Finding Rory

Chapter 44: Deep Confessions

Rory walked into Max Downtown on Thursday to find Abby already there waiting for her. She sat down at the table and smiled.

"I'm so glad we could make time to have lunch together," Rory said as she put her napkin in her lap. She'd instantly liked Abby when she'd met her the previous day.

"Oh my goodness, yes! I knew the minute Tristan told me about you that we would get along wonderfully. I'm just glad you didn't bolt when you saw me hugging him in the kitchen," Abby joked.

Rory blushed and took a sip of her water. "Sorry, I'm not usually the jealous type," Rory replied sheepishly.

The two girls took a break from their conversation to order a round of Local Lemonades - a mixture of vodka, agave and lemon - and their meals, and then immediately resumed talking.

"Alright, I've heard it all from Tristan, but I want to hear it from you. Tell me how it's going," Abby encouraged Rory.

"It's going really well, actually. Tris is...well, he's amazing. He was so patient while I was still trying to make some changes and figure out what I wanted, and he's been so supportive of my decisions. He's an incredible man," Rory admitted.

"And he mentioned that your mom isn't supportive of your relationship?" asked Abby. "Sorry, I don't mean to pry. I just know that must be hard for you. Honestly, I've always wanted a sister, so I'm a little too excited that you're here," she finished with a laugh. Rory giggled and took a sip of her lemonade.

"No, it's okay. My mom is definitely not in our corner at all. She has a long-held bias against society, and she views Tristan as dragging me further into that world. In reality, I love Tristan and I love the life we're building. I know he would never try to force me into becoming a society wife; he's supportive of me achieving my dreams."

"I'm so sorry, Rory. You know that you have our support, right? And Mom and Dad are going to love you, so they'll be there for you as well," Abby assured her.

Rory smiled gratefully. "I appreciate that so much. I guess my mom is going through some stuff right now - I think a lot of it probably has to do with my grandpa's death, and she's unhappy with her life. I'm trying really hard not to let it affect my decisions or my happiness. She's always expected me to be her mini-me, so seeing me make decisions that she doesn't agree with starts a fight."

"But Tristan is important to you, so you won't give in there, right?" asked Abby.

"Your brother is everything to me," Rory said with a smile. "I don't care what my mom says - he's...well, I shouldn't say that, but he's incredibly important to me. I won't let her get in the way of our relationship."

"Shouldn't say what?" Abby prodded.

Rory sighed and finished off her lemonade. There was just enough vodka in it to make her a little more likely to spill her innermost thoughts to the woman sitting across the table.

"Are you sure you want to hear this?" Rory asked.

"I'm positive. We're going to be the best of friends, Rory, I can already tell."

"Alright, then. At my college graduation, when Logan proposed, we'd never really talked about marriage. He stood there in front of my family and the DAR and my grandparents' friends and made this speech and asked me to marry him and I just...I couldn't see it. The proposal wasn't right - he should have known that I wouldn't like such a public spectacle. But the man wasn't right either. I loved him, but we'd been together for three years and I'd never dreamed of walking down the aisle toward him in a white dress," Rory confided. "Logan was my great love - it was exciting, intense, consuming, challenging. It demanded things that I wasn't always ready to give, and it changed me in ways that it shouldn't have."

She looked over at Abby, who was listening with rapt attention and nodding along. "But with Tris, it's so different. He's only been back in my life for a little less than two months, but it's so right, Abby. I've never been one to dream of getting married and starting a family, but now I find myself thinking of having that with him. I sat there with Kayla asleep on my lap last night and I realized how badly I want that with Tris. He's my right love. It's pure and raw, and he makes my life better. He doesn't ask for anything but my love and devotion. He wants what's best for me and loves me just like I am, faults and all. He's my forever," she finished quietly.

Abby squealed and came around the table, enveloping Rory in a tight embrace. "You're his forever, too! I just know it!" she whispered.

*                    *                    *

Abby tore through the lobby at McRae and Associates and blew past Mindy into Tristan's office. "Tristan Janlan Dugrey!" she exclaimed as she walked through his door.

Tristan looked up and smiled at the whirlwind that was Abigail Dugrey-Hamilton. His sister had always been a force to be reckoned with. "Everything okay there, Abby?" Tristan chuckled.

"Everything is better than okay, Tristan! She loves you," Abby ranted.

"Is this supposed to be news to me? Because I've known that for a while now."

"We had lunch, and she and I were talking. She started to admit something about you, but then she stopped herself. She finally started talking again and she told me all about Logan's proposal and why she said no - she never saw herself marrying him."

"You stormed into my office to tell me why my girlfriend isn't married to my cousin?" he asked frustratedly.

"No, you idiot! I came to your office to tell you that she told me all of that to explain that even though it wasn't right with Logan after being together for three years, she said she knows it's right with you. She wants to marry you and start a family, Tristan!" Abby exclaimed excitedly.

Tristan's eyes snapped up and he smiled broadly. "You're serious? We haven't been together that long. I know that I want to marry her, but I expected it to take her a while to be ready for that step."

"I'm serious, little brother. She sat there and told me how badly she wants forever with you, despite what her mom thinks."

"What are you doing right now?" Tristan asked excitedly.

"I'm standing in your office?" Abby asked uncertainly. "Why?"

"Because I'm going to go engagement ring shopping, and you're coming with me," replied Tristan. He stood up and grabbed his phone.

"Right now?" Abby asked.

"Right now," he confirmed. He walked out of his office with Abby on his heels and turned to Mindy as he left. "Mindy, I'll be out for a few hours, but I have my cell phone with me if there's anything urgent."

"Of course, sir," Mindy said bitterly. She'd heard the entire conversation.