"I didn't meant to hurt you, but I did"
Andy was in a whirlwind of multitasking in her office at the Mirror. She was trying to finish her articles for tomorrow's deadline, when her phone rang.
"Hi Nate." Andy greeted as she glanced at the caller-ID display.
"Hey there. Are we set for tomorrow?" Nate asked.
"Yes we're all set. I can't wait. I'll send you a text tomorrow telling you when the house will be available just for us."
"Ok, but I can call you instead tomorrow." Nate said, dealing with a saucepan full of salmon in front of him.
"No, I don't want to risk Miranda finding out about it. Let me call you, okay?"
"It's a deal. See you tomorrow then, bye."
"Bye", Andy said smiling as she hangs up the phone.
-NEXT DAY IN THE MORNING-
Miranda was reviewing the Book when her phone rings.
"Hello." Miranda said without paying much attention.
"Hello, this is Andy Priestly, I would like to talk with the love of my life."
"Humm...what do you want?" Miranda said, faking annoyance.
"Miranda, you are so anti-romantic..." Andy laughed.
"How is your day going, Mrs. Priestly?" Miranda smiled shaking her head slightly.
"It's going well. I have some work to do and I think I will be home around seven...maybe. How's yours?"
"No major incompetence to fix so far. Do you think you can stop by so we can have lunch together?" Miranda asked licking her elegant fingertip and flipping a page of the Book.
"I don't think so my love. I have that Harlem slumlord article to draft. I don't think I'll be able to leave the office at all today. I'm sorry."
"Its ok darling, I'll see you later then."
"For sure. Love you. Bye." Andy said.
Why can she not stop smiling? "Ditto, bye."
XXXXXXX
Around one that afternoon, Andy arrived at Dalton and proceeded to the main office to sign the girls out. She required their unique twin assistance to put their plan into action.
"Hey girls." Andy bear-hugged them both as soon as they stepped inside the office.
"Hi Andy, I'm so excited! Is everything going ok?" Caroline asked.
"Yes. Nate is joining us at home. I already called Joanna and told her she can go home for the day. Let's get going." Andy finished as she guided them to the car.
-Miranda's office 3 pm-
"Emily... call Ducasse and make a reservation for eight tonight. Then call the Mirror and find out what time Andrea will be free. I can't reach her on her phone," Miranda softly demanded from her chair.
"Right away Miranda." Emily answered already pressing the appropriate speed dial numbers on her desk phone.
Emily called the restaurant and made the reservations. She then proceeded to call Andy and within a second she is talking to someone at the Mirror. Who had had no idea what he was getting himself into by answering the phone. He'll soon regret being such a nice guy.
"What do you bloody mean by, 'she isn't there'?" Emily asked edgily.
"As I said lady, she didn't come to work today," Ronald answered quietly.
"Is there any other person with a functioning brain that I can speak with?" Emily slammed her eyes shut in frustration.
"Hang on." Ronald said and whispering, 'bitch.' He spotted Julian and smiles. "Hey Julian! Line 2, pick it up!"
"Hello..." Julian greeted.
"I'm calling from Miranda Priestley's office and would like to speak with Andy Priestly." Emily said in her usual snobbish work tone.
"Sorry miss, Andy called in early to inform us that she wouldn't be making it into the office today, she is working from home."
"Are you positively sure about that?" Emily asked anxious already.
"Yes, I work for her, I should know." Julian said trying not to break his concentration from the ample workload Andy had given him.
"Thank you." Emily disconnected the line and spent several long moments trying to breath. For some odd reason air wasn't reaching her lungs. Sarah noticed Emily's abnormally pale cheeks—worse then usual—and stops herself from rushing over to her 'boss'. It looked as if Emily were about to faint.
"What? Who died?" Sarah asked as she approached Emily's desk.
"No one...yet..." she whispered to herself. "And I hope I'm not the next in line." Emily then looks up at Sarah's inquisitive face. "Andy didn't show up at work today."
"So...she took the day off, what's wrong with that?" Sarah asked raising an eyebrow.
Emily rolled her eyes. "She told Miranda that she wasn't going to be leaving the office. And I'm not going inside that office! Say to 'El Diablo' that her wife may, just may have lied to her. YOU, go in there and tell her."
"Me?" Sarah pointed to herself. "Not even if you offer to triple my paycheck." She finished escaping back to the comfort and safety of her chair.
"Oh god, damn Andy! I'm too young to die." Emily took a deep breath. She was about to have a panic attack. "Bloody hell..." She stood up and cautiously moved from around her desk, "after more than a year of peace, the 'inferno' will start again, I can't believe this is happening!"
Emily looked at Sarah for the last time with pleading eyes, like she was doing a silent prayer, before walking into the dragon's den.
"Miranda..." Emily said as she entered the room slowly as if her life depended on her cautious approach.
Miranda kept her attention on her laptop screen. "I don't have all day Emily, what do you want?"
"I couldn't find Andy." Emily then adds, "...yet."
"What do you mean?"
"I called the Mirror and they said she didn't come to work today. That she's working from home." Emily felt her heart skip a beat with each word.
Miranda finally raised her eyes to look at Emily. "That's all..." she waved to her to get the hell out of her sight.
Miranda turned her chair to face the window, crossed her legs and looked out onto the bright New York skyline. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind as she picked up her cell phone to make a call.
-Sachs-Priestly townhouse-
Andy, Nate and the twins were in the spacious, designer kitchen cooking the most exquisite French menu they could come up with. Well, technically only Nate was cooking the exquisite meal. Andy and the girls were just pretending to help. They were busy with the task of tickling each other and making a mess in the kitchen. Yes, definitely helping.
"If I knew the kind of help the three of you would give me, I would've said no to this invitation." Nate pointed out, expertly slicing the onions for a cream-based sauce.
"Ahh Nate you know you are having fun with three girls around you, serving you and making you laugh. Best entertainment you've had in years, I'm sure." Andy said giggling.
"Serving me?" Nate's expression was incredulous.
"Hey! We gave you water and crackers, didn't we?" Cassidy asked in a serious tone and then chucked.
"I see you are a smart ass too..." He states before throwing flour at Cassidy, who screamed when the white pillowy dust covered her face. The four of them were laughing when the house phone started to ring.
"I got it!" Caroline announced as she moved to answer the phone.
"No no…" Andy thought quickly, "What if it's your mother? Let the voice mail get it."
"Oh yeah, I forgot." Caroline stepped back into the group, with a shrug of her shoulders.
Five minutes later Andy's cell starts to ring.
"I bet is Miranda, I have to answer, you three be quiet!" Andy picked up the phone and cleared her throat before flipping the cell open. "Hi baby, how are you?"
"I'm alright…", Miranda said and paused. "…so far. You?"
"I'm fine. Thousand of things to do, I'm tired already."
"Really? You shouldn't work that hard." Miranda said trying to analyze Andy's voice over the phone.
"I know but I don't mind cuz I know you will give me the best back massage ever tonight." She glanced sideways at the twins and Nate who were all making silly over the top kissy faces at her.
"Sure..." Time to get straight to business. "So will you be staying at the Mirror until late?"
"Not really..." What was that she was detecting in Miranda's voice? Andy shrugged, it was probably nothing. "I should be home by six-thirty. I gotta go now honey...," Andy was trying not to laugh as the three eavesdroppers snicker at her.
"Alright. See you tonight then." Miranda hung up, not knowing exactly what to think anymore. One thing was certain: Andrea was certainly lying to her. The only question was why?
-Sachs- Priestly townhouse 6:30-
Miranda entered the house and noticed that all of the lights on the first floor were dimmed. Andy stood up from the small sofa in the den and walked to the foyer to welcome her.
"Hi my love." Andy greeted before kissing Miranda, who didn't kiss her back.
"So, how was work today?" Miranda asked staring intently at her wife.
There it was again. That edge in Miranda's voice. Andy muddled through her confusion and smiled at Miranda. "Ah, it was ok. Tough, but ok. I finished ahead of my deadline."
Miranda's eyes were roaming over Andy's face, trying desperately to find a reason to believe her.
"I'm going to wash my hands. When I return we need to talk." Miranda said coldly.
"Sure, I have a surprise for you." Andy smiled as she watched Miranda walk away.
Miranda went to the den bathroom and the first thing she noticed was a watch on the sink. It was too large to be Andy's. At a closer inspection she noticed it was a man's brand. This small mechanical piece of disgusting metal was the final piece she needed to finish the puzzle she didn't know she was even solving. Putting all the pieces together, she felt like she was punched brutally in the stomach. All her doubts now seemed to come to the surface, and were finally proved justified. She took the watch in her hand and felt the walls of the bathroom moving in on her. Why couldn't she breathe? Why was the air so thin? She needed air!
Miranda sat on the toilet seat, and bent over, air finally reaching her lungs. After a few moments she sat back up and tried to collect her thoughts. Was Andrea lying to her? Was Andrea cheating—how much she loathed that word—on her? All the promises, all the passion, their life, love...it couldn't all be a lie, could it? She needed the truth! She deserved the truth! She would get it, she was Miranda Priestly and no one lied to her and got away with it. No matter whose heart would break, she would be told the truth!
Miranda glanced at her reflection in the mirror, took in a few cleansing breaths in an effort to think straight again, to stop her racing heart, to take back control of her emotions. With one final glance at her appearance in the reflection of the mirror she turned and left the bathroom.
Andy was on the phone, waiting for her close to the den.
"Baby, I have to go now. Bye." Andy hurriedly hung up the phone. She smiled at Miranda. "Hey honey."
"Andrea, who was on phone?" Miranda asked as she walked back.
"Cassidy," Andy answered moving closer to Miranda.
For every step Andy took forward Miranda stepped back. "Where are my children?"
"They went to a friend's house to watch last night's episode of Ugly Betty. I told Nil to wait and bring them back after some snacks with their friends."
"And why was I not informed?"
"I didn't think it was necessary. They asked me and I let them go, is there a problem?" Andy honestly didn't understand the reason for all of the sudden questions.
Miranda wasn't angry about Andy's decision about the girls. She encouraged and respected the fact that Andrea had all the autonomy to make decisions regarding her girls.
"No there is not, but they are my children and I would like to be informed when and where they are going when it's this late at night."
"Miranda it's barely seven o'clock. They'll be home in less than one hour, don't worry."
"Don't worry? I believe I have some reasons to worry." Miranda snapped back.
"Why? They're not alone."
"Andrea" Miranda was becoming more impatient by the second. "I will ask this only once. Where were you this afternoon?"
Andy didn't want to lie but she couldn't tell the truth yet, not yet. She hadn't even revealed her surprise yet. Nate had worked so hard on it, after all. Why ruin all that hard work?
"I already told you. Working, why are you acting like this? Did something happen?"
"Besides you fuc... seeing someone else behind my back? I don't think so."
Miranda could not allow herself to think that her wife, the only person she ever gave herself completely to, could do this to her and saying—what she'd already done with her secret lover—would be too much right now. She was barely able to contain herself at the moment.
"What?" Andy nearly choked. "Behind your what?" Andy couldn't understand what Miranda was trying to get at.
"I'm anything but stupid, so please stop." Miranda said with a sarcastic expression.
"Really Miranda, I don't get it."
"Stop it! Stop the performance!" Miranda´s features were hard as a rock. "How long have you been seeing him, hmm? Did you have sex with him here? In our bed? Or were you in such a hurry that you couldn't wait to get there?" There were no tears in her eyes, damn it! There just weren't! That burning sensation was due to something else. Fuck, she would NOT let them fall!
"Miranda stop, you don't know what you are talking about!" Andy said shaking her head at the absurd suggestions.
"Don't I? Since when? Tell me! Why did you give Joanna the afternoon off? So you could be with this man? Do you miss being with a man? Is it better?"
Andy thought she was having a nightmare, this wasn't happening. Tears burned at the back of her eyes. This wasn't happening! "Miranda, stop saying these things, you'll regret them."
"I already regret a lot of things." She said grimly.
Andy's tears were falling freely down her checks. How could Miranda's words hold such venom?
She couldn't possibly be referring to them. "Us? You don't mean that..." Andy says, shaking her head vehemently.
"Why did you do this? Am I not enough for you?" Miranda asked exhaling heavily.
"I didn't do anything, baby, believe me, I love you!" Andy tried to reach for Miranda, to hold her, to make her understand, but Miranda only backed away, avoiding her touch.
"Andrea..." She lifts up the watch, allowing Andy to see it for the first time as it hung from her fingertips. "To whom does this belong?"
Andy immediately recognizes Nate's watch. She gave it to him, years ago.
"Where did you find that?" Andy tried to reach for the watch.
Miranda moved away. "In the bathroom."
Damn it! He must have forgotten it in the bathroom when he was washing his hands. "Miranda I can explain! Please, let me explain! This isn't what you think! Nate was only here for a favor."
"Nate?" How could this get any worse? "As in your ex-boyfriend? I can picture the kind of favor he was doing for you. That explains so much now, how could you do this? To me, to us, to my girls!" Miranda´s voice conveyed exactly how hurt she was…she never raised her usual cool octave, but tonight was a far cry from routine.
Andy felt her breath catch painfully as a sob immediately racked her body. She couldn't handle this anymore. How could Miranda be this cruel...it wasn't what she thought! She needed to let her explain!
"Miranda, please baby, let me explain..." Andy would fall to her knees, she would. Just give her the chance.
"No. Nothing that you can say will ever explain or make me feel less betrayed than I feel right now. I was wrong about you, I thought you loved me, but I was obviously mistaken. You are nothing more than another disappointment."
"Miranda, don't continue with this." Screw begging. She'd done nothing wrong! "Or we'll get to a point of no return." Andy warned as she squared her shoulders. Since giving into Miranda didn't work, maybe fighting back would.
"I don't care anymore, unfortunately I was not able to see your true colors before we got married. I hope your 'mind blowing sex'..." God how disgusting! "...was worth losing me."
Andy blindly wiped her eyes and shook her head. She needed to get out! Now! "I'm gonna take a walk for a few minutes and when I come back we will sit and talk and you will listen and let me explain, understood?"
"I don't think so." Miranda wanted to laugh, was she trying to give her orders? "Get the hell out of my house. Do you understand? Now!"
How was she supposed to endure this? The hard words, the insults, the accusations? Andy not knowing what to do, and at the moment not really caring anymore passed by Miranda, grabbed her keys, cell phone and bag. Before she walked out the door she turned and took a final look at Miranda's back.
"Happy anniversary, Miranda." Andy slammed the door behind her, as her feet touched the sidewalk she felt her heart break into a thousand pieces.
Miranda could barely move. She slowly sank onto the couch in the den and allowed the tears to wash away her pain. If only they could.
-Sachs- Priestly townhouse 8:10 pm-
When the girls walked into the house, they were greeted by absolute silence. Cassidy and Caroline walked towards the dining room to see how things were going—and to see if they could have some of the dessert they had been craving since they watched Nate prepare it—only to see their mother, alone in the dark den. Cassidy stopped at the doorway while Caroline passed by, unaware her mother was in the den and not in the dining room celebrating.
"Mom, what happened? Why are you in here? Where's Andy?" Cassidy couldn't understand why her mother was there by herself.
Miranda wiped her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to be strong around her daughter. "She's gone."
"Gone? What do you mean gone? Work thing? Weren't you supposed to be celebrating?"
Caroline walked back to the den. "So Cass, dessert?"
"Nope Caroline, something went wrong." She informed her sister.
Miranda couldn't face her girls. She kept her head down.
"Mom, tell us what happened," Cassidy asked in a pleading tone.
"I don't think I have the strength to remember everything that occurred tonight."
"Mom please…help us understand. Where is Andy?" Caroline tried now.
Finding herself breathless again she started. "She's cheating on me. She brought a man here today and, and..." She couldn't even trust herself to find the right words to continue.
"Yes...Nate, and?" Cassidy asked confused.
"How do you know that Cassidy?" Miranda asked her full focus on her child now.
"We were here today too mom." Cassidy said.
"Mom, what did you do?" Caroline looked worriedly at her sister and then back at her mother.
"I called here today three times and no one answered. I called her and she said she was working and she was not there. I called Joanna and she said Andrea gave her the rest of the day off. I found a man's watch in the bathroom and she couldn't explain why, what should I think?"
"I don't know mom, maybe that she was trying to make you a surprise for your wedding anniversary? We spent the entire afternoon here cooking with Andy and Nate. About the explanation...did you even let her explain?" Cassidy asked raising an eyebrow exactly like her mother. Both twins were ridiculously wise beyond their age.
"Mom, come with us..." Caroline took hold of Miranda's hand and guided her into the dining room.
As they walked in Miranda had to admit the room looked impeccable. The table was set with their best China and champagne chilled in a silver ice bucket. A single red rose graced Miranda's plate and the iPod player on the side table was frozen on pause, waiting to be activated.
Cassidy looked at her mother. "Nate was here to cook the French meal you like mom. Andy wanted you to think she did all this."
Miranda gasped so loud she shocked herself. "God, what have I done?"
-Nate's apartment-
Miranda rang the bell and waited for an answer. As soon as Nate opened the door, she stormed inside, unwelcomed—as if she was the owner of the place.
"I was kind of expecting you. Andy called me a few minutes ago to tell me what happened."
"I know what you are trying to do with your gentle charming help. I'm warning you, it won't work. Andrea is mine, she is my wife and you are never, ever going to take her away from me." Miranda cold voice froze the room at once.
As Miranda finished her tirade a woman in a fluffy robe walked cautiously into the living room.
"I'm sorry, Roberta this is Miranda Priestly. Mrs. Priestly this is my girlfriend and this", Nate caressed the woman's belly, "is my son, Jason."
"Nice to meet you." Roberta said with a shy smile.
Miranda found herself stunned beyond words...again. "Ahh nice to meet you, too."
"Honey go back to bed, I will be there in a few."
"Alright..." she stared at Miranda for a moment. "Goodnight." She finished and left the room.
Nate looked once again at Miranda. "Back to your comment. Even if I wanted to do that, which I don't, I wouldn't be successful because for all the time I spent with Andy and your children today I could see how madly in love she is with you."
Miranda searched Nate's eyes for any sign of falseness and found none.
"I love her too." Miranda simply said.
"Are you sure? You think after all you said to her, you love her? You don't treat someone you love like that. A better question, do you respect her? How can you love someone and do what you did?" he raised his voice a little at the end.
"How dare you say these things to me?" Miranda's voice instantly dropped to the arctic level again.
"How dare you hurt someone like Andy? A person totally devoted to you! You were cruel, and hurtful to the one person that loves you more then anything in this world." He ignored the icy glare and barged on as if he didn't feel an ounce of intimidation from the woman before him. "Maybe if you could stop for just one minute and realize the world doesn't spin around your bellybutton, you would see that Andy would never cheat on you or be able to break your trust or your heart."
Nate started to pace, needing to divert his anger somehow other then hitting the woman in front of him. After all he was a gentleman, and gentlemen didn't hit women. No matter how much they may seem to deserve it.
"You have the most faithful, honest and loving person by your side and still you can't see or value that? What is wrong with you?" Blue eyes burned into the second set of blue ones in the room.
"I know what I did and I'm destroyed inside, so don't expect your speech about pain to even touch upon the pain I feel right now. You know nothing about me or my feelings for her." Miranda never broke the gaze as she spoke. "I know she may never believe in me again but I will do everything in my power to make her happy and to give her everything she needs."
"Andy doesn't need more than your love to be happy Miranda. She is happy..." Nate sat next to Miranda, on the couch. "Her smile is full of joy now, and I've never truly seen her that way, not even when she was with me." It was painful to him to finally have to admit that truth. "for all of the time we spent cooking, which for your information was four hours, she only talked about you in a loving way. It was so sweet that I thought I was about to fall into a diabetes coma right there." He smiled at his own joke. "I was watching her with your girls, they seem very happy and that feeling applies to Andy as well. She loves them very much." He paused. "She'll be an amazing mother someday."
"Yes, she will. She is wonderful with my girls and they love her so much as well." And she might have ruined everything.
"I was a fool to let her go. To not fight for her when I had the chance. Don't make the same mistake I did," he advised her.
"I was so harsh with her today. I hurt her so much and I wanted to hurt her..." her voice briefly cracked as she tried to continue speaking. "So she could feel what I was feeling, in pain. I don't think she will ever forgive me, she is not even taking my calls now." I don't know if I'll ever forgive myself.
"She loves you, say sorry and she will forgive you. She has an amazing heart. It's not able to hold anger for long."
"I love her too, more than I will ever be able to show to her, she is my angel." Miranda softened as her own words sink into her mind and heart.
"Yes you can. She wouldn't be with you if she thought otherwise. And yes, she is an angel, but she is human too, with feelings." He smiled softly at Miranda—the dragon lady—who he couldn't believe he was having a heart to heart with. He would never even bet on it happening a year ago. "I think it's time for you to go home and talk to your" he paused rolling his eyes, "wife."
Miranda stood up without further instruction. As she reached the door she turned back and considered Nate with her cool eyes.
"You forgot this at my house." She tossed Nate his watch. "Thank you and I'm sorry." Did she just apologize to him? This night was full of firsts.
"Thank you for returning it." Nate caught the watch and nodded. "And you're welcome."
"Maybe when things get back to normal..." she paused, "IF they get back to normal, you and your family can have dinner with us." She smiled shyly, odd she wasn't particularly sure she liked this man yet.
"I would like that too," Nate couldn't believe he just received an invitation to dinner with Miranda Priestly. This night couldn't get more bizarre. "Take care Miranda."
"You as well." She answered leaving the small apartment in a flurry of exotic perfume and stark white hair.
Miranda settled into the backseat of the Mercedes and leaned back onto the leather seat.
"Where to Miranda?" Roy asked closing his door.
"Just drive." Miranda answered tiredly.
Roy drove for what seemed to be a half an hour in sepulchral silence. When his cell went off he quickly read the text message that informed him where he was suppose to bring Mrs. Priestly. He parked by the house, causing Miranda to wake from her deep thoughts.
"Roy, I didn't say for you to come back home." Miranda said icily.
"The girls are worried, you should get inside."
Miranda only took her purse and got out of the car.
"Go home." Miranda ordered. Roy nodded, knowing he'd be receiving a phone call from the girls if he was needed at any other time tonight.
Miranda stepped into the house and walked through the halls feeling as if she were a ghost. She wanted to forget about today, a day that was supposed to be a reminder of one of the happiest days of her life. But it seemed since Andy arrived and took residence up in her life everything turned into complete and utter fiascos. She heard the sound of cutlery coming from the kitchen and went to investigate further. She found her girls enjoying what was obviously supposed to be her and Andy's dessert.
"At least someone is happy in this house." Miranda sighed as she moved to stand by her children at the kitchen island.
"Mom, go to your room." Cassidy said sticking a spoon full of desert into her mouth.
"I don't think I can sleep there tonight." Miranda sadly admitted.
She didn't really want to lie alone in the bed that brings to her heart and mind the presence of her wife next to her, who wouldn't be there—because of her.
"Mom, enough of wrong moves for today, go to your room, Andy is waiting for you." Caroline informed, smiling as her mother dashed out of the room.
Miranda ran to her bedroom in what had to be only two seconds. But she stopped by the door praying for courage to move in and she did. Andy was sitting on the lounge chair with only the night stand lamp on. When she heard the doorknob turn she sat straight up again, preparing herself.
"Hi" Miranda moved into the room and softly clicked the door closed behind her.
"Hi. I see you know what truly happened today."
"Yes I know. More than anything I'm sorry for what I did, I'm truly sorry..." Miranda tried to apologize but Andy cut her off.
"What if the girls hadn't been there? Hadn't told you what really happened? Then what? I would've been paying and continually accused for something I didn't do and you didn't even give me the chance to explain!"
"I was so upset, unsure, I just wasn't thinking, I..."
Andy raised her hand as she cut Miranda off once again. "Yes you were. You were thinking that you needed to protect yourself. Not thinking about us. And we should always come first... at least I thought we should have...by now." Andy finished lowering her voice.
Miranda closed the distance between them and sat at the end of the bed, facing Andy. She kept her mouth shut as she waited for Andy to continue.
"I'm not your Emily anymore Miranda. This was so much worse. The things you did to me today, not even the lowest and creepiest person alive deserved. At least criminals always have the benefit of the doubt. You didn't even give me that!" Andy tried desperately not to laugh at the irony.
"I know. I have no excuse for what I did. I was vicious and insensible and I'm sorry. I was afraid of losing you. Afraid to consider that my wife was having an affair. I'm not trying to justify my actions because I may never be able too. I just want you to try to put yourself in my position."
"You were afraid of losing me and yet you asked me to leave YOUR house. It's a bit ambiguous, don't you think?" Andy asked dryly.
Andy kept her eyes fixed on Miranda's sad blue ones.
"When I accepted your proposal, for us to get married, I did so because I was a hundred percent sure to whom I belong, even after not having been in many relationships. I knew from the bottom of my heart you are the one, my one, I've never felt so right. My heart has never been so light and full at the same time."
"You are my one too..." Miranda frantically tried to grab at the straws Andy was throwing at her.
"Let me talk please. Because I'm in so much pain right now, that I think I will burst if I don't say everything that is hurting inside of me." She started to tear up.
"Go ahead." Miranda felt her heart ache seeing the pain in Andy's beautiful eyes, the pain she caused.
"This ring Miranda..." Andy held her slender wrist as she looks at her ring finger and the ring gracing it. "It's not only a symbol of matrimony. I don't need a ring to feel committed to you. For me it has a different significance." She slid her wedding ring off of her finger and held it up in the soft light to show Miranda.
Miranda's blood pressure speeding up made her cheeks flush. Worried over what Andy's act could be suggesting.
"This circle means something to me. That we're inside of it, we are the circle. We're protected and no one from the outside can break that apart, except if one of us wants to get out of it. Is that what you want Miranda? For one of us to leave?" Andy looked up at Miranda, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
"No!" Miranda choked out. "It's not!" She firmly says.
"What do we have written inside of our rings, Miranda?"
Miranda knew the words by heart. "Endless love and respect."
"So cliché right?" Andy gave her a sad smile, "But I meant it. I love and respect you and our family."
Andy stood up and walked over to the bed and bent down on her knees in front of Miranda. She opened Miranda's hand placing her wedding ring in her palm before closing her hand again, making Miranda close her eyes.
"Look at me please." Andy asked forcing Miranda to face her again.
Miranda opened her eyes and Andy is almost surprised to see unshed, shining tears in the crystalline blue depths.
"So...if you think—with all your heart—that what happened today...the things you said to me, the way you humiliated me, the way you made me feel so", she paused. "cheap, will ever happen again...then we are over." Andy stood up. "The decision is yours."
Miranda swiftly grabbed Andy's hand, afraid she might walk away. She opened her hand, took Andy's shining ring between her fingers, brought it to her mouth, and kissed it before she slipped it back onto Andy's finger.
Andy stared into Miranda's eyes feeling the tears slipping past her eyes again. "You hurt me so much..." she whispered not able to contain the uncontrollable sobs anymore.
"I know. I'm so sorry." Miranda carefully took Andy in her arms, finally letting her own tears fall as well.
They moved onto the bed and lied down beside each other. As they held each other time passed, seemingly passing forever while they tried to comfort each other through the sense of touch. They allowed their warmth and closeness to take away all the pain. Miranda gently stroked Andy's back while Andy's head lied across her chest.
"I love you, so damn much that it hurts sometimes." Miranda finally broke the silence. "I was so scared, so desperate, I didn't know what to think or do, the contemplation of losing you is just excruciating. I can't lose you. I need you like I need air to breathe and that recognition, terrified me."
The thought of how many times she had almost lost the ability to breath today didn't escape her recognition either.
Andy was caressing Miranda's forearm with her fingertips. "I love you too, you will never lose me Miranda because there is no other person I want to be with."
"I'm sorry, I'm so very sorry." She tightened her grip around Andy. "I think jealousy made me blind and..." she paused to choose the right word. "...stupid."
"I'm sorry too. I should have told you Nate was coming over. I didn't want to spoil your surprise. Look how that ended." Andy sighed in disappointment.
"No, you shouldn't. He is a friend of yours and this is your house too. You have every right to bring whoever you want in, and say or demand whatever you want too. Even to the girls and I have to respect your individuality, it's just that..." She stopped to collect her thoughts. "…it killed me. The thought of losing you to someone else. Especially your ex."
"Baby, if that was the case I would be madly jealous about you. You don't think I notice people's eyes on you? My desire is to punch them in the eye, but I don't, and you know why?" Andy didn't wait for the answer. "First, because I love you and second because I trust you. I know you belong to me. You should know that and more, you should know me better by now."
"I know that, I just thought Nate was still in love with you. And—I hate to admit it—you had a history."
"You're right, we HAD a history, I'm writing the most important history of my life with you and our family now." She lifted her head from Miranda's chest and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "and don't you dare doubt that again."
"I won't.", Miranda whispered into her mouth.
Andy came to rest her head on Miranda's chest for a few more minutes.
"Are you hungry?" Andy asked.
"A little, are you?"
"Starving."
Miranda started to move away from Andy's body.
"Where are you going?" Andy asked.
"To get something for you to eat."
"No, I don't want to move from here..." Andy said not letting Miranda break their embrace.
"I need to use the bathroom and I will just get something for us to eat. I know you will not be able to sleep with an empty stomach growling..." she said smiling as she placed a soft kiss on Andy's cheek.
Miranda moved to the bathroom and once she stepped inside an enormous feeling of guilt poured into her heart. The bathroom had a trail of crimson rose petals that started a silky path from the door to the Jacuzzi. An unbelievable amount of candles were scattered around the room and were already burned to their stubs. When she came back she looked at Andy and mouthed, "I'm sorry" as she sat by Andy's side.
"It's ok, love." She took Miranda's hand in hers, "Let's try to forget about today ok? Now go fetch me something to eat." Andy playfully ordered.
Miranda smiled brightly. "Yes, ma'am."
Miranda went downstairs and made a tray with little things for them to eat including a very small piece of the dessert the twins had left them—by a miracle—and went back to their bedroom. Miranda held the single red rose between her fingers and handed it to Andy as she sat down on the bed.
"This is yours..." Andy said as she accepts the rose.
"You are the most precious rose in my life garden so you can take this single one." Miranda whispered as she bends down to kiss Andy. "I love you and I'm sorry."
"I love you more", Andy kissed her wife back, "and you don't have to say sorry anymore. I know you are, now let's take a shower and come back to eat."
They took a shower together, holding each other trying to let the water wash away the grime of the day. To let the drain swallow all the stress and pain of their day. After they dried off they were able to get back to their meal and devoured the delicious fare within moments. As the food disappeared they idly chat with each other. Soon they were lying back in bed with Miranda comfortably snuggling into Andy's awaiting arms under the covers.
"I promise not to be jealous over your past anymore." Miranda said after a quiet measure of time.
Andy looked directly into Miranda's eyes. "Miranda I'm yours, and personally I don't care if you slept with hundreds of men before, you are mine now and that's what really matters."
Miranda laid her head on Andy's chest. "Just for the record, I haven't slept with hundreds of men." Her comment made Andy laugh softly.
"I'm so sorry for ruining your surprise dinner."
"The dinner was only the first part of the surprise. I had other and much more important things planned."
"The bathtub?" Miranda smiled while wiggling her eyebrows.
Andy laughed softly. "No," she said and bit her lower lip.
"Where is it then?" Miranda looked again into Andy's brown eyes.
"Miranda, I love you, so much", Andy caressed Miranda's face. "You know that right?"
"I do and I love you with all of my heart..." she kissed Andy's palm.
"I was thinking..." Andy paused and bit her bottom lip once more. "I want to have a child you with. I want us to have a Sachs-Priestly baby." She smiled timidly. "What do you think?"
Miranda only smiled at the beautiful woman in front of her and brought her lips to cover Andy´s full ones. She placed all her passion and love into the kiss. Absolutely confident that it will answer Andy's question.
FIN.