Miranda sighed as the front door closed behind her. She put her handbag and coat on the chair next to the drawers and entered the kitchen.
As she rounded the corner there came a chorus of "Mum!"
"Darlings!" Miranda opened her arms and was nearly bowled over by two blurs of ginger. After a quick hug, she moved to Andrea who was at the head of the table and kissed her "Hello love"
"Hey babe, how was your day?"
"argh, don't get me started, between Irv and jacquliene."
Andrea laughed "well your at home now, just relax and have dinner with your family" she passed Miranda her plate, both women smiling as they're fingers brushed.
"Girls, why don't you tell me about your day?"
And so the rest of the dinner was soaked in waves of noise and laughter. Throughout the dinner Andrea watched her wife move. She was animated and elegant. She was far too thin - which meant she was too fat for Runway. She watched her daughters as they ate their dinner, shovelling mouthfuls between excited words. And she watched her wife push the food around her plate - hiding meat under potatoes and scraping sauces ff vegetables, she coughed loudly to gain Miranda's attention. The older woman stilled but did not look in Andrea's direction.
At the end of dinner the girls said goodnight and headed to bed. Miranda lent back in her chair with a satisfying stretch before getting up to clear the dishes. "Sit down Miranda"
"Not now love, I'll wash and you dry and we can hav-"
"Sit down"
"Andrea, what has gotten-"
"I said sit down!" Miranda was shocked, but she obeyed. She watched Andrea get up from the table and retrieve Miranda's dinner.
"Eat it"
"Don't be absurd Andrea, it is cold and I am full."
"Eat it"
"Andrea I said no, now stop being so insolent." Miranda went o stand up again but Andrea blocked her from turning. She put the food on the fork and held it to the editor's lips.
"Eat it"
Miranda tsked and made to turn from Andrea and leave the chair from the other side. Before she could react Andrea had her hand under her jaw and with one hand was trying to force it open. Her other hand was still holding the full fork. Miranda's eyes flashed with fear. "eat it! fucking eat it!"
Miranda pushed Andrea back and the younger woman lost her footing as she stumbled back a few steps, dropping the fork and its contents to the floor. Miranda's horrified face was stilled in shock, the two women breathed heavily as they stared each other down. Miranda got up from the table and exited the room, as she made her way up the stairs, she pretended not to hear her wife crying as she scraped the remains of yet another uneaten dinner into the bin. She pretended the rumble of her stomach was gas, and not hunger pains from having eaten nothing in two days.