//------------------------------// // Mommy of Muffin // Story: Extended Family // by ponylaw //------------------------------// Dinky sat on the steps of the school waiting for her mother to come pick her up. On any other day this would not have been a big deal, but today was supposed to be different. After most of the other kids had left, a grey mare with blonde hair walked up to Dinkie. “Sorry I’m late Muffin, there was a lot of mail that had to be delivered today. Are you ready to go home,” Derpy asked her daughter. “I guess so,” Dinky responded halfheartedly. “What’s wrong Muffin?” Dinky didn't respond and Derpy was about to ask again until she picked up on her surroundings. “Oh no! No no no no no! Parent’s day was today, wasn't it,” Derpy said with a defeated groan. “I’m sorry Dinky. I got so caught up with work that it completely slipped my mind. You must be furious with me.” Dinky looked at her mom and gave her a weak smile, “No, I’m not mad at you. I know you are very busy.” Dinky turned back to facing forward and continued walking back home. She wasn't lying to her mother; she wasn't mad and understood her mother was working hard. Dinky wasn’t talking to her mother because she was mulling over how to ask a question that was plaguing her mind all day at school. They both walked silently for a couple of minutes until Dinky couldn’t think of any better way to ask the question. She spun around and stared at her mother. She could see Derpy bracing herself for a torrent of yelling, but all Dinkie did was take a deep breath and asked her question, “Where’s my daddy?” Derpy shot straight up with surprise with the question. “What?” “Where is my daddy? Everypony in class had both a mommy and a daddy there, but all I have is you.” Dinky thought about how she just said that and added, “Not that there is anything wrong with that. I love you mommy very much. I’m just curious about who my daddy is and where he went.” Derpy closed her eyes and sighed, “I expected you to ask this eventually, I just didn’t think so soon.” Derpy looked off into the distance, “Let’s head over to Sugarcube Corner, we can talk about this over some sweets.” Dinky gave her mother a wide smile, “Ok!” Not only was she getting the answers she wanted, but she can get the muffin of the month that she wanted since it was advertised earlier this week. They both went in and took a seat in the back, far enough where they could talk privately. Soon after they sat down, a familiar pink mare bounced over to them. “Afternoon you two, what can I get ya,” said Pinkie Pie with her usual upbeat behavior. “I’ll take an apple cider muffin with extra glazing,” Derpy told Pinkie. “Rough day, huh?” “You could say that.” Derpy turned towards Dinky, “What would you like?” Dinky raised her right hoof in the air and placed the other on her hip, “The Mysterious Mare-do-well Marmalade Muffin!” “Excellent choice,” exclaimed Pinkie, “and excellent execution of that tongue twister. Mysterious mare-do-well marmalade muffin, mysterious mare-do-well marmawaith fuflin.” Pinkie looked down and saw her tongue tired up in a knot, “Thuse may, I’ll fe fack with or orer.” Dinky and Derpy chuckled as Pinkie walked back to the kitchen. They settled down and looked back at each other. Derpy cleared her throat and started in, “So, you want to know about your father?” Dinky responded with a succession of excited nods. “Well, the thing is, I don’t know what happened to your father. In fact,” Derpy paused for a bit, “I don’t even know who your father is?” This made Dinky give her mother a confused look, “How can that be? Doesn't there have to be a mommy and a daddy to have a baby?” “That is true…and possibly another talk for later,” said Derpy shifting uncomfortably in her seat. “So if you’re my mommy, you had to meet somepony that would be my daddy.” Derpy stared intently at her daughter, “How much do you know about this?” Derpy waved her hooves in front of her face, “Never mind, off topic; plus I’m not ready to go into that just yet.” Derpy let out a big sigh and sat there for what seemed like hours. Derpy lifted her head and looked her daughter square in her eyes, “Muffin, you know I love you and nothing would ever change that right?” Dinky wasn't sure how to respond to that question except for a hesitated, “Yes.” She wasn't sure if she should be confused or worried about what her mother was about to say next. Derpy continued without ever breaking eye contact with Dinky, “I say that because what I’m about to tell you is hard for me to say because I don’t know how to tell you, and I don’t know how you’ll take it. The reason I don’t know who your daddy is, is because I don’t know who your real mother is. You were not my foal to begin with; I adopted you.” Dinky sat their wide eyed looking at her mother. She couldn’t even process what her mother just told her. How could Derpy not be her mother? She had known her mother, or who she thought was her mother, for as long as she could remember. They sat there quietly staring at each other until Pinkie came back with their food. “Here are your…muf-fins,” Pinkie’s voice trailed off as she saw the two looking at each other with anything but happy expressions. “Is everything alright?” Derpy snapped out of the staring contest to address Pinkie. “Oh, um, yes; everything is ok. We are just sharing some personal history,” Derpy said while giving slight head gestures towards Dinky. “Oh…OOOOH,” Pinkie said while catching on to the conversation. Most of ponyville knew of the real story behind Derpy and Dinky. It was big news since a foal showed up with no one in town ever being pregnant. “I’ll leave you two to talk them,” she said calmly. Pinkie turned and walk towards the front door to greet incoming patrons. Derpy turned back to Dinky who was still staring in shock at her mother. “Please say something Muffin,” pleaded Derpy. “What do you mean that I was adopted,” asked Dinky. She knew of the term because a friend of hers in class was also adopted. She tried remembering the discussions they had so she could make sense of the news of her new family origins. “Well,” started Derpy weakly, “It all happened a couple of years ago when I was coming back from getting a snack at Sugarcube Corner after work. I was walking past the alleyway near the orphanage when I heard crying coming from the back alley. When I went to investigate, I found a little filly in a basket by the back entrance. That filly was you, Muffin,” Derpy said with a smile. “I knocked on the door till somepony answered. Ms. Sunshine, the head pony of the orphanage, was the one to answer and was in just as much shock as I was to find out you were at the back door. I tried to give you to her so that she could take you in, but every time I tried, you would scream as loud as your tiny lungs could muster. We weren't sure what to do at that point. I put you back down on the step so we could figure it out, and one of the muffins I had in my bag fell out and landed in your basket. You grabbed ahold of that muffin and nuzzled tightly. You were the happiest filly hugging that muffin; that’s actually how I came up with your nickname. After that moment, I fell in love with you and didn’t want to let you go. So we all went inside and I signed the adoption papers on the spot, and it was one of the happiest days of my life.” Derpy looked at Dinky hoping for a response, but Dinky just sat there blinking. “I’m so sorry I never told you this earlier. I just didn’t know how to tell you and was waiting for the right time.” Derpy waited again for a response and still got nothing. Derpy hung her head trying to hide the tears coming up. “Because no records were left with you, I have no idea who your original parents are; though if you want, I will help you in tracking them down so you can meet them.” “No.” This caused Derpy to raise her head quickly, “What?” “No, I don’t need to find my real mommy and daddy. Sure, it’d be cool to have a daddy, but I don’t need a daddy, and I don’t need to find the mommy that made me. I already have my real mommy and she’s the bestest mommy in all of Equestria,” boasted Dinky gleefully. Derpy reached over the table, grabbed her daughter, and locked her in the tightest hug she could give. Their embrace was quickly interrupted from a wailing voice a couple feet away. “That’s so beautiful!” cried Pinkie Pie, a waterfall of tears pouring from her eyes. Derpy and Dinky both rolled their eyes with a smile and went back to lovingly hugging each other. “Alright, enough of this lovey-dovey stuff,” said Dinky giving a playful push off, “I’m starving,” and with that, she took a giant bite out of her muffin.