AN: Some pre-series Kurt/Burt to make everyone feel happy agian. Inspired by lyrics from "When The Day Turns Into Night" by Busted
I rush back into the kitchen to get my car keys and find my thirteen-year-old son sitting at the table eating the breakfast he had cooked for us. Thirteen. I can't believe it's been five years now since his mother died.
Watching him, I'm having doubts about leaving the house. Leaving for work never used to be this hard. I'd kiss Kurt and Kathleen good-bye and walk out the front door, knowing I'd see them that evening. It never occurred to me that one day that wouldn't happen until I came home and Kathleen wasn't here. And then I started dropping Kurt off at the Jones' in the morning to catch the bus with Mercedes. That was harder on him at first than me because I knew he would be safe.
This year though he had insisted he was old enough to get the bus by himself and it was only a half hour that he would be here alone. Now that the time was here though, I wasn't sure if I could go through with it. Even a half an hour seemed like a long time.
"Is something wrong, Dad?"
Kurt's question shakes me out of my thoughts. He's looking at me with a concern and compassion that makes him look older than he really is and I'm reminded of Kathleen. My little boy has grown up much too fast.
"No, nothing's wrong," I tell him, grabbing the keys off the counter where I left them. "Have fun at school today."
"I'll try," Kurt replies with forced enthusiasm. Perhaps I should go to the garage late today. "Bye, Dad."
And his good-bye seals it. Staying now would show I didn't trust him and I do. Kurt has taken on so much responsibility around the house without me asking that given in to this request only seemed natural.
"Bye, Kurt," I say, turning as he goes back to eating his breakfast.
I head out of the house praying that it's not our last good-bye as the one so many years to Kathleen had been.