"Sara, listen, just remember it ok - baseball," Luke said. "I'll get help there quickly."
After hanging up Luke quickly got dressed, grabbed his truck keys and ran out the door. He couldn't believe this was happening. Sara... he barely remembered her. He didn't even think he'd recognize her when he saw her.
On the drive he kept the radio off, he needed to think. Rarely did he see oncoming headlights, and there was nothing but darkness in his rearview mirror. He didn't care, he needed to get there now. "I can't believe she still had my number," Luke said to the darkness. "I can't believe this happened, it's all my fault."
His back was aching and his eyelids were heavy, but he wouldn't slow down. She'd phoned him, and he promised her he'd always come to help her if she needed him. "What was it about her?" Luke asked himself as he turned off the interstate. He sighed as he thought back to that day. "Probably that song," he told himself. "Even at six she had quite a voice. I wonder if she still sings...."
"Luke, wake up," he heard Lorelai say as she shook his arm. Lifting his head he felt something stuck to his cheek. Reaching up he took the piece of paper and folded it back up.
Lorelai sat down at the table he was seated at. The was a large box full of what appeared to be letters on a chair at Luke's side. "What's that?" she asked.
"Letter's I recieved from Sara years ago, and letters I sent her," Luke replied.
"Letter's you sent her? She sent them back?"
Luke shook his head. "Her foster parents did," he told her. "Said it didn't look right to have a man more than twice her age writing to her. She never even knew I'd written."
"How do you know?" Lorelai asked.
"Because she always asked me why I hadn't written in her letters," Luke said. "They came every week for about a year, then every month, then occasionally, if something big happened. They stopped all together about three years ago."
Picking up some of the envelopes Lorelai looked at Luke. "Doesn't look like you stopped writing her though."
"No, I never did," Luke told her. "I'm not really a praying man as you know, but I wrote her every week. It was kind of my prayer I think. Everytime I wrote a letter I'd think about her and hope she was alright."
Lorelai nodded, placing the letters back in the box. "So, what do you want to tell me Luke?" she asked.
"It's not what I want to tell you," Luke said. "It's what I need to tell somebody."
"OK," Lorelai said. "Well, whatever it is, you know you can tell..." she trailed off when she noticed how red Luke's eyes had become. "Luke, what is it?"
"Sara... she was raped because of me," Luke said, not looking up from his hands.
Lorelai closed her eyes, thinking this must be a nightmare. Opening them and finding herself still in Luke's Diner, she looked at him. "What do you mean?"
"I made the wrong call Lorelai," he said. "I could have stopped years of pain in that girls life, but I trusted a little old lady when I shouldn't have."
"Luke, this is beginning to sound really absurd," Lorelai said. "You need to start from the beginning, explain it all."
When Luke had finished the story he sat back, and for the first time, looked up at Lorelai. "You see, if I'd phoned Children Services instead, none of that would have happened."
"Luke, that wasn't your fault," Lorelai said, placing her hand over his on the table. "You couldn't have known what was going to happen."
"But I should have played it safe and called," Luke said. "I never should have relied on trust."
"Luke, do you really think that girl blames you?" Lorelai asked. Luke laughed.
"You saw the way she ran out of her," he said. "I'd say she does."
Lorelai shook her head. "She's probably upset because she thinks you didn't write. You need to talk to her."
"But I..." Luke began, but Lorelai interrupted.
"No buts Luke Danes. She is going to be at the soda shop at seven tomorrow morning, go talk to her."
Luke looked skeptical, but nodded. "Thanks for coming over Lorelai."
She nodded. "Anytime. Say, have you told Nicole about Sara."
Luke shook his head, then shot up. "Oh no, Nicole. I was supposed to meet her for dinner hours ago, I'd better phone her."
"I'm going to go," Lorelai said. "I'll see you tomorrow." Luke waved goodbye as he began to speak to Nicole on the other end of the phone.
After hanging up Luke quickly got dressed, grabbed his truck keys and ran out the door. He couldn't believe this was happening. Sara... he barely remembered her. He didn't even think he'd recognize her when he saw her.
On the drive he kept the radio off, he needed to think. Rarely did he see oncoming headlights, and there was nothing but darkness in his rearview mirror. He didn't care, he needed to get there now. "I can't believe she still had my number," Luke said to the darkness. "I can't believe this happened, it's all my fault."
His back was aching and his eyelids were heavy, but he wouldn't slow down. She'd phoned him, and he promised her he'd always come to help her if she needed him. "What was it about her?" Luke asked himself as he turned off the interstate. He sighed as he thought back to that day. "Probably that song," he told himself. "Even at six she had quite a voice. I wonder if she still sings...."
"Luke, wake up," he heard Lorelai say as she shook his arm. Lifting his head he felt something stuck to his cheek. Reaching up he took the piece of paper and folded it back up.
Lorelai sat down at the table he was seated at. The was a large box full of what appeared to be letters on a chair at Luke's side. "What's that?" she asked.
"Letter's I recieved from Sara years ago, and letters I sent her," Luke replied.
"Letter's you sent her? She sent them back?"
Luke shook his head. "Her foster parents did," he told her. "Said it didn't look right to have a man more than twice her age writing to her. She never even knew I'd written."
"How do you know?" Lorelai asked.
"Because she always asked me why I hadn't written in her letters," Luke said. "They came every week for about a year, then every month, then occasionally, if something big happened. They stopped all together about three years ago."
Picking up some of the envelopes Lorelai looked at Luke. "Doesn't look like you stopped writing her though."
"No, I never did," Luke told her. "I'm not really a praying man as you know, but I wrote her every week. It was kind of my prayer I think. Everytime I wrote a letter I'd think about her and hope she was alright."
Lorelai nodded, placing the letters back in the box. "So, what do you want to tell me Luke?" she asked.
"It's not what I want to tell you," Luke said. "It's what I need to tell somebody."
"OK," Lorelai said. "Well, whatever it is, you know you can tell..." she trailed off when she noticed how red Luke's eyes had become. "Luke, what is it?"
"Sara... she was raped because of me," Luke said, not looking up from his hands.
Lorelai closed her eyes, thinking this must be a nightmare. Opening them and finding herself still in Luke's Diner, she looked at him. "What do you mean?"
"I made the wrong call Lorelai," he said. "I could have stopped years of pain in that girls life, but I trusted a little old lady when I shouldn't have."
"Luke, this is beginning to sound really absurd," Lorelai said. "You need to start from the beginning, explain it all."
When Luke had finished the story he sat back, and for the first time, looked up at Lorelai. "You see, if I'd phoned Children Services instead, none of that would have happened."
"Luke, that wasn't your fault," Lorelai said, placing her hand over his on the table. "You couldn't have known what was going to happen."
"But I should have played it safe and called," Luke said. "I never should have relied on trust."
"Luke, do you really think that girl blames you?" Lorelai asked. Luke laughed.
"You saw the way she ran out of her," he said. "I'd say she does."
Lorelai shook her head. "She's probably upset because she thinks you didn't write. You need to talk to her."
"But I..." Luke began, but Lorelai interrupted.
"No buts Luke Danes. She is going to be at the soda shop at seven tomorrow morning, go talk to her."
Luke looked skeptical, but nodded. "Thanks for coming over Lorelai."
She nodded. "Anytime. Say, have you told Nicole about Sara."
Luke shook his head, then shot up. "Oh no, Nicole. I was supposed to meet her for dinner hours ago, I'd better phone her."
"I'm going to go," Lorelai said. "I'll see you tomorrow." Luke waved goodbye as he began to speak to Nicole on the other end of the phone.
