Finding Rory

Chapter 68: So Tired

"Thank you so much for hosting our family this weekend. I loved getting to know you all," Lorelai said sincerely as they loaded the last of their things into Tristan's waiting SUV. She had been surprised to find that Chandler and Michelle were were nice, down-to-earth people. She and Michelle had bonded over shoes and their shared lack of cooking skills. The weekend had actually made Lorelai feel confident in Rory's decision to marry Tristan. It had warmed her heart to see how Rory and Tristan took care of each other and how in love they were. She wasn't afraid to admit that she'd been wrong - she had allowed her bias about society and all of the mental and emotional effects of menopause blind her to how good Tristan and Rory were together.

"Oh, we're just so happy to have had the opportunity to spend time with your family. We'll be back in Hartford soon and I'll come to the Dragonfly to meet you for lunch," Michelle promised.

"I'll be looking forward to it," Lorelai replied. She hugged Chandler and Michelle goodbye and they all loaded up for the drive back to Hartford. Rory and Lorelai fell asleep on the drive back and Tristan and Luke rode along, neither of them saying much. They'd spent quite a lot of time together over the weekend and were to the point of feeling comfortable around each other even when they weren't talking. They chatted a bit during the drive, but mostly enjoyed the peace and quiet.

When they arrived back at Tristan and Rory's house, Luke moved their bags to his truck and guided the still-sleepy Lorelai into the passenger seat before departing for Stars Hollow. Rory had woke when they arrived at home and helped Tristan carry their things in and settle in for the rest of the evening. She snuggled up to him on the couch and sighed contentedly.

"You okay, Mare?" Tristan asked.

"Yeah, just really tired. It was a great weekend, though. I'm so relieved that our parents all got along well, and that my dad and Luke are on good terms now."

"It was a really great weekend," Tristan agreed. "I'm really happy to know that our families all like each other, too."

Rory yawned again and closed her eyes for a minute. "Are you sure you're okay, baby?" Tristan asked again. It wasn't anywhere near as late as they usually went to bed.

"Yeah, I just feel like I have absolutely no energy. I think I'm going to go ahead and go to bed if that's okay with you."

"We haven't even had dinner yet," Tristan said, not believing what he was hearing. He'd never known Rory to skip a meal.

"I know, but I'm not really hungry. I've been a little nauseated all day, and food is the last thing on my mind."

"Alright, I'll tuck you in and then work on the merger for a while; there's no way I could go to sleep this early," Tristan said. He walked her into their bedroom and watched her as she got ready for bed, feeling so lucky that he was the man she'd chosen to spend her life with. She walked over to where he was sitting on the bed and stood between his legs, laying her head on his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around him. She cuddled into his embrace and closed her eyes.

"You know, I really love you," she whispered with a smile.

"That's a good thing, because I really love you, too. That's why I asked you to marry me," Tristan said with a laugh. "Now, let's get you into bed before you fall asleep standing up."

Tristan pulled the covers back and laid down next to Rory. He covered them both up and smiled as she curled into his arms. "Stay with me until I fall asleep?" she whispered.

"Of course, Mary," he replied softly. She laid her head on his chest and it was only a few minutes before her breathing evened out and she was fast asleep. He laid there for a little bit longer, unable to pull himself away from her so soon. He was already dreading being in Boston for most of the coming week; he hated the thought of not falling to sleep next to her.

After about ten minutes, he finally pulled himself away. He tucked her into the covers and walked down the hall to their study. He still had several details to hammer out before he, Colin and Mindy left for Boston early Tuesday morning. He sighed as he sat down at his desk and began reading through the contract. He grabbed his pen and began making notes on his working copy of concerns he had and issues that needed to be taken into consideration before making things final.

Things had been a bit tense in the office since the business dinner with Chris and Neil. Colin was shocked to learn that Rory was the legendary Hayden daughter and he was struggling with dealing with the fact that Rory and Tristan would have a controlling interest in the firm after they married. Tristan and Colin had spent several hours discussing Colin's concerns and trying to figure out how best to structure things so that Colin felt as comfortable as possible with the merger. He understood where Colin was coming from and had repeatedly offered to take himself out of the equation by not taking ownership of his share of the newly-formed firm, but Colin and Chris had both quickly vetoed that idea. Now they were working together to address any concerns as fully as possible and get everything finalized on paper prior to meeting in Boston. Tristan worked until the early hours of the morning, until he could hardly see straight, and then finally decided to call it a night. He put his papers into his briefcase and walked back to their bedroom, exhausted and ready for sleep. He quickly got ready for bed and then crawled into the bed next to Rory. He smiled as Rory scooted over into his arms in her sleep. This woman had turned him into a very happy one-woman man.