Marie Grayson was very much what you would call a “housewife”. In a world of perfect suburbia she was queen.
Perfect husband.
Perfect children.
Perfect house.
Perfect life.
When she’d been in high school she’d never dreamed of having a career, she never really excelled academically besides, what was the point? If you could marry a successful man then you’d be set for life, all your responsibility limited to one house, giving the kids baths, feeding the cat and whipping a duster round maybe.
So she waited, she graduated well enough, she got a part time job as a waitress, she met a man who was respectable and had great prospects, they dated for a little while and then just like all the pieces falling together they got married.
Eight years later they had a beautiful house, three sons and a cat called Amos.
She kept that house immaculate, her children in line and her husband interested. She’d won in life right?
Nothing eventful ever happened and she didn’t want it to. She liked the peace and quiet of suburbia. But then the fateful day came along that summer, and everything changed.
*
It was a Tuesday, a perfectly ordinary one. Like the Monday before it, she kissed her husband goodbye, packed up her three boy’s’ lunches and saw them off to school. There was nothing to do in the garden so she went round to next doors and had a cup of tea in her garden. They talked about the nice weather, the sales that would be starting next week and boasted about how well their offspring were doing in school.
She left at around three o’clock and headed back to her own house, everyone would be home soon which meant homework chaos, work stress and dinner needing to be made, she had plans for lasagne in her head but they quickly vanished when something across the street caught her eye.
The house had been empty for almost three months since poor Mrs Turner had had her stroke and had to move to a residential home where they could keep a closer eye on her. Her son, Barnaby, had sold the house to pay for it and Marie knew how worried the poor man was that no one had taken it, however, it now seemed Mr Turners worries were at an end.
The “for sale” sign had a big label across the front reading “Sold” and there was a huge removal van parked in front of the drive. Neither of these thing were what she’d noticed however. The thing that made her stare was the amount of people walking in and out of that van and the house.
They looked quite young, younger than her anyway, maybe in their mid to late twenties. But they had the energy of school kids, passing boxes and pieces of furniture between them like they did it every day. Laughing and talking and creating a pleasant buzz of excitement. It was far removed from the quiet tranquil of the cul-de-sac she was used to.
“Finn, No! Don't take that one! It has the good china in it!” She heard a high pitched voice shriek followed by a collective laugh from the other people milling around. “Here take this instead”
She searched for the source of the voice, two men were standing on the edge of the van, one of them, incredibly tall and lanky with dark brown hair and a goofy grin was carefully handing a cardboard box to a slighter man wearing a very stylish looking shirt and dark skinny jeans. He was shaking his head at the tall boy and took the box with a haughty smile.
Not wanting to be caught staring she hurried up her drive and disappeared into her own house. But the thought of her new neighbours had stirred her curiosity and she found herself musing on them for the rest of the night.
When she sat propped up against the pillows in bed that night next to her husband, apparently fascinated by an article in the evening paper, she decided she might broach the subject with him.
“Did you notice someone has taken the Turners house across the road darling?” She asked putting her own book on the side table.
“Hmm?” he didn’t look up.
“We have new neighbours” she persisted, flattening her pillow so she could lie down.
“Ah, that’s nice” he humoured her and smiled laying the paper to the side he pushed his own pillow down and lay next to her.
“Caused quite a… stir, on the street this afternoon” she added snuggling up to him
“Oh? You don't think we’ve landed a bunch of party rioters do you?” he teased kissing the top of her head. She laughed.
“I don't know, they can’t all be living there, there isn’t room. Probably just a few friends helping them move their stuff, whoever they are.”
He hummed in agreement.
“Maybe I’ll go round and say hi tomorrow, welcome them to the neighbourhood”
“That sounds lovely sweetie” he mumbled into her hair then turned over and clicked off his light, she leant forward and clicked off hers.
“Goodnight honey” she whispered
“Goodnight” he replied.
*
The next morning, true to her word, saw her making an apple pie in preparation to visit whoever had taken the house, glancing out the window she saw the van had gone along with the sign leaving a rather smart looking black car in the drive so they must have moved in she reasoned. The house itself was quiet, no curtains on the windows yet but she supposed they only arrived yesterday.
Michael kissed the back of her neck on the way out and ruffled the boy’s’ hair as they ate their breakfast.
“Are we having apple pie for desert tonight?!” asked her eldest, David, enthusiastically shovelling cereal into his mouth.
“No” she said calmly wiping milk off the table where her youngest, Peter, had splashed it. “And don’t talk with your mouth full”
“Oh” he said disheartened when he’d swallowed “who’s the pie for then?”
“We’ve got new neighbours” She smiled throwing the dishcloth back in the sink and handing them their lunches packed neatly in Tupperware boxes.
“Oh” David said again even less enthusiastically. Then suddenly he brightened “Do they have any kids?”
Her other son Harry looked up at this too. They hated the fact all their friends from school lived on the other side of the estate.
“I don’t know honey” she replied finally “But I don’t think so” she hadn’t seen any yesterday but them moving was stressful enough without kids running around, maybe they did and they were with a sitter or grandparents.
They didn’t ask any more questions after that but said their customary goodbyes as they went out of the door to school.
She spent the rest of the morning finishing the pie and then took extra time carefully arranging her hair and choosing an outfit she deemed as friendly and welcoming.
By one o’clock, her hair in ringlets and wearing a neat, pink, check pint dress and red cardigan she crossed over the road and knocked on the door.
She didn’t wait long before it was opened by the pale man from the previous day. He was taller than she remembered. Maybe the perspective was thrown off by the height of the gye he had been standing with. He was handsome too she thought, his pale skin and delicate features were smooth and flawless, his light hair coifed and his eyes were impossibly blue, she wondered vaguely if he wore contacts.
He was dressed less stylishly than the day before though, the dark jeans remained and she could see how tight they were now, they looked practically painted on. But far from the stylish shirt, he was wearing a baggy and slightly faded blue tee with the words “Dalton Lacrosse Team” written across the front in red, he was also bare foot, yet he still managed to look impeccably fashionable somehow.
“Hi” he smiled brightly as he opened the door.
“Hey” she shifted the pie, wrapped carefully in foil to one hand so she could extend the other “I'm Marie Grayson, I live in the house across the street”
He took her hand and shook it.
His skin was so soft!
“Oh right” he nodded “Kurt Hummel, pleasure to meet you”
Kurt was a nice name she thought, it suited him. Like Kurt Von Trapp, she could imagine him singing edelweiss in lederhosen somehow.
“I just wanted to say, Welcome to the neighbourhood. I'm the vice chairperson on the local community board so if you have any problems don’t hesitate to call by” She let his hand go and used it to steady the other as she held out the pie, “I hope you like apple pie because I baked you this” she finished with a flourish.
“Oh wow” he said taking it “That is so sweet of you!” he laughed warmly, it was high and musical, in fact his voice was quite high anyway, angelic she thought.
He held the door open and steeped to the side
“Have you got time for a slice now? I’ve got a pot of coffee on” he gestured with his free hand.
“Oh, that would be lovely, thank you” she stepped past him into the hall of the house. It was a little cluttered with un-packed boxes and bubble wrap.
“Please excuse the mess” he said leading the way past the staircase and though an arch at the end of the hallway “I'm usually an absolute clean freak but moving house is so hectic!” he laughed.
The house was in the same layout as her own she realised as they walked into a bright and airy kitchen. It seemed mostly up packed. Two plates were stacked in a rack on the side of the sink, presumably drying.
“Oh, no worries” she assured him, “I remember when we moved here it felt like it took years to unpack!”
He grinned at her and began un-wrapping the pie.
“Wow this looks amazing” He rummaged through a cupboard producing three white plates and three coffee cups edged with black and silver swirls, she wondered if they were part of the “good china” the tall boy had nearly dropped yesterday. Then he jogged back over to the stair case and called up.
“Blaine! Make yourself decent, we have company!”
There was a mumble from upstairs that she couldn’t make out but she took it to be one of assent because Kurt reappeared still smiling.
So there was another occupant, she wondered who it might be. Kurt wasn’t wearing a wedding ring so not a wife… a girlfriend maybe or even a fianc�. He was too sweet and good looking to be single surely…
He poured the coffee, setting it with a pot of sugar and a little jug of milk on a tray.
“Sorry, I'm being a terrible host!” he exclaimed “the sitting rooms through here” he led her around the corner, the sitting room was in more disarray than the kitchen, clearly they hadn’t found time to arrange their furniture properly, two couches and a coffee table were sat haphazardly in the middle of the room. The walls were bare but there were a few boxes marked “LIVINGROOM” in the corner, she assumed they must have pictures and ornaments in them.
Kurt put the tray down on the table and shifted one of the coaches around so it was in a more practical position to access the cups.
“You have lovely furniture” she commented sitting delicately on the newly positioned sofa. It was indeed very nice, a pale shade of blue and very soft to the touch.
“Thank you” he said genuinely, he looked like he was about to say more but just at that moment the door opened from the hallway and…
Oh that was a surprise…
A man walked through the door. Well, she thought, “Blaine” was a fairly ambiguous name…
Like Kurt he was very handsome but with darker skin and dark curly hair that fell unruly into his hazel coloured eyes and just over his neck. Unlike Kurt however he looked nothing but casual, in a pair of low slung jeans and a red polo shirt, his hair wild and curly and sticking up like he’d been running his hands through it.
A roommate it seemed, well she supposed they were young to be settling down with families…
“Hey there” the new man said now looking over to Kurt who positively beamed at him. It was nice to see good friends she thought. You didn’t see enough of it these days.
“Blaine!” he said “This is our new neighbour Marie, she lives across the street”
“Oh right” he walked over to her and held out a hand, she noticed his fingers were calloused and tough but she shook it as warmly as she could.
“Pleasure to meet you”
“Marie brought pie Blaine” Kurt added an eyebrow raised humorously, she could see why when the curly haired man’s eyes lit up
“Ooh! I like pie”
Kurt laughed his tinkling little laugh.
“I know you do. I’ll go cut you a piece now, try and stay your usual charming self for five minutes and take care of the coffee”
Blaine proffered a mock salute which made Marie giggle as well, he grinned and sat down beside her.
“Do you take milk or sugar?”
“Just milk thank you”
He poured a little into her cup
“Is that alright?”
“Yes, thank you” she took it and took a sip, it was pretty good.
“Usually Kurt has this fancy filter, but I have no idea what box he put it in because I can’t find it”
She laughed again
“This is just lovey, thank you Blaine” she sat the cup on its saucer again.
“So you live on this street huh?” he asked picking up his own cup, he drank it black.
“Yes, with my husband and my boys, they’ll be awfully disappointed though, they hoped a family might be moving in with kids for them to play with” she chuckled, she could have sworn a shadow passed over Blaine’s face for a moment but then was sure she’d imagined it because when she looked again he was nodding and smiling into his cup.
“Ah well, maybe in time” he said quietly. She nodded vaguely.
“So what do you do?” she asked sensing family might be a sensitive issue.
“Oh, at the moment I work for a small business called “Catalyse”, don’t even ask what we do because I'm not sure anybody knows” They both laughed. “But actually, I do a bit of writing on the side. I'm looking into getting published so… hey you never know huh?”
“Writing? Wow that must be very exciting for you, what sort of stuff do you write?”
“Ah just… drivel really” he waved a hand, his cheeks turning pink.
“It’s not just drivel!” Kurt walked back into the room carrying the three pieces of pie with three little desert forks. “He’s being disgustingly modest” he handed them both a plate and a fork.
Blaine dug straight in, such a typical boy she thought to herself, Kurt was more delicate using the fork properly but smiling with a good-natured shake of the head at his friend. Marie ate a piece of her own slice, it was actually pretty good, she held in a smug smile.
“Oh my gah” said Blaine though a mouthful of pie “this is amazing!”
“Would you believe his nick name at school was dapper-Dan? Have some decorum dear!”
Marie laughed as Blaine shot him a narrow eyed look.
“I am dapper!” he protested swallowing thickly “Just not when there’s pie involved”
“U-huh, okay sweetie”
Marie giggled at their banter not noticing the fond way Kurt brushed a crumb off Blaine’s upper lip.
“So you two went to school together?” she asked instead then took another mouthful of pie.
“Yeah, Dalton Academy in Westerville” confirmed Kurt gesturing at his t-shirt.
“Westerville?” asked Marie the name rang a bell but she couldn’t place it.
“It’s in Ohio” said Blaine
“Oh wow, so quite a journey from there to New York!”
“Couldn’t wait to get out of there” said Kurt kind of… darkly.
“Why’s that?” the pale boy looked at her uncomfortably for a moment slowly chewing as if to give himself tome to answer, then he shrugged.
“Bright lights of the Big City were calling to me I guess”
“Are you into writing like Blaine?” she put her empty plate on the coffee table next to Blaine’s.
“Oh god no” he said “I couldn’t sit still long enough!”
“Kurt went to NYADA” offered the other man.
“The drama college?” She asked impressed.
Kurt nodded.
“I'm trying to pick up a career on Broadway. I’ve only got into small things at the moment, you know, like chorus stuff, but you’ve got to work your way up I guess”
She nodded again. It was marvellous how big their dreams were. She could never remember dreaming like that, for fame or stardom or even success…
They talked comfortably for another half hour or so, till the coffee was gone and she had to start thinking about preparing something for Michael and the boys’ dinner. She had intended to pop to Wal-Mart after dropping off the pie, but she hadn’t expected such a warm welcome and pleasant conversation and now it was getting late.
“Well it was really lovely to meet you both” she said as they showed her to the door, such polite young men.
“You’ll have to come over for dinner sometime, we’d love to have you” she added walking out the door and doing her cardigan up, when she turned round to bid them a final farewell however she felt her face blanch.
They were leaning out the door. One of Blaine’s arms was resting on the wooden frame. The other was wrapped tightly around Kurt, his hand sitting clearly in the other man’s back-pocket. Kurt had his hand on Blaine’s shoulder. They were both smiling at her like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“We’d love that” said Kurt oblivious to her realisation. “And likewise, as soon as we get the house a little more set up, you and your husband are welcome over any time. We’ll have to set something up.”
She nodded, paying no attention to what he was saying, her face aghast.
“Are you feeling all right?” asked Blaine his brows suddenly knotting together, “You’ve gone awfully pale”
“I-I'm fine” she stammered “I have to go.” She turned and practically ran back to her house, not looking back to see the confused looks left on the two boys faces as they turned and walked back into their house together.
*
Marie wasn’t stupid or na�ve. She knew that there was a huge community of gays and lesbians and all the other variants that she didn’t even know the name of. She’d seen gay celebrities on TV and read about Elton John and his “life partner” adopting a baby together. But never had she ever actually met someone who was a homosexual.
At school it had been a joke, “Homo” was something boys shouted at each other when one of them refused a dare or got tackled badly in football practice.
It had never even been talked about in her house growing up.
And now there were two of them. Two, and not just two, two who were a couple, who had a house together and a whole other life they had talked about to openly and happily.
She felt confused.
Gay was bad wasn’t it? It was a joke. The bible said it was a sin…
But then she thought of Kurt’s smiling face as he welcomed her inside, she thought of Blaine and his hazel eyes lighting up at the mention of pie. How could they be bad? They were just people. Normal people who were moving into a house together and had boxes to unpack and silly, random things like coffee filters that had gotten lost in the move, they wore baggy shirts and made jokes and had “good china”…
*
On Thursdays Marie’s boys went to Cub Scouts in the community hall at the end of the street. Since the weather had been nice so far that summer she’d encouraged them to take their bikes rather than whine for a lift that only took a minute. So it was, that evening she sat in the living room, half an eye on the time waiting for them to come back. Michael had gone for a drink with some men for the office (as was also customary on Thursdays). He wouldn’t get back till around ten and it was only seven thirty.
So she took out her book and tried to read but still her thoughts kept drifting back to the house across the rod and the couple that lived there.
Around ten past eight she began to get anxious, the boys were never late home. She sat fidgeting on the verge of calling Glenda (the woman who ran the meetings) when suddenly the doorbell rang.
Upon opening it she found her three boys looking rather sheepish with none other than Blaine.
“Hey Marie” he said pleasantly. She stared at him.
Under one arm he supported what was clearly Harry’s blue bicycle. But it was crushed. The wheel bent sideways and the handlebars twisted the wrong way.
“I-I-erm, Hello” she stammered looking between him and the boys who looked at their feet avoiding her.
“I’m afraid one of your boy’s bikes took a bit of a turn on the way home” he patted the Harry on the shoulder gently. “Found them up the road trying to drag it so I gave them a lift, I hope you don’t mind. When they said you were their mom and all…” He trailed off.
“Harry that bike was almost new” she sighed to avoid answering him.
“Sorry Mom” he looked up completely shame faced. “We were racing down the hill and I didn’t break fast enough and the wall just… I'm Sorry”
“Hey, at least you didn’t get hurt right?” Blaine smiled, he glanced at her “It’s actually not too bad. I think…” He pulled it forward gesturing aimlessly at the wheel “Look’s worse than it is, the wheel’s a bit bent and the break pedal’s come unhinged. If you like I can ask Kurt to take a look at it for you? He’s great with stuff like that. His dad’s a mechanic a-”
“No” she said quickly not quite sure why she was being so abrupt when he had clearly gone out of his way to get them all home and was offering to fix the broken bike. Blaine looked taken a back.
“It’s not any trouble and we wouldn’t charge or anything, just a friendly favour for a neighbour right?” he smiled. She swallowed uneasily.
“Boys go inside.” she said a little more shrilly than she intended. They did, Harry looking incredibly deflated.
They stood there on the porch in an awkward silence for a moment.
“Don’t be too mad at them, boys will be boys right?” She felt a shiver of irritation run through her, what did he know about parenthood? What did he know about anything, it wasn't like he was ever going to be a father was it? Him and his… whatever… they couldn’t have kids and even if they did what sort of child is the product of gay fathers.
As soon as the thought formed in her mind she felt awful and wanted to run away slamming Blaine and Kurt out of her perfect life forever.
“Please don’t tell me how to raise my children Mr…” she realised she didn’t know his surname. He’d introduced himself so informally. She thought back to that conversation, flowing so readily and friendly that she’d never even thought to ask.
“Anderson…” he said slowly, his expression crest-fallen. “But, Blaine is fine… I'm sorry I didn’t mean any-”
“Thank you for bringing them home, but I'm sure my husband can take care of the bike” she cut in.
“Right…” he said “Well, I’ll be…” he gestured behind him with his thumb. He sighed lengthily “You’ve got three great lads there Mar- Mrs Grayson. You must be a terrific mom” he smiled, but it wasn't like the smiles from yesterday, it was sad and reserved and she wished instantly she could redo the last ten minutes, be warm and friendly and neighbourly, thank him and laugh with him like they had yesterday. She wished she could tell him that she didn’t care he was gay… but she couldn’t. She stood there tight lipped and watched as he propped the bike against her porch and put his hands in his pockets.
“See you around”
She went back inside, chastised Harry for being so careless. Even though, it hadn’t really been his fault, he hadn’t meant to do it, but the reasonable and caring way that Blaine had around them had irrationally irritated her.
It had been fatherly… more so than her own damn husband, who was always away and left her to do it all.
That was unfair she told herself. He worked hard for them… But he never made time for the kids. He’d never been to a soccer game or recital or a parents evening. He never went shopping with her for Christmas presents or birthday presents, he never helped them with their homework or tucked them into bed.
She knew with the certainty only a mother could have that Blaine would make a great dad. And that thought made her more confused than ever. How was it that in ten minutes her gay neighbour had shown more care towards her children than their own father had in eight years?
Michael came home a little late that night but she pretended not to care, snuggling up to him as usual.
“Harry ran into a wall on his bike today” she muttered as he pulled her close.
“Little scamp” he chortled quietly
“He bent the front wheel up pretty bad”
“Oh? Well that’s not so bad is it he must have had it a good three years.”
He’d had it barely six months. It had been a Christmas present… from them. Harry had been so excited about it too clamouring for his dad to teach him how to ride it.
Michael had promised to do so but then he got another promotion and a bigger work load and…
In the end David had taught him and Marie had forgotten, until that very moment.
She didn’t say anything though… Instead she turned to face him.
“Mm, do you think you could take a look at it this weekend?” she asked hopefully, “maybe the boys could help you? It would be great for them to get some bonding time with their dad.”
“I'm going to a conference in Maine baby-doll. I won’t be home till Tuesday”
“Oh” she said disheartened.
“Take it to a mechanic or something, they’ll do a better job than I could anyway” he yawned “or get him a new one, it’s just a bike honey, nothing to get worked up about.”
She nodded, tossed over and closed her eyes. Soon sleep would come and then waking and then life would go on, another day, another circle of cleaning and cooking and kids and that was fine because Marie’s life was perfect wasn’t it?
It wasn't difficult like Kurt and Blaine’s must be because she and Michael were better than that… they were normal and ordinary and they loved each other and they loved their boys.
She told herself this and pushed the bike into the recess of things she didn’t think about, like the last time her Husband had made love to her, or the increasing amount of time Michael spent away from home.
She did this because after all he was right… it was just a bike. But somewhere deep inside she felt as deflated as her son, because really she knew they had both totally missed the point.