No matter how much Kurt loved his profession, he was always thankful for Mondays off. While the majority of people he knew, including his husband during the school year, dreaded the start of the work week, he cherished the time away from the theatre. Shops were less crowded, meaning he would hopefully not be recognized so much. It wasn't as big a deal early in his career. After his first Tony nomination, paparazzi would regularly shoot him at Starbucks or the latest café. Often he would be out with Ryan, his roommate at NYADA and later star of Phantom of the Opera, and the tabloids would spin their relationship into something juicier. Sure, they knew Blaine existed, and they were planning on getting married as soon as he finished his master's degree, but a secret affair sold better than two friends having coffee.

Nowadays, Kurt's Mondays were usually spent in their apartment, away from cameras. Not necessarily because the attention had lost its appeal (which it had), but for his and Blaine's daughter's sake. Michaela Elizabeth Hummel Anderson entered their world last summer when she was three weeks old. They started the adoption process a year after the wedding, but it was a painful wait to get to the top of the list. Finally after three years, the couple who was in line to take Michaela ahead of them changed their minds after a surprise pregnancy. The call could not have come at a better time, as Blaine was on summer vacation and Kurt was between shows. They were able to spend two months with her before Blaine's school started up again. Kurt spent every morning and afternoon taking care of Michaela before he joined Jersey Boys. When rehearsals began, they were grateful for their neighbors Donna and James, a retired couple whose grandchildren lived out in Seattle, who volunteered to watch the baby so they wouldn't have to worry about the expense of hiring a nanny. Once the show began, they took care of her on Wednesdays and any evening Blaine wanted to catch a performance or was able to get a surprise post-show date in.

Mostly, though, Kurt and Blaine tried as hard as possible to keep Michaela out of the spotlight. They were witnesses to the mania when Rachel gave birth to her twins Ethan and Lucas. She hadn't even made it through her sophomore year at NYADA when a Hollywood casting agent found her. Soon she was making her film debut, which was quickly followed by a record deal. She enjoyed her new career track and knew Broadway would be there for her when she was ready to settle down from the hustle and bustle LA was known for. She joined Blaine and the Hummel/Hudson clan in New York the night Kurt finally won a Tony. There had been a few actors and singers Rachel dated, but nobody held her heart the way Finn did. Despite their tumultuous relationships, a bit of alcohol at the after party led them to her hotel room and their sons. Her pregnancy was a fascination for the media, who wondered why the feisty diva was having twins with a mechanic from Ohio. Kurt loved his nephews, but knew once they adopted, their child would not be subject to the paparazzi the same way. Giving Michaela a normal upbringing was the focus.

They also made the decision not only to protect her, but to protect her birth mother in case she saw a photo online. Michaela was a beautiful little girl with fine blonde hair and eyes that resembled Kurt's enough that acquaintances sometimes asked if she was born via surrogate. Kurt allowed his manager to release a statement a month after the adoption, so it would be fairly easy for the mother to realize that fourteen month old baby Broadway star Kurt Hummel was out with could possibly be hers. It meant avoiding Central Park, the site where Blaine proposed on a snowy January evening halfway through his senior year at Columbia, because photographers were everywhere. Luckily there were other parks in Manhattan to take Michaela to, and some weekends Blaine would take her out to one of the parks in Queens.

On this Monday, Michaela was up at 5:30 to make sure her fathers got no more sleep than she did. Blaine set his alarm for 6 during the week so he could shower before getting her up and fed. Kurt tried to make sure he awoke before 7:15 when Blaine had to leave for the middle school. From then on, his day would be spent with The Wiggles and Dora until lunchtime. After that was a nap for both, then an afternoon full of errands, toys, more videos, and cuddles. When Blaine came home, he took over so Kurt could begin working on dinner. They ate, gave Michaela a bath together, then had her in her crib by 7:30. At that point, both men crashed on the couch, neither planning on moving for hours. Most Monday nights were meant for watching one of their favorite movies. Since it was September, however, the school year had just begun and Blaine had given his students tests over basic music terms. While he fixated on grading them, Kurt turned on a Project Runway marathon and focused on the gorgeous, and not so much, dresses.

"Kurt?" Blaine asked, looking up from the stack of papers on the desk.

"Yeah, babe?"

"Did you ever think your life would end up like this?"

Kurt thought for a moment. "Kind of. I mean, being on stage, I knew that would happen. I wasn't expecting to play Frankie Valli, but it has worked out so well for some people." Blaine chuckled, getting the reference to the 50s phase he went through in high school. "But I also thought I'd be attending all these parties, fashion shows, and everything. Now, as soon as the curtain drops, I can't wait to get out of my makeup and come home to kiss Michaela good night."

Blaine took off his glasses and set them down on top of the tests. "And you're fine with that?"

"Absolutely," Kurt said. "I think I prefer being Daddy and not hitting the town. That could change in a few years, but I'm happy with everything right now."

"If she's anything like some of my seventh graders, we might have to stick her with Donna and Joe every night once she's a teenager," Blaine replied.

His husband stood up and walked over to the desk. "Not necessarily," he said, laying a peck on Blaine's forehead. "She could end up being one of those quiet bookworms."

"With our luck, she'll want to be like Aunt Rachel."

Kurt laughed. "True. Besides, we'll hopefully have a son by then. No more leaving home until he's grown."

"And he'll be the type who wants us to take him to every Yankees game."

"Ugh, sports. That can be your job, Blaine."

Blaine just shook his head. "You'll get it. Next Sunday night we'll watch the football game together, okay?"

Kurt gasped. "Never okay!" he said. "I might have to go to bed just to get away from that thought."

"That's fine, I need to finish grading these anyway. I should be in there within an hour." Blaine kissed Kurt before turning around and grabbing his glasses and pen. Kurt walked towards Michaela's bedroom to make sure she was tucked in and kissed her cheek. He knew he couldn't protect her forever, but giving her up for more time in the spotlight? That would never happen. The life he imagined ten years ago couldn't compare to what he had. The stage, his husband, and his daughter were just enough.