Burt looked up and smiled as the door to his office creaked open and his eight-year-old son walked in.
"Hey, buddy," he said. "Have a good day at school?"
"Uh huh," he replied, and then paused for a moment. "Can I go over to someone's house tomorrow night?"
"Who?" he asked. Kurt had a few friends that were girls, but he didn't think they would invite him for a sleepover.
"A girl in my class invited me and some girls to sleep over at her house," he explained. Guess I was wrong. "Her name is Mercedes and she lets me jump rope with her at recess." Burt didn't know what to tell him. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to let him do that. He needed to be playing with boys, not having fashion shows and tea parties with girls at sleepovers. What would Elizabeth do? he wondered. After a few minutes of silence, he made up his mind.
"I'll talk to her mom. If she says you can come, then you can go," he told him. Kurt smiled and his face lit up. "Do your homework and we'll get out of here soon."
After finishing up everything he had to do, he drove Kurt home and made him a grilled cheese for dinner. That was all he could make besides cereal and popcorn, but at least it wasn't fast food every night like it used to be. Kurt went up to his room to finish his homework, and soon after that the home phone rang. It was someone named Mrs. Jones telling him that Kurt was invited over the following night to sleepover with her daughter Mercedes. He told her that Kurt would be there and he would drop him off the next evening.
"Kurt, come here!" he called. Kurt thumped down the stairs.
"Yeah?"
"Your friends mom called. You can go to Mercedes' house tomorrow night," he said. Kurt grinned from ear to ear and hugged him.
"Thanks, Dad," he said. Burt was glad he let him go.
"You're welcome, kiddo." Kurt skipped back upstairs, saying he was going to pack his things. At that point Burt didn't really care that he was going over to a girl's house, he was just glad he was spending time with friends at all. He knew he made the right choice; if he had told him no he would've been crushed.
The next day after Kurt got off the bus at the garage, Burt took his break and drove him over to her house.
"You're gonna be good, right kiddo?" he said.
"Uh huh," he agreed, nearly bouncing in his seat from excitement.
"And you're gonna say please and thank you and remember your manners?"
"Yes, Dad."
"Okay, I'm just making sure. You can always call the house if you want me to come get you," he reminded him as he pulled into their driveway.
"I'll be good," Kurt promised, unbuckling his seat belt. Burt handed him his bag and hugged him before he got out.
"I know you will. Have fun," he told him. Kurt slid out of his seat and waved at him as he went inside the house. Burt drove home happy, glad Kurt was going to have a good time. That was just what he needed, to spend time with true friends.
He didn't realize how lonely it was without his son dancing around the house and singing along with his musicals all the time. Burt sat on the couch and watched a football game on TV, wishing he had Kurt back. It was the first time in forever they hadn't been together for their Friday night dinners. At nearly eleven, the home phone rang.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Dad?" a tiny voice said. It was Kurt, and he sounded upset.
"Hey, buddy. What's the matter?" he asked.
"I miss you," he mumbled. "Can you come get me?" Burt was torn. He wanted him to stay and have fun with his friends, but he didn't want him to be upset and missing him, either. The last time he had been apart from him for a night was when he had to go to Cleveland for work, and he left Kurt with the babysitter. Needless to say, it didn't go well.
"Aren't you having fun, kiddo? I don't want to take you home if you're having fun with your friends. And you'll be home tomorrow," he assured him.
"Yeah, but I miss you."
"I miss you, too, Kurt. I'll come take you home if that's what you really want, but I think you're gonna miss out on having fun. Do you think you can make it to the morning?" he asked. Kurt sniffled.
"I guess. Will you take me home in the morning?" he asked.
"Yup. If you're not too tired you can come to the garage with me and help me change some tires. You wanna do that?"
"Yeah. I'll stay here," he told him, sounding better.
"Okay. I'll be there tomorrow to come get you. I love you."
"Love you," Kurt replied, hanging up the phone. Burt smiled to himself as he went upstairs to go to bed. He knew he didn't really want to go home, and by the end of the phone call he knew he was really having fun with his friends, even if they were all girls. He didn't care if Kurt was into dressing up or that stuff, at least he had friends that liked him for who he was.
Author's Notes:
I feel like Kurt and Mercedes and Rachel would totally be best friends as little kids and they would invite him over and put makeup on him and dress up together and Kurt wouldn't even mind that his best friends were girls and he would just be one of the girls.