Tea Parties in Boston

28 - Opening up

October 27th, 2022, Boston, MA

It had been surprisingly busy at the City Clerk's office on that Thursday morning, and Rory and Logan emerged from the Brutalist monstrosity of a building around 10.50 AM.

"Well, it's good I took half a day off for this," Rory said, glancing slightly worriedly at her wrist watch. While just signing the papers, declaring Emma's paternity hadn't taken a long time, there had been quite a queue ahead of them even if they'd just arrived 5 past 9.

But the papers were signed now - Logan was officially on Em's birth certificate as her father. He was no longer a secret, and on paper it was almost as if the situation had been rectified, even if the custody part was still unsettled - Rory continuing to have full custody. But they'd jointly decided to cross that bridge once they needed to, not needing to push it right now while they both felt like were winning.

"I'm grateful you did," Logan replied, feeling incredibly lucky to have this understanding and generous woman as the mother of his child. From all the horror stories he'd heard through Colin, he knew how bad things could've been.

"I promised I would..," Rory said, not wanting him to think she'd minded. It was just an honest reaction to a delayed process of things.

"It kind of feels different, you know?" Logan discussed as they made their way towards the street corner they were supposed to part at - Logan to head home to work and Rory to take the C-train to Harvard.

"Yeah?" Rory had, having hoped it would.

Rory saw the signing of the papers as making things right. She realized that many women in a similar position with the father of the child having excused himself from his obligations, not that most positions were exactly what they'd had, wouldn't have been half as inclined to do this - but she'd more and more began to realize that his motivations had not been selfish at all.

The custody part still scared her, but at least for now it seemed to be they could co-exist, co-parent well enough even without a piece of paper stating their rights. She had no intention of keeping Em from him nor exclude him from child-related decisions.

"It feels kind of heavy, you know. The burden of obligation?" Logan said, jokingly, assuming Rory would get the joke. So far it had just fun times, and while for now Rory maintained full custody, he still felt what it was like to sense his responsibility for the kid now more than he had ever before.

"Tell me about it," Rory replied, along with a chuckle. "When I was discharged from the hospital, I felt like they were out of their mind to let me leave and be in charge of this tiny, brand new, human being. Sure, there was dad and Gigi at the time to help me out alot. Mostly dad, since Gigi had school, but still... I was suddenly supposed to have a grasp on understanding what my three-day-old wanted when she cried. Was she hungry, sleepy, poopy, feverish or I don't know... just plain bored?" Rory discussed.

Logan mused, loving these little intimate moments Rory had begun to share with him.

"Hey, if you have a little more time we could just go grab coffee or an early lunch? I could even drive you to work," Logan suggested, really not wanting to just go back to his desk in his apartment and open his inbox. They'd already met for lunch on Tuesday and talked a little about Em'd adjustments to the nanny and preschool.

"Now if I didn't know any better I'd think you're trying to woo me," Rory said, without much of a filter, but nevertheless jokingly. They had been spending a lot of time together, and she couldn't deny that had it not been for the third wheel or the excuse of a third wheel that they spoke a lot about, there were an awful lot of similarities to dating him.

There was a moment of quiet, Logan hesitating how to reply. He didn't want to scare her off, nor lie. He too had felt it.

"I shouldn't have said that... I was just kidding," Rory added apologetically.

"Nah, it's fine. I mean I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy spending time in your company. And while I could plead having not too many friends around Boston yet, even then there are few people I find quite as fascinating as you. And your stories, naturally," Logan explained on a lighter note.

"Logan..," Rory chimed, tilting her head.

"Hey, that's not something I'm going to apologize for," Logan replied, raising his shoulders, stopping at the street corner.

"But you know..," Rory began, unable to pick her words quite as quickly as Logan could.

"I know we're putting Em first. I am not attempting anything right now, if anything I'm getting to know this new you. Me being here is not conditional to us ever being anything... But I have the feeling I am not alone in appreciating having you in my life again, am I?" Logan asked, unable to fight his signature smirk. Their banter was familiar, there was still that chemistry that each brush, touch or hug oozed... there were also those drunken words she'd uttered on her birthday, Rory having been oblivious to her own words as something she'd actually said out loud. On top of that the child they shared was one connection they would alway had.

Rory really couldn't argue and from what she'd just heard she was glad he seemed to be putting Em as the priority just as she was. She also couldn't deny thateven hearing having him even think about her like that was also very flattering.

"Getting to know each-other again doesn't hurt now, does it?" Logan added, as Rory stood there quietly.

Rory could've argued that getting to know each-other again could potentially hurt once their feelings got involved. But as another thing she'd learned over the years - she realized that she had survived worse than getting to know him and deciding they weren't going to be the 'end game' - if there was such a thing, compared to the breakups they'd had in the past. She was using her head more, she was more mature and she also had life experience. At the same time she was deeply intrigued by his interest, and incredibly tempted to reply with something equally flirty.

"Don't take this as the green light, but you're right - it doesn't. And a cup of coffee and something resembling brunch wouldn't hurt either," Rory replied, indicating by the fact that she was heading towards the parking garage Logan kept his car in, that she really didn't mind accepting his offer for a ride and lunch.