Chapter Fourteen:  The Blessing

Sunday August 10, 2014

The red light of the alarm clock red 12:23 when Kurt woke. He looked to the neighboring bed and smiled softly to see the small shape of Aly curled up in a bed that was most definitely too big for her. Kurt turned around under the heavy weight of Blaine’s arm around his waist. He was surprised to see his boyfriend staring back at him.

“What are you doing awake?” Kurt asked quietly.

“I never fell asleep,” Blaine answered.

“Are you worried about your brother?” Kurt inquired.

“Yeah, but that’s not why I can’t sleep,” Blaine told him. “I can’t stop thinking about my dad and Aly. I’ve never seen him that way before.”

“Kids have the ability to change people,” Kurt said, draping an arm over Blaine’s waist and tugging him closer.

“After so many years I didn’t think it was possible,” Blaine admitted. “But then again, I’ve never met a little girl like Aly.”

“She’s something else,” Kurt said, looking back over his shoulder at his daughter.

“She definitely is,” Blaine agreed.

Kurt rolled onto his back and pulled Blaine down so his head was resting on his chest. He pressed a kiss to the top of Blaine’s head.

“Get some sleep, love.”

KAB

Blaine’s phone woke him the next morning. He reached across the bed to grab it from the nightstand, smiling when he saw Kurt and Aly were already awake. Kurt was leaning against the headboard of Aly’s bed with the little girl snuggled against his chest; they were watching cartoons.

Kurt looked up when Blaine’s phone rang. He smiled when he saw Blaine was awake and turned his attention back to the television. Blaine fumbled with his phone before he got a good grip on it and brought it up to his ear.

Kurt listened to Blaine’s half of the conversation. When he hung up, Kurt asked, “Who was that?”

“My mom,” Blaine answered. “Cooper is awake.”

KAB

Blaine, Kurt, and Aly arrived at the hospital within the hour. Blaine entered the room first and his face lit up to see his brother sitting up in bed. A breakfast of oatmeal and orange juice was on the tray in front of Cooper. He held a spoon in one hand and was making slow work on the oatmeal. Hearing footsteps he looked up.

“Little brother!” Cooper cried happily, pushing the tray away with immediate disinterest.

Blaine threw himself into Cooper’s arms. Cooper grunted at the impact of their bodies but still wrapped his arms around his younger brother. Blaine pulled back after a long moment. Kurt stepped further into the room with Aly propped up on one hip, her arms around her father’s neck.

“And who is this?” Cooper asked, his attention turning to Kurt and Aly.

“Kurt Hummel,” Kurt said, offering his hand for Cooper to shake.

“My boyfriend,” Blaine supplied. “And his daughter, Aly.”

“Hello, Aly,” Cooper greeted, giving a little wave to the small girl.

“You’re Papa’s brother,” Aly said matter-of-factly.

“Papa?” Cooper asked in amusement, turning his head to look at his brother.

“Kurt, why don’t you get some breakfast from the cafeteria? My parents are down there; you can tell them we’re here,” Blaine suggested, ignoring Cooper.

“Okay, should I bring you something back?” Kurt asked, shifting Aly’s weight to his other hip.

“Please,” Blaine answered. Kurt pressed a chaste kiss to his lips before leaving the two brothers alone.

“You didn’t tell me you had a baby,” Cooper teased, pulling his breakfast tray back in front of him.

“I love Aly like my own,” Blaine said, perching himself on the foot of Cooper’s hospital bed.

“You’ve always wanted to be a father,” Cooper said, pausing to sip on his orange juice. “I just never thought it would be when you’re this young.”

“I’m an adult. I can make my own decisions,” Blaine said sternly.

“I wasn’t going to say you can’t,” Cooper countered. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy.”

“I’ve never been this happy,” Blaine confirmed. He watched Cooper eat for several minutes before saying, “I’m going to ask Kurt to marry me.”

Cooper’s spoon clattered into the bowl of oatmeal. He pushed the tray away again to give Blaine his undivided attention.

“When?” he asked.

“Soon,” Blaine answered. “I want us to be a family, a real family.”

“Are you prepared for everything that comes with having a young child, especially a child who is not yours biologically?”

“What exactly are you getting at?” Blaine asked with a raised eyebrow.

“How does Aly’s mother feel about her calling you ‘Papa?’?” Cooper questioned.

“Aly’s mother signed away her parental rights when she was born. She has decided she wants back in Aly’s life but legally she has no more rights to her than I do. But I want to change that,” Blaine explained.

“You’re going to adopt her,” Cooper stated. It wasn’t a question.

“I would like to,” Blaine reiterated.

“How are you going to propose?” Cooper asked.

“I have no idea,” Blaine said dismally.

“Well,” Cooper said, leaning back against his pillow, “we better start brainstorming.”

KAB

Tuesday August 12, 2014

Blaine returned home to Lima with Kurt and Aly on Monday. Life returned to normal, for which Blaine was thankful. After talking with Cooper, Blaine had put his plans into motion. While Kurt was dropping Aly off at daycare that morning, Blaine stopped by Hummel’s Tires and Lube. The garage was just opening for the day and Burt was the only one there.

He was going over inventory when Blaine stepped into the garage. He immediately put his clipboard aside and gave Blaine a long look.

“You want something,” he said.

“I guess we’ll just get right to it then,” Blaine said jokingly. Burt didn’t laugh. Blaine cleared his throat then announced, “I would like to ask for your son’s hand in marriage.”

“You’re kidding me,” Burt said with a shake of his hand. He turned his back on Blaine and walked into his office. Blaine paused for a moment before following Burt. He wasn’t going to give up this easily. He knew how much Burt meant to Kurt and he knew Kurt would want his dad’s approval. He flashed back to Kurt’s story of having to tell his father Brittany was pregnant.

Tuesday August 3, 2010

Kurt was still in a state of shock when he walked into his house that afternoon. It was almost past his curfew and he knew his father was probably worried. He wasn’t surprised when Burt greeted him at the door.

“Where the hell have you been, Kurt? I’ve been calling you for over two hours,” Burt demanded the instant his son crossed the threshold into the house.

Kurt hung his keys on the hook and tried to think of everywhere he had gone after his talk with Brittany. His first instinct had been to go to Mercedes’s but when he rang the doorbell no one answered. He drove past Rachel’s but Finn was there so he drove around for an hour before stopping at the cemetery where his mother was buried. Before, he had held Brittany while she cried. Now it was Kurt’s turn. With one hand over his mother’s name on her headstone, Kurt allowed himself to succumb to his emotions. That had been around seven o’clock. Kurt had sat there for at least two hours before he started home.

“Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, I asked you a question. Where have you been?” Burt repeated as Kurt pushed past him into the living room. He sank heavily onto the couch and let his head fall into his hands. Concerned, Burt sat beside him and placed a comforting hand on his knee. “Kiddo, what’s going on?”

Kurt began to cry and Burt pulled him into his arms. Kurt wept on his father’s shoulder. He knew the minutes were ticking by until he had to tell his father the truth. Sure enough, the second Kurt stopped crying, Burt asked again.

“Kid, I don’t know what has got you so upset but if you don’t tell me I can’t help you,” Burt said.

Kurt nodded, pulling a tissue out of the box on the coffee table to blow his nose. He balled up the tissue and looked his father in the eye as he said, “Brittany is pregnant.”

“Oh? Well, what does that have to do with – oh.”

“Yeah, that Brittany,” Kurt confirmed what his father was thinking. The same Brittany that Kurt had been kissing on the couch in the basement when Burt walked in.

“The baby is yours?” Burt asked.

“Yes,” Kurt affirmed.

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know, Dad, I don’t know,” Kurt said as he dissolved into tears again. Burt sighed heavily but still pulled his son into his arms.

“Whatever you decide,” Burt said after some time had passed, “I will support you. You’re my son and I love you.”

“I love you too, Dad,” Kurt mumbled against his father’s chest.

“I can assure you, sir, I am completely serious. I want to marry your son,” Blaine said upon entering Burt’s office. Burt leaned back in his chair and gave Blaine a good long look.

“Why are you even asking me? Kurt has made it very clear that when it comes to you he can make his own decisions,” Burt asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Because other than Aly, you are the most important person in Kurt’s life. He loves you more than you know. And without your acceptance I don’t know that Kurt would say yes,” Blaine explained as he sat in a chair opposite Burt with his desk in between them.

“What makes you think I’d give you my blessing? You’ve only been together for four months,” Burt reminded him.

“I know we haven’t always met eye to eye, Mr. Hummel, but I love your son. I want what is best for him, and for Aly.”

“And you think you’re what’s best for them?” Burt asked in disbelief.

“I know I make Kurt happy. And that is what matters to me, Kurt’s happiness.”

Burt sighed unhappily. He thought for several moments before he finally spoke.

“I wasn’t happy when Kurt became a father at seventeen. I saw his entire future disappear before my eyes. But I wouldn’t change that for anything. Aly is the best gift our family has ever received.” Burt got to his feet and stepped around the desk. “This isn’t the life I wanted for my son. He had big dreams, dreams that he gave up to raise that little girl on his own. So before I say yes, I want you to promise me one thing.”

“Anything,” Blaine said, pushing himself to his feet.

“Get Kurt out of Ohio. Take him to New York, where he belongs. If you promise me you’ll do that, then you have my blessing,” Burt said.

“Sir, will all due respect, Kurt makes his own decisions. You already said that. I can’t make him move.”

“No, but he listens to you. If you give him a reason, a good reason why you should move to New York, he’ll listen to you. I want my son to be happy, Blaine. And you’re right, you make him happy. But being in Ohio makes him miserable.”

“I can’t promise that I can get him to go with it, but I’ll ask him. I’ve been thinking of expanding my restaurant anyway.”

“Okay, then, Anderson,” Burt said with a nod. He extended his hand. “You have my permission to marry my son.”

KAB

Sunday August 24, 2014

Almost two weeks had passed since Blaine talked to Burt. Blaine had painstakingly planned his proposal and wanted everything to be perfect. He gave his staff the night off and closed the restaurant. Kurt had instructions to come by for supper with Aly. Blaine made spaghetti for Aly and a chicken and broccoli bake for Kurt and himself.

Blaine dimmed the lights when he saw Kurt’s car pull into the parking lot. He located his guitar and hid around the corner, out of sight. After all these weeks of planning, it was finally time.