Chapter Twelve
When Miranda stepped off the elevators, Nigel was waiting for her. "Thank god you're back," he said, taking her by the arm. "You would not believe the item we just received from Brittany at DVF—come here, it's in the conference room."
Miranda stopped at the outer office where Abby was answering the phones. "Nigel, I just came to pick up a few things. The doctor put wants me on a modified bedrest for the remainder of the pregnancy," she said with a sigh.
"Are you feeling okay? Nothing's wrong?" he asked, slightly embarrassed he hadn't checked on her first.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine. My doctor seems to think it's because I've been laying low, so she wants me to keep it up."
"How far are you now?"
Miranda rolled her eyes. "Only twenty-five weeks. I'm just over halfway. I don't understand how some women can do this for forty weeks," she said.
"When were the girls born—or, I guess I'm going to have to start saying 'Caroline & Cassidy,'" he said.
Miranda chuckled. "Thirty-one weeks. But then they were in the hospital for so long," she said.
"I remember. You had to come back to work a few days after they came home," Nigel said.
"If I would have taken better care of myself and listened to my doctor when he told me to rest, I think they would have been stronger."
"You can't think like that, Miranda. Especially since you have two healthy, beautiful daughters."
"I know, but I'm already bigger with this pregnancy than I ever was with the girls. I just don't know if I can handle watching them hooked up to machines," she said.
Seeing that she was getting weepy, Nigel quickly changed the subject and led her to the conference room. Her eyes widened as she saw the room entirely decorated in pink and white bunting, bows, and balloons.
"Oh my god," she said, stopping in her tracks and covering her mouth with her hand.
Nigel smiled and squeezed her hand. "It's hard to have a surprise party in a conference room that has windows on three sides, but I hope you're still surprised," he said, opening the door and guiding her inside.
Miranda's eyes scanned the room and it brought a tear to her eye. She recognized the faces of nearly her entire staff, and they were standing in front of the side table which was stacked high with wrapped gifts.
Emily and Serena stepped forward. "We all wanted to congratulate you and wish you and your daughters-to-be the best," Emily said.
"And, I know at least some of us wanted to gush over how amazing you look. Pregnancy really suits you, Miranda," Serena said. Everyone quietly agreed.
"I—I don't know what to say," Miranda said as Emily led her to a chair. "I'm so overwhelmed. I wasn't expecting any of this at all." She looked over at the gift table and the cookie tray in the center of the table and began to cry.
"Where is Andrea?" Emily frantically whispered to Nigel. He only shrugged in reply.
"Thank you all—so much," Miranda said. "This is all so incredibly generous…"
Rachel saw that Miranda was awkwardly at a loss for words, so she stepped up. "Everyone, I know we all have loads to do today, and we don't want to keep you from your work. Please help yourself to some iced green tea with lemon and ginger and cookies—they're vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free, and not processed near nuts. I'm not sure how long Miranda can stay today, but maybe we can convince her to open a few special gifts," she said, looking over at the editor.
Abby appeared out of nowhere and set two beautifully wrapped boxes on the table in front of Miranda, then she brought in a white, wooden twin cradle with a big pink bow and set it at Miranda's feet.
"Oh my goodness," Miranda said, looking down at it. It was about two feet high and four feet long, and was designed to sit on the floor and gently rock back and forth. There was a dividing wall that could be added in the center to separate the babies. "This is perfect for my office," she said as she picked up the gift tag. All the best, Emily & Serena (PS- We'll be happy to babysit if you ever need us!)
Miranda looked up at the couple who were standing along the wall, holding hands. "Thank you," she said. "Does that offer also include two nine-year-olds who will be on summer break in a few weeks?" she asked with a chuckle.
"Yes, yes, of course!" Serena said.
"Even if you just book an overnight at a spa or something, we'd be happy to help."
Miranda smiled and gently bit her lip to keep the tears at bay. "Thank you again."
By now, Andrea had joined the group, quietly standing next to Nigel along the wall behind Miranda's chair.
"Open that one next," Nigel said, pointing to an iridescent green box on the table. "It arrived a few days ago and Emily could not wait to give it to you," he said.
Miranda quickly unwrapped the box and pulled out a gorgeous, flowy aquamarine blue satin nightgown, a matching satin long robe, and a pair of matching embroidered slippers. She read the note card that was tucked into the box: Only the best for La Reina. Will send something extraordinary when the children arrive. Besos, Oscar.
"He designed this maternity robe just for you," Emily said.
"Emily had fun trying to get your measurements," Serena said, poking her.
"I actually needed a new robe. This is perfect," she said. She picked up the other box and shook it. It was unusually light for such a large box. Unwrapping it, she gasped when she saw what was inside. "Oh Nigel. I don't know what to say," she said.
"Say yes. I'll take care of everything for you," he said.
"Yes, yes! Of course, Nigel," Miranda said.
"What is it?" Andrea asked.
Miranda turned around and smiled. "The nursery," she said, holding up a sketch.
Andrea smiled. "We really need to get going," she whispered.
Miranda rolled her eyes and turned back to the room. "Again, thank you all so much. I would love to stay here and unwrap each of these generous gifts, but my doctor has rather inconveniently put me on a modified bed rest. I'll be in the office for two days each week and working from my home for two days. Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday I will be completely off," she said.
As the staff started to head back to work, Abby boxed up a few cookies for Miranda to take home and poured some iced tea into a tumbler with a lid. Rachel packed the gifts from Oscar and Nigel into a large bag, and Andrea helped Miranda retrieve some items from her office.
"I'll have a driver bring the rest of these gifts over this afternoon, Miranda," Abby said, handing her the iced tea and cookies.
Miranda nodded and headed towards the elevators. "Rachel, you will be working from the office in my home on Monday and Thursday. Arrive promptly at 9:00 AM."
"Yes, Miranda," she said.
"I've got a few things to grab, too," Andrea said. "I'll meet you down at the car in two minutes."
Miranda nodded and headed into the elevator while Andrea went to talk with Rachel and Abby. She set her bags down and perched herself on the corner of Rachel's desk. "I hope you both paid close attention today. That was the real Miranda Priestly, and she doesn't make an appearance too often in public. She is a warm, caring, and appreciative person. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise," she said. "When she needs you, you don't hesitate—you drop everything and run to her. Sometimes it's minor, sometimes it's serious. Learn to distinguish the tone of her voice—it cracks when she's scared, trails off when she's tired, and stutters when she's upset. When she's angry, she whispers." She paused for a minute, then picked her bags back up. "I trust you two to take care of her when I can't. Do not disappoint me."
"So Andy, is it true?" Rachel asked. "You and Miranda, I mean."
Andrea smiled and walked out, rushing down to meet Miranda in the car. "Sorry," she said, sliding into the backseat as Roy put her bags in the trunk.
Miranda just ended a phone call. "Well, that was unexpected, but very pleasant. Thank you, Andrea, as I'm sure you had something to do with it," Miranda said.
Andrea leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. "You seemed genuinely happy."
"I was. I am. Why is that so difficult to believe?"
"It's not," Andrea said. "But I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen you happy at work."
"True," she said. After several minutes of silence, Andrea received a call as they were pulling up in front of the town house.
"Hello?…Yes, this is she…oh, hello. Yes, this is a perfect time," she said smiling over at Miranda.
Miranda quietly stayed in the car with Andrea until she ended her call. "Who was it, darling?"
"John Griffin from The Mirror. They have a News Editor position open and he wants to interview me tomorrow!"
"Darling, that's wonderful," Miranda said. "Let's talk more inside," she said.
Andrea quickly climbed out of the car and ran around to the other door to help Miranda out while Roy was taking the bags from the trunk into the house.
"Ooh," Miranda groaned as she began climbing the steps to the front door. She reached down and held her hand beneath her belly.
"Are you okay?"
"I think so," she said as Andrea helped her inside.
"Ladies, will there be anything else? I was going to head back to Runway to pick up the remaining gifts," Roy said.
"No, but wait here a few minutes, please," Andrea said.
"Not a problem. I'll have David bring the gifts with the other car," he said, heading back to the town car.
Miranda sat in the armchair in the foyer and kicked off her wedge sandals.
"What hurts?" Andrea asked.
"My back," she said. "I totally forgot to wear that support belt today. I didn't need it when I was just laying around here at home. It's my fault—I should have remembered."
"Do you want me to start a warm bath for you? Or do you want to lie down for a while?"
"I can't go up the stairs just yet," she said. "Would you mind rubbing it for me?"
"Not at all," she said. "Do you want to sit on the couch?" Andrea asked, helping her up.
"No, I think I'll kneel," she said, tossing a pillow on the ground. She lowered herself to the ground and leaned forward, resting her head on her arms on the couch.
Andrea kneeled behind her and carefully pulled up her dress before placing her hands on the woman's lower back. "Right here?" she asked, applying gentle pressure.
"Yess," Miranda moaned.
Andrea gently massaged her back for the next twenty minutes, until her hands were too tired to keep applying pressure.
"Thank you, darling," Miranda said as she sat back on her heels. "I'm going to go lie down for a while," she said.
"Can I join you?"
"Of course," Miranda said, taking Andrea's hand and standing up. "You don't have to ask."
Upstairs, the two women fell asleep quickly. It wasn't until the girls came running upstairs after school that they woke.
"Mom, what are all those presents?!" Caroline asked. "Oh, sorry," she said quietly, shutting the door.
"What's going on?" Cassidy whispered.
"Mom was sleeping and I think I woke her up."
"Girls, get in here," Miranda said.
Caroline took a deep breath and walked over to Miranda's bedside. "I'm sorry, Mom," she said.
"Sweetheart, you didn't do anything wrong. I fell asleep for far too long. Apparently Andrea had the same problem," she said, looking over at the sleepy-eyed brunette.
"Sorry," she said as she sat up. "Hey girls."
"Hey, Andy," they replied.
"So, Mom, what are all those gifts downstairs?" Caroline asked again.
"My staff at Runway surprised me with a baby shower this morning. I didn't get to open all the presents, so maybe you girls can help me this evening?" Miranda said.
"Yes!"
"Awesome!"
Miranda chuckled and pushed herself up into a sitting position. "Why don't you girls get started on your homework in the kitchen. I'll be downstairs in a minute and make a snack for you."
"We can do that ourselves," Cassidy said. "You don't have to come down."
"Sweetie, I slept through lunch and I'm starving," she said, gently tickling her daughter.
"Will Andy stay tonight?"
"Yes, sweetheart," she said without looking back at Andrea. "I think she's going to be here every night now."
That evening, Miranda and the girls opened all of the gifts from the shower, and once again, she was completely overwhelmed at everyone's generosity. Andrea carefully took notes regarding who gave what, knowing Miranda would likely want to send personal thank you notes.
"This is a lot of stuff, Mom. Where is it all going to go?" Cassidy asked.
"We're going to remodel the guest bedroom, and that's going to be their nursery. Uncle Nigel is taking care of that for me. It's going to look something like this," she said, handing the girls the sketch he gave her.
"Oh my god, that's so cool!" Cassidy said.
"Yes, it's very cool," Miranda said with a smile.
"How little are the babies going to be when they're born?" Caroline asked, holding up one of the onesies.
"Hopefully they'll be big and strong," Andrea said. "Since there are two of them, they're going to get kind of squished and not have a lot of room to grow, but if your mom keeps resting and eating and taking care of herself, I'm sure they'll be perfect. These onesies might even be too small for them!" she said.
"Or they might be far too big," Miranda said quietly.
"Girls, did you finish your homework?" Andrea asked. They nodded in reply. "Why don't you head upstairs and get ready for bed. It's getting late. We'll be up in a few minutes." Once the girls were upstairs, she looked over at Miranda and saw the tears falling down her cheeks.
"What if something happens?" Miranda asked through her tears. "We have all this baby stuff. Two of everything. We're going to redo the guest room. I just couldn't bear it if we didn't bring two babies home."
Andrea wrapped her arm around Miranda's shoulder and held her close. "We will handle it. Whatever happens, we will deal," she whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of Miranda's head.
"It feels real now," Miranda said as she looked across the living room floor: blankets, towels, bedding, toys, bottles, burp cloths, car seats. "What if I can't do it?"
Andrea softly lifted her chin and looked her in the eye. "You are the most determined and capable person I know. You have so many people supporting you, please don't think this way," she said.
"That's just that many more people to disappoint," Miranda said.
"Tomorrow, let's look through that list of midwives that Dr. Assaf sent over. Maybe we can interview a few and then finalize that birth plan you were working on, okay?"
Miranda took a deep breath and sat up, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Yes," she said, nodding.
"Want to head upstairs?"
Miranda shook her head. "I'm going to stay down here for a while. Will you make sure the girls are in bed?"
Andrea nodded and headed upstairs.
The next few weeks passed without incident. Miranda interviewed several midwives over the phone and finally settled on Alice, a middle-aged woman from South Africa. She called several times a week, and stopped by a few times to check on Miranda and get to know her better.
Andrea's interview for The Mirror went well, and John offered her the position on one condition: she wouldn't be able to start until September 1st because he didn't have it in the budget. Andrea was relieved that she wouldn't have to leave Miranda alone so soon, and this gave her the opportunity to spend some time training with the current News Editor, unpaid, of course. Since leaving Runway and moving in with Miranda, she found she didn't really have any expenses, though, so it was okay.
Miranda made final adjustments to the nursery plans, and Nigel scheduled the remodel for the weekend of June 6th. The girls would be with James that weekend, and she an Andrea would head to a suite at The Four Seasons for an extended spa weekend until construction was complete. Nigel was sending Andrea photos of the renovation throughout the weekend, and she knew Miranda would love it. He even managed to put a daybed in the loft on the fourth floor, so someone else could stay the night if needed.
The following week, Helen stayed with them, and between Andrea, Rachel, Caroline, Cassidy, Helen, Cara, and occasionally Alice, Miranda was feeling perfectly pampered. She cut back to working from the office only one day a week, and she actually met with several designers and models in her home when it had been necessary.
At her thirty-one-week appointment, Dr. Assaf was very pleased with her progress. The babies weighed 3 lbs 10 oz and 3 lbs 3 oz, and they both measured over 17 inches in length. Once again, her cervical swab was negative for fibronectin, but her cervix was beginning to dilate.
"Miranda, you're at 2" right now, and I'm not concerned as long as you aren't feeling cramping or bleeding. I know we should continue to take every precaution, so I'm going to tell you to keep doing what you're doing in terms of modified bed rest and what not," Dr. Assaf said. "Now, I want to be honest with you. I never expected you to make it this far with the pregnancy, especially after those preterm contractions a few weeks ago. If we were to induce you today, I am fully confident your baby girls would be just fine. Ideally, we want them to stay in the womb as long as possible, though, because of course, that means less time in the NICU."
Miranda nodded.
"If you haven't started going over labor techniques with Alice, I would suggest you do so. You're still planning on a natural delivery?"
"Yes," she said, "if all goes well."
"Excellent. I'd like to see you back next week—every week from here on out. The babies will be rapidly gaining weight now, and you're likely to be more uncomfortable and unsteady on your feet. Be careful, don't drive, keep the stairs to a minimum, you know," she said.
"Thank you," Miranda said.
Miranda finally decided to officially go on maternity leave at that point. Irv was supportive, and she had absolute confidence in Nigel running the show. On Friday afternoon, Miranda was sitting at the kitchen table reading the news on her iPad when the doorbell rang.
"I'll see who it is," Andrea called, running down the stairs. "Hi, can I help you?"
"Andrea, is it?" the woman at the door said.
"Yes, I'm sorry, I don't know you," she said, cautiously stepping out onto the porch.
"I didn't expect you would, dear. Myra Ravitz," she said, reaching out her hand.
"Oh, Mrs. Ravitz, I'm so sorry. Please, come in," she said.
"I was hoping to see Miranda for a few minutes—is she available? I don't want to bother her if she's resting," she said.
Miranda emerged from the kitchen and greeted Myra in the foyer with air kisses.
"Oh honey, you look wonderful," Myra said.
"Myra, it's been ages," Miranda said as she led her to the comfortable chairs in the den. "What brings you by? It's good to see you."
"Well, Irv has obviously told me about the pregnancy and dear Andrea," she said looking over at the young woman. "I just wanted to come by and congratulate you. And bring a gift."
"Myra, you didn't have to."
"Please. I spoke with Emily and Rachel, and they said you would be keeping the babies in your room for a while, and, well, I have two beautiful white bassinets that were never used, and…" her voice trailed off.
Miranda moved closer to Myra on the couch and took her hands. "My god," she whispered. "I'm so sorry, Myra. I can't imagine how difficult this is."
Myra sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I held onto them for so long, hoping that, I don't know…and then when our boys came along, they were already too big for the bassinets. I couldn't get rid of them. But now, if they can be of use…"
Miranda squeezed her hands. "Yes, they will be perfect. We've been busy and haven't even had a chance to shop for them yet. Thank you so much," she said, "and give Irv our thanks, too."
"Take care of yourself, Miranda," she said, standing up. "If it's alright, I'd like to come by again once the babies are home."
"Of course, you're welcome any time," Miranda said.
"Can I have someone drop them off tomorrow? They're in boxes, but I can have him set them up if you need."
"Tomorrow is fine, and I don't think we're ready to set them up just yet, but thank you."
"Good, well, I don't want to keep you," she said. "Andrea, it was lovely to meet you. Take care of her."
"I will," Andrea said. "Thank you again." She closed the door behind the woman and went to meet Miranda on the couch.
"What are the girls doing?" Miranda asked.
"Cassidy had her headphones on listening to some music, and Caroline was reading on her Kindle," Andrea said, sitting next to Miranda.
"I didn't sleep well last night," she said. "I really just feel like shit today."
"Why didn't you say something earlier?"
Miranda shrugged. "I thought it would go away. I'm going to go up to bed."
"Wait," Andrea said, following her to the stairs. "Maybe we should call the doctor."
"I don't feel like putting clothes on and going in for a check-up," she said as she tugged her aqua robe tighter around her.
"Please. Some women get nauseous and stuff when they're going into labor. I just want to make sure you're okay," Andrea begged as Miranda climbed into bed.
"Relax. It's not labor. I'll see Dr. Assaf on Monday for my thirty-two week appointment. I've been feeling a few Braxton Hicks contractions today, which is why I was sitting in the chair earlier. My skin is so itchy it feels like it's on fire, but I think that's just from everything stretching so much to fit these growing babies," she said. "Oh, and my ankles and breasts are swollen. Was there something I missed?"
"What can I do?" Andrea asked. "Rub your feet? Slather some lotion on your skin? Massage your breasts?" she asked with a wink.
Miranda chuckled. "Definitely not that, though I am going to need a larger bra if you want to find me one. The feet and lotion sound good, though. Oh, and you might as well bring me some water," she added.
On Monday, at her thirty-two week appointment, Miranda was moving a lot slower than she had been the previous week. Dr. Assaf once again assured her that both babies were doing well as they were nearly five pounds each. Their amniotic fluid had begun to diminish, which Miranda already ascertained as she noticed imprints of tiny hands and feet on her belly when they were trying to move around.
The doctor also confirmed what Andrea had pointed out the day before: that she had "dropped" and Twin A had moved into her pelvis. During her vaginal exam, Dr. Assaf found that Miranda was nearly 80% effaced. The ultrasound revealed that Twin B was in a breech position, so she advised Miranda to try and encourage the baby to flip if she could.
Miranda presented her birth plan to Dr. Assaf at this point, and after reviewing, she was happy to accommodate her wishes. Dr. Assaf advised Miranda to also begin massaging and stretching her perineum in preparation for birth, a task which Andrea was happy to help with.
That afternoon, Andrea curled up on the couch with Miranda as they shopped online for a baby monitor for the babies' room. They quickly decided on one that could be accessed from anywhere via an app on an iPhone or iPad.
Later that week when Andrea was sitting on the couch with the girls, Miranda walked over and handed her a folder as she took a seat on the armchair next to them.
"What's this?" Andrea said.
"Mom is this—what you talked to us about last week?" Cassidy asked.
Miranda smiled and nodded, and both girls were clearly excited. "Andrea, I spoke with the girls and we all want you to be part of these babies' lives forever. In that folder is a pre-birth order that I've already filled out. If you agree, and sign where indicated, we can file this immediately, and your name can be listed on their birth certificates."
Andrea's eyes widened as she looked between Miranda and the folder on her lap. "Ho—how is this possible?"
"Technically," Miranda explained, "it's a second-parent adoption. I know we haven't really talked about all this in detail, but I wanted to do this before it was too late."
"What do you mean?"
"The process is actually much more complicated once the children are born."
"Oh," Andrea said. "Wait, what am I saying. Of course! Oh my god, I couldn't want anything more," she said, tearing up.
Caroline hugged Andrea tightly and whispered something in her ear, causing Andrea's eyes to widen once again as she softly cupped the young girl's cheek.
"Sweetie," Andrea said, "you know you'll have to talk to your dad about that."
Caroline pursed her lips in a very Mirandaesque gesture and crossed her arms over her chest. "See, Cass? I told you she wouldn't want us."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Andrea said. "I did not say that. I love you two just as much as I love those babies," she said, gesturing towards Miranda. "But you have a father who loves you very much, too, and it would be unfair to try to take you from him. Even if it's not on paper, I want you two to know this."
"Can we call Dad?" Caroline asked.
"Absolutely not," Miranda said. "We will discuss this later. You can't just go springing this on people, Caroline. Please go upstairs and give me a minute with Andrea."
"Yes, Mom."
"Sorry, Mom. Sorry, Andy," Caroline said, heading up to her room.
"Andrea, I—"
"No, it's okay. Miranda, I'm so touched that you want me to be part of their life in such a permanent way. I want it, too. And I want you in my life in a permanent way," she said as she walked over and kneeled next to Miranda's chair.
"As do I," Miranda said. "This is rather inconvenient timing, but I really need to go to the bathroom."
Andrea smiled and helped her from her chair.
"Andrea?" Miranda called from the bathroom.
She quickly poked her head inside, her eyes widening in surprise when Miranda held out her underwear. "If that's what I think it is, that is really gross," she said, chuckling.
"I know," Miranda said. "I don't know what to do with it."
"Throw it away. I'll get you a clean pair of underwear," she said.
"Andrea, a mucus plug is most certainly not the grossest thing you'll be seeing in the next few months," Miranda said, rolling her eyes as she dropped the ruined panties into the bathroom wastebasket.
"I know, and I'm not squeamish, but it doesn't mean I want to see it," she said, running upstairs to grab clean panties.
When she returned, she helped Miranda into the panties, then captured her lips in a kiss.
"What was that for?" Miranda asked.
"When we were talking about permanency before. I love you and I can't imagine my life without you in it," she said.
"I want to explain what the girls were talking about. When Leslee was researching options for me, she learned about this second-parent adoption, which would allow you to be almost like a third parent for the girls. James and I would still retain our parental rights, but if something happened to both James and myself, you would legally be their parent. I mean, it's not really necessary. I know Helen and George would totally support you, but I think the girls are getting a little jealous of all the attention—and these babies aren't even born yet."
"Yeah, I was noticing that, too. When was Helen going to come back?"
"Two weeks, but we may need her sooner," Miranda said with a smile. "But back to the girls—I actually brought this up to James. He's fine with it."
"Oh, wow. Um, okay…"
"I don't want to rush you. Take your time and think about it," she said.
"I just need to call my mom and fill her in on everything. Not like she's going to disagree or tell me not to do it, I just know she'll be hurt if I tell her,'Oh, by the way, you have four grandchildren now,'" Andrea said.
"And a daughter-in-law," Miranda added.
"Yes," she said, smiling and kissing Miranda once more. "A daughter-in-law who is due for another perineal massage, no?"
Miranda moaned as Andrea softly kissed the skin behind her ear. "Jesus, Andrea. I need you so badly," she whispered.
"Miranda, you know we have to wait."
"I know, I know," she groaned, pushing Andrea away. "Is it bad that I'm looking forward to this labor just so you can touch me again?"
"Still planning on that orgasmic birth?" Andrea asked, smiling.
"Well, even with painful contractions, I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing," she said.
"I'm really looking forward to this, Miranda," she said, taking her hand.
"To what?"
"Our future."
TBC
A/N: I just burnt my dinner because I was too busy typing up a scene and ignored the timer. You're welcome.