Later, shortly after lunch, Anna did call Luke's phone with the number for a medical lab in Hartford. She was brisk, efficient, and seemingly eager to end the call, which made communicating with her easier. Made her seem more like the Anna he used to know.

He took the earliest appointment available, which meant that the next Wednesday afternoon saw him in Hartford, on the opposite side of town from Lorelai's parents. He filled out some medical forms and had his cheek swabbed. He knew to expect that thanks to all of the hospital and detective dramas Lorelai watched on a weekly basis. What he didn't anticipate was being informed it would take at least two months to receive the results. Possibly longer. Those same TV shows had made him believe that testing was done instantaneously.

Well, he had practice at waiting. In fact, he was damn good at it. As long as it didn't take eight years, he could cope.

But still, he sighed.

By then it was well into November. They celebrated his birthday, and then Thanksgiving loomed. He launched into the prep work for the town's Thanksgiving dinner. The Dragonfly was the location for the feast this year, so Sookie and the inn's wait staff were involved, taking a lot of the usual stress off of him. He thought, more than once, about inviting April and Anna. He almost mentioned it to Lorelai, to get her opinion. But then he remembered why he was reticent about meeting the girl who might be/might not be his daughter, and he thought better of it. He put aside the idea…for this year.

But next year, maybe…

He could almost picture her at the table, sitting next to Rory.

He shook his head, trying to block his suddenly vivid imagination.

The calendar turned to December and the Christmas whirlwind started. The early Christmas party at Richard and Emily's house. Lorelai's traditions about the tree, and the stockings, and – well, everything, really. Presents galore.

And he couldn't help but wonder if next year, there'd be one more stack of presents under the tree.

Shortly after the start of the new year, he came home one afternoon to change into a fresh shirt. The one he was wearing had been accidentally doused with tomato sauce. He checked the mailbox on his way up to the house, and inside he found a large envelope with his name on it. Since he wasn't awaiting college admission and the lab's return address was printed clearly on the upper corner, he didn't have to guess what it was.

His first step was to call Lorelai.

"Hey, Babe!" she answered cheerfully. "What'd Taylor do this time?"

"I think the lab results are here," he told her, almost slurring the words due to his current apprehension.

"Ooohhhh," she exhaled, sounding anxious. "What do they say?"

"I haven't opened them."

"Luke, I know you've led a pretty sheltered life, so maybe you're not aware, but that's what mail is for. They expect you to open it up, take out the letter, and read it. That's the way it works."

He ignored her teasing. "I don't want to do this alone, Lorelai. I need backup."

She was quiet for a spell. "That was in the marriage vows, right? For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to hold each other's hands during DNA test results."

"If it wasn't, it should be."

"Let me button up a few things here, and then I'll be home as fast as I can."

"Thanks."

"See you soon, Babe."

By the time she arrived, he'd worked himself into a mild frenzy. He watched, his heart racing, as she trotted over to the couch in her high heels.

"I know I've said more than once that you look good enough to eat, but, wow, this is for real." She leaned over and sniffed at his splattered shirt. "You smell delicious, too."

"Lasagna explosion," he said curtly, letting her know he didn't have the mental bandwidth for any bantering.

"OK," she said, getting serious. She motioned at the envelope. "Do you want a drumroll?"

He handed it to her. "You."

She nodded, understanding that he needed the suspense to be over pronto. She ran her finger under the sealed flap and pulled out the sheaf of papers.

"Well?" he asked impatiently as she skimmed over the first page.

"Basically, the numbers are so high that there's no chance of a mistake." She drew in a big breath and looked at him. "Congratulations, Daddy, it's a girl," she said softly.

The stoicism that had been keeping him upright dissipated and he collapsed back against the couch, breathing shakily. "So it's true. She's mine."

Lorelai nodded and handed him the results, leaning over far enough to point out some of the numbers. She let him have some quiet time to absorb the information.

He pulled in more oxygen, still feeling shaky. "I guess – I guess that's it, then."

"It appears so, yeah." She watched him, studying his face. "How are you feeling about it?"

"I think – I think I already knew. It just felt right, somehow. But I didn't want to get ahead of myself."

She nodded again, and he was now calm enough to notice how quiet she was. How she was twisting her hands together.

"Hey." He reached for those nervous hands. "How about you? Are you OK?"

Immediately she shook her head. "This isn't about –"

"I know, not everything's about you. But this is. This affects you, too. We've suddenly got another member of the family to find room for, plus her mother and who knows what all else. And the look on your face…" He paused and swept his eyes over her. "It's making me concerned. How do you really feel about this?"

"I'm fine about April, Luke. Really. It might be challenging at times, but we'll figure it out. No, it's silly, but what's bothering me…" She broke off abruptly and put her head in her hands. "Ugh! It's so stupid."

He put his hand on the back of her bowed head. "Tell me."

She looked up at him. "It was the words I said. Calling you Daddy. Saying it's a girl. In my head, I guess I'd built up this whole daydream where I'd say that to you someday. Only…not about April."

He blinked, letting those words sink in. "There's no reason that still can't happen."

"I know. I do know that. It just freaked me out, hearing myself say it, that's all."

"I imagine there will be plenty more freak-outs to come."

"Oh, undoubtedly."

"But as far as April's concerned –"

"I'm fine, Luke. Truly." She sat up straight and bopped her head. "This way it's a lot more fair. You've got a daughter; I've got a daughter. Even-Steven."

He surprised himself by laughing. "Yes, I'd been feeling the inequity of that for some time now."

"So all to the good. And I'm an innkeeper, for cripes' sake. Finding room for people is what I'm all about. We'll make sure there's plenty of room here for April, so don't worry about that."

His eyebrows rose. "And what about her mother?"

"Don't push me, buddy," she growled out, right before she flashed him a smile. "We'll deal with her, too, as needed."

He reached to pull her towards him, but then remembered his saucy shirt. "Oh, wait –"

Lorelai snuggled against him anyway. "Do you really think I'm scared of a little tomato sauce?"

"No, I don't." He squeezed her against his heart. "I don't think you're scared about anything."

But they both jumped when the phone in his front shirt pocket rang.

"Speak of the devil," he said, turning the phone so Lorelai could see Anna's name displayed on the screen. She made a slightly sour face.

"Hi, Anna," he said, answering the call. "Yeah, we just opened it." He listened for a minute. "Yeah, it's good to know, to have it settled."

"How do you feel about it?" Anna asked him over the phone.

"Geez, I don't know." He looked over at Lorelai. "I guess half excited, half terrified."

Lorelai grinned and gave him a thumbs up, and in his ear, Anna chuckled. "That's about right," she said. "Are you ready to meet her then?"

Luke took a big breath. "Uh…yeah. I am. That'd be great, to finally meet her."

"When?"

"How about tomorrow?" he said, joking.

"That sounds perfect," Anna said, shocking him. "Could you come over to the store early again, before she has to get to school?"

He wasn't sure how to respond, this was all moving so fast now, after the interminable weeks of waiting. "Are you sure you want to do it that soon? I mean, we can wait until it's convenient for you."

"Luke, trust me, April is done with waiting. If you can get over here in the morning, that'd be ideal."

"Then…yeah. Sure. Tomorrow morning will be great."

"Perfect. We'll see you then!"

He put the phone away and looked nervously at Lorelai. "Guess I'm meeting April in the morning."

She rubbed his arm soothingly. "It's not every day you get to meet your dad. I'm sure this waiting has been hard on her, too."

"Yeah," he agreed, feeling a little dazed.

Lorelai put her hand against his face, drawing his attention back to her. "What you said, about the half excited, half terrified part? Just to warn you, that never really goes away."

He blew out a breath. "How can you stand it?"

"You do because you love them. And they're the best thing ever. You can't imagine them not being in your life, even when you're furious at them. Because that happens too. They test the limits or do something really stupid – like sleeping with a married ex – and you're so angry at them. But then you remember how incredible they are, and how lucky you are to be their parent. And then you're proud and excited again. It all balances out. Actually, it always swings to the good side. Most of the time. You'll see."

"Lorelai…What if…What if I can't do this?"

"You can do this."

"But what if –"

"Luke. You can. From everything you've told me, you were raised by an awesome father. He showed you the way. And don't forget, you already dipped your toes into the parenthood pool with Jess."

He snorted. "Oh yeah, that went real well. My confidence is flying high now."

"But you're ahead of the game. You know how hard it can be. You've got this. And if nothing else, I'm here to help you navigate." She leaned over to kiss him. "It won't be just you. I won't let you sink. Promise."

"OK," he mumbled, still not convinced, and once again he held her tight.

He felt something warm and moist moving against his shirt.

"This is really good sauce." Lorelai voice was muffled as she licked at an extra-saucy spot on his flannel.

The next morning, with the sun barely over the horizon, Luke stepped out of the truck and into the snowflakes floating through the air. They landed against his neck and bare head, making him shiver, because for once he didn't have on his hat. He'd thought it was important to up his fashion game to meet his daughter for the first time, so he had on nice pants, a button-down shirt, and his good leather jacket. He'd even shaved.

Lorelai had smiled when she saw how he was dressed, but she didn't say anything. She held him in a warm hug for a long time before she gave him a kiss and sent him on his way.

Another snowflake hit his neck and he wished he'd thought to grab his muffler.

Anna was waiting on the other side of the door. "Hi, Luke," she said, motioning him in. Despite her pleasant words, he noticed the nervousness on her face. She stepped to the side, and for the first time, he saw his daughter. "This is April."

"Hi," April said.

"Hi," he repeated back, stunned.

Her dark hair was parted in the middle and pulled into a poofy ponytail, making it easier to see her facial structure. Her eyes, behind her glasses, were bright and curious. She had on a red long-sleeved polo shirt and khaki pants, which seemed, even to him, like an odd combination, but then he understood it was probably a school requirement, sort of like the plaid skirt Rory always had to wear to Chilton.

He realized he was staring at her. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"Yeah. You too," she said politely.

Her nose seemed familiar. Was it his nose? He fought the urge to put his fingers on his face to check it out.

Suddenly it seemed way too quiet. How long had they been standing there in silence?

"It's snowing," he blurted out.

"Oh, is it?" Anna said, turning to look out the window. "I didn't know. Were the roads OK?"

"Yeah, not a problem. It's just flurries." He was still mesmerized by April. "Lorelai – that's my wife – she thinks that snow's like a good omen. That good things happen when it snows."

April gave him a strange look. "Meteorologically speaking, snow is just water vapor that freezes in the atmosphere and falls as crystals down to the ground. I don't think it's capable of any sort of fortune telling."

That made him smile. "I tried to explain that to her once. Turns out she was just a little kid when she decided snow was a good thing, and I can't talk her out of it." He paused. "So I decided, if it makes her happy, then I'm happy."

"Smart man," Anna commented, maybe a little bit on the snide side.

He turned and gave her a brief smile. "Finally."

Anna nodded. "April, why don't you show Luke back to my office so that you can talk for a bit? I'm going to stay out here and finish the new display. You can yell if you need me."

"OK. It's back here," April said, threading her way through the different tables and racks to the storage/office space in the rear of the building. She jumped up on a stool stashed behind Anna's desk and gave it a spin.

Luke sat in the same chair as on his first visit.

April stopped the chair so she could face him.

The silence stretched out again.

"Lorelai's really anxious to meet you, too," he said, again without thinking. Then he remembered talking too much about Lorelai on his first date with Nicole, and how that whole debacle had ended up. Maybe he shouldn't mention her so much with April, too? Oh well, too late now. "She thought she shouldn't be here today, though. She said that today should be just the two of us, getting used to each other."

April nodded. "My mom said the same thing."

"Well…good, then."

Quiet again.

April sighed. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do, though. I've never had a dad before."

That made him feel better. At least they were experiencing the same doubts. "I've never had a daughter before, either."

"But you sort of do, right? There's Rory, and she's kind of your daughter, isn't she?"

"Technically, I guess. She is my stepdaughter now. But she's also 21, so she's an adult. She doesn't really need me to be her dad. And when it comes right down to it, she's already got a dad."

April tilted her head as she looked at him. "She really seems to like you, though."

Luke smiled. "I hope so. I really like her, and I hope, now that I'm married to her mom, nothing changes between us. We've been friends for a long time – since she was a little younger than you are now. I hope we're always friends."

"Does she call you Dad?"

"No. Like I said, she has a dad, even though he's never been around much. She calls me Luke, just like she always has."

"Should I call you Dad?" April wondered.

That proved to be an unexpectedly fraught question for Luke. "I think that 'dad' is a title you need to earn. This is all new to me, too, you know. If you ever feel like I've gotten good enough at it that I deserve to be called that, then…well, I'd be honored. But for now I think you should just call me Luke."

"Like Rory does."

He nodded. "Like Rory does."

They sat and studied each other again.

"Oh, hey!" Luke suddenly remembered something. "How did the science fair end up?"

April made a face. "Same as always. Samuel Polotsky and his stupid solar pizza oven won."

"Sorry," Luke said, wincing. "Sorry the whole DNA thing didn't work out."

"It's OK." April shrugged. "Mom said the school wouldn't have let me do it, anyway. Actually, she said she wouldn't have let me do it, either. And I couldn't find the other guys, so it all would have fallen apart, I guess."

"What did you do instead?"

"Well, luckily, just for fun over the summer, I tracked some honeybees in the park. I used the statistics I kept and theorized about how they're able to find their way back to the hive, no matter how far away they travel."

"For fun you did that?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Just trying to…" Luke shook his head and regrouped. "That sounds like an amazing project. A lot better than a pizza oven."

"Environmentalism is really in right now," she said stoically. "Plus, Samuel's uncle is one of the judges. He always wins."

"What?" Luke was instantly incensed. "That can't be right, can it? Surely that's not allowed! Come on, that's practically cheating! Is there somebody I can go talk to? Then we'll see about this screwed up judging! Talk about nepotism!"

April's eyes opened wide, taking in his degree of outrage. "Luke, it's OK. I'm not even sure the judge is his uncle. That's just what the kids say, because Samuel always wins. He wins, and I sort of hate him for always winning."

"I hate him too," Luke said loyally, and April giggled.

"I got an honorable mention," she said. "It's not like I needed the extra points for my grades, or anything. I was just really looking forward to eating the spaghetti dinner the winner gets."

"Spaghetti dinner?"

"Yeah, it's tradition. The winner goes to a fancy Italian restaurant and gets to order anything. I was going to get spaghetti."

"Tell you what. You come over to my diner anytime and I'll make you all the spaghetti you want."

"OK!" She giggled again. "Oh, I almost forgot. Here, have a cookie." She jumped off the stool and brought a plate of cookies over to him.

The last thing Luke wanted was a cookie, but he saw at once that he'd hurt April's feelings to turn the offer down. He took what looked to be an oatmeal cookie. "Thanks," he said, then bit into it.

He stopped chewing immediately and took the time to analyze the delicious flavor in his mouth. "Wow, this is probably the best oatmeal cookie I've ever had. It's even better than the ones Fran Weston used to make."

"Thanks!" Pleased, April got back on the stool. "I think I've almost got it perfect."

"Wait." Luke went still as her words sank in. "You made these?"

"Yeah. I like baking. This is just the basic recipe off the oatmeal box, but I've been tweaking it a little bit. Instead of raisins, I used dried cranberries and added a cup of white chocolate chips. This time I upped the amount of cinnamon, too. I think I've practically got it nailed."

"Practically?" He took another bite. "April, these are phenomenal."

"I'm glad you think so. That's what I like about baking. Each recipe is almost like a little science experiment. You can change this or that, but then you have to adjust the baking time, or add more liquid or something. I keep track of everything, for every batch. Then when they're really good, I know how to make them again."

Luke stared at her. "Uh…yeah. That's…that's exactly why I like cooking. You do the same thing every time and you get the same results. Or, like you say, you can change it up and see what happens."

April nodded. "It's fun. And if you're successful, it tastes good, too."

"Yes." He swallowed down the last bite of cookie. "I have to tell you, I've never come across anyone else who understands why I like to cook."

"Well, I do." April smiled wholeheartedly at him.

He smiled back. "I guess we are related."

She kept smiling and he felt the terrified part of parenthood recede and the excited part expand.

"Maybe you could come over to the diner sometime and we could make something together?" he suggested, feeling brave.

"I'd like that a lot! When? Could I come over this weekend?"

"Probably. But I think we'd need to clear that with your mom, first." He recalled how much Lorelai hated it when Sherry tried to butt in with Rory. "And if your mom wants to come along, that's fine, too. You know, until we all get used to it."

"I think Mom will be fine with it."

"Well, we'll ask her anyway."

"Will Rory be there?"

"This weekend? Hmm, I'm not sure. We could ask her. Usually she goes to her grandparents for Friday night dinners. Maybe she could stay over until Saturday this time. Would you like that?"

"Yes," April said emphatically. "How about Jess?"

"Jess is trickier. He has to come all the way from Philadelphia. I'm sure he'll be around sometime, but maybe not this weekend."

"He's my cousin, right?"

"Right."

"I've never had a cousin before, either."

"And you've got an aunt. My sister Liz. She lives in Stars Hollow, too." Luke grimaced. "And unfortunately, I guess that means you've got to claim her husband TJ as your uncle. He's nuts."

April giggled. "My family tree has suddenly expanded."

"April! Five minutes and you have to leave for school!" Anna called from the front of the shop.

"Already?" She looked at Luke in surprise as she slid off the stool. "Wow, that time went by fast."

"It did," he agreed, as they walked back to the sales area.

"Mom!" April ran to Anna. "Luke says I can come cook with him in the diner this weekend! Can I?"

"If it's OK with you," he hastened to add.

She looked a little conflicted, but still managed to smile at April. "Tell you what, let's check your swim schedule and everything, just to make sure you're clear."

"And I should doublecheck too, to make sure the diner is covered and everything." He caught Anna's eye. "You're welcome to come along. I understand this is sending her somewhere new with people you don't know."

She seemed to come to a decision. "No, that's fine. We just need to check what else is going on. If it's all good, maybe I could drive her over to Stars Hollow, and then you could bring her home?"

"I don't know why not. That sounds great."

"I'll call you tonight then, and we can make final plans." She shifted her attention to April. "You need to get your bookbag and coat."

"Oh, I forgot the picture!" April went tearing off.

Her exit left a vacuum between the two adults.

"You're right," Luke said quietly. "She's amazing."

Anna smiled faintly. "Glad we agree."

"And…" He gestured around at everything. "Thanks for this. For making this possible."

She shook her head, looking miserable. "Every day there's more guilt. The realization of what I kept from you has hit me hard. Whatever I can do to make it easier, I will. I'm not going to stand in your way here."

"Thank you," he said again, stunned that this was the same strident Anna he used to know.

April came back with her school stuff and handed him a small photo. "Here. We thought you might like a picture of me."

It was the same one Anna had on her desk. "I would. Thanks." He put it in his wallet, in the plastic sleeve that also held the horoscope.

"And here – I wrapped up the rest of the cookies for you." She gave them to him before struggling into her coat.

Luke chuckled. "Thanks. I know these will be a hit back home." He looked outside at the weather and then at April. "Could I drop you off at school?"

"No, it's fine," she assured him. "It's only two blocks from here. That's why a lot of the time I leave from here instead of from our house." She spun around to look at Anna. "Mom, could you take a picture?"

"A picture?"

"Yeah, of me and Luke." April came over to stand next to him. "This is sort of a momentous occasion. It feels like we should commemorate it somehow."

"Yeah, hang on. I'll grab the camera that I use to keep track of the consignment items." Anna went behind the counter and unearthed the camera. She started to grin. "And I know the perfect place for you to pose." She pointed to the wooden display cabinet, the one she'd purchased from Luke on the day they first met.

"That is perfect," he agreed.

April tucked her arm around his waist and leaned against him. Her confidence with posing made it easier for him to put his arm behind her, his hand resting lightly on her shoulder.

Right before the shutter clicked he felt complete vindication about his decision to dress up.

"Don't move yet, let me get another one, just in case…There. Done. Now scoot!"

"Bye Mom! Bye Luke!" April ran out the door, shouldering her bookbag as she went. She turned back, very briefly. "Oh, and tell Lorelai that maybe she's right about the snow after all."

After she left, Luke stood in place, not sure what to do next.

"Are you all right?" Anna asked kindly.

"Yeah." He turned slightly. "I think it's just going to take me a while to get used to this."

"It will, but April and I will both help you with it. As you can see, she's not very shy." She smiled. "I'll call you later about the weekend."

"Great." He started to leave and then raised the bag of cookies. "These are great, too."

"They are!" Anna patted her waistline. "I've gained a pound or two while she's been experimenting with this recipe."

Luke nodded and opened the door, but then paused. "You've done a wonderful job raising her, Anna," he told her sincerely. He left before she could respond.

Once back in the truck, relief flooded over him. He started the motor and drove a couple of blocks away before he pulled over and reached for his phone. He hit the #1 button.

"How'd it go?" Lorelai cried out as soon as she answered.

"Let's say the terror level has gone down quite a bit."

"It was a good first meeting?"

"It was amazing. She's a great kid."

"Luke, I'm so glad!"

"Listen, she'd like to come over to Stars Hollow this weekend. Do you think we can do that?"

"She wants to come over?" Lorelai sounded surprised and happy. "You bet we can!" she said enthusiastically, but then hesitated. "Anna's onboard?"

"She's checking the schedule, but yeah, she's OK with it."

"Then yes, we'll change whatever we need to for an April visit this weekend." She paused again. "We're not talking an overnight, are we?"

"No, just an afternoon visit. Anna said she'd drive her over and maybe we could bring her home."

"How civilized."

"So far." He glanced around the street where he was parked. "Do you think there's any chance we could get Rory to come home for it? April would really like to see her again."

Lorelai chuckled. "I think there's a very good chance that Rory will be here. She's been quite anxious to see her again."

"How about Jess?"

"We could ask," Lorelai said tentatively. "We'd probably get a better result if Rory was the one asking."

"Yeah," Luke agreed, not quite sure how he felt about that particular situation. "We'll have Rory ask."

"Do you want Liz and TJ too?"

"Let's not overwhelm the poor kid."

Lorelai chuckled. "Hurry home so you can tell me everything, and I mean everything. You leave anything out and you die!"

"OK," he said, laughing as well. His eyes fell on the paper sack next to him. "And Lorelai…she cooks. She likes to bake. She does experiments with recipes. She…she wants to cook…with – with me." His throat closed up from the emotion behind the statement, choking off any further words.

"Oh, Luke," Lorelai said tenderly, in understanding and with much love. "Babe, that's incredible."

"I know," he said, not capable of saying anything else.

"I'll see you soon. Drive safe. Love you!"

"Love you too," he said, and headed home through the snowflakes.

Author's Chat: I know it's not all about me, but I like this chapter! I hope that those of you reading along like it too! Your support is SO appreciated! Just the epilogue left, and then we'll move on to a special house in Stars Hollow, and delve into some new tales, too. Thanks for sticking with me, and stay cool! (I'd go make some oatmeal cookies, but it's too hot to turn on the stove...)