[Cedric]

okay, here's the next part, sorry for posting it later than I thought, but my computer was broken....

alright,

Chapter 4: It's the little things that can mean enough


As he read the address, his heart missed a beat. This handwriting was familiar. Very familiar...
Luke breathed hard, gripped the banisters of the patio and slowly reached down to sit on the stairs. He just couldn’t believe what he saw.
It wasn’t possible. Impossible...
Why after all this time?
Luke kept on sitting there, just staring at the envelope, unable to open it. Too many thoughts swirled around his head.
What if it was a goodbye-letter? What if she claimed that she never really had loved me?

Finally, Luke realized that he had to open it to discover what she had written. But nevertheless, he needed a few more moments. He closed his eyes, breathed deeply, opened his eyes again and then slowly began to read.

Dear Luke,
I know it is very lame to just write a letter. But I couldn’t stick it out anymore, knowing that I have left you and Rory clueless behind. I just want to say that I’m okay, that you don’t have to worry. And that you shouldn’t pine yourself because it has nothing to do with you.
Luke, I love you. Like you said, always have and always will. Because everytime I was down, I always knew that you could make it right and that’s what makes you larger than life.
Just always remember, I love you.
Lorelai

PS. Have yourself a merry little Christmas


Luke breathed rather relieved but his uneasy feeling didn’t fade. It seemed like she was fine, at least she was not dead. Luke felt an heavy burden falling down his shoulders, his heart.
But nevertheless, this letter somehow didn’t help him at all. There was nothing new in it. Nothing about her whereabouts, about her reason to leave...
Her words made him feel even worse because she stated that she loved him. If so, why did she leave then? If he could always make it right, why didn’t she asked him to?
Luke still was completely clueless. If she’d only told him where she was...
"Luke? Whatcha doing here? It’s freezing."
Jess’ voice startled him and Luke turned around. Jess and Rory stood behind him, looking concerned. Then Jess noticed the letter in his uncle’s hands.
"What’s this?", he pointed at the piece of paper.
Luke didn’t answer immediately. He first had to search for words. He still was too overwhelmed by the feelings deep inside of him.
"It’s a letter. A letter from... from... from Lorelai", he finally stammered.

Silence.
Slowly, very slowly, Rory and Jess grasped those news.
"What does it say?", Jess finally managed to say, stepped forwards and snitched Luke the letter out of his hands.
Rory, on the other hand, hadn’t moved at all. She was shock-frozen, her face pale, her normally blue eyes had turned into black. A fearful black.
Finally, she found her words. Her expression still motionless, she asked,
"It’s not a farewell-letter, is it?"
Luke just shook his head, "No, I don’t think. She’s saying that she’s fine."
Luke stood up and hugged her. After a little while, Rory let go off him and reached for the letter Jess was handing to her. Quickly, she read it over and the expression on her face changed into more relieved ways.
"She’s... she’s fine?", she mumbled after a few moments, looking from Jess to Luke.
Jess shrugged, then said, "Guess so."
Again, silence.
Then something seemed to pop into Rory’s mind.
"Where’s the envelope? The stamp will show us, where she is..."
But Luke just sadly shook his head. Slowly and silently, he said one single word:
"UPS."

The hope on Rory’s face vanished as fast as it came, gloom had shuffled it aside...
After a few moments, she slowly lead the other two back into the house and sat down at the kitchen-table and Jess followed her example. Luke, on the other hand, decided to go upstairs into his bedroom. He sat down at the desk and read the letter again. Once again, rage climbed up his body. He wanted to hit something. Really hard. But he thought better. He searched for a paper and a pencil and without even knowing why he did so, because there was no chance that she ever would receive it, he began to write a letter.

Dear Lorelai,
I don’t know, why I’m writing this. But right now, I’m very angry. I’m angry at you. At me. At the world. So now, I really have to do something to not become crazy. That’s why I’m writing this, you know.
Rory and me are fine. At least okay. We live. But we miss you madly.
You know, when I’m asleep I only dream of you.
Cut to the chase, your pretty face. I would search everywhere for you. But you’re out of space, leaving no trace.
Why, Lorelai, why?
I just don’t get it. And that’s what makes me angry. You could have talked to me. But now, time’s standing still and another day gets brushed away. I still can’t get my head around you. I can’t bare to be without you.
But I have to because you quit something we never even tried and you just don’t tell me why. I mean, we built this thing up, Lorelai, and now I have to watch it fall. But you just walked away.
But I want to thank you, too.
Just for writing this letter. Although, it doesn’t say anything, it helped Rory and it helped me. I’m still clueless but you gave me something.
A something that tells me, you’re alive.
A something that tells me, you care about Rory and me.
I love you, Lorelai, no matter what you’ve done.
Luke


Luke folded the letter and put it - together with Lorelai’s - into the top drawer, then he went to bed. He was exhausted and fell asleep immediately. But there was one thing, he thought of last.
Since two hours, tomorrow was a day again.