Too In Love to Let it Go, Chapter 3
Media: Fic
Author: gingerandfair/lavender_love00
Genre: AU/future-fic/Married!Klaine
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: none
Word count: 2807/200,000
Chapter Summary: In which Kurt and Blaine see an ultrasound and fall in love.
Prologue (LJ/AO3/Tumblr/S&C) - Chapter 1 (LJ/AO3/Tumblr/S&C) - Chapter 2 (LJ/AO3/Tumblr/S&C)
Chapter 3 on AO3/Tumblr/S&C
Monday, January 30th, 2023
"You ready for this?" Blaine asked, reaching for Kurt’s hand outside the OB/GYN office.
"We’re going to be the only two men in the room that came in together," Kurt grinned, proud and smug.
"Not what I asked."
"Still true," Kurt said.
"They’re all going to stare," Blaine said.
"Yes, Blaine, that’s why I picked out both our outfits," Kurt told him as if he were a child.
Blaine rolled his eyes. "I’m still offended that you don’t trust my fashion sense enough to let me dress myself for a room full of grouchy pregnant women."
"Judgemental grouchy pregnant women," Kurt corrected. "So we have to be fabulous."
"We’re always fabulous, Kurt," Blaine scoffed, tugging him inside the office. "But we’re going to be fabulously late if you don’t hurry up."
Sure enough, half the women and all of the men in the waiting room looked up when they walked in, and Blaine chuckled to himself as Kurt subtly worked the crowd, tangling their fingers together and smiling sweetly. The act dropped, though, when they spotted Abby sitting by herself, tear stains visible on her cheeks.
"Abby, where’s Micah?" Blaine asked, reaching her first.
"Why should I care?" she muttered. "He obviously doesn’t."
"Want to talk about it?"
"No," she said, shaking her head. She tried to bring her knees up to her chin and stopped halfway. Her belly was already too large to afford the movement. She scowled, planted her feet on the floor and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Could your mom not come with you?" Blaine asked. "I hate that you had to come by yourself."
"She’s at work," Abby explained with a sigh. "She’s a lawyer for a financial firm and they had this huge client coming in today. I didn’t want to bother her."
"I’m sure she wouldn’t have minded," Blaine said.
"No, probably not, but she might’ve lost the merger and I don’t want that on my conscience on top of giving up my baby. How horrible do you guys think I am?"
Kurt shot her a look. "Abby -"
"Sorry," she said. "It's just - it kind of sucks that you guys are the only people who care enough to come with me. No offense."
"Don't worry about it. We're just glad you wanted us here," Blaine told her.
She nodded, her right hand drifting toward her growing belly, and they drifted into an awkward silence.
Finally her name was called. "Abby Roberts?"
All three of them walked toward the door where a bored nurse in pink scrubs was standing with a clipboard in her hand.
"We need a urine sample from you, bathroom’s over there," she told Abby briskly, pointing toward another door. "And who are you, exactly?" the nurse asked Kurt and Blaine.
"We’re the adoptive parents of Abby’s baby," Kurt said. "We’re here for the ultrasound."
"Mmmhmm," the nurse said absently. "Well you can go back and sit in the waiting room until we come to get you."
Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand and they walked back to their seats. He could feel all eyes on them as they walked back to where they’d been sitting, and he took a deep breath before sinking into the uncomfortable chair again. He watched as Kurt flipped through the stack of magazines on the table beside him and eventually picked up Parenting.
"Blaine," Kurt hissed a few minutes later, poking his arm.
"What is it, babe?" Blaine asked softly as he leaned in toward Kurt.
"We are going to suck as parents," Kurt whispered. "Have you ever heard of this Ferber sleep thing? Or something called plagiocephaly?" He shoved the magazine over toward Blaine. "I feel like we’re already three months behind."
Blaine smiled at Kurt reassuringly and lightly pecked him on the cheek. "We’ll be fine. But if it’ll make you feel better, we can subscribe to this and any other parenting magazines you want when we get home, okay?" he murmured, rubbing his thumb over the back of Kurt’s hand.
"I just don’t want us to get the baby and then realize have no idea what to do …" Kurt mumbled, flipping the page.
"We’ll figure it out," Blaine assured him. "I have no doubts in your abilities as a father."
"Well I do," Kurt said, pointing at the page in front of him. "Look - Is My Baby's Poop Normal? That is an article. About poop. Poop, Blaine." He paused, reading further down the page. "Oh my god, it looks like mustard? Are we really prepared for this?"
"Kurt, calm down, we'll be fine. It can't be that bad." Blaine tucked his head on Kurt’s shoulder, reading along. "Oh, ew. Seedy mustard. Huh." They looked at each other, perplexed expressions coloring their faces, and then started to laugh quietly.
Blaine nudged Kurt's shoulder with his chin. "Just think of it as a grand adventure," he smiled. "Only, instead of fighting pirates with swords, we'll be fighting dirty diapers, and instead of figuring out the best way to get out of quicksand, we'll be figuring out the best way to get spit-up out of cashmere and silk."
"Blaine? When, in this lifetime or any, have I ever had to figure out how to get out of quicksand?"
Blaine just grinned as the same bored-looking nurse stuck her head into the waiting room.
"Kurt and Blaine?" she said. "They're ready for you."
"Quicksand, really?" Kurt whispered as their hands found each other.
"It seemed like a good metaphor at the time," Blaine hissed back. "You know, babies, little kids, swordfights and jungles and adventures?" Kurt gave him a blank expression.
"I had tea parties, Blaine. And musical revues."
"Right."
They found Abby lying stoically on the table, her shirt pulled up over her belly. She was poking at it with her index finger and every so often, she’d take a deep breath and try to suck in her abdomen. The little round bump stayed put.
"I’m gonna have stretch marks," she said, looking up at them. "Do you know how ugly those things are?"
"I think," Blaine said, "that they are a sign of how strong and amazing that women’s bodies are. Stretch marks from pregnancy are just a reminder that you grew a baby."
"Yeah, a baby I never wanted in the first place," Abby said.
Kurt gave Blaine a look. "You are too sappy for your own good, sometimes." He planted himself in a chair next to Abby. "Find out if your mom had them or not. If she did, there's not a whole lot you can do, but try drinking lots of water - which you should be doing anyway - and rubbing cocoa butter or olive oil on your stomach. It might not help, but it definitely won't hurt."
Abby looked up at Blaine. "Useful, isn't he?" she asked, cracking a smile.
"Always," he answered, grinning back at her.
"Are we all ready in here?" a voice asked from outside the door.
"Yeah," Abby answered.
"Okay, great!" The door opened and the ultrasound tech walked in, a pretty girl with smooth mocha-colored skin in turquoise scrubs. "I’m Macy - I’ll be doing your ultrasound today. Abby, right?" She nodded. "And who are these guys?"
"Blaine and Kurt," Abby answered, pointing at them respectively. "They’re adopting my baby."
"Nice to meet you guys!" Macy said, pressing buttons on the ultrasound machine. "Okay Abby, I'm going to squirt some of this gel on your belly. Be prepared, it's cold." Abby let out a sharp breath as the blue gel hit her skin.
"So what we’re looking for today is that all your baby’s organs are in the right place," Macy explained. "I’ll do some measurements to make sure that the baby’s growth is matching up with your dates. And then, if your baby decides to cooperate, we’ll see if you’re having a boy or a girl. Sound good?”
“Sounds good,” Abby parroted.
Macy placed the ultrasound wand on Abby’s stomach and moved it around a bit until the picture on the screen was clearer.
"Oh my god," Kurt breathed. "It actually looks like a baby."
Macy laughed. "Well, what did you think it would look like?"
She pointed out specific features, the baby’s nose, the baby’s arms and legs - "You can see its bones!" Abby had exclaimed upon seeing a tiny hand - and then stopped.
"Do you see that? The little fluttery movement? That's the baby’s heart," Macy told them, pushing a button on the ultrasound machine. All of a sudden they heard a whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
"Is that the heartbeat?" Blaine asked, awestruck.
"Yep. It’s strong and regular. That's good," Macy answered. Thin lines appeared on the screen, and Macy seemed to be taking pictures of them. "I’m just doing measurements right now," she explained.
They watched as she pointed out all the baby's internal organs, its heart, its kidneys, its brain, and Abby breathed slow and steady through it all.
“Everything’s matching up great," Macy finally said. "You’re right at nineteen weeks and three days and the baby’s growing well."
"So everything looks normal?" Kurt asked.
"Well, I can’t say anything official until the doctor reads it, but so far everything looks fine to me," Macy told him. "Now, the fun part - does everybody want to know the baby’s gender?"
All three of their heads bobbed in unison.
"Alright." Macy moved the wand to a different angle on Abby’s stomach. "See this picture? We're coming at the baby upwards from the bottom - there are three tiny little lines. Do you guys see them?" She made little arrows point to what she was talking about on the screen. Kurt and Blaine squinted and tilted their heads, trying to make sense of what they were looking at.
"Abby? Those three little lines mean that you're having a baby girl."
Time seemed to stop. Blaine felt like he was underwater, sounds swimming around his head. He could hear Abby repeating the word over and over, could see her pressing her hand into her gel-covered belly, could feel Kurt tugging on his hand. But in another part of his head, he saw pictures, visions of the future. He watched himself come home to Kurt and their daughter having a tea party, saw a bouncing purple tutu lit up by stage lights, felt a tiny body in his lap at the piano, chubby fingers plunking out an out-of-tune melody.
Kurt’s lips pressing against his brought him out of his daydream. "A girl, Blaine. Do you even realize the clothes I’m going to put her in?" Kurt exclaimed, beside himself with excitement.
Abby looked up at them, her smile happy, but her eyes sad. "Do you think she’ll look like me?" she asked in a quiet voice.
"Oh, Abby, I hope so," Blaine said softly, petting her hair. "She’ll be beautiful."
* * *
"No, absolutely not," Blaine laughed, pulling Kurt’s arm as he stopped to ogle the storefront window of a baby store called Giggle.
"But Blaine," Kurt whined, "it’s a special occasion …"
"No. We talked about this. We’re not buying anything yet."
"Oh come on," Kurt begged. "Just one little dress? Please?"
Blaine rolled his eyes. "I’m going to regret this later, but okay. One dress. That’s it, though."
Kurt squealed and grabbed Blaine’s hand, tugging him into the door.
* * *
"Why can I never say no to you?" Blaine grumbled as they juggled the bags in their arms.
"I’m irresistible," Kurt said seriously, then spotted their downstairs neighbors. "Hi, Mrs. Marshall! Noah, Gabe, how are you guys?"
"Good!" the boys sang out together.
"Well, well, well, somebody’s been on quite the shopping spree. Is that - baby stuff? Something you need to tell me?" Mrs. Marshall asked.
"We’re adopting a baby girl," Blaine beamed. "She’s due at the end of June."
Mrs. Marshall let out a squeal. "Oh my gosh, you guys - I'm so excited for you! She's going to be spoiled rotten."
"Obviously," Kurt said with a laugh, shifting the packages in his arms. "Come on, honey, let’s get this stuff upstairs."
Blaine shrugged his shoulders at Mrs. Marshall and her boys as he adjusted his own load and took off after Kurt, who was headed toward the elevator. He smiled to himself, comforted by the fact that he could follow Kurt anywhere and it would still be home.
* * *
Abby was standing at the stove stirring a pot of macaroni and cheese when she heard the door open.
"Mom! How was the merger?" she asked, looking up from the stove.
"Hi, honey," her mom said with a smile. "It went fine, thanks for asking. How'd the appointment go today?"
"Okay. Micah didn’t come."
Her mom frowned. "Why not?"
"We had a fight at school," she said, grabbing a bowl from the cupboard. "I kind of accused him of flirting with Kate."
"And was he flirting with Kate?" Holly asked neutrally as she spooned out a serving of mac and cheese for herself.
"I don’t know," Abby sighed, dramatically flopping into a chair at the kitchen table. "They were talking - I’m sure I just overreacted. Stupid hormones," she mumbled.
"Speaking of hormones, Abby …" her mom hinted.
"Oh!" she squealed. "Oh, right - Mom, it’s a girl!"
Her mother’s face broke into a grin and Abby stood up as her mom rushed toward her, enveloping her in a warm hug. "Oh sweetheart, that’s what you wanted, right? Did Kurt and Blaine get to come?"
Abby felt herself tearing up. "Yeah," she sniffled, "they were there. They’re so excited."
"Good, sweetie, I’m glad." Holly paused. "Are you okay?"
"I’m - it hurts, Mom," she said, her voice breaking. "I know I’m doing the right thing. I know I am. But seeing her on that screen … I don’t know, I just really wish I could keep her." Her mom led her to the couch, pulling her into another hug.
"Shhh," she soothed. "It’s okay sweetheart, shhhh."
As Abby’s tears subsided, her mom pulled back a little, looking in her eyes. "This is still what you want, right? You know Daddy and I will support you in whatever you want."
"No, no, I know that," she said. "I know she’ll have a better life with them. I’m trying to think about Columbia, and how awesome that will be. It’s just - hard, you know?" She grabbed a tissue from the box on the end table and dabbed at her eyes. "God, I’ve got to start wearing waterproof mascara."
Her mom laughed. "We'll get some for you tomorrow. Come here, sweetheart, give me a hug."
Abby allowed herself to be folded into her mother's arms like she had when she was small and fell down and skinned her knees.
"Mom?" she asked into her mom's wavy blonde hair. "Did you get stretch marks when you were pregnant with me?"
* * *
"I guess we should probably call people and let them know," Kurt said, surveying the mess that their workroom/nursery was quickly becoming.
"Oh, of course!" Blaine exclaimed. "God, how could I have forgotten that? I’m sorry -"
"Hey," Kurt said calmly, stepping into Blaine’s space. "Not an issue." He pressed a tender kiss to Blaine’s lips, picturing Blaine’s parents in their living room, sitting stiff and silent as Blaine’s dad read the paper and his mother worked a crossword. He couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if their phone rang with news of a grandchild.
Blaine pressed back, his love for Kurt evident in the pressure of his lips, the way his hands cupped Kurt's hipbones.
"Do you want to be the one to tell my dad?" Kurt asked when they broke apart.
Blaine’s brow immediately furrowed. "Are you sure?"
Kurt pressed his phone into Blaine’s hand in reply. "He’d love to hear it from you."
"Thank you," Blaine whispered reverently, as if Kurt had just given him a gift.
"I’ll go update my half of the mass-email list while you talk," Kurt said, unplugging his laptop and moving toward their bedroom. "Say hi for me, okay?"
Chapter 4
Author: gingerandfair/lavender_love00
Genre: AU/future-fic/Married!Klaine
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: none
Word count: 2807/200,000
Chapter Summary: In which Kurt and Blaine see an ultrasound and fall in love.
Prologue (LJ/AO3/Tumblr/S&C) - Chapter 1 (LJ/AO3/Tumblr/S&C) - Chapter 2 (LJ/AO3/Tumblr/S&C)
Chapter 3 on AO3/Tumblr/S&C
Monday, January 30th, 2023
"You ready for this?" Blaine asked, reaching for Kurt’s hand outside the OB/GYN office.
"We’re going to be the only two men in the room that came in together," Kurt grinned, proud and smug.
"Not what I asked."
"Still true," Kurt said.
"They’re all going to stare," Blaine said.
"Yes, Blaine, that’s why I picked out both our outfits," Kurt told him as if he were a child.
Blaine rolled his eyes. "I’m still offended that you don’t trust my fashion sense enough to let me dress myself for a room full of grouchy pregnant women."
"Judgemental grouchy pregnant women," Kurt corrected. "So we have to be fabulous."
"We’re always fabulous, Kurt," Blaine scoffed, tugging him inside the office. "But we’re going to be fabulously late if you don’t hurry up."
Sure enough, half the women and all of the men in the waiting room looked up when they walked in, and Blaine chuckled to himself as Kurt subtly worked the crowd, tangling their fingers together and smiling sweetly. The act dropped, though, when they spotted Abby sitting by herself, tear stains visible on her cheeks.
"Abby, where’s Micah?" Blaine asked, reaching her first.
"Why should I care?" she muttered. "He obviously doesn’t."
"Want to talk about it?"
"No," she said, shaking her head. She tried to bring her knees up to her chin and stopped halfway. Her belly was already too large to afford the movement. She scowled, planted her feet on the floor and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Could your mom not come with you?" Blaine asked. "I hate that you had to come by yourself."
"She’s at work," Abby explained with a sigh. "She’s a lawyer for a financial firm and they had this huge client coming in today. I didn’t want to bother her."
"I’m sure she wouldn’t have minded," Blaine said.
"No, probably not, but she might’ve lost the merger and I don’t want that on my conscience on top of giving up my baby. How horrible do you guys think I am?"
Kurt shot her a look. "Abby -"
"Sorry," she said. "It's just - it kind of sucks that you guys are the only people who care enough to come with me. No offense."
"Don't worry about it. We're just glad you wanted us here," Blaine told her.
She nodded, her right hand drifting toward her growing belly, and they drifted into an awkward silence.
Finally her name was called. "Abby Roberts?"
All three of them walked toward the door where a bored nurse in pink scrubs was standing with a clipboard in her hand.
"We need a urine sample from you, bathroom’s over there," she told Abby briskly, pointing toward another door. "And who are you, exactly?" the nurse asked Kurt and Blaine.
"We’re the adoptive parents of Abby’s baby," Kurt said. "We’re here for the ultrasound."
"Mmmhmm," the nurse said absently. "Well you can go back and sit in the waiting room until we come to get you."
Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand and they walked back to their seats. He could feel all eyes on them as they walked back to where they’d been sitting, and he took a deep breath before sinking into the uncomfortable chair again. He watched as Kurt flipped through the stack of magazines on the table beside him and eventually picked up Parenting.
"Blaine," Kurt hissed a few minutes later, poking his arm.
"What is it, babe?" Blaine asked softly as he leaned in toward Kurt.
"We are going to suck as parents," Kurt whispered. "Have you ever heard of this Ferber sleep thing? Or something called plagiocephaly?" He shoved the magazine over toward Blaine. "I feel like we’re already three months behind."
Blaine smiled at Kurt reassuringly and lightly pecked him on the cheek. "We’ll be fine. But if it’ll make you feel better, we can subscribe to this and any other parenting magazines you want when we get home, okay?" he murmured, rubbing his thumb over the back of Kurt’s hand.
"I just don’t want us to get the baby and then realize have no idea what to do …" Kurt mumbled, flipping the page.
"We’ll figure it out," Blaine assured him. "I have no doubts in your abilities as a father."
"Well I do," Kurt said, pointing at the page in front of him. "Look - Is My Baby's Poop Normal? That is an article. About poop. Poop, Blaine." He paused, reading further down the page. "Oh my god, it looks like mustard? Are we really prepared for this?"
"Kurt, calm down, we'll be fine. It can't be that bad." Blaine tucked his head on Kurt’s shoulder, reading along. "Oh, ew. Seedy mustard. Huh." They looked at each other, perplexed expressions coloring their faces, and then started to laugh quietly.
Blaine nudged Kurt's shoulder with his chin. "Just think of it as a grand adventure," he smiled. "Only, instead of fighting pirates with swords, we'll be fighting dirty diapers, and instead of figuring out the best way to get out of quicksand, we'll be figuring out the best way to get spit-up out of cashmere and silk."
"Blaine? When, in this lifetime or any, have I ever had to figure out how to get out of quicksand?"
Blaine just grinned as the same bored-looking nurse stuck her head into the waiting room.
"Kurt and Blaine?" she said. "They're ready for you."
"Quicksand, really?" Kurt whispered as their hands found each other.
"It seemed like a good metaphor at the time," Blaine hissed back. "You know, babies, little kids, swordfights and jungles and adventures?" Kurt gave him a blank expression.
"I had tea parties, Blaine. And musical revues."
"Right."
They found Abby lying stoically on the table, her shirt pulled up over her belly. She was poking at it with her index finger and every so often, she’d take a deep breath and try to suck in her abdomen. The little round bump stayed put.
"I’m gonna have stretch marks," she said, looking up at them. "Do you know how ugly those things are?"
"I think," Blaine said, "that they are a sign of how strong and amazing that women’s bodies are. Stretch marks from pregnancy are just a reminder that you grew a baby."
"Yeah, a baby I never wanted in the first place," Abby said.
Kurt gave Blaine a look. "You are too sappy for your own good, sometimes." He planted himself in a chair next to Abby. "Find out if your mom had them or not. If she did, there's not a whole lot you can do, but try drinking lots of water - which you should be doing anyway - and rubbing cocoa butter or olive oil on your stomach. It might not help, but it definitely won't hurt."
Abby looked up at Blaine. "Useful, isn't he?" she asked, cracking a smile.
"Always," he answered, grinning back at her.
"Are we all ready in here?" a voice asked from outside the door.
"Yeah," Abby answered.
"Okay, great!" The door opened and the ultrasound tech walked in, a pretty girl with smooth mocha-colored skin in turquoise scrubs. "I’m Macy - I’ll be doing your ultrasound today. Abby, right?" She nodded. "And who are these guys?"
"Blaine and Kurt," Abby answered, pointing at them respectively. "They’re adopting my baby."
"Nice to meet you guys!" Macy said, pressing buttons on the ultrasound machine. "Okay Abby, I'm going to squirt some of this gel on your belly. Be prepared, it's cold." Abby let out a sharp breath as the blue gel hit her skin.
"So what we’re looking for today is that all your baby’s organs are in the right place," Macy explained. "I’ll do some measurements to make sure that the baby’s growth is matching up with your dates. And then, if your baby decides to cooperate, we’ll see if you’re having a boy or a girl. Sound good?”
“Sounds good,” Abby parroted.
Macy placed the ultrasound wand on Abby’s stomach and moved it around a bit until the picture on the screen was clearer.
"Oh my god," Kurt breathed. "It actually looks like a baby."
Macy laughed. "Well, what did you think it would look like?"
She pointed out specific features, the baby’s nose, the baby’s arms and legs - "You can see its bones!" Abby had exclaimed upon seeing a tiny hand - and then stopped.
"Do you see that? The little fluttery movement? That's the baby’s heart," Macy told them, pushing a button on the ultrasound machine. All of a sudden they heard a whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
"Is that the heartbeat?" Blaine asked, awestruck.
"Yep. It’s strong and regular. That's good," Macy answered. Thin lines appeared on the screen, and Macy seemed to be taking pictures of them. "I’m just doing measurements right now," she explained.
They watched as she pointed out all the baby's internal organs, its heart, its kidneys, its brain, and Abby breathed slow and steady through it all.
“Everything’s matching up great," Macy finally said. "You’re right at nineteen weeks and three days and the baby’s growing well."
"So everything looks normal?" Kurt asked.
"Well, I can’t say anything official until the doctor reads it, but so far everything looks fine to me," Macy told him. "Now, the fun part - does everybody want to know the baby’s gender?"
All three of their heads bobbed in unison.
"Alright." Macy moved the wand to a different angle on Abby’s stomach. "See this picture? We're coming at the baby upwards from the bottom - there are three tiny little lines. Do you guys see them?" She made little arrows point to what she was talking about on the screen. Kurt and Blaine squinted and tilted their heads, trying to make sense of what they were looking at.
"Abby? Those three little lines mean that you're having a baby girl."
Time seemed to stop. Blaine felt like he was underwater, sounds swimming around his head. He could hear Abby repeating the word over and over, could see her pressing her hand into her gel-covered belly, could feel Kurt tugging on his hand. But in another part of his head, he saw pictures, visions of the future. He watched himself come home to Kurt and their daughter having a tea party, saw a bouncing purple tutu lit up by stage lights, felt a tiny body in his lap at the piano, chubby fingers plunking out an out-of-tune melody.
Kurt’s lips pressing against his brought him out of his daydream. "A girl, Blaine. Do you even realize the clothes I’m going to put her in?" Kurt exclaimed, beside himself with excitement.
Abby looked up at them, her smile happy, but her eyes sad. "Do you think she’ll look like me?" she asked in a quiet voice.
"Oh, Abby, I hope so," Blaine said softly, petting her hair. "She’ll be beautiful."
* * *
"No, absolutely not," Blaine laughed, pulling Kurt’s arm as he stopped to ogle the storefront window of a baby store called Giggle.
"But Blaine," Kurt whined, "it’s a special occasion …"
"No. We talked about this. We’re not buying anything yet."
"Oh come on," Kurt begged. "Just one little dress? Please?"
Blaine rolled his eyes. "I’m going to regret this later, but okay. One dress. That’s it, though."
Kurt squealed and grabbed Blaine’s hand, tugging him into the door.
* * *
"Why can I never say no to you?" Blaine grumbled as they juggled the bags in their arms.
"I’m irresistible," Kurt said seriously, then spotted their downstairs neighbors. "Hi, Mrs. Marshall! Noah, Gabe, how are you guys?"
"Good!" the boys sang out together.
"Well, well, well, somebody’s been on quite the shopping spree. Is that - baby stuff? Something you need to tell me?" Mrs. Marshall asked.
"We’re adopting a baby girl," Blaine beamed. "She’s due at the end of June."
Mrs. Marshall let out a squeal. "Oh my gosh, you guys - I'm so excited for you! She's going to be spoiled rotten."
"Obviously," Kurt said with a laugh, shifting the packages in his arms. "Come on, honey, let’s get this stuff upstairs."
Blaine shrugged his shoulders at Mrs. Marshall and her boys as he adjusted his own load and took off after Kurt, who was headed toward the elevator. He smiled to himself, comforted by the fact that he could follow Kurt anywhere and it would still be home.
* * *
Abby was standing at the stove stirring a pot of macaroni and cheese when she heard the door open.
"Mom! How was the merger?" she asked, looking up from the stove.
"Hi, honey," her mom said with a smile. "It went fine, thanks for asking. How'd the appointment go today?"
"Okay. Micah didn’t come."
Her mom frowned. "Why not?"
"We had a fight at school," she said, grabbing a bowl from the cupboard. "I kind of accused him of flirting with Kate."
"And was he flirting with Kate?" Holly asked neutrally as she spooned out a serving of mac and cheese for herself.
"I don’t know," Abby sighed, dramatically flopping into a chair at the kitchen table. "They were talking - I’m sure I just overreacted. Stupid hormones," she mumbled.
"Speaking of hormones, Abby …" her mom hinted.
"Oh!" she squealed. "Oh, right - Mom, it’s a girl!"
Her mother’s face broke into a grin and Abby stood up as her mom rushed toward her, enveloping her in a warm hug. "Oh sweetheart, that’s what you wanted, right? Did Kurt and Blaine get to come?"
Abby felt herself tearing up. "Yeah," she sniffled, "they were there. They’re so excited."
"Good, sweetie, I’m glad." Holly paused. "Are you okay?"
"I’m - it hurts, Mom," she said, her voice breaking. "I know I’m doing the right thing. I know I am. But seeing her on that screen … I don’t know, I just really wish I could keep her." Her mom led her to the couch, pulling her into another hug.
"Shhh," she soothed. "It’s okay sweetheart, shhhh."
As Abby’s tears subsided, her mom pulled back a little, looking in her eyes. "This is still what you want, right? You know Daddy and I will support you in whatever you want."
"No, no, I know that," she said. "I know she’ll have a better life with them. I’m trying to think about Columbia, and how awesome that will be. It’s just - hard, you know?" She grabbed a tissue from the box on the end table and dabbed at her eyes. "God, I’ve got to start wearing waterproof mascara."
Her mom laughed. "We'll get some for you tomorrow. Come here, sweetheart, give me a hug."
Abby allowed herself to be folded into her mother's arms like she had when she was small and fell down and skinned her knees.
"Mom?" she asked into her mom's wavy blonde hair. "Did you get stretch marks when you were pregnant with me?"
* * *
"I guess we should probably call people and let them know," Kurt said, surveying the mess that their workroom/nursery was quickly becoming.
"Oh, of course!" Blaine exclaimed. "God, how could I have forgotten that? I’m sorry -"
"Hey," Kurt said calmly, stepping into Blaine’s space. "Not an issue." He pressed a tender kiss to Blaine’s lips, picturing Blaine’s parents in their living room, sitting stiff and silent as Blaine’s dad read the paper and his mother worked a crossword. He couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if their phone rang with news of a grandchild.
Blaine pressed back, his love for Kurt evident in the pressure of his lips, the way his hands cupped Kurt's hipbones.
"Do you want to be the one to tell my dad?" Kurt asked when they broke apart.
Blaine’s brow immediately furrowed. "Are you sure?"
Kurt pressed his phone into Blaine’s hand in reply. "He’d love to hear it from you."
"Thank you," Blaine whispered reverently, as if Kurt had just given him a gift.
"I’ll go update my half of the mass-email list while you talk," Kurt said, unplugging his laptop and moving toward their bedroom. "Say hi for me, okay?"
Chapter 4