"Darling, this color is simply magnificent on you!" Rarity gushed.
"Really, I can't express how darling you look, darling!"
Rarity just knew that this particular fashion show was going to be absolutely smashing. She had already called all her friends and coworkers and invited them to come. She had even got a hold of someone who knew a mare, who knew a mare, who knew a stallion, who knew a cousin of Fancy Pants. This fashion show was going to be the highlight of her year!
"Oh, please don't eat that! No! Not the glitter! Oh, Fluffy! What would the animal shelter say if they saw you acting up like this?!"
Of course, she would need to train the dogs a little more. But she would manage. She always does.
"Mommy, can I hold Wags?"
"No, Velvet Silk! Wags is going to be dewormed in a few minutes."
"Okay.....mommy?"
"Yes, Velvet?" Rarity sighed.
"Will we ever get a pet?"
"Oh, I don't think so, darling."
"But all the ponys watching the animal shows get to adopt the animals! Why can't we?"
"I told you Velvet, it's the fashion shows. And mommy is just too busy to actually take care of these pets. It's much easier to just have the animal shelter do it."
"Okay, but what about a fish or something? Those are easy to take care of, right?"
Rarity looked into her daughter's huge, green eyes. Her purple mane would need to be curled soon, and her ruby-red coat was filthy!
"...Mommy?"
" I think you need to get a manecut soon, Velvet."
"Are you even listening?"
"I told you no, darling! Now help me clean up Fluffy's mess."
***************************************************************
The project was almost complete. Rarity just needed to speak with a few more important ponies. Unfortunately, those important ponies wanted to meet with Rarity at the exact same time as her daughter's ballet recital. Oh well, it would have to wait.
The recital, that is.
How do you tell your daughter that you are too busy to come to the most important night of her life?, Rarity thought.
While she was mulling the thought over, she didn't even realize that her filly had come back from school and seen the calender on the kitchen table, with the ballet recital crossed-out in red pen. Unfortunately her filly was not very happy about that.
"Mommy?"
"...Oh! Welcome home, Velvet. Did you have a nice da-"
"What's this?" The filly injected.
"What's what, darling?"
Velvet Silk shoved the calender in her mother's face, as if to exclaim, "that's what".
"Get that out of my face! Goodness gracious, Velvet!" Rarity exclaimed.
"Why is my recital scribbled-out? I thought you said you were going!"
"Darling, I-"
"You are still going, aren't you?" Velvet Silk asked.
Rarity quickly turned on "Mommy-Mode".
"Darling, mommy has to go talk to some special ponies, so they can sponsor the fashion show, so mommy can get money, so mommy won't lose her job!"
After those last few words, Rarity took a deep breath and gave her daughter her best, "you understand, right?" smile. Unfortunately Velvet Silk was a very smart 7-year-old, and as such did not fall for that crap.
"Mommy, that's cheap. Don't you care about me more than some job?"
No, actually. I care about you and this job equally, is what Rarity felt tempted to say, but of course she wouldn't dare say that out-loud. Now, it's not that Rarity didn't care about her daughter. On the contrary, Rarity cared about her daughter very, very, very much. But she also cared about her job very, very, very much. So they were equally important to her. Some might say that that's not good enough, and that Rarity should have loved her daughter much more than her job. But Rarity disagreed. If she loved and cared about her daughter very, very, very much, than shouldn't that be enough? Shouldn't it not matter if she cared about her job equally? Well, that's what Rarity thought. But what she said was,
"Yes, darling. I care about you much more than some silly job!"
"Then go to my ballet recital instead! Show me that you care more, mommy!"
"Darling, I can't do that."
"Why?!"
"I just can't! And that's final!"
"Rrrrrrggg! I hate you! I hate you!"
"Velvet-!"
Velvet Silk stared into her mother's eyes with rage.
"I wish I could go live with daddy! 'Cause he's better than you!"
Velvet ran out of the kitchen before her mother could even blink.
Rarity could hear her stomping up the stairs as her tears softly hit the kitchen counter.