Chapter Fourteen
"Lorelai, I have never seen, heard of, or slept under any blue and white blanket. I swear to you."
"Then – who's . . . oh my god!"
"What?"
"Oh my god!"
"WHAT?" Luke exclaimed.
"I remember now, five years ago when Chris came to town on his motorcycle, he stayed here, and Rory was piling up the blankets on our couch for him to sleep on. And when he left, we put them up in the closet, and the blue and white blanket was on the bottom. That's why you never saw it."
"Then the hair that you had tested was Christopher's and not mine."
"Maybe."
"Maybe? But you just said . . . ."
"I only found a couple of strands on that blanket. Just before I left I found another on one of the flannel shirts you left here. I thought they tested all of them together, but maybe not."
"Then we'll go right now and have it done again. With hair straight from my head."
Luke took Lorelai's hand and started to pull her to the front door.
"Luke!"
"Now what?"
"It's Sunday night. The lab is in Hartford. They're closed."
"Then we'll spend the night there and go to the lab just as soon as they open up tomorrow morning."
"But. . . . "
"But what?"
Lorelai's voice got soft and subdued, and sad.
"What – what if it turns out it IS Christopher's baby, and not yours?"
Luke took a breath.
"Then we'll drive to Maryland, get married, come back here, and I'll move my things in. Your baby's going to need a father regardless of whose it is."
Suddenly Lorelai flashbacked to the diner over a year ago when Luke was ranting on about getting Rory back into Yale, and she realized all over again why she asked him to marry her – he was the one who cared about them, who loved them, and would be there for them no matter what.
Quickly wiping away a tear and grabbing her purse, she asked, "You car or mine?"
x...x"Hello."
"Hey, there, it's me."
"Mom? This is a surprise, usually it's me calling you."
"I know, but I have to ask you something."
"Okay."
"Do you think you could talk Logan into paying for you to fly back home some time today or tomorrow?"
"Well, yeah, I'm sure he would. But why? What's wrong? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, honey, it's not what you think."
"So what is it?"
"I talked to Luke."
"Oh."
"And things are fine between us. They're better than fine. They are absolutely great."
"Wow, that must have been some talk! So he's okay about, you know, the baby, and all?"
"Oh, yeah. But to make a long story short, I went and got tested again. And Luke went with me, and we used a fresh sample of his hair."
"So. . . ?"
"So your little brother or sister has been moved back to 'half' status again."
"The baby is Luke's?"
"It most certainly is!"
"But how . . . ?"
"Because I accidentally got some of your dad's hair from that blanket he slept on when he was here four or five years ago."
"That's – I don't know what it is, but I'm really happy for you guys. But what about . . . ?
"About what?"
"You and dad. Is he okay with THAT?"
"That's something we haven't exactly discussed. I think we both feel it's something better left untalked about, completely forgotten about, for now. So, how about it? Feel like flying home for a week or so?"
"Of course. But what's the occasion?"
"Well, after we got tested, Luke and I went to see Anna. And we all had a nice long chat. And we, Luke and I, decided that the three of us – him, me, and April, with Anna's permission, of course, would pick you up at the airport and then we would all drive down to Maryland for a few days."
"What's in Maryland?"
"That's were we're going to get married."
"What! Really! Oh Mom, That's – that's so great! Of course I'll be there! I'll be on that plane this very afternoon. Sooner if possible."
"That's all I need to know. Just call me back so we'll know when your plane arrives. I have to take care of a few details at the inn so I can take the week off, so I'll talk to you later."
"Okay, later it is. And Mom?"
"Yeah?"
"I have to tell you, for the first time in a long time, you actually sound happy."
"I am, Babe, I really am."
The End
