(Complete) New Year's Day is a time for resolutions. Jack Harris, still mourning the tragic death of his wife, vows to start living again. Maddie Evans dumps her boyfriend and vows no more meaningless sex.
Jack moves to The Point to live in his pa...
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Rory was getting used to Jack and Maddie and their affections. One day they sat her down and told her about the baby.
"You, two are grownups. You're supposed to know better."
Jack just sighed and Maddie said, "It's okay because, at my age, I was running out of time, anyway."
"I hope you're happy kiddo because we are." He smiled at Maddie and gave her one of those lovey-dovey looks.
Rory just rolled her eyes. "If you are then I am, but more diapers!" They laughed. She thought about the time before the engagement. "Is that why you had a fight before you got engaged?"
Maddie said, "We didn't fight. I was afraid that your father wouldn't be happy about the baby and was staying away. I was wrong, because he was very happy."
"Is very happy!"
"Okay, cool."
The first of December, the truck arrived with their belongings. Rory loved their new house. Best of all was her bedroom - Emma's too. Jen had decorated Emma's to look very much like the way mommy had decorated Rory's old room and Rory's had a few reminders of that room, but it was totally grown up and awesome. Without a doubt, finally getting their furniture back made it truly feel like home. She missed her bed and their sofa after a summer with bean bags. Then there were the boxes. Jack spent hours going through everything from dishes to old files. Eventually, there were only two boxes left.
"What are those?" Maddie asked one evening.
"Those were Nicole's. She moved them into the old house and never unpacked. I didn't have the time or energy to look through them before the move. I need to though." He sighed.
"What can I do? Help you? Leave you alone?"
"I'll tackle them tomorrow. Right now, I want to sit with my wife and relax." He hugged her.
Rory rolled her eyes. "Always touching each other!"
"I'll touch you!" Jack said, as he gave her a hug.
"Dad, stop! You're crazy!"
Secretly Rory loved it. She loved her new family and her life on The Point.
When she came home from school, Jack was waiting for her. They were the only ones home in the afternoon, because most of the time Maddie dropped off and picked up Emma since the daycare was near the library.
"Hey kiddo, we need to talk."
She mentally went through what she might have done to warrant a talk. Her grades were fine. She and Sam hadn't - well hadn't.
"I went through those boxes today. A lot of it was old stuff. You know mementos from when mom was young. You might like to go through them, but I found something else." She looked at him waiting for him to go on. Nervous about what he had to say. "I found some journals. You both liked to write your feelings. I looked through them a little, but I was curious about one relationship and what she said about it. Rory honey, she wrote about the man who was your father."
"Kevin Trainor?" She knew who he meant.
"Yes, I have to say she never shared details of their relationship with me. I didn't even know about his family spreading rumors about her until this summer. I assumed it was a teen relationship much like yours with Sam or Maddie and Drew. I can tell you or you can read what she wrote. It wasn't what I expected, but you should know."
"Tell me and then I can read it if I need to," she said tentatively.
"They were not dating. In fact, he was dating another girl at school. Both he and the girl were part of a more popular crowd with more money than Pop and Mimi."
"Sounds like the jerks in my old school."
Jack just nodded and continued, "You know your mother was beautiful... much like you." Rory agreed with him about her mother, but not herself. "Apparently, Kevin had a fight with his girlfriend and used mom to make her jealous. Because he was popular and rich, she was flattered. He sweet-talked her into doing more than she ever wanted to. She hadn't had a boyfriend before and... well, you know what I'm saying." Rory nodded. "Sweetie, it was once. Just once and then he made up with his girl and ignored her at school. When she found out she was expecting you, she went to him. He denied it and called her names. Pop went to his parents, because he was angry. Your mom was his little girl, just like you'll always be mine. They denied it and because Pop was working class, they assumed it meant mom was a certain type of girl, but what she wrote makes it clear she never was."
By the time Jack was done they were both crying. He held her, and she felt safe in his arms. He was her father and had always loved her. He had treated her like she was special the first time she met him. She only remembered it a little but heard the story many times. She thought about what she had just learned about her poor mother when she had been less than two years older than Rory was. She didn't need the man who hurt her mother. She had a father who would always love her, no matter how many kids he had. Together they had loved each other through the worst thing ever and survived. She didn't need to meet or talk to her sperm donor.
"I never want to see him or meet him. I don't need to because he is nothing to me. I have a dad. I don't need another."
"Are you sure?"
She nodded and clung to him and felt safe. Eventually, she let go and wiped her eyes. She went up to her new room and sent a text to Sam. She bundled up and told Jack she'd be back. He knew who she was going to see.
It was cold on the beach, but they went for a walk, anyway. Rory told him everything she had just learned. He listened and stopped and held her. Being in Sam's arms was different from Jack's, but both were comforting.
After a few minutes, Rory asked, "Why me?"
"What?"
"Why did you pick me when there are more popular girls who would go out with you in a heartbeat?"
"Why would you ask that, because of what that bastard did to your mother? Other girls are not you. We belong together." Rory didn't believe him and he must have realized because he pulled her into his arms again and kissed her. "Rory, it's only you. I love you."
"You do? Really?"
"Yes, silly. You're the only one I want to be with. So?"
"So?"
"So how do you feel about me?"
"You're my best friend and I love you too. I think I have for a long time."
