The next day, she arrived at work as usual but was surprised not to see Harvey, especially since he had nothing scheduled for the morning. However, there was no sign that he had been in his office earlier either. Normally, he would start his day at eight, but it wasn't until around nine-thirty that he showed up, looking tired, as though he hadn't slept much — probably due to the case. After a brief smile, she let him settle in before walking in with the agenda of the day, just as she did every morning. As she reminded him about a business dinner that evening, she noticed he wasn't paying attention to what she was saying, and when she stopped talking and he didn't seem to notice, she murmured softly to herself.

«Harv?»

«Mmh?»

«Is everything okay?»

«What?»

«You don't seem very focused today»

«Yeah, sorry, it's just that I stayed up late working on the case, so I didn't sleep well. And on top of that, I've got a headache» sighed Harvey.

«You have a meeting at two o'clock with Louis, but I can cancel your appointment with Almarc if you'd like»

«No, it's fine. Don't worry, it'll pass on it's own»

«Alright, so, about Almarc…»

For a few more minutes, she went over the day's schedule with him before settling back behind her desk to get to work. She could tell something was off, but she knew better than to push him — he would talk when he was ready, and if she tried to force him, he'd just shut down. So, she said nothing, focusing on her tasks until it was time to head home. Once there, she resumed her search, scrolling through profiles of potential donors, hoping to find the right one as, once again, the next day, Harvey continued to avoid her, staying silent as the redhead grew more concerned. During the afternoon, as they sat across from each other, drafting a document — an ideal moment for conversation — Donna's phone rang, and Harvey shot a quick glance at the screen, swallowing hard when he saw the name Dr. Avery.

«Excuse me, I need to take this call»

Without hesitation, Donna stood, answered the call, and walked out of the room. She'd never done this before — not stepping away to take a call when he was in the same room, since there was nothing she needed to keep secret, but today, she clearly didn't want him to know. Although it hadn't been directly stated, Harvey had already pieced together the connection between Dr. Avery, the mysterious check-up from a few days ago, and the fertility center files. Seizing the opportunity of Donna's absence, he quickly typed the doctor's name and clinic into his laptop. The image of a woman appeared on the screen, followed by the words fertility doctors and specialists in New York, sending a strange flutter through his stomach. Meanwhile, across the hall, Donna's heart raced as she spoke on the phone.

«Hello?»

«Ms. Paulsen?»

«Yes, it's me»

«Hello, Ms. Paulsen, this is Dr. Avery. I'm calling about the results of your hormone tests. You can be reassured — everything is perfect. Your ovarian reserve is sufficient, your ovaries are functioning well, your uterus is healthy, and no anomalies were detected — all of the hormones tested are within normal ranges. This means you're biologically capable of conceiving without any issues. Now, it's just a matter of time»

«I'm so happy to hear that» whispered Donna with emotion.

«I imagine. Have you already found a donor?»

«Well, I'm still looking, but I've already made an initial selection, so it shouldn't be too long»

«Great. How about we schedule an appointment for next week to go over the rest of the procedure?»

«Sure»

«Would Monday at 2 PM work for you?»

«That's perfect, yeah»

«I'll make a note of that. By the way, Ms. Paulsen, I want to remind you that this is a long and specific process. You'll need to come in for procedures like ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, embryo transfer, and pregnancy follow-ups. You'll likely need to take time off work, so it's a good idea to start planning for that»

« Of course, yeah»

«Alright then. If everything's good for you, I wish you a great day, Ms. Paulsen»

«Thank you — you too, Dr. Avery»

As soon as she hung up, a broad smile spread across her face, while despite the stress of the crazy journey ahead, the reality that she was finally going to become a mother felt almost surreal. It was with that same smile — soft and full of hope — that she returned to Harvey's office as he immediately noticed the shift in her demeanor and murmured softly.

«Everything okay?»

«Yeah, yeah — let's get back to work?»

«Sure»

Without another word, they both dove back into their tasks, working in silence, interrupted only by occasional exchanges about the client file they were focusing on. Nearly an hour later, they returned to their desks, still with little interaction, but as the evening wore on and the office began to empty, Harvey was surprised when Donna knocked softly on the glass door and murmured with a soft smile.

«Hey, you got a minute?»

«Sure. What's going on?»

With anxiety, he watched her close the door and approach, then sit across from him with a sorry smile on her face. As she did, he swallowed hard, sensing the softness in her eyes — and more than that, a look of apology, as if she were about to deliver bad news. Before he had the chance to say anything, she spoke in a soft voice.

«Are you okay, Harvey?»

«Yeah. Why do you ask?»

«Well, I think we know each other well enough to tell when something's wrong. You've been distant, always somewhere else, and I'm worried, that's all»

«You don't have to worry. Everything's fine»

«Are you sure?»

«Yeah, yeah. Don't worry»

«Alright... um, I came because I need to tell you something important»

«Sure. What's going on?»

Both of them felt their hearts racing — Harvey, terrified that the worst-case scenario he'd imagined might be true, and Donna, knowing he feared she might leave him. In some way, that was exactly what was happening, and after a deep breath, she spoke softly, the lump in her throat making it difficult to get the words out.

«I've started an assisted reproduction process to have a baby, and the doctor called to tell me that everything looks good, and I can move on to the next step»

As she waited for him to react, looking for any hint of emotion in his eyes, he remained stoic, his jaw tight as if he were angry, finally murmuring simply.

«Alright»

«Um, I'm telling you this because you matter to me, and this is going to be an important step in my life. I wanted to share it with you, but more than that, things are going to change. I want to stay at Pearson-Hardman, and I hope I can continue working for you too, but I'll need to take time off for the process, the pregnancy follow-ups, and maternity leave. On top of that, things will be different afterward. I won't be able to stay late at the firm with you or even come in on Saturdays. I'll have to stick to office hours, and there will be times when I'll need to leave in the middle of the day if the baby's sick or something. Do you understand?»

If Harvey was shocked by everything she had just said, realizing the situation was completely beyond his control, he simply nodded, the fear of saying the wrong thing paralyzing him. So seeing that he wasn't ready to talk, she murmured softly.

«Okay, I just... I wanted you to know. That's it»

There was a long pause as she studied his face, waiting for any sign of what he was thinking, but Harvey remained silent, his expression unreadable as she decided to stop this awkward moment.

«Well, I have to go home. But see you?»

«See you, Donna»

With his final words, she gently closed the door behind her, leaving Harvey sitting in his chair, staring at the spot where she had just been. For several long seconds, he didn't move, as if frozen in place. The silence in the room felt suffocating, and his mind raced, trying to process everything she had just shared. He wasn't sure what to feel. Part of him wanted to be angry or shout, but another part of him was overwhelmed with confusion — and something else, something deeper and harder to admit. Meanwhile, Donna was gathering her things and preparing to leave the firm, her emotions a mix of uncertainty and heaviness. She could feel the tension in the air after her announcement, but since he hadn't said anything, she wasn't sure if he was happy for her, angry, hurt, or sad — though she knew, deep down, he wasn't alright. That much was certain. So, with a heavy heart, she made her way home, dropped her things, and changed out of her designer dress into her pajamas. She quickly pulled her hair into a messy bun and settled in front of the TV, her laptop resting on her lap. For nearly an hour, she scrolled through profiles of men, trying to find the one who felt right, narrowing it down to five potential candidates, and as she lost herself in thought, a knock at the door startled her. Surprised, she opened it to find him standing there, still in his suit, shifting awkwardly on his feet, looking at her with wide eyes.

«Hey, sorry to come so late, but... can I come in?»

«Sure. Everything okay?»

«Yeah, um... I came to apologize»

«Apologize?» she asked, surprised.

«Yeah, for my reaction earlier, about... you know, your announcement»

«Oh»

«I know that becoming a mom is really important to you, and I should've been happier for you and shown you some support — I'm sorry. It just came up so suddenly, and I didn't expect it at all»

«I get it, it's fine»

«So... um, I didn't know you wanted to have a baby right now. You never really talked about it»

«Well, I was waiting. But I had a friend visit recently, and she was there with her son. I don't know, I just realized I was tired of waiting. And with Mark —»

«Mark?»

«What?»

«Wait, you're having a baby with Mark?» muttered Harvey.

With panic and sadness in his eyes, she quickly tried to reassure him.

«No, no. Um, it's just that, for a moment, I really thought things would work out with Mark, and I could imagine a family life with him. But things ended, and then I started thinking about what I really wanted for my future, and I knew I wanted to be a mom. So, here I am»

«Oh. Alright... and now?»

«It's fine, you don't have to —»

«Hey, this interests me. Seriously»

«Well, like I said, biologically everything is fine. The doctor gave me the green light to move forward with the procedure. I have an appointment with her on Monday to go over the next steps before officially starting. Now, I just need to choose a donor»

The room fell silent for a moment as he processed everything. There was so much more than just the donor she had to think about, but he couldn't help feeling a strange mix of emotions. She was moving forward with her life, and in some ways, it felt like a new chapter — one that didn't involve him in the same way anymore, but he wasn't sure how to express that. Instead, he just stood there, his mind racing, before whispering.

«A donor?»

«Yeah. I mean, I wanted something more... controlled»

«And how's it going?»

«Harvey, really, we don't need to talk about this... I know this kind of thing doesn't interest you»

«You said it would impact your work, which indirectly impacts me, so it does interest me. So, what's this donor thing about?»

«Well, as you know, it takes two to make a baby, and unfortunately, I don't have the other half. So, the clinic has a list of donors, and I just need to choose the man who... you know... will be the biological father, the one who will help me with everything»

«I'm not sure I understand»

Harvey was completely lost. For a moment, he stared at her, imagining her walking around with a baby that would carry her features — and the features of someone she didn't know, someone she'd never even met. His heart began to race as the thought settled in, and then, she simply murmured with a weak smile.

«It's a little weird, but I have access to photos, their educational background, family history, that kind of thing. It's kind of like shopping… for a man»

«That's… nonsense»

«Well, that's the whole point of an anonymous donor, Harv» she said with a small smile.

«I know, but... how do you feel about it? I mean, they're still strangers»

She looked at him, a hint of a smile on her face, clearly aware that the situation made him uncomfortable.

«Well, the fact that I can see pictures, have information, all of that, is pretty reassuring — it's not completely unknown. At least I can imagine what my baby won't look like, and that's something, right? But the fact that I'll never actually talk to them, never really know who they are... that's a little unsettling. I mean, I know they do extensive genetic testing, but I'm still not exactly safe from my baby inheriting the psychopath gene»

As Donna chuckled softly, Harvey didn't share her amusement. His jaw was still as tight as it had been earlier in the office when she'd made her announcement, and he looked lost, struggling to make sense of everything while he seemed genuinely confused as he murmured.

«Why are you doing this then? Why take the risk if you don't even know him?»

«Because I want a baby, Harvey»

«Yeah, but…»

«But what?»

«An unknown person, Donna»

«Look, I hesitated a lot before doing this. I read testimonies online, talked to the doctor, all that. Everyone who's made this choice seems really happy with it,so I will be too »

«Alright»

For a few seconds, the room fell silent while neither of them knew what to do next. As Harvey felt himself starting to lose his grip on the situation, he murmured, unable to distance himself from the whole thing.

«What about now?»

«I have an appointment on Monday, and we'll probably start the insemination»

«Already?» gasped the lawyer.

«Yeah»

«Alright»

«Hm? Do you need anything else?»

«No, sorry. I just came to apologize, but if everything's good between us, then it's fine»

«Everything's good» smiled Donna.

«Good»

«See you?»

«Sure.. Yeah — Hum, see you, Donna»

After a smile, they both moved toward the door, Donna opening it for Harvey as they exchanged one last smile. Donna then closed the door behind him, letting out a long breath as she returned to the living room and sighed. Meanwhile, Harvey stood in the hallway, pacing back and forth, his mind racing. He was torn between the urge to destroy everything out of sheer anger and the overwhelming fear of what he had just realized: in a few months, he would no longer be the most important person in Donna's life. He would fade into the background. He knew it was stupid — jealous of a baby, really? — but he couldn't shake the feeling. For years, it had been a silent pact between them: it was just the two of them, always, no one else could come between them, not even for a moment. But now, it was happening. She was having a child, and that child would be tied to another man, someone else entirely, and even though he would never admit it aloud, that was the part that bothered him the most. The anger and fear twisted together inside him, making it harder to breathe. And the worst part? He didn't know what to do about it. After a few minutes of reflection, Harvey made his way down the hallway. Meanwhile, Donna was tidying up the living room, putting away the small things scattered around, when a knock at the door interrupted her. Surprised, she opened it immediately, only to find Harvey standing there once again, but this time, he looked pale and not well.

«Harvey?»

«Don't do this anonymously»

«What?»

«Have you already chosen a donor?»

«No. I mean, I have an idea, but I need to choose —»

«Choose me»

«Excuse me?»

« Choose me. I'll be the donor »