Cheerilee’s cousin was lookin’ after my niece an’ nephew, an’ Granny worked things out so they’d come to visit sometimes an’ see the other side o’ their family. I said she was jumpin’ the gun a bit, makin’ those kinds of arrangements while ponies were still out lookin’, but she jus’ said there weren’t no harm in thinkin’ practical.
She was right.
The royal guards can only look for somepony for so long before they have to give ‘em up as dead, an’ it wasn’t long after that happened before I gave birth to my daughter, Ambrosia. That joy was enough to put the sadness of the loss of Big Mac and Cheerilee out of our minds… at least for a while, anyway.
“Don’t get me wrong, Granny,” Applejack said softly, shifting her weight awkwardly while looking at her sleeping daughter. “I’m glad she’s finally done nursin’, but… well, I kinda miss it, too, y’know?”
“Of course, young’un. It’ll fade in time.” Granny said reassuringly. “‘Course, that extra sensitivity is also gonna go away, an’ you’re liable to miss that, too,” she added with a wink.
Applejack cleared her throat and steered away from the subject. “Where’s Swift? Thought he’d be back inside by now.”
“Oh, he’s probably just workin’ late. Lots of trees to buck ‘bout now.”
“Yeah, but… I’m gonna go check on him.”
“He’s fine, Applejack. You should get some rest. He’ll come inside when he’s good an’ ready.”
“But—”
“Now, you listen here. Just because Ambrosia’s not nursin’ anymore doesn’t mean that takin’ care of her is any less tirin’ for you. You need your sleep. You get to bed now, and you’ll see your husband tomorrow, I’m sure.”
I took her advice and went to bed, even though I didn’t get much sleep. I mainly just waited for the sun to come back up, and tried not to look at the empty spot on the bed next to me.