Three days later, Kurt and Blaine still hadn't reconciled. The night of the big argument, Blaine had come home at exactly 7, as he had promised. When Kurt returned from grocery shopping, Blaine had pulled out the air mattress they hadn't used since hosting college visitors and set it up in the living room. The only words either of them had spoken since then had been related to Olivia's care. Otherwise, they might as well have been two strangers sharing an apartment.
Since it was a Saturday, Kurt decided to go visit Rachel. Like Kurt, Rachel had graduated from NYADA with big dreams, but unlike Kurt, she had actually accomplished them. She had quickly made a name for herself on Broadway, and then branched into movies and television. Although she spent a lot of time in LA for work, she preferred New York, and she owned a spectacularly fabulous penthouse apartment right near Central Park. Although her successes had led to a very busy life, she and Kurt were still very close, and if she was in town, it wasn't unusual for them to spend days together.
After sending Rachel a quick message to make sure she was free, Kurt headed into Olivia's room, but stopped in the doorway. Blaine was sitting on the floor playing with some silly toy. Kurt couldn't tell who was having more fun, his husband or his daughter, and his heart ached as he watched. Clearing his throat, Kurt stepped into the room. "I thought I'd take Liv out for the afternoon, to visit Rachel."
Blaine shrugged. "That's fine. I was thinking of doing some songwriting this afternoon anyway, before my gig tonight."
Kurt leaned down to pick up Olivia, and his hand brushed Blaine's leg. A wave of longing so intense swept over him, but he ignored it and focused on getting his daughter ready for the cold winter temperatures outside. He heard Blaine stand behind him. When Blaine didn't seem to move, Kurt looked over his shoulder and gave Blaine an inquisitive look. "Did you need something?"
Blaine shook his head, as if waking from a trance. "Sorry," he said, his voice raspy. "No. Um… just… don't forget her hat."
"I won't," Kurt said softly, his voice choked with emotion.