It would have been just another normal day in February.

... Not that theres anything unusual about anyone moving into the neighbourhood anyway. People love it here. In fact Im not sure why any houses ever become unoccupied around here.

I digress.

It just so happened that on the day I choose to play hooky from university, Mr. Gorgeous of the Wild Curly Black Hair and Blindingly Brilliant Smile decided to interrupt what was otherwise a quiet Friday morning on the block.

He climbs out the drivers seat of a sleek, black Navigator and is making his way around to pop the back open when door of the cab on the moving truck behind him swings open and two children practically tumble out one after the other. The boy, clearly the younger of the two at four or five years old, sports jet black hair and a quietly excited expression as he looks up at their new house The second kid shrieks -- "Daddyyyyyyyy!!" -- as only a ten-year-old girl can, running to Mr. Gorgeous (married, probably. Sigh. The hot ones are always already taken) as soon as his head pops out from behind the SUV. Father picks up daughter with an equally exuberant "Tracyyyyyyyy!!" and settles her on a cocked hip as he calls out to his other child, ruffling a honey-coloured ponytail in the process.

How convenient that I just finished heating the pie I bought from Mara Clares the other day. Off to go meet my new next-door neighbours, I guess.

*******

Blaine Hummel-Anderson, I learn over the next few days, is an actor and musician. (I am proud to say I maintained a dignified level of calmness when he let slip that he is the Blaine Anderson, composer of my new favourite musical "St. Elmos Fire". I saw it at the Longacre just a couple of weeks ago. I did not flail and squeal at him, thank you very much.) Father to just the two kids Tracy and Andrew, moving to Nassau after an incident at Andrews old school (and at this point he grew quiet for a moment or two) forced the family to relocate. Partner currently out of the country on business but would be back the next night, and I swear Mr. Ander -- Blaine -- positively lit up as he said this.

He excuses himself to get ready for Tracy coming home from school because he needs to set up a party for her and her new friends, and would I maybe like to come over and join them (all of them, apparently, not just the girls) on the lawn for tea and home-baked cookies and crumpets?

I am excited to meet this partner of his. Whoever they are, they are damn lucky to be married to this man.

*******

Turns out I would be seeing the other Mr. Hummel-Anderson before I would actually get to meet him.

A man who is definitely not Blaine comes bursting out the back door and into the yard-slash-pool-area in his pajamas, yelling "These are SILK, Blaine!!" and diving behind one of the lawn chairs as a similarly dressed Blaine charges out, armed with a neon-coloured water blaster.

Kurt -- thats the husband, oh man, I own every brooch in his collection -- lets out another shriek as Blaine circles around and takes aim, hitting Kurt square in the chest. Face twisting between outrage and shock, Kurt chases a laughing Blaine until they get close enough for Kurt to shove him into the pool with an almighty splash.

Blaine comes up, coughing for air, and Kurt is too busy laughing at his drowned puppy look to see that both of their children have stepped out to see what has their parents making such a ruckus so early in the morning and have snuck up behind him.

Kurt barely gets a warning of a loud "Good morning, papa!" before he is unwillingly following his husband into the water.

*******

Its Saturday, and its... incredibly quiet next door.

Ive gotten so used to my days being filled with the liveliness of the Hummel-Andersons over the past couple of months that it feels like somethings incredibly off without their laughter filling the peaceful mornings. Puzzled, I decide to bring over a few brownies (you have an oven, right, Kurt? You wont mind if these come straight from the fridge?), and while assembling them into a Tupperware, I catch a glimpse of them through my kitchen window.

Blaine and Kurt are cuddled together on a large float in the middle of the pool, clearly enjoying the first rays of spring with an outdoor nap. The kids are nowhere to be seen -- maybe off at a sleepover, giving their dads some much needed time to just be with each other?

The sight makes me smile. The brownies can wait.