This one's for JessBakesCakes for the West Wing Fic Exchange Fall 2021. I was so excited to get to write for her, and knew this had to feature Josh's mom. In her honor, I'm using the name she always uses for Josh's mom in fics – Rachel. Hope you enjoy! I had a bit of writer's block halfway through and it started to go in its own direction so I hope it fulfills the prompt okay!
Work Text:
Josh remembers when his grandmother passed away. He was young, but it's one of the few childhood memories still plastered in his mind as clear as day – similar to the day that Joanie died and everything that came along with it – because he remembers seeing his mother cry. After Joanie died, seeing his mother cry became commonplace. But he remembers the first time, after his grandmother died, and how shocked he was to hear his mother cry.
But his clearest memory isn't of his actual grandmother passing away, it's of his mother looking at his grandmother's engagement ring as she settles it into a box.
"Why do you have grandma's ring?" Joanie asked, curiously, as she settled down on a chair at the kitchen table next to her mother.
"It's an heirloom. We'll save it," she said softly. "Who knows? Maybe Josh can propose with it one day."
Joanie, stubborn and inquisitive, frowned. "Why does Josh get it?" she demanded.
Rachel Lyman chuckled. "Well, Sweetheart, I was just assuming that your future husband will decide to propose and find your ring before he even knows this family heirloom exists."
Joanie continued. "Maybe I can tell him about it before he proposes, you know? Then he can ask you and Daddy for it when he asks your permission. He has to do that, doesn't he?"
Rachel laughed at her daughter, knowing she would be just the type to do such a thing. She knows the child can't imagine how life could be more complicated than that, can just imagine her letting every potential serious boyfriend know he's to ask for her family ring. "Okay, Sweetheart. Whoever gets married first can have it."
Joanie seemed satisfied with that and nodded.
Except, the Lyman family's history didn't pan out that way. Joanie would never be old enough to get married.
Their father, too, would be gone before seeing any of his children tie the knot.
February 1998
Josh listens to his mother prattle on about something his father has done (or rather, has not done), surprising even himself with his patience. He hasn't had a chance to speak to his mother in a while now, and so he feels he owes her a phone call where he's not completely distracted.
"How's the campaign?" Rachel finally asks. She knows once her son gets started, he won't stop – so she saves this topic of conversation for last.
"I got a new assistant," Josh says casually, mentioning the first thing that pops into his head. "Her name's Donna."
"Mmm," his mother says, and he can almost see the look on her face from the tone of her voice. "I know, Dear. She answered the phone when I called," she reminds him.
"She's from Wisconsin," Josh says, wondering even to himself why he's telling his mother this tidbit of information that she didn't ask for.
"Is she, now?" Rachel wonders, amusement in her voice. "That's nice." There's a long pause before she speaks again, unable to not impart some motherly wisdom. "Remember, this is politics. You can't go getting involved with your assistant."
"Mom," Josh grumbles. "I'm not - I just - why would you think that?"
"When have you ever told me where anyone you work with is from before?"
Josh sighs. "It was just a conversation starter."
"I ask how the campaign is going and the first thing you think to tell me is about your new assistant?"
Josh rolls his eyes, the earlier practice in patience quickly shriveling up. "Look, I should go - it's getting busy here." He looks around at the extremely quiet office and kicks his legs off his desk and moves some items around and ruffles some papers to make it sound like more is going on in the background.
"Sure," she laughs, knowing her son all too well. "Want me to get out your grandmother's ring for you?" she teases. His grandmother's ring was used to tease him in the classic, will you ever settle down and get married? manner that parents tend to use on their children. His parents seem to understand he's probably not going to get married and instead he's probably going to spend his life working away at politics, but the thought of grandchildren is still appealing to them. Sometimes he feels guilty that with Joanie gone, he's letting them down.
"Bye, Mom," Josh says quickly and hangs up the phone.
March 1998
"Hello, Josh Lyman's office," Donna chirps into the phone, even though they're not in his office, they're in a hotel.
"Donna, yes. Hello," the kind yet tired voice on the other end of the phone greets her. "I'm looking for Josh? It's his mother."
"Oh, Mrs. Lyman," Donna says, realizing she has no idea where Josh is at the moment. He's been all over the place in the past hour as it gets closer to the results coming in.
"Do you happen to know where Josh is?" she asks. Donna's a pretty good people person, and she can detect the elevated emotion in the woman's voice.
"I'm sorry, I don't know where he is at the moment," she says apologetically. "Can I take a message?" Rachel sighs and mumbles something. "Mrs. Lyman, is everything alright?"
She wonders if one day she might regret this, but she knows her son and she knows that tonight is the Illinois primary. She knows results are going to be called any minute and she knows that there's no way she'll get him on the phone anytime soon. She could play cat and mouse with him all night and to be quite honest, she doesn't have the energy for that because she has a million other things to deal with. So she decides to leave this extremely pleasant, kind, twenty-something with the news. She knows that it will probably break this woman to have to tell Josh this news, but she also feels like somehow, she knows that she can take care of Josh.
"Donna, can you just let him know that his father died?"
Donna isn't sure how to take this news, so she just nods – realizing later that Josh's mother couldn't see her – and hangs up.
She looks for Josh and she hears so much clamor and so much cheering that she figures that the results have just been called. Since everyone is cheering, she knows it has to be in the governor's favor - but that doesn't seem to matter now. It all seems trivial in the face of this news that she has somehow been given the task of presenting to Josh.
She finds him in the crowd and calls his name. He looks so happy – her suspicions confirmed that the governor has won – and he's grinning at her and he wants her to dance with him, something that the Donna who has been developing a little crush on him would have loved under better circumstances. Granted, she hasn't known the man long, but she has never seen him this happy and carefree. She suspects that it's not the norm. She feels incredibly guilty that she's going to be the one to bring his world down.
She has to stop him before he hits the makeshift dance floor where Sam and CJ are doing some kind of robot dance.
"No, Josh, your father died," she says and she watches his expression change, realizes she's just changed him forever.
It's about an hour later and Josh is rushing off to the airport. Donna has made herself useful by arranging his flights, making sure he has everything he needs, locating his suitcase, and making sure he has an appropriate suit to wear for his father's funeral.
"Your confirmation number," she tells him as she hands him a piece of paper. There's a long pause and she asks, "Are you going to be alright?"
Josh lets out a long sigh at that, and keeps his focus on the piece of paper, memorizing the numbers.
"Did you know my sister died when we were kids?" he asks Donna, knowing full well she doesn't know this. It's not something he shares with many people. He's only known her a little over a month but here he is already telling her his life's tragedies.
Her eyes go wide and she shakes her head. "No."
"She was just a kid."
"I'm… sorry," Donna says, unsure of what to say or what his sharing of this means. She wraps her arms around her waist, hugging herself.
"That was hard. I got through that. At least my dad got to live a full life."
Donna nods. "Yeah."
"I guess the thing is, now she's not alone," Josh sighs. "It almost feels like… a relief? That my sister isn't alone anymore and that my dad can finally be with her again. God, that sounds like a jackass thing to say."
Donna understands him and just nods, tears filling her eyes and she can see that his eyes mirror her own. She steps forward to give him a hug, which he returns tentatively. Neither one of them pull away as quickly as they probably should. It almost seems wrong to hug, but under the pretense of his father passing away no one could call it improper.
"Call me if you need anything," she says. They both know she means work – but really, she doesn't mean work.
He remembers his mother's little insinuation about his feelings for Donna when he first told her about his new assistant and he starts to wonder if she had a point.
But his mother was also right in that he couldn't do anything about it, anyway.
August 2000
"Donna?"
She looks up from her seat in the waiting room, having not moved in hours. She's been buried deep in her thoughts and looks up at the woman in front of her, squinting and trying to place her. She's definitely not a doctor or nurse. She feels this woman is familiar, but she's not sure who she is.
"Yes…?"
"Rachel. Lyman," the woman says softly.
"Oh!" Donna jumps up immediately and realizes this is Josh's mother and Josh is in surgery and it's serious and this is his mother and she's the one here who has a real reason to be upset, not her. She's Josh's assistant. She needs to take care of Josh's mother, as his assistant. "Mrs. Lyman, I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you…I…"
"That's okay, Dear, given we've never met before," Rachel teases gently, despite everything, and Donna marvels at her. Donna realizes, sadly, this is not her first time going through this. "Do you know anything about Josh? It was a madhouse trying to get in here, and I haven't seen a doctor."
"Yeah, umm…" Donna's unsure why she feels the need to impress Josh's mother, why she feels like she needs to come across as competent, poised, put together. "He's in surgery. It could be a while. They said it could take up to fourteen hours. But I'm sorry, that's all I really know." She instantly feels disappointed in herself because she should know more to tell Josh's mother.
Rachel nods and sits down next to Donna. "Okay."
Donna can't imagine what this woman must be feeling. She lost her daughter when she was still a child, lost her husband just a few years ago, and now her son is in an operating room with a gunshot wound to the chest. How could this woman be sitting here so calmly she might be about to lose the last of her family?
Donna feels tears in her eyes at the thought of that and quickly pushes it away. Josh will be fine.
Meanwhile, Rachel studies the woman next to her, her son's assistant. She'd teased him about her at first, but in the past year it's become more and more clear to her that Donna means something to Josh. But now as she watches Donna, eyes red from crying and staring off into space while pulling on the loose thread of her sweater, unraveling it, she realizes Josh means something to her, too.
When the doctor finally tells them they're allowed to see Josh, Donna jumps forward immediately, then steps back. She realizes instantly that his mother should be the one to go first, though she desperately wants to see Josh more than she's ever wanted – needed – anything.
"We can to together," Rachel tells her, looping an arm through hers. Donna notes that this is wrong, why is his mother taking care of her? Why is she the one falling apart when Josh is just her boss and he's this woman's son?
When they get to the room she notices Donna tense at how precarious the whole situation is, how fragile Josh looks. He's got his eyes closed, but when they open they zero right in on Donna.
"Hey," she says gently. "Hi," she repeats again.
"Hi," he replies back in a barely audible whisper.
Rachel watches the whole thing in surprise before Josh's eyes land on her and she can see the acknowledgement in his face.
"Hi, Honey," she says, taking his hand, assuring him he doesn't have to speak.
The doctors and nurses who come in assume correctly that Rachel is Josh's mother, but they also all seem to assume that Donna is his wife. Donna stops correcting them, afraid after a while that they will make her leave if they find out she's only his assistant. Rachel notices and observes the situation carefully.
When Josh falls asleep, the doctor pulls them aside. "I just wanted a moment with you both to talk about Josh's recovery."
Donna shifts nervously, knowing she should reveal herself now, that this was something she probably shouldn't be involved in. "Actually I'm-" she begins, but then feels an arm on her shoulder, stopping her. She looks to Josh's mother who just gives her a nod.
"Recovery is going to be a bit tough. Josh is going to need physical therapy regularly, and he won't be able to work for at least six weeks. Maybe longer, depending. I assume one or both of you will be there to care for him at home? He's going to need someone with him most of the time which may be hard if you have to work. In that case we can also provide a list of home nurses to help out."
Donna's head is spinning, this whole day too much for her. She had thought Josh being in surgery was the worst of it, that once he got out everything was going to be okay. But now the recovery seems just as scary and daunting as the rest of it.
"I…" Rachel says. "We will discuss, but please do provide us with the list of nurses."
The doctor nods and leaves the room.
"I can help," Donna says immediately. "I mean, I know Josh pretty well. He gets irritated with most people, but not really me. I mean, sometimes. But I'm his assistant so I can bring his work to him, stay with him in the daytime. I know he's not going to be able to stop working altogether for two months. I can probably keep him from overworking. Well, try at least."
Rachel laughs, knowing that much is true. "Yes."
"Of course, if you'd rather-"
Rachel knows she could stay in DC for a few months and help Josh. She's retired, after all, it's not like she has a job that she can't leave. But as she looks into Donna's eyes, into her panicked expression, she understands it all. She understands she has just as many feelings for Josh as he does for her, and she understands that neither of them are going to act on their feelings because of their jobs.
Instead, she mumbles an excuse about how she can stay for a while but not the long term. For some reason she feels like she needs to let Donna have this.
It seems completely crazy, letting her son's assistant be the one to help him recover from a life-threatening injury, but she can see these two care deeply about each other and can't do much about it.
December 2005
"Hi, Mom."
"What did you do to Donna?" she asks right away, and Josh groans inwardly – maybe a little outwardly, too. Donna. The last thing he wants to think about is Donna Moss. He figures, though, that he might as well rip the band aid off, get this over with.
"Donna quit," he says curtly. He hopes his tone of voice will keep his mother from asking any more questions.
He should have known better.
"Yes, I gathered that when Marla answered the phone. I asked her where Donna was-"
"Why are you doing that?" Josh grumbles, irritated she's already referring to Marla as if she knows her personally. "You shouldn't be talking to her about that."
"What did you do to Donna?" his mother asks again.
"I didn't do – " he starts to say, but he's still not really sure if he did something to piss her off, like Leo had asked. "She wanted to do more. She's moving on."
"You need to apologize to her," his mother says with that same tone of voice she used to use on him when he was a child, memories of him telling him to apologize to Joanie suddenly popping into his mind.
"And don't go making friends with Marla," Josh adds, ignoring his mother, though he's pretty sure Marla won't be trying to make friends with his mother (or anyone for that matter), either.
"You sure that ring won't help solve this?" Rachel half teases, half bluntly nudges her son to think about whatever feelings he really has for his now former assistant, as she can tell he's more upset about this than he would be if she was really just an assistant. After all, Donna has quit now – what's to stop him from going after her now, other than him being Josh? "Maybe now's the time to tell her how you-"
"I have to go," Josh says so quietly that it takes his mother aback for a moment.
He hangs up the phone without another word and grumbles when it won't fit in the receiver properly. Why would she bring up the ring he wonders. Now is not the time for teasing him about whatever she thinks she knows about him and Donna. Not now, when Donna just left, how –
How for a split second he thinks if maybe it could be the answer.
February 2006
Josh hasn't had much time to reach out to his mother the past few months, or to even take a call from her. This whole thing with Matt Santos has consumed his whole life and he figures his mother understands. It's not much different than when the White House was consuming his whole life. The only difference now is there's no Donna, no one to take his mother's calls and leave him messages, no one to remind him to return calls or to book flights to go see her even when he doesn't ask.
His mother catches him late one night while he's awake in his hotel, still contemplating the debate situation. She listens politely as he explains the whole situation to her, though they both know she won't have any political advice. She does have something to add, however.
"Did I see Donna on CNN fighting with a chicken?"
The absurdity of the whole thing finally catches up to Josh, and hearing his mother say it like that he finally lets out a laugh.
"Yeah."
He wishes things had gone differently, that he and Donna could laugh about this chicken thing together, or that she was on the Santos campaign all along and they were laughing at someone else who got into a fight with a chicken on national TV because of their scheme, together.
Rachel notes how he laughs at her out of fondness but she is careful with her words about Donna now, so she says no more.
Election Day 2006
"Did you vote?"
"Good morning to you, too, my dear son. So nice to hear from you."
Josh sighs. "Hi, Mom. Did you vote?"
"Of course I voted, Joshua. Do you think I'm a total schmuck? My son would have my head."
He's way, way, too keyed up for banter with his mom today. "What was the line like?"
"Well, Ida Ellesworth was there, which let me tell you – that's something in and of its own. I don't think that woman has ever voted in her life. Although I can't tell you if she voted for Santos or Vinick. I think she's Republican."
"Mom-"
"I waited ten minutes. When I left it was around the corner, maybe a fifteen-minute wait. But I went in the middle of the day." After so many elections, she knows the facts to give her son. "Weather is good. 70 degrees and sunny."
"Yeah. Okay." He's still distracted by everything that has taken place in the last twelve hours. "Tell everyone there to vote, okay?"
It's like his mother knows. "How's Donna?"
Of course. It seems to always come back to Donna with his mother.
"Donna?" his voice reaches that high octave and his mother notices. "Why do you ask? I don't know. I haven't seen Donna in-" He knows exactly the last time he saw Donna. This morning, in his hotel room. Then just now, in the hallway babbling about the walk of shame.
"She's on the campaign with you now."
"Yeah," Josh agrees. He wants to keep this light before his mom makes him say something he shouldn't.
"I saw her on TV yesterday, speaking about Congressman Santos."
"Yeah," Josh says again. He's not sure he can think much about Donna right now, not after last night.
"You don't let her slip away again," his mother chides and he grumbles something before asking her more questions about her friends' voting habits.
He rubs his temples and thinks about his mother's words. Everything has been weird today. He keeps fumbling things up. This morning, when they woke up. In the hallway, talking about the walk of shame. He's not sure where Donna's mind is, but he's still sure she was trying to sneak out this morning. Who could blame her, really? It was awkward.
He decides he should give her some space and let her process everything. Maybe some space will be good because then he won't keep saying idiotic things that will definitely make her run the other way.
Late November 2006
"The paper says it's 46 degrees in DC today," Donna muses as she and Josh sit on the beach in the Hawaiian sun. "Hard to imagine right now."
"Mmm," Josh agrees, never opening his eyes.
"It will be hard to go back to that, from this."
Josh laughs and opens his eyes to look at her. "Coming from the woman who didn't even bring a coat, yeah."
Donna bites her lip. "I was just thinking about Hawaii. I didn't think about the return trip. Anyway, you gave me very little time to plan and pack. I'm usually a lot more organized than this. Besides," she gives him a sideways glance and a small smirk, "you said I wouldn't need very many clothes."
Josh grins. He likes this new game that they play. They used to flirt, sometimes a little too much, but they knew it wouldn't go anywhere. Then they just argued for a while there, on the campaign trail. Now it's fun again and full of so much more potential.
"You don't," he agrees. "In fact we can go back to the room right now and get rid of-"
"Josh," she laughs. "This is the first time we got out of the room in two days."
"And for good reason."
"What's going to happen when we get home," she blurts out suddenly.
The silence hangs between them. "I…" Josh begins. He isn't sure, to be completely honest. "It's going to be different than here," he admits.
Donna nods. "Yeah. Back to the long hours."
"Everyone's going to be in our business once they find out."
"It won't be as easy."
"Move in with me."
He's been thinking about it this whole trip – he knows they're moving fast but really, it's been years. He can't think of anything that makes more sense. She doesn't even have an apartment. This way they can at least see each other somewhat regularly even when they have long hours at work. And after a week in Hawaii he can't imagine not waking up with her every day, being with her all the time.
She quirks an eyebrow at him. "Are you serious?"
"I know it sounds crazy," he agrees. "But I've never been more sure of anything."
When they return home, they go straight to Josh's apartment. Donna isn't sure if CJ really has put all this together but she's sure that when she goes to fetch her things there will also be a long conversation to be had, and she's too tired for that today.
Josh finds a message from his mom on his answering machine so while Donna showers, he calls her back.
"You go to Hawaii and you don't even bother to tell your mother?"
Josh grimaces as he holds the phone away from his ear. "Mom-"
"What were you doing in Hawaii, anyway?" she's puzzled, because she knows her son. "I would think you have a million things to be doing now that you're about to become chief of staff." Even though she knows it means she will probably hear from Josh even less than she used to, her voice is filled with pride.
"I took some time off. I needed to clear my head after the election," he tells her. Of course, he leaves out the near breakdown, the yelling at Otto, and Sam forcing him to go on vacation with an ultimatum. Then he adds the zinger. "So I went with Donna."
The line is silent for a long moment, and Josh begins to wonder if the connection is lost. He is pretty sure this is the longest his mother has been silent about anything, ever.
"Donna," she finally repeats.
"Yes," Josh says with a small smirk.
"For work?" Rachel asks.
"No."
His mother is silent for a long time again.
"Well."
"That's all you have to say?" he teases.
"What can I say? I'm verklempt."
"Okay," Josh laughs.
"Joshua," she says in that tone that he understands means she's serious. He doesn't say anything, just listens. "Is this serious?"
Donna's across the room now and he's watching her as she rifles through her suitcase. He answers easily. "Yes."
"Don't schmutz it up."
That's the part he's afraid of sometimes. "I won't," he promises her, and himself, anyway.
"You let me know when you want that ring now," Rachel teases, her way of saying I told you so. She expects Josh to grumble at her and hang up.
"I will," Josh replies, leaving his mother surprised.
November 2007
His mother comes to DC for Thanksgiving, mostly Donna's doing. She just informed him one night that his mother was coming and they needed to clean the apartment.
Donna decides she's going to cook and she spends the whole morning in agony, trying to prepare the turkey. She feels like she should know how to do this – she's in her thirties, after all – and she should be a better host, because her boyfriend's mother is there and just sitting on the couch.
"I'm sorry about Josh," Donna yells from the kitchen. "He wasn't supposed to work today," she apologizes. "He went into the situation room and-"
Rachel laughs. "No need to apologize for Joshua," she says. "I know my son."
"It really wasn't his fault," Donna insists.
"Tell me," Rachel changes the subject. "How do you like your new job?"
"Oh," Donna beams, relief at the subject changing to something she can easily prattle on about. "It's amazing. I love it. It was hard at first, but it's been almost a year now and I finally feel like I know what I'm doing."
Rachel nods and smiles. She knows Josh has had feelings for this woman for a long time. She's teased him about it often, but now she can see the love of politics in Donna's eyes and she knows they truly are made for each other.
Josh arrives home, apologetic, and he really seems to mean it – really seems regretful that work had to take him away from family, which is something his mother is not used to. After dinner, Donna disappears to the kitchen to get them coffee. When she's gone, Josh turns to his mother.
"Okay," he tells her quietly.
"Okay?" she echoes, confused.
"I want the ring," he tells her simply and his mother beams.
"Oh!" she gasps. Josh can't help but grin and laugh and his mother's delight.
Suddenly, he sees her whole life changing, too. So many years ago she had the perfect family – the doting husband, two kids- a girl and a boy. She was on the PTA and she had a book club with her friends every Tuesday night. Then Joanie died and everything changed. She stopped going to PTA meetings, because she couldn't take the way the parents of Joanie's friends and Joanie's teachers looked at her. She stopped hanging out with her own friends, because they always looked guilty when their own kids walked into the room. No one knew how to talk to her anymore. She grieved and moved on as much as any of the family did. Josh went away to college and then got into politics and they didn't see too much of him, but she and Noah had their own little life going back in Connecticut.
Then she lost her husband, and spent the next near decade pretty much alone, on her own. She moved to Florida so she didn't have to worry about shoveling snow and keeping up with the house all on her own. She also wanted to escape all the sad faces that greeted her, the ones that had finally gotten over her losing her daughter now unsure how to approach her, again. Maybe they could know better how to approach a woman who lost her husband more so than a woman who lost her child, but no one knew how to approach a woman who had been dealt such a tragic hand she lost both too early. Josh felt guilty about how often he skipped vacations and visits and holidays, forgetting his own mother had even moved at one point. She had gone from a woman with a perfect little family to being all on her own.
Now suddenly there was a vision of a daughter-in-law and grandkids in the future, something he'd basically told her not to count on many years ago.
"Don't tell Donna," he warns her. "I don't know when I'm going to do it, or how, so just don't say anything."
"I'm not a total Yenta," Rachel says as Donna walks into the room and they both go quiet.
"What?" Donna asks, concerned. "Was it the turkey?"
February 2008
He's gone over this proposal thing a hundred different ways. Sam's the only one who knows about it. And his mom, technically. Sam has all these grand ideas about how he could do it, but Josh brushes them all off.
He had the idea to do it in France, when they went for a work trip. Then he decided against it because it seemed so cliché and because their colleagues, including their bosses, would be there.
He had the idea to do a romantic dinner, but that seemed even more cliché than France.
He almost did it spur of the moment one rainy day in their apartment, but that seemed not cliché enough.
Maybe he could do it at the Bartlet farm, if they could ever get up there.
Planning anything and expecting it to go according to plan with his job was easier said than done. Planning anything had to be done with the expectation it could be put off if he got called into the situation room.
He's carrying the ring around with him in his backpack now, just in case the perfect opportunity presents itself.
Then it happens.
It's not at all what he planned. It was a mess. They are taking a walk during their lunch breaks (a rare thing, these days, to get a lunch break, let alone at the same time). He doesn't have the ring. They're in public. His secret service detail is there, watching the whole thing. He almost thinks it would've been better to do it out of the blue in their apartment on that rainy day then now, with all this chaos, but he can't help it.
It's still chilly – but surprisingly warm for a winter's day in DC. She's got on her big coat and her hands are shoved into her pockets. The breeze has her hair blowing into her face and her cheeks are flushed from the cold.
She's talking about the first lady's newest initiative and how she plans to get it passed and that's attractive enough but then she smiles at him and starts talking about some inane trivia fact that no one else on this Earth would know and he can't wait another moment.
He has a flashback to her all those years ago on the first Bartlet campaign. She was younger then, obviously, and so much less confident. Back then she'd had to trick him into hiring her and here she was a political force in her own right. She's grown older in the almost decade that they've known each other – they both have – but she's even more beautiful now than she was then.
The inane trivia thing is still the same, though.
He's hit with nostalgia at how far they've come, how lucky he is to finally be with her, how happy she makes him.
He stops, causing her to stop, causing their agents to stop. He notices someone across the street pointing at him, presumably recognizing him. He gets recognized a lot more now as chief of staff than he ever did as deputy, especially after the campaign.
"Donna?"
"Hmm?" she says casually, unaware that her world is about to change.
"Marry me."
Her eyes widen in shock. At least he pulled the element of surprise off. "What?" she whispers, unsure if he's being serious or silly. "Are you-"
"I'm serious," he says. "I'm sorry, this should have been planned better and I don't even have the ring – I mean, I have it, just not here - but I just can't wait another minute to ask you."
Her eyes widen even more. "You have a ring?" she asks, suddenly realizing that this was a pre-meditated decision.
"Yeah. Not here," he repeats.
"You bought a ring?"
"No," he clarifies, still babbling. "It was my grandmother's. I got it from my mom after Thanksgiving." Now she's crying and he's not sure if it's because this proposal is such a mess or what, and she still hasn't answered his question. "What? I'm sorry. I can redo this-"
"Yes," she says simply. "Of course. Yes."
They're standing in the cold but unseasonably warm DC winter's day and he kisses her for everyone to see. He won't be surprised (or mad, even) if it shows up in the newspaper. They stand there hugging for what seems to be way too long, and she remembers the first time they hugged and how it felt so forbidden.
When they get back to the office no one knows what's happened, how their whole relationship has changed. There's no ring on her finger to give it away yet. Everyone is still working and rushing up to them with work demands, no one the wiser. He's swept away almost instantly when they set their feet back in the White House.
He walks to her office later that evening, most everyone gone for the night. He assumes she's been done working for a while now but he knows she is hanging back waiting for him.
"Hey," he grins, leaning on her doorframe.
"Hi," she smiles at him, standing up from behind her desk.
"Weird day," he notes.
She laughs and shakes her head. "It was a good day."
He pushes off the doorframe, drops his backpack on a chair and as he gets closer, she notices now that he has a small box in his hands. "I told you I had a ring," he teases, popping the box open. "I wasn't prepared to propose on the street, but I was prepared to propose."
She steps forward and gasps. "It's gorgeous."
"So is it still a yes?" he asks and she laughs.
"Still a yes," she agrees. He takes her hand and gently slides the ring on. He wonders if he could've planned anything less romantic, getting engaged on the street and giving her a ring in her office at her place of work hours later, but then again – getting engaged at the White House is most definitely them. She looks at the ring and she's teary again. "I can't believe this is a family heirloom." Now he starts to understand why she started crying when he told her it was his grandmother's ring.
"Yeah. My mom's been throwing it in my face for years," he says. Without thinking he adds, "She's been asking me if I wanted it for you since the day I told her I had a new assistant."
"What?!" she exclaims, laughing. "I guess we… didn't fool anyone."
"I remember when my grandmother died and my mom put it away. Joanie was mad that Mom said she was saving it for me, so Mom told her whoever got married first could have it."
"Oh," Donna says softly. She holds out her hand and admires the ring. She's known Josh many years, and she's surprised to find he's got a family heirloom ring to propose to her with because it's not something that seems inherently Josh.
This means his mother knew he was going to propose to her. This means his mother approves. This ring has been in his family for many years. This ring was saved for her. His sister admired this ring. Somehow it makes it special, knowing she can never meet his sister, to have this ring that she once looked at, desired, like they're connected somehow.
"I love you," he tells her.
"I love you too," she agrees. "Let's go home and call your mom."
Josh frowns. "I had another idea of something we could do at home."
Donna laughs. "We're calling your mom first."
"This is how our life is going to be now, isn't it?"
"Josh. This is how our life always was since day one," she jokes.
He pulls her close, wrapping an arm around her and kisses her on the head. "Yeah, okay. Let's go home and call my mom."