Burt and Elizabeth woke Kurt up early the next morning. They had something special they wanted to do with him before he left for his first day of daycare. They anticipated his nerves would be at an all-time high having to be away from them both. Burt helped Kurt get dressed in his new outfit. Kurt had picked it out all by himself, proud of his own sense of style. He had picked out a pair of brown pants with a blue and white checkered, button-down, short-sleeved shirt, blue suspenders, and a brown bowtie that matched his slacks. His shoes were sturdy leather that not only were comfortable but matched the whole outfit perfectly.
"Looking sharp, kiddo!" Burt said after he had helped Kurt put the finishing touches of his outfit on.
"Fanks, Daddy," Kurt crowed, proud of the way he looked.
"Let's get you downstairs for breakfast. Afterward, Mommy and I have a special story to read to you before you head to daycare," Burt explained and picked Kurt up to carry him downstairs.
"I c'n walk, Daddy," Kurt giggled.
"I know you can, munchkin," Burt said. "I just wanted a few extra snuggles this morning."
Kurt hugged his dad around his neck and cuddled in, loving the smell of his dad's aftershave. "I'm kinda scareded, Daddy," Kurt whispered when they reached the bottom of the stairs. "Wha' if dey don' like me?"
Burt knew how unique his kid was. He liked tea parties and dress-up where most other boys his age loved trucks and dirt. Kurt also enjoyed action figures; though he'd rather marry them off to the Barbies or other action figures, he'd still play with them.
"Kiddo," Burt began, trying to figure out how to explain ignorance in a way his son would understand. "There are always going to be people out there that don't like you. No matter what you like or what you do, someone somewhere will find some kind of problem with you. All you have to do, though, is remember that you matter. You are special and loved and so, so amazing, Kurt. Don't let anyone ever make you forget that."
"Fanks, Daddy," Kurt said. "Love you!"
"I love you, too, kiddo," Burt said, willing the tears out of his eyes so his son wouldn't see how emotional he had become.
When they got into the kitchen, Elizabeth had just finished plating up Kurt's favorite breakfast: chocolate chip pancakes. Burt sat Kurt down in his booster seat and got his cup of milk. Elizabeth got a cover for his clothes, knowing how protective he was of them, and sat a plate of cut-up pancakes in front of him.
"Fank you, Mommy," Kurt said. "Dey look supa yummy!"
"You're welcome, munchkin!" Elizabeth answered. "Eat up!"
Burt and Elizabeth drank their coffee and ate their own pancakes while Kurt finished up his. When they were done, Burt cleared the table, and Elizabeth washed Kurt's hands and face before carrying him into the living room. They sat on the sofa near the fireplace and waited for Burt to join them. A couple of minutes later, Burt came in, carrying a book with a raccoon on the front of it.
"New book!" Kurt exclaimed. "We gonna read it 'fore we go, or do I gets to has it wif me at daycare?"
"We're going to read it," Burt said with a little chuckle at how excited his son was to read, "but you'll also get to take a part of it with you."
Kurt was so confused, and his parents could tell. "You'll see what we mean when we're done reading it," Elizabeth told him as she pulled him into his lap, and Burt sat down beside them so they could all see the book.
"The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn," Burt began. "Chester Raccoon stood at the edge of the forest and cried," Burt read. "'I don't want to go to school,' he told his mother. I want to stay home with you…Mrs. Raccoon took Chester by the hand and nuzzled him on the ear…'I know a wonderful secret that will make your nights at school seem as warm and cozy as your days at home.' Mrs. Raccoon took Chester's left hand, spread his tiny fingers into a fan, and leaning forward, she kissed Chester right in the middle of his palm." Burt read the story until the end and then looked at Kurt. "Mommy and I would both like to give you a kissing hand, so if you need it, you can put your hand to your cheek, just like Chester did, and feel our love right there with you. You can use it today and every day after that."
"Yes, pwease, Daddy," Kurt whispered, loving the idea of getting to take a kiss from each of his parents to daycare with him. Elizabeth took Kurt's left hand, and Burt took his right. At the same time, they each kissed a palm, transferring all of the love and support they could into that one kiss.
"I give you one, too?" Kurt asked.
"Of course, you can, kiddo," Burt said and held out his hands. "Which one?"
Kurt picked Burt's right hand and Elizabeth's left and gave them each a kiss in the center of their palms, whispering, "Love you," before his lips touched each one. When he looked up at his parents, he said, "Ready now," with so much confidence, he shocked all of them. He was ready, though. He knew he was important, no matter what anyone else said or did. He knew his parents loved him and that someday, he would find someone to love him like his parents loved each other. Today, he was going to be brave, just like Hercules.
Kurt began to sing as he grabbed his backpack and lunch.
"I have often dreamed of a far-off place
Where a great, warm welcome will be waiting for me
Where the crowds will cheer when they see my face
And a voice keeps saying, this is where I'm meant to be"
Both of his parents joined in singing the rest of the song and made their way to the car. Burt drove the trio to the daycare center as they continued their song.
"I will find my way, I can go the distance
I'll be there someday, if I can be strong
I know every mile will be worth my while
I would go most anywhere to feel like I belong
I am on my way, I can go the distance
I don't care how far, somehow I'll be strong
I know every mile will be worth my while
I would go most anywhere to find where I belong"
Burt dropped Lizzy and Kurt off and then headed to the garage.
"Have a wonderful day, kiddo," Burt said. "I'll see you when I get off work and pick you two up. I love you!" Burt hugged them both and then headed to work.
Elizabeth held Kurt's hand and led him in through the doors of the Little Wonders Daycare Center and Preschool. They were met by a very cheerful receptionist who helped Elizabeth get Kurt signed in and then showed them to the right room. When they arrived at the classroom, Kurt was so surprised that he had forgotten all of the cool things that he could do. He could hear upbeat music that made him want to dance.
"Mommy," Kurt gasped in awe. "Dere's a kitchen and dwess-up stuff like I has," he whispered. "And, look at alla da books!" How did I not remember all of this? he thought to himself.
"There's a lot of really cool stuff in this room, isn't there?" Elizabeth asked her son, loving that he seemed excited instead of scared.
Just then, another friendly-looking lady came up to them and re-introduced herself. "Hello there," she said after squatting down to get on Kurt's level. "Kurt, I know we met the other day, but I wanted to re-introduce myself. I'm Mrs. Jones. We are all so excited to meet you. Do you see anybody in here you know?"
Kurt was bopping around to the music, and before he could answer the teacher's question, he had to ask one of his own. "Who is dis? I likes dem!"
"I'm glad you like them; they're one of my favorite bands," Mrs. Jones answered with a laugh, loving the little boy's enthusiasm. "Their name is Bond."
"Bond," Kurt repeated and then looked around the room to see if he could see anyone he knew. He saw Mercedes, a girl in a hideous outfit with a sequined car on the top and ridiculous vehicles all over the skirt, and a boy with curly black hair who he had seen when he was at the park. He had only ever talked to Mercedes before, though.
"Um…" Kurt started. "I pwayed wif Mercedes; you is her mommy, right?"
"I sure am," Mrs. Jones said. "I was hoping you'd remember her. Do you see anyone else you know?"
"Yeah," Kurt whispered. "I seed her an' him at da park 'fore," he said, pointing to the girl in the ugly dress and the boy in the cream and green henley.
"Why are you whispering, sweetie?" Mrs. Jones asked.
Elizabeth had crouched down now, too. Kurt's grip on her hand had increased, and she wanted to make sure he was alright. "What's wrong, kiddo?" she asked.
"Dat girl," Kurt said, pointing to the girl wearing the dress with the vehicles on it. "She loud and hurts my ears. And, dat boy," he pointed to the boy with the curly hair. "He…um…he pwayed wif da boys at da park dat are meanies to me. Mommy, you sayed I be safe here," Kurt said, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Kurt," Mrs. Jones said. "That boy, his name is Blaine. And, he is one of the sweetest boys I've ever met. I'm not sure why he was playing with boys who were picking on you, but did he ever pick on you?"
Kurt remembered back and thought about the times he had gotten picked on and when he had seen the other boy there. "No, I don' fink so. He…um…he kinda lookeded like he was mad at dem boys when I runneded away to my Mommy."
"I bet he did get mad at them," Mrs. Jones said, hating that this sweet boy had been picked on at his age. "He's very kind, and I can't think of anyone here that will pick on you. If anyone does, you come right to me, alright? I don't allow that in my classroom."
"Pwomise?" Kurt asked, holding out his pinky, wanting to make sure that he could trust her.
"I promise, Kurt," Mrs. Jones answered and linked her pinky with his. "Now, the girl you are describing is Rachel. And, she can get loud when she gets excited about something. If you need her to quiet down, all you have to do is ask her, and she will. She hears it a lot from the other kids and me," Mrs. Jones said with a kind smile.
He could do this. These kids looked really nice, and Mrs. Jones promised that he would be safe. "Mommy," Kurt said. "You c'n go work now. I'm gonna be safe."
"Alright, sweetie," Elizabeth said, never more proud of her son than she was at that moment. "I will see you this afternoon when Daddy and I pick you up. I love you!"
"Love you, too, Mommy," Kurt said and hugged her tightly.
"Let me show you where to put your stuff, Kurt," Mrs. Jones said, standing up and walking over to the coat closet. "Now, not all of the kids are here yet, so we won't get started with our morning routine until they are. Is there anywhere that looks fun to play until all of your classmates get here?"
Kurt had been eying the reading area since they walked in. "I go look at books?" he asked.
"Of course you can," Mrs. Jones said. "Just go on over, and you can sit on any of the cushions you want while you read."
"Fank you," Kurt said and walked over to the classroom's little library. He pulled out one of his favorite books, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and started reading it. Kurt loved all of the colors in the book, but his favorite part was when the caterpillar transformed into the butterfly at the end. Before he could get there, though, someone came and sat beside him with their own book. It was the boy with the curly black hair.
"He-yo," he said. "I c'n sit wif you an' weed, too?"
Kurt could only nod yes. The boy was so pretty, almost like a prince from his favorite movie, and his words were stuck in his throat.
"'m Blaine," he said. "Vat's an awesome stowy. I yike vis one, too," Blaine said, holding out a copy of The Monster at the End of this Book. "My g'amma weeds it to me sometimes, an' she gets weally cwazy and pwetends to pull her hairs out when Gwover gets supa-dupa scareded."
"I don' fink I has ever readed dat one," Kurt said.
"When is my turn to pick a stowy for stowytime," Blaine began, "I tells Mrs. Jones if she can weed it. She is supa funny when she weeds it, too."
"Yay!" Kurt said, feeling much better about this boy now that he had talked to him. "I'm Kurt," he said, smiling with a faint blush on his cheeks.
Blaine smiled back at Kurt, and both boys got lost in their books until the rest of the students showed up.
A/N: The book used is The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. The song is "Go the Distance" from Hercules.