Disclaimer - Gilmore Girls characters and Stars Hollow belong to their rightful owners. I am just borrowing them
Hey everyone. I know I said I would wait until after I finished my module for the year but I have needed to write, I've missed doing it. So here is part 3 of the slice of life AAE AU. This story will take place September 14-June 17. No promises on speed of updates but I'll do my best. As every this is all my own work so any mistakes are my own, Thank you for reading. Reviews are always welcome and I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 1 - Skates on
Lorelai woke with a start. For a moment she was disorientated. She was on her side surrounded by fluffy and pink. Beside her, snuggled into her side was Grace, the 3 year old breathing softly, her chubby little hand placed against Lorelai's chest. They had been reading, the second component of bedtime routine and it looked like it had worked a little too well. Slowly she turned her head to see why she had woken. Luke was hovering over her holding the house phone out.
"Wha?" Lorelai mumbled rubbing her eyes. She carefully twisted herself out of the grip of their three year old and struggled to sit up on the bed.
"It's Rory," Luke waggled the handset at her. "I gotta finish up with Sam."
"Kay," Lorelai blearily took the phone and watched him rush out. She stared at the handset for a moment and then heaved herself off the bed and moved out of Grace's pink explosion bedroom to take a seat in the window seat overlooking the front garden of the house. Before she pressed the phone to her ear she listened to the sound of Luke and their son discussing dinosaurs, and beyond that the soft chatter of the twins in their bedroom. "Hello," she coughed and then straightened up, trying to wake herself from the unexpected nap that had filled her head with cotton wool. "And to what do I owe the pleasure. Twice in one day. I feel honoured."
"I just fancied a chat," Rory's voice sounded softly down the phone. "Did I interrupt bedtime?"
"We're in a short intermission," Lorelai stifled a yawn. "Goldilocks and the three bears put both Grace and I to sleep, I feel like I've just wandered out of a crypt. So? What's up? What's the haps since lunchtime?"
"Nothing. I'm bored. Gigi's got homework. Spencer is still at work." Rory gave a huffing sigh.
"No peers to review? Editorials to edit? No lessons to prep?" Lorelai cooed, even in her half asleep my-brain-is-still-not-with-my-body-fog she was currently suffering with she could sense the despondent tone in her daughter's voice and knew the pep was what was needed. Rory gave the lightest of amused snorts. "You have to learn about deadlines Babes. The correct time for starting the work is like 12 hours before it's due in."
"I like to be organised. And the house is tidy because both Spencer and Gigi are ridiculously neat. The journal was published last week. I'm contracted to work 20 hours a month on it, so I'm done on that for a few weeks, the other journal hasn't sent anything for me to review, I've done a couple of book reviews for another journal but I am waiting to hear back on those and I got all my lesson plans done because last year was crazy and because I'm organised this year, nothing is going aahhhhh and now we've got the initial this-is how-the-library-works frenzy over with everything is just floating along. So, I'm bored because there is nothing but reality crap on tv."
"So you thought you'd phone Mommy, I'm touched." Lorelai's brow creased. "And surely by reality crap, you are not referring to the car crash delight of Kardashian's."
"I feel my IQ dropping when I watch them. No Thank you." Rory huffed.
"What about a book then?" Lorelai suggested. "Nothing Russian or pretentious you need to read?"
"I finished one last night."
"So start a new one."
"I've read them all," Rory sighed. "We're going book shopping on Saturday, so there is no point in starting something old when I'll be getting new stuff in 2 days. I don't have time to …ooh a short story anthology. I'll read that."
"There you are," Lorelai gave a subtle sigh of relief. "So go read that."
"I did interrupt bedtime, didn't I?"
"Kind of, Luke's just finishing up with tonight's episode of Jurassic Park. So I have to do snuggles with Little Man and then it's the argument session with the twins about lights out." Lorelai rolled her eyes.
"Ok, Sorry Mom."
"I'll speak to you tomorrow. Happy reading." Lorelai clicked the phone off and rested her chin on the top of the handset for a moment. Rory was calling much more frequently now, and while she always loved to hear from her older daughter she couldn't help but notice that the calls were coming at more regular times and that they were following a pattern of negativity. Slowly, Lorelai got up and crossed into Sam's bedroom. The 4 year old's current obsession was dinosaurs and every single night for the last two months Luke had had to read from the same nonfiction book about dinosaurs. She smiled as she slipped into the bedroom. Sam was sat staring at the book in awe, cuddling a plush triceratops soft toy. "I've come to say Night Night Little Man."
"OK." Sam nodded. He tore his blue eyes away from the page and grinned at her. "Daddy's reading to me about Sarahtopsa. Toto's a tricetops and tricetops are Sarahtopsa," the child eye's widened in excitement.
Lorelai grinned and flopped onto the other side of the bed, giving Luke the chance to surreptitiously tuck the book away. "Wow, that's really cool."
"Yes," Sam snuggled his toy tightly.
"I bet learning all that stuff makes you sleepy," Lorelai faked a yawn and sure enough the little boy yawned in reply. "So down to sleep and I bet you can dream about Toto the Triceratops."
"Ok Mommy," Sam slid down in his bed and looked up at his parents expectantly. "Night Night."
"And BedeByes," Lorelai tucked the cover around Sam. She leaned back to let Luke kiss the child and then went in for a kiss herself. "Dream good."
Sam responded by yawning widely again and Lorelai carefully stood up from the bed. Together she and Luke slid out of their son's bedroom. They pulled the door partially closed and then looked at each other. Lorelai grinned as Luke gave an amused shake of his head. "The science gene comes from you remember," Lorelai teasingly poked Luke in the side.
"The braininess comes from you," Luke rolled his eyes and flicked them towards the ceiling.
"How do you figure that then?" Lorelai swatted his bicep. "April's a brainbox too."
"She gets that from Anna," Luke shrugged. "You ready for this?" They paused outside the twins' bedroom. Preparing for what could be about to come.
"Solidarity baby," Lorelai nodded forcefully and the stepped inside the twins' bedroom. It was as ever, chaos. Lorelai had given up trying to keep it clear, because her two girls just had a habit of destroying any tidiness in seconds when they started their next thing. At this precise moment Kitty was trying to do some kind of acrobatic move and Willow was hunched over her desk scribbling furiously with a pencil. "Ok beautiful ones, time for bed."
Kitty collapsed into a heap and then jumped to her feet, the eight-year-old frowning in displeasure. "You just turned out Sam's light and we're a whole 4 years older than him."
"No, you are not," Lorelai scurried over to the girl and started to cajole her towards her bed. "You are 3 years and ten months older than him." she smiled cheekily as Kitty responded by rolling her eyes. "Besides I said time for bed, that means get into bed. We can read for a bit."
"I can read to myself Mommy," Willow told her finishing what she was doing and coming over to the bed.
"Woah," Luke captured her by her wrist, "lets go wash your hands."
Lorelai grimaced as she took in Willow's hands, the soft pink skin coloured silver from her drawing. She shook her head as she helped Kitty climb into bed. "You want me to read to you Bubba?"
"Ok," Kitty gave a faint shrug. "You pick."
Lorelai moved over to the bookcase and selected Charlie and the Chocolate factory. The books were Willow's, but she had read all of them and had recently started on Harry Potter so there was no danger of being accused of spoilers. Moving back to the bed Lorelai curled herself around Kitty and began to read. She had only read through the first line when Luke came back with Willow.
"Can I read to everyone Mommy?" Willow offered hopefully.
Lorelai glanced at Kitty who gave a soft shrug. She closed the book and snuggled in close to Kitty, taking the child in her arms and holding her close. "Go ahead Honey Bunch we're ready."
"Ok," Willow gave her a beaming smile and then looked expectantly at Luke. Obediently he sat on the end of her bed and Willow selected her reading book, an already well read looking copy of Matilda. "I'll read this. I can do this one out loud well."
"Don't give yourself a headache, trying to be like her," Lorelai told her knowingly and Willow blushed slightly.
"I know it's only pretend Mommy," Willow told her with an air of resignation and then slowly began to read clearly and with no hesitations.
Lorelai allowed herself to sink into the bed and smiled as she felt Kitty curl in as close to her as was physically possible. She looked across to Luke at the foot of Willow's bed and caught his eye, sharing a knowing moment as Willow read on.
When Willow finished the first chapter Luke leaned forward and tapped the book. "Just read to yourself now Wills, Kits is almost asleep."
"Not," Kitty mumbled, sleepily pressing her head into Lorelai's chest.
Lorelai held her a moment longer, tenderly rubbing her hand up and down Kitty's back until she felt Kitty's breath shift into sleep and she carefully extricated herself from Kitty's embrace. "Ten minutes more, then lights out," she whispered to Willow who had closed the book and grabbed her copy of the first Harry Potter book.
"Ok Mommy," Willow smiled and nestled into the covers with her book.
Lorelai kissed Willow on the forehead. "Love you from the tip of your toes to the top of your head."
"Love you too Mommy," Willow smiled and held her cheek out to Luke who kissed her softly. "Night Daddy."
Lorelai hovered for Luke at the end of the bed and then allowed him to usher her out of the bedroom when he had finished saying goodnight to Willow. She grinned as he pulled the door closed and then raised her hands above her head. "Victory!"
"Seems so," Luke nodded, he smiled as Lorelai wrapped her arms around his neck. "Was Rory OK?"
Lorelai pulled a face. "Bored, fed up with her job and fed up with Spencer working so hard."
"Not saying Baltimore and me then?" Luke sighed ruefully.
Lorelai raised her eyebrows in surprise and then smirked. "I've infiltrated. The body snatch is complete."
"What?" Luke looked at her blankly. A rush of realisation flushed across his face, chased away quickly by a scowl. "You guys have got to stop watching those movies."
"Hey baby look at me! I'm the cutest chick…"
Luke silenced her with a kiss. "You will undo all our hard work, and you really shouldn't be singing the man's part."
"Yeah, I know, it kind of ruined Pulp Fiction for me." Lorelai grinned at him. "Do you want to go to bed also?"
"Love to but I gotta get back to the diner to close up," Luke sighed tiredly. "Jeannie is on tonight."
"You need a new Lane," Lorelai shook her head. "I've got paperwork to finish too. I get to pick some new fabric for curtains."
"Why?"
"Somebody did something gross to the ones in room 9 and they don't make the ones we have anymore. " Lorelai grimaced. She kissed him again. "It's cheaper for me to make them, then buy or get made. Go close up and come back quick."
"Sure thing crazy lady," Luke's hand trailed around her waist. "I'll see you later."
"Bye Hun," Lorelai paused to let him go down the stairs first. As she went to follow him movement caught her eye and she gave a defeated sigh as Grace stepped out of her bedroom rubbing her eyes.
"Mommy" the child mumbled and looked at her hopefully.
"Come on Shortcake," Lorelai rounded the steps to begin round two of bedtime. "Back into Bed."
xXx
"Hi Mom, I'm sorry we're late," Lorelai smiled apologetically at Emily as she scurried into the foyer of her parents' house. "We were having a debate over rain boots," Lorelai lowered a shoeless Grace to the floor. "Mommy won, kind of." She quickly undid Grace's coat and slipped it off the child's arm and then stood up. Immediately the three-year-old slammed into her legs and wrapped her arms tightly around her legs. "I'm sorry I think this is going to be a short dinner, we're on icecap watch."
"Ice cap," Emily looked at her in confusion, holding her hand out to take Grace's coat. "oh, the m word."
The two women raised their eyebrows as the sound of Sam squealing excitedly and Richard laughing ebulliently slid through from the living room. "Your father has been ebaying, he found this ridiculous toy for Sam. Don't worry I got something for everyone else," Emily foisted the coats she was holding onto the maid and then beckoned Lorelai through to the living room.
Unable to move with her youngest wrapped around her legs Lorelai bent over and hauled the child into her arms. "Dad eBay's?"
"Oh yes, his new obsession," Emily rolled her eyes. She paused and regarded Lorelai and Grace. "Gracie would you like to see what Grandma got for you?"
Grace lifted her eyes from Lorelai's shoulder and smiled sweetly. "Present?"
"Yes, a present," Emily smiled indulgently.
Grace excitedly flexed her legs and Lorelai lowered her to the ground so the child could run to Emily and Lorelai finally entered the living room to find the twins kneeling on the ground beside a 3ft dinosaur toy that Sam was sitting on. The little boy was grinning from ear to ear. "What is … Oh my god it moves!" Lorelai pressed her hand to her chest in horror. "What is that?"
"This is Kota the Triceratops," Richard gushed excitedly. "I put in triceratops toys knowing how much Samuel loves them and this popped up and I knew I had to get it."
"It's cool," Kitty smiled up at her. "You can feed it."
"Fortunately, it doesn't have a working digestive system." Emily rolled her eyes and sat on the couch. The older woman lifted Grace onto the couch beside her and then clapped her hands. "Girls I have some presents for you also." She smiled as the twins rushed over and then handed the girls a parcel each.
Lorelai sank into the seat beside Grace and gave a tired sigh as the three girls opened their gift to reveal a gymnastics ribbon for Kitty, a craft kit for Willow and fairy wings for Grace. "What do you say?" The kids echoed off a round of thank yous, all scrambling to undo the packaging while the males in the room continued to play with the giant toy. "That's staying here right?" Lorelai nodded towards the dinosaur. She leant forward to help Grace put on her fairy wings.
Emily nodded stiffly. "It's going upstairs as soon as you leave tonight. I've had the awful thing staring at me for three days," she shook her head in frustration. "Before you leave tonight I need you to double check the guest list for Rory's 30th party. She was rather vague about who to invite from Stars Hollow."
"Sure Mom." Lorelai nodded. She frowned as Grace scrambled into her lap and fixed her with a serious stare.
"My foot is cold," the child announced.
"That's why Mommy wanted you to wear shoes," Lorelai fluffed the fairy wings.
"Only this one," Grace pointed down at her right foot.
Lorelai looked down at Grace's sock covered foot and nodded. "Ok. Do you want to go put on your slipper?"
"Yes," Grace nodded intently. "Just for this one."
"Ok," Lorelai stood lifting the child with her and settling her on her hip. "Mom I'm going to get Grace's one slipper," she flicked her eyes skywards. "You might want to get that list, pretty quick. And maybe skip the salad."
"Mommy," Willow rolled her eyes. "Daddy won't like it if we skip the salad."
"Neither would Grandma," Emily gave Lorelai a teasing look.
"Oi with the vegetables," Lorelai threw her free arm up in the air.
"Yuck," Grace shook her head with a little giggle.
"You like vegetables," Kitty flicked her ribbon in excitement, nearly catching the polyester fabric in the flames in the hearth. The child scowled as Lorelai reached to take the apparatus away.
"Away from open flame please," Lorelai gave her daughter a meaningful look. "Seriously Mom, get the list."
xXx
"Lukes," Luke barked down the phone in the diner, catching it after three rings as he balanced dirty plates in the crook of his arm.
"Hi Dad."
Luke smiled and then frowned at the sound of April's voice with an undertone of bass. "Hey Apes. Are you in a disco or something?"
"Or something, not least because I don't think there are discos anymore." April made an amused noise which morphed into a mildly frustrated sigh. "Downstairs are having a floor party. It started at one. I, like many other seniors, and juniors for that matter are currently in the throes of having the first assignments of the semester due in. I believe the only thing that has currently prevented the hockey guy from across the way from committing homicide is he doesn't want to have to deal with the cops."
"They've been having a party for almost 8 hours." Luke shook his head. He had only been listening to the bass for a minute and it was already bugging him. "Why didn't you go to a library?"
"I did after my class until seven thirty. And then I came back and ate, but the paper I have to have in on Monday and it's currently raining like God told Noah to build an ark out there and I don't want to walk all the way back to the library."
"You want me to get you some ear plugs?" Luke grimaced as the noise increased.
"Ear plugs do not work because they do not cancel out the vibration. I'm waiting until 10 and then calling campus security," April sighed. "As I can't concentrate I figured you might be free. It's nearly closing right?"
"Yeah," Luke looked round the diner, three tables halfway through the meals. "Just waiting for the last to go. I've done my prep for tomorrow so just waiting to clean up and cash up."
"Lorelai and the young ones at Grandma and Grandpa's?"
Luke nodded and then scowled at himself for being stupid. "Yeah. Lorelai keeps sending me these obnoxious emo picture things. I'm not really sure what it means but someone is a monster and a cat is on fire."
"Grandpa bought Sam a dinosaur toy and Kitty nearly set the house on fire." April translated, "Just read it like those puzzles we used to do when I was little and then think of how Lorelai talks. It's the family chat thread. I'm on it too."
"You are?" Luke stared at the cell phone he had been given at the previous Christmas by Lorelai. It was supposed to be so they could all stay better connected. It was more complicated than the big white computer he had upstairs in the office. Nine months on, he had yet to figure out even a quarter of what it did. "You don't say…message…text…whatever it's called."
"I figure it's rhetorical. If she actually wants anything from me she will call or send me a message directly."
Luke snorted in amusement. "Probably. She doesn't often need an audience," April echoed his snort of amusement. "So what class is your paper for?"
"Environmental Biology, it's about Limnology."
"Right," Luke mumbled. He had stopped asking April what her papers were about part way through her freshman year at college, he didn't understand the words in the question let alone the question and her answers would confuse him even more. So now he simply asked her about length and how she was doing in relation to the deadline. "Is it a long one?"
"2000 words, it's a gentle ease in paper."
"How much you done?"
"About a thousand. Providing the discotheque quietens down I should be OK." April gave a soft sigh. "Did you talk to Lorelai yet?"
Luke exhaled heavily. "No," He reached to scratch his forehead.
"Dad," April admonished
"I know, I know," Luke sighed again. "I'm going to. I just need to find the right time. And Grace is fine really."
"But it doesn't help her developmentally if Lorelai continues to infantilise her. She is not a baby anymore Dad. It bugs you." April told him softly. "Bugs you enough that you've said something to me. Even if you didn't mean to."
"I know," Luke pressed his fingers into the bridge of his nose. "Grace plays up to it."
"Of course she does. In case you hadn't noticed we aren't dunces in the family." April chuckled lightly.
Luke opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by a massive bang, and April swearing, "What was that? You OK?" He was answered only by the sound of April opening the door and footsteps. "April!"
"Yeah, Hockey guy is off to commit his… holy shit!"
"April!" Luke barked, his nervousness increasing as the music abruptly stopped and the sound of shouting sounded over the phone. His worry was obvious as his remaining customers looked up at him in concern. "April?"
"He just smashed up the sound system." April hissed down the phone. "Dad I think I'm going to have to go."
"Go back to your room, until campus security get there, stay safe." Luke told her, mentally considering what he had to do to get the hockey guy away from April. "April?"
"I'm going back up Dad." April told him over the sound of her footsteps and muffled shouting. "I'm fine," she told him at the sound of the door closing. Moments later a loud screeching noise sounded over the phone. The fire alarm.
Luke took a deep breath. "April go back to the library."
"Grabbing my coat and bag as we speak," April's voice sounded tinny, there was a rustle and her voice came back clearer though muffled by the screeching alarm. "I'm going Dad."
"I'm staying on with you until you get there."
"Dad I'm fine," April protested. Luke let out a huff of frustration and she sighed back in response. "I don't really have anything to talk about unless you want me to talk about limnology."
"Talk about it." Luke looked up as one of his customer approached him with their empty plates and set them on the counter. "Start with what the hell limnology is."
xXx
With barely suppressed exasperation, Lorelai rushed into the kitchen of the Dragonfly. It was a hive of activity, with prepared dishes on one side and prep for ones not yet completed on the other. Sookie stood in the middle of the chaos directing and tasting, all the while guarding the pristine pearlescent white cake that she had spent the last two days painstakingly completing with an intricate lace pattern of piping. Not wanting to disrupt what was going on Lorelai stood in the doorway and sent distress signals to her friend.
"Manny take a cup of coffee to Lorelai," Sookie pointed at Lorelai for the briefest of moments. "The timer is for the Roquefort puffs take them out, put the chicken skewers in to warm. We're nearly ready."
"She isn't," Lorelai hissed in frustration. "Thank you," she thanked Manny as the sous chef thrust a cup of coffee in her hands and then whipped past her to tend to something else. "They are still taking photographs."
"Of what?" Sookie wrinkled her brow. "Even with the extended friend package that Rollo offers, photographs at a maximum take an hour.
"She wants to be photographed with every tiny detail, which means we have to send all the guests out of the dining room and reset so it all looks perfect." Lorelai took a sip of the overly hot coffee and bounced in frustration. "I hate to say it but Michel was right. This one is more trouble than she is worth. Thank god for Arielle, she's resetting the dining room as we speak and I am trying to bring my murderous rage down a notch."
"Should you have coffee?" Sookie paused to look at her for a moment before returning her attention back to the food.
"It's the only thing keeping me from kicking that bridezilla up the Coachella and the only thing keeping me standing."
"Bad Night. Kids?"
"April, well, Luke. There was an issue at her dorm last night and Luke's Dad sense was triggered and he would not come down from the ceiling," Lorelai drained her cup and gagged slightly as the onslaught of bitterness washed over her quicker than she anticipated. "Everything is fine but you know how he can get."
"Sure do." Sookie smiled faintly. "I know you are manically busy but did you see my leave email?"
"Yeah, a workshop looking at dirt, sounds fun," Lorelai mumbled sarcastically, "or is that a euphemism for you and Jackson getting dirty with the kids packed off to the grandparents?"
"It's a workshop but you never know if we have free time," Sookie smiled again. "So it's cool?"
"We have no weddings. I've blocked it out so nothing major gets booked, so as long as the rest of the team can handle the restaurant, it's cool," Lorelai nodded and looked wantonly at the coffee machine.
"Not for another hour," Sookie called performing some kind of pirouette as she slipped between her staff to taste some dishes on the burners before arriving back in position to guard the cake. "You've already had 3 cups here today which means you've already had six today and I made it extra strong to get us through the day."
"Mean," Lorelai pouted.
"Have a cookie," Sookie pointed to a tray on the side. "You too Arielle."
Lorelai turned at the mention of the weekend deputy manager. The tiny birdlike young woman was coming through the doorway with a slightly frazzled look. "Is it reset?"
"Yes," Arielle nodded. "But she wants to take pictures with Cletus."
"For the love of Hades," Lorelai rolled her eyes. She took a step towards the door paused, reached back to grab two cookies and then resumed her course out of the kitchen. "Thanks Sook. Right send the guests back into the dining room. I will go see if Sir is feeling photogenic."
xXx
It was 10pm before Lorelai managed to pull herself away from the wedding party and stumble the few hundred yards from the Dragonfly entrance to home. She slipped inside and breathed a sigh of relief, all was quiet except for the faint sound of tv. Instinctively she looked towards it and smiled. Luke was sat watching sports. He glanced over the back of the couch and gave her an easy smile but didn't say anything. Instead he gave her the few moments she needed to decompress after her frenetic days. Kicking her shoes off she entered the living room and sunk into the couch beside him. She curled into the soft worn couch like a cat, tucking her feet beneath her which automatically pitched her towards Luke. With a soft exhalation of tiredness and thankfulness at being home, she rested her head on his shoulder and cuddled into him. After a moment his arm slid off the back of the couch and wrapped her into his embrace. "What are we watching?"
"Highlights," Luke told her, taking a sip from a beer.
When he lowered it, he held it towards her and she took a sip. "Thanks." She handed him his beer back and then rested her hand on his chest, enjoying the gentle stroking motion he was performing down her back.
"So," Luke whispered when the commercials rolled on. "Long day."
"Very!" Lorelai exhaled in exhaustion. "A Bridezilla, the absolute worse. I wasn't like that was I?"
"Nah, you were just you," Luke mumbled. Lorelai made a squeak of indignation and he cleared his throat. "I just meant you have a way of getting what you want and you know we had a lot going on because of twins. But you were normal bride not a bridezilla."
"Good save," Lorelai wriggled slightly. "God, that seems so long ago. How are they 8? How is Rory 30? In 3 weeks I am going to be mother to a 30 year old. I can't be that old."
"Yeah, but you were like really young when you had her so you're not that old," Luke squeezed her back slightly.
"My infantile manner keeps me young," Lorelai slid her eyes up to look at him. Luke was performing a similar action his eyes sliding down to look at her with a nervous edge. "This is me giving you an in?"
"Did April say something?" Luke asked nervously, slowly rotating his beer bottle in his hand.
"Not exactly, but during the rant last night we were texting and she inferred and well, I don't know if you've noticed but I can be really smart and I pieced it together from the jaw thing you do," Lorelai teasingly raised her hand to stroke her forefinger along his jaw bone. "She plays up to it you know? She's the smartest of all of them."
"Even more then Rory and April?"
"Oh yeah," Lorelai nodded, lifting herself away from him so she could look at him properly. "She's reading by herself. You know how she wants to turn the page before you finish."
"I thought it was because she wants to see the next picture," Luke reached forward to grab the remote so he could turn the tv off.
"Nope, she's read the page. She told me off for being slow and then read the last line on the page to me. She tells me off if I miss a word," Lorelai sighed heavily. "It's just, if she's not a baby then it's all going too fast. I don't want them to grow up. Beside the fact that it does mean we would have to admit our age, it also means that that phase of our life is over, and we hurtling towards the next one when they all leave us." She tucked her bare feet back under her calves and leaned forward towards him. "I don't get things my way. If I did everything would stay just as it was."
Luke took a deep breath, his shoulders drawing up towards his ears before dropping them down and rounding them in in defeat. "I know."
"It's all going too fast," Lorelai lamented. "We're all too busy and I don't want to miss anything."
"We won't," Luke told her. He reached out and pulled her closer to him.
Lorelai responded by lifting up onto her knees and then falling forward to lie across him. She wriggled to get comfortable, finding that place she always found that fit her to him perfectly. "I'll try and stop babying her. I don't mean to, but, she gives me the eyes and I can't help it."
Luke gave a faint barely perceptible nod and then a snort of amusement. Lazily he stroked his fingers down her arm. "She learned that from us. You give me the eyes and I turn stupid."
"You're cute when you're stupid," Lorelai whispered struggling to keep her eyes open and Luke's gentle touch pulled her into a feeling on contentment, where all the troubles of today just melted away and she felt warm and safe which in turn meant sleep was easier to succumb to. She smiled as Luke kissed her forehead and she snuggled into him tightly.