A/N: Sorry for the delay! Hope you enjoy & thanks for reading! :)
Chapter Seven
"I'll have a wrap from The Protein Bar."
"Quinoa and black bean?" Andrea called, halfway out the door.
"Yes, and get something for yourself, too."
Andrea stopped and turned around. "Really?"
Miranda shrugged. "Everyone else is in a Milan meeting for the next few hours since their plane takes off this evening."
Andrea smiled and ran out the door to pickup lunch. When she returned, she was surprised Miranda had pulled two chairs up to the table in her office. On one side was her ginger-lemon water, and on the other, a fountain diet coke that could only have come from the cafeteria downstairs.
"Is this alright?" she asked.
"Did you actually go down to three for that?"
Miranda smirked. "Contrary to popular belief, I have been in this building's cafeteria before."
As they were eating, Andrea put the other half of her wrap on Miranda's plate without saying a word. Before long, Miranda finished her own and took a bite of the extra half, grinning at Andrea across the table.
"So, I was thinking we could leave tomorrow when you're finished with work. It should be an easy day, but they might call first thing in the morning when they've landed with any last-minute details. Other than that, you should be able to leave at lunch."
"Okay, but Miranda I haven't had time to go prepare the house—you know, dust, vacuum, laundry, groceries. I can go tomorrow afternoon and you can meet me Saturday morning if you'd like. That should be enough time."
"Why would we do that? I am perfectly capable of grocery shopping or changing sheets on the bed," she said. "Or if you want, I can just send a cleaning company there tomorrow morning."
"No, we can do it. I just thought you wouldn't want to."
"Andrea, I employ a lot of people to do a lot of different things—not because I don't want to, and certainly not because I am incapable. It's simply more efficient, and allows me to spend my time focusing on the magazine, my daughters…you," she said. "This is going to sound ridiculous, but I kind of miss taking care of the house."
"You—Miranda Priestly misses being a housewife?"
"No, that is not what I meant," Miranda said with a laugh. "Certainly not. But there is something inherently feminine about it all. Taking care of the children, cooking their meals, ensuring they have clean sheets and clean clothes, washing the dishes, and keeping them healthy. I think I've always tried to ensure my daughters see me in that way, not just someone who pays others to take care of them."
"I think these maternal thoughts are stemming from those two," she said, pointing to Miranda's belly with a chuckle. "But yes, I know what you mean. And, I'm perfectly happy to cater to your maternal whims this week."
Miranda raised her eyebrow and gave her a curious look.
"I will do the vacuuming, and I will carry the laundry basket for you, but otherwise, you can cook and clean all you want," she said with a grin, "starting Saturday."
Miranda smiled and shook her head as Andrea cleared the plates. When she returned from the kitchenette, she set a bag of Oreo cookies on the table. Miranda looked up at her with tears in her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Andrea asked, squatting next to her chair.
"Nothing. Nothing at all. It's just—you get me so well. Fifty years and I gave up. I was too picky or complicated or demanding or something. There would never be someone who understood me and who could give me what I needed, I told myself. And when for a second I thought it could be you, I wouldn't let myself believe it. But—but, it's—"
"All this because of the Oreos?" Andrea asked as she squeezed Miranda's hand.
"I don't know, I'm just so overwhelmed," she said. "No one else in the world has ever—ever—given me an entire container of cookies." The phone at Andrea's desk began ringing.
Andrea leaned over and kissed her softly on the cheek as she stood up. "Let's talk more tonight, cookie monster," she said, running to answer the phone.
Several hours later, Roy phoned that he was downstairs. Nigel was already in the town car with his bags, but Miranda would be riding to the airport with them to go over any last minute details.
As she took her coat and bag from Andrea, she stopped. "Would you mind not coming over tonight?"
"Sure—wait, not?"
"The girls are leaving tomorrow right from school. James is going to drive them up to Boston and stay a few days. I want to help them pack and everything," she said.
"That's fine. You don't need to explain. I'll plan on coming by tomorrow afternoon. Is Roy taking us or are we driving?"
"Why does it matter?"
"Well, not really. I can't drive in heels, though."
"Andrea you do not need to bring heels with you this week. I hope you realize I plan to be in pajamas or loungewear for the next ten days."
Andrea smiled. "Okay. So does that mean I should not bring the 10" stilettos and sheer lingerie I have packed?" She watched as Miranda's breath hitched and her thighs clenched.
"I hate you for that," Miranda whispered, snatching her coat and heading for the elevators.
Roy did, indeed drive them the next afternoon, but they took Miranda's BMW SUV and he drove her Volkswagen coupe back to the city.
"Miranda, this house is gorgeous," Andrea said.
"It is, isn't it? The townhouse is larger in terms of square footage—if you're not counting the guest house out back here—but I love how open this is. Two floors, lots of natural light, and an ocean view."
"You realize this looks like a Pottery Barn catalog, right?"
Miranda smiled. "Same interior designer," she said, pulling a dustcover off the sofa. "Why don't you help me uncover the furniture, and then I can run to the market while you vacuum. Sound like a plan?"
"Sure."
For the next hour, Miranda showed Andrea around the house as they went around removing dust covers. Andrea carried them all to the laundry room off the kitchen, and true to her word, left them for Miranda to wash.
When Miranda returned from the market, Andrea was just finishing wiping down the kitchen floor. There were several candles lit throughout, and the place smelled fresh and clean with a tinge of salty ocean air. Miranda carried one bag of groceries inside, then recruited Andrea to help her with the rest.
"So, what are we having for dinner tonight? I'm starving," Andrea said.
"Grilled chicken with asparagus. How does that sound?"
"Delicious," Andrea said. "Can I help?"
"Nope. Just keep an eye on my phone for any messages from Nigel."
"Can do," Andrea said, taking a seat at the island so she could watch Miranda work.
"Have you received any more job offers, Andrea?" Miranda asked while she minced some garlic.
"No. Just those three assistant ones. I was going to follow-up again on a few next week."
"Let me make some calls tomorrow first," Miranda said.
"Are you that eager to get rid of me?"
Miranda set down the knife and looked up at Andrea. "I need you to start training a new assistant for me."
"What? Already?"
Miranda nodded, then resumed cutting the ends off the asparagus.
"I have no doubt you will find a job before these babies are born, and when Emily comes back from Milan, if all goes well, Nigel will be offering her a promotion to Assistant Art Director. I will be losing you both."
"But Miranda, I can stay. If it's that important, I can stay in this job for a while longer."
"No, darling, you can't. You can't be in both places."
Andrea looked at her quizzically.
"I'm being selfish, I know," she said.
"No, I get it," Andrea said. "Not to be crass, but I'd rather be in your bed than fetching your coffee."
"I couldn't agree more."
"I will start training a new assistant for you. But, can we have three people on your payroll?"
"That's the other thing."
"Uh-oh."
"Well, it's not bad—not entirely. Once you find someone, I was thinking I would ask you to cut down to twenty hours a week. We can pay the new assistant intern wage while you're still here, and then bump her up to salary when you leave, that is, unless you leave us sooner."
"Wow, you seem to have this all figured out."
"But I would more than compensate you on the side, Andrea. As I said, it's selfish of me, and I don't want your income to drop because of this."
"Okay," Andrea said. "Okay, I'll do it."
Miranda placed the chicken breasts on the grill pan and they sizzled. "Good," she said.
Several hours later, Andrea slipped into her pajamas and joined Miranda in the enormous bed in the master bedroom. "Are you feeling better?" she asked.
Miranda nodded. "I think I was just on my feet for too long earlier."
Andrea grimaced as a pang of guilt washed over her for letting Miranda go grocery shopping and stand to cook dinner without taking a rest.
"Before you say anything," Miranda said, "it was my own fault. I was just feeling so good and relaxed being here, I forgot that my body tends to speak for itself lately."
"Can I draw you a bath? Or maybe rub your back?" Andrea offered.
"I'm really comfortable right now, actually. Maybe we can take a bath tomorrow."
Andrea smiled at the thought and reached up to turn out the light. She leaned over and kissed Miranda.
"We don't have to go to bed just yet. I mean, actually, can we talk about something?"
Andrea knew she really didn't have a choice, but the last thing she wanted to do right now was talk more about how she'd train someone to take her job. Something about that was just too unsettling.
"I looked over that birth plan sheet that the doctor sent home."
"Mm, anything good?"
"I think I really want to deliver them naturally," she said.
"Really?"
"Yeah, I just feel so different with this pregnancy. I don't know, giving birth is an experience I really want to have."
"Wow, so you're talking no drugs or anything, right?" Andrea said.
Miranda chuckled, "No, nothing. Do you think I'm crazy?"
"Not at all," Andrea said, reaching over and resting her hand on Miranda's belly. "It sounds amazing, actually."
"Of course, there's a chance they'll need to do an emergency c-section if there are complications, but I'd at least want to aim for doing it myself," she said. "I was reading about a doula or midwife to help with the labor and delivery, too."
"Oh," Andrea said, retracting her hand. "Yeah, those are trendy now," she said.
"Darling," Miranda said cautiously, "a doula won't replace you—you know that, right?"
Andrea's eyes widened, confirming Miranda's thoughts.
"Andrea, you need to stop this…this jealousy. It is highly unattractive. I simply do not have the time for this childish behavior." Miranda clasped her hand over her mouth as soon as she said it, but it was too late. Andrea was already climbing out of bed.
"I'm sorry that you find me childish, Miranda," she said over her shoulder. "I'll be on the couch downstairs."
"Andrea, wait! Please wait," Miranda called after her, but the young woman did not turn around. Sighing, she quickly sat up and jumped out of bed. She staggered towards the door feeling unusually unsteady on her feet, and suddenly everything went black.
Hearing a loud thump, Andrea stopped midway down the stairs. "Miranda?" When there was no answer, she ran back up to the bedroom and found the woman on the floor next to the bed.
"Oh my god! Are you okay?" she asked, rushing to kneel next to the woman.
Miranda took a deep breath and pressed her palm to the carpet as she pushed herself up off the ground. "I'm fine. Go back to whatever you were doing."
"But—you collapsed. Do you need me to call the doctor?"
"No. Fainting and dizziness is common with pregnancy. I wasn't thinking and got up too fast. Really, I'm fine," Miranda insisted as she pushed herself up onto her knees. She took another deep breath before standing to her feet. Pushing past the young woman, she walked out of the bedroom towards the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Andrea asked.
"To get a glass of water. Is that okay with you?" Miranda snapped.
"I'll go grab it for you. Did you want lemon with it?"
"No. I am completely capable of getting my own water. Just leave me alone," she said as she made her way down the stairs. She took caution to walk slowly and hold the railing.
In the kitchen, she poured herself a large glass of ice water and sat on the barstool while she drank. After a few minutes, she got up, grabbed a bag of pretzels from the pantry and refilled her glass of water.
"If you have something to say, now would be a good time," Miranda said quietly as she sat at the counter.
"I'm sorry," Andrea said. She moved away from the stairs and stood next to the counter. "You scared me—when I saw you on the floor like that—are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes. When I was pregnant with the girls, the dizziness was much worse."
"But when you fell—I mean, you're not hurt?"
"No."
"I'm sorry about before, Miranda," she said. "Honestly, I don't really know what a doula does, and I was too embarrassed to say so."
Miranda looked up in surprise.
"I know, I know…childish," she said.
"Andrea, I don't expect you to know everything. You know that, right?"
She shrugged.
"No, I'm serious, Andrea."
"I guess I'm just used to working for you and having to figure out what you're talking about on my own."
"What do you mean?"
"Seriously? You won't tolerate people asking you for clarification. You ask for 'that thing I saw at that place I like' and it's my job to figure it out. And you wonder why I was too embarrassed to say anything when I didn't know what a doula was?"
"But that's just me at work. I hope you've noticed I'm not such an Ice Queen at home, when we're laying together in bed."
"I know, I guess it's just hard to separate the two sometimes. I'm worried that if I get too comfortable around you, I won't be able to stay professional at work."
"Well, hopefully we won't have to worry about that much longer," Miranda said as she put the chip clip back on the bag of pretzels. She put the pretzels back in the pantry and placed the glass in the dishwasher, then walked over and placed her hands on Andrea's shoulders. "I'm exhausted. Come back to bed?"
The next morning, Miranda woke, draped across Andrea's body. She inhaled the young woman's scent and softly nuzzled her neck.
"Mmm, good morning, beautiful," Andrea whispered.
"Sweetheart, I'm sorry I was such a royal bitch last night."
"Let's just forget about last night, okay? You really scared me," she said.
"I'm tougher than you think."
"I know, I know, it's just…you know, seeing you on the floor like that."
"Okay, okay," she said, resting her head on the younger woman's shoulder. Her hand began tracing lazy circles along her body, and she gently brushed her fingertips across Andrea's breast.
She gasped and wrapped her arm tightly around Miranda's body. "Are you feeling better today?"
"Much," she said, lifting her head and kissing her on the lips. "I don't want to get out of bed, though."
"Well, lucky for you, this is vacation and you don't have to," Andrea said.
"Oh, but you can't be serious."
"Why not?"
"Um, well, I was going to make some calls for you."
"That can wait until Monday, can't it?"
A devilish smile crept across Miranda's lips. "This feels so…scandalous."
Andrea laughed. "Like you're playing hooky?"
"Yes. What will we do all day?"
"I think we'll find something to keep us occupied," she said.
The following morning, Andrea woke just after ten o'clock. Miranda was still asleep, snuggled against her pillow. Andrea quietly slipped out of bed and threw a robe on, then headed downstairs to make coffee.
It was a rainy, grey morning. She had never quite realized it, but rain over the ocean was a much calmer phenomenon than rain splashing against the streets of the city. She pulled up Miranda's email on the laptop just to make sure she hadn't missed anything urgent, and then after switching the coffee pot on, she headed back upstairs.
Walking around to the other side of the bed, she softly leaned over and kissed Miranda on the forehead. "Good morning," she whispered.
Miranda's eyes fluttered open and she took a deep breath.
"I made us some coffee. I'm going to take a shower now," she said.
"What time is it?" Miranda asked, covering her mouth as she yawned.
"Ten o'clock."
"What?"
Andrea leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. "I checked and you don't have any messages, so relax."
"You're spoiling me, Andrea," she whispered.
"You deserve it," she said. "Just give me ten minutes."
Miranda nodded as the young woman headed into the bathroom. She pulled herself up slowly and adjusted the pillows so she could recline against the headboard. The delicious aroma of strong coffee drifted through the house, and she felt herself craving a cup. Her doctor advised her to limit her caffeine intake during the pregnancy, but did say it was okay to have a cup of coffee every now and then. This morning, she would definitely welcome that.
She reached over to the nightstand and picked up her phone, sending James a quick message to ask how the girls were doing.
She received a response almost immediately: They're fine. I'm just heading back to NYC now.
She scrolled through her contacts and dialed James' parents house. "Hi Helen, it's Miranda," she said.
"Miranda, dear, how are you doing?"
"Good. Good. And yourself?"
"Oh, well we're just having a great time here with the girls. They tell me you're expecting, too?"
"I am," Miranda said, smiling. "Twin girls—again. Sometime in July or August."
"Well that's just wonderful. Are you feeling okay? No morning sickness or anything?"
"No, I feel great. I'm nineteen weeks along and I really have no complaints. I actually decided to take a trip out to the Hamptons this week while the girls are off with you and George."
"Good for you, Miranda. You need to relax, too."
"I'm grateful the girls were still able to come visit this week."
"Oh of course, anytime! We wish we lived closer so we could see them more often," she said. "And don't be a stranger once those baby girls are born. I know you don't have family around here, so you are always welcome here."
"Thank you, Helen. You have no idea how much that means to me. I promise we'll send photos as soon as they're born."
"Perfect," she said. "Cassidy is teaching Grandpa George how to check his email on the computer right now, actually."
Miranda chuckled. "And let me guess, Caroline is reading a book?"
"Always."
"Can you put her on the phone? I just want to say hello."
"Of course! Here you are—it was good talking to you Miranda. Call me if you need anything, really. I love you sweetheart."
"Thanks, take care and tell George I said hello as well."
"Of course. Here's Caroline."
"Hi Mom," she said.
"My darling daughter, how are you sweetheart?"
"Good. How are you? Are you in Sagaponack?"
"Yes, and it's wonderful. Very relaxing."
"Oh good. Are you sleeping a lot? I know you love sleeping when it's rainy out," she said.
"Actually I just woke up a few minutes ago, so yes, I am. And you probably won't believe it, but I stayed in bed all day yesterday," Miranda admitted.
"Whoa. Are you sure you're feeling okay?"
Miranda chuckled. "Yes. I feel great today. I'll probably go sit on the screened-in porch and read the papers this afternoon."
"Is Andy there with you?"
"Yes, she is. Why?"
"Just wondering. I didn't want you to be alone there, that's all."
"Andrea is actually taking very good care of me. She brought me breakfast, lunch, and dinner in bed yesterday," Miranda said.
"Not fair. I'm totally making her bring me breakfast in bed next time she sleeps over."
"No. Andrea is not our servant, Caroline."
"But she's your assistant, and she takes care of you."
"She is my assistant at Runway, but as you know, she's looking for a new job because she wants to be a reporter. When she comes over after work or on the weekends, she's there because she's mommy's friend. And she takes care of me because she wants me to stay healthy so the babies can grow big and strong."
"Well, can I at least ask her?"
"Yes, you can ask her politely," Miranda said. "What's Cass doing?"
"She's upstairs with Grandpa showing him how to do stuff on the computer. Do you want me to get her?"
"No, it's okay. Just tell her I called and said hi. I'll call back again tomorrow or the next day."
"Okay. Oh, and Mom?"
"Yes?"
"Don't be mad, but Cass accidentally told Grandma about the babies, and Dad heard. He looked kind of mad or something."
Miranda sighed. "It's okay, baby. People are going to find out—it's not a secret or anything. I'm sure your dad wasn't mad. He was probably a little upset at me for not telling him first, but don't worry. I promise he's not mad at you or your sister."
"Okay. Um, and Grandpa knows, too. He said we could help him make a gift for them this week."
"Darling, it doesn't matter who knows. I'm sure they'll like whatever you make them."
"Okay. Um, I gotta go. Grandma needs help washing dishes. Love you!"
"I love you too, darling. Tell your sister I love her too," Miranda said.
"Okay, bye!"
She sighed as she ended the call. Helen and George were truly remarkable people, and they had always been so good to Miranda. The girls were their only grandchildren, and even when she and James were getting a divorce, Helen was kind and warm and accepting. She never judged her for having a career or working late hours, and she really became a sort of mother-figure for Miranda.
Miranda dialed James on the phone.
"Miranda?"
"Hi James. I know you're driving—can you talk?"
"Sure, putting you on speakerphone," he said. "What's up?"
"I wanted to apologize for not saying anything to you first. It appears the girls have told you about my pregnancy."
"Yeah, I was a little surprised, to be honest."
"Well, I was, too. I certainly wasn't planning it, but…"
"It's okay. I get it. Are you still going through with the divorce then?"
"From Stephen?" Miranda asked.
"Yeah."
"That's already finalized. He's living with one of his whores."
"Oh, but, I thought—"
"No. It's not Stephen's."
"Holy shit, Miranda. You were cheating on him?"
"Look, it wasn't like that. He and I were already living separate lives. He was spending maybe one night a week at home."
"Is that why you were keeping it quiet?" James asked.
"Well, I guess that was part of it. I was also hesitant to make any sort of announcement in case something happened. They keep pushing this "over forty" talk at me and it just kind of made me nervous."
"Is everything okay?"
"Yes, surprisingly. Everything is wonderful. I'm feeling great, and I just love being pregnant this time around. I don't know what it is."
"What are you going to do about work?"
"Well, I imagine that's why I feel so great—there's hardly any pressure. I can use my extended leave that's so expertly written into my contract, they have to hold my job indefinitely."
"I almost forgot about that. God, I'm a good lawyer," he said with a chuckle.
"An arrogant one, too."
"Well, that comes with the territory. I'm glad things are working out for you. Do you mind if I ask if you're seeing someone?"
"No, I don't mind," Miranda said. "But, that doesn't mean I will give you a completely truthful answer. That part, I'm still not ready to talk about."
"Fair enough. Do you at least have someone to help you out? Massage your feet or help you off the couch when you get stuck?"
"You make that sound so romantic," she said. "And I'll have you know I have yet to get 'stuck' as you say. That was one time, and I'm sure if you weren't there, I would have been able to get up just fine."
"Whatever. Keep telling yourself that," he teased.
"I'll have you know I'm really taking care of myself this time—lots of rest, light exercise, more rest. I'm at Sagaponack this week."
"Oh, nice. Good, I'm happy for you. You never answered my question though—do you have someone to help you?"
Miranda paused for a few moments before answering. "Yes."
"Okay. Good, good," he said. "I'm glad."
"Yes. Well…I should let you go."
"Yeah, I should get back to driving. Hey, call me if you need anything, okay?"
"You're starting to sound like your mother, James."
"Oh no, did she beg you to let her move in or something?"
"No—not yet anyway. Why?"
"You know she thinks of you as her adopted daughter. She probably brags to her lady friends about you more than me."
"She does know we're divorced, right?"
He laughed. "Yes. Yes, she does. If you want me to tell her to lay off, I will."
"No," Miranda said, perhaps a bit too eagerly. "I mean, I don't mind, really. She's a very kind woman and I know the girls love her so. I really don't' mind."
"Okay, but let me know."
"I will. Listen, I need to hang up and go to the bathroom," she said. "Call me if the girls need anything."
"I will. See ya."
She tossed the phone onto the mattress next to her and got up, wrapping her robe around her as she headed down the hall to use the bathroom. When she returned to her room, Andrea was getting dressed.
"I'm going to take a quick shower now," Miranda said. "Would you do me a huge favor and bring half a cup of coffee up here for me?"
"Sure. Just half?"
"Yeah, for now. Thank you, sweetheart," she said, kissing Andrea softly on the lips. While she was fetching the coffee, Miranda stripped the sheets from the bed and tossed them in a pile. After spending the past thirty-six hours in bed, she definitely wanted fresh sheets.
The rest of the day was spent much like their previous day, only on the couch in the screened porch. It was cool in there, so Miranda was huddled beneath a blanket for much of the afternoon, although that didn't keep Andrea's hands away.
Miranda soon found that her favorite position was stretched out along the couch, leaning on Andrea. The young woman kept her feet propped up on the ottoman.
"Andrea, can I ask you a personal question?"
"Sure. Should I be nervous?"
"No, I don't think so," Miranda said, taking a deep breath. "Does your family know you're here with me?" It took Andrea a few minutes to respond, and Miranda was grateful that this position didn't allow her to see the young woman's face.
"I told them I was going with Doug."
"Who's Doug?"
"This guy who I used to be friends with. When Nate and I broke up, he stopped talking to me."
"What is the reason you decided to lie?"
"Jesus, Miranda. There's no way out of your questions."
"I'm sorry, it's a habit. You don't have to answer if you don't want to," she said.
"My mom is pretty easygoing. I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was in love with a woman, and she was a little surprised, but not upset."
"Did you tell her who this other woman was? I mean, presuming you were referring to me?"
"Of course it's referring to you. And no, I didn't tell her."
"Because you thought she would disapprove."
"No. Actually, because the night I spoke with my mom was the same night you got upset about me not denying our relationship to Emily and Serena. The night you thought I left."
Miranda turned around and placed her hands on Andrea's shoulders. "Darling, I'm sorry. I was just overreacting. My mind was getting ahead of me," she said, kissing her softly on the lips.
Andrea's hands found Miranda's hips & she eased her onto her lap. "It's okay," she said as she snaked her hands up across her belly and cupped her breasts.
Miranda rolled her hips against Andrea's core and leaned forward to take her lips once again. "Ughh," she groaned, pushing herself off her.
"What's wrong?" Andrea asked, gently brushing her cheek.
"I have to pee—again," Miranda said, rolling her eyes.
As Miranda was in the bathroom, Andrea pulled her phone out and saw a text message from Emily: Nigel, Serena, and I were thinking of giving Miranda a small baby shower next month. Since you're 'friends' with her, do you think she would like that, or is it ridiculous?
Andrea quickly wrote back. You know, I think she would love it. Keep me posted. BTW, stop worrying and enjoy Milan.
"Are they emailing you from Milan?" Miranda asked, taking her seat on the couch again.
"Yeah, but it's nothing," she said. "I was thinking, where are the babies going to sleep once they're born?"
"I really don't know," Miranda said. "I didn't want to get ahead of myself. And I mean, it's still early. I'm not even five months along." She absentmindedly cradled her belly in her arms.
Andrea draped her arms over Miranda's shoulders and kissed her softly on the cheek. "I'll take good care of you. You just plan the nursery."
Miranda smiled and leaned into her touch. "I guess they'll have to go in the guest room," she said. "But maybe they can stay in bassinets with us for a while," she said.
"You're really okay with me moving in?"
"Of course. Well, unless you've changed your mind."
"No, no. It's just, well, we haven't talked about that. If I'm living with you, it's going to be a lot harder to keep everything secret."
Miranda nodded and took Andrea's hand. "Next week, maybe we can invite Nigel for dinner. And I suppose we should talk to James, too, though I suppose he won't care. I do want to keep it fairly quiet until you accept a job offer," she said.
"Okay. That's fair. And I love the idea of the babies sleeping in bassinets in your room."
"Our room, darling."
"Our room."
"I love you, sweetheart," Miranda said.
"I love you, too, Miranda. You and your girls."
TBC