What should've been

Family Dinner

"Logan!" Rory called out to Logan who was getting Lena ready for dinner with the Gilmores

"What's wrong?" Logan asked from Lena room

"Dress! Sling! Tangled!"

"I'm coming" Logan walked into the room and set Lena down on the carpet "Ace..." Logan couldn't help but chuckle "I told you to wait for me"

"I'm 27 years old, Logan. I should be able to dress myself"

"Except that you had surgery 10 days ago" he reminded her "2 surgeries actually"

"I hate this" Rory groaned

"I know" Logan wrapped his arm around her "look on the bright side...now we have a use for those baby shoes your mom bought us"

Rory gasped and looked at Lena "you put them on her?!"

"I did" Logan smiled

"She looks adorable!"

"Yes she does" Logan kissed Rory's cheek and then helped her get dressed

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"Will everyone have their usual?" Richard asked once everyone was sitting in the living room of the Gilmore house

"Yes please" Lorelai said

"Just a club soda for me, please" Rory said

"No martini?" Emily asked

"I'm still on pain medication for my arm" Rory explained "No alcohol while I'm taking it"

"Club soda it is then" Richard said

Lena started squirming in Logan's lap

"Hey, you wanna see something great?" Rory offered

"What?" Emily asked

"Look" Rory said

Logan stood Lena up on the floor and backed a few feet away from her and crouched down

"Come here" Logan said holding his arms out towards Lena. Lena looked back at Rory

"Go" Rory said "go to daddy"

Lena took a few steps towards Logan and Logan backed up so Lena could keep walking.

"Oh, my god!" Lorelai exclaimed

Logan caught Lena just as she was about to fall

"When did she learn that?" Emily asked, surprised

"This afternoon" Logan said as he sat back down with Lena in his lap

"Good luck" lorelai laughed

"Excuse me?" Rory asked, confused

"You thought she was all over the place when she could crawl. Just wait until she gets the hang of walking"

"Lorelai..." Luke warned

"I'm serious" Lorelai said "she's gonna be all over the place. The same week you learned to walk to also decided that human contact was beneath you. If anyone tried to touch you for any reason you would scream your little head off"

"Really?" Rory asked

"Yeah. And don't get me started on potty training you. You would-"

"Ok!" Rory interrupted Lorelai "we're not there yet. Besides I've heard this story enough times to know that I don't want Logan hearing it"

"Oh, well now I'm curious" Logan said, putting his hand on Rory's thigh

"Tough"

"So, Rory, how's your shoulder?" Richard asked once he has given everyone their drinks and sat down

"It hurts" Rory said "I feel a little bad. Logan did all the packing and unpacking not to mention that you need 2 hands to change a diaper meaning he's had to do all of that too"

"I knew what I was getting myself into when we decided to have a kid" Logan said

"Yeah, but you didn't sign up do it all of it" Rory said

"It's fine"

"Is Lena sleeping in her own room now?" Emily asked

"She is" Rory said "and I'm practically glued to the baby monitor"

"Well, that's normal" Lorelai said "you get used to her being in her own room"

"Dinner is ready Mrs Gilmore" the maid said

"Thank you Cassandra" Emily said.

They all made their way into the dining room and the maid brought out the first course along with a slightly modified plate for Lena

"What's in the sauce, grandma?" Rory asked

"I'm not sure. Why?"

"It just smells kinda nutty and I wanna make sure there's no peanuts before I give it to Lena"

"Oh, of course" Emily said "I'll go find out" she got up and walked into the kitchen

"How's April doing?" Logan asked

"She's doing good" Luke said "The semester is over in a few weeks and she'll spend a few weeks with her mom and then a few with us before going on some road trip thing with her friends"

"That sounds nice" Richard said

"It really does" Rory added

"No peanuts and no dairy" Emily said coming back into the dining room "It's Lena friendly"

"Perfect. Thank you" Rory said

"It's no problem"

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"Is she asleep?" Rory asked when Logan joined her in bed that night

"Out cold" he wrapped his arms around her and carefully pulled her into him

"And the monitor?"

"It's on the night stand"

"Thank you"

"So I was thinking... Lena's birthday is coming up"

"Oh, don't remind me" Rory groaned "she's growing too fast"

"Do we wanna do anything for her birthday?"

"I think so" Rory said "maybe just something calm and low key. Invite the family over, swim, have cake and watermelon And popsicles or something like that"

"That sounds perfect"