It had been a long day of paperwork, and Harm was getting a headache the size of the Washington Monument.
All he wanted was to go home and go to bed.
He unlocked the apartment. It was quiet, but that wasn't uncommon - as Mac's pregnancy progressed, she was getting very tired and would often be napping when he got home.
After that first OB-GYN appointment which offered them unexpected good news, Harm had got more excited about the baby. He was still scared, but he was trying to focus on the positives, and the fact that this baby had a good chance.
They had agreed they would not find out the sex until the pregnancy was far enough advanced that the baby could survive outside the womb. It was one small protection they were keeping for both of their hearts.
Harm closed the door, and he was suddenly aware of the glow of what must have been 20 candles. The table was set elegantly. Harm frowned. Was it an anniversary of some sort he'd forgotten?
'Mac?'
He heard her footsteps, and when she stepped into view, his jaw hit the floor. She had on a stunning blue dress with sequins running from her waste, over her bump and to the floor. 'You look breathtaking.'
She blushed. 'Thank you. We're celebrating.' She handed him a glass of sparkling apple juice.
'We are?'
Her smile lit up the dim room. 'I had my 30-week scan today. And baby Rabb will be okay, even if he arrived tomorrow.' Her eyes glittered. 'He was probably safe earlier, but we waited to be sure.' She came close and cupped his face. 'We're going to get to meet our baby, Harm.'
Harm couldn't form his feelings into words. They had got their miracle. He held his wife close and kissed her head. 'Mac, I love you so much.'
Mac kissed him gently and brushed away a tear that escaped. 'I love you more.' She handed him a small box. 'This is for you.'
'What is it? Am I missing an occasion I should have remembered?'
She laughed, and it was her beautiful, true laugh, that he hadn't heard in the last couple of months. 'Just open it.'
He pulled off the ribbon and opened the box. In it was a double photo frame. On the left was a picture of him in his dress whites, and on the right, a sonogram picture. He opened his mouth to thank his wife, when he noticed the calligraphy across the top of the frame.
Daddy… and Daddy's girl.
This time he couldn't stop the tears. 'We're having a girl?'
Mac nodded, her own eyes full. 'We're having a baby girl.'
'Oh, Mac.' He held her close, not wanting to ever let her go. The food got cold as they cried, and laughed, and celebrated. As they went to the nursery and dreamed of their baby girl's future, and slow-danced among the candles.