I don’t know how long we were there in the cold, sitting together as I ran myself dry. Every time she heard me make a noise, she’d put her arm around me and give me a gentle squeeze, as if to bring me back from the nightmarish abyss. She didn’t say much of anything, just gentle shushing noises and an occasional reminder that she was there with me. I don’t know how I would’ve survived it if she hadn’t been there to bring me back.
After who knows how long, Sunset released her hold around my body and wrapped her hand into mine. “Come on, we’re going back in,” she said.
“I should just leave,” I hiccupped. “No way I can go back after that.”
“You need to explain what’s going on, at least to one of them,” Sunset replied, gently pulling me back down the driveway and back to the farmhouse.
“They won’t understand,” I countered hopelessly.
“Most of them probably won’t,” Sunset said fairly, the lights of the house now starting to come back into view. “But they just might have it in them to care about you, anyway.”
I didn’t know how true that was, but I was too exhausted to fight back. When we got close enough, I saw several pairs of eyes staring at the two of us coming inside- one of them breaking off to meet us at the doorway. The oak frame opened to reveal Applejack standing there and she discreetly said, “Over this way, there’s a room where we can talk.”
Sunset pulled me inside with her and the two of us followed the farmgirl into a small anteroom that looked to be an old study. Books and pieces of paper were tossed about in the family’s effort to keep their bookkeeping in one piece, but they seemed to have failed miserably. However, as I sat down on an overlarge chair next to Sunset, Applejack took a seat across from us, a table bearing a dusty and faded picture on her left, the photograph containing two people I’d never seen before. I tried to take a subtle look at the photo, but found no way of being quiet about my movements. Who were they?
“Ah tried to tell ya to enjoy yourself when ya first came in,” Applejack drawled.
“I know,” I said hollowly, trying to ignore the sounds of shuffling feet outside in the hallway. Our conversation was no longer private.
“Ah tried to warn ya to play safe,” Applejack added.
“I know,” I repeated, mentally preparing myself for the verbal tongue-lashing I was about to receive.
“So that must mean something’s really wrong with ya after all,” Applejack concluded, a sympathetic smile growing on her lips. “Ya know you CAN tell me if something’s wrong, right, darlin’?”
I gave a sigh and dipped my head. “I know, Applejack, I know,” I said morosely. “I just- I didn’t know what to even say, or how to say it- I didn’t mean to blow up like that.”
“Ah know you didn’t, sugarcube,” Applejack replied. “So that’s why you’re gonna tell me what’s really wrong so we can make sure it don’t happen again.”
There was a soft rapping on the hallway to our left, connecting to the kitchen and the backdoor, and Granny Smith poked her head in. “Mind if an old soul joins ya?” she asked, a mug of hot apple cider in her hands. She walked over and handed the mug to me, saying, “Drink up, child, it’ll boost your spirits. What you’ve gotta say probly ain’t gonna be easy, but it’ll do you good to get it done. Take a sip, a deep breath, and start slow.”
I compliantly took a whiff of the apple cider, the hot yet sweet liquid soothing my cry-torn throat and filling me with warmth, rejuvenating me from head to toe.
“See? Already lookin’ brighter than a red delicious on a summer’s day,” Granny Smith said encouragingly, pulling up a stool next to Applejack. “Now, what’s the matter?”
I told them everything, sparing no detail. I started right from the beginning of when I was young, telling them of everything my Dad had done to me and my mother- the beatings, the attacks, the harsh words and every other kind of cruelty he could throw at us. I told them of how he brought me into Wanyama and branded my hand, throwing me into a gang when I was only a child. I told them of every misdeed I’d done when I’d been a member- all of them, from the gangfights to the threats to the drugs and everything in between. And finally, I told them of my latest visit to my father in prison and of what he’d told me, every stinking horrible word. One particular quote sentence I mentioned made Granny Smith wince, and I heard something topple out in the front hallway and I was sure Rarity had just collapsed in horror. Throughout it all, Sunset held my hand kept me strong through it all, just as she had all evening.
“I don’t deny, that’s a tough way of living for a child,” Granny Smith tutted, rubbing her glasses clean. “But I’ll admit, I’m not quite sure yet what’s got ya so upset.”
“I’m just afraid that- I’m his child, his only child,” I said wearily. “I may have tried to treat my Mom right but I still ended up in Wanyama and did a whole bunch of bad stuff. The only reason I haven’t started beating up on someone like he did with my Mom is because I’m single- no one ever gave me the chance. What if I’m just slowly becoming as evil as he is?”
“But you’re not like him! He’s in prison for murder!” Applejack replied. “Ah mean, you did a number on some folks a couple of times, but you never tried to kill anyone- did ya?” she added hesitantly.
“Nah, just injure,” I answered. “Jester has a team of assassins he calls “Big Cats” to go end someone if he needs to. He uses the young guys like me mostly to distribute drugs and other materials across the city. I’d only fight when ordered to.”
“OK, so you’re not him!” Sunset said triumphantly. “You didn’t go looking to hurt people with your fists- you just, well…”
“I only got a bunch of people addicted to meth, crack, heroin, you name it,” I said bitterly. “I’m not the guy who pulls the trigger, just the guy who gives you the gun.”
“Were the guy,” Sunset pushed, “You’re not now.”
“Yeah, but for how long?” I asked, fear bubbling back to the surface in the pit of my stomach. “How long until I go back to my old ways of doing things and just start all over? What if I already have?”
“Nonsense, child, you ain’t gon do no such thing,” Granny Smith chided. “When was the last time you saw any of your old friends?”
I had to think about that one for a bit. “Musta been the day of the Fall Formal, I think,” I replied.
“Well, how about the last time you went to your old hangouts?” Granny Smith inquired.
“Musta been before school started,” I answered.
“And how long ago did you decide to drop doing any of these nasty habits o’ yours?” Granny Smith asked.
“It… the Fall Formal, I guess,” I said hesitantly.
“Gone back to your old ways since? Been acting like a young hooligan and getting up to shifty, no-good dealins?”
“I’ve flipped off a couple people at school and then there was Pinkie today-” I began, but Granny waved a bony hand up to brush my words aside.
“Child, everyone’ll say and do things when they get mad,” she said patiently. “I’m asking ya- when was the last time you were who you were?”
Everyone knew the answer. Why even say it? Granny Smith gave a small little smile of satisfaction and returned to cleaning her glasses.
“Darlin, you’re not the same from when you and ah first met all those days ago,” Applejack said. “You ain’t perfect by a longshot and you do have a short temper, but you ain’t no crook anymore. You’re tryin’, you don’t always make it, but you’re gettin’ better everyday. No good-fer-nothin’ would be this upset about yellin’ at a friend, or this worried ‘bout becomin’ a bad person. They wouldn’t know the difference.”
“And if you really were your father, you wouldn’t care about what happens to me,” Sunset added. “You stood up to Brad for me and made sure I got the help I needed. You’ve been protecting me for months now! You’re not your father, if anything you’re the exact opposite of him!”
It was high praise that made my face start to heat up and a smile to form against my will. I glanced up and saw Applejack wearing a knowing grin and I was willing to bet she knew exactly what was going on with Sunset and I right now.
“But- but what if-”
“You’re not gonna,” Applejack said firmly. “Yer Daddy’s just one man who’s locked up in a cell- you’ve got us Apples, your Momma, the rest of your friends, and that young lady sitting next to ya,” she added with a hint of a smile. “You may not have a choice about who your father is, but you can always choose to be better than him. And ah think you’ve done that already.”
“Don’t let your mistakes keep ya down, child,” Granny Smith added. “Not when you’ve got so much good around ya now.”
The fear within me simmered and began to cool, the pain and myriad of emotions that had welled up within me were silenced as words of much wiser folks than me helped soothe a worried heart. “Thanks a lot, Applejack,” I rasped.
“No problem, sugarcube,” Applejack said with a smile. “Just next time, if something’s got ya bothered, talk to one of us, ya hear? We’re your friends and we’ll listen if you need an ear.”
“You got it. And I’m really sorry about all this, Granny Smith,” I added, turning to the old farmlady. “I mean, this is your house and I know how you like things run-”
“It’s alright, child, you had something grabbing old of ya,” she replied. “Now drink up the rest of that cider, it’ll bring ya back and raring to go!”
I grabbed the mug to bring it to my lips, but before I could do more than place my hand on it, a series of wet sniffles could be heard around the corner, followed by the sound of someone bursting into tears.
“What in the-” Pinkie Pie came dashing around the corner from the hallway and barreled into me, knocking over the chair I was stationed in and sending me, her, and Sunset sprawling. Pinkie was an absolute blubbering mess, outright sobbing over me and utterly soaking my sweatshirt.
“S-s-s-s-so SA-AA-AAD!” she wailed, her hands gripping my shirt as if it were a lifeline.
“Pinkie, holy cow, it’s OK, it’s alright!” I said, desperate to get out of her grip. “Seriously, it’s alright, you don’t have to cry for my sake- goodness, I was the one who yelled at you!”
“It’s OK-ay-ay-ay,” Pinkie bawled, still flowing more rapidly than a leaky faucet. “You were unhappy because of your dad and how mean he was to you and you didn’t know what to do and at first I thought you were just being mean but it’s just cause you were super s-AA-AA-AAAAD!” she added with a riotous wail.
“Pinkie, it’s alright, you don’t have to worry,” I said, reaching around her and putting her in an airtight hug. “Seriously, it’s alright, relax. It’s all better now.”
“Are- are you sure?” she asked with a sniffle, rubbing her eyes.
“Yes, I’m sure,” I said, now starting to feel inclined to laugh. “And Pinkie, I am so sorry about yelling at you like that, that was really lame of me- can you forgive me?”
“Aw, sure!” Pinkie said enthusiastically, returning my hug with one so tight that I thought she was trying to squeeze my head from my shoulders. “Now I just want you to feel happy, so let me turn that frown upside down!”
“No destroying the house this time, Pinkie,” Applejack cautioned. “We only just cleaned up from Halloween a few days ago.”
“OK. Now come on, let’s party!” the cotton-haired girl cried, dashing back into the living room where the others waited.
Sunset got back to her feet as Granny Smith slipped back into the kitchen, the younger girl brushing herself off.
“You OK?” I asked.
“Oh yeah, it’s just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie,” she said casually. “Now come on, you need to have a good time and there’s plenty of food that needs eating!”
“Sure, I’m coming,” I said, following slowly only to pause and turn back to the cowgirl behind me. “Those two people in that picture,” I said. “Who are they?”
“Oh, those are ma mom and pop,” Applejack said. “They both died not long after Applebloom was born, so we’ve been without ‘em for a while.”
I found myself amazed that I hadn’t known what happened to AJ’s parents. I’d been friends with her for a while now, I’d known she lived with Granny Smith and her siblings, but for some reason the thought had never occurred to me.
“Yeah, ah miss ‘em a whole bunch,” Applejack continued, picking up the picture and gazing at it with such intensity I expected the frame to burst into flames. “When they died, ah was real upset and didn’t really know what to do. Ah got into a lot of trouble at school, did and said a bunch of things ah shouldn’t have, but Granny Smith and Big Mac helped reel me in. They showed me what good ah’d gotten, even if ma folks were gone.”
“Do you miss them?” I asked.
“Oh, everyday,” Applejack said earnestly. “But ahv’e got Granny Smith, ah’ve got Big Mac and little Applebloom… ah’ve got a lot of people to be happy about, even if they aren’t hear. You get me?” she asked with a soft smile, marred by the slightest bit of longing and grief.
Now I knew why she’d understood me. Gentle, understanding Applejack had proved yet again why she was den mother of our little group and she was doing one heck of a job.
The rest of the evening went rather smoothly, albeit with an air of awkwardness across the board due to my outburst. We enjoyed ourselves, laughed and simply were glad to be done with school and looking forward to the holidays. I didn’t say much of anything the rest of the night, feeling that I perhaps had said enough already. It was time to be at peace, as well as quiet.
Sunset remained close by wherever I went, acting yet again as guardian angel of my soul. She didn’t say much either, but every so often she’d look over at me and give me a smile, and maybe ask how I was doing. I’d always say I was fine, and then ask how she was doing, and she’s say the same. It was strange, really, that this was how I’d discovered the truth. Now that I knew, I wasn’t sure what to do next.
As the evening grew deeper into the night, the time came where the Apples were needing to shut down for the night, and it came time for us, the guests, to depart and give our friend some much-needed rest. Sunset and I ended up being the last two to leave, as snow had begun to fall yet again and Mom was having trouble driving through the muck. Applejack told us that we were expected to get several inches, so it was better that I don’t come back tomorrow to work on the farm.
At last, after what seemed an eternity, I saw the headlights of our old beat-up van come into view and it was time for me to bid goodbye.
“I’ll see you all some other time, I guess,” I said, giving the girls a wave and putting my other hand on the door.
“Aight, see you whenever you can get back out here,” AJ said, walking upstairs to go off to bed. “Later, Sunset!”
“See ya!” Sunset replied before turning back to me. “So, umm…” she shuffled her feet, her head dipped slightly as she looked up at me. “Are- are you gonna be OK? Do you need anything?”
I shook my head, feeling thick with exhaustion. It had been a long night, made more stressful by my outburst. “Nah, I’ll be OK, don’t worry. You gonna be alright getting home in this?”
“Yeah, I’ve been in worse weather,” she replied. She looked at me, glanced down at the floor and put her fingers to her lips. “I want you to come over tomorrow, OK? I know there’s gonna be a lot of snow on the ground, but if you can come over, please do.”
I gave her a look of mild surprise. “OK, what for? I mean, I’ll do it if I can, but what’s up?”
“I’m… I’m just worried about you, and I want to make sure you’re alright,” she said. She looked everywhere but me for a few moments before deciding to stare at the ceiling and she added, “And I really like spending time with you, so I really hope you can come over.”
I couldn’t help but blush, feeling flattered by her honest answer, though my insides were having a four-alarm party and celebrating by doing the conga. “Umm… yeah, sure, I’ll be there. I promise.”
“Really?” she asked, showing off that same excitement she had when I’d first gone to visit on Halloween.
“Yeah, just… I don’t think I can stay the night this time. Last one made Mom mad enough.”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” Sunset said bashfully, playing with her hair. “I’ll try not to keep you-”
The sound of a car horn cut through Sunset’s words like a knife through butter. “I should probably get going,” I said.
“Yeah, I shouldn’t… keep you…” Sunset said distantly. She looked right at me, those lovely yet sorrowful eyes looking up at me, pondering something I couldn’t imagine. Then, standing on the tips of her toes, she leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek before blushing furiously and rushing out the door, leaving me silenced and immobile.
Out of all the things I could’ve predicted, that wasn’t one of them. I put my fingers to where her lips had been, feeling the sensation a million times over. She’d been so soft, and as warm as the sun. I’d been confident before, but this… I was certain of how she felt now.
I think the two of us needed to talk.
The snow fell almost the entire night, blanketing the whole city in a thick, five-inch sheet of white gunk that resisted all attempts to sweep it up. The city was shut down by order of the mayor and they even needed some of the National Guard to come in and help do some work on clearing roads and train tunnels.
Out in my part of town, the West End simply hunkered down and waited for the cleanup crews to come unearth us from beneath the snow covering. Our side of town was usually last in line when it came to cleanup of any kind, so we’d simply become accustomed to the wait. The real worry was when someone lost power, because then the threat of cold could become a major issue really quick. Thankfully, there were enough decent people about to make sure nobody actually died.
I, however, was being true to my word and heading across the frozen wastes that was my home to head over to Sunset’s, bundled up and cursing the cold with every step I took. I’d never been a fan of winter. However, today was a good day, and I had a particularly interesting sheet of paper that Mom and I had printed out this morning that I was eager to show off, so I braved through the mess and soon found myself at Sunset’s front door, rapping as fast as I could in the hopes she’d get there faster.
It kind of worked, as she opened the door and cried, “Hurry, get in quick!” and promptly slammed it shut behind me. “Sorry,” she apologized, “I didn’t think it’d be this bad when I asked you to come over.”
“It’s alright, I don’t mind,” I replied. “Besides,” I added with a wave of my paper, “I got something you may wanna see.”
“Oh my gosh, is that-”
“Yeah, grades are in already,” I said, sitting down on the couch and handing them to her. “So, whad’ya think?”
She took it from me and peered at the sheet of grades I already knew by heart:
Algebra II: A
Astronomy: C+
English: B-
History: C-
Physics: C
Overall GPA: 2.6
“Wow, this is great! This is a great start!” she said. “Once next semester starts we oughta be able to get that English grade up to an ‘A’ and maybe even up a couple others… but this is great! Really great job, I’m so happy for you!”
“Wouldn’t have gotten anywhere close to this without you,” I grunted, getting up from my seat to give her a big hug. “Really, thanks.”
“N-no problem, happy to help,” she said, pulling her head off my shoulders to give me a smile. As always when she focused on someone besides herself, those teal eyes of hers were alive and shining bright, filled with a joy that I’d never seen anywhere else. She could be so warm, so full of light…
And then we realized just how close we were to one another, and that I hadn’t let go of her yet. We looked at one another with wide eyes, my body trembling slightly as my heart started to race. She looked up at me, her face creeping closer to mine, close enough I could feel her cool breath brushing my face-
“Hey, umm… you want- something to eat? I’m hungry, so I thought maybe you’re hungry, and so I’ll go get us something to eat,” Sunset said quickly, her face deepening in color until she was redder than her hair, pulling away from me and fussing over the condition of her very small kitchen.
And I? I stood there trying to figure out what had just happened. Or, perhaps to be more honest, trying to grasp the magnitude of what had very nearly happened. I mean, it was something I’d dreamed and daydreamed about, fantasized in faraway locations like cliffsides or walking along the beach, but instead here I was in a small, cramped apartment in the middle of winter having to cope with the reality that I had almost nearly kissed-
“Hey, what’re you in the mood for?” Sunset asked me loudly, a little too loudly than truly necessary. “You want lunch? Or I’ve still got some breakfast stuff out if you’re interested, I kinda slept late after last night…”
“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’ll come take a look,” I said distractedly, tearing myself away from where I stood to meet her.
The rest of the day went well enough, and no mention of that little incident when I had first arrived. We were as we always should be: relaxed, comfortable, and at ease in one another’s presence. The more time I spent around her, the more I came to realize how well we played off one another: she was brilliant where I was tactical, she was patient where I was action-oriented, and she had a gentleness that offset my strength. The more I thought about it, the more I really wanted to ask her.
“So what’re you and your Mom gonna be doing for Christmas?” she asked me as the two of us were sitting down watching a series of holiday specials.
“Hmm? Dunno, actually, probably the same thing we always do, just sit and relax at home together,” I answered. “Christmas ain’t a big deal in our house anymore, since –you know- I’m older and all that. So not as much pressure to buy gifts and all that.”
“You don’t get gifts?” she asked, sounding horrified.
“Nah, haven’t in a while,” I replied. “We’re just- well, poor. No way around it, we’re poor. I mean, we could be WAY worse, but we’re still poor. We make ends meet and use older stuff and do what we can with what we have.”
“That sounds… kinda depressing, actually,” she remarked.
I shrugged. “It’s just the way life is, sometimes,” I said offhandedly. “It could be worse, I know guys who’ve gone a day or two without eating cause their welfare checks didn’t make it on time. Mom and I have done pretty well for ourselves. And this year, I actually went out and bought her something so this might be the best Christmas ever! I get to make Mom happy, get to have a nice Mexican dinner, and relaxation as we do nothing at all.”
Sunset laughed at my tone, leaning back in her seat. “Sounds like you’re looking forward to it.”
“Oh yeah, I want to see the look on her face when she gets her present, she doesn’t know I got it for her, she doesn’t know I was planning it and I just wanna see what happens when I bring it out to her and she- what’s so funny?” I asked, for Sunset hadn’t stopped giggling and was nearly doubled over in mirth.
“It’s just- you have no idea just how sweet you can be,” she said cheerily.
“Me? The heck you talking about?” I asked, feeling rather taken aback.
“No, I’m serious!” she said earnestly. “You act all tough and hard –and you can be when you need to- but down inside you just have this instinct to look after people. You’re so… sweet, that’s all I can think to say.”
I didn’t even look at her, feeling too embarrassed to say a word for a while. When I finally recovered, I asked, “What about you? What do you do for the holidays?”
“Me? Oh, I’ll just be here, trying to get some extra work done,” she replied, motioning towards her computer.
“Alone,” I guessed, my voice flat as a line. “Alone… on Christmas.”
“Yeah, it’s how I’ve been the past several years, actually,” she replied.
“But- but what about family, anyone? Nothing- jeez, you called mine depressing, I know you’re not on good terms with your parents, but… alone?”
“Yeah. That’s what happens when you’re the meanest person in Canterlot High,” she said bitterly, her eyes dulling over as they always did she remembered her old sins. “You don’t exactly become the hot dinner guest.”
“Have you thought about trying to… I dunno… talk with your folks again? Maybe going to visit them?”
“It’s not that simple, there’s- there’s more to talking them than that,” she sighed. “That, and I really don’t even know if they’d want me back, of if they’re even alive- it’s been a while.”
I hated seeing her like this, so utterly defeated. She was super sweet, but it was so easy for her to become self-focused and get lost in her misery. Thankfully, I think I had a cure.
“Tell you what,” I offered, “why don’t you come over to our house on Christmas? Ah, sound good? We cook some traditional Mexican dishes, sit in front of the couch all day and do zilch, just the kind of thing we do here! Mom wouldn’t mind having the extra company, anyway.”
“Wait, really?” she asked.
“Yeah, sure, I’d love to have you over and Mom will seriously love having guests,” I replied nonchalantly. “It’d make this Christmas a heckuva time.”
Sunset agreed and then promptly drifted off into thought, muttering something to herself as she shot occasional glances at me. It was strange behavior, true, but she wasn’t the only one engaged in self-absorption in that moment, for I was beginning to concoct a little plan of my own. A plan that, if I was to pull this off, required me heading to a certain outlet mall.
The sheets felt as light as a feather as I lay there in my bed, warmer and more comfortable than I’d felt in ages. The last several days had given me so much time to unwind, relax, and do nothing at all except enjoy my freedom. And now, here I was, enjoying the serenity of the morning with nothing to possibly bother me; life was very, very good. I gave a contented sigh and rolled over in the sheets to tuck myself even further in, doing my best to contain the warmth within with as little effort as I could muster. I gave a glance over at the clock and saw it was a little past 10. For some reason, that made my body begin to stir and awaken, despite the protests of my comfortable frame. What was so important about the time? In fact, I couldn’t even really remember what day it was-
And then I remembered it was Christmas. Christmas! I leapt out of the bed so quickly that I swore I snapped a board on my bedframe. I’d been planning this day for weeks now, everything had to be perfect, Mom so desperately deserved it! I didn’t bother changing or doing much of anything except bolting out of my room and straight towards the kitchen… where the smell of a freshly cooked breakfast awaited me and I saw my Mom standing over the oven, with freshly made egg casserole stuffed with chorizos awaited me.
“Feliz Navidad, child,” Mom greeted me sweetly, walking over and giving me her usual hug and kiss. I was glad to see her in a good mood, but I felt disheartened. I’d wanted this to be her day, having added making breakfast to the list of gifts I could give. No such luck, it would seem.
We both settled in for a good meal, enjoying our morning as we watched a light snowfall land on our still-covered front lawn. The temperature had been cold and the weather cloudy, so no chance of the blizzard’s results melting anytime soon. I could hear some of the local kids playing around outside, probably enjoying the winter weather and perhaps making use of some of their newfound Christmas gifts.
The gift! I’d almost forgotten! I hastily stuffed down my casserole (Mom stared at me, wondering if something was wrong), and I dashed to my room to make sure it was still properly wrapped. I brought it out from under my bed to examine it. I’d spent a good amount of the night trying to get it wrapped just right- after all, presentation is key. Everything looked satisfactory, so there was nothing left but to make her morning…
“Hey, Mom? You still in the kitchen?”
“Yes, I’m here,” she answered. “Something wrong?”
“Nah, I’m good,” I said a bit shakily, my body starting to tremble with excitement. “Just wanted to make sure.”
“Make sure? What are- oh, you shouldn’t have! You should’ve kept all your money instead of spending it on me!” she scolded the moment I came into the kitchen with the gift in my hands.
“Mom, come on, if there’s anybody I owe, it’s you,” I argued, having somewhat expected this. “Besides, the last gift I gave you was something I made when I was a midget in grade school. And it’s my money, so if I wanna spend it on you, that should be fine.”
“But you need to save up for- a car, college, something important-”
“You ARE important,” I insisted. “And I’m very glad I get to spend some of my hard-earned cash on you. So please, do me the favor of taking it. OK?”
She hesitated for a minute, looking down at the gift apprehensively before finally reaching over and tearing off the wrapping paper and opening the lid. “Oh my, it’s lovely,” she said, reaching in and pulling out a small cross pendant necklace. “It’s just like the one your Grandfather gave to your Grandma- did you do that on purpose?”
“No, I didn’t know,” I said, leaning over with interest. My Mom’s parents had died right around the time my Dad had been sent to jail, so I hadn’t gotten to know them all that well. “I’m hoping that’s a good thing.”
“Oh yes, certainly,” she said earnestly, draping the pendant around her neck. “It was a family heirloom that he’d been given by his grandmother, a token from when our family fought in some of the wars back home- he told me they’d had it before even El Soberano came around.”
“What happened to it?” I asked eagerly, thinking of how much money something that old would be worth. “We don’t still have it, do we?”
Mom shook her head ruefully. “Your Aunt Natalia was in line before me, she took it with her when she and Rolando moved back to across the seas and I haven’t seen it since. But this is a wonderful reminder of your Grandfather, and it’s very lovely…”
“I wanted to get you something, as thanks for putting up with me so much,” I said, feeling a glow of pleasure at the sight of her being so lit up by her present, delighted by the memories it had resurrected. “After all… Feliz Navidad, Mom.”
I never spoke Spanish if I could help it, despite it being Mom’s native tongue. She looked over at me in surprise and delight and grabbed me to bring me into a backbreaking hug. It was going to be a good day, if this was any indication.
For the rest of the morning we lounged around, drifting between the kitchen for more food and the living room where we sat watching TV, she on the couch and I in the armchair- both of us under a thick blanket. Though I’d barely been out of bed, I felt content to just sit there and nap until we had dinner later on. In fact, I was about to give up on staying awake until the football game came on when I heard the doorbell ring.
I was still in my seat whereas Mom had just gone into the kitchen just nearby the front door. “Mom, you gonna get that or should I?” I called, wondering who it could be. Sunset had said she probably wouldn’t be able to arrive until around dinner, so it couldn’t be her. Unless she’d been lying.
“I’ve got it, don’t worry,” she replied pleasantly.
Satisfied, I settled back in my chair and shut my eyes, prepping for a good power nap.
“Um, you said your friend has bright red-yellow hair, right?” Mom yelled.
I popped my eyes open. She was here already? “Yeah, she does,” I answered.
“Well, she’s got people with her,” Mom remarked.
“People?” I was confused enough to need to investigate myself, and I forced myself out of my seat to go up to the front door and look. Who else was gonna be here on Christmas day- unless… no…
Mom waited for me at the door, peering out through the window at the blurred crowd outside. Sunset was right at the front, waiting patiently for us to open the door, and behind her was a… bright, multicolored ponytail and a big block of pink, frizzy… hair…
I couldn’t believe it. “How- how did she convince them?” I asked myself, not realizing I had actually said it aloud.
“Convince who?” Mom said to me.
Then came the knock at the door. “Come on, it’s freezing out here, let me in already!” Rainbow’s raspy voice called, chattered and irritated as ever. “Are you seriously gonna just let me freeze out here? It’s like 50 below!”
I rolled my eyes and gave a long-winded groan of exasperation, unable to decide between an expression of shock or hilarity that this was even happening. “I think we’ll need to cook a bigger dinner this year,” I told my Mom, and opened the door to let in my friends.
“We come bearing gifts!” Sunset declared, stepping through the threshold with a pot full of green beans, spices, and all the tools we’d need. “Hope we brought enough, we know Rainbow and Applejack eat a lot, so we may have brought a little extra…”
“It’s… it’s alright, we’ll manage,” Mom said weakly as the rest came in, laden with food, topped off with Applejack clutching a big fat turkey in her hands. It was more food than we’d ever had for a Christmas dinner in our lives. Green beans, mashed potatoes, rolls and casserole, turkey and all sorts of seasoning… my jaw hit the floor alongside Mom’s, completely unable to comprehend what had just come through our front door.
“So, uh, happy to see us?” Applejack grinned. “Hope you don’t mind some fancy eats for dinner.”
“How… how- how- how- how…” every attempt at starting a sentence fizzled instantly. I couldn’t believe it, I simply was astounded.
“Well, it was her idea, darling,” Rarity explained, gesturing to Sunset. “She called us all and said that we could come down and help you give your mother a wonderful Christmas- and I see your gift is absolutely wonderful, just as I suspected it would be!” she added, peering at my mother’s brand new necklace with approval.
Mom was tickled by the remark, and she regained her ability for speech faster than I did, welcoming them all in and thanking them for the food before gesturing them into the kitchen. I stood there in stunned silence until all that remained was Sunset and I, staring at each other as we waited for the other to speak first.
Sunset moved back and forth on the balls of her feet, looking at me with just the hint of a smile across her lips, waiting patiently for me to respond. I could do nothing but gawk at her, this unparalleled paragon of perfection. She was unbelievably, undeniably, the single best girl I’d ever met, and it was all I could do to stop myself from wanting to ravish her.
“Hope you don’t mind,” she said finally, coming to the conclusion that I wasn’t going to speak. “I know it’s a bit much, but I thought- you know, the way you talked about your mom the other day, that it might be something you’d like.”
I walked over and nearly snapped her in two with a massive hug, putting all the words I would never be able to say into every squeeze I could manage. I just hoped it was enough.
What else do I need to say? It was the best Christmas Mom and I had ever experienced, surrounded by my friends who were all eager and willing to help. It was the most cramped our house had ever been with eight of us at once, but we managed to make it work. Applejack and Pinkie Pie helped Mom out in the kitchen with getting dinner ready, so it wasn’t as much of a burden as it had first seemed, while the rest of us joked and played games and relaxed with our personal cooks when they needed a breather. Rarity and Fluttershy in particular took to Mom really quickly, both possessing the tact and manners to know what to say as well as what not to. Fluttershy was enthralled by Mom’s old story of her times back home when she helped raise a small pack of coyotes.
Dinner, as we all expected, was perfection. I don’t think I’d ever had such good turkey in my life, and the rest was so excellent I helped myself to three servings. There were too many for us all to fit in the kitchen, so we simply gave up and moved into the living room to eat, preferring company over comfort.
“See? This is why we made sure to bring a lot to eat,” Applejack remarked as I returned to the table with my third serving, a heaping helping of turkey and mashed potatoes slabbed across my plate.
“Ha, you don’t see me complaining,” I replied, stabbing a piece of turkey and wolfing it down. “B’sides,” I added, “we’ve got so much in there not even I’m gonna make a dent in this. I’ll be eating turkey all week.”
It took us a while to eat dinner, and almost as long to clean up afterwards. Once our business in the kitchen was done, a few of us (including myself) drifted off in the living room for a nap while the rest grabbed a few board games from the car that (predictably) Pinkie Pie had thought to bring. Rainbow, Fluttershy and I woke up a bit later and joined in, only to get trounced in a game of Monopoly when AJ and Sunset teamed up to take us out. However, when we all switched teams after the first game, Sunset and I got paired up and won the game in little more than half an hour.
“You two work rather well together,” Rarity remarked delicately, eyeing the two of us with interest, hoping for a reaction.
“Understatement, Rarity! They’re perfect!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “They go better together than peanut butter and jelly- than cake and ice cream- than balloons and parties-!”
“Ah think we get the point, Pinkie,” Applejack said, intervening before our spazztastic friend could devolve further. She gave the two of us a rueful look before adding, “You DO go well together.”
Sunset blushed and played with her hair before looking up at the ceiling, while I couldn’t help but laugh. Besides, there was no reason to deny it- we all knew it.
As the sun fell behind the horizon, we flicked on the outdoor lights and illuminated the front lawn for a snowball fight, Applejack and Rainbow Dash somehow roping Rarity into joining the upcoming battle. I was about to go grab my shoes and a hat when I remembered something important and I paused.
Sunset, who’d decided to come out and watch, noticed my sudden halt. “Something up?” she asked.
I felt my insides go cold, as this was shaping up to be a make-or-break moment. “Yeah, yeah actually,” I said, taking off my shoes. “Can- can you come with me for a moment? I, uh, wanna talk to you for a bit.”
“OK,” Sunset agreed. “Did I do something wrong?”
“What? No, just- just come with me for a sec,” I said, gently taking her hand and leading her down the hallway to my room. I could feel her fingers slide in my grip and slip in between my own, a feeling that had felt so comfortable to me now.
I led her into my room, pushing the door to behind me. “Hey, so, uh…” I stumbled for a quick moment, trying to recover. “I wanted to thank you for all that you’ve done to help me out, it means a lot to me.”
“It’s nothing, really,” she said, trying to shrug it off as if it was no big deal.
“No, it’s a big deal, at least to me,” I protested. “I mean, all this you did today? I- I’ve got nothing, I don’t know what to say. I’ve never heard of anyone doing something like this, it’s one of the nicest things anyone’s ever done for us- you completely made my Mom’s day.”
“She means a lot to you,” Sunset said. “So, you know… I just thought it’d make you happy.”
“It did, it really did,” I said, starting to lean over underneath my bed and reach for something. “So I… I wanted to get you something.” I extracted my hand and pulled out a long thin box that had been sealed tight.
“You didn’t have to get me anything,” Sunset said, looking down at the gift with a strange expression. “That’s… that’s really sweet of you.”
“Come on, open it up,” I said eagerly. “I just hope you like it, it was kinda hard to find.”
Sunset tore through the tape that bound the box together, peeling off the top and unwrapping the gift to find…
“Oh,” she said softly, pulling out a soft, layered, flame-colored mini-dress. “Oh…” she was struck silent for a time, caressing the dress like it was a living thing, holding it as if the dress were a small child. “But I thought- I thought you thought I didn’t look good in it,” she said.
I shook my head. “Truth be told, Sunset… I’d heard about you and Flash not long before that and I was just worried about it and didn’t know what to do, cause I didn’t know whether you liked him or not, and I just… I messed up, Sunset, I flubbed.”
Sunset put her hand on my arm, giving me a soft glance that had the warmth of candlelight. “It’s alright, it’s not… it’s not something I talk about much- I used him, and I’m not really proud of it…”
“No, it’s OK, I get it,” I said, putting my hand on hers. “I just wished I hadn’t screwed it all up.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because you looked like the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
She couldn’t look at me for a little while, turning aside to blink away tears. “That’s… no one’s ever said that to me before,” she said quietly, holding onto me as if I were a lifeline.
Slowly, carefully, I reached up and put a hand on her face, slowly caressing her cheek, feeling her smooth skin beneath my fingers, just as warm and soothing as I’d always imagined it to be. “I’ve waited so long to do that,” I whispered.
She shifted closer to me, her head resting against mine as we looked into each other’s eyes, I unable to tear myself away from that marvelous teal gaze. She closed her eyes and leaned into me, so close I could smell her, finding a sweet scent that reminded me of the warmth of spring. I could feel my heart pounding but I ignored it as I leaned in and put my hand under her chin, pulling her in and feeling the softest, gentlest brush that was her lips against mine-
WHAM! My door slammed open faster than a bolt of lightning, scaring me so bad that I leapt back and forced the back of my head to connect with the business end of my closet door, the sharp edge of the wood causing my scalp to erupt in an almighty pain that I assumed could not be found anywhere except the trials of childbirth, and I gave a whimpering scream and fell to the ground in agony.
“What are you two doing?” Pinkie exclaimed, her winter garments covered in snow. “We need another person on our team RIGHT NOW or else we’re UNEVEN! Come on!”
I could barely hear her through the miasma of pain I was being forced to endure. I bit my tongue so as not to unleash yet another volley of curses on my ditzy friend, for she couldn’t possibly have known what she had just ruined, there was no way she could have- this was Pinkie Pie, mistress of the oblivious, and if she had only waited a little longer..!
“Yeah, yeah. Gimme a second,” I wheezed, still doubled over. “Sunset, you mind tagging in and helping me out for a-”
“I can do that,” Sunset said hastily, getting on her feet so quickly one might think she wore springs. The two girls left my room and went outside, leaving me to deal with the pain and frustration that had all ruined such a perfect moment in about the span of three seconds.
I lost track of just how long I laid there, crumpled over and trying not to scream out loud from all the frustration and pain I was enduring at once. I can’t think of a moment that was so full of disappointment and literally mind-numbing agony. Eventually, when I felt the throbbing in the back of my skull begin to peter out, I felt it safe to open my eyes and start to regain control of myself. I was fine, I was fine, I had only… I had only lost the best chance I’d had and now I had to deal with fixing said moment and not leaving a gaping hole of awkwardness that would surround the incident if I didn’t do something. Great.
After a while, I went out and joined the others outside for a little while, thankfully receiving no questions about my prolonged absence. I was worried Pinkie Pie might mention something about it, but she either had truly been oblivious or she had finally found the tact to keep her mouth shut in regards to private matters. With her, it would always be impossible to tell.
However, that’s not to say it didn’t bring some questioning looks my way, as Applejack kept sliding a satisfied smirk my way and Rainbow looked at me with a strange expression on her face the rest of the night. I suspected those two might have some idea of what could’ve happened. Applejack would be well and happy about it, but I still wasn’t certain how Rainbow would react- I believed she wouldn’t try to do anything detrimental, but she might act strange nonetheless. Thankfully, talking isn't very beneficial in a snowball fight and we were all sufficiently distracted for the rest of the night.
We went back in around ten for a nightcap- Mom had prepared some hot chocolate for us a few minutes before we came inside, and we spent the last few minutes of the night together, drinking from our mugs and doing nothing particular. It’d been a long day. Finally, when several of us were starting to struggle to stay awake, Mom finally called it and declared that we all needed to get home before we ran the risk of falling asleep while driving. An atypical Mom quote, but justifiable enough that we heeded her words.
As I hoped, Sunset deliberately held off of leaving until the others had gone, watching and waiting as slowly, Applejack, Rarity and the others filed out and went back to their respective homes, leaving me alone with the girl that I believed, with a justifiable degree of certainty, to be MY girl.
“You’ve got everything you came with, right?” I asked.
“Yeah, it’s all out in the car already,” she said, wrapping her scarf around her neck. “And really, thanks a lot for the dress, that was super-sweet of you.”
I merely shrugged it off, gazing at her lovely figure, drinking her in from head to toe and lingering –as always- on her eyes, the light teal jewels accented by her gentle smile.
“What?” she inquired, as I continued to stare.
“Nothing, just looking at you,” I said. “It’s quite a view, by the way.”
Sunset rolled her eyes, but put her arms around me and planted a trio of kisses on my cheek, each one moving closer and closer until the last one -a long, lingering kiss- was planted right on the edge of my lips. “See you again?” she asked, opening the door and beginning to walk outside.
“Always,” I replied simply.
Satisfied, Sunset gave me a smile and a parting wave, walking down to her car. I leaned against the doorframe and watched her go, enthralled by every move she made. She was unbelievably beautiful and I was utterly smitten with her.
And, even more unbelievable, I think she felt the same. I gave a contented sigh and closed the door, memories of the day racing through my mind and filling me with a joy I couldn’t even name. It hadn’t been a perfect day, but it was as close as I could ever get.
“You got her a dress? Oh, that’s so sweet, you should’ve let me see it,” said a voice.
Horror. I turned around and saw my Mom standing in the hallway, looking at me with a crazed expression of ecstasy on her face. “That’s the one? That’s the girl you were with on Halloween? She’s so beautiful, and very sweet, too-”
I gave a scream and looked around for a hole I could crawl into, my face redder than an overripe tomato. “Mom, you were listening in?” I yelled.
“-And she doesn’t talk too much, either, so she won’t be the kind to annoy you to death,” Mom continued, apparently having completely ignored me. “And yes, I was listening the whole time, why wouldn’t I? I’m your mother!”
I shouldn’t have felt as surprised as I did, struggling there to keep my calm and not go shove my head into the oven. I just decided to let it go, doing my best to recover and grin like I was more pleased than mortified.
“Are you going to pay court to this girl? You’re young, but you’ve grown up so much and you’ve got good, marital qualities to you…”
What? “Mom, I haven’t even asked her out yet!” I protested, turning red yet again. “What are you even talking about? Let’s just see how this goes before we start thinking THAT far into the future.”
“Alright, alright, I’m just excited for you, that’s all! Such a lovely girl!” she exclaimed, ruffling my hair. She started down the hallway to her room before pausing, turning around to add, “Oh, and when she was in your arms… you should’ve just kissed her.”
“AAAAAAAAAH!”