Chapter Text
Caroline had always begrudgingly liked Andy.
Even back when the brunette was just her mother’s assistant, she had shown both girls genuine kindness. At first it had annoyed Caroline, who had been suspicious of Andy’s motives, but she’d grown to like how sincere the young woman was to everyone she encountered. She liked that Andy saw her as her own individual person, not just ‘one of the twins’ or ‘the other redhead’. She liked how Andy hadn’t ratted her or Cassidy out over the whole Book incident (even though they kind of deserved it) and even later defended them against punishment once Mom had found out the truth. She liked how Andy had somehow done the impossible and gotten them the unpublished Harry Potter manuscript. But what Caroline liked even more was how Andy always made time to chat with her and her sister at the end of a long day - even when she looked ready to pass out from exhaustion.
It was kind of irritating how hard it was not to like the brunette.
And now, with Andy finally a real part of their family, what Caroline liked most was how Andy showed her love for Mom.
It was much different than anything any of Mom’s lame ex-husbands ever offered. Andy loved her loudly, quietly, intentionally. Yes, the two women still occasionally fought, but they always made up, mostly due to Andy’s patience and Miranda’s willingness to try. Caroline was intrigued. She knew her mother could be difficult - icy, demanding and cutting when impatient, usually impossible to please, busy to the point where she’d forget important dates - and she also knew that unlike Cassidy, she was her mother’s daughter.
Maybe that’s why she found it so fascinating to watch the ways in which Andy continuously chose to love someone like her mom (and by extension, herself) again and again.
Quality Time
Her mother and Andy’s courtship had started out with private walks together, a tradition they still held now. No matter how busy life got, they made time to go on walks together, often with Patricia trotting happily next to them. Caroline and Cassidy always received unspoken invitations, but most of the time they declined, especially as they grew older and their own lives became busier. However, Caroline would often quietly watch them leave from her window. While the two women rarely held hands, she noticed that Andy never failed to sweetly brush her fingers against Mom’s just before they stepped out onto the sidewalk, the younger woman always claiming the side closest to the street as they set off. They’d walk for a good half-hour before returning to the townhouse, visibly more relaxed than when they had left. Caroline attributed it to being each other’s safe places, especially after the hard days, and perhaps the exercise.
Sunday mornings were reserved for family, even if it was just an hour spent over breakfast together. Andy was adamant about that time, and Caroline had to admit it had done wonders for their family dynamic. They were no longer just people who lived together, but people who listened and cared about each others’ weeks and experiences and lives. Andy had helped them grow into a real family.
Acts of Service
It was no secret that her mother was an incredibly busy woman. She showed up for Caroline and Cassidy in many important ways, but helping with schoolwork had never been her forte. But Andy shone in this role. She had done wonders for both of their grades, especially in English. And what boggled Caroline’s brain was that the brunette willingly helped them - even after she had moved on from their mother’s employ! After finishing her own work for the day, Andy always found the energy to help them, which in turn took stress off Mom. It was also cool because the brunette was the best teacher. Patient and eager to learn herself, she read the course material right alongside them so she could ask questions and coax rich discussion.
On the nights when her mother returned home late from a grueling day at Runway, Andy would be there waiting with a glass of red wine, a plate of heated leftovers, and a soft kiss. She never pressed the older woman for apologies or explanations, simply sat down next to her and offered her steady presence. In fascination, Caroline would watch as her mother’s lips twitched into a faint, rare smile, and her shoulders would finally loosen.
Words of Affirmation
Miranda was not a woman who particularly cared what others thought about her, good or bad - Caroline knew that, but she also knew how pleased she’d become when Andy whispered soft, adoring things to her. Things like: “Your beautiful, brilliant mind never ceases to amaze me” or “I’m so proud of you. You know you’ve built this incredible empire, right? You’re literally the HBIC!” or “Your eyes are so luminous this morning, Miranda”. She’d watch as her mother, so poised and formidable, would melt and a hint of a blush would rise to her high cheekbones.
Other times, Andy would use her words to reassure Miranda of her love and loyalty.
One night, Caroline was walking by the study for a midnight snack and accidentally overheard them mid-fight. Miranda had lashed out sharply in fear, her words poison, and Caroline’s breath caught as she, for the first time, felt a jolt of terror that Andy would leave. There was a pause and she silently cursed her mother for being too much - another relationship broken (and by extension, their little family) from Miranda’s readiness to ruin something before it had a chance to ruin her. Yet instead of meeting the older woman’s vitriol with anger herself, Andy had taken a deep breath and chosen firm gentleness. “I adore you, Miranda, but you cannot speak to me like that. I won’t let you push me away, but I need some space. I’m going to our bedroom to cool off.”
Caroline’s heart had pounded that - not from fear this time, but from awe and slight confusion that perhaps the same anger born from insecurity that ran through her mother’s blood and down through her own wasn’t completely destructive. For the first time in her life, she witnessed how it could be met with patience and love instead.
The door handle turned and the girl froze in the hallway, half shrouded in the shadows.
“Wait,” Miranda’s voice was low, raw. “Please, Andrea.”
The handle clicked softly back into place, followed by the sound of footsteps retreating from the door. Caroline let out a relieved breath. There was more muffled conversation, this time mostly from her mom’s low timber, and then the unmistakable sound of kissing. Caroline’s eyes had gone wide and she'd taken it as her cue to hastily leave.
Gifts
It was a bit of a surprise that Andy was a really good cook. She’d learned a lot from her relationship with Nate, though wisely, no one ever brought that up as the impetus for her delicious creations. The young woman loved feeding her family and Miranda, in particular, was her muse. She made the best homemade meals, and especially enjoyed creating new treats around the holidays and special events. For her and Miranda’s third anniversary together, she’d created an exquisite, homemade dark chocolate salted caramel cake and watched in breathless anticipation as Miranda tasted it. It had earned her two head nods complete with a satisfied hum and smile. During the long winter, Andy filled the townhouse with the warm scent of cinnamon and vanilla as she baked trays of cookies and gingerbread.
Her cooking had partly grown from her insecurities around what she could possibly offer Miranda in terms of gifts or material things - Miranda Priestly had everything anyone could ever want. When they’d first started dating, it had fallen around Miranda’s 60th birthday and Caroline remembered how she and Cassidy had to reassure a very stressed Andy that their mother would be touched by anything she gave her, especially something thoughtful. She’d already had wealthy men try and woo her with their riches, and look how they’d all turned out. Plus, Miranda had been utterly besotted with the young woman from the beginning - the twins were confident that Andy couldn’t miss. So, Andy had settled on creating an intimate 3-course dinner for just the two of them to celebrate, and quietly organized a small gathering of Miranda's closest friends to join them after for a nightcap.
Since then, Andy began to subtly pay even closer attention to what Miranda liked: the colors she gravitated towards, the scents she preferred, the teas she liked, and started to take note of experiences the older woman had never tried before. Over time, in addition to her culinary dishes, Andy had slowly and intentionally found other gifts that were deeply personal and thoughtfully selected for Miranda, not just Miranda Priestly.
Andy also became the family’s photographer - none of it was for social media or the press, but solely to capture memories for the four of them to share privately. And every Friday without fail, she arranged for fresh flowers to be delivered to Miranda’s office.
Physical Touch
Caroline liked how protective Andrea was in public - her mother had hired the best security team of course, but it was usually Andy right by her mom’s side on red carpets or even just on trips to the grocery store. With one arm wrapped loosely around the fashion editor’s waist or a hand on the small of her back as she guided her through crowds, Andy was there. She respected that Miranda wasn’t as touchy in public and never made a show of it, but she also never failed to provide a sense of grounding, even quietly.
At home in the privacy of their own space, Miranda melted into Andy’s touch. She’d stretch out like a cat and drape herself atop the younger woman, nuzzling her neck and allowing herself to be held. Lips brushing the curve of the brunette’s neck, her eyes would flutter closed in peace while her fingers played with the collar of whatever shirt Andy had on. In Andy’s embrace, Miranda was at her most vulnerable, but also at her most devastatingly beautiful and human.
Miranda wasn’t easy to love. Neither was Caroline. But Andy somehow loved them both unconditionally. And that made Caroline feel an overwhelming surge of gratitude to the universe for bringing the brunette into their lives, especially to her mom.
And perhaps, she thought, that meant there was someone out there for her too - someone who wouldn’t try and ‘fix’ or soften her, but would love her without hesitation exactly as she was. Someone who’d show their love in a multitude of different ways, just like Andy did.
Caroline had hope; she lived on it.