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The following day went by so fast, that Donna barely noticed the time, performing one surgery after another. She heads towards her office to grab her things and call it a night. A smile forms on her lips as she thinks of being able to go home to Avery. Well, admittedly, and to Harvey.

She stops in her tracks from afar when she sees the door of her office wide open. She exhales, wishing no one's there waiting for a consult from her but she knows that's mostly impossible.

"One more, just one more." She mutters as she continues walking. Dreading to face another doctor that needs her expertise.

She's by the doorframe when she sees a familiar man sitting in one of the chairs by her desk, casually dressed in a beige pullover sweater and denim jeans. Obviously not a doctor nor someone who works at the hospital.

She second-guesses who it is for a second as the man is handsomely wearing a pair of eyeglasses. A sight she's never seen before, making her breath hitch and her heart skip a beat.

It's Harvey, who's too busy typing away on his cellphone to notice her. Donna blinks twice to make sure he's real and not a figment of her imagination. After sharing a bed the whole night, the man hasn't really left her mind all day. Not that something happened nor she wished for one last night. But it took countless tosses and turns before she was able to fall asleep beside him.

"Hi." She starts not sure what to address first. The fact that Harvey is in her office or the fact that he's wearing a pair of eyeglasses.

Harvey peers up and meets her gaze. "Hey."

He puts down his phone, lips forming an o while his eyes are still fixated on her. She chuckles at his surprised expression because she too is wearing a pair of eyeglasses.

He clears his throat and sits straight up. "You too." He smiles, tapping the black frame resting on his face that was luckily in his pocket when he decided to fly to Chicago on a whim.

"We're getting old." She states as she rounds her desk. "It suits you."

"And you."

Her eyes land on his face again, studying the glasses he has on as it looks familiar. She takes off her pair and compares the two.

"What?" She hears him ask when she's been staring at him for too long.

"It seems like we have the same pair." She waves hers in the air. Same logo, design, and color.

"What are the chances?" He asks but then realizes it couldn't be a coincidence that they have a similar pair. It was Avery who picked out the design for him after all. She might have picked out the same thing for Donna.

"Avery." They said in unison and their chuckles blended.

"What are you doing here again by the way?" Donna asks, changing the subject.

"Picking you up." He says it like it's a normal occurrence. Though he had picked her up the day before.

She tries to suppress the smile forming but can't. She doesn't resist and gathers her things so they could make their way out of the office.

Even just after a few days, she's starting to get used to his presence again.

The following days were all but the same as they had easily picked up a new routine as a family. Harvey drops her off and picks her up. They share breakfast and dinner together. Sometimes Clara joins the family for dinner when she visits.

One night during dinner, Donna earned a meaningful smirk from her mother after Avery casually mentioned that she now gets enough sleep because she doesn't have to worry about her mom's safety. Thanks to her dad who always drives her mom to work.

...

"Hey, you know, I noticed something." She says the moment she steps foot inside her office after her shift has ended. Now less surprised to see the man waiting for her.

"Yeah? What's that?"

"You, Mister, are always here. You're supposed to look after Avery at home." She calls him out.

"I'm not always here. I just drop you off and pick you up. Trust me, these are also her orders." He reassures her and continues, "and besides Avery and I have been hanging out all day every day. I think she's getting sick of me."

She shakes her head. "Avery's fond of you, you know that right?"

He has created a strong bond with their daughter even when he's not physically around most of the time. Donna's acknowledgement of that made his heart bloom with warmth. Evidence that he's succeeding as a father.

"And there are so many places you can hang out in this city and you choose this hospital?"

"Actually, I've been meaning to try the restaurant around the block but Avery doesn't wanna go out. So care to join me?"

She doesn't answer his invitation but starts to gather her things and place them in her bag. "A restaurant around the block?" She asks, shutting down her laptop before checking her phone for any last minute messages. "How'd you find that?"

"While driving on my way here." He replies nonchalantly, moving to get her coat on the rack. He looks at her and sees a confused expression on her face.

She's trying to recall if there is a restaurant around the block. "No, you didn't."

"I did!" He walks towards her and opens the coat for her to wear. "C'mon, I'll show you."

...

Donna is surprised to see that there really is a restaurant around the block, one that she and Avery haven't heard of before. There aren't many people out dining tonight so they are lucky enough to grab a table immediately even without reservations.

"I can't believe you found this." She's already in love with the place. It's quiet and warm, perfect for relaxing and enjoying a meal after a stressful day's work.

"Told you it's here." He replies before taking the last sip of his wine. "I saw it the other day before picking you up. I asked Avery if she wanted to check it out with me but she just gave me a look."

Donna tries to imitate their daughter, how she would make a face when she's not interested in something. "That look!" He exclaims, pointing a finger at the woman opposite him, amazed at how she got the expression exactly how their daughter did it. It made both of them laugh.

"She gave me that look and then told me, 'Why don't you just take mom?' And so, here we are."

"Thanks, Harvey." She smiles at him before looking down, fingers tracing the stem of her glass. "It's nice to try out something new. Haven't done that in a while."

"It reminds me of Del Posto."

She looks around and suddenly feels like she's transported back to New York, back to when their schedules allowed them to have nights out, and back to when their tradition held up. "It does, doesn't it?"

He nods. "We should bring Avery here next time."

"We should." Her phone buzzes, flashing a message on her screen. "Speaking of your daughter."

Are you out with dad?

She quickly replies, not wanting to worry their daughter again. She types, 'Yes. We tried out a new restaurant.'

Oh. So he did ask you. Nice. Have fun on your date. ?

She shakes her head, sending her daughter another message that says, 'It's not a date.' Because it clearly isn't one, right? Just two adults hanging out? Ex-lovers having an intimate dinner at a cozy restaurant? No, not a date. Can't be. It's just another meal with Harvey.

Whatever you say, Mom. And in case you're wondering, I already had dinner. Grandma and I made lasagna. We're good.

"What did she say?" Harvey speaks up just as the waiter takes their bill.

Donna looks up, "You didn't cook for her before leaving?"

"She hasn't eaten yet?" She hears the slight panic in his voice as he takes a look at his watch. "We had chicken leftovers from lunch today. She said she was fine with having that for dinner."

"I'll just…" His voice trails off, then he tries to raise a hand and call the waiter's attention again.

She reaches for his other hand, the one resting on the table between them. "Hey, it's okay," she says while rubbing the back of his palm, trying to ease away his worry. "She had lasagna with mom."

"Oh, alright. Maybe we can get her something on the way back?"

Donna feels her phone buzz again in her hand. The message makes her laugh.

I'd like some strawberry shortcake as compensation. Lots of whipped cream please.

"Dessert." She tells Harvey. "She wants strawberry shortcake with lots of whipped cream."

He chuckles at her words, knowing full well there's more to it than just dessert. "Sounds familiar."

"Shut up." She replies but the smile on her face continues to grow.

"We should definitely get that tonight." He pauses and looks straight at her. He sees her lift her brows, waiting for him to continue what he's about to say. "The shortcake, I mean," he adds, clearing his throat before looking away.

"Sure. It's been a while since I've had that."

"Yeah?" She nods. "Well, I don't think they have that here."

They leave their table and walk out of the restaurant. She wraps her arm around him and gently pulls him to the other direction, away from their car spot. She sends him a smile and her free hand taps his bicep before giving it a squeeze.

"Come on, pretty. I know just the place."

...

Sitting around the table, they share a plate of strawberry shortcake. It's just the three of them now. Clara went home as soon as Donna and Harvey walked through the door.

"How is this compensation? Compensation for what?" Donna asks her daughter as she hands them all some forks..

Avery shrugs in her seat, eyes already focused on their dessert. "For leaving me at home? You two are always out and I'm stuck here."

Harvey perks up, a bit guilty with what his daughter said. He tries to defend himself. "Hey, I asked if you wanted to come out. You said no."

Their daughter looks at her mom. "Can I go out yet?"

Donna nods, finally taking her seat next to Harvey and opposite their daughter. "You can but make sure you take it easy. I'll only allow going out only if it's with your dad."

Avery smiles and high fives his dad. "Yay! That's great. We can finally go to the park."

The family then digs in the cake and shares stories all throughout, mostly it's Avery or Harvey talking as they catch up Donna on what they have been up to while she's at work. Nothing much goes on actually, just the two bonding over movies or cooking and how Avery is keeping up with the lessons she misses in school. She teases her dad about the time she asked for help with her schoolwork and he couldn't figure it out, how they just ended up calling one of Avery's classmates so she can finish the task.

"I'm never asking you to help me with school again." Avery jokes as she shakes her head at her father.

"It was just that one time." Harvey replies, turning his head towards Donna. "It was Science. That's more of your area."

Donna laughs at the two. "You could've waited for me to get home. I'd help you."

Avery waves her off. "It's fine, Mom. I just wanted to finish it early. But I'll keep that in mind for next time. Thank you." She takes a forkful of dessert, more whipped cream than cake as she polishes off their plate of dessert. "This is the best."

Harvey chuckles, "That's why it's your mom's favorite."

"Is it? I didn't know that." Avery glances at her mom.

Donna gives Harvey a stern look, pointing her fork at him. "It is your favorite."

"I remember you enjoying it as much as I did." He replies, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Well, it is quite good." She replies sheepishly.

"Just good?" He asks in a whisper.

Donna rolls her eyes and licks her fork clean. "It's definitely something else."

Avery eyes them curiously. "What's going on?"

Both her parents answer quickly and at the same time. "Nothing."

"Uh-huh. Something is up and you two," she points at the adults sitting side by side on the other end of the table, "are hiding it from me."

Donna and Harvey fidget in their seats and avoid eye contact. They know exactly what they are talking about. The other time, the one where they let their adventurous sides take over. It's definitely something they couldn't share with their daughter. Unless they really want to scar her for life.

Their daughter waits for them to respond but the two remain quite mum about it. "You're really not gonna tell me? Something? Anything?"

"I don't think you'd want to know." Harvey says, shaking his head before taking a sip of water.

Avery looks at Donna. Her mom keeps her head down, eyes trained on the table and her cheeks are much more red than the strawberries they just ate. She is blushing.

"Oh my god!" Avery pushes her seat back and stands up from the table after getting the sexual innuendo and making a connection from something she's seen a long time ago from her parent's bedroom in New York. "This involves the time I saw a can of whipped cream in your bedroom?" She asks, stepping back, horrified at the realization.

Harvey and Donna's eyes are wide like a deer caught in the headlights. They look at each other unsure how to explain or even admit the truth to their daughter.

"Wait, actually don't answer that!" Avery beats her parents before they could reply. She grabs the glass and scurries away towards her bedroom.

They both release a deep breath after hearing the slam of the door from Avery's bedroom.

"I can't believe she found that out." Donna rests an elbow on the table and pinches the bridge of her nose.

"See I told you, you should've thrown the can of whipped cream right away." He says with a grin and nudges her on the side with an elbow. Smug about the fact that sometimes he's right.

"I was exhausted that time, okay?" She explains giggling and faces him once again. "Oh you've got cream on your lip." She points as she notices a dollop on the corner of his lips.

"No, the other side." She adds when Harvey tries to wipe it off. But she reaches out and takes the liberty to wipe the cream with her finger off his lips instead.

He puts an arm around the back of her chair and leans forward. He whispers in her ear as she tries to wipe the cream off her finger with a napkin. "You know before, you just lick—"

"Don't!" She points at him that sends his mouth shut and raises both hands up in resignation, but leaving a Chesire grin plastered on his face. The other time is just as fresh as paint in their mind even when it happened many moons ago.

...

The next day, Harvey picks up Donna from the hospital as usual. The drive home is quiet, a total opposite of the morning when he dropped her off.

They walk into their house and all Donna manages to do is drop a kiss on her daughter's forehead before disappearing into the bedroom.

Avery approaches her father who is carrying both their coats and her mom's bag. "Is everything okay?"

Harvey shakes his head as he places their things on one of the chairs. "I don't know. She hasn't said anything since I picked her up. But I'll go check." He gives his daughter a quick hug then goes to their room.

He hears the shower running when he gets in. He sits on the edge of the bed, facing the closed door of the bathroom and waiting for her to come out. He starts to think about what could've caused her upset mood. Donna is not one to be silent unless something is really bothering her.

Dinner last night was great, sharing dessert with their daughter afterwards was even better. They slept peacefully and woke up eager to start a new day. Breakfast was delightful because Avery prepared it. The drive to work was filled with chatter, lots of teasing as they traveled through the roads of the city. So, where could it have gone wrong?

Harvey's thoughts were halted when the bathroom door swung open. Donna walks past him and makes her way to her side of the bed.

"You and Avery have dinner without me, I'm not hungry." He hears her say as she applies moisturizer to her arms. The last part of her daily night routine, which he has memorized from witnessing it over the years. Which only means she's getting ready for bed.

"Hey." He starts as he walks towards her. "What's wrong?" He gently grabs her arm and turns her around so she's facing him.

"What? Nothing." But the faint small break in her voice says otherwise. She quickly glances at him with a tight lip smile. "Just tired." She tells him a half truth before slipping under the sheets, hoping he wouldn't inquire any further.

He heavily sighs as he looks down at her form. She's lying on her side facing away from him, eyes closed pretending to be asleep. He sits down on the small space by the edge beside her because he already knows there's something wrong.

"Donna, you know you can talk to me, right?" He tells her softly, leaning over to tuck the fallen red strands behind her ear.

"There's nothing to tell." She mumbles.

"And we both know you're not telling the truth soooo…" She hears him say. Next thing she knows, he's lying down behind her. The warmth of his chest is pressing on her back and the weight of his arm is heavy on her waist.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Surprised, she turns around and finds herself just inches away from him.

"Scoot over before I fall."

She slowly moves back and he follows, putting them both in the middle of the bed. She looks up and meets his gaze. He is right, she can talk to him about the thing that's been bothering her. This is what they used to do, share everything with each other—from the joyous highs, to the challenging lows, and the boring in-betweens.

She takes a deep breath before starting. "The last surgery I performed," She pauses and looks down, toying with the collar of his shirt. "Almost failed." She continues, tears brimming on the corner of her eyes.

"Hey, c'mere." He quickly envelops her in an embrace to console her. He doesn't say anything and lets her go on.

"It was a child, Harvey. A 14-year-old! She's almost the same age as Avery. I was thinking." She pauses once again as her voice breaks, painfully thinking of the what if. "I was thinking what if that was Avery?" She wraps her arms around him and grips tightly onto his shirt.

"But it wasn't Avery." He rubs her back. "And you said 'almost failed', I'm assuming it went well?"

She nods. "It did."

"Then it's all good." He pulls back from their embrace and he flashes her a smile but he feels that she isn't at all convinced when she doesn't say anything back.

He takes her chin with his index finger. "Donna, listen to me. You did all you could've done. And you gave that child another chance at life. You saved her."

"I almost didn't!" She voices out her frustration and shakes her head. "Harvey?" She says his name and asks in a whisper. "What if I'm no longer a good surgeon?"

It's her biggest fear, not being able to do her passion. She loves her job and has fully committed to it. There's no other job she would take. She feels a bile coming out of her throat just by thinking of not being able to do her job.

"Okay now you can't say that about my wife." He cups her cheeks between his palms as he wipes her tears. "There's a reason you got promoted to your position. You fucking deserved it because you're good. You're great! The senior doctors know it, the whole hospital knows it! Hell, even the security knows it."

He keeps their eyes locked on each other. "You're a great surgeon, Dr. Paulsen. And that kid's life you just saved? That's proof that you are still great at it." He emphasized the last sentence.

He wraps her in his arms again and whispers in her ear. "You're the only one I trust to operate on me."

It earns him a chuckle from her. "Well, I can't do that to family."

"I know. So let's hope I won't need surgery in my life because I don't want any other doctor."

She stays in his arms a little longer until they hear their daughter calling them for dinner.

"Alright, do you need more pep talk or are you feeling better?" He teases to lighten her mood.

She rolls her eyes, "I'm okay."

"Harvey, wait." She genuinely smiles and mutters a thank you.

"You're welcome." He pauses and gently strokes her hair as he prepares for another speech. "While we're at it, I know we don't do this anymore but Donna, promise me you'll tell me what's going on in your life. Not just Avery's. Especially when I'm not here."

She nods and agrees. "And you will too."

"Yes."

"Mom! Dad!" They hear Avery's impatient call once again. "Food's getting cold!"

Avery barges into the room and catches her parents wrapped in each other's arms in their bed, their heads quickly turning towards her. "What are you doing? I thought we'll have dinner?"

Donna immediately hides her face in Harvey's neck, trying to secretly wipe her tear-stained cheeks. But she failed to escape their daughter's inquisitive eyes.

"Mom, are you okay? Are you crying?" Avery asks as she moves towards the other side of the bed, climbing in behind her mom and hugging her too. "What's going on?"

Donna slightly turns toward her daughter. Well at least she tries to with the little space that she has. She is sandwiched between the two Specters, Harvey and Avery, and suddenly her feeling is a bit lighter than earlier. She shakes her head as she reaches for her daughter's hand. "Just not a very good day at work."

Avery moves closer to her mom and wraps her arms tighter around her. "Nothing a hug can't fix, right?"

Donna chuckles and silently nods, feeling two pairs of arms squeeze her hard. She closes her eyes and basks in the moment of being loved.

After a while, the hug starts to loosen but not before a kiss is dropped on top of her head.

"So, are we gonna eat here?" Avery jokes, attempting to break one of her mom's rules.

Donna immediately answers, "No food in the bedroom!"

"Fine." Her daughter acts annoyed and slips out of bed. She walks out but doesn't forget to call for her parents once more, "I love you but please hurry, food's getting cold!"

Once the door is closed, Harvey speaks up again. "No food in the bedroom? Since when?"

Donna starts moving out of his arms and sits up, resting her back against the headboard. "Since… always?"

Harvey follows suit and sits up as well. "What's whipped cream then?"

"Harvey!" She slaps his arm, her eyes wide open.

He laughs and grabs her hand, giving it a squeeze before moving to kiss her cheek. "Stay here. We'll be back. We're having dinner in bed."