Chapter Text
As Donna was busy putting on her makeup in the bathroom, she couldn't help but smile as she heard her kids laughing out loud downstairs as she checked her outfit in the mirror one last time. Tonight, she had a parent meeting, and her husband decided to take the kids to Mike's to watch the long-awaited baseball game while she and Rachel were going to school, hoping it wouldn't be too boring. Once she was ready, she went downstairs and saw Miles doing squats in the living room, one little girl hanging on his back, the other against him, their four little hands around his neck while he had wrapped an arm around the first little girl and the other arm around the other behind him. Every time, as soon as he stood up, he made a noise on purpose, as if it took a superhuman effort to do it, while they laughed at their brother's behavior.
« Is anyone ready yet? Babies, come on, we have to be at daddy's work in half an hour »
Faced with the redhead's voice, all three turned their heads to look at her, and Donna couldn't help but melt thinking about the years that had passed. If six years ago, Miles was a young boy who cried in her arms when things weren't going well, today, the young man was eighteen and had the same height as his father, almost a head taller than his mother. She missed being able to hold him in her arms and place kisses on his forehead or his hair since she couldn't do it anymore, and so, it was now him who took his mother in his arms to place kisses on her forehead, while she now saw her son shaving his mustache and maintaining his muscles, and just that, Donna wanted to cry seeing him grow up and become the handsome young man he currently was. Miles had always looked like Harvey, but now that he was more or less out of his teens and was now a man, he was a copy of his father, down to the smallest detail, with the only difference being that, as the lawyer had his hair rather short and combed to the side, Miles wore it longer with a line down the middle, letting it fall on either side, giving him the appearance of a surfer. As she approached her son, she took the little redhead in her arms while she gave her mother a big smile.
« You too, baby. We're not going to go to the firm in a bodysuit, right? »
« Go daddy? » smiled the baby.
« Only if you three are ready. Let's get you dressed »
As she slid her little arms around Donna, the mother placed a tender kiss on her cheek before leaving the room to go up two floors higher where the girls' rooms were. Isa was now a little over two and was the youngest of the Specters, and probably the last, unless a happy accident happened. Almost three years ago, after Scottie had tried to charm her husband and Donna had marked her territory, the redhead had gone home to take care of the children while Harvey impatiently waited for everyone to be in bed to finally broach the subject. While she was in the bathroom and her cell phone alarm had gone off to indicate that she had to take her pill, Harvey had turned off the alarm to stick to her, his chest to her back, and whispered in her ear: let’s make another one.
A few weeks later, while the gynecologist was estimating the date of conception, the couple looked at each other with a little laugh, realizing that their third child had been conceived on the first try, something that Harvey had been bragging about ever since. If the announcement of this child scared the two parents a little, who were dreading Miles and Aida’s reaction, they were surprised to see that they were both happy at the idea of becoming big brothers and sisters. A few months later, their second daughter was born, and Harvey was emotional to see that she was once again Donna’s copy, looking exactly like Aida, and absolutely perfect.
« Miles, can you take care of Aida? »
« Sure, mom »
« Her clothes are already prepared on her bed » added Donna before entering Isa's room.
As the two of them followed her, Donna saw her daughter give her a big smile as she chuckled with the same sly and provocative look as her husband. Aida was now four and a half years old and was still as adorable as when she was a baby. When Donna had gotten pregnant, she was afraid that the little girl would feel neglected after being the center of attention of both parents and the teenager for two years, but if they worried that she would become difficult, she had on the contrary been adorable during the entire pregnancy and even after. Over time, she had become very close to her sister, and today that both of them were walking and talking, they had become inseparable and spent their time playing together, except when Miles was around.
If Aida and Miles had been inseparable since birth, with the teenager who devoted himself entirely to his sister, with the arrival of Isa, he had doubled his devotion and constantly took care of his sisters, doing everything to make them laugh and feel loved every second he was with them. As she was in the little redhead’s bedroom, while she had just put on an adorable light raspberry-colored wide-leg jumpsuit on her daughter, she heard the footsteps of the second behind her and hurried to turn to look at her.
« Well, well, well, look at you. You're so pretty »
As the little girl wore light, wide-legged blue and white plaid pants with a white t-shirt over it, Donna saw her smile with all her teeth, clearly happy to be complimented by her mother. Donna then took Isa down from the changing table to head to the small bed where she sat on it, taking each little girl on her lap and doing their hair while chatting, giving Miles time to get dressed. After two mini pigtails for Isa and two buns on top of Aida's head, Donna went down to the living room, where she waited for the teenager to come down, and, ten minutes later, Miles appeared. As he saw Donna looking at him, Miles chuckled softly.
« Mom, stop »
« I’m going to miss you »
« Mom, do you realize that I'm going to Columbia University, literally half an hour away from here, and I'm staying home, at least for the next five years »
« I know, but still, it's university, baby. You're going to go out with your friends, spend all your hours there, be home less and less, and I'm just going to miss you »
« Okay, I'm not going to start the conversation with you. Anyway, how am I? »
« Very handsome »
In front of her, her son was wearing a white short-sleeved t-shirt, navy blue baggy chinos, and his Yankees cap of the same color, showing his dirty blonde hair on either side.
« Perfect, then. Let's go? » asked the young man.
« Let's go »
After grabbing her purse, Miles and Aida went downstairs while Donna held Isa's hand and helped her down the stairs as she slowly went down each step on her little legs. Once outside, the little family walked through the streets of New York to get to the lawyer’s firm. A little further south in Manhattan, Harvey had been in a meeting for some time with his client, as well as the opposing lawyer and his own client, as he was slowly starting to lose patience and get bored. After almost forty-five minutes of negotiation, while he was looking at his watch for the fifteenth time in less than ten minutes, the moment the opposing lawyer put forward an argument just as shaky as the previous one, Harvey decided to put an end to this farce.
« Alright, stop »
« Mr. Specter » started the other lawyer.
« Mr. Gomez, I think we'll stop here »
« I think there are still some topics we need to discuss and — »
« You know, when my client told me she came from another state for me to represent her, I thought it would be a complicated trial, but the more I listen to you talk, the more I wonder what the point of this interview is. Your client is guilty and indefensible in the name of the law, for a long time I let you talk because you seemed to like it, but not a single argument you've told me so far has convinced me, on the contrary »
« Mr. Specter, my client has regrets »
« Well, if I were in his place, I would have some too. A man who embezzles money from his own father's company by using his partner's name to carry out his manipulative actions remains for me one of the most cowardly things I have ever heard. Also, the act itself is despicable enough, but on top of that, this gentleman here accuses my client when his father asks him for explanations instead of taking responsibility like a big boy »
« Look, we all know and agree that what my client did is indefensible, but he was not in a good place with a lot of past disappointment that led him to act dishonorably, I agree, but he would like to erase everything and start over »
« Unfortunately, that's not possible »
« My client is separating from his girlfriend — »
« Which makes sense. If I were in her place, I would have left him straight away too » smirked Harvey.
« Yes, but it's still a painful separation. And even then, his parents haven't spoken to him since the discovery of the extortion »
« I know, they also asked me to defend them in court if they decided to »
« What? » shouted the man, obviously not aware.
« Exactly, so I think this meeting is unnecessary. I must now conclude this interview to go to other things, but we'll see each other in court »
Without giving the opposing lawyer time to respond, Harvey got up and invited his client to leave the office in turn before chatting with her for a few minutes about what would happen next, then greeting her and going to the kitchen, leaving the opposing lawyer and his client alone in the meeting room. At the same time, he called his wife, who answered instantly.
« Hi honey »
« Hey. Are you there soon? »
« Yeah, we're near Bloomingdale's. The kids took a while to get ready, apparently, it was more fun to do sports with Miles than to get dressed »
« I bet » snorted Harvey.
« Anyway, we're almost there »
« Alright. See you, baby »
« See you, honey »
As soon as he hung up, Harvey ran into Mike, who had been employed at Pearson Hardman for almost a year now, and the two men started talking together about trials and cases. A few feet away, Donna arrived with the kids, greeting the various employees who had gotten to know the redhead with the years before she met her number one fan.
« Donna »
« Hello Louis »
« And the three mini Specters »
« Hello Louis » answered the two little girls with their adorable smiles.
« Listen to me, I have a surprise for you in my office. Do you want to come with me to see what it is? »
As they looked to Donna for approval, the mother nodded, and the two little girls followed Louis while Aida chatted with him about his cat, and Isa tried to join the conversation with its language not yet well developed. Once the three of them were out of sight, she turned to talk to Miles until she heard a voice that made her sweat run down her spine.
« Donna? »
Immediately, she saw her son turn to look at who had called out to him while Donna remained frozen, her back to her interlocutor.
« Mom, who is — » murmured the young man before being abruptly interrupted by his mother.
« Miles, go join your sisters, please »
« What? I — »
« Miles. Now »
Seeing his mother serious, he complied and left the hall, leaving the redhead facing her biggest nightmare, the person she hoped to never see again in her life. As she turned to face him, she swallowed hard before murmuring.
« Mark »
Seeing him approach, Donna wanted to run away but remained frozen, completely paralyzed by fear, while he smiled at her and hurried to get closer to her.
« Oh my God, Donna. I'm so happy to see you, I missed you so much. Since you left, I've been going crazy »
« Mark, stop »
« I’m so happy to have found you again. I tried everything to find you, but nothing, your parents wouldn't tell me anything, I never saw you again in Hartford, and I couldn't find anything on social media. Look, eight years ago, I messed up, and there's not a day that I regret it. You're the love of my life, Donna, and I promise to make an effort and become the Mark you loved at the beginning again. Please, come back to Bloomfield with me »
Faced with the man's words, Donna was speechless, and if she didn't even know what to say to that, she laughed nervously before whispering.
« Are you crazy? »
« Donna, I know this sounds completely insane, but you are the woman of my life, our divorce was a mistake, I promise you that I will give you the life that I always promised you »
« What the fuck? » whispered Donna with wide eyes.
As she threw her hands up in despair, Mark grabbed her wrist in mid-motion before pulling her towards him and observing her hand for a few seconds.
« What is that? »
As the man stared at the huge diamond and the wedding ring next to it on her finger, Donna winced as she felt Mark tighten his grip on her wrist.
« Mark, let go of me, you're hurting me »
« Are you married? »
« Mark, stop it »
« Fuck, did you get remarried? After all these years together, barely divorced, you remarried without any qualms, as if I meant nothing to you while I spent the last eight years waiting for you to come back so we could be happy together again »
« You’re hurting me, let go of my wrist. Please, can you — »
As she was about to finish her sentence, she saw a fist sink into Mark's face without even seeing where it came from or who it was. As Mark stepped back and fell with the strong impact of the blow, finally letting go of the redhead's wrist to bring his hands to his face, she heard a male voice next to her.
« Stay away from my mom! »
Miles. Aside from the fact that he had mentioned his mother, Donna could have recognized her son's angry and slightly trembling voice among thousands. As he looked at the man with hatred, deep breath, and a clenched fist ready to start again, Donna slipped her hand around her son's biceps to pull him back. While Mark was on the ground, he looked at the young man and his ex-wife with wide eyes before straightening up and laughing with a sadistic gaze.
« Mom? What the fuck, that’s not your son »
« Yes, he is » replied Donna, ready to defend her role as a mother no matter what.
« No, he's not. If he was your son, I would have known, since you were with me at the time, and I have no memory of you being pregnant »
In less than a second, Donna saw Miles' face go from a mixture of anger and fear to pure hatred as he slowly understood who he was facing. Miles wasn't stupid, he remembered the conversation they had when he learned about the redhead's first pregnancy, when she mentioned her miscarriage and the fact that no one knew about it as her ex-husband probably didn't remember. Seeing his mother with wet eyes and swallowing hard, while the man was almost standing, Miles threw his fist once again in the face of the man who was moaning while holding his nose.
« Miles, stop hitting now » whispered Donna.
As the teenager was seized with intense anger, his features tense, his fists clenched as he breathed quickly, they heard the sound of small footsteps behind them, and Donna closed her eyes as she understood who was behind her.
« Mommy? »
« Mama? »
Immediately, she saw Mark open his eyes even wider as Miles approached dangerously the man in front of him. Wanting to avoid another blow, she pulled her son towards her so he could face her and slid her hand over his trembling jaw before whispering.
« Go with your sisters to the kitchen »
« Mom » whispered the young man.
« Please, go with them »
She then saw her son take a deep breath as he looked at her with as much fear as love, and after a reassuring smile, he advanced into the hallway to take a little girl in his arms and throw her on his shoulder before grabbing the other against him, the two little redheads laughing out loud. Once alone with him, he approached in a threatening manner while Donna slowly backed away.
« In eight years, you had time to get married and have two children? »
« Three children »
« Bullshit » shouted Mark.
« Stay away from me »
« What kind of slut forgets ten years of marriage to get pregnant at the first opportunity? You know, if I had known that you had to be impregnated to stay home, I would have done it sooner because — »
« What did you just say to her? »
Harvey. Faced with her husband's deep, raspy voice, Donna was torn between relief at knowing he was there to protect her, and fear at the idea that the lawyer could kill her ex-husband with his bare hands.
« Mr. Specter, stay out of this, it has nothing to do with you or the trial »
« Of course it has to do with me, because when an asshole dares to insinuate that kind of thing about my wife and our children, I am capable of killing him. So I swear to God that if you don't disappear in five seconds, it's with all four of your limbs broken that security will throw you out. So you better get out before I destroy you somewhere other than in court »
While Mark was now stuck between the wall and Harvey, who was looking at him menacingly, the other man said nothing and slowly pulled himself out before leaving the firm quickly. As soon as they heard the sound of the elevator doors, Harvey turned to his wife, who looked pale.
« Hey, are you alright? »
« I’m going to be sick »
Immediately, she turned right where the women's restroom was before throwing up her entire breakfast into the toilet bowl, Harvey right after. For a few seconds, he stayed right behind her, holding her hair, while she continued to cough over the toilet. Once she was done, she straightened up to rinse her mouth and take a mint while he remained leaning against the counter watching her.
« Are you alright? »
« I never wanted to see him again »
« I know, baby »
« And I didn't want him to know about the kids — Oh my God, Miles »
« What happened? »
« He saw my wedding ring and my engagement ring, he freaked out, grabbed my wrist hard, and Miles saw it »
« Fuck »
« He punched him in the face »
« Really? »
« Twice »
« Good » sighed the lawyer.
« Harvey, don't. I don't want him to be violent when he's upset »
« You're his mother, and he was scared for you, is it normal for him to react like that »
« Don’t tell me he’s your client? »
« No, opposing. But baby, I swear I'm going to destroy him in court »
« I hope so »
« He's going to regret meeting you »
As he looked at her lovingly, she slid her arms around his torso before placing a kiss on his clothed chest while inhaling his scent to reassure herself. Even if she would have liked to stay in his arms forever, she unfortunately had to go to school for the parent-teacher meeting.
« I have to go, I'm going to be late »
« Alright. I'll come pick you up later, okay? »
« Thanks. I'm just going to give the kids a kiss before I go »
« Sure. Let's go »
After a last kiss on the lips, the couple left the women's bathroom to go to the kitchen, where their children were waiting for them calmly. Barely in the room, the two little girls who were sitting at the table ran to their mother, who quickly crouched down to take them against her.
« Hey babies, I'm going to work, but I'll be back soon. In the meantime, you're going to spend the evening with daddy, Miles, and Uncle Mike. Okay? »
« Okay » smiled the two little redheads.
« I love you »
« I love you too » replied the two little girls together.
Once the last kisses were exchanged between mother and daughters, Donna straightened up and saw her silent son watching her from the table. Seeing the tense situation, Harvey grabbed the two little girls against him before covering them with kisses and tickling them, leaving the room, the two little high-pitched laughs gradually fading away. Once alone, Donna approached Miles before sliding her hand into his hair and speaking.
« Are you okay? »
« I should rather ask you that »
« I’m fine, show me your hand instead »
« It's fine, it's rather for his nose that he would be worried »
« Thank you for taking my defense, baby » murmured Donna while placing a kiss on his forehead.
« He was hurting you, mom. I was ready to kill him »
« I know »
« So it's him? »
« Yep »
« Dad is more handsome » chuckled Miles.
« That's for sure » snorted Donna.
« I’ll always protect you, mom »
« I know, baby »
For a few seconds, neither of them said anything, Miles sitting at the table, Donna standing next to him, her hand still in his hair, until the young man stood up to hold the redhead against him while she gently caressed his back.
« Miles, I have to go, but first I want to see you smile, come on »
As he gave her a slightly forced smile, Donna chuckled before placing a kiss on his cheek, whispering softly in his ear.
« I love you »
« I love you too, mom »
After a last smile, Donna left the kitchen to join Rachel, who was waiting for her before leaving for their meetings. Later that evening, as planned, Harvey was waiting for her, having already dropped the three children off at home, Miles keeping an eye on his sisters while the couple ended up in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant, eating ice cream in the car, reminding them of their first secret dates, mainly discussing Mark, how they felt, and what they were planning to do. Once back home, both of them made love passionately, Harvey to show her that he loved her passionately and that she was perfect, while for Donna, it was because she needed to know that he was there for her. The next day, as the redhead woke up slowly fumbled with her hand the place next to her, she was surprised to touch cold sheets and not the warm body of her husband.
« Harv? »
A few seconds later, while she was still under the sheets, propped up on her elbows, she saw the lawyer come out of the bathroom and enter the room naked, except for a bath towel wrapped low on his hips, revealing his muscular torso and deep v-cut. If Harvey had always had an absolutely perfect body, she would never have thought that at forty-three, he would still be so muscular and well-built, but given the sport and training he did — especially since Miles had also started going to the gym — she was not surprised. As she continued to look him up and down while bitting her lower lip, Harvey started to chuckle at the sight of her.
« What? »
« You're just so hot » whispered Donna.
« Well, I have to. Have you seen my wife? Damn, hotter than that, you die »
« You're an idiot »
« Maybe, yeah — Good morning by the way »
As he leaned down to kiss her softly, the redhead sighed against his mouth, enjoying the softness of his lips, his warm hand on her cheek, and the calm of their room. After a last lingering kiss, he straightened up while Donna let herself fall back on the mattress and started to speak.
« Why are you up so already? »
« I’m going to get breakfast before the kids wake up »
« You're cute »
« I know. I'll take you like usual? »
« Strawberry tartlets, please »
Seeing her husband look at her with big eyes, she chuckled in a whisper.
« I’m not pregnant »
Donna didn't necessarily love tartlets, she rather liked to eat cakes and muffins, but when she was pregnant with Aida, the redhead tended to eat a lot of raspberry tartlets, and when it was Isa, she ate lemon tartlets. But for a few weeks, she was craving strawberry tart, which intrigued her husband, who thought she was probably pregnant.
« Oh, alright »
« Where are you going to get it? » smiled Donna to change the subject.
« At the bakery on the corner, does that suit you? »
« Perfect »
The lawyer then entered the dressing room to come out a few minutes later, the mother couldn't help but smile seeing her husband dressed in light baggy jeans, a navy blue Harvard hoodie, a white t-shirt sticking out above, and a pair of sneakers. If Donna had always thought that after forty, people stopped dressing « young », being more serious and calm, she would never have thought that they would have been so classy and fashionable now, but maybe the presence of a teenager and two toddlers at home made them always seem so young and made them dressed like that. As he approached his wife one last time, he kissed her languorously before leaving the room, giving the redhead time to use the bathroom in turn so she could set the table then while waiting for his return.
As for Harvey, he walked about ten minutes to get to the café where they usually ate and took what they needed to then quickly put everything in the fridge in the cellar before going out again to get flowers for his wife. As he was two streets from the florist, he heard a man's voice ring out behind him.
« Specter! »
As he turned around, he chuckled softly at the enraged man in front of him.
« Mark? Be careful, I might add stalking to the list of charges against you »
« What? I’m not stalking you, I just — Anyway, that's not the point. You son of a bitch »
« Hey, it's seven in the morning, and you already stink of alcohol. I think you better watch what you do next, don't want it to make your case worse »
« I don't give a shit. You stole my wife »
« Well, first of all, unless I'm mistaken — tell me if I am — but she filed for divorce as soon as she got the chance, right? »
« It was a mistake, and she knows it »
« Well, a happy mistake then because, man, it was so much easier to do better than you »
« Watch what you’re gonna say next » groaned Mark.
« You know, the second I saw her, dude, I had never seen a woman so beautiful, I fell in love like I never thought it could be possible, and when I saw that she didn't have a wedding ring, I was ready to do anything to have her because she drove me crazy. And when I found out she was single, I didn't wait, I couldn't, she was just so perfect. And on our first date, she told me about you, and I think if you had been in front of me, I would have broken your bones one by one for damaging her like you did. But don't worry, I caught your bullshit and made her forget about your failed relationship »
« It wasn't a failed relationship »
« Oh yeah, it was. You know after our first night together, she told me she had never felt so much pleasure, and that's when I understood that, in addition to being a shitty husband, you were a shitty lover »
« What did you just say to me? » shouted Mark, pushing Harvey.
« Apparently you're not capable of making a woman come more than twice » chuckled the lawyer.
« Shut the fuck up »
« That's not the only thing I did better than you. Did you see the huge diamond she has around her finger? I saw what you gave her in photos, and I must admit that it was quite small, so it seemed logical to me that, for such an exceptional woman, a ring that was just as exceptional as her was needed. So I bought the biggest diamond in the store, and I asked her to marry me on a beach in Hawaii, it's a change from Newport, right? »
Seeing the man's big round eyes, Harvey continued to speak while laughing softly.
« You know where I took her for our honeymoon? Paris. You remember? It was her dream, it was where you refused to take her for so long. Well, I took her there, in a fucking luxury suite, and I swear that your little week in Newport was quickly forgotten while I made her live days of dreams inside and outside the bedroom. And after that, we got married because she didn't want to wait, so the next day we went before the judge, and she became mine forever. Mine »
« She's not »
« Oh yeah, she is. She was mine when we said yes for life, mine when we bought a huge house together, or mine when I got her pregnant twice. I mean, aren't you jealous? Have you seen our children? God, they are so beautiful and perfect, and you will never know that, and especially not with her. You're just a pathetic asshole with a lack of self-confidence who had the opportunity to end his days with an exceptional woman, but you did shit and lost everything.
So enjoy your little freedom, because Monday in court, you're going to suffer because I'm going to destroy you. While you're going to be behind bars sharing a cell with another asshole like you, I'll be busy spoiling my wife with everything you couldn't offer her all these years because I'm her husband and you've been nothing but a lousy and uninteresting interlude. But I should thank you, really, because you've been such a bad husband and a bad person that now, I can give her the great life she's always deserved, something you've been incapable of doing »
As Harvey finished his monologue, Mark punched him in the face as Harvey flinched from the impact. As the lawyer would normally retort, punching the other man in the face until he couldn’t be recognized anymore, he basically chuckled softly before muttering.
« Is that all you got? »
A mere second later, Mark punched him in the face again, and Harvey wiped the blood from his bruised lip while smiling before speaking in a calm and confident voice.
« See you in court »
As Mark stood in the middle of the street, Harvey gave him one last look, still with a smirk on his lips, before heading to the florist on the corner, picking up a huge bouquet of roses for his wife, and heading home. Barely the pastries were retrieved from the fridge, and he went up to the living room to see the redhead sitting on the couch, Aida still asleep against her chest while she was correcting copies.
As soon as he heard noise, she turned her head towards the door with a big smile before it turned into an open mouth, visibly shocked by who was in front of her. Delicately, she put the little girl on the couch before rushing towards her husband.
« What happened? »
« Mark »
« What? »
« I ran into him »
« And you two fought? Harvey, what the fuck. The trial » whispered Donna with big round eyes.
« Exactly, the trial. Look, he ran into me, I couldn't deny him, I provoked him, he hit me twice, I could have beaten him up, but I didn't touch him because, on Monday, when the whole jury will be in the courtroom and they see that he has nothing while I have bruises, he'll pay even more »
« Harvey... »
« I promised you I'd destroy him in court, and I always keep my promises »
« Aren't you in too much pain? »
« No, don't worry, I've seen worse » chuckled Harvey.
Seeing his arrogant look, his split lip, and the bruise on his left cheekbone, Donna gently slid the tips of her fingers on his jaw before whispering.
« I don't want you to fight anymore, that's for sure, but let me tell you, you're so sexy as a fighter »
« Oh really? » smirked Harvey as he approached his wife dangerously, the bouquet of flowers still in his hand.
As he wedged her between him and the fridge, depositing open mouthed kisses on her neck while sliding his hand under her t-shirt, they separated abruptly when they heard footsteps in the hall and saw their son with his hair still messed up come down with only his pajama pants, Isa already wide awake in his arms, while Aida was still asleep on the couch. As soon as they arrived in the kitchen, they saw Miles making big eyes while the little girl did not really understand, screaming when she saw him, waking her big sister in the process.
« Dada »
« What happened to your face? » whispered Miles as he approached to place Isa in his mother's arms while hugging her and giving her a kiss on her cheek to greet her, his gaze never leaving his father.
« I ran into Mark »
« Tell me he's worse »
« I didn't hit him » smiled Harvey.
« What? Dad, you should have kicked his a — »
« Hey, hey, hey » whispered Dona as her son was about to say a bad word.
« Miles, think about it. Monday in court, when I show up with this, and he has nothing, who's going to be the bad guy? Not me »
« I can't believe it » snorted Donna as she put the baby in her high chair.
« And even then, we all know here — and he does too — that I would have kicked his ass »
As the whole family laughed and discussed how Harvey and his boxing days would have knocked the other man out, they heard the small, high pitched voice of the second little girl who was now standing on the couch, looking worriedly at her father.
« Daddy? »
« Hey, my baby. Did you sleep well? »
« Why is your face red here? »
As she pointed her own cheekbone, he approached to take her in his arms to place small kisses on her face before returning to the kitchen with her against him and lying by giving her another explanation.
« Well, daddy is silly. I was walking, and I was too busy thinking about you, my little princess, and I was so in my thoughts that I did not see the door, and bam, right in my face »
As she smiled, clearly satisfied and amused by her father’s anecdote, the family settled down at the table for breakfast in a good mood, discussing everything and nothing, completely forgetting Mark. The weekend passed, and Monday morning, while everyone was about to live their last weeks at school before the summer break, Harvey was busy getting ready next to Donna in the bathroom.
« How do you feel about today? »
« I’m going to destroy him, Donna. I swear »
« Good »
« Will you come see me in court? »
« What time is it? »
« Three o'clock »
« Yeah, no, I'm at school, I won't have time to be there on time. But I'll meet you there, and we'll pick up the kids from school after? »
« That works for me » smiled Harvey.
After that, both of them finished getting ready, and Harvey went to wake up the three kids with kisses, even Miles, to say hello and wish them a good day before kissing his wife passionately, hearing her whisper good luck against his lips and leaving the house. For Donna, once breakfast was ready, she went up to get Isa and Aida while calling Miles one last time to come down, and five minutes later, the three kids were eating before going up to get ready for their days. Once everyone was ready, they all talked together, Isa in the stroller pushed by Donna, and Aida on Miles' back, all four of them chatting about everything and nothing until they arrived in front of the girls' school. After dropping Isa off at preschool and giving her lots of kisses, Mile and Donna started again with Aida, who was in kindergarten, before leaving the establishment and walking again for about ten minutes to get to Miles' school, who was in 12th grade in high school now, before Donna walked a little more to her own school.
Throughout the day, the redhead worked, keeping in mind that in a few hours, Mark's trial had taken place, and she knew her husband, he was going to take him apart with joy, without worrying about destroying him. For his part, Harvey had spent his morning preparing for his trial with Mike, being quite confidently and eager to publicly humiliate Mark as he had been able to do in the past. So at three o'clock sharp, while the opposing lawyer was raging badly to save his client, Harvey stared at Mark sitting on the opposing bench with his provocative air and his smirk while the other man was looking in front of him, denying Harvey's insistent gaze.
« Mr. Specter, please »
As Harvey stood up with a confident air, he walked around his desk to smile at the judge before approaching the jury to start speaking in a calm but sure voice.
« Dear jury, I am aware that you are wondering why you are here when we already know from the beginning of this trial that Mr. Meadows here present is guilty. This man here embezzled money from his own father using his girlfriend's name and accused her of being behind it all when there was no doubt that he was the one and only responsible. Indeed, this gentleman was unfortunately not smart enough and left his own identifiers in the computers used to embezzle the money and was filmed as being alone in his father’s company at the time of the facts. So yes, he is guilty, and Mr. Gomez, his lawyer, is trying to lighten his sentence by playing the sadness and self-pity card, but let me tell you what kind of man Mark Meadows is — oh yeah, by the way — you see those bruises on my face, it was this gentleman over there who did that on me »
As the entire courtroom began to murmur, as well as the jury, Harvey approached to place both hands on the desk where the opposing party was before looking at Mark with an arrogant look while the man remained petrified. As silence gradually returned to the room, giving the lawyer the opportunity to continue, he continued to look at Mark, as he spoke directly to him but loud enough for everyone to hear.
« The difference between you and me is that I am smarter, I didn't touch you while you showed your true face, and today, everyone sees who you are: a pathetic man who needs to put others down physically and mentally to put himself forward. If I had reacted, I would have beaten you up in the street. I know it, you know it, everyone knows it, and most importantly, she knows it »
Immediately, he straightened up before approaching the jury again and continuing in a mocking tone.
« You see, Mr. Meadows and I already know each other, well, know is a big word, let’s say that I had already heard of him because this gentleman is actually my wife’s ex-husband. Almost twenty years ago, he proposed to his high school sweetheart, promising to give her the life of her dreams, when in reality, he got down on one knee when he saw that she was trying to move forward in life just to prevent her from leaving and promised her a lot of things while isolating her from everyone around her until she was all alone.
Except that one day, she came home to find him in bed with another woman, and she realized that he was screwing all the women around him while refusing her everything, pretending to do everything for her. So you understand the jurors that I have a hard time believing it when we describe Mr. Meadows as a compassionate, kind, and a little lost man because, in reality, he is simply a narcissistic pervert. And even if I must admit that I do not like this man, I still wanted to thank him because today, I am married to the love of my life with whom I have three beautiful children while he embezzles money from his own father and is going to rot in prison for a moment »
While he saw everyone chatting quietly, Harvey approached the man again to smile at him and speak again.
« I hope you pay for being an asshole, and I swear that if I see you in the street and you dare to approach my wife or my children, I will destroy you. You are already lucky that you ran into our son, because if I had seen you grab my wife violently like you did a few days ago, I would have broken both of your knees »
« Mr. Specter, please, return to your desk » declared the judge.
After a last look, Harvey returned to his seat and the trial resumed, and quickly, after a fast consultation of the jury, the verdict fell: eighteen months of prison sentence and a fine of ten thousand dollars in damages for his ex-girlfriend. Barely the verdict was rendered, and the whole room emptied while Harvey hurried to leave the court to spot the redhead of his life waiting for him in the distance. As he hadn't seen her, he quickly pulled on her arm so that she was facing him before grabbing her face in his hands and kissing her passionately for a few seconds while the redhead giggled against his lips.
« I guess it was conclusive? »
« Eighteen months plus a fine. I also asked the judge to add a request for restraining for you and the children, she will think about it »
« My hero » chuckled the woman.
« I promised you I would destroy him in court, right? You should have come to the hearing, I humiliated him like you have no idea »
« I can imagine » giggled the redhead as she caressed his jaw and looked at him with loving eyes.
As he was about to answer, he was stopped by another lawyer calling after him, and after telling his wife that he was coming back, he quickly kissed her to enter again the courthouse for a few minutes, leaving the redhead alone on the forecourt of the building. While she was texting her son, she looked at her wallpaper for a few seconds and melted. The picture had been taken a few weeks ago when the family had gone out to brunch, and at the table, Harvey and Miles were sitting next to each other, looking exactly alike, Aida sitting on her husband's lap as he helped her eat, his lips gently on her forehead, and Isa standing on Miles' lap, her two little feet buried in his thigh, her mini arms around his neck, placing a kiss on his cheek as he had his arm around her so she wouldn't fall while he was drinking his iced tea. As simple as the moment seemed, you could see how close they were and how much they loved each other. As she looked at the picture, she heard a male voice behind her that made her stiffen.
« So this was the perfect life for you? »
Immediately she pulled away, looking at him with wide eyes, and, as she looked around for her husband to protect her, she realized that Harvey still hadn't come back and heard Mark talking again.
« I’m not going to hurt you, I'm sorry about your wrist »
« You better leave, if Harvey sees you, he'll get mad »
« Harvey? Right… So that's it, almost fifteen years of living together to forget everything the moment you set foot in New York. Our love means nothing to you? »
« There was never love, Mark. I had a crush on you, and I was a kid when you proposed to me. I let myself be impressed by all these promises, and I convinced myself that what we had was love, that I loved you, and that you loved me too, and it was still the case when I arrived here. I thought that we had loved each other and that it was because of your repeated cheating that we had divorced, and then I met Harvey, and I understood that there had never been love between us because I had never felt for you what I felt for Harvey, not for a second. When I saw him for the first time, just the way he looked at me, it was as if I was the only woman in the world, that there was nothing around, and never once did you look at me like that.
From the beginning, he always put my desires and interests before his own, always making sure that I was happy and that I had everything I wanted, he listened to me and anticipated all my desires, without me ever having to ask him or vocalize them. Do you remember how many times I asked you to go to Paris? For almost fifteen years I told you how much I dreamed, and yet, we never went there, always doing what you wanted, but Harvey, I had mentioned Paris only once during an evening when we were barely together, just like that, and the day after our wedding, he organized the most beautiful honeymoon there for me when he didn't particularly want to go, but only to be sure that I was happy.
And when I told him that I wanted to be a mother, he allowed me to have three beautiful children, biological or not, who are absolutely perfect and that I love with all my heart. You told me that, if you had known that this is what it would have taken for me to stay, you would have done it. For years, I asked you for a child, and you always found an excuse not to make it happen, but I'm so glad you didn't because I wanted a child with you for the wrong reasons. I felt so alone when I was with you, constantly looking for some presence and comfort, and I hoped for a baby to finally feel truly loved, but then, when I met Harvey, I understood that I wasn't just looking to get impregnated like you so classily said, but I wanted to share something deep with my other half, just something that would be the pure definition of our love, and that's what he gave me, three times.
You would have been a terrible father, Mark, and I am so glad none of my children have you as a father. You would never have stayed up all night before work so I could get a few hours of sleep, you would never have accompanied me to the dance recital, baseball game, or school play, you would have been such a bad father. You would never have loved my children the way my husband does. We never had love, Mark, I was just a kid who expected way too much, and you were a kid who didn't live up to it. So yeah, I wasted ten years of my life with you, that's true, but when I look at what I have today, sharing my life with the love of my life, my other half, my soulmate, or the love I have for my son, and daughters, the way they love me too, I wouldn't change a thing. They're the ones I needed, you never were, and I'm glad I left because I deserved better than you, I deserved Harvey. So now, you better leave before he comes back because, if he sees you talking to me, he's gonna kill you. I promise you »
Without another word, she walked past him to the entrance of the courthouse, hoping to find her husband inside. As she watched Mark walk down the steps and disappear into the crowded New York street, she felt her husband's chest against her back, his arm around her neck, and his hand on her jaw to turn her head as he placed his lips on her cheek to whisper against her skin.
« I love you »
« I love you too »
« Are we going to get our three babies? »
« Yep, let's go »
As he placed one last kiss on her cheek to turn her face even more to place his lips on hers, he pulled away to grab her hand and intertwine their fingers to walk down the steps of the courthouse and head towards the two little girls' school. After Harvey explained the trial for a moment, Donna listened attentively to him speak with a smile on her lips, seeing him talking so passionately while she placed a kiss on his clothed shoulder.
« If I understand correctly, it was your greatest victory » giggled Donna.
« No, it wasn’t »
« Really? »
« My greatest victory is you »
As she raised her gaze to look at him, she saw him watching her with a small embarrassed smile before he placed a kiss on her forehead and started to speak in a soft and low voice, as if they were alone in the world.
« You are my greatest victory. Before you, I was lost and felt so alone, then you arrived, and I fought against all my demons to finally become a man who deserved you. With you, I won everything: a family, children, love, inner peace, joy, happiness — just everything. You are what I am most proud of with our children and the best thing I have achieved in my life. So yes, you are my greatest victory »
« I love you, Harvey »
« Me too, Donna. I love you so much »