priestly's piece of paradise (3/?)
Priestly's Piece of Paradise
by Coco (i_heart_cuddy)
rating R
pairing Miranda/Donna
disclaimer I don't own the Devil Wears Prada or Mamma Mia or Meryl Streep: I'm just borrowing them. No money is being made off of this and no infringement is intended.
summary Caroline, Cassidy, Andy, Emily and Nigel come to see how Miranda is settling into her new life of leisure. Is retirement everything Miranda dreamed it would be or is it driving her slowly over the edge into insanity?
Author's Note Continuation in the fic verse set up in Letters to the Editor ♥
Part One | Part Two
where we left off: Miranda looked up from the letter and frowned, pursing her lips.
“Is everything okay?”
Miranda shook her head slowly.
Miranda made her way across the beach to the bar where she again found her twins. Miranda took the drink from Cassidy’s hand.
“Hey!” Cassidy objected with confusion.
“Caroline, would you excuse us, please?” Miranda smiled sweetly, trying very hard to stay calm.
“Sure.” Caroline knew that whatever bee was under Miranda’s bonnet was making her quite mad and she was grateful that Miranda didn’t want to take it out on her.
“Thank you, sweetheart.” Miranda replied coolly. Caroline gave her sister a last look over her shoulder before walking away.
Cassidy looked up at her mother, she was too afraid to speak. Miranda drummed her fingers on the bar. She wanted to let Cassidy squirm for a couple of minutes before she let the hammer drop.
“I don’t understand, Cassidy.”
“Don’t understand what? Maybe if you told me what was wrong I could explain it to you.”
Miranda laughed, “that’s such an ironic thing for you to say, Cassidy Anne.”
Middle name. Never a good sign. Cassidy gulped instinctively.
“Because if you’d just explained to me in the first place then this vacation would have been a lot more enjoyable for all of us.”
“Mom,” Cassidy said pleadingly, “please… I don’t…”
“Business services at Oxford sent me back my tuition check.” Miranda handed the cocktail glass back to the bartender. "It’s been almost three months since your semester ended. You had to have known that you were expelled for at least that long. I can’t even fathom how you thought I wouldn’t find out.”
“Mom, I…” Cassidy desperately tried to think of something to say but came up with nothing.
“And, please, don’t insult me by telling me that you’ve been trying to think of how to tell me.” Miranda pursed her lips. “Because there is no excuse in the world that will make this alright. I’m a very supportive mother, I’ve always been understanding when you’ve had academic issues. The thing is that it’s not even about the classes, is it? It’s just that you didn’t apply yourself. You’re such a smart woman, Cassidy. You are so smart when you apply yourself. It’s too bad that there are no opportunities for professional slackers because you would excel at it. Which would be ironic, I realize.”
“Mom.” Cassidy said, trying to interject. She knew that it was never a good sign when Miranda launched into a rant. It was usually an omen of death, actually. She blinked tears out of her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t.” Miranda shook her head. “We’ll talk about this later. I have to lie down.”
Cassidy watched Miranda disappear into the hotel. She wiped at her eyes. Caroline returned, “what happened?” She asked softly.
“The jig is up.”
**
Miranda sat on the bed; Donna sat behind her and waited for her to speak. Miranda rubbed her eyes tiredly. Donna reached out and rubbed Miranda’s shoulder. Miranda sighed and lay back until her head was resting in Donna’s lap.
Donna put a comforting hand on Miranda’s forehead. Miranda looked up at Donna, her expression was very put upon. She sighed.
Donna leaned down and kissed her nose. “Dare I say, like mother like daughter?”
Miranda’s hands flew to cover her eyes and she let out a long groan. “It’s different.”
“I know, sweetie.” Donna stroked Miranda’s hair.
“I got expelled for something I believed in.”
“I know.”
“Not because I was a spoiled, trust fund brat.”
“I know.”
Miranda sat up and turned to look at Donna. She was at a loss for words. Donna looked on sympathetically. She reached up and squeezed Miranda's shoulder. She'd wait for her to continue.
"This is my fault." She said steadily.
"Miranda, you can't blame yourself. A child's actions are not the fault of their parents. Cassidy is almost nineteen. She makes her own decisions." Donna scooted closer, rubbing Miranda's back, working at a tension knot.
Miranda shook her head, "you can say that and there's some truth to it, but... when they were younger, when Andrea was my assistant, and before her, too, actually, I sometimes had my assistants work on projects for them if they didn't have time."
"At the risk of incurring your wrath, I daresay that the girls were manipulating you." Donna said simply. Miranda furrowed her brow, prepared to get defensive, but Donna continued, "those girls of yours are smart, they know how to work you. Children of divorce know how to work their guilt-ridden parents."
Miranda snorted, "some comfort that is. It's still my fault."
"The only thing you're guilty of is wanting to take care of your daughters. You wanted to give them every opportunity. Maybe you didn't always take the right route, there isn't one parent in the history of the world who didn't make mistakes. My mother was a religious extremist who thought that sex is sin. Look at me, pregnant at 18 and now ridiculously in love with a beautiful woman. I raised Sophie teaching her that men were useless and she still fell in love with and married Skye. Children are supposed to grow up despite their parents."
Miranda nearly smiled.
"Should we get into you? Your mother taught you that capitalism is evil. You topped the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business the majority of the years you ran Runway. You and I, of all people, should know that the sins of the mother are not visited on the daughter. Not really."
Miranda sighed.
Donna rubbed her shoulders and leaned her forehead against Miranda's, "why don't I get out my hot stones and I'll give you a massage and you can talk to her calmly about what she wants to do now."
"You don't have to give me a massage."
"I don't?" Donna feigned shock, "well, hell, why've I been giving you massages these last couple of years if I didn't have to? What a relief that I don't have to give you massages anymore!"
"Alright, alright." Miranda laughed, "smartass."
**
When the dinner plates were being cleared away, Miranda stood up and looked at Cassidy, motioning to the door. Cassidy pushed herself up from the table and left the room to wait for Miranda.
Nigel approached Miranda, "Miranda, can we talk?"
"Can it wait?"
Nigel nodded, "yeah... yeah, it can wait." He watched Miranda walk away and watched all the courage he'd mustered up disappear along with her.
Donna held out a cup of coffee to Nigel. "Coffee?"
He looked over at it and up at Donna, then smiled a little, taking the coffee, "thank you."
"I'm sure she didn't mean to be so curt." Donna sipped her own coffee, "you know Miranda," she smiled.
Nigel laughed a little and nodded, "I do. I certainly do."
"She's been a little out of sorts. Cassidy was expelled from school and she's beating herself up over it."
"Well, getting kicked out of school is hard, it's good that Miranda's there for her." Nigel sipped his coffee.
"No, I mean Miranda's beating herself up over it. She thinks that she instilled a poor work ethic in the twins."
Nigel scoffed, "you mean 24-7-Priestly thinks that she set a bad example? The same woman who worked through Christmas three years in a row? The woman who didn't even make it to her own divorce proceedings because she was at a photo shoot? That Miranda?"
Donna laughed, "one in the same. Weight-of-the-world Miranda, she takes everything so personally. She demands perfection and she considers it a personal failing that Cassidy got kicked out."
"Okay, that does sound like Miranda."
"She didn't mean to be insensitive. She just sort of has blinders when it comes to other people's emotions."
Nigel's heart skipped a beat, he faltered, "what do you mean?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be overly forward."
"Overly forward, I've known you for two years now, Donna." Nigel's heart wouldn't stop pounding, but he managed a smile, "after that surprise three hour layover in Prague I feel like there are no secrets between us anymore."
Donna studied his face, she didn't believe that last line for a second. There was clearly something that he was keeping from her. Something, it seemed, that was meant for Miranda. Donna nodded, she was not one to pry.
Donna nodded and smiled, "why don't we take our coffee on the veranda?"
**
Miranda was mad. Donna had helped her reach the true meaning of the madness, but damn it all, she was disappointed in her daughter's unwillingness to take responsibility. Her fault, Cassidy's fault: it didn't matter whose fault it was.
"Mom." Cassidy finally spoke when it was clear that Miranda wasn't going to.
"No." Miranda cut her off. She shook her hair, "no. I'm not going to let you ruin my week. I am happy to have you and your sister here. You're not ruining that for me. So at the end of the week when everybody has to leave, we're going to figure this out."
"Figure what out?"
"Figure out what comes next." Miranda explained, "besides, you don't want me to talk about it right now. You really don't."
"Fine." Cassidy stood up and cast Miranda a sidelong glance.
"I love you."
"I love you too." Cassidy grumbled as she ascended the stairs towards her room.
Day Four
Emily woke up alone. She looked at the clock and let out a frustrated groan. She jumped out of bed and pulled on her clothes, heading for the dining room. She got there when the breakfast dishes were being cleared away. She leaned down and whispered in Andy's ear. "Screw you, too."
Andy looked up and furrowed her brow, "what are you talking about?"
"Not waking me for breakfast. I know what you're doing." Emily hissed.
"What I'm doing?" Andy repeated with incredulity. "You don't eat breakfast! Why would I wake you for breakfast?"
"I drink coffee. I could make witty conversation."
"Not even if you had Oscar Wilde feeding you lines."
"God, has the last hundred years of cultural knowledge avoided you like the plague or do you think your outdated social commentary is cute?"
Andy rolled her eyes and stood up from the table, retreating from the dining room.
"Because it isn't!" Emily called after her, scowling at her retreating form.
Donna came in from the kitchen, "oh Emily. Can I offer you a cup of coffee?"
She nodded resignedly, "please."
Donna disappeared and reappeared in a few minutes with a steaming mug of coffee. Emily accepted it wordlessly. "Do you have a costume for the fancy dress party yet?"
"No, not yet."
"There's a group of guests that're being escorted to the costume shoppe on the mainland today at 1, if you're interested."
**
Miranda and Caroline were walking down to the beach. Caroline looked over at her mother, "mom, I really need to ask you a favor."
Miranda stopped and took a deep breath, "if you tell me you got expelled, too, I'm going to go out of my mind, be forewarned."
Caroline laughed a little, "mom, are you kidding? I'm on the Dean's List."
"Failing is not the only reason students get expelled."
"You know from experience?"
"Nice try." Miranda smirked, "what is the favor?"
"Okay, well, there's this really great opportunity to go abroad and do some field reporting." Caroline started, trying to study Miranda's face to get moment to moment reactions.
Miranda, however, was a blank slate as she waited for the part that she wasn't going to like.
"And normally they don't let sophomores do it because you have to have an internship and that usually happens in the summer after your sophomore year because internships want you to have two years of school."
Caroline watched Miranda's face. "Go on." Miranda prodded.
"Well, I was hoping... for a little nepotism. If you could get me an internship at Runway this summer I could go abroad during the year and I can graduate a year early. If I can bulk up on my classes while I'm here then I'll have all my credits by the end of my junior year." Caroline looked at her mother pleadingly, "I really want to do this, mom, I really do. I think that having a head start helps me be a competitive contender in this unstable economy. This is really important to me."
Miranda licked her lips thoughtfully. "Where would you be going abroad?"
Caroline hesitated, she'd hoped Miranda wouldn't ask that. "Iraq."
Miranda scoffed, "dear God, Caroline. If I were to help you do that I may as well put you in front of a firing squad myself."
"Mom!"
"Women are not very highly thought of in middle eastern countries, I don't think this is a good idea and I don't think I can enable that." Miranda said sternly.
Caroline furrowed her brow and frowned. "You know, without your help I'm just going to go to Iraq in my junior year. I'm an adult and you can't stop me."
"Well, then I'll have bought you an extra year."
"Mom, come on!"
"No, Caroline. Not a chance in Hell." Miranda shook her head, "it's reckless and dangerous at best. Suicidal at worst. I can't put you in harm's way like that and still look myself in the mirror."
"This is so unfair."
"No, Caroline, this isn't unfair, it's perfectly reasonable for me to deny you this. There's not a parent alive who would make a different decision."
"Fine." Caroline huffed and turned back towards the hotel.
"I thought we were going swimming." Miranda furrowed her brow.
"I'm not in the mood anymore." She grumbled.
Miranda sighed in frustration and threw her arms up. "What next?" Miranda muttered to herself, "what else could possibly be thrown at me?"
She stopped short in the sand, considered what she'd just said and amended herself, "no, no, I don't mean that. I don't want to jinx myself. Please, disregard what I just said."
Andy giggled as she approached Miranda, "what are you doing?"
"I'm trying to take back something I just said." She explained.
Andy looked to the left and saw no one and then looked to the right and saw no one, "who did you say it to?"
Miranda gestured in front of her resignedly, "you know, the universe. The cosmic power that controls everything that happens."
Andy giggled again, Donna was rubbing off on her in a big way. "Well, what did you say to the universe?"
"I'm not repeating it. If I managed to unjinx myself, I don't want to take a chance on not being able to do it again."
"It was that bad, was it? The thing that you said that you may have jinxed?"
"Yes." Miranda said simply.
"Could you at least give me some details about what's bothering you?"
"Who says something's bothering me?" Miranda asked coyly.
"You don't talk to yourself when everything is fine and dandy."
"I wasn't talking to myself." Miranda said, sounding a little put out.
Andy smiled indulgently, "alright, you don't talk to the powers that be when you're not upset about something."
Miranda sighed. "Well, I guess my problem is that I have one daughter who wants to ruin her life by sabotaging her education and one daughter who wants to ruin her life by getting herself condemned to death."
Andy looked alarmed, "what's Caroline doing that's going to get her condemned to death?"
"She wants to go abroad to Iraq! She wants to be a field correspondent."
"That's really brave of her."
"That's stupid of her. Don't defend this ludicrous notion. I clearly confided this in the wrong person."
Andy looked sympathetic, "Miranda, it's not as if she'd be there alone. She would have a trip advisor and she'd be with a group of other students. She'd probably be on a very short leash, Northwestern doesn't want the publicity of their students being killed. Frankly, I think it's better she do it in college than after she graduates and goes alone."
Miranda frowned at her friend.
Andy shrugged, "maybe you should think about it and do a little research into the program before you flat out tell her no. If it's something she wants and you try to stop her it could irreparably damage your relationship."
"That's a risk I'm willing to take if it means she stays alive. I'd rather have an alive daughter who hates me than a dead one who loves me."
Andy shrugged again, "it's your decision."
"First sensible thing you've said this whole conversation." Miranda pursed her lips.
Andy gestured to the ocean, trying to change the subject, "are you going swimming?"
Miranda shook her head, "no. I'm not in the mood anymore." Miranda headed back toward the hotel and turned back to Andy, "make sure you have a costume for the party, it's important to Donna."
"Nigel and I are going to go get ours a little later. Do you want to come?" Andy called.
"No, I already have my costume." Miranda turned around and headed toward the hotel again.
Andy jogged to Miranda, "you won't just come with us because we're your friends? We could get a cup of coffee somewhere? Or some ice cream?"
Miranda cast Andy a sidelong glance.
"Hey, don't be mad at me for having a different opinion. Remember what you said? In lieu of friends you had people who stood up to you. And you know I love Caroline and I wouldn't have said that if I thought she'd be in real danger."
Miranda remained tight lipped.
Andy sighed, "if you change your mind about coming with us we're taking the three o'clock ferry."
♥
by Coco (i_heart_cuddy)
rating R
pairing Miranda/Donna
disclaimer I don't own the Devil Wears Prada or Mamma Mia or Meryl Streep: I'm just borrowing them. No money is being made off of this and no infringement is intended.
summary Caroline, Cassidy, Andy, Emily and Nigel come to see how Miranda is settling into her new life of leisure. Is retirement everything Miranda dreamed it would be or is it driving her slowly over the edge into insanity?
Author's Note Continuation in the fic verse set up in Letters to the Editor ♥
Part One | Part Two
where we left off: Miranda looked up from the letter and frowned, pursing her lips.
“Is everything okay?”
Miranda shook her head slowly.
Miranda made her way across the beach to the bar where she again found her twins. Miranda took the drink from Cassidy’s hand.
“Hey!” Cassidy objected with confusion.
“Caroline, would you excuse us, please?” Miranda smiled sweetly, trying very hard to stay calm.
“Sure.” Caroline knew that whatever bee was under Miranda’s bonnet was making her quite mad and she was grateful that Miranda didn’t want to take it out on her.
“Thank you, sweetheart.” Miranda replied coolly. Caroline gave her sister a last look over her shoulder before walking away.
Cassidy looked up at her mother, she was too afraid to speak. Miranda drummed her fingers on the bar. She wanted to let Cassidy squirm for a couple of minutes before she let the hammer drop.
“I don’t understand, Cassidy.”
“Don’t understand what? Maybe if you told me what was wrong I could explain it to you.”
Miranda laughed, “that’s such an ironic thing for you to say, Cassidy Anne.”
Middle name. Never a good sign. Cassidy gulped instinctively.
“Because if you’d just explained to me in the first place then this vacation would have been a lot more enjoyable for all of us.”
“Mom,” Cassidy said pleadingly, “please… I don’t…”
“Business services at Oxford sent me back my tuition check.” Miranda handed the cocktail glass back to the bartender. "It’s been almost three months since your semester ended. You had to have known that you were expelled for at least that long. I can’t even fathom how you thought I wouldn’t find out.”
“Mom, I…” Cassidy desperately tried to think of something to say but came up with nothing.
“And, please, don’t insult me by telling me that you’ve been trying to think of how to tell me.” Miranda pursed her lips. “Because there is no excuse in the world that will make this alright. I’m a very supportive mother, I’ve always been understanding when you’ve had academic issues. The thing is that it’s not even about the classes, is it? It’s just that you didn’t apply yourself. You’re such a smart woman, Cassidy. You are so smart when you apply yourself. It’s too bad that there are no opportunities for professional slackers because you would excel at it. Which would be ironic, I realize.”
“Mom.” Cassidy said, trying to interject. She knew that it was never a good sign when Miranda launched into a rant. It was usually an omen of death, actually. She blinked tears out of her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t.” Miranda shook her head. “We’ll talk about this later. I have to lie down.”
Cassidy watched Miranda disappear into the hotel. She wiped at her eyes. Caroline returned, “what happened?” She asked softly.
“The jig is up.”
**
Miranda sat on the bed; Donna sat behind her and waited for her to speak. Miranda rubbed her eyes tiredly. Donna reached out and rubbed Miranda’s shoulder. Miranda sighed and lay back until her head was resting in Donna’s lap.
Donna put a comforting hand on Miranda’s forehead. Miranda looked up at Donna, her expression was very put upon. She sighed.
Donna leaned down and kissed her nose. “Dare I say, like mother like daughter?”
Miranda’s hands flew to cover her eyes and she let out a long groan. “It’s different.”
“I know, sweetie.” Donna stroked Miranda’s hair.
“I got expelled for something I believed in.”
“I know.”
“Not because I was a spoiled, trust fund brat.”
“I know.”
Miranda sat up and turned to look at Donna. She was at a loss for words. Donna looked on sympathetically. She reached up and squeezed Miranda's shoulder. She'd wait for her to continue.
"This is my fault." She said steadily.
"Miranda, you can't blame yourself. A child's actions are not the fault of their parents. Cassidy is almost nineteen. She makes her own decisions." Donna scooted closer, rubbing Miranda's back, working at a tension knot.
Miranda shook her head, "you can say that and there's some truth to it, but... when they were younger, when Andrea was my assistant, and before her, too, actually, I sometimes had my assistants work on projects for them if they didn't have time."
"At the risk of incurring your wrath, I daresay that the girls were manipulating you." Donna said simply. Miranda furrowed her brow, prepared to get defensive, but Donna continued, "those girls of yours are smart, they know how to work you. Children of divorce know how to work their guilt-ridden parents."
Miranda snorted, "some comfort that is. It's still my fault."
"The only thing you're guilty of is wanting to take care of your daughters. You wanted to give them every opportunity. Maybe you didn't always take the right route, there isn't one parent in the history of the world who didn't make mistakes. My mother was a religious extremist who thought that sex is sin. Look at me, pregnant at 18 and now ridiculously in love with a beautiful woman. I raised Sophie teaching her that men were useless and she still fell in love with and married Skye. Children are supposed to grow up despite their parents."
Miranda nearly smiled.
"Should we get into you? Your mother taught you that capitalism is evil. You topped the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business the majority of the years you ran Runway. You and I, of all people, should know that the sins of the mother are not visited on the daughter. Not really."
Miranda sighed.
Donna rubbed her shoulders and leaned her forehead against Miranda's, "why don't I get out my hot stones and I'll give you a massage and you can talk to her calmly about what she wants to do now."
"You don't have to give me a massage."
"I don't?" Donna feigned shock, "well, hell, why've I been giving you massages these last couple of years if I didn't have to? What a relief that I don't have to give you massages anymore!"
"Alright, alright." Miranda laughed, "smartass."
**
When the dinner plates were being cleared away, Miranda stood up and looked at Cassidy, motioning to the door. Cassidy pushed herself up from the table and left the room to wait for Miranda.
Nigel approached Miranda, "Miranda, can we talk?"
"Can it wait?"
Nigel nodded, "yeah... yeah, it can wait." He watched Miranda walk away and watched all the courage he'd mustered up disappear along with her.
Donna held out a cup of coffee to Nigel. "Coffee?"
He looked over at it and up at Donna, then smiled a little, taking the coffee, "thank you."
"I'm sure she didn't mean to be so curt." Donna sipped her own coffee, "you know Miranda," she smiled.
Nigel laughed a little and nodded, "I do. I certainly do."
"She's been a little out of sorts. Cassidy was expelled from school and she's beating herself up over it."
"Well, getting kicked out of school is hard, it's good that Miranda's there for her." Nigel sipped his coffee.
"No, I mean Miranda's beating herself up over it. She thinks that she instilled a poor work ethic in the twins."
Nigel scoffed, "you mean 24-7-Priestly thinks that she set a bad example? The same woman who worked through Christmas three years in a row? The woman who didn't even make it to her own divorce proceedings because she was at a photo shoot? That Miranda?"
Donna laughed, "one in the same. Weight-of-the-world Miranda, she takes everything so personally. She demands perfection and she considers it a personal failing that Cassidy got kicked out."
"Okay, that does sound like Miranda."
"She didn't mean to be insensitive. She just sort of has blinders when it comes to other people's emotions."
Nigel's heart skipped a beat, he faltered, "what do you mean?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be overly forward."
"Overly forward, I've known you for two years now, Donna." Nigel's heart wouldn't stop pounding, but he managed a smile, "after that surprise three hour layover in Prague I feel like there are no secrets between us anymore."
Donna studied his face, she didn't believe that last line for a second. There was clearly something that he was keeping from her. Something, it seemed, that was meant for Miranda. Donna nodded, she was not one to pry.
Donna nodded and smiled, "why don't we take our coffee on the veranda?"
**
Miranda was mad. Donna had helped her reach the true meaning of the madness, but damn it all, she was disappointed in her daughter's unwillingness to take responsibility. Her fault, Cassidy's fault: it didn't matter whose fault it was.
"Mom." Cassidy finally spoke when it was clear that Miranda wasn't going to.
"No." Miranda cut her off. She shook her hair, "no. I'm not going to let you ruin my week. I am happy to have you and your sister here. You're not ruining that for me. So at the end of the week when everybody has to leave, we're going to figure this out."
"Figure what out?"
"Figure out what comes next." Miranda explained, "besides, you don't want me to talk about it right now. You really don't."
"Fine." Cassidy stood up and cast Miranda a sidelong glance.
"I love you."
"I love you too." Cassidy grumbled as she ascended the stairs towards her room.
Day Four
Emily woke up alone. She looked at the clock and let out a frustrated groan. She jumped out of bed and pulled on her clothes, heading for the dining room. She got there when the breakfast dishes were being cleared away. She leaned down and whispered in Andy's ear. "Screw you, too."
Andy looked up and furrowed her brow, "what are you talking about?"
"Not waking me for breakfast. I know what you're doing." Emily hissed.
"What I'm doing?" Andy repeated with incredulity. "You don't eat breakfast! Why would I wake you for breakfast?"
"I drink coffee. I could make witty conversation."
"Not even if you had Oscar Wilde feeding you lines."
"God, has the last hundred years of cultural knowledge avoided you like the plague or do you think your outdated social commentary is cute?"
Andy rolled her eyes and stood up from the table, retreating from the dining room.
"Because it isn't!" Emily called after her, scowling at her retreating form.
Donna came in from the kitchen, "oh Emily. Can I offer you a cup of coffee?"
She nodded resignedly, "please."
Donna disappeared and reappeared in a few minutes with a steaming mug of coffee. Emily accepted it wordlessly. "Do you have a costume for the fancy dress party yet?"
"No, not yet."
"There's a group of guests that're being escorted to the costume shoppe on the mainland today at 1, if you're interested."
**
Miranda and Caroline were walking down to the beach. Caroline looked over at her mother, "mom, I really need to ask you a favor."
Miranda stopped and took a deep breath, "if you tell me you got expelled, too, I'm going to go out of my mind, be forewarned."
Caroline laughed a little, "mom, are you kidding? I'm on the Dean's List."
"Failing is not the only reason students get expelled."
"You know from experience?"
"Nice try." Miranda smirked, "what is the favor?"
"Okay, well, there's this really great opportunity to go abroad and do some field reporting." Caroline started, trying to study Miranda's face to get moment to moment reactions.
Miranda, however, was a blank slate as she waited for the part that she wasn't going to like.
"And normally they don't let sophomores do it because you have to have an internship and that usually happens in the summer after your sophomore year because internships want you to have two years of school."
Caroline watched Miranda's face. "Go on." Miranda prodded.
"Well, I was hoping... for a little nepotism. If you could get me an internship at Runway this summer I could go abroad during the year and I can graduate a year early. If I can bulk up on my classes while I'm here then I'll have all my credits by the end of my junior year." Caroline looked at her mother pleadingly, "I really want to do this, mom, I really do. I think that having a head start helps me be a competitive contender in this unstable economy. This is really important to me."
Miranda licked her lips thoughtfully. "Where would you be going abroad?"
Caroline hesitated, she'd hoped Miranda wouldn't ask that. "Iraq."
Miranda scoffed, "dear God, Caroline. If I were to help you do that I may as well put you in front of a firing squad myself."
"Mom!"
"Women are not very highly thought of in middle eastern countries, I don't think this is a good idea and I don't think I can enable that." Miranda said sternly.
Caroline furrowed her brow and frowned. "You know, without your help I'm just going to go to Iraq in my junior year. I'm an adult and you can't stop me."
"Well, then I'll have bought you an extra year."
"Mom, come on!"
"No, Caroline. Not a chance in Hell." Miranda shook her head, "it's reckless and dangerous at best. Suicidal at worst. I can't put you in harm's way like that and still look myself in the mirror."
"This is so unfair."
"No, Caroline, this isn't unfair, it's perfectly reasonable for me to deny you this. There's not a parent alive who would make a different decision."
"Fine." Caroline huffed and turned back towards the hotel.
"I thought we were going swimming." Miranda furrowed her brow.
"I'm not in the mood anymore." She grumbled.
Miranda sighed in frustration and threw her arms up. "What next?" Miranda muttered to herself, "what else could possibly be thrown at me?"
She stopped short in the sand, considered what she'd just said and amended herself, "no, no, I don't mean that. I don't want to jinx myself. Please, disregard what I just said."
Andy giggled as she approached Miranda, "what are you doing?"
"I'm trying to take back something I just said." She explained.
Andy looked to the left and saw no one and then looked to the right and saw no one, "who did you say it to?"
Miranda gestured in front of her resignedly, "you know, the universe. The cosmic power that controls everything that happens."
Andy giggled again, Donna was rubbing off on her in a big way. "Well, what did you say to the universe?"
"I'm not repeating it. If I managed to unjinx myself, I don't want to take a chance on not being able to do it again."
"It was that bad, was it? The thing that you said that you may have jinxed?"
"Yes." Miranda said simply.
"Could you at least give me some details about what's bothering you?"
"Who says something's bothering me?" Miranda asked coyly.
"You don't talk to yourself when everything is fine and dandy."
"I wasn't talking to myself." Miranda said, sounding a little put out.
Andy smiled indulgently, "alright, you don't talk to the powers that be when you're not upset about something."
Miranda sighed. "Well, I guess my problem is that I have one daughter who wants to ruin her life by sabotaging her education and one daughter who wants to ruin her life by getting herself condemned to death."
Andy looked alarmed, "what's Caroline doing that's going to get her condemned to death?"
"She wants to go abroad to Iraq! She wants to be a field correspondent."
"That's really brave of her."
"That's stupid of her. Don't defend this ludicrous notion. I clearly confided this in the wrong person."
Andy looked sympathetic, "Miranda, it's not as if she'd be there alone. She would have a trip advisor and she'd be with a group of other students. She'd probably be on a very short leash, Northwestern doesn't want the publicity of their students being killed. Frankly, I think it's better she do it in college than after she graduates and goes alone."
Miranda frowned at her friend.
Andy shrugged, "maybe you should think about it and do a little research into the program before you flat out tell her no. If it's something she wants and you try to stop her it could irreparably damage your relationship."
"That's a risk I'm willing to take if it means she stays alive. I'd rather have an alive daughter who hates me than a dead one who loves me."
Andy shrugged again, "it's your decision."
"First sensible thing you've said this whole conversation." Miranda pursed her lips.
Andy gestured to the ocean, trying to change the subject, "are you going swimming?"
Miranda shook her head, "no. I'm not in the mood anymore." Miranda headed back toward the hotel and turned back to Andy, "make sure you have a costume for the party, it's important to Donna."
"Nigel and I are going to go get ours a little later. Do you want to come?" Andy called.
"No, I already have my costume." Miranda turned around and headed toward the hotel again.
Andy jogged to Miranda, "you won't just come with us because we're your friends? We could get a cup of coffee somewhere? Or some ice cream?"
Miranda cast Andy a sidelong glance.
"Hey, don't be mad at me for having a different opinion. Remember what you said? In lieu of friends you had people who stood up to you. And you know I love Caroline and I wouldn't have said that if I thought she'd be in real danger."
Miranda remained tight lipped.
Andy sighed, "if you change your mind about coming with us we're taking the three o'clock ferry."
♥