A Bed of Roses

by Half the Battle

Chapter 4

At the market, Roseluck arranged the merchandise at her familiar green-striped pavilion between Lily's and Daisy's booths. She instantly felt better settling into the morning set-up routine she'd maintained from happier times. No, she corrected herself, this isn't about going back. I'm moving forward. As the rising sun cleared the housetops, the center of town was bathed in light. For other salesponies this meant a hot day ahead, but to Rose it seemed like Ponyville was being lit up with joy.

Her first customer approached, a sky-blue pegasus. "It's Sassaflash, isn't it? Good morning," Rose said.

"That's right," said the customer, browsing the violets. "I'm here to pick up a corsage for myself, and do you have any garlands? Caramel has a rodeo coming up and I'd like to give him something of my own."

Rose selected a corsage that matched Sassaflash's light yellow mane. "I can have one ready tomorrow, or by this afternoon if it's a rush."

Sassaflash kicked up into the air happily and floated back down on her wings. "That's great! I'll be back tomorrow morning. And it's so good to see you."

Rose finished the transaction and greeted her next customer.

"Hey, Rose! Glad you're out front again!"

"Nice to see you, Roseluck. What's good today?"

"Rose, hey. It's been a while. I'm happy to see you're okay."

And so it went for the rest of the morning. Daisy and Rose took lunch together during the early afternoon lull. Both were talkative, excited that Rose's first day back had gone so well. As the conversation wound down, Rose's face turned pensive. "There's still one thing I'm anxious about. What do I do if he comes by?"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," Daisy said with a wink.

"Hmm?"

Daisy took the last sip of her hay shake and said casually, "Let's just say Ponyville has a way of showing a pony when he's unwelcome."

Rose's hoof and forehead met. "Oh, no, no, Daisy, why do you do things like this?"

Daisy shrugged innocently. "Like what?"

"Help me out without asking?"

Daisy's eyes blinked twice as she shook her head. "I helped?"

Rose sighed. "Alright, so what did you do?"

"A friend last week mentioned she'd seen you going into Sunburst's place the night before we took you to the hospital. I confirmed you were there, she asked if he hurt you, I said yes, and word spread."

"You said WHAT?"

Daisy was unfazed. "Well, he did, didn't he?"

To her own surprise, Rose found herself defending her ex. "He was always gentle and considerate, or at least he seemed to be. He never once raised his voice, let alone got physical. You were with him before; you know he's incapable of that."

Daisy returned a piercing glare. "He hurt you. Not physically, I'll take your word on that, but he didn't just spit out the bit on your relationship. He manipulated you emotionally, drew out every secret you had, and made you totally dependent on him at the same time he was flagging around with his new marefriend." Daisy looked out across the market. "Besides, what's done is done. He's already left town, gone to Appleloosa to be with her instead of having her come here. Don't you agree you're better off not having to see him parade around in front of you and buy roses from you for her?"

Rose saw logic in Daisy's argument, but her conscience and her sense of pride still resisted. "Daisy, do you honestly feel that was the right thing to do?"

"After what that rig did to you? Absolutely. He came this close to driving you to your death. I had to think of ways to keep him from ever hurting you again." Daisy's voice went cold as steel. "Some of them were unpleasant. He's lucky I let gossip solve the problem."

Rose gulped. "Okay, okay. Enough about him, then. What about my reputation? When some other mare hears ponies saying I was abused, what will she think?"

"Way ahead of you there," Daisy said, resuming her casual disposition. "Hopefully it's a wake-up call to any mare in the same situation or worse. Regardless of the details, your story's not something to bottle up inside you. You can help other ponies who are in bad way by showing them they're not alone."

"You couldn't let me decide that?" Rose asked.

Daisy bit her lower lip, put off-stride for the first time in the conversation. "Look, I know you don't like us going behind your back," she said slowly. "But here I think it was justified. I'm telling you as a friend, you've always worried more about what other ponies will think about your problems than you've worried about the problems themselves. That's been it from the beginning, if you ask me. Now that the secret's out, there's nothing to keep you from opening up."

Rose was bewildered at the strange mix of wisdom and rash action that was Daisy. She'd have to ask Carrot Top about this. "Well for now," Rose said, "I don't want to let this spoil a fine day. It's actually good news that he won't be showing up. Let's get back to work."

Customers came at a fast pace for the rest of the afternoon, and Rose enjoyed exhibiting the grace and unconditional excellence Carrot Top had recommended. At sunset, Daisy took the day's money to the bank while Rose helped Lily close up shop. "Honey, you sold more than the two of us put together," Lily said. "And don't you dare think they were buying out of pity. I saw how you handled ponies today. This is where you're strong. A couple more days and you could probably run the whole show if you had to."

***

Rose worked Saturday, rested Sunday, and the days that followed were the first normal week she'd had since the hospital. By the time Friday came, sales were still above average for all three ponies, and they celebrated together at the small restaurant inside Ponyville's clock tower.

The next Monday morning, Rose was quiet at breakfast. As Lily and Daisy gathered their things, Rose didn't get up. Soon they were ready to leave and Rose was still sitting silently at the table with her head bowed. Tears were collecting on the table's surface. "Rose, is there anything we can do?" Lily asked.

After a moment, Rose looked up. "What's wrong with me?" she pleaded.

Instantly choked up at the sight, Lily nodded to Daisy, who then joined Rose at the table. "You go set up, Lily. We'll be along in a while," Daisy said, and Lily stepped out.

For several minutes, Daisy and Rose just sat and cried softly together. Eventually Rose's breathing slowed to normal. Daisy put a hoof on Rose's shoulder and said, "This will be with you for a long time. But so will I."

***

Thursday was counseling day again, and Rose was helping harvest baby carrots at the back end of Carrot Top's gardens. "This is delicate work," Carrot Top had said, "but the soil back here isn't healthy enough for the bigger stuff. And the prices on these babies are good because foals love them, and they're real popular up in Cloudsdale. Now tell me what it's like to be back in the marketplace again."

They worked and talked about sales until Rose changed the subject. "I had an...episode Monday before work. I'm still not sure what happened, but I was just inexplicably sad. It came all of a sudden. I tried to push it away, but it was out of my control."

"Yep," Carrot Top said, unconcerned. "You'll probably get a couple more of those. You're still on your medicine, right?" she asked.

"Yes, for the next three months," Rose said. "I'd taken it that morning."

"But only a few minutes before, am I right? Until it kicks in, you're out of balance, and it's still not quite been a month since you started. Just remember it's a medical thing, not your character or your personality. You've already come further than a lot of ponies in getting your head right."

After a few more minutes of work, Carrot Top paused and looked at Rose. "So here's your thinking question for today: Overall, setting Monday morning aside, are you happy?"

The simple questions are always the hardest, Rose thought. "I used to think of myself as happy. I guess I haven't asked myself the question lately. But I smile, I have fun, I enjoy my work. I see beauty around me. I'm glad I'm still around after last month. I suppose I've always had a frightened little foal inside of me, though. But doesn't everypony?"

"I don't," Carrot Top said as she returned to harvesting. "No offense, we're all a little messed up, but we're not all messed up the same way. What I have inside me is an angry critic. There's always some acerbic remark or complaint on the tip of my tongue. I was easily offended, and a couple times I really hurt somepony without meaning to. And not as a filly, I'm talkin' a couple years ago. You remember Sparkler, the young mare who rounded up all those cards for you? It was her mother who trained me to look at the bright side of things and not get hung up on what doesn't matter."

"So my counselor has a counselor?" Rose asked.

Carrot Top chuckled. "No, but Derpy's like a sister to me. We help each other...just as I'm sure I'll need your help some day. So back to happiness. Things are looking up for you right now, but what if this was as far as you got? It's good to have hopes and dreams, but what if those don't happen?"

Rose pulled up the last of the baby carrots. "Is that really something to think about? I'm trying not to be fearful of bad things happening."

Carrot Top hitched up a wagon with the buckets of baby carrots inside, and she and Rose started back. "There's another side to that," she said. "There's a difference between a general optimism and hitching your hope to something that could fall apart on you."

"Been there," Rose commented.

Carrot Top continued. "So yeah, you can move forward with confidence, but do you have a peace about you that's not yoked to your success? Say the worst happens; would you want to carry on, or are you back to where you were a month ago?"

Rose halted, closed her eyes, and thought. She wanted to give an honest response. "I...can't answer right away. I'll talk through it with my friends. They sometimes see things in me that I don't. But can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead."

"There are so many lessons to learn here, it's hard to keep it all straight. Does everypony live so...deliberately?"

Carrot Top smiled. "As sure as hay not. There's a handful of natural thinkers out there, but once we grow up most of us don't ask ourselves these questions until we get in trouble and wonder how we got there. Now I'm not saying intellectuals are any better, 'cause it's possible to think and think wrong. But that old philosopher Clover the Clever used to talk about the perils of an unexamined life. And you're examining, so that puts you in good shape."

Rose returned home for a late supper with Lily and Daisy, and they talked about Carrot Top's contentment question. As she expected, they both had different takes on the issue.

Using her business sense, Lily had her whole life mapped out, literally. She showed Rose a diagram like a family tree, with separate branches for every major contingency. She already knew what she would do if she got married, or caught a terminal illness, or found a foal on her doorstep. There were even a few outlandish possibilities, like waking up as a dragon or being banished from Equestria. "I'm happy if I know what to do," she explained. "You're the same way, Rose; you're after certainty. So maybe planning and preparing gets you the answer you're looking for."

To the contrary, having read numerous theories on the subject and disagreeing with all of them, Daisy had simply decided early on to be happy. Aside from reflexes of panic or fear, her disposition was one of her own choosing. "So like Lily, I'm happy regardless of what happens," Daisy said, "but I haven't done all that work. I just sort of float along."

"You don't make up crisis management as you go along," Lily cautioned.

"Right," said Daisy, "but I want my joy to be independent of the crisis. Part of being prepared is being prepared for things to change. So go ahead and plan, and if something doesn't work, maybe try again or try something else, but determine for yourself that you'll accept anything that's out of your hooves. It's called serenity."

In a flash of insight, Rose had her answer. "In my dream at the hospital, I heard a voice say, 'Stay and smile again.' And so long as you two are here to give me the strength to smile again, I'll be okay. I'll still have that future to look forward to. Lily, you'll have a plan for what to do, and Daisy, you'll be here to lift my spirits. We'll carry on together."

"You made my day," Lily said with a grin. "But now let's talk about those hopes and dreams of yours. If we aim for the best-case scenario, we just might hit it."

***

It was a month later, and Rose's parents were just concluding a short visit to Ponyville. "Thank you so much for your hospitality," Gallica told Lily and Daisy.

"You're always welcome," Daisy said. "Have a safe trip back."

"And Rose," Gallica said. "I know your work is keeping you busy, but is there any way you can come up to see us for the next visit?"

"I promise," Rose said.

As Rose's parents boarded their train, Lily smiled at Rose. "Daisy and I would like to treat you to an evening at Sugarcube Corner."

Rose let out a laugh. "Really? What's the occasion?"

"The sixtieth day of your new life," Daisy said, "and something I'd like to propose later."

"I'd be delighted," Rose said.

Carrot Top joined them that evening, and together they tasted some experimental desserts that Mr. and Mrs. Cake hoped to introduce at the bakery. As the night wound down, Carrot Top left first, allowing the three flower ponies to talk business.

"I just finished the monthly books," Daisy said, "and figures are still up for all of us, so I have an idea. Since we've been living together we've been pooling our take-home money for rent while still operating independently. Why don't we go the whole way and merge together into one flower shop?"

"Can we afford it?" Lily asked.

Daisy was quick with her answer. "I've already run the numbers. We have the capital right now, and in the long run, it would actually be less expensive for us to be one company. It'll also give us more protection when we hit a downturn. In fact, if things continue to grow as they have, we could even move into our own building in a couple years."

Lily turned to Rose. "What do you think?"

Rose nodded. "It's a great idea, something we've all wanted. But...I have one condition."

"What's that?" Lily asked.

Rose's ears drooped as she answered. She didn't like calling her friends out after such a happy evening. "There have been a few times now where I've been out of the loop on decisions that affected me personally. Your intentions have always been good, and I'm touched that you're so eager to do things for me. But I'd rather you do them with me. I want to be sure I'm included in any decisions about our business. And I'd like it to be in writing, please."

Lily and Daisy shared a hurt look. "Sure," Lily said.

"Of course," Daisy added. "And I'm sorry we haven't sought your opinion. I won't try to excuse it anymore."

Rose smiled briefly, but a second later she gnashed her teeth and pounded her hoof on the table. "Oh, but what about my debt? I've had enough of a boom to get most of the personal stuff paid off, but if we merge, won't my business debts become yours?"

Daisy blushed. "Oh, horse apples, I forgot about that. You're right, we probably don't have enough to pay that down right away, and that could run us into legal problems with the merger. Lily, what's the name of that attorney?"

"Fine Print," Lily said, "earth pony who's friends with the mayor. I've consulted with him a couple times. Rose, I asked him about debt issues when I first got started, and he said Equestrian law doesn't offer much protection besides bankruptcy, and that would derail any plans we'd have. I'm afraid it'll be up to you to negotiate with your creditors and see what you can work out. But I'm sure he'd be glad to help."

Daisy cringed. "Lawyers and creditors can be pretty heavy-duty stuff. Do you think you're up to it?"

Rose took a deep breath and let it out. "I need to get a payment plan straightened out anyway. Here's one thing I've learned recently: The more truth and grace I provide, the more reasonable other ponies are. And I'll have Fine Print to help me with the details. Don't worry, girls. I won't let us down."

***

Rose met with Fine Print the next day, and a meeting with her creditors was scheduled for Friday at noon. That day at the steps of the town hall, her friends encouraged her.

"Just remember," Lily said, "those ponies in there don't see this as a personal thing. Your debt is money that belongs to them, and they'd rather you be able to pay it than not. It's purely a business transaction. But business still works best when it's friendly."

Inside, Fine Print led Rose into a conference room with a large, round table where representatives of three companies were seated with their lawyers. In her head, Rose ruminated on Lily's definition of courage. A moderator from the town council opened the meeting.

"I want to thank you for agreeing to meet with me," Rose began. "And I am very pleased with the services you have provided for me and my business. I would like to discuss a consolidated payment plan to be distributed in a way that will be fair to each of you and overseen by a trustee appointed by the town council. This is not a bankruptcy proceeding since I will be paying the entirety of the debt owed to you. I have provided your attorneys with a record of my business's net earnings, along with projections for the near future..."

One week later, Daisy, Lily, and Rose put their signatures to the agreement that Fine Print and the creditors' lawyers had drawn up following the meeting.

"Rose, this is wonderful," Daisy said. "Things will be a little tight, but we can merge in two months and be free of debt four months after that."

Lily gave a celebratory whinny of her own, and then added, "And I'll make it my goal to get us one really large order this season to put us over the top. Rose, you did good. I'm proud of you."

Rose could have sworn she could physically feel the weight of a year's financial burdens being lifted from her shoulders. She wiped her moistening eyes and smiled at how far she had come.

Comments

[Inferno demon Dash]

It's not easy to get over darker thoughts, but it's not impossible, she has a semi stable mind, she's doing what she can both for herself and her friends, it's never easy....but it's not impossible

[TheGreatSako]

There were even a few outlandish possibilities, like waking up as a dragon

I'm very curious about this one, actually...

[DerpiusHoovicus2]

I'm enjoying this story a lot. It is really good at portraying how she is dealing with everything. Keep up the good work ~