New Shows and New Lives
March 2020 was a busy month, given that for most of them, there were two opening nights to attend. For Sebastian, this was nothing new, and the prospect of having to go out and face an audience was not something that fazed him at all now. It was not that he was blasé about it the whole thing though. He now had to face the fact that he was a romantic lead; as Elder Price, he had not had to kiss someone every night. Worse still, it was a girl that he was kissing, and as a man that had always been sure of his sexual preference, this was completely new territory for him. He had confided as much to the others at the Spotlight one night, not long after his final show as a Mormon, but had decided to decline Brittany's offer of a demonstration of how to kiss a lady properly given the death glare that Santana was giving him at the same time. To be honest, he was glad of that excuse; it would be far easier to do it with someone that was a relative stranger. Another well meaning person had told him that it was pretty much the same, just with less stubble, but that failed to take account of the very different layout of the chest area….
Of course, Santana had her own reasons to be stressed. She had no problems with kissing her co-stars, given her past exploits in high school, but the whole show was a much bigger deal than performing for a few well meaning people in the auditorium at McKinley. Ticket sales had been strong, with all of the previews having sold out well in advance of the performance date. The first of those had come around all too quickly for her liking, and on the morning in question, she did not want to leave the comfort and safety of her bed. She wasn't really given the option though; Brittany was so excited, and then Rachel turned up to give her a pep talk, closely followed by an angel armed with a gavel. Wes had been told by Kurt that Rachel had turned up, and knowing Santana, he had feared an explosion, hence why he had brought his gavel.
It did help that on her first night on a Broadway stage, only her wife and a certain Meerkat were in the audience to watch her performance. Santana had a feeling that the former would be in the auditorium every night of her run, however long it was; the latter was only present as it would be his only opportunity to see her, given his own hectic schedule. Wes had informed her that he would be coming too, and he arrived with the three others in tow at the very last minute, and all of them wished her their best as she watched the house lights go down; all that was left was for her to await her cue…
In the dressing room afterwards, she breathed a massive sigh of relief the moment that she sat down, her worst fears not having been realised. The audience had loved every moment of the show, and the tango she had danced after singing that most iconic of the show's songs, inspired by what she had witnessed from Kurt and Blaine, had earned her a long round of applause. She only had a few moments of quiet reflection before she heard footsteps and the voice that she loved so much in the corridor. Seconds later she was in her wife's arms, being smothered in kisses; Sebastian just stood and watched on the sidelines, the thumbs up he was giving her a sign of his own approval of her performance. After that first show, her nerves jangled less each night, but the prospect of the official opening night still loomed ahead of her, and that was a scary prospect…
A week later Sebastian was in her place so to speak, taking to the stage for the first time as Curly Mclain. In the audience that night for him were Dave, Cooper and Grace. Cooper had left his own show to the understudy for the night, and Grace had joined him as she had already offered to babysit her nephew to let Nick and Jeff attend together, however reluctantly they might have accepted her proposal. All three were surprised at just how much he had got into character, with an accent that was correct to the area, which did not drop even once during the show. He had also managed to push away most traces of his fine prep school manners. Dave had been left a little bit shocked at just how much passion was evident as he kissed his female co-star, and had he not known full well that it was only an act, he might have been left very jealous indeed…
By the time that Santana's opening night in March did come along, she had settled into the role entirely, all nerves gone. That morning she had risen early, then headed out with her mom and her Abuela for an early lunch. The two ladies had arrived the previous night, staying this time in a hotel close to the theatre that Santana had booked for them; the first thing that her grandmother did on seeing her next day was scold her for booking somewhere so expensive for them. After lunch, she had reluctantly left them to head into the theatre to prepare for the big moment, and ensure that it all ran as smoothly as it could. They might have been performing the show for weeks now, but there had never been a line of critics in the house before, nor a group of Tony judges. Worry set in about an hour before, but this time it was Kurt that appeared to soothe her fevered brow, and to reassure her that all would be well. She wanted to believe him, but nevertheless…
Kurt had been right, of course, and as she took her bows in front of an audience that was almost entirely on its feet, she could see her grandmother clearly. She was obviously in raptures at the idea that her granddaughter was now a star. The following morning, a hotel bellhop had to carry a copy of virtually every morning paper up to the room the two older women were sharing, just as across town, Sam got up to buy them so that Brittany could present them to her wife. With the words 'rising star', 'undiscovered talent' and 'sensational' written large across them, Santana was finally able to relax and grin. In fact, she now wondered why she had been quite so worried about it all in the first place. There wasn't really anything that hard about performing on Broadway when you had the requisite talent, all things considered…
A week later again saw Sebastian's official opening night in Oklahoma! Although this was his second show on Broadway, this was technically his first ever opening night, as he had taken the role of Elder Price when the show had been running for a while. At lunch that day he had been quite fearful not because of the show, but because he had agreed to have a family lunch, and that meant that for the first time since the divorce, he would be sat with his maman and his father at the same table. That prospect had been bad enough, and Julian had agreed; both felt their hearts sink even lower when they arrived at the restaurant to discover that Sebastian's maman had brought the first Mrs Smythe with her, albeit with a small element of disguise against photographers. Isabelle was also with them, and as she approached the table, she could not help but wonder which of the people she was eating with that day had been insane enough to believe that this could work…
To the surprise and relief of all concerned, civility was maintained for the duration of the meal; there were no catty comments made, no insults traded. Instead they sat and sang the praises of the two sons, both of whom blushed, especially Julian; his recent promotion to a more executive role within his firm was nothing in comparison to the fact that his brother was a star, at least in his eyes. After lunch, Sebastian had a little time before he had to hasten to Sardi's, where he was due to have tea with his Aunt Bette; on arriving, he discovered that Carmen was with her. The three of them ended up chatting away so happily that Sebastian lost track of the time, and ended up having to sprint several blocks to the stage door to ensure he wasn't late for the start time for the cast, arriving just in time. In his dressing room he found a host of good luck cards, the usual flowers and chocolates - and a surprise guest. François had been sent a ticket and a hotel reservation so that he could be with his old friend on his big night; he did not know who had paid for it, but Sebastian suspected that the other Warblers might have clubbed together. After hugs, Sebastian began to prepare himself for the stage, at the same time explaining the jist of the plot to his friend, who listened intently. At the end, he shook his head, and said "So you have to kiss this girl? Mon dieu, the things that you actors put yourselves through for the audience…" Sebastian burst out laughing at that, and moments later, François was laughing too…
There was one late arrival in the audience that night amongst the group of friends, dashing to his seat just as the lights went down, ignoring the look from his partner as he slid into place. Mike had intended to leave work in plenty of time, but his boss had stopped him at the last second, full of apologies, asking him to hold back so they could have an important discussion. Mike had agreed, fully aware of all of the rumours of changes in the corps du ballet; a new director had come in two months ago, and there had been a few fairly high profile departures since then. Although he feared that the chat might be about that, Mike did not show any sign of it. As it had happened, the conversation had been at completely the opposite end of the spectrum in all ways…
The general impression of those that had come to support their friend, husband, brother, uncle or son that night was that he had excelled himself again, and had taken classic show and breathed a new vitality into it. The rest of the audience seemed to concur, judging by the applause. For Sebastian himself, the sight of his maman and dad, standing side by side at the front of the stalls, clapping hard and long as he took his bows made his heart burst with joy. He found himself heading after the show to the Stardust Diner at Peter's insistence, and although it wasn't quite as good as the Spotlight in his own opinion, it was as much fun. He also found another appreciative audience when at the behest of his nephew and a waitress, he jumped up on the counter to sing a number for them all…
Like Santana, Sebastian's reviews were outstanding. In the New York Times, the theatre critic stated that the Elder was now a cowboy, with the same voice and obvious passion for the role - and the same smirk in view during People Will Say We're in Love. There was talk of a Tony, just as there had been with Cooper; one paper went so far as to say that Ohio might just have produced the two big musical award winners for the event in June that year, and they all took that other to be Santana….
In the West Village, Jeff had read the reviews over his morning coffee, Nick having headed off to work, and smiled happily to himself. That done he turned to the front pages, where the reading was a lot less cheerful, being dominated by politics. Some in the Republican party had finally realised that they needed to oust Trump, but there efforts were to no avail; the Democrats meanwhile were still in the throes of the final selection of their candidate, although it did look extremely likely that there would be a Kennedy running for President; he had won the backing of Bernie Sanders, the Clintons and Obama. He would be, if he was elected, the youngest President the country would ever have had, and that might be no bad thing…
Jeff suddenly jumped as he heard footsteps coming down the stairs, but the tension went as Mike appeared, a big smile on his face. "I hope I didn't scare you; I did knock, but you didn't come, and I knew you were at home. The thing is, I wanted you and Nick to be the first to know after Tina… I was late yesterday because my boss needed to speak to me. It's finally happened Jeff; the big time has arrived. I am going to be the lead dancer in a show this Fall…"
Jeff immediately leapt up to hug his friend, a massive smile on his face. "That is wonderful news! I know that you were a bit worried that all of the changes the new director was making could hold you back, but it seems that the opposite was true."
"It appears that the new guy actually came incognito to watch our performances a few times before Christmas, just to get a feel for the corps. He was actually there the one night that I had to perform as understudy for a major role, and he thought that my performance was superior to several of the others. He began to question why, when I had graduated so highly from school, I was being relegated to the background. He asked around and eventually the truth came out; the previous director had his favourites, who kept themselves on good terms with him, and as a result they were always placed front and centre. It didn't matter who it was, or how talented they were, nobody else got a look in. Thankfully, that is in the past now, and I am getting to front a very important performance. We are doing Swan Lake, but a version originated by a guy called Matthew Bourne. Basically the ladies will be getting a few weeks off, as the show has, more or less, a male only cast. In the traditional version, I would have to fight for the part of the prince; instead, I am going to be the swan, which is normally the part reserved for the prima ballerina."
"That sounds quite fantastic. I admit that I don't know too much about ballets, but I have heard of that one, and I think that it ends quite tragically…"
"Yes it does, and the final scenes will be a very physical performance; essentially I will be fighting to the death, in little more than a pair of feathered trousers… Tina thought that would be the most exciting part of the ballet to watch, given that all of the other swans will be dressed in the same attire… she does worry me sometimes…"
Jeff chuckled, whilst secretly agreeing that it did sound just a little bit hot, if he was being totally honest. "So why didn't you say something about this last night? Everyone was there, and we would all have been so pleased for you."
"Last night was Sebastian's night. It didn't seem right to take the spotlight away from him," said Mike modestly.
"He wouldn't have minded that much you know; sometimes Mike Chang, you are just too nice for your own good," Jeff remarked.
Mike eventually managed to post his news on Facebook, and soon the congratulations rolled in. Inevitably, Rachel and Santana did both comment that an all male ballet did seem a little sexist and unfair; Sebastian promptly reminded them both that he had been shouted down for condemning an all female cast in Shakespeare in the Park, and that they couldn't have it both ways. Artie managed to find a clip of a previous version on Youtube and posted it on Mike's timeline, and the female objections fell silent. This led to several comments about how the moment that there were going to be topless male dancers to objectify, the women had absolutely no issue with the show…
Mike had already left the battle of the sexes by this point, and had made a call he had put off last night. His father's reaction to his news was going to be the most important of all of them to him. He had not approved of Mike's dancing at first, at least not until the plaudits from his schools had started to roll in. He was now more or less supportive, and Mike hoped he would be pleased for him… His father was a little confused and concerned at first about the no women aspect, but when he realised that the role had given his son the biggest part in the show, and that the performance of that ballet would be the highlight of the company's season, his enthusiasm grew; so much so in fact that he asked Mike to alert him the moment that the tickets went on sale, so that he could inform colleagues and family. As for Mrs Chang, she burst into tears of happiness when her son gave her the news; she confessed that the role of the swan had been one that she had always wished to play when she had been a dancer; the fact that her son would now do so would give her an immense amount of satisfaction…
It would be late October before Mike made his stage debut, but the rehearsals would start straight away, filling in the gaps between other shows. He knew that the show was one of the best pieces of ballet for male dancers in a generation, and that he would be headlining it was a tremendous honour. What he had not told anyone was the fact that Matthew Bourne himself would be coming to put them through their initial paces when summer arrived; and if he did not think he was up to it, he could yet lose the part. He was determined that would not happen though, and if it meant he had to endure long hours in the studio, and a strict dietary regime, then so be it. After all, his success was not just important to him in terms of career; it also meant that he could finally feel able to fulfil a promise…
By the time that the end of April came along, the media seemed full of no other subject but politics. The President had taken to tweeting every two seconds, so it seemed, about how bad the Democrats were, how the country needed someone older and business like in charge, and about all the things that he had done whilst in office that made him look good. The rest of the country took great pleasure in responding to him about all the bad stuff that had happened in the same period, not least the trade war that had turned some of the country's closest allies into enemies. Then there were the endless golf trips. In the end, the POTUS had blocked so many people from his Twitter account that there was no-one left to read them anymore, apart from the craziest Trump fanatics. His attacks on the younger generation continued non-stop, growing as it appeared that Joe Kennedy III was the most likely person to receive the Democratic nod for President. There were those that lamented the fact the neither Oprah or Michelle Obama had put their name forward for the top job, but there were strong rumours that the latter was prepared to consider the role of Vice President, and that would still be a valuable first if it came to pass.
The battle was only just beginning though, as even those that had been let down as the promises of the election campaign went undelivered still believed the spin that came out on Fox News. It was easier to change minds in some places, with the citizens of Lima returning to backing Burt Hummel without question. A rumour that he was considering resigning from his role as congressman had left Trent and Rory snowed under in a deluge of correspondence begging him not to. The same could be said in Westerville, where the rebellious Sue Sylvester had proven a fine representative for the community. If anyone had thought that she would be a flash in the pan, then they were sadly mistaken. In fact, her profile was raised all the higher when she became the first Republican in the house to openly criticise the President over the rumours that he was about to ditch Mike Pence as Vice President, and replace him with Kanye West…
If the world of politics was getting all the more bizarre, then it was nice to return to the safety of normal life. In the middle of April, just the day after Isabelle finally agreed to stop coming into the office ever day and work from home; a decision made not because she was eight months pregnant and it showed, but because she was exhausted - Cooper woke up on a Monday morning to find a note from his wife, saying she had gone out, but she needed him to meet her at her doctor's office at 11am. He arrived there a good ten minutes early, which as Grace would later remark, had to be a first. Such was his concern for his wife's health that as soon as she arrived, he grabbed her, nothing else seeming to be of any importance any more.
"Whatever it is that is wrong, we are going to get you the best doctors, and the most up to date treatment," he blurted out before she could even say hello, his face white and lined with stress and concern.
Grace had just smiled, and replied, "There isn't anything wrong as such. It is more that I have a suspicion, and I wanted you to be here when I find out if my hunch is right. I mean, I have been feeling sick every morning, and things that should be happening with regularity just aren't…"
Her cryptic reply left Cooper baffled, until his brother's voice suddenly hissed in his ear "Oh for goodness sake, Coop! Sick every morning… Morning sickness…" Grace couldn't help but giggle at the sight of an exasperated angel standing behind his brother, whilst beside him there was another just rolling his eyes. Slowly it did dawn, and for Cooper, it was as if Christmas had come early…
Half an hour later and Cooper had tears rolling down his cheeks as he walked Grace to her office. They had begun the moment that the steady rhythm of a heart beating had come as a sonogram was taken; for Grace, she had been alright until that noise suddenly altered, and after a moment of panic, she was shocked but relieved when the doctor told her she was expecting twins. Then she had cried just a little as Cooper sobbed with joy in her arms. Blaine was crying by that point too at the prospect of being an uncle, albeit an angelic one, and would have fallen to the ground if Kurt had not been there to hold him up. There had then been a phone call to Pam, asking her to come over to dinner that night, followed by one to Nick, asking him and Jeff to do the same. Grace regretted the fact that her mom was in Ohio, but Cooper had told her just to call her and tell her; ask her to keep it quiet until the following day. That made things a little better for her. Before that, Cooper had called Mason and Roderick, asking them to stay in that night too; both had initially declined, stating that they had plans with Sam, as Rachel was busy that night. Neither of the expectant parents had any issue with the idea of Sam joining them for dinner too, and that plan was quickly agreed on…
Grace had confided in her colleagues what she suspected, and so when she walked into her office with Cooper at her side, it was to face a small reception committee. Cooper looked at Grace for a moment, then realising what she had done, he said "You are looking at the proud husband of an expectant mother of twins…" The squeals of delight that filled the air made it impossible for him to say any more, but he did notice a couple of gasps from the older women in the room at the prospect of twins. If he was honest, then the idea of having two babies to deal with was a little daunting to him as well. He would need to get some practice in; spend a little more time being Uncle Coop to little Wes, assuming that Jeff would permit him to, that was…
He realised that he had zoned out when he saw Grace starring at him, but she did not look upset; in fact, she seemed to be almost glowing with health and vitality. What now lay ahead for the two of them was not going to be simple, he had no illusions there, and there was something that he could do that would help them both. They were not poor by any means, what with inheritance money and being quite frugal with what they spent. He was therefore in the position that he could take a break from the world of show for a few months and help around the house; be the hands on father his own had never even attempted to be. After all, he had been appearing on stage eight times a week for some years now, with only a few short gaps. He would of course consult Grace on it, but his mind was more or less made up; he would leave his role as Willy Wonka in late August, and then take a sabbatical for at least six months before even considering a script - and when he did, he might well not go back to a musical. A more dramatic part in some serious play might well be in order…but then, could he do that? Could he convince an audience of his rage, grief or passion?
"Of course you can do that, Coop!" came his brother's voice in his ear again. "Okay, so you might be at a stretch to play Macbeth, or Hamlet, but you could do other stuff with no problem. If you are really worried about it though, go and see Carmen, and ask her for advice. She has a lot of respect for you after all." Cooper nodded slightly to acknowledge his brother; he was right in that respect, and she would be the best person to advise him on how to act in more serious roles…
Grace had work that she needed to do, and so after a sandwich lunch, Cooper headed out again, and found his feet heading him towards the West Village rather than Murray Hill, in the hope that he might find his brother-in-law and his nephew at home. Jeff was surprised to see him, given the fact that they had been asked to dinner that evening, but said nothing as the older man homed in on his nephew with a whole string of baby talk. Jeff went to make coffee as Cooper cradled his nephew in his arms.
"I don't know how you and Nick even knew where to start when this little man came along. I am guessing that you didn't get any kind of specific class at Dalton?"
"Certainly not!" Jeff replied with a laugh. "Child care was mentioned in biology class, but only in a very clinical way. I ended up reading a lot of books, and talking to my mom, and Nick's grandmother. I guess that the best person to talk to might be Carole, as she has all of her nurse training, plus the practical experience of actually being a mother. In any case, as the kind of surrogate grandmother to your child, she would only be too happy to help the pair of you out when Grace gives birth…."
Cooper looked at Jeff, startled that he had worked out why he had a sudden interest so quickly. "Please don't say a word about this to Nick; Grace is desperate to be the one to tell him. I guess I did make it kind of obvious…"
"Yeah, you did; you invite us to dinner at short notice, you suddenly are interested in child rearing, and then there is the look on your face - a mixture of delight, and panic. Nick had the same one when we found out Michelle was expecting. I promise that I will say nothing to my husband or your wife, and I will do my best to look as surprised as everyone else when you make the announcement."
"Thanks Jeff. I really appreciate that. The whole thing with being a dad to be is just a little overwhelming is all… I wouldn't mind a few hand on lessons in child care if you don't mind…"
"Oh, I think little Wes and I can do that for Uncle Coop - and judging by the expression on his face, you can start right now. That is his soiling my diaper face. Time for the first of many times changing a baby my friend…"
Sure enough, Jeff had guessed correctly, and after initial nerves, and a little gagging, Cooper was able to carry out the task with relative proficiency. "There really is nothing to it, once you get past the smell," Jeff said as he inspected his brother-in-law's handiwork. "Now, I think it might be time for someone's afternoon bottle, and I think you should be the person to give it to him today…."
An hour later, Cooper was hurrying home, feeling a little more content. He could do this, although he would need a little more practice. Just now though, he had dinner to prepare… He was not the greatest of chefs, but he could manage to prepare a mean pasta bake, and the one that he prepared with chicken was just about done to perfection as the guests arrived. Unsurprisingly, Mason and Roderick had been the first in, and they had assisted him with the setting of the table and the making of a simple dessert; he had tasted Eton Mess when he and Grace had been in London prior to starting work on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the process was so simple, just breaking up shop bought meringues into small pieces and mixing it up with whipped cream and raspberries, which he already had in the house. Jeff had pointed out that it was essentially a smashed up pavlova the first time he had been served it, and they all couldn't help but wonder afterwards if dish had been created as a result of a culinary mishap….
As a twist, Cooper had added broken cookie pieces into the mix for an extra crunch; he was doing this as Jeff arrived, and he was rewarded with a smile from the resident cookie monster. As Mason and Roderick admired the latest skills that little Wes had picked up as his doting papa looked on, Sam arrived, and after greeting the man that he still saw as a big brother warmly, he too had gone to play with the youngest of them all.
That was still going on when Grace arrived home; after greeting her husband, she had literally pushed everyone else out of the way and grabbed hold of her nephew, claiming that she had aunt privileges. Jeff just shrugged at the others and let her have her way; it was easier. Two minutes later and he had his own arms filled with husband. Nick apologised profusely for being late, until he realised that Pam was running even later. Her train had been held up, and when she arrived, she pointed out that she was just fashionably late, which was a source of amusement to the others.
Cooper's pasta went down well with all of them, served with a side of garlic bread, and a bottle of grape juice. Jeff smiled at that particular trick, and that they could always claim alcohol was absent due to the presence of Pam. The main course having been cleared, dessert was brought out, but before anyone could start, Cooper asked for a moment as he had something important to say. "Okay, so I am not going to bore you all with a long speech, because I know what some of you are like when it comes to eating sweet stuff… Grace had an appointment today, which I went to with her, and it confirmed something that she suspected. Basically, Mom, I am finally making you a grandma…" He got no further as congratulations began to ring out; Pam burst into tears and Nick jumped up to hug his sister. "Ahem, so I wasn't quite finished. They will be due at the end of September…" said Cooper with a grin.
"Wait, they?" said Jeff, whose surprise was no longer a complete act.
"Yes, Jeff, they; I am expecting twins," replied Grace.
At that, Nick started to cry, and Pam found herself in need of her son's arms. Sam was beaming from ear to ear, knowing that he would be Uncle Sammy from day one. As for Mason and Roderick, they were pleased for them, but they also knew one important thing; it meant that their time living in the house was about to come to an end. It would not be at once, but the rooms that they occupied had always been designated as rooms for their landlord's children…
As if reading their minds, Cooper said, "The timing is pretty neat too, as the 'L' Train will be back up and running, which means that the basement will be vacated, and thus two people can move away from a house filled with crying and diapers…"
"That fact would not make either of us want to move out," said Mason. "The fact is that Jane will be finishing school and coming to live in the city this summer, and so we would probably be looking for our own place anyway. I was just trying to find the right time to break the news to you."
"But I would be more than happy to move in downstairs to give you a little more space," said Roderick. "I love living here in Murray Hill, and I am not quite ready to leave my surrogate family behind yet."
"And we don't want you to leave either," said Grace. "All of you will be just as much an uncle to these children as Nick and Jeff."
"Which is her way of saying she expects you to babysit and change diapers," mused Nick, earning himself a laugh from everyone, even if Grace was glaring at him.
"Well, their grandma will be here whenever you need her," said Pam. "I was considering moving closer anyway, and now I am certain that I will be. I used to think that this day would never come, what with the distance between us as a family. I have another chance, and I am intending to use it. My only regret is that your children will never know their Uncle Blaine…"
"That is true, Mrs Anderson, but I think that he will be watching over them," said Sam. In fact, he was certain that his best friend would be watching over them all 24/7 until the births took place…