Chapter 2 – May 2006: The Graduation Party

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

It has been nine long months since Luke last saw Lorelai. He tried calling her every day at first, not willing to accept that it was the end for them. However, as she warned, she never picked up his calls. He tried talking to Sookie but she refused to listen to him and only gave snide remarks – very unlike her usual sunny disposition. He even ran after Rory once when he saw her at the gazebo on a weekend home from Yale, but she wouldn't even look him in the eyes and excused herself quickly.

A young couple with two-year-old twins rented the Crap Shack soon after Lorelai left. He would sometimes drive by the house and park on the other side, watching the family lounge around in the front porch, or play in the yard. That should have been us, he thought sadly to himself.

He remembered Lorelai's dream when they were still just friends – that they were married, and she was pregnant with twins. At that time, he could barely contain the thrill he felt, that even if it was just in her subconscious, she was once his wife. His wife! Imagine that.

When he went to Babette to give back his key the day after Lorelai left, he dreaded the questions he would inevitably have to face. But Babette was unusually reticent. She didn't pry or ask him anything, and seemed to know exactly why he was giving up the key to the Crap Shack. She just took it in her hand, shook her head sadly and gave him a poignant look.

It was difficult for him to move on, so he focused his attention on April. Anna was kind to him, commiserating about the difficulty of being alone. He welcomed the companionship but got upset when she made comments like "Maybe she just can't deal with you having a kid." It made him extremely uncomfortable, but he wondered in private if that was true sometimes. However, as soon as that thought crossed his mind, he would immediately shake it off, knowing that the existence of April was never the issue.

One day, when he drove April home from the diner, Anna invited him to join them for dinner. She sometimes did that out of courtesy but he never took her up on her offer. But that day, Rory refused to even look at him when he tried to talk to her, and he was more hurt than he would care to admit. He was feeling upset and a tad lonely, so he decided to say yes. Anna looked surprised but covered it up quickly, and April could barely contain her excitement. A thought crossed his mind unbidden – even though he lost Lorelai and Rory, maybe he'd get a shot with Anna and April.

He started coming by their house more often, wanting to see not only April but also Anna. As Luke and Anna spent more time together, the old familiarity they enjoyed when they were together thirteen years ago slowly came back. It wasn't because he was falling in love with Anna, far from it – it was more that he just wanted someone to talk to. And he had no one to talk to back in Stars Hollow.

After several months of friendship, Anna made the first move and kissed him one night. She looked at him with bright blue eyes, full of affection, and his first thought was that there used to be another pair of bright blue eyes that looked at him with so much love. He pulled back from the kiss and hurriedly said goodbye. She tried not to be too offended.

That night, he tried calling Lorelai again. He had to know if there was hope for them to get back together before he would even consider starting anything with Anna. To his disappointment, she still refused to take his call. He left a voicemail and asked her to call him back. He waited in vain for three days, but she never did.

After three days, he went to see Anna. He told her that he was not yet over Lorelai, but he wanted Anna to be a part of his life. Anna took his hand with kind understanding and smiled. They agreed to start dating and see where it took them. It took two more months for Luke to finally feel ready to move on and start the new chapter of his life. His first night with Anna felt strange, and he tried to convince himself that first times – even if it wasn't technically a first time – are always awkward affairs. He tried to forget what his first time with Lorelai was like – how it felt perfect, how it felt just right.

A month after he started the relationship with Anna, he heard from town gossips that Rory was graduating from Yale in a week and both mom and daughter were coming back to celebrate with the town with a big party.

He felt an inordinate amount of pride in Rory. Imagine – Lorelai's little girl was graduating from an Ivy League school! He fondly remembered the time he helped move her into her dorm. He and Lorelai were just friends then, but he was a part of their everyday lives and they were a part of his. He missed seeing both girls every day, hearing their chatter, serving them coffee and burgers and pie. I wish I didn't screw things up, he thought to himself again, before shaking his head abruptly to try to forget.

There was no formal invitation to any of the townies – word travelled mostly by word of mouth, and everyone was invited. But Luke felt that it would be too awkward if he would just show up for the party. But it was his only chance to talk to Lorelai after their breakup and maybe get some closure, so he decided to try to see her.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Lorelai was back in Stars Hollow after nine months. Her baby was graduating from Yale and about to start a job soon – this requires a celebration with the town she loves.

Lorelai was excited to be back in town – though she and Rory will be staying at the Dragonfly since they rented the Crap Shack out – but she dreaded having to see a certain gruff diner man who broke her heart months ago. By all appearances, she seemed back to her normal bubbly self after the breakup, but she knew she was not over him yet.

"Do you think you'll get back together with Luke?" Sookie asked her for the third time in an hour, while Lorelai was snacking on some chocolates at the Dragonfly kitchen.

"I don't really want to think about it," Lorelai admitted with a sigh. "I can't have my hopes up and have them dashed into pieces again."

"I don't think he's seeing anyone," Sookie insisted. "I mean, if you still love him…"

"Look, Sookie, we had a horrible breakup," Lorelai explained patiently. "I never even gave him a chance to explain himself. I just up and left, and never took his calls. There was no closure for both of us."

"I know, but it's Luke…"

"That used to mean something, but not anymore…"

"I mean, he pined for you for years. Men like him don't just get over something like that."

"Really, Sookie, I know you're trying to make me feel better, but I need you to drop this," Lorelai said firmly. "You didn't see me after the breakup. I was a mess. Seriously. I was barely functioning during my first week at New Jersey. I've never been like that. I couldn't call you or Rory because I felt like nobody should see me that low. I'm better now, but I can't really afford to fall back into that hole."

Sookie said nothing at first and looked at her best friend with understanding in her eyes. "I'm sorry, hon. I wasn't thinking."

"It's okay, Sooks," Lorelai said. "Let's just drop this, okay?"

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Lorelai and Rory walked arm in arm through the town square, chatting animatedly and waving to townies they knew. They were on their way to Miss Patty's to say hi before visiting the Crap Shack tenants and seeing Babette and Morey.

Lane was serving Kirk his scrambled eggs with toast when she glanced up and saw the two. She hastily removed her apron and all but ran to the door, calling out, "I'm taking my break! Be back in 15 minutes." Luke was at the counter tinkering with an old watch and didn't even look up, but grunted in acknowledgment.

"Rory! Lorelai!" Lane shouted, trying to catch up to them. Both hugged her warmly when she finally caught up.

"Lane! Married life must really agree with you. You look great!" Lorelai said. "You guys want to be alone for a bit? I'm sure you have lots of girly secrets you want to talk about without little old me hanging around."

"No, actually I need to tell you something, Lorelai," Lane said, gasping for breath slightly. "Man, I have to start exercising!"

"Rest a bit, Lane," Rory said, looking concerned. "What do you need to tell my mom? Do I need to leave for this conversation?"

"No, no, you should both hear this from me before you hear it from someone else," Lane took a deep breath. "I think Luke is seeing someone."

Lorelai carefully kept her face a mask. "That's okay, hon, you knew we were broken up, right? He can see other people."

"Do you know who it is?" Rory asked curiously, glancing at her mother to see if she was okay.

"I'm… I'm pretty sure it's April's mom."

Lorelai couldn't stop herself from flinching. Both girls were looking at her with a concerned expression, so she tried to rally her spirits. They can't see her break apart over this news that she should have expected anyway. She cleared her throat. "Listen guys, why don't I head over to the gazebo for a bit? I just need to, uh, sit down before we go see Miss Patty. It will give you two time to catch up too."

"Are you okay, Mom?" Rory asked, concerned.

"Of course, sweets, I was just a bit… surprised I guess," Lorelai admitted. "But it shouldn't really matter since we've broken up anyway. I mean, I broke up with him, right? He can see whoever he likes." She turned to look at Lane, who had a guilty look on her face. "Hey Lane, thanks for telling me. You didn't have to, you know."

Lane nodded, "I'm sorry things didn't work out, Lorelai."

Lorelai bobbed her head up and down, trying to sound cheerful, "That's how life goes, hon. Nothing to worry about. Not everyone is as cool as you and Zack."

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

When Luke heard that Lorelai was back in town, he knew instantly that he had to talk to her. Maybe not about the breakup – that would be awkward to discuss now – but just to catch up. After all, they've been friends for nearly a decade before they crossed the line. There's no reason we can't still be friends, he reasoned to himself. I should at least try.

He kept waiting for Lorelai or Rory to come by the diner to get coffee, or order hotdogs and burgers for the graduation party, or maybe, maybe even to invite him. But they never did. Lane assured him that he can drop by if he likes, but it didn't feel right to him to just show up.

He tried to see her at the Dragonfly, where he knew they were staying while they were in town, but the French putz Michel wouldn't let him. He finally decided to take his chances and drop by at the party before it ends.

On the day of the party, he stayed late at the diner, watching the townies celebrate Rory's graduation. They even had Rory recreate the scene when she went up the stage to get her diploma. He saw glimpses of Lorelai wearing a light blue sweater and jeans, laughing and chatting animatedly with the guests. He hoped he'd have a chance to talk to her before she left for god-knows-where.

He stayed at the diner waiting for the crowd to thin out, remembering another time when he stayed alone at the diner while the whole town celebrated with Lorelai. That time, they were celebrating her engagement to that pretentious teacher, Max. He wanted to go and try to be happy for his friend, but he just couldn't do it. He kept blaming himself for never even taking the chance to ask her out, but by then it was too late. But Lorelai sought him out that night and personally asked him to come. He wondered if she would do the same this time, but realized that she probably never would.

When the crowd started dwindling down, Luke finally left the diner and made his way quietly to the town square. He could see Lorelai sitting on a bench by herself, cradling a cup of what he can only assume was the potent Founder's Day punch.

"Hey," he said quietly. "Mind if I sit?"

Lorelai nearly jumped out in surprise. "Um, hi Luke!" she replied with forced cheerfulness, but her head kept craning from left to right, trying to find Rory or Sookie or anyone to save her from this uncomfortable position. "Sure, uh, sit."

He gingerly sat down at the end of the bench. "I haven't seen you in months. How have you been?"

"Great, I've been doing great," she said with an awkward smile.

"Do you mind if I ask where you're living now? I mean, I tried to ask a few people but they seem to clam up with me."

Lorelai looked surprised that he tried to find her. "I've, uh, been staying at New Jersey actually."

"Really? What are you doing there?" he asked with genuine curiosity.

"I'm working for the Durham group now. You remember Mike Armstrong, the guy who wanted to buy the Dragonfly? I'm supposed to go to their properties that aren't doing too well and try to turn things around. It's a challenge, but good fun," she said, starting to babble in her nervousness. "And I guess I, uh, needed a change of scenery."

Luke nodded. "Yeah, I understand."

"So how have you been?" Lorelai asked casually, trying not to look too interested.

Luke shifted uncomfortably and stared at his feet. "Good, good. Uh, I'm actually, uh, seeing someone…" He couldn't look at her eyes. "It's, uh, it's Anna."

Lorelai felt a surge of gratitude that Lane had the foresight to warn her about this news. As such, she was able to keep her face a perfect mask of mild interest. "Oh, that's… that's good, Luke. I'm happy for you."

Luke felt his ears turn red in embarrassment. "It's still pretty new, but I… we thought we'd give it a shot for April's sake."

"Oh, you don't have to explain anything to me," Lorelai said, wanting to change the subject altogether.

"I just… I just don't want you getting ideas, that maybe it started when we were together."

Lorelai took a deep breath. This was getting more difficult than she thought it would be, but she needed to leave this conversation with her pride intact. "We shouldn't really be talking about any of this anymore," she said firmly. "We're not together. You don't need to explain anything."

"But I really need you to know that…"

"Listen, Luke, I know how it is with exes. Especially if you have a kid together. You don't have to explain anything to me," she replied, trying to make him understand that she wanted to drop the subject altogether.

Luke's eyebrows furrowed suddenly. What did she mean? Was she back with that bastard Christopher too? "Are you and, uh, Christopher to-…" Lorelai gave him a look that silenced him instantly. He had no right to ask about her affairs. "I'm sorry, that was not appropriate."

"No, it wasn't appropriate for you to ask, Luke. And no, I'm not with Chris if that's what you're asking," she said huffily. "We've been spending time together, yes, but it's only because of Gigi."

"Gigi?" he asked, confused.

"Sherry left him with their two-year-old daughter, Gigi," she explained with an annoyed look. "He struggles with being a father. I mean, he has Rory but he never really took care of her or anything, so he has no idea what to do. He just needs some help right now, and since he thinks I'm a great mom, he's been calling to ask for my help. They drive over to see me, or I go and see them in Boston."

He couldn't help but cringe at her underhanded reproach about how he never wanted her help with April. How he tried to keep her away from his daughter. He tried to control the sudden spark of angry jealousy that he felt at the thought of her spending time with Christopher, but he couldn't. "So, I guess it's just my calls you've been avoiding, huh?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I've been calling you every day for months, Lorelai! You couldn't even spare ten seconds to answer my call and tell me you're okay. But the phone rings and you see it's Christopher, and of course, you'd answer it." What the hell am I saying? he thought suddenly. I'm with Anna now. I shouldn't care who she's with.

Lorelai looked at him in disbelief, anger making her face red. "Well, you want to know why? Because in all the years I've known Christopher, he's never hurt me as much as you have!"

Luke suddenly felt like an ass. His anger was gone in a second. Here he was, in a relationship with his ex, getting angry at Lorelai for spending time with her ex. "You know, I, uh, never got to really apologize to you for everything," he said slowly after a moment of silence. "I'm sorry, Lorelai. I never meant to hurt you."

Lorelai looked at him. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Luke, we really shouldn't talk about this anymore, especially now that you're in a relationship with someone else." Luke started, suddenly remembering Anna and feeling a tinge of guilt. Lorelai stayed quiet for a moment, trying to decide what to say next. "But for what it's worth – I forgive you. And I'm sorry for my part too. I should have talked to you sooner. I shouldn't have just run away like I did. It was wrong of me to do it. I'm sorry."

Luke nodded, unable to speak. He couldn't help feeling like they were breaking up again. Unfortunately, one thing became crystal clear to him at that moment. Whatever he thought he had with Anna – it was a mistake. Lorelai was the only woman in the world for him. However, as these thoughts were running through his mind, she stood up to leave.

"So listen, I have to go find Sookie now," she said, obviously wanting to get away from him.

Luke reluctantly stood up as well. "Hey, do you mind giving Rory my gift?" he said, reaching for a small box in his pocket.

"Oh, I'm sure it would be better coming from you. She's around here somewhere," she said with a vague gesture towards the surroundings. "Anyway… it was good seeing you again, Luke. I'm glad you're happy with… with Anna and April." She gave him a wan smile. "I guess you're getting the whole package after all."

Luke swallowed hard, remembering how she used to talk about wanting the whole package for herself, and how he always dreamed she would get it with him. How times have changed. "Yeah… you too, Lorelai..."

As Lorelai walked away, she felt like this was finally, truly the end. In a way, she was glad. She can now really start moving on.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-