Gilmore Girls: More in the Life

Chapter 65

Ring, ring.

Ring, ring.

Emily saw an unfamiliar number was calling her. Maybe it's the biopsy results.

"Hello?"

"Is this Emily Gilmore?"

"Yes."

"Hello Emily, this is Sandi from Dr. Doud's office. We received the results of the biopsy and the doctor wanted me to call and let you know the results."

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Emily gripped the duvet cover tightly. "Okay."

"We are happy to report the mass is not cancerous. However, the doctor would like to see you next week as a follow up."

Emily let out a contained breath, releasing the coverlet, and scheduled an appointment to consult with the doctor about the mass' removal. The news lifted an enormous burden off her shoulders, as she felt like an elephant had been weighing her down with worry. Knowing cancer was not invading her body, it was like she had been given a new lease on life. It made her appreciate even more what Luke had offered her and she began working harder to cooperate with the architect on the layout for the apartment.

After another sit down, George had been able to construct the perfect format. It gave her a spacious living area that opened to a somewhat small yet functional kitchen. A dining area was not enclosed as she had hoped but fit nicely within the limited space. A bedroom, able to accommodate a queen sized bed, would be found down a short hallway. The ensuite's bathroom, which Emily envisioned as being luxurious, may not have all the bells and whistles she was necessarily used to but it would suit its purpose perfectly.

Work began relatively quickly and Emily found herself wrapped up in the details. She spent hours pouring over furniture and accents, choosing some pieces solely for color and others for style or function. It was exciting to see everything come together. This was entirely different than the times she employed a designer to spruce up a room; this was working to bring a cohesive design throughout the entire apartment. Being able to browse and pick each specific item was fun. Emily had even been out shopping with Lorelai, who had a lot of great ideas for space saving features.

Emily had begun spending part of every week at the Dragonfly. She wanted to be near the apartment to answer the questions that inevitably came up. She also hoped to oversee everything, with Luke's help, so she knew exactly what was contained in her apartment.

Luke. He was truly a gem. Emily looked back over the years and the way she and Richard had treated Luke. She felt terrible. Seeing how much he cared for Lorelai and Rory and how excited he was to become a father again, Emily was finally seeing what her daughter saw in him all along. Strength and security. Warmth and kindness. Love.

Everything that a mother could want for her daughter.

*****

Rory stood at the island in her kitchen, looking at information for the wedding. She and Logan were in discussions about when and where to have their nuptials. Several venues in Hartford offered lovely accommodations and a delicious menu. Surprising Rory, all of the sites had various openings throughout the year so they'd basically get their choice of dates.

No matter how enticing the pamphlets made the halls, Rory couldn't shake the idea that had been forming in her mind: an intimate Christmas Eve wedding at the Dragonfly. She knew that there wouldn't be room for an elaborate event but that was part of the draw for her. Having close family and friends would be all she needed.

Reaching for her phone, she planned to call Logan with her suggestion. However, her phone rang before she could make the call.

It was Paris.

"Hello?"

"Rory. Paris. Got a minute?"

"Sure, Paris, what's up?"

"I'm in Vermont. With Jamie."

"Oh Paris."

"I need you to tell me what this means."

"How am I supposed to know? What happened? How did you go from taking things slow to winding up in Vermont together?"

Paris told her of the supposedly casual date Jamie had planned that started with a walk through some charming New York shops and stopping for dinner at a great restaurant and ended with a carriage ride through Central Park. She said she became a little tipsy throughout the evening and that, during said ride, suggested going away for the weekend together. Jamie was shocked and politely tried talking Paris out of it but she apparently wouldn't take no for an answer.

"So, low and behold, we are in Vermont."

"Is it weird?"

Paris sighed. "No, it really isn't. I feel comfortable with him. I have no idea what I was thinking all those years ago when I cheated on him with Asher."

"You were letting your hormones guide you back then. Although, I can't be sure why your hormones took you to a man more than forty years your senior."

"Hey, Asher was a great man. His legacy still lives on and his books are studied in classes all over the world."

"I didn't mean anything by that."

"Yes you did. And your point was received. Why did I throw away what was forming between Jamie and me to have that fling with Asher? I don't know, Rory. At that time, I felt like what Asher was offering was more exciting. A student and a professor. It was a plot from a sordid romance novel. But then he died and Doyle was there."

At the name of her ex-husband, Paris became quiet. Rory didn't break the silence, though. She could tell Paris was trying to sort through things in her head.

"Am I crazy for running back to Jamie?"

"I think that you're now an adult with life experience to help back up your choices. Jamie was safe, comforting. It's not uncommon that you're looking backward, trying to recall the last time you felt that way. If it was Jamie and he is there now, offering the possibility of a relationship and you want to see what could happen now, go for it. Try it. See where it goes. Worst case scenario, you both decide there are no lingering feelings and you break it off. But you never know unless you try."

"Is that why you kept going back to Logan?"

Rory paused. In all honesty, she never really parted from Logan but Paris didn't know that. "Something like that, yeah."

"Why in the world were we so eager to grow up?"

Chuckling, Rory smiled. "Because we were so sure we knew everything at sixteen and had a hand in how our lives would play out."

"And that joke, my dear friend, is on us."

Rory ended the call, shaking her head. Paris would never change. She was always very upfront, dominant, forceful. God help whoever chose to be with her.

Remembering what she planned to do before Paris' call, she dialed Logan's number and voiced her suggestion for their wedding. It was easily apparent that Logan readily agreed with her idea.

They'd be married in a small, intimate ceremony on Christmas Eve at the Dragonfly Inn.