Home. Lorelai was so happy that they were finally going to be back in Stars Hollow. Even with the considerable help her parents' money afforded her, hospital life was exhausting and she wanted nothing more than to crawl into a tent with Luke and hole up somewhere for days, weeks even with him.
Whoa! Had she really thought about being in a tent with him? She chuckled to herself; Luke must really be rubbing off on her.
She smiled contentedly as she returned to Luke's room. All visitors had left. The nurses had made their final rounds for the evening. And she was presented with the best evidence that Luke was slowly recovering: Lord Grumpy was back. Whether it was the food or the personal care or his wondering what exactly was flowing into his veins through the IV, Luke had been very grumpy. And she wouldn't have it any other way.
That afternoon, they'd discussed the plans for his recovery. Three months, the doctor had said. Three months of not exactly bed rest (Dirty!) but limited physical activity. Maybe, he'd be able to go to the diner and sit. Sit! But both Lane and Cesar had assured him that things were going well, and he could just devote himself to the business end of things.
Lorelai had also insisted that he recover at their house, not up in his old apartment. Emily had already paid for a suitable hospital bed and Lorelai had been home exactly once to Stars Hollow to make sure it was positioned correctly in the living room. She knew that Luke would hate all the special arrangements and extra attention; well, she'd just have to make sure she made it worth his while.
Lorelai breezed into Luke's room, softly closing the door behind her. "All done here for the evening?" she asked.
"Jeez, you'd think they'd let a guy get up and go to the bathroom without an escort!" Luke snarkily remarked.
"Hey, can't blame them for looking at your cute butt when you're in those hospital jammies," Lorelai teased.
"Everyone gone? No one lurking around the corner?" he asked.
"All gone. The next time you see anyone, it'll be in Stars Hollow."
"C'mere," Luke beckoned, making room for her next to him on the side opposite of his incision. He impatiently patted the space beside him.
Lorelai, like a mindless clone, had no choice but to acquiesce. Not that she didn't want to; it was just that, when he used that particular low, sexy voice, there was nothing she could deny him. It reverberated deep within her.
"Do you want me to tell you a bedtime story?" she once again teased. "Because I know a lot of them. A lot. What should I start with? Oh. I know. 'Goodnight Moon.'?"
"I never did understand what that one was all about," Luke admitted. "Did Rory have a favorite story?"
Lorelai thought for a moment. "Not really. She was so verbal from an early age, that I often had to scramble to keep up with her. She really wasn't one to want to hear the same thing over and over again. Always something different." She stopped suddenly, noticing a change in his expression. "Luke, are you all right?"
His voice was soft, wistful, sad. "I missed out on all that…with…"
"April," Lorelai finished the sentence for him.
No words were needed. She reached up to stroke his hair, tenderly, just like his mother had when he was little…
"Love you always…"
"Me too," she murmured back to him.
"No, I mean yes, I mean the story…about this mom who says her kid…"
"I remember that one. Still have it in a box in the closet."
"It was her favorite."
Lorelai waited for him to continue.
"My mother's."
"Oh, Luke…" She continued stroking his hair, murmuring soft words of comfort to him.
Minutes later, an orderly knocked on the door and asked Luke if he wanted anything. Lorelai spoke up for him. "Some herbal tea might be nice," she stated.
After the tray with Luke's tea arrived, Lorelai helped him up into what she hoped was a comfortable sitting position. They sat in companiable silence for a few moments, when Luke suddenly reached out for the ring on the chain around her neck.
"Can you take this off for me?" he gently asked.
Lorelai complied, and placed the ring in his outstretched hand.
"I want to set a date."
Lorelai nodded.
"As soon as I'm better…and can…you know…"
"Three months from now…" Lorelai supplied, nodding her head. He nodded in return.
"Lorelai," he asked, once more using the low, sexy voice she so loved.
"Wait. Before you say anything else, there's something I need to know."
Luke waited.
"Why?"
There was no need to continue. Luke both knew, and had long dreaded, her question.
He swallowed, then took a breath. "I was afraid."
"That I would leave you because you had a kid you didn't know about?"
"Yes. And…"
Lorelai squeezed his hand, encouraging him to continue. He couldn't help but notice that her gesture was the same as when she'd first returned the ring to him. He'd memorized every detail of that fateful day. 'But it takes two people to be all in. Keep this,' she'd said as his fingers curled around the ring and she squeezed his hand.
"I know I wasn't all in after April happened."
"Why couldn't you trust me, Luke? Is there something about me that's so awful that…"
He quickly interrupted her. "No. Never. It's not you that's awful. It's me…"
"You? Never!" Lorelai interjected, tears in her eyes.
"I must be an awful prospect for a father if someone won't even tell me when she's having my kid…"
"Oh, Luke. I wondered how you never knew."
"She said I hated kids. Back then. Jam hands and all."
"Luke, everyone dislikes kids at times. Kids are a mess, they are annoying. But then you have your own, and it suddenly all changes…"
"Shh…let me finish," he requested. "And then…how could you want to be with me if I you knew this…"
"Knew what? That April's mother made a horrible judgment call?"
Luke nodded, and Lorelai placed her arms around him, gently hugging him.
"And I was afraid that you wouldn't want to have kids…"
"You'd sooner find me giving up coffee than not want to have your kid…"
"I know. I'm so sorry…"
"I love you, Luke," she reassured him, her eyes meeting his, filled with such love that it took her breath away.
"Crazy lady…Lorelai...will you marry me?"
It took her a moment to realize what he'd said. It took another moment for it to sink in.
"But Luke, I already asked you and you said yes!" Lorelai heard herself say, and knew in that instant that what really mattered was that Luke have his moment.
"That's true," he smiled. "You did. And I did," he agreed. "So maybe we should walk down the aisle and make it official?"
Lorelai didn't even pause to think about it. "We should," she affirmed, "we will."
Carefully and tenderly, Luke slipped the ring back onto her finger, then leaned forward and gently kissed her lips.
That was when he felt the wetness on her face, the tears beginning, yet at the same time, felt her laughter bubbling up through her body. She hiccupped, then wiped away her tears with her sleeve, laughing and crying at once.
"In three months…" she added.
"Let's go up to Maine--there were some beautiful places I saw up there when I was helping out Liz and TJ."
"And there's that Maine lobster…" she added.
"And of course, Rory will be there," he reminded her.
"And April, April's got to be there too," Lorelai insisted.
"I love you, and we're going to get married, and at our wedding, we're going to have lobster."
"And then we're going to make a baby," Lorelai added, bringing a huge grin to Luke's face.
tbc