Traveling Home

by Gin

Andy Sachs-Priestly, roving reporter. Andy snorted to herself at the designation. She wished she was a little less roving at the moment. She had been on the road for nearly a week now, but the end was in sight. One more night, she told herself, one more interview, one more night and tomorrow evening I will be home. She would have liked to keep driving, but she was exhausted from the trip and knew it wasn't safe. That was the one thing Miranda had insisted on before this trip had started. "Be Safe." Her wife had been very specific. "You are not to drive for more than eight hours per day." They had looked over the maps and planned her route with requisite stops well before the eight hour limit. Miranda had made hotel reservations for her at each stop and she was feeling a bit sorry for herself, missing her family terribly.

The hotel room was not as lavish as Miranda would have liked, but it was fine for Andy and now she was out and about in search of junk food. She planned on spending most of the evening eating junk food and watching whatever terrible movie she could find on TV. In a fit of mischievousness, knowing Miranda would be scandalized, Andy pointed her rental car toward the large Walmart parking lot. She reasoned that no one would know her this far from New York. This last stop was a smallish town and Andy sort of liked it. It reminded her of the area where she grew up. Loading up on snacks that she would normally have to hide from Miranda because the woman would either chide her for eating them, or eat them all herself, Andy tucked her bags into the trunk and started back toward the hotel. As she exited the parking lot and drove on the frontage road she saw a lone figure, with a sign.

"Need money for GAS."

The woman holding the sign was standing next to a small cooler, and a gas can. The cynic in her figured it was a huge scam and the woman just wanted money. The part of her that trusted people told her to pull over and help. She still had a few hours before she could call Miranda. Her wife would be at the office until late, and the girls were spending the night tonight with their friends. Yet another reason Andy had wanted to be home tonight. Having the house all to themselves wasn't an opportunity to be missed, if they could help it.

Parking the car near the woman, Andy got out and spoke to her. "I don't have any money on me." She pointed to the gas station in front of Walmart. "If you take your can to the gas station I'll fill it up for you."

"Oh!" The woman's accent was evident. "Thank you.. thank you..." She hurriedly gathered her things and moved to a white van nearby. "The can or the truck?"

Andy smiled. "The truck is fine."

"Oh.." The woman was surprised. "you sure?"

Andy nodded. "It's fine. I'll meet you there." She got back in her rental and moved it to the gas station, parking in an out of the way spot. She had already filled up the tank on hers earlier. It only took a moment for the woman to pull her van up next to a pump and Andy joined her. She tried to follow the thick Latino accent as the woman thanked her profusely. Andy merely nodded and smiled as she went about the business of putting her card into the pump and getting it started. She gestured to the nozzle when the process was complete. "There ya go."

"Thank you.. thank you..."

The woman was speaking so quickly but Andy caught some of the story about how the woman had lost her job and had two sons that she was trying to make a good Christmas for next week. Mostly Andy just smiled and nodded. Then as the tank of the van seemed to near being filled Andy reminded the woman. "You need to get your gas can and fill it too, so you'll have some extra."

"Oh!" The woman quickly went to get the can. The hose clicked off automatically in the few moments she was gone. When she returned she filled the can and continued her profuse thanks.

Andy waved off her words. "It's really okay. Happy to help." She accepted a hug from the woman and chuckled. "Merry Christmas."

"Yes, Yes..." The woman was near tears. "Merry Christmas to you."

Andy waved and walked back to her car. She was involved with several charities in New York but it was extremely nice to help someone directly. Taking a deep breath, she drove back to the hotel and hoped that the woman would be okay. There was a bit where she felt like posting to social media, but then there was the ugly side of those sites that would slam her for being boastful or making it all about her. It would be nice though to let people know that it was really okay to help people.

Ah well, she sighed as she stepped into her hotel room. Tossing her snacks on the bed, Andy changed quickly and was comfy in her sweats and t-shirt, halfway through a bag of Cheese Doodles when her alarm chimed to let her know it was time to call Miranda. Dialing quickly, Andy clicked the television off and laid back, closing her eyes to savor the sound of Miranda's voice in her ear.

"Hello, Darling."

"Hey." Andy licked the cheesy powder off her thumb. "I miss you."

"I miss you too." Miranda had obviously just finished eating something, Andy could hear silverware and china being placed into the dishwasher. "One more night, Darling."

"I know." Andy grinned as she rustled the bag next to her as she heard Miranda going up the stairs. "I will just have to eat all these Cheese Doodles by myself."

"You're so ridiculous." Miranda chuckled. "You know you can close the bag. I hear they travel quite nicely."

"Ha!" Andy accused. "You just want me to bring them home so you can eat them!"

"Oh no." Miranda's voice lowered in tone. "Cheese Doodles will be the last thing I will want to eat when you get home."

"Miranda!" Andy faked being scandalized then laughed. "I love you."

"I love you too." Miranda was smiling, Andy could tell.

"So how has your evening been?" Miranda was obviously preparing for bed. "Please tell me you haven't been scarfing down junk food all night."

"Of course I have!" Andy laughed at the snort Miranda gave her for that. "I'll probably go to the fitness center tomorrow morning and run some of it off." Miranda had been very clear about her running in strange cities. She was to use the hotel's equipment if she felt the need to work out. "They have good equipment here, I checked it out when I got here."

"Hmmm..." From the sound of it, Miranda had just slid into bed. "Very well then."

Andy pictured it and sighed. "I wish I was there with you."

"Me too, Darling."

Andy could hear the exhaustion in Miranda's voice. "Go to sleep, Sweetheart." Andy assured her. "I'll be there tomorrow night."

"Mmmm..." Miranda slurred her words a bit, fighting sleep to talk to Andrea. "Tell me about your evening. What did you do tonight?"

"Not much." Andy opened her eyes and sat back up. "Arrived here, checked in, then went back out and bought some stuff... junk food and put gas in the car... now here just vegging out, watching TV." She yawned. "Gonna get some sleep soon, have to be alert for the interview tomorrow then the long drive home."

"Yes. Home." Miranda agreed. "Get some sleep, drive safely."

"I will." Andy would never really become immune to the warm feeling that came with knowing that Miranda was worried about her. "Hey... if you're sleeping and I'm sleeping, that means we're sleeping together! Right?"

Miranda chuckled. "You're so ridiculous."

"Yeah, but you love me anyway." Andy waited for it.

"Of course I do." Miranda scoffed. "Just as you love me."

"I really do." Andy agreed. "So much." She shifted to lay on her side. "Good night, Miranda."

"Good night, Andrea."

Neither of them wanted to hang up, so they didn't. They both lay there listening to the other one breathing into their ear. It wasn't the same as being in the same room, naturally, but it was soothing. For a split second Andy thought about the woman she had helped earlier and again realized exactly how lucky she really was. As she heard Miranda's breathing even out she told herself that she wouldn't ever take Miranda and the girls for granted. She also promised herself that she would take a more active role in the charities she contributed to in New York. Waiting a few more moments, Andy made sure Miranda was sleeping before disconnecting the call. She quickly closed the bag of snacks and cleaned up a bit before snuggling back down into the bed. As she closed her eyes she wondered about her choice not to tell Miranda, or anyone, about helping the woman. She thought she may possibly tell Miranda at some point. It was kind of nice to just have that moment for herself.

Merry Christmas to me, she thought and smiled as she drifted off to sleep.

Fin