And as he awoke, he then realized that she was indeed gone. It had been the same nightmare, every night since she'd broken up with him.
Lorelai had come into the diner and left him, just like that. Broken up with him. Returned the ring. Kirk can have that ring, he bitterly thought.
He couldn't get over the concept that she was gone. Broken up with him just because he'd spent some time getting to know his kid.
But she'd said that she was OK with it.
Of course, back at the Winter Festival, she'd reassured him that it was workable. He welcomed her assurances with relief. Now, in hindsight, he realized that she had not been fine about it. Ever.
He could only imagine the anger and frustration that she must have felt when he told her that he had a hitherto long-lost daughter. His sister had been right: he'd truly let it ruin everything good between them--slowly eroding away at the trust between them until a chasm of despair took over their relationship.
And like a turtle, he had withdrawn his head into his shell, unintentionally abandoning Lorelai.
Maybe it was for the best, he thought. Anna was making access to April quite difficult.
Still, they'd made some progress, with April inviting him to chaperone her trip to Philly.
But Lorelai had left him.
Luke sank down into his chair, having a beer as his breakfast beverage.
It seemed all so clear now. He remembered when he'd told Lorelai about April. The look on her face was sheer devastation but later, it seemed like she was OK with it. Oh, how he now wished that she had blown up about it. He remembered how upset he'd been when Christopher called before Thanksgiving. Although his distrust had been fading for months, he still insisted that she tell him everything. And she had, while he hadn't.
And now she was gone. He would have to live with seeing her go about town. He doubted she'd ever set foot in the diner again, her coffee needs notwithstanding. And he certainly thought that he'd never be able to serve her again--the memory of her lips, her body, her hands, and the love in her eyes was just too vivid. And most vivid of all was the look on her face when she had proposed to him.
The first time they'd broken up, he really hadn't realized how important she was to him until they'd separated. That time, he hadn't been able to breathe, his throat constricting and every step outside the diner taking an eternity to make sure that she wasn't around.
And after the break-up, there really weren't any more trust issues between them. Or so he thought, until the phone call. He got up and grabbed a second beer. Right there, in this chair, he'd demanded a promise from her that he later proved unable to reciprocate. Her kisses and reassurances afterward had been wonderful, but the look on Lorelai's face still haunted him.
And now, he felt as if a part of him had been ripped away. He loved her. He still saw her face, her beautiful face, radiant with happiness as she came down to greet him in her perfect wedding dress. That, he thought, would probably end up being his favorite memory, one that he would keep stored away for a rainy day.
Except that for Luke, every day now would be a rainy day.
No. He could not let her break up with him. It had been almost two weeks, and he hadn't seen her.
-----
Luke descended the stairs to the diner, greeting Caesar as he ducked behind the counter. The only customer at this early hour was Kirk, who attired in his realtor jacket, had evidently lasted more than one month in his newest career. Passing by him, Luke was annoyed as Kirk handed him a flyer.
"My newest listing," Kirk pontificated.
Luke grabbed the paper, and left the diner.
At the corner near Doose's, Luke began to ball the paper up and throw it into the trash.
Until he saw which house was listed.
Beautiful newly remodeled 3-bedroom 2-bath house in Stars Hollow. Large master bedroom with all-new bathroom featuring double sinks. Custom built-in bookshelves in downstairs bedroom and living room. Third bedroom ideal as nursery or sewing room. Large backyard, ideal for children. All appliances included, one-car garage, washer/dryer. Conveniently located close to Stars Hollow town center. Available IMMEDIATELY.
-----
It took Luke all day to even try to recover from the shock he'd felt when he saw the ad for the home. At first, he was shocked, then angry. Didn't he pay for most of the renovations? And now she was selling the place?
And more importantly, where was she? Was she staying in Stars Hollow, or moving out of town?
Unfortunately, those questions would have to wait until evening; he had a business to run after all, and a daughter coming to visit after school.
Luke decided to start with Lorelai's best friend.
-----
"Luke, hi, what are you doing here at this time of day…er…night?" Sookie queried.
She didn't sound too thrilled to see him, Luke ruefully thought.
Luke had had plenty of time to think during the day, and had decided that the best thing to do was to be honest and flat-out ask Sookie. Knowing Lorelai, she'd probably confided in her.
"Come in, come in," Jackson's voice chimed in. Jackson appeared in the doorway, holding his one-year-old daughter. "Come on in." The sight of Jackson tenderly holding his little daughter hit Luke in the gut. That should have been April and him. That could have been his and Lorelai's kid.
Sookie stepped aside, letting Luke enter her home. Luke followed, little Davey running up to him, squealing "Hi Uncle Luke! Hi! Where's Auntee Lor-lee!"
Not knowing how to react or what to do, he stood awkwardly in the Belleville's kitchen, having followed the family there,
Luke took a deep breath and tried to focus on the question he needed to ask, but before he could say anything, Sookie jumped in to inform him that she couldn't tell him where Lorelai was.
"Luke, I'm so sorry, she's asked me not to say anything…"
Jackson added, "And believe me, you don't want to know."
Luke's heart sank, and he struggled to compose himself. "Is she…OK?"
Sookie gave him a sad "you should know better than to ask me that" look.
"Tell her…tell her I still love her…and I hope…she's happy."
Luke turned to leave.
"Oh wait a second; she did give me something to give to you, way before the breakup…" Sookie remembered. "Hold on a sec."
Sookie quickly returned, and pressed a box into his hand. Luke didn't need to open it; he knew what it contained: the necklace he'd given her at Valentine's. Another lie.
"Man, I'm sorry," Jackson spoke up. "But Sookie, well now she's got a lot more work to do at the Inn…and she needs her rest…"
Luke nodded his understanding, and said goodnight.
Going to his truck, he drove it away. There was one more place he could go to try to find her.
TBC…mood depending