Andrea opened her eyes and recognized the nurse standing over her bed—it was Joanne, the woman who was with her in the OR.
"Wh-what happened?" she asked.
"Oh, honey, here, have some water," she said. "You've had a rough day." She handed Andrea a cup of water with a straw. When she was finished, she pulled the chair up to Andrea's bedside and took her hand. "You have a beautiful baby girl, Andy. She was premature—just barely 5 pounds—but she has big brown eyes like you."
"Can I see her?"
"Soon. She's in the NICU, and I'll take you over to see her in the morning. You both need your rest right now," Joanne said.
Andrea nodded and tears began flowing from her eyes.
"Look, honey, I know this is hard. People aren't going to understand, but I have seen this too many times in my career. Every woman's body carries a baby differently, and I believe it's possible to not know. You have nothing to be ashamed of," she said.
Andrea sighed. "It's like you can read my mind. How can I go back to work?"
"Your coworkers will understand, just give it time," she said. "Anyone who knows you will know that you would have taken the best care of yourself had you known about that little girl."
Andrea rolled her eyes, imagining what horrible things would come out of Miranda's mouth. She didn't want to think about that—telling her parents would be one of the hardest things she would have to do, but telling Miranda would be a close second. She rolled over and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep and hoping she'd wake up from this nightmare.
Andrea woke to the sound of Nigel's voice quietly talking into his telephone. She laid there for a minute, taking in her surroundings. She felt tired and a little sore, but nothing compared to the painful contractions she felt before.
"Hey," Nigel said, approaching the bed.
"Hey, hi," she replied. "What time is it?"
"Almost 11:30. But that doesn't matter. How are you?"
She carefully sat up in bed and pulled her hair back in a messy bun. "I guess I'm fine, considering. Oh shit—I was supposed to be at work today," she said.
"Please. Don't worry about it, Emily has it covered. So, do you remember what happened?"
"It's foggy. One of the nurses was really kind, though. She told me," Andrea said.
Have you picked out a name yet?" Nigel asked.
"No—I haven't even seen it. Her," she corrected, blushing slightly.
"Are you going to keep her?"
Andrea looked up in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"If you're not sure, I can help arrange for a counselor to stop by, and they would be able to find her a loving home. I'm sure this is tough for you," he said.
Andrea shook her head. "No. No—I can't. I couldn't. I know I wasn't planning on this, but I can make it work. I mean, right? Or don't you think—?"
"Sweetie, I will support you whatever you decide. If you keep her, I know it's going to be an adjustment, but we're all here for you—whatever you need," he said. "Even Miranda."
"What? She knows?!" Andrea said, falling back against the pillows. "Great," she groaned. "I'll be out of a job, and then my lease is up at the end of the month. Not off to a good start."
Nigel took Andrea's hand and squeezed it tightly. "Miranda has a soft spot for newborns, and you, Six. I promise you, she means no harm. She was working with HR this morning to get you on paid maternity leave. If she offers, you should accept her help. Trust me on this," he said. There was a light knocking on the door and Nigel looked up. "Speak of the devil…"
"Hello, Andrea," Miranda said softly. "Do you mind me stopping by?"
Andrea shook her head, and Nigel quietly said goodbye and slipped out, leaving the two women alone. Miranda walked over to Andrea's bedside and sat on the edge of the hospital bed.
"Miranda, I'm so sorry," Andrea said as she broke down in tears.
The editor watched the young woman for a few minutes, and when it was clear she was not going to stop crying any time soon, Miranda reached out and hugged her, holding her and soothing her while she cried. "Shh, you have nothing to apologize for," Miranda said quietly.
After nearly ten minutes, Andrea sat up and looked at Miranda. "Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked, wiping her eyes.
"I want to help you. I know that it's not quite the same, but I remember what it was like when my girls were born—my husband was with me, but I still felt so incredibly alone and detached. I was terrified," she said. "And to be perfectly honest, I feel a bit of guilt because I didn't know what to say to you after the accident with your boyfriend and his father, so I pretended I didn't know. But I did, and I saw how the news had affected you."
"He would have been so happy with a baby."
Miranda reached out and squeezed her hand. "Are you happy with a baby?" she asked curiously.
"Yeah," Andrea said, her lips curling into a smile for the first time that day. "Yeah, I am."
"Do you want to come with me to see your daughter?"
"I—what?"
"I spent some time with her this morning, and helped with her feeding. She's a fighter, Andrea," she said, brushing a wisp of hair behind the young woman's ear. "Like you."
Andrea agreed and started to get up from the bed. Miranda told her to stay put, that she would be back with a wheelchair, but of course, Andrea did not think she needed a one. She sat at the edge of the bed and tried to push herself up, quickly falling back against the mattress as a searing pain tore through her abdomen where her incision was.
Miranda was back in two seconds, carefully helping Andrea into the wheelchair. "Told you so," she whispered with a smirk as she pushed the chair out of the room and down the hall.
In the NICU, Miranda led her towards the incubator marked "Baby Sachs" and handed Andrea a mask and gloves. The baby was asleep, so Andrea reached her hand inside, gently grabbing her delicate hand.
"She's a little miracle," Miranda said quietly, gently leaning on the wheelchair and resting her hand on Andrea's shoulder. "Have you thought about a name?"
"I think 'Natalie.' Natalie Sachs."
Miranda hummed in agreement, and they sat in silence, watching the tiny human breathe in the oxygen-rich air and soak up the special lighting. "You know, she had her eyes open earlier today. She has beautiful brown eyes—just like her mother," she said
Andrea took a deep breath and retracted her hand, closing the little window on the incubator and putting her head in her hands. "I can't believe she's mine—that I'm a mother. This is a lot to take in, and I still have to figure out where we're going to live, what kind of carseat I'm going to get, what she's going to wear, who's going to watch her when I find a job—I want to, but I don't know if I can do it. Maybe it's not fair to her."
"Look at me," Miranda said, gently lifting her chin. "You can and you will. You are a mother now. The most important thing in your life from here on out is this little princess," she said. "I realize you probably hate me, but please let me help. I still have all of the girls' baby things in storage, and you can have whatever you'd like. I probably have two of everything—carseats, cribs, bassinets, bouncers, bathtubs, clothes, you name it. Your apartment will be filled by the time you bring her home," Miranda said with a smile. "And you do not need to look for a job—at least not yet. You have twelve weeks of paid maternity leave through your insurance, starting today."
"I don't know what to say—that's so generous, Miranda. And I don't hate you, not at all. I just, I feel like I can't accept it—" Andrea said. She anxiously looked down at her hands in her lap. "My lease on my apartment is up on the 30th. I don't know where I'm going to be able to afford a place that's safe enough to bring her home," she said.
"This may be a terrible suggestion, but," Miranda paused. "Why don't you come stay with me?"
"At the townhouse? Miranda, I could never impose—"
"Wait, wait, hear me out before you decline. You'd have your own space—the entire third floor—a huge guest room with a fireplace and sitting area, a large en-suite, and a small balcony that overlooks the back yard. Cara would be around during the day to help—she was wonderful with the girls and would love the chance to help with a newborn again. She'll also take care of the cooking and laundry, and then the housekeeper would do all the cleaning…and the girls and I would certainly be around in the evenings as well. Then, when you come back to work, Cara could be your babysitter."
Andrea took a deep breath. "Miranda, it's beyond generous of you to open your home to me like that, but I just don't understand why," she said.
The editor sighed and reached for Andrea's hand. "I care about you, and I want to help." She paused for a moment and looked down at her hands nervously. "I'm not very good at making friends, but there's always been something about you that I rather liked," she added with a shrug. "It's no secret that I enjoy your company—you know that, as does everyone else at Runway," she said, rolling her eyes.
Andrea smiled. "I mean, I guess—wow. Um, okay, so, in the past day I had a baby and became friends with Miranda Priestly. Not sure which is more believable," she said.
"Ha ha, not funny. So, you'll come stay with us?"
"Yes, yes, of course. Thank you so much. Really, I can't tell you what a relief this is," Andrea said.
Miranda smiled brightly. "I'm going to go back to the office now. I'll go to storage with the girls tonight to get a few of the items you'll need right away. Your doctor said you might be discharged today, but Natalie here will probably be in the hospital for another week or so. What am I forgetting?"
Andrea shook her head in disbelief. "Um, I will start packing up my apartment—I'll have four or five boxes, plus my clothes, which are mostly on loan from the Closet anyway. Maybe I can bring it over this weekend?"
"Whatever you need. Roy can help you, or I can send movers over. You really should be resting whenever you can. Either way, don't worry. We'll figure it out," Miranda said. "Did you want to stay here or go back to your room?"
Andrea glanced over at Natalie and smiled.
"Ah, I figured. Please call or text me if you need anything at all. I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Yes. And Miranda, thank you."
Miranda smiled and walked out of the room.
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TBC & let me know what you think!
