Luke's Daughters

Chapter Seven

Luke

My alarm went off really early on Sunday morning. I turned it off quickly because Lorelai was already mumbling grumpily from her side of the bed. "You know, I think it's great that you want to spend the day going fishing with your daughter. But right now, I hate you."

"I love you, too." I chuckled, kissed her cheek and stood up to go get ready. Lorelai mumbled a few more incoherent things, but finally went back to sleep. I went downstairs to the kitchen and started preparing some snacks when April, awake and dressed, came in the room.

"Good morning, kiddo!" I greeted her, glad that not all of my girls were in such a bad mood early in the morning.

"Morning, Dad." I still couldn't help but grin at that particular word. "Boy, Rory wakes up grumpily this early." April gestured towards the room she was currently sharing with her stepsister.

"Yeah, she gets that from her mom." I laughed, guessing that my daughter's reaction to the alarm clock was pretty much the same as her mother's. "You ready to go?"

"Just about, yeah." April smiled at me.

"Great, then let's get going." I put the snacks and drinks in a picnic basket and headed towards the door.

Just as we entered the foyer, April stopped me. "One more thing," she said. "Bye guys!" For being such a small and fragile girl, my daughter apparently had a very loud voice. I laughed out loud and April grinned at me.

"I hate you!" Lorelai and Rory simultaneously called from their rooms, which just made April and me laugh harder.

"Okay," April said after calming down a bit. "Now we can go."

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Rory

"Why do we love them both so much?" I asked my mom while entering the kitchen at a more reasonable time for a Sunday morning. We both yawned simultaneously and I gratefully accepted the full coffee mug Mom was handing me.

"I just asked myself the exact same thing," she answered. "But I'm glad they finally get to do something just the two of them."

"Me too," Rory agreed. "So, when do you have to go? And who exactly are you meeting again?"

"I have to leave in half an hour. And I'm meeting an old friend from school," Mom said, though she was not quite able to meet my eyes.

"Really? Do I know them?"

"No, I don't think you do. Her name's An ... Annabelle."

"Annabelle? Funny you never mentioned your good friend Annabelle before," I gave her a skeptical look.

"Well, Annabelle and I had a bit of a falling out a few years ago. And she wanted to meet up and ... clear the air," Mom said and proceeded to subtly change the topic. "Anyway, when's Jess picking you up for your date?"

"Ten o'clock and it's still not a date, Mom," I told her. "We're just old friends hanging out and catching up. Nothing more and nothing less."

"Really? Cause I could've sworn I saw the two of you having a bit of a moment there yesterday at breakfast. Ringing any bells yet?" Mom grinned at me. "And after years of having cute moments with Luke, I should be an expert on those, don't you think?"

"Not that you ever admitted to any of them back in the day," I said.

"That's beside the point." Mom waved her hand dismissively. "We still had them, didn't we? And I am happy to admit that now."