Missing Pieces

Chapter 4: Letting Someone In

Rory sighed as she walked into Chilton on Thursday.  It had been an excruciatingly long week, and she was exhausted.  Emma seemed to be getting sick, although she wasn't running a fever or throwing up.  She'd been feeling off, and subsequently she'd been more clingy than usual.  It had worn Rory out, but as a single mom, she had no choice but to power through it.  She'd spent the entire morning coaxing Emma into getting ready and out the door in time so that she wouldn't be late and hadn't gotten anything but a cup of coffee for herself.  She walked into her classroom after dropping Emma off at before care and sat down heavily before she heard the intercom in her classroom buzz, looking forward to the hour of peace before her first class began.

"Ms. Gilmore?" came the voice from the office.

"Yes?"

"You have a visitor in the office, a Mr. Morgan.  May I send him down?"

"Sure, that's not a problem," Rory answered quickly.  Rory couldn't help but wonder what in the world Finn was doing at Chilton.  He'd had the girls over to his house for dinner on Monday and insisted on taking them out to dinner on Wednesday, but she couldn't fathom a possible reason why he would be here at her work.

"Hey there, kitten," Finn greeted her as he walked in. 

"Hey, is everything okay?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine.  I just knew that Em hadn't been feeling well and wanted to check on my two favorite girls.  I brought you a couple of blueberry muffins and coffee," Finn offered as he held out the bag and a large coffee.

"How did you know?" Rory asked quietly as they both sat down at her desk.

"Know what, love?"

"Em was quite the handful to get out of the house and to school this morning.  She feels lousy but isn't sick enough to have to stay home.  I spent so much time getting her out the door that I only had one cup of coffee and I didn't get to eat anything, so you, my Aussie friend, are my hero," Rory answered.

"Well, happy to be of assistance.  I'm working from home today, so I thought it would be nice to make sure you guys were okay.  You look tired, Ror."

"I really am.  Being a single mom is always a lot of work, but it's especially exhausting when you have a sick kid.  I've barely slept the last two nights, and she's been so clingy.  I feel like I'm about to crash and burn."

"You know, you shouldn't have to do this alone," Finn answered solemnly.

"I know I shouldn't, but apparently being a two-parent family isn't in the cards for me.  Logan made his choice, and as much as it hurt at the time, I've accepted that he's not going to be a part of Emma's life.  Like I said earlier, there aren't exactly dozens of men dying to get involved with a woman with a four-year old.  Maybe someday I'll find a man who will love us both, but until then I'm it."

"You will, Rory," Finn answered quietly as he set his hand over hers and rubbed light circles on it soothingly.

"I will what?" Rory asked, confused by his statement and the calming effect that his touch had.

"You'll find a man who will love you both the way that you deserve to be loved," Finn clarified.

"I hope you're right," Rory answered quietly as they both sat just like that for a moment.  They were both pulled out of their silence when Rory's phone rang.  She bent to her purse and grabbed it, answering it without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?"
"Oh no.  Poor baby.  Yes, I'll have the office find a sub and I'll be right there to get here," she said into the phone as she hung up.