A/N: Thanks, as always, for continuing to read, review and follow! I appreciate it. This chapter skips ahead a few days. I have some shout outs in my notes at the end of this one so please check them out. Hope you enjoy this update!
/
"Both of you have fun and enjoy your day." Marissa kissed her wife and oldest daughter before heading out with the other three members of their family. Today was Bianca and Miranda's day out together, and both had been looking forward to it since they had begun their planning for it.
"We'll see you tonight. Have a good day." Bianca waved to the rest of her family as she and her oldest daughter watched them drive away. When the car was out of sight, Bianca turned to Miranda. "Are you ready to get started?"
"Yep!" Miranda grinned widely. "What are we doing first, Mom?"
Bianca had a couple of surprises planned for her daughter that she was pretty sure she would like, and she was saving those for later in the day. "I just need to grab my purse and keys, and then, we hit the mall."
Miranda laughed. "Okay! Bye, Max!" The girl patted their dog and followed her mother to the car.
/
"What do you think, Mom?" Miranda bit her lip as she waited for her mother to give her opinion on the outfit she was trying on. The mother and daughter's first stop was at the local mall for some serious shopping. The start of school was just around the corner, and a few new outfits were in order for the girl. At 11 years old, she was definitely showing signs of the Kane sense of fashion and style. Bianca encouraged Miranda to pick things she liked and develop her own style, but at the same time, she was careful not to let her daughter's wardrobe become too advanced for her age. The outfit Miranda was trying on now was one she had picked herself.
Bianca saw the way her daughter's eyes lit up the instant she saw it, and the older brunette had to admit her daughter's taste was impeccable. "I love it. It's you, Mimo. It's a little on the dressier side. Are you thinking of wearing it to school?"
Miranda shook her head. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to it there. I could wear it to Jan and Aya's rehearsal dinner."
"You could." Bianca knew her daughter well though. There was someplace else Miranda had in mind, and she was pretty sure she knew where. "Is there any place else you can think of?"
"Well. I could wear it when I go to Ma's office and help her tomorrow. I know it's more than the others so we could put something back. I really want this one, Mom. Please can I get it?" Miranda looked at her brunette mother hopefully while still chewing on her bottom lip.
Money was not a problem at all for the family. Marissa had a very good salary from the law firm, especially after she had been made partner. Bianca had a small salary from the Miranda Center for obvious reasons, but she received an extremely nice salary from serving on Fusion's Board of Directors. The couple had also invested wisely and reaped the benefits from those investments. When you added in Bianca's inheritance and Marissa's divorce settlement from her marriage to JR, they had more than enough to live very comfortably and without any worries. This was without even taking Miranda's substantial inheritance from the Cambias estate into account. To Bianca, that money didn't even exist and would not be touched because it was for Miranda's future. Instead, Bianca used it to set up a trust fund for her daughter. The trust was managed by the same money management firm that handled the couple's investments. The members of the firm had been thoroughly vetted and were extremely reputable. A portion of the funds would become available when Miranda turned 25 years old and the rest when turned 30. While not as substantial as Miranda's, similar trust funds were set up for AJ and Gabby with one soon to be created for Danny. Despite having all of that money at their disposal, Marissa and Bianca made sure their children weren't spoiled. They did chores for which they got an allowance. The kids used that money sometimes to buy things they really wanted such as games or comic books and the like. This didn't mean that their mothers wouldn't indulge them from time to time though. While the outfit, which looked like a miniature version of one of the suits Marissa wore to the office or court, was a little more than some of the other items they had picked out, Bianca could easily see how much this meant to Miranda, and she just couldn't deny her. Plus, she knew how much it would mean to Marissa that their oldest daughter wanted to dress like her when they were at work together.
"It is a little more, but you presented a very compelling argument. So, I think we can get it as well as everything else."
"Really?!" Miranda's eyes lit up again.
Bianca smiled. "Really. You've earned it."
"Thanks, Mom! Do you think Ma will like it?"
"I think she's going to love it almost as much as you do."
Miranda smiled brightly. "Can we wait to show her it until tomorrow morning?"
"Definitely. Okay, I think it's time for lunch. What do you think?"
"Yep! Could we go to Krystal's for some chili cheese fries?"
Bianca laughed. "You have the best ideas and are a girl after my own heart. Go change, and we'll pay for this stuff and head out for chili cheese fries and maybe a chocolate shake."
Miranda giggled. "You have the best ideas too!"
/
"Well, if it isn't two of my favorite people." Opal smiled as she came from out behind the bar to greet the mother and daughter duo. "How are the two of you doing today?"
"Hi, Opal!" Miranda smiled.
"We're doing great, Opal. How are you doing?" Bianca asked as she took a seat next to Miranda at their family's designated table.
"I can't complain. Is it just the two of you today?"
Miranda nodded. "Yep. Mom and me … Mom and I are having a girls' day!" The girl glanced over and saw her mother nod her approval at how she had corrected her own grammar.
"You are, huh? Well, I think that is a great idea, and one that I'm sure is well deserved. So, what all are you doing?"
"Mom took me shopping, and I got some new clothes for school."
"That sounds like something a true Kane woman would enjoy. What grade are you going to be in?"
"The 6th grade. It's my last year in grade school."
"Wow. I can't believe you and AJ are in the 6th grade! That doesn't seem possible. So, that means Gabby …"
"Gabby will be in the 2nd grade. I don't even know where the time has gone." Bianca added wistfully. Her children were definitely growing up.
"How are you and Marissa handling that?" Opal asked knowingly.
"Rissa and I are helping each other through it as best we can."
"You'll get through it. What else is on tap for you today?"
"Mom said we can go to the children's museum for a little while before we go to an appointment she made for us. She won't tell me what it is though." Miranda pouted slightly.
"That's because it's a surprise." Bianca winked.
Miranda sighed dramatically as she accepted the fact that her mother wasn't going to tell her what the surprise was.
Opal laughed. "If that's not like Erica, I don't what is."
"Tell me about it."
Miranda perked up again. "Oh, tomorrow, I'm going to work with Ma!"
"Oh, she can probably use your help there."
"She says I'm a good helper."
"I have no doubt that you are. When are all of you going on your trip?"
"We go this weekend! I can't wait!" Miranda answered excitedly.
"We're all looking forward to it. Mimo and Rissa did most of the planning for it."
"You're sure to have lots of fun then. Here I am yapping away, and I'm sure the two of you are hungry. I know shopping always gives me an appetite. What can I get you?"
"I'll have a cheeseburger and …" Miranda glanced at her mother before finishing her order. When she saw her nod, she continued with a grin. "A chocolate shake please."
"And I'll have the club sandwich and a chocolate shake." Bianca heard her daughter's giggle of approval. "Oh, and we would like an order of chili cheese fries as well, please."
Opal chuckled. "Definitely mother and daughter. I'll be right back with your shakes."
/
"There you are! Did the two of you have a good day?" Marissa asked as her wife and oldest daughter arrived home.
"Yep! Mom took me to get a mani pedi!" Miranda held her nails out for her redheaded mother to see. "I got them painted purple. My toes match!"
Marissa laughed. She wasn't surprised by the choice of color. It was Miranda's favorite after all. "I see. Very pretty. It looks like shopping was a success too."
"Yep!"
"So, what did you get?"
"Why don't you show her these things while I put this one away?" Bianca suggested.
Marissa raised an eyebrow. "I can't see that one? Why not?"
"Nope. Not until tomorrow, Ma. It's a surprise."
"It is, huh? Well, I guess I'll just have to wait then."
"I'm going to hide this so your Ma isn't tempted to peek." Bianca smirked as she passed her wife.
Marissa stuck her tongue out which had Miranda giggle.
"So, you had a good day with your Mom then?"
Miranda beamed. "Uh huh! It was awesome!"
"Good. I'm very happy that you did. It raises the bar for me tomorrow though."
"Don't worry, Ma. I know tomorrow's gonna be just as awesome as today."
"I'll do my best."
/
As Marissa was starting to get dressed for work, Bianca stopped her. The brunette had been on her way out of the room to help Miranda get ready.
"Don't wear the gray today."
"Seriously?"
Bianca nodded. "Yes, trust me on this."
Marissa knew her wife had a reason for making the request, and was sure she would find out what it was soon. "All right. Any suggestion on what color I should wear?"
"No, anything is fine except for the gray. I'm going to go help Mimo get ready and get the others moving."
"Okay. I'll let Max out and start breakfast."
/
AJ and Gabby joined their redheaded mother in the kitchen a short while later. Both were still in their pajamas because Bianca was taking a few hours off that morning to spend with the two of them and Danny before heading to the Miranda Center after dropping them off at day camp and daycare. The couple didn't want them to feel left out because of the time their mothers were spending with Miranda so Marissa had left work a little early the day before to spend with them and now Bianca was spending some extra time with them that morning.
"Good morning."
"Morning, Ma."
"Morning, Mommy."
Marissa smiled at the sleepy and mumbled greetings and placed a glass of milk in front of each before giving them a kiss and turning back to the waffles she was cooking.
Bianca joined her wife and the sleepy duo a few minutes later with Danny in tow. Marissa kissed the smiling tiny redhead before Bianca placed him in his seat.
"Where's Miranda?"
"She'll be down in a minute." Bianca smiled knowingly.
Marissa continued to plate the waffles and place them on the table while Bianca readied a glass of milk for Miranda and refilled AJ's and Gabby's glasses before filling mugs of coffee for her and Marissa.
"Mommies?"
"Yes, Gabby."
"Can I ask you something?" Gabby's serious expression alerted the couple to give their daughter their full attention so they took their seats.
"Of course you can, Monkey. What's up?"
"I've been thinking. I'm seven now, and well, I was wondering if I'm too old to call both of you Mommy still. Most of my friends don't call their moms that, and AJ and Miranda don't either. Maybe, I'm too old to call you that."
"Oh." Bianca glanced over at Marissa and saw her wife was just as surprised by this as she was. "Well, sweetie, what are you thinking of calling us?"
"Probably Mom and Ma, like AJ and Mimo do. Is that okay?"
After a slight nod from Bianca, Marissa answered. "We're okay with that as long as you are. Don't worry about what anyone else thinks though. You should call us whatever you feel most comfortable with whether it's Mommy, Mom or Ma."
"Really?"
Bianca nodded. "Really."
Gabby thought for a moment. "Can I think about it some more then?"
"Of course you can. You don't need to decide this right now." Bianca reassured her youngest daughter.
"Take all the time you need, Monkey." Marissa added.
Both women were a little sad at the prospect of Gabby no longer calling them Mommy because they knew it meant their little girl was growing up, but they would get over it.
"Okay, Mommy." Gabby nodded and took a bite of her waffle.
The couple looked at each other and tried their best not to chuckle.
"Morning, Ma."
Marissa turned in her chair to greet her oldest daughter and was momentarily left speechless when she saw her. Miranda was dressed in gray suit that was similar to the one she was going to wear that day before Bianca stopped her. Now, she understood why, and hazel eyes started to glisten.
"Oh my." Marissa had to take a breath before she could continue. "Good morning, Miranda."
"Do you like it?" Miranda asked as she chewed nervously on her lower lip.
"I love it." Marissa managed to choke out. "You're beautiful and look so grown up, very professional too. You look like you're ready for court."
Miranda beamed proudly and hugged her redheaded mother tightly before taking her seat at the table.
"This is what you didn't want me to see me last night, isn't it?"
"Yep. I wanted it to be a surprise."
"It's a very good surprise, the best. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Bianca could tell how much what Miranda had done meant to Marissa. Her wife was struggling to keep it together so she decided to help her out.
"What do my two favorite legal eagles have planned for today?"
Marissa cleared her throat and nodded gratefully to her wife. The redhead would never be able to express how much what Miranda had done meant to her. "We've got a team meeting this morning. We have some briefs we need to review and some research that needs to be done. We're also going to finalize a few plans for our trip."
"Sounds like a busy day. Don't forget to make time for lunch."
"Oh no, I've got plans for that." Marissa scooped up Danny and began to give him his bottle. She had become quite adept at feeding her son while she ate something.
The family continued to chat about their plans for the day until it was time for Marissa and Miranda to leave. Bianca waved to them as they drove away. She chuckled as she remembered how excited Miranda was as she waited for Marissa to gather her things before they left. Bianca had no doubt the two of them would have a great day together.
/
"Good morning!"
Krystal and Opal put their conversation on pause as they glanced over to see the latest customers to enter the restaurant. Both women shared a smile when they saw Marissa and Miranda. With the exception of suit and hair color, the girl was a mini-me version of her redheaded mother.
"Good morning, ladies." Krystal greeted the mother and daughter warmly. "Look at you, Miranda. I love your suit."
Miranda beamed proudly. "Thank you! I went shopping with Mom yesterday, and we got this along with some stuff for school. I wanted to wear it today since I'm going to the office with Ma. It was a surprise."
"And it's definitely one of the best surprises I've ever gotten." Marissa kissed the top of her daughter's head.
"I have no doubt about that. Well, you definitely look ready to whip those lawyers at the firm into shape."
Miranda giggled. "Ma keeps them in line."
"I do my best. Is our order ready?"
Krystal nodded. "Yes, it is. I'll go get it." Marissa had a standing weekly order of bagels for her staff meeting.
"Thanks. What would you like to drink, Mimo?"
"Could I have a hot chocolate?"
"You sure can if that's what you want. Opal, could we get a hot chocolate for Miranda and a chai tea for me to go as well?"
"Coming right up."
/
Ellie smiled when she saw Marissa and Miranda. The two were chatting away happily with each carrying a go cup in one hand as they entered the office. Miranda was carrying a bag from Krystal's, and Marissa had her briefcase in her other hand.
"Good morning, Marissa. Good morning, Miranda. It's good to see you again. Let me help you with that bag."
Miranda handed the bag to her mother's secretary. "Morning, Ellie. Thank you. It's good to see you too."
"Morning, Ellie."
"Everything is set up in your office for today so you're good to go. I'll take these to the conference room and get things ready there."
"Thank you. We'll be there in a few minutes."
/
"Morning, Boss. Morning, Boss Jr."
Marissa shook her head, clearly amused by Lisa as she joined them in the conference room. The redhead glanced at her daughter and saw a huge grin on her face. Miranda was in the chair next to Marissa's at the conference table.
"Morning, Lisa."
"Where did you get that suit? That's pretty sharp."
"Mom and I went to the mall yesterday."
"I like it." Lisa lowered her voice and whispered to the girl. "You look a lot like your Ma."
"Really?" Miranda asked hopefully.
"Yep, really."
Marissa, who was standing just a few feet away, had overheard what Lisa had said and caught the younger woman's eye. The redhead mouthed 'thank you' before turning to greet the newest arrival.
Claudia had an envelope which she handed to Marissa. "Rob said this should take care of everything for you."
"Thank you so much, and please thank Rob for me. I really appreciate this, and I know someone else will too."
"You're welcome. He was happy to help. He told me to tell you that he expects a full report when you get back."
"Done."
Brian joined the others and waved to Miranda before grabbing a bagel. "Is Danny okay? I didn't see him downstairs at daycare."
"He's good. Bianca's going into work later today and is going to drop him off on her way in."
"Ah, gotcha. Jamie will be relieved. He was missing his buddy."
Soon, everyone was assembled, and they got down to business. Marissa glanced at her daughter from time to time to check on her and make sure she wasn't bored. Miranda was far from bored. In fact, she was soaking everything up and making a few notes of things to ask her mother about when the meeting was over. The girl didn't want to interrupt the others with her questions even though they would've gladly stopped to answer them. They adored Miranda, and were more than happy to encourage the inquisitive girl's love of the law.
/
After the meeting was over, Marissa and Miranda were settled in the redhead's office. Marissa had answered the questions her daughter had from the meeting, and she couldn't help but be impressed and proud at how much Miranda picked up. The redhead had her daughter reading a case from one of the firm's many law books, and again, Miranda was taking notes on things to ask about.
Ellie knocked on the door and poked her head inside. "Marissa, Mike Jensen is here. He says he has an update on Rafaela's case."
"Send him in please."
The district attorney entered a few seconds later. "Hi, Marissa." Mike stopped when he saw Miranda reading a law book. "Starting them young, aren't you, Tasker? Hi, Miranda."
"Hi, Mr. Jensen."
"What are you reading?" Mike took a look at the law book Miranda had. "Case law from the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals! Seriously?"
Marissa shrugged. "It's some light reading for her. It probably wouldn't hurt some of the lawyers working for you to brush up on their case law." The redhead smirked. She and Mike were good friends and could joke with each other.
Mike put a hand over his heart like he had been wounded. "Ouch. You sure know how to hurt a guy. Miranda, when you're done with law school, why don't you come work for me? In my opinion, that's where you practice real law." Mike winked.
Miranda glanced at her mother and saw her roll her eyes. The girl knew the two were friends and liked to kid each other so she didn't think he was really insulting her mother, especially since she didn't look mad. "No thank you. I'm going to practice law with my Ma even though from what we've seen, you guys need all the help you can get."
Marissa laughed. "That's my girl!"
"Wow. I'd say so. Maybe, I'll be retired by the time she's practicing, and I won't have to worry about her kicking my butt in court."
"You would be so lucky." Marissa winked at her daughter before turning back to Mike. "So, what's up?"
Mike took a seat and got down to business. "I wanted to let you know. An arrest was made in Rafaela's case."
"Who was it?"
"The guy himself is no one really and doesn't have a connection to her. He was just hired to deliver that envelope. When Jesse picked him up and got him into interrogation, he flipped so quick it would make your head spin. We have the whole plot."
"Who's behind it? Do we know why?"
"Rafaela's former manager was behind it."
"Ah. He wasn't happy when she was able to get out of that contract. He took a big hit financially when he lost her. It didn't do much for him professionally either when it got out how he took advantage of her and other models."
"That explains a lot. Anyway, Jesse found out that the former manager has been holed up in New York. We contacted the police and district attorney there, and as of 30 minutes ago, they were on their way to pick him up. Hopefully, they have him by …" Mike's cellphone started ringing, and he pulled it out. "Speaking of New York, this is them now. Maybe, I can give you even better news."
Marissa nodded as she listened to Mike's end of the conversation. When he disconnected the call, Mike smiled.
"They got him."
"Yes! That is the best news."
"Yes, it is. I have to get back to the office and start working on extradition papers. I'll leave it to you to tell Rafaela and Maura the good news."
"Thanks for everything, Mike."
"It's my pleasure. Miranda, listen to your Ma. She's one of the best lawyers I know."
"Yes, she is." Miranda added proudly. "Bye, Mr. Jensen."
When they were alone, Marissa looked at her daughter. "I need to call Rafaela and give her this good news. When I'm done with that, we'll take a break. I think we've earned one. What do you think?"
Miranda nodded. "Yep, we have."
"All right then. We'll get something to drink and go over what you've got there. Then, we'll grab some lunch. How does pizza from Pasquale's sound?"
The girl's eyes lit up. "It sounds awesome."
/
Rafaela had no words to describe how she felt when Marissa broke the news to her. Actually, there were several, but they were in Portuguese. The model spoke so rapidly though that Marissa wasn't able to understand everything she said. Although, the redhead was fairly certain that there were more than a few curse words uttered by Rafaela. Marissa was glad she didn't have the call on speaker phone. The last thing she wanted or needed was for her daughter to hear any of that. By the end of the call, Rafaela had calmed down significantly, and her relief over the situation being resolved was her prevalent emotion. Marissa left it to Rafaela to inform Maura which she more than happy to do.
When the call was over, the mother and daughter took a break and reviewed what Miranda had been working on. Marissa was impressed at what her daughter had picked up and answered all of her questions, many of which were excellent. The two then went to lunch at the family's favorite pizzeria. While they ate, the duo discussed their plans for the trip that weekend. They returned to the office, and Marissa then showed her daughter how to write a brief. Miranda paid close attention and soaked everything up. She knew that most of her friends would be bored out of their minds, but to Miranda, this was fascinating. The more she learned, the more certain she was that one day she would be practicing law next to Marissa. And if anyone asked Marissa how she felt about that, they would get the biggest and proudest smile in response.
/
A/N: Time for some shout outs! Thank you to Huskermania and a guest reviewer for the idea of Miranda getting a mani pedi. I opted to have it with just Bianca. Thank you to jamierubinstein for the idea of a shopping trip with Miranda and Bianca. Last but not least, thank you to AMCGL7 for the idea of having Miranda spending the day in Marissa's office.