Chapter Text
He was waiting for his daughter when he saw her for the first time after years.
April, his daughter, had a computer programming class in Boston. He had actually no idea about technology, computers, phones and all these other stuff. He didn't even like them. He couldn't see himself needing it anytime soon. But when the person who wanted him to take her there was his smart daughter with a brain full of things he never understood, saying no was not a chance. It was his last summer with her before she went to college. And he wanted to spend it with her. So taking her there three times a week and waiting for her were not as torturous as they sounded. He was totally okay with them as long as he could spend time with his daughter who he didn't even know existed for thirteen years of her life.
He didn't like big cities and Boston was not an exception. It was loud and messy. People were angry and upset. Air was dirty and streets were full of garbage. He didn't like it at all. He went into a cafe, trying to ignore the annoyance he felt directed to big cities and people who lived in them. He ordered a tea like he always did and spent his time there until it was time for April's lesson to end.
He was paying for his tea when he saw her. She looked different, was one of his first thoughts. Even more beautiful than the last time he saw her. Her hair was longer and looked even more curlier than it did after sleeping for twelf hours. She was wearing a black lace blouse with a v neck and a long dark red lace skirt. She was wearing her reading glasses, which made her look bossier. She was breathtaking.
What surprised him more than seeing her after years and years was the little girl she was holding hands with. The girl didn't look a day older than four. She had mesmerizing blue eyes and blonde hair. A sadness creeped over him when he realized that this blue eyed little girl holding hands with the love of his life was not a coincidence. It was her daughter.
Of course, he thought. She left the town four years ago, of course she had a kid. With blue eyes just like hers. He wondered who was the father. Blonde hair must have been a trait little girl got from him.
This could've been my daughter, he thought as he kept staring at the mother daughter duo in front of him with surprised, sad eyes. I could've had a family with Lorelai, if I simply said yes to eloping with her. He would've had a family with her if he did. His life wouldn't be a hell he tried to light up with the presence of his daughter. He wouldn't miss her every second of his life.
It was all in the past though. What was in current time was the beautiful woman who stood two tables away from him. And he needed to talk to her so bad like it was the last chance he got. And maybe it was.
"Lorelai," He called with a voice loud enough for her to hear him.
He saw her face when she heard him. It was before she saw him but he was sure she knew who was the man calling her name. She turned her head to him with a childish excitement, a smile appearing on her face as her eyes met his. "Luke..." She whispered, trying not to cry with the image of the man she loved standing right in front of her.
She dragged the little girl with her as she walked to him. He didn't know who wrapped their arms around the other first but just in seconds they were holding each other as tight as they could. He opened his eyes that he didn't notice he closed. He tightened his grip, if it was possible and smelled her hair. His smile grew as he noticed her hair still smelled the same.
After a while standing in the middle of the cafe holding each other, they took a step back. Lorelai's hand went to the little girl with an instinct as she kept looking at him with eyes full of happiness and maybe even love, he hoped.
"Uhm, you wanna sit?" Luke broke the silence, showing her a table that was empty.
"Yeah," Her voice sounded excited with a bit of anxiety. "Yeah!" She said one more time before sitting on the chair and helping the little girl on another chair.
He ordered a cup of tea and a cup of coffee and then sat down to watch her helping the little girl. After she put the girl to the chair she gave her dolls a little smaller than normal Barbies he knew and watched her to make sure she was going to be busy playing as she was talking with her ex she still loved. He saw her leaning down to the girl and noticed them whispering about something just like she and Rory used to do in diner years ago but he was too busy for listening when he got to chance to look at her after years of not seeing her. She looked natural with the girl. Just as he thought she would with their kids.
She took a deep breath when she finally looked at him again. "What are you doing here?" She asked. "I mean not in a bad way but you never leave Stars Hollow. It's like 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘴 𝘐𝘯 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦" She added.
You used to never leave there either, he thought but didn't say it loud. It was her desicion to leave without letting anyone but Rory and Michel know. Not even Sookie, probably because she knew she would convince her to not move out. Not that he expected her to come to diner to give him a passionate goodbye. But still waking up one day to find out Lorelai has moved out was not one of his greatest moments.
"April has a class here, I brought her and was waiting for her." He explained.
"Oh, yeah? How old is she now? It must be her last year in high school, right?" She asked with a genuine curiosity.
He nodded. "Yeah." He answered shortly.
His lack of answer seemed to affect her enthusiasm, he noticed. His problem was exactly this. He never had the correct answer to give her.
He didn't want her to think that he was already bored with their conversation. "And the... kid is yours, right?" He asked with a timid voice. He wasn't sure if he was ready to hear her talking about her daughter and the father of this kid. He wasn't ready to hear that she moved on. And still, he asked.
She smiled even bigger when he talked about the kid. "Well, her mother was talking with her friends, so I told her I will get her candy and took her." She answered his question in a way that made Luke roll his eyes. "Yes, she is. Meredith." She answered genuinely this time as she turned to her kid. "Meredith, say hi to Luke here."
"Hi, Luke!" Blonde girl said cheerfuly leaving her dolls to the table to talk to him. Then she turned to her mom and asked innocently. "Mommy, is that the Luke with coffee?"
Luke's eyes widened when he heard the question. She talked about him. She actually talked about him with her daughter. That must have meant something for sure.
Lorelai's cheeks blushed as she said yes to her daughter. One of the hard parts of having a small child was the fact that they didn't have filter. She shrugged at him with a small smile. "Well, your coffee is still the best I've ever had... So tell me more about April!" She changed the subject quickly. She did not want him to realize how much she had missed him during all this time and how desperate she was for his love and his affection.
The waiter brought them her coffee and his tea as he told her about his daughter. She listened to him talking about his daughter with a proud smile on her face, seeing the proof of her always knowing he would make a great father. He told her about his daughter's achievements. He tried to talk as much as he could before asking her about the kid's father. Meredith. Meredith's father. It was a pretty name. Though, didn't sound anything like she would name her kid. Must be the father who named her, he thought. He hoped it wasn't 'that' jerk. He really really hoped.
She was finishing her coffee when he asked her the question they both knew was coming. "So, Meredith's father... Is he Christopher or someone you met after moving here?" He asked, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.
She smiled, which was a surprise to him. She placed her coffee cup to table neatly before raising her head and looking at him.
"Neither, actually." She answered.
Luke was sure his head was going to explode.