All this time

Part 9

Rory and Logan were getting ready for a party that the San Francisco chronicle was having. To say that Rory was nervous about leaving Millie was an understatement. They always made sure that at least one of them was around to take care of Millie, and this would be the first time that neither Rory nor Logan were putting Millie to bed.

"She cries every morning when you drop her off at daycare, and she's been going there for almost 3 years" Rory said. When Millie was 6 months old Rory went back to work, so they put her in daycare. About a year before this, Millie became very weary of leaving Rory and Logan, and she'd cry when they dropped her off at daycare. "We're gonna leave her tonight, with some stranger, and then she's gonna hate us" she knew she was being ridiculous, but mom guilt and pregnancy hormones were a powerful combo.

Logan put his hands on Rory's shoulders. "She's not gonna hate us" He said. "And we're not leaving her with a stranger, we're leaving her with Callie"

One of Rory's friends had 2 kids, Caleb, who was Millie's age, and Callie, who was 17 and happened to babysit.

"She knows Callie, she likes Callie, it'll be fine"

The doorbell rang.

"I'm gonna go get the door" Logan said

"I'm gonna go snuggle my daughter before she hates me for leaving her"

"She's not gonna hate you" Logan said and kissed Rory quickly before heading downstairs to open the door "hi Callie"

"Hi"

"I just want to let you know in advance, Millie is definitely not gonna be happy that we're leaving" Logan told her

"That's ok, I've dealt with it before"

"We gave her dinner, we gave her a bath, she's in her pajamas. She goes to sleep around 8. She might fight you on going to sleep, because she wants us to put her to bed, you can let her sleep in our room if it gets her to calm down and go to sleep"

"Ok"

"And of course you can call us if you need too"

Meanwhile...

Rory and Logan had a rocking chair in Millie's room when she was a baby, and they never got rid of it. So Rory was sitting in the rocking chair with Millie snuggled up on her lap. Millie knew that Rory and Logan were leaving and was already crying. It was taking a lot of energy got Rory not to cry. She knew that if she cried it would only make it harder for both her and Millie.

"Do you know who's here?" Rory asked

Millie shook her head.

"Callie" Rory told her "you like Callie, right?"

Millie didn't say anything.

"She's gonna stay with you and put you to bed, ok?"

"No!" Millie buried her face in Rory's chest.

Rory brushed Millie's hair out of her face and kissed the top of her head "look at me please"

Millie looked up at Rory.

"I love you so, so much, and daddy loves you so, so much, and we're gonna be home really soon. When you wake up in the morning we're gonna be here"

"Don't go"

"We have to, I'm sorry" Rory said. "Do you want to sleep in my bed? And then you'll see us right when you wake up"

Millie nodded

"Ok. So you can sleep in our room tonight"

Eventually they made their way downstairs and Rory and Logan had to leave.