Archive of Our Own ^beta

The snowy night camped in the Upper East Side. People tried to get home through the awful cold weather. Cars honked on the road while waving people mingling away. Fortunately, Miranda and her twin daughters stayed home all day since the weather announcement appeared on their phones. Miranda was working on the digital issue of Runway since it was foregone through the board meeting, and Nigel was the managing editor during the digital version. 

Emily moved on to the Art Department and became the Art Director after Nigel was appointed to take over as the managing editor. Miranda was overseeing the development of the Runway staff's employment. It made Mr. Irv Ravitz angry after receiving the news from the board meeting to approve the transitions with the staff and increase wages for all employees within Miranda's office. Miranda was thrilled that the board members gave an ahead to approve it without Irv's authorization. 

So, it led Miranda to work in her home office to meet on the Zoom meeting with Nigel and her two assistants, who were hired by Emily before Emily left to work as an Art Director. That's when Miranda came in to work on the digital version the assistant emailed her. She was focusing on the spread that Emily tried to convince that they tried to change the winter themes occasionally. Nigel was discussing searching on the couture collection from Vera Wang and Valentino to show some samples of tuxedos for women. 

Meanwhile, Cassidy made some popcorn in the kitchen while Caroline surfed the channels on the television in the home theater room, which Miranda had renovated after divorcing her third husband, Stephen Tomlinson. It used to be Stephen's home office, but Miranda knocked on the wall between the office and guest bedroom to make it bigger. She put the best one of the home televisions bought with a few thousand bucks. 

The girls loved that room after it was built and transformed into a family room for family nights together. Miranda preferred that room when she was not working on her magazine and relaxed with her daughters to spend time together. Cassidy and Caroline were thrilled that Miranda had finally reduced her working hours so she could be home more often after the Paris Fashion Week. It was exactly one year later. 

Miranda found herself keeping up with a person's desired career after seeing her for the first time a few weeks later. She sent the shining recommendation to the New York Mirror and had never heard from Andrea for a few months about the articles written by her former assistant. Miranda knew that Nigel had been in touch with Andrea from time to time, but this time, the contact halted, which worried Miranda greatly.

Miranda got out of her thoughts when Nigel dismissed the meeting and heard one of her daughters calling her from the home theater room. She knew it was time to wrap it up for the evening retreat and waved her hand to dismiss everyone on the Zoom meeting. After a long day with Nigel for recurring meetings, it got her to stretch her body. She was enlightening that her assistants were up to all errand tasks. Caroline came upon seeing her in the home office and asked. 

"Is it time for our evening retreat? I found something cool on television. Cass is making some popcorn." 

"Yes, Bobbsey. It is. I am wrapping it up before I will be with you soon." Miranda looked up at her with a smile. Caroline beamed before running back to the room. Cass went upstairs with a big bowl of popcorn and held pop drinks for everyone in the bag. Miranda checked the tasks she had done for the day, then closed the door behind her. She almost bumped into her other daughter and tried to help Cassidy carry the popcorn bowl. Cassidy looked up at her and smiled.

"I am excited that you are staying here with us. It's been a while."

"I know, Bobbsey. It's been a while since a year passed. I apologize for my long absence at home." 

"No, Mom. We understand that you have to work because you have been ensuring we have enough food and education to pay for. We appreciate that you have made changes since you returned from Paris last year. Again, it is funny that you changed your assistants too. We know that you love us more than everything you have done. Let's go!" Cassidy said with a smile before running toward the room. Miranda chuckled at her eldest one's boisterous comments and followed her along until Caroline invited her to sit with her. Cassidy dropped herself to the floor and looked at Caroline. 

"Whatcha got?" 

"English, please. Don't get yourself to be a street girl." Miranda said with her raised eyebrow. Cassidy rolled her eyes and repeated. 

"What have you got? Better, mom?" 

"Very much. Thank you very much, Cassidy. I appreciate you." 

"Oh man," Cassidy muttered to herself. Caroline grinned at her sister and continued. 

"I found the channel very interesting. It is a country music channel. I would like to hear different singers and see how good they are." 

"Country music? It sounds boring!" Cassidy said. Caroline glared at her and asked. 

"Mom, have you met a country singer before?" 

"Yes, from time to time. Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire, and I have met Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton a few times. They are lovely people." 

"No way! Taylor Swift!?" The girls said in unison. Miranda knew that they listened to Taylor Swift in pop-rock music after Taylor transferred from country to pop-rock. Cassidy was a big fan of Taylor Swift's songs. Caroline was a big fan of her outfits. Miranda never found herself to listen to the country songs that Taylor Swift used to sing. 

"Yes, I have met her. She is a lovely artist who contemplates her music and has performed for the country." 

"Cool!" Caroline said with a grin. Cassidy nodded while watching one of Reba's music videos. Miranda watched it along, but her singing almost matched Reba's voice. Caroline watched her with a grin and asked. 

"You can sing, Mom." 

"Yes, Bobbsey. I can sing. I was a singer before I became an editor-in-chief. You know that?" 

"No," Cassidy said. 

"I was in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre for a few years back in London. Few older than your age. I was going to be an opera singer professionally but lost my voice in my last year of school. Also, I lost your grandparents due to the day when they died while I was auditioning for the part in the theater. There was a good chance that I finished my English Literature and Business degrees early at the University of College in London." 

"Wow!" Caroline said in awe. The music got their attention when it appeared mellow and quiet, like violin and piano conjoined together. The black screen dimmed brighter when it showed the violins playing. Miranda listened to it and furrowed her brows at the voice that was starting to sing beautifully. Cassidy slowly got up and watched the music flowing in the video. Caroline was perplexed at the sounds and swayed with them. 

There's a whisper in the New York City crowd

I close my eyes I hear your voice calling my name

But I ran away

It's been a while since I never forget

Your blue eyes longing for me

It showed Andrea sitting on the staircase where the MET Gala was hosted. Her dress was a black gothic tulle evening dress with delicate cape sleeves and a refined silhouette. It has a sweetheart shape that shows the Vintage 925 Sterling Silver Fine Austrian Crystal Heart Dragon Pendant Necklace with a cerulean heart. The dragon embraced a heart with its tails and waved its wings above it. Andrea's hair was let down in brown curls. 

Sometimes, it feels like my heart's playing a sad song,

And I'm the one who left you behind

Every moment, I tried to hide my pain from you

Like snowflakes, your words fall silent but

My heart still hears your voice

The scene showed Andrea standing on the stage with the piano playing behind her. She looked up at the upper audience and bellowed high notes in her singing voice with pain. Her tears showed visibly as Andrea bowed her head down. Her body posture was hurling when the third line came in. She looked like Fantine from Les Misérables.

It transitioned to the scene where Andrea sat on the floor, her head lying on the wall. Her eyes watched the shadows, and it showed that Andrea was crying while holding a photo of Miranda and Andrea at the event. In this photo, Andrea was longing for Miranda, but Miranda was focusing on other people in front of her. Emily was there behind her, too. 

My heart beats when you look at me

Like you're my last enchanted December

Every word fall silent, I tried to hide my heart from you

But you're my last enchanted December Oh Oh Oh

The scene showed that Andrea strode in the hallways of the theater in her black dress. She passed the wall of photos covering Miranda and Andrea in individual shots together. The violins came into the scene, and it was playing hollow. Andrea reached the staircase and stood by the balcony to look down. The transition from Andrea's standing went down to get a close-up of the piano on the ground floor from the staircase. 

There's a whisper in the New York City crowd

I close my eyes I hear your voice calling my name

But I ran away

It's been a while since I never forget

Your blue eyes longing for me

Andrea stood in her home, screaming and throwing wine bottles onto the wall. Her eyes were rimmed red with tears. When Andrea got in her rage, the furniture flipped upside down. It built tension between violins and piano at the same time. Andrea smashed one of the photos that showed Miranda and Andrea looking at each other outside in Paris. It was her last time seeing Miranda before she quit her job. 

Oh, Like you're my last enchanted December

Don't be a fool playing with your heart

There is one pain I often feel which you will never know

Every word fall silent, I tried to hide my heart from you

But you're my last enchanted December

Back to the scene on the staircase, Andrea stepped down on the way as the piano played. Her train was dragging on the way down. In a visible moment, her shoes were Prada Satin Pumps in Fiery Red when Andrea came down to the ground floor. The violins merged in mellow sounds. Andrea slowly walked away from the staircase to the theatre's front doors. It came in the next scene where Andrea stood in the crowd in Times Square, her eyes staring in front. 

I stand watching people kissing on New Year

I find myself thinking about you

How much I forget your blue eyes and voice

Like you're my last enchanted December

But my heart still hears your voice

The snow fell lightly on Andrea as she walked to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree positioned by the ice rink. She watched the Christmas lights flicker on the tree and showed her sad smile. The violins were shown in the next scene on the stage. Andrea was transformed into the scene where she stood on the stage looking up. 

Sometimes, it feels like my heart's playing a sad song,

And I'm the one who left you behind

Every moment, I tried to hide my pain from you

Like snowflakes, your words fall silent but

My heart still hears your voice

Andrea stood in the crowd watching people when the scene came in. She stayed still while people passed by her. Some people were kissing. Others were cheering with their embraces and waving balloons. Andrea slowly turned around and walked away. The piano scene came into the wide range shot on the ground floor in the lobby. 

Oh, Like you're my last enchanted December

Don't be a fool playing with your heart

There is one pain I often feel which you will never know

Every word fall silent, I tried to hide my heart from you

But you're my last enchanted December

My heart beats when you look at me

Like you're my last enchanted December

Every word fall silent, I tried to hide my heart from you

But you're my last enchanted December Oh Oh Oh

The last scene showed Andrea crying on her living room floor with damaged furniture and a wall. The bottles were broken, and the photos were ripped everywhere on the floor. Andrea held the picture of Miranda and her daughters smiling, tears flowing down her face. The close-up shot came into view and became a wide-range shot. The snow was falling outside her window during the nighttime. 

There is one pain I often feel which you will never know

Every word fall silent, I tried to hide my heart from you

But you're my last enchanted December

Oh Oh Oh Like you're my last enchanted December

At the same time, Andrea showed her face in different locations. First, it was on the staircase when she was sitting. Then, it led to the Time Squares scene and flowed into the stage scene with piano and violins in a visible wide-range shot. Lastly, Andrea looked down at the photo that she held in her hands and sang in a beautiful, soft, and haunted voice. 

Like snowflakes, your words fall silent

But my heart still hears your voice

I find myself thinking about you

How much I forget your blue eyes and voice

Like you're my last enchanted December

Oh Oh Oh you're my last enchanted December

Every word fall silent, I tried to hide my heart from you

But you're my last enchanted December

Oh Oh Oh Last enchanted December

Last enchanted December Oh Oh Oh

But you're my last enchanted December

The scene showed Andrea crying in her home when it dimmed in fade black. The music of violins and piano came to fade in the background. It ended with the credits of the song that was written and the record label company being named. Then, it transitioned to the commercial that showed the CMA Awards with a date announcement that was followed before the CMA Country Christmas. Andrea was announced as a performer for the CMA Awards. 

The silence was deafening in the home theater room when the Priestly women watched Andrea singing her debut single, Last Enchanted December. It took them a few minutes to realize that they cried, too. Miranda felt her heart breaking when she watched Andrea singing beautifully. Caroline and Cassidy were slumped, too, when they heard the song that was painfully played by their favorite person. Cassidy was the one who noticed that the commercial was explaining about the CMA Awards, and Andrea Sachs announced that she would perform that song. 

"Mom, can we go see her in Nashville? Andy is performing that song at the CMA Awards this year." 

"Yes, Mom, can we?" 

Miranda stared at the commercial that played out in a few minutes. She looked at her daughters for the first time. It made her think about Andrea when she left Miranda back in Paris last year. Watching Andrea run away from her broke Miranda's heart. She felt like her heart was taken away and never got it back after getting back to New York City. 

"I will see to it if we get tickets to see her perform that night," Miranda said. 

The girls looked at each other with sad smiles. Miranda watched them using silent communication, but her eyes stared at the Tide detergent commercial. Caroline nodded at herself and looked at her mom for the first time when she asked. 

"Mom, do you miss Andy?" 

"Yes, I do." The final words was that Miranda found herself saying. It got Miranda to think about Andrea again and few minutes later, the silence came into the room when her daughters decided to go to bed. It left Miranda alone with the background noise of the television that played music. Miranda finally looked at the window and whispered in a soft tone. 

"Like you're my last enchanted December."