Haley Anderson sat cross-legged on her bed looking at a torn picture in her hand. She felt an urge to know the man sitting in the picture. She wanted to know everything about him, but even a name would be good enough.

He had beautiful brown hair that was styled perfectly into a hairstyle that looked effortless but probably took him hours. He wore a pair of jeans, a plaid jacket, and a black turtleneck. In his hand was a green and white coffee cup that matched the half of the logo in the back. The sign only said “Bean” and Haley had never seen anything like it before. The man was her father, her other father. He was staring at the camera with a smile, a smile Haley would give anything to have directed at her.

She had been mesmerized by the man ever since she found the photograph in her father’s t-shirt drawer one day when she was trying to find something to tie-dye for a friend’s birthday party. He looked like he had the kindest eyes and smile she’d ever seen.

She saw there was a tan hand wrapped around his shoulder, it was well-manicured and was holding the man like he was the most precious thing in the entire world. It belonged to her dad.

She heard the thumping of his footsteps on the steps and quickly shoved the picture under her pillows, probably creasing and wrinkling it more. She kept cursing herself because she knew she should laminate it, but it was difficult to do anything without her father catching her.

He was insanely overprotective.

“Hales!” Blaine said as he dove onto the bed, almost knocking Haley off of the other side.

“Dad!” she laughed, grabbing onto his arm to hold herself in place. “You are going to break your back!”

“I’m only 35!” he said indignantly.

“That is still old!” the eleven year old remarked, raising an eyebrow.

“Are you packing?” he changed the subject quickly, ignoring the dig.

“Yes, Dad,” she pointed to the half empty bag on the floor. There were a few pairs of socks and a bunch of rolled up jeans in the bottom.

Blaine straightened up, “Well that looks promising. You do realize we leave tomorrow, correct?”

“Are you packed?”

Blaine bit his lip and looked down at his daughter, “Well no, but I’m only going to New York for a day to drop you off.”

“Why don’t you stay for awhile, Daddy? You always said you loved it there,” her blue eyes were wide as she looked up at him. She was old enough that she could sense when something was wrong with her father, but still young enough to not know when to stop pushing a topic.

Blaine blinked a few times, “It just isn’t the place for me anymore – I’m getting old.”

That seemed to pacify Haley for a while. “You know Santana will just pack the stuff for me tomorrow, right?” Blaine learned in that moment that his daughter had perfected the eye roll.

Blaine looked down at the girl and sighed, “You know, sometimes I wish you would stop growing up. It is scary.”

“Like your morning breath?”

“Like my morning breath.”

Haley settled back against the headboard, mentally cringing when she heard the crumple of the paper – it would be too difficult to get the picture out now.

Blaine bent down and grabbed a blue paper bag he had stowed on the floor before attacking the bed. It was filled with neon green paper and was bulging. “Here are some things for your trip.”

Haley flashed a grin at Blaine and dove through the bag, emerging with a huge jar of Jif. She held it in both hands, “Oh my god! Dad!” she tackled him into a huge hug, “I thought I was going to die without this!”

Blaine grinned and untangled his daughter from around him, “There’s more.”

Haley launched back into the bag again. This time, she emerged with Double Stuffed Oreos. “You are the best father in the entire world. Best Daddy of all time!” she laughed and put both the peanut butter and cookies into the suitcase, “I’m packed.”

Blaine laughed loudly and pulled the girl closer to him, “There’s one more.”

She frowned, “but the bag is empty?”

Blaine pulled light blue box out from behind his back.

Haley took in the box with a white ribbon and seemed breathless, “Daddy…” she whispered, reaching for the box with shaking hands.

“No,” Blaine held the box in his hands and looked meaningfully at the girl, “Haley Elizabeth Anderson, you are eleven and going off to live on your own in New York for a whole month. I figured we could get you a pair of good earrings to celebrate you. Wear them all the time,” Blaine joked finally.

Haley pulled the white ribbon and released the box, slowly lifting the lid of the box to find two shining silver balls.

Haley looked up at him seriously, “Silver or white gold?”

Blaine’s eyes widened in fear, but he knew a trick question when he saw one, “Platinum.”

“Ahh!” she screamed again and launched herself back into Blaine’s arms, “I love them!”

Blaine laughed and hugged her tightly back, not quite wanting to let go. “Sometimes you remind me of him so much,” he said quietly, instantly regretting saying it out loud.

“Who?” Haley asked, a fake questioning tone in her voice.

Blaine blinked a few times, “Uh, your grandfather.”

Haley looked at him with disbelieving eyes. “Okay,” she said with a smile.

Blaine ruffled her hair again, “Do you want me to Santana make you some food?” he asked Haley as she slid the earrings on, examining herself in the glass of her vanity.

“Did I hear my name?” Santana slid into the room with a huge smile, “What do you have there, Hale?”

“My new earrings from the best father in the entire world!” Haley turned to the girl, “Aren’t they pretty?”

Santana smiled at her, “Yes. Now let’s see if we can pack some of your stuff unless you want to wear just those earrings at camp.”

Haley shrugged, “At least my ears would look good.”

Blaine coughed uncomfortably and looked around the room, “Why don’t you get your pajamas on so we can wash that outfit.”

Haley had already retired to the bathroom and emerged fifteen minutes later with sopping wet hair, a pair of Red Sox sweatpants, and a huge t-shirt that was Blaine’s at Dalton. “You guys are doing such a great job!” she joked.

“Haley Elizabeth,” Blaine said in a warning tone, “you can take some responsibility.”

She plucked a tube off of her vanity, “Here is the sunscreen.”

Blaine just looked at her.

“But I wanted you to French braid my hair! I can wear it like this on the plane and then my hair won’t be a giant frizz ball at camp!” Haley looked up at him with the big eyes she knew he couldn’t resist.

“Fine,” Blaine said pulling her toward the vanity, “I told you I could buy you some gel that would work…”

“No,” she said loudly and handed him a few rubber bands.

Santana smiled somewhat sadly at the pair and started refolding some of the items Blaine had tried to fold. She carefully tucked a sweatshirt around the Oreos to protect them from crushing.

Later that night, Haley slipped the crumpled photograph into her paint box, making sure it stayed flat on the bottom.

The next day, Haley walked through the rows of coffee beans with Blaine. She looked around at her home, knowing it would be the last time she would see it for a month. The large stone house stood nearly a football field away. She could hear the splashing of the pool boy and the sound of the machines working in the factory not too far away.

The house was far too large for both of them, and Haley wondered if her dad ever wanted someone else to share the property.

“Why did you want to make coffee when you grew up?” she asked, the easiest of the questions she had for the man. She gently took his hand and swung it as the continued to walk toward the garage.

Blaine smiled, Haley was getting older and barely held his hand anymore. “When I was young I shared coffee with someone very special and I fell in love.”

“With the coffee or him?” Haley asked innocently.

Blaine stared into the distance and walked a few more steps, “Both,” he answered honestly.

Haley tightened her hold on her father’s hand and wanted to ask so many more questions, but knew they would just make her father even sadder.

“We should probably get to the car,” Blaine said eventually. He needed to drive somewhere and even though they would be early for loading, he didn’t care.

He couldn’t be around coffee beans anymore.

Natalie Hummel laid flat on her stomach surrounded by the downy comfort of her blanket.

Her fingers ghosted over the image of the man in the picture. His hair was dark and curly but tamed. It was gelled down with probably a little too much – but that was just her personal opinion. His skin was darker than her own but his eyes were the most beautiful honey, moss, hazel mix that she was insanely jealous of, she had been since she found the photograph in her father’s costume jewelry box. He wore a pair of dark jeans that were cuffed at the bottom and a brilliant maroon cardigan that she was positive hung in the closet down the hall. He held a steaming cup of coffee, the lid off. The smile on his face was what really pulled Natalie in, it seemed like he was the happiest person alive.

She was sure he was the most handsome man she’d ever seen.

The laminated photograph held a few clues about the man that was her father. She knew that the pale hand circling his waist was her own father’s and that the half of the logo above him said “Lima” on it.

Natalie knew what Lima was – it was her father’s hometown. Every time they went to Lima she looked around for the sign, but never saw it.

A shark knock sounded on her door and Natalie quickly threw the photograph beneath her bed, “Come in!”

Kurt walked into the room gracefully with a pink bag dangling from between his fingers. “Natalie, I have a small gift for you,” he smiled down at his daughter, “well several actually.”

Natalie sat up and folded her legs, “Thank you,” she said dutifully.

Kurt kneeled on the bench at the end of her canopy bed, “Open it!” his eyes sparkled as he pushed the bag toward her.

Natalie pulled a delicately wrapped cylinder out of the bag. She slipped a thumbnail under the tape. The paper fell open and Natalie gasped, “Santa Cruz!” the gripped the organic peanut butter in her hands, “Thank you!”

Kurt laughed, “Just don’t eat it all at once, you’ll need to fit into the Dorothy outfit!”

Natalie grinned, “Do you really think I’ll be Dorothy, Daddy?”

“Of course!” Kurt took the girl’s hand, “you are fantastic, sweetie. You’ve been to this camp for five years, you are going to be great.”

Natalie sucked in a deep breath and nodded quickly.

“There’s more,” Kurt pointed to the bag.

Natalie pulled out a long rectangular present. She opened it quickly, wrinkling the paper slightly and throwing it onto the floor. She held the off-white book in her hand. Thumbing through the pages, her smile widened. “What’s this for?”

Kurt flipped the book over and showed her the front. The intricate KH that Natalie knew so well from her father’s business was engraved onto it. “I figured since you like to draw designs, you could fill this with your own and we can look at them when you come home.”

“But Daddy, I’m not good at that!” she smiled down at the book though, a million ideas popping into her head.

“Nonsense, you just need to practice and you will be outstanding,” Kurt nodded toward the bag, “But there is yet another one.”

Natalie dug through the tissue paper, all tact gone as the white paper flew all around her. “There isn’t anything else in here,” she said with a frown.

Kurt threw a pale blue box in the air, the long white ribbons trailing behind it. “Here it is.”

“May I please have the beautiful Tiffany’s box, father?” she asked, her hands folded into her lap.

Kurt laughed, “But of course.” He handed her the box and watched with wide eyes.

Natalie opened the box without untying the ribbon, placing it delicately on her bed to save for later. She stared down at the pearl earrings sitting in the white silk. “Dad…” she breathed, “they are beautiful!”

“I know I told you we had to wait until you were thirteen and could get pierced earrings, but I decided to have the store modify them a bit,” Kurt turned the earring over and Natalie saw the clip.

“Daddy, can’t I just get them pierced?” Natalie whined.

Kurt held up his hand to calm her, “Natalie, we’ve talked about this before.” Kurt hated denying her of things, and honestly this was the only thing he didn’t allow her to have. He wanted his daughter to remain a child for as long as she could, and this was just his small way of doing so.

Natalie sighed. “I know, Dad.”

Kurt smiled lovingly at her and ruffled her hair slightly even though he knew she hated it. “We need to get you to a salon.”

She nodded, “It is getting frizzy.”

Even though he hated changing anything about her appearance, when she insisted that her hair be chemically straightened, he agreed quickly.

She looked less like her biological father that way.

“We can do that tomorrow after I have a fitting with some of the men for the Tony’s” Kurt mentally went through his day, “I have Andrew Rannells coming in at noon but I should be finished after that.” Kurt rubbed at his temples when he realized that he had quite a few alterations to make before he came in.

“I have tap until one, so maybe you could pick me up instead of Brittany?” Natalie was continually on a schedule as well.

Kurt pulled out his phone and quickly made a reminder, “Sounds perfect. I’ll call and make the appointment. Go put your pajamas on, it is getting to be your bed time.”

Natalie sighed but went over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of pink silk pajamas.

Kurt started picking up the tissue paper that was scattered about the room, he was facing her, but Natalie knew if he turned he would see the photograph under her bed. For the first time she cursed her own cleanliness. “Dad!” she shrieked.

Kurt stood up quickly, “What?” He looked at her in alarm.

Thinking quickly, she gasped out, “Do you have a gray hair?”

“No!” Kurt gasped and ran toward Natalie’s small bathroom. Natalie quickly ran over and grabbed the picture from the floor and slipped the photograph into her Louis Vuitton trunk.

Natalie ran over to her father and pointed blankly to a piece of hair, “Oh! It was just a really blonde piece I think!”

Kurt ran his hand over the back of his head and pouted into the mirror, “Maybe I should make myself an appointment just in case.” Kurt fixed his button down shirt with a huff, “I’m only 36, I shouldn’t have gray hair yet. I’m too young to be old and ugly!”

Natalie hugged her father around his middle, “You are the most handsome man in all of New York, Daddy!”

Kurt smiled softly down at the girl and brushed the dark hair out of her eyes, “Sometimes you know how to say exactly what I need to hear.”

Natalie just laughed and went over the list Kurt had made her before of things she definitely needed to take to camp. “Dad, can we pick up new moisturizer tomorrow?”

“Of course,” Kurt pulled his phone out again and made a reminder, “I can’t have you getting sunburn again.”

Natalie shuddered at the memory of the pain and the feeling of her scaly skin for weeks after. “Maybe we could get some extra,” she tried.

Kurt nodded with a smile, “and maybe you should get to bed, it is getting late and we have some busy days coming up before you need to be at camp.”

Camp Lily Lake was the most prestigious arts camp in all of the United States. It was situated along Ithaca Lake in upstate New York. The season was uncharacteristically warm and sweat rolled down the faces of fathers carrying easels, guitar cases, sewing machines, and just about anything a daughter or son could use in their quest to perfect whatever area they applied for. The camp was open to anyone from ages 5 to 15 and it was divided into groups based on attendance.

Natalie was excited because for the first time, she would get to be among the older girls who did not have a counselor in their cabin, but rather in a separate cabin outside.

Kurt carried the trunk across the muddy ground, his shoes sinking slightly as he groaned under the weight of it. The camp provided tractors that pulled the luggage to the girl’s cabins and the male counselors helped move things in. “Be careful with that, it is vintage!” Kurt instructed the male counselor with a Mohawk. “The help here is going down in quality,” Kurt mumbled to his father.

“Aw, lighten up,” Burt Hummel said with a laugh, “you’re just mad your shoes are getting messy.”

Kurt was about to respond when he was interrupted.

“Welcome to Camp Lily Lake!” a short woman with brown hair yelled into her megaphone, “I am Counselor Rachel and I need all of the theater-based campers to follow me to the north side of campus!”

“That is where you go,” Kurt motioned toward the girl who was situating everyone in line, “do you recognize her?”

Natalie groaned, “Yes. She’s mean.”

Kurt nodded briskly, “Good, which means she is getting her job done.”

Natalie turned to Kurt with a sad pout, “I’m going to miss you, Daddy.”

Kurt knelt in the mud, not caring about his pants – he could always make others. “I love you too Princess. As long as I’m living my baby you’ll be”

Natalie pulled back unwillingly and launched into Burt’s arms, “I love you, Grandpa!”

“I love you too, Nat,” Burt couldn’t bend anymore but he looked directly into her eyes, “Remember, no one messes with the Hummel’s.”

“Right!” she high fived him quickly and ran toward Rachel, looking over her shoulder a few times to make sure her father and grandfather were still watching.

On the other side of camp Blaine was nearly gnawing his fingernails off, “Do you have everything? Shorts? Swimming suit? Deodorant?” In short, he was panicking. His only child was going to camp across the country and he had no idea what he was going to do with his life.

Haley wrinkled her nose, “Dad, of course I have everything. You and Santana repacked my bag a million and five times!”

“Was it that many?” Blaine laughed and swept the small girl up into his arms and twirled her a few times, “I love you,” he whispered, “and if you want to come home, just call or write me. I will come get you.”

“It will be fine, Dad!” Haley was a little choked up and she clung to Blaine a little tighter. “I’m going to miss you, Daddy,” she said through little sniffles.

Blaine felt his own dam break and let a few tears fall, “I’ll miss you too baby girl, so much.”

“Artists!” a man with a Mohawk yelled, “You are in le cabin Puckerman on the north part of campus.”

Blaine gripped Haley’s hand, “Maybe you should go home now, the help here doesn’t look as quality as the brochure led me to believe.”

“I’ll be fine, Daddy,” Haley sniffled again, “I’ll write you every week.”

Blaine hugged her again and gave her an extra squeeze, “as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be,” he breathed into her hair.

She kissed his cheek and looked up at him with serious eyes, “Don’t forget about me.”

“I could never,” Blaine said and pushed her gently toward the group of girls.

“It’s hard, isn’t it,” a woman said as she wiped her eyes, “letting someone you love so much go?”

Blaine nodded and took the tissue she offered, “You have no idea.”

Natalie looked at the group of girls in the artist group with skepticism, “I cannot believe they paired us with the artists this year! They are grubby and always clog the showers with paint.”
Her best friend Ashley filed her nails and surveyed the group, “Oh god, that one is crying. And look at her hair!” Ashley pointed to a girl with super curly black hair and a few tear tracks down her face.

Natalie smoothed her own hair down subconsciously, “Newbies,” she muttered and caught the eye of the girl who immediately scowled at her. Smiling, Natalie turned to Ashley, “this year is going to be great.”