Chapter 2
The distant cries of their 12-month old began sounding before the sun rose for the day. Already wide awake, Harvey gently rose to attend to the young child before her screams woke up the rest of the house. Emily's eyes lit up when she recognised her father entering her room, her cries turning into soft whimpers. She reaches her arms up, asking to be picked up and comforted by her father.
"Hey baby girl," he coos as he walks over to her crib, picking her up and giving her a cuddle. He gently rocks her as she lays her head on his shoulder, calming down and soothed by his presence.
"Let's get you some breakfast," he whispers as he carries her out into the kitchen and places her in her high chair before he starts preparing the formula. She eagerly grabs the bottle as soon as it's ready and begins feeding herself contently.
Having celebrated her first birthday just a few weeks' prior, Harvey is amazed at how quickly his girls were growing up. Sure, he had expected his and Donna's offspring to be extraordinarily gifted, but they still astound him everyday. He chuckles and shakes his head. All parents probably feel the same way about their kids, he reasons.
He picks her up and carries her to the couch, where he allows her to lay against him as she continues feeding, savouring their one-on-one father-daughter moment. With the demands of his job, these moments are few and far between and cherishes every minute he shares with his girls. He sighs as he watches her small form. Her innocence and dependence on him to be the best father he can be for her. And yet he's failed her. And her sister. And her mother.
He feels sick to his stomach. A feeling that has been there for the better part of the day; since he woke up in that hotel room that morning. Cheating was the one thing he never thought that he would ever do. Ever.
He had seen and felt the betrayal and consequence of his mother's infidelities. Consequences that had haunted him well into adulthood. And it was the red head in their marital bed, not thirty feet away in the adjacent room, that helped him through his issues years ago and opened up his heart to love and family. And she is the one person he has now betrayed.
But beyond all that, what Harvey hates with equal passion, is a liar.
And despite the risk of tearing their family apart, keeping this a secret was not an option for Harvey. He closes his eyes and relishes the peace of the moment. He knows that everything is going to change in a few hours. He brings his daughter closer and wraps his arms around her as she finishes her bottle, snuggling into her father's warm embrace. Both slowly drift off to sleep in each other's arms.
…
Harvey stirs a while later to the sound of gentle clattering in the kitchen. He slowly opens his eyes and tilts his head to observe his wife, attempting to quietly start breakfast without disturbing the sleeping forms on the couch. He takes in a sharp breath at the sight.
Her hair up in a messy bun, with not a smidgen of make up, she was in that moment, the most beautiful woman in the world to him. He continues to watch her silently, not wanting to disturb her process or alert her to her failed attempt at keeping the noise down.
Donna's attempt was quickly interrupted however, when their five-year-old bolted from her room and barged into the living area, announcing her presence to the world.
"Shhhhh…." Donna whispered, trying to pacify the child, "Em and dad are sleeping."
"Too late," he mumbles, suppressing a yawn as he slowly props himself up, careful not to disturb the child on his chest.
"Daddy!" the older girl exclaims, not heeding her mother's advice to lower her voice. She rushes over to her father, who she hadn't seen in a few days, and gives him a tight hug around his neck.
He looks down at his chest and is relieved that the younger child was still snoring away. The girl could sleep through an earthquake.
Donna smiles at the sight of her small family.
She had woken up that morning to an empty bed, confused as she had been certain that she remembered her husband joining her the night before. Noticing that it was a while past her daughter's usual 5am scheduled feed, she had risen to check up on her 12-month old, before coming across the sight of two of her favourite people passed out on the couch with an empty bottle on the floor beside them. She had quietly grabbed her phone and snapped a picture of the moment, chuckling at the milk residue on her daughter's face and the drool stains that were pooling on her husband's shirt where she lay.
She makes her way over to the trio on the couch, reaching down to relieve him of the sleeping child on his chest.
"Welcome home," she whispers leaning in give him a kiss.
He returns the kiss with longing, holding on for longer than the usual pecks that have become the norm recently. He savours his wife's taste, trying to erase the memory of the other set of lips he had experienced recently.
She pulls back with a cocked eyebrow and a look of surprise. He hadn't kissed her like that for what feels like months.
"I'll return Em to her cot," Donna starts, "you should get ready, you're going to be late for the office."
"I think I'll take the morning off," he responds, "I want to take Katie to school…since I missed her first day."
He's not sure if it's the guilt or the dread of the impending change in their family dynamic, but Harvey is desperate to spend as much time with his family as possible today. The five-year-old beams at her father's news and rushes off to get dressed in her school uniform.
Deep down, Donna knows that something is amiss. He has never voluntarily sacrificed work obligations, unless there was an emergency. It was a topic of contention between the two over the years, with him always insisting that he works hard to ensure they're comfortable and well taken care of. Due to his long hours at the office and frequent business trips, the time he spends with his girls is far less than ideal. She has lost track over the years of the number their children's milestones she has witnessed alone, wishing he was there to share them with her.
She bites her tongue, not willing to question his motives or start a tiff. So she carries on to put Emily down and continues making breakfast. The family spends a rare morning having breakfast together and walking the three blocks to Katie's school. The girl happily walks alongside her father, her little hand tightly grasping his larger one, eager to show off her new school to him. He gives a sad smile at her enthusiasm but allows her to show him off to her friends and teachers. He's knows that she wouldn't be as keen to show him off if she knew the truth.
As the couple and their youngest slip back into their penthouse apartment shortly after, an air of dread fills the room. Donna feels a shift in the atmosphere and refuses to look back at her husband standing behind her. After 13 years together and 8 years of marriage, she knows him better than he knows himself. And she can sense when something is not right. She closes her eyes and almost anticipates the words that come out of his mouth.
"Donna, we need to talk."
