Life Goes On

                      Chapter 11 – Family Time

Blaine wakes up the next morning and finds that he is alone in bed. “Great, Kurt must already be gone. So much for being around more for the most important people in your life,” Blaine mumbles as he starts to get out of bed to check on the girls. “Where are you going?” Kurt startles Blaine as he walks through the door carrying a tray followed by the girls. Blaine freezes in place and looks confused as he asks, “What's going on?” Blaine slowly gets back into bed. “Daddy says it is breakfast in bed with a movie day,” Emma shouts happily as she and Eliz climb onto the bed. Blaine helps the girls up and kisses them on their foreheads while he says, “Good morning girls.” Kurt sets the tray with plates filled with scrambled eggs, toast, and glasses with milk and cups with coffee down on the foot of the bed and then carefully joins his family as they sit criss crossed leg style under the covers. Kurt passes a plate and fork to each of the girls before he gives Blaine his plate and coffee along with a smile and a happy look. Kurt starts the Beauty and the Beast DVD then picks up his plate. The family eats breakfast until they hear Belle start to sing and immediately the girls start singing along followed quickly by their Fathers. Blaine looks at his family and couldn't imagine a better morning.

The movie ends and breakfast is finished when Kurt says, “Well that was fun,” as he puts the plates and glasses back onto the tray and puts the tray on the floor before he shouts, “Tickle fight!” He grabs Elizabeth and starts tickling his daughter who is giggling and wiggling around until her Daddy lifts he shirt to reveal her beautiful tummy and puts his mouth on it and he blows hard trying to make a funny sound. Elizabeth laughs so hard and long she has tears in her eyes. Blaine had been tickling Emma until she turns around and curls into a ball. So he pulls her off the bed by her ankles and holds her up so she is hanging upside down laughing and wiggling. “Say it Emma if you want me to stop.” Blaine told her. “Say what?” She asked as she tries not to giggle. “You know. Say the word Emma.” Blaine repeats. “Okay, okay, uncle, uncle, uncle,” Emma said laughing happily. “Okay, time for a truce,” Blaine says as he carefully places Emma back down on the bed. The family is now lying down on the bed, stretched out and quiet, looking at the ceiling as they catch their breaths because they have been laughing so long. “Group hug,” Kurt shouts and within a second they are in each other's arms. “Alright, let's talk about our plans for the day. It's a beautiful day outside so I suggest we make a lovely lunch to take with us and we'll go to the park while Daddy goes to work so he can pack up his things to move to a new office,” Blaine says. “Yes,” Emma shouts as she raises her fist and pulls it back quickly. “Wait a minute,” Kurt says seriously. “Don't think so. Not going to happen. You are not going to the park without me.” The smile on Emma's face fades immediately as she realizes they won't be going to the park today because Daddy has to go to work. “So, I guess I'm not going to work today. In fact, I am not going to work for a few days. I'm going to be with my family.” Kurt announces happily with a huge smile on his face. The girls are stunned and look at each other for a few seconds as they comprehend what their Daddy had just said. The girls start cheering and jumping up and down on the bed. The family of four hugs each other tightly while smiles are covering their faces. Blaine thinks maybe Kurt is changing for his family. While Kurt has realized how much he has missed this togetherness of his family and he's going to make sure that his family will always be his first priority and they know it without a doubt.

After making lunch and packing it up the family spent the rest of the day at the park and it was fantastic. The girls had never laughed so much. They laughed when they were swinging high in the sky as Blaine and Kurt competed with each other, trying to get their daughter higher than the other. They laughed when they slid down the slide numerous times on their Father's laps. They laughed when they ate their ice cream because Papa got ice cream on his nose and he tried to get it off with his tongue. They loved sitting down together under a tree on a blanket as they ate their wonderful lunch they had made. They laughed when they walked around the city looking into shops at the pretty things, but the best part of the day was riding in a carriage. The girls pretended they were Disney Princesses and waved to strangers as they sat on their Father's laps proudly. They felt like they were in a dream as they took in the magical sights of the city while being pulled by a white horse. At the end of the day the girls were exhausted and were now being carried by their Dads. They rested their tired heads on their loving Father's soft shoulders, struggling to keep their eyes open. When they got home they simply carried the girls into their room and laid them gently on their beds. They removed their shoes and covered up their beautiful daughters. The Dads looked at their daughters and knew this was a day never to be forgotten.

After another day of being together and having fun, Sunday found Blaine and Kurt busy giving the girls their baths. Kurt had filled the tub with warm water, bubbles, and toys. The girls laughed uncontrollably as they put bubbles on their Daddy's head and face. Kurt had washed their hair and was rinsing it when Blaine walked in with towels. After being rinsed off Blaine wrapped the girls into big, warm, soft towels to dry them off and then the girls put on their pajamas. The girls came back into the bathroom and Blaine dried their hair with the blow dryer while Kurt brushed it out. Once they were snug in bed Kurt read them the two stories they had picked out earlier. The girls were pretty tired after such a busy weekend that they were asleep before Kurt had finished the second story. Blaine and Kurt gently kissed their girls goodnight not wanting to wake them. They stood quietly watching their daughters sleep before finally turning on the night light and shutting the door. Kurt stopped Blaine in the hall, turned him around and hugged him tightly and said. “Thank you, thank you Blaine for making me understand that you and the girls are the most precious things in my life. I have realized that if I don't take the time to be with you and the girls now I will be missing out on something wonderful because they're only going to be little for a short time. This weekend, being with you and the girls has been amazing. Blaine looks into Kurt's eyes and replies. “My pleasure Kurt,” Blaine whispers to Kurt as he holds him tight. “You know if you are up to it we can end this weekend by putting a cherry on top it, if you know what I mean.” Blaine winks at Kurt as he pulls him into their bedroom before shutting the door.

The weekend had passed too quickly and the family was now eating breakfast at the table on a Monday morning with school and work calling. Blaine and Elizabeth were joined by Kurt this morning as they walked Emma to school. They kissed her goodbye and watched her walk into school to start her day. Blaine and Elizabeth continued walking with Kurt to his subway train. They kissed him goodbye and watched him enter the car that would take him away for the day. Blaine and Elizabeth returned back to the apartment to start their day together.

In Ms. Thompson's kindergarten class Alice was telling all the girls about her birthday party. “My party is going to be about Princesses. We are going to dress up in beautiful Disney Princess gowns and fancy jewelry that our Moms are going to help us put on. Then we will take beautiful pictures of us. My Mommy said the other Mommies might even put some lipstick on us. We are going to have so much fun.” Emma's face had a huge smile and she was getting so excited about going to the party. She tells the other girls. “I love being a Princess. I have seen all of the Princess movies and I sing all their songs with my Daddy, Papa, and Eliz.” Alice pulls out a plastic bag with envelopes and says, “My Mommy said to give these to the teacher to put in your take home folder but I'll just give them to you now.” Alice passes out an envelope to each girl and they go put it in their backpacks. She gave one to every girl, except Emma. “I don't have one for you Emma,” Alice says. Emma lowers her head and walks to her seat and sits down with a sad face. Emma's friend Penny sits down next to her and asks why she is so sad. “Alice didn't give me an envelope. I don't get to go to her party,” Emma answers. Penny stood up and walked over to Alice and said, “You didn't give Emma an envelope. That was not very nice and now she is sad. Why can't Emma come to your party?” Alice looks at Penny and tells her, “Penny, Mommies are going to help us and Emma doesn't have a Mommy and my Mommy said it's wrong to have two Daddies and my Mommy said she doesn't want them inside her house.” Penny looks at Alice and says, “Your Mommy is not very nice and it isn't good to make someone sad so I don't think I want to come to your birthday party.” Penny walks back to her friend Emma and says, “Alice said you couldn't come because you don't have a Mommy and her Mommy doesn't want your Daddies to come to her house because it is wrong.” Emma lowers her head. “Don't be sad Emma because I am not going to go to Alice's birthday party. I don't think her Mommy is very nice.” Penny smiles to Emma then gives her a hug. The school bell rings, the class is dismissed, and the friends walk out the door, together.

Blaine notices the sad face on Emma as soon as she walks out of the school door. “Hi Emma, are you alright? Did something happen in school today? Emma looks down at her feet and says, “Nope, can we go home now?” Blaine takes Emma's hand but she lets go still looking at her feet. Blaine's heart aches for his little girl. He has to find out what happened that made his daughter so sad. He decides he will keep talking to Emma about it and hopefully she will spill the beans. If she doesn't talk he will talk to Kurt about it and see what he thinks before talking to Emma's teacher. That afternoon Emma remained very quiet as she played with Eliz. She spent most of the time lying on her bed and reading a book. Emma wasn't acting like Emma. While Blaine was setting the table for dinner Kurt came home. Before calling the girls for dinner he talked to Kurt about Emma. Kurt decides to go talk to Emma and see if she will talk to him.

“Hi Emma, can I come in? I see you are looking at your Beauty and the Beast book.” Emma looks at her Daddy and softly and sadly says, “Hi Daddy,” and sets her book down as Kurt comes and sits down beside her on the bed. “You remind me of Belle. Emma, you like to read just like her. You like to sing just like Belle. You know what else you and Belle have in common. You both like to be strong and keep your feelings inside so the people you love are happy even when you are sad. Do you know what your Fathers are really good at, just like Belle's Dad?” Emma looks at Kurt shaking her head no then waiting for an answer. “Belle's Dad always wants to help her when she is sad or in trouble. You see Dads are really good at helping their little girls feel better and making them smile again. Emma, Papa and I can see you are not happy and something is bothering you. Would you let me help you solve your problem so you can be happy again? Papa and I don't    like seeing you so sad.” Emma looks at Kurt and tears start to form in her eyes and then she suddenly jumps into Kurt's arms and cries on his shoulder.

The phone rings and Blaine answers it. It's Penny's Mom and she explains to Blaine what happened at school today that upset Emma.

Emma tells Kurt between her tears what happened at school today. Kurt's heart hurts badly as he realizes that from now on Emma was going to have to deal with and be exposed to gay hatred because of Blaine and himself. Kurt held his daughter tightly in his arms for a few minutes as he thought about what he would say to her. “Emma, I am so sorry that you feel so sad. Can you tell me which of Alice's reasons as to why you were not invited upset you the most?” Kurt asks as he rubs her back. “Everything made be sad Daddy. It's like a big heavy pile of sad and she kept adding to it. The girls are going to dress up in beautiful Princess gowns and I love being a Princess, you know that right. I know doing that with my friends would be so much fun. I'm mad that my Mommy isn't here to take me. She is supposed be here to do things like this with me. That's what Mommies do. I bet Aunt Rachael would have gone with me if I needed to take a Mommy but Alice didn't even think about that. But I really mad when people don't like you and Papa being together. You love each other and I love you, we are a family and they are just mean and they should learn to be nice.” Kurt has Emma sit up so he can see Emma's face. “Emma, you are growing up and becoming a young lady. As you get older and meet more people you are going to start finding out about people. One thing you are going to learn is that you might not be invited to go places, even though you want to go, because someone doesn't want you there. Not everyone in this world is going to want you around for some reason whether it's a good or a bad reason. We have to learn to accept that, and know it is okay and not let it hurt your feelings too bad. If people don't want you around Emma it's their loss and you just need to move on and be around people who love you.” Kurt grabs the picture of Emma's mother Lindsey off her nightstand holding it so Emma can see it. “Now you need to remember your Mommy here, loved you very much and she did everything she could possibly do to stay alive and be here for you and Elizabeth, but it wasn't enough. Her heart wasn't strong enough to keep beating. She would have done anything for her to be around so she could take you to parties and have dress up time. Don't ever forget that Emma. But Emma she's not gone, she's with you always because she is right here in your heart where you love her very much and she loves you forever. Emma touches her heart and smiles. “Now as far as people not liking me and Papa being married and being together we can't do anything about that other than for Papa and I to be good people and show the world that Papa and I love each other very much. If people don't want us in their house that is okay and maybe someday they will change their minds and realize we are good people, and that is more important than whom you are married too. Maybe if we are lucky your children won't have to deal with people not liking you because of who you love. Papa and I want you to come and talk to us right away if you ever have a question or concern or something happens because Papa and I are gay. That is something we have to solve together. Do you understand?” Did any of this make sense Sweetie? Are you feeling better?” Kurt asks as Blaine walks into the room.

          “Hey, how is it going in here?” Kurt looks at Blaine and smiles while Emma says, “Good.” Blaine says, “I'm glad to hear that because I just got off the phone with Penny's Mom. She said Penny was worried about Emma because she was so sad today at school. Penny's Mom explained to me why Emma was so upset. Apparently, Penny got home from school this afternoon and quickly told her Mom that Emma was sad and upset today and why. She then called Alice's Mom and it sounds like she gave Alice's Mom a piece of her mind about her reasons for not inviting Emma to Alice's birthday party. Anyway to make a long story short it sounds like Penny is not going to the party either. So I have a question for Emma. On Saturday afternoon instead of going to Alice's birthday party, would you and Penny like to join me, Daddy, and Elizabeth at the matinee performance of Aladdin? In fact, I was thinking you girls could even dress up as Princess Jasmine and if you want to you could even meet Princess Jasmine backstage.” Blaine asks Emma and watches as her eyes become big and a huge smile appears on her face. She rushes towards Blaine and hugs him tightly as she says. “Alice's Mom is missing out because she doesn't know how wonderful my Dads are, but I do and they are the best.” Emma hugs her Father's with all her might feeling loved and blessed. Elizabeth walks into the bedroom and says, “Hungry, I am hungry. Let's eat pweeze.” The family laughs as Kurt asks Emma, “Are you good now?” Emma looks at Kurt and smiles as she says, ”Yup,” and jumps off the bed grabbing Eliz's hand heading for the dinner table. Kurt looks at Blaine and smiles as he says happily, “Our little girl is back.”