Andrea brushed her fingers through the strawberry blonde hair under her hand and scratched lightly over her wife's scalp, taking the chance to enjoy the silence before the other woman's alarm went off and all hell broke loose. It was going to be a hellish day and no matter how well they had planned for it Andrea was sure that something was bound to go wrong. The whole 'event' was several months in the making, Miranda had finally decided, after getting back on her feet after the cancer, that it was time for her to leave Runway and it was D Day. Miranda was sending her last edition to print and leaving Runway in Emily's more than capable hands.

The shrill ringing of Miranda's alarm clock broke through the silence and Andrea could feel the other woman stirring at her side even as she leant over to stop the noise. When she settled back into the bed Miranda's eyes were open and she was smiling sleepily.

"Hey there beautiful." She smiled, stroking the older woman's cheek lightly and kissing her forehead sweetly.

"Morning darling." Miranda shifted, bringing their bodies closer and pressed her face into Andrea's neck, taking a long, deep breath. "You seem very awake, why didn't you wake me sooner?" it was true that Andrea had been awake for a long time already, true that it was rare that she be awake, never mind coherent even after Miranda's alarm had heralded that start of the day and also true that usually if she woke early she would wake the older woman so they could spend a few quiet moments together before the start of their days but that morning she had been so caught up in her worry that waking Miranda early hadn't even crossed her mind.

"It's going to be a long day, you need all the sleep you can get."

"As do you." Miranda rolled onto her side so she was propped up on her elbow and looked down at the brunette, a small frown causing a crease between her eyes, it was very rare that Andrea struggled to sleep "What has had you awake for so long?"

"A little anxiety that something might go wrong today." She admitted, reaching out to smooth away the frown, it had been a long time since she had been Miranda's assistant, but big events still made her a little edgy and that day was by far the biggest.

"I told you darling, today is all for show. My final issue was completed yesterday all that happens today is that it's sent to the printers. Then all there is left is lunch with the staff, clearing out my office and that ridiculous party before we catch our flight." Miranda shrugged, "There's really nothing that could go wrong at this point, unless you are about to tell me that there is some reason you can't be with me today everything will be perfect."

Famous last words, Andrea thought later that day as she tore through the corridors of Runway in her ridiculous heels. Miranda's dress for the party hadn't arrived, her shoes had gone AWOL and she had until the end of the staff lunch to fix it without Miranda finding out and it ruining her day. The older woman had been through so much in the last few years with the cancer and the recovery both physical and mental, it had taken her a long time to get everything back under her own control and Andrea wanted nothing less than the perfection her wife deserved for that day.

"Everything ok darling?" Miranda asked when she returned to her office after lunch to find her other half looking a little out of breath.

"Fine," Andrea nodded, pleased when Miranda let it drop, everything was fine, now, the dress had been delivered to the townhouse and her shoes were there with it, she'd organised for someone to bring them over and they would arrive before they were needed. Miranda never needed to know. "How was your lunch?"

"Lovely. Pastis delivered as usual." She nodded, taking a seat on the small couch in the corner and patting the seat beside her, she knew she needed to finish sorting through everything but she needed five minutes first.

"Doing ok?" Andrea asked, dropping into the seat and looping her arm around the woman's shoulder, pulling her into an embrace, Miranda allowed it, dropping her head onto her wife's shoulder and breathing steadily and deeply.

"It's harder than I thought." She admitted quietly, "But I'm ok."

"It's allowed to be hard darling, you've put your everything into this place for so long."

"But I want this, I'm ready for it and Emily is more than ready to take the reigns." She felt ridiculous, being so emotional about something she had chosen to do but she couldn't seem to help it. She was quietly pleased that Andrea stayed quiet, knowing that no matter what was said to her in that moment, her mood would not improve. Andrea was right, Runway had been such a large part of her life for the best part of thirty years, it had taken so much from her both professionally and personally but it had also given her more than she could ever imagine. She wouldn't have Andrea in her life if it wasn't for the magazine and Miranda viewed the younger woman as her greatest gift, second only to her daughters and grandchildren. Without Runway they never would have met, never would have lost touch for all those years either, but the seed had been planted while Andrea was her assistant and it had needed the time apart to bloom and grow.

"You should go and let Serena get started on your make up." She said quietly, they had sat for longer than she had planned and running the risk of actually being late.

"What about you?"

"I'll be along soon, I just need to pack up my drawers."

"And you'll be ok?"

"I'll be fine, I'll come and find you when I'm done." She allowed a lingering kiss before pushing herself upright and moving towards her desk, there was an empty box ready and waiting for her to fill and she dropped down into her chair and took a deep breath before pulling the top drawer open. It was mostly mock ups, copies of favourite spreads, designers sketches and the odd post it carrying a designers contact information, it was the unorganised side of the pristine editor and she dropped it all into the box to be sorted at a later date, the next drawer down was much the same but she knew that the bottom drawer was much more personal. Photographs, pressed flowers, notes that Andrea had left her if she had called in and missed her, ticket stubs from a few shows they had seen, all four of her grandchildren's scan photos and right at the bottom the notebook which had been her constant companion since her diagnosis. It had been a few months since she had last written in it but that moment felt right so she found the next blank page and fished her favourite fountain pen from her bag.

Andrea,

Today I start another great adventure. I'm finally handing over my magazine (for it is MY magazine) to Emily, I'm finally retiring from Runway and it is as exciting as it is terrifying. You once told me that I could stay with the magazine until the day I died and you would support that and for a long time I thought that maybe that was what I would choose. But the cancer made me realise that there is more to life. I still don't know what I'm going to do with myself when my life isn't dictated by fickle designers and demanding board members, I fear I might drive you completely insane within my first week, but I know that this is what I want now and I know I can find something to be passionate about that does not take up so much of my time, it may just take me a while. I know that you will be patient with me regardless of how much of an irritation I may become.

You're taking me away tonight but you wont tell me where, I hope you know that you are the only person who I would ever allow to surprise me in such a manner. It's our anniversary next week, I know you'll think I've forgotten but I'm not that awful a wife! I look forward to proving to you through my retirement exactly how much I love you.

It's time for me to go and start getting ready for this infernal party. The only thing getting me through it is knowing that afterwards we'll be going be going to the airport and leaving the madness behind us.

I know I say it often but it bears repeating, I wouldn't have made it through the last few years without you and I certainly wouldn't have managed retirement without you by my side.

Know that I love you. Always

M x

Stacking the content of the drawer into the box and marking it for home she slid the notebook and the pen into her bag and took a final look around her office. The place had seen the highs and lows of her career but now it was time for Emily to take over. Pushing herself up she grabbed her bag, heading for the door, she paused again in the doorway taking one final look and smiled, flicking off the light and pulling the door closed behind her. It felt good, it felt right.