Unfinished Business

20

Rory:

I walked out into it cold winter air. Jess was out by the cars pacing back and forth. On one hand, he didn't have a right to be angry like this. On the other hand though, I knew how much he cared about my daughter, and me.

"Jess." I said stepping of the last step.

"Rory! Seriously what is going on in there!" Jess yelled at me.

"Well, that's a bit of a long story." I said, now rubbing my temple. First mom and now Jess. Give me a break.

"I bet." He mumbled.

"Why is this any of your business anyway?" I said. Trying to avoid the subject.

"My...? Rory. I've barely been gone a month and now all of a sudden that guy--" He said.

"Her father." I inserted, cutting him off.

"Okay. Her father." He said. "Her father is all of a sudden in her life? How in the world does that happen."

"It happened when I went to New York for my interview." I said remaining calm.

"What was he the guy who interviewed you?" He asked.

"No. But he was in New York. Hold on, I don't understand why I'm explaining myself to you." I said, crossing my arms.

"Because I've been in that little girls life since she was born, and I saw you go though all the ups and downs with her, alone nonetheless." He said.

"Yes but that was my choice." I replied.

"Which is why I'm left in the dark here Rory." Jess said, leaning against the car behind them.

"I ran into Logan while I was in New York and he asked me to catch up." I said.

"Okay. But there must be more, since he's sitting in there. Or is he really that stupid to not know who she is." He said, pointing at the house.

"No, he knows who she is. We were supposed to meet at Weston's a couple days ago, but he showed up early and came by the house to surprise me instead." I said. "Logan ended up answering the door."

"I see." He said. "And now what? You three are just some big happy family?"

"No. I haven't told her." I said, looking down

"You haven't--. Rory!" Jess snapped at me.

"What! He goes back to London tomorrow! It didn't make any sense to say anything to her since he's leaving." I said. "Look. I don't expect you to understand?"

"You're damn right I don't understand!" He yelled.

"Jess. I don't even understand why you're acting like this. Logan is her father. Not you. He has the right to be here right now. I'm sorry if you don't like it, but this is what's going to happen. Now, you can go back in there with me and be civil, just like I told my mom just moments before you walked in, or you can get in your car and leave. It's up to you." I said finishing my thought. I watched Jess stand there and fight within himself.

"Well I don't know what you'll have to tell her if I were to leave right now." He said.

"I don't know either, but I'll just have to think of something." I replied.

"And it would be fun to watch pretty boy squirm." He said with a sly grin.

"What pat of civil do you not understand?" I asked rolling my eyes.

"Now where's the fun in that!" He chuckled as he walked by me and back toward the house.

"Jess!" I yelled at him and I headed back inside as well.

***

Logan:

I walked back into the kitchen where the table was covered in food. Logan plopped herself back into a chair and stuffed a French fry into her mouth and then picked up a burger with her little hands. I laughed to myself as I watched her. The burger she held seemed way to big for her. But, I couldn't help but think about what was happening outside.

Why did Rory think she needed to explain herself to that guy? What had happened in the past couple years to warrent that? Were they together? I mean they had been before. Insecurity didn't bode well for me.

"So Logan. Rory says you head home tomorrow?" Luke asked.

"Yeah. Gotta get back to business as usual." I replied

"Early flight?" Lorelei chimed in.

"Kinda. 9 am." I said.

"Where do you live?" Logan asked.

"London." I said, smiling down at her and her chubby cheeks fully of food.

"Where's that?" She asked.

"Ummm." I said pulling out my phone and opening maps and walking over to her. "You see here, this is where we are. Now, London is all the way over here." I said moving the image on the map.

"Wow! That's really far away!" She said surprised. "Why do you live all the way over there?"

"Because that's where my job is." I said putting the phone back in my pocket.

"But I thought you work in New York. That's where you say mommy right?" She asked.

"Well, actually I was just on a work trip." I replied.

"Oh." She said going back to her food.

I looked from Luke to Lorelei who were trying to advert their attention.

"Who wants pie?!" Lorelei said enthusiastically.

"Me!" Logan said, noticeably happy again.

"So Logan, what kind of things do you like?" I asked.

"Well I like to read with mommy, and color pictures. And in the morning we watch disney cartoons. I really like that!" She said. "Let me get my coloring book so I can show you my pictures!"

Before I could say anything she ran into the bedroom and back out with a thick coloring book titled around the world. She held it oit to me and I took it, flipping through it.

"Oh yes. These are very nice." I said.

"Really?" She asked.

"Yeah. And I think this one is my favorite." I said. Stopping at a rainbow colored Big Ben. "You know, this is actually in London?"

"Really?" She asked wide eyed.

"Really. Maybe one day you'll get to see it." I said, and then I heard a cough come from Lorelei.

"So what did we miss?" Rory said walking back in.

I was excited to see her, then I saw that Jess was still here as well.

"Not much. Logan was just showing be her pictures." I said.

"Mommy, did you know that Big Ben is in London!" Logan said, running over to her.

"I did." Rory said, looking up at me. "Well, I'm starving. Somebody pass me a burger."