A/N- Ok, So I am not even going to try and make up excuses. I am just gonna say...I didn't feel like it. I have been having trouble getting the desire to write anything. This may be a pretty crappy chapter because of that. SORRY!
Miranda stood in front of her window, phone in her hand, her fingers hovering over the keys, struggling to find the words she wanted to say to the younger woman that she had run into at Starbucks. The bruises on her back and her face haunted Miranda's vision every time she blinked and for a moment, she wondered if her daughters did actually have the ability to take a hit out on someone, and if so, whether they would tell her how to do it. Shaking her head of such thoughts, she looked down at her phone, wondering what in the world to say to her. The question though, was momentarily forgotten when her e-mail pinged on her computer.
To: Mpriestly
From: Andybaby
Hi!
I know I gave you my phone number and told you to call me, but I thought perhaps you wouldn't be opposed to an email. It really was wonderful to see you, Miranda. I know that the way I left was unprofessional and unethical. I wanted to apologize so many times over the last few years that I couldn't even begin to count them. I hope that you can forgive me and we can figure out a way to be friends.
Sincerely,
Andy
Miranda smirked at the nervous undertones in her former assistants email. It truly had been good to see her earlier. Reaching over she picked up her office phone and dialed a number she knew by heart.
"Nigel. My office, now." she hung up. It would only take a few minutes for the bald man to enter the room. She re-read the email while she waited, questioning how to respond.
When her office door opened and Nigel stepped through, she hissed, "Close the door." Nigel paled.
"Is there something I can do for you, Miranda? Everything for the run-through is-"
"I don't want to hear about the run-through right now. Push that back until tomorrow. I am leaving early today. What I want to know is why you didn't think to inform me about Andrea being back in New York?" Miranda pinned him with a glare that would shatter the soul of even the most seasoned Runway employee.
"Andy is back? I didn't know Miranda. I haven't heard from her in almost 3 years. How is she?" He asked, sitting heavily in the chair across from his boss and leaning towards her, his elbows braced on his knees.
"Hmm. You really didn't know did you? Well then, do not say anything to her. I am sure that she has a reason for not announcing her return to the city. Do not contact her. I will tell you when she is ready for you to know that she is here." Miranda was secretly glad that Andrea hadn't told anyone else that she was back. Maybe that would give them a chance to...no. No she couldn't let her thoughts go down that road. The last time they had, she had been heart broken. She couldn't risk that again.
-
Andy had finally gotten the break she was looking for and was typing away on her article. Her finger flew over the keys of her laptop and her eyes scanned her notes, brain quickly translating what was written on paper into a rough draft of an article. She had never had problems writing from notes to paper. It just sort of happened. Her college professors had been upset when she didn't follow the writing process in the exact steps that they expected her to. She just never saw a reason to follow every single step, and so far, she hadn't needed them.
Her email pinged and she sighed. Every single time she got started and got on a roll with this paper, there was some kind of interruption and she lost her train of thought. Choosing to ignore it for now, she continued her typing.
Her email pinged another three times in the hour and a half it took her to finish the draft. Sighing and reaching up, stretching, her back popped a dozen times and she groaned. Her email pinged again. Damn, she thought, must be important. She pulled up the proper page on her work computer and nearly shrieked. She had four missed emails from Miranda and she had to take a breath and remember that she didn't work for the woman anymore. Though, the fact that the woman had answered her in the first place was shocking enough.
To: Andybaby
From: Mpriestly
Andrea,
While I will readily admit that I was infuriated by your departure in Paris, I did force you to choose. I cannot fault you for your choice not being the one that I liked. However, I would appreciate the chance to get to know you as a friend, yes. Would you be opposed to joining me for dinner at the townhouse this evening? Around 7?
Sincerely,
Miranda
To: Andybaby
From: Mpriestly
Shall I take your lack of response as a no? Is tonight not a good time?
Sincerely,
Miranda
To: Andybaby
From: Mpriestly
You are suggesting we become friends and yet cannot take the time to respond to an email. This is going to be a rather difficult friendship if this is the start of it.
Miranda
To: Andybaby
From: Mpriestly
I am sitting in the town house now, wondering whether I will be having company in 2 hours. I came home early to prepare dinner in case you ever do respond. Please, let me know. I will be awaiting your email.
Miranda
Andy put her head in her hands. She had said 'please'. Damn it! Her fingers flew over the keys. Typing a quick email to Greg to let him know that she was on her way out of the office, that she needed to get home to the kids, she shut down her computer and gathered her things. Her laptop went into her messenger bag and her phone in her hand. She opened her email on her phone and quickly began to type out a response to her former employer.
-
To: Mpriestly
From: Andybaby
Miranda,
I am so sorry that I didn't respond. I was so caught up in the article I am working on, I didn't want to break my concentration on it. I completely ignored my email. I honestly didn't think that you would get back to me as quickly as you did. I will have to check on my kids and let you know in about 45 minutes, if that is okay? I need to make sure that Trina, my sitter and roommate, is okay with watching them. I would love to have dinner with you, Miranda, but I have children now. I have to think of them first. Please try to understand that.
Sincerely,
Andrea
Stuffing her phone in her pocket, the journalist hailed a cab and headed home.
-
Miranda, for her part, was kicking herself. She hadn't thought that the young woman would be working, nor had she considered the young woman's child. Children. How many children did Andrea have? How old were they? Where were they staying? A million questions ran through her head at a rapid fire pace as she typed out her next email.
-
To: Andybaby
From: Mpriestly
Andrea,
I understand and apologize for my earlier behavior. If it helps, you may bring the children with you. Caroline and Cassidy are living on campus at university now and it would be wonderful to hear children in the house again.
Sincerely,
Miranda
Andy chuckled at the email as she read it, thinking carefully. Melody was a rather outspoken child and she was unsure how Miranda would react to her blunt responses to situations, but considering Caroline's infamous attitude, she had a feeling that the older woman could handle it. With that thought in mind, she opened the door to hear Melody laughing at the television. Trina walked out of the kitchen with Andrew on her hip and a bowl of fruit in the other.
"Oh, hello dear. How was work?" Trina set the bowl on a table and wrapped her in a one armed hug.
"Work was work. If it wasn't they would call it a hobby." she chuckled. "How were they today?" She asked as she took her son into her arms, bouncing him up and down.
"They were perfect, like they always are. Do you have work to do this evening? I'll keep an eye on them while you work if you want to."
"No actually, I don't. I ran into a friend while I was out for my lunch break and she invited me over for dinner tonight. She even said that the kids can come with me so we are all going to go over to her house and see what delicious meal she has fixed for us." she spoke these words to her son but meant them for Trina, who chuckled in response.
"That sounds like fun, dear. Would you like me to let Greg know where you went?" She asked, popping a grape into her mouth.
"That would be great thanks. Melody baby, will you come here for a minute?" Andy called.
"Yes Mommy?" the little girl came running into the room, skidding to a halt in her socks on the wooden floor.
"We are going to go to my friend's house for dinner tonight. Is that okay?" She asked her daughter.
"Okay. Is she nice?" Her little girl sounded apprehensive about going to see someone new.
"She is very nice, sweetheart, and I promise that if you feel bad or uncomfortable you can tell me and we will leave right away, okay?"
"Okay, Mommy!" and with that the little girl was off, running back to her cartoons and leaving the adults to work out the details.
To: Mpriestly
From: Andybaby
Miranda,
We will be happy to have dinner with you. I will bring the children with me. None of us have any real dietary restrictions, but Melody has a sensitive stomach when it comes to seafood. We will see you at 7.
Sincerely,
Andrea.
Miranda smiled to herself. No seafood, well, she could work with that. Rolling up the sleeves of her blouse, she began to pull out the ingredients and utensils that she would need for the evening.
A/N - Well there it is. End of chapter 5! Again, my apologies for the long wait. I love my readers and I am a horrible person for not updating, but I am taking the summer off from classes so I HOPE, MAYBE, I can get more updates out.