Precious Ties: The Gift

Chapter 30: Memories

"I still can't believe it," Rory said as she collapsed into bed after finally settling her over-tired nephews and giving Ella a last feed for the night. It had been a long, long day but while Rory was exhausted, her mind was still busy processing. "I can't believe that Grandma didn't tell us about Mom's sister.....it must have been so hard for her having to give up her baby.....I just can't imagine it! What a difficult secret to keep.....but I'm so glad Susan found us and I can't wait to meet my new cousin!"

"Yeah the whole thing has really blown me away....I just can't imagine how something like that didn't get out....you know with the way society families gossip! It must have been so hard for Emily tonight...and Lorelai and you too —such a shock! " Logan said putting his arms around his wife just as his phone vibrated with a message. "Oh good news...Finn and Laura are on their way home! Just as well their new house is ready to move into, given that we have run out of room here with our new residents in the pool house! They said they can't wait to see us and they hope we had a happy Thanksgiving....they really missed us! Wait 'til they hear all of our news! ....It will be so good to have them back....I really need a good dose of Finn! I think I've come to depend on him.....Finn says it's about time we had a LDB get together....he's been messaging Colin and Robert.......Oh Laura says to tell you she thinks Cayden is missing all of us....It will be so great to have them over.....I think Ella will love it, don't you think so Ace?.......................Ace....Ace?"

Rory's head had been leaning on Logan's chest and the rhythm of his heart beat along with the deep vibration of his voice had gently lulled her off to sleep! It had been a huge day! Logan kissed Rory's forehead, so thankful for her, the children and everything else. He flicked off the light and soon fell asleep holding his wife.

Lorelai lay in her bed, tossing and turning. The babies were moving a lot after the huge amount of food she had consumed throughout the day. One of them seemed to have the hiccups and her heartburn had kicked in so sleep just wouldn't come. Lorelai's mind was filled with the events of the day along with what seemed like all the 'what ifs' and 'maybes' of her entire lifetime.

Things just seemed to make a lot more sense now that she had met Susan. All of her mother's frustrations and expectations for both of her girls had been placed on Lorelai. She pondered over the fact that quite possibly Emily's own feelings of failure in becoming pregnant out of wedlock were revisited when Lorelai had Rory.

"No wonder she was so upset..." Lorelai thought aloud.

"What? ....Did you say something?" Luke mumbled half asleep.

"Sorry, I'm still thinking about my Mom....I guess she must have relived her whole ordeal when I became pregnant! I just wish I had known...I don't like to admit it but I was a bit challenging as a teen...." Lorelai confessed. "I just never felt like I fit in there....never felt like I was good enough..... but I didn't know she was still grieving her loss.......it must have broken mom's heart when I left with Rory.....oh my.....I just remembered...."

"Remembered what?" Luke asked as Lorelai suddenly sat up in their bed.

"Mom used to call Rory 'Susan' when she was young! It used to make me so mad....but maybe it was because she reminded her of my sister......oh it sounds so good to say 'sister'! I've always wanted a sister....do you think we will get along well?" Lorelai asked as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and headed to the ensuite. "Luke? ....Luke?"

Luke was snoring steadily so when Lorelai was finished in the ensuite, she headed downstairs to get some warm milk. The house seemed so quiet as she walked through the living room to sit in front of the fire. It had been such a wonderful family get together in their new house, one she would never forget! As the embers softly glowed in the dark room, memories of all the happy voices that had filled her home, echoed in her mind and the one that stood out the most was not surprisingly, that of her sister Susan. She just couldn't stop thinking about her! The way she walked just like her mother and was eerily so much like herself too!