Chapter 8

Quiche Emily

The frying pay sputtered and popped as Emily used a wooden spoon to gently move around the sizzling bits of bacon. The sound of the exhaust fan whirred gently in the background. She had no idea that Richard was standing in the doorway watching her. After a few moments, he spoke. "I wondered where you disappeared to."

She glanced over her shoulder at him, "I wanted to get started on this." Turning back to the stove, she quietly added with a light laugh "besides you went back to sleep."

"Ah, well, you know how the sea air makes me tired," he replied as he walked up behind her and gently squeezed her shoulders then pressed a kiss to her temple.

"The sea air makes you something alright," she teased, "tired is just the result."

"That's not a complaint is it?" he asked sliding his hands down her arms and back up to her shoulders.

"No," she replied drawing out the word slowly as she continued to look into the sizzling frying pan.

He laughed heartily and slid his arms down around her waist. "And what may I ask are you making?" he asked happily.

"Quiche Lorraine," she answered turning down the flame under the bacon.

"Sounds delicious," he said leaning over her shoulder to look into the pan.

She shook her head. "Why don't you make yourself useful?"

"I thought I was," he replied pulling her more tightly against him.

Emily rolled her eyes. "You are incorrigible."

"Alright, I'll be your sous chef. How may I assist you?" He pressed another kiss to her temple and stepped away to pour himself a cup of coffee.

"You could grate that cheese," she suggested with a smile turning off the stove and putting the bacon pieces onto a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Richard saw the block of Swiss cheese and the grater set out on a cutting board on the island. After taking a few sips of his coffee he went to work grating the cheese surreptitiously watching his wife as she stood next to him whisking a bowl of eggs. "So, it looks like Lorelai's enjoying herself this weekend."

Emily answered "Yes," as she whisked some half-and-half to the eggs.

A few moments later he spoke again. "She seems happy."

Emily was adding some spices to the egg mixture. "She does," she agreed warily wondering where her husband was going with this.

Richard finished grating the cheese and watched her put the bacon pieces into the bottom of a pastry lined quiche pan. She'd already made pie crust. He must have slept longer than he thought. He hadn't bothered to look at the clock earlier to see what time it was. He continued with his observations, "Luke has adapted admirably to his role as a parent, don't you think?"

"From what I've seen," she agreed. She was growing more suspicious with each of her husband's statements, but she continued with the quiche sprinkling the grated cheese on top of the bacon and slowing pouring the eggs over it all.

"They get along well, the three of them. That's a good thing," he commented as he began to wash his hands.

"It is," she agreed as she put the quiche in the oven and set the timer. Then she turned looked at her husband. His expression was completely unreadable. "Richard where are you going with this?" she asked as she moved to the sink and washed her hands.

"I'm just saying that I think Lorelai and Luke seem very happy together. I expect that they'll be announcing their intention to marry soon and…"

Emily picked up a sea green tea towel and began drying her hands. "She's only been divorced from Christopher for two months. Don't you think that's a bit premature?"

"Not necessarily. They've known each other for years and were engaged once already. I would think they'd be eager to get on with their lives," he reasoned as Emily emptied the cold coffee out of her cup and refilled it. "I think we should be prepared for them to marry… soon."

Emily immediately looked up at him and questioned, "You know something, don't you? Oh my God, she's not planning to elope again, is she?"

Lorelai had smelled coffee the moment she opened the bedroom door and decided to have a cup before showering. Barefoot, in cloud printed pajama pants and a sky blue tank top she padded quietly across the living room to the kitchen, but stopped when she heard her mother's voice and something about eloping.

"Emily, relax, I don't know any such thing" he assured her. "I just think we should be… well… prepared for whatever they decide."

"I just don't want to see her hurt again," Emily explained.

Lorelai heard Luke come out of the bathroom. She quickly turned around and motioned for him to be quiet. He walked up to her and whispered, "You're eavesdropping." Lorelai quietly shushed him.

"Neither do I and I don't think Luke would ever intentionally hurt her," Richard defended the man he had come to respect over the years.

"Well, of course he wouldn't," Emily quickly dismissed the idea, "that's not the point."

"Then what is the point?" he asked.

Emily looked up at her husband and shrugged with a broad gesture of her free hand. "Don't ask me. You're the one that started this conversation."

Richard chuckled, "So you are in favor of Lorelai and Luke getting married?"

"I thought we both were," she replied in bewilderment.

He smiled and nodded his head, "So that's settled then."

Emily rolled her eyes the at absurdity of the conversation they'd just had and took a sip of coffee.

Thinking that either of her parents could walk out of the kitchen at any moment, Lorelai quickly shuffled backwards pulling Luke along by the back of his shirt. She stopped in the middle of the living room.

"Wow," Lorelai slowly pronounced the word her voice a hushed whisper. She was still trying to process what she had heard.

"Wow, what?" Luke whispered in confusion.

"They're okay with this, with us," she replied gesturing between them, "they're really okay with it."

"And…" Luke asked.

Lorelai smiled broadly. "No and…"

"No and?" he repeated shaking his head.

"No, no and. That's all."

Luke looked completely baffled. Lorelai kissed him quickly on the cheek and walked toward the kitchen. "Good morning," she greeted her parents with a broad grin.

"Good morning," both answered as Lorelai headed for the coffee pot.

Notes: Thank you to everyone who has posted a review since my last update: RiskaSG, LorLukealways, ejl1, J.Stone, Emily-RichardFan, gilmorefanforever, UnaVitaSegreta, pjt-gg, Mary, Valerie, Miss GoodManners, and Stranger than Friction. I really love hearing what you each think of the story as it progresses.