//------------------------------//
// day twenty-three 
// Story: Her Mother's Diary 
// by Church 
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… Day twenty-three...
















Mother stopped by today. This came as a surprise, as I had thought her to be off on vacation with Dad, at least for the next week or so. They were supposed to be in Hoofington for the entire month. They said they’d stop by and see how the foal was doing by the time the month was out. I always took Mother’s word for it, she was one of those ponies that had to be on time all the time. She was never early or late, she arrived precisely when she meant to. So the minute I opened the door, I drew back and all I could utter was- “Mom?”

Rainbow was fast asleep, soundly resting in her crib at the time Mother stepped hoof through the front door. Being Mom, the first thing she told me when she came through was how much of a mess the house was, how the lighting made everything look so dreary, and how this was no place to raise a foal. I only sighed. She took tentative steps around invisible piles of dust as she crossed into the kitchen area. There, she sat her rump down on one of my ‘lumpy’ dining room chairs. Grimacing, she asked me where Rainbow was. 

Of course, I wasn’t about to go wake up Rainbow so that she could see her grandmother. There will be several occasions where Mother will most likely drop on by unannounced to see her. So I told her that Rainbow was sleeping and that I wasn’t about to wake her just so that she could see her. Mom only grunted and shuffled around on the chair. Same old story, really. Always a bit of the cold shoulder, and she was none too enthused with her daughter when she was told that her child had been knocked up just under a year ago now. 

Something else was bothering Mom, however. I saw it in her eyes. The usually stubborn, tough-loving pegasus seemed distant and out of touch. I suppose I should have thought something was wrong the second she walked through the door. They never cut vacation short. Never. There was certainly no reason for them to come home to see my foal. They were already a bit pissed that their daughter didn’t wind up marrying the father anyway (we have an old fashioned family). What could the visit have possibly meant? Why trouble herself in coming over?

It was then that I realized that Dad wasn’t there at all. 

My mind raced back and forth on whether or not to ask Mom about Dad. He must be the reason why they are home so early, his condition must be getting considerably worse, especially seeing as how they cut the vacation almost a week short. Mother was very quiet. Apart from what she had said coming in through the doorway, she had shut up as soon as she heard that she wasn’t going to be able to hold Dash. That was bad. I didn’t want to ask, because I knew that I didn’t want to hear the answer. I had to ask, however. So I did. 

Mom got teary-eyed as to the questioning of the state of Father. That was a concern right there. Mom... well, she never cries. All of my life, I had seen her cry only once: that was when her dad died. Here she was, looking rather somber, the tears forming in her eyes. But she held them back. She turned away, to my room, to where Dash was sleeping. She then asked me one thing-

“Can I see her?”

That told me everything right there. Dad’s condition must be getting worse. I didn’t ask her anything further. I was afraid to. Instead I gulped and, incredibly, held back the tears in my eyes, leading Mom into Rainbow’s room. 

We stood over Rainbow’s crib, just watching her breathe, watching her live. Mom said nothing as the time flew by. We stood in silence over my Mother’s granddaughter for a very long time, perhaps an hour. I thought Rainbow would wake up. I thought Mom would at least stay until she did. No... instead Mother did something that she hadn’t done in I don’t know how many years now.

Mom leaned over and hugged me. She embraced me as we looked down at the foal I thought she didn’t even approve of. After all that had happened, she still loved me. Either that, or she needed somepony. I would like to think both... so I hugged her back. 

“She’s beautiful.” Mom told me. I just about cried. 

Mom left after that. She trotted out the door, leaving me wondering, sort of leaving me in the dark. But that was Mom. That’s how Mom ticks. I’m not going to say she’s a bad parent for doing it, I still love her. That... and sometimes I think she does it to protect me. She must know how ill I know Dad is. 

Dad... I promise... you can be proud of what I’ve done for once. Rainbow Dash is going to be somepony you can love and cherish and buy ice cream for when I specifically tell you she can’t have any. She’s going to be somepony you can hug and read a bedtime story to when she visits the house. She’s going to be your sunshine on the darkest of days. She’s going to be the salt in your pepper as you would say, even though that phrase still makes little sense to me. You haven’t even spoiled her like I know you will yet. You have so many years to watch her grow with me. So please hang on. Dad... I’m begging you to hold on.

Celestia... please watch over him...