Lorelai stood near the window, sipping her coffee as she spotted a sleek black car pulling up outside. She sighed. "And so the royal court arrives."

Honor, who had been adjusting some last-minute details, smirked. "I give it ten seconds before Dad starts questioning everything."

Before Lorelai could respond, a sharp knock sounded at the door, immediately followed by Mitchum Huntzberger stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. Shira followed, looking around with a barely concealed expression of disapproval.

"Logan!" Mitchum's voice carried through the house, but before he could get far, Lorelai stepped in his way.

"Oh, hello, Mitchum. Lovely to see you too. Please, come in, make yourself at home—oh wait, you already did."

Mitchum barely spared her a glance before turning to Honor. "We got your interesting phone call this morning. Care to explain why my son is suddenly getting married today?" His eyes flicked to Rory, who had just stepped into the room.

Rory squared her shoulders. "Because we love each other, and we don't want to wait."

Shira scoffed lightly. "Darling, a Huntzberger wedding takes months—years—of planning. Not… whatever this is." She waved a hand dismissively around the house.

Logan, who had been in another room, stepped forward at the sound of his mother's voice. His expression was calm, but there was a fire in his eyes. "Mom. Dad." His voice was firm. "You don't have to like it. But this is happening."

Mitchum turned to face him, arms crossed. "Logan, you're a smart man. This is impulsive—even for you. Do you really think this is the best decision?"

Logan didn't hesitate. "It's the best decision I've ever made." He stepped beside Rory, his stance protective yet unwavering. "You've spent my whole life telling me what I should do, who I should be. Well, I'm telling you—this is what I want. Rory is what I want. And if you can't support that, then you don't need to be here."

Shira looked stunned. "Logan—"

"No, Mom. You've controlled enough of my life already. This is mine." He took Rory's hand. "Ours."

Mitchum's expression was unreadable for a moment. Then he let out a breath, shaking his head slightly. "Well. I can't say I expected this."

Honor stepped in, arms crossed. "Well, believe it or not, Logan is actually capable of making his own decisions."

Shira exhaled sharply. "Of course he is. We just assumed he'd make better ones."

Lorelai let out a dry laugh. "Better than marrying an incredible, brilliant, ambitious woman? Yeah, how dare he."

Rory took a deep breath. "Look, we'd love for you to stay. But we're not changing anything to make you comfortable."

Mitchum studied his son for a moment longer before finally nodding. "Fine. We're here."

Logan gave a slight nod in return but didn't say anything.

Lorelai clapped her hands. "Great! Now, who wants coffee?"

After the tense encounter with the Huntzbergers, the house felt unusually quiet. Rory sat on the edge of the couch, twisting her hands in her lap as she stared at her phone. Still no call from Christopher. No text. Nothing.

She sighed, locking the screen and setting the phone aside.

Lorelai, who had been watching from across the room, walked over and sat beside her. "Still nothing?"

Rory shook her head. "I left him three voicemails. I even tried calling Gigi to see if she'd heard from him, but nothing." She exhaled sharply. "I don't know why I'm surprised."

Lorelai wrapped an arm around her. "Sweetie, I know it sucks. And I know that—on some level—you hoped this would be different. But you don't have to do this alone."

"I know," Rory murmured. She hesitated for a second before looking up at her mom. "Actually… I was thinking."

Lorelai gave her a knowing look. "Dangerous pastime."

Rory rolled her eyes but smiled. "If Christopher doesn't show—and let's be real, it's looking like he won't—I don't want to walk down the aisle alone." She paused, taking a breath. "I want Luke to walk me."

Lorelai's face softened. "Oh, hon."

"I mean, he's been there my whole life," Rory continued, her voice steady but emotional. "More than anyone. He's the one who showed up. Always. He's basically been my father in every way that counts."

Lorelai nodded, squeezing her daughter's hand. "So… go ask him."

Rory stood, her heart pounding slightly as she made her way toward Luke's.

The diner was quieter than usual, with most of the town already buzzing around the square for last-minute wedding preparations. Luke stood behind the counter, wiping down a coffee pot, though his movements seemed almost absentminded—like he was lost in thought.

Rory stepped inside, the familiar chime of the bell making Luke glance up. He smiled when he saw her. "Hey, kid."

"Hey," she said, stepping closer. "Got a second?"

Luke set down the pot. "For you? Always."

She took a deep breath. "So, um… Christopher isn't answering his phone. At this point, I don't think he's coming."

Luke's expression darkened slightly, but he stayed quiet, waiting for her to continue.

"And I don't want to walk down the aisle alone," Rory admitted. "But then I realized… I don't have to." She met his gaze. "Luke, would you walk me?"

Luke's eyes widened slightly, and for a moment, he just stared at her. "You… want me to—?"

"You've always been there for me," Rory said, her voice thick with emotion. "You've been more of a father to me than anyone. So, yeah. If you want to… I'd really love for you to be the one to walk me down the aisle."

Luke swallowed hard, shifting slightly where he stood. "Rory…" He cleared his throat. "Yeah. Yeah, of course I will."

Rory let out a breath of relief, a smile breaking across her face. "Thank you."

Luke grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck, but there was a clear warmth in his voice. "Yeah, yeah. Just—don't go getting all sappy on me."

Rory grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it."

Luke shook his head, but as Rory hugged him, he held on just a little tighter than usual.