I had only been to the Lilystalks farm a couple times, usually with my mother getting some food for a special occasion, and always waiting outside. This time I was with Avis we went straight into her home.
“Momma! I’m home, sorry for the wait!” Avis shouted as she entered her home.
“Avis, sweetie, I’m in the kitchen!”
“Let’s go, its ok, my mother enjoys visitors” Avis said as she lead me to the kitchen area.
The house opened directly into the kitchen, probably since they get so many deliveries to and from their house involving food grown on their farm, and from other farms in the nearby communities coming to trade with them. The Lilystalks really did put our little town on the map. We rarely had visitors, and never tourists. While we were close to Fillydelphia, the town wasn’t on any major roads leading in or out of the city, instead tucked safely in the nearby hills. When the Lilystalks moved here, they took it on themselves to open trading with the nearby towns, starting with setting up a small shop in Fillydelphia. Since then we have had many visitors from all walks of life. The kitchen alone showed it, with all sorts of gifts and trinkets from ponies who traded them for what is felt to be the best asparagus in all of Equestria.
I was so distracted by the different trinkets all over the kitchen, that I didn’t even notice Mrs. Lilystalk with a bowl of steamed asparagus and butter that she had placed before me.
“Oh, hello. I’m sorry, I was just admiring all these things you have decorating your kitchen. They are wonderful.”
“Why thank you. We’ve collected these for a very long time” Mrs. Lilystalk started to say as she placed some napkins next to the bowl of asparagus. “Here you go, eat up. It’s the least I can do for my daughters, inconvenience.”
“That is ok, she had apologized, numerous times actually, and I am fine, a little sore but I’ll be better come the morning.” Even though I had just eaten, my stomach growled at the sight of the asparagus, so I started eating a little here and there. It was delicious.
“I can see by the look on your face that you’re enjoying it. I’m glad. Oh and Avis tells me that you were there to pick something up for your mother. Well I have it right here, and even put a little extra in there at no charge for your troubles.”
“Momma, you’re making it seem like I intentionally crashed into him!” Avis blurted out.
“You say it was an accident, but was it a coincidence that you just so happen to ‘crash’ into such a nice young colt”
“Momma!”
I started to blush, not knowing how to take this, discussion between Avis and her mother. I honestly think they forgot I was even there for a second. I cleared my throat. “That asparagus was wonderful, but I should be heading home. My mother will be getting ready to make dinner soon, and she is probably wondering where I am with the asparagus. Thank you for your generosity Mrs. Lilystalk.”
As I was leaving the farm, I could see the sun slowly setting in the horizon, making way for the moon. It was getting later then I thought and started to hurry home. Before I could make it past the farm’s gate, I heard the door to the house open and Avis called after me. I stopped and turned back to see her running towards me, trying to catch me before I got too far.
“Wait Tinkerton, I wanted to, well my mother suggested that I ask you,” Avis was stuttering, as if not sure of exactly what to say, “If you wanted to, you’re welcome to have dinner with us tomorrow night. It’s the last night of the Market and we always have a big family dinner to celebrate this seasons earnings. And your family is also welcomed” Avis seemed to have added that last part suddenly, as if she didn’t want me to think it was just me that was being invited.
“Well I would like that. Honestly, despite how we meet, I’m glad we did” I wanted to say more, but was not sure what else to say. I know we had just met, but it feels like this chance meeting might be what I needed.
“Me too. Good night Tinkerton” Avis said, making a motion as if not sure what to do. Then she lifted up into the air, gave a small wave, and flew back to the door where her mother was waiting.
That night during dinner I told my mom, dad, and sister everything that happened. They seemed happy that I had made a new friend and were more than glad to join the Lilystalks for dinner the next evening. I felt very happy. After dinner I went to my room and relaxed before bed. It was usually an early night for me since I had to be up early to help my father with his shop. Normally while I was lying in bed waiting to drift off to sleep I thought about the next day’s projects to work on, or what else I can do to finally discover my cutie mark, but that was the furthest thing in my head. It was a new feeling, but I was very happy to have meet a friend, but was a little worried too. I never had a close friend, so was also anxious that I would do something to ruin it. But there is no time to fret about that. As my father always told me, ‘never push yourself to succeed, just let it flow and it will come naturally’.
The day went by fast, all of my chores were done as usual but the entire time I was awaiting the dinner, to see how things would unfold. My mother was busy in the kitchen preparing some of her best mushroom stew to bring, and my father was working on a small trinket for the Lilystalks. When I told him about the various trinkets in the kitchen that were given or traded for their goods, he had an idea to make one as a gift to say thanks for their generosity.
Later that evening we headed to the Lilystalks, both nervous and excited at the same time. You could say that I was feeling a bit, nervouscited. Well you could but that would just be silly. But it seems that I had nothing to be nervous about. The dinner went well. The Lilystalks loved the gift my father made them, a small carved totem like statue representing the founders of the town. My mother’s stew was also a hit. Mrs. Lilystalk and my mother were already trading recipes and coming up with new ways to integrate each other’s specialty cooking with each other’s.
Everyone hit it off. My sister, albeit much younger than me, and thus much, much younger then Avis’s two older brothers, Blanc and Vert, even seemed to catch both of their attentions. She was an earth pony at heart, more so then even my parents, and always was trying to seek out her roots as a field pony, but we had nothing like that, and besides, because of her being a bit, accident prone, my parents were afraid she would get hurt. But that did not stop Tippy from talking the brother’s ears off and asking all sorts of farming questions.
After dinner, we all said our good byes and thanked the Lilystalks for a wonderful dinner. While my parents and her parents were wrapping things up, Avis dragged me over to the side.
“Tinkerton, I am glad you came. It seems our parents hit it off pretty well. Did you have a nice time?”
“Yeah I did actually. A shame it has to end but it’s getting late. You’re always welcome to come visit the shop.”
“And your always welcome on the farm” Avis said, looking as if she was not done talking, even though she had stopped.
I waited around for a few seconds, neither of us seemed to break the silence. Seeing my parents starting towards the gate, I bid Avis farewell. After I turned around and started towards the gate I felt something touching my shoulder. I turned around and it was Avis.
“Oh before you go Tinkerton, would you like to join me for lunch tomorrow, at the pond? That is if you weren’t busy.”
“I would love that.”
We both turned back to our parents and headed to our homes. I was as happy, if not more so that night then I was the previous night. But there was something different that night. I usually dream of getting my cutie mark, or about a book I recently read, but that night’s dream was different. It was so vivid. It was of what I thought was a Pegasus, flying through the air, but not on wings of a feather, but something else, something natural, yet not like a normal wing. I woke unsure of what I dreamed about, but often my dreams did not make sense so I shrugged it off. I didn’t know that it was the start of something new.