The Beach House – Chapter Ten – Treasure Hunt

“I got my sandals on!” Danny said excitedly.

“Hey, honey, you have them on the wrong feet. How about you trade them?” Blaine suggested, stifling a laugh.

“No! I like my feet the way they are. Cant I just trade the sandals instead?” Danny laughed, knowing his dad understood that he was teasing.

“Aw, and I was going to go get my saw,” Blaine pouted. He pulled Danny onto his lap and traded sandals to the correct feet and set him down.

“Can we go yet?” Danny asked, pleading with his big hazel eyes. Kurt got a sudden jolt as he saw Blaine in Dannys eyes. The resemblance was uncanny.

“Yeah. Do you have the bags?” Blaine asked.

“Yes. One for each of us,” he said, passing a net bag to Kurt and one to his father.

“Then I guess were ready!”

They walked down the salt-rose path to the wooden stairs that led to the beach as Blaine consulted the tide table in his pocket. They had about two hours until the tide came back in, enough time to find plenty of treasure.

“Be careful on the steps, Mr. Kurt-Angel, they can be slippy,” the young boy warned Kurt.

“I will, Daniel. Thank you,” Kurt said, smiling at the energy of the small boy. He took Dannys hand and walked slowly down the stairs to the beach. He looked out over the ocean, seeing some big fluffy clouds far out to sea.

They walked together for a bit, then separated – Danny going with his dad and Kurt on his own. Kurt looked up to see the two Andersons, heads down, scouring the beach for treasure. Looking down, he glimpsed a bit of something shiny and leaned down to check it out. A beautiful, opaque white piece of sea glass was buried half-way in the sand. He reached down to touch it, feeling the curved edge beaten smooth by the ocean and remembering the days he and Blaine had done this very same activity.

“I found one!” he called down the beach and Danny clapped his hands.

They continued on, Blaine keeping an eye on the shoreline as the tide continued to go out. One or another of them calling out when they found something. There were a lot of seabirds: gulls, terns, and cormorants flying over and some type of curlews or sandpipers walking on the sandy beach, their beaks busy picking through the sand for a meal. At the far edge of the cove it looked like a few harbor seals were sunning themselves on the rocks.

Looking back to the beach, Kurt saw a few shells – one a tiny white spiral that was not broken. He picked it up, thinking Danny might like it as much as he did. There were some larger clam shells, but he left them when he saw there were still some grisly bits of the former inhabitant clinging to the inside of the shell. There was a limit to what Kurt would touch with his bare hands.

Kurt looked up as he heard a squeal and saw Daniel with his father about twenty-five yards down the beach. He hurried over, although he could see there was no emergency. On the way, he spotted a pretty rock – probably a piece of jasper considering its dark purplish shade. He picked it up, depositing it in his net bag as he continued over to Blaine and Danny.

“Look! Mr. Kurt-Angel, I found dinner!” the boy said, grinning. He held up a small jar with a tiny crab inside, swimming in the bit of water.

“Wow,” Kurt whistled at the little crustacean, who was about the size of Dannys thumbnail, trying not to laugh.

“Daddy says it will grow big and we can have it for dinner in about five years!” Danny told him excitedly. “Can we get a fishtank like Mr. Kurts?” he asked his father.

“Ah...no, this crab lives in the ocean, honey, and wont be happy in a small tank of water. The fishes in Kurts fishtank are happy there because theyve never seen an ocean, they think of it as home. This crab needs to go back to its family in the ocean. I just let you catch it in the jar so you could look at it,” Blaine patiently explained.

“Oh,” Danny said with a note of sadness. “I understand. Goodbye, Mr. Crab. Get big and Ill see you in five years.”

Danny took the tiny crab over to a stream of water that led to a little channel running into the ocean and let it go, waving as the crab swam away. Kurt went over and hugged the boy.

“Im so proud of you, putting the crabs wishes ahead of your own. You are as kind as your dad, and that is the best thing you could be,” he told the boy. Danny hugged him back, a smile showing on his sad little face.

“I want to be like Daddy,” he whispered, then walked back to pick up his net bag and continue to look for treasure.

“What do we need to remember any time were on the beach?” Blaine asked his son.

“Never turn your back on the ocean,” Daniel replied in a sing-song voice, knowing this by heart from his dad telling him every single time they walked on the beach.

“The tide has turned, so we need to keep an even closer eye on it. We dont want to get caught in a wave, do we?” he asked.

“No, dad,” Danny said seriously.

“Oh! Look what I found!” Kurt shouted, digging with a stick to dislodge something in the sand.

“What?” Danny asked, running over, his father a step behind.

They watched as Kurt uncovered a piece of wood with something metal attached. It was about the size of Kurts hand and very dirty.

“Lets take it back and clean it up, then we can see what it is,” Blaine suggested.

“I think we need to get back anyway,” Kurt observed as the tide washed closer up the beach. They both held Dannys hands and walked up the beach, each carrying their net bags. They made their way up the stairs and down the long path through the roses and back to the house.

“We can wash up here by the house with the hose, then take off our shoes and things before going inside. We dont want to track sand in the house,” Blaine said.

Danny went to get the hose and turned it on, splashing his fathers feet.

“Hey, thats cold!” Blaine squealed.

“Yeah...” Danny giggled. He began setting his treasures on the wooden landing. He took a small bucket, filled it with water and rinsed all of them off. Kurt and Blaine joined him to do the same. They all had treasures, but Danny held one back in his pocket, waiting for the perfect time to share it.

“All done?” Blaine asked and they filed inside to get some lunch and look over the treasures they found.

Kurt heated up some tomato soup and Blaine made grilled cheese sandwiches. Danny helped set the table and folded napkins. The ancient plank table was full of cheerful comments as they talked about the treasure hunt all through lunch. After the washing up, newspapers were spread on the table and each piece of treasure was gone over, praised, and talked about.

There was a lot of excitement over Kurts treasure as Blaine explained to his son how a compass works and why they were found on ships.

“This used to have a compass in it – and it probably came from a small boat,” Kurt said, polishing the brass that used to hold the cpmpass.

They had all found shells and pieces of sea glass. Kurt showed them his piece of jasper and Danny said he loved the dark purple color.

“You can have it, Danny,” Kurt smiled, warmed by the joy in the boys face.

“I have something for you, too,” Daniel said, looking serious. He reached into his pocket to get out a rock. It was a white rock with a pinkish cast to it, shaped almost like a heart.

“Daddy told me you find heart-rocks sometimes, Mr. Kurt-Angel, and he said they were from your mommy in heaven,” Danny said, holding the heart-rock out to his guardian angel.

“Oh, Danny....” Kurt was speechless. Hed forgotten about finding the heart-rocks that summer here with Blaine. That was a time when he had been feeling the loss of his mother like a sharp thorn in his side and Blaine was trying to find a way to ease the pain. Blaine had found a pale gray rock, shaped like a heart and when he gave it to Kurt, he told the grieving boy that it must have been sent by his mother – she was telling him she still loved him.

Kurt curled his arms around himself, still feeling the warmth of Blaines love for him.

“Danny, when did I tell you that?” Blaine asked, not remembering the event. He reached a hand over to take Kurts and got a smile from the man.

“When we came here before I went to preschool, Daddy. You found one and told me you had spent a summer here with your best friend and you found heart-rocks from his mommy. Remember?” Danny asked, looking at his father with curious eyes.

“I do,” Blaine said, squeezing Kurts hand and feeling good when he squeezed back.

“And Mr. Kurt-Angel is your best friend, right?” Danny asked.

“Yes, he is. You are the smartest kid around, you know?” Blaine said with tears threatening. He blinked a few times, letting go of Kurts hand and standing up to pick his son up and hug him. “I love you, pal.”

Kurt joined in to make it a group hug and they took Danny up to his room for a nap.

Kurt brushed the dirt from the table where it had sifted through the newspapers, then placed all of the treasure in a wooden box to set on the back porch. All but the pinkish heart-rock, which he washed at the sink, dried and put in his pocket.

“Thank you, Mama,” he whispered.

Kurt went into the front room to sit on the sailcloth-covered sofa and wait for Blaine. He gazed at the pale blue walls, at the pictures of sailboats and lobster traps and other things he remembered from the summer hed spent here. There were books about Maine sitting on the bookshelf and he took one at random, leafing through the pages and stopping to look at a picture now and again. His mind wasnt really on the book, however. It was on why hed come here with Blaine in the first place.

“Hey, there you are,” Blaine said, coming in to sit next to Kurt and put his arms around him. “Hey....” he said again, but left it like that as he looked into Kurts eyes.

“Hey yourself, Blaine,” Kurt laughed. “Whats wrong? You look....almost sad, baby?”

“Im not exactly sad...I just feel like I owe you an apology, Blaine said with his head down.

“For what?”

“I dont want you to think that I talk to Danny about you behind your back. I didnt mean to, anyway. Yes, I did tell him about my friend who was grieving and about the heart-rocks, but I didnt expect him to ever meet you. It wasnt....I wasnt gossiping,” Blaine tried to explain.

“I know. Dont worry about it. Daniels kindness just showed me how much like his father he is. You told me about the heart-rocks that summer to make me feel better. It was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me, baby. I love you for it, and if you chose to share that with your son, I dont mind. So, come here and kiss me and forget your worry – okay?”

Blaine came over to kiss Kurt, leaning his whole body into Kurt as he pressed him down on the sofa and rolled on top of him.

“I love you, Kurt,” he whispered into the skin of his neck as he hid his nose there. Kurt smiled and held him tightly, running his hand up and down Blaines spine, under his shirt.

“I love you, too.”

They fell asleep for a short while, Blaine rolling to the side so they could both be comfortable. Upon waking about fifteen minutes later, Blaine turned to Kurt, gave him a kiss, and continued talking to him.

“Danny usually sleeps until three. He had a really busy morning, so I dont think hes going to wake up before then,” Blaine said, glancing at the clock on the wall that said 1:45. “That gives us a bit of time to ourselves.”

“I like time alone with you, Blaine,” Kurt cooed, reaching out to take Blaines hand and kissing the inside of his wrist. Blaine smiled.

“You used to do that in the choir room, junior year when we were both at Dalton,” Blaine remembered. “I thought it was the most sensual thing Id ever felt,” he laughed a bit.

“Back then it probably was,” Kurt said, the smile on his face getting bigger as he kissed Blaines wrist again.

“I was thinking that we need to talk a bit today,” Blaine started, reluctant to bring up the subject, but knowing it had to be breached this week. They really couldnt go on without clearing the air.

“What were you thinking?”

“About Daniel. I am very protective of him. You can imagine how much more since he got lost in the storm. I dont want you to think I am favoring him over you, Kurt. I love you both, but it is a different kind of love. Yes, Ive been in love with you since we were fifteen – and I never once stopped loving you, even though I made a rash decision that night when I ran away. I loved you even then, but as Ive told you – I thought it would break both of our hearts if we kept on,” Blaine sat forward, his head in his hands as he tried to contain himself and finish what hed started.

“That said, you know how much I regret my decision, how much I hated myself over the next years when I couldnt find you. I have had two instances in my life where I can say I was the happiest ever. One: the day Daniel was born. Two: the day I found you again. I love you, Kurt. You are the man I want to spend my life with, now more than ever,” he said, lifting his head to see Kurts face.

“Okay, but whats the problem?” Kurt asked, dread creeping into his thoughts.

“I have obligations, Kurt. I made the decision to have a baby, a child, on my own. I was fully prepared to give up my life to dedicate it to my child, and Ive done that. I cannot ask you to be with me forever knowing I have this obligation. Dont misunderstand, I love Daniel with all my heart, and I wouldnt trade him for anything – but I also cannot expect you to take on that responsibility. It wouldnt be fair. So, we can have these two weeks here at the Beach House, but I dont think I can stand seeing you without being able to have you as my own.”

Kurt sat, mouth open and blood boiling.

“What the holy fuck, Blaine? Do you....what the hell?....have you even considered....you honestly think Id abandon you because of Daniel? - oh, fuck it!” he shouted, getting up from the sofa and going outside to try and gather his sensibilities together. Had Blaine just said he didnt trust Kurt to stay with him because of Danny? Kurt walked up and down the grape arbor, shielded from the house behind the leaves. He grabbed a bunch of grapes and threw them against the stone bench, enjoying the squelching sound they made and so he did it again. He ran to the bench, smearing the sticky mess into the stone and then wiping the dark concord juice on his silk shirt. He didnt even care.

Next, he heard Blaine calling him – softly as to avoid waking his son – and Kurt pretended he couldnt hear. He was so upset he didnt know what to do. How dare Blaine assume Kurt would want to tear Daniel from his own father to take his place! What kind of monster did Blaine think he was? What kind of self-centered asshole? Kurt decided to leave and find some peace somewhere to think this out before he did something else crazy.

He started to round the house to go down to the beach, but he remembered the tide was in and the beach would be under water. He sighed, that would have been the best place. He knew it was only a matter of time before Blaine came to look for him in the grape arbor, so he looked to make sure he was not observed and went across the street, behind the hedge of lilacs and walked towards the neighboring farms pasture. He would rather talk to the cows than face Blaine right now.

Back at the beach house, Blaine was frantic. He only wanted to let Kurt understand that he had a son, a son for which he was the sole responsible person. He had chosen to have a baby while he wasnt married because after dating a lot of men (meaning less than a dozen, actually) he had not seen in them the thing he needed in life. Only Kurt could give him that, and he accepted that he was just not going to have a husband. Well, a lot of people ended up like that. He was an Anderson and so would do it with grace and poise.

Then he had Daniel. It was completely different than how he had imagined it. Danny was a joy from the first day and even though he had his moments of frustration and anger, fear and guilt, he wouldnt have traded one minute of being Dannys father for anything in this world. Then he found Kurt again - and for a moment he really believed that he could have both. He had been trying to explain this to Kurt when he said all the wrong things and Kurt took off. Well, it was what he deserved. Hadnt he done that to Kurt, and in a very much worse way?

He walked back into the house, sat at the kitchen table and put his head in his arms and wept.

Kurt was down the road, having stopped long enough to talk to the cows in the field – a herd of Jersey cows with big, soft brown eyes that reminded him just a little too much of a certain curly-haired man. He walked on, past the honeysuckle bushes and on to the next pasture of goats with their strange eyes accusing him. Of what, he didnt know, but they made him feel guilty.

Kurt walked on, going back across the road and over to the trail that ran on the ridge above high tide. He could see the ocean from here, harbor seals swimming close to the rocky shore, the salt roses that grew wild everywhere on the shore from New Hampshire to Canada with their big, juicy rose hips looking like tiny apples. He remembered where this path led – to West Quoddy Head Lighthouse. It was the only American lighthouse that was painted with red and white stripes and was a sight for sore eyes to glimpse it from around the corner of the path. He headed for it, stumbling along the wet path, slipping and catching himself several times as he got too close to the water.

His shirt was already stained with grape juice, and the mud just made him filthy. He walked close to the north side of the lighthouse, trying not to remember the times hed stood in this very spot and kissed Blaine – knowing his grandparents couldnt see them from the house.

The lights in the tourist shop were on, so he went over to the door, trying to decide if he wanted to go in. A woman walked to the door, seeing him hesitating.

“You look a bit lost,” she said. He could see there were no visitors to the gift shop or the lighthouse tour today. The parking lot was empty.

“Maybe a bit. The path was a pretty wet and more slippery than I recalled,” he said, blushing at the state of his clothing.

“I see. Well, you look like a starved cat. Come inside and get warmed up at least,” she said and turned to walk back inside. The woman was gray-haired, the wisps pulled back on her head and coiled into a bun. She wore a floral-patterned dress with an apron and a pin with the logo of the lighthouse and designating it a National Landmark. She wrung her old, wrinkled hands before motioning for him to enter.

“Im Judy Towse McPhee,” she said, guiding him back to her private quarters and into her kitchen. It smelled delicious.

“Kurt Hummel, glad to meet you,” he said automatically, then pulled his hand back, noticing how dirty it was. Judy nodded at the sink and got him a hand towel to dry his hands after scrubbing them.

“Sit, Ill get you a bowl of chowder,” she offered, “and yes, I do understand how cliché that is.” She winked and gave him a warm smile.

“Thank you,” Kurt said as he sat at her table, delighting in the scent of the bowl of clam chowder sitting in front of him, steaming. It was Manhattan clam chowder, full of a tomato broth as opposed to New England clam chowder which was made with cream and milk. He took a bite and it warmed him to the core. As he sat, the woman dropped her knit shawl around his shoulders.

“Where are you from?” she asked. Judy wasnt a talker, no idle gossip anyway. She was quiet, just saying the things she felt needed to be said.

“Ohio originally, but Ive been a New Yorker for a long time now,” he said, taking another big spoonful. It was wonderful, the taste of the sea combined with the tangy tomatoes and rich bacon flavor. “How did you come to make this clam chowder instead of the usual creamy variety? Are you a transplant from New York?” he tried to kid her. Judy blushed.

“My late husband was allergic to dairy. I learned to make it this way from a neighbor lady down the way,” she said. “She is gone to her maker now. I miss her from time to time.”

“That wouldnt be Flora Anderson, would it?” he asked.

“Why, yes. You knew Flora?”

“I came here one summer to visit...over ten years ago. I was in high school and spent the summer with her and her husband.”

“Oh, you came with Blaine. I remember you – the two of you would stand on the side of the lighthouse at dusk and kiss. You must have thought Flora wouldnt know,” the woman gave a giggle like a little girl.

Kurt sat, wide-eyed with embarrassment as if it had happened yesterday.

“Now, now, young man. That was a long time ago and you were young and foolish. Now it appears you are....?” Kurt laughed.

“Not much has changed. Im still foolish it turns out. I lost my temper and now I dont know how to go back. He hurt my feelings and I find to my shame that I am having trouble trusting him. Oh...you dont want to hear my story of woe. Ill get going...” Kurt said, embarrassed he had bothered this woman.

“No, stay and eat your soup. I havent had a soul to talk to in three days. Its lonely this early in the season. The tourists will come soon enough, but it seems later each year. Less people want to live in a tiny backwater like Lubec. We dont have the shipbuilding industry anymore, and the lobster and fishing has almost gone away. Young people dont want to live away from civilization – all of our young people are moving to big cities,” she lamented.

He wasnt quite sure what to say for a moment.

“Blaine lives here,” he said.

“Oh? I hadnt seen any lights over to the Andersons for a while now.”

“He lives in New York part time and comes home here to write. Hes a playwright,” Kurt told her.

“Ah, that seems like a good fit for him. He always had his head in the clouds, that one. He inherited the house from Flora and Zebulon, then?” she asked.

“Yes. Cooper got the apartment in New York, but Blaine was happier with this house,” Kurt told her. He was careful not to say too much, Blaine might not like him telling his whole life story.

“Good. Im happy to hear Blaine is staying. We need some young people here to carry on,” she said, her face a bit sad. Maybe it was nostalgia, Kurt thought. She was probably lonely here without her husband. He did remember her from that summer long ago – coming to visit with Mrs. Anderson and once they all came to a big lobster boil at the Anderson house. More and more bits of that summer were returning to his memory the longer he stayed.

“And would you be coming to live here, also?” Judy dared to ask.

“Ummm...well, I dont know. If you asked me yesterday, then yes. But things might have shifted. He was telling me something about his son, and I took part of it as an insult to my integrity. Instead of staying to make it clear, I let my temper get away from me and I left,” Kurt said, his face getting red as he recalled the anger.

“And took a tour through Floras concord grape arbor on your way, it seems,” Judy said, her mouth twitching to turn into a smile. She kept her face straight for now, but Kurt could see that she found his flight humorous.

“Yes. You should see the bench...” he admitted, his face even redder with shame. Hed acted like a child throwing a tantrum. Kurt went on to tell Judy about why they had come here, the test to see if they could be together once again. He found himself crying, practically despondent as he lived through the break-up and then the joy of finding Blaine once again, the hope he had that they could be together....he finished, laying his tired head down on the table. Judy put a warm hand on his shoulder.

“I think you need to go back to Blaine. I know him, hell be there for you. If its meant to be, youll know.”

“Thank you for listening, it made me get things right in my head. I do need to go back. He might be worried about me by now.”

“Eat your soup, Kurt Hummel. I have some things to do and Ill be right back,” she said, getting up to walk into the gift shop, her legs bowed with arthritis but it didnt keep her from doing what she knew was her job. He could hear her sweeping the front step, then heard the crack of thunder as the rain started in earnest. Hed be walking home in the rain and the dark. It would be treacherous if not downright dangerous on the sea path.

Kurt finished the soup and the delicious hot biscuits, slathered in fresh butter that she had left on a plate for him. He had no idea he was so hungry. He thought for a moment about helping himself to another bowl, but then didnt. He had no idea of Judys circumstances. For all he knew, he might have eaten her whole supper. He got up to see and was relieved to find the kettle more than half full of the chowder. He replaced the lid and sat back down.

“Here, this is your size I think,” Judy said, returning to the kitchen and handing him a brand new tourist T-shirt. It had a drawing of West Quoddy Head Lighthouse on the front and the back said

44° 48.9 N

66° 57.1 W

He laughed and thanked her. Judy went back to the gift shop to give Kurt some privacy to change his shirt.

“Im afraid I cant loan you anything to replace your wet jeans, but I do have an old macintosh that will keep you warm in the storm,” she offered.

“Thank you, Mrs. McPhee,” Kurt started to say.

“No, you call me Judy, were friends now, arent we?” she asked. Kurt smiled.

“Yes, were friends. Thank you for your hospitality, Judy, you turned my day around and I appreciate it. Ill be back to visit again before we leave, I promise,” Kurt said, holding her old and wrinkled hand – bringing it to his lips and kissing it.

“Good luck, Kurt. I will pray for you, and for Blaine and his son, too,” she called as he left to walk down the road instead of the sea path. He was perhaps 20 yards down the road when a black SUV stopped beside him and the window rolled down.

“Sir, were looking for my friend...” the driver started to say, then he saw Kurts face under the hood of the yellow macintosh and a look of relief came over Blaines face. “Oh, thank the stars...Kurt, will you get in and come back with me? We need to talk and I...I need to apologize. Will you hear me out?”

“Of course. I owe you an apology, too,” Kurt said, opening the door and climbing in.

Back at the house, Kurt got out of the Navigator and waited for Blaine to get Daniel out, too. The little boy was very quiet and subdued and Kurt realized he had hurt him somehow. He could see how scared Blaine had been and his mood had spread to his son. The boy was very intuitive – Kurt had noticed this several times – and so the trouble had affected him, too.

“Danny, I met a nice lady and she would like me to bring you over to meet her, too,” Kurt said in hopes of getting a smile from the boy. Danny looked at his father.

“Not unless I can bring my daddy,” he said, his face maintaining the sober look.

“Of course your dad is welcome – but he already knows this woman,” Kurt said and Blaine turned to study Kurts face, taking in the macintosh and then the tourist shirt as Kurt hung up the wet coat.

“Judy Towse-McPhee?” he asked, the glimmer of a smile on his face. “I should have known youd go there. Please tell me you didnt go along the sea path at high tide? Its slippery as snot on a glass doorknob then,” Blaine said. Danny and Kurt both looked at him, the phrase sounded so funny coming from his mouth. They looked at each other and burst into laughter. Blaine tried to keep a straight face. He knew using his grandmothers old saying would bring forth giggles.

“Oh, yes it was that slippery,” Kurt admitted. “I was very careful and Judy told me not to go home that way, which is why you found me on the road,” Kurt said. He glanced at Blaine, hoping to find he was not angry. It was hard to tell, he had worry lines that had not faded with the laughter, and his eyes looked bloodshot and red. Kurt put a hand out and took his wrist, giving him one small kiss to his skin there before letting go.

“Well talk later,” he whispered to Kurt before picking Danny up and going upstairs. It was much later than Kurt had guessed. He looked at the clock on the hall wall, the one with the embroidered face and wooden frame that Blaines grandparents had made together when Blaines father was just a baby.

Kurt went to the bedroom and changed out of his clothes, took a quick shower but couldnt scrub the grape stains off of his legs. He gave up and put on flannel pajamas, slippers and a robe before going to Dannys door. He could hear Blaine talking to his son.

“Oh, Danny, honey, quit worrying. Kurt was upset and he went for a walk. Hes a grown-up, so he didnt need to ask us first. Hes back now and hes fine, so lets just go to sleep and we can talk in the morning, honey.” Blaine sounded like he was at his wits end. Kurt decided to do what he could to fix the damage.

“Hey, Daniel, can I come in?” he asked, but looked to Blaine to see if it was okay. He was ready to leave if Blaine showed any inkling that he was still angry.