“Anything else I can get you beauuuutiful ladies?” Pinkie Pie asked, her widest possible grin on her face.
“No, thank you, Pinkie Pie. The cupcakes are wonderful. Our compliments to the chef,” Celestia replied.
“No problemo!”
Twilight finally let her shoulders down. She hadn’t realized how tense she was. This is supposed to be fun! Just you and Celly, here, alone, in Sugarcube Corner with nopony to bother you, she thought. Except Pinkie, hovering like a... pony feathers. Like a bee? No... Ah, forget it.
“Everything alright, dear?” Celestia asked.
“Yeah... uh, yes. I’m just—”
“Stressed?”
Twilight nodded. “We hardly ever get private time to ourselves. I love Pinkie Pie dearly, but...”
“I understand.”
Twilight took a bite of her cupcake and chewed slowly. She ruminated on the few other occasions she’d had private moments with Celestia in the past six months of dating. They tried to get together every weekend, but some odd event or emergency would come up and steal their time together. And while this year’s Summer Sun Celebration heralded the first with four Princesses presiding, everypony and their pet turtle wanted autographs or pictures. It was the Grand Galloping Gala all over again.
“—And that’s how Mr. Cake met Mrs. Cake!” Pinkie finished and leaned on the table.
“Fascinating,” replied Celestia. Her chin rested on her folded hooves. “Say, could you fetch us two glasses of apple juice?”
“Yessirree! Two glasses of Sweet Apple Acres finest, coming up!” Pinkie hopped off to the kitchen, once again leaving Twilight and Celestia alone in the dining area.
Twilight’s head hung down. “I spaced out again, didn’t I?”
“You did. I worry.”
“It’s OK. I was just thinking.”
Celestia chuckled. “Somehow, ‘just thinking’ sounds like trouble.”
Twilight sighed. When Pinkie returned with the apple juice, she mumbled her thanks and stared intently at her glass.
“And said, ‘Cracker? I ‘ardly know ‘er!’” Pinkie broke into a fit of giggles that made her fall to her back and kick her hooves. Celestia joined in with a good-hearted snicker, but Twilight kept silent.
“Twilight?” Pinkie asked.
“Yes?”
“Are you OK? You didn’t laugh...” Pinkie Pie frowned and her bottom lip pushed up.
“No...” Tears welled in Twilight’s eyes. “Pinkie, I... thank you for trying, but can you, uh, give us some space? I wanted to have some alone time with Celestia.”
“Alrighty. I’ll be in the back if you need anything.”
Twilight opened her forelegs for a hug. “It’s not that I’m mad, Pinkie, I’m just a little bummed. We’ll talk more tonight and I’ll tell you about the rest of the day.”
Pinkie perked up and hugged Twilight back. “Okie dokie! I’ll see you later then.” She bounced back to the kitchen and sprang through the doors.
“What do you say we just finish up the juice and get to the bookstore? I hear Ponyville got a choice shipment of classic Dostrotesky,” Celestia said as she stroked Twilight shoulders.
Twilight reached a hoof back to grip Celestia’s. “I’d like that, yeah.” And for the first time since she saw Celestia that morning, she smiled.