35 Years of Love
Its Luke and Lorelai's 25th wedding anniversary and Luke is making a speech. Loosely based on then by brad paisley
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Luke and lorelai belong to Amy Sherman Paladino – I just borrow them to mess around with. Song belongs to Brad Paisley
Thanks for coming, I'm not usually much of a talker but I made a promise and well if nothing else I'm a man of honour. Lorelai: my best friend, my reason for getting up in the morning – you were both of these long before you even knew it.
35 Years Ago
The first day I saw you, running into the diner: loud, annoying, wild, gorgeous. You wanted coffee; I wouldn't give it to you. Partly because you seemed like you had had enough already and partly because I didn't want you to leave. You handed me the horoscope and my heart stopped – I thought I loved you then.
34 Years Ago
Rory had a pet caterpillar and unfortunately it passed away, standing round a tiny coffin in Lorelai's back garden with half of Stars Hollow, I felt like a complete idiot but you looked over and smiled – I thought I loved you then.
33 Years Ago
You came running into the diner, complaining about a broken faucet and did I know a plumber. I offered to fix it for you and you were so grateful, I came over to fix it and you sat atop the kitchen table watching me work – I thought I loved you then.
32 years ago
You came into the diner looking for Rory, she wasn't there. You told me to entertain you until she arrived. I asked you to marry me, you thought I was kidding – I thought I loved you then.
It was Rory's 16th birthday, I walked in carrying ice, and you hugged me for the first time: your hair in my face, your body against mine, your breath on my neck – I thought I loved you then.
We were picking out paint samples to paint the diner, crouched behind the counter hiding from Taylor, our eyes met – I thought I Loved You Then.
31 Years Ago
Sookie told me the engagement between you and max was off, I gave everyone free coffee – I thought I Loved you then.
I told you I pushed Jess in a lake, you never judged me: you listened, you helped – I thought I loved you then.
There was a woman, who was interested in me, and you told me not to date her – I thought I Loved you then.
You started calling me Lucas, I hate it and if it was anyone else I'd strangle them but you...I secretly adored that you cared enough to learn my full name – I Thought I Loved you then.
It was bid-a-basket time and you practically begged me to buy your basket, just the fact that out of all the men you could have, you wanted me to buy your basket. Now if I wasn't such an idiot, I would have been out their bidding every penny I had – I thought I Loved you then.
Rory and Jess got into a car accident and you screamed at me to go to hell in the middle of the town square, I yelled back: I wasn't angry at you but at myself for not trying to fix things – I thought I Loved you then.
30 Years Ago
Your shoe broke during the dance marathon; we were sitting on a bench while I fixed it. You turned to me gorgeous as ever, do you think you'll ever have kids? In my mind the only person I'd ever consider having kids with was you: I almost told you so but settled on if I find the right person for a response instead – I Thought I loved you then.
I was dating Nicole and we went on a cruise, before we left I had a dream that you told me not to get married – I really wished it wasn't a dream – I thought I Loved you then.
29 Years Ago
We were breaking the bells in the church, you screaming at me because I moved or didn't move or something. I turned to you "why don't you want me to move?" I was pretty much begging you to tell me you wanted to be with me. You said "because I care" that was good enough for me – I thought I loved you then.
We were at Liz's wedding, I asked you to dance. It was the greatest feeling: your hand in mine, your head on my shoulder – I Thought I loved you then.
The steps of the inn, I finally realised that the reason our relationship had never progressed to more than friends was that we never actually stopped long enough to get anywhere. "Will you just stand still?" and that was it – years of sexual tension being released into one kiss, and it was amazing more so than I'd ever imagined – I thought I Loved you then.
28 Years Ago
Finally this was the moment I'd been waiting for, our first date. It went so wonderfully, thank god I couldn't have coped if it didn't. I gave you the horoscope from the first day we met, I told you "I'm in, I am all in" I honestly thought you would bolt then but nope you stayed, in fact you stayed all night – I Thought I Loved you then.
Then came the break up (The first one) now that was hard, I didn't think I'd cope – considered moving away a few times. The crucial moment came behind the stage watching as Kirk sang do you love me, I looked at you – upset, heartbroken, beautiful: I hated that I'd done that to you, it was never my attention – I thought I loved you then.
But everything got back on track, you came to the diner ranting (I guess you did learn something from me after all) about Rory and yachts. I ranted back and when I stopped, you were staring directly at me "Luke will you marry me?" I should have been raging you'd stolen my moment but in all reality it didn't matter, what mattered was we were getting married – I Thought I Loved you Then.
27 Years Ago
Now the next few years I'd like to forget, before we were together we were friends then more than friends but now we didn't see each other, we didn't talk. My heart broke more every single day – I Thought I Loved you then.
26 Years Ago
The night I saw you singing on that stage is forever embedded into my brain; it was what every single moment we had spent together/apart led us to. You wished me love and I knew 100% that the only way I'd get that was with you – I thought I Loved you then.
25 Years Ago
I proposed to you finally, and it went exactly the way I planned. I made up an excuse for you to go behind the counter and just like 10 years previous we were crouched behind the counter reading the writing on the wall: only this time the words had changed "Lorelai Gilmore will you marry me?" you looked up, tears shining in the corners of your eyes and you said the most amazing word ever written YES – I thought I Loved you then.
Our wedding day, my god that was a good day. I stood under the chuppah waiting for you, nervous as hell, you appeared at the top of the aisle: I was completely speechless, you were the most beautiful bride in the world – I couldn't believe you loved me, when you said I Do, I swear I thought I could fly – I Thought I Loved you then.
24 years ago
It was a normal day – Taylor was annoying, Kirk was annoying, I was ready to crack up and you came in, grabbed me even though I was in the middle of serving customers, and dragged me into the storage room. I started to ask what was going on but you cut me off waving something in front of me. A pregnancy test, a baby, a dad: We were having a baby! It was like a dream come true – I Thought I Loved you then.
23 years ago
William Richard Danes was born at 6.13am on the 19th May, the minute he was placed in my arms: I realised what unconditional love was. I looked over at you sleeping peacefully, my best friend, my wife, the mother of my child – I Thought I Loved you then.
20 Years Ago
Twins, twins, twins, twins: I could say the word a thousand times and it still wouldn't sink in, we were going to be parents for the second and third time. I looked from you to the ultrasound on the screen and not for the first time my heart stopped – I Thought I Loved you then.
19 Years Ago
Emilyn Victoria Danes and Amelia Gilmore Danes – daddy's little girls, it was like two miniatures Lorelai's and I couldn't have asked for anything more – I Thought I Loved you then.
15 Years Ago
You came home in a state, frantically waving your arms around: took me a long time to comprehend what was happening: Rory was getting married. You went on and on about how Logan wasn't right for her and she could do better. I looked at you, such an amazing mother – I thought I loved you then.
12 Years Ago
Rory's actual wedding, she asked me to walk her down the aisle and I knew it was you that caused that, allowing me to be her father figure – I Thought I Loved you then.
10 Years Ago
Lorelai Elizabeth Mariano was born at 11.03pm 16th October; she was just as gorgeous as her mother and grandmother. You did not want to be called granny – you moaned for days. I thought you were the sexiest granny ever – I Thought I loved you then.
8 years ago
Even after years of trying to get Lori to call you Nanny Lorelai, she finally turned round and called you Granny Danes: I was grandpa Danes and I didn't mind so why should you – I thought I Loved you then.
5 Years Ago
Lucas Gilmore Mariano, my grandson. Rory calling her son after me made me realise just how much of an impact I had on her life even before we were together: I was so proud of her and of you for accepting me into both of your lives – I Thought I Loved you then.
3 years ago
I wish I could erase this memory, I thought I'd lost you forever. That week was the longest of my entire life: I was at your bedside every second of the day/night begging you to wake up. God how I wanted to trade places, it's not her time; she has a family that need her. You opened your eyes and my world made sense again – I Thought I Loved you then.
Today
35 years you've been in my life, before you appeared I always thought I'd end up alone. I was a loner, a grump, depressed, set in my ways but you brought a smile to my face, a light to the darkness. I don't think about before we met before because it don't matter, I wasn't really living but now I am. Now you're my whole life, now you're my whole world. I can't believe the way I feel about you, this is me looking back from this moment that we're in, looking at you and saying I Thought I Loved You then.