So Far -- Lorelai apologizes to Emily and has dinner with Rory, Emily and Richard.

Chapter Ten

No Junk Food At Grandma's

After dessert, Richard ordered brandy all around except for Rory, who asked for another glass of iced tea.

"Did Rory tell you she starts work tomorrow morning?" Richard asked Lorelai.

"Uh, no. We haven't talked much lately."

"Well, I was talking to Charlie Newman about Rory's situation . . . ."

"Her lawyer?"

"Yes, and not only is he going to represent her when she goes to court, but he said he thinks he can find some work for her in his office. Now, most of the support work is done by paralegals, but they always need someone to research case files and to look up things in all those law books he has, and he thinks Rory would fit in perfectly."

"Oh." Lorelai answered, a little surprised.

"Is that what you want to do – go into law?" she asked Rory.

"I don't know, but I might like it, you never know."

"So, what time does she have to be there?"

"Around eight I would imagine."

"Well, Rory is going to spend the night with me tonight, but I'll make sure I'll have her at your house in time to get to Charlie's by eight."

"You're spending the night with your mother?" Emily asked Rory.

"Yeah, we just want to hang out. You don't mind, do you?"

"Oh, no, of course not, if that's what you want to do."

"It's just for tonight." Lorelai assured her. "But we won't have that much time if we stay here any longer, so would it be all right with you if we left now? It's after nine, and by the time we get home it will be almost ten."

"Well, I suppose we're finished as well. Richard you're paying for Lorelai's I assume."

"Yes, of course, Emily."

"Well," Lorelai said. "Thank you for dinner, and I will see you all . . . later."

"Good night, Rory."

"Goodnight, Grandma, and you too Grandpa. Thank you so much, everything was really great."

As they walked toward the door, Lorelai glanced at the table where she and Christopher had been sitting, then put her arm around Rory as they left the restaurant.

"Man, I don't believe that!" Lorelai said. "NO doggy bags!"

"I know. It seems weird, doesn't it?"

"Do you think Emily saw us switch plates?"

"Probably, not much gets by HER."

"I guess she didn't want to make a scene. Prim and proper to the very end."

……….

Half an hour later they arrived in Stars Hollow.

"Before we go home, I want to stop by the diner. This mess with Christopher really caused some problems between Luke and me, and I want apologize to him as well."

"It'll be good to see him again. I missed him."

"He missed you too, Hon. We all did."

Lorelai parked in front of the diner. The chairs were already stacked on the tables. Luke often closed early on Sunday nights. They could see him sweeping the floor.

"Hey, Luke!" Rory said as they went in.

"Rory, Hey! Lorelai. I see the dinner was successful," Luke replied, then he looked through the window.

"It's just the two of us," Lorelai said.

Just then, Rory's cell phone rang. She expected Luke to tell her to take it outside, but he didn't. But when she saw who was calling, she excused herself and left the diner.

"Who do you think that is?" Luke asked.

"If I had to guess, I'd say Logan."

"Did he ever call you back?"

"Never did. I guess he's calling Rory now to find out what's up."

"So, you and Rory are back together?"

"Yes and no. Rory decided she likes living right next to a swimming pool, so she's going to be staying with my parents a little while longer."

"I see. Coffee?"

"Umm, sure, why not?"

Lorelai sat at the counter while Luke put on a fresh pot.

"Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"I want you to know how sorry I am for everything -- all this crap with Christopher. You were right about him. He was more interested in trying to get us back together than he was with getting Rory and me to make up."

"Yeah, that's what I figured."

"But how did you know?"

"Because that's the kind of guy he is."

"He lied to both of us, me and Rory. I really thought I knew him, but I guess not. So, are we okay?"

"Sure, just as long as he's gone."

"He's gone -- far, far away gone. Just as soon as he realized his lies were coming back to him, he disappeared."

"Then we're good. So, what about you and Rory? Have you two got everything worked out?"

"Not really, but right now we just want to hang out, watch movies, eat junk food. . . ."

". . . Have coffee at Luke's," Rory added as she walked back into the diner.

"You want a donut with the coffee?" Luke asked.

Before Rory could answer, Lorelai asked her, "So, who was on the phone?"

"It was Logan. He said you called him. Any particular reason why you'd do that?"

"I didn't know if he knew the situation, but I thought maybe you two could talk about it since it was his dad that started all this."

"Well, he still doesn't know. Maybe I'll tell him later. Unless you tell him first!"

Sensing the rising tension, Luke cut in.

"So, I hear you're still going to be staying at your grandparents' a little while longer, something about a swimming pool?"

"Yep, might as well take advantage of it."

"But you'll still be coming home on the weekends, won't you?"

"Oh, sure. No junk food at Grandma's, or Movie Night. And I miss seeing Lane, and listening to Miss Patty's gossip. And of course I miss being with Mom, and seeing you, and eating breakfast here."

"So I guess things are getting back to normal?" Luke said to both of them.

"Yep, pretty much," Lorelai said. "Although . . . ."

She turned to look at Rory.

"Rory, there IS something I have to say that you need to hear."

"What is it?" Rory answered with a touch of worry in her voice.

Lorelai stroked her daughter's hair and gave her a warm, tender smile. She then turned to Luke with the same loving smile.

After a few seconds he had a feeling what was next and he smiled back at her.

"Luke, will you marry me?"

The End

For Now