He's tried as hard as humanly possible to make sure that he can get out of work on time today. He's been efficient with his work all day, he got here early to get a head start, he's prioritized what he needs to get done, he's had his assistant make sure that his last meeting is early enough that when it inevitably gets pushed or goes long, he still has a prayer of getting out of here at a normal time. A normal time for most humans might be five o'clock, he'll settle for six-thirty, even seven.

Then it's nearly six o'clock and he's feeling good because everything is wrapping up, his last meeting is done, and then suddenly he gets the call that he's needed in the situation room. He curses under his breath, and as he's briefed on the situation, he realizes that he probably won't be right in and out.

Donna's still in the White House, so he quickly puts in a call to her office – he wishes he had the time to run over to the East Wing and talk to her in person. Her assistant puts him right through, thankfully – she's learned quickly that the chief of staff to the president gets a fast pass to the chief of staff to the first lady for more reasons than one - and as soon as Donna answers she sighs. "You're going to be home late."

"I'm so, so sorry," he says sincerely. He really is. In this first year together he's been working hard to achieve some sort of the "life" that everyone had once pointed out he did not have. Having Donna to go home to has helped. He finishes his work as best he can, has learned to leave the things that are not time sensitive until tomorrow, has learned to go home and wait for a national emergency to take him back into work rather than wait around all night in his office in case one happens. He has even learned sometimes it's better to take work home if it has to be done so at least he can eat dinner and sit with Donna while he works. He's thankful that tonight she seems to have worked out the current situation on her own so that he doesn't have to actually say the words. "I'm going into the situation room right now and I don't know–"

"Say no more," Donna says with understanding, waving him off with a flip of her hand. "I get it."

"I tried, Donna, I swear, I scheduled all my meetings early, I prioritized, I-"

"Josh," she interrupts him. "It's okay. You don't have to explain. You're chief of staff, I get it. Don't worry. I'm just about to head out of here. I'll go home, take a bath, have a glass of wine, maybe watch a movie. It's not the end of the world. I could use a relaxing night after all the hours I've been putting in myself."

"We have the dinner reservation at 8, maybe I can still – "

"I'll cancel. Do your job, we'll talk later. I'll be at home."

"Okay," he says, unsure, feeling guilty and disappointed himself. He knows there's not much more he can do. He's relieved that she understands but it doesn't really do anything for his guilt. Of course, she understands. She knows his life, she knows his job, hell for years she was the one running his schedule and packing his days full and throwing him into last minute urgent meetings that derailed anything else he had on schedule for the rest of the day and that was before he was chief of staff. He knows she understands, but that doesn't do anything to make him feel better about cancelling on her.

On her birthday.

Her first birthday that they're together.

"I love you," he adds.

"I love you," she chirps back and adds, "Shouldn't you be in the situation room already? National security and all that?" she jokes light-heartedly.

Their lives have changed in many ways in the past year. Their relationship, the new administration in the White House, their new higher-level positions, the secret service detail that follows them everywhere. They were working in a familiar place, but so much about their jobs and their lives was new to them both. The thing that had changed the most for Josh was how he'd rather go home than fall asleep at his desk, how found himself wanting to get home to Donna. If he'd been chief of staff during the Bartlet era and pulled into the situation room at 6pm, he wouldn't have had a worry about it.

When he finally gets out of the sit room it's just past 11pm. It's a little earlier than he'd expected, which he's thankful for. He hopes that Donna might still be awake, but he knows it's not likely. He was hoping to salvage a little bit of her birthday with her.

Of course, she's in bed when he arrives home. He's not really surprised, because it's late enough that she should be asleep, especially given how busy she's been the past few weeks. He tries not to disturb her, even though he really wants to wake her up and ask her what she wants to do to celebrate – watch a movie, order midnight Chinese, whatever she wants – but instead he tiptoes into the apartment and changes out of his clothes quietly.

"What time is it?" Donna mumbles as he slides into bed.

"It's just after 11:30," he tells her quietly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he adds, wrapping his arms around her and placing a kiss to the side of her head.

"You're early," she notes through a yawn.

"We're calling 11:30 early now?" he chuckles.

"The situation room has kept you much later than that, evil mistress that she is."

"I'm so sorry," he apologizes again. "I love you so, so much," he adds as he kisses her shoulder.

"I know," she assures him. "It's okay."

There's a moment of silence.

"It's okay to be disappointed, you know," he finally tells her, reaching out and pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I know you understand this life and my job and the hours and I'm incredibly thankful for that. I really am, because that might just be the reason that we make it through these four, or eight, years, whatever it'll be. But you can be disappointed when I have to miss your birthday because of work."

She rolls over to face him. "Okay, maybe I was a little disappointed," she admits. "But not really because it was my birthday. I've never been one to make a big fuss about my birthday – "

He snorts. "Yeah, sure. I remember a year you wouldn't talk to me for a week because I forgot."

She playfully rolls her eyes. "Yes, Joshua, that was when I was your assistant and I wanted you to notice me."

He looks offended. "Good lord, of course I noticed you, Donna. I noticed you every day for nine years."

"Hindsight," she scoffs. "Anyway. I'm just disappointed to miss out on a night having you to myself, that's all."

"The strange thing was, this was the first time that I didn't want to stay at work, the first time I was ever disappointed about it. Not that national security isn't important, I was just… mad at the timing and I never cared about that before."

She grins at him and rolls closer to kiss him. "I'm sorry I've ruined you," she teases.

"I'll make it up to you. We'll go out for dinner this weekend. National emergencies notwithstanding. I know it won't be on your birthday, but…" he waggles his eyebrows at her, "We still have time to celebrate tonight. Y'know, celebrate. Since you're awake now anyway. We've still got-" he glances at the clock – "Twenty-three minutes left in your birthday."

She laughs. "Oh, I see. So now you don't even have to buy me dinner first."

"Hey, this was on the agenda either way," he shrugs.

"Is that so?"

"Just trying to be efficient and salvage part of the day."

She laughs. "God, I love you."

"I'm glad you were born, Donnatella Moss." He pauses then says, "I can give you my birthday. We can celebrate it however you want."

She rolls her eyes good-naturedly and shakes her head. "Josh," she rolls her eyes. "It's fine. We've have many more birthdays to celebrate together."

Though that makes him smile he continues. "But I-"

"Look, you're down to twenty-two minutes," she bites her lip and raises her eyebrows at him. "Make the most of those and all is well."

"Say no more." He grins at her and disappears under the covers she feels his lips on her stomach as he pushes her (his) t-shirt up out of the way and she giggles in surprise.

It doesn't matter to her about the spoiled plans, the fact they didn't get a dinner in a restaurant together. She has Josh coming home to her this year. She has Josh coming home to her and saying he would've rather been with her than at work.

It's actually one of the best birthdays she's ever had.