14

By ten o'clock Rory decided that her mother needed to do something rather than mope around the house. She insisted they go shopping, and it didn't matter whether it was in Stars Hollow or Woodbridge or Hartford, but she was NOT going to spend another minute sitting on the sofa.

"How about if we cruise by the diner?" Rory suggested. "I'd like to see how it's coming along."

"Sure. Why not?" Lorelai wasn't very enthusiastic about it.

They had intended to just look in through the new windows, but Tom wanted Lorelai to see for herself how much had been done. All of the kitchen equipment was in place. As were the new counter and stools, and the new shelving behind the counter. The water and electricity were on, and the gas line had been hooked up. The tables and chairs would be delivered Tuesday, and the new stove and refrigerator for the apartment were coming Thursday.

"Did you ever hear from Luke?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, he called me first thing this morning. He sounded strange."

"How so?"

"Can't really put my finger on it. He said whatever I wanted was fine with him. That didn't sound like Luke. So, I suggested we go ahead with the exhaust system. He said fine and hung up. Very odd."

"Well, maybe he figures you're here and you know what you're doing, you know?"

"Can we go upstairs?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, but watch your step, we still have to install the hand railing."

The apartment had no furniture or appliances, but other than that it was finished. The new floor had been sanded and varnished. The new drywall on the ceiling and walls had been freshly painted and the new windows were wide open to allow the paint fumes to escape.

"Wow," Rory said. "Luke can move in just as soon as he gets back."

"Yes," Lorelai answered sadly. "And I'm sure he can't wait."

"Oh, Mom, I didn't mean it like that!"

"I know. He probably would have anyway. We both knew it was only temporary."

Rory could see the pain in Lorelai's face and wanted to get her away from there.

"Come on. We've got a LOT of shopping to do."

Lorelai followed Rory downstairs.

"Thanks for the tour," Rory said to Tom as they passed him on their way out. "You guys are really amazing. Great job."

"Yeah, thanks. When you talk to him, tell Luke we should be done by next weekend."

"We'll do that. Thanks."

Their shopping spree wasn't the success Rory had hoped it would be. No matter where they went, and no matter what they bought, she couldn't get her mother out of the cheerless mood she was in.

By six, they were back home and Lorelai was once again sitting in front of the TV.

Rory let her stay there while she did her laundry and some light cleaning. By eleven she was ready to go to bed.

"How much longer are you going to be up?" Rory asked.

"I don't know. You go on to bed. I'll be fine."

"I think you need to go to bed, too. You look exhausted."

Lorelai was too tired for a comeback, so she just smiled at Rory and repeated that she was okay.

"You are NOT going to sleep on this couch again tonight!"

"Rory . . . ."

"No! You can either go upstairs and go to bed, or you can stay down here sleep with me. One or the other. Make up your mind."

Lorelai took a deep, tired breath, then turned her attention back to the TV.

Rory reached down and took the remote from her hand and turned it off.

"I won't be ignored!"

"Okay! I'll go upstairs!"

Rory stood waiting until Lorelai got up, made a face at her, then climbed the stairs.

"I'm coming out here in a little while. You better not be on that couch!"

"I won't," Lorelai answered as she closed her bedroom door.

Rory had barely gotten comfortable when she heard her bedroom door open. Then she felt the bed moving as Lorelai got into bed with her.

And as Lorelai pull the covers over her, Rory snuggled up against her.

"Everything will work out," she whispered to her mother.

Lorelai didn't answer, but kissed Rory softly on the side of her head.

15

Sunday evening Rory drove back to Yale because of an early class on Monday.

That night Lorelai forced herself to sleep in her own bed. But it was a restless, uneasy sleep. Several times she woke up feeling anxious, until she remembered why Luke wasn't there beside her. Then she tossed and turned, trying to fall back asleep.

Her lack of sleep was causing problems at the Dragonfly. She was short-tempered with everyone and left as early every day as she could.

It was three-thirty Thursday afternoon, and she was again sitting in front of the television when the phone rang. She almost didn't answer it, but might be Rory.

"Hello."

"Lorelai, it's me, Luke."

"Luke! Hi! Where are you?"

"New York."

"City?"

"No, upstate New York, near Saranac Lake. I've been fishing."

"Yeah, I know. Tom told me. So, umm, what's up? Caught any fish?"

"A few. Catching them and letting them go."

"When are you coming – home?"

"I should be there Saturday afternoon sometime."

"So – you've just been fishing?"

"Yeah, that. And thinking."

"About what?"

"Things. Things I've accomplished. Things I haven't. What I want. What I don't want. What I want to do, or not do. Just things."

"You know, the diner's almost finished. Tom said it should be done by the weekend."

"Yeah, well, that's one of the things I've been thinking about."

"Oh?"

"I'm not sure if I want to reopen it."

"What! Why not?"

"I'm not sure if that's what I want to spend the rest of my life doing."

"But Luke, the diner is all but finished. You can open it up almost as soon as you get back."

"I'm thinking about selling it. I'm sure Taylor would buy it without a second thought."

"But if you sell it, what will you do? Where will you go? Where will you live? I mean, you know you're more than welcome to live . . . to stay . . . with me . . . us -- Rory and me."

"I – might not stay in Stars Hollow. I was thinking about moving somewhere else, some other city."

"But Stars Hollow is your home! Everything, everyone you know and love, and who love you, are right here! Why would you want to move away and give all that up?"

"Lorelai, I'm almost forty years old, and from what I can see, there's not a whole lot that I've done with my life. Maybe by starting over, starting fresh, I can – make a difference somehow; do something meaningful before I die."

"But you have so much here. The diner came from your dad . . . ."

"The OLD diner, yeah. This new one – no."

"But . . . ."

"Don't you understand? I have exactly three things left that were my dad's – the safe, the cash register, and this boat. That's IT – three little things! Everything else? Gone like they never existed!"

Lorelai hesitated, not wanting to ask the most obvious question, but she knew she had to.

"So, what about – us? You and me? Does this mean we're – we're finished?"

"I told you, right now I'm just thinking, trying to figure things out. Nothing's written in stone. Nothing's been decided."

"Luke, will you promise me something?"

"If I can."

"Will you promise me that you won't make any final decisions until we can sit down and talk about things?"

"I don't know, maybe. But whatever I decide, or don't decide, I'll be back Saturday. I'll see you then."

"Luke!"

"What?"

"I . . . ."

The words Lorelai wanted so desperately to say stuck in her throat and would not come out.

"You what?"

"I . . . I'll see you Saturday. Drive safe."

"Okay. Yeah. See you then."

Lorelai put down the phone and went back to the sofa, back to staring at the TV screen, never feeling the tears that were running down her cheeks and dripping onto her hands clutched tightly together in her lap.