Andy had always thought that being pregnant would one of the most beautiful, as well as exciting, things that could happen to a woman.
What she hadn't really grasped was that, along with the joys of motherhood and the glow of pregnancy she would have to put up with the cravings. And the nausea. And the hourly trips to the toilet. And the waddling.
In the moments when she wasn't hormonal and flustered she realized that having an attentive family, composed of the two twins and her wife, was a real blessing. The girls were now teenagers and were trying to make her life simpler in every way they could, whilst Miranda would rush and cater to her every whim. The journalist would thank them at every opportunity, often doing what she could in order to show her appreciation and love. Alas today was not one of these days.
She had woken up with tender breasts, not finding the editor close to her, and had managed to stub her tiny toe on the bathroom's jamb. Her resulting curse and then journey to the ground floor had not been pleasant.
Entering the kitchen had been like stepping into the middle of a war zone. Cassidy had woken up early and had had the brilliant idea of making chocolate chip biscuits. The red-head however had clearly been wrestling with the flour, since there wasn't an inch of the floor and counter which hadn't been littered with it. The cocoa powder clearly hadn't helped things. The mortified twin had tried to stop her from cleaning up, but one look at her step-mother's face and she immediately relented. They all knew that arguing with a hormonal Sachs would be pointless.
Andy had then began to clean the kitchen, twisting herself (If we can really call this twisting she grouched) in order to reach every spot. She would never confess this to Miranda, however having Cara helping around the house was a blessing, and she knew that the housekeeper would arrange for everything she missed the following day. Sundays were her day off, allowing her a respite from the household and the relative temper tantrums she had to suffer through during the week. Andy has promised to herself that she would, sooner or later, dedicate one of her books to the Puerto Rican woman.
Once she had sufficiently cleared the area from the chaos that Miranda's eldest had caused she set out to prepare breakfast: meaning she set the table and grabbed her favorite cornflakes, Chocolate Lucky Charms. She knew that she was the only consumer because all of the Priestleys would never allow something similar to be considered of nutritional value. The twins preferred to have milk and toast, with either organic marmalade or butter, whilst Miranda shuddered every time she even looked at the package.
The journalist dug in, thoroughly enjoying the crunching sounds she made and the way they rang out in the empty kitchen. After a while she noticed something red poking from the door and grinned, realizing that one of the twins was trying to figure out if the room was still off limits. She shouted a "Come in, its safe!" and promptly snorted when both of the girls came in looking like they were approaching a starving tiger.
Cassidy was looking particularly twitchy when she gathered her spoon and mug, and Andy thought that she could have probably made the teenager scamper just by looking at her. However once the girls had sat down at the table and realized that their step-mother had not even growled yet, they began smiling, which in turn prompted Andrea to laugh out loud.
"Jeez Andy, you could have warned us that hormonal you had disappeared!" Caroline chortled, having greatly enjoyed the look her sister had had after her impromptu baking session and resulting escape.
"Sweetie where would be the fun in that?" the brunette answered, winking at her and simultaneously gathering more cereals on her spoon.
The answering cry just made her laugh more and ungracefully drop everything she had just scraped up into the mug once again. Cassidy was pouting, knowing that she had reacted way too seriously to the perceived threat and that she would be teased for the rest of the day unless something more eventful would happen. Little did she know that something far more distracting was just around the corner.
Breakfast was an easy affair, with the girls asking about the baby's sex and about the ultrasound that Andy would take next week. She had been told that at eighteen weeks she could choose to learn the baby's gender, but the journalist was still not sure whether she wanted to. Andy had always been a romantic, and she rather liked the idea that she would not know whether she would give birth to a little boy or girl. Miranda however was dead set on finding out, not liking the idea of having to dash around at the last minute to organize one of the newborn's most important details: clothes.
Who was she kidding, Andy thought, it's gonna be Emily along with Rachel who'll be tasked with that.
She'd be sure to send both of the assistants a spa voucher as a thank you.
Andy was brought out of her musing by the oven's timer and the girls' squeals; she had forgotten that Cassidy had put the chocolate chip biscuits to bake. Now the delightful smell of chocolate and cookie dough permeated the kitchen.
Cassidy took out the tray and laid it onto the counter: the biscuits were looking delicious, some of the dark chocolate still popping from the heat. The redhead was sure she had heard her sister's stomach rumble, and was fairly certain that the woman with mocha colored eyes had emitted a low growl.
"Alright you greedy women, give me a minute to put them onto a serving plate and then you'll be able to stuff yourselves," the oldest twin said, " Andy remember to control yourself, I don't want Mom to scold us again. I still don't believe that it was a craving that pushed you to finish a whole pint of rocky road ice-cream. In an afternoon."
The journalist had the decency to look bashful, however her eyes never left the tray filled with chocolate goodies. Caroline in the meanwhile had stealthily reached out to prod one of the biggest cookies, a excited look on her face when she felt the gooey substance stick to her finger.
Finally the plate was set on the table, and the three women didn't hesitate a second before launching for it. Triple groans were emitted, and blistering, liquid chocolate made its way onto eager tongues.
"Cass, I promise I will do all of your math homework every week if you give me a steady supply of these," Caroline mumbled, as though raising her voice would stop the chocolate from running. Though it was also probably due to the fact she had just chomped down on the remaining part of her original delicacy.
Andy laughed, switching her gaze from Caroline's ecstatic face to Cassidy's calculating one: she was obviously trying to find a gyp with the deal. Soon however she nodded and proceeded to hand one more biscuit to her sister, solidifying the deal. They resemble Miranda each day more, I swear. Cass is going to run Gourmet like nobody's business in a few years.
She accepted the second portion that she was being offered and moaned when her first bite split a chocolate drop in two. "Cass count me on that deal too!" She suddenly understood what had Caroline hooked: the melted chocolate chunks had some serious addictive powers.
However the joyous expression she had on her face immediately disappeared as soon as she felt something moving in her lower abdomen. The biscuit fell from her hand whilst she gasped and brought her hand to her stomach. Both of the twins had alarmed expressions on their faces, not understanding what had caused their step-mother to change so abruptly. Andy stood with bated breath, and soon enough she felt something moving in her womb. Again.
She was shocked, having felt a sudden surge of adrenaline pump through her body, and her brain was still trying to piece the puzzle together. What she had felt was her baby.
"Andy, what's wrong?" Caroline's alarmed cry caused her to look up, eyes wide and glittering with forming tears.
"I just heard.. Oh my god!" She breathed out, "The baby just kicked! Twice!"
The twins shrieked and dove to their knees in front of her. Cassidy extended her hand towards Andy, looking upward with an expression between excitement and worry. "Are you sure you're alright?" she enquired, " Does it hurt? Do we have to call Mom?"
"No it's alright, it's just so weird.. I was not expecting it!" The brunette was beaming, a smile lighting up her face, "This little one startled me, didn't you sweetie? But yeah, would you mind giving Miranda a call?"
Caroline nodded and rushed to the kitchen phone, dialing her mother's number.
"Mom hi, it's Caroline," the twin squealed, "Come home immediately, it's Andy… No, no! Everything is alright, but Andy just felt the baby kick!" She nodded, and Andy imagined that the editor would be gathering her belongings and rushing from Elias-Clarke.
Her wife had been nothing if not accommodating these last four months, always calling to check up on her and giving in to the majority of Andy's desires. Andrea thought that no one would have believed that the Dragon Lady was the most doting wife she could ask for.
"She said she'd be here as soon as possible," Caroline said, settling down next to her sister and fixing her gaze on the journalist's stomach.
Cassidy looked shyly up at her step-mother, her voice uncertainly wobbly "Andy may we touch your stomach? I wanna feel it!"
"Me too!" Caroline chorused.
Andy smiled, overcome by the warm sensation of love towards her family "Of course sweeties, but you know it won't move on command. We'll just have to wait."
Two small hands were gently laid onto her protruding stomach, the teenagers sucking in their breath and waiting for another sign of the little life that was growing every day.
A few minutes passed, and then Cassidy huffed, her impatient nature getting the better of her. Caroline looked up, then asked "Were you doing something particular Andy? I mean when it first moved?"
Andy shook her head, "Nothing in particular, I was just eating the chocola-"
Suddenly they all widened their eyes, having felt the slight movement. A tiny vibration that propagated from the muscles of Andy stomach hit the twins' hands. It was a slight movement, but apparently enough to be transmitted through the skin.
"Oh wow.." Cassidy breathed out, her jaw sagging and her eyes open in wonder. Caroline had a similar expression, though she was apparently speechless.
Andy thought she could never describe the miracle of life that happened in that moment, when the girls she considered well and truly as hers felt for the first time the tangible proof of the tiny human being that was growing inside her, and that they would soon call brother or sister.
Another small tremor was felt, as though the tiny baby was telling them it too wanted to be part of the moment. Andy added her hand on her stomach, the feeling of joy spreading through her body and possible exuding from her every pore.
At that moment a lock was heard turning, and then one of the most powerful women in New York entered the kitchen. Miranda Priestly looked stunning as usual, her silver bob perfectly coiffed and her make-up impeccable, a Burberry trench cinched to a narrow waist which invited the onlooker to admire her perfectly shaped calves, down to the feet encased in black leather Giuseppe Zanotti pumps. However what captured Andy's gaze and heart was the look of complete adoration and affection the older woman had on her face while she looked at her family.
"Mom!" The twins yelled, though while Caroline jumped up to embrace her and drag her closer to the chair, Cassidy remained anchored to Andy's stomach.
Miranda murmured a 'Darlings' and sank to the floor, adding her hand to those already present. She looked into Andy's eyes, who in turn grinned back and said "Miranda, oh my god! Our baby! It moved!"
The editor the smiled, the kind of gesture that she reserved for her loved ones and no one else, and rubbed her thumb on the area her hand rested upon. If a photographer could have captured the moment he would have been able to see three Priestlys kneeling in front of the woman who had finally made them a complete family. What the pictures would have shown was the love that united the four women, their love for each other and for the tiny life that would join them shortly.
However the baby did not move again, and Miranda emitted a huff of impatience identical Cassidy's earlier one. They all laughed, since apparently the baby did not know or care that he had an audience.
"Well, what does one have to do to expect something to happen?" Miranda said, her bitchiness belied by the sparkle in her eyes. She got to her feet and untied the belt that held her trench together, inspecting the kitchen table and the cookies that were held center-table.
"Andréa! Were you eating these?" A perfectly done eyebrow lifted, "You do know that you have to be more careful with what you eat nowadays."
"Yeah Mira, I know but you have no idea how good they are," Andy grinned, hoping that she would not be reprimanded for her sweet tooth, "And besides they just beckoned me, they're full of chocolate."
And promptly she felt it again, a stirring that she was coming to adore and look forward to. "Oh my, the baby kicked again!"
"What?" Miranda asked, and immediately knelt down again, resuming her position between her daughters. "I wanted to feel it."
"Yeah well I'm sensing a pattern here, don't you guys?" Caroline asked, smirking she grabbed a biscuit and offered it to Andy, "Andy do not even pretend you don't want it. I think the kid reacts when he hears anything that has to do with chocolate."
As if to prove her point, as soon as Andy took a bite the baby kicked again: the girls laughed out loud whilst Miranda gasped. She knew what it was like to have a life (in her case, two of them) growing inside a body, but she was not prepared for the surge of emotions that bombarded her when she thought of hers and Andrea's child.
"Oh darling, this is amazing!" she exclaimed, tears forming around her eyes, "I love you."
"So do I Mira, so much." Was the quick answer, overlooking the chorus of "ewws" coming from the twins. "Hang on, let me have a few more cookies and chocolate!"
The sound of laughter filled the Priestly household, and continued to do so for the rest of the day.
Hello dear readers! I apologise for the wait, hopefully I've got my mojo on again and that I'll be able to come up with more adorable/fluffy Mirandy fics :)
In order to motivate myself and you guys I've decided that the 50th reviewer will be able to ask me to write a chapter of their choice!
Hope you've enjoyed this, xxx