Kurt was shaking with anxiety by the time he made it to the bar to see the girls that night. As soon as he found his seat, he grabbed Rachel's Cosmo and downed it in one big gulp.

“Hey! I was drinking that!” She protested resentfully.

He reached for Santana's beer, but she slapped his hand away. “Don't even think about it, Hummel.”

Dani was already gesturing for the waitress. “You look terrible. Are you okay?”

“Yes, I'm great. Freaking out a little, but great,” Kurt answered. He took a deep breath and looked at his friends with wide eyes. “I got a call from the adoption agency. I have a meeting tomorrow.”

“Oh my god, really?” Rachel squealed, trapping his hand between hers in a death grip. “You're having a baby?”

“I don't know yet. I just know a birthmother wants to meet me. Apparently she liked my application? I have no idea what's going on…” Kurt mumbled, pale as a ghost. What if he screwed the meeting up and he never got another shot at this?

Santana grabbed his face with her hand, her extremely long nails digging into his skin, and forced him to drink from her beer bottle. “I changed my mind. You need to get drunk right now.”

Kurt spluttered, almost spilling the drink all over him. Dani took the beer from Santana, glaring at her wife.

“Stop it! Let him breathe! He doesn't need to be choked to death right now!”

Once Rachel ordered a drink for him and Santana sat back quietly, ready to give him all her attention, Kurt told them about the phone call he had received that morning.

“Well, this is good, right? It's a good sign,” Rachel said, smiling broadly. “Doesn't it usually take a lot longer before you even get an interview? Two months… that's great, Kurt. She must have seen something she really liked to make them contact you.”

“What if I blow it?” Kurt asked, eyes wide in panic. “I mean… what if I say or do something horrible, and they tell me I'm not fit to be a parent? Oh my god, what if…?”

Before Kurt could say another word, Santana slapped him hard across the face.

“Ouch! Santana, what the fuck?” He screamed, covering his sore cheek with his hand.

“Stop getting your panties in a twist, Hummel. You want this kid? Then don't be an idiot. Nothing is less attractive than this stupid lack of confidence. You have to go in there tomorrow and show them that the best thing that could ever happen to this kid is to be adopted by you.” She pointed at him. There was a fierce look on her face and Kurt recoiled a bit on his seat. Santana was a scary woman. “You keep saying how much you want this and how sure you are that you can do it, but now's the time to actually start proving that. So stop being such a little shit and man up. Jeez.”

Kurt had forgotten how to breathe while he listened to Santana. The other two were watching them silently, completely stunned. It was very weird to see her giving a pep talk, and despite how rude she could be during them, it was incredibly touching. It meant that, deep down inside her cold hard chest, Santana cared.

Suddenly, that was enough to fill Kurt with confidence.

He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, ignoring her hisses and protests.

Dani rubbed his back as he released her wife. “You're going to be great, Kurt. Anyone can see how in love you're with the idea of being a dad. And that's nothing compared to how in love you're going to be with the baby once you have him or her in your arms. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Do you want us to go with you?” Rachel asked, smiling softly at him. “I can go, if you want. I'll take Lilah with me, and they'll see how amazing you're with her.”

Kurt shook his head, but smiled at his girls, unable to believe he had such wonderful friends. “No, thank you. No tricks, no nothing. They need to see me for who I am. And I can't ask you guys to be with me every step of the way – I decided to do this on my own, so I'd better start doing exactly that.”

He took a sip from his drink that the waitress had dropped off at some point during his freak out, and then asked them all about their days. He felt better already, prepared, like he could do anything he wanted to.

He just needed to remember that feeling the next day, and everything would be alright.

*

Kurt dressed to the nines every single day, but he put special attention into his outfit that day. He stood in front of the mirror for a very long time, making sure everything was exactly as it should be. He carefully picked his accessories, avoiding anything that could pose a danger, in any way. His beautiful heart-shaped brooch was perfect for many occasions, but the spikes and studs that adorned it weren't precisely child-friendly. He settled instead for a nice pocket square with a gorgeous geometrical pattern in blue, purple and green. Today, less was more.

Once he was on his way to the interview, Kurt felt as if the world was suddenly full of babies with their parents and pregnant women. Everywhere he looked, a sweet couple was pushing a stroller or a young mother kissed her little one's forehead. He hoped the universe was sending him a sign – he could do this. It was happening. He just needed to remain calm.

Kurt had been so anxious to get to the adoption center that he arrived way too early. He got off the subway and walked to the Starbucks down the block, deciding to kill some time with a mocha.

He was checking his phone as he waited for his turn in line when he heard the girl in front of him sighing, exasperated.

“Ugh, I'm sorry. It looks like I forgot my wallet, I…” She kept rummaging through her purse, and shifted to put it on the counter so she could get search more comfortably, and Kurt noticed she had a little baby bump. He smiled, unable to stop himself. “I'm sorry. I'll just…”

“Here,” he said, before he even knew what he was doing. He extended a few bills to the barista. “I'll pay for her order, and can you please add a non-fat mocha to that? Thank you.”

The girl turned to look at him in surprise. She was pretty, with glowing cocoa skin and big brown eyes. Her hair fell onto her back like a cascade and there was something very soft and kind in her face that made her look completely trustworthy at first glance. “Wow. Thank you… you really don't have to…”

“It's no problem,” Kurt replied with a smile. “No reason is a good reason to skip a good coffee break.”

“You're so sweet. Thank you so much. And it's chamomile tea,” she said, smiling back, as they moved together down the bar to get their drinks. “I haven't had caffeine in months, and it's killing me.”

“Oh god, I can't imagine,” Kurt said, scrunching his face. He didn't feel alive enough to start his day until he had his first cup of coffee in the morning. Having to deal with crazy brides all day usually required at least three or four more cups. It was a miracle he even managed to sleep at night.

“Yeah, sometimes I dream that I drink the whole coffee pot by myself,” she laughed. Her laughter was beautiful, like a dozen little bells tinkling all at the same time. “My doctor said to go easy on the tea, as well, but I think he got scared I would punch him in the face if he told me I couldn't have any…”

“Yeah, I definitely don't want to be the guy who has to tell people they can't have caffeine for a living,” Kurt said and she laughed again. He was about to ask her about the baby – he wanted to know everything about everyone's babies lately – but then their orders were called, so they retrieved them.

The girl gave him one last warm smile and squeezed his arm gently. “Thanks again. Sometimes a stranger's generosity is exactly what one needs to make your day, or even your week.” Her phone rang and she cursed under her breath, taking it out of her pocket. “Oh god, I have to take this. Thanks again, kind stranger! Have a lovely day!”

“You too!” Kurt called after her, as he watched her walk out of the coffee shop, already on her phone.

He looked at his phone as well, just to make sure he still had time, and chose a seat by the window so he could enjoy a few minutes in the afternoon sunshine. Kurt sipped his drink thoughtfully, mentally preparing all the answers to the possible questions the people at the adoption center might ask him.

When it was almost time, he left Starbucks and walked to the building where he had dropped his application only two months prior. It was one of the smaller buildings in the area, and the lobby was decorated with pictures of all the beautiful families they had helped create. He announced himself at the reception desk and then waited, walking slowly around to see every single picture – they were beautiful, heartwarming.

“Mr. Hummel?” A voice called behind him, and Kurt turned to find a woman in her forties, with her dark brown hair in a tight bun and a kind but serious look on her blue eyes. “I'm Karen White. We talked on the phone yesterday.”

“Yes, hi, how are you? It's very nice to meet you,” he said, hoping he didn't sound like an anxious kid. He shook her hand and gave her a polite smile.

“It's nice to meet you, too. I'm sorry if we kept you waiting, but we always make sure to have a nice, long conversation with the birthmothers before they meet the potential parents,” she explained, as she guided him towards the elevator. “The plan for today is actually very simple. We'll introduce you two, ask you some questions, and then, if she agrees, you can chat privately for a moment.”

“That sounds great,” Kurt said. His throat felt a little dry, and he kept wringing his hands together in anticipation. “To be honest, I'm just shocked and excited that I got a call so quickly. Even if nothing comes from this, and she decides to go for someone else… this helped me realize how real all of this is, and it made me want it even more.”

Karen smiled at him softly. “She seemed impressed with your application. So were we, of course.”

They got out of the elevator on the third floor and she showed him to a large conference room. Karen entered first and then closed the door behind them.

“Tanya, this is Kurt Hummel. Mr. Hummel, this is Tanya,” she introduced, standing behind the other woman's chair.

Kurt's eyes widened for a moment in surprise, and then settled on the now empty Starbucks cup on the table.

“Oh, it's you!” Tanya exclaimed, standing up. She smiled at Kurt and extended her hand to him.

“You two know each other?” Karen asked, her eyebrow arching curiously.

“Not really. He's the kind stranger who paid for my drink at Starbucks, after I forgot my wallet this morning,” Tanya explained. “Well, this is one hell of a coincidence. Unless you believe in fate, Mr. Hummel?”

“Sometimes I do,” Kurt replied, still quite stunned. “Oh, and it's Kurt, please. Just Kurt.”

“Alright, just Kurt,” Tanya winked at him. “Come on, sit by my side and let's talk for a while.”

Her warm personality and open nature immediately helped Kurt relax. He took a seat next to hers, while Karen sat on the other side of the table to face them.

“Mr. Hummel, if you don't mind… please tell us about yourself. We've read your application, but we'd like to get to know you better,” Karen said, going into business mode and leaning over the table to give him her undivided attention.

“Well, I'm thirty years old and I have a company of my own, Hummel Events. I mainly organize weddings, though I work on other type of events every now and then,” Kurt said. He didn't know what to say that they hadn't already read, but he really wanted to make a good impression. “I'm currently looking for a new apartment, a bigger one, with a bedroom I could turn into a nursery, but for now I live in a small apartment in SoHo. I'm originally from Ohio, and my family still lives there…”

“Are there any children in your family, Mr. Hummel?” Karen inquired.

“My brother – well, stepbrother –, Finn, has five year old twins. Those two and my dad are the main reasons I try to visit as often as I possibly can. And my best friend, Rachel, who lives here in New York, has a two year old girl, Lilah, so I spend a lot of time with her, too. She's practically my niece. We've known each other since we were kids.” For a moment, Kurt wondered if he should have agreed to Rachel's crazy plan and brought Lilah with him so they could see he was comfortable around babies.

“And how would you handle taking care of a baby at the same time you run your own company?” Karen was looking at him too intently, and though Kurt knew she was just doing her job, it was unnerving.

“Well, I was thinking about working from home as much as I possibly can the first six months or so, and delegating most of my tasks to my assistants. I have very trustworthy employees who can take over for me for a while,” Kurt explained in a calm voice that didn't reflect how he really felt. “Once both the baby and I are used to each other and we have a better handle on things, I would consider a nanny or a daycare, probably.”

Karen continued asking questions, most of them about Kurt's lifestyle and checking various details of his application. Kurt replied calmly, patiently and as specifically as possible. Both Tanya and Karen exchanged nods at several points, clearly pleased with what they were hearing.

They had been talking for at least an hour when Karen closed the file, and looked at Tanya, who nodded once more.

“Alright. I'm going to leave you two to talk. I'll be in the office next door if you need anything,” she said. She left the door ajar, the sound of her heels muffled by the carpeted floor.

Kurt turned in his seat to face Tanya, smiling at her brightly.

“So…” She said, clapping her hands together.

“So…” He murmured back. His eyes automatically shifted down to her baby bump. “I'm sorry, may I… may I ask you how far along you are?”

“Of course you may! Ask me whatever you want to know,” Tanya answered, giving his hand a quick squeeze. “And this is the fourth month.”

“And everything is going well? The baby's okay?” He asked as he bit his lip. He wanted to know everything.

“Yes. Every sonogram and test have come back all clear,” she explained patiently. “I even know the sex of the baby, if you… if you want to know…”

Kurt stared at her breathlessly. God, he did want to know, but a part of him had always dreamed of finding out the moment he had his baby in his arms. And another part of him was terrified that he got to know too much about this baby, only for this opportunity to be taken away from him.

“I think I'd rather not know,” he said politely.

“I understand.”

There was a little pause in which they just smiled at each other, and Kurt was about to ask her more, when she interrupted.

“I'm sure you want to know why I'm doing this,” she began, looking down at her lap.

“Oh. Oh, no, it's fine. I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything. Your story is your own, and it's none of my business,” Kurt said quickly, trying to reassure her.

“If you end up adopting my baby, then it is your business,” Tanya said seriously, but her eyes were still sweet and peaceful.

Kurt gulped at the sound of that. He didn't want to get too excited about something that wasn't a hundred percent certain, but… “Okay…” He agreed quietly.

She cleared her throat. “I'm a sophomore in college, majoring in biochemistry.”

“That's amazing,” Kurt said, impressed.

“Thank you,” she grinned proudly. “I'm there on a scholarship, to be honest. My family isn't very supportive of my career choices. They are extremely religious and think studying science is mocking our Lord's creation…” She rolled her eyes. “I'm a spiritual person myself, but I love science. I think it's fascinating.”

Kurt could really see how much she loved what she did, so he smiled back at her and waited for the rest of the story.

“Anyway… they told me that if I wanted to pursue this nonsense, I would have to pay my own way. I got the scholarship and a part time job near campus and never looked back. But I would like to make amends with them someday. And if they found out I'm pregnant…” She actually shuddered, as if even thinking about it was terrifying. “The truth is… I'm not even sure I want to have children one day. I've never been the maternal type. My family is very big and I have a bunch of nephews and nieces, and even though I love them to pieces, they drive me nuts. I can't imagine myself having kids or giving up my career for them…”

Kurt instinctively reached for her hand, sensing that this was a difficult thing for her to say.

“I made a mistake. My roommate took me to a party, I was upset after another argument with my father, and I just let go for once. I slept with a guy, and a few weeks later I found out I was pregnant,” Tanya shrugged, but her eyes were filled with tears. “I was very stupid, but now I'm trying to do the right thing and find this baby the best family I can…”

“Oh Tanya,” he said with a sad smile. “Everyone makes mistakes…”

“I know. But I don't want them to define my life. And if I don't get this right, I'll never forgive myself. And if my parents find out, my family won't ever forgive me,” Tanya murmured miserably.

Kurt felt so badly for her. “I can tell you're an amazing person, and I've only known you for a little over an hour. If your family can't appreciate that, then they don't know what they are missing. And whoever gets to adopt your baby, even if it's not me, will be so incredibly lucky… and I'm sure they will give your baby all the love it deserves.”

Tanya's smile, though watery, was blindingly beautiful. “I like you, Kurt Hummel. I think you're a wonderful man, and you're going to be a fantastic father…”

Kurt choked a bit at her words, touched. “You don't even know me…”

“You don't know me either, and you have shown me a lot more kindness than anyone else in my life in the past four months,” she patted his knee. “I know enough.”

Kurt's heart fluttered in his chest, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions. He was sure Tanya still had a lot of people to interview before she made the final decision.

Karen came back a few minutes later, and the meeting was over. She thanked Kurt for her time and assured him they would get in touch if they had any news for him. But the parting hug Tanya enveloped him in filled him with hope.

*

After the meeting, Kurt's heart was light, and there was a slight spring in his step. He didn't know if this was the answer he had been looking for, if he would get the call he dreamed of, but he couldn't stop himself from feeling incredibly positive. Tanya had been such a sweetheart, and Karen had given him a very reassuring smile before he left.

Kurt knew that if this wasn't the opportunity that would help him become a father, he would fight even harder for the next one. Now he was a thousand percent sure that this was exactly what he wanted, what he needed in his life. He wasn't giving up.

This realization was what helped him through the following days. He was working on a very challenging wedding, and for once, the bride wasn't the one making his life hell. It was the groom.

Cooper Anderson was a charming, attractive bastard who thought he could get his way just smiling at Kurt. His future wife, Michelle, was a stunning French girl at least twelve years younger than him, who simply nodded at everything Kurt said while staring at her fiancé adoringly. There were times when Kurt wondered if she understood English at all – he had the feeling she had no idea what she was getting herself into.

“Kurt Hummel!” Cooper exclaimed rather exaggeratedly, as he stepped into the restaurant they were meeting at. He removed his sunglasses and smiled, dazzling every single person in the room with his pearly white teeth.

Kurt rolled his eyes, but stood to greet him, extending his hand. “Mr. Anderson. It's nice to see you again.”

“Oh please,” Cooper said, dragging him into a hug. “Drop the formalities. We're friends!”

They were most definitely not friends. Kurt had his own share of self-centered friends. His quota was filled. But Cooper was a client. He wanted him to be happy enough to keep signing his checks. “Of course, Cooper. Why don't you take a seat?”

Cooper dropped onto the chair opposite Kurt's quite unceremoniously. “Man, I love this place. You need to try their crepes. They are mouth-watering.”

“I'm sure they are,” Kurt conceded in a monotone. Cooper was like a kid with a short attention span. Kurt had been dealing with him for a while now. “Now, why don't we…”

But before he could get down to business, the waitress stopped at their table, gazing adoringly at Cooper like a deer caught in the headlights. Kurt was used to seeing that look in women's (and men's) eyes whenever they saw Cooper for the first time. He had to admit his client was ridiculously attractive, but would never admit that he had had a very similar reaction upon their first meeting.

“Hi, my name is Andrea and I will be your waitress today,” she announced breathlessly. “Have you decided what you would like to order?”

Cooper grinned up at her. “We'll get the crepes, please. And two cups of your best coffee.”

“I'll just have coffee, please,” Kurt interceded.

But she didn't even seem to notice there was anyone else at the table besides Cooper. “Crepes. Of course.”

Kurt sighed in exasperation and waited until Andrea walked away and Cooper's attention went back to him. “So how is Michelle doing?”

“Oh, she's great, she's great,” Cooper said distractedly. “She was going to another dress fitting today. I have the last appointment for my suit this afternoon, and hopefully I'll finally get my brother to come with me and try his on…”

“This brother of yours is quite elusive. Is he going to make it to the rehearsal dinner? I want to make sure he knows what he has to do,” Kurt said, arching an eyebrow.

“I'm sure he will,” Cooper assured him, but he didn't seem too worried about it.

After that, Cooper went on a tangent while they waited for their food to arrive, as he usually did. Kurt had never met someone so eager to talk about himself, and he was friends with Rachel Berry. This didn't mean Cooper was a bad person – he had a kind heart, deep down inside. He was just too busy admiring himself in the mirror to help others see that.

Kurt glanced down at his planner discretely. He had another meeting he needed to get to in less than two hours. Knowing Cooper, he was never going to make it on time if he couldn't get him to focus on the matter at hand.    

“So, Cooper…” he said, taking advantage of a pause when Cooper was busy shoving some crepes into his mouth. “Why did you ask to meet me today? Is there something wrong?”

“I changed my mind about the limo,” Cooper said, stunning blue eyes fixed on the ceiling thoughtfully. “I want a horse-drawn carriage to take us from the ceremony to the reception. And then from the reception to our hotel.”

Kurt's temples throbbed in anticipation of a headache. It seemed to happen very often during his meetings with Cooper Anderson.

“Cooper…” he said slowly and as patiently as he could, as if talking to a kid. “You can't keep making changes to the wedding all the time. The limo has been scheduled and paid for already. The wedding is in two weeks. There is no time to make any more changes.”

Cooper pouted. It should have been pathetic in a forty year old man, but the bastard managed to pull it off. Unfortunately for him, Kurt was used to being a cold hearted bitch when it came to pouty customers.

“I'm begging you. Stop making changes,” Kurt said, leaning over the table. “I already had to change all the flower arrangements last week. My vendor was so unhappy and annoyed that he threatened to never work with me again. Please.”

“Just this one thing?” Cooper pleaded. “I want Michelle to have a fairy tale wedding. It's only fair, since she's marrying a Disney prince…”

“Oh my god,” Kurt had to hold back to urge to bang his head against the table. He would have promised Cooper a dragon that would carry him to the altar if it got him to stop talking. “Fine. I'll see what I can do. But no promises. Just please stop changing your mind every two minutes.”

Cooper smiled, pleased, and leaned back in his seat. “That's perfect. Thank you so much. I knew you would say yes. You're going to make our day so incredibly magical. That's why you're the best in this town.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” Kurt deadpanned. “But sticking to our plan will. So just stop letting your imagination run wild, please. This is the last concession I'm willing to make.”

Cooper smiled so broadly it almost blinded him. “I'll be very good. I promise.”

*

“I changed my mind about the song for our first dance,” Cooper said four days later.

Kurt groaned in frustration and considered pushing Cooper under a bus. “Cooper.”

“Sway is overrated. I want Eye of the Tiger instead.”

Kurt was now thinking of places where he could hide the body. “Are you kidding me?”

“I think it'll give the wedding a very unique touch.”

The idea of chopping him into little pieces started to sound very appealing. “No. Cooper, listen to me right now. Read my lips if you're actually deaf, which you probably are considering what you are asking me: no.”

There it was, another one of Cooper's patented pouts. “Kurt, come on…”

“No. You promised. I got you that damn horse-drawn carriage, and you said that was the last thing. There is no time to make more changes…” Kurt rubbed at his temples tiredly. “And I'm definitely not making a change in order to make Eye of the Tiger the song for your first dance with your wife.”

“Why not?” Cooper asked, scandalized. “It's a great song!”

“Because Michelle will probably divorce you the following morning if you do that. How do you even come up with this stuff?” Kurt exclaimed, looking at him in bewilderment.

Cooper deflated. “Ugh, you're no fun. Okay.”

Kurt sighed in relief. “Thank you. Now why don't you…”

“But then I want to sing a song,” Cooper continued, in that thoughtful voice that made Kurt slightly nauseous. It usually meant he would have extra hours of work ahead in order to pull off whatever it was Cooper wanted now. “I'm sure you know I'm a fantastic singer. I've sent you the bootleg of my show, haven't I?”

“Yes. You told me Broadway was dead before you, and that you brought it back,” Kurt said with a groan. God, where had this man even come from?

“Exactly! I have a fantastic voice, don't I? Michelle will love it. Just one song, Kurt, come on. I want to sing at my wedding. All the attention should be on me, right? Since it's my wedding?”

Kurt watched him, wishing he could still be amused every time Cooper opened his mouth. Those days were gone. He had stopped being amused by him long ago. Now he was one step away from calling Michelle and telling her that she still had time to call off the wedding and escape from marrying this lunatic.

His phone rang before he had the chance to tell Cooper that the groom usually wanted the attention to be on the bride, with her beautiful white dress.

“I need to take this call,” he said, glad to have an excuse to step aside for a moment. He exited the office and walked down the hall in search of some peace as he accepted it. “Hello?”

“Mr. Hummel?” A female voice said. “Hi. This is Karen White, from the adoption center.”

Kurt's stomach immediately churned in anxiety. Had she called to let him know Tanya had chosen someone else? He braced himself for the worst. “Hi, how are you?”

“Good, thank you. I actually have news for you,” Karen announced, and the two seconds it took her to continue talking seemed to drag on eternally as Kurt practically had a heart attack as he waited. “Tanya was very happy and impressed, both with your application and your interview. She was adamant that she didn't need to meet anyone else. We asked her to give it some more thought to be sure, but she insists you're the perfect candidate.”

Kurt's breath stuttered out of him and he had to lean against the wall in order not to fall to the floor.

“So, congratulations. We were hoping you could stop by sometime this week so we can sign some papers and go through some legal formalities?”

It took Kurt a moment to answer, and once he did, it seemed like the words tumbled out of him in a mess. He was so excited and stunned at the same time that he wasn't even sure he was making sense, but he still managed to agree on a day and time to meet with the agency and Tanya to go over the details.

He stumbled back into his office once he hung up, having completely forgotten Cooper was still there. Cooper looked at him with slight concern tainting his beautiful face, as Kurt dropped onto his chair with a lack of elegance very uncharacteristic in him.

“Are you okay?” Cooper asked, frowning.

“You can sing whatever the hell you want,” Kurt muttered, dazed. He didn't give a damn about Cooper's wedding right now.

He was going to be a dad.

*