Miranda looks at her watch after getting her suitcase near the front door of the apartment and walks over to the small hallway that leads to the bedrooms and bathrooms.
"Heather? We gotta leave in five minutes if we're going to catch our flight." Miranda said.
"Coming." Heather said. Miranda grabs her laptop bag and makes sure that she has everything.
"Wish you were going to the party." Nicky said softly to Heather, who zips up her backpack.
"And screw up my potential scholarship? No. Just don't get caught." Heather said softly.
"Have everything?" Erin asked as she walks into the kitchen to see her fiancée packing up her laptop.
"I do. Heather!" Miranda called out.
"Jeez, there's no need to shout. I'm right here. I talked to Momma and she's meeting us at the airport in San Jose and has reserved jointed rooms." Heather said.
"Ok. Remember that this is the last time I can take off until the wedding."
"I know." Erin kisses Heather's cheek.
"Have fun." Erin said then kisses Miranda.
"College tour. Yay." Miranda said with some sarcasm then heads out with Heather. Erin unlocks her tablet and sees the reception seating done and looks at her phone when a text comes in.
From Miranda:
You're welcome
"Nicky? You're going to be late for school." Erin said with a smile on her face.
From Erin:
You are amazing
From Miranda:
That's what you tell me every day Counselor
In and out of bed
That night, Miranda is on her laptop while Heather is working on her homework when Miranda gets a text from Danny.
From Danny:
Just a heads up
Erin and Nicky will be at each other's throats
"Oh for gods sake." Miranda said and Heather looks at her.
"What?" Heather asked.
"Nicky went to a party where two kids died from an overdose and now Erin is pissed off that Nicky went in the first place." Miranda said then sighs.
"I told Nicky to not go to the party." Miranda looks at her.
"You knew about this?"
"She wanted me to go, but we were flying here. Plus, I have a lot to lose."
"A smart answer. Tomorrow after the college tour, we are going home."
"But you said"
"I know what I said, but there is an epidemic going on back in New York that I need to handle. Not to mention the overdoses that is also happening as well." Heather chuckles.
"Are you sure that you want to get in the middle of the Reagan girls?"
"No, but I have to."
"Can I at least stay here with Momma then?"
"Fair deal. But I want you home Sunday for dinner. Deal?"
"Deal."
Nicky rubs her face after Erin stormed off. She sighs and looks down at her closed laptop when she hears the front door opening. She looks over and swallows a lump in her throat when she sees Miranda.
"Where's Heather?" Nicky asked as Miranda hangs up her jacket and moves her suitcase away from the front door.
"Back in San Jose with her other mother and I found out about the party. Now. What happened?" Miranda asked. Nicky tells her everything and Miranda sighs as she sits in Erin's seat and closes her fiancée's laptop.
"I am glad that you called 911 and used Jane Doe. But you know well enough that your mother and I do not want you or Heather lying to us. Especially when two kids die at a party you attended." Miranda said.
"I know and I'm sorry." Nicky said.
"Sorry is not going to cut it, Nicky. Give me your phone." Miranda takes Nicky's phone after the teen hands it over to her.
"You will get this back in a month. You will be going straight to my office after school for three weeks. Until your mother and I can trust you again, there is no partying and you cannot hang out with your friends outside of school for three weeks. Do you understand me?"
"Yes."
"Good. Now, I am going to teach you a trick that I taught Heather and one that I learned when I worked in the drug unit in Boston."
Erin looks at the picture of Nicky as a child in the bedroom, trying to figure out where she went wrong in raising her. She sighs and places the picture down then looks up to see Miranda leaning against the door frame.
"Hi." Miranda said.
"What are you doing here?" Erin asked as Miranda walks into the room and they kiss.
"I got on the first flight before the snow storm hit after I found out about Nicky's adventure last night. Heather's with Maura back at Stanford and they're flying back on Sunday."
"I don't know where I went wrong." Miranda sits next to Erin and holds her close.
"She's a rebellious teenager. We both were." Miranda said softly then kisses Erin's head.
Miranda walks over to Nicky and kisses her head and pulls her into the kitchen to help make Sunday dinner. Erin looks at the duo then looks out the front window to see Heather pulling up to the house. The attorney opens the front door and walks down the steps.
"How was Stanford?" Erin asked and they hug.
"Amazing. I verbally committed." Heather said.
"That's amazing sweetie."
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course you can." Heather leans against her car and looks at her soon-to-be stepmother.
"What is Mom's deal with "Give Up the Funk"? As soon as it started playing on the radio, she switched it faster than rush hour." Erin slowly smiles, remembering the day she met Miranda perfectly.
"She never told you, did she?" Erin asked.
"Tell me what?" Heather asked and Erin tells her the day she and Miranda met.
At Sunday dinner, Erin and Nicky are having their usual argument about something or rather, but Miranda's having a hard time keeping up with it. Miranda rubs her forehead when she feels a headache coming, but stays out of it because she knew that the mother and daughter had to get this out of their system. She looks over at Heather, who is looking at her lap and texting someone and sees a smile on Heather's face. She wipes her mouth with her napkin and sets it onto the table.
"Let's see here." Miranda said then takes Heather's phone from her daughter, much to Heather's shock.
"Mom!" Heather said and everyone looks over.
"You were texting at the table and you know the rules." Miranda hands the phone to Erin, who looks at it.
"Busted!" Sean said with Jack.
"Who's Christian?" Erin asked and everyone looks at Heather.
"A guy I met at Stanford. Can I have my phone back?" Heather asked.
"No because you know better than texting at the dinner table." Miranda said.
"But"
"No." Erin said.
"Well, at least I didn't embarrass myself by shaking my butt at my future spouse." Heather said softly then takes a sip of her water and Miranda looks at Erin.
"You told her?" Miranda asked and Erin looks at her.
"I figured you would have." Erin said with a smile on her face.
"Obviously not."
"Tell her what?" Linda asked.
"Erin, if you tell anyone else, I am leaving you." Miranda said, both women knew that it was an empty threat.
"Miranda made a memorable impression when Erin moved into her dorm." Frank said and Miranda sighs and rubs her face.
"I moved into my dorm a week before Erin, since athletes and the band had camps throughout the summer. I had my cassette player playing a mixtape and 'Give Up the Funk' was on it. Lo and behold, as I was singing and dancing to the song, Erin walks into the room with Frank and Mary, all three of them trying not to laugh." Miranda said and everyone bursts out laughing.
"I fell in love with Miranda that day." Erin said as she slides her hand into Miranda's, interlacing their fingers.
"Took 20 years for us to get it right, but I'm glad we did." Miranda said as she looks at Erin, who slowly smiles.
That night, Miranda walks into the living room with a big bowl of popcorn and sets it onto the coffee table then joins Erin and the girls on the couch to watch a movie. During the movie, Miranda looks over and sees Nicky snuggled up against Erin and the attorney looks at the captain.
"I love you." Miranda mouthed.
"I love you too." Erin mouthed back.