The reunion between the siblings was beautiful to watch, but it was a bit of a struggle not to drop Olivia as two similar looking boys suddenly caught sight of them all.
"Livvy, Livvy!" the littlest one screamed, seeing his sister.
Olivia was just as excited to see them and Andy watched with barely restrained tears as they all hugged each other.
"Someone's here to take us away," Olivia said. "This's Andy and that's M'anda."
Andy bit her lip to stop the smile from appearing, but as she glanced at Miranda, she couldn't help it.
"Not a word," the older woman hissed, causing Andy to want to laugh for the first time since she set foot in the building.
"What are your brothers names Olivia?" Miranda asked, crouching down so she could look them all in the eyes.
"This is Nicholas, he's this many," she held up five fingers, "and Sam is three."
Three," Miranda said, glancing back at Andy. "My, my and how old are you?" Olivia chewed her lip for a moment before speaking.
"Six," she shrugged. Miranda nodded.
"Well, Olivia, I think it's time for you three to come with me now."
"Is Andy coming too?" she asked quietly, glancing up to meet Andy's eyes.
"Yes, Andréa is also coming with us. Now, is there anything that you have to bring with you?"
"Bop," Sam said, holding out both hands, palms up like he'd lost something. "Bop."
"Bop's his rabbit," Olivia said sadly. "They took it off him when we got here."
"We'll get it back, little one," Miranda said, holding out her hand for Sam to take.
The youngest didn't seem interested in holding hands, however, and instead bypassed the offered hand and slammed his little body into Miranda's side, nearly toppling her over. Andy stepped forward and grabbed her shoulders just in time, letting her lean against her leg while she got Sam situated on her hip.
"Sorry," Olivia winced as she saw what happened.
"Not to worry darling," Miranda said. "What about you Nicholas, would you like to hold my hand?"
"He hasn't spoken since they were brought in," Ms Williams said, startling Andy who'd forgotten she was there.
"I'm not surprised," Andy glowered, moving alongside Miranda while silently offering to carry the eldest boy out.
"Can I hold your hand?" Olivia asked.
"You most certainly may," Miranda smiled, using Andy's offered hand to stand first, before offering Olivia her free one. "Ms Williams, whatever paperwork you have for me, you can send it to my lawyers. In the meantime, have everything that came in with these children ready to go by the door in three minutes." She glared at the woman who was still hovering by the door. "That's all."
"Yeah," Sam said, giggling madly into Miranda's neck.
Andy chuckled, rubbing Nicholas' back as they walked from the room.
-0-
Getting the three children out of the door was not difficult. They all took a deep breath as they gathered on the footpath, happy to be clear of the place.
"Where we go now?" Sam asked, holding out one hand this time, as the other was occupied with clutching a rather well-loved stuffed rabbit.
"Now children, we are going to my home," Miranda said, looking at the car. "Damn," she muttered, before turning to Andy. "Andréa we do not have car seats."
"We can go right now and pick some up," Andy said, already searching her phone. "There's a Toy's 'R' Us three blocks from here."
"There is so much I didn't think of," Miranda said, shaking her head. "Andréa, I'm not sure I -"
"Don't finish that sentence Priestly!" Andy warned, waving her hand as she opened the rear door. "I think," she glanced from the empty back seats to the three children standing on the street, "I think one of us has to stay here, and one has to go and get the car seats. Sam
is too young to go in the back seat, and they'd need properly fitting."
"Andréa -"
"Miranda, it's important."
"I know it is, I just don't want to get stuck in the middle of this," she turned up her nose, "place with no means of getting home."
"Miranda, think of who you are. I'm sure Roy could be here in an hour should I magically disappear."
"What makes you think you're going to get them?" she asked, one eyebrow climbing up her forehead.
"Because let's face it, you had people who did this sort of thing for you," Andy chuckled, ruffling Nicholas' hair.
"Fine. Charge it to my account and make sure you get the best ones, I will not skimp on their safety Andréa."
"I know. In the meantime there's a Starbucks on the corner, I can see it from here and I imagine you need a coffee by now," Andy smiled, ignoring Miranda's huff and letting Nicholas slide to the ground, before crouching down in front of him. "I've gotta go and get something from the store, can you stay with Miranda and keep an eye on her for me? You'll have to hold Livvy's hand, but I think Miranda will buy you an apple juice or something." Nicholas just looked at her, but then moved off to take his sister's hand, making both women smile as he glanced up at Miranda.
"Spies Andréa? Whatever will you do next?"
Andy chuckled, but took the keys from Miranda's purse as well as her black Amex card and went to get in the car.
"Hurry back please," Miranda said, as Andy waved goodbye and sped down the road.
-0-
The store was easy to find, and Andy managed to find a park quite close to the door. Feeling a sliver of doubt unfurl in her brain, she shook it off and walked confidently into the store.
"I'm going to need someone to help me with child restraint seats," she said to the first person she saw. She knew mentioning Miranda's name would probably get her about a dozen workers waiting on her hand and foot, but she also wanted to keep it out of the press for as long as possible.
The choice was overwhelming, and in the end, after standing in front of a wall of carseats, Andy had finally come to the end of her tether.
"Look. I just need three car seats, with a good safety rating. The kids are two, five and six, I don't care how much they are, but they all have to fit in the back of an SUV."
The woman helping her finally understood what Andy wanted; service and no fuss. She showed her three different brands, all fairly expensive, but with good ratings. She discounted one immediately. There was no way Miranda was going to want leopard print in the car, and Andy figured the boys wouldn't be too keen on them either. She finally selected one that would do for all three children, depending on the settings. She waved Miranda's card and the seats were processed, paid for and fitted in an extraordinarily short amount of time.
As she was about to leave the store, she spied a couple displays by the door of various toys and wondered whether the twins had any of their own toys still in the house. The way Miranda went through the closet every month, she highly doubted it, so she picked up a couple of packets of matchbox cars, a few colouring books and some building blocks that would be suitable for any of them. Anything else Miranda could get later, but they'd have enough to get on with in the meantime. Finally done with the store, Andy left with a grin on her face.
She pulled up outside the Starbucks, hoping the Mercedes badge would be enough to deter any tickets. She raced around the car, waving to the odd car that had to go around her.
"Hey, you ready?" Andy asked, coming upon the little family and noticing with relief that nobody had killed each other yet.
"I believe we are. Nicholas would you like to take your cookie with you?" Miranda asked gently, recognising that the boy needed soft, not Editor-in-Chief.
He didn't nod or smile, or really make any indication that he'd heard, but he grabbed the chocolate cookie in his hand tightly.
"Let's get a bag for you, alright?" Andy said, noting the twitch of Miranda's eyebrow at the thought of him taking it in his hand in her car.
Cookie safely deposited in a bag and back in Nicholas' hand, Andy helped Olivia and Nicholas out of the door, while Miranda fought with Sam, trying to keep his chocolate covered hands from her beautiful plum blouse.
"There's some wipes in the car," Andy said, remembering when she'd stashed them in the glove compartment ages ago, before Miranda had driven out to the Hamptons with the girls.
"Okay, princess?" Andy asked, drawing the little girl's attention back to her, instead of watching Sam with a worried expression. "I thought you could sit behind me, and Nicholas, you can sit behind Miranda, and Sam -?"
The little boy stopped squirming and stared straight at Andy at the mention of his name.
"Tham go too?" he asked.
"Yes," Miranda sighed, finally wiping away the last of the chocolate on his face, "you can, but I must clean your hands before you get in."
"Well, either way, you're in the middle, little man," Andy said, taking him from Miranda and helping him in, climbing onto the front seat to help belt him in. "Olivia? Can you do your own belt?"
"Yep," she said happily, already sitting strapped into her seat.
Andy looked over at Miranda as she turned to gently pick Nicholas up and place him ever so carefully into his seat.
"Is that alright?" she asked, looking directly at him.
And then it happened.
Just barely, his head moved, and Miranda smiled. Andy fell in love. She reasoned she was probably already in love, but as Miranda smiled at that little boy Andy herself had persuaded her to house, Andy knew she'd never love another person as much as she loved Miranda.
"Andréa?"
She blinked, coming back to the moment and looking at the three children staring at her, before realising Miranda was sitting in the driver's seat, waiting for her to turn around.
"Sorry," Andy shook her head, trying to get her emotions under control.
"Are you alright?" Miranda asked, half her concentration still on Andy as she pulled out into traffic.
"Yeah, yes." She shook herself again. "Just realised something, that's all."
"Will we need to stop at your apartment for clothes and things?" Miranda asked.
Andy started, then realised Miranda wasn't kidding about her being there, at least in the beginning.
"Um, yeah, yes. But I can go later, I can take the subway."
"Andréa," Miranda sighed. "We will go past your apartment where you will pack up some of the things that you will need in the foreseeable future." Miranda glanced at her and lowered her voice. "I don't know what I'm doing Andréa."
"I don't know either. At least you've had the twins, all I've ever had was a little sister who wanted nothing to do with me until I left home."
She frowned. She did not mean to reveal that, and she certainly didn't want to snap at Miranda, especially in front of the children.
"I'm sorry."
"No, it's, it's alright, don't apologise. I am relying on you too much, and I must be the one to apologise. I'll drop you off at your apartment and then you can have the weekend."
"No, Miranda, don't," Andy said shaking her head. "I want to be there. I do, really."
The didn't speak again until they pulled up outside Andy's apartment.
"Well, at least I won't get carjacked waiting for you," Miranda said, causing Andy to frown. "I, I'm tired," Miranda sighed. "I'm sorry, the sooner we get home, the better. Hurry? Please?"
Andy nodded, choosing to ignore the barb for now and do as she was told. She raced up the stairs, knowing that the elevator would take ages for it to get all the way down to the lobby, then all the way back up to the fourth floor. She ran through her apartment, wondering what the hell she'd need to stay at Miranda's and how long she would be there for. She decided to pack for longer than the weekend, just in case. She packed fashionable clothes she knew Miranda
approved of, as well as some lazy-day clothes and a few practical outfits. Ones she knew she could run around in the park wearing, because she just couldn't see Miranda doing so.
She looked around the apartment, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything she'd miss for a few days. She shrugged, effectively giving up before double and triple checking she'd locked everything up before leaving.
She skipped down the stairs and out of the door, smiling as Miranda looked up in relief. That woman needed a good dose of reality and she thought perhaps these kids would possibly do that for her.
"Have you everything? I don't particularly fancy coming back here," Miranda said, ignoring Andy's eye roll.
"Yes, you can go, before you catch the plague."
"Andy?" Olivia said from the back, startling them both; they'd thought all three children were asleep.
"Yes princess?" Andy replied, catching the little grin Oliva had because of her new nickname.
"I need the bathroom." Andy's eye widened comically.
"Um, I think we'll be back soon munchkin. Can you wait a little?"
"Yeah, I guess," Olivia shrugged. "Can we play when we get home?" she asked, looking with barely concealed excitement at the Toys-'R'-Us bag at Nicholas' feet.
"We shall see Olivia," Miranda said, her voice brokering no arguments from the little girl. "We are a little later than I had anticipated, and we have missed lunch."
"Tham hung'y," Sam suddenly yawned, waking up at the voice of his sister.
"Soon Samuel," Miranda said, glancing in the mirror at the three children in the back. Nicholas was still asleep, and Andy smiled when they turned onto Miranda's street.
"And we're home," Miranda said, putting the car into park. "If you would please carry Nicholas in and place him on the sofa in the sitting room upstairs, I'll sort the other two and their bags out."
"You got it boss," Andy smiled, winking as she hefted her own bag over her shoulder, along with her laptop and purse, only faltering when she realised she had too many things in her arms to carry the boy as well.