Work Text:
May 2020
Piper opens the door to her daddies’ room, peering her head around the door frame. She woke up early, knowing that today is the day they get to bring her little sister home. After Daddy and Papa wake up and they all eat breakfast, they will head to the hospital where Ashley is staying with Audrey. Her daddies woke her up in the middle of the night to tell her that her baby sister was born, but they couldn’t bring her home yet. But today they will, and then she will have her own baby sister all the time.
Her daddies were still asleep after the late night. Daddy is lying on his back, one hand on the pillow over his head, the other lying on Papa’s back. Papa’s head with his sleepy curls is on Daddy’s shoulder, face tucked into his neck. Piper closes the door behind her and toddles over to the bed. Using Papa’s leg to pull herself up, she crawls onto the bed and tries to burrow her way between them before they wake. She wants one more cuddle, one more sleep with her daddies before the baby comes home.
Just as her head ducks under Papa’s arm, Piper feels another hand come to smooth her hair. “Pip?” a sleepy voice asks. “Why are you awake?” She looks up and meets Daddy’s blue eyes.
“Because, Daddy, the sun woke me, and it was really hot in my room. And I wanted to see if you were awake.” Her daddy strokes her hair as she lays her head down on his chest. Bracketed between her daddies, she starts to get sleepy again. Piper closes her eyes as Daddy brushes her hair and down her shoulders. She can feel her Papa waking behind her, his arm tightening across her back.
“Kurt? Piper? What time is it?” Papa yawns and blinks his eyes. He tries to sit up but loses his balance and falls down on the other two, face smashed into Daddy’s shoulder.
“It’s after 10. We should get up soon and shower before heading to the hospital.” Piper can feel her daddy stretch; his chest and stomach bounce her as his back bends. “The doctors said Ashley needs to stay one more day, but Audrey should be ready to come home around 2 this afternoon.” Papa’s arms come around Piper, rolling her away from Daddy onto his own chest and plants a kiss on her head. She tucks her hands under her head and looks up at Papa’s face. Behind her, they hear, “I’m going to hop in the shower first. Blaine, can you get Piper ready and some coffee started? We may need it.”
“Daddy, I can dress myself. I know what I want to wear when Audrey sees me for the first time.” Piper reaches up to play with Papa’s beard, laughing as he tickles her hand with his whiskers. “I’m gonna wear the purple dress Auntie Quinn got for me with my black boots and white sweater.”
“Okay, Pip, if that’s what you want to wear, you can. Blaine, you need to shave before we go to the hospital. You are not giving either of our daughters, or me, beard burn.” Piper watches as Daddy leans down to kiss her head, then kiss Papa’s lips. “Get up and get a move on.” He heads into the bathroom, humming as he goes.
“Well, little one, what are we going to do while Daddy showers?” Papa asks, swinging them both off the bed. He lifts her into his arms and heads out of the bedroom. “Clothes, food, or cartoons?” He stops just outside Piper’s room and looks to her.
“Food first, Papa. My tummy has been talking for hours.” Piper wraps one arm around his neck and rubs her stomach with the other. “It wants bagels and cream cheese. And coffee.”
Papa laughs as they walk to the kitchen. “Bagels and cream cheese, yes, but no coffee for you. We can find you some hot cocoa though. Daddy and Papa need the coffee more than you do. What task do you want to do?” He sets her down on the step stool they have for her.
“Cream cheese!” Piper exclaims, clapping her hands.
“Cream cheese it is. Why don’t I start the coffee and bagels while you run and change? When you’re done, the bagels should be toasted and cool enough for you to smear the cream cheese.” Papa starts filling the coffee pot with water as he talks. “Run along; the quicker we eat, the quicker we can go see Ashley and you can meet Audrey.” She jumps off the stool and races to her bedroom, skidding to a stop in front of her dresser.
Piper opens the drawers to grab her clothes, talking to herself as she goes. “Underwear, tights, tank top.” With those items in hand, she spins to her closet. “Dress, shoes, sweater.” She grabs her dress and sweater but drops everything on the floor when she bends to grab her shoes. Piper decides her closet is as good a place to change as the bathroom, so she quickly takes off her nightshirt and puts on her clean underthings. Dress goes on over her head, but she can’t quite reach the zip. No matter, Daddy or Papa can do that. She dances around for a bit, watching her dress twirl in the mirror, then sits on the bed to pull on her tights. After a few tries, she’s still struggling to reach her toes over the poofy skirt. A laugh comes from behind her.
“Trouble, baby girl?” Daddy asks as he approaches the bed. “Need a hand?”
“I wanted to do this myself before Papa finished the bagels so I could help, but I can’t zip my dress and I can’t get my tights on and we’re going to be late!” Piper throws her tights angrily on the ground. Daddy picks them back up.
“Piper, what do we do when we’re frustrated?” He waits while she just scowls at him, her arms folded on her chest. When she doesn’t answer, he answers for her. “We ask for help, not throw things around.” Daddy kneels in front of her. “Now, as pretty as Quinn’s dress is, let’s save it for our picture day? We’re going to be doing a lot of waiting around today, and I want you to be comfortable. What about the pretty sweater and skirt set Grandma and Pappy got you for your birthday?” He walks to the closet to get the ivory set. “I know you want to wear purple because that’s your favorite color, but it won’t be the most practical for today.” Daddy holds up the set for Piper to see.
“I guess, Daddy,” she pouts. “I just really wanted to look pretty for Audrey so she knows who her big sister is.” She stands up and lets the purple dress fall to the floor before reaching for the outfit her daddy is holding. Piper meets his eyes; he smiles encouragingly at her, and she lets the pout drift back to a smile, bends over to pick up the dress, and hangs it back in the closet. Daddy presses a kiss to her cheek as he hands her the outfit.
“Need any help?” She shakes her head and sits on the bed to finish getting dressed. Daddy turns and walks out of the room. She quickly puts on the sweater and skirt, puts her tights back in her drawer and grabs some socks instead. After she finishes putting on her socks and shoes, she leaves her room and closes the door to head back to the kitchen.
Piper finds her daddy leaning on the counter next to her step stool, coffee cup in hand and fully dressed now. “There’s my beautiful girl, ready to be a big sister. Ready to finish breakfast?” She nods, grabs the knife, and slathers cream cheese on the cooled bagels. Daddy stands and watches, sipping his coffee but ready to clean up any drips or edges. Just as she finishes the last piece, Papa walks back in, looking handsome as ever.
“Let’s get this show on the road!” Papa reaches over Piper’s head to grab a bagel, only to have his hand smacked by Daddy. Grinning, he asks, “What?”
“Do we have everything? Car seat, diaper bag, blankets, presents?” Piper looks between her daddies as they bustle around, packing up the bagels, filling travel mugs. “They may not let us bring her home if we aren’t ready.”
“Kurt,” Papa says, grabbing his hands to stop them. “Everything is by the door, where it has been since Sunday. Bag is packed, car seat ready, presents wrapped. Even if we forgot everything, Audrey is ours, and she is coming home with us today. The doctors have already said so. The nursery is done; the formula is ready. We are ready.” He leans forward to kiss Daddy slowly, calming him down. “Let’s go introduce Piper to her little sister.”
Daddy grabs the mugs from the counter, handing the smallest to Piper. Papa grabs the wrapped bagels to eat on their way. They all move to the front door, where Daddy picks up the brown and teal diaper bag, and Papa drops the bagels into the car seat and lifts the entire thing. Piper brings up the rear with the small gift bags. The family heads out the door a trio, ready to expand their family just a little bit more.
Late Summer 2019
This is their sixth visit to the RTI Fertility Clinic. Even though they know their donation is stored frozen and can easily be retrieved and used for the procedure, Kurt has it in his mind that fresh will take better. Last summer, Quinn had a number of eggs frozen for the fertilization process. She didn’t want to make multiple trips if it wasn’t necessary, but was still happy to uphold the promise she made back in high school. They were so grateful to her and glad both children would have the same biological mother, even though the biological fathers may be different.
Blaine pulls open the door and guides Kurt through with a hand on his back. Kurt’s face is steeled sharp, ready for a fight or battle. As they approach the receptionist, Blaine smoothes his hand down his husband’s back in an attempt to relax him. “Breathe, honey,” he whispers. “This is going to work out just the way we want it to.”
Kurt huffs a breath and tips his head towards Blaine. “This was so much easier with Piper. Why could we make a baby the first time with no effort but have so much trouble this time?”
“Blaine and Kurt Hummel-Anderson for Dr. Chein,” Blaine tells the receptionist before turning back to Kurt. “Remember -- it wasn’t easy the first time; it took four tries to get Piper to take. But we didn’t donate each time then, so it seemed like less pressure. We can do that here, too – let them freeze what we give.”
“No,” Kurt replies, shoulders sagging. “I want to be sure. We’re older; our… donation may not be as strong and may not survive the freezing process as well.”
Blaine chokes back a laugh as he and Kurt walk to a set of chairs. “Honey, it’s barely been five years, not 30 years. I think our little guys still have a lot of fight in them.” He rubs Kurt’s back as they sit down, trying to calm his husband’s nerves. “Do you want me to go in with you? I can offer a hand?” Blaine winks, making Kurt laugh.
“No, I can handle myself, thank you very much. I’ll go do mine, you go do yours. We’ll meet back here and go to dinner, like we planned.” Kurt plants a kiss on Blaine’s cheek as the nurse beckons him from the doorway. “I know that whatever happens is meant to be. And if this doesn’t work out, we can always go the adoption route. I just really want Piper to have a biological sibling. Now, let’s go make some babies.” He disappears with the nurse as Blaine sits back in his chair to wait his turn.
***
Blaine lounges on the couch with his iPad, skimming different entertainment news articles while Kurt dozes next to him, Vogue open on his lap. It’s a rare day this late in September -- warm outside without the muggy feeling that sometimes comes with a late heat wave. Neither have anywhere to go or any pressing work to be completed. It’s just a lazy Friday for both of them, able to just relax at home and take care of themselves for once. Piper’s off with Rachel for the afternoon -- some aunt/niece girl bonding, she said.
Blaine drops his iPad to his lap and lets his head rest against his husband’s -- with the sun coming in the windows and warming the apartment just slightly, his mind agrees with his body that it is naptime. His eyes fall shut as Kurt shuffles closer and wraps an arm around his waist. Blaine drapes an arm over Kurt’s shoulders in response and lets sleep drag him under. At least, that is the plan, until the phone on the kitchen table vibrates. Blaine opens one eye to stare at it.
“Leave it,” Kurt says, nuzzling into Blaine’s neck. “It can’t be that important.” Just as he says that, the phone vibrates again, shifting on the table more to indicate that it’s ringing. “Nope, sleeping now. No phones.” The vibrations stop; Blaine closes his eye again and cuddles to his warm husband.
Suddenly, his iPad rings with an incoming Facetime call. Kurt’s hand slams down on it to try and silence the ringing. Blaine shifts the iPad from his lap to see who is calling. “Honey, it’s Ashley. If she’s calling the iPad, then this could be good news.” He touches the answer button and positions it so she can see his face. “Ashley, how are you? What’s going on?” Kurt sits up to face the camera as well.
Ashley’s brown eyes are the first thing Blaine sees as she pulls her phone back from her face. “Took you long enough to answer. You ignoring your cell phones today?” She settles back with a grin to your face. “Nice to see both of you.”
“It’s our day off, Ashley -- the real world is ceasing to exist for the next few hours.” Kurt leans over to grab his cell off the coffee table. “Three calls? Really needed to talk to us, I see.” He looks at her through the camera. “This better be good.”
“Oh, it is. See, I haven’t been feeling well the last few days despite being hungry and eating everything in sight. So I peed on a stick, and then a second. And then went to the doctor this morning just to make sure.” She holds up a piece of paper, but neither can read it through the screen. “Piper is going to be a big sister!”
April 2020
Kurt props open the second bedroom door to allow air flow. The window in the room is already open, and the overhead fan is going, but they want to make sure the fumes have someplace to travel. They’ve only been in this house a few weeks, but they wanted to get Piper’s bedroom and the living room finished first before working on the nursery. The house smells pretty strongly of paint fumes, so Kurt hopes any extra drafts and breezes will help diffuse the air.
Blaine comes in carrying the gallons of paint with Piper following behind with two rollers. Kurt smiles as he takes in their daughter, wearing one of her daddy's shirts backwards and holding rollers about half her size. She has gotten over the jealousy and is now excited for "her baby" to come home; she has wanted to help get everything ready, so today they're letting her help paint.
Blaine opens the cans and dumps the lemon yellow paint into one paint pan and the mint green into another. They decided on two-tone walls to brighten up the room, and gender-neutral colors were always the way to go. Kurt had found a cute jungle themed bedding and table set that used a darker green and blue. Blaine had added - at Piper's request - the stuffed animal menagerie to the cart at the store to complete the design. Everything is to be delivered next weekend, so this is the time to finish the base coat on the walls.
“Daddy?” Piper asks, toddling towards Kurt. “Can I paint now?” She stares up at him with her bangs falling forward onto her face. Kurt brushes a hand over her head, trying to get her hair to stay back. If they don’t tie it up, she’ll have streaked hair far before her punk phase.
“In a minute, baby. Blaine, can you grab a hairband from the bathroom? We need to keep her hair out of the paint.” Kurt braids the loose strands back out of her face and ties it with the band his husband hands him. Spinning Piper around, he finishes buttoning the shirt behind her back and rolls up the sleeves so her hands will be free. “There’s my little artist. You are all ready. Why don’t you do the green parts? Everything below the blue line. Papa will paint the yellow up high first, and I’ll help you with the green.” He kisses the top of her head and helps her load her small roller, showing her how to roll it in the paint, then back and forth across the ridges to lock it in. Kurt guides Piper to the wall under the window and shows her how to roll it on the wall, one way and then the other to form an X pattern. As she gets the hang of it, Kurt grabs his own and loads it with paint.
Music drifts in from the living room as Blaine dances back into the room, singing to himself. He places a kiss to Piper’s head and one on Kurt’s lips before setting the ladder up on the opposite side of the room. Kurt shimmies along to the music as he paints the section next to Piper. She seems to be making progress on her wall, even if it’s a bit unevenly coated. He watches as she sways to the music, her brush strokes matching the tempo. Piper turns her head, and a smile lights her face as she spots her daddy watching her. Kurt smiles back and returns to his task. His mind wanders as he paints, picturing the dark cherry crib under the window with the matching changing table next to it, their bedding set in the crib with the little giraffe and elephant Piper had chosen up against the back. They have discussed moving the rocking chair from Piper’s room to here, or just purchasing a new one so both children have their own. There are boxes in the closet of Piper’s old clothes, as well as some new ones hung up from the showers both of their workplaces threw. Everyone has been giving them girl clothes, so if this one ends up a boy, he may be the most fashionable boy for a few weeks, Kurt thinks, chuckling to himself.
“What are you giggling about?” Blaine looks down from the ladder at Kurt. “I know there’s a lot of older music on this station, but we’ll get to the good stuff soon.”
Kurt smiles up at him. “It’s not the music. I was just thinking -- everyone has given us girl clothes for the baby, and we don’t even know the gender yet! I am all for gender neutrality, but we may need to make an emergency run after the baby is born if it’s a boy.”
Blaine smiles back. “Both Carole and Cooper have promised to give us the hand-me-downs from their boys. Cooper has given us boxes of items, and Carole has sent a few of the items she kept from Finn’s childhood. Your dad even threw in a few of your baby clothes. We can go through them together and see what we want to keep, boy or girl. There may even be things in there we want for Piper.” He dips his roller into the paint pan and goes back to painting.
Kurt thinks about it: a little boy (or girl) wearing Finn’s baby clothes -- little overalls, flannel shirts, puffy vests.There may even be a tiny suit or jacket in there. If Carole kept them, they would be in good shape even almost 30 years later. His mind drifts back to the week in high school where he dressed like his dad and Finn, and he blinks back tears as he imagines himself as a baby in those outfits. Finn would have been the one to take their son or daughter to the ball games, wrestle with them at the park (even though Blaine would, too), and buy them all the jerseys to wear during football season. His dad and Cooper and Sam will fill in, but it’s not the same without Finn.
“Papa? Is Daddy painting the floor now? I thought paint went on the walls.” Kurt looks up at his daughter, then down at the tarp under his feet. His roller had been resting on the ground while his mind was on his brother. He laughs and sets it in the paint pan before picking up Piper and hugging her.
“No, sweetheart, Daddy just got lost thinking about your new brother or sister and how many people are going to be here to love them.” Kurt glances up at his husband, eyes still a little watery. Blaine gently smiles; he knows where Kurt’s mind was. “But they won’t have a place to sleep if we don’t finish this room. So let’s get back to work!” One last squeeze to Piper, and the three return to their task. After all, a baby waits for no one.
April 2019
Blaine and Kurt stand in Piper’s doorway, mirrored images leaning against the doorjamb with arms crossed, watching their daughter play. The Disney princess dolls sit inside the car set as though they are racing around the room. Her stuffed animals are placed in lines as the audience members, and the Hulk is standing on her bed looking down on the proceedings.
“I think she’s watched Wreck-It-Ralph one too many times,” Blaine whispers. “Princesses as racers, audience around the racetrack, and is Hulk Ralph or King Candy?” He smirks as Kurt rolls his eyes.
“I blame you and Sam for this. Well, I blame you. I blame Sam for the Avengers characters in this scenario, but she got her fantasies and active imagination from you.” Kurt focuses back on Piper, sombering up a little. “How do you think she’ll react?”
“I think she will be okay. She plays pretty well with Cooper’s son, and she is kind and cooperative at day care according to her teachers. It’ll be a huge adjustment to have to share us, but Rachel has already offered to help out by letting Piper help care for Chris when he’s born. Your dad and Carole and my parents have all offered to come and stay for as long as they are needed before, during, and after.” Blaine reaches over and caresses the back of Kurt’s neck. “It’s not as though the baby will be here next week. Let’s introduce the subject to her, let her ponder and process it, then continue this conversation later. We know it’ll be, at bare minimum, nine months. We can find ‘Daddy and Me’ classes, see if they have any about introducing older siblings to younger. It’ll work out because she loves us and we love our family.”
Kurt blows out a harsh breath and tilts his head forward, encouraging Blaine to keep rubbing. Blaine laughs and cards his fingers through the hair at the base of his hairline. “Okay, let’s do this.” He moves into the room, Blaine trailing a step behind.
Piper looks up at them. “Daddy! Papa! Wanna play racing with me? Tiana’s winning, but Merida’s gonna catch her if Hulk breaks the road.” The two smile as Piper smashes the Hulk down in front of Princess Tiana’s car, causing a roadblock on her track. She then moves Princess Merida’s car over the Hulk’s prone body to take the lead in the race.
Kurt crouches down next to Piper. “Sweetie, can we pause the race for a moment? Papa and I have something we want to talk to you about.” She nods and scrambles into his arms. Kurt lifts her onto the bed and sits next to her; Blaine sits on the other side to bracket her between them. “Piper, you know how Aunt Rachel has a baby inside her and baby Chris will be born this summer? And remember how Chloe from daycare has a new baby sister?” Piper nods in agreement. “What if we were to have a new baby? Would you like a little baby brother or sister?”
“A baby? Like Aunt Rachel? I want Chris to sleep with me.” Piper whips her head between her dads, getting more and more excited.
“No, baby, Aunt Rachel and Chris are going to live with Uncle Rick, where they live right now. We’re talking about having our own baby. Your brother or sister wouldn’t be here until after your next birthday. We just wanted to let you know that you may have one.” Blaine runs his fingers through Piper’s hair. “And you wouldn’t have to share a room with them. They could have their own room and bed and toys.”
“Okie. I want a sister. Then she can play race with me. Princesses always win.” With that statement, Piper hops off the bed and sits back down next to her racers, ready to continue where she left off. Blaine and Kurt exchange looks -- hopefully when the baby becomes more of a reality, she’ll be as cooperative and easy-going.
January 2018
Kurt walks around the living room area, pulling streamers and signs off the walls and shoving them into the garbage bag. His dad and Carole are sitting on the couch with the birthday girl, enticing her with bites of cake and dancing her new stuffed elephant to make her laugh. Over his shoulder, he can hear Blaine whistling in the kitchen while doing dishes.. Kurt smiles to himself -- the party earlier was a great success with so many friends and family coming to visit. Cooper even attended, bringing his niece an indoor jungle gym set, to which Blaine and Kurt both rolled their eyes. They’ll send it back with Burt and Carole, as their house has the room for it, whereas Kurt and Blaine’s current apartment is bursting at the seams.
Kurt stops behind the couch as Piper’s eyes catch his. “Dada!” Her little hands reach toward him, opening and closing into little fists. He grabs one and presses a kiss to her knuckles, smiling at her giggles. Burt helps her stand on his lap so she can reach Kurt easier. Kurt drops the garbage bag and lifts his daughter into his arms, blowing raspberries on her cheeks as she nuzzles in.
“Did you have a good birthday, little one? You have so many new toys to play with, Pop and Grandma are going to have to take some home with them. Then we won’t have to lug as much back and forth to Ohio.” Kurt bounces Piper back and forth, listening to her babbling at his words. Her vocabulary is getting stronger every day, but she still hasn’t managed full conversational sentences. He hugs her a little tighter -- his baby girl is growing up. It hits him then how much he has enjoyed having a baby around. Maybe they should think about expanding their family again, giving Piper a little brother or sister to play with. Arms wrap around his waist, and he leans into Blaine’s chest, cradling Piper closer to them.
Blaine’s head ducks around Kurt’s shoulders to kiss both of their cheeks. “What are you thinking about? I can hear the wheels turning.”
“I was just thinking that our family isn’t complete with only three. I didn’t get a brother until Finn, you and Cooper are so far apart in age. I want Piper to grow up with a sibling. I want her to have something we didn’t have growing up.” Kurt tips his head sideways to look at his husband. “What do you think about having another one?” Piper squirms in his arms, so he lets her slide to the floor. She runs off to the DVD shelf and starts searching for the one she wants.
“Kurt, of course I would want another baby. Do you want to do surrogacy again? Quinn says she’s still up for donating.” Blaine tips his head against his husband’s. “Or do you want to adopt and try for one closer to Piper’s age?” They cuddle together as Carole goes over to help Piper find her current obsession and pop it in the DVD player.
“Is it selfish to say I want to do surrogacy again? There are a lot of kids out there who need a safe and loving home, and I wouldn’t mind doing that one day, but I want Piper to have at least one sibling who’s a partial genetic match, if not a whole.” Kurt turns his head into Blaine’s neck, hiding his face. “I want our kids to be linked genetically. I want them to look like each other and like us. I want them to be able to help each other if.. if they need to.” Kurt then turns in Blaine’s arms to face him, eyes glistening with tears. “Please tell me it’s okay that I want to be selfish about this.”
Blaine kisses Kurt’s temple. “It’s perfectly fine. Siblings are siblings, blood related or not. I know you would have done anything possible for Finn, blood related or not, just as I would with Cooper. I’m just glad it didn’t come down to that with him. Let’s make a plan: we’ll research and plan for surrogacy, try for a year. If, at the end of that year, nothing comes of it, we can look into adopting. It may take longer that way, but if we adopt, we don’t have to look strictly at babies. We can find older children who would be closer to Piper’s age.” Kurt wraps his arms around his husband and squeezes. The Anderson-Hummels are growing.
May 2019
Kurt walks dejectedly into the house, flopping onto the couch without a care to his jacket or boots. Blaine closes the door behind him, then moves behind the couch. He puts his hands on Kurt’s shoulders and rubs them for a moment. “Kurt, we can try again. We had to with Piper. It wasn’t a once-and-done deal.”
Kurt buries his head into the pillow, and his shoulders shake. It shouldn’t hurt this bad -- in vitro fertilization is not 100 percent every time, and Blaine’s right, but it still feels like a failure. “Maybe it’s my sperm. Maybe they aren’t strong enough or there aren’t enough of them.”
Blaine kneels down next to Kurt’s head and places his hands on top of Kurt’s as they clutch the pillow. “It’s not anyone’s fault. These things take time. I know you’re ready for a baby; so am I. But, remember, we have Piper. We have Rachel’s little one when he makes his appearance. And we’re not done trying. Let’s wait another month or so and try again. Ashley needs to finish out this school year anyway. Give her time to focus on her finals and graduating before we make her be up all day and night with our baby.” He leans forward to kiss the top of Kurt’s head. “Now, let’s go pick up our girl from Rachel. Both mom and baby probably need a break from our little diva.” He stands and grabs Kurt’s hands to haul him off the couch. Kurt keeps hold of one of Blaine’s hands as they walk out the door. They can try again and then look into adoption. There are plenty of other babies out there who need families. As nice as it would be to have a blood sibling for Piper, a family is created from love, not blood.
December 2019
“Last one!” Blaine calls over his shoulder as he places the wrapping paper back in the storage container. He grabs the present and carries it to the living room, where Kurt is organizing the presents under the tree, separating the “Santa” gifts from the ones from family.
“I wish we had a hearth. Santa presents belong in front of the fireplace, not under the tree.” Kurt stands back and looks at his work: “Santa’s” are at the front, while the family gifts are tucked further under the tree. “It’s not the same if you can’t see Santa’s first. Piper’s old enough now to know the difference between the two.”
Blaine laughs. “Piper doesn’t care that much who she gets the presents from. As long as the wrapping paper is bright, there are ribbons on top, and the boxes contain what she asked for, it won’t matter if it’s us, your parents, my parents, or Santa. ” He walks to the shelf where the stockings are hung and begins to fill them. “Hopefully, next year we can have a real fireplace to hang stockings from and display our perfectly wrapped presents.”
Kurt sighs. “I guess you’re right. This may be our last Christmas in this house, and our last Christmas with just the three of us. Do you think she’ll like what we picked out for her? Do you think she’ll be upset there’s presents for the baby to open?”
“We bought pretty much every toy and outfit she’s pointed out. So far we haven’t seen any jealousy even when the topic has been brought up. We play it by ear as we have everything else thus far and correct her behavior the same.” Blaine walks to Kurt and rubs his shoulders from behind. “There will be some jealousy -- there always is with siblings. We’ll be prepared for it and handle it as best we can. Now, let’s go to bed before Santa arrives and Piper hears him.” Blaine snags the cookies from the Santa plate, leaving one half behind as evidence, and follows Kurt down the hall to their room.
***
Christmas morning starts with a giggle and a “thwump” as Piper opens their bedroom door and throws herself on top of her dads. Kurt twists himself around underneath his daughter’s weight. “What do we have here? Blaine, I think Santa left an elf behind last night.” He nudges Blaine, making sure he is fully awake. “Here I was thinking we were too old for Santa, but I guess he sends us presents anyway.”
Blaine picks his head up to look at Piper sprawled on top of Kurt. “If this is an elf left behind, then we better find something for the little elf hands to do.” He picks up one of Piper’s hands, twisting it this way and that. “These look about the right size for mixing blueberry pancakes. Do you think the elf speaks? Because she’s been silent the entire time we’ve been awake.” Blaine pokes Piper in her ribs, getting another giggle out of her. “It’s not completely quiet, so there’s hope.”
Piper squirms away, sitting up on Kurt’s hips. “Daddy, Papa, it’s Christmas! There is breakfast and presents and Pop and Grandma and Aunt Rachel and Uncle Rick and Chris to do today!” She bounces a little, causing Kurt to sit up quickly. “Let’s go let’s go!”
“Okay baby. You go down and turn on the Christmas tree lights while Papa and I get ready. Once we’re down there, we’ll start breakfast and see what Santa brought us.” Kurt brushes a kiss over Piper’s cheek before lifting her down from the bed so she can run off. He then leans over to Blaine and kisses him gently. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” Blaine echos against Kurt’s lips. “And as much as I enjoy this, we have a daughter downstairs who is ready to tear into any and all wrapped gifts.” Kurt shoves him away and climbs out of bed. Kurt grabs his robe while Blaine puts on a hoodie, and they make their way downstairs.
Kurt heads into the kitchen to start coffee and put the coffee cake in the oven while Blaine goes into the living room to help Piper sort the gifts. They start with the Santa gifts, making a Piper pile, a Daddy pile, a Papa pile, and a Baby pile. Piper’s face wrinkles as the Baby pile grows, Blaine notices, but he hopes that the size of her pile will keep the tantrum at bay. Kurt comes over bearing cups of coffee and sits next to Blaine. They watch as Piper finishes with the last present and stands in front of her stack. “Papa? Who’s gonna open the baby’s presents?” She crosses her arms and juts her hip out in perfect Kurt form.
“We thought we’d take turns opening them. That way, we can all share in what the baby gets.” Blaine reaches down, grabs a gift wrapped in Santa Claus paper from his pile, and rips it open. "Wow! How did Santa know I wanted new cufflinks? And these are the exact ones I saw in the store!" He winks at Kurt. "Thanks, Santa." They take turns opening presents, alternating between their own pile and the pile labeled “Baby.” Piper squeals with delight at most of her presents, frowning when she opens ones matching a Baby present. After a third matching outfit, she refuses to open any more from the shared pile. Kurt and Blaine exchange a look but don't say anything about it, silently agreeing to discuss it later.
The timer on the oven goes off just as they finish unwrapping the last presents. Blaine recruits Piper to help collect the wrapping castoffs while Kurt finishes breakfast. The two enter the kitchen just as Kurt places the eggs and coffee cake on the table. Laughter streams into the living room to mix with the music playing. Relatives and friends will arrive soon, and more presents will be unwrapped, but for now the family of three is content.
Jan 2020
“This was a good idea. A trip, just the three of us. Away from the city, away from friends, away from babies.” Kurt and Blaine swing Piper between them, strolling on the deck of the cruise ship. They decided that instead of throwing a big party, they would take a Disney cruise for Piper’s fourth birthday. Friends and family alike recommended a family trip, a perfect blend of tropical weather, Piper’s favorite characters, and her fathers doting on her the entire time. Hopefully, this trip will bring back happy Piper who doesn’t care about a sibling.
“Daddy? What movie is playing tonight? I liked sitting outside last night and watching Little Mermaid.” Piper looks up at her fathers’ faces and grins. The two exchange a look - this is such a difference from what she was at home just a week ago, throwing tantrums every time a conversation switched to the new baby. Blaine recalls that Christmas just a few weeks before ended with an early bedtime for her after she wouldn’t stop throwing the new baby toys.
“Tonight is Brave. You remember, the girl who shoots arrows and turns her little brothers into baby bears.” Blaine catches Kurt’s nervous look at the mention of brothers, but Piper simply nods in recognition. “We’re going to head to the pool now, then we’ll have dinner with Mickey and his friends, and then the movie tonight if you want.”
“Or,” Kurt hurriedly interjects, “we can go to the princess area now, then have a quiet dinner and movie in our room tonight. Whatever you want to do, honey.” They stop in front of their stateroom, and Blaine unlocks the door. Piper rushes in and flings herself on the bed excitedly. She rolls over, holding Hulk wearing a Mickey-ear shaped towel.
“Swim first. And I want pictures with Chip and Dale. And can we watch fireworks?” Piper cuddles Hulk close to her, watching her dads’ dig in their drawers for swimsuits and sunscreen.
“Fireworks are tomorrow night, our last night on the boat. And tomorrow we’ll get to get off the boat at Castaway Cay and play on the beach with more of Mickey’s friends. Are you excited for that?” Kurt helps Piper change into her bathing suit and slathers sunscreen on her while he talks. “We’ll be able to find souvenirs for Pop and Grandma, Uncle Cooper, Aunt Rachel and Uncle Rick, and baby Chris at the beach, too.” Kurt stops talking as he sees Piper’s eyes narrow and can feel her arms come down to cross over her chest. Apparently, mentioning Rachel’s baby can also be an igniter for her.
“Piper, we don’t want any attitude. Daddy was talking about doing something nice for our family and bringing home presents for them. We are here on this trip together to be happy. No need for a tantrum.” Blaine turns to face his daughter, surprised to see her lip wobble. “Baby, what’s wrong?” Kurt gathers her in his arms as she starts wailing. He sits down on the bed, cradling Piper on his lap. Blaine sits next to him, rubbing her back to try and calm her.
“Piper, you’ve been having trouble dealing with the baby for a while now. Can you tell us what’s going on?” Kurt tries to nudge Piper’s head up from his chest, but she won’t move. “When we first talked about a baby brother or sister, you seemed okay with the idea, but lately it seems like you don’t want one. Why not?” They rock her back and forth, waiting to see if she can answer.
“Because then we won’t be a family no more,” Piper hiccups out. “When a baby comes, someone goes away. And I want my daddies!” She buries her face in Kurt’s chest again, sobbing. Kurt and Blaine exchange confused looks over her head. Where these ideas were coming from, they had no idea.
“Sweetie, neither one of us is going anywhere. Not now and not when the baby’s born. We’re still going to be here. You don’t have to worry about that. And it may seem like we’re spending a lot of time with the baby, but we’re going to be spending a lot of time with you, too. We will always be your daddies. It doesn’t matter if it’s just the three of us or if there are a hundred of us. We will love you just as much or more,” Kurt tries to reassure Piper, and while her sobs are quieting down, she still hasn’t moved from his chest.
“Molly’s dad left after her brother came home.” Her voice can barely be heard, but Kurt feels it resonate in his chest. “And Abigail doesn’t know her daddy. I don’t want my baby brother or sister to not have a daddy and a papa.” Piper picks her head up finally, tear-stained cheeks and red eyes looking at Kurt. “And I want my daddy and my papa.”
“Piper,” Blaine says, catching her eyes when she turns towards him. “What happened to Molly was awful. But that wasn’t Molly’s fault, and it wasn’t her brother’s fault. Her mommy and daddy weren’t happy for a while, but she has her step-dad now, and she still sees her dad. Abigail has two mommies, just like you have two daddies. You are lucky because you know Quinn is like your mom, and you have Aunt Rachel as another mom. Abigail’s mommies went to a doctor to get her, so she doesn’t really have a dad. But I bet she has uncles and grandpas just like you.” Piper flings herself at Blaine, who falls back onto the bed with the force and laughs. He holds her as he sits back up, settling her on his lap so she can see both himself and Kurt. “We are going to do everything we can to make sure you have both your parents, your own sibling, and all the aunts, uncles, and grandparents you could want. And having a new baby isn’t going to make us love you less or leave you alone. In fact, we chose to have a new baby so you could have someone to love as much as we love you. And we want you to help us take care of him or her.”
“That’s right. You are going to be the big sister, which means you have some rules to follow. And your first rule is to give us a hug,” Kurt demands, wrapping one arm around Blaine’s back and pulling him and Piper in. The three hug tightly for a few minutes. Blaine and Kurt exchange a knowing glance; while this was not the optimal time or place to have the conversation, they are glad it is over. “Now, shall we head to the pool still, or should we get some ice cream first?” Piper grins and nods excitedly.
“Good. I hear they have one that is called the Kitchen Sink that has three kinds of ice cream, cherries, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream. It’s even served in a bowl that looks like a sink.” Blaine ushers Piper off their laps and points to the towels on the dresser. “Grab those, little one, and we’ll hit the ice cream shop before the pool.”
March 2020
"Thank god your parents took Piper away from here. I love our daughter, but trying to pack up our entire place and move with her underfoot, helping? We wouldn't get anything done." Blaine runs a hand through his sweaty hair, pushing the curls back from his forehead. He sits on the box he just sealed as Kurt hands him a glass of water.
"It was their idea. They wanted to do something special for her, and allow us to stress about moving without stressing about Piper, too. Why they had to go all the way to California, I'll never know." Kurt pushes another packed box against the wall and labels it "Living Room" in bold letters.
"Well, we did start that with her birthday. And Disneyland is a better option for your parents than Disney World -- less land to cover. They can make the most of their time." Blaine finishes the water and surveys the room. Most of the living room and kitchen are packed; the movers will be bringing wardrobe and bedding boxes when they come in a few days, so it's really just the bookcases and knick-knack shelves that need to be finished in the bedrooms. And they probably could let the movers pack the bookshelves, but the more that is packed before they arrive, the quicker things will go that day.
"They look like they're having a blast, from the pictures Dad and Carole are sending. I can't believe she's tall enough to go on some of those rides! And that Dad would take her on them. Our little girl, all grown up." Kurt pulls out his phone and flips through what his dad has sent them again. The three in front of the castle, in front of the Mickey wheel, with various characters. A picture of their Space Mountain photo: Piper clinging to Carole's arm, laughing, Carole screaming, and Burt behind them, holding his hat to his head while trying to give Carole bunny ears. He knows his parents are spoiling Piper rotten on this trip, but she needs this. Once they move and are settled into their new house, it'll be baby mode for the next month or so. They'll need to paint all the new bedrooms, assemble Piper's new bed and all of the baby furniture, and set up the guest room for the rotation of grandparents to visit.
Blaine nudges Kurt, startling him from his thoughts. "Get a move on, babe. We should finish one of these rooms today so tomorrow we can tackle the bedrooms. Only a few days left before we say goodbye to this place and hello to the new one." He kisses Kurt on the cheek and spins to grab another box. Kurt grabs him and spins him back to plant a kiss on his lips. They smile at one another and return to their packing duties.
***
The door slams open and a blur rushes to where Kurt and Blaine are sitting on the couch. Piper leaps onto her dads and hugs them around the necks. "Daddy! Papa! I missed you so much!"
"We missed you, too, sweetheart. What did you do with Pop and Grandma?" Kurt says, kissing the top of her head with one eye on the door. "And where is your suitcase?"
"Right here. I barely got the car in park before she was out of her carseat. Her luggage is still in the trunk with ours." Burt closes the door behind himself and Carole. "Thanks for leaving us the car. Was a lot easier to take it home than to have you wait around the airport for our delayed flight." They walk to the couch as Kurt and Blaine stand to exchange hugs, Piper clinging to Blaine's leg.
"It was no problem to leave the car there for a few hours and take the train back. This way you didn’t have to deal with all of the luggage and Piper on it. Now, tell us about the trip. Favorite parts, worst parts, did you end up with angel Piper or devil Piper?" Blaine asks as they all sit back down.
"Disneyland was amazing. There is so much packed into a small area, but you definitely get a workout walking around the parks. I think we were in between spring break rushes because while it was busy, it was manageable," Carole says, settling on the loveseat with Burt. "I really enjoyed the shows, especially the new Toy Story show that replaced Aladdin. But the rides were fun as well, and we were spoiled by the cast members at the character brunch."
"My favorite were the rides. I liked Space Mountain and Splash Mountain and Mattyhorn and Star Tours and Pirates and the ghost one. And I liked seeing everyone. I got to meet Mickey and Minnie and Goofy and the pirate and Woody and Buzz and Cap America and Thor! And I got presents for everyone!" Piper's hands wave faster and faster as she tells all about their whole trip.
"She wasn't an angel, but she was a very well-behaved little girl who I think is ready to be a big sister." Burt nods toward Piper as he speaks. "Everywhere we went, she told cast members and strangers alike that she was on vacation with her pop and grandma because her daddies were moving houses and she was getting a baby brother or sister next month. But she was very patient in most of the lines, and only a little sad when we found out she was too short for a few rides. How was the move?"
"As you can see, we have everything in here, and we are totally out of the other place. We'll do a walk-through with the real estate agent and new tenants next weekend. So now it's unpacking and painting mode," Blaine says, leaning back into Kurt's arm.
"I wanna help! Can I help?" Piper asks, bouncing on Kurt's leg.
"Yes, sweetie, you can help. We'll paint your room first, then the baby's room. I want to do it sooner than later, let the fumes have time to air out." Kurt explains. "But soon we'll have this place unpacked and a new baby to coo over, so why don't we get your things out of the car and give you a tour?" Piper scoots off Kurt's lap and grabs Burt's hand, dragging him back toward the bedrooms. Kurt, Blaine, and Carole head to empty the car, happy to see Piper so excited about the baby. What a change from a few months ago, Kurt thinks as he closes the door behind them.
May 2020
Kurt knocks on the door to the hospital room before pushing it open. He nudges Piper to enter first, guiding her forward with a gentle hand. “Hello, Ashley. How are you feeling?” Kurt asks. They walk to the bed where Ashley is lying. Kurt and Blaine drop the items they were carrying and sit on either side of the bed.
Piper lifts the gift bag in her hand up to the bed. “Thank you for my sister. I am going to miss having you around.” Ashley reaches her hand down to grab Piper’s hand to help her scramble onto the bed with the gift. As Piper settles into Ashley’s side, Ashley opens the gift bag and pulls out a silver frame, engraved “Piper and Audrey.”
“Guys, this is beautiful. You didn’t have to.” She reaches a hand out and squeezes both Kurt and Blaine’s hands, then leans down to kiss Piper’s head. “And, sweetheart, I’m not going anywhere. You and Audrey are like my nieces. I want to see how you both grow, what you look like on your first day of school, when you graduate high school.” Ashley tilts Piper’s head up to meet her eyes. “You aren’t getting rid of me.”
The door opens behind them, and a nurse bustles in, carrying a small pink bundle. “Ashley, you have one more visitor.” She walks to the bed. “Now, who wants to hold this baby first?”
“Me!” Voices chorus together before the laughing starts. Kurt turns to the nurse, holding out his arms first. “I win this time.” The nurse places the baby in Kurt’s arms. Blaine stands and walks around to Kurt’s side and leans down. Kurt whispers, “Hi, Audrey. We saw you last night, but you may not remember. I’m your daddy, and he’s your papa.” He turns to face Audrey toward Ashley and Piper. “And this is your big sister, Piper.”
Piper sits up to touch Audrey’s full head of hair. “Hi. You’re my sister, and I’m yours.” Audrey opens her blue eyes and stares straight at Piper. “Daddy, she knows my voice!” Piper looks up at Kurt, wide-eyed in wonder.
“Would you like to hold her?” Kurt asks. Piper nods her head so fast Kurt is concerned for her neck muscles. Blaine picks her up from the bed and places her in the other chair next to it. He helps her position her arms to cradle the baby, and Kurt lays Audrey in her lap. Piper stares down at her baby sister with a soft smile. Blaine wraps an arm around Kurt’s waist as Kurt takes a photo of their girls. They know what picture to use for their birth announcement.