She raised her head off his shoulder a third time, this time at lighting speed. She sat up and scooted backward on the couch, finally looking up to meet his eyes with her own.

What did he just say?

"What did you just say?" she repeated the thought running through her mind.

His expression was soft yet serious. Knowing that she'd heard him correctly, he didn't respond to her question. He simply held her gaze, an adoring smile gradually spreading over his face. He got up off the couch and made his way toward the front door.

"Where are you going?" she called after him.

"Don't move. I'll be back in a minute."

She sat there, motionless, stunned by the moment she was present in and wondering if she was dreaming again. About thirty seconds later, he reappeared through the entryway as promised and reclaimed his place on the couch. She wondered what he'd gone outside for, vaguely recalling the sound of his truck door closing amidst the loud thoughts that were storming her mind.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I-"

He slid closer to her, taking her right hand in both of his own, settling them on his knee.

"Last Sunday when I was making breakfast, Rory made a comment about me moving in and how she doesn't want ugly siblings," he began.

"I knew you'd heard that," she laughed.

"I didn't know how you felt so I just acted like I didn't hear it. But when you took her into her room, I got curious. So I turned the stove on low and I pressed my ear up against the door. I had to know if we were on the same page. I wasn't sure about what I wanted either, mainly because I didn't know where you stood. But in the two seconds when I heard you tell her how you wanted it all more than anything, I became certain that I was ready. So I went online and I ordered two weekend passes to the spa and I had Sookie take you for the weekend so I could take Rory shopping with me."

"Okay wait a second," she interrupted. "Those spa passes weren't from Sookie's aunt?"

"Nope."

"You bought them?"

"That's correct."

"So you could get rid of me and go shopping with my kid?"

"Yes, mam."

"Luke, you're 34 years old. Haven't you learned how to shop on your own by now?"

"Not for this," he said as he reached into his back pocket, pulling out a small, white, leather box.

"I never thought I'd be the kind of guy to get down on one knee but I'm going to do it anyway. I mean, a guy only gets to do this once, right? Well, hopefully."

He reached out and pushed the coffee table back, making room for himself as he knelt down in front of her, still holding her hand in one of his. He flipped open the tiny square box with a flick of his thumb and held it out to her, taking in her reaction and memorizing every feature of her face as she looked at the ring, then at him, then the ring again.

"I love you a lot, Lorelai. And I'm not much of a romantic. I didn't believe in love at first sight. I thought it was all a bunch of crap. But as I watched you walk out of my front door with a to go cup in your hand five years ago, I said to myself 'you're gonna marry that woman.' So, here I am, five years, hundreds of coffees, far too many nerve-induced failures, and several more realizations later, hoping you will do me the honor of becoming my wife." He paused before continuing, inhaling and looking deeply into her eyes. "Lorelai Victoria Gilmore, will you marry me?"

She pulled her hand away and stood up. "I'll be right back," she said as she grabbed her coat and ran out the door, shouting "don't you dare move" over her shoulder.

Five minutes later, she arrived in front of her best friend's house, bending over breathlessly with her palms pressed against her knee caps. After a few moments of gasping for air, she straightened back up and walked toward the front door.

This is why you're not an athlete, Gilmore.

She knocked on the pale blue front door and waited anxiously as she heard footsteps from inside drawing nearer to where she was. Sookie opened the door and a blank expression came across her face upon realizing who her guest was. A screen door still separated them and Sookie refrained from opening it.

"So here's the thing," Lorelai said breathlessly. "You're an amazing best friend. And taking you for granted was a big mistake. And I've been sorry all day, even before I knew the truth. I love you so much, not only for doing that for me, but for everything else you do also. If it hadn't been for you taking me on that dumb double date with Jackson's crazy cousin, I wouldn't be heaving for oxygen right now. And Luke's waiting back in my living room and his left knee is probably killing him by now but I don't care. He'll live. My point is that I love you and I'm sorry and I can't go back there and get engaged until I know we're okay. Because, after I go back there and tell him yes, I'm going to have a wedding that I need to plan and how can I do that if my Maid of Honor is mad at me?"

"Your Maid of Honor?" Sookie repeated.

"Yeah," Lorelai smiled.

"I always thought that would be Rory."

"She and I have a long standing agreement that you will be mine and Lane will be hers. It's been decided since she was like 10."

Sookie unlocked the screen door and stepped out.

"Please forgive me," Lorelai pleaded.

"Only if you let me make the cake," Sookie smiled.

"I wouldn't ask anybody else," she replied as she moved in and wrapped her arms around her best friend. "I love you," she said over Sookie's shoulder.

"I love you more," Sookie replied as she pulled back. "Now go back there and tell him yes," she shouted as she playfully smacked Lorelai's upper back.

"Ayay, Captain," she responded with a salute before turning around and sprinting back toward her house.

She found him in the exact same position as she had left him a good twenty minutes ago and as she breathlessly made her way back into the living room, she tried to speak but couldn't stop gasping for air.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his eyes concerned.

She struggled to raise her index finger up, signaling him to give her a moment. After what felt like hours, she finally stood back up and walked toward him.

She knelt down, leveling with him, and moved her hands up to either side of his face. Pulling him toward her, she kissed him softly and, after breaking the kiss, she pressed her forehead against his and gazed adoringly into his eyes.

"Yes."