"Please Kurt! I need to get my mom a Christmas present."
"Nuh-uh. No way. Not going in there. They sell polyester blends and other things." Kurt's tone was full of disgust as he eyed the store. "Things that would probably give you rashes and such."
"Kurt, nothing in there will give you a rash, I promise. Now come on, do you want me to be a horrible son?" Sam gave him a pleading look. Kurt placed his hands on his hips.
"Your puppy dog eyes, while remarkably attractive, are not going to make me go in there." Sam sighed and placed his own hands on top of Kurt's, pulling his boyfriend closer.
"How about this?" he murmured, muffling Kurt's protests with his lips. Kurt let out a small squeak of shock before returning and deepening the kiss. The boys kissed, arms wrapped around each other until a disapproving cough from a passing woman interrupted them. Kurt pulled back instantly, face turning bright red but Sam merely stuck his tongue out at the woman's retreating back before pulling Kurt back in and kissing him gently before taking his hand and leading him into the store.
"No Sam, no, no…" Kurt's protest died as they entered the store and the smell of perfume hit them. He stood frozen appearing not to take in any of his surroundings.
"Kurt, what's wrong?" Sam asked gently, squeezing his hand.
"I, I, I can't…" He stammered, turning as if to flee. Sam caught his wrist in a gentle but firm grip, turning him back to face him.
"You can't what Kurt? What's wrong?" Looking into his boyfriend's eyes he saw pain and fear that he realized had been hidden earlier by the diva fit. "Kurt, tell me the truth. Why didn't you want to come in here?"
"My mom." He said finally in a small voice. "She loved this place. And that's her perfume she always wore." Sam sniffed the air subtly smelling the distinct perfume. "And the night…the night she died" Sam gently reached out to the smaller boy, pulling him into a tight embrace. Kurt leaned into his boyfriend's chest for a moment before pulling back and wiping a hand quickly over his eyes, looking around the store carefully. Suddenly he gasped, eyes trained on a man standing in the long line by the register.
"What?" Sam asked puzzled.
"That man." Kurt answered quietly. "I think he's"
"He's who Kurt?" Kurt took a deep breath, steadying himself and grabbed Sam's hand for support.
"The night, the night my mom died, no one was really worrying about where I was every second, you know? So I slipped out of the house, just to get away from it all. And I ended up here, at her favorite store."
L l l l l l l l l l l l l l l Ten years earlier l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
Kurt ran down the sidewalk, the tears he'd been holding in all day finally slipping out. He'd heard what Daddy told Aunt Mildred. "The doctor said there's not much time." Mommy had been sick so long and Kurt knew that "not much time" meant that she'd be leaving him for good soon, maybe tonight. Daddy was so worried, he could tell. What were they going to do without Mommy?
Kurt stopped running, finally unable to continue his flight from the sad surroundings at home. He looked around quietly, smiling as he saw the store he stood next to. He loved this store. Mommy used to bring him here all the time, before she got sick that is.
He pushed the door open slowly, slipping in through the masses of shoppers virtually unnoticed. He looked around, in awe of everything he saw. Then he saw them. Beautiful shoes, perfectly shaped, slight heel, in shiny black.
Kurt made a beeline for the shoes, barely noticing as he tripped over a man's feet. He reached the display, gently reaching a finger out to reverently touch one. He looked at them critically before deciding that Mom would love them. His eyes flicked to the boxes looking for the "6" that labeled the inside of her shoes when he tried them on. After he found the box, he slid it out, peeking in to make sure the shoes were intact.
Clutching the box tightly to his chest, he made his way to the front of the store. He stood in the line impatiently, feeling as if it stretched out forever. The man standing behind him looked down curiously as he began bouncing slightly.
"All right there?" Kurt nodded.
"How long will this take!" He demanded. "I need to give my mom these shoes!"
"I don't know. What's the rush?"
"She's real sick." He answered solemnly. "I heard daddy say that there wasn't much time. Maybe these shoes will make her feel better. They're pretty like she likes. And anyway, she wouldn't want to go to heaven without pretty shoes on." Kurt explained earnestly.
"Oh." The man seemed shocked. "I'm sure she'll love them."
After what seemed like an eternity, it was Kurt's turn to pay. He reached up to set the box on the counter then began digging through his pockets, pulling up quarters, nickels, pennies, and a few crumpled dollar bills. The cashier sorted through them carefully before looking at Kurt regretfully.
"There's not enough here." Kurt sighed, tears springing to his eyes.
"But I've got to buy them!" Suddenly a hand reached over his shoulder as the man behind him handed a $20 bill to the cashier. Kurt looked up in shock and awe as the shoes were placed in a bag and handed to him. He hugged them to his chest and smiled brightly at the man. "Mommy's going to look so great!"
L l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l Present-day l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
"She dies later that night. But she was smiling. And she was wearing the shoes." Tears were running down Kurt's face. Sam pulled him in tightly, wordlessly trying to reassure him. "And I think. That man." He looked toward the register.
"Well…You want to go talk to him?" Sam asked, carefully surveying his face.
"I think so. But." Sam grabbed his hand tightly and gently led him towards the line. When they neared where the man was standing, Sam slowed, allowing Kurt to take the first steps. "Excuse me?" The man looked up.
"Yes?"
"I don't know if you remember me but 10 years ago…"
"You're the shoe boy! Of course I remember you!" He said warmly, grabbing Kurt's hand in a firm shake. "Of course you've grown up a lot." Kurt laughed shakily.
"I never really thanked you."
"Son you reminded me of something really important that night, more valuable than a pair of shoes could ever be."
"what's that?'
"That love's the most powerful thing in the world. And I couldn't believe it took a little boy, willing to give anything to get his mother a pair of shoes to realize that. So I should thank you." Kurt smiled and unexpectedly reached out to hug the man, who returned the hug, stepping away as a cashier called him forward. "Goodbye."
"Kurt."
"Charlie. Goodbye Kurt and thank you."
"Goodbye Charlie." Kurt smiled slowly after him. Sam stepped forward, wrapping his boyfriend in a tight hug from behind and resting his chin on Kurt's head. "Come on Sam, lets get your mom her present, you procrastinator." Sam laughed.
"That's why I have you to help me."
"Yes sir!"