Andy returned to the house to find her mother processing some of the produce they had acquired at the Farmer's Market this morning. Pre-chopping the veggies was something her mom had done for years and would make them much easier to use tomorrow. Andy also knew chopping was not something Dorothy did if there was anything else to do. Looking around the kitchen as she washed her hands, Andy's forehead wrinkled. She listened hard to the rest of the house and asked, puzzled, “Where are the girls? Where's Miranda?”
“Caroline had a fever. Cassidy and Miranda have been up with her since just after you left.” Dorothy put down the knife and took a deep breath. “I... need to talk to you about something.”
Andy rubbed the antibacterial gel into her hands and was barely listening, “Fever?” Leaving Patricia's leash on the counter where she'd tossed it, she thought to drop her empty water bottle into the recycle container before bounding up the stairs three at a time.
Dorothy blinked at her daughter's sudden disappearance and spoke quietly to herself, “I guess it can wait a little longer.”
Upstairs Andy stopped in front of Caroline's door and took a moment to catch her breath. The door was slightly open and she quietly pushed it enough for her to enter. The sight of Miranda peacefully sleeping between the girls nearly brought her to tears. She is so beautiful and she loves them so much... Andy knew that it was pure love she was seeing now, unguarded in sleep. She thought she could probably stand and watch them forever. Instead, she moved stealthily forward and leaned over the bed, kissing Cassidy on the cheek, then stretched carefully across the girl to place a light kiss on Miranda's lips. Moving quietly to the other side, she pressed her lips against Caroline's warm forehead. She whispered, “I love you,” to all three sleepers and moved away.
Andy backed out of the room slowly, not wanting to disturb them any more than she already had. There was some time left before the next caterer arrived and she now vaguely recalled her mother saying there was something they needed to talk about.
Returning to the kitchen, Andy took a seat on one of the stools at the island and snagged a sliver of bell pepper from the pile.
“Everything okay?” Dorothy smiled indulgently at her daughter's snacking.
“Mmm.. yeah,” She gestured upstairs with the bit of green in her hand, “they're all napping.”
“Ah,” Nodding, the woman continued to chop the carrot in front of her. “Best thing for Caroline probably...”
“Yeah, sleeping often helps Caroline keep the nausea down to a minimum. And Miranda works so hard all the time, she needs all the rest she can get.” Andy sighed, she'd done some research online. She hadn't spoken to Miranda about it yet, but she thought Caroline's frequent illness was due to stress. I did this, Andy thought, I yelled at her and now she's sick. I'll apologize when they wake up. Dorothy cleared her throat and Andy looked up to meet her mother's gaze.
“There is something I want to talk to you about...” Dorothy exhaled softly, “...tell you.”
“Um... okay.” This wasn't like her mother, usually the woman was straightforward about anything that needed saying. She watched Dorothy put the knife down and wipe her hands.
“Let's go sit...”
Blinking at that, Andy dropped the rest of the green pepper into the trash and slid off the stool that, she refrained from pointing out, she was already sitting on and followed her mother to the conversation area just outside of the kitchen.
As the settled into the comfy chairs there, Andy asked, “What's going on, Ma?”
“It's um... about how I acted when you first told us about Miranda...” Dorothy sighed, “It all has to do with your grandmother...” She looked at Andy sadly, “My mom.”
Andy's eyes widened, she didn't know what to say to that. To her knowledge her mother had never mentioned her grandmother at all, save that one time in the sunroom when a comment was mumbled under her mother's breath. Being the curious girl she was, Andy had done some research on her own though... Is she actually going to tell me... Pressing her lips together, Andy forced herself to remain quiet, silently urging her mother to continue.
“First of all, before you ask, I'm only going to be talking about my mother, because,” Dorothy sighed, “because I have no idea who my father is.”
Blinking at that information, Andy swallowed hard and nodded, “Um.. okay.”
“I don't know who he was, but I do know what he was.” Exhaling slowly, Dorothy continued the story, telling Andy exactly what she had told Miranda about the rich man courting her mother, about her mother finding herself pregnant after the man had left, about the day she came to tell the woman that she was pregnant and finding her mother had overdosed on pain pills.
Andy could feel her heart beating so hard in her chest it was a wonder it didn't wake up Miranda and the girls three floors above. She managed to push the word past her lips. “Suicide?” That was something she hadn't expected, the report she had found said 'accidental'.
“It was ruled accidental, but...” Dorothy wiped away a tear as it rolled down her cheek, “I wouldn't be surprised if she did it on purpose.” The woman looked at her beloved daughter and tried to explain, “He... broke her... that man, that rich man, used her, took her... and left her when he was done.” She wrapped her arms around her middle and asked, “Do you understand? I wanted to keep that from happening to you. I didn't want you to be hurt.”
Andy shifted, sliding to her knees in front of her mother. “Ma, I'm not going to get hurt. Miranda will absolutely not do anything like that to me. I promise you.”
Nodding, Dorothy smiled and reached out to brush Andy's bangs away from her eyes, “I know, Sweetheart, I know now. Then I didn't know her,” Dorothy licked her lips, “Now I've seen her with you, talked to her, and I...” she shook her head, “I still don't understand the why of it, but I know that you love each other, I can see it.”
Andy felt the tears welling in her eyes, “Thanks, Ma.”
“I love you, Andy.” Dorothy tried to stem the tears long enough to continue speaking, “I've only ever wanted you to be happy.”
Hugging the woman close, Andy assured her, “I am happy, Ma.” She laughed, “Deliriously so.”
A pang of regret washed through the older woman. “I wish she had at least known about you.” Dorothy sighed, “Sometimes I think if I had only told her sooner...she wouldn't have...”
“Ma,” Andy moved back to her chair but sat on the edge and leaned forward. Resting her elbows on her knees she reached out to hold her mother's hands.
Andy couldn't read people as well as Miranda could, yet, and she hadn't taken all the psychology courses Chad had, but she knew that there was something her mom needed to hear. “It wasn't your fault. What happened to...grandma, was an accident, just like the report said.”
“I can't be sure of that.” Dorothy shook her head, remembering her mother, “She was so depressed for so long.”
“Why was she on pain pills?” Andy shuddered at the memory of Miranda being drugged. Most of the mixture Judy had used consisted of pain killers and muscle relaxers, strong ones. Miranda could have easily been overwhelmed by them and the thought of that happening, the possibility of the girls finding their mother like that, Andy shook off that line of thinking to concentrate on what her mother was saying.
“She had back pain, degenerative discs. After she was left with a child to raise she had to take any job she could, she was a waitress when she met my father and after he left she continued that for nearly twenty years.” Dorothy had always felt guilty about that, like somehow it had been her fault that her mother was in constant pain.
“Hard work.” Andy had actually done that for a while, in college. It had only been part time, but Andy knew how sore she had been after just a weekend of back to back shifts. She repeated the earlier sentiment, “It wasn't your fault though, you were just a kid.”
“My head knows that, but my heart...” Dorothy sighed. “I should have told you all this a long time ago.”
Andy was glad her mom had finally opened up about the tragedy. It meant the woman had started thinking of Andy as an adult, something Andy had wanted to happen for a long time. She had known about her grandmother's death for several years but had never brought it up because she also knew it hurt her mother to think about it. What Andy didn't really understand why it was being brought up now. “Why are you? I mean, why now?”
“You are, on the verge of joining a family, making them your own.” Dorothy shook her head, “You deserve to know about your past as you head into your future.
Nodding, Andy bit her lips together and swallowed hard. A family of my own... “No matter what happens in the future, you, and Daddy, and Chad will always be my family.”
“Of course,” Dorothy smiled, “But with us you didn't get the choice...” It was her turn to leave her seat. Standing next to her daughter, Dorothy reached down and traced the girl's cheek lightly, “... you love Miranda, and the girls, and have chosen to bring them into your life, and ours.” Smiling, Dorothy leaned down and kissed Andy's forehead. “I'm glad you are so happy, Sweetheart.”
“Thanks, Ma.” Andy watched as her mother walked down the hall and up the main staircase. Wrapping her arms around her own waist, Andy took a moment to digest everything her mother had told her, filing it away with the information she had dug up years ago, then stood and walked through the kitchen and up the back staircase. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand when she entered her bedroom and knew there was at least a half hour before they could even expect the next caterer to arrive. Not enough time to take another walk, but it was enough time to do a little work. Grabbing her laptop she moved down the hall to the sunroom. There were some things she wanted to research and possibly outline yet another story idea. Not an article, a book, a novel.
She loved journalism, loved working at the paper and would do so for as long as possible. But she'd discovered that it wasn't the news that she loved, it was the writing itself and she'd seen the signs of things to come, as had many other people. Newspapers were slowly being pushed out by the digital revolution. Miranda had managed to keep Runway's circulation up, and actually growing slightly, but for the most part printed news was on the downslide. Andy was determined to be ready when that began to affect her.
###
Cassidy descended the stairs slowly. She'd woken a few minutes ago and reluctantly left her mother and sister sleeping in Caroline's room. She looked in all the rooms finding them all empty. After she grabbed a drink from the fridge, she wandered back upstairs, passing the closed door of the guest room where her grandma was staying, passing her own bedroom and Caroline's. Knowing Gram Sachs and Mary were gone sightseeing, Cassidy continued her trek up the stairs to the fourth floor, not surprised to find Andy in the sunroom. “Hi.”
“Hey, Sweetie.” Andy smiled and stopped her writing. “Did you have a good nap?”
“A short one, yeah.” Cassidy sipped her drink.
“I'm afraid a short one is all Miranda is going get too.” Andy checked her watch, “It's nearly time for the next caterer to be here.”
“You think you'll like this one?” Cassidy had been surprised that Andy was being so picky with the selections.
“I hope so.” Andy wondered what they were going to do if this caterer also turned out to be a disaster. “Maybe Emily saved the best for last.” They both heard the doorbell ring and Cassidy nodded.
“I guess we'll see, huh?” She slid off of the chair and offered, “I'll get the door, you can go wake up Mom.”
“No,” Andy shook her head, “I'll get the door. You can wake your mom, gently... and let her know that the caterer is here. Try not to wake Caroline though.”
“Okay.” Cassidy walked with Andy down one flight of stairs, then parted ways as the woman continued down to the door and she went to Ro's room to carry out her mission.
###
Andy let the caterers in and showed them to the kitchen. “The dining room is through that door.” She gestured to the archway that led to the room in question.
“Are you Ms. Charlton?” The man in charge looked puzzled, “You sounded different on the phone.”
Laughing, Andy shook her head, “No, Emily had to leave earlier,” She held out her hand to shake and introduced herself, “I'm Andy Sachs.”
“Oh,” He smiled and shook her hand, “Sachs... as in Priestly-Sachs wedding...” He looked at her with polite curiosity, “Are you the groom's sister?” He knew that Miranda Priestly was a woman, therefore she would be the bride.
“Um...I'm actually the bride...” Andy's smile faded as the man's handshake began to falter and was pulled away quickly, “...well... one of them anyway.” Miranda chose that moment to walk down the stairs and having heard the last bit of the exchange, corrected the young woman firmly.
“You are the most important one, my darling.” The fashion icon kissed Andrea on the cheek and turned to scrutinize the man. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“Well...” He took a deep breath, “I just didn't realize... I mean...”
“So you don't read the newspapers, or the tabloids...” Miranda considered that a plus, but if the man's attitude was hostile, once he got over his confusion, his lack of knowledge regarding their personal life wouldn't help him win the catering contract. “If you don't wish to proceed, by all means, leave now. There are plenty of other caterers in the city.” She continued to speak as they walked into the dining room and the man contemplated the situation. “In fact, we should probably be looking for someone's services who are based closer to Martha's Vineyard.” A glance at Andrea's nodding head confirmed the logic in that notion. “Perhaps the hotel would provide us with a list of local businesses.”
“Meh...” The man scoffed, “No need for that.” He decided a job was a job, food is the great equalizer. “I am, Gunter. I am the best. You need not look elsewhere.”
Miranda's lips twitched slightly and she challenged the claim. “Prove it.”
He chuckled, “I'm not used to proving my skills to anyone.”
Andy remained silent as Miranda shifted slightly in her seat, “That is too bad.” She appraised the confident man, “I am the best at what I do, and I prove it every day. It keeps my skills sharp and leaves no doubt in anyone's mind as to my abilities.”
“You're the most powerful woman in publishing.” Andy smiled at her fiancee and slipped her hand into Miranda's tangling their fingers together, “Everyone knows you're the best even without your daily dose of excellence.”
“Mmmm...” Miranda squeezed the hand in hers lightly, “Thank you, my darling.”
Smirking at the couple, the caterer held up his index finger, “I said I was not used to it, not that I couldn't do it.” He uncovered the trays that his minions had set on the table in front of them. “Sample what you will, they are all excellent.”
The first thing that hit them was the visual, the trays were arranged in amazingly pleasing ways even though these were just samples of the man's work. Then came the aroma; no longer muffled by the covers, the scent was in itself mouthwatering. When they tasted the items it was all Andy could do not to groan with pleasure. She noticed Miranda was also fighting with herself not to subvocally express her opinion.
“Quite good.” Miranda kept her voice monotone, “How are you at entrees?”
“I can make anything.” He boasted. “I have brought with me the ingredients for anything you might want, tell me your preferences and I will prepare it.”
“New York Strip, medium rare,” Miranda smiled at the man. This was the real test, if he cooked the steak correctly he was eighty percent assured to get the job. Of course Andrea would have a say after she tasted her entree as well.
He looked at Andy, “and for you?”
“Chicken Marsala.”
He nodded and bowed slightly to them, “I shall return with your requests in about forty-five minutes.”
Andy grinned, she knew this guy was probably going to get the job. She also wanted the horrible memory and taste of whatever the last caterer had called chicken marsala to be banished. She wished Caroline felt like joining them, and wondered where Cassidy was at the moment. Leaning over she kissed Miranda on the cheek and whispered, “I'm going to go check on Ma, and Cassidy...”
Miranda nodded, “I'll look in on Caroline, she stirred when I was leaving the room.”
“Okay,” Andy passed through the kitchen nodding to the busily working chef, he had apparently dismissed his other helpers. She climbed the stairs to try and find Cassidy. She thought the girl would be in the tv room so she stopped there first. Surprisingly, Cassidy was not there. She stopped at the guest room door and knocked lightly but no one answered. She didn't want to disturb her mother if the woman was napping so she continued up the stairs to see if Cassidy was in her room or the music room.
She found both objects of her hunt in the music room. As she opened the door she heard the soft playing, but then smiled when she saw her mother sitting on the sofa.
Cassidy nodded to Andy when the woman entered the room, but kept playing.
Dorothy shifted slightly since she was sitting right in the middle of the sofa and patted her daughter's thigh once she'd settled. They both listened to the song and when it was over Dorothy was surprised when Andy spoke.
“That's great Sweetie, I'm glad you finished it.”
“Finished it?” Dorothy gasped, “You wrote that?!”
Grinning Cassidy nodded, “Yeah, I play around with tunes from time to time.”
“That's wonderful...” Dorothy smiled. “You're very talented.”
Cassidy shrugged, “Whatever...no title or lyrics yet.” She looked at Andy's frown and sighed, “But thank you, I'm glad you liked it.” The corner of her mouth pulled upward at Andy's nod of approval and Cassidy asked her Ma, “How was the food?”
“The appetizers were great,” Running her fingers through her hair, Andy laughed, “We're waiting on the entrees now, but unless they're just horrible he's got the job.” Andy grinned as the girl nodded and resumed playing, this time practicing the piece she and her sister were going to play at the wedding.
“That's great, Sweetheart. One more decision down...” Dorothy smiled at her daughter and reassured her. “We'll find the perfect dress for you on Monday.”
“I hope so.” Andy sighed, “It's making me nervous just thinking about making a decision about something to wear without Miranda's input. I'm sure hers will be designer and fabulous.”
“She hasn't picked one yet.” Cassidy offered the information as she absently played.
“How do you know?” Andy was curious about how the subject of dresses had come up between Miranda and Cassidy.
“I asked her,” Cassidy stopped playing and looked at the women, “After she finished telling her story to us, Ro was asleep and I asked her about her dress, and the bridesmaids dresses. She said she hadn't decided which designer to use yet, before we both dozed off too.”
“Ah,” Andy nodded, “I see.” She sighed, “She isn't leaving them much time.”
Waving that lament away, Cassidy assured the woman, “They've all been submitting designs since the news broke.” She grinned at Andy's shocked look, “I'll bet half of them already have dresses made in Mom's size.”
Andy tipped her head back against the couch and covered her eyes as she groaned, “Of course they do.”
“What exactly does that mean?” Dorothy didn't understand the conversation other than Miranda hadn't chosen a dress yet either.
“It means that the designers are falling all over themselves to be the one Miranda chooses to create her wedding dress. So while we are going to be traipsing all over town on Monday to find the perfect gown and I will be subjected to numerous fittings... all Miranda has to do is point to a drawing and say, 'That one.'”
Cassidy laughed, “She didn't even bother when she married Stephen. Her dress then was from The Closet, they were running a bridal issue at the time. She just grabbed one, went and got married, then went back to work.”
“No honeymoon?” Dorothy was appalled. Is that how Miranda regards marriage? A low voice from the doorway startled them all.
“I gave him the following weekend.” Miranda moved into the room, “It was far more time than he deserved.”
Andy smiled, “How's Caroline?”
“Her temperature is one hundred point six,” Miranda sat in the chair closest to the couch, “I gave her some medication so hopefully we caught it in time and she won't be sick to her stomach.”
“Can I go see her?” Andy wanted to apologize for yelling at the girl.
“Of course,” Miranda was a bit confused, “You don't have to ask...”
Nodding as she stood, Andy leaned over to kiss Miranda lightly on the cheek, “Yeah, I think I do.” She glanced over her shoulder and whispered, “Ask Cassidy to play her new song for you.” Standing, Andy nodded to her mother before she walked out of the room to have her chat with Caroline.
Miranda watched her fiancee go and stared at the empty doorway for a few heartbeats before she turned back to her daughter. “Andrea informs me you have a new song.”
Nodding, Cassidy paused from playing the tune Rachmaninoff composed and switched to the one she had written.
Smiling, Miranda watched her daughter play the piano, charmed at the expression on the child's face, the white-haired woman identified it. Joy. Miranda loved that her daughter was capable of such an emotion and thought, She completely loves doing this, this creating of music. She knew that although the feeling was never shown on her own face, it was the same for her when a finished issue of Runway hit the stands. Except Cassidy doesn't think of this as a viable job option.
###
“Knock, knock...” Andy pushed to door to the girl's room open and slipped inside, “How ya doin', Munchkin?”
Caroline sighed, “Not so great...” She shifted on the bed so Andy could sit next to her.
“Your tummy starting to bother you?” Andy settled in next to the girl and wrapped her arm around Caroline's shoulders, “You want some crackers?”
Caroline shook her head, “I've already had a couple.”
Andy started slowly, “I... um... wanted to, apologize, for yelling at you earlier.”
“No, I deserved it... I was being a stupid brat.” Caroline sighed, “Accusing you of wanting to read what...that woman, had to say was just dumb.”
“I don't ever want to have to think about her again.”
“I know,” Cassidy nodded and snuggled down into the woman's embrace. Soft lips on her forehead made her smile.
“You're still warm.” Andy had hoped after her apology, Caroline would get better.
“Yeah, well.” Shrugging, the girl slid down into her bed, resting her head on Andy's thighs, “I think Mom caught it in time this time, I don't think I'm going to puke.”
“Well that's good.” Andy played with the riotous auburn curls that both girls had declared the bane of their existence. “How about after you get better, we all have a day at the spa? Girls day out... maybe you can straighten your hair?” That was something both girls had expressed an interest in recently.
“Really?!” Caroline smiled and exhaled softly as Andy's fingers massaged her scalp soothingly. “That sounds great.” The tightness in her tummy eased slightly. She hadn't told them about the letter she had gotten, yet, so the tension didn't go away entirely.
“Maybe we can even get Miranda to come along.” Andy smiled at the unlikely thought of Miranda taking a day off work for something as frivolous as time at a spa. Caroline's snort let Andy know the girl was thinking about how unlikely it was as well. Still they both remained quiet, Andy continued threading her fingers through the girl's hair as they contemplated the possibilities.
###
Miranda sat quietly with Dorothy listening to Cassidy playing not only her own tune but a few others as well.
When it was nearly time to resume the tasting, Miranda stood. She crossed the room and leaned over to gently kiss Cassidy's forehead, “Lovely music my darling, thank you.”
She couldn't hear the words, but the adoring look on Cassidy's face, and the loving one on Miranda's, charmed Dorothy. She wondered who would actually believe her if she told them that Miranda Priestly had a soft side. Smiling at her soon to be daughter-in-law, Dorothy grinned, “Time to go eat some more?”
Rolling her eyes, Miranda headed for the door, “Yes.” She took a deep breath, “Hopefully this one will be the one.”
Nodding, Dorothy watched the woman leave, then turned her attention back to the still playing girl. “Don't you want to go try the food?”
“Nah,” Cassidy continued to lovingly caress the keys, coaxing even more melodic sounds from the instrument. “I'd rather play.” She stopped for a moment, “You can go though, if you like.”
Dorothy waved off the suggestion, “I'll taste it at the wedding.” She raised her eyebrows, “Unless you want me to go?”
Cassidy shook her head and continued the melody, “I kinda like playing for someone new and... I need the practice.”
“Well I kinda like listening.” Dorothy smiled as a light blush crossed the girl's cheeks. “You really are very good. It doesn't sound like you need practice to me.”
With a sigh, Cassidy stopped playing and stood. As she walked over to where her soon-to-be-grandmother was sitting, she pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket. She held out the paper for Dorothy to take, “I, um... haven't found a way to tell Mom, or Andy, yet.”
Blinking, Dorothy took the sheet and unfolded it, scanning the text quickly. “Wow,” The Julliard School logo at the top of the page struck her as very official. “You did this without them knowing?”
Cassidy nodded, “We just thought we'd give it a try, we didn't really think we'd get in... but...” She gestured to the paper. “I did. It will be pre-college classes, every Saturday starting in September. Mom still has to sign the paperwork though.”
Dorothy pressed her lips together and heard what Cassidy wasn't saying. She asked gently to confirm her suspicion. “You said 'we',” kind brown eyes watched the girl nod, “So Caroline tried out too...” another nod, and Dorothy licked her lips, “But she didn't make the cut.”
Cassidy hung her head, and whispered, “No... she got really nervous at the audition, flubbed some pretty basic stuff...” Now Cassidy looked at the woman with pleading eyes, “She's good, she's really good, she just got so nervous... and..”
Nodding, Dorothy stood and hugged the girl, “And you didn't. I understand.”
“Well I don't!” Cassidy stomped her foot lightly, “We're supposed to be identical, why did I make it and she didn't? Maybe I should just skip it too...”
Narrowing her eyes, Dorothy guided the girl to sit on the couch, “It would be scary, I guess.”
Cassidy looked up, “Huh?”
“You two are always together, from what I understand, you do everything together...” Dorothy watched the girl closely, “So I think it would be kind of scary for you to go and do this...alone.”
Nodding, Cassidy whispered, “The only reason I wasn't nervous was because Ro was there.”
Dorothy laughed softly and reached out to stroke the child's cheek, “You are growing up, you both are, and this is only the first of many things you are going to do separately. You are identical twins, but you are not the 'same'. You are each your own very special person, with your own individual talents and preferences.”
Cassidy narrowed her eyes at the word 'preferences' but then let it pass. “I know that, but...” she sighed and admitted, “It is scary.”
Gathering the girl up in a hug, Dorothy reassured her. “You'll do fine.”