She walked down the hallway, letting out a yawn and a stretch. A satisfying pop sounded from her joints. She was thankful it was finally the end of the day. Over the years, bedtime had become her favorite time of the day. It meant quiet; it meant calm; it meant that time. Just one last visit.
She knocked on the bedroom door. “Even?” She opened the door. Instantly, the noise of muffled music hit her ears. She entered the room and marched to the occupant in the bed. “Even!” she tapped his knee, rousing the boy. “Come on, mister,” she pointed to her ear, “bedtime.”
Sulkily, the headphones were relinquished.
“The player, too.”
A sigh, and that was handed over as well. “Come on, mom. It's summer. Why do I still have to go to bed early?”
“Because I'm your mother and I know what's best for you.”
Even released a snort.
She smirked and ruffled his hair, much to his displeasure. “Come on,” she leaned in, “give me a kiss.” With a “Good night” and an “I love you”, she turned off the light and left for her own room.
Another yawn came as she entered the master bedroom. It caught the attention of her wife, who was already in the bed.
“Kids all tucked in?”
Sunset nodded. “Finally.” She laid Even's MP3 player and headphones on her dresser. “Rose was quick, as usual. Stardust tried to play politician. Honey wanted to be read Good Night, Sun and Moon (again). Then, Even...” She gestured to the music player.
Wallflower chuckled. “So, a typical bedtime.”
Sunset shrugged as she dressed for bed. “I suppose.”
Her night routine done, she climbed into bed and snuggled next to her wife. “Tell you what, though, I've been looking forward to my bedtime.” She leaned up to kiss her wife. She got her usual nightly peck, but nothing more. Sunset frowned. She'd been waiting all day for "more", and made her disappointment known.
“Not tonight, Sunny” Wallflower shuffled between her papers and laptop. “I need to go over these reports for tomorrow.”
Sunset gave a slight huff. “You said that about last night as well. And the night before that.” She walked her fingers up Wallflower's stomach. “And, you know what they say about all work and no play.”
“You also know what they say when you can't pay your bills.”
“But, you've been working on this straight for nearly a month.”
“That was another presentation we made to the clients. This one is for the investors.”
Sunset's face fell. “Oh... Well, in that case, just throw together some clip art and fancy words. Not like they would know the difference. They're all business illiterate anyway.”
“I wish!” Wallflower laughed, “But, this will set the plan for the rest of the year. It needs to be highly detailed and accurate.” She stopped when she heard a sigh. A sigh was never good.
“Sunny,” she placed a gentle hand on her wife, “what is it?”
Another sigh. “I dunno... I guess we thought, with this promotion, that you'd have more time with to spend with the family. Yet, it seems that we see you less. The kids all ask why you don't tuck them in anymore. Well, except for Even. He wonders why I've suddenly become the Bedtime Police.
“I guess, with Even entering CHS in the fall, and Honey starting preschool, I worried that you're missing out on our kids growing up.”
Wallflower felt the urge to say something, but waited to hear Sunset out.
“And, I've been missing you. Yeah, we're here, but I'm not with you. Every night, I have to share you with a laptop and printouts. I get it that this is all for your work, and you don't want me to feel alone. But, this is our bed. There shouldn't be a wall of paperwork between us.”
Wallflower pursed her lips for a moment, before closing her laptop and setting her work aside. “I guess I really haven't been here. Both for you, or the kids. I'll admit: becoming part of the head office has really taken more of my time than I thought it would.
“Seems this adjustment hasn't been going as smoothly as I thought. I never meant for you to feel like this.” Her face lit up as an idea hit her.
“Sunny, why don't we go some place?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it's evident we need to do something as a family, and I have some vacation time coming up. I know we always try to stay local, but what if we went somewhere that was equally less draining on the bank?”
“Where did you have in mind?”
“Equestria!”
“What?”
“We've been wanting to go for years. And we should teach more about your heritage. You know the kids want to know.
“Besides, it would be the ultimate getaway.”
Sunset gave the thought ponder.
“Also,” Wallflower gave a mischievous smirk as she slid beneath the sheets. She wrapped her arms around Sunset's hips, pulling them closer to hers. The sudden movement elicited a jagged breath from Sunset. Wallflower took pleasure in it. She loved it when she caught her lover off guard. She kissed her tenderly. “You don't think I've forgotten what's coming up, do you?”
It took a moment for Sunset to process the situation. Not that she had forgotten, but, in the moment, it all slipped her mind. She returned the kiss. “Fifteen years. That's a milestone, isn't it?”
Wallflower smiled, taking her wife's hand and comparing her wedding band to Sunset's. “It sure is.”