Author's Note: This story takes a look at how Luke and Lorelai have spent three Father's Days, post-finale... in the years 2009, 2011, 2014.

The Evolution of Father's Day

Chapter 1. Father's Day - 2009

Luke groggily opened his eyes and glanced at the clock. 6:19 a.m. He craned his neck behind him to see if Lorelai was still in bed, but her side was empty. He closed his eyes and lay there for a minute, trying to muster the energy to get up.

Finally, he pushed the covers off, climbed out of the bed, and stretched his arms up over his head with a yawn. He walked lazily past Paul Anka cuddled up in his doggie bed in the corner of the room, and made a stop at the bathroom before heading down the hall to the newest addition to the house... the nursery.

The door was open and Luke peeked into the room. Lorelai was sitting in the rocking chair next to the crib, softly stroking baby Abigail's cheek with her thumb as she watched her gently suckling. Luke leaned against the doorframe, smiling to himself.

Five months ago, soon after Lorelai gave birth to Abigail, Luke discovered that watching her nurse the baby would soon become one of his new favorite hobbies. It was a special, peaceful moment between mother and daughter to which he loved being a spectator... they looked so beautiful, so connected.

It's been over two years since that rainy night in May 2007 when they had reconciled for good, where they admitted to each other and to themselves that they had never stopped loving each other. Over the next few days, they talked over the issues that had strained their relationship, and made promises for the future that so far had been kept. They agreed to always talk out whatever was on their minds... the trust was rebuilt, they had no more secrets.

Luke moved into Lorelai's house that summer, and they became husband and wife in October 2007. A few days later, they left for a romantic week-long honeymoon in Hawaii, a wedding gift from Emily and Richard. In April of 2008, they were elated to find out that Lorelai was pregnant. They spent the next few months remodeling the house in preparation for the baby, and on January 10, 2009, Abigail Grace was born.

Lorelai glanced over at Luke in the doorway and brought him out of his daze. "Morning," she whispered, gesturing him over to her.

"Hey," Luke replied softly as he walked over to the rocking chair.

Lorelai smiled up at him and rubbed his arm. "Happy Father's Day."

Luke smiled and leaned down to kiss her. "Thanks. How's she doing?" Luke ran his finger gently across Abigail's forehead.

"She's good," Lorelai replied as she stifled a yawn. "I think she's almost done."

"I'll take her," Luke offered. "Then you can go back to sleep for a bit."

"No, it's Father's Day," Lorelai reminded him. "I'm supposed to be waiting on you and doing things to make your day easier."

"Technically I'm her father, not yours," Luke pointed out, nodding toward the baby. "So she should be waiting on me..."

Lorelai smiled. "Well, she's kind of lazy, so I guess that leaves me..."

"Hey, she's not gonna learn responsibility if we just do everything for her," Luke teased.

"I know... we feed her, change her, bathe her, carry her everywhere... we're spoiling her rotten."

Luke smiled. "She's gotta shape up." He kneeled down next to the chair and brushed her hair from her face. "But really, when she's done, you go back to bed. I promise to let you wait on me later..."

Lorelai smiled at him appreciatively. "Deal."

. . . . . .

Over the next two and a half hours, Luke and Abigail played with various rattling toys, read through several picture books, and went for a walk to the diner to pick up some breakfast.

Now, after changing her diaper, Luke sat on the couch in the living room with Abigail nestled in the crook of his arm. The television was on but he wasn't paying attention to it. He just kept staring at his baby girl, fascinated by everything that she did... every gurgle, every facial expression, every time she squeezed her tiny fingers into a tiny fist.

"How's my little girl?" Luke whispered as he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. He placed his pointer finger in her palm, and she clasped her fingers around it. Luke grinned down at her as she stared back up at him with her big blue eyes.

Lorelai slowly made her way down the staircase, freshly showered and dressed after a quick nap. She saw Luke's expression and smiled. "Aww, I love that look," she gushed as she sat down next to Luke on the couch.

"What look?"

"You've got your 'I'm completely mesmerized by my baby girl' look," Lorelai said as she rested her hand on his shoulder.

Luke smiled and shrugged. "Well, it's hard not to be..."

"You're so good with her." Lorelai smiled at him adoringly. "You're a natural with a baby."

"Who would've thought, right?" Luke joked.

"I knew you would be," Lorelai insisted. "You're sweet and selfless and caring... you've always made sure the people you love are taken care of. Just like with her...you do whatever it takes to make sure she's in a happy mood. You're an amazing Daddy."

Luke smiled and nodded appreciatively at her words, but didn't say anything. As he stared down at Abigail, Lorelai watched his smile transform into a pensive look, and she instantly knew what he was thinking. It was something that had come up every so often since Abigail had been born... watching his new little girl grow up made him think about the one he didn't get to see grow up.

Lorelai ran her hand down his arm. "Luke," she said softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...you know... " Her voice trailed off and she nibbled on her bottom lip.

Luke shook his head gently at her. "You did nothing wrong, Lorelai."

"We can talk about it again," she suggested. "Get it out."

Luke shrugged. "What's left to say? I just feel cheated."

Lorelai frowned sympathetically. "I know you do."

Luke glanced down at Abigail. "And I feel bad looking at her and thinking, 'I wish I could've done this with April'," he said. "I hate that I'm probably gonna have that in the back of my mind with all of her firsts... thinking about the things I missed out on..."

"I know," Lorelai said, nodding understandingly. "I know you're angry that you missed out on twelve years of Daddy moments. It's not fair to you..." She paused and softly stroked his cheek.

"But?" Luke prompted her, knowing she had more to say. She had said it before, and sometimes all he needed was to hear her say it again.

"But... lingering on it forever isn't gonna change anything," Lorelai pointed out. "You can constantly let that resentment be a part of everything you do with this little angel here..." Lorelai rubbed Abigail's head softly. "Or you can let it go, move on with your life, and focus on the positives."

Luke let out a deep sigh. "Yeah, I know, you're right. It's just hard sometimes."

"I know it is. But you have three beautiful daughters to make memories with," Lorelai said, and Luke smiled... she never referred to Rory as his stepdaughter, it was always just daughter. Lorelai continued, "I mean, I know it doesn't make up for all that stuff you missed out on. And you have every right to feel cheated, I'm not downplaying that. I just don't want it to be something that eats at you forever and ruins the new memories you're making..."

Luke nodded. "I know..." He kissed Abigail's forehead. "I need to enjoy the moments I do get to have instead of thinking about the ones I didn't..."

"Thatta boy," Lorelai said encouragingly.

Luke smiled at her. "Thank you. You always know exactly what to say."

"Well, I'm good with the verbal thing," Lorelai agreed. "You good?"

"I'm good," he assured her. "I'm very good."

He pressed his lips to hers, and Lorelai smiled through the kiss. "Okay, good." She stood up from the couch. "You okay with her for a few more minutes while I grab breakfast?"

"Yup. We walked to the diner and picked up some muffins," Luke told her. "They're on the table."

Lorelai's eyes lit up and she gasped. "Wow. I'm starting to feel like it's Mother's Day instead of Father's Day."

"A husband's job is to make sure every day feels like Mother's Day, remember?"

Lorelai smirked. "Oh, right, that's how men 'earn the goods.'"

"Wise words of romance from Miss Patty and Babette," Luke muttered with a slight eyeroll.

Lorelai leaned down and kissed him. "Well, you've definitely earned the goods today. Well, the bottom goods... the top goods still belong to little missy, here." Lorelai poked Abigail on her nose, and Luke smirked as she walked away toward the kitchen.

. . . . . .

That afternoon, Lorelai sat on the front porch with Abigail as she waited for Luke to finish up his phone call with April. She'd called to wish him a Happy Father's Day, and they started talking about the plans for her upcoming summer visit.

"Where's Mommy's girl?" Lorelai cooed to Abigail, who yawned in response. "Aww, someone's sleepy." Lorelai lifted her up to eye level and kissed her cheek. "Mommy loves you so much."

Luke walked out of the house and pulled the door shut behind him. "Okay, all done... sorry about that."

"Oh, don't apologize," Lorelai replied as she stood up. "How's April?"

"She's good," he replied, smiling. "She's excited for the summer."

Lorelai secured Abigail in the stroller at the bottom of the porch steps, and Luke filled her in on the April conversation as they walked toward the town square. Several townies stopped them to say hello and see Abigail, who had fallen asleep peacefully in the stroller minutes into their walk. They stopped at Weston's for some treats and then headed toward the gazebo.

Lorelai's cell phone began ringing in her pocket, and she quickly fished it out. She checked the caller ID, then answered the phone, "Hello, first born!" Luke sat down on the bench near the gazebo, parking the stroller next to him.

"Hi Mom," Rory replied. "What are you doing?"

"Taking Abby for a walk, which she is getting no satisfaction out of because she has been asleep for 95 percent of it," Lorelai replied, as she sat down on the bench next to Luke.

"I don't know, a nap sounds pretty satisfying to me," Rory commented.

Lorelai laughed. "Good point. What are you doing?"

"I've been working on an article all day," Rory replied. "Figured I'd take a break and make some Father's Day calls... is Luke with you? I called the house, no one answered."

Lorelai smiled. "Yes, he is, hold on." She handed the phone to Luke. "It's Rory...she wants to talk to you..."

Luke smiled as he answered the phone. "Hey, Rory..."

"Hey, Luke, Happy Father's Day," Rory said.

Luke smiled. "Thank you. How are you doing down there?"

"Oh, you know, just living the dream," Rory replied with a sigh. "Working like a dog, hoping it'll eventually lead me to my ultimate goal of a Pulitzer or a Peabody. Either one, I'm not picky."

"Keep working, you'll get there," Luke said. "You get that leak in the bathroom taken care of?"

"Yeah, the super finally fixed it a few days ago," Rory replied.

Luke scoffed. "I can't believe it took him almost 2 weeks. I'm driving down there to fix it myself next time."

"You're gonna drive all the way to Pennsylvania just to fix a leaky faucet?" Rory asked with a laugh. "Seems like a bit of an inconvenience..."

"Well, we haven't been down there in awhile, it'd be a good excuse to come visit," Luke replied. "Next time something needs fixing, let me know."

"Okay, I will, I promise..."

"You're still coming home for 4th of July weekend, right?" Luke asked. "And you better say yes, or your mother's gonna go into some sort of withdrawal." He glanced at Lorelai, who was happily eating a cookie from her bag of goodies from Weston's.

"Yes, I'll be there," Rory promised. "I wouldn't miss the Stars Hollow 4th of July Extravaganza for anything. And if I'm not there, and this ends up being the year that Kirk loses a body part setting off the fireworks, everyone will blame my absence for being bad luck. So, I really have no choice..."

Luke laughed. "Yes, you'd never live that down." They chatted for a few minutes before saying goodbye, and Luke handed the phone back to Lorelai.

"Hey kid," Lorelai said. "I'll call you later tonight to catch up, okay?"

"Okay, I'll be here," Rory replied.

"It was nice of you to call for Luke," Lorelai commented, glancing at Luke. "He misses you just as much as I do."

"I miss you guys, too," Rory said. "I'll talk to you tonight. Kiss Abby for me."

"Okay. Love ya."

"Love you, Mom."

Lorelai hung up the phone and slipped it into her pocket. "So, how much longer 'til Father's Day dinner at the Gilmore house?"

Luke checked his watch. "Um, 2 hours." He glanced up and saw Miss Patti walking toward them.

Lorelai followed his gaze, and smiled as the dance teacher approached. "Hi Patti."

Miss Patti greeted them as she glanced into the stroller. "Aw, she's asleep," she whispered. "Look how precious."

"The precious-est in all the land," Lorelai replied.

"Well, I just wanted to wish a Happy Father's Day to the most attractive Daddy in Stars Hollow." Patti reached over and pinched Luke's cheek.

"Uh, thanks, Patti," Luke muttered as he moved his head away from Patti's hand.

"See you guys later..." Patti waved goodbye and headed toward the market.

Lorelai linked her arm through Luke's. "Wow, that's quite an honor, hon. Don't let it go to your head. Stay humble."

"I'll try." Luke stood up from the bench. "Wanna head back?"

Lorelai nodded and stood up. "Yup." As they headed away from the gazebo, Lorelai saw Sookie walking toward the market. "Hey Sookie!" she called.

Sookie waved and rushed over to them, greeting Lorelai with a hug. "Hey guys. How's little Princess Abby doing today?" She leaned down to look in the stroller. "Oh, she's Sleeping Beauty, I see..."

"Yeah, she's got a rough life," Lorelai replied. "Where are you off to?"

"Well, I'm trying to make Jackson lamb chops dinner, but when I took the kids shopping last night, they were all over the place in the store, and then there was the thing with the watermelons crashing, and I got all distracted, so I forgot some ingredients," Sookie explained, then quietly added, "Like, the actual lamb chops."

Lorelai smiled. "You forgot the lamb chops for the lamb chop dinner?"

Sookie nodded. "Yup. Forgot the most important part! So I hope that Doose's has some good meat - "

"Doose and good meat in the same sentence is creepy," Luke interjected.

" - to choose from or else we're having the marshmallow brownies, key-lime pie, and red velvet cheesecake as the main course," Sookie finished with a sigh. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck," Lorelai called as Sookie headed toward the market. Lorelai frowned at Luke. "She is so much better at this Father's Day stuff than I am. Should I be showing my appreciation for you by making you a home-cooked dinner and a spread of desserts?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You really think that subjecting me to your cooking skills would be the best way to show your appreciation for me?"

Lorelai wrinkled her nose. "Probably not... good point."

"Plus, we're going to your parents' for dinner," he reminded her, then kissed her softly and muttered against her lips, "But I do know what I want spread for dessert..."

Lorelai giggled, then feigned a gasp of shock. "Dirty!" She kissed him again, and they started walking toward the house.

. . . . . .

That evening at Emily and Richard's house, everyone was gathered in the living room before dinner. Luke and Lorelai sat on the sofa, Richard and Emily in the armchairs. Emily had taken Abigail out of her carseat the minute they'd brought her in the house and hadn't given her up since.

"So, Rory's coming home for 4th of July?" Emily asked, cradling Abigail in her arms.

"Uh, yeah, how'd you know?" Lorelai asked.

"She called earlier to wish Richard a Happy Father's Day," Emily replied. "We'd love to see her while she's in town."

"I thought you guys were going away?" Lorelai asked.

"We'll be in Martha's Vineyard the last two weeks of July and all of August," Richard replied.

"You are more than welcome to join us," Emily added. "Even if just for a few days."

Lorelai glanced at Luke. "Um, yeah, maybe. April's visiting and Luke's gonna be - "

Luke interrupted her, "Yeah, we're gonna have April for a few weeks, so... we're not really sure what we're doing yet..." He glanced at Lorelai, who eyed him curiously.

"Well, you can certainly bring her along," Emily said. "There's plenty of room. She'd love it."

"Uh, yeah, maybe. We'll talk it over and let you know," Luke replied. "Thank you."

"For 4th of July weekend, maybe we can have lunch at the inn on Sunday before Rory heads back to her place," Lorelai suggested.

"That would be lovely," Emily replied with a smile. She glanced down at the baby, then back to Lorelai. "You know, Barbara Hoffmeyer's daughter just had a baby, she's nowhere near as attractive as Abigail."

"Dreadful thing," Richard added. "Could stick her on a scarecrow to keep the birds away."

Lorelai gasped. "That's awful... you can't say that about a baby!"

Luke scoffed. "You say stuff like that all the time. If entry into hell is based on the mocking of children under two, you've got no chance for redemption."

Lorelai pouted at him, and then gestured toward her parents. "Well, now we know where I get it from. Clearly, it's in my genes."

Emily leaned close to Abigail's head and inhaled deeply. "Goodness, I just love the smell of baby."

"Yeah, we're thinking of bottling it and selling it," Lorelai said. "With all the money we spend in diapers, we gotta figure out a way to profit from her."

A few minutes later, when Abigail started getting fussy, Lorelai stood up and took her from Emily. "She may be hungry. Let me go try to feed her before we eat dinner," Lorelai said. "Can you excuse us for a little bit?"

"Of course," Emily replied. "We'll make sure dinner is kept warm until you're back."

"Thank you." Lorelai gestured to the diaper bag on the floor next to the sofa. "Luke, can you carry that upstairs for me?"

"Sure." Luke grabbed the bag and followed her up the stairs.

Emily had spared no expense in turning one of the guest bedrooms into a nursery. She was especially proud of the antique furniture set - matching crib, changing table, bookshelf, and two rocking chairs. She'd filled the bookshelf with children's books. A small chest sat next to the crib filled with baby toys. The walls were light pink, trimmed with white, and decorated with a few framed paintings of antique dollhouses. Wooden letters sat atop the mantle spelling Abigail's name.

Lorelai turned on the light and headed to the changing table. She cooed to the whimpering baby and began unbuttoning her onesie as Luke took a fresh diaper and the baby wipes out of the bag. Lorelai changed her quickly, then washed her hands in the bathroom as Luke cradled Abigail in his arms.

Lorelai sat down in the rocking chair, slipped the thin straps of her dress down over her shoulders, and gestured for the baby. "The feeding station is now ready." Luke gently placed her in Lorelai's arms and sat down in the other rocking chair as she began nursing.

Lorelai eyed Luke who was, as always, watching the baby nurse. "You know, you say it's because you like to see the special bonding thing going on here, but I'm still convinced it's just the fabulous breasts you like watching," Lorelai teased with a smile.

Luke smirked. "Nope, it's purely for emotional reasons... ya know, the bonding, the nurturing, et cetera. Big fan of that stuff."

Lorelai smiled. "Right."

"So, that was nice of your parents to give me a present," Luke commented. "Unexpected."

"Very nice," Lorelai agreed. "And you don't have to use it if you don't want to, they'll never know... I mean, how often do they see your wallet?"

"I guess often enough to know that the old one wasn't up to their standards," Luke replied with a laugh.

Lorelai shrugged. "Nothing of ours is up to their standards." She glanced down at the baby. "Except this one."

Luke smiled. "They're pretty smitten with her. Just like they are with Rory."

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "It's cute how they dote on her. And she's a good buffer... Emily instantly becomes tolerable when she's got a baby in her arms." She glanced around the room. "And she sure can decorate a nursery, huh? I mean, it's different than my taste, but it's a beautiful room..."

Luke nodded as he glanced around the room. "Still can't believe she spent so much on a room that's hardly ever been used..."

"I gave up trying to find logical reasons for the ways my mom spends her money." Lorelai stared down at Abigail for a moment, then softly cleared her throat. "So, um, we need to talk something out..."

"Talk what out?"

"Why you didn't want me to mention your summer boat trip with April to my parents," Lorelai replied.

Luke sighed softly. "Because I knew what their reaction would be. They'd make a big deal about me leaving you and the baby for a week..."

"No, they wouldn't, it's only a week," Lorelai insisted. "It's not a big deal. I mean, considering I raised Rory alone for her entire life, I think I can handle a week alone with a seven month old..."

"I know you know it's not a big deal, but they're not you," Luke replied. "We can tell them that I asked you about it first before even suggesting it to April, that we talked about it in detail, that we've already arranged for Rory to come visit that week just in case you need help, that we'll have every neighbor within a 2-mile radius on standby in case of an emergency... but it won't stop them from making some remark that'll make me feel bad. You know, like implying that I'm abandoning you, or choosing one daughter over another, something like that. Or, they'll just look at each other and I'll know exactly what they're thinking..." Luke took a deep breath and shook his head. "I know them, Lorelai..."

Lorelai sighed softly, then reluctantly nodded her head in agreement. "I know, I'm sorry, they don't mean it... it's like an involuntary reaction..."

"I know. That's just how they are, I get that," Luke said with a shrug. "But that's why I'd rather not mention it. I don't feel like feeling bad right now, I just wanna enjoy Father's Day..."

Lorelai nodded understandingly. "I get it."

Luke rose from his chair and kneeled down in front of her. He tucked her hair behind her ear, and then cupped her cheek in his palm... she closed her eyes and leaned against his hand, concentrating on the feeling and sounds of Abigail's soft suckling.

"Remind me, Lorelai... tell me that you know it's different now," Luke whispered.

Lorelai opened her eyes and met his earnest gaze. "I know it's different, Luke. We've talked about it to death."

Luke lowered his head to her lap, resting his forehead against Lorelai's thigh. He slipped his arms around her, gently hugging her waist. She ran her fingers through his hair and softly muttered, "Hon..."

"I will never use her to push you away," Luke muttered against the soft fabric of her dress.

Lorelai slipped her hand down to his chin and tilted his head up to meet her gaze. "I know that," she said firmly. "I've known that for two years."

"I just need to make sure you never have doubts about that ever again."

"Hon, it's in the past," Lorelai assured him, stroking his hair. "You've gone out of your way to make sure I'm involved in her life, that I know everything that's happening with her. If I had any issues about the boat trip, I would've told you. I know this one-on-one time with April is not you trying to keep her from me."

Luke nodded. "Okay."

"Especially considering the fact she'll be staying with us for four weeks," Lorelai added. "That's not keeping her from me... that's the opposite, that's shoving her down my throat," she joked with a smile.

He smiled at her comment, then took a deep breath. "Okay..."

Lorelai glanced down at Abigail, who had stopped suckling. "That was fast... you done already?" she asked her. "Is my girl all filled?" She lifted the baby to her shoulder, and then pulled her dress up to cover herself. "The feeding station can go away now..."

Lorelai brought her gaze back to Luke, still on his knees in front of her, his hands resting on her thighs. She stroked his face with her fingers until he brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm.

"Luke, I will always understand the need for you to spend alone time with her," Lorelai assured him. "Just like you would never question my need for alone time with Rory." She smiled and added, "Partly because you know I'd go full out ninja on you."

Luke smiled. "No doubt about that."

"So we're good," Lorelai finished up. "I promise if I have any doubts, I will tell you, and we'll talk it out. That's what we do now...it's been working."

"We talk it out," Luke repeated with a nod.

Lorelai shrugged. "The magic of open communication, who knew?"

Luke smiled. "We cracked the code." He leaned closer to her and kissed her softly. "I love you..."

"I love you, too, hon," she replied.

He stood up and let out a deep breath. "So, is she done?"

Lorelai brought the baby from her shoulder to a cradling position. "Are you done, baby girl? Are you ready to go back downstairs?" Abigail gurgled in response. "I think she's done, for now at least."

Lorelai stood up and handed Abigail to Luke. She pulled her dress straps back up over her shoulders as she headed into the bathroom to check herself in the mirror.

Luke stared down at Abigail, cuddling her tightly in his arms as he rubbed her chin softly. "How's Daddy's little girl?" He pressed his lips to her forehead, kissing her gently. "Daddy loves you."

Lorelai walked out of the bathroom, smiling at him. "God, you're adorable with her. I'll never get over the cuteness of my strong muscular man holding a tiny baby."

Luke smirked. "Still manly, though, right? I have a reputation to protect."

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "Oh, the manliest." She kissed him, then pulled back slightly. "Question: quick Father's Day makeout session while holding our baby between us in the luxury nursery at my parents' house... is that frowned upon?"

"Not by me," Luke replied, eagerly pressing his lips to hers. He wrapped his free arm around her waist, cuddling Abigail on one side while Lorelai was pressed up against him on the other.

"No squishing the baby," she muttered against his lips.

"She's fine," Luke muttered back. His tongue sought entrance to her mouth, and Lorelai moaned softly as she granted access. Her hands smoothed over his shoulders and arms, kissing him hungrily until she finally needed to break for air. She pulled back from him, panting slightly as she immediately checked the baby, who was staring up at them contentedly nestled in Luke's arm.

Lorelai giggled. "Look at her... just sitting back and enjoying the show." She gently took her from Luke's arms. "Hi, sweet girl..." She smiled at Luke. "She's kind of awesome, huh?"

Luke smiled. "Very."

Lorelai kissed him. "Okay, back downstairs. Thanks for the makeout."

"Anytime." Luke grabbed the diaper bag, turned off the light, and followed Lorelai out of the room.

. . . . . .

That night, Lorelai was in the nursery rocking the baby while talking on the phone with Rory. After filling her in on dinner with the grandparents, Lorelai said, "We stopped at the cemetery on the way home..."

"Disturbing," Rory commented.

"To visit Luke's dad's grave." Lorelai added. "Father's Day tradition..."

"Aww, strike the previous comment, that's sweet," Rory said. "How was Luke?"

"More emotional this year than last year," Lorelai replied. "He was holding Abigail in his arms and talking to her about him, telling her about how Grandpa William would've loved to build her things for her room and teach her how to fish and stuff..." Lorelai shook her head. "It was emotional, hearing him talk like that to her. He was teary... I was crying..."

"Aww, poor Luke. What's he doing now?"

"He's out in the garage working out with his weight bench thingamabobber," Lorelai said.

"Compensating for his sentimental moment by being extra manly," Rory said knowingly.

"Yeah. Whereas I compensated for the sentimental moment by coming home and eating a donut."

"We all have our ways of coping, some are tastier than others."

Lorelai glanced down at Abigail sleeping in her arms. "I'm going to attempt to put Abby in the crib without waking her. I'll call you back later..."

"Okay," Rory replied.

"Bye, hon." Lorelai hung up the phone and set it on the chair next to her.

She stood up from the chair slowly, careful not to jostle the baby, and walked a few steps to the crib. She set her down gently on her belly, and Abigail stirred. "Shh, shh, shh," Lorelai whispered soothingly. "It's okay, baby girl... shhhh..." She rubbed her back, then pulled her hand away slightly, standing perfectly still until she was sure Abby was settled.

Lorelai turned on the baby monitor, grabbed the receiver, and tiptoed out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her. She walked down the steps, gave a quick pat on the head to Paul Anka laying next to the couch, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and then headed out the back door.

She could hear Luke grunting and the banging of weights in the garage as she approached. She walked in and saw Luke bench pressing on the weight bench, a nearby fan blowing on him to keep him cool in the stuffy garage. She stood in the doorway until he was done his set and had placed the bar back on the bench.

When he did, she walked over to him, asking, "You want me to spot ya?"

Luke clasped his hands behind his neck and smiled up at her from the bench. "Sure."

Lorelai put the water bottle and baby monitor on the floor, then straddled the bench and lowered herself until she was sitting on him. "This is how you spot someone, right?"

Luke moved his hands to her waist. "No, this is how you distract someone from their workout."

"No, this is how you distract someone from their workout," Lorelai corrected him as she rocked her hips and grinded her pelvis against him. "See, isn't that distracting?"

Luke groaned at the friction of her yoga pants against his thin cotton workout shorts. "I stand corrected."

Lorelai leaned forward, ducking her head under the weight bar, and kissed him softly. "I just wanted to make sure you're good..."

"I'm good," he assured her.

"You sure?"

Luke kissed her again. "One hundred percent good." He slid his hands up her shirt and caressed her back. "Except for the woman distracting me from my workout..."

Lorelai smiled. "Okay, I'll let you finish." They both sat up. She climbed off him, and picked up the baby monitor and water bottle from the floor. "Here, stay hydrated..."

"Thanks." He took the bottle, then gestured to the monitor. "Is she asleep?"

"Yup."

"Okay. I'll be done in a little while."

Lorelai smiled slyly. "You gonna come in all pumped up on endorphins and testosterone, hungry for your Father's Day dessert?"

Luke smirked. "Probably."

"Foreplay in the shower?"

"You read my mind..."

Lorelai smiled. "Gotta make sure you're very well appreciated on Father's Day." She kissed him. "You finish up... I'll be waiting in the shower."

Luke smiled. "Gee, thanks... that image isn't gonna be too distracting during my workout."

"Uh, in the shower, fully dressed," she quickly added. "And reading the bible."

Luke laughed and pointed toward the door. "Get outta here..." Lorelai smiled and headed back into the house.

...

Next Up: Father's Day, 2011