Disclaimer: These characters belong to Lauren Weisberger and 20th Century Fox. No infringement is intended
or profit made from this work. I'm just borrowing them for a bit and I promise to put them back when I'm finished. Whether
or not they'll ever be the same again is anybody's guess.
Chapter 17
Doug left to return to his place after dinner and
the Sachses for their hotel not long after. Miranda, Andy and the twins settled in the media room for their movie with a full
complement of popcorn and drinks. Despite her two-hour nap that afternoon, Andy fell asleep with her head in Miranda’s
lap fifteen minutes into the movie. Miranda and the twins had to wake her to help her upstairs to bed.
Andy managed to wash her face, brush her teeth and
don the flannel boxer shorts she customarily slept in. Using a series of directional tugs and a severely bent neck, they managed
to pull her henley over her injured shoulder. The twins informed Miranda that they thought Andy’s sleeping attire was
awesome and that they, too, should be allowed to sleep in boxers and tees. Miranda informed the twins that when they were
out on their own they were welcome to sleep in whatever ratty thing they chose, but until that time, their pajamas would suffice.
Moreover, it was time to get into them. Now.
Andy summoned all her self-control and kept a neutral
expression on her face during the exchange but as soon as the twins walked glumly toward their rooms, she broke out in giggles.
“I’m sorry, Miranda. I never thought
my pj’s would cause a problem.”
“They are very fond of you, Andréa. Of course
they’re going to want to do everything you do. But it’s been driven home to me these past few days that they’re
growing up far too quickly for my taste. I know most children their age wear what you do to sleep, but I want them to stay
my little girls for just a while longer. ” Andy doubted seriously that anyone
had ever seen that particular wistful look on Miranda Priestly’s face before.
“Then maybe tomorrow I’ll have my folks
take me somewhere I can get some regular pajamas. I don’t want to be a cause for you and the twins to argue.”
Miranda laughed. “You haven’t been around
children very much, have you? Every day is a series of confrontations like that. You’d better get used to it. They’ll
push you every chance they can. You and Douglas had better be prepared to deal with them while I’m in London.”
“Don’t worry. My mom has already said
she’ll be calling nightly to give me the list of standard parenting lines. ‘Is your homework finished?’
‘Make sure you brush your teeth.’ ‘Sit up straight.’ ‘Eat your veggies.’ ‘Elbows
off the table.’ ‘No, you can’t stay up late; it’s a school night.’ I think she’s channeling
Grandma. And I’m pretty sure my dad took Doug aside to give him some instruction on how the dads should behave. Stern
visage, united front and all that. Don’t worry, we won’t scar your daughters too badly while you’re away.”
The grin that accompanied the declaration made Miranda chuckle.
“I’ll leave a list of the house rules
for you before I leave. That will give you the basics at least. Are you comfortable? Shall I bring some extra pillows to prop
your arm on?”
Andy agreed that a couple of more pillows would
make things easier and Miranda fetched them from the linen closet. When she was settled comfortably in bed with a book nearby,
Miranda sat on the edge of the bed beside her. She ran her fingers through the short haircut Andy now sported.
“I really do like your hair. I wasn’t
sure I would, but Isaac did a good job. It suits you.”
“I like it too. I’ll be out of the bathroom
twenty minutes sooner every morning. Think of all the extra sleep I’ll get. And I suppose eventually I’ll get
used to the back of my neck being cold.”
“Aren’t you glad that Nigel put that
cashmere scarf in the bag for you? Before I forget, if you need any more shirts or tops altered or if you need a particular
top while I’m gone just call my office and tell Christina what you require. The fashion department knows how to alter
them for you.”
“I’ll be fine, Miranda. You don’t
have to fuss.”
The normally cool blue eyes glowed with unusual
warmth as their owner leaned in very close. “What if I want to fuss?”
“Then that makes me the luckiest woman in
Manhattan,” breathed Andy against the soft lips.
“Only Manhattan?”
“In the entire known universe?”
“Acceptable…” Their kiss began
softly and would have deepened considerably had not the twins bounded into the room to bid them goodnight. Miranda and Andy
both sighed heavily, realizing that this would likely become a common occurrence in their lives. Miranda rose and allowed
the girls to climb onto Andy’s bed to hug and kiss her goodnight. She then softly kissed Andy one more time, wished
her goodnight and left to tuck the twins in bed. They were too old to want her to do this usually, but she felt the need given
the events of the past week and the girls weren’t objecting.
When everyone was settled Miranda went downstairs
to go through The Book and some layouts that had been dropped off earlier. Settling behind her desk, she slipped on her reading
glasses and went to work. A half-hour later there was a quiet knock at the door and Andy came in. She didn’t say anything,
merely stretched out on the sofa and opened her book.
“What are you doing down here?”
“I decided that I’d rather read down
here than upstairs in bed.”
“Are you warm enough?”
“I’m fine. I just wanted to be near
you. Go back to work.”
Miranda did as Andy delved deeper into her book.
The comfortable quiet enveloped both women in a peaceful contentment and time passed quickly. When Miranda finally closed
The Book and took off her reading glasses, Andy shut her novel as well and swung her legs off the couch.
“All finished?”
“For tonight, at any rate. Shall we head back
upstairs?”
As Miranda was about to turn out the light, the
thunder of pre-teen footsteps descending the stairs in haste was heard.
“Hmmm, the barbarian hordes approach.”
Miranda loved her daughters dearly, but they could be a trial with very little effort. Andy just laughed at her comment.
“Mom! Andy’s not in her bed! Is she
okay? Mom? Mom?” There was an edge of panic in Caroline’s voice.
“We’re in the study girls. Calm down,
darling.” The twins burst into the room in a rush.
“Where did you go? I went to your room to
check on you and you were gone! Are you okay? I thought maybe you got hurt again and had to go back to the hospital.”
Caroline was worked up and her eyes were wide with anxiety. Cassidy hovered near, knowing her sister was far more fragile
than she would ever admit.
Andy wrapped the upset child in a hug and kissed
the top of her head. “I’m fine, sweetie. I was reading and I decided I’d rather read down here with your
Mom than upstairs in bed. That’s all. No drama; nothing’s wrong. You need to relax, honey.”
“See. I told
you she was okay.” Cassidy was worried about her sister, but that didn’t stop her from being irritated at having
been yanked out of a sound sleep by a panicked Caroline.
“Honey, they wouldn’t have let me come
home from the hospital if I wasn’t fine. Why were you checking on me?” Caroline just buried her face in Andy’s
comforting warmth and mumbled. “What, sweetie? Tell me.”
“I was afraid you were leaving. Mom’s
got to go away and I was scared you were going too,”
Andy had the good sense to realize this had nothing
to do with Miranda going to London and everything to do with feeling safe and secure. She wrapped her arm around the child
and pulled her as close as possible.
“I’m not going anywhere. And you know
if there was any way to get out of it, your mom wouldn’t be going to London. So what do you say we all go back upstairs
and go back to bed? That’s where your mom and I were headed when you two came down.”
“You were?”
Andy yawned impressively and nodded. Miranda just
smiled and ushered everyone out of the study and in the direction of the stairwell. In the upstairs hallway, Andy hesitated
a moment thinking and then asked the twins if they would like to sleep with her. Caroline brightened noticeably and Cassidy
realized it would probably be a good idea to go along.
Miranda got Andy settled on the supporting pillows
before she let the girls climb in with her. When everyone was comfortable she cautioned the twins about being careful of Andy’s
shoulder, kissed everyone goodnight and headed for her own room. Forty minutes later sleep still eluded her and she sighed
in resignation. Grabbing a pillow, she rose and padded down the hall to Andréa’s room to join the slumber party.
Breakfast the next morning was a cheerful event
on several levels. The home nurse had arrived promptly at 7:00 am and had helped Andy shower and dress. Being able to wash
her hair thoroughly and scrub off the antiseptic smells of the hospital did Andy a world of good and she arrived at the breakfast
table buoyant and grinning. Miranda, surprisingly, had slept well in their ‘pile’, as Andréa had phrased it, and
both twins were in good humor as well.
The Sachses called shortly after breakfast and were
invited over to discuss a downtown shopping expedition. It was quickly decided to make it a full afternoon and dinner out
for the Sachses’ last night in town. When they took Andy and the twins in search of pajamas, it freed Miranda to go
into the office to catch up on the mountain of tasks that loomed before her departure for London at the end of the week. Miranda
arrived at her office by noon as Andy, her parents and the twins started their explorations with a visit to Rockefeller Center
just down the street.
To Andy’s pleased surprise, the twins didn’t
behave like the jaded, upper east side children of privilege they were. Both Cassidy and Caroline seemed eager to do some
touristy sightseeing with Andy and her folks and appeared to be enjoying themselves as much as Andy’s father. Her mother
was more restrained in her enthusiasm, but still and all, it was a fun afternoon. They were more than successful in their
shopping quest to find Andy some new pajamas; she just hoped Miranda wouldn’t kill her when she saw what else they’d
found.
By 5:30 pm everyone was starting to get hungry and
Andy was feeling tired, even though they had stopped frequently during their afternoon to let her rest for a bit. They found
a convenient Starbucks and over some peppermint hot cocoas began to debate where Andy’s folks would take everyone to
dinner. The twins put their heads together and offered several suggestions they thought Andy’s parents might enjoy.
To Andy’s amazement, their second offering got her mother’s immediate approval. Consensus was not far behind and
Andy placed a call to Miranda’s office with the news that they’d be dining at the Stage Deli that evening.
Somebody must have overheard their conversation,
put two and two together and tipped off the paparazzi, because photographers were waiting for them when they arrived at the
restaurant. Their security escorts made short work of hustling everyone inside, away from the flashes and shouted questions
and the restaurant staff got them seated very quickly. There was another small uproar when Miranda arrived several minutes
later, but everyone was soon settled and deciding what to order.
It wasn’t long before Richard was making noises
about eating an entire “Mel Brooks” sandwich himself and nonchalantly challenging the twins to do the same. Miranda
was on the verge of telling them ‘absolutely not’ when it occurred to her that the challenge was something a grandfather
might do. She was estranged from her family and the twins’ father Geoff was an only child. His mother was elderly and
his father had passed away before the twins were born, so her daughters had never been exposed to an active and jovial grandparent
or much of an extended family for that matter. She very wisely kept her mouth shut and was rewarded by a warm smile from Andréa
who leaned close to murmur in her ear.
“They can take what they don’t eat for
lunch tomorrow. And don’t worry; Dad won’t let them eat themselves sick. Mom would murder him if he did.”
The eating contest was lively and short-lived. Just
as Andy had predicted, Richard called off the challenge when it became obvious that the girls were fading fast. The group
split a couple of pieces of cheesecake between them and after Richard paid the check, said their goodnights and headed for
their respective vehicles.
On the ride back to the townhouse, the twins chattered
about their afternoon of sightseeing and shopping to a smiling Miranda who kept sneaking glances to the largish pile of shopping
bags in the rear of the SUV. Somehow, she suspected, there was more to their shopping than merely the simple purchase of pajamas
for Andréa. Something she would have to get to the bottom of when they got home.
When everyone had piled out of the SUV, Andy supervised
the twins carrying shopping bags upstairs and into her room. Homework for the next day was checked over by Miranda and Andy
and once it was declared complete the twins received permission to watch Finding Nemo with Andy before going to bed. They decided to watch the movie in their pj’s and the three
of them headed back upstairs to get ready for bed as Miranda retired to the den to work for a while longer. She was dimly
aware of hearing the TV go on a short time later.
After an hour Miranda decided that a cup of tea
would be good and headed to the kitchen to make one. She glanced into the media room as she walked past and continued for
three or four more steps before what she had seen there registered. She quickly retraced her steps and stood in the doorway,
open-mouthed and staring.
Caroline, Cassidy and Andréa were all seated on
the couch with their feet on an oversized ottoman, Patricia on the floor in front of them. All three were wearing boxers,
long-sleeved t-shirts and fuzzy animal slippers.
Andrea was resplendent in a navy t-shirt, tomato-themed boxers and penguin slippers.
