The universe was mocking her. That was the only logical explanation for the fact that everywhere she looked, there was a couple locked in a passionate embrace.

I mean, God, it's only March, Lorelai thought as she passed another set of twenty-somethings with their tongues down one another's throats on her way out of class. Do Lerner and Loewe know we've gone blissfully astray two months early?

She unlocked her car and turned on the radio, rolling her eyes when the sound of Sixpence None the Richer's "Kiss Me" filled the Jeep.

"Shut up," she whispered through clenched teeth, punching the buttons a little too forcefully, cycling through three more cheesy love ballads until Metallica finally came blaring over the speakers. "Thank God."

The promise of seeing Juliet in a few minutes only marginally improved her crabby mood as she drove to their usual coffee house. She parked, heaving a sigh of relief when she saw Juliet standing outside, and hurried over.

"Of course, I'll miss you, but if it's what you want, then we'll make it work," Juliet was saying into her cell phone as Lorelai walked up to her. She noticed Lorelai and waved, smiling.

"Hey," Lorelai mouthed, waving back.

"Hey, she's here, so I'm gonna go. We'll talk more tonight, okay?" Juliet paused, her smile widening. "I love you too."

And the mockery continues, Lorelai thought as she heard those three seemingly innocuous words, feeling a tiny pinch of envy at how easily they seemed to slip from her baby sister's mouth.

"I will." Juliet hung up, flipping her cell phone shut as she turned her radiant smile on her sister. "Max says hi."

"Hi, Max," Lorelai sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

The smile froze on Juliet's face at her tone, and she tilted her head with a concerned frown. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Lorelai said dismissively, pulling the door open and stepping into the cafe. She remained silent as they waited in line, only opening her mouth to tersely order a coffee and blueberry muffin. She turned to her sister, nodding to the phone still in her hand. "So, what was that about?"

Juliet frowned in confusion. "What was what about?"

"Whatever you were talking to Max about when I got here," Lorelai clarified as they sat down at the counter to wait for their drinks. "It sounded serious."

"Oh. I mean, not really." Juliet shrugged, wrinkling her nose. "Um, the University of Toronto wants him to teach a class there this summer, and he's trying to decide whether he should do it or not."

Lorelai nodded in understanding. "And you don't want him to go."

"Of course, I don't want him to go. I start spiraling if he gets out of bed for two minutes, you think I can handle being away from him for two months?" Juliet asked with a self-deprecating smile. She lowered her eyes to the counter. "I'm trying to be supportive, though."

"That doesn't sound like direct communication to me," Lorelai teased, raising her eyebrows with a smirk.

Juliet laughed weakly as she played with the cinnamon shaker in front of her. "I think direct communication would be a little selfish here."

Lorelai pursed her lips tightly, briefly wondering if her sister had used the same logic on her when she'd run away from home.

"And, um, speaking of direct communication . . ." Juliet began hesitantly, glancing over at her.

Lorelai sighed, already knowing where this was going. "I haven't."

"Are you serious?" Juliet asked incredulously, her eyes widening. "It's been almost a week!"

"I've been busy!" Lorelai exclaimed defensively.

Juliet cocked her head, arching a skeptical eyebrow. "Doing what?"

"Well, uh, you know– I–" Lorelai sputtered, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation. "We, uh, got new coffee makers at the Inn, but only half of them work, so I've been dealing with that."

"Uh-huh," Juliet deadpanned, narrowing her eyes slightly.

Lorelai rolled her eyes, annoyed. "And the Firelight Festival is coming up, which always brings in a ton of tourists, so we're booked almost to capacity. I just– there just hasn't been time for a heart-to-heart."

Juliet nodded, pressing her lips together. "Have you talked to him at all since . . . you know?"

"I've been busy," Lorelai said again, avoiding her sister's eyes. "I mean, with the Inn being so crazy, it just makes more sense to eat there instead of at the diner. It's not like I'm avoiding him!"

Juliet gave her a gently probing look. "Aren't you?"

"Maybe a little," Lorelai sighed, knowing there was no point in lying to the one person who had always been able to see right through her. "Like, uh, yesterday, we sort of– saw each other from across the square, and he kinda waved, and I, uh . . . ran away and pretended I didn't see."

Juliet winced, covering her face with her hands. "Oh, Lor."

"I know! I don't know what's wrong with me!" Lorelai lamented, her eyes burning.

Juliet hesitated, pressing her lips together. "Well–"

Lorelai shot her a glare. "If you start singing Ricky Martin, I'm gonna punch you."

Juliet's brow creased, whatever she was going to say dying on her lips. "Why would I sing . . . ?"

Lorelai snorted despite herself. "That's what Sookie did when I told her."

"Why would she–"

"Because apparently, this is what I always do. It's my getaway dance," Lorelai said ruefully, pursing her lips. "Hence the musical accompaniment."

"Oh." Juliet nodded, chewing the inside of her cheek. She furrowed her brow in consideration, then opened her mouth to say something, before taking a breath and closing it again.

Lorelai's mouth dropped open. "No. You agree with her?"

"Well, I maybe wouldn't phrase it how she did," Juliet hedged, raising her eyebrows. "But I do think this is your avoidant attachment style showing itself."

Lorelai rolled her eyes, wishing her sister would sing Ricky Martin instead. "Thank you, Dr. Gilmore. I'll try to work on that before our next session."

"You already care a lot about Luke, so you're trying to cut and run before giving this relationship a chance because you think that'll hurt less than if it ends on its own," Juliet continued with a gentle hand on her sister's forearm.

"Okay, what did I say about psychoanalyzing me when we're sober?" Lorelai asked, trying and failing for a light, flippant tone.

"Lor. Come on."

Lorelai shook her head. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. Tell me a gross hospital story."

"Look at what you're doing," Juliet said, gesturing to her. "You're avoiding the subject, you're being avoidant right now!"

"Well, you're one to talk!" Lorelai arched a challenging eyebrow, switching tactics. "You can't even tell Romeo you don't want him running off to Canada for the summer!"

Juliet barked out an uncomfortable laugh, her eyes darting away from Lorelai's. "That's completely different."

"How?" Lorelai demanded, leaning forward so her sister was forced to make eye contact with her. "How is it different?"

"I'm still talking to him, we're still communicating," Juliet said defensively.

"But you're not telling him the whole truth," Lorelai pointed out.

Juliet ran an exasperated hand through her auburn hair. "Because I'm trying to put his needs before mine."

"That's what I'm doing!" Lorelai argued, her voice rising in both volume and pitch. "I'm trying to protect Rory!"

Juliet gave her a pointed look. "Are you trying to protect Rory, or are you trying to protect yourself?"

Lorelai bristled at that. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying I'm selfish?"

"No! Lor, no." Juliet softened, covering Lorelai's hand with her own. "But, come on. You know no matter what happens between you and Luke that he'll always be there for Rory. You know that."

Lorelai's shoulders dropped in defeat. "I know."

Juliet squeezed her sister's hand. "If you don't want to be with him, that's fine. But he deserves to hear that from you instead of you just refusing to talk to him."

"I know," Lorelai said again. She smiled sheepishly, lowering her eyes to their joined hands. "I do want to be with him, though."

Juliet smiled. "I know."

"I really, really like him," Lorelai admitted softly.

Juliet's smug smile widened. "And he really, really likes you."

"I know," Lorelai agreed with a tiny smirk. She opened her mouth and then hesitated, closing it again. Finally, she sighed, meeting her sister's eyes as her own began to fill. "I'm scared."

If Juliet was surprised by her older sister's rare admission of fear, she didn't show it. "I know."

Lorelai blew out a long breath, wiping a stray tear from the corner of her eye. "Why couldn't you have stuck with peds?" she lamented with an exaggerated pout. "Then you wouldn't make me talk about my feelings all the time."

"Sorry."

Friday afternoon, after making the executive decision to wait another day before talking to Luke, Lorelai made her way through the town square, pointedly ignoring the preparations for the Firelight Festival happening around her as she walked. Or, attempted to, but that plan was thwarted by a giant star falling from the sky and barely missing her head.

Maybe this is a sign from the universe, she thought, pressing a hand to her racing heart as she stared at her papier-mache would-be assassin. Maybe I shouldn't talk to Luke today. I mean, the lunch rush is still going on, so he might not even have time to talk, and I probably shouldn't leave Michel in charge for too long, and, oh, God, what if he hates me now?

Lorelai turned back around and marched away from the diner, reaching the other side of the square before she stopped short again, hearing Juliet's voice in her head like a Sigmund Freud-themed Small World ride.

"Come on," she muttered to herself, turning around again. "You're a big girl, just go talk to him."

She made her way to the diner again, avoiding the eyes of people who'd already seen her turn around once and pushed open the door, wincing when the bells ruined her inconspicuous entrance.

Luke's head jerked up at the sound, his eyes widening slightly when he saw her. He recovered quickly, giving her a curt nod. "Hey."

Lorelai smiled nervously in return. "Hey."

"So, uh . . . how you doing?" he asked awkwardly as she sat down on the stool nearest to him.

"Um, a papier mache star almost crushed me just now, so you know, I've got a new lease on life," she said with a short chuckle.

Luke barked out a laugh despite himself. "You gonna take up skydiving, then?"

Lorelai chuckled, relieved that at least a tiny bit of the tension between them had abated. "Nah, the goggles are ugly. I was thinking bungee jumping."

"Makes sense," he deadpanned. After a moment of awkward silence, he inhaled shakily, meeting her eyes. "But, I, uh, haven't seen you in a while. You good otherwise?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. Good. Busy," she said with a stiff smile. "You?"

"Oh. Good. Yeah, I figured you were– you know," he stammered, gesturing vaguely at her.

"Yeah. Sorry, I haven't– sorry."

"It's okay," Luke said softly. The tension was back in full force, and an uneasy silence fell over them for a few moments, until he swallowed thickly, holding up the coffee pot. "Uh, coffee?"

"Oh. Please." Lorelai pushed her mug toward him with a tight smile. As he filled it, she bit her lip, casting a wary glance around the crowded diner, then turned back to Luke and took a deep breath, lowering her voice. "Hey, um, if you have a minute, maybe we could talk upstairs? About, you know, uh . . . recent events?"

Luke sighed deeply, his shoulders dropping. "Look, if you just want to forget it happened–"

Lorelai shook her head rapidly, barely registering the sound of the bells chiming behind her. "No! I don't want to–"

"Hey, how's it going?"

Luke's jaw went slack. "Rachel."

"Rachel? Your Rachel?" Lorelai asked blankly. At his nod, she turned in her chair, hoping Sookie had been exaggerating when she'd compared Luke's ex-girlfriend to Elle Macpherson, groaning internally when she saw that she hadn't. "You're Rachel?"

Elle Macpherson nodded confidently, a warm smile blossoming over her already lovely face. "Yup. I'm Rachel."

"Hey, you look cute," Juliet greeted as Lorelai walked up to their parents' front steps on Friday night. "I like that sweater."

Lorelai glanced down at her fitted powder blue sweater with a weak smile. "Thanks."

Juliet tilted her head, taking in her sister's uncharacteristically subdued expression with a worried frown. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Luke's ex-girlfriend came back," Lorelai told her with a rueful smile.

"The one with the sweatshirt?" Juliet asked, her eyes widening. At Lorelai's nod, she raised an eyebrow. "And have you and him . . . ?"

"Uh, nope," Lorelai said with a bitter chuckle. "She made her grand entrance just as we were starting to talk about the elephant in the room."

Juliet squeezed her sister's elbow with a sympathetic frown. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, whatever." Lorelai sniffed, rolling her eyes. "It's my fault for being avoidant, right?"

"No, that's not–"

"You're late," Emily said as she answered the door, cutting her youngest off.

Juliet startled at the sound of her mother's voice, then gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes. "How did you do that?"

"What?" Emily asked.

"Answer the door before we even rang the bell."

"Well, I could hear the two of you talking and I came to the door." Emily stepped aside, gesturing to the foyer. "Come in please."

"You could hear us talking?" Lorelai repeated disbelievingly.

"Let it go," Juliet said under her breath as she took her coat off.

"How could she have heard us talking?" Lorelai hissed as they walked into the living room. "That door is like ten feet thick, and it's not like we were even talking that loud."

"I don't know," Juliet whispered back. She smiled at her father. "Hi, Dad."

"Hey, Dad," Lorelai said, smoothing her hands over her skirt awkwardly.

"Juliet, Lorelai," Richard greeted distractedly, not looking up from his newspaper.

"Sorry, we're late. I was helping Rory get ready for her big date, and well, you know girls," Lorelai explained as she sat down. When her father simply hummed noncommittally in response, she turned to her sister with a wry smile. "And then I don't know what Jules's excuse is."

"I assume she was saving someone's life," Richard answered impatiently, turning a page.

Juliet blinked in surprise at her father's icy tone, her brow creased as she took in the tension between him and her sister. "Um, what are Dean and Rory doing tonight?"

Lorelai flashed her a grateful smile. "Uh, he's taking her to Andoloro's, it's like this cute little Italian place in Woodbridge. Very Lady and the Tramp, I told her to bring a meatball home and save it in the fridge."

Juliet made a face. "I think the freezer would be better."

"See, that's why you're the greatest scientific mind of our generation," Lorelai quipped, prompting an eye roll from her sister. When their father continued to ignore their conversation, the sisters exchanged a look, and Lorelai cleared her throat. "So, Dad, how's work?"

"Oh, work is fine," Richard replied absently, still not looking up.

"Yeah? Good, that's good." Lorelai nodded awkwardly. "My work's fine too."

"They got new coffee makers," Juliet supplied when he didn't respond.

"Hm, that's nice."

"And Jules? Your work's good too?" Lorelai prodded, attempting to fill the tense silence.

"Yeah, it's good. Well, I mean, it's full of sick and dying people, but that's the norm," Juliet said with a nod. Then, taking a breath, she tapped Lorelai's knee. "Oh, um, that dinner they're having to celebrate the end of residency is on May eighth, not the tenth. I got the date mixed up."

"Rory and I'll be there with silly string and confetti," Lorelai promised with a proud smile.

"Oh, goody," Juliet deadpanned with a snort. She turned to her father. "Dad? May eighth? Does that work for you guys?"

Richard finally met her eyes with a testy sigh. "You'll have to ask your mother. She's the one who handles our social calendar."

"Ask me what?" Emily asked as she came back in.

"Um, that dinner for the end of my residency program is on May eighth?"

"May eighth?" Emily repeated, sitting down next to her husband. "I could've sworn you told me it was the tenth."

"I did. I got the date mixed up, sorry," Juliet explained with a shaky breath.

"Well, I cleared our calendar for the tenth, because that's the date you told me," Emily said tightly, pursing her lips. "I'll have to check what we're doing on the eighth and make sure it's not anything important."

"Like, more important than the pinnacle of everything your youngest daughter's been working towards for the past twelve years?" Lorelai asked with an incredulous scoff.

"It's fine. I'm the one who got the date mixed up," Juliet said, forcing a smile as she gave her sister's knee a gentle squeeze.

Lorelai blew out a calming breath, then smiled tightly at her mother. "Oh, um, thanks, Mom, for letting Rory out of dinner tonight. She really appreciated it."

Emily's shoulders loosened at the mention of her granddaughter. "Well, she deserves to celebrate. A five-month anniversary is a landmark feat at her age." She paused, glancing pointedly between her daughters. "Or at any age for some people."

Lorelai blinked, her mouth snapping shut. "I'm gonna get a drink. You want one, Jules?"

Juliet nodded, squeezing her sister's hand quickly. "Sure. I'm good with whatever you're having."

The doorbell rang, and Emily stood up with a genial smile. "I'll get that."

Lorelai made her way to the drink cart, pouring two glasses of wine and handing one to her sister. "Can I freshen up your drink, Dad?"

Richard shook his head. "No, thank you. One drink before dinner is quite enough."

"Right, sorry," Lorelai apologized as she sat back down.

"I had no idea it was so close!" Emily was saying as she came back into the room, her arm looped companionably with a strange man's.

The man nodded with a slick smile. "Absolutely, right around the corner."

"Well, what a small world," Emily tittered. Then, as though just noticing they were there: "Oh, Lorelai, Juliet, I'd like you to meet Chase Bradford."

The sisters exchanged a look of dread when their mother gestured to each of them in turn, as though presenting them on a game show.

Lorelai forced a smile. "Hey."

"Lorelai, it's lovely to meet you. Your mother has told me so much about you," Chase greeted, maintaining the unctuous smile on his face. Then, keeping his options open, he turned that same smile on Juliet. "Juliet, how do you do?"

Juliet opened and shut her mouth a few times, looking helplessly over at her sister for any ideas she might have about how to casually bring up the fact that she was in a serious relationship, before blurting, "I have a boyfriend."

Emily's head whipped around. "What?"

Richard sat up, taking his glasses off. "What?"

"Oh." Chase nodded, looking embarrassed enough that Juliet felt a little bad for him. "Uh, how nice."

"It is nice," Juliet agreed with an awkward smile, cringing internally at her own tactlessness. "He's, um, he's great."

Lorelai snorted into her wine glass. "Smooth, Jules."

"Shut up, I panicked," Juliet whispered, her cheeks burning.

A deafening silence hung over the room for a moment before Emily cleared her throat, turning to her youngest with an icy smile. "Juliet, dear, would you mind helping me with something in the kitchen?"

"Oh. Um, sure," Juliet said, smoothing her sweaty hands on her dress as she stood up. Oh, God.

"I'll help too, Mom," Lorelai volunteered, standing up too and giving her sister a quick smile of solidarity.

Thank you, Juliet mouthed as they followed their mother out of the living room. When they reached the kitchen, she took a steadying breath and smiled at Emily. "So, um, what did you need our help with?"

Emily's hostess smile was gone, replaced by a menacing scowl. "That was very rude of you, Juliet."

"I'm sorry," Juliet apologized sincerely. "I didn't know what to do."

Emily shot her a withering gaze. "You didn't know what to do? You behave with good manners, Juliet. That's what you do."

"Well, come on, Mom, you completely blindsided us, inviting Connecticut Ken over like this," Lorelai said with a disbelieving snort. "And, I mean, it's a little tacky, parading your unmarried daughters under his nose and essentially telling him to have his pick of the litter."

Emily huffed, pursing her lips. "Well, we already know that you and your sister have the same taste in men, don't we?"

Lorelai's mouth dropped open in righteous indignation. "Mom!"

"Chase's mother is a friend of mine, and you embarrassed him." Emily ignored her oldest, continuing to berate Juliet. "And yes, perhaps I did invite him here tonight thinking he might possibly make a good match for one of you, but just because you refuse to consider a man whom your sister hasn't test-driven for you does not give you the right to make up a bald-faced lie so you don't have to consider this one!"

"It, um– it wasn't a lie," Juliet confessed softly, wincing at the reminder of their fight last week.

"It wasn't?" Emily asked disbelievingly, her head jerking back in surprise. "You have a boyfriend?"

"Um, yes," Juliet said, twisting her fingers together nervously.

Emily scoffed, her expression a mixture of disbelief and offense. "Well, how long have you been seeing this man? It can't have been long, since I'm only learning of it now."

"Um, I'm not completely sure," Juliet hedged with an uncertain glance at Lorelai. "Four months, I think? Maybe a little less?"

"That sounds right," Lorelai confirmed with a nod.

"Four months?" Emily repeated, her voice dangerously steady. "You've been seeing the same man for four months?"

"Maybe a little less," Juliet said again, as though that would ease her mother's increasingly stormy countenance.

"Four months, and I'm just now learning about it? You waited to tell your own mother about the existence of a man who you've been seeing for four months?" Emily asked indignantly, her voice rising as she searched her youngest's face. "Why? Why would you keep this from me?"

"I– well– I just–" Juliet stammered, unable to come up with an explanation that would satisfy her mother, before lowering her eyes to the ground guiltily. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? You're sorry?" Emily exclaimed, and Juliet flinched involuntarily at the unbridled rage in her mother's voice.

Lorelai took a step between them. "Calm down, Mom. She's telling you now."

"What, is this man you're seeing another one of your sister's leftovers?" Emily asked snidely, ignoring her eldest. "Is that why you kept it from me?"

Juliet bit her quivering lip, recalling that stupid phone message from all those months ago and knowing her mother wasn't completely off the mark.

Lorelai's eyes narrowed as she glared at her mother. "Uh, here's a thought: maybe she kept it from you because she thought you'd react badly. Thank God she was wrong!"

Emily bristled, pointing an accusatory finger at Lorelai's face. "She gets this from you, you know. You're the one who taught her to hide things from me, brainwashing her into thinking I can't be trusted!"

"Brainwashing her?" Lorelai repeated incredulously, rolling her eyes. "She's thirty years old!"

"Please don't blame her. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, can we please just go back in now?" Juliet asked in a rush, feeling her eyes begin to prickle.

Emily continued to glare at her daughters for a moment, before straightening her spine and plastering back on the smile she reserved for company. "Yes, I suppose we've left Chase and your father alone for long enough."

As their mother turned on her heel and walked out ahead of them, Lorelai laid a gentle hand on the small of her sister's back. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Juliet said with a weak smile, blinking rapidly. She ducked her head with a self-deprecating laugh. "It's still a little scary when she yells."

"I know, babe," Lorelai sympathized, rubbing soothing circles into her back. She wrinkled her nose and blew out a breath. "We should go back before that vein in her forehead pops."

Juliet chuckled, letting her sister propel her back into the living room on their mother's heels.

Juliet's blunt reveal of her relationship may have relieved her of any romantic pursuits from Chase, but unfortunately, she still had to listen to him talk. And talk he did. He explained in detail why he chose to work in Hartford and waxed poetic about the statistical models at his work that helped predict death more accurately, all while smiling unctuously at Lorelai as though he were reading Lord Byron aloud instead of boring everyone at the table to death except for Emily.

Finally, Emily took a breath, raising her eyebrows enticingly. "Well, Chase, why don't you and Lorelai retire to the living room for some brandy while Juliet and I help Leta clean up?"

Lorelai huffed out a laugh. "While you do what?"

"That sounds lovely," Chase said, offering Lorelai his hand. "Shall we?"

"Uh, sure," Lorelai stammered, shooting Juliet a desperate glance. "Uh, Jules and I just have to go powder our noses, but I will meet you in the living room."

"Well, why does Juliet need to go with you?" Emily asked as her daughters stood up.

"Girls always go to the bathroom together, Mom," Lorelai answered as she reached for her sister's hand, prompting an eye roll from her mother.

"I'll be waiting," Chase promised, though it sounded more like a threat.

"Super," Lorelai said with an uncomfortable smile, leading her sister out of the dining room. Once they were out of earshot, she whirled on Juliet, wide-eyed. "Oh, my God!"

"I know!" Juliet agreed in a whisper.

"Where did she find this guy?" Lorelai asked incredulously, marching upstairs. "He's like if Mr. Collins from Pride and Prejudice was magically transported into the twenty-first century!"

Juliet snorted. "Who's Lady Catherine in this scenario?"

"The actuarial business," Lorelai grumbled with an eye roll, pushing the door to her old bedroom open and closing it behind them both. She blew out a breath, turning to face her sister. "Okay. I need a huge favor."

Juliet's face went slack in realization. "You want me to cover for you, don't you?"

"Well, it's not like he's gonna try anything with you," Lorelai said, raising her eyebrows. "You have boyfriend armor."

"Boyfriend armor?" Juliet repeated, her brow creasing.

"As far as the single man in possession of a good fortune down there is concerned, you're someone else's property," Lorelai explained with a smirk. "He can't flirt with you, you're off limits."

"Mom's already mad at me–" Juliet began to protest.

"She has company over, you know she won't yell at you again tonight," Lorelai pointed out. She took Juliet's hands in hers, widening her eyes beseechingly. "Please, Jules, please? He's so boring and he won't stop talking to me about dead people! I'll owe you for the rest of my life, please?"

Juliet sighed, rolling her eyes. "Fine."

"Thank you," Lorelai exhaled in relief, squeezing her sister's hands as she turned to climb out the window. She looked over her shoulder as she hoisted herself over her balcony railing. "You can borrow anything you want from my closet, okay? Redeemable anytime!"

Juliet forced a chuckle. "Okay. I'll hold you to that."

Lorelai shot her a grateful smile and climbed down the tree beside the balcony with considerably less dexterity than she had during her teen years. She somehow managed to land on her feet, brushing leaves from her coat as she walked over to the Jeep and unlocked it, blowing out a huge breath at the awkwardness she'd escaped.

It was only when she was nearly to Stars Hollow that she closed her eyes in sudden shame, coming to the horrifying realization that, once again, she'd just left her little sister to face their mother's wrath alone.

The Firelight Festival was in full swing as Lorelai wandered through the town square, glancing around at the people gathered and telling herself she was looking for Sookie before her eyes landed on the person she'd actually been searching for. He was sitting on a bench alone, and Lorelai couldn't see Elle Macpherson anywhere nearby.

She blew out a breath as she approached him, striving for a casual tone. "Hey. Where the hell's the fire department when you need them?"

Luke glanced up at the sound of her voice, his brow furrowing when he saw her. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be in Hartford?"

Lorelai nodded as she sat down. "Yeah, I climbed out the window."

He accepted that with a short laugh. "Okay."

"That's it?" she asked, surprised. "You're not curious why?"

Luke shook his head. "No."

"That's what I love about you," Lorelai said, squeezing her eyes shut in embarrassment when she realized what she'd just said.

The words hung in the air long enough for Lorelai to imagine fifty different ways to burrow herself into a hole and never come out before Luke broke the silence. "So, um, where's Juliet?"

"Um, she's still at my parents' house," Lorelai admitted, twisting her lips together guiltily. "She's covering for me."

"But she'll be here soon?"

"Yeah," Lorelai said slowly, frowning in confusion. "Why, does Kirk have a burn he needs her to look at, or something?"

Luke snorted at that, rolling his eyes. He sobered, glancing down at his shoes. "No. Well, probably. It is Kirk. But, no, I, uh . . . I just wanted to talk to her about something."

"Well, I may not be a shrink, but you can talk to me," Lorelai offered with a small shrug.

"Oh. Well– that might be a little weird," Luke stammered, in a tone that told her that she was what he wanted to discuss with her little sister. "I mean, uh, especially, uh– especially now."

"Well, it'd probably still be weird to talk to her. I mean, she is my sister," Lorelai said tightly, feeling the strange need to remind him where Juliet's loyalties lay. She let out a brittle chuckle. "And I already told her we had sex."

"Geez, Lorelai," he muttered, covering his eyes with his hands.

"What, we can't talk about it?" she asked, turning to face him more fully.

Luke rolled his eyes with a bitter chuckle. "Oh, now she wants to talk about it."

"I've been busy!" Lorelai exclaimed for what felt like the hundredth time that week.

"You've been hiding," Luke argued with a scoff. "But you don't just get to decide to play Dr. Phil just because my ex-girlfriend's back in town, Lorelai! It doesn't work like that!"

"Hey, I tried to talk to you about it before she came!" she reminded him, her defensiveness giving way to frustration.

He opened his mouth to respond, then deflated, resting his head in his hands. "Yeah, I know."

Lorelai cleared her throat. "So, um, is she staying?"

"Uh, I don't know."

"Well, do you want her to?" she asked, half-dreading the answer.

He glanced over at her, seeming torn between the need to confide in his friend and discomfort in talking about other women with someone he'd been intimate with. Finally, he shrugged. "I don't know."

Lorelai searched his eyes for a moment, unsure what she was looking for but knowing she didn't find it. She took a shaky breath. "Do you still, um . . . do you still have feelings for her?"

Luke was silent for a long moment, then he nodded slowly, unable to meet her eyes. "Yes."

She nodded, biting the inside of her cheek to distract from the tears she felt beginning to gather in her eyes. "Okay. Well then, I'll um . . ." she trailed off, bracing her hands on her thighs as she stood up. "I'll let you figure that out."

He nodded again, pressing his lips together and staring at his shoes as she walked away. After a moment, he glanced up, inhaling sharply. "Hey, Lorelai?"

Lorelai turned around, a tiny seed of hope forming in her chest. "Yeah?"

"Are we, uh . . ." Luke trailed off, gesturing between the two of them awkwardly. "Are we good?"

Lorelai deflated, then nodded, forcing a smile. "Of course we are. We're friends. We'll always be friends."

"Okay. Uh, good."

"Good," she said with another nod, waving goodbye over her shoulder and hoping she could get home before the tears began to fall in earnest.

Lorelai made it to the Jeep before one pesky tear slipped out, and she sniffled, shaking her head to ward off more from coming. She needed to get home. She needed a tub of ice cream and her softest pajamas and her sister's shoulder to cry on, and she needed all three before Rory came home and asked what was wrong.

She changed out of her nice clothes almost robotically, replacing them with sweats and a t-shirt as she listened for the sound of Juliet's car pulling up. When she heard the front door open, Lorelai emerged from her bedroom, taking the stairs two at a time.

"Jules? Is that you?" she called, her voice breaking. Her brow creased in surprise when she saw a stricken-looking Rory walk into the living room instead. "Rory? You okay, hon?"

Rory sniffled, looking up at her mother with watery eyes. "We just broke up."