Rosa

by awf

Chapter 11: Settling in

Rosa was not immediately sure what to make of the woman as the family sat down for lunch. They didn't set a place for her, but the mare didn't really mind. It was important they spent time together and she was just 'the help', after all. Despite that, Rosa sat on the floor near Lillian, just in case she needed her help with anything.

Mrs. Boone, though, was quite unreadable. She must have known they were getting a pony maid, but she didn't seem to care one way or the other. She wasn't happy about the fact that someone else would help with the house chores, but neither was she displeased with Rosa being there. There was just blank acceptance. Rosa really hoped that her and Mr. Boone hadn't been arguing about whether to get a pony or not and then the husband had just gone forward and gotten one. It could make life with Mrs. Boone very difficult. She was pleasant with the kids and Rosa assumed she loved them very much, even if she didn't really show it. She was polite with her husband, though they hadn't exchanged any pleasantries the mare had been expecting from a married couple. No hugs, no kisses, barely any touching. Rosa wondered if they really slept in the same bed.

As for the woman herself, she had an immaculate face and a very lush, expensive-looking hairstyle. She was blonde, which was probably where Lillian got it from. Her clothes looked elegant and expensive, and from what Rosa could see, Mrs. Boone hadn't changed out of her work suit when she came home. Her job, Mr. Boone had told Rosa earlier, was a news anchor for one of the local TV stations, which sounded very cool to the mare. Maybe, if she asked the lady a little about that, she would warm up to her?

The atmosphere at lunch seemed a little subdued, but Rosa had no basis for comparison whatsoever, so she didn't try to lighten the mood. The boy, Benjamin, just kept his eyes on his plate and focused on eating, but at least Lillian kept stealing glances at the mare and giving her small smiles. If Mrs. Boone minded, she didn't show it. Instead, she asked the children about school, about their grades and their friends. Nothing out of the ordinary, though Benjamin seemed to have some issues at Math. Rosa thought she might be able to help him there. She wasn't a wiz at that, not like Felicity or Iskra, but she had always done well in her lessons.

As the meal went on, Rosa went back to looking around the room. There were a few paintings on the walls, but she didn't recognize any of them as famous, at least to the extent old Mrs. Marston had taught her in Art History. There was a bookshelf in the living room and she could see a few of the shelves from where she was sitting. Maybe someday she would take a good look and see if there was anything she would like to read. Rosa also spotted a bit of dust under the kitchen table which she had missed previously. It was a good thing Mr. Boone hadn't noticed and Rosa decided to brush that up as soon as lunch was over.

The conversation around the table turned to their work and Rosa tuned out. It was all boring to her, especially the stuff about Mr. Boone's politics or Mrs. Boone's office dynamics, and how he was looking for a raise, or she was interviewing with a bigger station. The kids seemed to zone out as well, and the mare carefully slid forward until she could brush her muzzle against Lillian's shoulder. Her tiny hand quickly came to pat her nose and Rosa gave her fingers a quick lick. While she was smiling about it, she caught Benjamin's expression, just as he was rolling his eyes a little. It didn't matter, the girl seemed happy with the exchange and maybe the boy would find some humor in the 'illicit pats', which would make it easier for Rosa to bond with him later.

The grownups hadn't noticed anything.

Then, Rosa's young friend simply grabbed a baked potato from her plate and held it up to her.

The movement caught her mother's eye and she directed a stern glance at Lillian. "We don't feed the pets at the table, young miss!" she admonished.

Rosa really didn't want her friend to be in trouble, so she quickly tried to take the blame: "I'm sorry, ma'am. I shouldn't have been sitting this close," she said with her ears properly flattened in a textbook image of 'sorry pony'.

Despite Rosa's admission of guild, Lillian dropped the morsel back to her plate and lowered her face in shame.

The ice had been broken, however, and now the glare was directed at the mare. "Well, what do you eat anyway?"

"Anything, really. T-The School made sure we're not picky. Um, except meat."

The family was having some kind of casserole, which Mrs. Boone had prepared the previous night and Mr. Boone just heated up before lunch.

"Well, I'm not cooking special for you. You can have what's left of the vegetables, after you've done the dishes."

It was better than Rosa had feared. The way things were going, she had been half-expecting the Mrs. to get her a bag of dog food. Well, she had said 'pet', which stung a little, but Rosa let it slide. Good impressions, that was the key thing there.

"Think of Rosa like Mrs. Corwick. She'll help with the cleaning and the laundry," the husband pointed out. There was more, but he glanced at Lillian and shut his mouth.

Rosa thought she knew what he had meant to say: Maybe Rosa could get Lillian to open up a bit more. She would certainly give it her best. At the least, she was sure she could get her to smile more often.

The wife didn't seem too convinced, but she just shrugged. "Hmm. At least she's dressed properly."

Rosa was suddenly very grateful that Mr. Boone had thought ahead and gotten her the dress. After a while, she hardly noticed it anymore. It fit her quite well.

"That's right, dear. I made sure, of course," Mr. Boone said.

Jennifer put her fork down and stood up. Following her example, her son pushed his chair back as well and reached for his phone. He was engrossed in it even as he started walking back up to his room.

"No, Benjamin," his mother chided, "no games until you've done your homework. I'll come check in an hour!"

Either he was ignoring it, or he was lost in whatever he was doing and didn't even register the words.

"Um- if I may, ma'am... I did quite well in my studies - I can h-help."

Rosa got a calculating gaze in lieu of an answer. Maybe there was some grudging approval there, but it was hard to tell with Mrs. Boone.

"That's right," the husband said with a touch of relief in his voice. "After you've cleared the table and done the dishes, please help the children with their school work, Rosa."

She gave the man her warmest smile and a practiced, forelegs-only curtsy. "Of course, Mr. Boone. It will be my pleasure."

There was no more talking as the family dispersed. Rosa relaxed a little as she was left alone, even if there was a ton of dirty dishes to clean up. The smell of meat was a bit nauseating, but she powered through it and started to gather up the plates and stacked them on her back. Her new Master had specifically ordered her not to help set the table. Rosa guessed he didn't like the idea of hooves walking on the floor and then touching the silverware. It hadn't been talked about around the School often, but ponies were seldom picked for cooking and buttling jobs.

Rosa had had some basic lessons about how to use the household appliances, but that was meant primarily for herself, so she wouldn't be an extra burden on an already stressed-out family which got her. At best she had been told to expect cleaning and laundry jobs and it looked like Mr. and Mrs. Boone had the same idea.

Very soon she had all the dishes either in the sink, or on the counter next to it, if there was still some food in them. She found the trash bin hidden away in a cupboard, but Rosa wasn't sure if she should just toss organic waste in there. Hopefully one of the Boones would come around so she could ask, but in the meantime Rosa got started on the mostly empty dishes.

The bowl of potatoes, however, she saved for last. She had stuck her nose in there and it smelled absolutely delicious. She hadn't had anything since early morning, so her stomach was starting to complain a little as the scent filled the kitchen. Mrs. Boone's cooking was superb, Rosa had to agree. She mentally added that compliment to the one about her flowerbeds and hoped that would make the woman thaw a little towards the mare. Some of the spices in those potatoes Rosa had never even smelled before! She couldn't wait to try them!

There was a noise behind her and Rosa caught a glimpse of Mr. Boone looking in on her progress. "Oh! Sorry to bother you, Master - but is there a bin for organic waste?" Rosa asked politely.

The man walked over and pulled open a drawer. He picked up a roll of what looked like plastic bags. "Here," he told her, leaving them on the counter. "Biodegradable bags. There's a bin out front."

"Thank you."

He left without further comment and Rosa focused once again on her work. Of course she couldn't expect everyone to instantly like her. Young Master Benjamin would take some effort and his mother might take even more, by the looks of it. Not a problem. Rosa had had some training on how to deal with problematic humans. True, her lessons were usually about children, but surely some of the skills were transferable to Mrs. Boone, right? In addition, she would make sure sure to stay positive, polite and helpful which would undoubtedly win the strict, cold woman over. Rosa kept thinking about it as her hooves did the work almost without her conscious control. The afternoons in the School kitchen had been well spent, after all!

She began to hum her little melody as she finished the dishes and took her bowl of potatoes out to eat in the garden.

---

There she was - her first night in her new home. The bed and the room smelled strange and Rosa knew it would take her a while before she could comfortably fall asleep in that place.

The day had been busy, but now that she had some time to reflect, she was really starting to miss her roommates. Iskra with her soft feathers. Amethyst and her tickling mane and always-ready hug. Felicity and her happy little laugh. Valentina, with her near-permanent blush and quiet voice. Yes, even Paolo and his fumbling, awkward attempts at romancing her.

Rosa heaved a sigh as she gazed out the window. The garden was well-lit with small, cleverly hidden lamps, which bathed the scenery in soft, yellow light. If she wouldn't be able to get to sleep in half an hour, Rosa decided, she would go out and sit in the grass for a while. The night was a little chilly, but with her night gown on top of fur she would be okay. Besides, she hadn't had many such experiences in the School and absolutely never at night. The things she had read in the physics textbook and the pictures she had seen of the night sky made Rosa really curious to see it. Not in the Boone house, though. Too much light pollution.

Her hoof slapped the pillow in a vain effort to make it more comfortable and Rosa pushed herself around so she was looking away from the window. Maybe she should have drawn the curtains, but she needed them open in the morning to wake her up. There was no alarm clock in her room, though Mr. Boone has promised to get her one the next day. Yeah, that was another reason to sleep soon. Rosa needed to be up fresh in the morning to help the children get ready for school. She forced her eyes closed and tried to stop thinking, not that it had ever worked before.

Lillian was an absolute sweetheart, but Rosa was getting worried about Benjamin, who had looked strangely at her and said no when she offered to help him with his math homework. She had also proposed to clean his room, but he shook his head vehemently, without even looking at the mare. Then she had tried to ask him about his game, but he just sighed and turned away, as if speaking with her was this incredible, onerous burden. Rosa had escaped then and decided to think it over before trying more things. Unfortunately, that was what she was doing at night, when she should have been sleeping! Sighing, she close her eyes yet again and tried to clear her mind.

There was a rustling sound in the hallway just outside and Rosa's head shot up, ears focused on the door. She was sure she had heard something! Just as she was about to get up and go check, the door handle started moving. Rosa was grateful she had left the curtains open, because that meant she would be able to see clearly.

Someone was sneaking into her room!

She considered shouting out. Rosa didn't like the idea of waking up Mr. and Mrs. Boone, but she also didn't want to be kidnapped! In her indecision she missed the opportunity and her muzzle clamped down to choke back a squeak when the door swung open.

Rosa gasped out in a mixture of relief and apprehension. "Lillian?!"

The girl stood there, still and indecisive now that she was facing the mare. Rosa was getting more worried by the second. "Is something wrong? Come in," she invited the girl.

Finally the young miss trudged into the room. She conscientiously closed the door after herself and Rosa saw she had Mr. Fuzzbot in her hand. Whatever could have happened? Also, why had the girl gone to the pony she had met only that day, rather than her parents?

As Lillian finished her careful trek to the bed, Rosa rolled to her belly and brought her muzzle closer so she could peer into her little friend's face more closely. She didn't seem hurt, or scared. More nervous than anything else. Her expression could have almost been... pleading?

Rosa made a decision.

"Come, sit on my bed sweetie. You can tell Rosa what's wrong, okay?"

The girl deposited her stuffed toy carefully between the mare's forelegs, then clambered up on the bed. Rosa gave her a brief nuzzle while she retrieved the teddy bear and hugged him close.

"There we go. This is nice," she cooed to the girl.

Finally Lillian spoke up: "I was l-lonely." She put an arm around Rosa's neck and the mare inhaled sharply as the cold fingers dug into her fur. She also became aware that the girl was shivering. Her night dress was pretty, but it wasn't yet warm enough to walk around in it. Rosa also didn't know how long she had just been standing outside the door, gathering up the courage to open it.

She swiftly covered the poor thing with her blanket and scooched closer to her. "Here, let me warm you up a little. You're freezing!" Rosa almost wished she didn't have her bedclothes. Her fur would have been much warmer without the material in the way.

The girl gratefully accepted the nuzzle and then buried her small face in Rosa's mane. Her plushy was squeezed between the two, but Lillian wasn't complaining so Rosa guessed Mr. Fuzzbot was okay.

"Thank you, um, Miss Rosa."

She was very proud of the girl for getting her name exactly right so quickly, but the title made her giggle a bit. "Oh, you don't have to call me that, sweetie! I'm just 'Rosa', okay? I'm your friend!"

The child flashed her a slight smile and settled down, apparently for the night. Rosa should probably have taken her back to her own bed and tucked her in. Something told her Mrs. Boone would be furious if she saw this. Maybe even Mr. Boone, considering his little speech about 'impropriety'.

"Uh. Just for a minute, sweetie, but then you have to go to your own room, okay?"

"Why?" Her arms hugged the pony tightly, as if afraid she would toss her out of the bed.

"Well, your mother probably wouldn't like it if you slept here," Rosa tried to explain tactfully.

Lillian shrugged her shoulders, which Rosa felt more than saw. "She doesn't really care what I do. Mom and Dad are too busy all of the time..."

It was heartbreaking, but Rosa was starting to see why Lillian was quiet and shy. It was a very good thing she had an Assistant Pony now!

"I- uh, I really like you, mm- Rosa," the girl said, apparently with much difficulty.

Rosa returned her hug and gave her an extra nuzzle on top of that. "Aw, that's sweet of you. I really like you too!"

This next thing went against Rosa's training a little bit. As an Assistant Pony, she should always steer her child toward being open and trusting with their human guardians. Rosa was supposed to reinforce the bond between the children and their parents and their friends. She had even been told to try and improve their trust in the public establishments, the government and the healthcare system.

"Tell you what," Rosa whispered aware that it was wrong, but with Lillian it felt like the right thing to do. She kept her voice low, as if imparting a big secret, "you can come talk to me whenever you like, okay? You can tell me anything, I promise I won't tell your Mother or Father."

Lillian gave this some thought, then nodded, her nose rubbing against Rosa's neck.

The mare shuffled a little to get more comfortable until she ended up on her side, facing away from the girl. Lillian wrapped her arms around her neck and even tried to hug her with her legs. By that time they were both nice and warm and the child sighed happily.

It looked like this would be Rosa's night, then. It was nice, actually. It made her less lonely.

"Good night, sweetheart!"

Instead of an answer, a small hand clumsily prodded until it found her nose, then gave it a gentle pat.

Rosa smiled to herself. Lillian would probably be worth suffering through any amount of hostility or resentment from her mother and her brother. She could make a real difference in the life of that little girl. Of course she would do her very best with Benjamin and even Mrs. Boone, but Rosa decided right there and then that Lillian would be her top concern in that household. After all, ponies were meant to make people feel better, right? No one in that house deserved or needed it more than the little one.

The hand patted Rosa's muzzle again, then slid down until it was gripping her foreleg. Lying still and quiet like that, surrounded by Lillian's now welcome scent, Rosa finally drifted off.

Comments

[BleuBlooms]

This next thing went against Rosa's training a little bit. As an Assistant Pony, she should always steer her child toward being open and trusting with their human guardians. Rosa was supposed to reinforce the bond between the children and their parents and their friends. She had even been told to try and improve their trust in the public establishments, the government and the healthcare system.

I am really impressed with how much thought you put into this! Did you find it especially difficult?

[awf]

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A lot of it is my cynicism showing, some of it is forethought, but for the most part I guess I just have an overactive imagination :]

Thanks tho!