"How about this one mommy?"
I smiled as I bent down to pick the small grey filly off the floor. "No Dinky. You can't have a cereal that's made entirely out of marshmallows. You need to eat healthy so you can grow up big and strong." I place Dinky in the cart as I pick up another box. "How about this one? It has the same marshmallows."
"Yeah but those little oat bits taste like Styrofoam!"
I sigh. "I thought you liked oats."
"Not those ones. They're so gross!"
I put the box back and picked up the first box again. "Alright, I propose a compromise. How about I get you the nice oats that come in a tin and I''ll mix these in every morning. It will be just like the healthy cereal except with good oats!"
Dinky's face widened. "That would be so amazing! Thanks mommy!"
I smiled and continued to push the cart along. I've found that the best strategy to parenting a small filly is compromise. Make them feel like they have some choice in the matter. I stopped the cart right next to the oats. I let out a small hiss as I looked at the prices.
My husband hasn't been back with a payment in almost a month. Besides, even when he did bring home some money, it was always a hassle getting it converted into bits. I swear he finds a new currency every time he goes out in that damned telephone booth.
It's not like I didn't support Time Turner in all of his endeavors. I mean, I was the one who decided to fall in love with a Time Lord. It was just hard sometimes needing to get by without him. My job as a mail mare did what it could on those weeks where we could barely keep our heads above the water. Which is an ironic saying considering we can't afford enough water to be drowning in it.
I knew that Dinky would be upset if I grabbed the cheap off-brand oats because those are "no better than the ones in the cereal" according to her, so I just decided to grab the branded oats and feel the drop in my wallet.
I knew in my heart it didn't have to be like this. My other daughter, Sparkler, who was already sixteen was making quite a lot of money working for Rarity. She had offered so many times to pay for things like groceries and electricity. I refused each and every time. She has so much to live for and I don't want her to feel like she has to take care of the rest of her family alongside everything else. It will only hold her back.
As I walk towards the checkout, I smile as I look down at my other daughter, Dinky, who has occupied herself by levitating the groceries in the cart. "Mommy mommy! Look what I can do!" I watch as she levitates a can of beans and a pack of sausage. "I can do two things at once now!"
I pat her on the head and nuzzle her lovingly. "Great job my little snowflake!"
I wince as I see the numbers on the self checkout go up higher and higher with each item. I throw about 132 bits into the machine and put the bags back into the cart. Dinky smiles and looks up at me. "You know mommy, they have that doordash thing now! We wouldn't have to go grocery shopping anymore!"
"Doordash costs extra money sweetheart. Money that we don't have right now." I walk my cart over to the place where I had left my wagon. I drop Dinky into the wagon along with the rest of the groceries. I wrap the strap around my waist and begin to walk it back towards my house.
"Mommy, why are we always so short on money?"
I stop short in my tracks. I didn't think that Dinky was old enough to realize how much we were struggling. I forgot how smart she is. I look back at her lovingly. "We're not Sweetheart," I lied. "I just love grocery shopping with you and don't want to lose that by using doordash."
"But you said we don't have the mon-"
I put a hoof over her mouth. She was speaking so loudly that ponies around could definitely hear. It was no secret that I wasn't the richest pony in Ponyville. But I really didn't need them knowing I was the poorest. "How about we go get some ice cream?"
Dinky's eyes went wide and she jumped a little in her seat. "Yay! I love ice cream!"
* * *
My legs are aching by the time I make my way back to our house. Most ponies live closer to the marketplace. They don't know what it's like to walk about five miles towing along a small filly and what feels like a hundred pounds of groceries.
Still, it was something that had to be done.
As my house comes into view, I gasp as I see the telephone booth in the front yard. Dinky sees it too. I can tell as she yells out, "Daddy's home!!! Daddy's home!!!"
* * *
When I walk into the house, I see Time Turner sitting at the kitchen table talking to Sparkler, a purple filly with a darker purple mane. "You didn't tell me you were coming back so soon!"
Time Turner turned around at the sound of my voice and smiled. "Derpy! I wanted it to be a surprise!" He comes over and gives me a kiss on my cheek. "How have you been handling?"
"As best as I can," I say as I smile and blush. "How was work?"
"Long. Me and Rose Luck got trapped in some kind of Hotel of Horrors. We couldn't find the TARDIS for like two weeks! We were just trying to save as many people as possible."
"Daddy!" Dinky yelled. "What does "People" mean?"
Time Turner bent down and picked up the filly. "They're a race of strange tall lanky creatures with hooves that split into five different parts and no tail!"
"They sound scary!"
"Well, they're actually pretty friendly when you get to know them!"
Dinky laughed and Time Turner set her down. He turned to me and laughed. "Better not let Lyra know humans exist. She won't leave us alone until I let her come with me to see some."
I laughed a little halfheartedly. Something about him and Rose spending two weeks together alone in a hotel didn't sit right with me. I would never accuse Time Turner of cheating. But there were definitely some things about his and Rose's relationship that made me wonder sometimes.
I look at him and say, "So how long are you keeping away from you big ball of Wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey stuff?"
He put a hoof on my shoulder. "We'll talk about that later." Translation? I have bad news and I don't want the foals to hear.
I threw a gaze towards Sparkler. "So, answer a question for me. Where the hell were you last night?"
Sparkler flinched at the tone of my voice and Time Turner put a hoof on my shoulder. "Honey. Don't curse at the kids. I'm sure she has a really good explanation."
I hold up a hoof and turn back towards Sparkler. "So?"
Sparkler held her hooves up. "I was sleeping over with Sweetie Belle and Button Mash!"
"There was a boy there?"
"He's Sweetie's coltfriend! Nothing was going to happen to me! I swear!"
"Great! Time for another explanation!"
Sparkler rolled her eyes. "What now?"
I walk over to the corner of the room and pull over a saddlebag with Sparkler's cutie mark on it. I flip it open and pull out a half-empty bottle of alcohol. "Why's this in your saddlebag? This isn't your father's and it sure as hell isn't mine."
Sparkler sighed. "Listen mom, you and I both know that I'm far too old to be lying to you so I'm gonna be completely honest."
I crossed my hooves. "I'm waiting."
"I had a really stressful week and Sweetie Belle came up and said we were going to have the treehouse all to ourselves and when she said there wouldn't be any parent's I thought it would be the perfect time to take the edge of the week off. I stopped by the marketplace and got Rainbow Dash to buy that for me. I brought it over to the clubhouse and we just had a relaxing night."
I stare her down. If looks could kill, she'd be dead on the floor right now. "I'm gonna ask you a question Sparkler and I want you to be honest with me." Sparkler nodded. I could see the guilt in her eyes. "Did anything else happen?" Sparkler said nothing but shook her head. A small tear dripped from her eye.
"I'm sorry mom."
I sigh. "I guess this isn't the worst that somepony your age could do. And since you were honest with me, I suppose I can be a little light on the punishment. You're grounded for the next week."
Sparkler still said nothing and just nodded. I've learned that that's how I can tell she's sorry. She never argues with a punishment if she's actually sorry for what she did. Not that I have to punish her very often. With her father gone a lot, she's almost become like the second parent in the house and I can almost always count on her to be responsible. She's always willing to drop everything to babysit Dinky too which I always appreciate.
Time Turner stared at me. "Wow! You really know how to handle things!"
"Yeah, it comes from experience." I give a small chuckle and look over to the clock. It's already 9 PM. "Oh Wow! It's gotten late! Come on Dinky! Bed time!"
"But mom! Daddy just got home!"
"I'm aware but you have school tomorrow. You can play with him tomorrow."
Dinky sighed and turned towards her bedroom. I laughed a little and turned around. I looked at Sparkler. "You too, young mare! You're grounded so bed time is 9 now. Sparkler sighed and went to her room.
When I turned back around, Time Turner was standing there with a box in his hooves.
"Favorite game?"
"You're on!"
* * *
"Checkmate!"
I let my face fall into my hooves. "Remind me why I play a strategy game with the smartest pony in Ponyville?"
"Because you love me?"
I nod. "That's right!" I begin scooping up my captured pieces from his side of the board and begin setting them up on my side for another game. "So, what did you want to talk about without the kids around?"
"I never said that!"
"You implied it with the 'We'll talk about it later"
Time Turner clapped his hooves together and gestured for me to go first. "Fair enough." I move a pawn forward two spaces.
As the game continues to progress, Time Turner sighed. "There are so many problems throughout the entirety of the universe. There's really no easy way of saying this but.." He moves his queen and takes my rook.
"Spit it out. You can do it." I move my knight back and take his queen as he lets out a small snort of anger.
"I may need to be gone for a long time."
"What!" I stop playing for a second and my eyes meet his. "How long?"
He nervously pushes another pawn forward. "About a month."
"WHAT!"
"Honey! Keep your voice down. The kids are sleeping."
I pick up my bishop to capture his second rook. I practically slam the piece down on the board. "You can't leave me for that long! Did you even get paid for the most recent problem you solved?"
He nods. "Yes! Very handsomely in fact!" He reaches down to his saddlebag and pulls out six hoof-fulls of giant green crystals. "Each of these converts to around 30 bits."
"And what about the kids? How are you gonna explain to them how long you'll be gone?" I capture both of his knights while he begins sweating. I can't tell if it's from the conversation or from the game.
"Sparkler understands my work. She'll be fine."
I glare at him. "You know who I'm talking about smartass!"
"Listen Derpy." He stops playing for a moment and looks up. "I know my job is a lot of work for little pay. But if I take this job, I could possibly make so much money that we could send Sparkler to college!"
"If you were actually around, you would know that she doesn't need our help. She already has money saved up! She's been trying to give me money to help with this house for months now! I tell her no and every time I do, her college fund gets bigger!" I move my queen three spaces away from his king. "Check."
"Listen. I know I haven't been a very good father since I've had to start taking more responsibility with my job. But you have to understand that there is no avoiding it! After the amount of different time anomalies Starlight Glimmer caused when she opened that portal, I have no time to stay and relax."
"When are you leaving?"
"Two days."
"TWO DAYS?"
Everything stops as we hear the small click of a door opening behind us. "Mommy? Why is there screaming after bed time?"
I look back to Dinky. "It's nothing Angel. Go back to sleep."
As the door closes, the conversation continues at a more level tone. "Listen Derpy, I don't even pretend to know what kinds of things you have to go through around here. But I-"
"No Time Turner! There's no excuses you can make! You seem to be gone on every holiday! You haven't been here on Sparkler's past four birthdays! Four Birthdays Time Turner!!! You weren't the one who had to explain to our, at the time, twelve year old daughter why she was going to be getting less Hearth's Warming Presents than her little sister! You weren't the one who had to sit and hoof-stitch a sunflower costume for Dinky because it was sold out at the store!" My bishop takes his last pawn. "I'm sorry but it feels like I do most of the parenting while you go gallivanting around the multiverse with that Rose pony." I sigh. "Check."
"You're right. I haven't been there. But after this job, I may make enough money where I can pass on my responsibilities and make another version of myself. Sure, I won't be immortal anymore but at least I'll be with you."
I begin moving my pieces to try to box in his king. "Will Rose be there?"
"Of course."
"You know Time Turner, I'm not trying to start trouble. I love you. But I have to know, has anything every happened between you two?"
Time Turner looked down at the board and stayed silent.
"Time Turner?"
No answer.
Tears begin to well up in my eyes as a look of guilt spreads its way across his face.
With nothing else to say, I move my queen one final time. He knocks over his king.
"Checkmate."