because the whole town was at Lorelai's wedding. He had been wiping the same
spot for the past 20 minutes. All his thoughts revolved around Lorelai. He
couldn't believe she was marrying Max. When she had handed him the
invitation, he made up some excuse about having to work. She knew that was
totally not true and couldn't figure out why he didn't want to come to her
wedding. She really wanted him to be there. Luke had seen the hurt look in
Lorelai's eyes. He knew it was one of the most important days of her life and
that she needed him there, but it hurt him too much. He didn't want to watch
something that he would be spending the rest of his life wishing hadn't
happened.
Giving up with the counter, he surrendered to his body's need to relax. He
sat himself down behind the counter, next to the spot where his dad had taken
an order one day. He smiled. True to her word, Lorelai had left that spot
untouched when she had painted his diner.
"Well, Dad, what should I do now?" he said aloud to himself.
"You should come to Lorelai's wedding." He looked up when he heard that all
too familiar voice. That beautiful voice. There she was. Standing right in
front of him. She looked like an angel in her gorgeous white wedding dress.
"Why aren't you off getting married right now?"
She bent down so she could be face to face with her friend. "I couldn't do it
without you there, Luke. This is a huge thing. You're one of my best friends.
You know that. I was just standing there waiting for the wedding to begin,
and something didn't feel right. I didn't want you to miss this important day
in my life. Please Luke. I need you to give me the courage to go through with
this. I need you there." She was almost crying by now.
Luke wanted nothing more than to runaway. He didn't want to give her the
courage to do something he didn't want her to do, but he knew that's what she
wanted from him. And he could never deny her anything she wanted.
"Please Luke, come with me." She reached out and took his hand. Electricity
shot through both there bodies. Luke was use to it. It happened every time
she touched him. But Lorelai had noticed it for the first time. It shocked
and scared her, but she repeated her plea. "Please, Luke." She smiled at him.
There it was. That smile that won him over every time. "I'm not dressed
right."
She gave him a small smile and slight laugh. "Go put on the suit I bought you
when I went on my shopping spree."
Luke grunted, but got up and went upstairs to change.
Lorelai smiled and got up. She noticed the pot of coffee and poured herself a
cup and sat at the counter.
Luke finally came down. Lorelai looked up and her breath caught in her
thought. He looked so good.
Luke smiled when he noticed her staring at him. "Come on, let's go."
"Hold on, just let me finish my coffee."
Luke laughed. "It's your wedding day and you're postponing it even longer
because you just hafta finish your coffee."
"Well, now you see, if I was marrying you, you would completely understand my
need to be drinking my coffee as I walk down the aisle, but I don't really
think Max would get it."
Luke forced a laugh. He wanted to tell her he wouldn't care if she was
drinking coffee as he was saying his vows, as long as she was marrying him.
Lorelai finished and they walked out of the diner.
"How did you get here?" Luke asked her.
"Ran" Lorelai stated simply.
"You ran all the way here in your wedding dress?" He was amazed that she
would do that just to get him to be at her wedding.
"Yep. Everyone's probably freaking out by now. I told Rory I would be right
back, and then I ran out of the church. They're probably all pounding her for
information right now that she can't even give them."
When they reached the church Lorelai pointed Luke in the direction of where
he was supposed to go. "Thanks, Luke" she said. He hugged her before they
separated so she could go to the room she was supposed to be in, waiting for
the wedding to start.
When she walked in, she found Rory and Sookie pacing back and forth together.
They both turned to look at her when she walked in. They ran to hug her.
"Where did you go?" Rory asked her as Sookie said, "What happened?"
"I went to get Luke and I brought him back here."
"You left your wedding to get Luke?" Rory gave her a questioning look.
"Yeah, I realized I really needed him here. He's the closest friend I have
after you guys."
"Well babe, are you ready now?" Sookie asked her.
Lorelai took a deep breath before answering her. "Yes."
Sookie and Rory ran off to get the wedding started.
Pretty soon Lorelai found herself standing with her father outside the door
to her wedding. Richard took her arm in his when the music started and they
began walking down the aisle. She saw Max smile when she walked in. Before
letting go of her dad's arm she whispered, "I love you Daddy." He smiled at
her.
"I love you too."
Lorelai continued walking towards Max. When she reached the front, she turned
to look over the sea of faces. She realized that she didn't know most of the
people on Max's side. That scared her. Then she caught Luke's gaze. He was
smiling at her. She couldn't help think that if she was marrying Luke, she
would know all the people at the wedding, and it wouldn't have to be this
big, huge wedding. She looked around realizing that she was having the exact
type of wedding her mother had always wanted her to have. She had never
wanted this type of wedding. She saw her mother beaming at her. This was the
exact type of life Emily had always wanted her daughter to have.
She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard the priest begin the wedding.
"We are gathered here today to witness the joining of Max Medina and Lorelai
Gilmore in holy matrimony. If anyone has any reason why these two should not
be married, speak now or forever hold your peace." Lorelai noticed Luke
shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He didn't want to do this to her, but he
couldn't help it. Just as the priest was about to start speaking again, Luke
jumped up from his seat.
"I object."
Everyone's jaw dropped. This never happened in weddings. People didn't
actually do this. But there he was, the man that didn't even want to be here,
standing up in front of all these people, doing something he knew he
shouldn't be doing, but had to do anyway.
The priest was recovering from the shock. "Um, excuse me?"
"I object to this wedding because I'm in love with the bride."
"You're what?" Max screamed.
"You're what?" Lorelai screamed.
Emily smiled in her seat and said quietly, "I knew it."
Luke, not knowing what to do, turned and ran out of the church.
Lorelai just stood there in shock, watching him leave. Rory tapped her
mother's shoulder. "Mom, you knew that all along, didn't you?"
"I ..." she began, but couldn't think of any words to follow that.
"And you love him too, don't you?" her daughter asked her.
Max was shocked. "What?"
"I ..." Lorelai began again, but still couldn't find the words. Then
realization hit her like a cold wave of water crashing into her. "I love
Luke." Everyone just stared at her dumbfounded. "I guess I would have to
object to this wedding too." She turned to Max. "I'm sorry." Max didn't know
what to say.
But Emily sure did. "Lorelai what are you thinking?"
"Mom" Lorelai began.
Everyone had started talking in their seats, but Emily stood up and was
screaming over everyone. "How could you possibly want to throw away the
opportunity for a good life with a man who makes a respectable living for a
guy who runs a diner!"
For once Lorelai didn't have the strength to argue with her mother. She
looked like she was about to cry.
Emily started again. "I mean, honestly! You can't-"
"Gramma!"
Emily stopped when she heard her granddaughter finally speak up. "What?"
"Shut up! You are not going to tell her what to do with her life!"
Emily didn't know what to do. Besides her short outburst at her birthday
party, Rory had never argued with her. She finally just sat back down
quietly. Richard let out a small laugh. Emily turned to glare at him. "Oh,
shut up."
Lorelai couldn't believe Rory had stood up to Emily for her. Now she didn't
know what she was supposed to do. She turned to Max. He looked at her like it
was obvious. Finally he spoke. "Well, go after him."
She smiled and hugged him. "I'm really, really sorry."
"I know. I wouldn't want you to go through with something you didn't want to.
Now, go. Don't let him get away." He shooed her back down the aisle.
Everyone just stared as Lorelai broke out into a run and left the church.
Sookie felt the need to break the silence. "Well that went well" she said
trying to sound cheery. Rory couldn't help letting a small laugh out before
returning to the serious face that everyone else in the room was wearing.
Rory watched her mother walk out on her own wedding. She knew something like
this was going to happen. She knew all along that her mother and Luke were
supposed to be together. Now she hoped Lorelai could convince Luke that after
what had just happened.