The next morning, Luke woke up only a few moments before his alarm. He reached over Lorelai to turn it off, then leaned on his elbow and looked down at her for a moment. He brushed some hair out of her face and kissed her forehead, then slipped out of bed.

Half an hour later when he entered the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, Lorelai rolled over and smiled at him. "Wow, what a sight to wake up to," she said slyly.

Luke smiled as he walked over to the bed and kissed her gently. "I didn't wake you, did I?" he asked.

Lorelai shook her head as she watched him walk back to the closet and pull out some clothes. "No, but your child has inherited your early morning habits," she said with a groan.

Luke looked over at her. "You can feel the baby?" he asked, walking over to her and resting a hand on her stomach.

"Yeah, but I don't think you'll be able to feel it," Lorelai said sympathetically. "It's just little flutters."

Luke looked disappointed for a moment before he walked back to the dresser. He put his baseball cap on and asked, "What are your plans for today?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Sookie invited a bunch of our business contacts to the inn for a late lunch, so I'll be stuck at the inn for the entire afternoon," she groaned.

Luke smiled, aware of the meeting with the wedding planner that he and Rory had planned that afternoon. "Well, it shouldn't be too bad," he said, hoping to encourage her.

"Maybe I'll try and sneak out to come see you at the diner," Lorelai said. "I hate it when I'm stuck at the inn all day."

Luke rolled his eyes. "It's not really that bad," he said. "You're the owner, I doubt it would look good if you skipped out early."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at him. "You sound like you don't want me to come to the diner," she said accusingly.

Luke rolled his eyes, sensing another mood swing coming on. He turned around and saw Lorelai staring at him with her arms crossed over her chest. He walked to her and sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Lorelai, I love when you come into the diner," he whispered. "But it would be selfish of me to let you leave an important day at work just so you could come see me at the diner."

Lorelai smiled up at him. "You know, you better watch your reputation," she said softly. "Because you're turning into an old softy."

"I am not," Luke replied, but he kissed the top of her head.

Lorelai smiled against his shoulder. "See?" she said softly.

Luke untangled himself from Lorelai and stood up. "I have to open the diner," he said. He leaned down to kiss her, then whispered, "I'll make you dinner tonight, okay?"

Lorelai nodded as she settled back into the covers. "I love you," she mumbled.

"I love you too," Luke said, walking out of the room and closing the door gently behind him.

XXXX

At two o' clock, Rory entered the diner and smiled at Luke as she took a seat at the counter.

"Hey, Luke," she said cheerfully.

"What the hell is that?" Luke replied, gesturing to the binder that Rory was carrying. The cover was hanging off, and there were papers hanging out of the edges. To Luke, it looked like a portfolio of a kindergartener's writing samples.

Rory smiled proudly. "I dug this out of my closet last week," she said. "It's our wedding plans."

Luke looked at the book for a moment, then pulled it towards him. He opened the cover and smiled when he saw Lorelai's familiar handwriting.

Lorelai and Rory Gilmore

Our wedding plans as of October twenty seventh, 1994

Only the husbands remain to be determined

Luke smiled as he looked up to Rory. "Only you two would plan your weddings this elaborately before you even meet your husbands," he said.

Rory frowned as she sipped her coffee. Before either one of them could say anything, a woman entered the diner in her late thirties, wearing a business suit. She looked around the diner, obviously looking for someone or something. With a frown, Luke leaned across the counter and asked, "Excuse me ma'am…can I help you?"

The woman smiled as she approached the counter. "Yes, I'm looking for Rory Gilmore," she said. "I am supposed to meet her and her future stepfather here to plan a wedding."

Rory smiled as she turned around. "Rory Gilmore, at your service," she said proudly. "And this…" she added, gesturing to Luke. "Is Luke. My stepfather."

"You're the wedding planner?" Luke asked in disbelief.

"And you're the groom," the woman said in equal surprise. She eyed Luke for a moment to long before she turned to Rory and held out a hand. "Meredith Swan," she said with a smile. She looked around the diner for a moment, then asked, "Is there anywhere we can go that is a little more private?"

Luke nodded and walked around the counter. "Just up those stairs, and through the door is my office," he said. "We'll be up in just a moment."

Rory was gathering the binder, her coffee cup and purse when Luke walked back to her. "Aren't wedding planners supposed to be old?" he asked.

Rory looked up at him in surprise. "What?" she asked.

"The last thing in the world I need is for someone to see someone like her coming down from my apartment in the middle of the day," Luke replied. "Since no one in this damn town can seem to keep a secret, Lorelai will definitely find out."

"Then why don't you just close the diner?" Rory asked.

Luke thought for a moment before he nodded. "I guess that will work," he said. "You can go on up, I'll tell Lane and Caser that they can take a couple hours off and lock the door."

Rory nodded and smiled as she walked towards the stairs.

An hour later, Luke was more grateful than he had ever been that he had left a six pack of beer in the fridge. With Rory and Meredith discussing centerpieces and minister choices, he needed a drink now more than he ever had.

"What do you think about napkins, Luke?" Rory asked.

"What about them?"

"What color?" Rory asked, rolling her eyes.

"Uh…" Luke hesitated for a moment and was grateful when Rory's cell phone rang.

"Hello?...Paris, calm down…" Rory stood and walked into the hallway, trying to hear Paris better.

Meredith smiled and leaned towards Luke, a little too close for him. "So how long have you been with this woman?" she asked.

"Uh…Lorelai and I have been dating for just about a year, but we've been good friends for more than ten," Luke replied.

Meredith frowned. "You were friends for a long time," she commented.

Before Luke could respond, Rory rushed into the room and grabbed her purse and her coat. "Luke, I'm really sorry, but there's an emergency at the paper. Do you think you guys could finish up and I'll call to schedule another meeting? I'm really sorry, but thanks so much for your help." She leaned down and kissed Luke on the cheek before she flew out the door.

"Wow, she's one busy girl," Meredith commented.

Luke smiled ruefully. "Yeah, she's a great kid," he said. "I couldn't love her more if she was my own."

"So…do you have any children of your own?" Meredith asked.

"Well, there's Rory," Luke said. "I watched her grow up, and in a couple of months, I'll be a father again."

"Your fiance's pregnant," Meredith commented.

"Yeah," Luke said proudly. "I can't wait to see that kid."

"I don't have any kids," Meredith continued. She looked at Luke for a moment before she leaned forward and planted a kiss on his lips.

Before Luke could respond, they heard the door open, and Lorelai stood before them with a look of heartbreak on her face. Luke stood and began to walk towards her, but she turned and ran down the stairs, climbing into her jeep before he could catch her. Cursing under his breath, Luke ran to his truck, pulling out his cell phone as he did. He'd already lost Lorelai once, and he wasn't about to lose her again, ever. With a hopeful prayer, he stepped harder on the gas as he made his way to Lorelai's house. When he reached the driveway, he slowed the car, his heart breaking at what he saw there.