After the funeral and burial at the cemetery, everyone just some how ended up at Lorelai's house. I mean I know the preacher announced that they were receiving guests, but somehow I feel that we would have all gone anyway. The house is filled with people, relatives, friends, community members and a few that I've never even met before. The noise level is surprisingly low with the amount of people that are here. I think that's out of respect for Lorelai, but she's not even in the living room. Lorelai's in the kitchen with Sookie, supposedly having a cup of coffee, but my guess is that if it even is a cup of coffee, it's an Irish one.

Manuel and his crew have cooked up a storm, which is unnecessary since so many people have been bringing food over for days. Lorelai might like leftovers but this is taking it to the extreme. Mama would go absolutely ballistic if she saw all this food. But the food is going over well, people are eating and talking. Ms. Patty wondered on the way here if it would depress Lorelai to hear stories about Luke, but I don't think it could make her any sadder than she already is. So Ms. Patty, Babette, Taylor and many others are over on one side of the room telling stories. I thought about going over there but I couldn't. I'm here for Rory and I know she needs me.

Here I sit to Rory's right, wishing that Dave didn't have to work today and go back to New Haven after the funeral. Yet, glad that Mama decided to go home after the funeral. But I need to stay with Rory because Paris and Doyle showed up. Paris, who is – well, Paris, is discussing a book she read on the stages of grief. Denial, a good one, but not helpful. Anger, well at least you can work out some energy. Bargaining, one that I don't think is too helpful, I mean it's never going to work. Depression, possibly the best part of grief, it means getting to drink and getting everyone to feel sorry for you. Finally, acceptance. That's the worst part of grief, having to accept that no matter what you do, nothing is going to change.

As I watch Rory, she still motionless next to me on the couch. I'm almost positive she has heard little of Paris's conversation, which I suppose isn't a bad thing. Marty's been relegated to caretaker duty. He's making sure that things are going right in here, that Lorelai's not getting too drunk, that Rory's still with the program, that April and Liz are doing all right, that the kids are all upstairs with Lulu and Kirk being entertained. Sometimes Marty is my hero. Definitely today.

"Hey Ror," I hear from behind me. I know that voice. I turn around and of course I'm right. Rory's real father, Christopher, is standing behind me.

"Dad," she says. He walks over and hugs her. "Where's Gigi?"

"Some lady, Lulu, or something is hanging out with all the kids upstairs in William's room." Paris is put off by Chris and gets up to go talk to someone else with Doyle following behind her. Fine, be like that Paris. Rory needs her father now. Although, maybe not if he heard what she said in the church. "I saw that the Gilmores are here."

Rory's grandparents are standing stiffly by the wall holding cups of something, looking very out of place. "Yeah, well, Mom will never understand what she means to them," Rory comments. I wonder for a moment if they ever accepted Luke as a part of the family. Christopher seems to feel uncomfortable as well as he glances around and sits down next to Rory.

"Sorry I wasn't there for you," Chris says. For a moment, I'm not sure what he means. He's here, he's here for her right now. I'm not surprised, from what Rory's said, her father is still in love with Lorelai, so it makes sense that he would come for Lorelai. "I should have been here when you were growing up." Well that takes me aback. I never thought he would be okay with the speech. I knew where Rory was coming from, I've known her most of my life. I've known about her relationships with her father and with Luke.

"It's okay, Dad. I mean you were still growing up yourself."

"I should have been at all your birthdays and I should have been at your graduations."

"That's not everything. You tried to call most times." I don't know why she's defending him anymore. He wasn't there, Luke was. But Rory's Rory. She always tries to please everyone.

Luke was always there for her on her on her birthday. On her 16th birthday he made her the first of his birthday coffee cakes. It was sitting on the table in his diner when we walked in for coffee before school. Every year after that it was the same thing. We would sit there and eat coffee cake and sometimes Rory would complain that Chris had forgotten again. He had forgotten to call. What father forgets his daughter's birthday? Luke knew what time we were coming and when her birthday was and the cake was always there. He never forgot. He always pretended that it was something he did for everyone or that he could care less that it was her birthday. But it wasn't true. Luke was true to form. Every year, even last month.

"Rory, I just wanted to say I understand," my dad, Christopher, says. "Even though I would have never told him this, but he was a better father to you than I ever was. So I – I just wanted to say – I'm sorry you're hurting." They hug and Chris announces he's going to go see Lorelai and walks into the kitchen.

Rory lays her head on my shoulder as I put my arm around her. "Rory."

"I know," she says. "Luke always remembered." She smiles softly. "If it's a boy, I'm naming him Lucas." Rory lays a hand over her belly. "And I hope he's just like Luke." He will be, I know, because she'll tell him all about Luke and he'll have Luke, man he'll never meet, as his role model.

What she'll always remember about Luke is that he was the only father figure in her life for years. He was the one who remembered. He was the one who cared. And even now that he's gone, he's still going to be the only father she'll ever have.

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AN: I think I should comment that I am a fan of Chris. If there was no Luke I'd be more for Lorelai and Chris together, I thought they were cute in the second season. But I write the truth and Chris isn't the greatest dad.

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