It was a piece of good luck that Pavo was already in his bed by the time Rosa bustled Sky Light into the cabin. Sky didn't seem to care, but Rosa knew she would appreciate not being seen. The shower had helped them both, but the pegasus still had a slightly haunted expression on her face. No wonder, too. Rosa imagined she probably looked the same.
She gently closed the truck door while Sky Light climbed up to the bed. Pavo woke up, but luckily he was facing the far wall and didn't turn around to look when he heard who it was. "Night, girls," was all he said in a sleepy drawl.
"Night." Rosa hurried and crawled up to the bunk bed before he could notice that anything was off. Sky Light was already wrapped up in a blanket and she sighed deeply when her friend joined her.
"It's going to be alright," Rosa told her.
"Thanks, Rosa."
She lifted up the blanket and Rosa shuffled under it. She tried to hug Sky, but both their hooves were in the way, so instead she tapped Sky Light's shoulder. "Wanna turn around?"
This was given due thought, then the mare shook her head. "You turn. I wanna hold you, Rosa."
Rosa obeyed and turned her back to the other mare, lifting herself up a little so she could snake a leg under. Sky Light brought the other hoof around and pulled the warm body closer. The blanket had slipped off, but Sky snagged it with a wing and brought it around both of them. Then her wing settled down like a comfortable inner cover, warm and soft against Rosa's side. In fact, Rosa didn't think she could be any more comfortable and relaxed, but then Sky Light put her muzzle against the back of her head and kissed her ear.
"Sleep tight, sweetheart," she said.
Was that what it felt like to have a mother, Rosa wondered? Someone- somepony she would feel absolutely safe with? A pony she could trust with anything? Maybe it was leftover emotions from Sky's tragic story, but Rosa put her legs over Sky's and whispered back: "I love you, Sky." She got a tighter hug in reply and Rosa imagined the motherly smile Sky probably had on her muzzle.
"I love you too," Sky said back and it brought a nice, warm feeling to Rosa's heart. "Not love as in coltfriend," Sky corrected, "love as in friend, okay?"
Rosa couldn't help chuckling at this small proof that Sky Light was still herself, deep down.
"I mean- I'll do you if you want, but you're not really my type."
"Ass."
Both of them ended up giggling, partly in relief that everything was going to be fine, but mostly because they were together and they trusted each other and now their bond felt stronger than ever
Sky Light still seemed downcast the next day, especially once Rosa started moving around the cabin. The mare went back to staring out the window, but Rosa just needed to scooch over and put her hooves around her friend to get a smile out of her.
"Don't get all mopey on me again, okay?" Rosa told her.
"Promise."
It was not much further in any case, so the two sat together and Rosa joined in on looking at the horizon. "Ever been this way?"
"I don't think so. Last time I hitchhiked any distance I was-" Sky began, but then fell silent and looked over at Pavo.
Rosa guessed he didn't know about her drug problems. "I understand."
The mare flashed a grateful smile and Rosa opened her muzzle to say it was fine, since she didn't mind, at least not after having heard Sky's awful story.
Before Rosa could get the words out, however, Pavo spoke up. "Well, here we are, ladies."
They looked around curiously, but the big rig was just sitting on an empty stretch of road. There were some buildings up ahead with an illuminated sign showing a stylized truck. It was probably Pavo's company, Rosa guessed, but why would he stop outside?
"Why did you-"
He interrupted her, guessing the question: "Picking up passengers isn't exactly... encouraged. There's an all-night barbecue and grill on the other side of the road. You can wait for me there, I'll just sort out the paperwork and then come pick you up, okay?"
It didn't sound like a huge problem, so Rosa smiled at the man and nodded. "Sure! We'll wait."
"Shouldn't be much more than an hour. You two have fun!"
Sky Light had already opened the passenger door and leapt down, and Rosa passed her both their bags while Pavo stowed the extra blanket and pillow and put away the top bed. It was a good thing he remembered, since those could have raised some uncomfortable questions back at his company. Rosa waved the man goodbye, then slipped down to the street. There was just one problem left; she couldn't reach the door to close it.
She looked at Sky imploringly. "The door, please?"
"Oh!" the other mare remembered. She kicked off the ground and flicked her wings just once, which lifted her high enough so she could give the passenger door a good nudge which made it slam shut. It was actually a bit impressive to Rosa how the pegasi could jump. "There. Let's get us a burger!"
Things were happening again, the drive was over, and Sky Light quickly slipped back into her role of older and wiser street pony. It was doing her good, Rosa could already tell. Maybe they wouldn't have to wait around for her friend to feel better about her tragic story. Rosa wondered how often Pavo was sent out on hauls and came up with a new plan. Maybe if they had a day or two in this place, she could gauge how Sky Light was doing and then decide if they needed more time?
"Sheesh, stop looking at me like that!" the pegasus whined.
"Like what?!"
"Dunno, like I've got mange or something! I'm fine, Rosa!" Sky Light assured her.
I still think we should talk about it," Rosa insisted.
Sky rolled her eyes a little and slipped her saddlebags on her back. "I said I'm fine," she repeated and looked both ways down the road. The diner Pavo had mentioned was just across the street with a big sign proclaiming 'BBQ&Grill' and there was some loud, thumpy music coming from it.
Rosa ignored the noise and shook her head sadly at the pegasus. "Didn't look fine yesterday."
Sky Light twirled back to face her. "You said you'll never bring that up again! You promised!"
"No," Rosa corrected her, "I said I wouldn't tell anyone. I still think we should talk."
"Pass," was the curt reply before Sky began walking away.
Rosa looked both ways as well and quickly followed, only to have to hurry back and fetch her backpack. "Sky Light, it's not healthy bottling stuff like that up all this time!" she yelled after her escaping friend.
"What the fuck would you know about any of that?"
"We had Psychology class back at the School. I know you'll never get over it if you don't talk about it."
The mare stopped right in the middle of the road, but she didn't turn around this time. She just looked at Rosa over her shoulder. "Fuck Psychology. That crap is worthless out here. Sooner you forget about it, better off you'll be."
Her stopping allowed Rosa to catch up and put her muzzle against Sky Light's withers. At least she didn't fight that. "Well, School or not, I care about you. I don't want you hurting. Promise you'll tell me if you feel sad again?"
The mare heaved a sigh, but she still didn't push Rosa away. Instead she patted her with a wing and whispered back: "I promise."
That was probably the best Rosa was going- "Car. CAR!"
The horn honked and Rosa pushed Sky Light away. She didn't have time to look if she had fallen as Rosa leaped after her and rolled when she hit the ground. Rather than wait, she scurried to her hooves and looked wildly around for more traffic, even while she was retreating behind the yellow line.
Luckily Sky Light was nimble on her hooves and she didn't even lose her balance. She came over to stand beside Rosa. "Well, that was stupid," she commented.
"Yeah."
"Standing right there in the middle of the road."
Rosa's face reddened in response, too. She had been so engrossed with Sky's tragedy that she had completely forgotten where they were. It could have ended much worse. The overflowing adrenaline made her chuckle. "We're such a pair..."
Soon Sky Light was also laughing. "You said it, Rosa."
For a moment the two embraced, happy to be alive, then they both turned to the brightly illuminated building with loud music coming out of it. "Come on, my treat," Rosa invited.
"Look, Rosa-" Sky began and Rosa stopped to look back at her. The pegasus hadn't started moving yet. "I know I can be... difficult sometimes, but I'm fine. Really fine. You don't get time to grieve on the streets. It was a long time ago."
Rosa shrugged a little to herself. "Felt pretty raw..."
"I don't know what happened," Sky answered firmly. It looked like their near escape had loosened her tongue a little bit, but she still didn't like talking about it. "I guess it was all of it put together. Traveling, and T-Terry going- well, and then there was you."
Rosa was about to ask about Terry again, but her friend walked up and draped a wing over her. "Sometimes you really feel like a daughter I almost had, y'know?"
The admission made Rosa smile a little. "Aww, thanks. I love you too, mom."
"Eugh," Sky made a face. "God, never say that again. That's just plain creepy." She got a faraway look as she thought it over, before her muzzle scrunched up in distaste. "Ew. Now that I hear you say it, it's weird."
Rosa couldn't help laughing a little as she bumped Sky's rump with hers. "Okay, just a friend then, and don't you forget it."
As thanks, Sky Light squeezed Rosa with her wing, then folded it back up and walked towards the diner. "Come on, I wanna see what their burger is like."
Rosa followed with a fresh bounce in her step.
Pavo joined the two about an hour later and Rosa bought him a beer for his trouble and as a small thank you, which Sky hungrily watched him drink it until it was all gone. Once that was done, they didn't hang about and Pavo led them outside and to his car. It was a comically small one, especially when they contrasted it against the size of the truck the man drove not even an hour ago, but he seemed to like it quite well. It was much faster than the semi, that was for sure. He said it wasn't far, so Rosa didn't mind when Sky Light went to sit up front with the man and left her in the back seat. It gave her some quiet time to look lazily at the store lights out the windows. After some time Rosa spotted Pavo's cap on the back seat beside her and remembered it was the one which said 'semi king'. Without really knowing why, she took it and put it on her head.
They were at a breaking point of their journey and the question of sleeping arrangements came up. Sky Light had said the street was fine, but Pavo insisted the two should sleep in his guest bedroom for the night, before he started arranging the next leg of their journey. Rosa also liked the idea. It would feel nice to sleep in a real bed for a change and get a shower they didn't have to pay for. That was an easy way to convince Sky Light, too, although Rosa thought the pegasus would actually rather try the streets. She was not used to being in an actual house after all those years, but she eventually acquiesced, even if it was mostly for Rosa's benefit.
Finally, late at night, Pavo stopped his car and turned it off. Rosa fumbled with the handle and let herself out of the car. The bag was still on her back, since it hadn't bothered her enough for what she had known would be a short drive. Sky Light had decided the same, so it was just Pavo's traveling bag in the trunk which he had to get. Rosa examined the house while they waited. It was mostly dark, but there was a faint, flickering light in one of the windows. Someone watching television, Rosa guessed.
"Here we are. Let's go say hi to the missus," the driver told them and reached down to give Rosa's withers a pat. If he saw the cap on her head he didn't bring it up.
Following the man to the front door, Rosa glanced at Sky Light and gave her a nervous grin. Maybe she was getting used to living on the street herself? Sky flashed back a smile, but then the door opened and the two ponies stepped into its welcoming darkness. New, unaccustomed smells assaulted them. Slightly burnt milk and a strong scent of cleaning liquid were the top two, but Rosa also detected human sweat, freshly washed bedclothes and a mixture she couldn't help but call 'home'. It would be very nice to come back to that every day after work, she thought. It was... homely. It was obvious someone lived here and they've put a lot of work into keeping the house clean and organized.
"Honey, we're here!" Pavo called out and flicked the light switch. Rosa could see a dark red, maybe terracotta, floor tiles leading further into the house. There was also a staircase going up, each step covered by a bit of carpet. Pavo started walking that way and she followed, curious to meet his family. She had never met a trucker's family before. He spent a lot of time out on the road, so Rosa guessed they probably got lonely. She put on her best smile while somewhere upstairs a light turned on and a woman came to look. She was more or less unremarkable, but Rosa immediately liked her smile.
"Ann, these are Rosa and Sky Light," Pavo introduced.
Just like she had been taught in School, Rosa walked up to the lady, sat on her haunches and lifted up a leg for a shake. Her grin widened as Ann obliged. Rosa didn't exactly know why, but then the woman tapped the rim of the cap on her head and commented: "Looks good on you."
"Thank you!"
"Daddy?!" came a shout from one of the rooms behind the woman. Rosa glanced around and saw there was a short hallway with several doors leading out from it. "Daddy's home!"
The son, Richie, Pavo had told Rosa his name was, sprinted and jumped into his father's arms. They twirled around a couple of times and both laughed happily.
Rosa caught Ann's eye and they both smiled at the scene.
"Richie, I've got special guests this time," Pavo explained and for the first time the boy saw the ponies. The reaction would never get old, Rosa felt. His eyes widened, then his mouth opened in surprise, and then his smile rose like the sun.
"Pony!!"
Rosa had a moment to steady herself before the boy lunged at her and she caught him deftly in her hooves. From the corner of her eye she could see his mother relax. She had been ready to grab him if he toppled Rosa over. Madam obviously didn't realize that Rosa was an Assistant Pony.
"Hey there, sweetie! I'm Rosa, what's your name?" she cooed. She had heard the name a few seconds ago, but there was a proper way to greet children and Rosa was sticking to it.
"R-Richard," he said, suddenly a bit nervous, but Rosa kept her smile and the boy explained: "my friends call me Richie."
"It's very nice to meet you!"
The kid gave a slight gasp and pointed at her head. "You're that trucker pony!" he exclaimed.
"Sure am! Me an' my friend Sky Light there have been helping your dad drive his big truck, isn't that right?"
Rosa looked for her friend, but Sky Light was still on the stairs, looking at the kid with a kind of apprehension. She didn't know how to act around children. Suddenly Rosa realized that this was her world, which was all completely foreign to Sky. If felt nice to finally be better at something than she was.
The boy she was holding upright pointed at the other pony and said in a voice of absolute awe: "Flying pony! Can you fly for real?!"
"Uhhh, I guess?" Sky answered.
Rosa nearly decided to let her stew for a bit, but she was not that mean so she gave the kid a quick nuzzle. "That's right. We'll show you outside tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay, we've met each other, now it's time for bed. Go on, Richie. We'll talk with the ponies some more in the morning. I'm sure they're tired after their long drive," the mother said and peeled the kid off Rosa. He didn't seem too saddened to go, but Ann still had to hold his hand to keep him from coming right back and hugging the mare again. Pavo stepped closer and took his son's hand from his mother.
"I got this," he told her. Then to his son: "How about we go put you in bed and I'll show you all the pictures of trucker ponies I took this time, yes?"
That cheered the boy right up and he happily followed his father to his bedroom, only pausing for a moment to smile back at the mares and wave them goodbye.
The woman studied Rosa and Sky Light, then slipped past the pegasus down the stairs. "Guess bedroom is downstairs, but I'd like for you two to take a shower, first."
"Uh," Rosa said, uncertain. "Okay?"
The smile was gone and now the woman was giving her an appraising look. "Tell me the truth - you don't have homes, do you?"
Rosa's gaze lowered and she blushed a little. Sky Light crept closer beside her and tensed up, ready for flight.
"N-No, ma'am."
"Well, stay clean and don't cause no trouble while you're here, okay? Pavo is too nice for his own good, so I gotta put my foot down here."
"Of co-course, ma'am. No trouble, I promise."
She seemed satisfied with that and continued down the stairs. Rosa nudged Sky Light and then followed. The pegasus was worried, so Rosa made a decision. "It'll just be this one night, ma'am, then we're leaving."
Ann didn't reply, but she pointed a finger at Sky, which made the mare flinch. "After you shower come see me in the kitchen. I know it's late, but there's some dumplings left. You guys eat soup, right?"
Rosa felt her belly which was being weighed down by most of a grilled cheese sandwich like a stone. "Actually we already-"
"We'll be happy to," Sky Light said right over her, warming up to the woman a tiny bit.
"Good," Ann said and stepped away from the stairs so the two could get on the lower floor. "You're too skinny by half. You're not leaving tomorrow either without a good breakfast in you, either."
She didn't stop talking as she pointed down the hallway. "Third door is the downstairs bathroom. Next door is the guest room. Got all that? I'll go grab some blankets for you."
"Y-Yes. Thank you."
The woman nodded to herself, satisfied, then started back up the stairs. "I'll put the soup on. Should be enough left for you two."
"That's fine, actually, I had dinner. You can have it all, Sky."
Rosa got a grateful smile for her heroic sacrifice, which was how the pegasus saw the offer.
Ann didn't seem to mind, but she still paused on the steps and looked back. "Okay, then just come up for some pudding."
This one Rosa was happy to accept and she gave the woman a happy little smile. She would like it there, she felt. The woman was a tiny bit scary and she seemed quite strict, but something told Rosa they'd be good friends in hardly any time at all. A completely different story than Jennifer Boone.
Maybe, if Sky Light grew tired of her, Rosa could come back here and ask Mrs. Basilius if she'd take her in on a more permanent basis in exchange for some housework and help with watching her son. Of course, it all depended on how things went with Maribelle. For the moment, she was just happy to be inside, have a hot shower and then sleep in a proper bed with proper sheets in a proper room. Even if it was just for a night.