"Choices of the Heart"
****
I looked up and saw her down the street walking towards me. We smiled at each other and then started running towards each other. I couldn't wait to tell her my news. As soon as I reached her, I could tell that she had some great news too.
"You first!" we said at the same time.
"Me first!" Rory said. "Dean and I got back together, and I told him that I love him!"
I gasped. "Oh my gosh!" I gave Rory a hug. "That's awesome. I'm so proud of you." I gave her another hug and she said, "What's your news?"
I smiled. "Max asked me to marry him!"
Rory smiled and her eyes widened. "Oh my god! What did you say?"
"Nothing yet!" I laughed excitedly.
She gave me a hug. "Oh my God Mom, that's so great!" We started laughing and jumping up and down in the middle of the street. As soon as we stopped, Rory said, "So are you gonna say yes?"
I smiled and shrugged. "I'm thinking about it."
Rory smiled and gave me a hug. "Wow, Mom, I can't believe it. Wow. So, what do you want to do now?"
"Well, I want you to tell me exactly what happened today with Dean."
She smiled. "Okay!"
We started walking home as Rory told me what happened at school. She explained about Tristan and how he tricked Paris and her friends into hating her again, but that she doesn't really care because she's back with Dean and is too excited to think about anything else.
"Rory, I haven't seen you this happy in a very long time. I'm so happy for you. 'I love you, you idiot.' That's a quote for the ages." I laughed. She smiled. We had reached our house, but instead of going in we sat on the front porch and continued to talk.
Rory said, "So tell me about your day, tell me exactly what happened!"
I told her about everything that had happened the day before, how Max proposed but it wasn't for the right reasons, and then I told her about the beautiful daisies that covered the Inn's lobby.
"Oh my god! One thousand daisies??" Rory was shocked.
I nodded. "Yeah, the guests weren't too happy about it, so we had to move them out onto the front lawn. But they are so beautiful." I smiled.
Rory smiled and said, "You really love him, don't you?"
I nodded and said, "Yeah."
"So isn't he expecting an answer soon?"
"Well, he told me to think long and hard about it, so I am." We sat for a few more minutes outside under the nighttime sky. When we started getting attacked by mosquitoes, we finally walked in the house.
"Luke still hasn't picked up Bert?" Rory asked, walking by it into the kitchen.
"Well, he came over to get it, but I guess he forgot it. . . ." My voice trailed off. I stood there staring at Bert, remembering the night before when Luke and Max were bantering with each other in the hallway. 'Why did they do that?' I said to myself. 'Well, obviously, Max did it because he was jealous of Luke. . . but why did Luke do it? Was he. . . jealous of Max? Why would Luke be jealous of Max?'
I slid off my purse and hung it up. Then I walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Rory came out of her room, now comfortably dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. She smiled at me, and I noticed she had a certain glow about her. I watched her walk to the fridge and pull out the iced tea. She saw me staring and said, "What?"
I smiled. "Nothing. You just look so happy."
Rory smiled back. "I am." She poured herself a glass of iced tea and sat across from me. She looked at me for a second, then asked, "Mom, are you okay? You don't seem so happy anymore."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Well, before you were really giddy and happy, but now you seem like, I don't know, less happy. Have you been thinking about the proposal?"
I sighed. "A little bit. I'm still really happy and excited, but I don't know if I want to get married."
Rory sat down at the table and said, "Do you wanna talk about it?"
I shrugged. "Well, here's the thing. I love Max. I do. He's great, and sweet, and smart, and cute, and, also, not something I'm judging him on, but on the plus side, is that he apparently has a high credit card limit because 1000 daisies is not something you pick up at 7-11 on the way home from work."
Rory smiled. "Okay, so he's nice, smart and rich. Got it."
I laughed. "I don't know. I just. . .well, what do you think about him?"
"What do I think? I think he's a great teacher and a nice guy, and I think he makes you very happy, and that's all that matters to me."
I smiled. "Thank you. I just . .well, I have to give this a lot of thought before I decide anything."
Rory nodded. "So, did you eat? Wanna order pizza?"
"Okay. You order it while I go change." I stood up and headed towards the steps.
-*-
The next day was spent in a daze. I did a lot of thinking. As I explained to Sookie why there were daisies all over the lawn, I thought. And as I explained to her that I haven't decided anything, I thought. As I waited at the bus stop for Rory to get home from school, I thought. And all the thinking led me to one conclusion: too much thinking makes my head hurt.
As Rory stepped off the bus, I greeted her with a hug. "Hey!" she said. "You're out of work early."
"Yeah. I finished up early. I thought we could go to Luke's for a bit."
"Okay, but I have to meet Dean at 4." She said, checking her watch.
I smiled and said, "Ooooh. Okay, well, we'll have to drink out coffee fast."
We walked to Luke's and sat down at a table. A few moments later Luke emerged from the kitchen carrying 2 plates. He delivered them to the table next to us, then came over to our table.
"What can I get you?" he asked, without looking at us.
"Two coffees please." I replied. I waited for a lecture, but he said nothing. I shrugged as he walked away.
Rory said, "He seems more grumpy than usual today."
I nodded. "Yeah, I got that impression too."
He returned a few seconds later with the coffee. He placed the cups and the check on the table and walked away without saying anything. Rory said, "Wow. He looks really sad."
"Yeah. Maybe this whole Rachel thing has finally hit him. Poor guy." I gave a sympathetic glance towards him before taking a sip of coffee.
Rory nodded. We sat there, drinking and talking for about 20 minutes before Rory stood up to go meet Dean. "So, what time are we leaving tonight? 6:30?"
I stared at her with a questioning look.
Rory smiled. "Tonight's Friday, Mom. Did you forget?"
I slapped my forehead. "Oh shoot! I did forget. Dinner. Right. Yeah, 6:30."
"Okay, I'll be home by then. Bye!" She gave me a kiss goodbye and headed out to meet Dean.
I glanced over to the counter at Luke, who seemed oblivious to the fact that I was patiently awaiting a refill. I stood up and walked over to the counter. He was staring at his order pad, so I placed my empty mug in front of him and cleared my throat. He looked up at me, then looked at the mug, and turned around to get the pot. He poured the coffee, put the pot down and continued staring at his pad. I stared at him, concerned.
"Luke? You wanna talk about something? You don't seem too happy."
He looked up at me. "No, I'm fine."
"You sure?" I placed my hand on his arm. "I'm here if you wanna talk."
He pulled his arm away. "I said I'm fine." He grabbed his pad and walked into the kitchen. I stood there, a bit surprised, wondering why he seemed so upset. I walked back to my seat and sat down.
Despite the pounding migraine I had developed, I started to think some more about Max. I had called him earlier in the day and told him that I was still thinking about the proposal. I thought he would be upset that I was thinking about it so much, but he didn't seem surprised at all. He encouraged me to take my time and think about if for as long as I needed. I finished up my coffee as I sat and thought.
-*-
Later that evening, Rory and I pulled up to my parents' house and walked to the front door. Rory reached for the doorbell, but I said, "Wait."
She looked at me and said, "What?"
I sighed. "Well, I thought about a lot it in the car, and I decided that I don't want them to. . . .well, just don't mention the proposal okay?"
Rory nodded. "Sure, okay. . . . Ready now?"
I nodded. Rory rang the doorbell. My mother answered it a few seconds later, and we walked into the living room. While I fixed myself a drink, my mother told us that my dad was in Germany again. I sat down next to Rory, and after listening to my mother and Rory discuss her schoolwork for a few minutes, I said, "So Rory has some big news Mom."
She raised her eyebrows. "Oh really? What kind of big news?"
I looked at Rory and smiled. She smiled back, but then I noticed that she was blushing. I whispered, "Do you want me to tell her?" She nodded.
"So, Mom, Rory and her boyfriend Dean just got back together yesterday."
My mom smiled. "Why, that's wonderful Rory. Congratulations."
Rory smiled shyly. I patted her on the back. I thought this would encourage her to talk about him, but she didn't say anything. My mother, however, didn't let the silence last long. "So Lorelai, what about you. Are you seeing anybody these days?"
I stole a quick glance towards Rory, who was staring right back at me with a sympathetic look. I cleared my throat. "Well, actually, yes, I'm dating someone. It's no big deal. So, um, Rory's boyfriend is 6'2". Can you believe that Mom?"
She ignored my subtle change of topic. "Really? How long have you been seeing him?"
Rory, looking uncomfortable, stood up and walked over to the mantle and looked at the porcelain figures on it. I took a sip of my drink and said, "Well, mom, I've been seeing him off and on for a few months."
My mother's eyes widened. "Really? You've never mentioned him before."
I shrugged. "So?"
"So. . .who is he?"
I sighed. "Uh, mom, I don't really want to talk about it."
"Well, why not? I would think that. . ."
"Uh, Grandma, is dinner ready yet?" Rory interrupted. I shot her a thankful glance.
"Yeah, I'm starved. Let's go see if dinner's ready yet." I stood up and started towards the dining room. Rory followed my lead.
My mother, not used to being ignored, followed us to the table and continued with the questioning. "Lorelai, why do you constantly try to keep me out of your life? You say that I never try to get to know you, but when I do try, you shut me out. I just want to know about your boyfriend. Is that so terrible?"
Rory and I sat down at the table. My mother stood next to her chair staring at me with a somewhat hurt look. I sighed. "No, mom, that's not terrible. It's nice. I just don't want to talk about it right now. Maybe later. Okay?"
She gave a slight smile and sat down. Oh god, I shouldn't have said that. Now she thinks I'm gonna talk about it later. Oh geez. 'Eat fast and leave. Eat fast and leave.' I told myself over and over.
During dinner, the conversation between my mother, Rory and I was rather light and not very exciting; the highlight was the in-depth discussion about the abnormally cool weather we'd been having lately.
After dessert, I forced a yawn. "Man, I'm tired. We'd better get going Rory. I might fall asleep at the wheel."
Rory nodded. "Thanks for dinner Grandma. It was great." She stood up and walked towards the front door. My mother said, "Good night Rory."
I started to get up from my seat, surprised about how easy this getaway was, when my mother said quietly, "So Lorelai, why don't you tell me a little about your boyfriend before you go?"
I shut my eyes briefly and exhaled loudly. I sat back down in my chair. I looked toward the hallway, where Rory was waiting for me. I said, "Rory, my keys are in my purse. Go start the car. I'll be right out."
"Okay." Rory walked away, and a few seconds later I heard the front door open and close. I put my elbows on the table, rested my chin on my hands and stared at my mother. "Okay, mom, don't get used to me saying this, but what would you like to know?"
She smiled. "Well, who is he? Is it the ice man?"
"Excuse me?" I said, confused.
"The man who brought ice to Rory's birthday party? Is it him?"
I rolled my eyes. "Luke? No, mom. It's not Luke."
"Oh. Well, what does he do?"
I paused. "Um, well, he's a . . . . teacher."
She raised her eyebrows. "A teacher? Hmm. Where did you meet. . ." She stopped mid sentence. "Lorelai, please don't tell me this is the same teacher you kissed at Rory's school."
I shut my eyes and put my hands over my face. God, why does she have to remember every little thing? "Why, yes Mom, actually, it is." I opened my eyes to see her reaction. It wasn't a positive one. She sighed and shook her head. "Lorelai, I just don't . . ." She stopped. "Never mind. It's your life."
Somewhat surprised that she stopped herself, I said, "Yes, mom. It is my life. Now, Rory's waiting for me, so if you'll excuse me." I stood up and walked to the door. She followed me and held it open. "See you next week Mom." "Goodbye Lorelai," she replied. I walked out and she closed the door behind me.
I walked to the jeep and opened the door. Rory was listening to the radio. She lowered the volume, and said, "So, what happened?"
I climbed in and said, "Well, I didn't mention the proposal, but she looked none too happy with the fact that my boyfriend is the same guy I made out with in your school."
Rory said, "Oh." She paused. "Well, I think it's good that it's the same guy. I mean, you've been with the same man for a long time. Well, off and on, but still, with the same guy. It shows commitment."
I smiled. "Yeah. I guess you're right. We're committed. Although we were both with other people during the off-time, but still. . .it didn't mean anything."
"What?" Rory asked.
"What?" I said.
"What do you mean you were with other people during the off time?" she asked. "You both dated other people?
I nodded. "Yeah. Never mind. It's no big deal. We discussed it already."
"But I don't remember you going out with anybody else. Who did you . . ?" She paused for a few seconds. "Oh, do you mean Dad?" I nodded. "Oh." She sat quietly. I pulled out of the driveway and drove us home.
-*-
The next morning, Rory went over to Dean's house. She was a little nervous about meeting his parents, but I helped her get ready and was able to convince her that they would love her. I sometimes feel bad that her shyness permits her from having a lot of confidence in herself, but luckily she's starting to become more outgoing.
While Rory was over Dean's, I sat on the couch and did some more thinking. So many questions went through my mind: 'Am I ready to make Max a permanent part of our life?' 'How would this affect Rory?' 'How would this affect Max's career?' 'Where would we live?' I thought about these questions, and many others, for hours. Then I finally made a decision. I checked the clock. Wow. It was 3 p.m. already. Rory had been gone for a very long time.
I stood up and walked to the phone to page her. A few minutes later the phone rang. I picked it up. "Rory?"
"Yeah, Mom, it's me. I'm at the mall with Dean and his family. Sorry I forgot to call."
"Dean's family?"
"Yeah, they are so nice Mom. I can't wait for you to meet them. I'll be home by 5."
"Okay, see you then. Bye."
"Bye!" I hung up the phone. Then I picked it up and dialed a number. A voice on the other end said, "Hello?"
"Max?" I said, "I made a decision."
-*-
Two weeks later
On Friday afternoon, I pulled open the door to Luke's Diner and went inside, looking around for Rory. I walked over to the table, smiling. I sat down.
"Why so happy?" she asked, with a curious smile.
"Um, no reason." I said, subtly waving my hand in front of myself.
Rory screamed and grabbed my hand, staring at the diamond engagement ring now resting comfortably on my left ring finger. "Oh my God! Mom, it's beautiful! When did you get that?"
I laughed. "Just now. He just gave it to me. Isn't it gorgeous?!"
"Yes! I love it! Wow. I can't believe it. Now it's like you're officially engaged!"
"I know! I just keep staring at it. I almost crashed like 5 times on the way here because I kept trying to stare at it while I was driving. Let me tell you, that's not a smart idea."
Rory laughed. She stared at it for a few more seconds before I finally said, "Okay, can I have my hand back please?" She smiled and let go.
"So, did you have a nice lunch?" Rory asked.
"Yeah, it was great. First we ate salad and lasagna, and then we had cheesecake for dessert. I'm telling you, I don't think I can eat for the enxt few days."
She smiled. "So when did he give you the ring?"
"Oh my God. It was so sweet. After the cheesecake, I sat on the couch and he put on some music. Then he walked over to me, and instead of sitting down, he got down on one knee, and took the ring out of his pocket, and officially proposed."
Rory gasped. "You're kidding!"
"Nope. It was so great." My cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling, but I just couldn't seem to stop.
Rory laughed. "Wow, that's three proposals from the same guy in one month."
I nodded.
Rory smiled. "Wow, Mom, you are totally beaming."
"Ah! I can't help it! I'm too excited. What time is it?"
Rory checked her watch. "It's quarter to 4."
"Okay, well, let's get coffee to go. I have some things to do at home."
"Okay."
We stood up and walked over to the counter to order our coffees to go. Luke was at the counter, staring at us as we walked towards him.
"What can I get you?" he asked. "As if I don't know."
"Two coffees to go please." Rory said.
Luke rolled his eyes. He walked to the coffee machine, and returned a few seconds later with 2 cups. I handed him some money and said, "Keep the change." He smiled and said, "Thanks." I smiled and said, "Bye Luke."
Rory and I walked outside and started towards home. Rory said, "I'm glad Luke's feeling better. Remember when he was really grumpy for that whole
week?"
I took a sip of coffee. "Yeah. How could I forget, it was just last week."
Rory paused. "So do you think he knows about you and Max?"
I shrugged. "Well, since Miss Patty knew two weeks ago, I'm guessing everyone in town knows."
Rory asked, "But he hasn't said anything about it to you?"
I shook my head. "Nope."
"Weird. Maybe he doesn't know."
I shrugged. "He probably does. I just. . .well, I just don't think he likes Max. So, I don't know. . . ." I shrugged. Rory and I walked home.
-*-
Later that night, we went over to my parents' house for our weekly dinner. Surprisingly, my dad answered the door. "Lorelai, Rory, hello. How are you?"
Rory and I walked into the foyer. "Wow, Dad. We're fine. Where's Mom?"
"Oh, she's on the phone, so she asked me to get the door. Can you believe that? She employs 35 people, but asks me to get the door. Hmph." Rory and I glanced at each other and smiled. He led us into the living room, where he sat on the couch, and Rory and I sat on the couch across from him. A few seconds later, Mom walked into the living room.
"Hello girls." My mom said cheerfully.
"Hi Mom."
"Hi Grandma."
"Well, I think dinner is just about ready. Why don't we go sit at the table?" Mom walked into the dining room, and we all followed her. We sat down and Mom asked, "Do you girls want something to drink?"
"Coke please." Rory said.
"Same." I replied.
Dad asked. "Oh, would you like me to get them too, since you seem to think I am another servant you employ?"
Mom said, "Richard, answering the door is not some great act of servitude of which you should be awarded for doing. If I had known it would be so difficult a task for you to complete, I wouldn't have asked you. Now I know for next time. Excuse me, I will get your drinks." As Rory and I glanced at each other smiling, Mom walked into the kitchen. She returned a minute later with the drinks, followed a few seconds later by the maid with our dinner plates. She served us and we started eating.
A few minutes later, during a lull in the dinner conversation, my mother said, "Lorelai, what's that?"
I finished chewing my food, and said, "What's what?"
"That ring. Is that new?"
I looked slowly down at my hand. Shit. I had meant to take it off. I was so not ready to tell my parents about the engagement yet. I wanted Max to be with me when I told them. "Uh, this? Um, it's just a new ring I got."
"Well, it certainly is gorgeous. Is it a real diamond?"
"Um, yeah it is."
"Goodness. That must have cost a fortune, a diamond that big." My mom picked up her drink and took a sip.
"Well, Mom, actually. . ." I looked at Rory, who was just staring at me. I glanced at my Dad, who was still eating, not paying much attention. I sighed. "Actually Mom, it's an engagement ring. I'm getting married." Almost simultaneously, my parents started choking. My dad on his food, my mom on her drink. They both started coughing and they both picked up their napkins and put them over their mouths.
"Grandma, grandpa, are you okay?" Rory asked.
"Fine, thank you." Dad replied. "What did you say Lorelai?"
"Yes, what did you say?" my mom asked.
I looked at Rory, whose encouraging smile made me feel better about the unplanned announcement. I smiled. "Mom, Dad, I'm getting married."
My parents looked at each other, as if asking each other silently, 'Did she say what we think she said?'
"To who?" my mother asked. "The teacher?"
"Yes. To Max." I smiled. "He's a wonderful man. You're both going to love him."
"Yeah, Max is great." Rory added. I gave her an appreciative smile.
My mom, who seemed surprised, yet sincere, said, "Well, I didn't realize you two were that serious." She smiled. "Lorelai, that's wonderful. Congratulations."
"Yes, congratulations. That's terrific news." Dad said. "We should celebrate." Dad stood up and walked away. He returned a few minutes later with a bottle of champagne and some glasses.
While Dad poured champagne for us, I stared at Rory. My mother was asking her about Max, and she looked genuinely happy. And I knew it wasn't only just because she was with Dean. She had told me that she was happy I had said yes to Max, and now I could truly see it in her face. It was then, sitting at the table, staring at my beautiful daughter, that I became one hundred percent certain that I had made the right decision.
-*-
The next day (Saturday)
Rory and I were sprawled across the couch watching television and eating cookies, when she suddenly picked up the remote and turned it off. She stood up. "I'm bored."
I gasped. "Um, excuse me? Don't you want to see what happens when he tries to catch the crocodile? "
"Mom, come on. Let's go out and do something. We should not spend a beautiful Saturday watching the "Crocodile Hunter" marathon. Let's go outside. Ooh! Let's go jogging."
I stared at Rory with wide eyes. "Oh my God. Have you ever seen me do anything involving physical exertion ever in my life?"
"No."
"Case closed. No jogging." I stuffed another cookie in my mouth.
"Well, how about a brisk walk?"
"How about we sit here and eat cookies?"
"Come on. Please. You want to look nice in your wedding dress, don't you? Don't you want to get in shape for the wedding?"
"Nope."
"Well, how about the wedding night?"
I gasped. "Rory!"
She laughed. "Sorry. Come on. A slow walk?"
I sighed. "Fine. A slow walk."
"Great! Let's go."
I sluggishly stood up and started to follow her out the door. Then I turned around and grabbed the package of cookies. "You can come too."
Thirty minutes later, Rory and I were sitting in the park under a tree. We were watching people in the park, making up names and occupations for them. I reached into the bag and pulled out the last cookie. I offered it to Rory. "Last one. Want it?" She accepted it, took a bite, and handed it back. "Thank you."
I finished it up, and stood up to go throw the bag away in the nearby trash can. "How about we wash those cookies down with some coffee?"
"Good plan." Rory stood up, and we started walking towards Luke's.
"You know what? Let's say that suddenly, Taylor was promoted to the Decorating King of Stars Hollow, and he had some sort of nervous breakdown and he suddenly decided that the inside of everyone's house in Stars Hollow must be only one color. You can use several different shades of that color, but it still only has to be one color. What would you pick?"
Rory thought for a minute, then said, "Blue."
I gasped. "That's what I was gonna pick!"
She smiled. "Really?"
"Yeah, there are so many pretty shades of blue, like baby blue, navy blue, cobalt blue, and. . . . you know, some other blues."
Rory nodded. "Yeah. I agree. Lots of pretty blues."
We reached Luke's Diner, and I started to pull open the door to walk in, but then I stopped. I turned around to face Rory. "I'm gonna go to the counter and talk to Luke, okay? Tell him about the engagement and everything. Would you mind sitting at the table alone for a few minutes?"
"No, I don't mind."
"Great." I pulled open the door. Rory sat down at a table as I headed to the counter and sat on a stool. A few seconds later, Luke came out of the kitchen with some plates and delivered them to some customers at the other end of the counter. Then he walked over to me. "Hey. What's up? You fighting with Rory?"
"No, why?"
He glanced towards Rory and said, "Well, you're not sitting with her"
"Oh yeah. No, um, well, you and me haven't really talked in awhile, and I just wanted to talk a bit before I go sit with her. Can you just send her a coffee first?"
He gave me a curious look and said, "Yeah sure." He poured two cups and placed one in front of me, and walked the other one over to Rory. Then he walked back over and said, "So, what's up?"
"Um, well, I just...I don't know if you've heard or not, but Max and I are engaged." I smiled.
He nodded and smiled slightly. "Yeah, actually, I did hear that. Congratulations."
"Thank you. How long have you known?"
"Oh, a week or two. Patty told me."
"Oh, well, you didn't say anything, so I thought maybe you didn't know."
"Yeah, sorry, I kept meaning to say something to you, but it kept slipping my mind. Sorry about that. But, really, I'm very happy for you." He looked down at my hand. "Is that the engagement ring?"
I held my hand out to him. "Yes."
He reached out and held my hand as he looked at it. "Very nice. He has good taste." He smiled, and stared into my eyes for a few seconds before letting go of my hand. I stared back into his eyes. They seemed somewhat distant, like they were trying to talk to me. "Luke? What are you thinking about?"
He blinked and looked away. "I'm just thinking what a lucky guy Max is because I know you will make him very happy."
I smiled. "Thank you Luke." I leaned over the counter and gave Luke a kiss on the cheek. He smiled. "You're welcome." I picked up my coffee and walked over to Rory's table. I sat across from her as she asked, "Did everything go all right?"
"Yeah. Everything's great." I looked over at Luke, who was now taking an order from a man at the counter. He glanced my way and smiled. I smiled back. Then I turned to Rory. "Hey, what time is it?" Rory looked at her watch, and replied, "Almost five."
"Oh, we'd better go if we want to make the movie on time." I gestured to my sweatpants. "I have to go home and change out of this outfit." I took out some money and left it on the table, then Rory and I headed home.
One week later (Saturday)
"Rory! Have you seen my black belt?" I yelled down the steps.
"No! You're wearing a dress, what do you need a belt for?" she yelled back.
"I don't need it, but I just can't find it, and I might need it eventually in the future."
"We'll find it later. Come on, we're late!"
"Coming!" I walked down the stairs. Rory was waiting on the couch. I spun around. "How do I look?"
"You look beautiful Mom. Really beautiful."
I smiled. "Thanks. So do you. I love that dress."
"Thanks. It's yours."
I laughed. "Let's go."
Thirty minutes later we pulled up to Max's apartment. We walked to the door and knocked. Max answered it right away. "Hey. Come on in." I gestured to Rory to go inside, and I walked in behind her. I greeted Max with a kiss but noticed that he wasn't his normal self. I stepped back. "What's wrong?"
He glanced towards Rory, who had wandered over towards the couch. Max had a serious look on his face. "Lorelai, I need to talk to you about something, but not right now."
I raised my eyebrows. "Whoa, what is it Max? You can't leave me hanging all night. Why don't you tell me now."
Max lowered his voice. "Please, not here, not in front of Rory."
"Okay, well, let's go talk on the porch. Rory can hang out for a few minutes. Give her a book, she'll be fine." I glanced over to her, then said to Max, "Wait here."
I walked over to Rory. "So, this is Max's apartment."
She looked over at Max, standing by the font door. "It's really nice."
"Thank you Rory," he replied, smiling. "Make yourself at home."
I walked Rory over to the bookcase and said, "Rory, Max and I need to talk outside for a few minutes. Can you just pick a book or something and hang out in here for a bit?"
She whispered. "Yeah, sure. Is everything all right?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. I'll be right back." I walked over to Max, and he opened the front door, and we walked onto the porch. I sat down on the bench, and patted the seat next to me, but he didn't sit. I stared up at him. He looked upset, so I reached over and grabbed his hand. "So what's wrong?"
"Lorelai, I know that you said that you didn't date Luke, but I have to know, is that the truth?"
"What?" I stood up. "Where is this coming from?"
"I was at the Hartford Mall today, and I saw Luke there and he..."
I interrupted with a laugh. "Max, Luke doesn't go to malls. He hates them. He won't go near them."
"Well, he must have changed his mind about them. But listen. I was at the Hartford Mall, and I ran into Luke, and I said hello to him. He shook my hand and said congratulations and everything, really nice and all. But then he started talking about how lucky I was to find someone like you, and how I better treat you and Rory right, and all this stuff that made me wonder if. . ."
I interrupted again. "Max, Luke is one of my best friends. He's just being protective. Kind of like a big brother." I smiled at the thought of Luke trying to protect us.
"But I don't think that's how he sees it. I think. . . .I think he's in love with you, Lorelai."
I laughed. "Max! Luke is not in love with me. We're just friends." I leaned in and gave Max a kiss. He pulled away and said, "Lorelai, do you love him?"
"Max!" I said, surprised by the question.
"Do you?" he pressed for an answer.
I rolled my eyes. "Max, I'm not even going to answer you because you're being crazy. I love you. I'm in love with you, and only you. Stop worrying about Luke."
"But I. ." He started to protest, but I leaned in and pressed my lips against his. He was resistant at first, but he soon relaxed. He wrapped his arms around me and eagerly kissed me back. As we actively explored each other's mouths, I felt his hands sliding down my lower back. Before they could get any lower, I pulled back and said, "Come on. Rory's waiting. Everything all right now?" He smiled and nodded. I gave him another kiss, grabbed his hand and led him in the house.
Rory was on the couch reading a book. She looked up when we walked in and smiled. "Hey. Great book collection Max."
"Thanks Rory." Max walked over to the oven and pulled out a casserole dish. I walked over towards Rory and said, "So, let me show you around." I pointed towards the bathroom, and said, "Well, that's the bathroom." I laughed. "I guess that's all you need to know." Rory stood up and looked around. She pointed towards the other door and said, "What's that?"
"Bedroom." Max and I said at the same time. I looked at him and we smiled flirtingly at each other.
I looked back towards Rory, who gave me a "please don't say anymore" look. I shrugged and said, "Sorry." I walked towards Max and said, "So, need any help?"
"Yes, could you get the salad out of the fridge? It looks like everything's just about done." He carried the casserole dish to the table.
I opened the fridge and took out the salad bowl and brought it to the table. I walked back to the kitchen to find the salad tongs. I found them hanging on the wall and started to walk towards the table. I stopped when I heard Max and Rory talking about some book. Instead, I just watched them interact with each other. 'They seem to get along so well.' I said to myself. 'We're gonna make a great family.' I felt a joyful tear slide down my cheek, which I quickly wiped away, then walked over to the table.
-*-
Two days later (Monday)
It was a Monday evening, just past 7. Rory had gone over to Lane's house to hang out, and I had decided to go see Luke. I avoided the diner yesterday because I wasn't sure what to say to him about the whole Max-at-the-mall thing. I still wasn't sure what to say, but decided to just play it by ear.
I walked into the diner, and sat at a table. Despite it being dinner time, there were only two other people in there. I picked up the menu and stared at it, even though I wasn't hungry. A few minutes later, someone surprised me by clearing their throat. I jumped and looked over. Luke was standing right next to me, smiling. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." I put the menu down and looked up at him.
"Oh. That's okay. I didn't see you there."
He nodded. "Yeah, I noticed. So what can I get you?"
"Um, I'll just have coffee."
He raised his eyebrows. "You don't want any food? Why were you staring intently at the menu for the past 10 minutes?"
I shrugged. "I was just perusing to see what I should get next time."
Luke smiled. "Like you'd ever order anything besides a burger. I'll be right back."
I watched him walk to the coffeepot, fill up a mug, and bring it back to my table. I looked around and said, "Can you sit with me for a few minutes?"
"Well, I have some things to do at the counter. Why don't you come over there?"
"Okay." I stood up and followed him behind the counter. He walked into the kitchen. I put my coffee down, and I boosted myself up so that I was sitting on the counter, facing the kitchen with my legs dangling over the side. He walked back out of the kitchen carrying a package of napkins. He saw me on the counter, and narrowed his eyes. "I provide stools for the customers to sit on, you know."
I smiled. "Yeah, but I felt like being up high."
Luke started filling up the napkin dispensers. "So, did you want to talk or something?"
"Uh yeah." I heard some movement behind me, so I turned around. The two other customers were leaving. I waited for them to walk out before I said, "Luke, I just wanted to ask you something. Did you happen to run into Max at the mall recently?"
I watched him to see how he reacted. Luke briefly stopped what he was doing, but he didn't look at me. He picked up another napkin dispenser and started to fill it. "Why? What did you hear?" he asked nervously.
"Luke, it's okay. I'm not mad. Max was, but I wasn't it. I'm flattered that you were so concerned about us."
He looked up at me. "Yeah?"
I smiled and nodded. "Yeah."
He worked on the napkins a few more seconds before he said, "So Max was mad?"
I laughed. "Yeah. He's just jealous. Get this! He thinks that you and I dated and that you're in love with me."
Luke didn't say anything. He turned his head away and walked into the kitchen. He walked back out with a container of salt and started collecting the salt shakers from around the counter. "Luke did you hear what I said? He thinks you're in love with me." I laughed.
"Yeah I heard." He started pouring the salt into the containers. I stared at him closely. There was no emotion in his face. He appeared uncomfortable and nervous.
Confused, I said "Luke?" He didn't answer. I reached out and put my hand on his hand. He stopped what he was doing, but stared down at the counter. "Luke? Say something."
He was silent for a moment. Then he sighed. "He's right."
My eyes widened and I put a hand over my mouth. "What?"
He still didn't look up. "He's right. I am in love with you. I'm sorry."
I was silent for a moment. "Luke, but . . .?"
"But what Lorelai? I can't help it. I'm sorry. I know that you're getting married, and that my admitting this to you will only cause discomfort between us, but I can't help it. You are an incredible person, and I have loved you for a very long time. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I love you." He still hadn't looked at me. His hands were rested against the counter and he was staring down. After a few seconds of silence, he started to walk away, but I reached out and grabbed his hand.
"Aw Luke. Come here. Don't be sorry." I pulled him towards me so that he was standing right in front of me. I gave him a hug. He leaned his head against my chest and wrapped his arms around my waist. As he started to break away, I gave him a kiss on his forehead.
"Lorelai, I just. . ." He stopped talking and stared into my eyes. I stared back into his. He started leaning towards me. I put my hands on either side of his face and helped lead his lips towards mine. We kissed, a slow passionate kiss. Luke pulled away. "Lorelai, you're engaged. We can't. ." He stopped talking as I pulled him back to my lips. He eagerly kissed me back, and as our mouths opened and our tongues met each other, I wrapped my legs around his waist, forcefully pulling him towards me. The intense tingling sensation of our bodies being so close made a soft moan escape my throat. As we broke apart from each other, both of us panting to catch our breaths, we smiled at each other. Luke looked past me towards the door, and his smile faded. His eyes widened. Still catching my breath, I slowly turned around and saw Max staring through the window.
"Oh my God! Excuse me Luke." Luke stepped back and I jumped off the counter. Max had started walking towards his car. I ran out the door towards him. "Max! Please wait!" Max was standing next to his car, but he didn't turn around. "Max, I'm sorry. I don't know what happened."
He stared at his car. "I know what happened Lorelai. You were just making out with Luke."
I stopped a few feet away from him. "Max, I don't know what to say. I'm sorry. It was an accident."
Max turned around. "Lorelai, how could you possibly explain that as an accident? He accidentally fell towards you and you accidentally wrapped your legs around his waist? Come on. You lied to me Lorelai. You do love him."
Tears welded up in my eyes. "Max, I didn't lie. I just didn't realize that I had feelings for him. They were hidden under my feelings for you. And, you were right. He does love me. He told me. And I guess him telling me that made my feelings for him come out, and we just, sort of, got lost in the moment."
Max shook his head in disbelief. "Lorelai, what does all this mean? Do you still love me? And what kind of relationship can we possibly have if I can't trust you?"
I could barely see Max through my tears. "Max, you can trust me. Please. I love you. I still want to marry you. Please believe me."
Max stared at me for a few seconds. "Lorelai, I love you. And I still want you to be my wife. But if we stay engaged and get married. . ." He stopped talking.
I stared at him. "What? If we get married, what?"
He walked towards me. "If we stay together, I don't want you hanging around Luke anymore. Or that diner."
I gasped. My eyes widened. "What?"
"That's right. I don't want you hanging around Luke anymore."
"That's how much you believe me and trust me? You forbid me to see a friend? You can't control me like that Max."
Max walked over to me and put his hands on the side of my shoulders. "Lorelai," he said calmly. "Please, for one second, look at it from my perspective. Here, let me explain it to you. You are my fiancee, we are getting married in a year. I drive to your home to visit you one evening, but you're not home. So I drive to the diner that you usually hang out in, and I find you making out with one of your friends, quite explicitly, I might add, on the counter. And also, might I add, not just any friend. A friend whom I've asked you several times if you had feelings for, which you denied each time. And you expect me to just trust you again instantaneously?"
I covered my face with my hands. "I'm so sorry." I sobbed. He pulled me towards him and hugged me. He started rubbing my back trying to make me feel better, which made the situation seem off. I mean, he was the one who should be upset. I was the one who hurt him. Why was I crying? He hugged me for a few more minutes before I finally stepped back. I wiped my eyes and stared at him. I could sense the hurt in his eyes, and I felt horrible for what I did to him.
"You okay?" he asked.
I nodded. "Max, I'm. . .I just need a little time to think about everything, okay?"
I saw Max's eyes quickly glance towards the diner, but then he nodded. "Okay Lorelai. Let me drive you home." He walked me to the passenger side and opened the door for me. I got into his mustang and he shut the door. He walked around to his side, got in and drove to my house. He opened the car door for me and walked me to the porch.
"Do you want come in?" I asked.
"No, I think you need to be alone right now. Just take some time to yourself. Think about things."
I nodded. "Okay."
"Bye Lorelai." He leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
"Bye Max."
I was able to watch him walk to his mustang and drive away before the tears started falling again. I walked into the house and started to head towards the stairs when I noticed the blinking light on the answering machine. 'Probably my mother again.' I sighed and pushed the play button. The sound of Luke's voice made me relive the past 20 minutes all over again.
"Lorelai, it's me. I know you're not home yet because I just watched you get in the car with Max, but I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. And I wanted to say I'm sorry for everything I said, and everything that happened." There was a brief pause. "And I just. . . never mind, that's it. Bye."
I stared at the answering machine for a minute, as if I expected Luke to actually be inside of it. I was tempted to pick up the phone and call him back, but I didn't. Instead I walked upstairs and collapsed on the bed in a fit of tears and confusion.
-*-
The next morning, Tuesday, I woke up, still in my regular clothes with my shoes still on. I stared at the ceiling, hoping that everything was just a dream, and that I was still happily engaged and there were no complications in my life. I was wrong. I reluctantly got up to get ready for work. Thirty minutes later, I walked downstairs and found Rory on the couch, still in her pajamas.
Rory stood up when she saw me and walked over to me. "Mom? Are you okay? I got home last night around 8 and you were already asleep. In your clothes. Plus, there was a strange message from Luke on the machine. . . Is everything okay?" As tears welded up in my eyes, I put my hands over my face to hide them. Rory hugged me. "Mom, what happened?" She led me to the couch and I rested my head on her shoulder.
"I screwed up Rory. I screwed up big time." As I explained to her what happened, I realized what an incredible daughter I had. She didn't make any judgmental remarks, she didn't criticize my actions, and she didn't take sides. What she did say was, "Mom, whatever you decide to do, I'll support your decision. Just do what you know in your heart is right." I nodded and sat up to give her a kiss. Then I stood up and walked into the kitchen, glancing towards the hallway table, where I paused momentarily as I noticed that, still, Luke had not picked up Bert.
That Evening (Tuesday)
Lounging on the couch watching TV, Rory and I were waiting for the pizza we had ordered. When the doorbell rang, I stood up to answer it, grabbing my purse on the way. I pulled open the door, and was more than surprised when I saw Luke standing there. "Luke!"
"Hey." he replied.
"Luke, what are you doing here?"
"Um, I just wanted to make sure you were all right. You didn't come to the diner today. And, uh, you didn't call me back last night. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. . . Is it?"
I shrugged and said, "I don't know. Do you want to come in?"
He nodded and stepped inside. He followed me to the living room. Rory looked up and said, "Oh, hey Luke." Luke replied, "Hi Rory."
"Uh, Rory, could you leave me and Luke alone for a few minutes?" I asked her. Rory turned off the TV and said "Sure." I smiled and said, "Thanks." She walked towards her room, and I heard her bedroom door close. I sat down on the couch, and Luke sat next to me. We were silent for a few seconds, and I wondered if he felt as uncomfortable as I did. "So . ." I started.
"So, what happened last night? With Max, I mean."
I sighed. "Well, Luke, he wasn't too thrilled with his fiancee kissing another guy. I've never been engaged before, but I'm pretty sure that's on the "Don't Do" list."
Luke nodded. "I'm so sorry. I should have never confronted Max in that mall. It's all my fault."
"Oh Luke. It is not. I'm the one who kissed you." I paused. "Luke, what were you doing at the mall anyway?" I smiled.
Luke smiled shyly. "I know, I know, I said I hate them. And I do. But sometimes I need stuff that can only be found at the mall. So sue me. Anyway, that's not important. "
"Right. Sorry. Anyway, I just. . . well, he didn't call off the engagement, which is what I thought he was going to do, but he did sort of give me an ultimatum . . ." I paused, wondering if I should tell Luke about it.
Luke raised his eyebrows. "Really? What?"
I paused. "Well, he said that . . " I was interrupted by the doorbell. "Oh hold on Luke." I yelled "Rory! Pizza's here. Can you get it please?"
I watched as Rory walked out of her room. I turned back to Luke. "He said that he doesn't want me. . . ."
I heard Rory's voice in the hallway. "Oh. Max, hi." I raised my eyebrows and said, "Shoot. How can one man have such incredibly bad timing?" I stood up as Rory entered the living room with Max behind her. She gave me a sympathetic glance, and then went back towards her bedroom. I watched Max's expression change from a smile to an angry glare towards Luke. He started to say something, but I interrupted.
"Max, Luke just came over to apologize. There's nothing going on. He was just leaving, right Luke?" I turned around and gave him and 'please help me out and leave' look.
"Uh, yeah. I was just going. I'll see you tomorrow." He stood up and started walking to the front door.
Max laughed and said, "No, I don't think so."
"Max, please." I said, hoping he would not pick a fight with Luke.
Luke stopped near Max and said, "Excuse me?"
Max stared at Luke. "I said, I don't think you'll be seeing her tomorrow. Or ever, for that matter."
"What?" Luke glanced from Max over to me.
I exhaled loudly. "Max, stop please. Luke, I'll talk to you later. Goodbye."
Luke glared at Max for a second before finally walking past him and out the front door. As soon as the front door closed, Max said, "Lorelai, I'm very confused right now, and I need you to explain something to me in simple terms: what is it that you want to do? Who do you want?"
I shrugged and sat down on the couch. Max walked over and sat down next to me. He put an arm around me. "Lorelai, it seems like you're having a lot of trouble deciding. I think that if it's this hard for you, then maybe you're just not ready to commit to one person."
I looked at him. "Max, that's not true. It's a big decision. Do you know what you're asking me to give up? Luke is my friend. I've seen him almost everyday for the past 7 years. And now, all of a sudden, you want me to stop hanging out with him. Come on." I paused. "Now, I know what I did was stupid and I know that I hurt you. And I'm very sorry for that. But I just don't think asking me to give up a friend is going to solve this."
"Lorelai, I'm not asking you to give up 'a friend.' I'm asking you to stay away from the person who's tearing us apart. And if you aren't willing to do that to save our relationship, then maybe there isn't one to save."
I sat for a moment in silence. Then I nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry."
He smiled. "Good then. I'm glad you finally made a decision."
"No, Max. I mean you're right, maybe this relationship isn't worth saving."
Max's smile faded. "Lorelai, how can you say that?"
"Max, I love you. But you're asking me to give up someone who is a major part of my life just so you can feel better. And if you can't trust me enough to feel comfortable about me hanging around with Luke, I don't think we have a very good relationship to build a marriage on."
Max paused for a minute, then he sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry. You don't have to stop hanging around Luke. I was just jealous and upset. And if you say it won't happen again, then I do trust you."
I smiled. "You do? Really?"
He nodded. "Yes. I'm so sorry." He leaned over and kissed me and then wrapped his arms around me. He pulled back and stared at me. "Something wrong?"
I said, "Well, Max, to be honest, I still have a lot of thinking to do."
He nodded. "Lorelai, I don't want to rush you into anything, so just take your time. I just came by tonight to see if you were all right because you were really upset yesterday. And I know that you have some things to sort out, so, please, just give me a call when you know what you want."
I nodded. "Thank you." He gave me a kiss goodbye and stood up to leave. I watched him walk away, and heard the front door shut before I called, "Rory! You can come out now!"
Rory came out of her room and walked over to me. "Everything all right Mom? Did you resolve anything?"
"Not yet hon. Soon though. All this will work out soon." A few seconds later the doorbell rang. I stood up. "Oh my God, that better be the pizza and not another member of the Lorelai fan club." Rory laughed. "I swear, I wouldn't be surprised if that's your dad asking me to marry him again. Let's just see how much more complicated my life can get."
Rory laughed and we walked to the front door together. Joe, the regular delivery guy was standing there. He handed us the pizza, smiled, and walked away. I laughed. "I guess it's free when it's 45 minutes late." I shut the door and we walked to the kitchen.
The next day (Wednesday)
The next day after work, I stopped at the diner to talk to Luke. He was busy with a lot of customers, but when he saw me come in, he immediately walked over to me. "Hey, how are you? Is everything all right?"
"Yeah, everything's great." I smiled as I glanced around. "Busy tonight."
"Yeah, real busy. But hold on a sec." Luke walked into the kitchen and came back with a few plates. He delivered them to two different tables, placed a check down on another table, then walked back into the kitchen. He came back out with a waiter, then walked over to me. "I asked Caesar to keep an eye on the place. Let's go talk." He opened the door, and I followed him out onto the sidewalk. We walked toward the bench at the bus stop. We both sat down. "So what happened?" he asked.
I exhaled loudly. "Well, let me start from where I left off. So remember that ultimatum I mentioned?" He nodded. "Okay, well, Max said that if I wanted to stay with him, I needed to stop hanging out with you."
Luke eyes narrowed. "What?"
I nodded. "Yeah, he really said that. Can you believe that? So then, last night, I told him that I couldn't do that because our friendship is just too important to me." Luke smiled. "So at first he was resistant and kept pushing for me to stay away from you, but finally I convinced him that he needed to trust me if he wanted this marriage to work."
Luke nodded. "Good point. So he dropped the ultimatum?" I nodded. "So you guys are still together?" I shrugged. Luke smiled and mimicked me by shrugging back. "What does that mean?"
I smiled shyly. "Well, Luke, I don't know if you can tell by looking at me, but I didn't sleep one wink last night..." I paused a second before I finished. "...because I was up thinking about you."
He smiled. "Me?"
I smiled. "Yeah. And I think that, if it's okay with you, I'd like to break off my engagement with Max so that we can be together. Me and you."
Luke laughed. "If it's okay with me?"
I laughed. "Yeah. Well, I mean, I'm going to break it off anyway because I don't want to be with him anymore. My feelings for you are greater than my feelings for him. I mean, Luke, when you told me that you loved me, it just made me realize all of my feelings for you that I'd been keeping inside, and. . . I think I love you too."
He smiled. "You think you love me?"
I laughed. "I know I love you."
Luke smiled. He stood up, grabbed my hand and pulled me up off the bench into a hug. A few seconds later, I pulled back. "Hey Luke, remember our first kiss?"
"Yeah...?" He looked at me questioningly.
"Well, it was pretty amazing, wasn't it?"
He smiled. "Yeah..."
I smiled. "Do you think we can top it?"
Luke laughed. "Yeah." He leaned forward and pressed his lips gently against mine. Everything went silent as though time stood still. I loved everything about that moment, from the feel of his stubble against my cheek to the feeling of his heart beating against my chest. But most of all I loved the protective feeling of his arms wrapped around me, as I finally realized that he was my destiny.
END
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****
I looked up and saw her down the street walking towards me. We smiled at each other and then started running towards each other. I couldn't wait to tell her my news. As soon as I reached her, I could tell that she had some great news too.
"You first!" we said at the same time.
"Me first!" Rory said. "Dean and I got back together, and I told him that I love him!"
I gasped. "Oh my gosh!" I gave Rory a hug. "That's awesome. I'm so proud of you." I gave her another hug and she said, "What's your news?"
I smiled. "Max asked me to marry him!"
Rory smiled and her eyes widened. "Oh my god! What did you say?"
"Nothing yet!" I laughed excitedly.
She gave me a hug. "Oh my God Mom, that's so great!" We started laughing and jumping up and down in the middle of the street. As soon as we stopped, Rory said, "So are you gonna say yes?"
I smiled and shrugged. "I'm thinking about it."
Rory smiled and gave me a hug. "Wow, Mom, I can't believe it. Wow. So, what do you want to do now?"
"Well, I want you to tell me exactly what happened today with Dean."
She smiled. "Okay!"
We started walking home as Rory told me what happened at school. She explained about Tristan and how he tricked Paris and her friends into hating her again, but that she doesn't really care because she's back with Dean and is too excited to think about anything else.
"Rory, I haven't seen you this happy in a very long time. I'm so happy for you. 'I love you, you idiot.' That's a quote for the ages." I laughed. She smiled. We had reached our house, but instead of going in we sat on the front porch and continued to talk.
Rory said, "So tell me about your day, tell me exactly what happened!"
I told her about everything that had happened the day before, how Max proposed but it wasn't for the right reasons, and then I told her about the beautiful daisies that covered the Inn's lobby.
"Oh my god! One thousand daisies??" Rory was shocked.
I nodded. "Yeah, the guests weren't too happy about it, so we had to move them out onto the front lawn. But they are so beautiful." I smiled.
Rory smiled and said, "You really love him, don't you?"
I nodded and said, "Yeah."
"So isn't he expecting an answer soon?"
"Well, he told me to think long and hard about it, so I am." We sat for a few more minutes outside under the nighttime sky. When we started getting attacked by mosquitoes, we finally walked in the house.
"Luke still hasn't picked up Bert?" Rory asked, walking by it into the kitchen.
"Well, he came over to get it, but I guess he forgot it. . . ." My voice trailed off. I stood there staring at Bert, remembering the night before when Luke and Max were bantering with each other in the hallway. 'Why did they do that?' I said to myself. 'Well, obviously, Max did it because he was jealous of Luke. . . but why did Luke do it? Was he. . . jealous of Max? Why would Luke be jealous of Max?'
I slid off my purse and hung it up. Then I walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Rory came out of her room, now comfortably dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. She smiled at me, and I noticed she had a certain glow about her. I watched her walk to the fridge and pull out the iced tea. She saw me staring and said, "What?"
I smiled. "Nothing. You just look so happy."
Rory smiled back. "I am." She poured herself a glass of iced tea and sat across from me. She looked at me for a second, then asked, "Mom, are you okay? You don't seem so happy anymore."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Well, before you were really giddy and happy, but now you seem like, I don't know, less happy. Have you been thinking about the proposal?"
I sighed. "A little bit. I'm still really happy and excited, but I don't know if I want to get married."
Rory sat down at the table and said, "Do you wanna talk about it?"
I shrugged. "Well, here's the thing. I love Max. I do. He's great, and sweet, and smart, and cute, and, also, not something I'm judging him on, but on the plus side, is that he apparently has a high credit card limit because 1000 daisies is not something you pick up at 7-11 on the way home from work."
Rory smiled. "Okay, so he's nice, smart and rich. Got it."
I laughed. "I don't know. I just. . .well, what do you think about him?"
"What do I think? I think he's a great teacher and a nice guy, and I think he makes you very happy, and that's all that matters to me."
I smiled. "Thank you. I just . .well, I have to give this a lot of thought before I decide anything."
Rory nodded. "So, did you eat? Wanna order pizza?"
"Okay. You order it while I go change." I stood up and headed towards the steps.
-*-
The next day was spent in a daze. I did a lot of thinking. As I explained to Sookie why there were daisies all over the lawn, I thought. And as I explained to her that I haven't decided anything, I thought. As I waited at the bus stop for Rory to get home from school, I thought. And all the thinking led me to one conclusion: too much thinking makes my head hurt.
As Rory stepped off the bus, I greeted her with a hug. "Hey!" she said. "You're out of work early."
"Yeah. I finished up early. I thought we could go to Luke's for a bit."
"Okay, but I have to meet Dean at 4." She said, checking her watch.
I smiled and said, "Ooooh. Okay, well, we'll have to drink out coffee fast."
We walked to Luke's and sat down at a table. A few moments later Luke emerged from the kitchen carrying 2 plates. He delivered them to the table next to us, then came over to our table.
"What can I get you?" he asked, without looking at us.
"Two coffees please." I replied. I waited for a lecture, but he said nothing. I shrugged as he walked away.
Rory said, "He seems more grumpy than usual today."
I nodded. "Yeah, I got that impression too."
He returned a few seconds later with the coffee. He placed the cups and the check on the table and walked away without saying anything. Rory said, "Wow. He looks really sad."
"Yeah. Maybe this whole Rachel thing has finally hit him. Poor guy." I gave a sympathetic glance towards him before taking a sip of coffee.
Rory nodded. We sat there, drinking and talking for about 20 minutes before Rory stood up to go meet Dean. "So, what time are we leaving tonight? 6:30?"
I stared at her with a questioning look.
Rory smiled. "Tonight's Friday, Mom. Did you forget?"
I slapped my forehead. "Oh shoot! I did forget. Dinner. Right. Yeah, 6:30."
"Okay, I'll be home by then. Bye!" She gave me a kiss goodbye and headed out to meet Dean.
I glanced over to the counter at Luke, who seemed oblivious to the fact that I was patiently awaiting a refill. I stood up and walked over to the counter. He was staring at his order pad, so I placed my empty mug in front of him and cleared my throat. He looked up at me, then looked at the mug, and turned around to get the pot. He poured the coffee, put the pot down and continued staring at his pad. I stared at him, concerned.
"Luke? You wanna talk about something? You don't seem too happy."
He looked up at me. "No, I'm fine."
"You sure?" I placed my hand on his arm. "I'm here if you wanna talk."
He pulled his arm away. "I said I'm fine." He grabbed his pad and walked into the kitchen. I stood there, a bit surprised, wondering why he seemed so upset. I walked back to my seat and sat down.
Despite the pounding migraine I had developed, I started to think some more about Max. I had called him earlier in the day and told him that I was still thinking about the proposal. I thought he would be upset that I was thinking about it so much, but he didn't seem surprised at all. He encouraged me to take my time and think about if for as long as I needed. I finished up my coffee as I sat and thought.
-*-
Later that evening, Rory and I pulled up to my parents' house and walked to the front door. Rory reached for the doorbell, but I said, "Wait."
She looked at me and said, "What?"
I sighed. "Well, I thought about a lot it in the car, and I decided that I don't want them to. . . .well, just don't mention the proposal okay?"
Rory nodded. "Sure, okay. . . . Ready now?"
I nodded. Rory rang the doorbell. My mother answered it a few seconds later, and we walked into the living room. While I fixed myself a drink, my mother told us that my dad was in Germany again. I sat down next to Rory, and after listening to my mother and Rory discuss her schoolwork for a few minutes, I said, "So Rory has some big news Mom."
She raised her eyebrows. "Oh really? What kind of big news?"
I looked at Rory and smiled. She smiled back, but then I noticed that she was blushing. I whispered, "Do you want me to tell her?" She nodded.
"So, Mom, Rory and her boyfriend Dean just got back together yesterday."
My mom smiled. "Why, that's wonderful Rory. Congratulations."
Rory smiled shyly. I patted her on the back. I thought this would encourage her to talk about him, but she didn't say anything. My mother, however, didn't let the silence last long. "So Lorelai, what about you. Are you seeing anybody these days?"
I stole a quick glance towards Rory, who was staring right back at me with a sympathetic look. I cleared my throat. "Well, actually, yes, I'm dating someone. It's no big deal. So, um, Rory's boyfriend is 6'2". Can you believe that Mom?"
She ignored my subtle change of topic. "Really? How long have you been seeing him?"
Rory, looking uncomfortable, stood up and walked over to the mantle and looked at the porcelain figures on it. I took a sip of my drink and said, "Well, mom, I've been seeing him off and on for a few months."
My mother's eyes widened. "Really? You've never mentioned him before."
I shrugged. "So?"
"So. . .who is he?"
I sighed. "Uh, mom, I don't really want to talk about it."
"Well, why not? I would think that. . ."
"Uh, Grandma, is dinner ready yet?" Rory interrupted. I shot her a thankful glance.
"Yeah, I'm starved. Let's go see if dinner's ready yet." I stood up and started towards the dining room. Rory followed my lead.
My mother, not used to being ignored, followed us to the table and continued with the questioning. "Lorelai, why do you constantly try to keep me out of your life? You say that I never try to get to know you, but when I do try, you shut me out. I just want to know about your boyfriend. Is that so terrible?"
Rory and I sat down at the table. My mother stood next to her chair staring at me with a somewhat hurt look. I sighed. "No, mom, that's not terrible. It's nice. I just don't want to talk about it right now. Maybe later. Okay?"
She gave a slight smile and sat down. Oh god, I shouldn't have said that. Now she thinks I'm gonna talk about it later. Oh geez. 'Eat fast and leave. Eat fast and leave.' I told myself over and over.
During dinner, the conversation between my mother, Rory and I was rather light and not very exciting; the highlight was the in-depth discussion about the abnormally cool weather we'd been having lately.
After dessert, I forced a yawn. "Man, I'm tired. We'd better get going Rory. I might fall asleep at the wheel."
Rory nodded. "Thanks for dinner Grandma. It was great." She stood up and walked towards the front door. My mother said, "Good night Rory."
I started to get up from my seat, surprised about how easy this getaway was, when my mother said quietly, "So Lorelai, why don't you tell me a little about your boyfriend before you go?"
I shut my eyes briefly and exhaled loudly. I sat back down in my chair. I looked toward the hallway, where Rory was waiting for me. I said, "Rory, my keys are in my purse. Go start the car. I'll be right out."
"Okay." Rory walked away, and a few seconds later I heard the front door open and close. I put my elbows on the table, rested my chin on my hands and stared at my mother. "Okay, mom, don't get used to me saying this, but what would you like to know?"
She smiled. "Well, who is he? Is it the ice man?"
"Excuse me?" I said, confused.
"The man who brought ice to Rory's birthday party? Is it him?"
I rolled my eyes. "Luke? No, mom. It's not Luke."
"Oh. Well, what does he do?"
I paused. "Um, well, he's a . . . . teacher."
She raised her eyebrows. "A teacher? Hmm. Where did you meet. . ." She stopped mid sentence. "Lorelai, please don't tell me this is the same teacher you kissed at Rory's school."
I shut my eyes and put my hands over my face. God, why does she have to remember every little thing? "Why, yes Mom, actually, it is." I opened my eyes to see her reaction. It wasn't a positive one. She sighed and shook her head. "Lorelai, I just don't . . ." She stopped. "Never mind. It's your life."
Somewhat surprised that she stopped herself, I said, "Yes, mom. It is my life. Now, Rory's waiting for me, so if you'll excuse me." I stood up and walked to the door. She followed me and held it open. "See you next week Mom." "Goodbye Lorelai," she replied. I walked out and she closed the door behind me.
I walked to the jeep and opened the door. Rory was listening to the radio. She lowered the volume, and said, "So, what happened?"
I climbed in and said, "Well, I didn't mention the proposal, but she looked none too happy with the fact that my boyfriend is the same guy I made out with in your school."
Rory said, "Oh." She paused. "Well, I think it's good that it's the same guy. I mean, you've been with the same man for a long time. Well, off and on, but still, with the same guy. It shows commitment."
I smiled. "Yeah. I guess you're right. We're committed. Although we were both with other people during the off-time, but still. . .it didn't mean anything."
"What?" Rory asked.
"What?" I said.
"What do you mean you were with other people during the off time?" she asked. "You both dated other people?
I nodded. "Yeah. Never mind. It's no big deal. We discussed it already."
"But I don't remember you going out with anybody else. Who did you . . ?" She paused for a few seconds. "Oh, do you mean Dad?" I nodded. "Oh." She sat quietly. I pulled out of the driveway and drove us home.
-*-
The next morning, Rory went over to Dean's house. She was a little nervous about meeting his parents, but I helped her get ready and was able to convince her that they would love her. I sometimes feel bad that her shyness permits her from having a lot of confidence in herself, but luckily she's starting to become more outgoing.
While Rory was over Dean's, I sat on the couch and did some more thinking. So many questions went through my mind: 'Am I ready to make Max a permanent part of our life?' 'How would this affect Rory?' 'How would this affect Max's career?' 'Where would we live?' I thought about these questions, and many others, for hours. Then I finally made a decision. I checked the clock. Wow. It was 3 p.m. already. Rory had been gone for a very long time.
I stood up and walked to the phone to page her. A few minutes later the phone rang. I picked it up. "Rory?"
"Yeah, Mom, it's me. I'm at the mall with Dean and his family. Sorry I forgot to call."
"Dean's family?"
"Yeah, they are so nice Mom. I can't wait for you to meet them. I'll be home by 5."
"Okay, see you then. Bye."
"Bye!" I hung up the phone. Then I picked it up and dialed a number. A voice on the other end said, "Hello?"
"Max?" I said, "I made a decision."
-*-
Two weeks later
On Friday afternoon, I pulled open the door to Luke's Diner and went inside, looking around for Rory. I walked over to the table, smiling. I sat down.
"Why so happy?" she asked, with a curious smile.
"Um, no reason." I said, subtly waving my hand in front of myself.
Rory screamed and grabbed my hand, staring at the diamond engagement ring now resting comfortably on my left ring finger. "Oh my God! Mom, it's beautiful! When did you get that?"
I laughed. "Just now. He just gave it to me. Isn't it gorgeous?!"
"Yes! I love it! Wow. I can't believe it. Now it's like you're officially engaged!"
"I know! I just keep staring at it. I almost crashed like 5 times on the way here because I kept trying to stare at it while I was driving. Let me tell you, that's not a smart idea."
Rory laughed. She stared at it for a few more seconds before I finally said, "Okay, can I have my hand back please?" She smiled and let go.
"So, did you have a nice lunch?" Rory asked.
"Yeah, it was great. First we ate salad and lasagna, and then we had cheesecake for dessert. I'm telling you, I don't think I can eat for the enxt few days."
She smiled. "So when did he give you the ring?"
"Oh my God. It was so sweet. After the cheesecake, I sat on the couch and he put on some music. Then he walked over to me, and instead of sitting down, he got down on one knee, and took the ring out of his pocket, and officially proposed."
Rory gasped. "You're kidding!"
"Nope. It was so great." My cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling, but I just couldn't seem to stop.
Rory laughed. "Wow, that's three proposals from the same guy in one month."
I nodded.
Rory smiled. "Wow, Mom, you are totally beaming."
"Ah! I can't help it! I'm too excited. What time is it?"
Rory checked her watch. "It's quarter to 4."
"Okay, well, let's get coffee to go. I have some things to do at home."
"Okay."
We stood up and walked over to the counter to order our coffees to go. Luke was at the counter, staring at us as we walked towards him.
"What can I get you?" he asked. "As if I don't know."
"Two coffees to go please." Rory said.
Luke rolled his eyes. He walked to the coffee machine, and returned a few seconds later with 2 cups. I handed him some money and said, "Keep the change." He smiled and said, "Thanks." I smiled and said, "Bye Luke."
Rory and I walked outside and started towards home. Rory said, "I'm glad Luke's feeling better. Remember when he was really grumpy for that whole
week?"
I took a sip of coffee. "Yeah. How could I forget, it was just last week."
Rory paused. "So do you think he knows about you and Max?"
I shrugged. "Well, since Miss Patty knew two weeks ago, I'm guessing everyone in town knows."
Rory asked, "But he hasn't said anything about it to you?"
I shook my head. "Nope."
"Weird. Maybe he doesn't know."
I shrugged. "He probably does. I just. . .well, I just don't think he likes Max. So, I don't know. . . ." I shrugged. Rory and I walked home.
-*-
Later that night, we went over to my parents' house for our weekly dinner. Surprisingly, my dad answered the door. "Lorelai, Rory, hello. How are you?"
Rory and I walked into the foyer. "Wow, Dad. We're fine. Where's Mom?"
"Oh, she's on the phone, so she asked me to get the door. Can you believe that? She employs 35 people, but asks me to get the door. Hmph." Rory and I glanced at each other and smiled. He led us into the living room, where he sat on the couch, and Rory and I sat on the couch across from him. A few seconds later, Mom walked into the living room.
"Hello girls." My mom said cheerfully.
"Hi Mom."
"Hi Grandma."
"Well, I think dinner is just about ready. Why don't we go sit at the table?" Mom walked into the dining room, and we all followed her. We sat down and Mom asked, "Do you girls want something to drink?"
"Coke please." Rory said.
"Same." I replied.
Dad asked. "Oh, would you like me to get them too, since you seem to think I am another servant you employ?"
Mom said, "Richard, answering the door is not some great act of servitude of which you should be awarded for doing. If I had known it would be so difficult a task for you to complete, I wouldn't have asked you. Now I know for next time. Excuse me, I will get your drinks." As Rory and I glanced at each other smiling, Mom walked into the kitchen. She returned a minute later with the drinks, followed a few seconds later by the maid with our dinner plates. She served us and we started eating.
A few minutes later, during a lull in the dinner conversation, my mother said, "Lorelai, what's that?"
I finished chewing my food, and said, "What's what?"
"That ring. Is that new?"
I looked slowly down at my hand. Shit. I had meant to take it off. I was so not ready to tell my parents about the engagement yet. I wanted Max to be with me when I told them. "Uh, this? Um, it's just a new ring I got."
"Well, it certainly is gorgeous. Is it a real diamond?"
"Um, yeah it is."
"Goodness. That must have cost a fortune, a diamond that big." My mom picked up her drink and took a sip.
"Well, Mom, actually. . ." I looked at Rory, who was just staring at me. I glanced at my Dad, who was still eating, not paying much attention. I sighed. "Actually Mom, it's an engagement ring. I'm getting married." Almost simultaneously, my parents started choking. My dad on his food, my mom on her drink. They both started coughing and they both picked up their napkins and put them over their mouths.
"Grandma, grandpa, are you okay?" Rory asked.
"Fine, thank you." Dad replied. "What did you say Lorelai?"
"Yes, what did you say?" my mom asked.
I looked at Rory, whose encouraging smile made me feel better about the unplanned announcement. I smiled. "Mom, Dad, I'm getting married."
My parents looked at each other, as if asking each other silently, 'Did she say what we think she said?'
"To who?" my mother asked. "The teacher?"
"Yes. To Max." I smiled. "He's a wonderful man. You're both going to love him."
"Yeah, Max is great." Rory added. I gave her an appreciative smile.
My mom, who seemed surprised, yet sincere, said, "Well, I didn't realize you two were that serious." She smiled. "Lorelai, that's wonderful. Congratulations."
"Yes, congratulations. That's terrific news." Dad said. "We should celebrate." Dad stood up and walked away. He returned a few minutes later with a bottle of champagne and some glasses.
While Dad poured champagne for us, I stared at Rory. My mother was asking her about Max, and she looked genuinely happy. And I knew it wasn't only just because she was with Dean. She had told me that she was happy I had said yes to Max, and now I could truly see it in her face. It was then, sitting at the table, staring at my beautiful daughter, that I became one hundred percent certain that I had made the right decision.
-*-
The next day (Saturday)
Rory and I were sprawled across the couch watching television and eating cookies, when she suddenly picked up the remote and turned it off. She stood up. "I'm bored."
I gasped. "Um, excuse me? Don't you want to see what happens when he tries to catch the crocodile? "
"Mom, come on. Let's go out and do something. We should not spend a beautiful Saturday watching the "Crocodile Hunter" marathon. Let's go outside. Ooh! Let's go jogging."
I stared at Rory with wide eyes. "Oh my God. Have you ever seen me do anything involving physical exertion ever in my life?"
"No."
"Case closed. No jogging." I stuffed another cookie in my mouth.
"Well, how about a brisk walk?"
"How about we sit here and eat cookies?"
"Come on. Please. You want to look nice in your wedding dress, don't you? Don't you want to get in shape for the wedding?"
"Nope."
"Well, how about the wedding night?"
I gasped. "Rory!"
She laughed. "Sorry. Come on. A slow walk?"
I sighed. "Fine. A slow walk."
"Great! Let's go."
I sluggishly stood up and started to follow her out the door. Then I turned around and grabbed the package of cookies. "You can come too."
Thirty minutes later, Rory and I were sitting in the park under a tree. We were watching people in the park, making up names and occupations for them. I reached into the bag and pulled out the last cookie. I offered it to Rory. "Last one. Want it?" She accepted it, took a bite, and handed it back. "Thank you."
I finished it up, and stood up to go throw the bag away in the nearby trash can. "How about we wash those cookies down with some coffee?"
"Good plan." Rory stood up, and we started walking towards Luke's.
"You know what? Let's say that suddenly, Taylor was promoted to the Decorating King of Stars Hollow, and he had some sort of nervous breakdown and he suddenly decided that the inside of everyone's house in Stars Hollow must be only one color. You can use several different shades of that color, but it still only has to be one color. What would you pick?"
Rory thought for a minute, then said, "Blue."
I gasped. "That's what I was gonna pick!"
She smiled. "Really?"
"Yeah, there are so many pretty shades of blue, like baby blue, navy blue, cobalt blue, and. . . . you know, some other blues."
Rory nodded. "Yeah. I agree. Lots of pretty blues."
We reached Luke's Diner, and I started to pull open the door to walk in, but then I stopped. I turned around to face Rory. "I'm gonna go to the counter and talk to Luke, okay? Tell him about the engagement and everything. Would you mind sitting at the table alone for a few minutes?"
"No, I don't mind."
"Great." I pulled open the door. Rory sat down at a table as I headed to the counter and sat on a stool. A few seconds later, Luke came out of the kitchen with some plates and delivered them to some customers at the other end of the counter. Then he walked over to me. "Hey. What's up? You fighting with Rory?"
"No, why?"
He glanced towards Rory and said, "Well, you're not sitting with her"
"Oh yeah. No, um, well, you and me haven't really talked in awhile, and I just wanted to talk a bit before I go sit with her. Can you just send her a coffee first?"
He gave me a curious look and said, "Yeah sure." He poured two cups and placed one in front of me, and walked the other one over to Rory. Then he walked back over and said, "So, what's up?"
"Um, well, I just...I don't know if you've heard or not, but Max and I are engaged." I smiled.
He nodded and smiled slightly. "Yeah, actually, I did hear that. Congratulations."
"Thank you. How long have you known?"
"Oh, a week or two. Patty told me."
"Oh, well, you didn't say anything, so I thought maybe you didn't know."
"Yeah, sorry, I kept meaning to say something to you, but it kept slipping my mind. Sorry about that. But, really, I'm very happy for you." He looked down at my hand. "Is that the engagement ring?"
I held my hand out to him. "Yes."
He reached out and held my hand as he looked at it. "Very nice. He has good taste." He smiled, and stared into my eyes for a few seconds before letting go of my hand. I stared back into his eyes. They seemed somewhat distant, like they were trying to talk to me. "Luke? What are you thinking about?"
He blinked and looked away. "I'm just thinking what a lucky guy Max is because I know you will make him very happy."
I smiled. "Thank you Luke." I leaned over the counter and gave Luke a kiss on the cheek. He smiled. "You're welcome." I picked up my coffee and walked over to Rory's table. I sat across from her as she asked, "Did everything go all right?"
"Yeah. Everything's great." I looked over at Luke, who was now taking an order from a man at the counter. He glanced my way and smiled. I smiled back. Then I turned to Rory. "Hey, what time is it?" Rory looked at her watch, and replied, "Almost five."
"Oh, we'd better go if we want to make the movie on time." I gestured to my sweatpants. "I have to go home and change out of this outfit." I took out some money and left it on the table, then Rory and I headed home.
One week later (Saturday)
"Rory! Have you seen my black belt?" I yelled down the steps.
"No! You're wearing a dress, what do you need a belt for?" she yelled back.
"I don't need it, but I just can't find it, and I might need it eventually in the future."
"We'll find it later. Come on, we're late!"
"Coming!" I walked down the stairs. Rory was waiting on the couch. I spun around. "How do I look?"
"You look beautiful Mom. Really beautiful."
I smiled. "Thanks. So do you. I love that dress."
"Thanks. It's yours."
I laughed. "Let's go."
Thirty minutes later we pulled up to Max's apartment. We walked to the door and knocked. Max answered it right away. "Hey. Come on in." I gestured to Rory to go inside, and I walked in behind her. I greeted Max with a kiss but noticed that he wasn't his normal self. I stepped back. "What's wrong?"
He glanced towards Rory, who had wandered over towards the couch. Max had a serious look on his face. "Lorelai, I need to talk to you about something, but not right now."
I raised my eyebrows. "Whoa, what is it Max? You can't leave me hanging all night. Why don't you tell me now."
Max lowered his voice. "Please, not here, not in front of Rory."
"Okay, well, let's go talk on the porch. Rory can hang out for a few minutes. Give her a book, she'll be fine." I glanced over to her, then said to Max, "Wait here."
I walked over to Rory. "So, this is Max's apartment."
She looked over at Max, standing by the font door. "It's really nice."
"Thank you Rory," he replied, smiling. "Make yourself at home."
I walked Rory over to the bookcase and said, "Rory, Max and I need to talk outside for a few minutes. Can you just pick a book or something and hang out in here for a bit?"
She whispered. "Yeah, sure. Is everything all right?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. I'll be right back." I walked over to Max, and he opened the front door, and we walked onto the porch. I sat down on the bench, and patted the seat next to me, but he didn't sit. I stared up at him. He looked upset, so I reached over and grabbed his hand. "So what's wrong?"
"Lorelai, I know that you said that you didn't date Luke, but I have to know, is that the truth?"
"What?" I stood up. "Where is this coming from?"
"I was at the Hartford Mall today, and I saw Luke there and he..."
I interrupted with a laugh. "Max, Luke doesn't go to malls. He hates them. He won't go near them."
"Well, he must have changed his mind about them. But listen. I was at the Hartford Mall, and I ran into Luke, and I said hello to him. He shook my hand and said congratulations and everything, really nice and all. But then he started talking about how lucky I was to find someone like you, and how I better treat you and Rory right, and all this stuff that made me wonder if. . ."
I interrupted again. "Max, Luke is one of my best friends. He's just being protective. Kind of like a big brother." I smiled at the thought of Luke trying to protect us.
"But I don't think that's how he sees it. I think. . . .I think he's in love with you, Lorelai."
I laughed. "Max! Luke is not in love with me. We're just friends." I leaned in and gave Max a kiss. He pulled away and said, "Lorelai, do you love him?"
"Max!" I said, surprised by the question.
"Do you?" he pressed for an answer.
I rolled my eyes. "Max, I'm not even going to answer you because you're being crazy. I love you. I'm in love with you, and only you. Stop worrying about Luke."
"But I. ." He started to protest, but I leaned in and pressed my lips against his. He was resistant at first, but he soon relaxed. He wrapped his arms around me and eagerly kissed me back. As we actively explored each other's mouths, I felt his hands sliding down my lower back. Before they could get any lower, I pulled back and said, "Come on. Rory's waiting. Everything all right now?" He smiled and nodded. I gave him another kiss, grabbed his hand and led him in the house.
Rory was on the couch reading a book. She looked up when we walked in and smiled. "Hey. Great book collection Max."
"Thanks Rory." Max walked over to the oven and pulled out a casserole dish. I walked over towards Rory and said, "So, let me show you around." I pointed towards the bathroom, and said, "Well, that's the bathroom." I laughed. "I guess that's all you need to know." Rory stood up and looked around. She pointed towards the other door and said, "What's that?"
"Bedroom." Max and I said at the same time. I looked at him and we smiled flirtingly at each other.
I looked back towards Rory, who gave me a "please don't say anymore" look. I shrugged and said, "Sorry." I walked towards Max and said, "So, need any help?"
"Yes, could you get the salad out of the fridge? It looks like everything's just about done." He carried the casserole dish to the table.
I opened the fridge and took out the salad bowl and brought it to the table. I walked back to the kitchen to find the salad tongs. I found them hanging on the wall and started to walk towards the table. I stopped when I heard Max and Rory talking about some book. Instead, I just watched them interact with each other. 'They seem to get along so well.' I said to myself. 'We're gonna make a great family.' I felt a joyful tear slide down my cheek, which I quickly wiped away, then walked over to the table.
-*-
Two days later (Monday)
It was a Monday evening, just past 7. Rory had gone over to Lane's house to hang out, and I had decided to go see Luke. I avoided the diner yesterday because I wasn't sure what to say to him about the whole Max-at-the-mall thing. I still wasn't sure what to say, but decided to just play it by ear.
I walked into the diner, and sat at a table. Despite it being dinner time, there were only two other people in there. I picked up the menu and stared at it, even though I wasn't hungry. A few minutes later, someone surprised me by clearing their throat. I jumped and looked over. Luke was standing right next to me, smiling. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." I put the menu down and looked up at him.
"Oh. That's okay. I didn't see you there."
He nodded. "Yeah, I noticed. So what can I get you?"
"Um, I'll just have coffee."
He raised his eyebrows. "You don't want any food? Why were you staring intently at the menu for the past 10 minutes?"
I shrugged. "I was just perusing to see what I should get next time."
Luke smiled. "Like you'd ever order anything besides a burger. I'll be right back."
I watched him walk to the coffeepot, fill up a mug, and bring it back to my table. I looked around and said, "Can you sit with me for a few minutes?"
"Well, I have some things to do at the counter. Why don't you come over there?"
"Okay." I stood up and followed him behind the counter. He walked into the kitchen. I put my coffee down, and I boosted myself up so that I was sitting on the counter, facing the kitchen with my legs dangling over the side. He walked back out of the kitchen carrying a package of napkins. He saw me on the counter, and narrowed his eyes. "I provide stools for the customers to sit on, you know."
I smiled. "Yeah, but I felt like being up high."
Luke started filling up the napkin dispensers. "So, did you want to talk or something?"
"Uh yeah." I heard some movement behind me, so I turned around. The two other customers were leaving. I waited for them to walk out before I said, "Luke, I just wanted to ask you something. Did you happen to run into Max at the mall recently?"
I watched him to see how he reacted. Luke briefly stopped what he was doing, but he didn't look at me. He picked up another napkin dispenser and started to fill it. "Why? What did you hear?" he asked nervously.
"Luke, it's okay. I'm not mad. Max was, but I wasn't it. I'm flattered that you were so concerned about us."
He looked up at me. "Yeah?"
I smiled and nodded. "Yeah."
He worked on the napkins a few more seconds before he said, "So Max was mad?"
I laughed. "Yeah. He's just jealous. Get this! He thinks that you and I dated and that you're in love with me."
Luke didn't say anything. He turned his head away and walked into the kitchen. He walked back out with a container of salt and started collecting the salt shakers from around the counter. "Luke did you hear what I said? He thinks you're in love with me." I laughed.
"Yeah I heard." He started pouring the salt into the containers. I stared at him closely. There was no emotion in his face. He appeared uncomfortable and nervous.
Confused, I said "Luke?" He didn't answer. I reached out and put my hand on his hand. He stopped what he was doing, but stared down at the counter. "Luke? Say something."
He was silent for a moment. Then he sighed. "He's right."
My eyes widened and I put a hand over my mouth. "What?"
He still didn't look up. "He's right. I am in love with you. I'm sorry."
I was silent for a moment. "Luke, but . . .?"
"But what Lorelai? I can't help it. I'm sorry. I know that you're getting married, and that my admitting this to you will only cause discomfort between us, but I can't help it. You are an incredible person, and I have loved you for a very long time. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I love you." He still hadn't looked at me. His hands were rested against the counter and he was staring down. After a few seconds of silence, he started to walk away, but I reached out and grabbed his hand.
"Aw Luke. Come here. Don't be sorry." I pulled him towards me so that he was standing right in front of me. I gave him a hug. He leaned his head against my chest and wrapped his arms around my waist. As he started to break away, I gave him a kiss on his forehead.
"Lorelai, I just. . ." He stopped talking and stared into my eyes. I stared back into his. He started leaning towards me. I put my hands on either side of his face and helped lead his lips towards mine. We kissed, a slow passionate kiss. Luke pulled away. "Lorelai, you're engaged. We can't. ." He stopped talking as I pulled him back to my lips. He eagerly kissed me back, and as our mouths opened and our tongues met each other, I wrapped my legs around his waist, forcefully pulling him towards me. The intense tingling sensation of our bodies being so close made a soft moan escape my throat. As we broke apart from each other, both of us panting to catch our breaths, we smiled at each other. Luke looked past me towards the door, and his smile faded. His eyes widened. Still catching my breath, I slowly turned around and saw Max staring through the window.
"Oh my God! Excuse me Luke." Luke stepped back and I jumped off the counter. Max had started walking towards his car. I ran out the door towards him. "Max! Please wait!" Max was standing next to his car, but he didn't turn around. "Max, I'm sorry. I don't know what happened."
He stared at his car. "I know what happened Lorelai. You were just making out with Luke."
I stopped a few feet away from him. "Max, I don't know what to say. I'm sorry. It was an accident."
Max turned around. "Lorelai, how could you possibly explain that as an accident? He accidentally fell towards you and you accidentally wrapped your legs around his waist? Come on. You lied to me Lorelai. You do love him."
Tears welded up in my eyes. "Max, I didn't lie. I just didn't realize that I had feelings for him. They were hidden under my feelings for you. And, you were right. He does love me. He told me. And I guess him telling me that made my feelings for him come out, and we just, sort of, got lost in the moment."
Max shook his head in disbelief. "Lorelai, what does all this mean? Do you still love me? And what kind of relationship can we possibly have if I can't trust you?"
I could barely see Max through my tears. "Max, you can trust me. Please. I love you. I still want to marry you. Please believe me."
Max stared at me for a few seconds. "Lorelai, I love you. And I still want you to be my wife. But if we stay engaged and get married. . ." He stopped talking.
I stared at him. "What? If we get married, what?"
He walked towards me. "If we stay together, I don't want you hanging around Luke anymore. Or that diner."
I gasped. My eyes widened. "What?"
"That's right. I don't want you hanging around Luke anymore."
"That's how much you believe me and trust me? You forbid me to see a friend? You can't control me like that Max."
Max walked over to me and put his hands on the side of my shoulders. "Lorelai," he said calmly. "Please, for one second, look at it from my perspective. Here, let me explain it to you. You are my fiancee, we are getting married in a year. I drive to your home to visit you one evening, but you're not home. So I drive to the diner that you usually hang out in, and I find you making out with one of your friends, quite explicitly, I might add, on the counter. And also, might I add, not just any friend. A friend whom I've asked you several times if you had feelings for, which you denied each time. And you expect me to just trust you again instantaneously?"
I covered my face with my hands. "I'm so sorry." I sobbed. He pulled me towards him and hugged me. He started rubbing my back trying to make me feel better, which made the situation seem off. I mean, he was the one who should be upset. I was the one who hurt him. Why was I crying? He hugged me for a few more minutes before I finally stepped back. I wiped my eyes and stared at him. I could sense the hurt in his eyes, and I felt horrible for what I did to him.
"You okay?" he asked.
I nodded. "Max, I'm. . .I just need a little time to think about everything, okay?"
I saw Max's eyes quickly glance towards the diner, but then he nodded. "Okay Lorelai. Let me drive you home." He walked me to the passenger side and opened the door for me. I got into his mustang and he shut the door. He walked around to his side, got in and drove to my house. He opened the car door for me and walked me to the porch.
"Do you want come in?" I asked.
"No, I think you need to be alone right now. Just take some time to yourself. Think about things."
I nodded. "Okay."
"Bye Lorelai." He leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
"Bye Max."
I was able to watch him walk to his mustang and drive away before the tears started falling again. I walked into the house and started to head towards the stairs when I noticed the blinking light on the answering machine. 'Probably my mother again.' I sighed and pushed the play button. The sound of Luke's voice made me relive the past 20 minutes all over again.
"Lorelai, it's me. I know you're not home yet because I just watched you get in the car with Max, but I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. And I wanted to say I'm sorry for everything I said, and everything that happened." There was a brief pause. "And I just. . . never mind, that's it. Bye."
I stared at the answering machine for a minute, as if I expected Luke to actually be inside of it. I was tempted to pick up the phone and call him back, but I didn't. Instead I walked upstairs and collapsed on the bed in a fit of tears and confusion.
-*-
The next morning, Tuesday, I woke up, still in my regular clothes with my shoes still on. I stared at the ceiling, hoping that everything was just a dream, and that I was still happily engaged and there were no complications in my life. I was wrong. I reluctantly got up to get ready for work. Thirty minutes later, I walked downstairs and found Rory on the couch, still in her pajamas.
Rory stood up when she saw me and walked over to me. "Mom? Are you okay? I got home last night around 8 and you were already asleep. In your clothes. Plus, there was a strange message from Luke on the machine. . . Is everything okay?" As tears welded up in my eyes, I put my hands over my face to hide them. Rory hugged me. "Mom, what happened?" She led me to the couch and I rested my head on her shoulder.
"I screwed up Rory. I screwed up big time." As I explained to her what happened, I realized what an incredible daughter I had. She didn't make any judgmental remarks, she didn't criticize my actions, and she didn't take sides. What she did say was, "Mom, whatever you decide to do, I'll support your decision. Just do what you know in your heart is right." I nodded and sat up to give her a kiss. Then I stood up and walked into the kitchen, glancing towards the hallway table, where I paused momentarily as I noticed that, still, Luke had not picked up Bert.
That Evening (Tuesday)
Lounging on the couch watching TV, Rory and I were waiting for the pizza we had ordered. When the doorbell rang, I stood up to answer it, grabbing my purse on the way. I pulled open the door, and was more than surprised when I saw Luke standing there. "Luke!"
"Hey." he replied.
"Luke, what are you doing here?"
"Um, I just wanted to make sure you were all right. You didn't come to the diner today. And, uh, you didn't call me back last night. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. . . Is it?"
I shrugged and said, "I don't know. Do you want to come in?"
He nodded and stepped inside. He followed me to the living room. Rory looked up and said, "Oh, hey Luke." Luke replied, "Hi Rory."
"Uh, Rory, could you leave me and Luke alone for a few minutes?" I asked her. Rory turned off the TV and said "Sure." I smiled and said, "Thanks." She walked towards her room, and I heard her bedroom door close. I sat down on the couch, and Luke sat next to me. We were silent for a few seconds, and I wondered if he felt as uncomfortable as I did. "So . ." I started.
"So, what happened last night? With Max, I mean."
I sighed. "Well, Luke, he wasn't too thrilled with his fiancee kissing another guy. I've never been engaged before, but I'm pretty sure that's on the "Don't Do" list."
Luke nodded. "I'm so sorry. I should have never confronted Max in that mall. It's all my fault."
"Oh Luke. It is not. I'm the one who kissed you." I paused. "Luke, what were you doing at the mall anyway?" I smiled.
Luke smiled shyly. "I know, I know, I said I hate them. And I do. But sometimes I need stuff that can only be found at the mall. So sue me. Anyway, that's not important. "
"Right. Sorry. Anyway, I just. . . well, he didn't call off the engagement, which is what I thought he was going to do, but he did sort of give me an ultimatum . . ." I paused, wondering if I should tell Luke about it.
Luke raised his eyebrows. "Really? What?"
I paused. "Well, he said that . . " I was interrupted by the doorbell. "Oh hold on Luke." I yelled "Rory! Pizza's here. Can you get it please?"
I watched as Rory walked out of her room. I turned back to Luke. "He said that he doesn't want me. . . ."
I heard Rory's voice in the hallway. "Oh. Max, hi." I raised my eyebrows and said, "Shoot. How can one man have such incredibly bad timing?" I stood up as Rory entered the living room with Max behind her. She gave me a sympathetic glance, and then went back towards her bedroom. I watched Max's expression change from a smile to an angry glare towards Luke. He started to say something, but I interrupted.
"Max, Luke just came over to apologize. There's nothing going on. He was just leaving, right Luke?" I turned around and gave him and 'please help me out and leave' look.
"Uh, yeah. I was just going. I'll see you tomorrow." He stood up and started walking to the front door.
Max laughed and said, "No, I don't think so."
"Max, please." I said, hoping he would not pick a fight with Luke.
Luke stopped near Max and said, "Excuse me?"
Max stared at Luke. "I said, I don't think you'll be seeing her tomorrow. Or ever, for that matter."
"What?" Luke glanced from Max over to me.
I exhaled loudly. "Max, stop please. Luke, I'll talk to you later. Goodbye."
Luke glared at Max for a second before finally walking past him and out the front door. As soon as the front door closed, Max said, "Lorelai, I'm very confused right now, and I need you to explain something to me in simple terms: what is it that you want to do? Who do you want?"
I shrugged and sat down on the couch. Max walked over and sat down next to me. He put an arm around me. "Lorelai, it seems like you're having a lot of trouble deciding. I think that if it's this hard for you, then maybe you're just not ready to commit to one person."
I looked at him. "Max, that's not true. It's a big decision. Do you know what you're asking me to give up? Luke is my friend. I've seen him almost everyday for the past 7 years. And now, all of a sudden, you want me to stop hanging out with him. Come on." I paused. "Now, I know what I did was stupid and I know that I hurt you. And I'm very sorry for that. But I just don't think asking me to give up a friend is going to solve this."
"Lorelai, I'm not asking you to give up 'a friend.' I'm asking you to stay away from the person who's tearing us apart. And if you aren't willing to do that to save our relationship, then maybe there isn't one to save."
I sat for a moment in silence. Then I nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry."
He smiled. "Good then. I'm glad you finally made a decision."
"No, Max. I mean you're right, maybe this relationship isn't worth saving."
Max's smile faded. "Lorelai, how can you say that?"
"Max, I love you. But you're asking me to give up someone who is a major part of my life just so you can feel better. And if you can't trust me enough to feel comfortable about me hanging around with Luke, I don't think we have a very good relationship to build a marriage on."
Max paused for a minute, then he sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry. You don't have to stop hanging around Luke. I was just jealous and upset. And if you say it won't happen again, then I do trust you."
I smiled. "You do? Really?"
He nodded. "Yes. I'm so sorry." He leaned over and kissed me and then wrapped his arms around me. He pulled back and stared at me. "Something wrong?"
I said, "Well, Max, to be honest, I still have a lot of thinking to do."
He nodded. "Lorelai, I don't want to rush you into anything, so just take your time. I just came by tonight to see if you were all right because you were really upset yesterday. And I know that you have some things to sort out, so, please, just give me a call when you know what you want."
I nodded. "Thank you." He gave me a kiss goodbye and stood up to leave. I watched him walk away, and heard the front door shut before I called, "Rory! You can come out now!"
Rory came out of her room and walked over to me. "Everything all right Mom? Did you resolve anything?"
"Not yet hon. Soon though. All this will work out soon." A few seconds later the doorbell rang. I stood up. "Oh my God, that better be the pizza and not another member of the Lorelai fan club." Rory laughed. "I swear, I wouldn't be surprised if that's your dad asking me to marry him again. Let's just see how much more complicated my life can get."
Rory laughed and we walked to the front door together. Joe, the regular delivery guy was standing there. He handed us the pizza, smiled, and walked away. I laughed. "I guess it's free when it's 45 minutes late." I shut the door and we walked to the kitchen.
The next day (Wednesday)
The next day after work, I stopped at the diner to talk to Luke. He was busy with a lot of customers, but when he saw me come in, he immediately walked over to me. "Hey, how are you? Is everything all right?"
"Yeah, everything's great." I smiled as I glanced around. "Busy tonight."
"Yeah, real busy. But hold on a sec." Luke walked into the kitchen and came back with a few plates. He delivered them to two different tables, placed a check down on another table, then walked back into the kitchen. He came back out with a waiter, then walked over to me. "I asked Caesar to keep an eye on the place. Let's go talk." He opened the door, and I followed him out onto the sidewalk. We walked toward the bench at the bus stop. We both sat down. "So what happened?" he asked.
I exhaled loudly. "Well, let me start from where I left off. So remember that ultimatum I mentioned?" He nodded. "Okay, well, Max said that if I wanted to stay with him, I needed to stop hanging out with you."
Luke eyes narrowed. "What?"
I nodded. "Yeah, he really said that. Can you believe that? So then, last night, I told him that I couldn't do that because our friendship is just too important to me." Luke smiled. "So at first he was resistant and kept pushing for me to stay away from you, but finally I convinced him that he needed to trust me if he wanted this marriage to work."
Luke nodded. "Good point. So he dropped the ultimatum?" I nodded. "So you guys are still together?" I shrugged. Luke smiled and mimicked me by shrugging back. "What does that mean?"
I smiled shyly. "Well, Luke, I don't know if you can tell by looking at me, but I didn't sleep one wink last night..." I paused a second before I finished. "...because I was up thinking about you."
He smiled. "Me?"
I smiled. "Yeah. And I think that, if it's okay with you, I'd like to break off my engagement with Max so that we can be together. Me and you."
Luke laughed. "If it's okay with me?"
I laughed. "Yeah. Well, I mean, I'm going to break it off anyway because I don't want to be with him anymore. My feelings for you are greater than my feelings for him. I mean, Luke, when you told me that you loved me, it just made me realize all of my feelings for you that I'd been keeping inside, and. . . I think I love you too."
He smiled. "You think you love me?"
I laughed. "I know I love you."
Luke smiled. He stood up, grabbed my hand and pulled me up off the bench into a hug. A few seconds later, I pulled back. "Hey Luke, remember our first kiss?"
"Yeah...?" He looked at me questioningly.
"Well, it was pretty amazing, wasn't it?"
He smiled. "Yeah..."
I smiled. "Do you think we can top it?"
Luke laughed. "Yeah." He leaned forward and pressed his lips gently against mine. Everything went silent as though time stood still. I loved everything about that moment, from the feel of his stubble against my cheek to the feeling of his heart beating against my chest. But most of all I loved the protective feeling of his arms wrapped around me, as I finally realized that he was my destiny.
END
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