That night, Harvey hadn't slept a wink, endlessly replaying what he had just learned. He was sure the little girl was his, he had noticed the way Donna sometimes looked at him. At first, he thought it was simply because the moment was special — she had just had a baby, and there was a one-in-two chance it could be his. But now he understood. In light of this revelation, Harvey felt torn, even though deep down he knew there was nothing to be done — they had a deal. Harvey didn't want to know, and Donna was living her life with her baby — whether it was her boss's or not. So, in the morning, his eyes stinging from lack of sleep, he rushed to the firm, dropped the documents onto Donna's desk as though nothing had changed, and dove straight into work. At around eight o'clock, Donna arrived with a big smile.
«Hey»
«Hey»
«Oh, rough night?» chuckled the redhead.
«Yeah, I had a lot on my mind and didn't get much sleep»
«Harv… Are you okay?»
«Yeah, yeah, don't worry. By the way, Marie from HR dropped off some documents for you. Apparently, she needs you to sign them quickly»
«Documents for what?»
«No idea, I didn't ask. They're on your desk»
«Alright, thanks. I'll take care of that quickly, then I'll be over for the daily debrief»
«Take your time, no rush»
After a final smile, Donna headed back to her desk, while Harvey watched every movement and gesture of the redhead. Dropping her bag, she glanced at the documents, a small smile playing on her lips—likely as she read the information about her daughter. A few seconds later, she rummaged through her bag, pulled out a piece of paper, and appeared to be copying some missing details onto the documents. Then, she left her office, taking them up to the HR department two floors above. When she returned, she sat down across from him, a stack of documents in hand, and murmured with a smile.
«Shall we go?»
The rest of the day passed quickly, but Harvey couldn't shake the thought that her baby might be his too. So, he hurried off to one of Manhattan's trendy bars, knocking back drink after drink — a whiskey, then a second, then a third, and by the time he ordered a fourth, the alcohol was beginning to take its toll. For the first time in more than twenty-four hours, he felt his body finally start to relax, and that's when he heard a woman's voice behind him.
«Are you alone?»
As he turned around, Harvey sized up the newcomer for a few seconds. Small, brunette, brown eyes, full lips, probably fake — she wasn't bad. With nothing to lose and already a little tipsy, he smiled and motioned for her to sit next to him, seeing her chuckle.
«So, what's an outsider like you doing alone in this bar?»
«Well, call me Harvey, not the outsider, and I don't know, I just needed to clear my head. What about you... stranger?»
«Call me Luna, and I was just looking for some company»
«Can I buy you a drink?»
«I don't mind»
As the woman ordered a cocktail, they started chatting about everything and nothing, while Harvey distracted himself for a moment until their conversation moved to the lawyer's bedroom. It was quick and satisfying — just enough to make him forget his dilemma, but as Harvey lay there, staring at the ceiling while the woman got dressed, she chuckled as she heard him sigh.
«Everything okay?»
«Yeah, yeah»
«You've been somewhere else all evening. Want to talk about it?»
«We don't know each other, you don't have to do this»
«Exactly, we don't know each other, you tell me your problems, I'll give you my opinion if you want, and then I'll disappear. Your secret is safe with me»
For a few seconds, the lawyer thought it over before murmuring.
«I don't know»
«Come on, tell me, seriously. I'm a social worker, I'm used to hearing other people's problems. And if it helps, I caught my fiancé in bed with my cousin a week ago, so I don't think anything could be worse»
As she chuckled, Harvey mirrored her, rubbing his face and closing his eyes before starting his explanation as she sat on the edge of the bed, listening to him.
«Where do I even begin? My best friend — who's also my secretary — wanted to have a baby on her own, you know, with an anonymous donor and all that. When she told me, I don't know, I kind of panicked and suggested I be the donor. It was stupid, I don't want to be a father or anything, but she's the most important person in my life, and I wanted to help»
«Wasn't there a little bit of jealousy involved?» asked the woman.
«Probably, yeah. I don't know, the idea of her being tied to someone else — other than me — bothered me, so I suggested it. I did what was necessary at the clinic, and then I let her decide. She could use my donation or go with an anonymous donor, I didn't want to know, she could do whatever she wanted. During her pregnancy, she never told me a thing — not even that she was pregnant. I found out a few months later when she turned down a drink, and I put it together»
«But that's what you wanted, right? Not knowing anything»
«Yeah. And during her pregnancy, we just kept living as usual. I don't know... knowing that this baby could be as much mine as it could be from an anonymous donor, I'd gotten used to not knowing. I managed to distance myself and stick to our deal. She went on maternity leave, came back this week, and it was like nothing had changed — no baby, no mystery, nothing. Everything was just as it had been before until last night. The HR woman at work gave me some documents about Donna's status change now that she was a mom. It was for her, I know I shouldn't have looked — I promised I wouldn't — but I couldn't help it»
«And?»
«She chose me as the donor»
«Wow»
«Yeah»
«You're sure the baby is yours?»
«Well, her second name is the same as mine. I guess she thought I'd never find out, but I saw the birth certificate. She's my best friend — I know her. She's sentimental, and even though she knew I would never recognize the baby, at least she'd have a part of my name in hers»
«What about now?»
«I don't know» sighed Harvey.
«Can I give you my opinion?»
«Yeah, of course»
«I can't really put myself in your shoes, or your best friend's, but from what I'm hearing, I think you should stick to your deal. I imagine knowing you have a child somewhere is weird, especially when it's someone you work with every day who's raising it. But like you said, you don't want to be a parent. You have no reason to see the child, take care of it, or anything. After all, it was just to help her, right?»
«Yeah»
«And is she happy?»
«I've never seen her smile so much»
«Well, just think of it this way: you did a good thing. You helped your best friend have a baby and be happy, so your mission stops there»
«Yeah, that's true»
«You know, being a father isn't just about biology. There are plenty of guys who get women pregnant and then disappear, just like there are plenty of men who raise kids that aren't biologically theirs. Being a parent is complex, and just because this child shares your genetics doesn't make you a father, especially since you don't want to be one. Don't make things worse. Work on how you see the situation. Get it into your head that you just helped her, that it's her daughter, not yours, and that you'll keep living your life»
Seeing the lawyer lost in his thoughts, she chuckled before finishing getting dressed and murmuring.
«Well, you seem lost in thought, I'll leave you to it»
«Yeah»
«Goodbye, Harvey»
«Goodbye, Luna»
After that, he heard the door slam and found himself reflecting on the words of the not-so-stranger anymore. She was right — he didn't want to be a father, and he knew that being part of this little girl's life would only disrupt the perfect life she was probably living with Donna. Besides, all that mattered to Harvey was that the redhead was happy, and just seeing the excitement she had when leaving the office to pick up her daughter from daycare told him everything he needed to know. So, as complicated as it was, he decided to take Luna's advice and continue living his life. After all, he wasn't the father of that child. So the next day, he headed to the office, and this time, after a good night's sleep and with a clearer mind, he smiled at Donna when he arrived. He'd come to terms with it, and the fact that Donna never mentioned the little girl helped too. The few times he caught sight of something belonging to the child, or when Donna had to leave him to fulfill her role as a mother, he'd turn to a drink to distract himself, but otherwise, he managed to adjust. The days passed, turning into weeks, then months, and the two of them found a rhythm that worked.
«Hey my baby, how did you sleep?»
Every morning, Donna woke up, took care of herself, then woke Aida and dressed her. After that, she gave her breakfast — starting with a bottle, then moving on to banana puree, yogurt, and baby cereal porridge as she grew up. Now, she was giving her homemade pancakes and toast, and once they were both ready, the two redheads chatted on the way to daycare — well, Aida babbled, and Donna pretended to understand. After dropping her off, Donna would head to the office, where she spent the day working side by side with Harvey, and at exactly four o'clock, she'd leave to pick up the little redhead and head home to take care of her. Donna loved being a mom. She'd never imagined it would bring her so much happiness and fulfillment, and every time she heard Aida laugh or saw her look at her with those trusting eyes, she couldn't help but think how happy she was — nothing else mattered anymore, except her daughter.
«Harvey, I need to go in twenty minutes — the can opener»
«Oh shit, yeah. Let's do it»
Despite Aida's presence in her life, Donna hadn't neglected Harvey. She did everything she could to keep him in her life, just like before, making sure he never felt abandoned. She knew Harvey — she understood that he was afraid of being alone, especially after his mother's affair, and that he had found comfort in his relationship with her. So, baby or no baby, she continued to be there for him when they were at work — and even after hours, when he called her because he needed to talk. Up until now, everything had been going smoothly, but maybe, just maybe, things were about to change today.
«Aida, come on, we're gonna be late. Mommy needs to go to work»
«Mama»
«Yeah, baby. Come on»
The secretary had decided to enroll Aida in a daycare located between her place and the firm for convenience. Since then, mother and daughter had enjoyed their daily walks through the streets of New York, spending some quality time together to start their day well. What had started with a baby carrier had eventually switched to a stroller when Aida became too heavy, and now, it was on foot. Aida, now fifteen months old and full of energy, looked like Donna physically, but she also shared her mother's determination. And so, the secretary found herself walking slowly along the sidewalk, one hand holding the little girl's, smiling as Aida babbled, focusing intently on her small steps.
«Baby, mommy is gonna be late. Can I take you in my arms?»
«No»
«Aida, let's make a deal. I'll pick you up, that way we'll go faster and mommy won't be late for work, and in return, I'll give you lots of cuddles»
As the little girl stopped to tilt her head and look up at her mother, she hadn't quite understood everything Donna had said, but when she saw the older redhead smile down at her and make a kissing gesture, Aida giggled. Noticing the lack of resistance, Donna crouched down to lift her mini version, settling her on her hip before showering her with kisses as they continued walking more quickly along the sidewalk, Aida's laughter filling the air. A few miles away, Harvey was in the taxi he'd ordered, and as he neared the office, he motioned to the driver to stop.
«Do you mind dropping me off here?»
«Are you sure?»
«Yeah, yeah. Thank you»
After paying the driver, Harvey stepped out of the taxi and headed into the bakery. Today marked one year since Donna's return to work, and to thank her for being so perfect, he'd stopped by her favorite bakery, a few streets away from the firm, to pick up some breakfast for her. So he grabbed something to eat and drink, then exited the shop, but as he stepped out onto the sidewalk, he stopped dead in his tracks. It only lasted a few seconds, but he could recognize that brilliant red hair from miles away. He watched Donna briefly, and at first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but it was the second little redhead beside her that froze him in place. He couldn't see the child's face, but the two tiny buns, the pink overall with a little heart, and the little arm wrapped around Donna's neck were enough to make his heart race. He remained motionless for a few seconds, lost in the scene, until a customer tried to exit the shop and nudged him out of the way. Just then, Donna disappeared into the building — probably the daycare. A bit disoriented, Harvey continued his walk toward the firm, still processing what he had just seen, waiting for his secretary to arrive so he could offer her breakfast. He was still lost in his thoughts when he finally saw Donna approaching.
«Hey Harvey»
«Hey, hum, this is for you»
«Levain?» smirked Donna.
«Yeah»
«On what occasion?»
«Well, it's been a year since you returned, so I thought we should celebrate»
«Thank you, Harvey, that's sweet»
Quickly, the two of them settled into the small lounge in the lawyer's office, using the time to go over the schedule for the day as they enjoyed coffee and shared pastries. The conversation was light, but Donna could sense something was off as she didn't hesitate, pressing him with a direct question.
«Is everything okay?»
«Hmm?»
«You seem a bit off»
«No, no. I'm fine»
«Harv»
«What?»
«Don't lie to me»
«It's fine. I swear — So, how's life?»
«How's life? Really? What is wrong with you?» giggled Donna.
«Oh come on, I'm just trying to be nice» chuckled Harvey.
«Well, if you wanna know, life is good»
«And how is the… little one?»
For a split second, the room fell into silence as Donna stared at Harvey with wide eyes, clearly surprised and caught off guard. He swallowed hard, seeing her discomfort, and then, finally, she murmured, never breaking eye contact with him.
«Where is this coming from?»
«Sorry, I shouldn't have —»
«Harvey, where is this coming from?» whispered Donna.
«I saw the two of you today»
Once again, the room fell into silence, both of them unsure where the conversation would lead, but seeing the redhead's slight panic, Harvey decided to step in.
«I saw you two from a distance when I was leaving Levain — well, I saw you from behind — I assume you were dropping her off at daycare… Donna, it was just to make conversation»
«We had a deal, Harvey. You didn't want to knowand didn't ask questions »
«Donna, I'm asking out of kindness. She's important to you, and you're important to me. I was just asking, but that didn't mean — you know»
«Exactly — Well, she's good. Really good»
Seeing that she wasn't going to say anything more, Harvey simply smiled before changing the subject. After their impromptu breakfast, they returned to their day, and Donna eventually left to pick up Aida from daycare. That evening, as the little redhead played in the living room, Donna took a few moments to watch her daughter, biting her lip, lost in thought. Aida was the spitting image of her mother. Her hair was red, but lighter — probably because of Harvey's blonde hair when he was young, leaning toward a strawberry blonde. Though she was still small, she had the same straight, fine nose as Donna, the same heart-shaped face, and the same sparkling eyes. But what Aida also had were the same chocolate brown eyes as Harvey's and that slightly arrogant smile, somewhat hidden by lips a little fuller, like Donna's. So maybe Harvey had seen them from behind, but Donna wasn't sure that if he truly saw Aida, things could continue the way they were now.
She was Harvey's, and there was no way to deny it.