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Chapter 20: Epilogue— "Dreams Really Do Come True"

It was two months since the dinnerwhere Lorelai hadtold her parents about her marriage and her pregnancy. She was sure that Emily would intervene about the marriage by subtly maneuvering her way into her life with Luke and come up with some absurd marriage ceremony idea at New Years. It was February 13th and though she and Luke continued to go to Friday night dinners week after week there had been no further discussion from Emily. Rory had gone off to Europe mid-January, and Sookie and Jackson were busily preparing for their second child. Lorelai's life for the past month had been primarily her work at the inn, trying to persuade Michel to be nicer to the hired help, as well as - at times - the guests. The inn had basically become her life. She was hardly able to make time for Luke, who, of course, had his diner to run. Therefore, in between their hasty evenings together and the regular doctor appointments for the baby, and of course, because of the added weekly phone call with Rory, there just wasn't much time to talk of either the wedding or, well, quite frankly, them.

Things were going very well with Luke and Lorelai. From the perspective of the outsider looking in, the sight of them coming and going from Lorelai's house was the epitomy of happiness and love. Lorelai had taken to waking at the same hour as Luke so that neither one left the perimeter of the house without a kiss goodbye. And, coming home in the evening from her many late nights at the inn, Luke would greet her at the door with another kiss after starting dinner as well as a fire in the fireplace on the very cold nights. So it would seem, there was the happy ending that their long lasting friendship had developed into over eight long years.

Thus, when Rory called one Wednesday night at 9 pm for her weekly phone call with her mom, she was surprised to hear an unusual tone in Lorelai's voice. She would even go out on a limb and call it strained.

The phone ringing in the background.

Lorelai ran to the phone from upstairs, breathless by the time she picked it up.

Lorelai: "Hello?"

Rory: "So did you win?"

Lorelai: "What are you talking about?"

Rory: "The marathon. It sounds like you just ran one. What's up?"

Lorelai: "Oh, the shower is broken upstairs and dinner is ready and we had some guests at the inn today that lost some family heirloom and kept blaming Michel so of course I had to stay until it was found and try to calm Michel down and in the process keep him from going ballistic on his accusers. One of the maids found the precious heirloom, but not until 8:00 and I was supposed to meet Luke here for dinner at 7:00 tonight so naturally everything is getting cold and Luke's in one of his moods again." Lorelai said this all in one breath.

Rory: "Wow. Sounds kind of like my day. Some Italian students were visiting the campus today and they turned out to be the annoying macho kind that think they are God's gift to this land. So of course they would be assigned to stay in the same house as me and they have not left me alone all night. It's taken all of my social come-back training at Chilton to ward them off. And, they keep coming back for more. You'd think they actually enjoy it. It is just so annoying."

Lorelai: "How is that even remotely like my day?" But at least she was laughing now.

Rory: "Well, it's not. But I thought I'd try to distract you with the thought of Italian men harassing your only daughter."

Lorelai: "I taught you well. So go catch them, leash them and then toss them out when you are done with them!" Still laughing.

Rory: (Catching her breath from laughing at her crazy mom): "Yeah, well, don't tell Luke about this man-philosophy of yours. He may end up hitting the road!"

Lorelai stopped laughing and simply said, "yeah," though very quietly so that her daughter could barely hear her.

Rory didn't miss a beat though.

Rory: "Mom, are you okay? I thought we were just kidding around. Is everything okay with you and Luke?"

Lorelai: "Oh kiddo, if you were only here. We never see each other anymore because I am so busy at the inn and his diner is, well, always there and busy because people have to eat. I just wish that we could find some time to be together that is just us. In my wish, Michel and Sookie would be in charge of the inn for a day and Luke would get Caesar and Lane to take the reigns of the diner for the same day and Luke and I could...well...it gets dirty here my darling daughter so I won't corrupt your ears with any more of this talk..."

Rory: "Oh mom, you and Luke should do exactly that. Remember what happens when two people who love each other allow their work to take over their lives? It happened to me with Dean and then with Logan and well... now... I think I am finally learning a balance..."

Lorelai: "My god, you met someone! And you tell me like this! Over the phone from a foreign country? Is this going to be like that Meg Ryan movie where she goes to France to catch her fiancé and is dumped then falls in love with that ruggedly adorable French actor and decides to dump her American and potential Canadian citizenship to become one of the French and live in the French countryside and never come home again to her adoring (or not so adoring) family? Why would anyone want to be Canadian anyway?"

Rory: "I can't believe you just called Gerard Depardieu adorable. Isn't he like 60? And, yes, I met someone. But he is American, like you and me and he's from New York and there has been no talk whatsoever of becoming one of the French and living far from the incredible invention of the American hamburger and fries. Howsoever they were named "French" fries I have no idea since fries here taste nothing like our American insatiable treat."

Lorelai: "Ah, you audacious tween-adoring Leonardo, do not mock my age or the actors I find sumptuously adorable! Do not stall, now, who is he, what is name, age, social security number and how's the height? Does he tower or can you kiss him without the back bend?"

Rory: "His name is Ryan and he is about the same height as Jess was. I didn't have to bend back to kiss him, just like I never had to bend back to kiss Dean. God, can we stop talking about kissing already?"

Lorelai: "Oh - A Jess reference - how lovely. Have you heard from him lately? Or is Ryan really Jess in a name disguise?"

Rory: "Mom, please! I haven't heard from Jess since that last time he was in Stars Hollow. It is purely coincidence that Ryan is also from New York. He is studying abroad through Cornell's Paris program. We met a couple weeks ago. It's new."

Lorelai: "Well, then I can get back to my original thought of taunting the absolute cuteness of your names! Rory and Ryan sitting in a tree...."

Rory: "Mom!"

Lorelai: "Wait, I hear a man calling for me now... I better be off darling one... Take photos ofyour darling boy for me! Candid ones if you can with that phone you got for Christmas. We need to know if he is good enough for you or if he will end up with a ferret or other small animal down his pants like in that pet store commercial for camera phones...."

Rory: "I'm hanging up now. Tell Luke hello for me. Love you mom."

Lorelai: "Oh - wait, I just thought of what the parents said next in the commercial...."

Rory: "Bye Mom!"

Lorelai: "You are no fun. Tell Ryan hello and get his measurements!"

Rory: "I don't even want to know why you want his measurements."

Lorelai: "Bye precious daughter. Don't do anything I would do!"

Rory: "Okay, bye mom!"

Luke walks into the living room where Lorelai is just hanging up with Rory.

Luke: (sits beside Lorelai and drapes his arm around her): "You okay?"

Lorelai: (puts her head on his shoulder): "It's just hard, you know? Her being so far away. Separate continents and all. It doesn't work for us."

Luke: "She was in Europe with your mother just last summer and you guys made it through just fine. Don't worry. You'll see her real soon. The months will fly by."

Lorelai: "Yeah." she says slowly closing her eyes from the exhaustion of the day.

Luke: "Lor? Don't fall asleep yet, okay? Dinner is ready."

Lorelai: "Dinner....yes, food will revive my spirits. And, Coffee?"

Luke: "Right here." He hands her the mug of steaming coffee from the coffee table.

Lorelai: "Ah, you, my friend, are perfect." Lorelai smiles into her cup.

Luke: "Ah geez..."

Lorelai: (looks up at him): "Silly, I was talking to the coffee."

Luke: (blushes slightly and shakes his head) "I should've known. Let's eat something, shall we?"

Lorelai: "Luke? I have an idea."

Luke: "Uh oh. Can we eat first?"

Lorelai: "Just, I mean, let's skip work tomorrow and spend all day with each other. It is Valentine's Day after all. Come on. Caesar and Lane can cover for you and Michel and Sookie can cover the inn for just one day by themselves. Actually, Sookie suggested it today. And, Lane happened to be by at the time and she agreed that she could work all day at the diner. What d'ya say, huh? All day with your woman?"

Luke just gazed at her warmly and shook his head out of sheer amazement at the woman who sat in front of him. They had really not had any time at all together lately and here she was making the effort. This was a different Lorelai. Still the woman he fell in love with plus more. Every day was like a new adventure. And Luke, for one, was loving it.

He tilted his head down and as his lips softly touched hers and the kiss became more passionate, they both knew that this was right and, that, together, they would make it through anything.

THE END.