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It was almost two thirty when Lorelai crawled into bed beside a sleeping Luke. Rory had gone to bed about half an hour earlier, but Lorelai had stayed up, reliving their conversation from earlier that evening. She could feel guilt, regret, and self loathing creeping up on her in a way she hadn't felt since the weeks leading up to her reconciliation with Luke, and she wasn't sure how to face this situation with Rory.
As she pulled the covers up over herself, Luke turned in his sleep and slid his arm over her stomach. She smiled slightly, loving that he could tell that she was there, even in his sleep. She traced a finger over his arm, turning to look at him as he murmured, "What time is it?"
"Late," she said, her voice choking slightly. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"S'okay." He was quiet for a moment and Lorelai thought he'd fallen back asleep, but when she took a shaky breath trying to control her emotions, she felt him lift his head from his pillow. "You okay?"
She tried to say yes, but her voice betrayed her and the word came out in a strangled sob. Luke was immediately awake, reaching for his bedside light before he turned back to her with concern in his eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked.
Lorelai shook her head and took a deep breath, trying to control herself. "I'm a horrible mother," she confessed.
"What?" Luke frowned, his hand moving up and down her arm. His memory flashed briefly to how Lorelai had beaten herself up over Paul Anka's first sickness two years ago, a concern that had clearly been much deeper than her dog's fever.
"I'm an awful mother," Lorelai repeated. "I'm selfish and don't give any concern to my daughter's well being."
"Stop," Luke said firmly. "That's not true, Lorelai, any of it."
"It is," she said, leaning into him. "I never thought about Rory, not once."
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and asked, "Did you two have a fight?"
"No," she sniffled. "We talked about you, and our wedding and how she feels about it."
Luke brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "She told me she was okay with it," he murmured. "Did she change her mind?"
"No," Lorelai shook her head. "I just haven't considered how my choices over the past couple years have affected her. She came back from Hartford and got herself back together and then I began to spiral downwards without even thinking about her. I mean, I told her how hurt I was by you, and I cried over our breakup with her. I moved Christopher and Gigi in here and got married and divorced, then started working things out with you. And I talked to her about it, but only about me and what I was thinking and feeling. I was so self absorbed that I never even thought about what the back and forth meant to her. Just because she's a grown up doesn't mean I can lean on her without listening to her."
"You were in a difficult place, Lorelai," he murmured. "And I hate that I played a role in that. But you doing what you think is right for you doesn't make you a bad mother."
"It does!" she exclaimed. "I mean, for god's sake, she's right about all of it! You're the one who's taken care of her since you've known us. Even when you were pushing me away, you were there for her. She must have been crushed when she realized we broke up. And I went to him! The only time her dad ever wanted to be involved in her life was when he used her to get to me! And he didn't even care that she wasn't part of it. But she never said anything because I told her I could make it work. She trusted me, and I let her think it was going to work, but I screwed it up. Now she's afraid to hope that we'll actually get married, and who can blame her? I've given her hope over and over again, only to have her be completely clobbered every time."
"Hey, we're past all this," Luke said. "You promised you weren't going to beat yourself up over the past."
"But it's not the past," Lorelai said. "I mean, you and I know we've worked through all of our problems and are better for it. But it's still happening for Rory, she's afraid to get excited about our wedding because she's afraid we're going to mess it up. She wants it to happen, but she told me she wouldn't be able to handle the disappointment if it doesn't work."
"It's going to work," he murmured.
"I know that, and you know that," Lorelai said. "And I told her that, but…I just can't believe I never thought about her. What kind of horrible mother doesn't even consider her daughter when making major life choices?"
"Rory loves you," Luke assured her.
"I know that," Lorelai nodded. "But have I screwed her up? By letting her watch me dive in over and over again only to have it explode in her face? That can't be normal."
"Rory's perfect," Luke promised. "You did an amazing job with her, Lorelai, never doubt that."
"I didn't," Lorelai shook her head. "She's amazing despite me, not because of me."
"Okay, you need to stop talking like that," Luke said, his voice rising. "I don't want to hear this, it's not you!"
"It is," Lorelai insisted. "My mother has been trying to tell me that forever, I'm completely incapable of making good choices. I'm a failure."
"You are not a failure!"
She turned to look at him with wide eyes. "Why are you getting mad?" she asked.
"Because if I heard anyone else talking about you like this, I'd get mad at them," Luke replied. "You're not a failure, and you're not a bad mother. You need to stop beating yourself up, because you're worth more than that."
"Luke," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "Please. If I can't talk to you about this, I can't talk to anyone."
He relented then and held his arm open to her again. "You're not a failure," he repeated, more calmly this time. "You've made mistakes, but who hasn't? You're human."
Lorelai sniffled as she turned to bury her face in his neck. "I just can't believe I didn't even see it," she whispered. "I hate that I was so selfish that I didn't think about my own daughter."
"You're seeing it now," Luke murmured. "You're going to find a way to fix it."
"How?" Lorelai whispered. "It's not like I can go back in time and talk to her. If I could do that, I'd go back to the night that shall not be named and go home."
Luke was quiet for a moment, then whispered, "You could tell her about how hard you've worked to get better."
"I have told her," Lorelai breathed. "That doesn't change things."
Luke cleared his throat and pulled back so he could look in her eyes. "I think you should tell her about Abby," he suggested gently.
"No," Lorelai said firmly. "No. I'm not even going every week anymore. You promised me, Luke, you promised you wouldn't ever tell anyone."
"I know and I haven't," he assured her. "I won't. But I think you should."
"She can't know," Lorelai said defensively. "No. Out of the question."
"Okay," Luke relented. He was quiet for a moment, then asked, "Why not?"
She narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't recall you renting a bulletin board to announce your involvement in the process," she stated.
"I know, I get why you don't want the entire world to know, especially in this insane town," Luke said. "But we're talking about Rory here. Maybe if she gets how willing you were to do something that was scary and challenge yourself to face your fears she'll understand that things are different this time."
Lorelai sighed as she smoothed her hand over the comforter. "I guess you have a point," she said. "I'll think about it."
Luke leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead. "You're a great mother," he assured her. "Rory is who she is because you gave up everything for her. How many teenagers would share a bed with their child for years in a shed? How many people would be willing to give up their dreams to send their kid to school? How many would stay up until one in the morning to see a live streaming of her stepdaughter's swim meet online since she couldn't be there in person?"
Lorelai smiled slightly. "I still can't believe swim meets go that late," she murmured.
"Not everyone would do that," Luke promised. "If I thought you were a bad mother in any way do you think I'd have ever left you alone with April?"
"Well, those seeds were planted," Lorelai muttered.
He reached for her hand. "That's the old me," he murmured.
"I know," she sighed. "I guess there are still times where it's going to creep back up on us. I'm not trying to hold it against you, I promise. I just hope I'll do a better job with our kid."
"I hope you are the exact same kind of mother you are to Rory," he said sincerely.
A glimmer appeared in Lorelai's eye. "Does that mean you'll let me drink coffee after I get pregnant?" she asked.
"Okay, there will be the tiny exception of not passing the caffeine addiction along," Luke conceded. "But the big stuff, you just be the mother you've always been. And our baby will be just as perfect as her sisters."
Lorelai smiled gently. "I hope so," she breathed. She met his gaze evenly and murmured, "She'll have her dad around."
"She will," Luke nodded. "You feeling better?"
She wiped at her eyes and nodded. "Yeah," she admitted. "I'm sorry for waking you up in an emotional mess."
"It's okay," he said honestly. "Just don't get too down on yourself. I don't like seeing you like that."
She smiled softly as she settled down against the pillows. "Thanks," she said. "For talking me through it."
He reached to turn off the light and settled down beside her. "Thanks for turning to me," he replied.
Lorelai sighed deeply as she turned onto her side, her exhaustion and emotions lulling her into a deep sleep.
XXXXX
"The town looks so fun!" April exclaimed the following afternoon as Luke drove through the town square on the way back from the airport. "Even though the pilgrims aren't accurately portrayed in the diorama I appreciate the nostalgic feel."
"You don't have to look at them every day," Luke grumbled.
"Aw, come on, Dad, even you have to admit it's fun!" April exclaimed.
Luke sighed deeply. "You're going to get along well with Lorelai and Rory this weekend," he stated.
"Is Rory really okay sharing her room?" April asked. "I can sleep on the couch."
"You are not going to sleep on the couch," Luke said firmly. "We talked to her and brought your bed from the apartment over. It's completely fine."
"Okay," April said. "Hey, do you think Lorelai will let us have pizza for dinner?"
Luke let out a laugh as he turned into the driveway. "I'll think we'll be able to convince her," he said.
April smiled as she stepped out of the car. Luke was getting out of his own side when the front door opened and Lorelai rushed down the porch steps, Rory close behind her.
"Welcome home!" Lorelai cried, holding her arms out to April. April laughed and hugged her tightly before Lorelai pulled back to examine her. "I thought I told you that you weren't allowed to grow anymore," she said with a mock frown.
"I tried to stop," April said seriously. She glanced around Lorelai and suddenly became a bit unsure when her eyes landed on Rory. "Hi, Rory," she said quietly.
"Hi," Rory replied, equally unsure of how to greet her future stepsister.
"Okay, you're going to be sharing a room, you're sisters, hug it out already," Lorelai encouraged, shoving April towards Rory.
Rory walked down the stairs and the girls embraced quickly before Rory stepped back and crossed her arms. "How was your flight?" she asked.
"Long," April said. "But I'm working my way through the Odyssey so I'm prepared for my honors Literature course after Christmas."
Rory's eyes lit up. "You know, my grandpa gave me a copy in Greek," she said. "It was published during the Industrial Revolution."
"Really?" April asked. "Can I see it?"
"Of course," Rory said, leading her towards the house. "How do you feel about graphic novels?"
"They're ruining my generation's ability to understand good literature," April replied without hesitation.
Rory nodded in approval. "This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," she announced before the girls disappeared into the house.
Lorelai turned towards Luke with a smile. "Well, it wasn't that awkward," she offered.
Luke pulled April's bag out of the back of the truck. "Guess it could have been worse," he nodded. "Geez, she's only here for three days. Does she really need this much stuff?"
"Duh, she's a girl," Lorelai replied, taking the backpack he held out to her. "Plus, if she's that much like Rory, she's got six novels to read for pleasure, and all of her textbooks."
"Wouldn't surprise me," Luke said as they made their way back to the house. He looked at her carefully, then asked, "How are you feeling today?"
"Better," Lorelai confirmed. "I'm sorry again for waking you up."
"Hey it's okay," he said with a small smile. "I just want to make sure you're okay."
She shrugged, pausing outside the front door. "I still feel guilty," she admitted.
"It's okay that Rory was upset, you know," Luke said. "I don't like it, or want her to be upset, but that was a rough year for everyone. I'd be more concerned if she wasn't emotional about it."
"That's true," Lorelai sighed. "I hate that I didn't think about her though."
"Well, now you know," Luke said. "You're an amazing mother, Lorelai. There's no one else in the world I'd plan to have a baby with."
She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Because of my beauty and quick sense of humor?" she asked.
"Because you'll take care of her and help her grow into an ambitious, caring, kind adult," Luke replied. He glanced at her and then smiled. "Plus she'll be beautiful."
Lorelai smiled and rubbed his arm before she opened the front door. He followed her into the kitchen, and the two of them stopped outside Rory's room. Both girls were staring at the back cover of a thick book.
"They're both home," she murmured over her shoulder.
He squeezed her arm and smiled down at her. "Feels good, doesn't it?" he replied.
She nodded and leaned her head back into him. "Yeah, it does."
Rory looked up and eyed them closely. "Why are you both looking at us like that?" she asked.
"Because you're both just so pretty," Lorelai said with a bright smile. "We have your stuff, April."
"Thanks," she said, reaching to take her backpack. "Hey, can we get pizza tonight?"
Lorelai turned to Rory. "I told you, I trained her well," she reported.
"Pizza is always a solid choice," Rory nodded. "But no vegetables," she added with a pointed look at Luke.
He frowned. "I get hungry too," he said.
"Well, it's three against one, no vegetables," Lorelai shrugged. "Sorry."
He crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at her. "So I'm just supposed to starve?" he asked.
"No, you could go out on a limb and eat extra cheesy pizza and garlic cheesy bread," Lorelai replied.
"That sounds disgusting."
"Luke, it's a special occasion," she explained.
"So that means I have to eat crappy food?"
"No, it means you have to make us happy," Lorelai tilted her head to the side. "Isn't that what you want?"
He inhaled deeply then pointed a finger at her. "You can have your crap, but you're eating a salad with it," he ordered.
She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "With steak and blue cheese?"
"Chicken and vinaigrette."
"Chicken and ranch."
"Fine," he relented, then turned and stormed towards the living room.
Lorelai followed him, calling, "You better not try to put fat free ranch on that salad!"
Rory rolled her eyes as she placed the book on her bookshelf. "Some things never change," she said.
"Have they always been like that?" April asked.
"For as long as I can remember," Rory confirmed.
"Even before they dated?"
"Believe it or not, they were worse," Rory informed her.
"Worse?" April asked.
"One time, Luke tried to give Mom a turkey burger," Rory informed her. "She retaliated by throwing out his entire supply of decaf coffee."
"Wow, I wish I could have seen that," April said.
Rory shrugged. "I'm sure there are plenty more similar events in our future," she said.
April was quiet as she sat down on the edge of her bed, placed against the wall where Rory's dresser had formerly stood. "When did you meet my dad?" she asked.
"I think I was ten," Rory replied. "I actually met him before Mom did."
"You did?"
"Yeah, I got let out of school early because someone pulled the fire alarm," Rory replied. "I was going to get a piece of cake from Weston's, but it was closed so I figured I'd go to the diner on the corner instead. It wasn't busy, and Luke just told me that I shouldn't be eating sugar that late in the day. He gave me an extra big slice of pie though. While I ate he asked me where my parents were, and I told him that I was an inn kid. We'd just moved here, but I still felt more at home at the inn. Luke let me do my homework at the counter before I went to meet my mom at the inn that afternoon."
"When did your mom meet my dad?" April asked.
Rory shrugged. "I don't know, I never really asked," she said. "But one Saturday, instead of going to Al's, we went to Luke's before we went ice skating. He went skating with us and stayed with me while Mom took off."
"He stayed with you?" April asked.
"I'm not exactly athletic," Rory replied. "I was scared. Luke didn't let go of me until I was ready."
April nodded sadly and looked down at her hands. "I can see that," she said softly.
Rory looked at April and immediately kicked herself mentally. "I'm sorry," she said. "I know what it's like to grow up without a dad."
"It's okay," April said. "I know he would have been there if he'd known about me."
"Consider yourself lucky for that," Rory muttered.
Before April could say anything, Lorelai poked her head into the room. "Okay, I know you're doing the sisterly bonding thing, but Luke and I would actually like to interact with you two at some point," she announced.
"Is the pizza here?" Rory asked.
"Yes," Lorelai nodded. "Hey, will you eat my salad?"
Rory made a face. "No way," she said.
"How about you?" Lorelai turned to April. "Free room and board, all you have to do is eat salad."
"Lorelai!" Luke exclaimed as he appeared in the kitchen. "You're eating the salad. I want you to live past the age of forty."
"Hey, if you don't make me eat salad, I'll let you walk Paul Anka for a month," Lorelai offered.
"Is that supposed to tempt me?" he asked.
April turned to Rory. "Do they ever not argue?" she asked.
Rory shook her head and placed a hand on April's shoulder. "Trust me, I've seen the opposite," she said. "You don't want to know."
"Don't want to know what?" Luke asked as the girls joined them in the living room.
"What happens when you withhold coffee from me and Mom," Rory replied, settling on the floor and reaching for a piece of pizza.
"She's right," Lorelai nodded. "It's not pretty."
Luke sighed from his spot beside Lorelai on the couch. "I know, I've learned my lesson," he said.
"So we need to discuss our schedule for tomorrow," Lorelai announced, frowning at the avocado in her salad. She reached her fork over to put it on Luke's plate, offering him an innocent smile as she did so.
"Schedule?" April asked. "Aren't we going to have Thanksgiving dinner?"
"Not just one, young padwan," Lorelai replied. "Three."
"Three?" April asked.
"What happened to the Kims'?" Luke asked.
"Lane and Mrs. Kim are going to Zack's house for dinner," Rory reported.
"But instead of Sookie's, we're going to Liz's," Lorelai added. "We'll start there, head to the diner so I can give Luke his flowers, and then head to the house of horrors."
Rory frowned. "They've been better," she said.
"Yes, but there is a significant possibility they've been saving it all up for the holidays," Lorelai replied. "Especially considering the fact that I can almost time my mother's daily phone call to express how our wedding is not being properly planned."
"Don't listen to her," Rory said to April. "She's exaggerating."
"No she's not," Luke interjected. "We'll come up with a smoke signal if we need to get out of there quickly."
"Good idea," Lorelai said with an impressed nod. "I'll also give you a blueprint of the house labeled with every way to sneak out."
"You're scaring her, stop it!" Rory admonished. "They'll be perfectly nice to you. They'll like you, I promise."
"Okay," April said hesitantly.
Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, you're smart, so just tell them about your science projects," she said. "Make sure you use really big words to confuse my mother."
"Okay," April repeated.
Luke offered her a small smile. "Don't worry, kid," he said. "If they're even remotely mean to you, I'll just ask for a beer."
"Yeah, you're a real nitwit to drink that stuff," Lorelai nodded. She pointed to the TV and said, "So what are we watching tonight?"
XXXXX
"Thanks for dinner, Aunt Liz," April said politely the following afternoon.
"You're very welcome, April," she replied. "It's nice to have you home."
"It's nice to be here," April said, sealing the last of the leftovers and handing them to her aunt.
"You too, Rory," Liz said, turning to the sink where Rory was washing the last plate. "Thanks for helping with clean up."
"No problem, it's the least I can do," Rory said.
"It's too bad Jess couldn't make it, he would have loved to see both of you," Liz sighed.
"I've been e-mailing him," Rory replied. "He said he's going to be here for Mom's wedding."
Liz tilted her head to the side. "Yeah, it's so cute how Luke asked him to be the best man," she said. "He really helped him out, don't you think?"
Rory cleared her throat and looked down at the floor. "Yeah, I can't believe he's having another book published," she said.
"Me neither!" Liz exclaimed. "I'm so proud of him I could just burst. You know, I saw…"
As Liz described her latest visit to her son, April wandered out of the kitchen and into the living room. TJ had disappeared up the stairs, and Lorelai was seated on the floor with Doula in her lap. Luke was seated across the room, smiling as he watched Lorelai place Doula onto her feet and hold her waist steady for a moment.
"Come on, pretty girl," Lorelai said, carefully letting go of Doula. "Walk to your uncle. You can do it, I know you can."
Doula bounced slightly, laughing as she looked towards Luke. He beamed back at her as he held his arms out. "It's just a few steps," he said in a soft tone.
With a final bounce, Doula quickly pushed herself forward, running into Luke's arms and collapsing into them with a loud laugh. "Good job, Doula!" Luke said, pressing a kiss to her head.
Lorelai scooted closer and rubbed her hand over the baby's back. "It's a pretty great place to be, isn't it?" she said softly.
Luke offered her a smile before he turned his attention back to the baby. "She's getting so big," he murmured.
"I can't believe she's walking," Lorelai added.
April glanced over at Rory as she appeared in the doorway beside her. "Is it weird for you?" she asked.
Rory followed April's gaze, watching as Lorelai lifted Doula out of Luke's arms and bounced her over her head, causing the baby to squeal excitedly. "Not really," she said. "Mom's always been good with babies."
"But the two of them together with her?" April asked.
"Are you okay?" Rory asked gently.
April shrugged. "It could have been me," she said softly. "When I was as small as Doula, it could have been me he was playing with."
Rory nodded. "I guess it is a little weird," she conceded. "And if they have a baby, they'll have him around."
"It's not fair," April muttered.
"No, it's not," Rory agreed. "But they'll still love both of us."
"I know," April replied. "I never thought I'd have a sibling."
Rory sighed dramatically. "Hopefully our sibling will be less annoying than my dad's daughter," she said.
April looked up at her curiously. "You have a sister?" she asked.
"Technically, yes," Rory replied. "I got to know her a little last year, but…I've never really been close with her. Or my dad."
"Do you think we'll get a sibling?" April asked.
Rory sighed and looked down at her. "If we do, we'll have some serious responsibility," she said. "I'll pass down my writing strategies, you'll be in charge of science projects."
April beamed up at Rory. "Deal," she said happily.
Two and a half hours later, after a quick check in at the diner, Lorelai stood outside her parents' house with a frown on her face. "So which one of us has food poisoning?" she asked.
"None of us," Rory rolled her eyes.
"Come on, we can tell them that we ate at the diner and now we're sick, they'll totally fall for that," Lorelai insisted.
"Thanks for that," Luke muttered.
"I'm not saying it's true, I'm saying they'll believe it's true," Lorelai insisted.
"True," Luke nodded. "We could make that work."
Rory reached forward and rang the doorbell. "You've been around her too long," she informed Luke.
Lorelai gasped in pretend offense. "Excuse me, you spent eighteen years with me and turned out okay," she said.
"I didn't have a choice," Rory shrugged. "You bought the coffee."
"Well, that is the only reason I'm marrying Luke," Lorelai replied.
The door swung open before he could reply, and Emily beamed at them. "Rory!" she exclaimed. "It's so good to see you!"
She pulled Rory into the house and Lorelai sighed dramatically. "Thanks, Mom, great to see you too," she said as she led Luke and April inside.
"Richard, Rory's here!" Emily called into the living room.
"Did we become invisible?" April asked Lorelai.
"She's always been their favorite," Lorelai said. "It's okay, by the time the rolls are served you'll have outranked me."
"Rory!" Richard came into the hallway and embraced her warmly. "It's so good to have you back here!"
"Hi, Grandpa," she said.
"I've been following your articles on the internet," Richard informed her. "It's quite fascinating, don't you think, that you don't even have to print your information. You simply create it, press a button, and there it is!"
"Yeah, it's a crazy world we live in," Rory nodded.
"Hi, Dad!" Lorelai chirped.
"Hello, Lorelai," Richard barely glanced at her before he turned back to Rory. "Tell me, how do you have access to the internet when you're on the bus?"
"There's a wireless connection," Rory said. "It's a fancy bus."
"Okay, Mom, Dad, I know you're going through Rory withdrawal, but we have a guest," Lorelai said, placing her hands on April's shoulders. "This is April."
"Hello, April," Emily said. "We've heard quite a bit about you."
"Hi, Mrs. Gilmore, Mr. Gilmore," she said quietly.
"You're a scientist, I hear, is that correct?" Richard asked.
"Yes, sir."
"Well, I was going through my study last week and I found a first edition copy of Inherit the Wind," Richard stated. "Would you like to take a look?"
April's eyes lit up. "Sure!" she said. "Can I go, Dad?"
"Of course," Luke said.
"I want to see too!" Rory announced, following them into Richard's study.
Once they were gone, Lorelai turned to Emily. "So, Mom, are we going to get anything to drink, or just stand in the foyer all night?" she asked.
Emily rolled her eyes. "Follow me," she said. "I have sparkling water if you'd like that instead of wine."
Lorelai gripped Luke's arm tightly as she said through clenched teeth, "I'm not pregnant, Mom."
Emily raised her eyebrows as her gaze traveled to Lorelai's midsection. "My mistake," she said simply, her tone masking nothing. "Beer, Luke?"
She disappeared before he could respond and Lorelai turned to look at him. "What's her deal?" she hissed.
"Maybe she just wants another grandkid," Luke tried to defend her.
Lorelai put her hands on her hips and frowned. "Do I look pregnant?" she asked. "Because she seemed to think that now I look pregnant!"
"Maybe it's just wishful thinking," Luke replied.
"Or maybe she's convincing herself that I'm pregnant and that's why we're getting married," Lorelai mused. "Hey, we could have some fun with this!"
He narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you talking about?" he asked.
"We could tell her that I actually am pregnant, but then I'll proceed to drain every drop of alcohol on the cart," Lorelai replied. "Then I'll eat all the soft cheeses they have and smoke a cigar with my dad. Oh, the expression on her face would be priceless!"
"You're not doing that," Luke rolled his eyes.
She sighed dramatically. "You're no fun," she sighed.
"I know."
"Okay, well, we're never going to get those three out of the library," Emily sighed. "They've moved on to Richard's Charles Darwin publications."
Lorelai smiled as she sat down on the couch. "We may have to surgically remove April," she nodded.
Emily looked carefully at Luke. "She's a lovely girl," she said sincerely.
"Thank you," Luke nodded.
"Very much like Rory," Emily continued. "Curious and ambitious."
"Yeah, she's a smart one," Lorelai nodded.
"Are she and Rory getting along?" Emily asked.
"They've been talking nonstop," Lorelai confirmed. "You know how sisters are."
"Good," Emily said with a nod. "I'm sure that's a relief for both of you."
Luke nodded, then looked up when Rory and April entered the room, Richard following closely behind.
"This house is so cool!" April exclaimed. "Did you know Rory has her own portrait?"
Lorelai scoffed. "If you squint and tilt your head to the left, it starts to resemble Rory," she commented.
"Lorelai, please," Emily sighed. "April, Rory, would you like something to drink? We can move into the dining room for dinner."
"White wine, please," Rory requested.
"Certainly," Emily nodded. "April, we have ginger ale if you'd like some."
"Yes, please," April nodded.
Once they were all seated around the table, Emily turned to Rory and April, seated side by side. "So, girls, have you found dresses for the wedding yet?"
"Mom's making them," Rory reported.
"They're purple," April added.
"Purple?" Emily turned to Lorelai, who dropped her fork onto her plate.
"Yes, Mom," she replied. "Purple."
"Lorelai!"
She raised her hands in self defense. "How does purple get a Lorelai?" she asked.
"You can't have purple at a Christmas wedding."
"Why not?" Lorelai asked.
"Because it's not done!"
"Since when have I ever cared about that?" Lorelai asked.
Emily rolled her eyes. "Well, clearly never," she said. "I once caught you wearing your Christmas socks in November."
"And the world's still spinning, isn't it?" Lorelai asked. "Mom, please. Things have been good, it's Thanksgiving. Can't we just enjoy a nice, normal, family dinner free of comments about weddings or babies?"
"Babies?" Rory asked, looking at her mother carefully.
"Non existent babies," Lorelai added, staring at Emily closely. "Please, Mom?"
Emily shifted uncomfortably in her seat, then nodded. "Fine," she said.
"Thank you," Lorelai said. She picked up her fork and turned to flash Luke a nervous smile.
"So, April," Richard said, leaning forward in his chair. "Rory tells me you'll be touring Chilton this weekend."
She nodded. "I'm not sure if it will work out, but I figured I'd at least look at it," she nodded.
"Have to use those connections, right, sweetie?" Lorelai asked with a warm smile directed at April.
"Well, I'm not exactly Headmaster Charleston's favorite person," Rory said, blushing with embarrassment.
"You are the greatest student that school has ever seen," Emily stated. "They'd be lucky to have April attend upon your recommendation."
"Just don't ring any bells while you're there," Lorelai advised. "Rory got in big trouble for that particular offense."
Rory rolled her eyes. "It's more complicated than that," she said.
"Uh, not really," Lorelai replied.
"There are plenty of other schools in the area," Richard informed April. "Many of the boards are Yale alumnus. If you'd like me to make a phone call, I'd be happy to do so."
Luke reached to squeeze Lorelai's knee under the table and she nodded in understanding. "We've got it under control, Dad," she said. "Thanks."
Richard looked at her closely, then nodded. "All right, then," he nodded.
There was a moment of silence as everyone returned to their meals. After a beat, Lorelai leaned towards April and said, "After dinner I'll show you where Rory was held hostage the night before she left for Yale."
XXXXX
The following afternoon, Rory and April walked into a silent house. "I'm surprised they're not already here pestering you with questions," Rory commented as she walked towards the kitchen.
"Thanks for insisting you make it the two of us," April called as she walked into Rory's room. "I love our parents, but it was way less stressful without them there."
"Understood," Rory nodded. She picked up a note that rested on the kitchen table and called, "It looks like they went to the inn to talk to Sookie about the wedding dinner. They'll be home later."
"Okay," April appeared in the kitchen dressed in jeans and a sweater.
Rory started preparing the coffee pot as she asked, "So you really liked Chilton?"
"Yeah," April said as she sat down at the kitchen table. "It's a really great school. And if I want to get into an ivy league school, I can't stay in public school in New Mexico."
"I'm sure you could," Rory said. "You're pretty smart."
"Thanks," April smiled.
"Would you be okay leaving your mom?" Rory asked curiously.
April shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "I love my mom, but Connecticut is my home, you know? It's not just Dad, but my friends and everything that's familiar to me is here."
Rory nodded slowly. "Yeah, I get that," she said. "No matter where I travel, it's always nice to have Stars Hollow to come home to."
"It's weird to have to choose," April said quietly. "It's always been Mom and me and now everything has changed."
"Well, I'm glad you're here," Rory said firmly. "It's nice to have another kid around. They're way more careful about their PDA when you're around."
April giggled slightly. "I'm glad you're going to be my sister," she said.
"I'm glad you're going to be my sister too," Rory said. "You know what we should do while the parents are out?"
"What?" April asked.
"Eat lots of junk food and give ourselves facials using Mom's fancy cream," Rory declared.
"Won't they get mad?" April asked.
Rory leaned forward. "Until you steal a boat and drop out of college, I think you're safe," she said.
"I thought you graduated from college," April frowned.
"I did," Rory nodded. "But there was a rough couple months where I got mixed up. My mom and I barely talked."
"I thought you're best friends."
"We are," Rory said. "It was a huge mistake on my part. But I graduated on time, and things are great with Mom now."
April nodded. "Can we give ourselves facials now?"
"If you get the candy, I'll get the moisturizer," Rory said.
Ten minutes later, they were seated side by side on the couch, their faces covered in blue facial cream. As Rory munched on a Mallomar, April peered into a box on the coffee table. "There are a bunch of pictures in here," she commented.
"Mom and I were going through them this morning," Rory replied. "She was trying to find pictures for Luke, for his wedding present." She paused. "It's supposed to be a surprise."
"I won't tell," April shook her head. "Can I look at them?"
"Sure," Rory said. They both reached into the box and pulled out a handful of pictures, looking through them quickly.
"This was at Aunt Liz's wedding, right?" April held up a picture of the ceremony, where Luke and Lorelai were captured in the background.
"Yeah," Rory nodded. "I wasn't there. But that was their first date."
"Lorelai looked so pretty," April observed. "They have pictures up in their room."
"I know," Rory sighed. She'd repacked those very frames into a storage unit following her mother's Luke purge. "Oh, look, it's my fifteenth birthday party!"
April peered over and smiled as she saw a group of Stars Hollow townies gathered on Lorelai's front porch. "Everyone looks so happy," she observed.
Rory nodded. "That was the great silly string contest of ninety nine," she nodded.
April took the picture and looked at it closely. "Are you sure they weren't dating?" she asked.
"Who?" Rory asked.
"Our parents," April replied. "Look how he's looking at her."
Rory rolled her eyes. "He's looked at her like that forever," she said. "They both lived in denial for years."
"I guess so," April said. She set the picture aside and returned to her own pile. "Wow, did my dad actually allow an event to take place in the diner?"
"Let me see," Rory said. She took the picture, then laughed slightly. "No, that was when my mom first bought her digital camera. She documented her life every five minutes for two days. I thought Luke's head was going to explode when she kept taking pictures of him while she waited for dinner."
April smiled. She reached into the box again and held up a picture. "When was this?" she asked.
"Oh, that was my first ice skating trip," Rory replied. "Remember, I told you how Luke helped me learn?"
April looked down at the picture of a much younger Rory, beaming as she stood between an equally younger looking Luke and Lorelai. The three of them were still wearing their ice skates, and the pond was frozen over in the background. "It's weird to think you guys were doing this while I was only a couple minutes away," she said. "I could have been part of it."
Rory nodded as she started to stack the pictures neatly. A lot would have been different in her own life if Luke had known about April from the beginning. "I'm sorry you missed that," she finally said. "I'm sorry he missed that."
"Do you ever wish your dad had been around more?" April asked.
Rory sighed. "I did," she admitted. "When I was your age, I wished that I was worth more than an obligatory birthday phone call. And when I got a little older, I was thrilled when we talked on the phone, once a week. Part of me really hoped that he'd start to come around more."
"And now?"
Rory shrugged. "Our situations are a lot different, April," she said. "Your dad didn't know about you, but he would have been there. My dad did know about me, and he chose not to be there. And the few times he did show up, he tried to get to my mom through me. Like I was… the lemon that comes with the iced tea. It's nice, but you don't miss it if it's not there."
April was quiet for a moment. "Wow, that's really sad," she said.
"It's okay, my mom loved me enough for a hundred parents," Rory replied. "I never felt unwanted."
"Me neither," April said. "I guess I just get sad, knowing that he was so close and I had no idea."
"Well, you should consider yourself lucky now," Rory replied. "Because you not only have a mom and a dad, you've got the best stepmother in the world. And a pretty great big sister too."
April smiled widely. "That's true," she said. "It makes up for all the years it was just me and Mom."
Rory shook her head slightly. As much as she was happy for her mother, she wouldn't trade the years they'd spent, just the two of them, for anything in the world.
Before either of them could continue the conversation, the front door opened and Lorelai breezed into the living room. "Oh my god," she exclaimed. "You're having facials without me?"
Rory popped a marshmallow into her mouth. "You weren't here," she said.
"Ugh, I can't believe I missed girl time to listen to Luke and Sookie argue about how much chocolate powder should go into a wedding cake," Lorelai said, dropping onto the couch between the two of them. "Got any good gossip for the mommy? How was Chilton?"
"Well, Headmaster Charleston is still blaming me for the fact that no one from Chilton has gone to Yale since I graduated," Rory sighed. "He was, however, impressed with April."
"Yeah?" Lorelai turned to April. "How'd you like it?"
"It seemed nice," April nodded. "I like that they have state of the art science labs. It would really help me to get into an Ivy League school."
"I'm glad you liked it," Lorelai said with a nod. She cringed slightly, and said, "Ugh, this means I'll have to join the boosters again."
"You were on the boosters?" April asked in surprise.
"Barely," Rory muttered, earning herself a glare from her mother.
"I put on an excellent fashion show fundraiser, thank you very much," Lorelai declared.
"Shouldn't Luke be the one to join the booster club?" Rory suggested.
"Around those women?" Lorelai frowned. "Hell, no. I'd rather sit through that than let them get anywhere near my man."
"Where is the man of the house?" Rory asked, craning her neck towards the front door.
"Bringing home the bacon," Lorelai replied. "Literally. He's bringing dinner home from the diner."
Rory sighed dramatically. "I've had dreams about Luke's burgers," she said longingly.
"Hey, you're the one who chose to drive around the country and eat far less superior diner food," Lorelai shrugged.
"Entirely my fault, got it," Rory nodded.
Lorelai patted each girl on the knee and stood, heading for the stairs. "Okay, I'm going to go change, you two start thinking of the girliest movie we can make Luke watch tonight," she instructed.
April giggled and turned to Rory. "Your mom is awesome," she said.
Rory shook her head and looked up to the stairs. "Yeah, she is," she agreed softly.
An hour later, Luke had arrived home and spread a variety of food out on the kitchen table. As the girls eagerly dug into the buffet, he reached around Lorelai and placed a pile of brownies on the table. "Eat with caution, I double the amount of chocolate needed," he warned.
"Luke, will you marry me?" Lorelai flirted as she gleefully reached for a brownie.
"I'll think about it and get back to you," he replied. He turned to April and asked, "Did you call your mom this afternoon?"
"No," she said simply.
Her sharp tone caused Luke and Lorelai to exchange a glance, and Lorelai raised her eyebrows towards him expectantly. "She probably wanted to hear all about your visit to Chilton," he tried to prod.
April snapped the lid onto the ketchup bottle and placed it back on the table. "Well…she doesn't exactly know that I signed up for a tour," she admitted.
"She what?" Luke exclaimed, and Rory backed away from the table slightly, looking to her mother for any sort of direction as to what to do next.
"I just wanted to look, she didn't need to know," April said.
"Uh, yes she does," Luke replied, reaching for the phone. "Call her. Now."
"No."
Lorelai's eyes widened at April's defiant tone. She'd never heard her talk like that, and judging from the expression on Luke's face, he hadn't either.
"April, this isn't a choice," he said slowly, trying to remain calm. "If you're seriously considering this, it requires a huge decision between your mom, me, and the courts. You can't leave her in the dark and then decide you want this. She needs to know it's an option."
April slammed her plate down on the table. "She doesn't get that choice!" she cried. "I wasn't given a choice about getting to know you when I was little, so now she doesn't get a choice about this!"
"Your mom thought she was doing what was best," Luke replied.
"No she didn't, she was being selfish!" April cried. "She wanted me all to herself, and she came up with that stupid lame excuse of you not liking kids, which is totally not true! Because while I was spending my childhood making change in her store, you were here, helping Rory learn to ice skate and giving her pie at the diner!"
Rory's eyes widened, unsure of how she had become part of this.
"I would have been there, April, you know that," Luke said.
"I know, which is why Mom totally doesn't get to have a say about where I go to high school!" April said. "Not only did she keep me away from you for my whole life, she tried to destroy everything with Lorelai! She was jealous because Lorelai is fun and nice and would never, ever do anything like she did."
With that, April turned and stormed into Rory's bedroom, slamming the door behind her. The three adults stood frozen in the kitchen for a long moment before Luke turned to Lorelai. "Where the hell did that come from?" he asked.
Lorelai sighed, and rested a hand on his shoulder. "We officially have a teenage girl in the house again," she said.
"That was more than just being a teenage girl," Luke frowned. "You were never like that," he said to Rory.
"Uh, yes she was," Lorelai replied. "Except she didn't want to go to Chilton. Because of a boy. Dean, to be specific."
Luke frowned as he turned to her. "You were going to give up Chilton for a boy?" he asked.
"Don't get mad at me," Rory said defensively. "Mom totally won that argument."
"Hi, let's focus on what we need to here," Lorelai said. "Rory, you take Luke into the living room and tell him about the time you and Lane got into a fight because you accused her of taking your Spice Girls CD…"
"Your Spice Girls CD."
"Whatever, just enlighten him on the inner workings of the mind of a teenager girl," Lorelai said. "I'll channel my inner Judy Blume and see if I can get her to talk."
Luke frowned towards the door. "Are you sure I shouldn't talk to her?" he asked.
"Eventually," Lorelai nodded, leading him gently towards the living room. "I've got this. I promise." She looked up at him closely for a moment, silently asking if it was okay that she take this much responsibility in April's life. She was relieved when he reached out to rub her arm.
"Thanks," he said softly.
She shrugged and turned to Rory. "Tell him about the time you cried for a week because you hit a squirrel when you were learning to drive," she suggested.
She walked back into the kitchen, grabbing a plate of French fries before she knocked gently on Rory's door. She cracked it open at April's muffled acknowledgement, then sat down gently on her bed. "Well, that was quite the performance you gave out there," she said softly.
"Sorry," April muttered, sitting up against the headboard and not meeting Lorelai's gaze.
"It's okay," Lorelai said. "I've certainly had my moments. You want to talk?"
April shrugged. "I just hate it so much," she said. "That he was here, with you and Rory, and I could have been part of it. She refused to even give him a chance."
Lorelai nodded slowly. "It makes him sad too," she said. "But April, your dad was pretty different back then. He was still a great guy, who did a lot for me and Rory, but we weren't dating. He had his own life, and so did we. We were never a happy, sitcom family."
"But he was here," April said. "And she wouldn't let me know him. Who does that?"
Lorelai was silent for a moment, not wanting to tell April that she agreed with her on that point. After a long moment, she said, "You know when you do a science experiment, and before you begin you make a prediction?"
"A hypothesis," April corrected, ever the technical perfectionist.
"Right, a hypothesis," Lorelai nodded. "When you make that hypothesis, you work to prove that it's correct, right?"
"So?" April narrowed her eyes.
"So, you don't always prove the hypothesis correct," Lorelai said gently. "Sometimes what you predicted completely changes course and evolves into something else. Your mom thought she was doing the right thing when she made the choice to raise you alone. Trust me, it's not an easy choice."
April sighed and uncrossed her arms. "This is my home," she said. "Not here, here, I mean, I like it here, but Connecticut. She just packed me up and shipped me out there, and I miss it here. I want to come home."
"Okay," Lorelai said. "You're growing up, April. I think if you can sit down and talk to your mother, rationally and calmly, maybe she and your dad can come up with a plan. But you can't just make all these choices without talking to her. From a mom perspective, it's not cool. You need to tell her how you feel, and maybe she'll surprise you."
April reached tentatively for a French fry. "Okay," she sighed.
"And," Lorelai leaned forward, a small smile on her face. "I think you should talk to your dad. He was a little thrown off by that Oscar winning performance a couple minutes ago."
"I will," April said. She finished the French fry in her hand and said, "Thanks."
Lorelai smiled warmly. "Happy I could help," she said.
April stood with her, and reached out to hug her tightly. "I'm really glad you're going to be my stepmother," she said.
"Me too, sweetie," she said. "Just remember you have a really great mom who loves you more than anything."
April wiped her eyes slightly, then followed Lorelai into the living room. "Well, I got her out of the bedroom, so it's an all around victory," Lorelai announced. "Hey, Rory, can you help me with the coffee?"
Rory picked up on her mother's not so subtle attempts to give Luke and April a moment together, and hurried to escape to the kitchen. "I am really sorry if I ever made an outburst like that," she said once they were in the privacy of the kitchen.
Lorelai shrugged. "Par for the course," she said. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, why?" Rory asked.
"Well, your name came up a couple times in April's Clueless moment there," Lorelai explained, sitting down at the kitchen table. "A hint of sibling rivalry was detected."
"I did feel a little bad for telling her about those things," Rory said softly.
"It's okay, Rory, we're not going to ignore the past," Lorelai said. "I don't want you to lose the memories you have of Luke because you feel badly for April."
Rory sighed as she leaned back in her seat. "I don't know, I guess I'm just a little overwhelmed by all of it," she said honestly. "I'm happy for you, Mom, I really am."
"But?" Lorelai prompted.
"But…things just seemed easier when I was living here and it was just the two of us," Rory said softly. "Sorry."
"Don't be sorry," Lorelai said. "I'm glad to know what you're thinking. And Rory, I wouldn't trade anything about those years for anything. We had such a great time together, didn't we?"
Rory smiled sadly. "It makes me sad it won't ever be like that again," she said.
"Me too," Lorelai said. "But we've both grown up. You're doing an amazing job on the road. And now I'm finally ready to make some grown up choices for myself. Well thought out, real choices, that are permanent."
Rory didn't say anything, but stood and reached for two coffee cups.
Lorelai turned to look at her carefully. "I never apologized to you," she said.
"For what?" Rory asked, handing her a cup of coffee.
"For not realizing how much my choices have effected you," Lorelai said. "I should have checked in with you, throughout all of it. I kept promising it was going to work out, with Max, then your dad, then Luke, then your dad again, and now Luke again. You kept getting your hopes up."
Rory nodded slowly. "I just want you to be happy," she said softly.
Lorelai smiled softly. "I love you for that," she said. "But there are still some concerns bouncing around in that pretty head of yours, aren't there?"
"I believe you believe it's going to work," Rory said hesitantly. "I know you say things are different this time, but it's hard to know for sure."
"I can't blame you for that," Lorelai said. She took a sip of coffee and thought about Luke's comments during her middle of the night breakdown earlier that week. She hadn't wanted Rory to know that she'd gone to counseling, not wanting to destroy the image of herself as Rory's role model that she'd described in her high school graduation speech. But upon reflecting on how Rory was still concerned about her upcoming wedding, she knew she had to let go of the promise she'd made herself months ago.
"Rory, I know I've said this before," Lorelai said, not meeting her daughter's eyes. "But things are different this time. Really, truly, different." She cleared her throat and said, "I, um, got some help talking through my emotional baggage. And now the forklift is gone. All that's left is a tiny bit that fits into a cute, designer purse."
"Help?" Rory asked. "What kind of help?"
Lorelai swallowed hard. "I spent a few months in counseling," she said. "I know I used to joke about it a lot, but after your dad and I broke up, I was entirely, completely alone for the first time in my life. And that was scary to me. I'd never gotten over losing Luke, and I just wanted someone to talk to."
"You could have talked to me," Rory said.
Lorelai shook her head slightly. "I love you, Rory, but there were some pretty scary demons running around up here," she tapped the side of her head. "I needed to talk to someone who had absolutely no involvement in my life. I could be completely honest with her, and told her everything."
"So it helped?" Rory asked.
"It did," Lorelai said. "We created a safe zone, and were able to work through all of our issues with her there as a buffer."
"We?" Rory repeated. "Luke was there too?"
"For part of it," Lorelai nodded. "I'd been going for a few months, while you were still at Yale. I worked through some of my own issues, and then when you left, I realized I had to face the fact that I was still…focused on Luke. I knew that I loved him, but I couldn't be with him because I didn't trust him and he didn't trust me. So I told him that I was trying to work through it with Abby, and he offered to go with me."
"Wow," Rory said softly. "I never knew."
"I know," Lorelai said. "I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to worry or think that I was one step away from being committed."
"I wouldn't have thought that," Rory said. "In fact, I think it's great."
"You do?" Lorelai asked.
Rory nodded. "It must have been pretty difficult," she said. "You've never been one to talk about your feelings. It shows a lot of strength to admit your faults like that."
"I guess," Lorelai said, thinking back to how relieved she'd been to have Luke there with her as they'd talked through their mistakes. "But I'm telling you about this now because I want you to know why things are so different. I'm not pushing my fears and emotions aside. I'm not jumping blindly. Luke and I have talked through every single one of our concerns and fears. We've put the past behind us, and are focusing completely on the future. Things are real this time, Rory, I promise. I've faced all those scary thoughts that have been floating around in my head, and I'm ready. Really ready."
Rory nodded slowly. "Okay," she said.
"Okay?" Lorelai repeated, wondering exactly what that meant.
"Okay," Rory said. "I guess having all that information, knowing that you've really worked through it all, makes it seem more real."
"Good," Lorelai said. She glanced towards the living room and asked, "Do you think it's safe to get back in there yet?"
"Well, there hasn't been any yelling or door slamming," Rory observed.
"Do you think they've been sitting there in silence this whole time?" Lorelai asked.
"I'd say it was a significant possibility," Rory nodded.
"I should go check on them," Lorelai sighed, preparing to stand.
"Mom?"
"Yeah, hon?"
Rory was silent for a moment before she said, "Thank you. For telling me. It really does make me feel better."
Lorelai leaned down and kissed the top of Rory's head. "I'm glad," she said. "And hey? In the future, even though you're all grown up and traveling the world, tell me if something bugs you. I know I've been pretty selfish, but I'm working on it. And I'll always be your mom."
"Okay," Rory said.
Lorelai led her back into the living room where Luke was picking at his food. "Hey, April didn't run away, did she?" she asked, glancing around the living room.
"No, I finally got her to call Anna," he said, pointing towards the front door. "She went outside for some privacy."
"Did you talk?" Lorelai asked, sitting down beside him as Rory sat down on the floor.
"Yeah," he said. "She started talking about making a hypothesis and how it changes over the course of an experiment. I didn't exactly follow, but we agreed that she should tell Anna about wanting to come back here."
"Good," Lorelai said.
"Hey, if April goes to Chilton, she could probably fit into my old uniform," Rory offered.
"Maybe she'll let me hem the skirt," Lorelai mused.
"Her skirt doesn't need to be hemmed," Luke said immediately.
"Whatever, Grandpa," Lorelai rolled her eyes. "So you survived your first full fledged teenage tantrum. How do you feel?"
"Hopefully that was the worst of it," Luke sighed.
"Oh, sweet, innocent Luke," Lorelai sighed, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You've got at least another ten years of this. I mean, look at her."
"What did I do?" Rory frowned.
"Ran away to my parents, twice, stayed out all night with your boyfriend, dropped out of college, stole a boat, tried to hook up with a boy at my parents' wedding…"
"Yes, but I also made up for all of those things," Rory replied.
Lorelai shrugged. "Hey, I'm not judging, you're living proof of my teenage years," she said.
"Are you trying to make me feel better?" Luke asked. "Because it's not working."
Lorelai laughed and shook her head. "I'm not trying to scare you, I'm just saying that everyone makes poor choices as a teenager," she said. "Some are more life changing than others, but it's part of growing up. Rory and I both turned out okay, and so will April."
"I guess," he sighed. "I don't know how to handle this."
"Well, if you play your cards right, you have a very good chance of marrying an expert," Lorelai informed him. "I'll help you through it."
"Thanks," he said.
"And don't pretend that you were the perfect teenager," Rory piped up. "I've heard stories."
"Stories?" Lorelai perked up. "What kind of stories?"
Rory smiled as she saw Luke narrow his eyes suspiciously. "Well, your fiancé is a legend at Stars Hollow High," she announced.
"What kind of legend?" Lorelai asked.
"He got caught making out with Crazy Carrie under the bleachers during the homecoming game," Rory reported.
"You what?" Lorelai exclaimed, turning to smack Luke's arm. "Luke!"
"I did not make out with her," he insisted. "Did Liz tell you that?"
"Nope, it's a homecoming story they tell every year," Rory replied. "Butch Danes, broken hearted over a temporary break up with Rachel, being seduced by Crazy Carrie during the bonfire."
"I can't believe they're telling people that," he grumbled.
Loreali frowned. "I can't believe you made out with her," she exclaimed. "She's a total slut!"
"Lorelai, it was twenty years ago," he said dismissively.
"Uh, yeah, but she still comes into the diner and checks you out," Lorelai replied.
"She does not."
"Last week she purposely spilled her water on the floor just so she could look at your butt while you cleaned it up."
"Is that why you offered to help?" Luke asked.
"Well, yeah, I wasn't going to do manual labor unless I had to claim my territory," Lorelai shrugged. "Don't worry, I made sure that my engagement ring was extra sparkly that day, just so she wasn't confused."
"You're horrible," Luke informed her.
"No, I'm protecting you from the town whore," Lorelai scoffed.
"I can protect myself just fine," Luke stated.
Lorelai turned to Rory. "I bet that's what he said before they ended up under the bleachers," she said.
The front door opened then, and April walked inside slowly. "Hey, sweetie," Lorelai called. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah," April nodded, slipping onto the couch beside Luke. "I'm sorry I yelled."
"No big deal, we've all done it," Lorelai smiled.
"What did your mom say?" Luke asked.
"She said she gets it, she misses it here too, and we can talk about it when I get home," April said. "She said she'll call you later in the week."
"Okay," Luke took a deep breath.
Rory reached for her ringing cell phone and retreated to the kitchen to answer it, and Lorelai looked past Luke to examine April closely. "You sure you're okay?" she asked.
"Yeah," April nodded. "I might take a shower, if that's okay."
"Sure," Lorelai smiled.
"I put some clean towels in the closet," Luke added.
"Thanks," April said as she headed up the stairs.
Lorelai turned to look at Luke. "Never a dull moment," she commented.
"Guess not," he sighed. "I have to call Anna this week."
"I know it's hard," Lorelai said softly. "If you want I'll buy you dinner that night."
"Would you be okay with it?" Luke asked. "April coming to live here?"
"Of course," Lorelai nodded. "She's welcome here anytime, you know that. I just want to make sure it's well thought out and not a knee jerk reaction to resenting her mom."
He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Does the worry ever go away?" he asked.
"No," Lorelai said honestly.
"Thanks for sugar coating it."
Lorelai smiled softly. "Take it from someone who's been worried for the better part of twenty four years," she said. "Making them happy totally outweighs the worry."
He sighed and reached out to rub her knee softly. "Thanks for helping with her," he murmured. "I really don't know what I would have done without you here."
Lorelai smiled as she leaned forward to kiss him. "Remember that next time I'm begging for coffee and you kick me out of the diner," she requested before she kissed him again.