Blaine was sitting in the backseat with Kara, glancing at the building every now and then as if he'd be able to find the answers he needed there. There was no sign of Kurt and several minutes had passed already. He had the engine and the heat on, but he was thinking about maybe venturing back upstairs if his boyfriend didn't come back soon. He was worried about Kara sitting in the cold car for too long.

The little girl had finally stopped crying as he cuddled her to his chest and kissed her and sang to her. She had clung to him and stared in adoration up at him until her eyelids started drooping and then she fell asleep. He had gently placed her in her car seat and covered her with a blanket. She looked peaceful and he didn't feel like disturbing her at all, but it was really cold, even with the heat on and he didn't want her to get sick…

Suddenly, he saw Kurt running down the stairs towards the car. Blaine opened the door and climbed out as soon as he saw Kurt was crying. Even when he was still several steps away, he could see it.

"Kurt…"

"Let's go," Kurt said hoarsely, wiping his tears away roughly.

"Sweetheart…" Blaine caught him in his arms and pressed him to his chest. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Kurt answered, but he shook his head right after the word escaped through his lips. "No. I don't know. Just… can you take me home?"

"Of course," Blaine kissed his temple and opened the passenger door to help his boyfriend in.

The drive back to the Hummel's house was silent. Blaine glanced Kurt's way every few minutes just to check that he was alright, but the boy kept staring out his window, with his legs pulled up to his chest. He didn't even give Blaine enough time to finish parking the car in the driveway before he got out and ran towards the house.

Blaine's first instinct was to follow him immediately, but he couldn't leave Kara alone in the car, so he grabbed the diaper bag and the sleeping girl from the backseat before walking inside.

Finn was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, eating a bowl of cereal and staring up the empty stairs, confused. "What's up with him?"

"He saw his mom," Blaine answered, moving past him into the living room and gently easing Kara down on the couch. He surrounded her in pillows so she wouldn't roll off to the floor. "Do you mind watching her for a moment while I check on him?"

"Whoa, dude," Finn's eyes seemed about to pop out of his skull. "What do you want me to do with a baby?"

"Nothing, Finn," Blaine said, exasperated. "Just… watch her, okay? Don't let her roll off the couch and if she wakes up or starts crying, pick her up and call me. I'll be down to get her."

Finn didn't look so sure, but he nodded anyway, so Blaine turned and climbed up the stairs two steps at a time. Kurt's bedroom's door was closed and he gently knocked when he got there.

"Kurt? Honey, it's me," he called softly. "I'm going to come in, okay?"

He opened the door and peeked inside. Kurt was lying on his bed, with his face buried in his pillow. His shoulders were shaking slightly and it wasn't hard to tell he was crying. Blaine's heart broke at the sight.

Before he could ask him what had happened, Kurt turned to look at him and Blaine felt devastated. Kurt looked so miserable.

"Why did I do that, Blaine?" He sobbed. "I should've tried to keep the image I had of her in my head. But this… this changes everything."

"Oh, baby," Blaine sighed, walked to the bed and lay down next to him to wrap him in his arms. Kurt immediately burrowed into his chest, clutching his clothes in his fists. "I know it was hard, but…"

"Hard?" Kurt repeated, looking into Blaine's eyes, bitterly. "It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. And I'm not even sure it was worth it."

"What happened?" Blaine asked, stroking his hair soothingly.

Kurt sighed and let his head fall back on Blaine's chest. "I'm not sure. I lost control and I can't even remember half of the things I screamed at her…"

"Even if it wasn't pleasant," Blaine said calmly, "getting all the things you had bottled up inside of you off your chest is good. Carrying all that around wasn't going to help you, Kurt."

"The answers I got won't help me, either," Kurt muttered sadly. "I… I honestly don't know what I was expecting to hear from her."

Blaine didn't know what to answer to that, so he just held Kurt a bit closer and hoped it said more than any words he could think of.

For the rest of the day, Kurt didn't want to leave his room. Blaine had just gone downstairs with Kara to feed her dinner when there was a knock on his door. Kurt didn't answer, but the door opened slowly anyway.

"You okay, kiddo?" Burt asked from the doorway.

Kurt's eyes were fixed on the ceiling. He sighed.

Burt came into the room and sat on the bed. "Blaine told me what happened."

"Are you going to tell me I shouldn't have gone to see her?" Kurt said, tilting his head to the side to look at his father. "Because I sort of figured that out on my own."

"No, Kurt," Burt shook his head and patted his knee. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I will be, I guess," Kurt shrugged.

"Will you come to me if you need to talk?" Burt asked. "I know I really screwed up, but…"

"You did, but I forgive you," Kurt cut him off, smiling slightly. "I love you too much to even try to stay mad at you or to feel any resentment…"

"I love you, too, Kurt," Burt said as a few tears made his eyes bright.

They stayed silent, just keeping each other company for a while.

"I should probably go see if Blaine needs help in the kitchen," Burt muttered, standing up. "Poor kid wants to do too much. He's going to explode one of these days…"

"Gosh," Kurt let his head fall back with a thump. "I'm such a jerk. Why am I letting my boyfriend deal with all my stuff?"

"Because he loves you and he wants to," Burt said naturally. "Just make sure to reward him and to love him as much as he deserves to be loved."

"Do you have any suggestions?" Kurt sat up and looked for his shoes that somehow had slipped under the bed when he kicked them off earlier.

"Well, I don't know," Burt walked to the door and pulled it open again. "You guys already have a kid. You might as well get the rings, too…"

Kurt gaped at his father in shock, causing Burt to chuckle a bit.

"It's up to you, kiddo. I'm just saying," Burt winked and turned to leave the room.

Just a heartbeat passed. "Dad?" Kurt stopped him.

"Yeah?" Burt stopped to glance back at his son.

Kurt swallowed. The words had a bad taste in his mouth. "She looked really, really sick."

The words hung in the air, looming over them dark and heavy.

Once the winter break was over and Kurt went back to New York, he instantly missed Blaine and Kara.

But he couldn't deny that being away from everything was a relief. While he was burying his nose in long, boring books he needed to read for some of his classes, there wasn't any room left in his brain to worry about what was happening back in Lima.

Maybe he couldn't escape forever, but it was nice not having to deal with anything for a while.

Finn started seeing Kurt less and less. He spent most of his time in class, or at the library and he only made it back to their dorm room late at night, when Finn was already dead to the world. He was always up very early, too, and out of the room before Finn even made it out of bed.

His brother knew what it was like to feel the need to forget about everything going on around him, but that didn't mean he wasn't worried.

"Kurt, dude," Finn said one afternoon when he decided to step into the library to check on him. "Have you at least eaten today?"

"Of course I have," Kurt huffed, without even looking up at him. "I'm busy, Finn."

"Look, I know you're like, upset about your mom and stuff, but…"

The glare Kurt directed at him silenced him effectively.

"Finn said you're not eating enough."

Kurt rolled his eyes and covered his head with his blankets. "Dad, I'm fine."

"No, you're not," Burt said. He sighed from his end of the phone. "I know you're going through some hard stuff right now, Kurt. But no one's going to take care of you if don't do it yourself. We're already stressed out about all of this. Don't add to it."

Kurt was silent for a moment. "Okay. Fine. I'll make sure I eat more often. I just… Dad, I can't allow myself to think about it."

"Maybe that's exactly what you need to do, kiddo," Burt answered patiently. "Maybe you're stuck because you're not letting yourself find a solution."

"What solution is there, dad?" Kurt asked him, feeling lost.

Burt didn't seem to have any answers, either.

Exhausted. He was exhausted. It was as if the world had ganged up against Blaine, somehow, all at once. He'd had three tests that week, Mr. Schuester had decided to add two more rehearsals to have the Glee club ready for their next competition and Kara had caught a cold, and needed constant attention. By the time Thrusday night rolled around, Blaine collapsed into bed, with his muscles sore and a headache that was killing him. He couldn't wait for the weekend.

But obviously, the world was still against him, because he had just buried his face in his pillow and was reaching to turn the lights off, when his cellphone started ringing.

He grabbed it blindly, convinced it was Kurt. They hadn't talked much that day and usually they called each other for a long distance goodnight kiss.

"Hello?" He said, without even opening his eyes.

At first there was only silence. Blaine was pretty much entirely asleep by then and he was about to drop his phone on the bed when a sharp intake of breath snap him out of his haze.

"Blaine…"

"Katherine?" Blaine forced himself to sit up on the bed. He rubbed at his tired eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Blaine, please," she was clearly struggling to breathe as she gasped her plea. "Pick Kara up. Now. Please."

Blaine was already out of bed. "Are you feeling sick? Do you need me to call an ambulance for you, too?"

There was no answer.

"Katherine!" Blaine exclaimed loudly, sick with dread. "Katherine, talk to me!"

"Just come for her," Katherine replied weakly, clearly making an effort to speak.

Blaine wasn't sure he had ever felt as scared and as desperate as he felt right then.

Blaine made it to the motel in record time, ignoring the traffic laws and feeling incredibly grateful that no cops had pulled him over. He ran up the stairs, with his heart pounding in his chest almost painfully. He didn't even bother knocking. He pushed the door open and entered the room.

"Katherine!" He said, looking around for her.

Kara was in her crib, fortunately still sleeping, and Katherine was sitting on the floor slumped next to her, looking paler than a ghost.

"Katherine," he repeated, crouching next to her. "What's wrong? Tell me…"

"Call an ambulance and leave with Kara, please," Katherine rasped with a hoarse voice that didn't sound like her at all. "Take her before she… I don't want her to see…"

Blaine could feel a lump forming in his throat, but he pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and called 911, asking for an ambulance. Once the operator told him it was on its way, he hung up and sat next to Katherine. "They're coming. Everything will be alright."

"I don't want you to stay," she muttered. "Just go."

"I can't leave you like this," he grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently, trying to ignore how cold she was.

"Kara…"

"She's sleeping," Blaine interrupted. "I'll get her out of here if she wakes up, but I'm staying with you until she does."

It didn't take long for Blaine to realize that Katherine was crying softly. The tears were falling down her cheeks and her body was shaking slightly.

"Are you in pain?" Blaine asked, worried. "Do you want me to help you get into bed until the ambulance gets here?"

"No," Katherine sobbed weakly. "I'm thinking about Kurt. I… I wish…" Her words were cut off by a violent cough. "I wish… I'd watched him grow up… I wish I hadn't been so stupid…"

"Everyone makes mistakes," Blaine reassured her gently.

"Don't try t-to justify me or m-make me feel better," Katherine tried taking a deep breath, but it only made her cough some more. "I-I know he hates me, but… p-please tell him I love him. Please, Blaine. You have to t-tell him…"

"Ssh," Blaine's eyes were filled with tears now, too. He pulled her closer so she could rest against his chest and kissed the top of her head. "I will. I'll tell him that you love him…"

"I-I'm sorry I was s-such a terrible mother," Katherine clung to Blaine's shirt, faintly. "I'm so sorry…"

Katherine's sobs and the sound of the approaching ambulance siren filled Blaine's ears. He held her tighter, not knowing what to say, not knowing how to say goodbye to her.

Carole was cleaning up the kitchen when the phone rang. She had just arrived home after her evening shift and had fixed something quick to eat for herself. The only thing she wanted now was to lie down and rest. Her feet were swollen after running from emergency to emergency all day.

"Hello," she said, drying her hands on a kitchen cloth.

"Carole, it's Blaine," the boy said on the other end. He sounded freaked out and anxious. "I need to talk to Burt."

"Let me get him," Carole said as she climbed up the stairs. "He's already in bed. What's going on, Blaine?"

"I'm at the hospital. It's Katherine."

Carole paused with her hand on the doorknob. She could hear Burt snoring softly in their bedroom and she took a few seconds to breathe and allow him a bit more peaceful sleep. "Are you okay? Do you need me to take care of the baby?"

"No, no," Blaine said anxiously and he sounded so frantic, so scared. Carole had forgotten, these past few months, that Blaine was pretty much still a kid. "My mom took her home. But I… I couldn't leave Katherine here alone. I didn't know who else to call."

"We'll be there in a few minutes, darling," Carole assured him as soothingly as she could. "I'll tell him what's going on. Try to calm down a bit, okay?"

"Okay," Blaine mumbled.

Carole hung up before walking into the bedroom. She sat on the edge of the bed and put her hand on Burt's arm. She squeezed gently. "Burt?"

Burt startled awake and looked at her, confused for a moment. "Hey. Did you just got here? How was your day?"

"It was fine," Carole gave him a little smile. "Blaine just called, honey."

Burt frowned, still half asleep. "Blaine?"

"Katherine's in the hospital."

Those words fell on Burt heavily. He sat there, staring into his wife's eyes and trying to decide what to do.

He was torn between what was right in his heart, and what was right in his head.

When Carole and Burt arrived at the hospital, they saw Blaine standing next to the Emergency entrance doors, with his phone glued to his ear. For a moment, Burt was afraid Blaine had called Kurt to give him the news. He didn't know how Kurt was going to react, but he knew he wanted to be there for both of them, whatever happened. And if what Carole had told him was true, Blaine wasn't exactly in a calm and collected enough frame of mind to tell Kurt about it.

His fears proved to be unnecessary, though, as soon as they approached the boy. Blaine was pacing restlessly and singing softly into his phone.

A dream is a wish your heart makes
When you're fast asleep
In dreams you lose your heartaches
Whatever you wish for, you keep
Have faith in your dreams and someday
Your rainbow will come smiling thru
No matter how your heart is grieving
If you keep on believing
the dream that you wish will come true

He hummed for a few more seconds before he spoke softly. "Is she asleep now, mom? Okay. Great. I'll call you later. Bye."

He ran a hand over his face, obviously exhausted, as he hung up.

"Hey, buddy," Burt said and Blaine turned around to face them.

"Oh, hey," Blaine smiled sadly. "Sorry I woke you when…"

"It's okay, son. Are you here alone?" Burt asked, looking around searchingly.

"Yeah. My dad is away on a business trip and I called my mom to take Kara home," he shoved his phone back on his pocket. "She just called me because she couldn't get her to go to sleep, so…"

"She falls asleep if you sing to her?" Carole wrapped an arm around his shoulders as they started walking into the hospital.

"It's the only way to settle her, once she gets upset," Blaine sighed. "Especially these days. It's like she senses that something's wrong…"

"Babies sometimes sense those things," Carole kissed his temple. "She'll be fine, though, Blaine. Don't worry about her now. How are you?"

"I'm… I don't even know," Blaine sat numbly on a white plastic chair once they got into a waiting room.

"Why don't you go home, sweetheart? You look absolutely exhausted," Carole patted his knee simpatetically.

"Because I'm the only person she has left in her life," Blaine answered. "I don't want her to be all alone when she…"

The awkward pause was filled with the sounds of people coming and going hurriedly, of nurses and doctors being called through the speakers, of some kid screaming feverishly in another hallway.

"Have you called Kurt yet?" Burt asked nervously.

"No, not yet," Blaine shook his head. "I thought… I thought you might want to…"

"Yes, I will," Burt stood up and started pacing. "I don't know how he'll take it, but… he needs to know."

Blaine nodded wearily. He was too tired to do anything else.

Kurt had cut back on his crazy schedule a little bit, as promised, but he still got up really early to spend a few quiet hours in the library, to complete his homework done. He liked working in the mornings, when everyone was still trying to catch up on sleep before rolling out of bed to go to class.

He always started his day with a shower to wake him up completely, which was why he didn't hear the phone.

When he left the bathroom, wearing his jeans and an undershirt and drying his hair with a towel, Finn was awake, which was weird. His brother always slept until five minutes before his first class, and then rushed out of the dorm to get there on time. But now, he was on the phone, scratching his head, and looking confused.

" … shower. Oh, wait. Here he is," Finn held the phone out for Kurt to grab it. Kurt quirked an eyebrow at him in question. "It's your dad. He needs to talk to you."

Kurt frowned. Burt never called there so early. "Dad?" He said apprehensively, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Is everything alright?"

"No, Kurt," Burt answered simply, cutting right to the chase. "We're at the hospital."

"Hospital?" Kurt could feel his heart racing. "Why? What happened? Is it your heart? Is Kara okay? Where's Blaine?"

"Calm down, kiddo," Burt said as soothingly as he could. "We're all okay. It's… it's your mom."

Kurt closed his eyes and inhaled slowly. "What about her?"

There was a moment of silence, as if Burt was looking for the right words. "It's time, kiddo."

Kurt didn't need any further explanation. He felt the air leaving his lungs. He felt as if he was eight again. And just like then, he wasn't ready to lose his mother.

Not when he had spent ten years of his life believing he already had.

A raw cough woke Blaine up. He almost fell off his chair when he straightened up, startled. It took a few seconds for his eyes to get used to the cold white, flourescent hospital light.

He looked at the bed, where Katherine was lying, surrounded by machines he didn't know the purpose of. Her eyes were open as she breathed harshly, her chest rising and falling so slowly that Blaine imagine it had to be causing her pain.

"Hey," Blaine said, standing up and walking to the bed. "You're awake…" Wasn't that a genius observation? Blaine felt like face-palming.

Katherine's lips parted as she tried to speak. She had to tried a few times before a hoarse voice finally emerged. "Go home, Blaine."

Blaine rolled his eyes, trying to lighten the situation a little bit. "Aren't you nice?" He moved the chair closer to the bed and sat next to her. "I'm going to stay with you and there's nothing you can say to convince me otherwise."

Katherine sighed tiredly and her eyelids fell heavily before her eyes snapped open again in alarm. "Kara. Where is Kara?"

"Ssh, it's okay," Blaine took her hand to soothe her. She was cold and pale and so thin… "She's at my house with my mom. Don't worry."

Katherine calmed visibly, but her face was still troubled.

"Do you want some water?" Blaine asked, as cheerfully as he could.

"I don't want you here, Blaine," she said softly. "You don't have to be here for this."

"I'm not leaving you here alone," Blaine replied stubbornly.

A nurse came into the room then to check on Katherine so Blaine excused himself to go out to the hallway and call his mother to check on Kara. From where he stood, leaning against a wall, he could see Burt sitting alone in a row of white plastic chairs. The man hadn't left the hospital since the previous night, but he hadn't made it into the room, either. It was obvious to Blaine that he was going through a struggle with himself.

His attention was pulled away from Burt as soon as his mother picked up the phone, because the line was suddenly filled with cries.

"Mom?" He said, alarmed.

"Hi, darling," Amelia replied distractedly on the other side.

"What's going on?" Blaine asked. "What's wrong with Kara?"

"She's okay," Amelia answered as she shushed the little girl and cooed at her. "She's just a bit fussy. She's never been alone for this long, with just me, so I'm guessing that's the reason..."

"Has she eaten? Did you change her diaper?" Blaine started pacing again. He felt like he he had been doing that ceaselessly since the night before.

"Blaine," Amelia muttered softly. "Believe it or not, I raised a kid myself. I know what to do with a baby…"

"Sorry, you're right," Blaine ran a hand through his hair, nervously. "I'm just really tense right now."

"Have you eaten? You sound exhausted, dear…"

"I'm okay," Blaine couldn't hear Kara's crying anymore. "Mom, can you bring Kara here, please?"

"Blaine, you have enough on your hands right now. I'll take care of her. She'll calm down eventually…"

"Please," Blaine begged, peeking into the room where the nurse was still talking to Katherine. "I think Katherine would like to see her again and I'll be a lot more relaxed if I have her here. Please."

Amelia sighed in surrender. "Fine. I'll be there soon. I'll bring along some food for you, too."

Before Blaine could protest, Amelia hung up. He put his phone back in his pocket and walked towards Burt. He felt as if he needed to make sure no one around him was crumbling.

He sat next to him. "Did you talk to Kurt?"

"Yeah," Burt nodded absently. "He didn't say much. I don't know what he's going to do…"

"And you?" Blaine asked quietly. "What are you going to do?"

Burt smiled sadly at him, with a shrug. "That's a great question, kiddo."

Katherine hadn't been able to hide how happy it made her to see Kara, even though she insisted she didn't want her daughter there. She didn't have strength enough to hold her, but Blaine sat the little girl on the bed next to her mother and he let them enjoy each other's company for a while, until there was a soft knock on the door.

When Blaine turned, he was surprised to find Burt standing there.

"Can I come in?" He asked gruffly.

"S-sure," Katherine answered, a bit insecure. "Blaine…"

"We'll wait out in the hall. Right, baby girl?" Blaine cooed, trying to sound nonchalant. "Kiss mommy, Kara!"

Katherine kissed her daughter's cheek and watched as Blaine took her away. The girl clung to his neck and smiled at him adoringly all the time. It comforted her to know that she was leaving her baby in the best hands.

Burt closed the door, causing her to startle out of her thoughts. He crossed the room and sat on the same chair Blaine had occupied most of the day.

"Burt…"

"Let me talk first, okay?" He interrupted. He cleared his throat. "This isn't easy for me…"

"I'm sorry," Katherine looked down at her hands resting on the blankets.

"I'll never be able to forgive you for what you did," Burt said with his voice a bit hoarse. "I'll never understand how you could leave Kurt behind…" He paused to take a deep breath. "But I am going to apologize for telling him that you'd died. I closed all the doors with that. I didn't give you two the chance to see each other again."

"You don't have to apologise to me, Burt," she said sadly.

"Yes, I do," Burt finally looked at her in the eyes. Her eyes were the only part of her that still remained the same way he remembered her. All the rest was broken. "We both made mistakes, Katherine."

"You did what you had to do," Katherine tried to shrug, but even that was too much of an effort.

"No," Burt shook his head and scooted closer with his chair. "I remember this one time when we weren't married yet and we were sitting together in that little balcony you had back in your parents' house…" Katherine smiled slightly, as if the memory was enough to brighten up her life a little bit. "And we were talking about our dreams. I have to be honest with you: I've never understood your dreams, at least not until Kurt's started to be so similar to yours and by then, it was late." Burt sighed and suddenly he looked a decade older. "I didn't give you the freedom to go after your dreams. I wanted to stay in Ohio because I'm a simple man and I've always been. I don't like big, noisy cities. I should've known that wasn't enough for you."

"I still shouldn't have left you both behind," Katherine replied bitterly. "I regretted it every minute of every day after I did."

"No, you shouldn't have left," Burt agreed, just as bitterly. "You should've talked to me, although I probably wouldn't have understood, just like I still don't sometimes when Kurt talks about the things…"

"You did a wonderful job raising him, Burt," Katherine muttered with tears in her eyes. "I'm so glad that at least one of my kids was lucky enough to have a great father…"

"Kara has a great father, too, you know?" Burt looked at her with bright eyes. "Blaine is crazy about her…"

"I'm crazy for allowing a teenager to take on such a responsibility…" Katherine tried to laugh, but it ended in a cough.

"Yeah, well…" Burt looked at the closed door, knowing Blaine was on the other side with the little girl. "Blaine isn't just any teenager. And the way he has handled everything with you, Kurt and Kara these past few months… that's proof enough that he's one hell of a man…"

Katherine let out a dreamy sigh. "Our son did well, then. At least I can be sure of that."

"He did wonderfully," Burt assured her. Suddenly, his eyes filled with tears, too. "Katherine… I'm so sorry you're going through this… I know we had our differences, but seeing you like this… I remember seeing you so full of life dancing around the kitchen table…"

"I'm tired, Burt," she said. "A couple months ago I was terrified of this moment, but now…"

"You're not afraid anymore?" Burt asked and he unconsciously reached to take her hand and squeeze it.

"No, I'm not," Katherine replied calmly.

She was tired of a life full of mistakes and now that she was sure that she wasn't making another one and leaving another kid heartbroken and abandoned, she felt like there was only one thing left to regret.

If she only could see Kurt one more time…

It was later that afternoon when Blaine found himself alone with Kara in the waiting room again. A nurse was helping Katherine wash up a little and he had sat there in the plastic chairs that he found himself hating and watching Kara as she played with her favorite doll on the seat next to his as he had a cup of the most horrible coffee he had ever tasted.

He was thinking of Lima Bean coffee dates and dark blue blazers when the voice resounded against the walls.

"I was sure I'd find you here."

Kara squealed before he had time to react. Kurt was standing there, looking pale and anxious, with a duffel bag hanging from his shoulder. Blaine stood up, holding Kara and welcomed him in his arms. Kurt crossed the room to melt right into them.

"I didn't know if you'd come," Blaine whispered in his ear, as he kissed his temple lovingly.

"I didn't, either, until I was on the plane," Kurt pulled away just enough to rest their foreheads together. That only lasted a couple of seconds, because Kara started flailing her arms around, asking for attention. "Oh, hey, sweetheart!" He scooped her into his arms and kissed her repeatedly until Kara was giggling adorably. The girl nuzzled against his shoulder and stayed there, enjoying his warmth and his embrace. Kurt looked at Blaine again, the smile fading from his face. "How is she?"

"Weak," Blaine answered, knowing there was no point in lying. "Tired."

"Even more than when I saw her?" Kurt asked, concern obvious in his voice.

"Quite a lot," Blaine smiled sadly and reached for his boyfriend's hand. "Your dad left an hour ago or so. He wanted to be home with Carole for a little while, but he said he'd come back later."

"Have you gone home and slept?" Kurt sounded even more worried.

"No, but I'm okay," Blaine leaned closer to kiss him. He really needed it. "I don't want her to be alone when…" The words hung in the air, like they always did when something was too hard to say.

Kurt sat on one of the chairs, holding Kara to his chest. "I can't believe this is happening."

"I know," Blaine threw an arm around him and kept him close, trying to comfort him. They were silent for a moment, and then Blaine just had to ask: "Are you going to see her?"

Kurt swallowed and kissed the top of Kara's head. "I don't know."

How do you say goodbye to someone who has been missing from your life for so long?

Somehow, Katherine felt a lot better. Maybe it was that her skin smelled like soap or that Blaine had opened up a window for her before he left the room. Now she could see the darkened sky and feel the fresh air instead of just breathing the hospital air, always so heavy. She didn't know what caused it, but she was grateful for for the occasional moments without pain and weakness. She almost felt like getting out of bed and walking around the room.

She was still considering whether that was a good idea or not, when the door opened slowly. The first thing she saw was Kara's cute face peeking into the room. Katherine smiled happily and she was about to say something to Blaine, when she realized the boy carrying her daughter was a little taller.

Her heart stopped for a moment when she saw him.

"Kurt…" She sat up on the bed a little, hardly daring yet to believe he was real.

"Hi," he said quietly. "Is it okay if I come in?"

"Of course!" She waved him in. "Of course it is."

Kurt closed the door behind them and moved closer to the bed. Kara immediately reached for her mother and since Katherine felt confident that she was strong enough to hold her, she cuddled her in her arms.

"I didn't know you were coming," Katherine commented. "Last time I asked Blaine about you, he told me you were really busy with school."

Kurt sat on the chair next to the bed and looked at her blankly. "I didn't know I was coming, either. I sort of decided at the spur of the moment." He hesitated, but he thought it was better to be honest. "I guess I… I didn't want my last memory of you to be the one at the motel."

Katherine's face fell a little. "Kurt…"

"I don't think we'd ever have the same relationship we used to have before you left, not even if we had more time…" Kurt shrugged as he tried to bite back the tears. "But if everything Blaine has told me is true… then I know you regret what you did and I guess that's all I could ask for right now."

"I didn't leave because I didn't love you, Kurt," Katherine said quickly, as if she didn't want to miss her chance to tell him that. "I left because I felt trapped. I've never wanted a life in a small town. I wanted more. I just didn't know how to have that and make your father happy at the same time." She swallowed. "I thought of taking you with me before I left that day… but that would've killed Burt, so I didn't. I figured you two would be happier together…"

Kurt nodded. There wasn't much more he could say. He understood, somehow. He knew what it was like to feel trapped in Lima, without a way out.

Kara booped her mother's nose and giggled. Katherine smiled at her and just for a brief moment, she didn't look sick at all. For just a few seconds, it was as if the woman Kurt remembered was back.

Maybe he couldn't forgive her just like that for what she had done, but he could forget about it for a moment, and enjoy the fact that he had his mother back, even if it wasn't in the way he had dreamed of while he was growing up.

He didn't realize he had tears in his eyes. "Remember when I was little and I would scratch my knees or have nightmares or get hurt?"

"I remember," Katherine answered with a soft smile. "I used to cuddle you and sing to you."

"I think that's what I've missed the most," Kurt muttered quietly, his eyes mirroring her pain.

Katherine watched him for a couple of seconds before she shifted over on the bed a little, careful of her IV and the wires connected to her body. Kurt looked at her quizzically.

"Come here," she said, tentatively with a beckoning wave, hoping he wouldn't reject her now.

Kurt wiped his tears away and hesitated for only an instant, before he lay down on the bed next to his mother and his sister. Kara moved to snuggle between them and Katherine's hand found Kurt's on the little girl's back.

The three musketeers were connected at last.

Kurt didn't even have time to say anything. Katherine started singing in a low voice. Lately, her voice had been hoarse and weak, but today, it was clear as a summer morning, just as Kurt remembered it.

Baby mine, don't you cry
Baby mine, dry your eyes
Rest your head close to my heart
Never to part, baby of mine
Little one when you play
Don't you mind what you say
Let those eyes sparkle and shine
Never a tear, baby of mine
If they knew sweet little you
They'd end up loving you too
All those same people who scold you
What they'd give just for
The right to hold you
From your head to your toes
You're not much, goodness knows
But you're so precious to me
Cute as can be, baby of mine

Kurt was genuinely crying by the time Katherine finished the song. He forgot any lingering resentment against her and threw his arms around her waist, hiding his face on her shoulder.

"I missed you so much, Mom," he croaked.

Katherine was crying, too. Silent tears trailed down her pale cheeks, but she was also smiling. "I missed you, too, baby. So much." She kissed his hair, still trying to believe her little boy was so big, now nearly grown up. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry, too," Kurt replied, and Katherine wasn't sure what he was sorry for, but the lump in her throat didn't let her ask about it.

They held each other, without the need to say anything, for what felt like forever.

It was only twenty minutes after Kurt left the room with Kara that Katherine exhaled her last breath. The nurse that found her said there was a little smile on her face.

It was as if she had been waiting to see Kurt again to finally let go.

What Kurt remembered most about that night was Kara's untroubled laughter. He envied the little girl for being so oblivious, for having no idea what was going on.

He wished he could laugh, too, and ignore everything happening around him. He didn't expect to feel so empty afterward. He was already supposed to know what it felt like to lose his mother. He wasn't expecting tha sharp pain in his chest.

He pressed himself closer to Blaine, nestled in his arms, his face hidden in his boyfriend's neck and cried just as hard as he had cried when he was eight years old and lost Katherine for the first time.

It took him a moment to remember why he was sleeping in his old room and why Blaine's arms were wrapped around him the next morning. But when he did, Kurt felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Blaine's breath misted the back of his neck and by the pace of it, Kurt could tell his boyfriend was awake.

"I can't believe I have to go to her funeral again," Kurt murmured, pressing his face into Blaine's arm and squeezing his hand tightly.

Blaine kissed his shoulder. "At least you got to say goodbye this time…"

Kurt didn't say anything. His blue eyes settled on the window. The sky was clear and he could hear the birds chirping outside. It felt strange. He had almost expected it to be a rainy day.

A soft, sleepy cry came from the crib against the opposite wall. The previous night, after they had heard the news about Katherine passing away, Burt and Blaine had gone to the motel to collect her stuff. The old crib had been placed in Kurt's room and there were a few boxes with her other belongings piled up on the living room floor. Kurt wasn't sure he had the courage to go through them yet.

Blaine got up as soon as he heard Kara and Kurt immediately missed his warmth, but he was rewarded with both his boyfriend and their freshly changed sleepy little girl slipping back into bed with him just a few minutes later.

Amongst the pain, Kurt felt a little smile tugging at his lips as Kara snuggled against his chest and Blaine tangled their legs together. "This is going to be our life next year."

Blaine smiled a bit, too. He brushed some hair off Kurt's forehead. "This is our life now."

That was the most comforting thing Kurt had ever heard.

Katherine's vacant grave, that had been empty for over ten years, wouldn't be empty anymore. Kurt stood at the place where he had stood so many times before and said goodbye to his mother one last time.

He had Kara in his arms and Blaine's arm around his waist and somehow, even though his sadness was deep and bitter, he felt like things would be fine soon.

Family was a complicated thing, Kurt realized, but as long as they loved each other, they could get through anything.