Chapter 9 – The Separation
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Lorelai was both thrilled and nervous when Mike told her she could start in 3 days. She told him she planned on driving back to Stars Hollow first to get more clothes, but he said the company will give her a clothing allowance so she can just go and buy new clothes and not bother heading home. Since she was already in Maryland, the office set up her itinerary to start with two properties in Maryland that they had their eye on, and she'll go from there.
Lorelai couldn't believe her luck. Not only is she getting a free shopping spree, she didn't even need to worry about her accommodations or gas or even meals anymore. Everything will be paid for.
As promised, she forwarded the itinerary to Rory as soon as she got it. Rory immediately replied that she will come for the entire New York leg – two properties, 6 days. Lorelai couldn't wait.
She realized though that she now had to properly process her break-up. During the first few days, she would just tire herself out driving around, then head to the hotel to shower and sleep. As soon as she woke up, she'd get dressed, grab a bite to eat and some coffee, then she'd be out driving again.
While driving, she would avoid thinking about Luke, because every time she did, she'd start crying. And crying wasn't the safest thing to do when one is driving. She shuddered at a near-accident she had on her first day because her eyes were so blurred with tears that she didn't notice the red light and almost wasn't able to brake on time.
But now that she'd be staying at inns – actually staying in the room, by herself, all alone, for hours on end – she knew she'd have to think about Luke. And she had to let herself grieve and wallow, so that she can finally move on. After this consulting gig, she wants to go back to Stars Hollow, pick up her life, and be able to see him and maybe even talk to him without feeling any pain or bitterness in her heart.
Luke was still trying to call her every day. Sometimes he would call early in the morning, when he surely would know she was still asleep – sometimes he would call very late at night, way past his bed time. Sometimes she wondered why he was calling, but she never picked up his calls and never called him back. Maybe he misses me after all, she mused to herself. Maybe he finally realized what a jerk he's been. Or maybe he just wants some closure – just a final conversation to end our decade-long friendship and our two-year relationship and our one-year engagement.
She sometimes wondered if he was dating again. And if he was, did he introduce April to the lucky lady? Or maybe the lucky lady was Anna, as she long suspected… She tried not to think about it too much, and stopped herself from asking Sookie if she heard anything. It shouldn't matter if he was dating again or not. It wasn't her business to know.
One night, when she was feeling particularly lonely, she took Rory's advice and put on a tight blue dress and went to the bar. Like Rory predicted, she got one free drink after another, but she always waved off any guy who tried to sit next to her at the counter. She only chatted with the bartender, an elderly man named Julio, the whole night.
Rory was right – it was an ego boost to know that you're nearing 40 and still getting lots of male attention. Except that this wasn't the male attention she wanted in the first place. She only wanted one man's attention, and that one man was back in Stars Hollow, probably sound asleep… Stop, she chided herself. Another drink to help me forget. She caught Julio's eyes and raised a glass of wine to his direction, silently toasting him. Here's to me. And to Rory. And to Sookie. And to Julio, who has no idea who I am except that I'm the tipsy chick he has to keep supplying with booze. Cheers.
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When Lorelai didn't come back a week after they broke up, Luke began to worry even more. Was she ever coming back? She tried calling Rory again, but she still wouldn't pick up his calls. He went back to Sookie, dreading the lecture that she would unleash on him, but she was surprisingly calm and said Lorelai was fine, not to worry about her, and she'll come back when she wants to. Luke even resorted to asking Jackson if he wanted to grab a beer at KC's, hoping he would have some information he could share, but apparently Sookie wouldn't tell him anything either. He also tried Babette and Miss Patty, but they both had no idea where Lorelai was and when (and if) she'll ever come back. Everyone in town was kind to him, but he knew deep down that everyone couldn't help but blame him for Lorelai's departure.
He started driving by to the Crap Shack once a day to see if her Jeep was back. He still had a key, but he didn't feel right to use it anymore since they've broken up. Sometimes he would bring a beer and sit at the porch at night, staring at the chuppah, for an hour or so. He wondered if he should just take it down and chop it for firewood. Sometimes, Morey and Babette would see him from their front porch, and raise their glasses to him in a silent toast.
When Anna called him one day to set up another "family dinner," he finally told her that although he would like to maintain a friendly relationship with her since she was April's mother, that was as far as they would get. There would be no kissing and no flirting. He told her that April didn't really like the whole nuclear family bonding thing that Anna claimed was April's idea all along, hence he'd prefer not to come.
Anna was affronted and told him he can't very well pick and choose the times he can see her daughter; it was take it or leave it. They came as a package – April and her. Luke tried to keep his cool when he reminded her that April was their daughter, not just hers. He had his rights as a father, dammit. Rights that she conveniently forgot about in the first 12 years of April's life. He had a right to see April, but had no obligation to see Anna.
The next day, Luke hired a lawyer to ask the courts for joint custody, to avoid any other tricks that Anna may have up her sleeves. About damn time, thought the townspeople when the news hit the gossip mill.