//------------------------------// // Chapter Fourty Five- Three Years Happy // Story: The Strings Of Life // by MLPxMaestro //------------------------------// The Strings Of Life: Chapter 45- Three Years Happy: Octave, who was about three years old now, and was on her way out of foalhood, and just starting to go into fillyhood. She comes running down the stairs to her mother in the kitchen with those short little legs of hers. Her mother Octavia was preparing dinner for the family at the moment, and Maestro hopefully was not too far away from home. Three years of being with Octavia, and now married for two years so far not to mention. Maestro’s foster parents had also by now been living in Manehatten for about a year now, and were a good ways away from Canterlot. Maestro did miss them sometimes, but he couldn’t complain since his actual mother lived in another district in the city. Octave couldn’t wait to see her daddy when he got home so they could play right away with whatever reserves of energy he could manage with after a day at work. Maestro had been working at a music store in Canterlot for the past year and a half now, as he decided it’d be best to drop his long-term goal of playing in the Royal Canterlot Symphony Orchestra. With all the traveling he would be doing with the orchestra, he’d be traveling all over Equestria, and surprisingly often too. Which would mean chances were, he wouldn’t get enough time to be with his family. Octave was being taught pretty average as far as her speech goes, though she still has her speech impediments as far as her R’s and L’s were concerned, even has trouble with the word ‘the’. For instance, if Octave ever said something such as ‘little’, she would end up replacing the L with a W, and wind up saying ‘wittle’ instead. Words such as ‘play’ to ‘pway’, and ‘string’ to ‘stwing’, from the word ‘the’ to ‘da’…it was quite an adorable sight actually. No doubt she has her adorable moments, and she reminded her mother of when she was a filly with her mother Melody. Octavia knew of just how much her mother loved her, and she wanted to do the same for her daughter as well. For one, her mother had taught her an important lesson of life she could apply to herself. Octavia would live everyday like it would be her last, since nopony obviously knows when they shall depart from the living. Octave even had many traits Octavia had when she was a filly too. Like how she loved getting hugs and kisses, how much she seemed to brighten somepony’s day with that innocent little face of hers. Octave has her smart moments too though, she one time seemed to instinctively want to help her mommy when she got hurt one day. Of course she always wants to help her daddy out with anything he’s ever working on or doing himself. Octave overall is your typical curious, adorable, smart little foal, capable of so much, yet knows so little. “Mommy, mommy! When is daddy coming home?!” Octave asked her mother happily, jumping up and down. The energy that little foal had could be seen from Octavia plain as day, and it pleased her to see her so happy with a family that’d give anything and everything for her. “I am sure he will be home soon dear. You love your daddy to bits don’t you?” she giggled a bit, continuing to stir the pot in front of her on the stove containing a mouth watering sight of vegetable soup. “Uh-huh, because he needs to hewp me and Ms. Tibbles make tea today!” the foal replied with a big smile. Before she ran back off upstairs to play in her room, she always wanted to give her mommy a hug before she took off. “I wuv you mommy…I wanna pway just wike you too! Daddy says you play da pwettiest! What’s da thing you pway?” Octave’s head tilted a bit curiously. “It is called a Cello my dear, and yes maybe some day you can play just like mommy.” Octavia giggled back at that lovely foal. She even denied at some moments for Octave to be her daughter she was so adorable at times, with her speech impediments and all. “Yay! I’ll be da best cewwo pwayer ever! Even better than mommy!” “Of course sweetie, you’ll always be better than mommy!” Octavia then got down and nuzzled the side of her daughters face, followed by a gentle kiss on her cheek thereafter. The time continued to pass on by, until Maestro had finally walked through the front door. “About freaking time I got home!” he raised his voice a bit, followed by his exhale of relief as he hung his coat up. “Daddy!” the little voice called out to him. He could hear those little distinctive noises of tiny hooves making their way down to their destination. “There’s my little girl!” Maestro replied, as he got down on the same height level as she was, and lied down on the floor. “Oh no, I think I’m dying!” he added back to her. He dramatically threw his hooves up in the air pointing back towards her, and then closed his eyes to play pretend on her. “Uh-oh…” Octave replied, causing Maestro the laugh out loud at her perfect reply. “You’re always here to make your daddy happy even when he’s tired.” He smiled back to her, as he got up off the wooden floor to head into the kitchen. “Oh wow, smells divine…vegetable soup I assume?” he sniffed the air. “Indubitably dear.” Octavia replied. “So how come you didn’t have a cutie mark in cooking, eh?” Maestro wondered, as he walked up to kiss her. “Well I suppose music called a little louder.” She replied with a little giggle. “Daddy, can you pway house with me?” Octave called out to her daddy, those little legs trying to keep up with Maestro. “Sweetie, daddy’s feeling pretty tired today…” “Aw…” Octave’s ears then drooped, as she then faced towards the floor. “Buuut…I suppose one game of house wouldn’t hurt.” He looked off to Octavia, expecting what her reaction would be. Octavia looked back at him with a giggling expression, glad to see even when he’s bushed, he’d do whatever he could to make his daughter happy. About an hour later… “Come on daddy, wets go upstaiws now!” “How about you go ahead and meet daddy up there, okay?” “Okay!” Octave smiled hugely, then quickly made her way up the stairs to her bedroom. Octavia watched her daughter until she was out of site and up on the second floor before continuing to Maestro. “You make her so happy when your home, and whenever you’re at work, she’s around me most of the time. She wants to do so much in her life.” She said, wiping the corners of her mouth after finishing her meal. “I know…her mind just seems to have so much imagination not to mention. Whenever she wants me to play house, sometimes she even takes it seriously. I still can’t manage to keep from laughing at her attempt of being serious.” Maestro replied, helping Octavia get a little head start on the dishes. “Helping me with the dishes are we? Well I believe a little reward is in play if you do all of these yourself.” She leaned in with a bit of a seductive look in her eyes, including that soft tone of voice she used that’d make any stallion seem to melt. Funny thing was, Maestro hated doing the dishes. He looked up at the large pile of dirty dishes, and it was a daunting site for him. “Umm…uh…” “Oh come now, we’ll even drop Octave off at your mother’s house. Then, we can do a little game of house ourselves. It’s the part where the mommy and daddy love each other very much.” Her eyes fluttered a bit close to his face as they shared a kiss together. “Daddy?” Octave spoke up at the kitchen entrance. “O-Octave! What have I told you about interrupting when mommy and daddy are talking young lady?!” Octavia stuttered a bit, completely caught off guard by Octave standing at the kitchen entrance for who knows how long? “Sowwy mommy, I didn’t know…” Octave looked down to the kitchen floor. Maestro then leaned over a bit, as he stood right next to Octavia whispering something. “Not doing the dishes today this time.” he chuckled slightly, as he made his way over to his daughter’s side. Octavia exhaled, and then understood what he was getting to. “Of course dear…well I don’t need to keep you two any further, go play house now Octave.” “But I’m waiting on-” “Let’s get going now.” “Yay! Okay, dis time I pway da doctor!” she replied jubilantly, hopping a bit in place then rushing ahead of Maestro. “I’ll help you next time though, I promise.” Maestro said as he looked back at Octavia. “But you’ve said that numerous times to me though?” “I know I did, and I apologize if I never keep my promises to you some of the time. You however already know that I’m not the best at keeping up with time, and that I forget certain things.” “I know…I just want us to have a little time together is all. Ever since Octave came into our lives, it seems like you’ve been so busy lately.” Octavia replied. “Well how about this, I’ll try to take some time off this weekend, and we’ll take a little vacation together? I’ll drop Octave off at my mother’s and all that jazz.” “I think that sounds like a wonderful idea dear! But, won’t our daughter miss us while we’re gone?” Octavia asked him, as she paused for a moment in front of the sink. “Oh I’m sure she will, but granny will keep her occupied, my mother’s always been good with improvising.” He replied. “Right, right…well I don’t need to keep you any longer, cause I’m sure she’s-” “Daddyyy! Come up here and pway with me!” Octave shouted from the top of the stairs. “Yep…I know.” He then looked back up facing his daughter. “Alright sweetie, I’m heading up right now!” He shouted back to her, finally making his way up the stairs. Maestro then gave off a content sigh, for could life be any more rewarding than having a daughter who uses her manners occasionally at such a young age, and a nice touch of romance to go along with that? Who wouldn’t wish to live a life like that? Octavia had always seemed to have way with being romantic, pretty much putting Maestro to shame most of the time. It seems as though her refinement made her just have a certain way with being so good at romance. Maestro supposed Octavia was just the classy romantic type to begin with as she reached marehood. Meanwhile in Octave’s room… “Daddy?” “Yes angel?” “What were you and mommy talking about?” Maestro’s eyes got big, and he looked off. “Um, well uh…we were talking about the…the weather! Yeah…what the weather will be like tomorrow.” He replied with slight nervousness in his voice. “What’s dat?” “Weather? Well, weather is what a day will be like. Like if the weather is going to be sunny or if it will rain, do you understand?” Octave simply looked at him and blinked. “No…” she blinked once more. “Hmm…how about we play school then?” “Okay! I’ll be da teachew!” “You will?! Oh boy, this will be fun! You’ll be such a good teacher!” Maestro then looked away for a moment and softly spoke on a level that his daughter couldn’t hear him. “Celestia give me strength….” He softly spoke out, almost in a whisper. “Okay, wecess!” “But…we haven’t started school yet though sweetie?” he said a little confused. “But you have to do what da teachew says.” She replied. “But I thought-” “Nooo, you’re supposed to do what da teachew says! I say wecess now!” she spoke up again to him. “Yep…you’re definitely your mother…”