The Stars in the Sky
"Praying is not wishing."
Kurt is sitting on his bed, his tiny hands claps-ed so tightly together that it hurts. He’s praying. To whom, he has no clue but all he knows is that he’s praying for something pretty good so it had better come true. And Daddy has talked to him about this before. ‘Praying is not wishing’. Except he’s always heard if you wish hard enough, maybe it’ll happen. And Uncle always said to pray really hard because if you assert all your well being into one single prayer, karma will love you. Kurt doesn’t really know who this Karma person is and he’s not sure that he wants a stranger loving him.
“Hey bud.”
Kurt glances up, popping an eye open. He shoos his father away with one hand and goes right back to muttering his prayers. And when he’s done, he plops onto his bed and smiles at his daddy as the man tucks him in.
“What did you pray for honey?”
Kurt lets out a laugh because, “Daddy, I can’t tell you or it won’t come true.”
Mr. Hummel sighs.
“Kurt, praying is not wishing. I’ve told you this before.”
So Kurt purses his lips and hangs his head down, smiling a bit as his dad kisses the top of it.
“You don’t have to tell me what you prayed for.” He smooths the blanket and stands near the door way, “Good ni-“
“Mommy.” the boy splutters out.
“Excuse me?” Burt says.
“I prayed about mommy. I prayed that she would come home.”
And then the man’s eyes soften and he bites his lip a little, hesitating in the door way.
“I thought maybe that praying would work instead of just hoping.”
So then Burt is sitting next to Kurt and hugging his boy.
“Kurt, I’m so sorry.” he mumbles into his son’s hair.
And then Kurt is crying because, “Why are you crying daddy?”
Mr. Hummel kisses Kurt’s forehead and pulls him closer.
“Your mommy is in the sky now.”
Kurt wrinkles his nose and wipes his tears off with his sleeve.
“Why is she up there?”
Everything is so confusing and Kurt just wishes they could go back and be a family again like they were when he was in Pre-School.
“The brightest stars in the sky are the souls of those who loved you most.” Burt says and Kurt has this look on his face, like he’d cry again any moment.
“Mommy loved me, right?”
Mr. Hummel nods his head and drapes the blanket over Kurt again.
“She loved you very much.”
“Good because I loved her too.”
Kurt falls asleep that night. He doesn’t pray anymore. He wishes on stars because his mommy is up there and she loved him and that’s all that matters.
“Hey bud.”
Kurt glances up, popping an eye open. He shoos his father away with one hand and goes right back to muttering his prayers. And when he’s done, he plops onto his bed and smiles at his daddy as the man tucks him in.
“What did you pray for honey?”
Kurt lets out a laugh because, “Daddy, I can’t tell you or it won’t come true.”
Mr. Hummel sighs.
“Kurt, praying is not wishing. I’ve told you this before.”
So Kurt purses his lips and hangs his head down, smiling a bit as his dad kisses the top of it.
“You don’t have to tell me what you prayed for.” He smooths the blanket and stands near the door way, “Good ni-“
“Mommy.” the boy splutters out.
“Excuse me?” Burt says.
“I prayed about mommy. I prayed that she would come home.”
And then the man’s eyes soften and he bites his lip a little, hesitating in the door way.
“I thought maybe that praying would work instead of just hoping.”
So then Burt is sitting next to Kurt and hugging his boy.
“Kurt, I’m so sorry.” he mumbles into his son’s hair.
And then Kurt is crying because, “Why are you crying daddy?”
Mr. Hummel kisses Kurt’s forehead and pulls him closer.
“Your mommy is in the sky now.”
Kurt wrinkles his nose and wipes his tears off with his sleeve.
“Why is she up there?”
Everything is so confusing and Kurt just wishes they could go back and be a family again like they were when he was in Pre-School.
“The brightest stars in the sky are the souls of those who loved you most.” Burt says and Kurt has this look on his face, like he’d cry again any moment.
“Mommy loved me, right?”
Mr. Hummel nods his head and drapes the blanket over Kurt again.
“She loved you very much.”
“Good because I loved her too.”
Kurt falls asleep that night. He doesn’t pray anymore. He wishes on stars because his mommy is up there and she loved him and that’s all that matters.