A/N: I was asked to post this here. It's also on Ao3. Written for the Mirandy Fun and Frolics Writer Bingo Challenge.
Hope you enjoy!
Lots of Love,
CBC
"Ok, how does it look?" Andy asked as she came down from the ladder.
"Yea, it's good!" Caroline said.
"It's not crooked anymore. Good job, Andy!" Cassidy added.
"Great, ok, let's have some fun before your mom gets home, test it all out. Sound good?"
The girls giggled and nodded, running to the costume trunk they had put together. They snickered and laughed as they pulled out some fluffy feather boas and huge sunglasses. "What about these?" They asked.
"Perfect! Go on, figure out a silly pose!" Andy pointed to the space before the green screen that she had just finished setting up.
They did as were told, laughing as they got situated. "Ok! Ok! We're ready!"
Andy laughed as she brought the camera hanging around her neck up to her face. "Alright, now, give me the biggest smiles you can, the camera loves you, the camera adores you!"
Cassidy and Caroline burst into more giggles as Andy kept going, mimicking several of the overly dramatic photographers they had all come across. Andy took snap after snap, sometimes not even pausing as they would dash back to the costume trunk to put something else on.
God, what a great way to spend a summer day. Andy thought to herself.
"OK! We're ready!" The girls said again. Andy looked up from the camera where she'd been looking at the digital preview of the photos, and started laughing. The girls were wearing some of the gaudiest fake jewelry Andy had, and pairs of Miranda's old out of season heels, that were way too big.
"Oh goodness! Just be careful, don't want to fall over because the heels are too big on you," Andy cautioned as she began to take more pictures, grinning the whole while, and feeling very proud of herself.
The girls had been massively upset early that morning after learning their father wasn't going to be picking them up to go on vacation. It had left Miranda rather flat-footed as she'd planned several important meetings during the time Cassidy and Caroline were supposed to be gone, and Cara had left the night before for a vacation of her own, not having to go with the girls to their father's.
So, Andy had called into work, asking Greg if she could work from home for a few days, so long as she got all her work emailed in on time. He'd agreed, and she'd thanked him profusely before telling Miranda that she could watch the girls, and they could all have a delicious dinner after Miranda got home from work.
It had taken her a few minutes, but then Andy had come with the most brilliant idea. They would have a photo shoot, right there in the living room. At first the girls had been wary, but after Andy dug around in the spare room that was her "storage" space after she moved in, and found the costume trunk she had, they had become much more excited. They'd run to their own rooms to get some silly clothing pieces, then to the room that Miranda put all of her old clothes before they were donated, and heavily bulked up the costume trunk. Andy had called and asked a Runway affiliated company if she could borrow a green screen sheet for a project for Miranda, and they'd delivered it personally within the hour.
Andy was very proud of herself for her quick thinking, and was so happy the girls were having a good time. "Oh look at those faces, look at that beauty, look at you two, so fierce, so strong!"
Cassidy slipped out of the heels and reached out towards Andy. "Ok, your turn, Andy!"
"What?"
Caroline giggled, "Your turn! We're going to take the photos!" She slipped out of her own silly costume and then tugged the camera strap off from around Andy's neck. Caroline handed the camera to her sister before dragging Andy to the costume trunk. "Cassidy is much better at taking photos, but I'll help with the costumes!"
"Are you two sure?" Andy asked. "I can keep taking photos, it's ok, I don't mind."
Cassidy was busy with the camera as she said absently, "We're sure. Besides, we don't have a lot of photos of you around the house, so this is the perfect time to take some."
"Yea. We'll get some of you by yourself, then some with you and me, and then I can take some of you and Cass. Then we can get the stand, and the remote and take some of all three of us. Then we can take some more when Mom gets home!" Caroline gave her a bright smile and held out a silk cardigan that had been Miranda's. "Here! Put this on."
Andy felt her heart burst, and quickly obliged, feeling utterly and completely happy. The girls wanted photos of her around the house. The girls wanted to take photos with her. "Ok." She gave Caroline a mock serious look, then Cassidy. "But you two need to help me out. Direct me, ok, like you've seen at photo shoots you've seen when you've gone to work with Miranda."
They gave her matching smiles, and giggled. "OK!"
Direct her they did. It was hilarious for all of them. Caroline sometimes would tell her the silliest thing to do. "Put your hand on your head, Andy! Like you've just been pooped on by a pigeon!" Then they'd all burst into fits of giggles. Or Cassidy would tell her to do a funny face, in a very serious tone of voice. "Andy, Andy, no, don't smile, pretend like someone just farted, and make that face." They were having a blast being serious and silly and Andy was having a great time.
They'd stopped for a few hours to eat lunch and load up the photos they'd taken to the computer, laughing and pointing out some of their favorites, then they'd gone right back to it, full of giggles and smiles, switching who was taking photos, and who was being photographed.
Before they knew it, Miranda had texted saying she was on the way home. Andy had lit up with another idea. "Girls. Go put on a really nice outfit. I'm going to go change also, and we're going to take some really nice photos of all four of us. And then we can change again and take silly photos again."
The girls gave her wide eyed looks and super big smiles before dashing upstairs, chattering about what they were going to wear for the "family photos" and what poses they could try and get their mother do partake in.
Family. Andy's heart soared. The girls considered her as part of her family. She didn't know how much hearing that would make her heart thump extra hard, how it was going to make her face turn red and her eyes fill with happy tears. Family. Her little family.
Twenty minutes later, Miranda was stepping inside the townhouse, and Andy listened as the twins ran up to her declaring, "Come on! We're taking family photos, and then we can have dinner!"
Miranda let herself be dragged into the living room and gave an incredulous look around her. "What have you three been up to?" She asked, turning her bewildered look towards Andy.
Andy laughed. "We decided to have a photo shoot. Green screen and everything. I borrowed it from Caleb. So long as we return in undamaged by Thursday we're all good. So we decided that we'd take some photos of all of us together. Not as fancy as a professional shoot, but a lot more fun." She lifted the camera and gave it a little shake, drawing Miranda's attention to it.
"Yea! And then we can take some photos of you and me, and then of Cass and you, and then of all three of us, and then of you and Andy!" Caroline said, swinging Miranda's arm back and forth in her obvious excitement. "Then you can have a photo of you and Andy on your desk, like you do of us!"
Miranda gave a warm smile to her daughter, "Is that so? I also hope that I can see whatever antics you were up to during the day?"
"Yea!" Cassidy nodded. We're gonna take some photos now, with some fancy clothes, that's why we're all dressed up! And then we can have dinner, and then we can change into other clothes and use the costume box and do some silly photos, and then we can look at them all on the computer when we're done!"
"That sounds like a marvelous idea, girls. So, who's going to go first? And who will be taking the photos?"
"Caroline, you go first! I'll take photos with Andy!" Cassidy said, releasing her hold on Miranda's arm to dash to Andy's side.
So the next round of the photo shoot began, Caroline and Miranda posing very nicely for some beautiful shots, then Cassidy switching into Caroline's spot for her turn. After that Caroline was back in for shots of all three of them together. Then they decided to use the tripod to have some photos of all four of them together, and finally Cassidy and Caroline took turns taking photos of Miranda and Andy together.
"Ok, Andy, stand behind Mom's left shoulder, and wrap your arms around her waist." Cassidy said, pointing and directing Andy where to go.
"Good! And then lean your chin on her shoulder. And mom, you put your arms against Andy's," Caroline added.
"Lace your fingers together, like you love each other." Cassidy said.
Andy snorted, but did as she was directed, turning her head quickly to place a kiss on Miranda's cheek, not noticing that Cassidy was snapping photos of them already. "I think I've created little photographer monsters. Forget being an astronomer and a firefighter, Miranda, because you're going to have two of the greatest photographers on your hands instead."
Miranda laughed. Giving Andy's hands a light squeeze, she whispered, "That's alright. I'm just so thankful that they aren't as upset anymore about their father dropping their plans. They had been so excited."
"Perfect! Oh my god, Cass, those are perfect! Look at them!" Caroline exclaimed, drawing Andy and Miranda's attention.
"Girls, whatever are you talking about?" Miranda asked.
"Doesn't matter, you can see them later, now give Andy a big kiss." Cassidy replied. "Then I think we'll be set for dinner."
"My my, bossy, aren't you," Miranda teased, giving Cassidy a wink before she turned her head and happily accepted a kiss from Andy.
"Beautiful!" Caroline cheered, causing Andy to pull away and laugh.
"I thought thirteen-year-olds were supposed to be grossed out by their mom kissing anyone," Andy teased, giving Miranda one more quick kiss and a quick squeeze around the middle.
Caroline shrugged. "You make mom happy. She lights up when she kisses you. I don't mind."
Cassidy nodded. "Yea, whatever. Just so long as we don't see anything else. Kisses are fine."
Andy didn't know how much more happiness her heart could take, but damn it if she died from a happiness overload, that would certainly be a good way to go. "Alright, let's go have some dinner, and then we can take some more silly photos!" She changed the topic, eliciting happy squeals from the girls.
"Andy made pasta, Mom!" Cassidy exclaimed, putting the camera down carefully on the couch before dashing through the dining room into the kitchen, calling behind her, "I'll get the dishes out!"
"She let us help her! It's going to be so good!" Caroline ran off after her sister, leaving Miranda and Andy together.
"Thank you. Thank you, darling, for spending your entire day with them, and distracting them from being let down." Miranda turned around in Andy's arms to wrap her own around Andy's waist.
"They're good girls, Miranda. They were a little hesitant about the idea at first, but as you can see they had a great time. I love them, Miranda. I really do. I'm glad I could help them have a good time, and I'm glad I could take some stress away from your shoulders after Greg had to cancel the vacation. Thank you for trusting me with them, for allowing me to be a role model and confidant for them." She smiled and gave Miranda a gentle kiss, running her hands up and down Miranda's back.
"Come on!" Caroline ran back into the room. "Andy! Stop kissing Mom, we want to eat dinner! Just because we said it's ok doesn't mean you can make us starve!" She rolled her eyes when Andy and Miranda looked at her, and ran back to the kitchen shouting for her sister, "They had their lips locked! I thought I was going to have to beat them apart with a broom or something!"
Andy burst into laughter as Miranda looked affronted. "Ok, we're coming, goodness!" She called to them. "Come on, Miranda," she pulled away from the hug to hold Miranda's hand, "let's go have dinner before we have a mutiny."
Yes, she was very happy indeed, and it was absolutely the greatest thing in the whole world. Her little family.
A/N: I would love to hear what you thought!
Lots of Love,
CBC
