The sun was shining brightly down on the city of New York on a lovely summer's day as some rushed to grab their lunch on their break, some hurried to appointments, others dashing to work or classes, and then there were those like Andrea.
Andrea was walking casually down the main street towards the Elias-Clark building wearing tight dark skinny jeans with a strappy but slightly flowy cerulean top and a pair of matching ballet pump shoes. The woman was not rushing like the others but instead she was pushing a hot pink and charcoal coloured pram along the street.
Inside the stroller was a small infant dressed in a beautiful little white and pink summer dress with a matching hat whilst she was covered slightly by a very light blanket to combat the breeze that continued to blow through the city streets.
As she entered the air-conditioned building of Elias-Clark one of the security guards greeted her with a big smile and held the gate open so that she could go straight through, "Good Morning Andy!", he said rather cheerfully having been told to expect her by Nigel earlier on in the day.
"Good Morning Jackson", she replied with her usual friendly manner along with a big smile, "How are the kids?".
"They're good", the large man said with a grin as he rest his thumbs in the sides of his belt, "Growing so quickly though, you blink and you seem to miss it". "How old is little Celeste now?", he asked as he leaned over to take a look inside the pram at the sleeping infant.
"She's going to be a week-old tomorrow", the woman said with a bright smile.
Jackson smiled down at the infant, "I remember when mine were that age", he commented, "So cute… and now they're seven, ten, twelve, thirteen, and sixteen. Boy does the time fly by".
Andrea laughed softly, "It was good seeing you Jackson", she said softly, "I'll see you later, I better get up to Nigel or he'll be wondering where we are".
The large man nodded, "Sure thing Andy, have fun", he said as she entered the elevator with the small infant and made her way up to the floor of Runway Magazine.
As the young woman travelled up in the metal box she smiled down at her new baby as she thought back to the moment that she discovered that she was pregnant.
Andrea was sat in her apartment in New York after returning from Paris five weeks previously, she had been putting off this moment for three weeks already and she knew that she simply had to do this.
The woman sighed heavily and closed her eyes as she remembered her last night in Paris before everything went wrong or was it when it went wrong? She had made the mistake of sleeping with Christian, the event that she called her 'biggest mistake' because he was not the one that she wanted to be with that night, or ever, in fact.
The woman with white hair and blue eyes was the one who had captured her attention along with her heart but in her mind she knew that being with Miranda would never be an option for her, it would never be something that she could have because in her mind, she simply was not worthy of her and in her mind, she thought that Miranda would never even glance in her direction let alone love her. Andrea, however, loved Miranda more than she could put into words, despite being a talented writer. She may have left the woman in Paris but she also left her heart behind in the city too as her mind and heart always reminded of the woman that she had abandoned. It was as if she was mourning a relationship that never began and yet she was not upset in the slightest that Nate had broken up with her days before leaving for Europe or that he had moved out whilst she was away or even that he had taken so much of the items from the apartment with him. It always came back to her. It always came back to the woman she loved but could not have. The woman who haunted her dreams at night and thoughts during the day. Her Miranda. The one that was not hers, not truly, despite what she so desperately wished.
Andrea got up from the tattered sofa and made her way into the bathroom, she was nervous and found herself reluctant to face it. Reluctant to face the reality that she could, possibly, be pregnant but not just pregnant but pregnant with Christian's child as she knew that the dates coincided with the missed period and that she had not slept with Nate since early on in her time at Runway but that had been with protection.
When it came to Christian, she had been so drunk that, at the time, she had not realised, until it was too late. She had meant to get a morning-after pill but everything had gotten so hectic that she had forgotten, especially in the rush to attempt to save Miranda from losing her job at Runway. A task that she now knew was pointless but it was something that given the same situation she would do again because to her Miranda was worth rushing across Paris in high heels for in the face of a perceived threat.
She stood for a moment in the doorway to the bathroom before she entered it fully and went to the sink unit where the two white sticks sat taunting her.
"Guess I have to", she mumbled to herself in the empty apartment that she now lived in alone.
The woman moved closer to the sink and looked down at the tests with nervousness.
There it was.
Staring back at her were the words 'pregnant' written on both tests depicting that she was indeed, as she suspected, very much pregnant. She knew that she would keep the baby, that part was never a doubt in her mind that if she were pregnant, as she had thought she might be, then she would keep the little one because, after all, it was not the baby's fault that he, she, or they were born as a result of a poor decision.
Andrea placed her hand on her abdomen and looked down at it, "I guess it's just you and me now kid", she whispered to her flat abdomen where she now knew for sure that a small human being was growing. A little miracle that she could not help but smile about, despite the circumstances because she had been told only a few years previously during a routine check-up that she would struggle to conceive if she were to ever try due to certain health issues. The baby was a surprise but despite the conception, the little one was not something that she could bring herself to regret which made sleeping with Christian, at least in her mind, a little less disgusting to think about because at least something positive came out of the situation.
When she exited the elevator she was met with Nigel straight away who she had been notified by security as soon as Andrea had left the lobby area in order to make her way up to see him.
"Good Morning Six!", he exclaimed with his usual enthusiasm, "How've you been? Come! You have to give me all of the gossip!".
Andrea grinned and rolled her eyes at the man, he always wanted gossip, "Good Morning Nigel", she said softly with happiness in her voice, she knew that he would want the gossip from the Mirror mostly as she had been going to various events on behalf of the paper and had met a lot of different people through her role as an interviewer at times. She had continued to work throughout her pregnancy as she knew that there was no way that she would be able to take time off if she were to afford to live, let alone afford to raise a child. It would be simply impossible to do so she did not take time off until the day she went into labour and she was currently on paid maternity leave in order to take care of her new baby. The woman was loving being at home with the small bundle of joy and getting to see how she was developing but she knew that the day would come where she would have to put her daughter into a nursery so that she could go back to work in order to keep a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs.
"Sooo…", Nigel said once they got into his office, "How've you been?".
"I've been okay, nothing much has changed since I last saw you", she said with a slight shrug, "Although there has been a lot less sleep".
Nigel laughed, "Well, what did you expect with a newborn?", he asked with amusement, "How is my beautiful little goddaughter?".
Andrea smiled brightly at him before looking down at her baby daughter, "She is just… amazing", she gushed, "Despite the fact that she continuously wakes me up every night and seems to be more active at night than during the day, I love her so much". "Celeste is only little still though so she isn't doing much yet just a little squeal or other weird sounds that are all apparently normal and lots of eating and sleeping".
"So, no backflips or handstands yet then?", the man joked with a grin.
The woman laughed and shook her head, "Not quite yet, she would need to get the rolling over part sorted first before she goes on to that, although I am kind of wanting her to stay this small forever, she is just so cute and I really don't want her to grow up despite wanting sleep".
Nigel smiled as he looked into the pram, "Can I have a hold?", he asked, he was one of the very few that had held the little girl, other than her and the medical staff of course. The Runway employee had turned out to be a better birthing partner than she could have expected from a man who had never had children. He had gone to appointments with her and ensured that she was doing what she was meant to and he even went to the prenatal class with her, until he realised it was filled with huffing and puffing women. From then on he called it a 'huffle-puffle class' and didn't want to go but then again neither did Andrea.
"Sure", Andrea responded straight away as she pulled back the cover part of the pram in order to reveal the infant.
The man smiled brightly as he carefully picked up the baby from within the pram and cradled her closely, "She is so cute", he said with his eyes directed solely at Celeste.
Andrea smiled proudly observing the man with her precious child.
They were both distracted when Miranda came along the hallway and paused outside the room, she was debating with herself as to whether or not she should enter the room. She had missed Andrea more than she wanted to admit to anyone and the day she left kept circling in her mind and taunting her in a way that formed nightmares for her most nights, even after months.
Miranda watched the little girl in Nigel's arms for a moment and without consciously realising it, she had moved to enter the room and was already opening the door to the man's office, "Good Morning Andrea", she said softly, "Nigel". Things had been a little frosty between the two of them since Paris but they were starting to recover from it despite actions taken on both sides following the revelation surrounding James Holt.
Andrea was surprised to see Miranda as she was supposed to be at a showing on the other side of New York at that moment but when she turned to look at Nigel she saw him smirking and knew that she had been set up, "Good Morning Miranda", she said politely as she turned back to the beautiful blue-eyed woman.
"I see you have bought Celeste in with you today", she commented as she stepped closer, "That is her name, right?".
The younger woman nodded, she knew that it was not really Miranda checking whether it was true but that she was highlighting the fact that she knew more than what people assumed, "Yes", she replied with a smile.
Miranda nodded with a smile, "How have you been Andrea?", she asked with a genuine interest, "I heard that you're on maternity leave but have had an offer from the New York Times".
Andrea smiled, "I've been good, I've been enjoying my time off with Celeste", she revealed before continuing with confusion on her face, "But how did you know about the New York Times, I haven't told anyone about that, not even my boss knows".
Nigel had his eyebrows raised, "Not even I knew", he exclaimed, "Congratulations Six! I trust that you'll be taking the job right? Well, depending on what it is of course".
The white-haired woman smirked, "Oh Andrea, have you still not realised that there is not much in this industry that I do not know?", she questioned, "The Editor-in-Chief spoke to me about it a few days before you were offered the position, he knew that you were once my assistant and so he asked me what he thought of them hiring you as one of their writers".
The man cradling the baby looked a little shocked at that having no idea that his boss had done that for her ex-employee.
"Thank you Miranda", Andrea said softly, she could have completely ruined my career and had me blacklisted around the world and yet she gives a recommendation to the mirror and speaks to the New York Times? Could I love this woman any more than I already do?, she thought to herself.
Miranda nodded but said nothing in response to it as she was not quite sure how to respond.
"Honestly Miranda, you don't know how much that means to me", Andrea quietly as she stepped towards the other woman, "How could I possibly thank you? First the Mirror recommendation and then… this?".
"You could thank me by letting me hold that adorable little one", Miranda said as she tipped her chin ever so slightly to indicate to the baby who was sleeping in Nigel's arms.
Nigel stepped forward straight away with the baby, handing her over to his boss without any further prompting from either of the women, "I think I'm going to go and see if Emily has that… thing for me", he excused himself.
Miranda rolled her eyes, "I think that may have been his lamest excuse yet", she commented in reference to him leaving.
Andrea nodded, "Could be worse", she commented, "He got me here under the impression that we'd be going to lunch".
The Editor-in-Chief laughed, "Well, how about you come to lunch with me instead?", the woman offered.
"I…", Andrea stumbled over her words a little.
"You don't have to Andrea", Miranda said gently although looking a little down at the concept, "It was just a suggestion, I don't want you to starve of course".
"No, I would love to go to lunch with you Miranda", she said with a smile.
Miranda nodded, "Good then we shall go to that restaurant that I like, the one we went to after that terrible showing that one time", she said giving a rather vague indication as to where they would eat but luckily Andrea understand what the woman was talking about.
Celeste chose that moment to open her eyes as the white-haired woman stroked her cheek ever so gently, her bright eyes looking up at the woman as she gripped the finger offered to her.
The woman who had been nicknamed 'The Dragon', 'The Ice Queen', and a number of other cruel names was suddenly enamoured with the beauty in her arms and smiling brightly down at the little one, "You are so adorable", she whispered to the infant who just squealed slightly in her arms and kicked her legs slightly.
Andrea watched on with a huge smile.
"Maybe we should stay here for a little while before we leave for the restaurant?", Miranda offered.
The younger woman nodded knowing that Miranda seemed to just not want to let go of Celeste for the moment.
"How did you choose her name?", Miranda asked as she sat down on a stool with the baby remaining safely in her arms.
Andrea smiled as she too sat down, "The name Celeste came to me in a dream whilst I was pregnant, it sounds silly, I know", she said softly, "But then when I looked it up it meant 'heavenly' in French and I fell in love with it even more".
"And her middle name?", the woman questioned.
She looked down and bit her lip, "I…", she paused, "It felt right".
"Why?", Miranda continued to question.
"I couldn't forget you", Andrea admitted quietly, "I hadn't decided on her middle name until the day she was born and I was lying in that hospital bed with her in my arms for the first time and I just couldn't see myself naming her anything else". "The only name that felt right was yours", she revealed, "So she became Celeste Miranda Sachs".
Miranda smiled, "Well, I believe that I am very lucky to have such an adorable baby named after me", she said happily then frowned, "I am not so sure she will think the same when it comes to the other way around but I can say that I am honored".
"I don't know about that Miranda", Andrea commented, "I think she's pretty lucky to be named after such a strong, beautiful, amazing, and inspirational woman".
The older woman looked up at her with shock, "You think that?", she asked, "About me? Truly?".
Andrea nodded, "Yes, of course", she said with a smile, "I always have done".
"Even in…", Miranda did not say the word 'Paris' because she simply could not do it, "When you…", then she struggled with the word 'left'.
The younger woman, however, understood exactly what she meant and nodded, "Yes", she said as she stood up to move closer, "I always thought that and never stopped".
"Why?", Miranda asked, needing the answer.
"Because I love you", Andrea bravely admitted, "I have loved you for so long and I… still do".
Miranda smiled brightly as she reached out her hand to tug the other woman closer, "So brave", she whispered, "My Andrea, my impossible girl". "I love you too", the white-haired Editor-in-Chief revealed, "So very much so".
Andrea moved close enough so that she could cup Miranda's cheek and lean in to press a kiss to the woman's lips whilst being careful of the small infant that lay in Miranda's arms now making random little noises.
The kiss deepened and Miranda used her spare hand to hold her close to her.
"I really want to continue kissing you but I think Celeste needs feeding", Andrea said as she pulled back from the increasingly passionate kiss.
Miranda nodded, "Of course", she said softly, "How about we go to my office? Then once Celeste has had her lunch then we shall go for ours".
Andrea nodded in agreement as Miranda stood, she watched as the woman walked towards her office with Celeste still in her arms as she appeared to not be about to put her back in her pram anytime soon.
When Miranda got to the exterior section of her office she was met with two stunned assistants, "Cancel my afternoon", she demanded, "I will be in my office where I will not be disturbed and then I will be out for the rest of the day, once you've done the jobs that you've already been given then I expect you to be working for Nigel for the remainder of your day. The book is to be delivered as normal".
The assistants nodded whilst one mumbled, "Yes, Miranda".
The Editor-in-Chief entered her office with the slightly squirming infant in her arms who was starting to fuss about the delay in her feeding demands.
Andrea closed the office door before she sat down on the sofa as Miranda did the same, "Are you bottle feeding or breastfeeding Andrea?", she asked softly.
"Breast", the younger woman replied with a small smile, "Otherwise I would let you feed her", she said as she knew what Miranda was intending to ask.
Miranda nodded and kissed the baby's head softly before passing her over to Andrea.
Andrea took her daughter from the Editor-in-Chief carefully and cradled her close to her as she moved her top so that she could feed the small baby, usually she would use a cover when not at home but she didn't bother when she was in private so she whilst in Miranda's office with the door closed she did not worry about such a thing.
As Celeste latched on Miranda could not help but watch the beauty of it, despite attempting to look away so she sat back on the sofa and pressed a kiss to the side of Andrea's head lovingly.
Andrea turned her head to softly kiss Miranda's lips after ensuring that her baby daughter was latched properly and securely held to her.
"I've missed you so much", Miranda said softly.
The younger woman said softly, "I missed you too", before kissing the white-haired woman gently.
Miranda kissed her again, "I love you", she repeated as she kissed her soon-to-be lover again before reaching out and brushing her finger over Celeste's cheek, "And I love you too". The woman had already felt so much love for the baby girl when Nigel had sent her a photo of the infant on the day that she had been born. Celeste had been born at 06:46 and Miranda had a photo in her hand by 06:55 of his 'gorgeous goddaughter' with an exhausted looking but still beautiful Andrea holding her.
"We love you too Miranda", Andrea said with a smile, "and Caroline and Cassidy of course". The woman had remained in contact with the two red-headed children who had captured her heart months before she left Runway.
Miranda put her arm around Andrea and held them close to her, she, of course, knew about Andrea's continuing contact with her daughters and allowed it as it seemed to make both of the girls rather happy which was something that she rather liked.
For the first time in months, Miranda felt truly relaxed and happy as she looked forward, not only to lunch, but also to inviting Andrea back to hers in order to spend the evening with herself and the twins that night.