make　it　a　li’l　vacation。　It’s　not　that　bad；　you’ll　see。”　He　smiled
  first　at　me　and　then　at　Jill；　who　smiled　back　and　brushed　the　back
  of　her　hand　across　his　cheek。　They　were　disgustingly　in　love。
  “Really；　Andy；　it’s　a　culture…rich　place　with　a　whole　lot　to　do。　We
  both　wish　you’d　e　visit　us　more　often。　It’s　just　not　right　that
  the　only　time　we　see　each　other　is　in　this　house；”　she　said；　waving
  expansively　around　our　parents’　living　room。　“I　mean；　if　you　can
  stand　Avon；　you　can　certainly　stand　Houston。”
  “Andy；　you’re　here！　Jay；　the　big　New　York　City　career　girl　is　here；
  e　say　hi；”　my　mom　called　as　she　rounded　the　corner　ing　from
  the　kitchen。　“I　thought　you　were　going　to　call　when　you　got　to　the
  train　station。”
  “Mrs。　Myers　was　picking　Erika　up　from　the　same　train；　so　she　just
  dropped　me　off。　When　are　we　eating？　I’m　starving。”
  “Now。　Do　you　want　to　clean　up？　We　can　wait。　You　look　a　little　ragged
  from　the　train。　You　know；　it’s　fine　if—”
  “Mother！”　I　shot　her　a　warning　look。
  “Andy！　You　look　dynamite。　e　here　and　give　your　old　man　a　hug。”　My
  dad；　tall　and　still　very　handsome　in　his　midfifties；　smiled　from　the
  hallway。　He　was　holding　a　Scrabble　box　behind　his　back　that　he　only
  let　me　see　by　flashing　it　quickly　by　the　side　of　his　leg。　He　waited
  until　everyone　looked　away　from　him　and　pointed　to　the　box　and
  mouthed；　“I’ll　kick　your　ass。　Consider　yourself　warned。”
  I　smiled　and　nodded　my　head。　Contrary　to　all　mon　sense；　I　found
  myself　looking　forward　to　the　next　forty…eight　hours　with　my　family
  more　than　I　had　in　the　four　years　since　I’d　left　Home。　Thanksgiving
  was　my　favorite　holiday；　and　this　year　I　was　set　to　enjoy　it　more
  than　ever。
  We　gathered　in　the　dining　room　and　dug　into　the　massive　meal　that　my
  mother　had　expertly　ordered；　her　traditional　Jewish　version　of　a
  night…before…Thanksgiving　feast。　Bagels　and　lox　and　cream　cheese　and
  whitefish　and　latkes　all　professionally　arranged　on　rigid　disposable
  serving　platters；　waiting　to　be　transferred　to　paper　plates　and
  consumed　with　plastic　forks　and　knives。　My　mother　smiled　lovingly　as
  her　brood　dug　in；　with　a　look　of　pride　on　her　face　as　if　she’d　been
  cooking　for　a　week　to　sustain　and　nurture　her　babies。
  I　told　them　all　about　the　new　job；　tried　as　best　as　I　could　to
  describe　a　job　that　I　didn’t　yet　fully　understand　myself。　Briefly　I
  wondered　if　it　sounded　ridiculous　to　tell　them　how　the　skirts　were
  called　in　and　all　the　hours　I’d　logged　wrapping　and　sending
  presents；　and　how　there　was　a　little　electronic　ID　card　that　tracked
  everything　you　did。　It　was　hard　to　fit　into　words　the　sense　of
  urgency　each　of　these　had　taken　on　at　the　time；　how　when　I　was　at
  work　it　seemed　that　my　job　was　supremely　relevant；　even　important。　I
  talked　and　talked；　but　I　didn’t　know　how　to　explain　this　world　that
  may　have　been　only　two　hours　away　geographically　but　was　really　in　a
  different　solar　system。　They　all　nodded　and　smiled　and　asked
  questions；　pretending　to　be　interested；　but　I　knew　it　was　all　too
  foreign；　too　absolutely　strange　sounding　and　different　to　make　any
  sense　to　people　who—like　me　until　a　few　weeks　earlier—had　never　even
  heard　the　name　Miranda　Priestly。　It　didn’t　make　much　sense　to　me
  yet；　either：　it　seemed　overly　dramatic　at　times　and　more　than　a
  little　Big　Brother–esque；　but　it　was　exciting。　And　cool。　It　was
  definitely；　undeniably　a　supercool　place　to　call　work。　Right？
  “Well；　Andy；　you　think　you’ll　be　happy　there　for　your　year？　Maybe
  you’ll　even　want　to　stay　longer；　huh？”　My　mom　asked　while　smearing
  cream　cheese　on　her　salt　bagel。
  In　signing　my　contract　at　Elias…Clark；　I’d　agreed　to　stay　with
  Miranda　for　a　year—if　I　didn’t　get　fired；　which　at　this　point　seemed
  like　a　big　if。　And　if　I　fulfilled　my　obligation　with　class　and
  enthusiasm　and　some　level　of　petence—and　this　part　was　not　in
  writing　but　implied　by　a　half…dozen　people　in　HR；　and　Emily；　and
  Allison—then　I　would　be　in　a　position　to　name　the　job　I’d　like　next。
  It　was　expected；　of　course；　that　whichever　job　that　may　be　would　be
  atRunway　or；　at　the　very　least；　at　Elias…Clark；　but　I　was　free　to
  request　anything　from　working　on　book　reviews　in　the　features
  department　to　acting　as　a　liaison　between　Hollywood　celebrities
  andRunway　。　Out　of　the　last　ten　assistants　who　had　made　it　through
  their　year　in　Miranda’s　office；　a　full　hundred　percent　had　chosen　to
  move　to　the　fashion　department　atRunway　；　but　I　didn’t　let　that
  concern　me。　A　stint　in　Miranda’s　office　was　considered　to　be　the
  ultimate　way　to　skip　three　to　five　years　of　indignity　as　an
  assistant　and　move　directly　into　meaningful　jobs　in　prestigious
  places。
  “Definitely。　So　far　everyone　seems　really　nice。　Emily’s　a　little；
  um；　well；mitted；　but　otherwise；　it’s　been　great。　I　don’t　know；　to
  listen　to　Lily　talk　about　her　exams　or　Alex　talk　about　all　the
  shitty　things　he　has　to　deal　with　at　work；　I　think　I　got　pretty
  lucky。　Who　else　gets　to　drive　around　in　a　chauffeured　car　on　their
  first　day？　I　mean；　really。　So　yeah；　I　think　it’ll　be　a　great　year；
  and　I’m　excited　for　Miranda　to　e　back。　I　think　I’m　ready。”
  Jill　rolled　her　eyes　and　shot　me　a　look　as　if　to　say；Cut　the
  bullshit；　Andy。　We　all　know　you’re　probably　working　for　a　psycho
  bitch　surrounded　by　anorexic　fashionistas　and　are　trying　to　paint
  this　really　rosy　picture　because　you’re　worried　you’re　in　over　your
  head；　but　instead　she　said；　“It　sounds　great；　Andy；　it　really　does。
  Amazing　opportunity。”
  She　was　the　only　one　at　the　table　who　could　possibly　understand；
  since；　before　moving　to　the　Third　World；　she’d　worked　for　a　year　at
  a　small　private　museum　in　Paris　and　had　developed　an　interest　in
  haute　couture。　Hers　was　more　of　an　artistic　and　aesthetic　hobby　than
  a　consumer　one；　but　she　still　had　some　exposure；　at　least；　to　the
  fashion　world。　“We　have　some　great　news；　too；”　she　continued；
  reaching　across　the　table　for　Kyle’s　hand。　He　had　set　down　his
  Coffee　and　extended　both　his　hands。
  “Oh；　thank　god；”　my　mother　instantly　exclaimed；　slumping　over　as　if
  someone　had　finally　lifted　the　two…hundred…pound　dumbbell　that　had
  rested　on　her　shoulders　for　the　last　two　decades。　“It’s　about　time。”
  “Congratulations；　you　two！　I　have　to　say　you’ve　had　your　mother
  really　worried。　You’re　certainly　not　newlyweds　anymore；　you　know。　We
  were　beginning　to　wonder　。　。　。”　From　the　head　of　the　table　my　dad
  raised　his　eyebrows。
  “Hey　guys；　that’s　great。　It’s　about　time　I　get　to　be　an　aunt。　When’s
  the　little　one　due？”
  They　both　looked　dumbfounded；　and　for　a　moment　I　worried　that　we’d
  gotten　it　all　wrong；　that　their　“good”　news　was　that　they　were
  building　a　newer；　bigger　Home　in　that　swamp　they　lived　in；　or　that
  Kyle　had　finally　decided　to　leave　his　father’s　law　firm　and　was
  going　to　join　my　sister　in　opening　the　gallery　she’d　always　dreamed
  of。　Maybe　we’d　jumped　the　gun　on　this　one；　been　just　a　little　too
  eager　to　hear　that　a　future　niece　or　grandson　was　on　the　way。　It　was
  all　my　parents　could　talk　about　lately；　incessantly　hashing　and
  rehashing　the　reasons　why　my　sister　and　Kyle—already　in　their
  thirties　and　with　four　years　of　marriage　behind　them—had　yet　to
  reproduce。　In　the　past　six　months；　the　subject　had　progressed　from
  time…consuming　family　obsession　to　perceived　crisis。
  My　sister　looked　worried。　Kyle　frowned。　My　parents　looked　as　though
  they　might　both　pass　out　from　the　silence。　The　tension　was　palpable。
  Jill　got　out　of　her　chair　and　walked　over　to　Kyle；　where　she　plopped
  herself　in　his　lap。　She　wrapped　her　arm　behind　the　back　of　his　neck
  and　leaned　her　face　next　to　his；　whispering　in　his　ear。　I　glanced　at
  my　mother；　who　looked　about　ten　seconds　away　from　unconsciousness；
  the　worry　causing　the　small　lines　near　her　eyes　to　grow　as　deep　as
  trenches。
  Finally；　finally；　they　giggled；　and　turned　toward　the　table；　and
  announced　unanimously；　“We’re　going　to　have　a　baby。”　And　then　there
  was　light。　And　shrieking。　And　hugging。　My　mother　flew　out　of　her
  seat　so　fast　that　she　knocked　it　over　and；　in　turn；　tipped　over　a
  potted　cactus　that　rested　by　the　sliding…glass　door。　My　dad　grabbed
  Jill　and　kissed　her　on　both　cheeks　and　the　top　of　her　head；　and　for
  the　first　time　I　could　remember　since　their　wedding　day；　he　kissed
  Kyle；　too。
  I　rapped　my　Dr。　Brown’s　black　cherry　can　with　a　plastic　fork　and
  announced　that　we　needed　a　toast。　“Please　raise　your　glasses；
  everyone；　raise　your　glasses　to　the　brand…new　Sachs　baby　that　will
  be　joining　our　family。”　Kyle　and　Jill　looked　at　me　pointedly。　“OK；　I