He didn't have the nerve to stand there and listen to the sound of the door opening, to see the look on Harvey's face when he saw the papers. The weight of the divorce was too much for Mike to bear, and the finality of it all made his heart ache. He carefully set the manila folder on the mat outside his condo, and placed his wedding ring on top, he knocked twice before looking down at his feet, almost like he felt ashamed that it came to this and retreated.

As he turned away, he felt a tear slide down his cheek, a silent testament to the pain he had been carrying for so long. The memories of happier times flooded his mind, making each step away from the house feel like a betrayal of everything they once had. But deep down, he knew this was the only way for both of them to find some semblance of peace. He walked away, leaving behind not just the papers, but a piece of his heart as well.

For the first time since he met Harvey, he felt alone. He was wandering the streets with the hope that things would work out for him. After all, he had a knack of getting out of sticky situations. This situation, he wasn't sure what to do. He had lived on the streets for a short period of time before Grammy had been cleared as fit to take care of him. But he was older now. He couldn't just sleep anywhere, and outdoor New York didn't have good infrastructure for the homeless.

He wandered aimlessly, the weight of his loneliness pressing down on him like a heavy fog. Each step felt like a struggle, his heart aching with the memories of a warmth and security that now seemed like a distant dream. The city, once a place of endless possibilities, now felt like a cold, indifferent maze. He passed by people who seemed to have it all together, their lives moving forward while his felt stuck in a never-ending cycle of despair. The thought of finding a shelter crossed his mind, but the idea of facing the reality of his situation in such a stark manner made his chest tighten. He longed for a familiar face, a comforting word, but all he found were shadows and silence.

He didn't feel sad, he didn't feel hungry, he didn't feel anything. Maybe this is what numb felt like. He hadn't felt this way in a while, always having pot or something else around to distract him when he started spiraling. It was the one downside of having an memory as good as his. He remembered everything.

He pulled out his phone, clicking on Harvey's contact. He wanted to call him, to text him, to do anything to be in his ex- husband's presence. It felt like Mike didn't know how to breathe without him. He saw moments of them together play like a movie before his eyes. Everything was in black and white like those funeral videos, that's what it was, right. The ending of Mike and Harvey.

For a brief moment, he saw that Harvey was typing. For a small second it felt like Harvey was going to reach out; to tell Mike to come home. But then it was gone. Mike was unable to tell if he had genuinely seen Harvey's typing dots or if was his imagination.

The thought of Harvey just moving on, not second-guessing Mike, made his stomach drop. It was as if all the hope he had been holding onto had vanished in that instant. The silence on the other end felt like a heavy weight, pressing down on him. Mike couldn't shake the feeling of abandonment, wondering if their bond had meant anything to Harvey at all. The uncertainty left him feeling more isolated than ever.

He made his way to the bus stop, he often past on his way to work. He eventually found himself sitting on the bench. He wasn't sure where the bus would go, or if he would even hop on the bus. A part of him was grounded in this city but the other part of him wanted to run away. Sure, running away was the cowards way out. Mike needed a beer.

His phone pinged. 1 text from --

Harvey: "Mike..?"

Mike's heart raced. Could this be the moment he had been waiting for? He stared at the screen, his mind swirling with a mix of hope and anxiety. What was Harvey going to say?

His fingers hovered over the keyboard, unsure of how to respond. Should he play it cool, or should he let Harvey know how much he had missed him? The silence was unbearable, each passing second feeling like an eternity. Finally, he took a deep breath and typed back, "Hey, Harvey. What's up?"

There they were again, the typing marks, a brief second. Mike's heart pounded as he watched the dots dance on the screen, signaling that Harvey was typing. Every moment felt like an eternity as he waited, hoping that this time, Harvey would say something that could bridge the gap between them.

The typing marks stopped. Mike's breath caught in his throat. Was Harvey going to leave him hanging again? The anticipation was almost unbearable, and the silence that followed felt even heavier than before.

Another message. "Mike, come home. We need to talk."

Mike's heart sank as he read the message. The words is Harvey divorcing up with him echoed in his mind, causing a wave of sadness and confusion to wash over him. How could this be happening? The future he had envisioned with Harvey suddenly seemed to crumble before his eyes.

Mike's world seemed to shatter with each new message. The thought of Harvey filing for divorce felt like a punch to the gut. The future he had dreamed of was slipping away, leaving him lost and unsure of what to do next.

As Mike sat alone on the bus bench, his thoughts raced a mile a minute. The weight of the situation hung heavy in the air around him. The sound of the bus pulling up only added to the intensity of the moment. It was now or never—should he face this head-on and get the answers he needed from Harvey, or hop on the bus and get off at the furthest destination.