On Monday, Andrea arranged for Emily to make a special delivery to the townhouse, bringing them some new samples and a small little box Andrea requested. Miranda was in the den on her laptop when Emily let herself in, and Andrea ran to greet her, taking the clothes directly upstairs to the bedroom, along with the small ring box, while Emily showed Miranda the most recent copy of the Book, asking her opinions on a few of the pages.
Overall, Miranda was impressed at how her staff had been able to handle things in her absence. The magazine did not suffer, as she suspected. Hearing Andrea begin coming down the stairs, Emily quickly flipped to the last page of the Book, showing Miranda two images pasted into the blank pages at the end. Pointing at the one on the left, Emily couldn't help but smile, seeing how Miranda's featured softened at this makeshift spread. Emily nodded and closed the Book, taking it from Miranda just as Andrea entered.
"Was everything suitable?" Emily asked Andrea.
"Yes, I looked at most of it, and those were the pants I was talking about. They're perfect. Thank you," she said, grinning.
"Pants, Andrea?" Miranda asked.
"Yeah, those ultra-wide leg Alice + Olivia high-waisted black pants? I wanted to wear them on Wednesday," Andrea said.
"Oh," Miranda said, nodding, realizing that she had to go for her infusion on Wednesday, and that was apparently how they were planning their outings: around therapy, treatment, and doctors.
After Emily left, Miranda noticed Andrea's mood had considerably lifted. "Darling, I'm sorry for keeping you here like this," she said. "Why don't you work from Runway a few days a week? Or I don't know, go out and about."
"What? Where did this come from?" Andrea asked, honestly confused.
"I see how happy it made you to see Emily. We both shouldn't have to sit around here waiting for my next doctor appointment. Or for my hair to grow out."
Andrea smiled. Miranda thought she was happy because of Emily. Now it was making sense. "No, I like staying here. Emily is kind of a bitch to work with, as I'm sure you're aware. I just, uh, really liked those pants she brought me," Andrea said. "Wait, are you seriously staying in here until your hair grows back?!"
"Yes, of course," Miranda said matter-of-factly.
"Oh god, Miranda, when will you realize how gorgeous you look with the peach fuzz?"
"Be serious! Only African women can get away with looking gorgeous without hair, or with too much hair for that matter."
"Miranda! Can't you just say you did it for a charity or something? Or I mean, you don't have to say anything. You're Miranda Priestly."
"Let's not talk about this," Miranda said, adjusting her scarf and re-opening her laptop.
"Okay. I get the hint. I'll go upstairs and do something with my 'me' time while you sit here with yours," she said, smiling as she walked up the stairs, heading to the guest room to further examine the ring. Miranda's jeweler had been working on a custom 5-ct round ruby solitaire with 2-cts of pave set diamonds along the platinum band, and Andrea and Emily both thought it was perfect for Miranda. She owned many diamonds, as well as several items of estate jewelry from opals to sapphires. Emily knew that the one stone Miranda refused was a ruby.
When Stephen proposed to Miranda, Emily was just starting her tenure at Runway, and she had been in the office when he proposed—at the office. Not only was Miranda furious that he couldn't even try to come up with a romantic proposal, but the ring was a 6-ct heart-shaped diamond, which Miranda swiftly threw out the office door the minute he tried to put it on her hand. Emily remembered Miranda telling Stephen that she would never wear her heart on her hand like a teenager, and on top of that, why would she want to admit to an ice-white heart. Upon hearing that, Andrea knew Miranda would like this. As she polished the platinum band, she decided she couldn't wait to give it to Miranda, that she would wait until dinner tomorrow, though she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep just thinking of it tucked away in that drawer.
Downstairs, as soon as Miranda heard Andrea shut the door to the guest room, she jumped up and practically ran to the table with the flowers in the foyer. There was a small in-line drawer there, which was typically kept empty, but unbeknownst to Andrea, Emily slipped a small box inside the drawer on her way out.
Opening the drawer, Miranda took the box and carried it with her to the den. Inside, a 4-ct solitaire round diamond, in a dual platinum band. Around the band on each side were pave-set diamonds, on crisscrossing bands. It was simple and elegant, and Miranda couldn't help but think of what it would look like on Andrea's finger.
She tucked the box into her sweater pocket and carried her laptop and cords in front of her, hiding the small box. Once upstairs, she tucked it away in the safe inside her closet, realizing that diamond was worth almost the entirety of her wardrobe at the moment.
"Miranda?" Andrea called. "Are you upstairs now?"
"Yes, in here," she said. "I'm inspecting these A+O pants you like so much. They will look really good with this blouse," she said, pairing the blouse with the pants and stepping back to get a look. "But you need a platform with these, darling. And a pendant—do you have a pendant?"
Andrea crept up behind Miranda and wrapped her arms around her, hanging the clothes back in the closet. "It's nice to see you back in fashion-editor-mode, but I kind of miss cuddling," Andrea said, nuzzling her neck.
Miranda turned around in her arms and Andrea swiftly picked her up, carrying her the short distance to the bed, where she softly set her down and crawled up after her.
"Sometimes I feel like this has got to be a dream, you know? Like I'm suddenly going to wake up and you won't be mine," Miranda said, curling up alongside Andrea's body.
"I do know that feeling," she replied. "But I promise you—I—" Andrea paused. "Wait one minute, ok?" she said, pulling herself away from Miranda's arms as she climbed off the bed and ran to the guest bedroom. Miranda was curious why Andrea left so suddenly. Was she feeling okay?
"Okay, sorry," Andrea said, coming back to take her place beside Miranda.
"What's wrong?" Miranda asked.
"Oh, uh, I had something in my eye," Andrea said. Miranda looked at her with an arched eyebrow. She clearly did not buy Andrea's lame excuse, but right now, Andrea didn't care. "Okay, so you said you feel like you're going to wake up and that I won't be yours… well, Miranda, I want you to know that you're not dreaming," she said, pulling a small box out from behind her. "I am yours, and I will always be yours. Forever. Open it," she said, handing Miranda the box.
Miranda sat up, gasping as she opened the box, revealing the ruby ring. Tears formed in her eyes as she looked back up at Andrea, her mouth moving but no words coming out. Andrea smiled and took the box from Miranda's hands, taking the ring out. "Yours. Forever." Andrea said, showing Miranda the inscription.
Miranda reached up to cover her mouth with her right hand and nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks as Andrea slipped the ring on her finger. "I love you," Miranda said, taking Andrea's face in her hands and kissing her blindly, sloppily, passionately.
They settled back into their previous position, Miranda curled tightly along Andrea's side, and Miranda just held her hand out, mesmerized by the ring on her finger. "Andrea," she said, finally finding her voice, "This is exquisite. It's so perfect. I will never take this off."
"I'm glad you like it," she said, smiling. "I wanted to show you my commitment, something to remind you that I'm not going anywhere, no matter what."
"Thank you," she said. "I love it—but why ruby?"
"Well, I saw a few options, and something about the ruby was just so real. It's blood, it's life, it's passion, it's fire…it is love."
"I've always thought that, too," Miranda said, kissing Andrea softly. "Okay, I'll be right back," she said, quickly stealing away to the closet and coming back with an identical small black box. "So," she began, climbing up onto the bed, "I guess this is moot now, but, here." Miranda handed Andrea the box, watching her expression as she opened it.
"Oh my god!" Andrea exclaimed, her eyes growing wide. "Miranda, this is too much!" she said through her tears.
"Read it," she said, urging Andrea to take it out of the box. "Be mine," she said. "Oh Miranda, I am yours," she cried, wrapping her arms around Miranda tightly and kissing her. Miranda slipped it onto Andrea's finger and they both stared down at the glistening diamond. "This is so beautiful," she whispered.
"For you," Miranda whispered back, "only beautiful things."
The two women rested comfortably, limbs intertwined. "Andrea, if it wasn't clear before, I want you to move in. This is our home now—I can't bear thinking of this place without your presence here."
"But what about Caroline & Cassidy?" Andrea asked.
"I've been texting them, and they actually like the idea, which is more than I could have hoped for."
"Okay, yes. I think all of my stuff is here anyway, so that shouldn't be too hard," Andrea said with a smile. "And I can tell my landlord—"
"No—" Miranda said. "I was thinking that we could keep your place, too. It could be either somewhere we could go for privacy when the girls are around, or I mean I could even rent it out to my new assistant."
"Wait," Andrea said, confused. "You own my apartment now?"
"Well, yes. It was silly to pay that exorbitant rent. I made an offer to your landlord, and he graciously accepted. And with it, he renovated the elevator, repainted, laid new carpet in the hallway and stairwells, and installed a working buzzer system."
"Wow, um, you must have forgotten to tell me that," Andrea said.
"Darling, don't be upset. I was quite sure you were never going back there unless it was with me, so I didn't think you'd mind. I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she said, biting her lip and looking down at her ring.
"It's okay," Andrea said. "You were right—I didn't plan on going back, but I did have a lot of memories there, so maybe just a heads-up next time."
"Of course, darling."
"Okay, so what is this about your new assistant?" Andrea asked.
"Well, if I'm officially living and sleeping with you, it would be highly unprofessional for us both if you still worked for me, as you implied the other day at Grace's. So, I thought I'd leave it up to you: you can remain my assistant and then this can't happen," Miranda said, frowning. "Alternatively, we can find you another position at Runway, basically anything you want, or you can take a position elsewhere, or you really don't even have to work if you don't want to."
Andrea took a deep breath. "Wow, so I definitely don't want to remain your assistant with those conditions. But I think this could be a good opportunity for me to get into journalism like I originally wanted."
"Would you like me to fire one of our fashion writers? Or maybe the Life & Culture editor?" Miranda asked with a grin.
"No! Don't fire people for me," Andrea huffed.
"Darling, I'm sure I can find a very good reason from the past year to fire anyone on our payroll, so you really do have your pick."
"I don't want that, though. Everyone will know you got me the job, and…just no."
"Okay," Miranda said. "I'm embarrassed that I don't know what you've really been up to lately, but I presume you've been writing at least a little since you came to New York. If you can put a portfolio together, you can always take some time to do freelance work. I know it's not much, but it would give you the opportunity to feel out different publications before you really make a commitment."
"But Miranda, I wouldn't make enough money doing that."
"Darling," she said, taking Andrea's face in her palms, "you're mine. I've worked hard, and I want those I love to be happy, not to have to struggle." She kissed Andrea softly on the lips. "I know you are an extremely hard worker, and whatever you decide to do, I respect that."
"You won't think I'm just using you as my sugar momma?"
"Oh god, did you have to call me that?" Miranda said, rolling her eyes. "No, darling, I know you're not interested in my money…and honestly, even if you were, I wouldn't care, because I would be nothing without you, and the girls of course already have trusts."
"Okay," Andrea said after several minutes of silence. "It's settled. I'll start working on my freelance career. When do I start?"
"Well, I say you can start right now, but let's let Irv keep you on payroll for a few more months as long as he's not asking questions."
Andrea smiled and wrapped her arms around the woman, burying her head in Miranda's neck as she fell asleep.
. . . . . three months later . . . . .
Miranda was finished with her infusions, and she and Andrea had done a few additional sessions with Dr Grace, but they proved unnecessary beyond the first one. The herceptin affected her a little more than she had originally thought it would, which meant she had to use caution with any aerobic activity because of the strain on her heart. Things like climbing a flight of stairs or standing for a long amount of time made her lose her breath very easily. She and Andrea began doing yoga and pilates three times a week in the home to help maintain Miranda's strength and keep her ejection fracture at a healthy percent. But ultimately, this meant that she and Andrea had to put their sex life on pause for a few weeks while she was doing infusions.
While Miranda worried that it would affect Andrea, she soon learned that they were just as content wrapped in each others arms. On occasion, Miranda would make love to Andrea, but Andrea was so concerned with Miranda's heart that she couldn't appreciate it as much as she would have liked to.
The girls had been coming to visit about once every two weeks, and it was wonderful to see them. They spent Thanksgiving at James & Tess's house with the girls, and Miranda kept the girls for Christmas while James & Tess visited her family in Seattle. The girls took very warmly to Andrea, and it was clear how much they enjoyed seeing their mother happy and relaxed. For the first time in probably her whole life, Miranda felt like she had a family.
Also, perhaps the most exciting event of the past twelve weeks was that Miranda's hair began growing back very quickly—all over. Her eyebrows and eyelashes were fully grown, and she noticed she was needing to shave her legs several times a week, too. They made a few jokes when her hair was at the Jamie Lee Curtis stage, but as time passed, it grew longer and Miranda's signature lock returned. Miranda stopped wearing the silk scarves as well.
They were all still shocked that the tabloids had never managed to find anything out. Or perhaps, they really did have a heart and knew when to push and when not to. Either way, for once in the past year, Miranda felt comfortable enough to shrug it off even if they did post a photo of her at this point. Her skin was brighter, a natural glow pushing away that cancer-grey tone, her hair was shorter but normal-looking, and she had even put on a bit of weight, as her appetite was no longer affected by the intense medications. And, on top of everything, she was blissfully happy, and it truly radiated from her in an involuntary manner.
"Miranda, it's supposed to be 58º F today," Andrea said as she read the newspaper, excited for the unseasonably warm January day. "Let's go to the park or something," she suggested.
"Yes, or we can sit up on the roof for a bit," Miranda said.
"The roof?"
"Yes, the rooftop patio," she clarified.
"You have a rooftop patio, Miranda? How did I not know about this?" Andrea asked.
"We, darling. We have a rooftop patio. I don't know how you never saw the stairs on the fifth floor."
"I don't think I've ever even been on the fifth floor, jeez!" Andrea said.
"Well, mi cassia es su casa, Andrea, so explore away. Actually, you might like to make the space on the fifth floor your office. There is a lovely view of the park, and the skylight over the desk makes it much brighter than the rest of the house."
Andrea pulled her sweater on and handed Miranda her wool wrap as they climbed the stairs. "Wow," Andrea said, looking out the window on the fifth floor. "This is amazing. Don't you use it for anything?"
"It used to be Stephen's office, but in all honesty, I don't think he ever used it. I have been planning to redecorate and get new furniture, but, well, I've been preoccupied," she said. "Now, you can pick everything out yourself if you'd like."
"I would really like to bring my desk from my apartment—it was my grandmother's, and I know it needs to be refurbished, but maybe we can do that, too?" she asked.
"Andrea, please, you don't have to ask me. I happen to think that's a wonderful idea, but even if I didn't, I'm not going to stop you, okay?" Miranda said.
Andrea nodded and followed Miranda up the last flight of stairs to the rooftop. In one corner, there were several large stone blocks arranged in a circle around a portable fireplace. At the other end, there was a large pergola with a grill and bar underneath, along with a table and chairs nearby. Andrea watched as Miranda reached into a storage chest alongside the doorway opening and pulled out what looked like two cushions for chaise loungers. Miranda tossed them towards the corner and gestured for Andrea to join her.
She looked around before positioning both cushions together, then laid down on the cushion, urging Andrea to join her. "I love this spot," Miranda said, "because when you look up at the sky, there is nothing to block your view—no trees, no tall buildings, no cars. It's just you and the sky."
Andrea joined her and agreed, it was quite spectacular. After a few moments of sky-gazing, Andrea turned on her side to face Miranda. "So I know we only mentioned this once," she said, "and either way, it's not a big deal to me, but I was just thinking how beautiful it would be to have a small ceremony up here. You know, just us and a few close friends."
Miranda smiled and looked at Andrea. "Yes. Let's do it."
"Really? Just like that?"
"We are wearing over $1 million in our rings, I think we can use a little party to show them off," Miranda said. "Plus," she said, "if it were legal, I would have asked you to marry me months ago. You do know, that, right?"
Andrea nodded. "I would have asked you, too. Don't worry, I wasn't worried about that. I just—I mean, are you ready for others to find out about us?"
"Absolutely!" Miranda said. "Oh god, did you think I was trying to hide this—that I was worried about what people would think?!"
"Well, I mean, I know you were very insistent about it during your treatment, but I didn't know if this was different," Andrea said.
"Darling, I am not trying to hide anymore, not this. Irv already knows, and you're not on Runway payroll anymore. I will, I don't know, take an ad out in Runway proclaiming my love. Or I'll dramatically kiss you in Times Square or something. Whatever you want," she said.
"Miranda, I love you. And while I'm kind of intrigued by you taking out an ad in your own magazine, I think I'll just enjoy this paparazzi-free time."
"Yes, it's been wonderful hasn't it?" Miranda mused. "I can't believe I'm going back to work in two weeks. Or that I took 365 days off and don't miss it." She sighed. "I think the first week will be the hardest," she said, "because I'll be missing you."
"I will miss you, too," Andrea said, "but I will be texting you and emailing you all day, so there's that."
Miranda just shook her head. "You know that living-in-a-dream sensation?"
"Back again?" Andrea asked. Miranda nodded and Andrea reached over to squeeze her hand, planting a soft kiss on her lips. "Not a dream," she said, deepening her kiss, "I'm yours."
"Yes," she said. "You're mine."
The End.
A/N: Epilogue to follow in a few days. Thank you again — I really can't say enough thanks — for the support, reviews, PMs, follows, & whatnot. As a writer, I am eternally grateful for the motivation, and I'm also generally grateful that you actually like this story. I already have the epilogue outlined, but if there's something that stands out to you that really needs to be tied up or anything, drop me a note! xx