Parent Trap

by PhantomBulwark

Negotiations

Applejack looked tired. Rarity had been gone for over ten years and even she could see that the farmer was down to her last frayed nerve. Vignette had slouched off early in the morning. She claimed she and her mother needed a spa day to get over the ‘excitement’ of yesterday. She had said it loudly... in the middle of the foyer. With the snidest voice and meanest glare she could muster. Turning her stink eye slowly from AJ to Rarity and back again.

The two mothers had agreed to meet for lunch to talk to the boys. Applejack’s haggard expression made Rarity wonder if this had been a good idea.

“Now,” AJ glanced between her boys, “we have a few options here y’all. We could let you both live half the year with each of us. We could split you up and have designated holidays where one of us gets both. Or… y’all could decide who you want to live with. You’re old enough that the courts would take what you want into account. So... if y’all want to live full time with only one of us… well, we couldn’t stop you.” Applejack’s face said exactly how much she hated the last option.

“We don’t wa-”

“But Ma we-”

The boys blurted over each other loudly. Rarity glanced at AJ and raised a brow. Applejack promptly ignored the flutter in her chest.

“Boys!” She interrupted them, “just talk to us.”

They both opened their mouths at the same time. “One at a time, please darlings.” Rarity cut them off.

Crispin cleared his throat, glancing around the little café in embarrassment. “We want to be with both of you.” He put on his best sad, desperate, child-like expression and looked up at his mother’s. “We don’t want to be apart anymore. Why do we have to be separated from the people we love?”

Rarity rolled her eyes at his dramatics but AJ was obviously won over. Having not become accustomed to his dramatics like Rarity, she was immediately drawn into his pout.

Cortland caught on quickly, turning his own watery, pleading eyes on Rarity. “Don’t make me us live without a parent again Mom,” he whimpered. “I don’t wanna go back to how it was, and I don’t wanna only see you for half the year while I’m away.”

Rarity groaned softly. Looking across the table at Applejack’s soft expression and Cortland’s bright green eyes made her heart ache with melancholy. “Don’t you look at me like that. Don’t you look at me like I’m the bad guy, Crispin and I live on the other side of the country.” She scrubbed a hand down her face, clearing away the urge to cry.

“You ain’t the bad guy here Rares,” AJ said gently. She pulled off her old Stetson and set it on the table between them with a sigh. “But, ya gotta admit it isn’t ideal.”

“Well of course it isn’t. I know very well that you never wanted to speak to me again. I’m trying to spare you as much torture as I can.”

She sputtered, “I-WHAT? When did I ever say that? Rarity Belle I been waitin’ for you to come home for years. Why would you think I don’t wanna see you?” Shit, did I just say that? Did I just tell her I been waiting for her all these years. How pathetic can ya get AJ?

Rarity froze. Her heart thundered in her chest. Was what Rainbow and the others said true? Does she still care? Did-Does she still love me? After all this time? She felt the burden of the last 13 years more heavily than ever. It pressed on her with all the weight of the world. What kind of love that must be? “I-I’m sorry darling, I just- I assumed… I did break your heart after all, more than once even.”

Applejack snorted, “My heart’s just fine china doll. It’ll take more than a little heartache to break this old apple tree.” Her chest felt tight from emotion, she swallowed it down as she had done a million times before. Rarity up and left, she thought to herself, ain’t no point in pining now. She’s probably all hooked up with some hotshot by now… no ring on that finger though. NO AJ, you ain’t no cheater, and Vignette is your girl.

“It’s been a very long time since someone called me that… I almost missed it.” By Faust how I missed it.

Cortland used his parent’s distraction to stare at his brother in amazement. The plan was working better than they could have ever hoped. He knew that look in his Ma’s eyes as well as he knew himself, pure unfiltered love. The only way an Apple knew how to love.

“Why don’t you boys let me and Rares talk a while? Maybe we can work somethin’ out.” Applejack took a room key from her pocket and handed it off to Cortland. “Go on back to the hotel and take advantage of the pool I paid extra for.”

The twins took off with matching grins.

“Separated for over 10 years and it’s like they never parted.” Rarity sighed, “What do we do Applejack? You’ve always been better at this than I am. How do we tell our babies that just found each other that they have to be away from one of us in order to keep each other? Or worse still, that they have to live without each other because of our choices.”

“I don’t know sugar cube, I really don’t.”

Comments

[Rarijack_is_life]

I'm loving the story, there is alot of emotion 👍

[PhantomBulwark]

11178254
Love me some good (not at all healthy) angst.