With a jolt, Luke awoke for the final time that night. Suddenly, he realized that his Dark Day was over, and that it was within his power to make a choice. He could keep going as he had in the past, or he could change his Dark Day. He could share it with those who loved him, maybe even make it a special day when he could share his memories with his daughter.
His daughter. Luke knew what he had to do. Tell Lorelai, and now. Because that was the only way he would have a future worth living, and babies and jam hands and April and Rory, and most of all, Lorelai.
He left the garage, ran to the house, and opened the door. He was no longer afraid.
Lorelai had waited up for him. She sprang up, running to him, and embraced him. "You are not in this alone," she whispered as she peppered his face with kisses.
"I know," Luke replied, and kissed her for courage. "Lorelai, I need to tell you something. Can we talk?"
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"More than alright, but there is something I have to tell you."
Lorelai looked at him, eyes serious, but encouraging.
"Do I need to sit down?" she nervously asked.
"Yes."
"Will I be upset?"
"Yes."
"Are you leaving me?"
"No."
Lorelai sighed loudly, took his hand and led him into the kitchen.
"Lorelai, I need to tell you something...something I should've told you when I first found out. But Rory had just come home, and I didn't want..."
"Shh. Just tell me now," she replied.
"I have a kid."
There was silence.
"Nicole?" Lorelai finally responded.
"Dear God, no, not with her. It actually happened about twelve years ago, before we met..."
"Did you know?"
"Of course not!"
"Of course not," she reiterated. "Tell me..."
And they talked for a long time.
-
Two AM, December 1, 2005
"Listen, Lorelai, I know this is a lot of stuff to absorb. I just want you to know that I want to be with you...spend the rest of my life with you...if you'll still have me," he gingerly said, reaching across the table for her hand, rubbing his index finger across the ring.
"Wait a second, Mr. Backwards Baseball Cap," she pouted, "I seem to remember that I'm the one who proposed, and I don't recall rescinding the proposal!"
"I just want to make sure that...with April...and all...I won't have as much time to spend with you and..."
"Oh Luke," she sighed, "I may be crazy, but I am not giving you up." She stood and went to him, and wrapped her arms around him. She held on to him tightly, pressing kisses up and down his jawline. "You'll have to give me some time to get used to this new development," she told him, punctuating her words with kisses, "but I'm still in. All in."
"There are a hundred ways I could screw this relationship up," Luke told her, "but I am all in too."
"We'll make it work. Come, let's go to bed. Rory's been asleep for a couple of hours already."
"Let me hang my jacket up first," Luke said.
As Luke hung his jacket up in the foyer, he reached into his pocket. Pulling out the note that Lorelai had left him for his Dark Day, he was surprised to find more in his pocket than he thought he'd had. Out came Lou Gehrig's rookie card. Luke shook his head.
"Uncle Louie?" he whispered in amazement, and climbed up the stairs to live his future.