June 16, 2003
Luke smiled sadly as he fingered the one and only Father's Day card he had ever received. He does this every year. Remembering the look of complete adoration six-year old Rory Gilmore would give him. She still gave him that same look everyday when she walked in but he missed seeing it on her as a little girl. His little girl. That's how he always thought of her. He heard the bell ringing from the door, his early bird customers had arrived.
Later That Day
"I couldn't talk to Dad so I left a message on his machine," Rory told her mother as they sat at their usual booth. "So I'm just gonna e-mail his card."
Luke walked up to them. "The usual?"
"Yep." As she watched him walk away Lorelai turned to her daughter. "Is it just me or does Luke seem a little.down?"
"He's always like this on Father's Day. I've noticed."
Three coffees and two cokes later Lorelai walked up to Luke's counter.
"Can I use your bathroom? Please?" she begged, jumping up and down.
"Use the one upstairs."
Flushing the toilet, Lorelai walked into Luke's living room/office, grinning to herself when she saw his old single-sized bed, but that quickly disappeared when she noticed the old piece of construction paper sitting on his desk. Her then six-year old daughter's signature brought back memories of days gone by as she came to a realization.
Gilmore House
"Rory, can you come up here!" Lorelai yelled from the top of the stairs.
"What is it, Mom?" she asked, sitting beside her mother on the bed.
"I think I know why Luke's always so sad on Father's Day. I-It's because of you."
"Huh?"
She took out the twelve year old card. "Do you remember, sweetheart? You made this for him when you were six. A-And think about it, about everything he's ever done for you. Putting Dean in a headlock and making that coffee cake for your birthday. Remember when he made that desk that's in your room and helping me put your first bike together and how he took us to get ice cream when you finally learned how to ride?"
"Yeah."
"He kept this, Rory!"
"I know, Mom! I-I have to go and - I have to go."
She made it to the diner just as Luke was kicking Kirk out, telling him to go home to his mother.
"I'm closing up, Rory, and I'm not gonna give you coffee at this time of night," he said, reluctantly letting her in.
"I really need to talk to you.about today."
"What about today?"
"Mom took this," she placed the card on the counter. "Is this why you're always sad on Father's Day?"
"I'm not sad, Rory. I'm fine, better than fine."
"I don't believe you. And you know how I hate it when people lie."
Luke sighed, "You know how much I love you, right? Rory, you're like a daughter to me and whenever Father's Day comes around it forces me to face the fact that I'm not your dad, that I never will be"
"But that's not true! You're more of a father to me than Christopher ever has or ever will be. I-I mean.when I was younger I'd wish that you would marry Mom so you really would be my dad." Tears in her eyes, Rory moved behind the counter and wrapped her arms around him. "I love you, Luke."
"I love you too," he replied, eagerly returning the hug. "You wanted me to marry Lorelai?"
"Still do actually."
"Really."
Luke smiled sadly as he fingered the one and only Father's Day card he had ever received. He does this every year. Remembering the look of complete adoration six-year old Rory Gilmore would give him. She still gave him that same look everyday when she walked in but he missed seeing it on her as a little girl. His little girl. That's how he always thought of her. He heard the bell ringing from the door, his early bird customers had arrived.
Later That Day
"I couldn't talk to Dad so I left a message on his machine," Rory told her mother as they sat at their usual booth. "So I'm just gonna e-mail his card."
Luke walked up to them. "The usual?"
"Yep." As she watched him walk away Lorelai turned to her daughter. "Is it just me or does Luke seem a little.down?"
"He's always like this on Father's Day. I've noticed."
Three coffees and two cokes later Lorelai walked up to Luke's counter.
"Can I use your bathroom? Please?" she begged, jumping up and down.
"Use the one upstairs."
Flushing the toilet, Lorelai walked into Luke's living room/office, grinning to herself when she saw his old single-sized bed, but that quickly disappeared when she noticed the old piece of construction paper sitting on his desk. Her then six-year old daughter's signature brought back memories of days gone by as she came to a realization.
Gilmore House
"Rory, can you come up here!" Lorelai yelled from the top of the stairs.
"What is it, Mom?" she asked, sitting beside her mother on the bed.
"I think I know why Luke's always so sad on Father's Day. I-It's because of you."
"Huh?"
She took out the twelve year old card. "Do you remember, sweetheart? You made this for him when you were six. A-And think about it, about everything he's ever done for you. Putting Dean in a headlock and making that coffee cake for your birthday. Remember when he made that desk that's in your room and helping me put your first bike together and how he took us to get ice cream when you finally learned how to ride?"
"Yeah."
"He kept this, Rory!"
"I know, Mom! I-I have to go and - I have to go."
She made it to the diner just as Luke was kicking Kirk out, telling him to go home to his mother.
"I'm closing up, Rory, and I'm not gonna give you coffee at this time of night," he said, reluctantly letting her in.
"I really need to talk to you.about today."
"What about today?"
"Mom took this," she placed the card on the counter. "Is this why you're always sad on Father's Day?"
"I'm not sad, Rory. I'm fine, better than fine."
"I don't believe you. And you know how I hate it when people lie."
Luke sighed, "You know how much I love you, right? Rory, you're like a daughter to me and whenever Father's Day comes around it forces me to face the fact that I'm not your dad, that I never will be"
"But that's not true! You're more of a father to me than Christopher ever has or ever will be. I-I mean.when I was younger I'd wish that you would marry Mom so you really would be my dad." Tears in her eyes, Rory moved behind the counter and wrapped her arms around him. "I love you, Luke."
"I love you too," he replied, eagerly returning the hug. "You wanted me to marry Lorelai?"
"Still do actually."
"Really."