She should be sleeping right now, catching up on the hours she missed because of the extended surgery she did earlier this morning. But instead she sits on the bed, her back against the headboard as she holds the phone against her ear.
She managed a quick greeting with her daughter earlier before leaving her with her dad as she disappeared into her room. She changed out of her scrubs and settled under the covers waiting for sleep to come. But it never did. And that's when she decided to finally give her best friend a call.
"Donna…" She catches the playful intonation in her bestfriend's voice. She can imagine the smirk plastered on the brunette's face already. She knows something, she thinks.
"How's Chicago? How's your breakfast date?" Rachel cuts to the chase. Straightforwardness is one of the many qualities Donna likes about her best friend, now she doesn't know if that's still the case.
"My what?!" She asks, choking on the words.
"I called your landline earlier assuming you were already home but Avery answered and said you're still out having breakfast… with Harvey!" Rachel emphasized the name. She called Donna to check how her goddaughter is doing, only to find out that she's staying at home on her own because her parents haven't gone back yet.
"It wasn't a date," Donna tries to explain. "It's just breakfast."
"With Harvey." Her best friend points out once more.
The redhead sighs on the other end of the phone. "Look, Rachel. He picked me up from the hospital because Avery was worried I wasn't home on time."
The brunette chuckles at Donna's dismissal about the breakfast being a date. "Then to what do I owe the pleasure of this call from the busiest doctor in Chicago?"
"It's well… I uhm." Donna stops for a second, caught off-guard realizing that the reason she's calling is because of her breakfast-but-not-a-date with Harvey.
"Harvey. Got it!"
"Rach." She whines.
"Okay, okay I'll stop. But how was it? Just the two of you." Rachel asks, this time concern and seriousness mixing in her tone. "I mean you haven't seen each other for two years."
She sighs because it's true. She and Harvey haven't seen each other in two years but these past two days have already caused her to spiral in more ways than one. They've been apart for a while but the moment they got back in each other's spaces, it's like no time has passed and the distance between them has never existed. And it makes her wonder, has anything really changed?
"Do you know if he's seeing someone?" She blurts out. It's the question that's been sitting in her mind since they left the diner.
She hears the audible gasp of her friend from the other end of the line. "What?" The brunette asks in shock. "Where is this coming from?"
"I just…" She pauses. They've been separated for years albeit not legally, choosing to end their relationship when it stopped working for the both of them. But they never did discuss if they were open to being with other people, casual dating or a bit more. Maybe, unconsciously, they felt that no one else could come close to the great love that they had.
"He was texting with someone earlier while we were at the diner."
"And it bothered you?" Her friend inquires.
"For a moment, yeah." She takes a deep breath before continuing, her voice now low as if she's shy to say the next few words. "Until he told me that it was just Avery he was talking to."
"Now you're thinking why you felt like that."
"Because I thought it was someone else." She counters, then proceeding to explain in a hurried manner, almost running out of breath as she lets the words exit her mouth. "Obviously, he's single and he can date and go out if he wants to. We're no longer together and I know I don't have the right anymore," she pauses and continues in a whisper. "But I just want to know. Is he? With someone right now?"
"Donna…"
"Just tell me."
"He isn't. He hasn't gone out with anyone, hasn't seen anyone. At least none that I know of. But if he did, Mike would know and he'd for sure tell me about it. But we haven't heard anything, Donna. He's focused on work and making sure that he finds the time to see his daughter whenever he can. He only has his eyes on Avery. And you. No one else."
"Me?"
"I'm surprised your pictures haven't melted in his office just yet. That's all he looks at when he's on call with Avery."
"Oh." She's speechless because she does the same when she's just in her office. She would scroll through her phone gallery, reminiscing their moments as family or just as a couple. That or she'll stare blankly at Harvey's name from the contact list while having an internal debate whether she should call him or not. What would she even say?
"So, no, Donna. He isn't seeing anyone. How about you?"
"I'm not. You know this."
"Okay then tell me why haven't you dated anyone?"
Silence. The question was met with silence because it got her thinking. Donna is undeniably beautiful, no one can argue with that. But she's also intelligent and hardworking, an incredible surgeon that people look up to. And best of all, she's a kind person, someone with a heart of gold that gets along well not just with her team but also with the rest of the staff in the hospital. So, it shouldn't be a surprise to find a long list of gentlemen, and ladies too, wanting to ask her out. They all tried, for a quick coffee run or a casual meal, but none of them succeeded. None of them heard her say yes to any invitation.
She says it's not because she's not interested in them. She just thinks it's something she can't fit in her schedule. Not when her daughter and her career are her top priorities. That's why she replies, "I'm the head of transplant surgery. Do you really think I have time to meet anyone?"
"And yet it only took Harvey two days. He asked you to have breakfast after your shift and you said yes right away…"
"It was nothing but two adults letting the rush hour pass." She exhales sharply. "And I know nothing will happen. He's just here for Avery."
"From the tone of your voice, it seems like you want something to happen, Avery aside. Because I really didn't expect to talk about Harvey with you this soon. I mean he's only been there for two days!"
"I don't know, Rach. Even if something happens and I'm not saying that there will be. Our worlds are different. His life is in New York and mine's in Chicago."
"You're wrong. His life is there in Chicago." Rachel mumbles. "Look Donna, all I'm saying is that there's a way for you to work it out."
"What?" She laughs bitterly. "Long distance relationship? Because believe me we tried that. And yet here we are."
"I don't know, Donna. I'm sure you could figure something out. Because you two were the lucky ones who have found their soulmates. Not everyone does."
The call ends and she's left with her thoughts yet again. Sleep far from her mind and the rest she needs now out of reach. She's still fidgeting with the phone in her hands when the door slowly opens, the intruder obviously trying his best to not create any noise as he steps into the room.
"Hey," Harvey greets. "Thought you were sleeping?" He walks towards her side of the bed.
She straightens herself up and looks at him. "Can't sleep."
"Oh, do you want your tea? I can make one for you. To help you fall asleep." He offers, heels already turning towards the door.
She smiles, heart fluttering at his thoughtfulness. And the fact that he remembers what helps her sleep. She stands up and stops him from leaving. "It's okay, I'm not working tonight. I'm switching to the morning shift starting tomorrow."
He turned around and didn't expect to find her standing inches away from him. "Oh." He's distracted by her scent and the pink of her lips. He clears his throat as he regains control of himself. "Well if that's the case, feel free to join us. Avery and I are watching a movie."
She accepts the invitation and excuses herself to use the washroom first. She walks past him and tells him, "First drawer on my bedside table," before closing the washroom door behind her. Leaving him dumbfounded.
"What?" His brows furrow as he reaches over the first drawer and finds the cellphone charger. What he came in the room for in the first place which already slipped his mind. He didn't even ask but he's glad she can still read him well enough just like the old times. He still wonders how she does that.
Donna meets Harvey and Avery in the living room. Both are sitting comfortably at each end of the couch, leaving the middle section for her. Her daughter pats down the cushion, eager to start the movie. She groans in complaint when she sees the title of the movie. "Not this again!" An action movie they've seen a million times. One that Harvey and Avery love so much.
"Sorry mom. Majority wins. Right, Dad?" Avery quips.
She had no choice but to sit back and relax. And occasionally roll her eyes as the father-daughter duo recite lines together throughout the movie. Deeply, she loves it when they do that. Their giggles and wrinkling eyes leave a smile on her face.
Halfway through the film, Harvey feels some weight on his right side. He turns his head and sees a mop of red on his shoulder, Donna has finally fallen asleep. Her eyes are closed, arms crossed in front of her chest, her legs folded on the couch as she leans her whole body against his.
He looks over her head and sees their daughter staring at the two of them, teasing her parents with a wiggle of her eyebrows. It makes him laugh but he tries his best not to, slightly shaking his head as he readjusts Donna on his side. He lifts his arm and places it around her shoulder, pulling her closer so she's nestled in the crook of his neck.
"Should I pause the film so you can bring her to your room?" Avery asks, already reaching for the remote.
"No, it's okay. She's having some trouble sleeping earlier. I don't want to interrupt what she's getting now. Let's keep her here until she wakes up on her own."
Their daughter silently nods.
"Maybe just lower down the volume," Harvey adds.
She immediately follows the directions and looks back at her father once the task is done. "Hey, Dad?"
He faces her again, waiting for what her daughter has got to say.
"I'm really glad you're here," she says, happiness radiating through her eyes.
"Me too, kid." He gives her a smile, but not before taking a glance at the other redhead in his arms. "Me too."
The bright afternoon sunlight is permeating through the window when Donna wakes up from her deep slumber. The weight pressing on the crown of her head and around her shoulders forbids her to make any sudden movement. She squints her eyes as she looks around trying to make sense of her surroundings. She realizes she's fallen asleep during the course of the film, on Harvey's shoulder to her surprise.
"Harvey." She calls his name softly. The beating of his chest against her ear joins the faint romantic music coming from the tv that tells her it's not the action film playing anymore.
"Hmmm." Harvey's groan also tells her that the man has fallen asleep too. "Time is it?" He asks while he lifts his head up allowing Donna to do the same.
"I don't know." She replies letting out a yawn. She breaks free of Harvey's hold and stretches out her limbs.
"It's already fifteen after twelve, lovebirds." Avery chimes in before taking a bite of the sandwich she managed to make while her parents were asleep.
This means they've been asleep for so long that Avery was able to finish the action film, make a sandwich and finish another romantic film.
They spent the rest of the day lounging in the living room watching one movie after another. After supper, each of them falls into their own pursuit. Avery goes back to the living room catching up with her friends via facetime. Harvey borrows the computer in the study room to check his e-mail and call Mike. Meanwhile, Donna settles in the bedroom with a new book on her lap.
She shuts her book when she hears the door swing open and Harvey steps inside the bedroom.
"Everything okay?" She asks, her gaze following him while she waits for an answer.
"Yeah, just had to iron out some minor details with Mike." He replies as he claims his side of the bed.
"Good." Except it's the opposite because she forgot about their sleeping arrangement. She watches him fix the pillow, slip under the sheets and rest his back against the board. Clearly unbothered about the fact that they're sharing a bed for a full night.
"You okay?"
"What?" She gulps. "Y-yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" She picks up her book and tries to read it again. To act that everything is normal. None of the words are registering in her mind because unlike him, she's completely flustered.
The creak of the door gets both of their attention and Avery peeps her head in. "I just want to say goodnight."
"Come here." Donna holds out her arms and envelops their daughter in a quick hug.
After greeting her dad the same, Avery walks back and reaches for the knob but pauses. "Sooooo… do you guys want the door closed?"
"Locked?" She continues and doesn't stop there with the teasing. "Do you want me to wear my earphones all night?" Her grin is wide, almost reaching her ears when she sees her mom almost blushing.
"Avery Lilian!" Donna warns.
But Harvey butts in. "Sure, go ahead. And turn up the volume."
Donna jerks her head and lifts an index finger. "You shut your mouth Specter, or I'll kick you out of bed!"
He puts his hands up, pretending to surrender from the discussion stirring up. "Just please don't hog the sheets later," he says, holding on to the covers.
"I do not hog the sheets."
"Yes you do."
"No."
"If you want to stay warm, you know you can just hug me right?" He pauses, leaning in a bit closer before whispering, "Just like you did yesterday."
"Not happening tonight."
"Do I get a goodnight kiss instead?"
"Oh-kay. That is something I do not want to see." Their daughter finally rushes out of the room, shouting as she closes their door, "Night! I love you both but please don't be too loud!"
Sorry it took us a while to update. We hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let us know your thoughts :)