Chapter Two
Growing Family
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The train ride back to Ponyville was bound to be a little uncomfortable, but all things considered, Sunset didn’t really mind. Sure, she was in damp clothes, but it could be worse. At least she had pleasant memories of the day for comfort.
True, there had been a little spot where Sunset had made a bad assumption and wound up hurting Morning’s feelings. But even so, then they’d made up and things had gone pretty well, Sunset thought.
Hell, Morning had even been comfortable enough with her to fall asleep. That had definitely been a highlight of the day, even among a pretty amazing day.
Those thoughts carried Sunset as she took the train from Hollow Shades, where Small Steps Home for Orphaned Ponies was, back to Ponyville. What did it matter if she had a damp seat in the face of that?
She barely noticed the time passing during the trip, leaving her surprised when the train pulled into Ponyville. Surprised, but quite pleased. She was eager to get home and tell her wives about the day she’d had.
She waited patiently as the train came to a stop, letting the more impatient ponies get off first. Once the crowd dispersed a little bit, Sunset disembarked and made her way through the town towards the castle.
All along the way, she walked with her head held up and a bounce in her step. She made it to the castle with her good mood intact, and quickly went upstairs towards the bedroom. She stopped along the way to say hi to Spike, but he was caught up in his comics, so she decided to share her news with somepony else.
And she got the perfect pony when she made it into the bedroom. Or one of them, at least. Fluttershy must have taken a shower, because she was sitting on the bed in a bathrobe with a towel covering her mane. She was reading a magazine, but she looked up and smiled as Sunset entered the room. “Welcome home, Sunset.”
“Hey, Fluttershy,” Sunset said, finally stripping off the wet uniform. “Is Twilight around?”
“She’s up in the library. How about I go get her while you get changed? Then we can figure out dinner.”
Dinner wasn’t really on Sunset’s mind, but she nodded her agreement. No matter how excited she was, wearing dry clothes would be welcome.
She picked out a comfy pajama. She didn’t usually wear pajamas to bed anymore, but she had some for lounging around the house. Once she was dressed, she brought her uniform into the bathroom adjacent to the bedroom and set it on the counter. It would need to be dry cleaned since she’d had the genius idea of sitting on the muddy ground in it, but that was a small price to pay for the day she’d had.
She returned to the bedroom and lay on the bed as she waited for her wives. She wasn’t waiting long, and Fluttershy returned with Twilight in tow.
“Welcome home,” Twilight said as she walked in. She and Fluttershy both took seats on the bed. “So how’d it go?”
“It was great!” Sunset answered. “That filly I told you about yesterday, Morning Glisten? We played out in the rain and then she fell asleep on me while I read to everypony.”
Fluttershy giggled. “Aww, that sounds adorable. I wish I had been there to see it.”
“Yeah, me too,” Sunset said. “I still can’t believe nopony questioned me being a princess. Well, except Morning.”
Twilight wore a sly grin. “So one filly says you’re not a princess and you talk about her like you want to take her home with you.”
“W-What? I, uh, well…” Sunset was left stammering at Twilight’s comment, causing her wives to giggle. “I don’t know about that.”
“Well, uhm, we were actually talking today,” Fluttershy said, then looked at Twilight to finish for her.
Twilight nodded. “We understand if you don’t want to, but well… we thought we could at least talk about it? Er, foals, I mean.”
It was true that part of the reason Sunset was volunteering at an orphanage was to help her get over her feelings towards kids. Sunset didn’t dislike kids. Hell, she enjoyed them, to a certain extent. But ever since she’d lost Sky, Sunset had struggled with her feelings towards actually having kids of her own.
Spending time with kids was a good way to help her move past that, but this hadn’t ever been a way to find a foal to adopt. “I spend two days with kids and you want to adopt?”
“We didn’t mean it like that, exactly,” Twilight said.
“I, uhm…” Fluttershy nuzzled Sunset gently. “I’ve been wanting to bring up foals again for a while, actually. I just… didn’t know how to…”
“It’s okay if you’re not ready,” Twilight repeated. “And if you don’t even want to talk about it right now, that’s okay too.”
“No, it’s… we can talk about it.” Sunset hadn’t realized until they brought it up, but she didn’t hurt the way she once did. They had tried to talk about having foals only once before, four years ago. In that time, Sunset had done a lot of healing, and she didn’t feel the same panic she had felt back then. “I… think I’ll need a little while to think it over.”
“Of course you will,” Fluttershy said. “There’s no hurry at all.”
Sunset took a deep breath. There may be no hurry, but there was an inescapable fact. “I’m sure not getting any younger…”
“You shouldn’t rush into anything because of that,” Twilight said.
“I’m thirty-six,” Sunset pointed out. “I mean, I’m not old, but… I don’t want to be sixty years old raising a foal, either.”
“No, but we shouldn’t rush into things,” Twilight reiterated. “If it comes to that, we’ll still be uniquely situated to handle parenting at an older age.”
“I guess.” Sunset wasn’t as sure as Twilight sounded, but she did see the point about not rushing things. “So… I think I know where Fluttershy stands, but what about you, Twi?”
“I… I think we’re in a good place for this. We have the means to take care of a foal, and our relationship has never been more stable. We’re not going to get a better time.”
Sunset nodded slowly. That was true. “If we’re doing this, I’d rather adopt. I know we’d be able to get a sperm donor no problem, but I don’t know if I could take eleven months of freaking out while one of us is pregnant…”
Fluttershy placed her hoof on Sunset’s. “I understand. And I’m okay either way. I don’t need our foal to be biologically related to one of us.”
Twilight chuckled. “I’m sure you both realize I’m fine with adoption. I’d probably prefer it too, actually. It’s not so much the pregnancy for me, but there are so many ponies who could use our help. Why make a new filly or colt when we could make a world of difference for one who’s already out there?”
“It’s so weird to think about,” Sunset said with a nervous smile. “Somewhere out there is our son or daughter, and we don’t even know each other.”
“If we decide to do it,” Fluttershy reminded her. “It’s not a vote. We all have to want this, or we’re not doing it.”
Sunset nodded. “Twilight’s definitely right though. There isn’t going to be a better time.”
Before they could talk about it anymore, Sunset’s stomach rumbled. Fluttershy giggled. “We can figure it out later. You two relax for a bit, while I get dinner ready.”
“Do you want some help?” Sunset asked.
“I’ll see if Spike wants to help,” Fluttershy said. “You already had a big day going to and from Hollow Shades. You just relax.”
Sunset obeyed, lying back in the bed as Fluttershy left. That was one nice thing about living in a house with so many others – there was always someone willing to help with anything that needed doing. If not Spike, then Night Light was sure to lend a hoof.
And that got Sunset thinking… “They say it takes a village to raise a child, and there are a lot of ponies here.”
Twilight lay down beside Sunset. “Yeah, there’s no shortage of love around here.”
Aside from the three wives, they also had Spike, Twilight Velvet, and Night Light living with them. Twilight’s parents were retired, so they were home most of the time, and Spike did spend a lot of time out in Ponyville with friends and doing the occasional odd job to help the town, but his schedule was pretty much wide open if they needed a foalsitter.
Not to mention aside from the occasional business trip, Twilight and Sunset worked from home, and Fluttershy was always walking distance. Add in that any of their friends would no doubt be willing to lend a hoof if they somehow needed more help, and there could never be a reason they’d come up short on raising a child.
Instead of saying any of that, however, Sunset rolled over and cuddled up with Twilight. “You nervous?”
“Well, yeah, of course I’m nervous,” Twilight said with a slight smile. “But… we can do this. If we decide to, of course.”
Sunset nuzzled up against Twilight. “Just think, we could have some foal running around, making a bunch of noise, making messes everywhere, bringing in all sorts of diseases because kids have no sense of cleanliness…”
Twilight grinned. “You know, if you don’t want a foal, you can just say so.”
“What? No, those are the best parts! We haven’t even gotten into complicating our sex life.”
Twilight laughed and levitated a pillow into Sunset’s face. “You’re horrible. Maybe you shouldn’t be a mom after all.”
“Hey, kids love me.”
“Yeah, because you practically are one. Come to think of it, what do I even need a foal for when I have you around?”
Sunset shrugged. “Because kids are cuter.”
“Hmm…” Twilight kissed Sunset and smiled. “Nope, you’re wrong there too.”
All things considered, Sunset felt pretty good. They’d talked about a big step for them, and it was a topic that Sunset had previously struggled with. But she didn’t feel bad about it this time. Hell, she was even able to joke around about it with Twilight.
They kept their conversation jovial, but they moved on from the talk of foals. Instead, Twilight told Sunset about what she was researching, Sunset teased Twilight for being such a nerd, and Twilight reminded her she was just as bad.
After a little while, Spike came to get them for dinner. They made their way downstairs while he continued on to get Twilight Velvet and Night Light.
They were welcomed by the smell of vegetable chili as they walked into the dining room. “Mmm, that smells great,” Sunset announced.
“Thank you,” Fluttershy said as she set the table. “Could one of you give me a hoof with this?”
Twilight helped her set out bowls and glasses for everyone while Sunset examined the food. In addition to the chilli, there was a vegetable medley on the side. As always, everything looked wonderful.
“What do you want to drink?” Twilight asked Sunset.
Although she was generally sober, Sunset had reached a point where she occasionally had a glass of wine with dinner. Drinking wasn’t exactly her problem so much as when she drank. She could drink responsibly, especially if she had her wives nearby to help keep her on the straight and narrow. No, it was just when she drank as a response to her problems that things got out of control.
All the same, they had brought up a complicated subject and it still weighed on Sunset’s mind, even if not as heavily as it once did. Better to play it safe. “I’ll have cider.”
Twilight nodded and served their drinks. Before long, Spike arrived with his parents in tow, so Twilight got drinks for them as well. Then everyone took their seats, complimented Fluttershy and Spike on the meal, and the four ponies with magic served everyone.
They wasted no more time in digging in. Chilli was one of Spike’s signature dishes. It was like Equestria, he had said once. It was made of many different elements that all worked together to be extremely delicious.
Sunset suspected his stomach had somewhat interfered with his metaphor, but she could not deny his point. Fluttershy and Spike’s chilli was delicious and showcased every ingredient. Beans, tomatoes, corn, onions, and all the vegetables she could fit in were always cooked to perfection, the whole thing becoming more than the sum of its parts.
Of course, they all complimented the chefs on a job well done.
“So how’d everything go at Small Steps?” Night Light asked as they ate.
“It went well,” Sunset answered with a smile. “Every single one of the caretakers addressed me as Princess. Guess it pays to be the daughter-in-law of the biggest donors.”
“They’re just good ponies there,” Night Light said. “I’m sure they’d accept you with or without our bits.”
It was no surprise he was interested – he and Twilight Velvet were the reason Sunset had gotten invited in the first place, although she wasn’t the pony they had expected. Ever since they adopted Spike, they had taken an interest in the adoption process, and donated a lot of money each year to Small Steps. Sunset wasn’t entirely sure how they found an orphanage all the way out in Hollow Shades, but they said they chose it because the local orphanage in Canterlot had many wealthy donors already.
And every year, Small Steps would send a letter and a photo thanking them for their donation, as well as an open invitation to visit and see the good their bits did for the children. They hadn’t taken the offer up yet, but mentioned that they were considering it. Sunset, having grown up in an orphanage, took an interest, and then one thing led to another.
“You’ll have to go out and visit sometime,” Sunset said. “It’s a really nice place. The kids are well behaved and were really happy to have a visitor.”
Twilight Velvet smirked. “The fact that it was a royal visitor might have had something to do with it. I doubt we’d have the same effect, dear.”
Sunset shrugged. “You never know. Maybe they’d like to hear some stories about what Twilight was like when she was their age.”
“Sunset, I was an antisocial bookworm,” Twilight reminded her. “I don’t think anypony could possibly be interested in what I was like at that age.”
“It might be nice to make the trip out,” Night Light said. “Although I think we’re a little too old to play with a bunch of kids.”
“I spent half the day reading to them,” Sunset pointed out. “And as someone who grew up in an orphanage, I think most kids just want a reminder that ponies care about them.”
“Hmm, did you want a reminder that ponies cared about you?” Fluttershy asked with a sly grin.
“Fluttershy, I was an antisocial bitch,” Sunset said. “Of course I wanted to know people cared about me, I just didn’t know I wanted to know that at the time.”
Spike nudged Twilight. “Hard to imagine there was somepony worse at dealing with other ponies than you were, huh?”
Twilight nodded. “It’s frankly terrifying to imagine.”
“I met a filly a lot like me, actually,” Sunset said.
“Okay, now that’s terrifying,” Spike said.
Sunset rolled her eyes. “She’s probably not as bad as I was. I did get her to play with me today, but it took some prodding and a lucky break with the weather.”
“Nice weather out there today?” Twilight Velvet asked.
Sunset shook her head. “No, it was raining. But we still went out and played around in it.”
Velvet laughed at that. “Oh, of course. Kids do always love to play in the rain.”
Fluttershy giggled and nudged Sunset. “Sunset won’t stop talking about that filly.”
Sunset blushed a little. “She’s just… a lot like me.”
“If she’s like you, then that must mean she’s delightful once you get to know her,” Velvet said.
Twilight glanced at Sunset with a slight frown, and Sunset recognized the look. It meant she wanted to say something, but wasn’t sure if it was okay, and Sunset had a pretty good idea of what it was.
“Speaking of foals…” Sunset said, looking between Fluttershy and Twilight. It was ultimately their decision, of course, but it would impact everyone living in the castle. It was only fair to talk it over with all of them.
Both of her wives smiled at her, and Twilight took over. “We’ve actually started talking about something else too. We’re thinking maybe it’s – er…”
Twilight trailed off as she noticed her mom’s expression. She was beaming at them, and they could all tell she knew what they were talking about already.
“Yeah,” Sunset said with a resigned sigh. “It took some convincing, but we came around to the idea. So we’re gonna be adopting a sweet adorable little puppy.”
Twilight Velvet shot her a dirty look. “Oh come on now, don’t tease an old mare.”
Fluttershy giggled. “Well, we haven’t decided anything for sure yet, but we’re talking about maybe adopting a foal.”
“Whoa,” Spike said. “That’s a lot of responsibility.”
“It is,” Twilight answered. “But I think we can handle it. Especially if we can count on everypony here for help, we’ve got more than enough hooves and claws to raise a foal.”
“Of course you can count on all of us,” Night Light said with a smile. “Just be sure you think this through. You know your mom and I didn’t plan on having Shining, and while of course we don’t regret it at all, it was much easier the second time around when we actually planned for a foal.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Pretty sure we’re safe from accidental foals, Dad.”
“But we’re thinking it over carefully,” Fluttershy assured him. “It’s something we’ve talked about a long time ago, and we decided it wasn’t the right time then. If we don’t think it’s the right time now, we won’t rush into anything.”
“I know you girls can handle it,” Night Light said. “And I know you all know how important this is to think over.”
“So was it a certain filly that got you thinking about it?” Velvet asked, looking directly at Sunset.
She looked down at her food. “Well, I wasn’t the one who brought it up, but since you mention it… I won’t say the idea of adopting Morning Glisten hasn’t crossed my mind.”
“Really?” Twilight asked. “You didn’t mention that.”
“Well, yeah, I know…” Sunset sighed. “I just… I don’t know, I don’t want to push anything on you two. I’m the only one who met her, after all, and it’s not like I even know her all that well.”
Spike quirked an eyebrow. “You, uh, you know that means at least one of you has met her, right? As opposed to every other foal you could adopt, that none of you have met…”
“Spike does have a point,” Twilight said. “But I think we need to give some more thought to if we even want to do this before we think about adopting anypony in particular.”
“Yeah, that’s true.” Sunset smiled, then turned back to her food. She had a lot to think about without adding more things on top of it. First figure out if she wanted to raise a foal, then she could figure out what type of foal she’d want to raise.
One step at a time. That was the way they would tackle this new direction in their life. One step at a time, and with support from one another.
They talked about foals while they finished eating. Twilight Velvet gave them some tips on things to keep in mind and what it was like to raise Twilight, Spike, and Shining Armor. Meanwhile, Night Light tried to keep her grounded, reminding her that this wasn’t a sure thing and there was no need to get too far ahead of themselves. Spike mostly just made jokes about what the three of them would be like as parents.
It was kind of nice, in a way. It was scary, but talking and joking about it helped ease Sunset’s worries. Even Spike’s jokes helped make it feel more normal. By the time they finished dinner, it was starting to feel like something they could actually do.
Since Fluttershy and Spike cooked, Night Light and Twilight Velvet offered to do the dishes. The others sat around and talked with Spike a bit about his day, which had mostly involved hanging out with the Cutie Mark Crusaders and reading comics.
He shrugged off his day’s activities. “Not like I went out of town to visit an orphanage.”
“Yeah, fair enough,” Sunset said, then she frowned. “Oh, damn it…”
“What’s up?” Twilight asked.
“I took off my badges and sash when we went out in the rain, and I forgot them at Small Steps.”
Fluttershy smiled. “Guess you’ll just have to go back and get them tomorrow. That should make Morning Glisten happy.”
That thought did bring a smile to Sunset’s face. It would be kind of cool to surprise the filly. Maybe she could even arrange some more visits while she was there. She tried to hide it, but it was obvious that Morning was really upset that she wasn’t coming back.
“I guess you’re right,” Sunset said. “Not really looking forward to making the round trip, but at least it’ll be nice to stop in.”
“Who knows,” Twilight said with a smile. “Maybe the three of us will go together sometime.”
“Maybe,” Sunset said. It would be nice to see Morning with her wives. And, of course, the other kids too. She was tempted to ask them to come with her tomorrow, but it would be kind of short notice, and they hadn’t cleared it with the orphanage.
Fluttershy let out a yawn and lay her head on Sunset’s shoulder.
“Sleepy?” Sunset asked her.
“A bit. I think I’m ready to wind down for the night, at least.”
“I guess I wouldn’t mind an early night,” Sunset said. “Especially if I’m going to Hollow Shades again tomorrow.”
“Aww, you’re no fun,” Spike said. “I was going to see if maybe you wanted to play something together.”
Fluttershy smiled. “Well, maybe a quick game. I guess it is pretty early.”
“Yes!” Spike pumped his fist, so Sunset rolled her eyes. But even as they left the kitchen to go into the sitting room where they kept board games, her thoughts trailed back to Small Steps, and the possibility that their little family was soon going to be growing just a bit bigger.
Sunset was still yawning by the time she walked into Small Steps Home for Orphaned Ponies. She’d been up later than expected playing games with her family, then she’d had to get up early to catch a train to Hollow Shades. She’d dozed off a bit on the train ride, but that just left her with a crick in her neck.
Oh well. She needed to make the trip, and she was still hoping she could make a certain filly’s day. She walked into the orphanage and told the receptionist why she was there.
She smiled at Sunset. “Oh, yes. We found your things after you left and set them aside for you. I have them here.”
Sunset nodded and took the sash and badges when the receptionist presented them. She tucked them away into her saddlebag; she hadn’t worn her uniform this time, so she’d look a little silly wearing them with her simple sundress.
That was half of what she came for, at least. Sunset scratched her neck nervously. “Is, uhm, Ginger Snap available? I wanted to speak with her.”
The receptionist nodded. “I’m sure she could make some time. Follow me.”
The receptionist led her into the building, where they checked her office. She was there doing some paperwork, and she smiled when she saw Sunset. “Forgot something, did you?”
“Yeah. Some royal guard, huh?”
“Don’t worry, Princess, my lips are sealed.”
Sunset nodded. “I actually was hoping we could talk about something.”
Ginger Snap gestured at the chair across from her. “Of course. Come in and take a seat.”
Sunset nodded and entered the room. The receptionist closed the door for them, leaving the two of them in private.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything important,” Sunset said. She wasn’t sure exactly how to start, so pleasantries seemed like a good way to go. “I know I don’t have an appointment or anything, and I don’t want special treatment because of my status.”
Ginger Snap waved her worries away. “It’s no problem at all. Now, what can I do for you?”
Sunset took a deep breath. “Where to start?”
Ginger Snap smiled and nodded. “I’ve seen this before, I know how tough it can be. I take it you’re having thoughts about doing more than visiting the foals?”
“Well… yes.” Sunset forced a smile despite her nerves. “I was just wondering if you could tell me a little about the process.”
“It is a bit of a process, I’ll admit.” Ginger Snap put her hooves together on her desk. “There’s plenty of paperwork, and the whole thing takes a while. But it’s all to look out for the foal’s interests.”
Sunset nodded. “Yes, of course. If we do this, and we’re not positive that we’re ready to yet, we do want to do it properly.”
“You know, a lot of ponies aren’t sure at first. That’s another reason the process is so long. The first thing we ask potential parents to do is make regular visits for the foal they’re looking into adopting. During that time, a lot of your concerns will come to head, and hopefully will be laid to rest.”
“That makes sense.”
“Before actually finalizing an adoption, we also like to have parents foster a foal first. It may seem a little insensitive to word it this way, but it’s sort of like a trial period. No one wants to see a foal returned to us, but if things aren’t working out, it’s better that a foal has a chance to find the right parents for them than be left with somepony under-equipped to deal with them.”
It wasn’t pleasant to think about, but it did make sense. A parent being wrong about being able to handle a foal could be detrimental to everyone involved. Better to make sure they know what they’re getting into.
“I… well, I understand I may not be allowed to know this, but is that what happened to Morning Glisten? She mentioned that somepony had adopted her before.”
Ginger Snap nodded. “Yes. I can’t go into too many details, but Morning Glisten was fostered, not adopted, and then she came back to us. Of course, to a filly her age, it’s hard to explain the difference.”
“I see. Is it okay if I ask why she was brought back?”
Ginger Snap hesitated for a moment. “I can’t go into the specific details, and I don’t even know all of them myself. But I can say that Morning can be… difficult. She struggles with anger problems and antisocial tendencies. I can only speculate on what happened exactly, but not every pony is prepared to raise a filly who struggles with those kinds of issues.”
Sunset nodded slowly. “I understand. I was the same way when I was little, except probably a lot worse than Morning is.”
“Then you also realize adopting a filly like her is going to be a challenge.” Ginger inclined her head. “Not that I want to discourage you if you’re of the mind that you’re up to it. You certainly made a connection with her, it’s just that you’ll have to think carefully to decide if that’s a task you’re up to. I would hate to have any filly returned to us twice.”
“I understand completely.” Sunset bowed her head. “Trust me, the last thing I want is to hurt her.”
“I believe you, and I’ll trust your decision once you’ve decided what’s right for everyone.”
Sunset fidgeted with her dress a little bit. She hoped that in the face of what they’d just discussed, her request wasn’t going to be crossing a line. “I was actually hoping I could see her, while I’m here.”
It seemed it hadn’t, because Ginger Snap smiled at that. “I think she’d like that a lot, Princess. Would you like to go find her now?”
Sunset knew there was a lot left to learn about the adoption process, but that could wait until they were sure this was something they were going to do. “Yes, please.”
Ginger Snap stood up, so Sunset followed suit. She led them out of the room, and into the playroom Sunset had been in the other day.
There was no sign of Morning there, so they went to another part of the orphanage that Sunset hadn’t been to before, but which she recognized instantly. It was the bedrooms, and they were organized similarly to a hotel, with one long hallway that multiple rooms connected to.
They came to a stop in front of one, and Ginger Snap knocked on the door. “Morning? Are you in there?”
“Yeah,” Morning called back, her voice making Sunset smile.
Ginger Snap opened the door gently. “You’ve got a visitor.”
Sunset looked in and grinned at Morning’s surprised expression. “Hey, Morning.”
“Sunset? But you said you weren’t coming back.”
Sunset stepped into the room. It wasn’t very big, but for a small filly like Morning, it would do. There was a bed tucked into the corner, where the little filly lay with a book open. “I had to come and get some things that I forgot. But since I was here, I wanted to come say hi to you.”
“Oh. Uhm, hi.”
Sunset couldn’t help but smile at how literally Morning took her words, and she took a seat on the bed beside her. “So, what are you reading?”
“It’s, uh, it’s about changelings.” Morning held up the cover to show Sunset the book.
“Morning wanted to share that book you gave her with everypony,” Ginger Snap informed Sunset. “She gave it to me to read to everyone. I was going to start today.”
“Aww, that’s nice of you,” Sunset said, although to be honest that didn’t sound like the filly Sunset was getting to know. A frown from Morning confirmed it – she had been angry with Sunset, so she’d given the book away. “And here I was thinking I might come back and read it to you.”
“Really?” Morning looked almost happy, then she remembered she wasn’t supposed to be. “But… you don’t want to come back.”
“I never said I don’t want to,” Sunset said. “I just live in another town, so it’s harder to come visit. But… I think I want to try and come visit more, if you want to see me.”
“Do I get to choose?” Morning asked.
“You do, actually. If you want, I’ll come by and visit. I can read to you, and we can play games and stuff. But if you don’t want to see me, well, I’ll just stay home and cry about it I guess.”
Morning tried to suppress a laugh, but a little bit got out. “I… guess you can come visit.”
Sunset smiled, knowing that no matter how she said it, those words were significant. Not for the first time, she wanted to hug the little filly, but she refrained. Morning wasn’t used to other ponies caring about her, and she’d probably prefer not to be that close to Sunset.
They talked a little more, but it was a short visit. Sunset told her she had to go, but promised she’d try to make it back before too long. She was again tempted to hug the filly as she turned to leave, but she again kept to herself.
But even if it was a short visit, it really solidified something in Sunset’s mind. She’d been trying to figure out if she wanted to adopt a kid first and worry about figuring out which kid to adopt afterwards, but she realized for all the sense that made, it was backwards for her.
Sunset didn’t know if she wanted to adopt a kid, and she might never know. But she knew that in a short time, she’d formed a bond with one kid in particular, and that she wanted to do what she could for that little filly.
Did Sunset want to adopt a foal? She didn’t know. But did she want to adopt Morning Glisten? The more time went by, and the more time they spent together, the more Sunset thought that she wanted to do just that.