Gilmore Girls: Precious Ties

Chapter 31: The News

The still quiet air on Boxing Day morning was broken by the return of the noisy kookaburra which perched itself outside of Rory's window and laughed for all it was worth! After two rounds of raucous laughter, Rory began to stir. Her mind slowly started to put together the events of the last two days and as things became clearer, she felt her heart beginning to pound noisily inside her chest.

Looking at her phone, she saw it was only 6am and she wondered if it were too early to ring the hospital. Realising she should probably hold off for about an hour, she decided she would get up and at least be ready in case they needed to go straight in. Her body protested as she dragged herself from the luxurious comfort of her bed and headed to her ensuite for a shower. She could hardly remember getting home the previous night, having collapsed into bed in such a state of exhaustion.

It felt so good to feel water falling over her head as she washed her hair and after dressing in some shorts and a t-shirt, Rory decided to creep out the house and go for a walk. She had recently discovered that endorphins were her friends and a little exercise would hopefully help the stressed feeling to subside, at least for a while.

Grabbing some fruit and a bottle of water, Rory quietly walked through the living room past Robert who was asleep on the couch. She drew in a few deep breaths as she stood on the deck before walking down the stairs and out the little white gate to the esplanade.

Looking down at the beach below, Rory found it hard to see this view as the same place where she had frolicked with Finn in the waves just three days ago as so much had happened since then. It had been the beginning of a time of restful contemplation where she would have time to write and enjoy all the wonders of this great place alongside of a very caring, generous man who she had come to appreciate more and more. She had thought that her life was complicated before she came to Australia but now it seemed like a whole new complex layer had been added!

Rory was amazed at the number of people who were already out for their early morning walk, probably trying to walk off the excesses of Christmas Day feasting. As several of them overtook her along the winding path, she couldn't help wondering, "Do they really get to appreciate how beautiful this place is while jogging by with earphones jammed in their ears?"

The sound of the waves breaking on the shore was in itself, music to Rory's ears. Somehow as she paced along she relied on the soothing sound more than ever! The tide was high and in places Rory stopped to watch as large waves collided with the rocks, sending a huge spray of white foam, shooting high into the air. The corresponding sound was thunderous and resounded deep inside her, strangely bringing her much needed comfort. Perhaps it was the hope that there was something bigger than herself, perhaps there was a higher power in control.

Rory wasn't sure how far she had walked but her stomach and legs told her it was time to sit down and eat her fruit. There was something special about this seaside location that made Rory feel she was not alone with the things that weighed heavily on her mind.

As she rested, her eyes fixed on a young couple holding hands as they walked. Somehow this image swept Rory into a make believe world where Logan was not in hospital, but here with her on this picturesque beach. She could see the sun reflecting off his blonde hair and felt safe as his strong hand firmly held hers. Every now and then he would pause, just so he could look at her, then staring deep into her eyes, they would find themselves lost in a moment of passion, unnoticed by the world but declaring their love and commitment again and again.

Thoughts of their first kiss in the ICU snapped Rory back to the real world and she quickly rang the hospital to check on Logan. There was apparently no change and she was pleased that he was still sleeping. She wondered if today he would still be living without the memory of the past 11 years. There were definitely some things that she felt he would be better off forgetting like the day she turned down his proposal, and all the years they spent apart. "What if he never remembers the last 12 months?...Hamburg...New Hampshire....the moment his child was conceived? What if he doesn't remember his new memories?"