I'm so glad you all seemed to like my last part. Your feedback was so nice and inspiring.
I have travelled to New York three times and I think it's a wonderful city. I hope my writing does it justice.
Part 12 – New York New York!
Luke was surprised when he arrived at Lorelai's house to pick her up, she was actually sitting on the porch steps waiting for him. Not only was she on time, she sat patiently drinking a cup of coffee with only two small bags on her right. She'd tied her hair back, put her glasses on instead of her contacts, worn her warmest blue coat and her most sensible walking boots. She was all ready of the cold streets of New York
Lorelai smiled as she watched Luke walking towards her dressed in his normal green coat and jeans, but what made her smile most was the blue hat that sat backwards on his head.
She'd purposely made sure she was ready the night before, partly to impress Luke, but mainly so that they could leave straight away to pick up April. Her only problem was that she'd been so well prepared she didn't know what to do with herself while waiting for Luke to arrive. Eventually she made coffee and sat outside to wait for him while reading over the checklist she'd written of everything she had.
"Where are the rest of your things?" Luke questioned as he reached her.
"That's it."
"This is everything you're bringing? You managed to fit the kitchen sink in that small holdall?"
"Yeah, it's one of those new origami sinks that you can fold up to fit into any bag so you really can take it anywhere."
"Light weight too," Luke commented as he picked up her bags. "You sure you've got everything?"
"I have made a list, so you're not going to worry me into thinking I've forgotten something," she told him. She waved the piece of paper in her hand before giving him a kiss then turning away.
Lorelai placed her cup back inside her house and locked up the front door while Luke put her bags with his own in the back of his truck. With an added bounce in her step, Lorelai made her way to Luke as he stood holding her door open.
"Nice hat," she told him, as she got in the truck.
"I thought so." Luke smiled back before closing her door and walking round to the driver's side.
Lorelai played about with the CD player putting in the first of many mixtures she'd created for the journey. It kept her mind occupied for all of five minutes. She knew it was stupid to think that Luke could pick up April then come back and collect her, but part of her wished it could be that way. The truth was she'd hardly slept for fear of what would happen when they picked April up. She didn't want to face Anna.
She didn't want to see the look on Anna's face when April excitedly left her for a vacation with them. She didn't want to be looked upon as 'the other woman'. The person who was there to take Anna's place. She didn't want to be the enemy.
"What's up?" Luke asked, noticing Lorelai lost in thought staring out of the window.
"Anna knows I'm coming right?"
"Coming on the trip or coming now to pick up April?"
"Both I guess."
"She knows. I talked to her yesterday and confirmed all the details, and I told her that April and I had invited you along and we were going together."
"And she was okay with that?"
"She's as fine as she will ever be."
"Meaning?" Lorelai questioned looking at Luke, who had his attention firmly on the road ahead.
"Meaning, I don't think she's completely happy about it, but she's not against it."
That didn't make Lorelai feel any better. She had been in Anna's shoes with Sherri. The difference being that Chris was so rarely in Rory's life that she'd only met Sherri on a handful of occasions. Luke was and would continue to be a constant in April's life, which in turn meant that she would be a constant in April's life. She wanted Anna to know that she wasn't a threat. That she didn't want to be a mother to April, she wanted to be her friend. However, after her last conversation with Anna, she felt maybe it was better to just keep her distance and let Luke deal with her.
"It's going to be okay," Luke reassured as he rubbed her knee. He knew it wasn't going to help her feel better. He wasn't sure himself what reception they would get from Anna. He could only go with his head held high, determined not to let her get the best of him. April was his daughter and it was his decision if he wanted Lorelai in her life. He'd almost lost Lorelai once, he wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.
They arrived at the house and Luke turned the engine off. They both sat very still staring at the house in front of them. Neither felt like they were breathing.
"I guess we should go get her."
"I guess so."
"On three?"
"Should I wait here? I mean would it be better if you got her…"
"No, we go in together," Luke said firmly. Lorelai nodded and slowly they both got out.
Lorelai firmly took hold of Luke's hand as they walked up to the door. Anna opened the door and couldn't hide her surprise at both of them standing in front of her. She smiled politely and invited them both in. April called down from the top of the stairs an apology that she was late and she would be right with them.
Lorelai and Anna exchanged uncomfortable smiles as they waited listening to the thudding of April running around upstairs. Lorelai attempted to make small talk as she questioned Anna's plans while they were away. That fell flat as Anna replied with nothing more then working in the store since her assistant was away for the week.
Luke gave her the details and the number of the hotel they were staying at, which Anna kindly informed him she already had them on the detailed itinerary that April had drawn up and given her.
As the silence fell on the three adults, both Luke and Lorelai felt a sigh on relief when April called down that she couldn't find her favourite sweater, and Anna excused herself to go help her look for it.
Fifteen minutes later and April was finally ready to go. Lorelai looked on in awe as Anna checked off everything April should have packed, to which April gave a frustrated "yes mom" to everything she said. It was so reminiscent of her and Rory she had to pinch herself so as not to laugh. Luke took April's bag, whist asking what exactly she had brought and reminding her they were only going away for three days.
Anna stayed on the porch only offering a wave and a "look after her" as April followed Luke and Lorelai to the truck. Lorelai was slightly stunned by this mix of her relationship with her mother and with Rory. In one moment April and Anna talked as if they were as close as she and Rory, but left each other with the closeness of how she would leave Emily. Anna didn't even stayed to watch them leave, she'd gone back in the house as soon as they had all got in the truck. However, by then April had made the jump from Anna to Luke and was already full steam into their trip, as if Anna had never existed.
During the journey from Woodbridge to New York, April was buzzing with details of their trip. She went over their time with Lorelai showing her the itemised itinerary, which she insisted she made to ensure nothing was forgotten. As Lorelai read it over she still wasn't sure how they were going to fit everything into three days, but April insisted it could be done, so long as they stuck to her timings.
Luke drove giving little input into Lorelai and Aprils conversations. He was still taking in the ease as which they had taken to each other and silently wondered if anything would phase April. Since the first tentative steps of their movie night the three of them had become a unit. To a stranger it would seem like they had known each other their whole lives, rather then the once or twice weekly visits April had made to Luke for the last few weeks.
When they arrived in New York they went straight to the hotel and dropped off the truck and their bags. Luke booked two rooms with an adjoining door which meant April had her own room, but he could keep the door ajar so he wouldn't worry about her sleep on her own.
Since their hotel was on 58th street, just by Central Park, their first point of call was a walk around the park and check out the ice rink. The park had a light dusting of snow giving Lorelai a warming feeling. April was amazed at how quiet it was in the park. Main roads surrounded the park, but once you stepped into it the sounds of the cars faded to nothing. Everything was so quiet and still, you would never believe that just a few feet away was the bustling city. Even as they stood in the middle of a clearing in the trees looking up at the buildings, it still was amazing to be there.
They made their way through the paths of the park eventually finding their way to the Lewis Carol memorial and near by lake and then on to the Strawberry Fields memorial for John Lennon before heading back towards the ice rink and the shops. For lunch, Lorelai and April talked Luke into getting hot dogs, which they ate whilst walking despite his disapproval and only with his insistence that they would eat something healthier for dinner.
Once April was happy to move on, the next item on the list was shopping. They stopped first at the Apple store where Lorelai picked up an Ipod for Rory, reasoning with a little sadness, that when she started travelling as journalist she would appreciate it on the long flights. She also checked out the latest Apple I-Book for herself, but Luke reasoned that hers was currently still usable. Lorelai tried to confuse Luke with talk of her full hard drive, but April innocently suggested maybe a portable hard drive would be more suitable. Luke could only smile as Lorelai took a last look at the computer before leaving it behind.
Next up was FAO Swartz to pick up a present for Doula, because no child should be without a bear from FAO Swartz, Lorelai and April reasoned. While April and Lorelai played on the famous floor piano, Luke found himself freaked out by the design your own doll and even more worrying the newborn baby doll nursery, complete with human nurse. Lorelai only laughed when she saw him staring in disbelief at the dolls with their pink and blue blankets in the basinets behind the clear perspex. They walked past the toy Porsche and Ferrari which Luke noted could actually be driven. Lorelai's only comment being that her parents had wanted to buy Rory one similar when she was little, which she had gotten round by the fact that they saw her so infrequently that Rory would never use it. Luke did however find the design your own Hotwheels car factory very interesting.
They made their way down Fifth Avenue towards Times Square looking in the shop windows of Armani and others that they would never be able to afford to shop in and looking in the various electrical shops. They took a walk through the Rockfeller Centre and made plans to go up to the Top of the Rock that evening. They had a look around the NBC store, and picked up a few items from ER, Friends and April's new found love for the show Heroes. It was the scientific idea of the show that interested her, April remarked as she picked up a T-shirt.
Lorelai insisted that they look in the MTV store and just had to buy a T-shirt, because 'it's the MTV store,' she reasoned. They hit Macy's and Luke was sure he heard his credit card cry as Lorelai found clothes for himself and April, as well as her own things for Rory and herself. Despite her protests that she would pay for the items for herself and Rory because he was paying for everything else, Luke insisted he wanted to pay for them.
They took a taxi back to their hotel, which they reasoned later that it would have been quicker to walk, and all got showered and changed ready for dinner and a Broadway show. They all got dressed up in their best attire and Lorelai curled April's hair, even letting her wear a little of her own make up before presenting Luke his daughter. April wore a dark blue knee length dress much to Luke's surprise. He'd never seen her in anything but jeans, but she returned with the fact she'd never seen him out of jeans either and he didn't look so bad without his hat.
Lorelai insisted in getting a few pictures of the two of them together, which April quickly agree to and after took the camera to take a picture of Lorelai and Luke. She stared at them as Luke stood behind Lorelai dressed in his best suit, his only suit he would say, and wrapped his arms around her waist. Lorelai relaxed back into him in her black dress, the gold coffee bean jewellery shone against her dark hair and dress. April couldn't help but smile as she watched them both laughing at Luke's usual reluctance to have his photo taken.
As darkness fell on the city they ate dinner in a small restaurant on Ninth Avenue, restaurant row, before making their way to the theatre. After much research Luke and April had finally settled on seeing Wicked. Despite his initial reluctance to see a show based on the Wizard of Oz, Luke did find himself tapping his toes along with the witches singing on stage. Naturally, Lorelai and April loved the show and were dancing in their seats.
Afterwards they made their way to the Top of the Rock, with not much time to spare before closing. They stood at the top looking out over the lights of the city through the glass. Lorelai took another picture of April and Luke with the city lit up behind them. The Empire State Building stood out with its Red, White and Blue lights to their right, and the Chrysler building shone in white on their left.
"Would you like me to take a picture of the three of you?" A stranger asked as Lorelai checked the pictures of Luke and April on her camera.
"That would be great, thank you," April answered quickly, before anyone had a chance to decline the offer.
Lorelai smiled and handed her camera to the gentleman before taking her place next to Luke. April stood in front of them with Luke to her right and Lorelai on her left. Both held a hand to April shoulders and wrapped an arm around each other as they stood close together for the picture and smiled. They took a couple of shots before thanking the kind man and he returned the camera.
"You have a lovely daughter," the gentleman commented to Lorelai. She smiled slightly unsure how to respond to his comment. She didn't get a chance to correct his mistake before he walked away.
While Luke and April looked out at the view Lorelai sneaked a look at the pictures they had taken. She couldn't help but notice how good the three of them looked together. Looking at the pictures and how happy they were, she couldn't blame someone for thinking what a nice family they made. She focused on the smiling faces on the screen staring back at her. That's exactly what they looked like. A normal happy family.
Day two was an early start with a coffee or hot chocolate and a toasted bagel eaten on the go as they picked up an open top bus tour as per April's request. Picking up the bus at Times square, they journeyed around the Empire State Building, down Broadway, past the Flatiron Building, down ladies mile, on to West Broadway past Washington Square Park and past Ground Zero until they reached the stop to get off at the Statue of Liberty.
Even at 9.30 in the morning there were queues to get through the security checks and onto the boat to get to Liberty Island. Braving the cold they stood on the top deck watching the goddess that watches over New York as they circled around her before pulling into the port at the island. The first stop was the gift shop to pick up more coffee and hot chocolate. For once, it was to warm them up after the boat journey, rather then Lorelai's need for caffeine. They walked around Liberty Island, Lorelai and April took random pictures as per the tourists that they were following around, semi stalking.
They took the tour inside the base of the statue and saw the torch that stood in the foyer, the copper face, the original designs, heard Emma Lazarus' poem The New Colossus and learned more about the statue then Lorelai ever though possible.
As they walked around she wondered how come she and Rory had never done this. Sure they had come to New York to shop or to see a show, but they had never done the tourist thing, taken in just how amazing the city could be. Even Luke seemed to be enjoying himself, and he'd said New York should be left to float away.
April was engrossed as she walked around listening to the tour guide and taking as many pictures as she could. Looking up at the twisting staircase, Lorelai was half upset that you could no longer walk up to the crown of the statue and half grateful, she'd never been one for heights anyway. As they stood at the feet of the statue Lorelai took yet another picture of Luke and April with the skyline behind them. In turn April insisted on getting one of Lorelai with Luke. After a looking around the gift shop for the appropriate tourist tacky gift they decided to head back. They stayed on the lower deck this time as they sat and listened to April excitedly chatting almost as fast as Lorelai.
When they got off the boat they took a walk back to Ground Zero. They paid their respects giving a few minutes silence as they walked around taking in just how far the construction of the new Freedom Tower had come in just a few years. Despite the tragic event, Lorelai noted the sense of hopefulness that surrounded the site. She had expected there to be a sombre, sadness, but she felt only the strong New York attitude of 'we will not be beaten'.
"No New York tourist trip would be complete without a trip to Century 21," Lorelai insisted as they practically walked passed the shop. Rolling his eyes Luke agreed and promptly lost both girls in the shop. They'd disappeared so long that Luke ended up calling Lorelai's cell just to check where they were. Naturally when he finally met up with them again Lorelai had more then a few bags which he dutifully carried for her.
They got back on the tour bus and headed back up town past the South Sea Port, the Brooklyn Bridge and in towards Chinatown.They stopped off in Chinatown for a late lunch that they all thoroughly enjoyed.
"I don't think I'm going to be able to enjoy Al's Chinese ever again," Lorelai commented, as she sat stuff from the all you can eat buffet.
"Knowing you, I give you two days back in Stars Hollow before you get Chinese food from Al's," Luke teased.
After a walk around Chinatown then made their way to Little Italy. They walked around the markets and shops and finally, after much deliberation, Luke made reservations for them at a little Italian restaurant for dinner. After their trip to the ice rink, Luke was sure they would be hungry. They got the tour bus back to Central Park going past the Bellevue Hospital and Asylum, the United Nations Building, and The Wardoff Astoria Hotel, before finally reaching their destination.
They had some time to spare so they swapped buses and took the Up town loop that did a tour around central park. Sitting on the top deck Lorelai took comfort and warmth in Luke's arms as they listened to the tour guide telling them stories of John Lennon, Judy Garland, Glen Close, the Museum of Natural History, the Lincoln centre and the Metropolitan Museum.
By six thirty they were back at the hotel dropping off their bags and picking up their ice skates. Lorelai had insisted on bringing her own and April was practically rushing them out the room before they had even got in the room to try out her own pair. They made their way down the short walk from their hotel to the ice rink. Despite their best efforts, neither Lorelai nor April could convince Luke to skate with them. Instead, he surprised Lorelai by taking her camera and telling them he would stand at the edge taking the pictures.
Feeling slightly nervous about taking April skating on her own, Lorelai could only hope she could keep her from falling over. The last thing she wanted was for April to hurt herself on the ice, even more so if it was in her care. Carefully she helped April on to the ice and stayed by her side as she held one hand on the railings. Slowly they built up their confidence on the ice and April found herself being able to let go of the side and skate holding only Lorelai's hand.
They took their time doing a few laps of the busy circular rink. Looking around Lorelai slowly brought them to the middle of the rink and out of anyone's way and helped April to stop telling her to take a look around. Following her lead April looked up and took in the view. They were skating in Central Park. They were surrounded by trees and tall buildings, the wind whipped past their faces and suddenly it was a magical place to be.
Lorelai looked at April's face full of wonder and awe as she looked around the scene in front of her eyes. She was a wonderful girl, and she had so much of Luke in her, so much more then Lorelai had first realised. As she watched April looking around she realised that for the first time how comfortable she felt standing next to her. She wasn't worried about how to act or what to say, if she was taking too much away from Luke. Whether she should speak or keep quiet or what Anna might do when she found out what they had done when April got home. She suddenly felt like herself. She wasn't trying to be someone she wasn't. She was just Lorelai Gilmore.
Lorelai moved April on and she just felt different as they laughed and chatted their way around the ice rink. She just let go of the insecurities she had about spending time with April and enjoyed being with Luke's daughter. They laughed and chatted, random conversations, nothing serious. They just enjoyed each other's company. Lorelai wasn't trying to fake enjoying herself, she was genuinely enjoying herself and not just the skating, she'd really enjoyed their whole trip.
Lorelai was suddenly put off balance slightly as she felt water drop on her face and quickly another drop followed. She stopped and April stopped too as she noticed Lorelai's unexpected silence. April watched as Lorelai stood still looking up at the sky laughing, it made her look up at the sky also.
Snow.
It was snowing Lorelai realised, and she'd been so occupied with April she hadn't even smelt it. She'd just felt it falling. It would only be a light dusting and probably wouldn't settle much, but it was snow and it was the perfect moment for her friend to make another welcome return.
She finally looked over at Luke wondering if he would see the significance of the weather. He was standing across watching them laughing as he shrugged his shoulders to her. Laughing she shook her head and shrugged her arms back at him. Surprisingly he motioned to her to move closer to April and held the camera up. Slowly she moved towards April.
As she stood waiting for Luke to tell her he'd finished she realised that this was the first picture of her and April together. Definitely one for the photo album she thought.
Luke looked at the screen on the back of the camera taking pictures that he had no idea if they would come out or just be a blur of people moving past the lens. He watched Lorelai carefully skating with April not letting go of her for even a second until April was ready for her to. Even when she did let go he noticed that Lorelai was barely centimetres away and managed to grab her each time she wobbled even slightly.
He couldn't help but notice that Lorelai was a natural mother, whether she realised it or not. Of course, he'd known this for years, he'd watched her with Rory since she was younger then April was now. But Rory was her child, her own flesh and blood, and in front of him she stood with his daughter telling her to look around and take in where she was skating. To take in the magic that was being in Central Park, at night with the lights of the city shining around them. He saw the look in April's eyes as they stood silently in the middle of the rink.
Luke focused on Lorelai once more, noticing how relaxed and at ease she looked. She looked beautiful as she smiled and her eyes sparkled in a way he hadn't seen in too long. He watched her laugh and smile with April. She skated with more confidence and her whole body just somehow seemed more relaxed then before. He noticed that although she had let April skate in front of her, her eyes never left where April was, not even for a second. There was just something about Lorelai that Luke couldn't put his finger on. Whatever it was, he couldn't take his eyes off her, off the way she was with his daughter.
Luke was frozen to the spot not even being able to move to take a picture of them. He felt his breathing shallow as a warmth ran though him and he questioned if he was even blinking. He was watching her, he was seeing her, really seeing her. The woman in front of him was the woman he felt in love with, the reason he fell in love with her in the first place.
It wasn't her crazy conversations, her coffee addiction, her ability to make everything fun or the way she made everyone comfortable in her presence. It was the way she was with her daughter, or more correctly, the warm motherly nature that he'd watch everyday in his diner while she sat with Rory.
It was that motherly instinct that he saw in front of him and he was lost in it. The ease at which his daughter interacted with her despite the limited amount of time they had spent together. A smile crept across his face and he didn't even realise it.
The wet drop that fell on his nose knocked Luke out of his trance. A split second later another dropped, and another followed quickly by another. Blinking Luke looked up to see the white droplets slowly falling from the sky.
Snow.
He looked across at Lorelai who was stood still her arms open as she looked up at the sky before she looked over at Luke. Quickly Luke took a picture trying to capture the look on Lorelai's face. Pressing a few buttons Luke finally found the zoom and closed in on Lorelai's face and snapped a few pictures before moving to April who was looking on with a mixture of amusement and wonder. He'd explain Lorelai's obsession with snow tomorrow, if Lorelai hadn't already.
He noticed Lorelai looking at him questioning the weather and pretending it was snowing just for her. For once he actually wanted to believe she could control the weather. He shrugged his shoulders laughing at her and she laughed back at him. He motioned for her to move closer to April and held the camera up to show her he wanted to take a picture. She looked slightly surprised at him, but he watched her move into position next to April.
After a few seconds of just watching them, Luke stood taking picture after picture of the two most important people in his world. He definitely wanted one of these to go in one of the picture frames Lorelai had bought him.
