With the length of her to-do list, Lorelai found the insomnia to be something of a relief. She was at the Dragonfly half the night, knowing she wouldn't sleep at home anyway, and back at work after a few exhausted hours and a half-stick of under-eye concealer. A couple more nights like this, and everything just might be ready in time.

Her sanity was another story.

She came downstairs to find Michel making notes in the reservation book and harassing the rest of the staff.

"Lorelai, will you be around tonight to finish with the guest cards? I am staying late to work, but cannot be expected to forego my beauty rest."

"I wouldn't want to see you without your beauty rest."

"You mock me."

"Daily. Yes, I'll be around."

"Excellent."

Tonight. Shit.

Lorelai grabbed the phone from Michel's hands.

"Oh, lovely, if you're going to answer it, I'll go to lunch."

"It's 10:30, Michel."

"Brunch."

"I'll see in two minutes when I'm off. So eat fast."

"Goodbye."

"Two minutes!"

She hurried to the tiny, cramped room that would someday be her office and was today a storage space for the remainder of the unfinished pillows. She dialed the number from memory.

"Luke's."

"Hey, do you have a minute?" She heard the sound of plates clanking down and a No, Kirk! a little too close to her ear for comfort. A moment later, silence.

"You have to cancel." His voice was matter-of-fact.

"Luke, you never told me you were psychic! Quick, how long are you giving J-Lo and Marc Anthony, cause I wanna win the pool."

He sighed into the phone.

"I'm sorry; I want to go, but there's so much last-minute stuff to do and we have people out sick and I don't think I'm even going to sleep tonight." She broke off, and waited. Nothing. "Luke?"

"I'm here, I was just waiting for you to run out of steam."

"The steam has run out."

"It's fine, Lorelai."

"You sure?" A note of uncertainty in her voice.

"I'm sure."

She paused, then, uncertain what to say. She didn't speak. He didn't speak. She hadn't had one of these conversations in a long time.

"Okay, then, I guess I'll see you later. At the diner, I mean. Well, and probably elsewhere, but at the diner, too."

"Goodbye, Lorelai."

"Bye."

She hung up and had the sudden urge to bang her head against the front desk.

That urge only multiplied seconds later, when the phone began ringing and the caller ID lit up: GILMORE, Emily.

This day just kept getting better.

"Bates Motel, Norman speaking."

"Lorelai, I can't believe you answer the phone at the Dragonfly that way."

"Yes, Mom, it's exactly the way I answer it for everyone. Part of my elaborate reverse psychology routine to drum up new business."

"I just wanted to let you know that you and Rory are not expected at dinner on Friday. I know you have the grand opening, and I'm sure you'll be spending a lot of time there."

Lorelai let her head rock back against the wall. "You're sure there's not another reason?"

"Stop being childish. If you want to ask me something, ask me."

"I already asked you. I didn't get much of an answer."

"I am not going to discuss your father with you."

"Mom, I just want to know what's going on. You and Dad have been married for nearly forty years. You don't just separate out of nowhere."

"This was not out of nowhere, and that's all I have to say on the subject. Is Rory around?"

"No, she's not, so guess you're stuck with me."

"I'll call you about arrangements for next Friday. Good luck with the opening. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Lorelai sat alone in the silent front parlor, forcing bleary eyes to focus on the compact sewing machine and pillow #22. She heard a sound from the entryway.

"Sookie, is that you?"

"What?" Sookie's voice filtered in from the kitchen.

"Nevermind."

She walked to the entryway and heard it again – a soft knock at the door.

Oh, please, no. At this time of night, Lorelai could think of a very short list of people she'd like to see on the other side. She opened it slowly.

"Luke?"

"Hey," he smiled a bit, sheepish. "You said you were gonna be up all night, so I thought you might need this." He held out a styrofoam cup.

"You're bringing me coffee? Voluntarily?"

"Don't get used to it."

"Oh, I'm counting on it." She grabbed the cup from his hand and took a long sip, eyes sliding closed. "Mmmmmmmm. I might make it through those pillowcases, after all."

She opened her eyes to find Luke still standing in the doorway, shifting his weight.

"Oh, I'm being an idiot. Come in." She stepped aside and let him pass; he walked through the entryway, hands in jammed in his pockets, taking it all in.

"The place looks good."

"We've been doing last-minute touch-ups all week. Twenty-two more pillowcases and a kitchen staff, and we're ready to go—oh!"

"There's a banister there."

"Yeah, I found it." She reached down to rub her calf with her free hand.

"Are you okay?"

"People have been asking me that a lot lately."

"Are you?"

She gave him a tight smile. "Can we not talk about it for a minute?"

He glanced back over his shoulder. "Hey, I'm looking for Lorelai, have you seen her?"

"Ha ha." She walked – carefully – over to the couch and sat down, pushing the small table with the sewing machine out of her way. Luke sat down beside her, careful to leave space between them.

"You know, if—"

"Really, I don't want to talk about it."

He nodded. "So…how are the touch-ups going?"

"I think we might be done in time. All the major stuff is done, so no more rooms without doors, just rooms without fireplace grates and coathooks and extra towel bars."

He nodded, but didn't respond.

She set the coffee down on the end table and dropped her voice.

"I really am sorry about tonight."

"It's okay."

"And about the other night, too."

"The other night?"

"Sunday. With the date and the crying."

"Oh, yeah, that." He shifted a bit, fidgeting with the edge of a throw pillow. "I thought you meant the other night."

"The other…" she trailed off, catching what he meant. Or what she thought he meant. "Oh, the other night. No."

"No?"

"I didn't mean that."

"Didn't mean what?"

"Didn't mean that I was sorry about the other night. I mean – the other, other night. I was sorry about tonight."

"Oh."

She turned to face him, found him already looking at her with an expression she couldn't quite decipher. She felt her mouth running off ahead of her brain.

"I just didn't want you to think it was because I didn't want to go. I do...want to go."

He still held her gaze, speaking slowly.

"Well, good, then…that's good."

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, he leaned closer. She began to lean in, too, never dropping his gaze. His eyes slid shut just before hers did, just as he kissed her, softly, for the third time. She reached up and slid her arms around his neck, he slipped one arm around her waist, drawing her closer, and let his other hand rest on her knee. By this point her heart was pounding and she was holding her breath and part of her couldn't believe this was Luke and the rest of her just didn't want this to stop.

"Lorelai?"

They jumped apart so quickly Luke sent a book from the end table flying.

Sookie walked into the room, untying an apron. "Oh, there you are. Hey, Luke."

"Hi, Sookie, hi."

"I was just coming to see if you figured out what that noise was."

"Oh, it was just Luke. He came to bring me coffee. No other reason, just coffee." She reached for the end table and picked up the cup. "See, coffee."

Sookie was looking at her strangely. "Ooo-kay."

Luke stood up. "You know, I'd better—"

"Yeah, you've probably got people to do at the diner. Or, not people, but things…to do. At the diner." Lorelai sensed this was probably the moment to stop talking. Babbling. Whatever.

"Yeah, I'll get back to the diner." He turned toward the door. "Bye, Sookie, bye Lorelai."

"Thank you," she called out after him. "For the coffee."

"Sure, anytime." He closed the door behind him.

Sookie turned to her, eyes round as saucers. "What was that about?"

Lorelai shut her eyes, rubbing one hand across them. "Sookie, if I tell you this, you can't tell anyone."

"My lips are sealed."

"Except for?"

"Jackson, but I tell him everything."

"You can't tell Jackson. You can't tell anyone. Not yet."

"Oooooh, this must be really good! I mean," she added, catching Lorelai's eye, "good enough that I won't tell anyone."

Lorelai dropped her hand and looked Sookie squarely in the eye. "I'm dating Luke."

Sookie blinked.

"Hey, you there," Lorelai snapped her fingers in front of Sookie's face.

"Lorelai, tell me what it really is."

"I just told you, I'm dating Luke."

"No, come on, tell me."

"Sookie, I told you!"

"Be serious."

"Sookie, I am serious about dating Luke."

"You're dating Luke seriously?"

"No, I'm not dating Luke seriously. I'm dating Luke, and I'm serious about it."

"So you're serious about dating Luke."

"Yes – I think that's what I said. Meant. Said."

Sookie's eyes went even wider, a feat Lorelai didn't believe was possible.

"You're really dating Luke." She nearly squealed: "you're really dating Luke!"

"Remember, you can't say anything."

"How long? When? Where? I need details!"

"It's not a for sure thing. I mean; it's not official. It's semi-official. We've only had one real date." She thought a moment, and added: "That I knew about."

"You have to tell me everything!" Sookie made a little laughing noise as she sat down on the couch beside Lorelai, perched on one edge, smiling as widely as Lorelai had ever seen.

"Well, okay, it started at his sister's wedding…"

And she went on, returning Sookie's grin and thinking how wonderful it was, for just one moment, to be simple, and uncomplicated, and happy.