With the excuse of stepping out to meet a client, it's three in the afternoon when Harvey knocks on Mike's apartment door. It's answered by a familiar blonde girl, who looks confused by Harvey's presence.
"You're Mike's boss, right?" Jenny asks, staring at Harvey's slicked back hair and immaculate suit.
"Harvey Specter," Harvey introduces himself, hand extended. "I met with a client for a late lunch, and Mike wanted me to check on his son."
Jenny shakes Harvey's hand. "Oh, okay, come in. Josh is in his bedroom reading. He's feeling better than this morning; he was vomiting constantly. Poor Mike didn't want to leave him."
Harvey's face is unreadable as Jenny leads him into Josh's bedroom. There, a young boy of no more than six is sitting in his bed, a hardback novel open on his lap. He looks up as Jenny and Harvey enter.
"Josh, this is Mr Specter, your dad's boss."
"Call me Harvey," Harvey says, taking in the similar features that Josh shares with his father. He imagines this is what Mike looked like as a child, minus the pale yet flushed skin that indicates Josh's illness.
"Can I get you a drink?" Jenny asks, turning to Harvey.
"Just a glass of water." Jenny nods and disappears, leaving Harvey to make his way over to Josh.
"Is Dad still at work?" Josh asks, closing his novel after placing a bookmark against his page.
"Yes," Harvey smiles. "Sorry. He'll be back before dinner, I'm sure."
"I know," Josh says, and Harvey is surprised when Josh puts a little hand on his. It's warm and grips tight. "Mr Specter, you'll make sure Dad is okay, right? He never sleeps, and he's always working when he's not looking after me and Great-Grandma. I'm scared he'll get ill like me too."
Harvey stares seriously at Josh for a moment. Josh Ross, who's six years old and so young and naive.
"Yes," he finally nods. "I'll look after your father."
Josh's eyes are big and sombre. "Do you promise?"
Harvey doesn't blink. "Yes."
At last, a smile lifts Josh's face. "Thanks."
Harvey tries to ignore the flutter in his stomach as he tries to change the subject, tapping the novel on Josh's lap to distract him. "So you like to read?"
"Yeah," Josh nods with a smile that is Mike's - all Mike's. "I love it more than anything in the world, except Dad."
"Of course you do," Harvey says. He leaves fives minutes later, barely touching his water, and goes back to work.
*
"Josh had a visitor today."
Mike steps out of his grateful hug and frowns at Jenny. "Who?"
"Your boss. Harvey Specter, is it?" Jenny watches Mike make quick work of his tie and suit jacket, flinging them over the sofa. "He said you wanted him to check up on Josh."
"Really?" Mike hides his surprise as he walks past her, towards Josh's room. His son doesn't hear him standing in the doorway as he reads, absorbed in the world of the novel.
god bless dad and thanks for the stars 2/2
With the excuse of stepping out to meet a client, it's three in the afternoon when Harvey knocks on Mike's apartment door. It's answered by a familiar blonde girl, who looks confused by Harvey's presence.
"You're Mike's boss, right?" Jenny asks, staring at Harvey's slicked back hair and immaculate suit.
"Harvey Specter," Harvey introduces himself, hand extended. "I met with a client for a late lunch, and Mike wanted me to check on his son."
Jenny shakes Harvey's hand. "Oh, okay, come in. Josh is in his bedroom reading. He's feeling better than this morning; he was vomiting constantly. Poor Mike didn't want to leave him."
Harvey's face is unreadable as Jenny leads him into Josh's bedroom. There, a young boy of no more than six is sitting in his bed, a hardback novel open on his lap. He looks up as Jenny and Harvey enter.
"Josh, this is Mr Specter, your dad's boss."
"Call me Harvey," Harvey says, taking in the similar features that Josh shares with his father. He imagines this is what Mike looked like as a child, minus the pale yet flushed skin that indicates Josh's illness.
"Can I get you a drink?" Jenny asks, turning to Harvey.
"Just a glass of water." Jenny nods and disappears, leaving Harvey to make his way over to Josh.
"Is Dad still at work?" Josh asks, closing his novel after placing a bookmark against his page.
"Yes," Harvey smiles. "Sorry. He'll be back before dinner, I'm sure."
"I know," Josh says, and Harvey is surprised when Josh puts a little hand on his. It's warm and grips tight. "Mr Specter, you'll make sure Dad is okay, right? He never sleeps, and he's always working when he's not looking after me and Great-Grandma. I'm scared he'll get ill like me too."
Harvey stares seriously at Josh for a moment. Josh Ross, who's six years old and so young and naive.
"Yes," he finally nods. "I'll look after your father."
Josh's eyes are big and sombre. "Do you promise?"
Harvey doesn't blink. "Yes."
At last, a smile lifts Josh's face. "Thanks."
Harvey tries to ignore the flutter in his stomach as he tries to change the subject, tapping the novel on Josh's lap to distract him. "So you like to read?"
"Yeah," Josh nods with a smile that is Mike's - all Mike's. "I love it more than anything in the world, except Dad."
"Of course you do," Harvey says. He leaves fives minutes later, barely touching his water, and goes back to work.
*
"Josh had a visitor today."
Mike steps out of his grateful hug and frowns at Jenny. "Who?"
"Your boss. Harvey Specter, is it?" Jenny watches Mike make quick work of his tie and suit jacket, flinging them over the sofa. "He said you wanted him to check up on Josh."
"Really?" Mike hides his surprise as he walks past her, towards Josh's room. His son doesn't hear him standing in the doorway as he reads, absorbed in the world of the novel.
Mike smiles.