Chapter-4- Welcome to the world

October, 2008

It was officially 2 days after her due date now. Donna was getting extremely uncomfortable and restless. She was so snappy that Harvey had asked her to start her maternity leave right away.

So here she was, alone in her apartment, on a Tuesday afternoon, in a pool of tears waiting for her water to break. She had put on Friends in order to lighten her mood and had stumbled upon the episode where 'Rachel was late'. In a way she could relate to Rachel. They were in a similar situation. Except in her case, her lobster wasn't the father of her child.

Over the past nine months, everyone had been extremely supportive and the months had sailed rather smoothly than she had expected. (Except for her miscarriage scare and that god awful rumour about Harvey and her).
She had also found out that she was expecting a baby girl.

She had initially thought that she did not want to know the sex of the baby until the baby was born. However, she had crossed the kids section in the mall when she was there buying some maternity clothes with Rachel that she realised she could not keep be oblivious about the sex of the baby anymore. Hence, she immediately dialled her obgyn's number and asked her. On getting to know the information, she had rushed to the kids section and bought a dozen baby garments for a little girl.

She was seven months pregnant and it was a Saturday, when she heard knocks on the door. She knew from the sound of the knocks who it was. In four years of them being together Harvey had been to her place exactly twice, but now once he found out she was pregnant he had been to her place so many times. She didn't mind it at all. In fact on the contrary she quite liked it.

She knew why he was here. Earlier this week, he had sent a guy for baby proofing her apartment and fixing the crib and other essentials for the nursery. He wanted to see it for himself that the guy did the good job or not. Although Donna had already told him she could have handled it on her own, he didn't listen. He did not want her to worry about these things.

"So, I guess the place looks good. Roger did well. I think I will tip him extra" Harvey stated. "Harvey, you don't have to pay him. I will pay him, myself" "Donna, this is the least I can do for you. Please just let me help" she knew she had already lost the battle on this one with Harvey. "Thank you Harvey!" She gave him a sincere smile. "Also, it's Saturday night. Don't you have a date with that Nadia girl?" "How do you even know about Nadia?" He questioned but then continued "You know what I am not even going to ask. Anyways, Nadia is out of the picture. She was super hot but we had no spark" "This is literally your answer for every girl Harvey." Harvey rolled his eyes.

They sat there in a comfortable silence eating Chunky Monkey when she asked him abruptly, "Do you ever want a family?" Harvey was taken aback by her directness but answered nevertheless. "I've a family Donna. Marcus, Katie, their kids, you, Jessica, heck even Louis and now this little girl" he says while lightly touching her belly. "You know what I mean Harvey" she gives him a side glance. "Well, after my parents' divorce and the whole fiasco with my mother. I don't see myself having any of that. Caring only makes you week. They think you care and then they walk all over you" he states. "But you do Harvey, you do care. You've been so good to me these past few months. Everything would have been impossible without you." "Well, like I said, you're an exception to the rule. Now are watching Top Gun or what?" And just like that Donna lets go of the conversation and doesn't bring it up again. He wasn't ready. She also completely denied the fact that whenever he said something in the lines of her being 'different' there were butterflies in her stomach. Perhaps she wasn't ready as well.

PRESENT TIME

She was eating chillies just like the doctor had instructed her when she felt her water break. She had promised Harvey and Rachel that she was going to ping them as and when her water broke so she did. Except Harvey didn't pick up. Apparently he was in court but Rachel did. Rachel immediately left work and headed to the hospital.

Donna had arrived at the hospital by herself. She was extremely nervous and an emotional mess. Her contractions had started. It was then that she found Rachel there and she rushed towards Donna and hugged her. "Oh gosh, Rach I am so scared! It's happening." "I'm here for you Don. We all are. Also, your mother called, she is on her way. She will reach in a few hours." She was in her room and the doctor had told her it would be an hour or so more before she was ready to deliver the baby.

Rachel was beside her. "You can go back to work Rach. I don't know how much longer I will be here" "Rubbish! I'm not going anywhere till you give birth. Also, have you decided the name yet?" "Ava Elizabeth Paulsen" she said. "Oh my god! Donna! That's a beautiful name." She beamed at her. "Ouch! These contractions really hurt now" Donna exclaimed.

Harvey had been in court all day and his phone had been on silent. The situation with the client had gotten completely out of hand. It was around 7 pm in the evening that he checked his phone. There were two missed calls from Donna and a message from an unknown number (from Rachel) saying that Donna had gone into labour. Holy crap! Remorse filled him. He had promised her that he would accompany her to the hospital and would be there for her. She had probably already delivered the baby by now.

He reached the hospital by 8 pm courtesy, New York traffic. "I'm sorry sir, visiting hours are over." The receptionist said. But he sweet talked his way (she couldn't resist the Specter charm) and was eventually allowed to her for fifteen minutes. He rushed to her assigned room where he encountered Donna's mother. She smiled at him and he gave her a big bear hug. "She is nursing little Ava at the moment. She is just gorgeous Harvey" exclaimed Donna's mother with tears in her eyes!

Harvey knocked at the door and had the biggest smile plastered on his face. Donna had apparently finished nursing and she looked up to see him. He looked dishevelled yet devilishly handsome. He also had a bouquet of her favourite white Lilies in his hand. "I'm so so so sorry. My phone was on silent and I was in court. I came as soon as I saw the message" he said while placing the flowers on the table beside her. "Its fine, Harvey, I don't care because right now I just have the most precious little thing in the world" she said while looking at the infant. "Can I hold her?" Harvey asked her and took the baby in his arms. "Welcome to the world! Little Ava. You may not have a father but you'll always have your uncle Harvey at every step of the way." After he said that he looked Donna in the eyes and they both smiled at each other with tears in both their eyes.

Outside, Donna's mother her seen the whole encounter and wondered if her daughter had feelings for her boss after all. She liked Harvey and after seeing her with Ava she liked him even more. But that was a conversation for another time.