One

You know those moments when the past rears its ugly head? This was one of those. I looked at the horribly familiar image in front of me. The sleek metal of the gun that was pointed at me glinted slightly under the lights. As before I was not alone, this time, however, it was not strong arms holding me up but a quivering little body that clung to me as I shielded them behind me.

*

“Keys, keys, keys,” my husband shouted as he hopped on one foot, yanking his shoe on. I leant casually against the doorway to our kitchen and watched him. Once he had both shoes on he stood up straight and glared at me.

“Blaine, your keys are in the bowl, where they have been kept since we moved in six years ago,” I answer laughing as I moved towards him. Blaine grabbed the keys with a sigh, he slipped on his coat and wound his scarf around his neck. I grabbed the ends and pulled him towards me, kissing him softly on the lips.

“You have plenty of time to get to class Mr Anderson,” I told him.

“I need to be there before my students Kurt,” he answered but he still wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me again. I sighed happily, winding my arms around his neck. “I really have to go,” he mumbled against me, making no move to let go.

“I know,” I sighed holding him tighter.

“Daddy,” a little voice said, I looked down to see a blonde girl staring up at me with my own blue eyes. Her bottom lip was stuck out almost comically. I smiled at her.

Blaine pulled away from me to reach down and scoop up the little angel into his arms, he cuddled her and gave her an eskimo kiss before passing her too me. I set her on her feet quickly because she was getting heavy. Blaine laughed, pressed a kiss to my cheek and was gone. I sighed and looked at my daughter.

“You need to get ready for school as well,” I told her. She pouted at me again but turned to head to her room.

After dropping Annie off I went to my office to work, I was now assistant editor of a new fashion magazine, which rivalled the old magazine I worked for. The day passed uneventfully and I was soon leaving to pick Annie up and take her home.

I enjoyed the school run, I loved to lean on the chain-link fence and watch the streams of children leave the building, looking for my one. Annie would always come bounding up to me and fling herself into my arms before launching into a detailed account of her day. I listened carefully and added my own comments when needed, which wasn’t all that often.

We reached our home and I took her coat, leaving her to pull off her shoes and stash the in the correct place. I turned back to find her biting her lip and playing with the hem of her shirt, a sure sign something was on her mind.

“What’s up sweetie?” I asked. She frowned slightly and didn’t answer. I sighed and crouched down in front of her placing my hands on her sides. “You know you can tell me anything don’t you darling?” she nodded softly then began to speak.

“There was this new girl in class, she started the other weak and she said I was weird ‘cause I had two daddies and that I had to have a mother somewhere and that she mustn’t have liked me or I’d know her.” She said it all incredibly fast and it took me a second to catch-up. I wanted to have a serious talk with that girl’s parents. I frowned slightly and looked up at Annie who had tears in her eyes. I was so not ready for this conversation and I desperately wished Blaine was with me but he wasn’t and this couldn’t wait.

“Sweetie, it’s not weird to have two Dads, maybe it’s less common but it’s not weird or bad or anything like that. You Dad and I love each other lots and we love you lots. When we decided we wanted you we had to make you grow but men can’t do that so we needed a woman. We met this lovely woman who agreed to grow you for us.”

“How did she grow me and how did you make me?” Annie asked. I groaned internally.

“Ask you Father,” I told her, I didn’t see why I had to do all the awkward conversations. “Now, how about a snack?” I said hoping to distract her. It worked because she was in the kitchen before I could straighten up.

I poured her a glass of milk and placed two biscuits on a plate as a treat. She stood beside me clinging to the handle of a drawer and standing on tiptoes to see over the counter. I smiled down at her as she made grabby hands for the food and drink.

Our moment of domesticity was swiftly broken by a cough. I whirled round so fast I didn’t realise I’d done it. I’d also stepped in front of Annie, leaving her trapped between my legs and the work tops. I could feel her clinging to me and I knew she was poking her little blonde head out but I was too shocked to do anything.

Before me stood a man I’d never thought I’d see again, a man that haunted my nightmares, a man who eight years ago had nearly taken my life. I assumed the fact that he had a gun pointed at me probably meant he was planning on finishing the job.