The wedding was called for noon and Mia wanted Lorelai there early to help her get ready. Luke was ready to go at nine-thirty and let Lorelai know.
"Okay, just gimme two minutes, I swear I'm almost done."
Ten minutes later they were out the door and another ten minutes driving and they were at Mia's door.
After they rang the bell they exchanged an awkward smile, both were a little nervous seeing Mia, who knew them both so well but had never seen them together.
"Lucas! Lorelai! My babies," Mia greeted when the door flew open.
Lorelai jumped into Mia's arms and gave her a bear hug. "The Bride is answering the door on her wedding day? I'm glad Emily isn't with me; she'd lose her mind."
Mia chuckled, "We're very casual here. In fact Howard helped me into my dress, no silly 'no seeing each other' superstitions here."
"Good," Luke interjected. "Those rules are stupid."
"I don't know," Lorelai shook her head as Mia hugged Luke and led them into her home. "You saw me in the dress I wanted to marry you in. Look what happened to us."
The happy mood dampened a bit.
"So where's Howard?" Luke asked. "I'm sure you two are going to do some pre-wedding stuff, maybe I can help him."
Mia pointed to the sliding glass doors at the back of the house, "Howard is out there setting up the chairs and stuff"
"Sounds like where I should be. See you later," he smiled at Lorelai and gave her a small kiss on the cheek before squeezing Mia's arm and heading out to the backyard.
Mia led Lorelai to her bedroom and into the ensuite bathroom, "I was hoping you would do my makeup. You've always done yours so well and my hands are shaking a little bit."
Lorelai smiled, "I'd love to."
The women spoke as no time had passed but also like it was a million years. Mia filled in Lorelai on meeting Howard through her friend who passed away and how her son was upset. He was worried that Howard was after Mia's money but she explained that Howard came from money but chose to live a simple life. She spoke with pride about the nonprofit organization he started that not only delivered meals to the elderly and disabled but that he was expanding to fund hot lunches to all the local schools.
"He sounds like an incredible man. I approve of this union," Lorelai nodded while applying blush to Mia's cheeks.
"So how long are you going to make me wait?" Mia asked.
"For what?" Lorelai asked, completely confused.
"I invited you to my wedding," Mia said in a sing-song voice.
"And?" Lorelai still had no clue as to where this was going.
"When are you and Lucas getting married and invite me to yours?"
"WHAT?" Lorelai began digging through Mia's makeup kit. "You're crazy. Mia, no. We're not even back together publicly. We came here together because people at home wouldn't find it odd that both of us would attend your wedding. We're pretending it was this event that brought us back together. We're not near the wedding and marriage talk yet."
Mia sighed and looked disappointed, "You two are driving me out of my mind. I still can't believe that he married a lawyer and you married your daughter's deadbeat father but you're taking it slow with the right person. Lorelai, my dear, life is not as long as you think it is. Marry this man, start your happily ever after now."
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Luke and Howard introduced themselves to each other and quietly got to work on setting up chairs.
When they were finished Luke put his suit jacket back on and followed Howard to the kitchen. Howard handed Luke a bottle of water.
"So Luke, I guess I could pretend that I don't know anything about you. But Mia is a talker, especially about those she loves. So I know pretty much everything about you, Lorelai and Rory."
"Well Howard," Luke smirked. "If this is your way of telling me I don't have to talk, I really appreciate it. I'm not a big talker."
Howard laughed heartily, "Can I assume she's told you about me?"
"Oh yeah," Luke nodded genuinely. "I have to say that I love your idea to fund school lunches. As someone who's Mom was sick when me and my kid sister were in school, free lunches would have been amazing."
"Thank you Luke," Howard smiled across the kitchen table at him. "You know Mia talks constantly about bringing me to Stars Hollow to meet everyone. But she kept waiting to be invited to yours and Lorelai's wedding."
Luke shifted awkwardly, "We didn't get the invitations out last time. And well now, we haven't really planned that far yet."
"Why," Howard asked bluntly.
"Why, what?" Luke asked.
"Why haven't you planned it yet?"
Luke shook his head, "I thought Mia tells you everything? Don't you know that Lorelai was married not that long ago? It's hard to ask someone to get married when they should technically still be in mourning for their last spouse."
Howard nodded and laughed lightly, "You make sense to a degree but may I make a counterpoint?"
Luke motioned that Howard should go ahead.
"Mia and I met just a year ago. She was friends with my wife Kathy for years but they generally got together as the ladies. But last year when Kathy got her cancer diagnosis Mia was there for her. Rides to the doctor, someone to sit with during chemo treatments, bringing us food, Mia was there for it all. Over the months, taking care of Kathy together Mia and I bonded and Kathy saw it. Kathy knew she wasn't long for this world well before I was willing to admit it. She made Mia promise to take care of me, she told Mia that whatever girl code thing there was about being with a friend's guy was null and void once one of you dies. She was very obvious towards the end that she gave us her blessing even though neither Mia nor I were ready to think about it."
Luke listened and nodded. He remembered overhearing a conversation between his parents when his Mom knew she was not going to get better. It broke his heart at the time and hoped his Dad wouldn't listen to his Mom about dating. But after the years went on he wished his Dad wasn't so alone. So he understood, better than most, what Howard must have felt when his wife was pushing him. Luke also was fairly sure he knew exactly where this conversation was heading.
Howard could tell by the look on Luke's face that he should wrap up the conversation. "My point is this Luke, when you have the chance to be happy, grab on to it with both hands and don't let go. Who cares what the gossip mill is saying, who cares what other people think is proper, if you and Lorelai want a life together, if you know you'll be happy together, that's all that matters."
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
"Have you met this April?" Mia asked.
"Briefly. She's in New Mexico now, but when she comes back Luke is talking about all the time we'll spend together. Now that he has legal rights he couldn't care less if Anna likes it or not." Lorelai had finished Mia's makeup and was working on her hair.
"Lucas would be such an incredible father. I can't believe Anna didn't tell him."
"Did you know her?"
"Sure. Luke was with her when he was converting the hardware store to a diner. Patty, Taylor and myself helped him in any way we could."
"TAYLOR?" Lorelai dropped the brush, she was so shocked.
"Taylor loved William, Luke knows that. Taylor grew up without a Dad and William was really sweet to him. I think it is the only reason why Luke has never actually hit him, because he knew William liked him so much."
"Wow," Lorelai sighed, shaking her head.
"But my point is, back then, today, even when he was a teen helping take care of Liz, I think anyone could see that Luke would be a good Dad. Which is why I am so surprised that Anna wouldn't think so."
Lorelai took a deep breath and met Mia's eyes in the mirror. "Honestly? It was April that came looking for her Dad. Anna has made things so hard on Luke. I genuinely don't think she wanted a Dad around. I think that Anna wanted a kid, and didn't want to share."
Mia shook her head and looked down. "I don't want to believe anyone could be like that. Purposely let a child grow up without a fantastic father."
"But?" Lorelai led.
"But that sounds like Anna," Mia admitted.
"Thought so," Lorelai nodded.
Mia and Lorelai hugged and then spent some time talking about Rory while they went downstairs to start setting up for the party on the inside. Placing glasses, pitchers of drinks and other goodies out for the guests to munch on before the ceremony. After the conversation about Rory finished Mia brought up Sookie's surprise pregnancy.
"I promised her that this time I would come when she had the baby. I can't believe she has two already. I really can't believe I've stayed away from Stars Hollow so long. You know what would be lovely?"
"What's that?" Lorelai asked just as Luke entered the room without the ladies noticing.
"If you and Sookie were raising your babies together."
"Our what?" Lorelai gasped. "I'm not pregnant."
Luke hid behind a door to listen in to the rest of the conversation.
"But you should be," Mia stated. "You and Lucas would make wonderful parents. I remember talking to you years ago saying that you didn't like being an only child, that you wanted to have other kids. Luke deserves to raise a child from birth, you see how he is with Rory. I'm sure he's brilliant with April, but my god, if anyone was ever born to be a father it was Lucas. And YOU, look what you did with that remarkable girl of yours! Can you imagine raising a child with the man you love?"
Lorelai started to laugh, "Are you actually getting married today or was this all just a ruse to get Luke and I together?"
"Tell me it's not what you want and I'll never say another word about it," Mia said sincerely.
Luke had tears streaming down his face.
Lorelai looked at her with shimmering eyes, "I want it all. With Luke, I want it all."
The wedding was lovely. Short sweet with no self written vows, just what Luke thought a marriage ceremony should be. After the ceremony there was a delicious lunch buffet and shortly after the few speeches, Howard's son put the music on and the party was in full swing.
Luke's eyes were never off Lorelai for long. While they sat together during the ceremony he offered her a small package of tissues from his pocket. At the lunch buffet he grabbed the biggest baked potato for her. But now that the music was going he couldn't find her. He walked along the side of the dance floor to the bar, grabbed himself a beer from the cooler and casually scanned the backyard again. When he noticed her coming out of the house their eyes connected and his heart warmed. He held up his beer and nodded his head to her. She nodded in return so he grabbed a second bottle and made his way to the deck. She was leaning against the railing looking down at the people dancing. He got close and handed her a beer.
"The last time I danced at a wedding -" she stopped and turned beet red.
"I knew then that I wanted to marry you," Luke confessed.
"Wow! I was just going to say that the last time I danced at a wedding I fell in love."
Luke laughed, "Kind of the same thing."
"Will you dance with me now," Lorelai asked sweetly.
"I'd love to." He smiled, took the beer from her and placed both of their bottles on a table. They walked hand in hand to the dance floor as the current song playing was coming to an end. What they didn't see was Mia whisper something to the guy in charge of the playlist.
They just enjoyed being in each other's arms. His hand at the small of her back kept sliding, pulling her closer to his chest until there was no space between them. She shifted her head from looking outward to resting on his shoulder, her nose buried in his neck.
"You smell so good," she sighed.
Luke turned, burying his lips in her hair, "I want you so badly right now."
She giggled, "You have me."
He growled a small laugh, "That's not what I mean and you know it." He shifted her in his arms and she could feel exactly what he was talking about against her thigh.
Lorelai pressed her lips to his neck and then whispered, "Mia thinks we should have a baby."
"What do you think?" Luke questioned.
"She mentioned that I had told her that I never wanted Rory to be an only child. But with the age she is now, even if I have another kid, she was raised as an only child. So ideally, I want more kids, not just one."
Luke leaned back to make eye contact with her, "I'd make a whole baseball team with you."
Lorelai laughed, "Easy there! Let's start with a plan for two and see how that goes."
Luke took her hand in his and headed towards the house. Lorelai stayed close behind him, "Where are we going? We can't leave without saying goodbye."
"Not leaving," Luke said as he quickened his stride, through the kitchen to the stairs, leading her to the basement. He pulled her into the laundry room as it was the only room in the basement with a door. He closed the door behind them, "What better way to honour Mia than to impregnate you at her wedding?"