The Evolution of Father's Day
Chapter 3. Father's Day - 2014
Lorelai walked out of the living room into the kitchen, holding an almost 3-year old Ryan on her hip. "Okay, the movie's cute and all, but when I'm forced to watch the same scene 47 times in a row, it's time for me to leave the room..." She placed Ryan in his booster seat at the kitchen table, then ran her fingers through his dirty-blonde hair.
Luke was moving between the stove and the counter as he finished making dinner. "Just turn it off... it's dinnertime anyway..."
"But every time I turn it off, I get that little woo-face staring at me like I'm the devil and my poor heart can't take it. I am powerless against her woo-face." Lorelai walked over to him and batted her eyelashes. "Can you be the devil this time, please?"
"Fine, I'll be the bad guy, you set the table."
"Deal," Lorelai agreed as she kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."
Luke wiped his hands on a dishrag, then headed toward the living room. Standing on the center couch cushion was 5 year old Abigail, singing along with the movie she'd been watching every day for weeks.
"It's dinner time, Abby," Luke announced. "Let's turn this off..."
"Let it go, let it go," she sang loudly, throwing her hands up in the air for dramatic effect. "Can't hold it back anymoooore..."
Luke sighed and folded his arms across his chest. "Abby?"
"Daddy, sing with me!" Abby requested before jumping back into the song. "... turn away and slam the door. I don't care what they're going to say...Daddy, sing!"
Luke sighed and quickly mumbled, "Let the storm rage on, the snow never bothered me anyway..."
"The cold never bothered me anyway," Abby corrected him. "The cold, Daddy."
"Yeah, yeah," Luke replied as he picked up the remote and paused the movie.
Abby immediately frowned at him with disappointment in her big blue eyes. "Daddy, I wasn't done yet..."
"It's dinner time, go wash up," Luke said, pointing toward the kitchen. "And if you're good, I'll make you an Olaf out of mashed potatoes."
Abby's eyes widened and she gasped, then jumped off the couch and took off toward the kitchen. Luke followed behind her.
Lorelai was setting the table, and smiled at them as they walked into the room. "Whoa, someone's happier than I was expecting..."
"Daddy's gonna make me a mashed potato Olaf!" Abby exclaimed excitedly.
Lorelai smiled. "He is? That's very nice of Daddy..." She nodded approvingly at Luke. "Impressive bribery."
Luke smirked, then said, "Abby, hands, please."
Abby rushed to the sink and climbed up on the step stool to reach the faucet. Lorelai helped her wash her hands, and then Abby sat at the table across from her brother.
"Ry, you want a snowman for dinner, too?" Luke asked as he started to scoop some mashed potatoes onto a plate.
Ryan nodded. "I wanna eat snowman."
"Two snowmen, coming up," Luke announced. When he saw Lorelai frown at him, he corrected himself. "Three snowmen, coming up."
Lorelai grinned. "Thank you." She took the milk out of the fridge and started pouring drinks for the kids. "So, we have lunch tomorrow at my parents' house at one..."
"Okay."
"And my mom said they can swim if they want." Lorelai placed their drink cups in front of the kids, then asked them, "Anyone wanna go swimming in Grandma and Grandpa's pool tomorrow?"
Abby gasped. "I do!"
"Me too!" Ryan replied, rocking excitedly in his chair.
"I like jumping off the diving board and making big splashes," Abby said, waving her arms wildly.
"I like to jump in and then Daddy catches me," Ryan added.
Lorelai smiled. "Sounds like the pool is a yes."
"Mommy, remember when Daddy grabbed your hand and pulled you in the water?" Abby asked, giggling. "You got your clothes all wet."
"Uh, Mommy has chosen to eliminate that moment from her memory," she replied, glaring at Luke. "But Daddy's very lucky that Mommy eventually forgave him."
Luke smirked at her. "If I recall, Mommy forgave Daddy that very night. And Daddy was very generous in his apology..."
Lorelai wagged a finger at him. "Um, but if Daddy recalls, Mommy did not reciprocate Daddy's generosity that night, so I think he learned his lesson, hm?" Lorelai looked at him pointedly, and Luke snorted a laugh. She opened the fridge and grabbed two beers. She opened them, tossed the lids in the trashcan, and set the bottles on the table.
Luke was carefully using a spoon to sculpt the mashed potatoes into snowmen. "Rory and Jess are coming tomorrow, right?"
"Yes, they're gonna meet us there." Lorelai retrieved a basket of dinner rolls from the counter, which the kids eagerly reached for as soon as it hit the table. "And then they're staying the night in the pool house because Rory has that interview on Monday in Hartford."
"Oh, right." Luke smiled. "It would be great to have them back home."
Lorelai smiled and shook her head in disbelief. "It would be amazing. I mean, having them in New York now instead of Philly has been an improvement, but it's still a long drive. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but she's pretty determined to try to find something closer to Stars Hollow."
"Good. She's gonna need you close by."
"Mommy, can you put butter on this?" Abby asked, waving a dinner roll toward her. "Please?"
"Us... she's gonna need us," Lorelai corrected Luke as she took the roll from Abby and applied a quick smear of butter on it. "Here you go."
"Thank you, Mommy," Abby replied before taking a big bite out of the roll.
"Good manners," Lorelai complimented her as she also buttered a roll for Ryan. "Here, bud."
"Fank you, Mommy," Ryan replied.
Lorelai smiled as she turned back to Luke. "So, how are they looking?"
"Just about done," Luke replied as he added a piece of carrot to each snowman for the nose. He grabbed the kids' plates and brought them to the table. "Here you go... chicken, vegetables, applesauce, and a mashed potato Olaf..."
Ryan's face lit up excitedly and Abby started giggling hysterically. "Olaf!"
"What do we say to Daddy?" Lorelai prompted them as she sat down at the table.
"Thank you, Daddy!" they responded in unison.
"You're welcome, munchkins," Luke replied, smiling at their excitement. He returned to the counter to grab his and Lorelai's plates. As he set her plate in front of her, he said, "And for my biggest munchkin..."
Lorelai cocked her head to the side. "Aww, my very own Olaf... thank you, hon."
"Anytime," Luke replied as he sat down across from her. He leaned back in his chair, arms folded across his chest, just observing the table.
He watched Lorelai eat a forkful of food, help Ryan with his milk cup, take a sip of her beer, wipe the applesauce off of Abby's shirt, butter a roll while answering Ryan's question about where rolls come from. It always amazed him how easily she just went with the flow around her, how she always seemed to be doing ten things at once and made it appear so effortless.
"Good dinner, hon," Lorelai remarked as she offered the buttered roll toward him. "Roll?" Lorelai took note of his untouched plate and narrowed her eyes. "You're not eating... everything okay?"
Luke smiled and nodded, taking the roll from her. "Yup. Everything's great."
And it was. Dinner wasn't always this calm. The kids didn't always get along so smoothly. Lorelai wasn't always in a good mood. Hell, he wasn't either. They all had their cranky moments, bad days. But Luke had learned to take a moment every once in awhile to just sit back and appreciate how lucky he was.
. . . . . .
The next morning, the pitter patter of little feet on her bedroom floor woke Lorelai up. She opened her eyes and found herself face to face with Abby standing tiredly next to the bed. Lorelai smiled and whispered, "Hi, Abs..."
"Hi, Mommy," she whispered back. "Can we make breakfast for Daddy now?"
Lorelai glanced over her shoulder to make sure Luke was still in bed next to her, then nodded to Abby. She climbed out of bed, took Abby's hand and led her out of the room, quietly pulling the master bedroom door closed behind her.
"Is your brother up?" Lorelai whispered. Abby shook her head. Lorelai peeked in the kids' bedroom to double check, and found Ryan asleep in his toddler bed, his little body pressed up against the mesh guardrail that kept him from falling onto the floor.
"Thank God that thing works," Lorelai muttered. She and Abby went down to the kitchen, and she sat Abby in one of the chairs at the table.
Lorelai took a step back and rubbed her palms together. "Okay, so what did you decide for your special breakfast for Daddy?"
"Oatmeal, banana, strawberries, and toast with peanut butter," Abby replied, ticking them off on her fingers as she listed them. "And orange juice for drink."
Lorelai smiled. "That sounds perfect. And all within Mommy's cooking abilities." She grabbed the fruit bowl from the counter and placed it on the table in front of Abby. "You pick the best banana for Daddy, I'll get the tray."
Lorelai pulled a serving tray from a cabinet and set it on the table. She and Abby began assembling the breakfast on the tray.
"Mommy?" Ryan's voice called from upstairs. "I'm up."
"I'll be right back," Lorelai told Abby, then rushed toward the staircase. Lorelai ran up the steps to the kids' bedroom, where Ryan was sitting up in his bed.
"Hi Mommy," he greeted her sleepily, stretching his arms toward her.
Lorelai smiled as she walked over to him. "How's my boy?" She picked him up and hugged him. "Did you have a good sleep?" He nodded and rested his head against her shoulder, and Lorelai kissed him. "Good. Let's go to the bathroom."
As she carried him into the hallway, she saw Luke walk out of the master bedroom. "Everything okay?" he asked.
"Get back in bed," Lorelai instructed him in a whisper.
Luke walked over to her. "What? Why?" He rubbed the back of Ryan's head. "Hey, buddy."
Ryan picked his head up from Lorelai's shoulder and rubbed his eyes. "Hi, Daddy."
"Abby's making you breakfast," she whispered. "She wants to bring it to you in bed." Lorelai smiled and kissed his cheek. "Oh, and Happy Father's Day."
Luke smiled. "Thanks. So, I guess I better, uh..." He gestured toward the master bedroom.
"Yes, you, now, get in bed," Lorelai told him, pointing toward their room. "We'll be right up."
Luke went back into the master bedroom. Lorelai helped a newly potty-trained Ryan go to the bathroom, then they went down to the kitchen. Abby was sitting at the kitchen table, licking peanut butter from a spoon. She had peanut butter on her fingers and all over her face.
Lorelai smiled as she sat Ryan down on a chair. "Having a little snack?"
"This is good," she confirmed, dipping the spoon back into the jar of peanut butter. "But very sticky."
Lorelai grabbed a paper towel, ran it under water, and proceeded to wipe down Abby's hands and face.
"Okay, we're almost done," Lorelai said. "Ab, can you get the things you made for Daddy?"
Abby nodded. She ran to the living room and pulled open the desk drawer where she had hidden two homemade cards and the coupon booklet that Lorelai had helped the kids make for Luke. She ran back to the kitchen, waving them in her hand. "I got 'em."
Lorelai placed a cup of orange juice on the tray. "Okay, we're ready." She picked up the breakfast tray and the three of them walked upstairs.
They entered the master bedroom, announcing, "Happy Father's Day!"
Luke was lying down in the bed, and he sat up as the kids ran to him. "Hey guys..." He hugged one in each arm and kissed the tops of their heads. Lorelai sat down on her side of the bed. She waited for the kids to slide off of Luke and settle on the mattress before setting the tray of food on the bed next to them.
"We made you breakfast in bed," Abby announced, pointing to the tray. "Look..."
"For Daddy to eat all up," Ryan added.
Luke smiled. "Thank you. That looks good, I'm starving."
"She planned the menu herself," Lorelai added, running her hand over Abby's back.
Abby nodded. "And we made you these." She presented Luke with their homemade cards and gift.
Luke leaned back against the headboard. "Wow, let's see..." He opened Abby's card first. He had gotten pretty good at deciphering her drawings over the years, and was able to identify all the pictures.
"You see what's on the back?" Lorelai asked with a smile.
Luke turned the card over as Abby said, "Mommy said I draw that every year for you..."
Luke smiled down at the small brown circle, then brought his gaze to Lorelai. "Panpake," he said softly.
"Panpake," Lorelai confirmed. "Father's Day tradition."
"It's called a pan-cake," Abby corrected them.
"I love it," Luke said, kissing Abby on the cheek. "Thank you, honey." He opened up Ryan's card. "Wow, what did Ryan draw for me?"
Ryan pointed to a shaded blue circle with a little blue square sticking out from it. "Daddy's blue hat."
Luke smiled. "Wow, good job, buddy." They went through the rest of the drawings, then Luke picked up the booklet they'd made.
"That's from me and Ryan," Abby explained. "Both of us."
"Coupons for Daddy," Luke read on the cover. He flipped the booklet open and read the first page. "This coupon is good for one very large hug."
"Whenever you want it," Abby added with a nod.
Luke chuckled and flipped to the next page. "This coupon is good for one peanut butter and jelly sandwich." Luke's eyes widened and he licked his lips. "That sounds good. I might cash that in today."
They flipped through the rest of the coupons and then they helped Luke eat his breakfast. Afterwards, Lorelai wiped down their hands and faces with a washcloth, then took them to their room to get dressed while Luke took a shower.
Once they were dressed, Lorelai brought the kids down to the living room and sat them at the coffee table with paper and crayons. "Okay, guys, two more pictures to make," Lorelai announced. "Color something for Grandpa." The kids started drawing, and Lorelai went back upstairs.
Lorelai walked into the bathroom, where Luke was still in the shower. "Want some help in there?" she called to him as she leaned against the counter.
"I have never, and will never, turn down that offer," Luke called back.
Lorelai giggled. "Sorry, maybe next time... they won't be distracted long enough for us to do anything worthwhile."
Luke turned off the water and pushed open the curtain. He stepped out of the shower and onto the bath mat, and Lorelai stepped toward him holding up a towel. "Fathers don't dry themselves off on Father's Day... allow me," she offered.
Luke smirked. "Don't start anything you don't have time to finish..."
"I'll be good," she promised with a sly smile. "Anyway, I don't know how you can turn a sweet, innocent woman toweling off the body of a sexy, wet, naked man into something dirty. Geez. Grow up."
Luke snorted a laugh as Lorelai draped the towel over her hands and began soaking up the droplets from his body. She started with his shoulders and chest, moving slowly over the muscles of his toned upper torso. "How's this?" she asked. "Gentle enough?"
Luke nodded as he watched her terrycloth-covered hands smoothing over him slowly, taking her time as she moved over his stomach and sides of his waist. As her hands simultaneously moved to each thigh, Luke cleared his throat. "Careful," he warned. "I don't wanna have to take another shower.. a cold one..."
"Why don't you turn around?" Lorelai suggested. "Remove the temptation."
Luke complied and turned around. "I'll be over here, thinking about train crashes."
Lorelai giggled as she began drying off the back of him, starting with his hair and then gliding over the curves of his muscular back. She smoothed over his skin gently and thoroughly, making sure to catch every drop of water.
She hadn't even made it to his lower half when she said, "You know, this is actually turning me on more than I thought it would. I should've known better... it's like expecting an alcoholic to dry off a bottle of vodka but not to drink it."
Luke turned around, smiling, and took the towel from her. "Here, just let me do it." He pressed his lips to hers for a tender kiss. "But we'll, uh, pick this up another time..."
"Okay," she agreed and kissed him again. "They're downstairs making pictures for my dad... I'm gonna get in the shower."
"Will you need help drying off?" Luke teased, raising an eyebrow suggestively.
Lorelai smiled and playfully pushed him away from her. "I recognize that tree..."
. . . . . .
That afternoon, they pulled up to Emily and Richard's house slightly after one. Lorelai unbuckled the kids from the backseat while Luke retrieved their bags from the trunk. They'd bought an SUV a few years ago to replace Luke's dying truck, which was still parked in the alley behind the diner.
"We're only gonna be here for a few hours, why do we have so much stuff?" Luke grumbled.
Lorelai sighed. "The answer's the same here as it was when you asked at home, hon," she replied. "We have a lot of stuff. Move on."
"Fine." Luke loaded all of the bags on his arms and shut the trunk.
Lorelai took the kids by their hands and led them to the front door with Luke trailing behind them. "Take turns with the doorbell. Abby, you first..." Abby rang the bell, and then Lorelai lifted up Ryan so he could ring it, too.
Seconds later, Emily opened the door and greeted them with a smile. "Hello, hello..." She leaned down to address the kids. "I knew the double doorbell ring could only mean my two favorite people were here."
"Hmph. Guess we're chopped liver," Lorelai muttered to Luke.
"Hi, Grandma," Abby said as she hugged Emily, and Ryan followed her lead.
"Hey, Mom," Lorelai said.
"Hello, Lorelai, Luke," Emily said as she stood up straight, then noticed Luke with all the bags. "Oh, Luke, you've got your hands full... come in, come in." She pulled the door open wider and they stepped into the house.
Emily led them down the foyer toward the back of the house. "We have everything set up outside." They walked out the sliding glass door onto the back patio, and Luke put the bags on one of the lounge chairs. Ryan started to wander off, so Luke followed him down the short shrubbery-lined walkway that led toward the pool. Abby stayed by Lorelai's side.
"Where's Dad?" Lorelai asked.
"Oh, he should be right down," Emily replied as she walked over to the drink cart. "Mimosa?"
"Yes, please," Lorelai replied.
Abby looked up at Lorelai. "Can I have a moomosa?"
Lorelai smiled. "Not yet, honey. Sixteen more years."
"Yes, these are for adults, but I've got apple juice for the kids," Emily replied.
Luke had a confused look on his face as he returned from the pool area with Ryan. "Uh, Emily, do you know there's some guy sitting by the pool?"
Lorelai's eyes widened and she put her arm on Abby's shoulder. "What guy?"
"Oh, that's Tanner Hawthorne," Emily replied as she handed Lorelai her drink. "He's Sylvia and Gerard Hawthorne's grandson. He's a certified lifeguard, so I hired him for the day to keep an eye on the kids in the pool." Emily headed toward the patio door. "I'll go see what's taking Richard so long."
Lorelai shrugged toward Luke and nonchalantly said, "She hired a lifeguard to sit in her backyard for the day."
"We shouldn't be surprised, right?" Luke asked.
"Now that I think about it, I'm surprised she hasn't done it before," Lorelai said.
"Daddy, I wanna go in the pool," Ryan said.
"Me too," Abby said, grabbing onto Lorelai's hand. "Can we go in now?"
Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, but let's go say hi to Grandpa first, okay? Then we need sunscreen." She placed her drink on the table and headed inside in search of Richard.
As they were coming in through the back door, across the foyer the maid was letting Rory and Jess in the front door.
"Hey guys," Lorelai called.
"Rory and Jess are here!" Abby rushed toward the front door and threw her arms around Rory's waist.
"Whoa!" Rory laughed. "That's quite a greeting, little missy." She smoothed the top of Abby's head affectionately. "How are you doing?"
"We're going in the pool!" Abby replied, then moved over to hug Jess. "Jess the Mess."
"Abby Road," Jess smiled as he greeted her with his usual nickname. "You're getting taller."
Lorelai pulled Rory into a hug, kissing her cheek. "I missed you, sweets!"
"I missed you, too," Rory replied, hugging her tighter.
Lorelai pulled back and put her hands on Rory's noticeable baby bump. "Aww, my little girl is officially fatter than me."
Rory smirked. "Why, thank you, Grandma Lorelai."
Lorelai gasped and frowned. "Hey, now, I'm not officially a grandmother until that baby comes out."
"Well, you make the fat jokes, you get the grandmother jokes in return," Rory said with a shrug.
"Pregnancy has really upped your comeback game," Lorelai said admirably.
"Thank you." Rory smiled at Luke and stepped over to hug him. "Happy Father's Day, Luke."
"Thank you," he replied. "How are you feeling?"
Rory nodded affirmatively. "Good, feeling good. Only 3 bathroom breaks on the drive, so not too bad."
"Ah, we found everyone," a voice said from behind them, and they turned around to see Emily and Richard walking toward them. Greetings were exchanged, and everyone moved out back to the patio.
. . . . . .
As Luke and Jess took the kids into the pool, Lorelai and Rory sat on the edge of the pool with their legs in the water. Richard and Emily sat a few feet behind them in lounge chairs under the umbrella.
"So, I have something to tell you," Rory started.
Lorelai frowned. "If it's that Alice from the Brady Bunch died, I already know, and am still in mourning."
Rory shook her head sadly. "Another great one, taken from us too soon." She cleared her throat. "So, at my doctor appointment on Wednesday, they were able to tell the sex of the baby..."
Lorelai gasped. "What? We already talked about that appointment and you mentioned no such thing!"
"I wanted to tell you in person," Rory explained. "Or rather, I wanted us to find out together, in person..."
Lorelai narrowed her eyes. "What?"
"We had the doctor write down the sex and put it in an envelope so I could open it here, with you," Rory explained. "I figured that since we found out I was pregnant together, we could find out the sex together, too."
Lorelai smiled, thinking back to that memorable weekend in March. At the time, Rory and Jess had been married for nearly 18 months. Jess was traveling that weekend for work, and Rory had driven to Stars Hollow for a visit. She told Lorelai her suspicions that she might be pregnant, so they bought a pregnancy test and confirmed it together. It was a special moment that Lorelai was grateful to have shared with her daughter, one she'd never forget.
"Aww, honey." Lorelai had tears forming in her eyes. "That's really sweet." She leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Thank you...that's amazing..."
"Yeah, we were gonna do that thing where you give the envelope to a bakery and they make a cake with either pink or blue filling, and then you cut into the cake to find out the sex," Rory explained. "But that seemed like too much work, and plus, I couldn't guarantee that I wouldn't eat the cake on the car ride here."
Lorelai laughed. "That's my girl."
Rory patted her stomach. "So, we can open the envelope after lunch and find out what this one's gonna be..."
Lorelai smiled and nodded. "I can't wait."
They watched the men playing with the kids in the water, throwing the beach ball around, catching them as they jumped off the diving board. Jess pretended to be a shark and circled around them under the water, and the kids giggled with excitement when he would finally come up to the surface and scare them.
"Look at him..." Lorelai smiled at Rory and patted her leg. "He's gonna be a good dad."
Rory smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I think so, too."
"And you, missy... how could you not be an incredible mom with the wonderful example you've been guided by?" Lorelai gestured to herself. "It's like learning to paint from Michelangelo. It's like learning to wear a monocle from Mr. Peanut. It's like learning how to fix scandals from Olivia Pope."
Rory smiled. "Well, your examples are odd, but yes...I have very big footsteps to follow." She took a deep breath. "I hope I can do it."
Lorelai put her arm around Rory and pulled her closer. "You got this, kid. You're gonna be amazing."
. . . . . .
After they'd eaten lunch, Luke took the kids back into the pool. Lorelai, Rory, Jess and the grandparents sat talking at the table for a little while, and then Lorelai made her way over to the pool stairs.
"Mommy, are you coming in the water?" Abby called from the raft she was floating on.
"Mommy, come in," Ryan called as he spun around in circles in his tube.
"Yes, Mommy, please come in," Luke echoed, winking at her from where he stood between the kids.
Lorelai smiled and pulled off her t-shirt and shorts to reveal her bathing suit, and tossed her clothes on the nearest chair. She walked down the stairs into the low end of the pool, grimacing slightly as her body got used to the feel of the cool water. She quickly dunked herself completely under to get over the shock.
She popped back up, slicked her hair back, and made her way over to them. "Are you guys having fun with Daddy?"
"Watch this, Mommy," Ryan said, and then slapped his hands on the water, making little splashes all around him.
"Whoa, that looks fun!" Lorelai smiled and imitated his actions. Ryan giggled as the water splashed at him, and Lorelai gently brushed it out of his eyes.
"Mommy, watch this," Abby said. She lay across the raft with her legs in the water and began kicking her feet quickly to propel the raft forward. Luke trailed behind her making sure she didn't fall off.
"Wow, you're going fast, Abs," Lorelai called. "Be careful you don't get a speeding ticket."
The four of them played in the water for a little while until both kids started to shiver. They wrapped the kids in their towels and sat them on lounge chairs to dry off and warm up in the sun.
Luke and Lorelai stood nearby, toweling themselves off. Luke glanced over at the other end of the pool, where the hired lifeguard was looking at his phone. "You have a fan over there," Luke said. "I think he was hoping you'd start drowning so he could rescue you... he couldn't keep his eyes off of you."
Lorelai smiled and rolled her eyes. "He was watching the kids... that's what he's paid to do. Plus, I don't need him to rescue me... not when I have my big strong husband to save me." She ran her hands over his arms as she kissed him softly.
"That's right," he muttered through the kiss before deepening it. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her tightly against him.
Lorelai brought her hands up to his neck and moaned softly through the kiss before finally pulling back from him. "You marking your territory?"
"Maybe."
Lorelai smiled. "Don't worry. Once he finds out I'm practically a grandmother, he'll lose interest."
Luke brought his hands to her waist. "Sexiest grandmother I've ever seen."
"With a sexy Grandpa to match."
Abby had climbed off the lounge chair, and she tugged on Lorelai's towel. "Mommy, can we have dessert?"
"Let's go ask Grandma if it's time," Lorelai replied.
They walked over to the table where the others were seated, and Abby headed right to Emily. "Grandma, can we have dessert now?"
"I think that's a wonderful idea, Abby," Richard said.
"All right, I'll ask Julie to start bringing it out," Emily said as she stood up from the table and headed into the house.
"Let's go get changed out of our bathing suits, guys," Lorelai said, then turned to Richard. "I think we're done with the pool today if you want to let the lifeguard head home, Dad."
"All right," Richard replied, standing up. "I'm glad he didn't have to rescue anyone."
"Me too," Luke replied, and Lorelai smirked at him over her shoulder. She and Luke grabbed their bags and led the kids to the pool house to change.
When they returned to the patio fifteen minutes later, there was a spread of desserts on the table.
"There they are," Emily announced. "Okay, everyone, help yourselves."
"I wanna cupcake," Ryan announced.
"I wanna cupcake, too," Abby said. "And a brownie. And pie."
"Well, looks like I'm not the only child who inherited that appetite of yours, huh?" Rory commented to Lorelai.
Lorelai laughed. "No, you're definitely not. She can give us a run for our money in food consumption."
Lorelai helped Abby with her plate as Luke helped Ryan with his, and they situated them at the table before making their own plates and sitting down.
"I can't believe he's already gonna be three next week," Rory commented, gesturing to Ryan.
"I know, right?" Lorelai smiled. "Time flies, kid. That's not just a cliché... it's the darn truth..."
"Jess, you gonna stop in to see your mom and the kids while you're in town?" Luke asked, then added, "And yes, I purposely include TJ with the kids since he still hasn't branched into adulthood."
Jess smiled. "Yeah, I told her we'd stop by tomorrow."
"We're gonna come by your place, too," Rory added. "After the interview."
"Are you all prepared for that?" Richard asked.
"Yes, I have my portfolio and references and I'm all ready to wow 'em," Rory replied. "And I had to buy a new suit."
"Is it orange?" Lorelai asked. "Because I hear that's the new black." She paused. "Or is it orphans? One of them is the new black."
Rory smiled. "I stuck with the old black."
Lorelai shrugged. "I hope they don't hold that against you and think you're not up with the latest trends."
"I'll take my chances," Rory replied. "And if this opportunity doesn't work out, then I've got some contacts at other places nearby that I'll get in touch with. Jess and I really wanna be out of the city and closer to family before the baby comes..."
Jess nodded in agreement. "I can basically write from anywhere, so we're gonna go wherever Rory can find something... hopefully it'll be around here somewhere."
Emily smiled. "I think that's wonderful. It will be so good to have you home."
Lorelai cleared her throat and glanced at Rory. "So, is now a good time?"
Rory smiled. "I think so."
"Time for what?" Emily asked.
"To find out the sex of the baby," Lorelai replied excitedly. "Rory's doctor wrote it down so she could find out here, with us."
Emily gasped softly. "Well, that's marvelous."
"Yes, what a nice surprise," Richard commented.
Rory reached into her purse that was hanging on the back of her chair and pulled out a small envelope. She held the envelope toward Lorelai. "Mom, will you do the honors?"
Lorelai grinned and rubbed Rory's arm affectionately before taking the envelope. "Of course." Lorelai took a deep breath and stared down at the envelope that was labeled "Rory and Jess Mariano."
Lorelai flipped the envelope over and slowly ran her finger beneath the sealed flap until it ripped open. She looked from Rory to Jess. "You both ready?" They both nodded eagerly, and Jess reached over to hold Rory's hand. Everyone stared at Lorelai with baited breath.
Lorelai slowly pulled the piece of paper from the envelope, took another deep breath, and then opened it up. Lorelai smiled and her eyes brimmed with tears as she turned to Rory. "It's a girl... you're having a girl..." She held the paper up for her to see.
Rory exhaled the breath she'd been holding and turned to Jess. "We're gonna have a daughter." Jess smiled and kissed her.
A chorus of congratulations' flooded from around the table as a teary Rory leaned over and hugged Lorelai tightly. "My baby girl is gonna have her own baby girl," Lorelai whispered, trying to control her tears. "Congratulations, honey."
"Thanks, Mom," Rory whispered back, sniffling softly. She finally pulled back from Lorelai and took a deep breath. "Wow. That makes this seem much more real... we can stop calling it an it. It's a her."
"Not to be confused with the disturbing movie," Lorelai said. "Although I won't judge your baby if it turns out to be an operating system. A grandmother's love is unconditional." Lorelai winced and shook her head. "Ugh, there's gotta be a cooler word for grandmother."
"I can't believe they're gonna be an aunt and uncle," Luke said, gesturing to the kids.
"That sounds so strange," Rory said with a laugh. "Abby, did you know that you're gonna be Aunt Abby soon?"
"Like an ant that crawls on the ground?" Abby asked.
"No, like a real person aunt, like Aunt Liz," Luke explained.
"Okay. Can I have more pie?" Abby responded as she licked remnants of her first piece from her finger.
The table laughed at her nonchalant response and Lorelai pointed to Rory's stomach. "It's inevitable. Your baby girl is gonna inherit the Gilmore iron stomach like my baby girls did. I guarantee it."
. . . . . .
That night, Luke walked into the master bedroom. "She's finally settled in," he said, shutting the bedroom door behind him.
"Okay, good. And Ryan's still asleep?" Lorelai called from the bathroom.
"Yup, out like a light." Luke walked over to his side of the bed and stripped down to his boxers and t-shirt. He glanced at the clock. "It's only 8:45... you wanna go down and watch a movie or something?"
Lorelai poked her head out of the bathroom door. "I have a Father's Day present for you..."
Luke smirked. "Oh yeah? What is it?"
Lorelai pulled open the door and posed seductively against the doorframe. "Me." Wearing a light pink, white-trimmed satin babydoll nightie with matching panties, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and smiled. "So?"
"Whoa..." Luke's eyes widened as he walked toward her. "That's not the pajama outfit I was expecting."
"Thought you might like something new," she responded.
"I'm a big fan of something new," Luke confirmed as he placed his hands on her waist.
"Glad to hear it." Lorelai pressed her lips to his, kissing him softly as she ran her hands over his chest.
Luke slipped his hands up under the nightie, feeling the soft skin of her stomach. "God, you're beautiful..." He moved his lips to her neck and began sucking lightly, and she looked up toward the ceiling with a soft groan.
Luke heard a sound from the hallway, and he quickly turned his head toward the door. "I think we have company..."
They both stared at the bedroom door for a moment and heard the familiar creek of the hallway floorboards. Luke walked over to the door and placed his hand on the knob. He glanced back at Lorelai, who was climbing into the bed to hide her outfit under the covers, to avoid questions from her inquisitive offspring. Once she was tucked in, Luke pulled open the bedroom door.
Abby was standing in the hallway in her pajamas, clutching her stuffed cat in one hand and her empty drink cup in the other.
"You okay, honey?" Lorelai asked from the bed.
"Can I have more water?" she asked, holding out her cup to Luke. "I'm still thirsty."
"Just a little bit more," Luke replied. He took her cup to the bathroom and filled it up an inch, then walked back to her. He took her hand and led her back to her bed to tuck her in again.
Luke returned to the master bedroom and locked the door behind him. Lorelai was still under the covers, staring up at the ceiling as she twirled a finger in her hair.
"She's so cute..." Lorelai smiled at Luke. "They both are. Sometimes I have to physically restrain myself from eating their faces off, that's how undeniably cute they are."
Luke smiled as he walked to the bed. "How many times do I have to tell you... do not eat our children..."
"I'm trying not to, I promise."
As Luke lay next to her on the bed, he said, "I guess we should probably wait a few minutes for her to fall asleep... to minimize the chance for interruption."
"Probably," she agreed as she rested her head against his chest. "So, did my wonderful husband have a good Father's Day?"
Luke brought his arm up around her and ran his hand over her back. "Great Father's Day," he confirmed, then was quiet for a few seconds before he softly said, "We're really lucky... you know?"
Lorelai smiled up at him. "Yeah, I know..."
"I mean, I know that everything's not always perfect," Luke continued.
"God, no," Lorelai agreed with a laugh.
"Ups, downs, good, bad, whatever... "
"Crying, screaming, kicking, teasing," Lorelai added.
"And that's just the adults," Luke said with a smirk. Lorelai laughed and lightly elbowed him in the side. He continued, "But even though I know it's not perfect... doesn't it all kinda seem... I don't know..."
"Perfectly imperfect?" Lorelai suggested.
Luke smiled. "Yeah."
"Mmhmm," Lorelai agreed. "I love our slightly chaotic, perfectly imperfect life."
Luke kissed the top of her head and pulled her tighter against him. "Me, too."
...
The End
...
Author's Note: Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the story! Reviews are extremely appreciated - please let me know what you think! :)