LUKE

When Lorelai called me after midnight to tell me she was staying the night in Hartford, I was relieved. She didn't need to be driving all the way back to Stars Hollow after having been awake for almost 24 hours straight. I didn't think about what that would mean for Kat for breakfast. I just wanted Lorelai to be safe. To be honest? I didn't think about what it would mean until Kat walked in the door.

KAT

I woke up the next morning to a note from Luke telling me Lorelai had spent the night in Hartford and to go to the diner for breakfast and to drive. I put on my black and white Chanel tights, white embellished flowy swing dress, black pearl embellished bow tie, and my white coat. If I was going to have to face the town after what had happened, I was going to look good doing it.

After I parked my car across the street, I sat in it. I tried to see who all was there so I could have a game plan. I spotted Patty at the table right by the window. It wasn't ideal, but it would work. I beelined there as soon as I walked in. It was suddenly quiet. I tried not to make eye contact with anyone as I made my way to Patty's table.

"Do you mind if I sit here Patty?"
"Of course not darling."

"Here take this seat Sugah!" Babette chimed in, pulling the seat out slightly.

I sat down.

"Where's Lorelai this morning?" Patty asked

"Oh. She drove to Hartford last night to see her mother. She spent the night."

"She drove to Hartford last night? We didn't leave the Inn until almost 10pm" Patty questioned

"Yeah... she left not too long after we got back home." After a long pause I added, "I don't really know anything about it. Will you save my seat actually? I don't see my father and I am going to go get some coffee."

I stood up and made my way behind the counter. I had filled the mug I had taken when I was caught.

"Give me the mug."

"Come on."

"Give me the mug."
"It's already poured and I like the warmth in my hands."
"Kat."
"Yes?" I said while walking away, mug still in my hand, "did you want my order... I am still deciding, but I am sitting with Patty and Babette."

I didn't look back, but I imagined he was likely putting his hands on his baseball cap out of frustration. I was wrong, he followed me with another mug.

"You said you liked the warmth in your hands? Here's another warm mug. This time without the poison in it."

"You're being dramatic, but here," I said handing over the mug after taking a large sip. Patty tried to stifle a laugh. As this was happening, a woman entered the diner and headed over to our table. She had an angry look on her face, but I had no idea who the woman was or what she was so upset about.

"I just want to tell you, my daughter looked up to you. She was so excited when you came to live in this town. Even more when you started going to the high school. She runs track and she wanted to be like you. You ruined that. You were a role model."

"Get out."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Get out." Luke said, raising his voice. He put my mug back on the table and began to emphatically wave his arms, "That goes for anyone in here by the way. This is my diner. Mine! If you want to have a conversation about my daughter? Get out. Now. If you want to say anything bad about her? Hell, if you want to think anything bad about her? Get out. Now. If you're going to blame her for something that resulted from what happened back in August? That wasn't even her fault! Get out. I don't want your business. Don't even bother to pay me for what you've already eaten. Just put your forks, knives, and spoons down and leave."

The woman's face fell.

"happened in August?" the woman asked

"Of course August! What did ya think?" Babette said

"But she's barely showing..."
"She's 19 weeks." Patty added while standing up. She reached for my arm, "Come on honey, let's go upstairs for a while. I'll grab your coffee."

As Patty grabbed my mug that Luke had put back down the woman who had been so angry said, "But, Taylor Doose."

I tried to tell Patty it was okay, but she insisted we go upstairs. As we were walking towards the stairs leading to the office, I could hear Luke yelling, "Get out now."

"See honey, your father is telling us to get out now." Patty said.

I laughed.

When Luke came up the stairs, I was sitting on the kitchen counter sipping the coffee, while Patty was sitting on a chair singing songs from musicals.

"Mama thinks I'm living in a convent, a secluded little convent, in the southern part of France."

"Well, I will give it to you that you didn't choose to try to stump me with Mein Herr, where every lyric includes, 'Mein Herr,' but 'Don't Tell Mama' is easy due to the fact it's almost just spoken words." I told Patty

"What are you two doing? That better not be the coffee mug filled with regular coffee." Luke said.

"We are just taking a breather. Well, I am... Patty is singing me show tunes to guess."
"Your daughter is impossible to stump."
"Figure skating and running." I shrugged

"One day Katalina."
"I actually look forward to it."
"Kat, you ignored my question about that coffee."
"You didn't ask a question... you said it better not be the cup with regular coffee. Here though, there's only a few sips left anyway."

"You can blame me Luke, I was the one who took it with us from the table."

"I told everyone in the diner I was coming upstairs so it would be a good time to leave if they were going to. So let's just stay right here for a little bit. That woman better be gone when I get downstairs."

All of a sudden footsteps were heard coming up the stairs at what sounded like a quick pace.

"Who the –" Luke started until Babette appeared at the door.

"Luke. Patty. Kat." Babette started, she appeared slightly out of breath, "You're good to come down. No one is leaving. They might be talkin' but they're talking' about how Tayla acted like a buffoon last night."

"Kat doesn't need to hear that. They don't need to be talking about her in my diner."

"Dad, it's fine. Seriously. It was inevitable." Luke looked at me. I had finally said father and I didn't even know why I had said it then.

"She's right Luke, the mouth wants to say what the mouth wants to say when it's mad at someone like Tayla."

"Alright then."