All at once Josh felt the overwhelming conflicting needs to sob as well as "suck it up" for this father figure in his life. He thought about going in for a hug, but decided to just play it cool.

"Hey, Leo". He heard his somber tone although it was barley above a whisper. He put his hands uncomfortably in his pocket and watched the floors light up one at a time. The two men hadn't seen each other much on the campaign trail recently. Josh knew that Leo had some health tests scheduled to put the media at ease but day-to-day he hadn't kept track of his schedule. Josh assumed that is what the VP hopeful was doing now.

"Is everything ok?" Leo looked hesitantly at the younger man obviously sensing that things were not right.

"It's Donna." Josh spoke suddenly and quickly, unable to lie to Leo and wanting more then anything to get some stuff off his chest.

"Oh." Leo responded with surprise. "Donna Moss?"

Josh responded as he was suddenly reminded of the night in the White House when he told Leo that Donna was gone for the first time:

"Donna left." He had begun.

"Donna Moss?" Leo had questioned as if there had been any doubt which Donna Josh meant. As if there had ever been any doubt at any time even what woman Josh would come to Leo to discuss.

"YEAH, Donna Moss!" Josh had felt like screaming.

"Did you piss her off?" Leo had asked. He was so calm, couldn't he understand what was going on?

"I don't know." Josh had answered.

"You see, I tried to tell you that people move on."

Those words that Leo spoke all those nights ago still haunted Josh. He was pulled from the memory by Leo's next question:

"Is she alright?"

"She had a baby." Josh blurted out the statement and then went silent allowing both he and Leo to absorb the shock.

After a few beats Leo responded:

"Wow. Boy or girl?" Leo was conducting himself just as Josh would've guessed. He took all news with this fact-gathering-for-damage-control-response. It seemed to Josh that Leo had to ability to only think of the realistic fallouts and never the emotional toils.

"It's a girl." Josh answered as cool and unattached as possible.

"Is everyone all right?" Leo asked.

"Donna's going to be fine," Josh began, "they were really worried about Ava's lungs but it appears she is going to be alright too." Josh realized as he spoke the words aloud how relieved he was that both of them were going to be okay.

"Yeah, the lungs are usually an issue for the preemies." Leo began. "What was she, about7 ½ months along?"

Leo continued to speak but Josh was sort of in a daze. He hadn't actually heard the nurses mention an age but just the thought of Donna and 7 ½ months ago was enough to make him pause, "I was still on the trail then, she was still on the trail then."

Josh's math skills were reeling as in the background of his mind he could hear Leo going on and on about Mallory. He was saying something about the pride he felt when Mallory was born. He was telling Josh about how she was so beautiful in his arms and how connected he immediately felt. The Leo of fact and fiction from two seconds ago had suddenly turned to mush and his whole sappy speech ended when the elevator stopped on the first floor and Leo turned to Josh:

"You actually just missed her." He said.

"What?" Josh asked confused and suddenly flashing back at a million miles an hour to the hotel lobby of the Howard Houston Inn. Those words gave him a knot in his stomach so fast and so big that Josh wanted to check himself in to the hospital for medical tests.

"Mallory" Leo said, "You just missed Mallory."

"Oh, ok." Josh answered putting his hands on his knees and gasping for air.

"I know". Leo said, "I know it is a little overwhelming but you will do great. Congratulations Josh, your mom must be thrilled."

Leo was extending his hand to Josh who took it and shook it limply just as the elevator doors began to close and Leo made his way to the exit of the hospital. Josh was left alone in the elevator and with the overwhelming feeling that he may pass out. He reached up tentatively to push the maternity floor's button and rode in sheer shock and silence up to the 8th floor.

"7 ½ months" He thought. "Could it be true?"