In the morning, when Mike arrived at the firm, he was surprised to see the lawyer's office empty, and rushed to approach Cameron, his secretary, to start talking.
«Hey, do you know where Harvey is?»
«He took a day off»
«A day off? Harvey never takes a day off»
«Well, he sent me a message this morning to tell me that he had some personal things to take care of and that he couldn't come today, and probably tomorrow either»
«Oh, alright. Well, thanks Cameron»
As soon as the conversation ended, Mike headed towards Jessica's office, who waved him to come in as soon as she saw him.
«Hey, I'm sorry, am I disturbing you?»
«No, tell me»
«Harvey took a day off»
«Really?»
«Yeah. Do you think everything is okay? It's not like him to take a day off, did you hear from him today or any days?»
«Last night he went to see Donna»
«What?»
«He came to my office to ask for her address, he needed to talk to her face to face»
«And today he took a day off? Jessica, it can't be a coincidence»
«Maybe it went well and they want some time to themselves»
«Or maybe it was a disaster and he needs help»
«Let me call him»
Barely putting the phone to her ear, Jessica waited a few seconds before hearing Harvey's voice on the other end.
«Hello?»
«Hey, are you okay? Cameron said you took a day off»
«Yeah, yeah, don't worry, everything's fine»
«Are you sure?»
«I promise. I'll take a few more days, but I promise you everything's fine»
«Alright, see you soon, then»
«Bye Jessica»
As soon as she hung up, the lawyer looked at Mike with a smile.
«I think things are going well, we'll just have to wait for him to come back to tell us what well really means»
On the other side of Manhattan, as Harvey had just hung up, he heard Donna's voice reasoning in the room as her lips brushed his bare chest when she whispered.
«Who was it?»
«Jessica»
«Hmm»
«She wanted to know how I was»
«And how are you?»
«Well, I just got remarried to the love of my life, we spent an entire night making love over and over again only to end up not sleeping much, and now I wake up with her in my arms, and I feel like I'm living a daydream. So I'm fine, well, more than fine»
«About remarriage —»
Immediately, Harvey was overcome by panic, afraid that she had changed her mind and that this night was definitely the last, but as Donna noticed the change in her husband's demeanor, she quickly kissed him languidly and murmured against his lips between pecks.
«I don't have a second thought»
«Oh, thank God»
«It's just that... in the name of the law, we're still divorced»
«I'll take care of that today. I promise»
And Harvey kept his promises, after calling everyone he knew, he managed to find a slot at the New York courthouse while Donna slipped back into her white silk Yves Saint Laurent dress with delicate shoulder straps that cross at its open back, it features a cowl neckline, and a lightly flared silhouette as Harvey slipped into a black Tom Ford suit. The moment Harvey turned to see his wife wearing the dress she had worn at their civil wedding almost seven years ago, she couldn't help but wipe away the tear that had just escaped. In less than twenty minutes, they were in court, where they promised each other once again to love each other and stay married for eternity as Harvey passionately kissed his wife, only to make passionate love to her in the redhead's bed. As Harvey fell back on top of her after several hours of intense pleasure, naked except for their rings, Harvey kissed his wife's cleavage before whispering against her soaking skin.
«Pack your bags»
«What?»
«I don't feel like going back to reality right away, and even if our honeymoon was beautiful, let's relive this moment. Let's get out of New York, a week, you and I, just to enjoy just the two of us and make love on a heavenly beach»
«What am I going to tell my boss?»
«We'll lie, let's say you're sick. Come on»
Without thinking, they got up, Harvey quickly got dressed to go home, pack a bag, and find Donna at her place a bit later. Less than four hours later, they were in first class, Harvey had booked in one of the most chic villa on the island until the couple landed in Fiji, where, for almost a week, they spent their days lounging near the water, making love on the beach, having fun in the ocean, and just enjoying each other.
«I don't wanna leave»
«Me neither»
«Let's stay here forever, baby»muttered Harvey.
«I'm sorry to disappoint you, but if you want to continue paying for this kind of trip for your wife, you'll have to go to work because it's not with a legal secretary's salary that we will pay for this lifestyle»snorted Donna.
«Come work for me again»
Faced with Harvey's word, the redhead sat on the double sunbed, while Harvey was still lying next to her. She then put her hand on his stomach as she caressed his abs with her fingertips, only to whisper while looking at him.
«Honey»
«Yeah?»
«I won't come back to work for you»
«Why not?»
«Because I love you, if I could, I would spend all my days with you, but I don't want our professional and personal lives to mix anymore. I want to come home and tell you about my day without you already knowing, I want to be able to go to my own workplace to breathe if we had a fight the day before, to have time to take some distance only to talk about it in the evening with you. I want to count the hours until we meet again and be excited at the idea that it's almost time to go home, that you can come and pick me up with flowers at the office, that we don't have to hide and hear stupid rumors about us, I want a normal life where you continue to be the best closer in New York, and I continue my job at Skadden»
Even though he would have preferred her to be his secretary again, he understood her point and nodded, then moved so that he was lying on his side, grabbing her waist and pulling her towards him so that Donna was lying on top of him, the lawyer's arms holding her tightly against him as he murmured.
«I understand. We'll do whatever you want»
A few days later, on a Monday morning, Mike jumped when he saw Harvey coming towards him and immediately knew that something had changed. Seeing his huge smile, he rushed into his office to sit down in front of him and whisper.
«Why are you tan?»
«Vacation»
As he grabbed a pen, Mike saw a wedding ring on Harvey's finger and shouted.
«Holy shit»
«Alright, it wasn't really a vacation, more of a honeymoon»
«Are you kidding me? You are with Donna again»
«I'm married again, yeah»whispered Harvey while biting his lower lip.
«No fucking way. What happened?»
«I went to her place, I told her that I was still madly in love with her and I'll always be, I asked her to marry me again because for me, she was still my wife and will be forever, she accepted, we went before the judge the next day, and a few hours later, we were in Fiji»
«Holy shit»
«Holy shit indeed»
«Dude, you're married»
«Remarried»
«And how do you feel?»
«Like I'm alive again»
«I'm happy for you, brother»
«Me too»
«For real»
«I know. Anyway, don't you have things to do with the Pisteren case?»
«Of course»
With one last smile, Mike left Harvey's office to go back to his own, happy that his friend was smiling again. Quickly, when it was almost four, Harvey ran out of the office, bought a huge bouquet of flowers, and was waiting for Donna at the foot of the building where Skadden was.
«Hey baby»
«Oh my God, honey»
«You told me you wanted me to come and pick you up with flowers at the office»
«You're perfect»
«No, you are»whispered Harvey before kissing her deeply.
After that, Harvey would rush out of the office early every day to get her flowers and wait for her downstairs in her office until Donna asked him to stop when her apartment felt more like a greenhouse than a place to live. Speaking of apartments, Harvey had never slept in his again, preferring the comfort and real smell of the redhead to the coldness of the sheets that had seen a series of conquests during his last two years and the excessive perfume in the room to bring a certain serenity to the lawyer's mind. After a discussion, they decided to move in together at Donna's, and the feeling of living together again gave the couple butterflies in their stomachs. If everything was absolutely perfect, after barely a month of relationship, Harvey was panicked again one afternoon with the fear that the same history would start again. As he had just left work, he called Donna, who answered immediately.
«Hey honey»
«Hey, where are you?»
«I'm shopping»
«Where? I'll join you»
«Saks»
«Alright, I'm coming. I'll call you when I'm there»
Harvey never went shopping, he only accompanied Donna and spent his time staring at her because she was so beautiful, while for him, it was often she who took care of his clothes or his tailor, but as he arrived in front of Saks, he began to investigate the different floors before seeing her from afar, her beautiful long red hair shiny and remarkable even from a distance. But as he was about to join her, he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her slowly walking forward and looking around at the baby clothes. Immediately, he froze when he saw her take a small white bodysuit in her hand and smile sadly until he heard a saleswoman approaching her and talking to Donna. Since there were very few people, the lawyer could easily hear the conversation from a certain distance and felt his breath catch.
«Hello. Can I help you?»
«Oh, hum... I was just looking»
«Is it for you?»
«Oh no, um, not yet»
«Sorry, I shouldn't have assumed you were pregnant»
«Oh no, don't worry. It might be soon, well, at least I hope so»
«Are you planning a baby with your husband? You have a beautiful ring, by the way»
«Thank you — Um, I'm planning a baby for sure, yes, for him… it remains to be seen.. I still have to discuss it»
«I understand. Look, if you have any questions, don't hesitate»
«Thank you very much»
Seeing Donna biting her lip gently, Harvey turned around, found the nearest toilet before vomiting his entire lunch into the bottom of the toilet bowl. Suddenly, he felt like he had gone back three years to when she had talked to him about having a baby and he had run away, and once again, he felt like he would ruin his marriage a second time. So after taking a deep breath, he left Saks before taking a cab to his psychiatrist's office.
«Dr. Lipschitz»
«Harvey?»
«Can I talk to you for a moment?»
«Of course, come on in»
As soon as he sat down, his phone rang, and, as he saw Donna's name, he quickly answered it.
«Hey»
«Hey honey, where are you? I'm still waiting for you at Saks»
«I'm sorry, I had a last minute appointment, and I'm still stuck at the office. But I'll see you later at home?»
«Oh, alright»
«See you?»
«Yeah, yeah. See you»
As soon as he hung up, Harvey could see the therapist looking at him with a questioning look before the lawyer whispered.
«I'm afraid it'll happen again»
As Dr. Lipschitz motioned for him to sit down, the lawyer took a seat and began to talk about what he had just seen and all his fears until he was done, and the therapist simply answered.
«Talk to her»
«What?»
«You're scared, and I understand, but you have to talk to her»
«She's my wife, not my therapist, I have to talk to you»
«That's true. With me, we're going to talk about being a father, the sense of responsibility, and the upheaval of dynamics from the transition of being a couple to becoming parents. All that, we're going to talk about it together. But the fact that you're scared, you have to tell your wife»
«I can't tell her, Doctor. She wants to be a mother so much, and knowing her, she's capable of giving up on it just for me»
«Do you want a child with Donna?»
«What? Um, yeah, I don't know, it's just that — I mean, I'm not— »
«So it's not a definitive no?»
Faced with Harvey's silence, the therapist smiled before starting to speak again.
«I don't want to talk in your name, but I think it's not that you don't want a baby, I think you're afraid you won't be good enough, and your wife should know that. If you run away, it's going to push you apart like it did three years ago because she'll think you just don't want one, and you said it yourself, she wants to be a mom. So talk to her, tell her how you really feel, and I'm sure she'll understand. In the meantime, we're going to schedule several sessions to discuss it, what do you think?»
After nodding directly, Harvey left the office to go home and smiled when he saw Donna in the kitchen as he did his best to pretend that everything was fine.
«Hey honey»
«Hey. What are you cooking?»
«You'll see»chuckled the redhead.
«It smells good»
While Harvey had slipped behind her, his chest against her back, planting kisses on her neck while she continued to chuckle, his arms surrounding her, unconsciously placing his hands on her stomach, Harvey swallowed hard as he imagined their baby inside.
«Thanks»
«How long will you be done?»
«It's ready in about twenty minutes»
«Do you mind if I'm going to shower in the meantime?»
«No, of course not»
After a last kiss on the lips, the lawyer headed to the bathroom, where he hoped a cold shower would give him the energy to talk with Donna later. The rest of the evening, the redhead carried the conversation while Harvey forgot for a few moments about the important conversation that awaited him, and it was only once in bed that the lawyer began to speak. He was lying on his back, dressing only in his boxers, staring at the ceiling as Donna came out of the bathroom. Seeing her husband lost in his thoughts, she approached to climb on the bed and sit cross-legged next to him, the tips of her fingers caressing his bare thigh before whispering.
«Honey, what's going on?I can see something is bothering you since you came home. So?»
«I lied to you»
«What?»
«I left work, I got to Saks, and I saw you with that little onesie in your hands, then talking to the saleswoman about your baby plan, and I panicked. I found the nearest bathroom, where I threw up from panic before running to see my therapist»
«I'm sorry, Harvey, I didn't know you were there, I was just looking, but that didn't mean that —»
«It's not a no»
«What?»
«I'm not opposed to having a baby, not at all. I said I wanted everything with you, and I meant it, but I'm afraid I won't be good enough, Donna»
«Harv— »
«Wait, let me talk, please. I'm afraid I won't be good enough, not for this child, not for you. I know I would love this baby with all my heart because they would be half you, and I would always do everything to be the best father possible, but I'm so afraid. That's why I saw Dr. Lipschitz today, and I'm probably going to do a little more intensive therapy to talk about it and try to get better. So we're going to have this baby, but I just ask that you be patient with me»
Without even answering, she moved closer to climb on top of him, straddling him to lie completely on top of him and wrapping her arms around his neck. Immediately, he wrapped his arms around her back as well before feeling Donna's lips placing a kiss on his neck and her whispering against his skin.
«Thank you»
After that moment, they fell asleep like that until the next day, when Harvey woke up before her and gently turned to put her on the mattress to admire her for a few minutes until she woke up.
«Hey»
«Hey»
«How did you sleep?»
«Better now that I talked with you»
«About that —»
«Donna, I don't wanna— »
«Please. Let me talk»
«Alright»
«I want a baby because I love you and I want to share that with you, but if you don't feel like it, if you want to wait, or never —»
«Donna, I'm your husband»
«And I'm your wife. I want a baby if you want one, and most importantly, if you feel like having one, I want it to be a joy for both of us, not a burden»
«I want a baby with you, I really do. So when you decide it's time, you tell me, and we'll get started while I continue to fix my head about it»
«You know it's time for me, but I don't want it to become an obsession. It'll happen when it happens, okay?»
«Works for me»
«Good»
«Are you going off the pill today?»whispered Harvey.
«If it's okay for you, yeah»
«Good»smiled the lawyer.
That evening, when Donna's phone rang to announce that it was time to take her pill and the redhead cut the ringer, the couple looked at each other with smiles on their faces, knowing that from now on, things could change, and it did. Harvey and Donna had been lucky because it hadn't taken as long as they thought when, barely a month and a half later, the redhead was in the bathroom busy peeing on the stick while Harvey was pacing the room.
«Honey, can you stop?»
«Sorry»
«It's just to confirm, I'm sure it's positive. I was supposed to have my period a few days ago, and I've been feeling smeared every morning for the past three days»
«And your boobs are huge»
«My boobs are bigger, yeah»
It was Harvey who had asked the redhead about it when they were busy having sex and her boobs felt different in his hands. He then had taken advantage of the night to think before suggesting that they take a pregnancy test the next day.
«And if it's negative?»
«It'll be for another time, then. It's fine»
«Okay»
At the same time, Donna's phone rang; and they both looked at each other before Harvey whispered.
«I'm gonna be sick»
It was then Donna who grabbed the stick before looking at Harvey with tears in her eyes and throwing herself into his arms.
«Oh my God»
«What?»
«Positive»
«Really?»
«Yeah»
Donna had her legs wrapped around her husband's waist, her arms around his neck as she kissed his shoulders, his neck, his jaw, and his entire face before ending with his lips and whispering against them.
«Honey?»
«I'm so happy, I swear, so happy. But I'm just freaking out»
«We're having a baby, Harv»
«We're having a baby»repeated the lawyer with a small smile.
After the announcement, the couple spent several hours just talking about everything they were feeling about their baby's arrival and everything they had to think about. If Harvey had accompanied his wife to work, their little secret safely tucked away in the redhead's belly, he went right after to his appointment with Dr. Lipschitz to discuss the good news. Little by little, Harvey was getting used to the idea that he was going to be a father and could not contain his emotions at the sight of Donna's swollen little belly, but it was the first ultrasound that took the lawyer's breath away. The moment their baby had appeared on the screen, both parents had cried, and then, as the pregnancy progressed, Harvey was still stressed and panicked, but couldn't help but be so happy. At the second ultrasound, the doctor announced that they were having a little girl, and Harvey had a hard time getting over it, making things more real.
«Are you happy?»
«I really wanted a little princess»
«I know»chuckled Donna as she stroked her husband's cheek, their eyes still focused on the small black and white image on the screen.
Once back from the second ultrasound, the couple had decided to move, because the second bedroom at Donna's was quite small and Harvey wanted the best for his wife and daughter. So they had started looking until they found a huge condo in Tribeca with three bedrooms — one more just in case, according to Harvey — before the couple moved in a few weeks later, and the lawyer made the perfect room for his little princess while Donna fell even more in love with him. The months went by, Donna's belly continued to grow while Harvey's anxiety and stress were becoming more and more noticeable. One afternoon, while he was in the middle of a trial and Mike was sitting at the defendant's table, seeing his partner's phone vibrate over and over again, Donna's name appearing, Mike didn't know what to do. But the moment the younger lawyer saw that she had sent a message, he panicked.
Honey, my water broke
Immediately, he stood up to interrupt the trial while all eyes were on him.
«I'll take over»
«What?»asked Harvey, surprised.
«I think you should go»
«Mike, we're in the middle of a trial. What are you doing?»
«Donna's water broke»
«What?»
«It looks like your daughter is going to be here a little earlier than expected. I told you, I'll take over»
Without even giving an excuse or anything, he grabbed his jacket and phone before running out of the courtroom and catching a cab to their place, only to find Donna changed into casual clothes, the bag prepared for the maternity ward at her feet as she scrolled on her phone waiting for him.
«She's coming?»
«It looks like it»
«But Donna, it's too early»
«I'm thirty-seven weeks pregnant, everything's fine, she's fine. Shall we go?»
They quickly went to the hospital, where Harvey watched his wife suffer for more than eight hours and give all her strength to give birth to their daughter, but by the time the first piercing screams filled the room, the lawyer could no longer see anything, his tears obstructing his vision. It was only when they put the baby on Donna's chest and she stopped crying that Harvey came back to earth, staring at the beautiful baby with her head full of strawberry blonde hair while the new mom was sobbing and kissing her daughter's head as well as caressing her husband's cheekbone. He couldn't believe it, she was perfect, they were both perfect, and as soon as the doctors removed the little girl — who started crying — from Donna's chest, the redhead motioned for her husband to follow her. After a few minutes of tests, she was in his arms for the first time and he couldn't believe that such a small and precious thing was his and that he was going to spend the rest of his life protecting her while doing everything to make her happy.
«Thank you, Donna»
«Thank to you too»
«She's so beautiful»
«She is, yeah»
«You were right, I never thought being a dad would be that powerful, she is definitely my greatest achievement»
«Wait until she's a teenager. Given the parents, we're going to see all sorts of thingswith her »
«I can't wait. God, we should have done this sooner»
«Hey, it's alright. She's here now»
After that, things went by, both parents spent a few days in the hospital before going home and living their lives as a family, with both adults absolutely obsessed with the little redhead. One afternoon, when the little girl was two months old, Donna was still on maternity leave, and Harvey was working part-time, trying to spend as much time as possible with the two redheads, the couple were wandering through the aisles of a store until the baby started to whimper in the stroller. Immediately, Harvey took her against him, placed a kiss on her head before holding her in his arms, inhaling her baby scent that made him melt.
«Hey, don't you want to go for a walk to rock her? I'll keep shopping»
«Yeah. Alright»
As Harvey walked away, continuing to hold the baby tightly against him with his big hands on her little back while he continued to place small kisses on her head, Donna continued shopping, now pushing the empty stroller until she heard someone call her name behind her.
«Donna?»
As she turned around, she swallowed hard as she saw the man approaching. In the aisle next to Donna's, while Harvey continued to walk slowly, he stopped dead in his tracks when he heard his wife's name followed by the redhead's soft voice.
«Thomas?»
Thomas? As her ex Thomas? If Harvey was ready to pounce on the man and mark his territory, hearing his wife's surprised voice and their baby moaning softly against him, he decided to do nothing while straining his ears, listening to the conversation next to him.
«Hey, it's been a moment»
«Yeah»
«You have a baby?»
Donna could see the confusion on her ex's face. Things with Harvey had gone pretty fast, because, she had broken up with Thomas just a few days before seeing Harvey again after almost a year of dating, after that, the lawyer had shown up at her place, and they had remarried, all that to try for a baby just a few weeks later to finally give birth almost at term months later. He had left Donna a little over a year ago, and today, as she was walking around with a stroller, she could imagine the confusion in the architect's head.
«A baby girl, yeah. She's two months»
«So she's not mine»
«She's not, no»muttered Donna.
«And who's the lucky guy? He accepted to live in your ex-husband's shadow?»
As he saw her face, he chuckled softly before adding.
«Let me guess, the ex-husband is the husband again?»
«He is, yeah»
«He has always been the one?»
«Always»
«Yeah, I should have known. I always knew I was no match for him when it comes to you, since the beginning, I had this impression that there were three of us in this relationship, that you would never have been completely mine. But I'm really happy that you found each other again, you really deserve to be happy, Donna»
As soon as Thomas finished his sentence, a male voice was heard behind them, and the two adults turned around.
«Hey»
«Harv»whispered Donna.
«You must be the husband»
«I am, yeah»
Seeing the mini version of Donna awake against her father's chest, the architect smiled before looking at Harvey.
«Congratulations to both of you, she is beautiful»
«Thank you»
«And congratulations on the remarriage and all that, you are meant to be together, and even if it is to my own misfortune, I am glad that you found each other back again»
«Thank you, Thomas»
After a nod from the three adults, the architect left the place, leaving the couple and the baby alone.
«She's calm now»
«Alright»
After the few purchases made, the lawyer and the secretary came out of the mall to walk down the street, Donna pushing the stroller and Harvey walking next to his wife, the shopping bag on his shoulder, both of them silent until the redhead talked softly.
«Honey»
«Hmm?»
«If it's because he thought she was his, you have to understand, we broke up a little over a year ago, he saw an empty stroller, he didn't know how old she was, and —»
«I heard what you said»
«What?»
«I don't care if he thought she was his, I mean, you and I happened quickly, and it could surprise anyone when you see everything that's happened since we got back together»
«Why do you seem lost in thought, then?»
«You never stopped loving me?»
«What?»
«You said I've always been the one. During the two years of our divorce, or even before when we were fighting and I was making you unhappy, you never stopped loving me?»
«Never»
«Not even for a day?»
«Not even for a second. I told you, you are the love of my life, and you always have been, so yeah, things haven't been easy every day at some point, but there was never a moment when I stopped loving you. Why are you even asking me that?»
«Because I hated myself for making you suffer, so I thought you could have hated me too»
«Never. I knew you were acting like that because something was wrong, not because you had stopped loving me or wanted to make me suffer, on the contrary. Your way of being just showed that you were suffering, I wanted to help you, but I just couldn't, it was me that I hated at that moment. I always knew that deep down, you were this loving and devoted husband, and that one day, you would be the incredible dad that you are to our daughter. So no, I never stopped loving you, not for two years, not for a day, and not even for a second, and that, since I laid eyes on you almost ten years ago»
«I love you, so much»
«I love you too, honey. You have no idea»
With these words, the couple kissed tenderly in the middle of the street, their baby sleeping soundly in his stroller while both of them could feel all the love they had for each other in their kiss.
They had never stopped loving each other: not for two years, not for a day, and not even for a second.
They will never stop loving each other.
Never.