To the bones

Introducing Athena

'Here's the file you wanted Miranda. And here's your coffee too.'

'At last. I thought you'd lost yourself on the streets of New York.'

Of course Andy didn't pick up on her boss' sarcastic (and actually bad) joke. She just smiled as she always did and turned to leave.
But before she did, she noticed something she had not seen before.

'What's that ?' She asked, obviously not expecting an answer from the woman behind her.

But Miranda hoped an answer would free her from her second assistant's annoying presence and said:

'That is a drawing of Athena of course. What else would it might be ?'

'And who's Athena ?' Asked Andy turning around to face the editor in chief and still not understanding she was no longer wanted here.

'My daughter.'

'You named your daughter 'Athena' ? Like... the Godess of War or something ?' She tried to suppress a laugh but didn't quite succeeded.

'Wisdom.' answered the other woman sharply. 'Does her name bother you ?'

Miranda's eyes turned like ice and looked at Andy with what started to look like anger.

'No, not at all ! It's just uh... uncommon.'

The editor rolled her eyes at Andy and her stupid comment and sighed.

'Mhm. Do you have any other irrelevant questions ?'

'No Miranda.'

'Good. That's all.'

Andy left her boss' office and went back to her desk in front of which she sat as if she had spent the most tiring week of her life when it actually was Monday, 11:18 am.
Still wondering about 'Athena', she bent over her desk, as if for getting closer to her colleague and asked her whispering:

'Who's Athena ?'

'Miranda has just answered that !' Said Emily also whispering to prevent getting caught from talking about something else than work.

'Yes but I was hoping you could give me more information about her ?'

Still looking at her computer screen Emily signed the number two with her fingers and then pointed at Miranda's office.

'Oh yeah of course...'

Miranda usually left around 11:20 and Emily wouldn't take the risk to talk so openly about her daughter. So Andy would have to wait a little bit.
But Miranda decided to leave a few minutes later than usual causing Andy to have to act as if she was actually working. She answered a few calls but that didn't take long as her answer was always the same:
-No, she's not available.
-I'll see what can be done about that.
-I'll tell her you called.

Miranda eventually left the office and Emily took a book hidden under her desk and quickly came to Andy's.
Opening the book full of pictures she said:

'Do you realize I'm wasting precious minutes of my noon break to explain you what shouldn't be explained ?' She was rather upset.

'Am I supposed to know her ?'

'Yes ! And you shall worship her almost as much as you worship Miranda.'

'I don't worship her.'

'And you're wrong.' She said dryly.
'Now, look at these pictures.'

Andy gasped in shock. Dozens of pictures and none of them looked like the previous one, all different styles, different haircuts and hair colors, etc.