Miranda woke up the next morning to giggles. Cracking open one eye, she saw Cassidy looming over her, a grin on her face. "I can't believe you're still sleeping, Mom. Didn't you set the alarm last night?"
Groggily, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Taking a quick look over at the bedside clock, she saw that it was quarter after ten. "And how long have you been up for?"
"We got up at seven. Caroline said to let you sleep, since it had been such a rough night. We're making you breakfast." Cassidy smiled at her and Miranda shook her head slightly, trying not to smile.
"Go on downstairs now. We'll be there shortly." Cassidy nodded and hugged her tightly before bounding from the room. Miranda looked down at the still sleeping Andréa and felt her smile become more gentle. "Andréa, it's time to wake up," she said quietly as she shook the girl's shoulder.
Andréa opened her eyes and Miranda felt her breath sucked from her lungs at the smile she was bestowed with. "Mmm, good morning, Miranda." Sitting up, she rubbed her stomach absently. "Excuse me." She took off for the bathroom and Miranda winced to hear the girl throw up loudly. Climbing off the bed, she joined her in the bathroom, holding back her hair so that it wouldn't get in the way.
When she had finished, Andréa leaned back against her, crying quietly. "What is it, Andréa?"
"I don't know if I'm strong enough to do this, Miranda." Andréa turned to face her and threw her arms around her waist. "I want to say that I'm ready for anything that life throws at me, but I'm not. This is entirely beyond my scope of life. I love you, that would be enough to throw me, but add a baby in the equation, and that just messes everything up. I never expected to make a move where we're concerned. Unrequited love lends a certain passion to writing, after all." She shivered as Andréa kissed her neck
"Yes, you are strong enough to do this, Andréa. The fact that you can admit that you care for me so casually is a testament to your strength. After all, I am the fearsome Ice Queen of the fashion world." She smiled and tweaked her Andréa's nose. "Now, let's get up, we have the twins to entertain." She pulled Andréa up off the bed and led her over to her closet.
"What, you mean I get to go through your closet?"
"Well, you certainly cannot wear yesterday's clothes. Though I'm not certain if you'll find anything that suits you in there. Our coloring is so different." Andréa leaned back against her and she wrapped an arm around her waist. There was little evidence that she expecting, but that would change soon, given how tiny she was.
"Your taste is impeccable, Miranda. What would you suggest that I wear?"
Miranda reached around her to pull out a dark plum-colored sweater. "I'd like to see you in this, Andréa. And I think a charcoal grey pant." She turned and crossed over to her dresser, opening the middle drawer. She thumbed through her pants until she found what she was looking for, pulling them out and handing them to Andréa.
"I have to work Sunday," Andréa said suddenly, looking at her. "Do you think I should tell my supervisor about the pregnancy then?"
"I would. The more advance notice they have, the better they can work around it." Miranda pulled out another pair of grey wool pants and then took out a clean set of underwear. "Pick a sweater for me while I change in the bathroom."
Andréa nodded absently as she moved into the other room. It didn't take long for her to change and put on her makeup for the day. Surprisingly, she felt no shame or embarrassment in standing before Andréa in her bra. While she had no qualms about seeing nudity in others, there was something so intimate in being with an almost lover and being so exposed. The smile on Andréa's mouth also helped calm her.
"I picked out a lilac sweater for you." It was a deliberate move, as if Andréa was claiming their couple status with the complimentary color scheme. "Could, could I spend the weekend here, though? I need to get my feet back under me before I go back to my apartment."
"You can spend as much time here as you need, darling." The endearment just slipped out from her lips and Andréa's smile widened.
"Thank you, Miranda."
"Though I suppose we should stop by your place after our time in the park. You're going to need fresh undergarments." A faint blush spread across Andréa's face and she ducked her face into her chest. "Some things are a little too intimate, yes?'
"Yes, Miranda." Andréa bit her lip and Miranda knew she was aching to ask her something. She smiled slightly and the girl took that as her blessing to continue. "If we're stopping by my apartment, could I pack up a bag? I don't want to be alone at a time like this. And you did say I could spend as much time here as I needed."
"I know, and that offer still stands. But don't worry too much about clothing. I think we're going to have a new wardrobe for you by Monday."
"Runway's closet has maternity wear?" she asked incredulously as Miranda pulled on the sweater.
"Nigel and Emily have something all worked out, apparently. Are you ready to head down now?" Andréa nodded and held out her hand. After a moment's hesitation, Miranda clasped it and they went down to the kitchen. The girls had set out plates, a jar of peanut butter, and a jar of grape jelly. They were munching on toast and smiled at them brilliantly.
"You took too long, so we ate without you. The rest of the toast is in the microwave." Cassidy took another bite of food and Andréa sat down next to her. It surprised Miranda to see her daughter scoot her chair up closer to her friend. "Are you pregnant?"
Miranda fixed her gaze on her child, and Cassidy stared right back. It was uncanny how they were honing in on her stare, she thought, and began to open her mouth in rebuke when Caroline jumped in. "Yeah, are you? We looked up the symptoms this morning before you two woke up, and that's what we settled on. Well, we liked that better than you dying of cancer or typhoid or some other disease."
Andréa just smiled at her girls and nodded. "You found me out. There's going to be a little Sachs running around in a few months."
"How far along are you? It's not like you have a bump yet, even." Caroline came up to Andréa's other side and looked at her closely.
"I think I'm six weeks along. I have to see a doctor to tell me more, of course."
Cassidy smiled and nodded. "Mom, can we go with Andy to her appointments? It would be kinda cool to see what goes on."
"We'll see. It all depends on what Andréa finds comfortable. It is her body after all, and her decision."
"Thanks, Miranda." She watched as Andréa pulled the jar of peanut butter over to her and scooped out a huge spoonful, licking it like it was a sucker.
"Yuck! Aren't you going to put that on something?" Caroline looked disgusted and Miranda couldn't help but laugh. "What, Mom? It is so gross!"
"Just wait until you have babies, honey. They sort of dictate what you find appetizing." Miranda walked over to the microwave and pulled out the plate of toast, taking two pieces of it and then holding it out to her girls. "You can split the rest, unless Andréa wants some."
"No, I'm good, Miranda." She nodded and sat across from them, watching them interact. It was so seamless, really, how Andréa fit into their lives. The girls had never asked Stephen so many questions or seemed interested in what was going on in his life. Almost without noticing, she was pulled into a daydream, lazily eating as she continued to stare at Andréa. "Are you going to stare at me all morning, or are we going to get to the park?"
Startled, she shook herself out of her reverie and smiled a little. "Sorry, I guess I'm the one moving at a glacial pace this morning. Are you ready to go, bobbsies?" She looked at her children and saw them grinning at them.
"We've been ready for a while now, Mom. Let's go!" Cassidy pulled on her arm and she got up, letting herself be led to the door. Andréa shrugged into her leather jacket and then helped Miranda put hers on. Caroline wrenched open the door and they took off down the sidewalk, the walk to Central Park taking hardly any time at all.
Andréa walked closely to her, surreptitiously reaching out for her hand as they turned down a wooded path into the Park. Miranda tightened her hand around Andréa's, welcoming the grounding touch. The girls ran on ahead and she watched after them, making sure that nothing would hurt them.
About half a mile down the path, she sat down on a green bench, pulling Andréa down next to her. Cassidy and Caroline continued to play tag as they watched and Andréa snuggled into her, heedless of who might be watching. "Do you think my child will adore me like they adore you?"
"Of course they will, you are love personified. Anyone would be crazy not to love you." Miranda had no idea why those words tumbled out of her throat, and yet, she was glad she had said them. Andréa looked over at her and smiled gently.
"So, does that make you crazy?"
"Oh, no, I am perfectly sane." The smile on Andréa's lips widened, turned into something more knowing.
"Wonderful. Sanity is such a beautiful thing to share."
"Isn't it, though?" Miranda stared out at her daughters, feeling content to sit there on the bench with her future lover. Would there ever be another moment quite like this?