Lorelai is at home killing time when the phone rings. It's Rory. Lorelai is over the moon to hear from her. Rory has big news: she got a job and she's going back to Yale. She is so happy and Lorelai is in tears. "And this is what you want?" Lorelai says, and Rory says it is. Lorelai tells her to tell Lane she's moving out, and to get her butt over there right now. "Well, okay, if you insist," Rory says, smiling, and Lorelai realizes that she's pulling in the driveway. "Oh!" she gasps. "You look so much more silver than I remember." Rory says, come on, is it too much to ask for a heartfelt greeting after this lengthy separation? She hangs up the phone as she runs out into the yard and into her mother's arms. They cling to each other, apologizing for everything, and Rory tells Lorelai she loves her. "Oh, kid," Lorelai sighs. "You have no idea."

Moments later, Lorelai's in Luke's raiding the donuts, demanding that Luke supply her and Rory with burgers and fries for their big reunion. "Rory's back," she says. "We can set the date. We can get married now. We can set the date, because Rory's back." Luke is speechless as Lorelai charges out, telling him not to skimp on the fries: "We don't want to lose her again." He stands in silence realizing that the secret he now will have to tell Lorelai will beat out Erik Estrada as her fifth-grade boyfriend by a mile.