"I don't know about this" Kurt sighed softly as he stopped Blaine on the steps outside Claire's school. As the first snowfall of the season fell over New York, Kurt and Blaine were about to walk into Parent's Day at Lincoln Elementary School.
"Don't know about what? You love seeing what Claire does at school" Blaine chuckled as he fixed Kurt's scarf around his neck. Their little girl was in the first grade and she was so excited to be able to show her Dad's everything she'd been doing at school. It was a lot of pretty pictures and books she'd learnt to read but it was all significant to their bubbly seven year old.
"I know but we're not like all these other parents. They're all well into their 30's and 40's and we're only 22"
"So?"
"And we're gay"
"Really?" Blaine laughed and rubbed his hands up and down Kurt's arms in comfort "I know what you're thinking and we're not setting Claire up for a lifetime of bullying. There will be people who won't agree but she'll be ok. This isn't Ohio ten years ago"
"I know but I still worry about her"
"I do too" he sighed and flattened out the collar on Kurt's jacket just to give his hands something to do. Blaine worried about Claire very single minute of the day. He worried about everything from her falling over in the playground to kids teasing her for having two Dads. The curly haired young man just wanted his daughter to live in a world without ignorance but there was no way that would happen. All he could do was protect her and raise her to respect others. Claire was a smart little girl, as long as she looked past the prejudice, she would be ok "We should head inside; she'll be waiting for us"
Blaine took Kurt's hand gently as they walked through the bustling halls of Lincoln Elementary toward Claire's classroom. A week long celebration at the school, it was the first graders day to have their parents see all the work they'd been doing over the year. Each grade had a different day so parents of multiple children got to dedicate a whole day to one child.
They found Room 4B simply by the steady stream of parents being pulled in by their six and seven year olds. As they reached the door, Claire bolted from her seat by the window and hugged them both tight.
"Come see my seat" she giggled as she took Blaine's hand and dragged them over to her desk. Sitting in a cluster of four desks, Claire's desk was right by the window and the board that was covered with some of the class' artworks. She had her name stuck to her desk and a bright pink flower painted next to it.
The whole room was an explosion of colour. With artworks and special awards all over the room, the teacher wanted the kids to show off all their hard work. Claire's teacher Mr Sutherland asked all the kids to take their seats as the last of the parents arrived. Drifting to the edges of the room, all the parents listened to him as well.
"Welcome parents, it's amazing to see so many of you here. I know all the kids are so excited for you to be here" Mr Sutherland began with a smile "I will let them show you around the classroom in just a minute, I wanted to first ask two students to join me up here. Claire and Brody could you come up here for a minute?"
Kurt and Blaine looked at each other curiously as Claire got up from her seat and skipped up to the front of the room. A little blonde boy no taller than Claire made his way up to the teacher's desk as well with a smile just as bright as Claire's. They both knew what was going on even if the parents didn't.
"Last week I asked the kids to think about what made their families so special. They could draw a picture; write a story or a poem, anything, I just wanted them to express how they felt about their families" Mr Sutherland chuckled as he handed a piece of paper to Claire and another to Brody "Everyone did a great job and came up with some beautiful artworks and stories as you can see around the room. I wanted Claire and Brody in particular to share their creations. Brody, do you want to step forward and show everyone your picture?"
The young boy nodded and turned his picture around revealing a colourful drawing of about 12 people all standing in a row holding hands. Standing in front of a crayon drawn house, each person was different in size, colour and features.
"What makes your family special Brody?"
"My family is special because there's always someone there to help me with my homework" he giggled and pointed to a lady he had drawn "And my Mommy makes the best cupcakes ever. She's the best Mom because she always makes me feel better when I'm sad. My brothers and sisters can be annoying but I love them"
"Thank you Brody" Mr Sutherland smiled as the blonde boy skipped back to his seat and hugged his Mom quickly before sitting down. Kneeling down to his level, she whispered something in his ear that made him giggle softly. "Now Claire was one of the only kids that wrote a story about her family but she wrote it like a fairytale. Would you like to read it out for everyone?"
Claire stepped forward and took a deep breath before looking up at Kurt and Blaine who were holding each other's hands tight "Once upon a time there lived a little Princess named Claire and she lived in the castle with her two Dads the Kings"
Blaine smiled proudly as he remembered a similar fairytale he had told Claire when she was younger. Using her as the Princess and he and Kurt as the kings, it was the easiest way he could think of to explain that she had gay fathers.
"They live near the park with Tanna in the castle next door. King Papa sings and dances on stage and King Daddy draws houses. They are a special family because there isn't any other family just like them. Princess Claire wouldn't change them for anything. The End"
Claire finished her story with a bright smile and turned her paper around to show everyone the castle she'd drawn under her story. Clapping loudly as Claire made her way back to her seat, both Blaine and Kurt couldn't be more proud of their daughter. Everything they had worried about went right out the window with her story assuring them that Claire was a strong girl who embraced her family's difference.
"Thank you Claire" Mr Sutherland smiled "Kids, you can show your parents all your art work and special projects you've all been working on. Parents, there is tea and coffee by the door, help yourselves"
"Did you like my story?" Claire smiled up at her Dads. Kurt was trying so hard not to cry he was that happy so it was Blaine that knelt down.
"It was beautiful baby girl. We're so proud of you" Blaine pulled Claire into a warm hug and kissed her forehead softly "You amaze me sometimes, you know that?"

XXXXX

Blaine sat on the window sill as he watched Kurt and Claire make a photo frame out of cardboard and glitter to take home at the end of the day. Every child was making a special frame as a reminder of their first grade Parent's Day. Just like at home, it didn't take long for Claire to be covered from head to toe in glitter. She was definitely Kurt's daughter when it came to anything and everything sparkly.
Mr Sutherland stopped by Claire's desk as he slowly walked around the room and complimented her on her design. Standing back to watch his class and their parents work, he leant on the window sill beside Blaine.
"Please don't take offence to this but does Claire stop talking, ever?" the young teacher laughed. In only his second teaching job out of college, he wasn't used to be older than his students' parents but it was refreshing to have people around his age in the room.
"Only when she's asleep or when she's concentrating so hard that holding out her tongue hinders the ability to talk" Blaine chuckled. A bright and bubbly little girl, Claire really didn't stop talking and hadn't since she learnt to speak. "Sorry she's a chatterbox"
"No it's fine; she's a pleasure to teach. She asks a lot of questions which is good; she wants to know everything about everything. It's refreshing to see a kid with such an inquisitive mind"
"I'm glad she's doing so well. Her unusual upbringing hasn't affected her negatively, thankfully"
"Unusual upbringing? Gay parents isn't that strange, I've got another girl in this class with lesbian parents"
"That's not what I meant" Blaine chuckled "I was fifteen when Claire was born and about 4 years ago, Kurt was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. No kid should have to experience a loved one with cancer but Claire's strong, I'm so proud of her"
"You should be very proud. She's an amazing kid"