baker.  When they confronted him about the cake, he said that he didn't want to force the baby into any predetermined gender roles...."

"Are you kidding me?  It's a cake, not the actual child!"

"They've already put together another cake for us and it'll be here in about twenty minutes.  It won't be exactly the same, but it will still work," Logan replied.

"While we are waiting for the cake, let's talk about the house," Grandma said to us.

"What did you have in mind, Grandma?"

"After Logan approached me about the house, I got to thinking that, maybe, this could be my wedding gift to you two," she suggested.

"Emily, that's very generous of you, but you really don't have to do that!"

"Nonsense!  I've already got the house on Nantucket, so it's not like I need this place.  Besides, I'd hate to see strangers move in here and ruin the place.  Your grandfather wanted the house to stay in the family.  I think he secretly hoped you'd want it, Rory."

"Really?" I replied, feeling very touched.

"Under one condition," she said.  "I insist the family comes to Nantucket for at least one week in the summer."

Always strings with the Gilmores.  "I have one condition of my own."

"Let's hear it," she replied with a satisfied smile.  She had taught me well.

"I want to keep Grandpa's memory alive and I think a great way to honor him would be leaving his study as it is.  It will get used, but that's his special place in the house."

The smile grew on her face.  "I think that's a wonderful idea," she said, masking the tears that were coming.  Before they fell, she hugged me tightly.

"Cake's here!" Mom shouted from the other room.

Grandma took a moment to gather herself before returning to the small party.  She had softened in the months since Grandpa's death, yet, she was still the same underneath.  She was strong, caring, and generous.  I couldn't believe she gave us this house.  The house where we got married.  The house where I started to see the real Logan.  The night Dean broke up with me in front of everyone and he was there to help pick me up.  Now, we have our home and I couldn't be more grateful.

"Rory, get your butt in here!  There's a cake to cut, and you know how cranky I get if I see cake and have to wait too long for it," Mom said, half joking, half serious.  I recognized the tone well.

"We're coming, Mom," I said, turning to Logan.  "We'd better get in there fast or she'll tear the cake to shreds and no one will be able to tell what we are having!"

"After you, Ace," Logan said and gestured for me to go first.

There was a little note on the cake that apologized for any inconvenience.  It also instructed us that the cake, itself, was not colored, but there was a colored cream filling in the center.  I certainly hoped it actually contained said cream filling!

"Cake cutting, take two....and.....ACTION!" Mom said in her best director voice.

"Ok, Mom.  We get it," I said and picked up a clean knife.

We cut into the cake as we had before, but this time the knife was covered with the cream filling when we pulled it out.  Moving quickly, we tried to hide the knife by cutting the other side of the slice, but it was too late.

"It's PINK!  I knew it!  I told you it was a girl!" I heard her exclaim.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, Lorelai.  Of course, it was going to be a girl!" Grandma said.

I looked at Logan's face and he was smiling.  "You knew?"

"No, I didn't, but I had a feeling," he replied, still grinning.  "So, what do you think, Ace?"

"I can't believe we're having a little girl!  I think my mom is more excited than we are," I replied, nodding in my mother's direction.  "Although, I'm not sure if it's for the baby girl or the cake."

Logan laughed.  We accepted the congratulatory remarks from everyone.  I could see that Mom and Grandma were very excited.  I think Luke may have been hoping for a boy to help balance the extreme amount of estrogen in his life, but he was happy.  I finally got some of the cake and it made Little Ace very happy.  It felt like she was doing flips inside.  I took Logan's hand and put it on the baby.

"Do you feel that?" I asked, pressing his hand firmly over Little Ace.

He paused and concentrated.  The smile on his face grew even bigger.  It was happiness mixed with awe and excitement.

"Is that?"

"Yes, that's our little girl doing gymnastics inside.  She started after I ate the cake," I replied.

"That's because she's a Gilmore," Mom stated, smiling.  She must have snuck up behind us.

We both looked at Logan and smiled.  He hadn't stopped smiling.  This little girl was already had her dad wrapped around her little finger.  She was going to be so loved, wanted, and protected by so many.  My heart was full.