Chapter 4: Excuse Me, Could you Point Me Towards the Land of Denial?
As Lorelai slept, she rolled over in bed and unconsciously reached out an arm. When her arm only encountered an empty bed, she opened her eyes, confirming what she already knew. She was alone in bed, again.
She sat up and looked at the clock on the nightstand. The large red numbers read 3:44. She threw off the covers, got up from the bed and walked into the hall.
As she approached the stairs she could make out the soft flickering glow of the TV, providing the only illumination to the living room. When she reached the stair railing and could see into the living room, she could make out Luke sitting on the couch, staring at the TV, the sound just a whisper. As she began to descend the stairs, she asked, "Couldn't sleep?"
"I'm sorry, did the TV wake you?" Luke apologized.
"No, I woke up and noticed I was alone, I didn't like it. So I figured that you were alone down here, and I decided I'd come down here and you could keep me company."
Lorelai walked to the couch, and grabbed the afghan off of the back. She pointed to the couch next to Luke and asked, "May I?"
"Sure."
Lorelai sat down next to Luke, snuggling close, while he put his arm around her. She used the afghan to cover her legs, and then leaned her head onto his chest.
They sat quietly watching some old sitcom on TV. Finally Lorelai spoke, "Luke, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just woke up and couldn't go back to sleep."
"Luke, it's Wednesday morning, and you haven't slept more that two hours a night since Sunday."
"You've noticed, huh?"
Lorelai sat up and replied, "Of course I've noticed. I've also noticed you've been very quiet even for you."
When Luke didn't reply, Lorelai asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"
"I'm fine, just a little insomnia."
"Luke," Lorelai said looking him straight in the eyes.
"Really, I'm fine."
"Well, okay, you don't have to talk to me. Maybe there's someone else you could talk to."
"What do you mean?"
Lorelai shrugged and replied, "I don't know, maybe a professional."
"What? Like a shrink? I don't need that. I'm not crazy."
"Luke, sweetie, seeing a therapist doesn't mean you're crazy. Sometimes you need them to help sort out your thoughts, or you need an objective third party to tell you that what you're feeling is normal."
"I'm not feeling anything, I'm fine."
"Luke?"
"What? I'm fine."
"Luke, Rachel is dead."
"I know that, Lorelai, what's that got to do with anything?"
"Luke, honey, you're hurting."
Luke shook his head and replied, "That's ridiculous. I mean yeah, I'm sorry she's dead, but that's it."
Lorelai took a hold of Luke's hand and said, "Luke this, is someone you were very close to at one time. It's probably safe to say that at one time you were in love with her."
Lorelai stared at Luke till he nodded ascent, then she continued, "And I'm sure, on some level, you still love her, and that's okay. Just because you guys split up that doesn't mean that you stop caring about her."
Luke kissed Lorelai on the forehead, then said, "Thank you Lorelai, but really, I'm fine."
Lorelai sighed heavily then she stood up. She played with Luke's hair, as she said, "Okay, fine, you don't have to talk to me about it, but eventually you'll have to talk to someone."
Luke looked back her and said, "I swear I'm fine."
"Whatever," Lorelai sighed, "I'm too tired to argue about it." She grabbed his hand and said, "I'm going back to bed, why don't you come with me?"
Luke glanced at the TV for a second then nodded. He used the remote to turn off the TV, then still holding her hand, followed Lorelai back upstairs.
As Lorelai slept, she rolled over in bed and unconsciously reached out an arm. When her arm only encountered an empty bed, she opened her eyes, confirming what she already knew. She was alone in bed, again.
She sat up and looked at the clock on the nightstand. The large red numbers read 3:44. She threw off the covers, got up from the bed and walked into the hall.
As she approached the stairs she could make out the soft flickering glow of the TV, providing the only illumination to the living room. When she reached the stair railing and could see into the living room, she could make out Luke sitting on the couch, staring at the TV, the sound just a whisper. As she began to descend the stairs, she asked, "Couldn't sleep?"
"I'm sorry, did the TV wake you?" Luke apologized.
"No, I woke up and noticed I was alone, I didn't like it. So I figured that you were alone down here, and I decided I'd come down here and you could keep me company."
Lorelai walked to the couch, and grabbed the afghan off of the back. She pointed to the couch next to Luke and asked, "May I?"
"Sure."
Lorelai sat down next to Luke, snuggling close, while he put his arm around her. She used the afghan to cover her legs, and then leaned her head onto his chest.
They sat quietly watching some old sitcom on TV. Finally Lorelai spoke, "Luke, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just woke up and couldn't go back to sleep."
"Luke, it's Wednesday morning, and you haven't slept more that two hours a night since Sunday."
"You've noticed, huh?"
Lorelai sat up and replied, "Of course I've noticed. I've also noticed you've been very quiet even for you."
When Luke didn't reply, Lorelai asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"
"I'm fine, just a little insomnia."
"Luke," Lorelai said looking him straight in the eyes.
"Really, I'm fine."
"Well, okay, you don't have to talk to me. Maybe there's someone else you could talk to."
"What do you mean?"
Lorelai shrugged and replied, "I don't know, maybe a professional."
"What? Like a shrink? I don't need that. I'm not crazy."
"Luke, sweetie, seeing a therapist doesn't mean you're crazy. Sometimes you need them to help sort out your thoughts, or you need an objective third party to tell you that what you're feeling is normal."
"I'm not feeling anything, I'm fine."
"Luke?"
"What? I'm fine."
"Luke, Rachel is dead."
"I know that, Lorelai, what's that got to do with anything?"
"Luke, honey, you're hurting."
Luke shook his head and replied, "That's ridiculous. I mean yeah, I'm sorry she's dead, but that's it."
Lorelai took a hold of Luke's hand and said, "Luke this, is someone you were very close to at one time. It's probably safe to say that at one time you were in love with her."
Lorelai stared at Luke till he nodded ascent, then she continued, "And I'm sure, on some level, you still love her, and that's okay. Just because you guys split up that doesn't mean that you stop caring about her."
Luke kissed Lorelai on the forehead, then said, "Thank you Lorelai, but really, I'm fine."
Lorelai sighed heavily then she stood up. She played with Luke's hair, as she said, "Okay, fine, you don't have to talk to me about it, but eventually you'll have to talk to someone."
Luke looked back her and said, "I swear I'm fine."
"Whatever," Lorelai sighed, "I'm too tired to argue about it." She grabbed his hand and said, "I'm going back to bed, why don't you come with me?"
Luke glanced at the TV for a second then nodded. He used the remote to turn off the TV, then still holding her hand, followed Lorelai back upstairs.