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Lorelai was sitting at the kitchen table talking on the phone when Rory came home from school. Rory walked over to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Rory pointed to the phone, and her mom covered the mouthpiece and whispered, "Max." Rory smiled. Her mom talked on the phone to Mr. Medina every couple of days. She had felt bad that they had decided not to date while he was still her teacher, but they seemed to be happy just talking on the phone. Rory walked into her room and changed out of her school uniform.

A few minutes later Lorelai walked in and said, "Hey, how was your day?"

"Oh, pretty good. How was yours? You're home early."

"Yeah. I finished up at work early, so I came home to call Max." She smiled.

"Cool. So you had a nice talk?"

"Yup." She laughed. "He told me about this time when he was in kindergarten and his teacher was putting his lunch box up on the shelf and she dropped it and it fell on his head."

Rory laughed. "Aw! And what embarrassing moment did you reveal about yourself this time?"

She smiled. "I told him about the time we went to the grocery store and I slipped on the wet floor and fell into the giant display of paper towels, and then they escorted us out to the parking lot."

Rory laughed. "Oh my gosh! That was so embarrassing! I told you not to ignore the "wet floor" sign!"

Lorelai laughed. "I know! I know! It was all my fault! So, what do you want for dinner?"

"Anything. How about Chinese?"

"Okay. I'll go order it. You want your usual?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I'll call you when it's here." Lorelai walked out to order the floor while Rory took out some of her homework from her backpack.

After Lorelai had ordered the food, she sat down on the couch. She started thinking about Max. `This whole relationship-through-the- phone thing is working out better than I thought it would,' Lorelai said to herself. `I can't wait for next month when Rory isn't in his class anymore. Then we'll be able to go out on real dates again.' As she sat there thinking about Max, her eyes fell on her new black and white striped lamp. It was the lamp she had bought to replace her lemon lamp, the one Luke had broken. She started thinking about that day Luke had come over to help her find the baby chick, and she remembered that Luke had thought she invited him over just to see him. She smiled. `He liked me. I wonder why he never asked me out. Maybe because he still had feelings for Rachel. I probably would've said yes if he had asked me. But I guess it worked out. We're both happy and we're both seeing other people. But I wonder if he still likes me now that Rachel's back.'

Lorelai's conversation with herself was interrupted by a knock at the door. She called to Rory, "Food's here!" She walked to the front door and paid for the food, and brought it into the kitchen. Rory was already getting out plates. They both sat down and ate dinner.

Four Months Later

It was a hot day in mid-September. Lorelai and Rory, dressed in shorts and T-shirts, were on their way to Luke's for lunch. Lorelai had plans later that evening with Max. They had started dating again 3 months ago, the day after school had gotten out for the summer. They had picked up right where they had left off and had continued dating all through the summer.

They walked into Luke's and sat down at a table. They noticed Luke was standing at the counter, staring into space. Lorelai felt bad for him. Rachel had gone back to Chicago several weeks ago and Luke had been feeling pretty down since then. Plus, when Max, Lorelai and Rory were playing Frisbee in the park last week, Lorelai had noticed Luke staring at them, looking sad. Lorelai had figured that Luke's feelings for her had been rekindled since Rachel left.

Luke walked over to their table and said, "Lorelai, I need to talk to you. Can we go somewhere private?"

Rory raised her eyebrows as Lorelai shrugged and said, "Uh, sure." She stood up and followed Luke into the back storage room of the diner. Luke locked the door.

Lorelai said, "Uh, Luke, you just locked us in the storage room."

"Yes, I know. I just have to tell you something and I don't want anyone to hear."

"Ooh! Let me guess! You finally tried coffee and now you're an addict like me?" She smiled.

"No, this is serious." Luke said, looking nervous.

Lorelai's smiled faded. "Okay. What's up?"

"Lorelai, I'm going to say a couple of things to you, and I don't want you to say anything. Just listen. Okay?"

"Okay."

"And I don't know what my telling you this will do to our friendship, but if you never want to talk to me again, I'll understand."

"Luke, what's going on?" Lorelai was very confused.

Luke took a deep breath. "I was in Hartford today running some errands and I saw Max. I'm not going to tell you what he was doing, but don't worry, it wasn't anything bad."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes, and said, "Uh, okay. . .So?"

"Ya know what? Stay here. I'll be right back." Luke left for a second and returned with one of the counter stools. He placed it down and said, "You should sit."

Lorelai shrugged and sat down. She stared at Luke with a confused look.

"Lorelai, I just want you to know that I like you. I mean, really, really like you. I've liked you since the first day we met and I've never stopped liking you. In fact, I love you. I'm completely in love with you."

Lorelai's mouth opened and her eyes widened, but she didn't say anything.

Luke took another deep breath. "For the past several years, I've looked forward to seeing you every single day. You are the reason that I get up in the morning. And the days that I don't see you, I think about you. I've never loved anyone as much as I love you. When I was kissing Rachel, I imagined that it was you. I love you with everything that I am and I always will."

Lorelai stared at look with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. She was speechless, trying to process everything he had just said to her.

After a few seconds, she said, "Luke, but why now?"

Luke replied, "I just wanted to get that of my chest. I was always too nervous to ask you out, but I just felt like I needed to tell you."

Lorelai stared at him for a few seconds. Then she stood up and walked out of the storage closet without saying anything else. She went over to Rory and said, "Rory, I have to go."

"What? Where were you guys? What happened?" Rory asked.

"Come on, let's go."

"But we haven't eaten yet."

"I need to go home. Right now." Lorelai walked out of the diner.

Rory followed after her, confused. Luke stood at the back of the diner and watched them leave. "What have I done?" he said quietly.

He lightly slammed his head against the wall a few times before walking into the kitchen.

Lorelai walked quickly towards their house while Rory jogged to catch up with her.

"Mom, What happened? Tell me please!"

"Rory, I can't tell you yet okay?"

"Well, is everything okay?"

"I don't know." Lorelai started walking faster and Rory gave up trying to keep up.

Lorelai walked into the house and ran up to her room. She locked her door and collapsed on her bed. She stared at the ceiling and tried to sort out everything Luke had told her and tried to figure out why he had told her.

"Maybe he's moving and he wanted to tell me everything before he left. Or maybe he's . . . dying. Oh my God, what if he's dying?!? Or maybe it has something to do with what Max was doing in Hartford today. . .Or maybe. . "

Suddenly, her mother's nagging voice entered her mind: "He seems to like you." Lorelai remembered her mother telling her that at Rory's birthday party.

Then another phrase crept into Lorelai's mind. "Do you have feelings for this man?" her mother had asked her one time at Friday night dinner. "Maybe I do," Lorelai had replied.

Lorelai put both of her hands over her eyes as if trying to hide from the world. She lay like that in her bed for awhile before remembering she had a date with Max. She got up off the bed and grabbed her robe. She lazily walked into the bathroom and took a shower. Twenty minutes later, she walked out of the bathroom and found Rory sitting on her bed.

"Mom, are you all right?" Rory asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry about before. I have a lot on my mind."

"It's okay, I understand. You sure you don't want to talk?"

"Not yet."

"Okay."

Lorelai stood in front of the closet, trying to decide what to wear. After a few minutes of staring, Rory walked over to the closet and asked, "Need some help?"

"Yes please."

Rory scanned the closet and pulled out a short blue dress. "How's this?"

"That's fine," Lorelai said. Rory handed the dress to her. Lorelai tossed it on the bed and walked over to her bureau and picked up her blow dryer.

Rory said, "Okay, well, I'm going over Lane's now."

"Okay, bye hon." Lorelai gave Rory a kiss on the cheek and Rory headed out of the bedroom.

Lorelai got ready for her date with Max. She walked downstairs and waited on the sofa for him. As always, he arrived right on time. Lorelai invited him inside, and he walked in and gave Lorelai a kiss. He then took her hand and led her to the couch. He sat down and patted the cushion next to him, encouraging her to sit. She sat. He said, "Lorelai, before we go out, I want to tell you something."

"Okay, what's up?"

Max appeared nervous. He spoke slowly. "Okay. Well, Lorelai, you know that I love you. I always will love you. And I want to be with you forever." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. "And I want to know if you, uh, will marry me?" He stared at her with hopeful eyes, hoping to hear her say `Yes'.

Lorelai was shocked. She stared at the ring for a moment before saying, "Oh Max. I love you too. But I think you're moving a little too fast. I'm not ready to get married."

"Well, we don't have to get married for a few years."

"Well, Max, a lot can happen in a few years."

Max sighed. "Okay, okay, I get it. Ya know, I had a sinking feeling that you would say that it was too soon, but I didn't listen to it." Max put the ring in his pocket.

"Max, I'm so sorry." Lorelai felt so bad staring at Max's sad eyes.

"No, it's okay Lorelai, I understand." He smiled. "But I will try again."

"Max, I just . . . "

"Lorelai, what's wrong? Something's not right with you. Are you okay?"

"No, I'm just shocked. It's just. . Wow. It's just too fast."

"Well, what do you need? Do you think you need a break? We can take a break if you need it."

Lorelai looked at him, surprised. "Really? You're not mad?"

Max smiled. "Not at all. I love you. I only want what will make you happy."

Lorelai smiled. "Aren't you the sweetest man in the world?"

"Yes I am." Max smiled.

Lorelai laughed. "Well, do you wanna just hang out? Get some pizza or something?"

"Sure. That would be nice."

Lorelai ordered a pizza for her and Max, and they watched a movie while just relaxing on the couch. Lorelai was still thinking about Luke. `Did he tell me all that stuff because he knew Max would propose?' She was slowly putting the pieces together. Lorelai said, "Max, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Um, did you buy that ring in Hartford today?"

Max looked at her, surprised. "No. I bought it last week, but I picked it up in Hartford today. Why? How do you know that?" Lorelai shrugged. "I just, uh, um. I was just wondering. Never mind."

Lorelai had finally figured it out. `Luke saw Max pick up the ring today, and knew it would be for me. Then he told me how he felt about me before I made any decisions with Max.' Lorelai jumped up off the couch.

"Max, I need to go somewhere."

"Um, right now?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry. Can you. . ?" She gestured to the pizza.

"Uh, yeah. I'll clean this up before I go."

"Okay, thanks. Bye."

Lorelai ran nonstop to Luke's Diner. She pulled open the door and stood there for a second catching her breath. She saw Luke at a table, writing down orders from Miss Patty and Taylor. He looked up and saw her standing there. She walked over to him.

"Lorelai. Are you okay? You looked upset earlier. I'm so sorry about . . . ."

Lorelai interrupted. "Luke, I love you too."

Luke stared at her for a second before saying, "What?"

"I love you too." Lorelai repeated.

Miss Patty and Taylor were watching them with mouths dropped open, as were the other customers in the diner.

Lorelai said, "I want to be with you. Not Max."

Luke was wide eyed. "So he proposed, didn't he?"

Lorelai nodded. "But I said no. . . . Because I want to be with you."

Luke dropped his order pad on the floor and gave her a hug. Lorelai wrapped her arms around his neck as she gave him a long passionate kiss. The customers around them started clapping. Luke and Lorelai, with their arms wrapped around each other, continued kissing in the middle of the diner as the customers around them looked on.

END