Blaine woke to the sound of his alarm early Monday morning feeling more rested than he had in a long time. He stretched luxuriously while thinking through his week. Well, maybe not exactly luxuriously. He was still sleeping on a freaking air mattress. The first item on his to do list, besides grocery shopping was to get some actual furniture. Feeling a sudden surge of energy and joyfulness he sprung out of bed and did a modified "wizard-of-oz" skip down the hall to the living room to find a pad and pen so he could start listing some of the things he would need to purchase. He chewed on the end of the pen thoughtfully after plopping down in Addy's purple beanbag chair, the one piece of furniture in the house, considering all the items he would need.

He was basically starting from scratch. He wrote the words "fresh start" at the top of the page in bubble letters and started to methodically list things by room. He supposed he should be mournful or at least looking back with some nostalgia as he thought of moving on but he just couldn't bring himself to feel that way. True, he had packed up Addy's things rather suddenly last week after the huge fight and simply left while his husband was at work, but the truth was that things had been over for a while. He just felt relief. On some level Blaine knew that Alex had only ever been a filler. He had dismissed the niggling feeling in the pit of his stomach as nerves when their wedding day had come and gone. Blaine had also convinced himself that the fact that they were so different, that they drove each other crazy, was a case of opposites attract. Only, weren't you supposed to lovingly roll your eyes, kiss your significant other anyway and live happily ever after when that was the case? He and Alex just fought, after which one or the other would end up sleeping on the couch. He was sure that they had loved each other in some way, at least in the beginning, but now he only felt glad that it was over. How could he feel differently after all that had been said and done?

Blaine's mouthed curved into a frown as all of the hurtful accusations flung from his husband's mouth over the last five years came back to him. More accusations of cheating than Blaine could even count, and while untrue they had eventually made Blaine wish he really was cheating, simply out of spite. He couldn't of though. It just wasn't who he was. There had been all sorts of ridiculous accusations such as "You're just jealous of my career" when Blaine questioned the long hours at the office and, of course, Alex's favorite go to, "You don't want me to be happy," whenever they disagreed on anything.

The biggest hurt, however, had been a quiet statement on Alex's part rather than an accusation. It had happened out of nowhere when Blaine had thought they were actually having one of their better days. Blaine had been happily chatting in his husband's direction about preschool for Addy and the research he had done that day. At first Alex had listened and nodded in all the right places as he typed on his laptop simultaneously. After receiving an alert on his phone, however, he stood and interrupted Blaine's monologue with a pat on the leg and a, "You know what, Honey? You just go ahead and pick whatever. I don't really care that much about this stuff and she's your daughter anyway." Alex hadn't actually intended to be hurtful for once. Ironically that was why it hurt the most. Sure, Blaine had been the one to really push for a child, knowing it was what he'd always wanted. He was also Adelaide's biological father in the surrogacy process since Alex had again, true to form, been rather indifferent. Blaine knew that the signs were all there and he should have known it was this way from the beginning. He had wanted that fairy tale happiness so badly though, that all doubts had been dismissed or pushed aside. Blaine had nodded silently and forced a smile as Alex walked away, already on the phone with a business partner. As reality finally came crashing in at that moment, Blaine knew deep down that it was over. He didn't want a life like this. He didn't want Addy to have a life like this... so when things had escalated in the big fight a week later, Blaine decided enough was enough. He had left and taken his daughter with him.

His reverie was interrupted as a tiny warm body clad in frilly princess pajamas leaped into his lap, knocking him backwards in the beanbag chair.

"Well good morning, darling! You're obviously feeling better." Blaine smiled at his daughter happily as he gently tugged on a curly pigtail.

"Yup. The doctor made me all better! My tummy is hungry for poptarts," she stated with a hopeful look. Poptarts were technically a weekend food, but she was obviously hoping to play on her father's emotions. Even at her young age she had quickly caught on to the fact that her father was willing to give her anything she desired when she was sick.

"Your tummy is in luck then, princess. Normally you don't get those during the week, as you well know, but seeing as they are basically the only food in the house..." Blaine swung her high in the air as he stood up, eliciting high pitched giggles.

Forty minutes later he was waiting at the door dressed in scrubs with his own black backpack on one shoulder and Addy's bedazzled backpack hanging from his fingers. "Adelaide Joy! Hurry up! It's almost six-thirty and I still need to take you to your new daycare and get to work by seven."

"Where am I going today, Daddy?" Addy trailed her father out of the door waddling somewhat awkwardly in her crocs that were on the wrong feet.

"Um," Blaine pulled the hand written name and address from the side pocket of his backpack, "Hudmel's Daycare. The lady's name is Carole." He stooped to swap her shoes for correct feet and wipe the poptart crumbs from her face. He paused when he felt her skeptical gaze catch his own. He rolled his eyes at the look that was way too grown up for her small face. "I know, I think it's a weird name too, but Uncle Jeff says it's the best. Remember too that Elise will be there for you to play with." Addy's face brightened in a typical toddler mood change and she gripped her father's fingers tightly as they headed to the car. Both were intent on having a great first day.