7-16-14: A few weeks ago, I was introduced to My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic by my two favorite little girls, and I realized that I somehow had a weird association with Sweetie Belle and baking. That was when I remembered this fic. I wrote this just as the T.V. show was taking off, and it had been years since I'd played with my ponies, so I was just going off of the available MLP toy sets at the time. When Lucy refers to the friendships between her ponies, she's talking about her world, not anything canonical. That being said, since this story is only set a few years in the future, I have a feeling that Lucy is definitely a MLP watcher, so I'll be updating this when I have a free moment.
Of his many assets, Max Medina was most proud that he never balked from responsibility. No matter how hard living up to responsibility could be, there was a reason he was now the Assistant Headmaster at Chilton Preparatory School in Hartford. Max was hardworking and reliable, and these traits had taken him very far in his professional life so far.
As he took in the Yale cafeteria, on the day trip he had taken with some of the Chilton juniors who were considering Yale, he found himself thinking of another of his students who had gone there. Rory Gilmore, who was often featured in the alumni section of the Chilton newsletter for her journalism achievements, had graduated valedictorian at Chilton, before heading off to Yale. Max himself had been shocked when word had reached him about Rory's school of choice. Unlike most of his students, he had known Rory Gilmore outside of the classroom. He had seen the Harvard paraphernalia on her bedroom walls, and he still did not know what had swayed her to decide on Yale, instead of Harvard. Regardless, he had taken this news in stride, as any achievement of Rory Gilmore was an achievement of his own.
After he ordered a cup of coffee and a scone, he sat down at a table in the cafeteria, ignoring the strange looks he was getting from the college students. The five students who had gone with him, specifically selected for their academic achievements, were currently on a tour of the Yale campus, and he had a little time to kill before their tour was done. He was just taking a sip of his coffee (no doubt not as good as the coffee carts' outside, but it was a cold day in March, and he had traded comfort for quality), when his ears perked up at the sound of a very young voice. He almost spit out his coffee, upon hearing the conversation that followed.
"Please, please, please, Grandpa? Please, please, please? Mommy lets me have it all the time!"
"You're asking me to believe that your father, the prime tea drinker in your family, allows you to drink coffee?"
"Well…Mommy wouldn't mind if you gave me some!"
"Uh, huh. Hello Angelo, it's very nice to see you today. I would like one cup of tea for myself and a hot chocolate and a slice of pound cake for the little lady here. Now, Lucy, is hot chocolate not as good or better than coffee?"
"I guess."
"You guess right. Now, why don't you find a table while Angelo finishes making our beverages? My, I've haven't seen this place so filled in a long time. It must be the weather outside. You'd better hurry up if you want to find us a suitable table."
Max watched as the little girl, a few years older than Max's own son, went to find a table. Her grandfather was still waiting for the beverages, lost in conversation with a pupil, who looked like a sophomore or junior in college. Max was just trying to place the odd familiarity of the grandfather's tall, sturdy stature and deep voice, when he caught a better sight of the little girl. She was dressed in blue jeans and a stylist, pink button-up coat, and her short, curly dark brown hair reached her shoulders. Even a few feet away, Max could clearly make out her sparkling blue eyes.
Max drew in a breath. His mind had automatically gone to Lorelai after hearing the little girl beg for coffee, but he had supposed it was a simple coincidence. Now, after seeing so clearly how much she resembled Lorelai, he was not at all sure. Thinking back to a brief time he had met Richard Gilmore, he vaguely remembered a part-time Professor Gilmore at Yale. At the time, his thoughts had turned to Rory, but now, he found himself thinking about Lorelai. Was it possible that the little girl was hers?
Before his thoughts could go much further, he was approached by the little girl in question. Having no doubt noticed him staring, she eyed him curiously. "Hello," she said good-naturedly.
"Hi," said Max, a little taken aback by the little girl's outgoing nature. The evidence that she was Lorelai's was now overwhelming, as Max had yet to meet another woman as vivacious and full of life as Lorelai Gilmore. Realizing that he now had the opportunity to find out whether his suspicions were correct, he pointed to the man, who was still talking to what was presumably one of his students. "Is that your grandfather?"
The girl brightened at this comment, her face shining with pride for the man in question. "Yeah," she said. "He's a teacher here. He teaches…well, I don't know, but he's really, really good at it."
"I bet," said Max.
The girl's forehead creased. "Do you teach here too?"
"Well, yes I do teach, but not here," Max said, wondering if he should mention the very school he taught at. Deciding not to, he continued. "I teach a few English classes and am the Assistant Headmaster at a high school in Hartford. I'm actually here to look at Yale with some of my students. They're taking a tour now, so I have a few minutes to spare before they're back."
The girl smiled. "Oh, my grandparents live in Hartford too! I'm only six and just in kindergarten, but next year, I'll be in first grade, and I can't wait to start real school." Holding out her hand, she gave him another grin. "My name is Lucy Danes."
A bit surprised by the formal introduction (if she was indeed Lorelai's, it must have her grandparents could had taught her that), he took in her last name. Though the name was vaguely familiar, "Danes" was also a common last name, so he couldn't be sure her father was anyone he had met. He was also surprised Lucy merely had her father's last name. Given Lorelai's personality, he would have expected her kids to be called 'Gilmore-Danes" at the very least, but instead here was Lucy Danes, with no "Gilmore" attached to her name to speak of. His heart beat quicker, realizing how much Lorelai really did love her husband, if she was willing to sacrifice her own last name for his.
"Nice to meet you, Lucy Danes," Max said, shaking her hand back. "I'm Max Medina, but since you're not one of my students, you're welcome to call me 'Max.' Now do you prefer 'Lucy' or 'Miss Danes'?"
She giggled. "Lucy's fine. No one's called me 'Miss Danes' before. It makes me sound really, really old."
"Well, we wouldn't want that, would we?" said Max with a chuckle. Despite Lucy's possible parentage, he was charmed by the precocious little girl. "So, do you come here often?"
Lucy shrugged. "Sometimes, if my mommy, daddy, or Grandma is busy. Babette has to be really busy too, cause she likes taking care of us, and so do Sookie and Jackson. I like being with Sookie the best, cause Will and I get to play with Davey and Martha and Daisy, and they're so much fun." Max looked at her, clearly remembering Lorelai's best friend. And Will…did Lucy have a brother? Oblivious to his revelation, Lucy rambled on. "But today, my sister April's looking at Yale, cause though she's almost done with college at M.T.I. or something, she wants to go again or something. She took off school and Will and I have a day off, and Grandpa doesn't have any classes today, so we're here."
"M.I.T.?" said Max, wondering about the identity of this "older sister". Did Lorelai have some sort of stepdaughter?
Lucy brightened. "Yeah, that's it. Anyway, my brother, Will-he's seven and thinks he's so much older because of it, but he's really not- is with her now. It's really cool, cause I almost never get to be with Grandpa by myself, and now I get to." She turned around to wave at her grandfather, who was now talking to two students, instead of one. A confused Richard Gilmore waved back, but before he could make his way to Lucy and Max, his students corned him by talking once again. Now that Max had seen Richard's face, he was quite sure that he was Lorelai's father.
Before Max could say anything else, Lucy pointed to the cup on his table. "Is this coffee?" she said breathlessly. When he nodded, her bright blue eyes widened. "You're so lucky! I really, really want to taste coffee, but my daddy won't let me. I tried to get Grandpa to get me some coffee, but he wouldn't either. It's so unfair, because according to my mommy, my daddy has the best coffee ever, and he still won't let me have any!"
Max's heart race quickened, as he unexpectedly remembered a statement Lorelai had made long ago. This is Luke Danes. Luke owns the diner. He has the greatest coffee. Luke, Lucy. Glancing closer at Lucy, he looked past the initial Lorelai and was surprised to find himself confronting another familiar face. Could it be…? Answering his question, Lucy said, "If you like coffee, you'd love my daddy's. He runs a diner. You should stop by or something. Even if you don't feel like coffee, he makes really great hamburgers too. You have to try one."
"Sorry for the wait, Lucy," interrupted Richard, appearing with two mugs and a piece of vanilla pound cake on a plate. "Midterms are coming up, and some of my students are very anxious about what's going to be on my test." He looked at Max, a bit suspiciously. "And you are…?"
"Max, sir," Max said, deliberately not mentioning his last name. "I teach at a high school in Hartford, and a few of my juniors are taking a tour here as we speak. I have to say, your granddaughter is very charming. I can't remember the last time I met such a precocious five-year-old."
Richard's face softened, and he looked at Lucy affectionately. Lucy stepped closer to her grandfather and gave him a wide grin. "She gets it from her mother. Lucy fortunately isn't as difficult to raise as my Lorelai was, but I haven't seen met any other little girl with so much life and spunk since Lorelai. My other granddaughter has quite a few traits in common with her mother too, but she's a lot more reserved than her mother is."
"Really," said Max, hoping his face would not betray his feelings at the mention of Lorelai and Rory. "Well, at any rate, you don't have to worry about me speaking with your granddaughter. I have a four-year-old son myself, so I can certainly understand your concern. Talking to strangers is not a matter to be taken lately."
"But I wouldn't have talked to you if I didn't know you were nice!" Lucy complained.
Chuckling, Richard handed Lucy her cup of hot chocolate and took her by the arm. "We'll discuss that later. Now come along, Lucy. It seems another table has opened up. Why don't you say goodbye to your new friend so that we have a chance to enjoy our drinks our drinks before your brother and April are done looking around? I've been looking forward to hearing more about that book your mother is reading you and Will. One of Roald Dahl's, was it?"
This seemed to cheer up Lucy greatly, for she nodded without protesting. "Yeah, Matilda. It's really, really good." She smiled at Max. "Bye, Max. Think about coming to the diner. You won't be sorry!"
"There goes my granddaughter, advertising about my son-in-law's business," Richard said with another chuckle. "I must say, for what seems like a run-of-the-mill establishment, it really is quite excellent. If you're ever interested in a break from Hartford, you should consider going to Stars Hollow. I'm sure you, your son, and wife would enjoy it."
"Maybe I will," say Max, still trying to ignore his hurt that Richard did not recognize him. With a nod, Richard began to edge to another table. He glanced a final time at the little girl. "Bye, Lucy. It was very nice to have met you. I'll try to make it to the diner sometime."
"Bye!" said Lucy with a wave, before fixing her attention back on her grandfather.
As he listened to Lucy jabber on and on about Matilda, Max found himself thinking back to the last time he had really talked to Lorelai Gilmore. It had been in his classroom after hours, when she demanded to know why he hadn't come to the Booster Club meeting. Ah, but that's avoiding me, saying you're busy.
Mentally doing the math, Max was shocked to realize that it had been eleven years since he had last seen Lorelai GIlmore. Eleven years. At the time of their last meeting, Rory had not even graduated from Chilton yet. He hadn't even met Elena. In fact, he'd still been wondering whether, if he hadn't moved back to Hartford, he and his girlfriend from California, Diane, would still be together.
It had taken Max a long time to get over the whirlwind that was Lorelai Gilmore. Though he met Elena only six months after Lorelai and he said goodbye, he had had trouble committing to the relationship, and Elena had sensed it. Finally, after Elena had pleaded, Max had finally broken down and told her about Lorelai: that although he wasn't in love with her anymore, her refusal had greatly affected his confidence. He was afraid of giving up his feelings to someone and risking heartbreak. Diane had been different. She was casual, a mere rebound, his first girlfriend after Lorelai. Elena wasn't like that. He could feel himself falling in love her, and that put him at risk for pain, once again.
After listening to Max explain things, Elena had quoted something from Max and Lorelai's last meeting. "You know, Max, I do hate her for breaking your heart, but I don't think this is healthy either," she had said. "You need to move on from your heartbreak. You need to get to the point where someday, if Lorelai's car does break down, you won't just call a car company and ignore her. Instead, you need to be able to talk to her. I'm not saying you'll ever totally forget what she did, but you need to be able to forgive her." Her voice became more tender. "But I'm not Lorelai, Max. I'm not going to do what she did. I love you." It had been the first time Elena had said those three words-something Lorelai, though he'd tried to ignore it, had never even said. "I'm totally committed."
Now, Max sighed. He knew he had moved on a great deal since he had last saw Lorelai, but he still afraid that seeing her again would open up an old wound. Though he had enjoyed the diner's coffee, he was not sure he was ready to go back just yet. Being turned down, just a few days before their wedding, had hurt. He had gotten his hopes up for nothing. And while it was true Max barely ever thought about the pain he had felt, he hadn't totally forgotten it, either. Not when it had almost forced he and Elena apart.
The following Friday, Max's son, Alec (short for Alexander), came down with a stomach flu. That night, while Elena stayed home with Alec, Max went to the drugstore to get some Tamiflu. He wasn't sure how serious Alec's flu was, but he was willing to do anything to help decrease his son's pain.
Max was just passing the toy department on the way to the cash register when he froze, hearing two familiar voices. One, he hadn't heard in eleven years; the other, he had heard only a week ago. Any doubts he might have had about the identity of Lucy's mother faded away. As he glanced at the mother and daughter pair, standing in front of a display of Barbies, Max found himself more than a little taken aback by just how much Lucy really did resemble her mom.
Even more startling than the appearance of Lorelai and Lucy was the small boy, slightly taller than Lucy. He was standing a few inches from the two girls and was looking at some toy cars. Max swallowed. Whereas Lucy was the splitting image of her mother, this boy clearly took after his father. He had the same tousled brown hair and the same sturdy build. His crossed arms also mirrored his father's. Max had not known Luke Danes very well at all, but suddenly, he found himself visualizing the way Luke rolled his eyes when Lorelai ordered her breakfast. Even many years later, Max had never met anyone else who was able to balance two conflicting emotions-annoyance and amusement-at the same time. This boy was the same way. Though he was tapping his foot, outwardly annoyed with his younger sister's Barbie ramble, Max could tell from the slight smile on the boy's face that he was secretly amused. And how could he not be? Max found himself thinking, remembering how Lorelai and Rory could still eat twice as much as he did for dinner, then still manage to have room for ice-cream. Though Will's sister was named Lucy Danes, she was still clearly a Gilmore girl.
It was in that moment, watching the way Will reacted to his little sister, that Max realized how little he himself had played into Lorelai's life. There was a reason her own father had not even recognized him. Though for him, Lorelai represented heartbreak and unreturned love, for her, for her, he had represented nothing. He had simply been the man she had once been engaged to, a stepping stone on the way to her true destiny. Hell, everyone in Stars Hollow had known it. There had been a reason the citizens of Stars Hollow had eyed him such distrust and apprehension. She had never been his Lorelai Gilmore. Instead, she had always belonged to Luke Danes.
Unsurprisingly, it was Lucy who noticed him first. Looking up from the Barbies, she cried, "Max!"
He tensed, but reciprocated when Lucy threw her arms around him. Lorelai and Will were staring at him with huge eyes. Lorelai, in particular, looked as white as chalk. Before he could say anything, an oblivious Lucy began talking.
"Mommy, this is Max, the teacher I met when I was with Grandpa at Yale last week!" Lucy said. "Max, this is my mom and my brother, Will. Daddy's here somewhere too, so if you want, I can find him-"
"There's no need to, Lucy," said Max, stealing another glance at Lorelai. Though Lucy remained immune to the expression on her mother's face, Will, who appeared to be more observant than his younger sister, was staring at Lorelai. "So, um, funny coincidence, but it turns out I know your mom. I teach at Chilton, where I used to teach English to your older sister-Rory." He added her name as an afterthought, remembering that Lucy had not one, but two older sisters.
Lucy's eyes widened. "You knew Rory?" she said. When both Max and Lorelai nodded in confirmation, Lorelai still looking considerably dazed, she smiled. "That's so cool! Rory's great. She was the smartest person in her whole class."
"Valedictorian," Max said with a smile, "and yes, I am aware of that. Rory was one of my favorite students. I still enjoy reading the occasional updates about her in the Chilton newsletter. It's incredible all of her dreams were able to come true. She left a lineage that some of the Chilton journalist students still aspire to live up to." He tensed, noticing that Lorelai was still watching him. "Uh, Lucy, Will-do you mind if I steal your mother for a few minutes? It's been some time since we last talked-eleven years, as a matter of fact-and I just wanted to catch up." He looked at Lorelai. "You don't mind leaving them alone, do you?"
Lorelai shrugged, before speaking for the first time. Her voice lacked its usual enthusiasm, but aside from that, it was exactly the same as it had been eleven years ago. It made Max shiver, hearing that voice again. "I think they'll be fine. Lu-uh, my husband was going to come find us, anyway. He was picking up some Claritin for Will, who has some hay fever, as well as some Advil since we're out, and I promised I'd pick some out for Sookie-she'd do it herself, but all three of her kids are sick, and Taylor Doose-I'm sure you remember Taylor-made this strict rule about quarantining any kids who are sick, and that includes their families. I'd have gotten the medicine myself, but Lucy and Will wanted to look at the toy aisle, and my husband doesn't have that much tolerance as far as Barbies go…but don't let that discourage us from talking; I'm sure Will and Lucy will be fine if we're only a few aisles away…"
He had to smile after hearing the ramble he had been so accustomed to. Lorelai, no doubt realizing what he was thinking, flushed a little. Turning to Will, she said, "You'll watch over Lucy, won't you?"
Will nodded, but Lucy's mouth had formed into a perfect Gilmore pout. "Hey! Why does Will get to be in charge?"
"Because I know Will isn't going to try to con your father into buying him anymore Barbies or My Little Pony's," Lorelai teased, patting the little girl on her shoulder. "If you can, though, feel free to con your dad into getting some candy. I could really go for some Swedish Fish right now."
"Mom!" said Will, after glancing at Max, clearly embarrassed.
"What?" Lorelai said, feigning innocence. "I was just teaching your little sister to use her charms, that's all. Now all I ask of you is that you don't let them get out of control." She pointed a few aisles away. "I'll be here if you need me. Tell your dad I'm catching up with one of Rory's old teachers-he should know who I mean."
After Will nodded, Lorelai, still not quite looking in his direction, led him to the shampoo and conditioner section, a few aisles away. Amidst the bottles of Dove and Pantene, Max finally got a good look at Lorelai. Aside from a few wrinkles and age lines that had not been there before, she looked exactly the same, from her blue-violet eyes to her full, round face. In fact, the most striking difference about her was the diamond ring, glistening on her left hand.
Though she had not spoken to him directly before, it was unsurprisingly Lorelai who made the first move. "Max," she said quietly, "what are you doing here?"
"I was picking up some Tamiflu for my son," Max said, holding up the bottle in her hands. "What about you? Oh, I suppose it's Friday, isn't it? Friday dinners still going on?"
She shook her head, still looking considerably dazed. "God, this is so weird," she said, her gaze shifting to the ground. "We run into each other out of the blue after eleven years, and for the second time, it's in a drug store…"
He frowned, startled by this comment. "The second time? You mean, you remember?"
Lorelai's head snapped up. "What do you mean, 'I remember?' Of course I do! I don't make a habit out of running into my ex-fiancés at public places; of course I remember. Well…" She bit her lip, as though thinking, then shook her head, having obviously thought better of it. Her voice became harsher. "Speaking of that, what do you think you were doing last week, lying to my daughter?"
"What makes you so sure I knew it was your daughter?" Max said, taken aback by the glare Lorelai was shooting at him. Honestly, he hadn't seen anyone look at him like that since…well, since he had proposed to Lorelai to settle their argument. Elena didn't have a temper like Lorelai did. "There are thousands of little girls out there, so it just as easily could have been someone else's."
Lorelai snorted. "Oh, please. Lucy gave me a play-by-play of what had happened to you-she told me practically everything, besides your last name, I might add. Lucy was extremely proud of herself for advertising the diner, and she mentioned how she'd talked to a teacher from Hartford-Max-when her brother and sister were off touring Yale. Obviously, when I heard your name, you were the first person I thought of, but I figured it couldn't be. I mean, I didn't even know you lived in Hartford, Max! I didn't even know you still taught at Chilton. As for you, you saw Lucy. You would have seen my father, too! Lucy's favorite way of advertising the diner is by saying that it has the best coffee according to her mother, and she always says makes sure to include the town it's in, so unless Luke managed to find another coffee starved husband-and produce a kid who's the splitting image of me-you would have known she was mine. Don't try to pretend otherwise, Max, because I know it's not true!"
"Someone thinks highly of herself, if she thinks I saw a little girl begging for coffee and immediately thought of her," Max muttered. After seeing her raised eyebrows, Max sighed. "Fine! I overheard a little girl begging for coffee, and when she turned around, and I saw her and her grandfather, I started wondering. It wasn't until she mentioned something about Sookie and the diner that I knew for sure, but yes, you caught me. I did know she was yours. But what did you want me to say, Lorelai?" he said, glaring back at her, as Lorelai gave a sound between a chortle of satisfaction and a cough. "Your own father-the father of the woman I was going to marry-didn't even recognize me. Was I supposed to tell her the truth…that I had taught her older sister, and that her mother had once been engaged to someone who wasn't her father? That as a matter of fact, if her father hadn't shown up at your house that one night, I probably wouldn't have even proposed to her to begin with? That her mother had broken my heart?" He reconsidered this. "I suppose the better question is what I would have told my son, Alec, if he ever ran into you. It was easier to talk to Lucy and pretend that she really wasn't yours than to accept that she was. Maybe you can't understand this, but if you ever spent a moment in my shoes in the years after you broke up with me, you would have."
Lorelai's whole expression changed. As she looked him over, her eyes began to warm considerably. "Max," she said softly, "I'm so sorry. I mean-I don't think I ever came to terms with how much I hurt you."
Max shrugged, a bit taken aback by the atypical seriousness on Lorelai's face. "It's all right. You had a point, you know; I never should have proposed to you just to settle an argument. Just the vibe I sensed between you alone you should have made me wary. And we are better off…apart." He lifted up his own left ring finger. "I'm happy with where I am. As a matter of fact, it's really my wife, Elena, who you'd have to contend with. She's much angrier at you than I am."
A small smile appeared on Lorelai's face. "She doesn't like that her husband had a past, you mean?"
"Well." He sighed. "Let's just say that if she hadn't been so understanding, I don't think we'd ever have gotten married in the first place."
Lorelai's face softened with understanding, and he tensed as she touched his arm. "Max," she said quietly, "I'm sorry. God, I don't even know to begin to say how sorry I am…for letting you down the way I did, for running, and most of all, for not even realizing how much I'd hurt you to begin with. You were my first serious relationship after having Rory-hell, ever, since it's not like I can compare an adult relationship with what I had with Christopher-and, I don't know, I really didn't have that much experience. I was scared, and I'll be honest, Max; I don't even think I knew what love is." He flinched, but let her finish. "That doesn't mean I didn't care for you or that I wasn't attracted to you, because I was, but…we never talked. Not really. If you hadn't been Rory's teacher, I have no doubt that a huge part of the relationship-the allure of dating secretly-wouldn't have been there. And Luke…"
"You don't have to say that," Max said. The mention of the diner owner still left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"But I want to." She looked at him earnestly. "Max, when you said that Luke and I had a vibe-well, you weren't imagining it. It was absolutely true. He had just broken up with his girlfriend before coming over, on that night when-well, you know-but even before then, Luke and I always had…this thing." She blushed slightly. "But I want you to know, Max, that I would have never agreed to go out with you if I had been aware of my feelings for Luke at the time. Even after our engagement was broken, it literally took years for us to get together and then some for us to finally get our together. You and Luke both know how hard it is to get a Gilmore girl to the altar. Yours wasn't the only engagement I broke." Max blinked, startled to hear this. "I'm not telling you this because it's something that has affected Luke's and my relationship a lot in the long run-I mean, breaking up for a year was a big deal at the time, but now, I hardly ever think about it-but because I wanted to tell you it hasn't been easy for us, either. I can't say I'll ever understand just what you went through after I ended things with you, but I do know what heartbreak feels like. And I could never forget you." He found himself looking into the orbs of her blue eyes. "You were always there for Rory, Max. Aside from Luke, you were the only man in my life who ever made an effort with her. That's probably another reason I might have lead you on; because I know Rory liked you so much. For that, if nothing else, I'll always be grateful."
Before Max could respond, they were interrupted by Lorelai's husband. Luke Danes, not dressed in a flannel but a white collared shirt, no doubt because of Friday night dinner, approached them, a bit hesitantly. He too looked just like Max remembered him, but there was something different about Luke and Lorelai's chemistry now that they were actually together. After Luke placed a hand on Lorelai's shoulder, Max was startled by the depth of the look the two exchanged. There were no two ways about it; they fit.
"Hey," he said, looking at Lorelai. "The kids said you were here. Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Lorelai said, grinning at him. She placed her hand in his. "Max's married now, with a son! Isn't that great?"
"Great," Luke echoed, looking a little relieved. He turned to Max. "How old is he?"
"Four." He somehow felt it necessary to add, "He would be, um, older, as my wife and I have been married for quite a while, but we had a lot of infertility problems to go through, which is why it took so long."
Luke did not even blink at the mention of "infertility problems," something he guessed the diner owner would have been uncomfortable with before. "That's a great age."
"Yes," said Max, unsure of what else to say. "It seems to be."
Luckily, Lucy's reappearance stopped him from having to make any awkward small talk. Will, who was a quick runner for seven-years-old, rushed after Lucy, nearly passing her in the process. "Sorry, Mom, I tried," he said, and his parents turned to him, confused. A few moments later, their eyes lit up in understanding.
Lucy was carrying a small box with a tiny My Little Pony and all of its accessories inside. The pony had a combination of pink, purple, and blue hair, green eyes, and a pink-and-yellow skirt. After looking at the unamused expression on Luke's face, Max found himself feeling grateful he had a little boy and not a little girl. Little boys had their own distinct advantages and disadvantages, and at least Max was not forced to say "no" to another Gilmore girl.
"Lucy!" Luke said in warning. Ignoring him, Lucy turned to her mother.
"Mommy, it's Sweetie Belle, the pony I wanted! I promised Pinkie Pie I'd buy her. Rainbow Dash has Cheerilee, and Starsong has Scootaloo, so Pinkie Pie needs a best friend, too."
"Pinkie Pie, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo," Luke muttered under his breath in disbelief. Will giggled. Lorelai shot the two a look and returned her focus to Lucy.
"How much does it cost?"
"Well, it costs $9.99, plus tax, for the whole Sweetie Belle set, and only $4.99 for just Sweetie Belle, but I want the set. I don't want Sweetie Belle to have to share her combs with Pinkie Pie. Plus, this Sweetie Belle bakes!" Seeing that Lorelai was hesitating, Lucy opened her eyes wider. "Please, Mommy? Please?"
"Hey, don't look at me," Lorelai said innocently. "Your dad's the one who's going to make the final decision, not me. You know I'm not responsible for any decisions around here."
Will and Luke both snorted. Lucy turned her pleading look to her father. "Please, Daddy? Please? Sweetie Belle can make pie, just like you!"
"I'll tell you what," Luke said, deliberately not meeting Lucy's gaze. "You still have some of your birthday money from your grandparents, don't you?
Lucy nodded. "Fifteen whole dollars left."
"Well, if you want to-and remember, another toy could come around after this-you can use the rest of your money for, uh, Sweetie Belle." It seemed to have taken all of Luke's strength to spit out the name. "You can pay us back when we get home. Otherwise, I'm sure, uh, Pinkie-that is, your other pony-can make it without a best friend for a little while."
As soon as Luke finished talking, Lucy threw her arms around him. "Oh, thank you, Daddy! I'll pay you back; I promise I will! Pinkie Pie is going to be so happy!" Lorelai coughed, and she hugged her mother, too. She avoided looking at her brother, who was still giggling. "Look, Max! Isn't she pretty?"
"Very pretty," said Max, trying not to laugh himself. To his surprise, Luke shot him a sympathetic look. Perhaps there would not always be animosity between them, after all.
Lucy was still talking miles a minute. "Ooh, Mommy, can we use your phone and text pictures to April and Rory? I really want to text a picture to Rory especially, cause she's the one who bought me Pinkie Pie for my birthday. Oh, and to Auntie Liz for Doula! Last time she came over, she was so jealous of all the ponies I have. She has this Renaissance pony, but that's it."
"Doula?" Max whispered, unable to stop himself. Lorelai grinned.
"Luke's sister's daughter. Don't ask.
"So, Will, do you want to buy yourself anything?" Lorelai said, cutting above her daughter's chatter. The little boy shook his head.
"No. I'm saving."
"Good kid," Luke muttered. The family, save Lorelai, walked forward in the direction of the checkout counter. Luke stopped and glanced back at his wife. "Lorelai, are you coming?"
"Just a minute," Lorelai said. Luke nodded, then followed his kids, Lucy nearly skipping as she walked.
Lorelai turned back to Max. "You know," she said, motioning back towards the toy aisle, "they actually have a really good collection of Hot Wheels. If you want to buy your son anything, you know, to make him feel better since he's sick, I bet he'd love one. I mean, I don't know what your son is like, but Will loves them. Even Lucy adores driving them around."
"You know, that isn't a bad idea," Max said. "Alec is awfully sick, and I would love to cheer him up. They're good quality ones, you say?"
"Pretty good. I mean, I don't know much about cars-toy cars or otherwise. But they're authentic, at any rate."
Max felt himself smiling. "Good to know some things never change."
Lorelai smiled back at him. "Yeah. That's true."
They looked at each for a few minutes, Max recalling the distinct family moment with Lucy and her My Little Pony that he had just witnessed. Though eleven years ago, the scene would have made him sad, now, he felt light. He really did want Lorelai to be happy. There was a reason he had dated her, after all. Besides, he had his own family waiting for him at home. As charmed as he was by Lucy's and Will's dynamics, nothing would diminish his love for Elena and Alec.
"We okay?" Lorelai said, and he nodded.
"We're great."
She stepped forward and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Unlike the kiss they had shared after they had thought they were over, this one was completely chaste. After Lorelai pulled back, they both smiled, Max feeling distinctly lighter than he had in a long time.
"You know," said Lorelai softly, looking at him, "I know Lucy's the one who invited you, but you and your family really are welcome at the diner anytime. Luke wouldn't mind. Just make sure it's after your son has recovered, cause I meant it when I said Taylor's been paranoid about the flu."
"I'll see," said Max, touched by her offer. "I'm not sure Elena would like that"-she grinned, no doubt thinking of what the situation would have been like with Luke-"but-I'll see. Who knows, maybe I'll teach Lucy or Will at Chilton someday." He laughed. "Though knowing us, it's more likely we'll just run into each other again here."
She laughed too. "Yeah, that sounds about right. Anyway, I hope your son feels better. If he has the same thing Sookie's kids have, it's definitely a nasty one. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that Lucy and Will don't get it."
"For your sake, I hope they don't. It's been hard enough dealing with one little sick boy, so I could only imagine what it would be like to deal with two."
Before he could turn away, Lorelai placed her hand on his arm a final time. Her eyes were shining. "Goodbye, Max Medina."
"Goodbye Lorelai-" He stopped, realizing he did not know her married name.
She prompted him with a smile. "Gilmore-Danes."
He nodded. That sounded about right. In spite of her love for her husband, Lorelai would not completely abandon being a Gilmore. "Goodbye Lorelai Gilmore-Danes. If I don't go to the diner, maybe I'll see you again if Will or Lucy go to Chilton-either that or in Hartford somewhere."
She laughed. "I'm betting on this drugstore."
He had to laugh, too. "So am I."
With a final wave, Lorelai began to head in the direction of the checkout counter. He watched as she walked away. To his slight surprise, he realized her pants were not as tight anymore. She was wearing silver coffee cup earrings (something her parents had no doubt scoffed at), so maybe she had not completely changed, but her pants had. It had been strange to see her like this, so Lorelai, yet also so-grownup. Yet it also seemed completely right. After all, he, Max Medina, had grown up too. He hadn't given Elena a thousand yellow daisies to make up for a badly timed proposal; instead, he had done it the right way, at the right time, after he and Elena had already spent two years together, not a scattered couple of months. Things were definitely different now.
Later that night, after they had given Alec the Tampiflu and the set of Hot Wheels Max had bought, Elena and Max stood in the doorway, watching their son sleep. Alec was snuggled deep under the covers, his favorite FAO Schwartz teddy bear cuddled in his arms. Though his face was still flushed, Alec looked much more content than he had all day. Relieved that his son seemed to be doing better, Max found Elena's hand and gave it a squeeze.
"I ran into Lorelai at the drugstore," Max said, after they repositioned themselves on the couch in their family room, once they had left Alec's bedroom.
Elena looked up. "You did?"
He nodded. "I was right. The little girl was hers."
Elena hesitated. "And the father?"
Max nodded. "Luke Danes. The diner man. I saw him too. It was interesting seeing them him and Lorelai together. I had spotted the chemistry between them before, but I didn't realize how permanent it was until I saw them."
Elena was watching him carefully. "And how does that make you feel?"
He smiled and pulled Elena closer to him. He spoke softly. "I realized that if Lorelai's car were to have broken down besides mine, I would have called a garage, then made small talk with her instead of ignoring her, a long time ago. In fact, I would have been able to make small talk with her since the day you walked into my life. All the same, it was nice to know."
"You've really come a long way," she said quietly.
"Yes," he agreed, leaning in to kiss her. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."
After breaking their engagement over the phone, Lorelai had tried to be diplomatic, reassuring him that somewhere, there was a girl out there for him. Although he had doubted it at the time, certain that Lorelai was the only girl for him, he had been proven wrong. He had never felt the truth of Lorelai's words more than in that moment. Max realized he did not feel the familiar remorse when he thought of Lorelai's name. Instead, as he and Elena pulled back, still smiling at each other, he felt grateful he and Lorelai had both found the two people who complimented them the best. In her own misguided, but typically Lorelai way, Lorelai had made the best decision for both of them.