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It was an ordinary Saturday morning in the Priestly-Sachs household, which meant it was anything but ordinary. Andrea "Andy" Sachs, now a stylish and slightly more organised version of her former self, stood in the kitchen wrestling with the coffee machine while the sounds of her family waking up filled the air.
The clatter of plastic pots and pans echoed from the living room, where her four-year-old daughter, Cadence Priestly-Sachs, played with her extensive collection of pretend kitchenware. Despite Andy's initial reluctance, Miranda had splurged on an 89-piece toy set, and now plastic utensils and condiments lay strewn about their townhouse, creating a minefield for the unsuspecting.
The morning sun streamed through the kitchen window, illuminating countless crayon masterpieces taped to the fridge—everything from dinosaurs to rainbows. Finally managing to get the coffee machine to sputter to life, Andy took a sip just as Cadence stormed into the kitchen.
"Mama, I’m making breakfast!" Cadence chirped, donning an oversized apron that made her look like a pint-sized chef.
"Breakfast, wow! What’s on the menu, sweetie?" Andy replied, her heart swelling with affection.
"Spaghetti!" Cadence announced proudly, despite it being only eight in the morning.
"Spaghetti it is!" Andy laughed. Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall, and Miranda Priestly, the queen of Runway, emerged in a sleek black robe.
"Good morning, darling," she said, her usually smooth voice slightly raspy from sleep. Spotting Cadence, she asked, "And what culinary delights are we attempting today?"
"Spaghetti!" Cadence replied, her eyes wide with excitement.
"Fascinating choice, indeed," Miranda remarked, a slight smirk tugging at her lips. Just then, the door to the twins’ room creaked open, and Cassidy and Caroline, both fifteen, stepped into the kitchen.
“Morning, everyone!” Caroline greeted, her hair styled into a chic pixie cut.
"Caroline!" Miranda exclaimed, taken aback.
“Yo—you,” Andy stuttered before getting it out, "You got a pixie cut? When?"
“Last night,” Caroline said nonchalantly, patting her hair. “I love it!”
Miranda zoned in on Cassidy. “Cassidy… your hair? It looks different,” she observed, narrowing her eyes at Cassidy’s newly dyed locks.
Cassidy quickly pulled her hoodie over her head, but it was too late. “Um, yeah, I thought I’d try something new,” she replied, avoiding eye contact.
“Try something new without permission?” Miranda’s tone was sharp, but Andy could see a mix of disbelief and amusement in her eyes.
“Did you two sneak out to get your hair done?” Andy asked, her voice a blend of concern, disappointment, and incredulity.
Cassidy opened her mouth to protest, but Miranda cut her off. “Clearly, you did. We need to discuss this.”
“Mom, it’s not a big deal!” Cassidy exclaimed, pulling her hoodie tighter around her dyed brown hair. “I just wanted to look like Andy! It’s… it’s a tribute.”
“Really?” Andy raised an eyebrow, her heart swelling a bit despite the situation. “You wanted to look like me? You could have just borrowed my old flannel shirts!”
“Yeah, and I like mine like this!” Caroline chimed in, her pixie cut bouncing as she shrugged. “It’s so chic. Plus, with my badass hair, no one would dare mess with me. I love that!”
Miranda crossed her arms, trying to maintain her stern expression. “Bobbsey, you do realise that hair is more than just a fashion statement; it’s a commitment to maintaining a very specific aesthetic. You’ve traded your vibrant self for—” she gestured to Cassidy’s hoodie—“a junior journalist with an identity crisis.”
“But Mum!” Cassidy exclaimed, her voice rising. “I just wanted to be like her! She’s awesome, and she writes about cool stuff!” She shot Andy a hopeful glance, her eyes wide.
“I do write about cool stuff,” Andy said, trying to contain a grin. “But I’m also the one who spilled coffee on Taylor Swift’s dress during an interview. You don’t want to follow in those footsteps!”
“See?” Caroline jumped in, pointing at her sister. “You could have just gotten a lumpy sweater or something! You can’t just become Mum 2.0 with a hair dye.”
“Or you could’ve just spoken to us!” Miranda interjected, her tone softening slightly. “Next time, let’s keep the surprise hair changes to a minimum, yes? We don’t want you looking like a rebellious version of Andrea at a party.”
Cassidy’s shoulders slumped as she looked down. “I just thought if I looked like her, I’d be as cool as she is.”
“Well, it’s not the hair that makes you cool, sweetheart,” Andy said gently. “It’s being yourself—quirks, chaos, and all.”
“Right,” Cassidy said, her face lighting up a bit. “So can I keep the hair?”
“Only if you promise not to sneak out again,” Miranda replied, an almost playful smirk appearing. “And let’s discuss appropriate hairstyles in the future.”
“Fine,” Cassidy relented, a hint of a smile creeping onto her lips. “But I’m definitely keeping the colour!”
“Great,” Caroline said, ruffling Cassidy’s hair affectionately. “And now you can match with your favourite mum. Just remember, my fashion tips don’t include spaghetti for breakfast!”
Cadence piped up, tugging at Andy’s apron, “Can I have purpur hair too?” she asked, her eyes bright with hope.
“Purpur hair?” Andy and Miranda echoed in unison, exchanging a look of horror.
“Absolutely not,” Miranda said firmly, though the corner of her mouth twitched. “You’re not dyeing your hair until you can properly say ‘hair dye’ without mixing it up with ‘hair dry.’”
“Mom!” Cadence protested, crossing her arms.
When Miranda didn’t budge, Cadence realised a change of tactic might be best. Making a pout, she turned toward Andy. “Mumma!” she cried, pointing a tiny finger at her mother.
“Yes, well,” Andy said, casting a sympathetic glance at Cadence while the twins snickered. “Pumpkin, you can have purple hair when you can pronounce it correctly.”
Cadence sighed in disappointment but agreed, “Okay!” She then skipped back to her makeshift kitchen, followed by her elder sisters, leaving Andy and Miranda shaking their heads, half-laughing, half-worrying about what the day had in store.
As the morning wore on, the breakfast chaos continued. Just as Andy put her mug and dish in the sink, her phone buzzed on the counter. It was a message from Dalton Pre-Primary, Cadence’s school.
“Uh-oh,” Andy muttered, glancing at Miranda, who was halfway through a slice of avocado toast.
“What is it?” Miranda asked, already dreading the answer.
“Looks like we’re needed at school,” Andy said, reading the message aloud. “Cadence has been… sharing some interesting stories with her classmates.”
“Wonderful,” Miranda said, her expression turning remorseful. “What did she say this time?”
Andy scrunched her nose for a second. “Let’s just say it involves her interpretation of our weekend activities.”
Miranda pinched the bridge of her nose, stifling a grin. “Interpretation?”
“Yeah, apparently Cadence told her class that you and she got high, that I ran away from home, and that Cassidy has a coke addiction, and that Caroline keeps weapons in the house, and I let her drive the car and she crashed,” Andy explained, unable to suppress a wince.
“What?!” Miranda exclaimed, her eyes wide. “She told them—WHAT?”
“High as a kite. Apparently, rock climbing translates to ‘getting high’ in Cadence’s world,” Andy said, laughing now.
Miranda shook her head but couldn’t suppress a smile. “And you ran away from home? That’s rich.”
“Well, I did go for a run, but that hardly counts as running away,” Andy said, shaking her head. “The driving?”
“Toy car,” Andy clarified, with a slight chuckle.
When the couple turned toward Caroline and Cassidy, they found the twins wheezing, their palms against their mouths.
“Coca-cola,” Cassidy managed to breathe between giggles.
“Guns,” Caroline folded her right elbow, showcasing her bicep.
Andrea burst out in a fit of laughter while Miranda sighed, shaking her head but unable to suppress a smile. “This is going to be interesting.”
“Great,” Andy said, already imagining the potential fallout. “Let’s just hope they don’t ask CPS to get involved.”
“Denial is futile when you’re dealing with children, Andrea,” Miranda replied, slipping out of her chair. “Let’s just go.”
Arriving at Dalton Pre-Primary was an experience in itself. The tiny building was buzzing with activity as parents dropped off their children, and the laughter of tiny voices filled the air. Cadence held onto both of her mothers’ hands, proudly leading them through the chaos.
As they entered the classroom, they were greeted by Miss Collins, Cadence’s teacher. "Ah, the famous Priestly-Sachs family! We’ve heard so much about you, especially from Cadence!"
“Miss Collins,” Miranda began, her tone composed yet urgent. “We’d like to clarify a few things about what Cadence has been sharing.”
“Of course,” Miss Collins
said, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “Cadence has quite the imagination!”
Andy nodded. “She mentioned that we got high. That’s a misunderstanding.”
“Absolutely,” Miranda added. “What she meant was that we went rock climbing. There was no… other activity involved.”
Miss Collins chuckled. “I see! And what about the other comments?”
Andy took a breath. “The running away? I went for a run, not ran away from home. And the coke addiction? That was referring to soda.”
Miranda raised an eyebrow. “And as for the weapons? That’s definitely a misunderstanding. We don’t have any of those in the house.”
“I appreciate you coming in to clarify this,” Miss Collins said, a smile on her face. “Children can sometimes twist stories in the most creative ways.”
“Creative indeed,” Andy agreed, feeling a mix of relief and embarrassment.
As they wrapped up their discussion, Cadence beamed up at them, her innocent eyes wide. “Look at my bear!” she exclaimed, holding up her glittering craft.
“Wow, it’s beautiful!” Andy praised, and Cadence beamed with pride.
“Just like you!” Cadence chirped, making everyone chuckle.
“Thank you, sweet pea,” Andy said, kissing Cadence’s forehead.
By the time they returned home, the sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow through the windows. Cadence was full of energy, chattering about her adventures at school, while Cassidy and Caroline flopped onto the couch, exhausted but satisfied.
“Can we get pizza for dinner?” Caroline suggested, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“I could definitely go for pizza,” Cassidy agreed, glancing at their mums.
Andy and Miranda exchanged a knowing look, silently weighing their options.
“Pizza it is,” Andy decided, unable to resist their enthusiasm.
As Andy ordered the pizza, Cadence was busy playing with her toys, and the twins were glued to their phones, deciding upon which “hair reveal” pictures to post.
“Just don’t forget to tell your stylist about the maintenance,” Miranda warned, her tone serious. “This is not just a one-time decision.”
“Got it, Mum!” Caroline replied, rolling her eyes but with a smile on her face.
When the pizza arrived, chaos ensued once again. Everyone scrambled to grab their favourite slices, Cadence ended up covered in cheese, and laughter echoed through the kitchen.
As they settled down to eat, Miranda raised her glass of sparkling water. “To lying and sneaking children,” she announced, her gaze sweeping across the table. “May Andrea and I never have the privilege of bailing any of you out.”
While Andy guffawed with laughter, the twins whined, “Moommm!”
“To family!” Andy raised her glass, her voice filled with sincerity.
As they ate, Cadence suddenly piped up, “And next weekend, we should go high again!”
“Rock climbing?” Andy asked, unable to hide her amusement.
“No, Mumma! Like, high on the mountain!” Cadence exclaimed, her eyes wide.
And just like that, the chaos returned as everyone erupted into laughter once again. In that moment, everything felt perfect.