"Hi, Mr. Lyman," Miranda Santos says as she wanders into his office through the door connecting to the Oval. She gives him a lopsided grin and Josh notices she's missing a new tooth.
"Hi," Josh says, wearily. He's still not completely used to young children in the White House. With the Bartlets, the girls were grown. Liz already had kids and neither she nor Ellie ever lived in the residence with the president. Even Zoey was almost college age when they got into office. Miranda is six, and she's here for the duration. She'll live in the White House as long as her father is president. Josh imagines her in four years – she will be ten, then – and God willing, in eight years – fourteen. The majority of her childhood could be spent in the White House. Peter, a few years older than her, would be an adult if his dad serves two terms.
"My mom says Donna's your girlfriend," she spouts out. Her headband is slipping down her forehead and she pushes it back up.
Josh is unsure where this is going but he feels no need to lie to the child, especially since she clearly already knows that Donna is his girlfriend. "Yes."
She bites her lip in thought. "I have a boyfriend."
This is news to Josh and his eyebrows shoot up. "You do?"
"Yeah, Robbie Anderson. He's in my class."
"That's… nice," Josh muses, unsure. "What does your dad say about that?"
"Daddy says that if Robbie treats me bad, I have to break up with him."
Josh laughs at that. He's sure the president has more words to say, but nothing that might get back to the kid. He can only imagine the kid's parents hearing the President of the United States wants to send secret service after their child. That would definitely be one less vote for reelection. "I see."
"Do you love Donna?" Miranda wants to know.
"Yes," Josh says easily, thankful that at least her questions are not hard.
"Ew!" she crinkles up her nose and laughs. "I don't love Robbie. That's gross."
Josh just shakes his head in amusement, then he hears the president's voice in search of his child.
"Miranda!" Matt Santos pokes his head into Josh's office and sees his daughter. "What are you doing in here?" he asks. "Sorry," he mouths to Josh as he corrals his daughter back to the Oval.
Miranda returns again a few weeks later while Josh is reading a briefing memo at his desk.
"Hi Mr. Lyman," she chirps, smile on her face.
If this is going to be a semi-regular occurrence, he decides they should drop the formality. "Josh," he tells this six-year-old child, a decidedly adult way to explain that she should call him by his first name- but she understands.
"Josh," she nods, trying it on for size. "I broke up with Robbie Anderson," she informs him as she sits down on one of the chairs facing his desk and kicks her legs up to the corner of his desk, pink Converse shoes untied. He wonders momentarily if she's spent too much time in the White House already.
Josh raises an eyebrow and looks at her from the corner of his eye even as he still reads his briefing memo. "He not treating you right?"
She shakes her head solemnly. "No."
"Well. Good for you, then."
"Donna works with my mom," Miranda says simply.
"Yeah," Josh agrees.
"You work with my dad," she adds.
"Yes."
"That's kind of cute," Miranda decides, noticing the parallel to their positions, "since you're boyfriend and girlfriend."
"The public seems to agree," Josh grumbles. He's still not sure if he likes or hates the attention the his and hers chiefs of staff story sometimes garners. It's a relief that the public and the media seem to find it a cute love story rather than some kind of scandal and it's nice that they're bringing some good press to the administration with their romance. But at the same time, he wishes they didn't get the occasional blurbs in gossip magazines or that for even one second anyone could see Donna's career as less than what it is and instead some plot in a romantic comedy.
"Do you want to marry Donna?" Miranda asks, and the room goes so quiet a pin could drop.
He has no idea what the appropriate answer to this question is. Do you talk to a six-year-old child about proposals and marriage? It's no secret to anyone in the Santos administration (especially those that have been witness to Josh and Donna for some time, either on the campaign or before) that marriage is in their future.
"Yes," Josh finally tells her simply.
"My mom and dad had a big wedding," she informs him. "My mom had a pretty dress. Have you seen the picture, on my dad's desk?"
She talks as if she's an adult- not six- and somehow, she draws Josh right into a conversation with her until a few minutes later when Donna raps softly on the door. Donna grins at Josh then does a double take when she notices Miranda.
"Hi, Miranda," she greets the child.
"Hi Donna," she parrots back with a grin, collapsing into a fit of giggles – presumably from the prior conversation about marriage – which causes Donna to raise an eyebrow. Josh just shrugs at Donna, as if he has no idea what could possibly be making the girl laugh.
"I have to go," says Miranda suddenly, like she thinks she might spill the beans if she stays here one second longer. "My dad is probably looking for me."
"Thank you for stopping by, Ms. Santos," Josh teases her. "I will pass your suggestions for this country on to the president."
Miranda dissolves into a fit of laughter as she sneaks back out the door that she came in. Josh hears the president question what she was doing and urges her to stop bothering Josh.
Donna's still confused, but she smiles anyway. "You're good with her," she tells Josh simply with a warm smile on her face.
Josh shrugs, doubtful. "She's a good kid."
"You ready to go?" Donna asks, glancing at her watch and Josh notices she has her bags with her.
"Yeah," he says. He never finished what he was working on since he'd been distracted by Miranda, but there's really no reason it can't wait until tomorrow. Josh of five years ago – hell, Josh of two years ago or even six months ago- would have wanted to keep chipping away until he was done. He reminds himself constantly to put the work down if he can. He's keeping a mental tally of how many times he makes the right choice and prioritizes Donna, and his goal is to get to the day when he can't keep track anymore because it means he does it enough that it's become commonplace.
When they leave a few minutes later they pass President Santos and Miranda in the hallway as they head to the residence. President Santos bids them goodnight, and Miranda giggles again. The president looks down at her, confused.
"Goodnight, Miranda," Josh calls and she turns serious.
"Goodnight!" she yells back. "Josh!"
A few days later Miranda is doing her homework in Helen's office when Donna knocks and enters with a question for Helen, she but greets Miranda first.
"What are you working on?" Donna asks her, peering at Miranda's worksheet.
"Spelling words," she says, biting her lip in concentration. "This week we're working on words with the digraph ch," she tells Donna. "You can use a ch to make the 'ch' sound, or even a tch," she informs her. "You know when you use a tch?"
"Uhh," Donna looks to Helen for help, but Helen just shrugs, eyes wide, indicating she has no idea.
"After a vowel," Miranda informs her solemnly, then goes back to her worksheet.
"And they said DC public schools are no good," Helen jokes.
"Just wait until the president and Josh are through with them."
Miranda reacts at the mention of Josh's name, recalling their conversation. "I asked Josh if he wants to marry you," she informs Donna.
Everyone freezes, surprised. Neither woman can imagine the conversation that must have taken place between Josh and Miranda, both taken aback by the boldness of Miranda's questioning.
"You did?" Helen asks, surprised, with a raise of her eyebrows.
"What did he say?" Donna blurts out automatically, though she doesn't intend to, and Helen bursts out laughing.
Miranda smirks, pleased at Donna's interest in her intel. "He said yes."
"He did, did he?" Helen teases, looking straight at Donna. "Bet he loved that conversation."
"But he said he won't tell me when or how he wants to ask you because I'll go back and tell you about it," Miranda seems aghast at the accusation.
"Good call," Helen jokes.
"Can I be in your wedding?" Miranda asks.
"Miranda," Helen cuts her off quickly. "You don't ask that, that's not polite." Miranda scrunches up her nose in frustration and goes back to her homework.
Now Helen looks to Donna, who seems to be lost in thought. "Surprising news?" she wonders.
"Not really, no," Donna says simply as she glances at Miranda.
"You've only been together a few months," Helen notes. After Donna left on vacation during transition, she met Sam Seaborn the next day. She mentioned in front of Sam that Donna was on vacation for a week and his eyes had widened and he'd choked on his water and a coughing fit had ensued.
Though she had known they worked together before Donna joined the campaign, Helen learned quickly after that that Josh and Donna had a long, complicated history (Lou insisted that much had been obvious) and that if they truly were on vacation together it was a big finally moment.
(In the months to come, Donna would reveal their history to her over lunches and at some girls' nights with her and Annabeth. Once they had returned from Hawaii and the relationship was official, Sam was no longer hesitant about sharing stories of Josh and Donna from the Bartlet era. Helen was sufficiently well-versed in their romance by now.)
"After eight years of…" Donna trails off, unsure and also conscious that Miranda is listening. "Whatever it was. We already live together. We knew when we got together that this is where it was headed." She cracks a small smile. "But still it feels…"
Helen grins. "You think he's going to ask soon?"
"He will when you least expect it," Miranda chimes in, clearly repeating some form of Josh's words, and both women look at each other and stifle a laugh.
"It would've been handy having her around in the last administration," Donna jokes as she leaves the room, forgetting what she came in for in the first place.
It's a few months later when Josh is feeling anxious and he hears Miranda in the Oval with her father. She loves the grandeur of the Oval Office and begs to hang out in there whenever she can. Josh certainly can appreciate that she recognizes the beauty of the room.
He steps to the doorway. The door is already open but he knocks lightly to alert the president to his presence and President Santos looks up at him.
"Josh! I thought you were headed out for the night?"
"Soon, Sir, I just – could I talk to Miranda for a second?"
The president seems surprised, but Miranda's face lights up in curiosity at being requested. President Santos gives him a gesture that says 'be my guest.'
Miranda walks into Josh's office with an air of importance like she's part of the senior staff and plops down in her usual chair. "I wanted to show you something," Josh says.
Miranda nods, giving him a curious look. "Okay."
He sits down behind his desk and rifles though the drawer before he pulls out the black velvet box. Miranda's face shows interest immediately and her eyes light up. Josh pops the box open to reveal the diamond ring. "What do you think?" Josh asks.
She gasps, for once at a loss for words. But the words come. "It's beautiful," she says, clasping her hands over her chest in the way only a dramatic six-year-old could pull off.
Josh knows Donna is already home for the night. His plans to propose involve a lot of the members of this administration, as he plans to propose to Donna tomorrow on their work trip to New Hampshire. He got the idea in his head to propose to her where he met her. Sam, the president, even Helen are all in on it (no reason Donna has to actually be on this particular trip - or Helen either, for that matter – so Helen knows her reasoning for coming is just to get Donna there). He figures there's a slim chance Miranda can spill the beans to anyone who doesn't already know before he pops the question.
"You think Donna will like it?"
Miranda nods enthusiastically. "Robbie only ever gave me a stick," she says and Josh laughs.
"Well, that's why you broke up with Robbie."
"Can I be in your wedding?" Miranda asks, then frowns as she remembers Helen's words. "Never mind, sorry. My mom told me it's rude to ask that."
Josh is glad to be off the hook for that one. "Don't tell Donna, okay?"
Miranda grins, nods enthusiastically, and holds a finger to her lips. Then she extends her pinky finger out to Josh. "I pinky promise."
And that's how the white house chief of staff finds himself linking his pinky with the six-year-old first daughter.
(Nor will it be the last time he does so.)
