Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls, just writing for fun!

Just a day, always worth celebrating. This is the fluffy chapter!

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June 2007

When the summer sunlight poured across her face, Lorelai sought out Luke's form beside her with her left foot. As clouds of deep sleep drifted away, she realized that the tangle of sheets was empty and she opened her eyes and lifted her head from its hollow in her pillow.

"Morning." She sat up and pushed unruly curls off of her face. Luke was crouched on the edge of the rocking chair, peering down into the bassinette. Paul Anka lay at his feet and Luke was scratching thoroughly behind his ears with one hand, but his peaceful gaze was riveted on his sleeping daughter, his head cocked softly to one side as he watched her in wonder.

"Morning," he answered, glancing over at her with warm eyes and then returning his attention to the baby.

"It's early."

"I heard her gurgling in her sleep. She must have been dreaming," he whispered.

"She made it through the night."

"I can't believe it. She woke up once but I rocked her a little and she drifted off. You were out cold."

"She just needed her dad."

"She probably would have been fine on her own," he said, but he blushed.

"That's my big girl. It's kinda sad, don't you think?" Lorelai said, crawling out of bed and tip-toeing toward the rocker and cradle.

"Kinda sad that you got more than four straight hours of sleep?"

"You know what I mean."

"I know what you mean."

"She's growing up." She stood behind him, looking down at the sleeping baby over his shoulder. She slipped her arms around his neck and ran her hands down his bare chest. He stroked the back of her hands with his fingers, went on scratching behind Paul Anka's ears with his free hand.

"She's twenty-one days old."

"But it feels like she's been here longer than that. If she feels this old at twenty-one days, think about what it will be like when she turns twenty-one."

"She's still new," he said, never taking his eyes off the baby. Lorelai beamed.

"You are so gaga for her right now!" Luke just shrugged. "Pretty soon you'll be staying up nights waiting for her to get home from a date with a boy in a leather jacket instead of listening to her gurgle in her sleep." Luke reached behind him, glided one arm around Lorelai's waist and pulled her down into his lap, fitting her back against his chest and nuzzling her hair.

"We've got time."

"She's still our baby." Luke nodded, kissed Lorelai on the cheek and closed his eyes, enjoying the warm morning breeze through the open window. "When they're small like this, every little part of them is such a perfect fit. Like, look at that tiny thumb. It's exactly the right size for a little person with tiny ears and a tiny nose, and tiny feet…"

"You just want to pick her up, don't you?" Luke said with a knowing smile. Lorelai giggled and gave him a giddy, lopsided shrug.

"I just don't want to miss this moment with her," she answered quietly.

"Well, go on," Luke urged.

"Ha! I knew you couldn't resist." Lorelai bent forward and rubbed the baby's tummy. "Good morning, Lila," she murmured. "Happy twenty-one-day birthday." She scooped her daughter into her arms and leaned back into Luke's chest. "Hey, twenty-one, you think we should spike her formula or something?"

"No."

"Take her to Atlantic City?"

"Let's take her to the park."

"To play craps on the blacktop with those old guys?"

"Yeah, that's exactly what we'll do at the park…"

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