If One of Us Had Been a Frog
Chapter Sixteen: A House is Not a Home
Disclaimer: Duh.
Summary: Some people dream of big houses and white picket fences. Lorelai dreams of something else.
A/N: In case you haven't noticed, I'm not doing this in order. Where's the fun in that anyway?
Please review.
Neither of them had said anything in the past 5 or 10 minutes. Neither of them were sure what to say.
Maybe they were still in shock. Maybe they were still trying to wrap their minds around this whole thing. Maybe they were just perfectly fine, silently lying in Luke's flannel sheets, wrapped in each other's arms.
She looked up at him, for just a moment, just to see his face, to see what he was thinking. She loved the huge, goofy grin he was wearing. Partly, because she knew she had put it there, and partly because she knew she was wearing a matching grin on her face.
She didn't know if she could possibly be any happier. Well, yeah, she could. But, she didn't want to think about Rory right now. She'd deal with all of that tomorrow.
She just didn't want this day to be the day that Rory dropped out of Yale and moved in with her grandparents. She wanted it to be the day that she asked the most amazing man she had ever known, to marry her, and he said yes.
She felt him press his lips against her forehead. She played with the tiny curl below his ear.
"Is this really happening?" He asked her.
She looked at him, and nodded. "It's happening." She told him.
Was he thinking that she'd leave? Was he thinking she'd change her mind? Was he thinking that this time would be like every other time? Was he thinking that she didn't really mean it? Was he thinking that she only asked because Rory was leaving her and she didn't want him to? Was he thinking that she'd wake up tomorrow, realize what she's done and call it all off? Was he thinking that she'd get scared and bolt like she usually did?
Because she wasn't going to. This was it. This was really it.
She was sure.
It was Luke. Who else could possibly be it for her, besides Luke?
He loved her. He loved Rory. He went golfing with her father for her. He built her an ice rink. He made her a Santa Burger. He kept her horoscope. He drank champagne. He went to Rory's graduation. He made her a cheesecake. He taught her how to fish. He bought her flowers. He let her use his diner for Jackson's party. He made Rory mashed potatoes. He helped her find Stella. He bought her rain boots. He made her more cups of coffee than she could count. He fixed her shoe. He bought her a TV. He gave her Danish's when it wasn't even Danish Day. He built a shelf in his bathroom for her toothpaste. He fixed her porch light. He helped her move Rory into Yale. He bought her basket. He invested in the Inn. He tried to get her to eat healthy. He gave her a place to stay when the Inn burned down. He let her pick out CDs for him. He watched a movie with her when she was lonely.
He was the perfect man. Kelsey Grammar had nothing on him.
He wasn't really sure where this all came from. One minute Rory was moving out, and the next minute he was engaged.
Sure, he couldn't help thinking that maybe she didn't ask for the right reasons. Maybe she was just overwhelmed. Maybe she would regret it in the morning. Maybe she would get scared. Maybe he would lose her.
But he wasn't going to let that happen. He was sure of that.
He loved her. He really did.
He'd be lying if he said he had never thought about him and Lorelai getting married. He didn't have a ring or anything, but he had thought about it.
Who else would be it for him, if not Lorelai?
He was lost without her. He was happier when she was around. He was nicer. He didn't yell at the customers as much. He slept better.
She helped him paint his diner. She didn't paint over that spot where his Dad wrote an order on the wall. She wanted a middle. She got the re-enactors to go to Louie's funeral. She wrote a long apology on a piece of Garfield stationary and duct taped it to the diner. She gave him flowers on Thanksgiving. She backed him up when the town was giving him a hard time about Jess. She sat beside him and read oven manuals all night so they wouldn't have to sleep alone. She helped him buy Rachel's birthday present. She stayed and talked with him all night after he divorced Nicole. She painted her garage blue and pink. She covered for him at the dinner when he had to take care of family things. She gave him a band-aid when he cut his hand on her window. She gave him luck. She bought his Dad's boat. She got him a birthday present every year. She helped him go apartment hunting. She bailed him out of jail. She liked the flowers. She never told the other townspeople when his birthday was. She liked the Twickham house. She cleaned up the entire diner after Jackson's party. She came to him for help. She let him in.
He loves her. That's it.
"I promise, Luke. It's happening." She told him again, to hopefully wash away any doubts he had.
He kissed her. "What about before?" He asked her, gently.
She looked up at him. "We can deal with it tomorrow." She told him.
We.
He kissed her again.
She's happy. This is almost the happiest she's ever been.
She isn't really sure what compelled her to propose. She'd admit that it was weird timing.
But, she couldn't help it.
She just saw this man in front of her. The man who loved her. The man, who loved her daughter. The man who had been taking care of them for years.
He just looked so completely perfect.
Everything just flashed before her eyes.
Luke standing on her porch, with a huge bowl of mashed potatoes, asking what else he could do for them.
Luke out on her front lawn moving a Chuppah around her yard for hours, and offering to mow her lawn.
Luke sitting at Rory's graduation, looking like a proud father, with a couple tears running down his cheeks.
Luke sitting beside her with a horoscope in his hand, telling her that he's all in and asking her if she's scared.
Luke with a plate of brownies in his hands, apologizing to Rory for being mean to her boyfriend.
Luke shoveling snow and watching her ice skate until the sun set, and then carrying her inside when her feet got too cold to walk.
Luke running around the Inn, dealing with customers and Sookie, even though he had a diner of his own to run.
She just knew.
He was it.
It wasn't like she just realized that now. She had always known. He was perfect. He was everything she wanted.
She just knew she was ready, right then. She was ready to commit, to be married. She wasn't scared.
She was just ready.
Some people dream of big houses and white, picket, fences. She dreams of an apartment, above a diner, with a shelf in the bathroom, that he made just for her.
It's simple, and it's everything she's ever wanted.
Early nights, flannel shirts, pie… She doesn't want it any other way.
She just knows. That's it.
Aww… the good ol' days. Remember those?
Sigh.
It's Saturday morning, just thought I'd give you early birds something to read. I got to go work on a math project before I meet some friends. Have a nice weekend.
I'm still working on the final chapter of Poker Faces. I'll try to get it up by Monday.
Please review.