All this time

Part 24

The Friday after they moved, Rory, Logan, and the girls found themselves in the Gilmore house for Friday night dinner. Lorelai and Luke were there too.

"It's weird being here without him" Lorelai said. "It feels...I don't know. Different"

Logan put his hand on Rory's knee.

"He loved everyone in this room tremendously" Emily said

"You know, right after Rory was born, we were in the hospital and he didn't want to hold her" Lorelai said. "I don't know if he was scared to, or if the circumstances made him uncomfortable, but he didn't hold her for about 2 days. When he finally held her that first time, he cried. It didn't matter that I was 16, or that I didn't marry Christopher like he wanted me to. There was so much pride in his eyes when he looked at her" she looked Rory in the eyes. "And not once, not even for a minute, did you ever stop making him proud"

Amelia reached over and hugged Rory, who was now crying a little. In the few weeks after Richard died Rory cried a lot and it stressed Amelia out a little bit. "It's ok, babe" Rory whispered and rubbed Amelia's back. "I promise" she wiped her eyes.

"Let's talk about something else" Emily said. She knew she would be next to cry and she didn't want to in front of the kids. "Girls, did you start school yet?"

"Not yet" Abigail said. "We start on Monday"

"We met our principal and our teachers though" Amelia said

"Why don't you tell them what grade your starting on Monday?" Logan said

"8th" Amelia said

"8th?!" Lorelai asked. "How did that happen?"

"We got to the meeting yesterday and the headmaster said that he couldn't put her in 6th grade without a placement exam" Rory said. "I thought it was ridiculous because she finished 5th grade, but she did it and she tested at an 8th grade level"

"Wow"

——

On Monday morning Rory and Logan got up and got ready before Logan went to make breakfast and Rory went to get the girls up.

First she knocked on Amelia's door.

"I'm getting ready!" Amelia shouted through the door. She was at an age where she could get herself up and ready but Rory liked to make sure that she was actually awake.

Rory went and woke up Abigail before going to get Avery up and dressed. Not too long after Rory was in the bathroom with all 3 girls.

"Abigail, did you brush your teeth?" Rory asked

"Yes"

"Good"

"Mom, can you make me 2 French braids?" Amelia asked

"Yeah" Rory said. "How's your foot?"

Amelia had gotten the all clear for her foot the day before. "It's good. Are we going to the gym today?"

"Yes. I called them, and they want to see you guys do stuff before they decide what team to put you on"

"Ok"

——

That afternoon Logan picked up all 3 girls and brought them home.

"When are we leaving?" Amelia asked

"In 5 minutes" Rory told her. "Go put your hair up"

Half an hour later they made it to the gym.

"Woah" Amelia said. "This place is so much bigger than the one in Palo Alto"