Disclaimer in first chapter.
Back with a new chapter. Little bit of a different direction with this one but something I wanted to address within this timeline since, like most things, it was only mentioned once. But not here. Not exactly all happy throughout. Also more focused on Luke.
Lorelai crept up the staircase, careful not to make too much noise seeing as Luke headed up to bed much earlier than usual and she didn't want to wake him. Normally on nights when he didn't have early deliveries the next morning or when April was staying with them, he would stay up later only going to bed once April was already in her room for the night, but tonight and the night before had been different and she knew the reason why. Between wedding planning, the house that they still needed to make a decision on, and the ever-growing concerns over fertility, it had completely slipped her mind at first that this time of the year was always hardest on Luke but it was brought back full force when a seemingly normal conversation about wedding invitations turned into a blow-out that ended up with Luke storming out of the Dragonfly.
Their fight didn't last long seeing as Luke had apologized later that night but the underlying tension over his "Dark Day" still remained with Luke in a worse mood than usual and Lorelai worrying that he would start to pull away again. While Luke knew that he couldn't let it be a blanket excuse for his behavior, he explained it to April when it was suggested that she should know since she was currently staying with them and had a right to know since he was her father which made it a part of her life.
In the darkened bedroom, Lorelai tip-toed across the wooden floor and quietly gathered her pajamas before disappearing into the bathroom for her nightly routine. Once she was changed into her pajamas, she tried to tip-toe through the room again as not to wake up Luke whom she suspected was sleeping but her efforts were thwarted when she stubbed her toe on her nightstand and sent her alarm clock tumbling to the ground. By the time she managed to find her alarm clock in the darkness and set it down back in it's rightful place, Luke had turned towards her in bed.
"I'm sorry," Lorelai apologized with a frown as she settled down in bed next to him. "I was trying to be quiet but we both know that's not my strong suit."
Luke yawned before he said, "It's okay."
She gave him a small smile at that then pressed a kiss to his lips. "Okay." When he moved from laying on his side to laying on his back and wrapped his arm around her, she laid her head down on his chest. "Luke?"
"Hmm?"
She propped her head up on his chest to look at him. "How is tomorrow going to go? I mean I know you don't know know since you have to wait until tomorrow to see how tomorrow is going to go because we haven't yet determined that you have psychic abilities, but I know what tomorrow is and how it usually goes for you, but I don't know if that applies now. I mean-"
"Lorelai," Luke interrupted.
She continued on like she didn't hear him. "The first year we were together, I didn't know about it but we did spend a little time together that night, and then last year was just crazy all around that time, but this year is different. I'm here, April's here, and I'm not saying that you can't choose to not be completely around tomorrow because if you want the time to yourself, I understand. Everyone needs a little time to themselves every now and then but I don't want you to think that you have to spend tomorrow alone. I'm supposed to work tomorrow but I can take the day off."
Luke sighed her name, "Lorelai."
"I know how hard tomorrow is for you," Lorelai said, reaching her hand up and cupping the side of his face. "But I'm here for you, okay?"
Luke took the hand of hers that was on his face and grasped it in his own. "Okay."
"And I'll be here for whatever you feel the need to do tomorrow, avoiding the town, not opening the diner, getting away from people, whatever it is you do when you disappear on this day," Lorelai listed. "I'm here and April's here and we both love you."
Luke leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead, "Let's just go to sleep."
She smiled tenderly at him, careful not to push it anymore tonight. "Yes, since I woke you up from your sleep, you may go back to sleep."
They shared another kiss before she turned on her side with her back towards him. Her eyes fluttered close when she felt his arm wrap around her waist and pull her back against him. And though tomorrow wasn't her dark day, she felt herself relax when Luke pressed a kiss to her shoulder and then her neck before whispering that he loved her too and knew that she and April would be there for him tomorrow and just how much he appreciated that fact.
The next morning, Lorelai awoke to an empty bed. Judging by the lack of warmth from his side of the bed, she knew that he had been absent from their bed for quite awhile. She vaguely remembered him rolling out of bed earlier and whispering to her to go back to sleep because it was too early for her to be awake before he pressed a kiss into her hair and moved away from the bed. She laid in bed, listening carefully from movement downstairs thinking that Luke still might be here just downstairs cooking breakfast, but the house was quiet and there were no smells indicating that any breakfast was being cooked. She pushed the covers away from her body, climbed out of bed, and carefully selected her outfit for work before heading into the bathroom.
By the time she made it downstairs, her movements hurried when she remembered that she would be the one taking April to school today, she found April already sitting at the table with a plate of pancakes on the table in front of her and her eyes on her history book.
"Good morning," Lorelai greeted as she grabbed her cup from the counter and began to fill it with the already made coffee. "Did you see your dad this morning?"
"Mhmm," April mumbled, not taking her eyes off of her book. When she finished the section she was reading, she looked up at Lorelai and continued. "When I got up, he was just finishing breakfast. Your plate is in the microwave. He left not too long after I got up."
"Okay." Lorelai set her coffee cup down on the table before walking over to the microwave. She checked on her breakfast before she decided that it needed to be warmed up for a few minutes. "Did your dad say anything else this morning? About today or anything?"
"He wished me good luck on my test and said that he was sure that I would do well," April answered. "But he didn't say anything else, at least not about today. He did look sad though."
Lorelai sighed, a slight frown formed on her face. She hated for him to be hurting. "Yeah, well today is a very hard day for him." She turned around and grabbed her breakfast plate out of the microwave when it beeped. Before joining April at the table, she grabbed a fork and added, "But he was right, I'm sure you'll ace that test today."
"I hope so," April stressed.
They ate in silence for a little while with April turning back to her history book for a little last minute cramming for the test that she had in first period while Lorelai's thoughts turned to Luke. After talking with him the night before, she had thought that there would be the slightest possibility that he would still be here when she woke up but she completely understood why he wasn't and knew that he needed some time on his own today to do whatever it is he usually did on this day. They had never talked about it before, his first Dark Day as a couple just ended with them in bed silently making love and then not talking about how he spent his day instead he told her of a few stories from his childhood. And for the life of her she couldn't remember the last year's.
Looking back now, she saw the flaw in them not talking about it but at the time it didn't bother her. She just didn't want to see Luke hurting. She figured it helped for him to relive the happier moments of his childhood than to focus on the later days of his father's life when he was sick and how he spent those days trying to take care of him. He could be very closed off at times but she loved the openness of how he talked about his childhood with her that night.
Lorelai was broken out of her reverie when she heard April addressing her. She hadn't heard the question but by the way April was looking at her, she knew she was expecting an answer. "What did you say hon?"
"I asked if you knew him," April replied. "My dad's dad. William. Did you or Rory ever know him?"
Lorelai smiled, remembering an encounter that she told Luke about when she managed to connect the dots that the friendly older man she had met once was a member of the Danes' family. "Actually I met him before I met your dad. I didn't realize who he was until Luke and I were talking about his family one day. He never told me his name, just helped me once at Doose's when I was trying to shop but Rory wouldn't stop crying. He made her laugh and stop crying long enough for me to get her a pack of diapers. It wasn't long after we moved here."
"Sounds nice."
Lorelai nodded in response. "Yeah, it was."
April closed her book and slid it away from her. She stabbed at the remnants of pancakes on her plate with her fork. "Should we do something for Dad today?" she asked. "Maybe something to cheer him up."
Lorelai smiled at the young girl's thoughtfulness. Her mind was already running with potential ideas of things she could do for him. "Did you have anything in mind?"
"Well he's always cooking us breakfast and making dinner, he's tried to make my lunch a few times too but I told him I'm fine with school lunches. I know that he's not here not now but if he's going to be back by tonight, maybe we could make him dinner or something," April replied.
"That's a lovely idea April but there's a reason that Luke does all the cooking around here," Lorelai explained to her. "My cooking would be more of a punishment than a nice gesture."
April laughed at that. "Mom's not much of a cook either. I, however, like to think of it as a science. I can relate to that more and cooking can really be a science."
"You can cook?"
"One dish," April said seriously. "I made it with my grandma before when we spent time with her.
She taught me. I know he doesn't eat pizza all that much but we could make it a little healthier for him."
"I think that sounds great. You can cook and I'll supervise, might be the best idea in this situation," Lorelai replied. "When I pick you up from school, we can swing by the store and pick up whatever we need." She glanced over at the clock on the wall, "Speaking of school, we need to get going so you're not late."
April agreed, sliding out of the kitchen chair and heading into her bedroom to gather her things for school while Lorelai cleared both of their plates from the table and dumped them into the sink for clean up later today. They both said goodbye to Paul Anka and then April, once again, buried her nose in her history book causing Lorelai to carefully and safely guide the young girl out of the door, down the porch steps, and to the jeep.
Earlier that morning, Luke had been restless as he laid in bed and tried not stay still in order to not wake Lorelai. The sun wasn't even up yet, no light to filter through the gauzy curtains and brighten up their bedroom. Instead the bedroom was cloaked with darkness, the only light coming from the numbers on his and Lorelai's alarms clocks. Anyone else would probably find the darkness fitting since the townspeople had dubbed this his 'Dark Day,', but he just found it unwelcoming to the sleep that was evading him. On any other day he could chalk it up to early deliveries and having to open up the diner but the reasoning for his restlessness was different today.
He laid in bed for as long as he could stand before he decided that he should just go ahead and get on with his day. As he was moving away from the bed, he noticed Lorelai starting to stir. He brushed the curls out of her face and whispered for her to go back to sleep before he pressed a kiss to her hair and waited for her breathing to settle to a steady rhythm again before he backed away and grabbed his clothes from the closet.
Normally on this day, he would start his day by heading over to the cemetery in town and visiting his father and mother's grave, clearing them of some growth and debris that had managed to collect and laying his mother's favorite flowers down on her grave though he knew that both her and his father would fuss over it, claiming that they weren't needed. He liked to do it though, liked to have a little something nice on this day.
But this year was different. This year, he wasn't just by himself. He had Lorelai and April at home to think about. And though he knew that Lorelai had promised to be around for whatever he needed, what he really needed his time alone. However he figured that he could still take care of his girls and cook them breakfast before he disappeared for the day. They were his family and he still wanted to try and be there for them even though he didn't want to be around anyone.
He made breakfast and wished April good luck on her test before he left the house. With a later start to the day than usual, some of the townspeople were surprised to see him around but they stuck to their normal act for they day and allowed him to do his business without interacting with him. Of course, he caught the pitying looks that were sent his way as he tried to buy flowers but at least they were leaving him alone.
He knew the route to his parent's graves by heart. They were tucked away in a corner of the cemetery, more his father's request than his mother's but he appreciated the secluded area because he could spend his time there in peace. He felt that it was silly to talk to two headstones but that never stopped him. It made him feel more connected to them. Some years there wasn't much to tell but he always came up with something. The past couple of years had left him with more to talk about than usual with him giving his parents updates on Liz, Lorelai, Rory, and now April whom he knew that his parents would love.
Though he was in a more secluded area, he still looked around before he began to run his hand over the headstones and clear them of any overgrowth that hadn't been taken care of by someone else. He used this time to talk to them so if anyone did happen to see him, he wouldn't look like the crazy guy talking to himself. He laid the flowers down carefully across his mother's grave, taking the time to arrange them before saying that he missed them and that he needed to go.
After his stop by the cemetery, he always liked to get out of town and head to the family cabin that he spent many summers in as a kid. Even after his mother's passing, his father stayed true to their traditions and they spent their time doing the same things they did every year. Sometimes he took the time away to do a little fishing but most of the time he liked to just walk around the property to reminisce over the time spent there. He liked to use the time to be alone and think. Sometimes that helped the dull ache that formed in his chest around this time every year.
As he stepped through the doorway of what was always his and Liz's bedroom in the cabin, his jacket caught on a nail jutting out of the wood paneling and ripped a small hole in the fabric. He swore under his breath and vowed that one day he would come up here when he had the time and start to work on repairs that his cabin desperately needed. The place hadn't gotten much use since his father passed, just his occasional fishing trips and visits up here on this day every year but it was obvious to him now that repairs were needed if he wanted the place to stay in shape for future visits.
The bed creaked underneath his weight as he took a seat on it and let out a deep breath. So many memories were wrapped up in this cabin. Memories that he revisited every year, memories that didn't involve any sick parents or having to take care of anyone else since he was just a kid, some memories that he had shared with Lorelai and some that he hadn't. He wasn't sure why he hadn't brought her here yet, it just never came up. But he wanted to bring her here, her and April and Rory. Share this with them. Make new memories in a cabin that was pretty much a part of his family and that he couldn't get rid of. They were his family now. They were who he needed to take care of and depend upon, though the latter was a little harder for him to do but he had learned.
He had his own family now. A family that had talked about expanding, with both parties willing and wanting for new additions. It saddened him that his parents wouldn't be a part of that but knew that they would be happy for them and they would definitely approve of Lorelai and the life he had carved out for himself. Though they probably would have kicked his butt for his actions earlier on in the year. But that was all in the past and they were growing closer every day through planning a wedding and their future.
Luke got up from the bed and walked out of the bedroom, moving through the cabin until he made it to the back door and out to the lake. He walked along the edge, surveying the property and enjoy the tranquil quality that came with having a cabin by the lake. The weather was gloomy but he didn't care because it fit his mood for today. He would go home soon, back to his family, but right now he needed the alone time. To think. To reminiscence. To just be alone.
The sun was beginning to set by the time Luke pulled his truck to a stop in front of their house. Normally on this day he would stay gone for longer, returning to Stars Hollow under the cover of night, but his time spent wandering and reminiscing over his childhood made him want to be surrounded by those who were in his life now. Earlier in the day he received a call from Lorelai asking if he was okay and if there was anything she could do for him because she was concerned and could come to him, wherever he was at the time, if he wanted the company. At the time he refused the offer of her company because he did need the alone time but her phone call didn't just serve as an offer of comfort but reminded him that unlike several years before he now had his own family that wanted to be there for him.
When he made it inside, he was first greeted by Paul Anka who had taken to laying by the front door lately when he knew that certain people were gone. The dog wagged his tail which warranted a few pats and ruffling of his fur from Luke. It was then that Luke heard talking followed by giggling emanating from the kitchen. Closely followed by Paul Anka, he made his way towards the kitchen to find Lorelai and April huddled by the counter that was topped with various bowls and utensils nestled beside different ingredients that was evidence enough that there was some form of cooking going on. They must have heard him enter the kitchen because they both turned to face him at the same time.
"Hey hon," Lorelai greeted as she brushed a piece of hair out of her face and unknowingly left a small trail of flour across her cheek. "You're home."
"Hey Dad," April chimed in, stepping out from behind Lorelai with a pan in her hand that held the pizza she and Lorelai had created. "We're cooking."
He looked from Lorelai to April and then back to Lorelai. "Is this safe?"
"It's a lot safer since April is in charge rather than me trying to cook," Lorelai answered. She turned to April, "I'm going to go talk to your dad for a minute, you okay in here?"
"Just need to put the pizza in the oven," April explained. "I've got it from here."
"She's had it from the very beginning and I just played the part of supervisor and pizza topping eater," Lorelai informed Luke as she stepped towards him and started to guide him out of the kitchen. When they were in the living room, she lowered her voice to a whisper. "How are you doing?"
Luke sighed heavily. Today was still a hard day for him but now it was a matter of handling it differently. "I'm...it's not a good day for me, you know that. And I've usually spent them alone but I want to spend the rest of the day with you and April."
He received a soft smile from Lorelai in return for his response.
"Good, because we want to spend the rest of the day with you too. In fact, this morning over breakfast along came the idea that since you always take such good care of us, it was time for us to take care of you," Lorelai replied. "So we're cooking you dinner." She started to walk back to the kitchen and he followed. "And, yes it will be safe to eat because your daughter is doing all the cooking, apparently she's also a whiz in the kitchen."
April caught the tail end of the conversation. "I can make one dish successfully, and a few others not as successfully but still edible."
"Also she came up with a twist on the classic s'more that she calls a s'moreo, she's quite the culinary whiz," Lorelai said, informing Luke of a conversation she had with April earlier. "She gets that from you."
Luke gave a nod of his head in response. "You like to cook?" he asked April. The topic had never come up before but he liked the idea of having a little more in common with his daughter.
"I do," April answered. With the pizza in the oven, she tried to pick up some of the mess that she and Lorelai had made but Lorelai insisted that she had it and shooed her away to join Luke at the kitchen table. "I learned some from my grandma when we would visit with her. I like to think about it as a science, the chemistry behind the changes in the ingredients when they're combined."
"You know, my mom taught me how to cook," Luke replied. "It started when she let me help out in the kitchen but then she would show me some of her recipes and try to teach me to cook them. I still use some of her recipes, some I've changed a little. I could teach you to cook."
"I would like that. Then I could cook more than just pizza and s'moreos."
"Just don't let Sookie hear about any of this," Lorelai piped up. "She might try to steal you and make you her little prodigy for the Dragonfly."
"We'll have cooking lessons at home," Luke said in reply. "We can start with you helping me cook dinner some nights while you're here with us."
Lorelai chose to hang back then while April agreed that sounded like a good idea and she wanted to learn to cook from her father. She cleared the dishes while listening in on their conversation where April informed Luke on her day at school and how she thought her test went since she only took it today and could not possibly not the results just yet. She smiled, watching them chat and bond, the lines of worry on Luke's face that seemed to multiply ten-fold heading into this week started to soften as he shared this moment with his daughter.
Soon after the timer that April set buzzed and announced that their dinner was ready. While taking it out of the oven, April assured her father that they had made it with him in mind and also had a salad in the fridge prepared just in case he wasn't a fan of the pizza. Once it was sufficiently cooled and sliced and everyone had their preferred dinner drink, all compliments were passed April's way as they all enjoyed their meal.
Throughout dinner, the conversation was dominated by Lorelai and April both reliving their days at work and school respectively. Luke preferred to remain quiet about his day, just jumping in with a comment here and there with the stories that were being told to him. His quietness was noted by Lorelai and when she asked if he was doing okay, he answered that he was and he just wanted to hear about their days right now.
After dinner, they moved to the living room where Lorelai began to patch up the small hole in Luke's jacket that had been a result of his visit to the cabin earlier in the day because she knew that the jacket probably wasn't going anywhere soon and she would have to fix it before the hole was made worse. She sat next to Luke on the couch while April had curled up in the plush chair with Paul Anka curled up on the floor close to her while the TV played on in the background, mainly capturing the attention of Lorelai and April.
Luke didn't care much for the program that was playing at the moment but he knew that April and Lorelai liked to watch it and it was one of their topics of discussion but he did enjoy being in their company. Though his day had a few changes in it so it differed from the years past, he was grateful for the support that Lorelai and April both offered through acts of taking care of him by being the ones to fix dinner and their support that had been vowed the night before. He felt more relaxed.
"Did I ever tell you about the time that my dad was trying to help me reel in a fish when I was a kid and he ended up falling into the lake?" Luke asked, now drawing the attention of the two formerly hooked on the television.
"No," Lorelai said through a laugh.
"Was he mad?" April asked, no longer interested in the models strutting and vying for a top spot.
"He wasn't really mad," Luke answered. "The water was freezing cold that day. I have a few pictures."
Lorelai smiled and nudged his shoulder gently, "What other stories you got? I'm sure April would love to know more about where she comes from."
"I would," April agreed.
"Well there was this one time that he was very mad about falling into the lake but that one was kind of my fault..."
Just another disclaimer: the s'moreo's thing came from a deleted scene from S7. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, even if it wasn't the happiest in some parts.
As always, reviews are appreciated.
