I am posting this chapter early as a peace offering of sorts. I am moving in a week. So, I have one week to pack EVERYTHING, clean,and move so I am not going to have time to do much updating. It's short - but worth it. :) Love you all
It was just past ten that night and Burt was anxiously awaiting the arrival of his children and their significant others. Carole was just finishing up making the beds with fresh linens and stocking the bathroom with clean towels when she saw her husband began to pace across the floor. They had only know each other for four and a half years, but she knew her husband better than anyone else in this world; even Kurt.
She walked over to him and held out her hand to distract him. "Burt, honey, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. Everything. Oh hell if I know, Carole." He huffed.
"Sit down for a minute and we will have a quick chat before the kids get here." Burt nodded, taking his hat off and rolling in his grip. Carole walked over to the radio they had on the mantel I turned on an easy listening station to try to calm the air.
She walked over and sat next to her husband, allowing her hand to rest on his knee. "Burt, please, talk to me. You are never this wound up about the kids coming over. Is it the boyfriend?"
"Yes. No. I mean, he's had them before, I never really met them, but I knew they were there. But this one is different."
"Why?" She looked at him with a calming air about her, that only she could muster.
"It's the daughter. This little girl is her age. My son, the one who is still torn up about what happened, the one who I can tell stays up crying at night at times, who stays medicated to function – is dating a man with a little girl the same age. I mean I trust my son, I am sure that he is a good guy, but I worry about his emotions, is he using this little girl to fill that void?"
"Burt, Kurt is a smart young man. I doubt that is what this is. We know what happens kills him inside, but maybe he's just found his way to cope with it all. He never wanted what happened to happen; maybe he's found a man to help him channel that guilt."
Burt rubbed his head and sighed. "I guess. He's just – he's always gonna be my little boy, it hurts to know that he's not happy. I feel like I let him down as a father. I mean Carole this whole situation is all my fault. I made him keep those secrets from me; he thought that I would hate him. How could I give him that impression? I may have been a bit rough on him, but it's only because I knew he was lying to me, about something, and I didn't like it. God, why couldn't I just make him feel accepted, he wouldn't have –"
"Burt stop blaming yourself. What happened was meant to happen and it would have happened whether he told you or not. They were teenagers that made a mistake. It happens. At least your son was smart enough to know that he couldn't have gotten a girl pregnant via hot tub." That earned a chuckle out of Burt.
"I know. You're right. I need to stop worryin'. Everything is going to be perfect." He forced a smile a sat back into the couch to wait for his kids – his family – to get home.
He hears a car pull up as the familiar and mesmerizing words of a favorite song start to fill the air.
'I see trees of green, red roses too. I see them bloom, for me and you.'
He and Carole rush to open the front door just as Kurt and Santana are running up the walk way arms open awaiting hugs. Embraces and kisses were shared between the family as Blaine makes his way up the walk head buried in his sleeping daughter's which was rested on his shoulder.
"Come in the house, it's still cold out here and that baby is out here." After all six people were comfortably in the house Kurt excitedly goes for his dad's attention.
"So Dad, I said I had a surprise for you-" He was interrupted by a gasp and a 'ohmigod' come from Carole as Blaine lifted his head up. Blaine looked at Burt and instantly made the connection to the man he saw crying in the hospital atrium. Carole had already put one and two together before Kurt had said his next sentence. "Dad, this is Blaine, and-" Burt was already walked over to Blaine's side to look at the little girl.
'I hear babies cry, I watch them grow, they'll learn so much more, than I'll ever know. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.'
"It's Liliana." He managed to whisper before the tears began to flow freely down his weathered skin. Blaine silently offered to give the sleeping girl to her overwhelmed grandfather, whom anxiously agreed. The burly man took the petite girl into his arms before sinking into the couch, holding her tightly as he sobbed. For the first time in four and a half years the grandfather allowed his emotions to overtake him and he just cried.
Seeing his father this emotional was too much for Kurt. He ran out of the room and up the stairs, Blaine following in his footsteps.
"Kurt?! Kurt? Where are you?" He called out into the hallway. He had no idea where Kurt could have went and he wasn't about to go opening random doors in a house in was a guest in. He heard some sort of muffled reply from a room down the hall left open a crack. He quickly walked down the hall and pressed his ear to the door. From inside he heard the distinct sound of Kurt's sobs and knocked quietly before poking his head in. "Can I come in?" He saw Kurt nod with his face buried in his pillow.
Blaine crawled into the bed beside him, careful to kick off his shoes at the foot as he did so. He laid his body flush with Kurt's and rubbed circles into his boyfriend's back. "Kurt, honey, talk to me." He dare not ask him what was wrong, that was obvious and not what Kurt needed. Kurt needed to just let it out, without feeling like he was wrong for the emotions that he had.
Kurt turned his head to look at Blaine, leaving his arms still hugging the pillow, eyes bloodshot and swollen. "I-I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry for. Talk to me, tell me what is running through that beautiful head of yours."
"I just hate seeing my dad like that. Last time – I guess it just brought back memories of that day. I made my dad cry, Blaine. I wanted it to be a surprise. I thought he'd be happy!"
Blaine moved his head close enough to be nose to nose with Kurt. "Do you honestly think that he's not happy right now?"
"He's crying, Blaine."
"He's crying because he's happy and he's overwhelmed." Kurt sniffled and met Blaine's eyes.
He hyperventilated a deep breath and reached out an arm to brush Blaine's face. "Y-yea, I suppose you're r-right. But it is just s-so h-hard to see him li-like that. It was muh-my fault the last time. It's always my fault."
"You know what I think?" Kurt pulled his hand back slightly, allowing Blaine to interlock their fingers as one.
"What?"
"I think that you should go back downstairs and share this moment with your family. If you want I'll be there to hold your hand the entire time. Remember your emotions when you found out, support them in theirs."
"I knew there was a reason I loved you." Kurt replied with a wink that drew a tear from his eye.
"I know of a lot of reasons why I love you. So, are you ready to go back downstairs?" Kurt slowly sat up and nodded. Blaine joined him at the foot of the bed and offered his hand before they headed back downstairs.
Kurt stopped midway down the staircase to listen to the words of the song that was filling the silent room.
"It's a long road, when you face the world alone. No one reaches out a hand for you to hold. You can find love, if you search within yourself and the emptiness you feel will disappear-
And then a hero comes along, with the strength to carry on. And you cast your fears aside and you know you can survive-"
Blaine pulls his boyfriend tight into his embrace and whispers into his ear, "That a hero lies in you." Blaine pressed a tender kiss to Kurt's cheek and cupped his face. "You are stronger than any man I know."
Kurt met Blaine's gaze and smiled. The two just stood there on the steps for a minute holding each other, Kurt burying his face into Blaine's shoulder and allowed himself to be comforted. Allowed himself to be vulnerable. Allowed himself to be loved.
When they pulled themselves together enough the finished their decent down the stairs. The sight that met them brought a smile to his face. Burt sat in his chair, cradling the sleeping girl in his arms and smiled as he watched her sleep. Carole sat on the couch, her arm wrapped comfortingly around Santana's shoulder. He watched as Santana sighed and leaned into rest her head on Carole's shoulder. If there was any one person in this world Snixx couldn't show her face to, it was Carole. There was something about her that made even the iciest queen melt in her presence.
Blaine quickly took out his phone to take a picture of the scene before him. He watched as Kurt walked over and knelt in front of his dad. Click. Another picture. Three generations in one picture, three generations that thought they were never meant to have that moment. Three generations of a family that will continue to grow. He pocketed his phone as a tear trickled down his cheek.
He looked up and smiled. Thank you.
So not only am I going to be MIA my Brittany is gone for the week as well. Well shit, we are both a mess. I hope you all can forgive me, as soon as I get settled I will update - hopefully sooner. We will see if I get lazy (I more than likely will)
again - all of your reviews make me so happy
PS the feels (I mean songs) in this chapter are What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong (if you didn't know that - shame on you) and Hero by Mariah Carey.