Prompt: James Kirk - "How we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life." - 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'
Waking up I saw the first rays of the morning light trying to peak around the drawn blind. The alarm was beeping and I tried to recall why it had been set for this early in the morning on a Saturday. Even when I went into the garage on a Saturday I always went in late. The smell of coffee reached me and I could hear Kurt downstairs moving around in the kitchen already.
It was then that I remembered why the alarm had been set early - I was getting married today.
Throwing back the blankets, I climbed out of bed and turned off the alarm. There was still a lot of last minutes thing to do to get ready, but even as I ran through them, I knew that breakfast would have to be first. Wedding or not, I knew Kurt wouldn't let me leave this house without eating a healthy breakfast. So, slipping on the slippers Kurt had gotten me last Christmas and my bathrobe, I headed downstairs.
Reaching the kitchen I stood in the doorway for a moment, the smell of blueberries not permeated the air as Kurt stood at the stove cooking blueberry pancakes. The small kitchen table had already been set for two, a small vase with collection of white and pink carnations in the center. Carnations had been Kathleen's favorite flower and the table had always sported the flowers when she was alive. The joy in her eyes every time I had brought fresh flowers home was more than enough thanks for doing that little task. Kurt had carried the tradition on for a few years after his mother's death but as he had gotten older and our lives had become busier the flowers had been forgotten about.
This morning though, on the dawn of the beginning of a new journey, the old tradition seemed appropriate. I still missed Kathleen, and I knew I always would, but life went on. Years ago, Kurt and I had picked up the shattered pieces of our lives and moved forward. It wasn't easy, and in some ways it was lacking, but we did. And then Kurt introduced me to Carole and it was then that I realized what it was we were missing out on. What Kurt was being robbed of in his young life. I couldn't make up for lost years, but I could fix what was wrong - for both of our broken families.
"Morning, Dad," Kurt said, looking over his shoulder at me. His words brought me out of my thoughts.
"Good morning, Kurt. I'm sure you're mother is happy that you remembered the flowers," I told him, nodding toward the vase.
"I thought she should be remembered somehow," Kurt told me, tentatively.
"That she should. And I'm sure that she's looking down and smiling because all she ever wanted was for her family to be happy," I assured him, happy to see a smile come to his face.