//------------------------------//
// Her Time [Slice of Life] 
// Story: Short Stories Collection, vol. I 
// by fallen starr 
//------------------------------//

This was her time. Derpy sighed as she looked out at the water. The bright midsummer sun reflected on the water, shimmering, almost dazzlingly. Almost. But not quite. She breathed out slowly, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her fur. Her eyes closed as a small smile spread across her lips.

This was her time. Carrot Top had taken Dinky to the park so she could play with her friends. She had finished her mail run for the day. There was nothing left to do. Normally, her world centered around her daughter. Normally, she was making sure the house was in order, that dinner was planned, that Dinky was doing well. Normally. But not always

This was her time. She opened her eyes, breathing a controlled breath out as she released the last of the tension in her back. She walked to the water. A lake was nothing like the ocean she grew up next to, but it was still nice. The water was chilly to her sun-warmed skin, but she welcomed the cool. The water quickly rose up her side as she walked, until it reached the base of her wings. She fluttered them out, slowly dipping them in the water and moving them back and forth. She grinned.

This was her time. She picked her hooves up off the lake floor and began soft strokes to warm up. She had loved swimming since she had been a filly. And she was good at it. Her cutie mark on her flank proved it. Moving through the water had always been therapeutic, but she didn’t get a chance to swim much in Ponyville. The lake was always open, of course, but she had so many things to do. Now wasn’t the time to think of that, though. No.

This was her time. She let her worries go as the water flowed between her feathers. All negative thoughts subsided as she dove below the water. All stress vanished as she broke the surface and breathed in breaths of sweet air. She wasn’t sure how long she was out there for, but the sun had made considerable progress as she lazily swam back to shore. Her blonde mane stuck to her face and her eyes were red from getting lake water in them. But she didn’t care. She grinned as she trotted her to towel and dried off before heading home, where Carrot Top had promised to make dinner. Thoughts of Dinky drifted into her mind as she left the lake, and her smile only widened.

That had been her time. But then, Dinky was her time too. And she hadn’t seen her daughter since breakfast. Taking to the sky, she flew the short distance home.