I leaned back in my chair and stretched my legs out while putting my arms behind my head as I enjoyed the hot sun against my skin. It was mid-summer, which meant prime time for me to get some color. My top was off, and I was considering dropping my shorts if it weren't for the fact that we were in full view of the street right outside the yard.
I heard the glass doors slide open behind me, and I twisted my head around to see Willow leaving the house with some cold drinks and a few magazines. I gave her a loving smile as she approached me.
She wiggled her eyebrows and smirked when she noticed I was checking her out. "Like what you see?"
I licked my lips and gave her a growl. "Oh boy, yeah."
"Put a sock in it, casanova." She brushed her tail in my face as she passed me, and I sputtered as a few stray hairs clung to my sweaty face and went into my mouth.
She laughed as I cleaned my face and removed some silver hairs from my mouth. I sat up once I had gotten rid of one that had somehow gotten into my throat and grabbed my drink from her magic. I took a sip from the straw, and my whole body shivered from the pleasurable feeling of cold, icy liquid running down my hot and dry throat. Willow's tropical smoothies... always delivered a result nobody could beat. The fact that it was mango flavored was even better.
"Damn, that fucking hits the spot." I groaned as I kept sucking the straw from the cup eagerly and sank into my seat.
Willow giggled, floated her glass over to me, and offered a toast. "To a happy marriage between me and my dummy-longlegs."
After reluctantly slipping the straw out of my mouth, I met her glass with mine. "To a happy marriage between me and my kitchen goblin."
We laughed at our quips and clinked our glasses together before consuming the contents eagerly.
Finally, we had time to just enjoy some life together. The last little while had been so stressful with setting up the wedding and everything that needed to happen for it to work out. Catering, guests, music, renting, equipment...
Don't get me wrong, I was excited, and so was she. In the mix of it all, it kinda became too much. We noticed that when we spent entire days out of the house, and both fell asleep before we could spend a few moments together at the end of the day.
It was a lot. It took a pretty big bite out of my wallet, but it wasn't something that was going to leave me dry, thankfully. A big perk that came with being a unique creature protected by the government is that I got a monthly income from said government. It was set into motion at my birth, and when I was 18, I could actually receive it.
It was overwhelming for me. I assumed it was compensation for being the only humans here and that we would likely be the last. So, they probably wanted to ensure we led good lives unhindered by monetary challenges.
The monthly sum was more than gracious, and it would likely keep me from needing a job, but... that wasn't a life I wanted to lead. I hated feeling useless. I preferred to keep myself busy and do something for society, even if it wasn't significant. It's how I was raised.
After finishing my train of thought and drink, I noticed Willow's gaze shifted elsewhere. Seeing her staring over the garden fence, I followed her stare, and my eyes landed on the cute little restaurant a few streets away.
"What's up?" I asked.
She bit her lip and looked at me with what I've come to call the 'I want it' look. It was as if she was trying to get me to guess what was on her mind. I had a faint clue.
I smirked. "It's about your restaurant idea again, isn't it?"
She sighed and leaned her head back as she looked into the skies. "I don't wanna annoy you with my constant nagging about it; I'm sorry."
I sat up in my chair as I tried to reassure her. "No, no, I never said anything about that, Willow. I'm just saying that I'm nowhere near as good as you are at this sort of thing."
She frowned. "Oh, you know that doesn't matter, silly. It's just... I've been wanting to do this ever since school. It was just whatever when I was doing it by myself," she trailed before looking at me. "but it's because I was doing it with you that made it special, Jean. When I'm with you... I don't know; it just feels right. Like magic." Her horn flashed slightly to emphasize her point, and she gave me a sweet smile.
I blushed, although it remained hidden under my reddening skin. "Okay... I can't say I have any contradictions. Are you sure, though? You don't just wanna start traveling or something like that?"
She shook her head. "No, I've saved up for years to be able to do this... I'm even gonna take up a loan from the bank if I need to."
She was stubborn. She knew well enough that I could cover all the expanses necessary, yet she refused to let me pitch in if I wanted to. It was because it was her idea that she never wanted my money.
"You know that's not necessary. If you really wanna do this, then it's gonna be a team effort. I'm your husband now, after all." I winked.
A dopey smile appeared on her face before she slowly started looking unsure again. We had this discussion a few times, and the last time we did it was before the wedding. We didn't have time for that then, but now we did. I felt like things were settled now with us being officially married, and suddenly, the idea of owning a place like that in Canterlot felt more welcome.
"Are you sure? I don't want you to feel like you made a mistake." She said, looking away from me.
I laughed and sat up in the chair to face her fully. "If I thought I was making a mistake, I wouldn't have decided to get married to you, Willow," I paused as I reached my hand out to her. "you can count on me, ok? Like I've told you, wherever you go, I go."
She turned back to me with a blush and reached out her hoof to gently touch my hand. Hooves were rough, but very rarely were they softer than the fluffiest marshmallows. That was always the case during moments like these with... my wife.
I giggled and squeezed her soft hoof. "So, let's make a deal, Willow. You keep pumping out these drinks for me in the future, and I'll do my best to become a chef like you."
Her smile widened, and she shook my hand while laughing. "You got a deal! You're my number one fan, after all."
And that was it. We had just spontaneously decided on our future together. It was a big deal. Opening a business was challenging, and it certainly wasn't cheap. It would take both of us, it would take our hearts and souls to realize it, and it would take patience. I believed in her, and she had me as her backup.
What could go wrong so long as we had each other?
Willow and I spent some time talking about how we would get started, and she actually had this whole thing thought out. Apparently, when she sometimes went shopping by herself, she had been looking at possible locations around Canterlot.
There were a few places around going out of business that she had talked with personally and discussed her interest in opening her own place with the owners of those places at the time. There was a run-down diner in town she had taken a considerable interest in.
She had even planned out most of the items she wanted to put on a menu. Willow was talented in everything that had anything to do with making food, and it was showing. Entrées, dinners, desserts, drinks, special orders, everything. She had spent day and night planning this stuff out, and I was sure if I didn't at some point agree to it, she would just set up shop outside our house as a small take-out stand or something.
That was a pretty funny thought.
After she had told me everything she had been up to and shown me the stuff she had been working on, I felt a lot safer about the whole thing. For now, I'd just have to focus on my own culinary skills...
I looked over at the restaurant across the street from us and took note of the large sign and logo of the place when a thought hit me. "So, Willow... Ever thought about a name for this joint?"
Her ears perked, and her eyes went wide in surprise. Guess she hasn't. She tapped a hoof to her chin in thought. "I dunno, but it's gotta be something Prench! Those Canterlot elites love that stuff!"
My brows raised at that, and I smiled. "Well, good luck with that. I don't know a lick of Prench, so don't come asking me for help."
Willow shook her head and giggled at me, and her eyes lingered. She was staring into my soul as I watched her brain do a backflip between those eyes of hers. Her clockwork of a brain was ticking, almost loud enough for me to hear it.
"You!" She exclaimed loudly as her hoof shot up and pointed at me, causing some ponies in neighboring properties to look our way curiously.
I frowned at her and smiled weirdly. "What?"
"It's gotta have your name in it! It already sounds Prench to begin with!" She continued excitedly.
Huh? "But... why do we gotta use my name? Can't we just have another random word?"
"Because I love you."
Of course, she does this. She gives me that look and says that in such a way. She looks at me sweetly, and her eyes light up like when we first met. It's like she dove into my soul and sang me a lullaby.
There would be no argument this day.
I sighed in defeat as I was tortured by her adorable puppy face. "Okay... Uh, so what, then?"
Her face had become a satisfied grin, and she took a moment to think after calming down from her brainstorming. She tapped her chin with her hoof a few times, stuck out her tongue, and held that ridiculous pose for a few seconds before her hoof shot into the air again.
"Oh! How about..."
"...The JeanDélicieux."
Fluffy tilted her head up at me as I said it.
"The... Jan-dele-shoe?" she butchered.
I gave her a thumbs up. "A for effort, kid."
She blushed and looked the other way as I fished out my keys and unlocked the back door to my restaurant. Time to get back into it. I said to myself while psyching myself up for a long day.
I had another dream. A dream of my honeymoon to Ponyville all those years ago. And much like all the other dreams lately, it was about my wife. I was already having a hard enough time dealing with the fact that Fluffy was back home. These dreams were just extra salt in my wounds.
It felt like the shadows were closing in on me, telling me I'd been hiding away for too long. The shadows may be correct.
Anyway, today was the opening day of The JeanDeliceux for the new season. As usual, I was there hours before opening to get my regular morning orders started, warm up all the equipment, and ensure everything was in working order. I had been here a few days earlier to take stock of our store and sent in orders for new items and everything else needed.
As for why Fluffy was with me...
My parents had left. This morning, they were gone. The only thing left was a note on the table saying they were visiting friends in Ponyville. They had instructed me to NOT leave Fluffy alone and that this was her chance to see what her daddy did for a living... their words, not mine.
So yeah, here we were. Fluffy was coming with me to work because I didn't want to get into trouble with my parents. I got conned into being a responsible parent. I'd throw a tantrum about it later.
It wasn't the first time Fluffy had been here. I remember we had brought her a few times and left her with her toys in the office while we were working, as unresponsible as it sounds. Sometimes we couldn't get someone to babysit her, and some days we both needed to come in and work. Willow was usually better at baby stuff than me, so she would be home with Fluffy most of the time, which forced me to become better at the job and establish my role as a manager.
Don't get me wrong, we both loved doing what we did. We should have considered the challenges of owning a business and caring for a child more. They just clashed together sometimes.
I realized I had stopped with the key in my lock, my head suddenly going through all these memories as I was fresh off another dream. Whenever I'd think of her, I'd feel awful and empty inside, and it hadn't changed much over the years. I still felt that horrible choking feeling in my throat when I thought of that open spot next to me on the bed in the morning, when I saw a single cup on my table instead of two, when I saw the pictures...
It had been an awkward week together with my parents and my daughter. While Fluffy and I talked sometimes, we hadn't really talked. I never knew what to talk about. It was mostly just us making small comments at each other since we basically were strangers now with the distance that had been put between us. I knew why we were so hesitant to speak together more openly.
There were things I didn't want to discuss, and I felt like she could tell by how I acted. She's smart. She's also much older now and has undoubtedly gotten a more prominent personality that I was unfamiliar with. It made me sad.
The only thing I was holding on to was the picture she had drawn for me. It had become an anchor for me to think that maybe there was a chance to go back, but I was still too afraid to take the steps necessary.
I hadn't heard from Sugar Plum at all, so I was slightly worried about that, too. She was supposed to come in today, so I'd just wait and see.
I looked back at Fluffy and gestured for her to follow me as I finally turned the key. Her wings fluttered as she excitedly followed me once I had pried the door open from its cold lock. I stomped my feet inside a few times by the entrance to rid them of as much snow as possible.
Fluffy watched me do it and then did the same with her hooves. She did it more gracefully than me, however.
That was the thing about Fluffy. I didn't know what it was because I could never put my finger on it, but she just moved differently. Her wings moved along with everything she did, and her movements were naturally refined. It made her flying around look pretty amazing. She was like a silky feather fluttering along on a gentle breeze.
I removed my coat and scarf and hung it all on some hooks by the door before I headed into the kitchen to get started. I heard Fluffy fall in step behind me, and I snorted.
"You wanna help out, kid?" I asked without stopping as I made to turn on the ovens and went to get some stuff from the cold storage. I really didn't want her following me everywhere. I knew today would be loaded, and I was already stressed.
"Sure!" She exclaimed.
"Alright, then get all the tables set. There are instructions over there." I pointed to the dishwasher with a picture that described how to correctly set tables. Utensils were to face a specific direction, saucers and teacups were on the left upper right of the plate, and glass was opposite that. It was strict, and the elites let me know just how strict it was in the years I've worked here. Some nasty critic nearly set my restaurant on fire because his fork was somewhat diagonal.
So why was I giving this job to her? It was the one job that would keep her occupied for a while and one she was least likely to mess up. Besides, I'd have Chatter do rounds when she showed up to ensure we didn't get any complaints.
That's right... I have to explain who Fluffy is when everyone shows up.
"and do it properly, please," I added as I tied an apron around me. Fluffy was already on her way out with a set on her back, and she turned to me as I spoke to her. She saluted at me, almost knocking over the items on her back before she entered the restaurant.
I silently cursed my meddling parents for having me babysit her while working. I snorted hot air through my nose as I made some coffee for me and my crew before I started making some bread dough. Fresh bread with all our food was a standard here, so it was the first thing we did in the morning.
As I prepared the dough, I heard the door open and saw Violet slip in.
She looked horrible.
Her eyes were half shut, and she looked to be sleepwalking. "You look like you just survived a natural catastrophe," I said casually. She grabbed a cup of coffee with her magic and chugged it like soda, ignoring my comment.
After mumbling something insulting, she got to work on her own stuff, preparing some of the more popular dishes for our morning visitors. Fruits and vegetables need to be sliced and washed for an assortment of soups she was preparing. She had already set some potatoes to boil and was cutting red peppers.
Violet quickly noticed Fluffy while running back and forth to collect plates and utensils to continue her work. She asked me about her, and I gave my best short answer. Rumor in this kitchen spreads like wildfire if not quickly dealt with.
"She's my daughter. It's a long story, but hopefully, she's just here for today." I said as I tried to keep busy to show her I wanted to leave it there.
Violet was surprised, as anyone would be. I wasn't one for sharing, and I never planned to bring Fluffy here, so I never found the need to talk about it or tell anyone. Nobody who worked here really knew much about me except for Chatter. She was here before...
We were interrupted when the door opened, and Sugar Plum walked in, followed by Chatter and Giddy. They were all engaged in conversation all the way to the kitchen.
We all greeted each other before, once again, Fluffy entered the kitchen to collect more stuff, and she shyly said hello to the new group of ponies, causing everyone to go through similar stages as they filled in. Not every day you see a child running around like a stray dog in here.
Understandably, they were all confused.
Once again, I explained it as barebones as possible to everyone, but this time was met with different reactions. As I explained who Fluffy was, Sugar looked deep in thought, and Giddy seemed to think I was pranking everybody until I reassured him I was serious.
Chatter frowned at me and observed Fluffy curiously as she went in and out of the kitchen with more silverware and plates. I resumed my tasks and kept myself occupied to avoid being asked questions. Chatter followed my daughter into the restaurant proper to check her progress once I had informed her of what she was doing.
Chatter was the only one who knew about Fluffy out of everybody present and was the one I would trust to watch over her when I was not.
Eventually, through awkward interactions and my dodging questions like I usually did with other things, they all found it within themselves to accept it. I was not down for an in-depth Q&A about Fluffy. Hopefully, it'd only be for one day.
Sugar eventually joined me at my table to get started on some pastries. It was good to see her again, and I noticed she wasn't wearing any new wounds. "Had a good holiday?" I asked her.
She nodded and tilted her head slightly. I noticed that she was attempting to smile, but it appeared forced. "It was fine. Obviously not as exciting as yours," she stated while gesturing towards Fluffy, who was off on another run.
I snorted. "It'd surprise me if it was."
I paused as we fell into silence, the air in the room suddenly thin. I cleared my throat as I felt it was getting tight before I broke the slight pause and spoke quietly so nobody else could eavesdrop. "So, anything happen after you went home? Everything was just okay again?"
She was mixing some sugar into the batter while I sneakily examined her form quickly to look for any bruising I might have missed at first glance. I could see no fresh ones, and her lip had healed nicely. Most of it had already vanished under her fur.
"We were just going home when Luna suddenly appeared outside our door as we entered. She asked if I could treat her to some 'late-night tea.' Cog nearly collapsed and used me as a shield for the entirety of her stay." She shrugged as she explained.
Oh wow. Spicy. "Oh, oh! And then?"
She huffed. "She was there for hours! Talking about her lovers from the past and the challenges of love and whatnot... It would have been fun had I not been half asleep the entire visit."
I frowned and stopped what I had been doing. Not what I had been expecting to happen... Nevertheless, it seemed Luna had an idea about what was going on and decided to step in for a friend and share some advice, although she may have gone overboard with her 'counseling' strategy from the sounds of it.
It also seems that Luna had put some fear into Cog's heart just by establishing herself as a friend of Sugar. I didn't know what went on inside the princess' head, but her eyes were open. The fact that I said I didn't trust Cog caused her to pursue them for hours, so if anything, it made me feel powerful. Would Luna go on an adventure to the Gryphon Empire to fetch me a turkey? I wonder...
"Okay. So, you guys are good now? Nothing more happened?" I made sure I spoke quietly to her so the others wouldn't hear our conversation. Giddy was wrapped up in making sauce for some dishes while conversing with Violet.
"It's been fine. Can we change the subject?" She asked with some finality. Still keeping it tight, huh?
I put my hands up in defense. "Fine, fine. As long as you're okay, that's fine with me. Just remember," I said as I put my finger on Sugar's nose, and she went crosseyed, "If you need my help again with anything, remember that I won't mind that you come to me, okay? If you think it will burden me, I just want to put those thoughts to rest right now."
When I removed my finger, she scrunched her nose gently while her eyes adjusted back to normal. I saw a faint smile appear on her face. "Yes, boss."
The corners of my mouth slowly revealed a small smile, and I returned to work with a slightly lighter head. It felt nice doing something nice for someone else.
Some time passed as Sugar and I talked about other matters, like what to do before the doors opened and what could happen today. She told me about some up-and-coming critics I should be worried about and what they are particular about.
I told her what I had been doing during the holidays and explained the 'daughter' situation to her without going too far into the stuff I didn't really want to talk about. I could tell she had questions, but just like she was reluctant to talk about her issue, I was in the same situation.
She told me what she had been up to, which wasn't much. She mainly had been left to her own devices, according to her, while Cog had been distant and not really spending time with her.
She tried to leave him out of the conversation as much as possible, although she mentioned that he was out often in the evenings. Where he went, she had no idea.
It didn't matter. As long as Cog left her alone, I was happy. I was still uncomfortable with them being together after he struck her, but I couldn't force her against her will either. Even if I told the authorities, she would defend him or deny it in the end, which could cause Cog to become even more hostile. And that was the last thing I wanted.
Sure, there was a chance it might help her, but I had more doubts than hope. It's a force of habit.
I was finished with all my tasks for the morning, and so was pretty much everyone else, too. I popped into the restaurant and spotted Chatter and Fluffy talking together as Chatter was washing the windows. They had seemingly been getting to know each other as they had stuff to do in the restaurant, so at least the kid had someone to talk to.
Speaking of Fluffy, she had done an excellent job with setting the tables. Everything was up to code, and I was honestly impressed by the speed at which it had been made. I made a mental note to get her something nice later as I returned to the kitchen to make a roll call.
I clapped my hands and whistled a loud tune, and without missing a beat, my crew quickly got into a line. Chatter and Fluffy ran into the kitchen, and Fluffy was ushered next to Chatter as they joined the line of ponies. I stood with my hands behind my back, waiting for everyone to get into position, which didn't take long. I felt like a general.
A few more of my staff had arrived before I made roll call, so now we were eleven, plus Fluffy.
Wait...
There are supposed to be ten ponies. Why is...
My eyes widened as I looked at who was standing at the end of the line, first now noticing who I was looking at.
"Luna?"
The princess in question stared ahead as if she belonged where she was at the end of the line of ponies. Everyone was now staring at her. Most of my staff was as shocked as I was. When the hell did she even come in?
"Good morning to thee, Jean." She casually greeted me when I stopped before her. I felt an eyebrow raise, and I just stared at her dumbly.
I crossed my arms and gave her a questioning look. "What are you doing here?"
She was staring into my chest, still in position. I had to wave a hand in front of her face to get her to look at me. "We... I wish to try my hoof with the working class. And I do not know anypony else these days, so..."
I scoffed. "You want to work? Here?" I asked, gesturing around me.
"Only for today! Please!" She suddenly changed from her calm demeanor into an excited one as she sat down on her ass and put her hooves together pleadingly.
She wants to work here? I guess having a princess working for me is a pretty cool thought. This could be the only scenario where I would have the chance to tell the ruler of a country what to do...
My mind had started to chug along down some tracks as I imagined wicked scenarios in my mind where I had complete command of The Princess of the Night. I grinned maniacally and chuckled evilly to myself, and I could feel my employees' collective gulps. They've been through the same drill; princess or not, newbies get the worst jobs.
Luna was slowly losing her smile when she noticed that I had started to examine her as a predator would its prey. Her eyes darted around her for a brief moment as if to examine her best escape route, but it seemed she made a decision to stay.
Brave.
I approached her menacingly and laughed as I put my hand on her shoulder, stopping her from having the chance to change her mind. "So you wanna work here, huh?" I squatted down to be at eye level with her. "In that case... Welcome to Tartarus, Princess."
No, literally. I named the toilets of the restaurant "Tartarus." Why not add some flair to the place? How could I label the bathrooms with names and not put a label on the service doors for which way is in or out? I'm not telling.
So yeah, I didn't imagine Luna had that in mind when she decided to rid herself of her boredom by taking on an actual job, but she wanted to see the reality of it all. She wasn't seriously thinking I would hire her as a chef just because she was a princess? It may have been partial nepotism, but it was just for a day. No harm.
The blue princess was currently shining up the bathroom floors at the back of the restaurants. When I walked in to check on her, she was aggressively scrubbing away at a piece of wall mold starting to spread out on the tiles. The toilets were about as clean as they could become, and everything else looked pretty good, too.
When I started to speak, she snapped out of her fierce battle. "Well, would you look at that? I haven't seen somebody attempt to get that mold in the number of times I've had ponies do this. I like your grit, newbie." I joked.
Luna huffed in annoyance as she wiped her brow and spoke through her teeth as she glared at the mold. "We can tell."
"Well, once you're done in here, I got some more stuff for you to do. And don't worry, it won't be more hogwash like this." I said as I let her get back to it. I was just glad I wouldn't have to get rid of that myself.
As I left, I heard Luna mumble something about there being no pigs present, but I ignored it as I had more important matters at hand.
It had been about an hour since the place opened up, and some developments had happened since then. Fluffy had at some point become Chatter's apprentice and was tailing her everywhere she went to act as extra carrying space for her. From the looks of it, Fluffy was trying to learn how to also take orders.
I was just glad she had something to do, I wasn't much help anyways, and she seemed to connect to mares more easily.
Every time Fluffy came back, she would always scan the area in the kitchen until she saw me and then would quickly look away and try to pretend she wasn't looking. It was cute, but I didn't know if there was something I was missing.
Fluffy had quickly become a local celebrity in the kitchen. She talked a lot more when she realized everyone here was cool and friendly, especially since pretty much everyone encouraged her and asked her about stuff constantly. I actually learned a lot about her just by listening in.
I found myself feeling a little left out, as much as I hated to admit it. A little part of me wanted to connect but I just... I couldn't always find the courage to take a step forward. It was nice to just watch.
Not to mention, I was busy with work. While we weren't the most active place in town on Mondays, many of our usuals had come by for an early lunch. When the new year rolled around, so did a bunch of reviewers. They liked to have a yearly check-in with every place in town just to keep their fanbases sane. So, of course, they would sprint out their doors as soon as the first day of the year came around and show up at my doorstep, usually within the first few days.
If you're a high-status pony, your word matters greatly here in Equestria. So I was a little on edge as the hours ticked on, and my attention left Fluffy. It was entirely focused on completing orders as perfectly as possible and quality-checking everything going out.
I wasn't worried about us not passing a checkmark per se; I was just not looking forward to constantly interacting with their snooty behaviors. As fate would have it, we had two reviewers just this morning. I, of course, needed to chat with them as professionally as I could; otherwise, there would be hell to pay. They basically just wanted me to stand there and get interviewed by them while they were stuffing their face, and honestly, that pissed me off.
It always pissed me off, and I always swallowed it and worked around it. But, for some reason, this year was much more challenging as I had so many other thoughts bouncing back and forth within my mind.
A few hours passed, and our 'friendly' visitors were out the door, finally. I grumpily cracked some eggs into a bowl while ordering Minuette to straighten up before entering the restaurant. She was slouching.
The mood was shitty. I didn't feel well, and everything was bubbling up a bit. I was very snappy with everybody all of a sudden as the day went on, and I paid less and less attention to Fluffy. She mainly hung around Chatter the entire time we were working.
I suddenly heard a crash behind me as I grated some cheese over some cheesy omelets, and I could feel a vein pop in my forehead as I turned around. "Oh, of fucking course, somebody had to smash something today. Get your shit together!" I growled.
When I turned around, my angry face vanished wholly, and I instantly regretted opening my mouth when I saw Fluffy looking guilty by the door. She had her mouth open and looked like she wanted to say something as she stared at me, but I think she was too afraid to say anything. It was like all my previous anger left my body all at once, replaced by another feeling I couldn't quite place.
The kind of feeling that feels like a knife twisting in your gut.
It took me a little time to realize that Minuette had bumped into Fluffy by the unmarked doors while she was heading out.
I seriously need to mark those. I thought as I internally facepalmed.
She was sad, I could tell. I had not meant to yell at her, but here I was. Chatter scowled at me for raising my voice at a filly.
I gulped and spoke while I used my finger to itch myself behind my ear for comfort. "Um, Fluffy... I didn't mean that." When I started talking, she had taken off, running toward the office with Chatter not far behind her.
Chatter had time to give me a disapproving look before leaving, though.
Everyone stopped what they had all been doing and fell into a strange silence. All sounds that could be heard were boiling pots and customers' chatter outside the kitchen. They didn't say anything because nothing needed to be said. I fucked up, and I knew it.
Sugar had appeared next to me at some point during all this and currently had her teeth bit down on my pants and was trying to drag me toward the door leading to the back. The keyword is 'trying.' You don't realize how cute it is seeing these ponies try to pull my heavy ass anywhere.
"C'mon." She said through her teeth as she almost ripped my pants with her teeth. I pulled myself closer to prevent her from tearing them apart.
"Fine, just let go of my pants, please," I said to her with a whisper before turning around and addressing my kitchen. "Everybody, back to work."
We passed the office, where I heard some muffled voices talking. I trusted Chatter to take care of Fluffy right now because I didn't see how I could do it better. I yelled at her.
I'd never directly yelled at her before. The only problem we ever had was me being a pathetic excuse for a father and simply growing distant and not talking much with her. She was never the issue. It would've probably been my fault if she ever had any problems in life.
I was barely paying attention to Sugar as I followed her out the back. She was sternly leading me to the back door. We passed the bathrooms on our way to the door, and I could hear a very frustrated princess making snide comments about whatever she was fighting in there.
I was snapped back to reality when I felt a snowball in my face, which cooled me considerably as it ran down my face and neck. I slowly wiped my face but felt another snowball strike me on my forehead the moment my hand left my face. "Okay! I fucking get it!"
"You sure about that?" I heard from Sugar's direction as I wiped my face and used my other hand to shield myself.
"Give me a fucking break, will you?"
"How about you pull yourself together a little? I know this stuff is stressful, but why should that go out on your little filly like that?" She said accusingly.
"It's not like that! It was an accident! I..." I stuttered. "I didn't know it was her! Everything has been so fucked for the past few weeks, and I have so much gunk in my head right now!"
I pick up some snow and make a snowball of my own, setting my sights on the little pony. "We both have shit going on, so cut me some slack!" I growl as I send the ball flying at her face. She stops it, of course, before it hits her face, and she sends it back my way.
"Yes, but at least I'm not bringing my troubles to work, Jean!" She countered as the ball started flying towards me. This time, I caught it in my hands, but it just dissolved into snow again.
"Yeah? Well... whatever." I resigned. I didn't have it in me to fight against her. "How do you unicorns even lose snowball fights anyway?" I say as I sit down on the small stairs by the door. I hug my arms around my legs and put my chin between my knees as I breathe out some hot air into the winter chill. The cold weather helped my mind cool for a bit.
Sugar sighed and walked over to join me. "Jean, I get that things can be difficult sometimes. I don't know what's going on with you, and honestly, I'm sort of afraid to ask as I know it's none of my business..." She hesitates for a moment before dropping any further discussion about that topic. "but everypony has their own battles they're facing. We all have hardships to deal with, and sometimes it boils over. If anypony knows, I do."
She sits down next to me and puts a hoof on my arm. I sniffled my nose as I let her continue talking; it was soothing.
"Right now, you have somepony who cares about you, and whether you like it or not, they also get hurt by the world around them. If you care about Fluffy, then I think you should talk to her." She says while staring into my eyes. "Alone."
I got that feeling where you're about to meet a loved one again, but you're nervous about seeing them again. Worries, fears, and thoughts of not being good enough enter my mind in all those situations, but in this case, it's a bit of a tougher pill to swallow. As a father, how will I make amends with some kid I barely know anymore?
"I'll try."
She nodded and stood up to go back inside, but not before showing a snowball into the back of my neck; so far, it started running down my back. I arched my back from the sudden shock and tried to grab her hoof to shove her into the snow, but she had jumped away and into the building before I could. I heard her chuckling to herself as she walked through the door. Just you wait...
I sat on the stairs for a while longer, thinking of the different scenarios that could happen between me and Fluffy. Thinking of how things could be different in general. Thinking of where I would be today if... If Willow...
I slapped myself on both cheeks with more cold snow to get my mind out of the gutter. I had been slacking off from work for too long, and I didn't want to leave a bad impression at the start of the year for everybody. At the very least, not make it worse than it already is.
I walked back into the door and saw Chatter talking with Sugar a bit further in. They both looked my way when they noticed me coming in and broke off their conversation. Sugar went to go back into the kitchen while Chatter came my way.
"Hey, boss, I just wanted to let you know that I'm a bit disappointed in you." She said cheerily. I frowned at her and raised an eyebrow.
"Uh-huh..."
She pointed toward the office that was a little further down the hall. "Go on, get."
I nodded at her and walked past her. I stopped for a moment and looked back at her. "I'm sorry about today. Things have been stressful, but it doesn't excuse poor management and attitude."
She looked at me for a few seconds as if she was in deep thought before she smiled slightly. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to, but thanks, boss."
I nodded and sucked on my cheek. I know.
Satisfied, she nodded and walked past me to rejoin everyone in the kitchen. I had a job to do, so with a deep breath and a clean wipe of worries in my head, I started walking towards the office door. I faintly canceled out the sound of scrubbing from the bathrooms as I touched the door handle.
I opened it gently, trying to ensure I didn't startle Fluffy. I saw her almost instantly. She was standing by the drawers in the room, looking at some of the stuff on the walls. There were signatures of celebrity customers on some of our menus that had been stuffed inside picture frames as achievements. Other frames held pictures of my staff and me, while others just had photos of the food we were particularly proud of.
Sometimes our most valued customers would order special items from us, and we would go out of our way to make them exactly as they wanted. A couple that was getting married wanted a cake with some sort of edible decoration shaped into a diorama of two ponies dancing. Sugar had worked hard on that, along with the help of some of our other staff. We all figured it was too good to just let somebody eat it, so we immortalized the piece of art on our wall.
Fluffy was examining that exact frame when I walked in, and she quickly flipped her neck around and met my eyes. I was expecting her to look scared, but she only really seemed to be a bit sad.
As soon as I was in the room, I closed the door behind me, folded my fingers together awkwardly, and bit my lip a few times, trying to think of something to say before simply gesturing to the chairs by the desk. "Uh... do you wanna sit?"
She followed my hands to where I was pointing, and she nodded. We looked at each other, waiting for the other to move, before I snorted quietly and decided to walk over. We both made it over and sat down quietly.
I didn't know what Chatter could have possibly talked with her about or what Fluffy could have told Chatter. It didn't matter right now, because I only had one task ahead of me currently.
"I... I want to apologize for raising my voice at you, Fluffy. That, um, that was wrong of me to do." I said, facing my folded hands. I could feel her eyes on me. Why did I act like the kid in trouble here, anyway? I saw her shake her head rapidly in my peripheral.
"N-no... it was my fault. I understand." She said quietly and raised a hoof. I met her eyes now.
"It wasn't your fault, Fluffy. It was an accident, and I overreacted." I felt more relieved now that I had broken the ice and felt my shoulders sag a bit as I leaned back into the chair a little.
"I-i'm sorry."
"Sorry for what? I said it wasn't your fault, alright?"
She was forming tears now. I didn't really know what else to say, but somehow it felt like she had more on her mind than just breaking the plates. I think I may have been able to form a picture here, and it made me feel more like shit. She was sniffling now and looking at the floor in front of her.
Maybe if I brought up something positive, something I've wanted to tell her? Something that would make her feel good.
"I saw the drawing you made for me. I-it was really pretty." I stuttered a bit, sounding like I was confessing to someone I had a crush on. Why is it so hard to just be honest and talk about your feelings? My body felt like it was screaming at me to not speak anymore.
"Oh, um," She said quietly. "you did?"
"Yeah, I did. Thank you for that." I said, keeping my eyes on her.
She looked up at me a little now. I saw her eyes glossing over as she looked at me. "I'm glad you liked it."
I smiled and nodded as I rubbed my hands together, realizing I was sweating badly. I wiped them on my pants and folded my arms on the chair.
She spoke again after some silence. "I just... wanted you to see I could be good at working and stuff, but then that happened." She said, referencing the accident with Minuette.
It stung a little bit hearing it directly from her, especially since I had basically left her to her own devices and barely paid her any mind all day. I sighed gently and closed my eyes as I scolded myself internally for being a lousy parent again.
I chuckled a little to try to cheer her up. "You know, Minuette always breaks something going through those doors one way or another. Trust me, it's not your fault." I said before sighing and continuing. "I've been a little on edge. I can't really use it as an excuse for my behavior today or the last week. I'm sorry."
I felt a tear roll down my eye as I said that. It felt like it had a more significant meaning than it really did. I was just apologizing for getting angry today, right? I wiped my eye quickly, but she must have seen it.
"No! It's okay, I understand!" She waved her hooves frantically and looked like she wanted to stand up or run around.
She's right there. Make it up with her, daddy-style, you idiot!
I wanted to stand up and hug her or pet her head and reassure her things would be okay, but the best I could do was reach out my hand to her. On instinct, that was what my body did, anyway. My mind had about a thousand other ideas, but my body had made up its mind. "Okay. Well... Let's shake on it."
She looked confused but slowly reached her tiny hoof out to meet my hand, and as soon as she touched me, my body felt like it became engulfed in heat. Her hoof felt different than it did all those years ago. It was bigger, but just barely. It was softer but more refined. Her touch reminded me of Willow's.
I had to hold myself together to not lose it right then and there in front of her. I wanted to take the next step forward and be more to her, but a part of me refused to let me. Whatever that part was, I felt like I wanted it out of my with every fiber of my soul, but I couldn't shake it.
She looked at me curiously as we 'shook' on it. It was less shaking and more holding. We held each other for a few moments before I pulled away when I felt her ever-so-gently trying to pull me closer to her.
"Well, you want to get back to it? I'm sure everybody misses you about now." I said as I stood up and wiped my nose with my apron. I left her sitting at the chair and opened the door for us before standing by it and waiting for her to follow me.
I didn't want to influence her in this way. I didn't want to teach her to suppress her feelings, but it seemed like she was already taking it to heart as she stood up and trotted past me with a bit of a forced smile. We may have worked out things for now, but I felt there were many more layers to break through. I was not too fond of the feeling I was feeling, not one bit. I thought back to the things I had been through recently. My talks with Princess Luna, conversations and experiences with Sugar Plum, and my time with my parents and Fluffy.
As I watched her walk out of my office and toward the kitchen, I felt a voice in my head scream at her.
Come back...