The Learning Curve called Parenthood.
Three years have passed since Rainbow Dash and Alex were married. It had been both the happiest and saddest day of her life, for she had left behind everything she once knew and loved, for the man she now called husband. In those three years, she’s turned Alex’s house into a home, learning how to cook, clean and other wifely things. She also carries a secret within her, that may very well turn their easygoing domestic life on its’ head.
Alex as well, has grown into a man, splitting off from his company and building his own from the ground up. Money’s tight, but he always manages a miracle. He’s in love, and nothing can destroy his dreams with his ever confident and optimistic wife behind his every move, and at his side every step of the way. Unbeknownst to him, things are about to get complicated.
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Rainbow Dash, or Sarah, as she was commonly known, was wandering around the house, making sure things were tidy for Alex. The man appreciated a clean house, and even though clean freak wasn’t her specialty, she’d made it a point to at least keep the first floor tidy. They didn’t often get visitors, but Alex’s family had a gift for dropping in unexpectedly, much the same as he would do to them. She heard a knock at the door, and took her time answering it. As the door opened, The neighbor boy from across the street greeted her with a pie and a smile.
“Mrs. Sarah, my mom made an extra pie!” Timothy exclaimed, holding it high and proud. The little guy was slightly older now, but still knees and elbows.
“Really now? and what kind of pie is it, my young gentleman?”
“Strawberry Rhubarb! Your favorite!”
“Oh. ok then. Tell your mom I said thank you, and make sure to let her know I have coffee ready if she’s got a few minutes.”
“Righto!” and the boy was gone in a flash. Having boundless energy seemed to be common in all kids his age.
Dash’s stomach grumbled, and she suddenly had the urge to eat the entire pie in all it’s warm, gooey, strawberry goodness. That had been a common thing with her lately, and she was never really a fan of sweets.
“Maybe I’ll have just one piece…” She sauntered to the kitchen, searching for the pie cutter she’d been given when they’d gotten married. The very memory still brought tears of joy to her face.
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Alex lowered his head onto the steering wheel of the truck.Today had been far from easy. He had opened his own business with some difficulty, and now the hard part was making sure it stayed afloat. He had left the carpentry business in order to pursue a more steady career, but when he couldn’t get hired, he started a Restaurant. Coming from an Italian family, cooking ran in his blood, and it’s something he enjoyed immensely, when things were going as they should. He was on first name basis with all of his employees, and he and Dashie were the sole supervisors to his crew. It was a family run, family owned operation, and as soon as the younger kids were out of high school, he offered them jobs until they decided where they were going.
Most of them stayed, but sometimes they didn’t all get along. This put a lot of stress on Alex, and he was constantly shifting schedules around. And sometimes, he could never find coverage if something came up. Such was the case today, and hence why he was trying to get his thoughts straight in the confines of his soundproofed, A/C’d truck. Until his Nephew knocked on the door.
“Hey, Uncle Alex, you there?” Donny asked, even though he knew he wasn’t heard. He knocked again, and was greeted by a very exasperated uncle who looked like he needed a beer.
“Yeah, Donny, what’s up kiddo?”
“Just wanted to let you know a few of us are gonna be going home soon. Might wanna get yourself fixed up and situated and what not.”
“Why? Aren’t Aunt Irene and your sister still around?”
“Salma had to rush off to class. Niko and Dray got into some trouble at school, so Irene had to go get them.”
“Ugh….of course….want to pick up a few hours?”
“Sure, how long do you need me for?”
“As long as you’re willing to cover. At least until I know who’s coming in.”
“Gotcha…But don’t take too much longer. It’s dinnertime and you know how crazy that gets.”
“All too well.” Alex sighed and drank the last of his coffee. “This is all for you, Mom.” He opened the door, faked his best smile, and entered his restaurant.
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Dash had eaten half of the pie before she realized it.
“Good lord, girl. when did you get such a sweet tooth.?” She asked herself, wrapping and putting away what was left of it where she couldn’t see it. “I’m sure Alex will find that later. As long as I don’t ”
A few minutes later, as she cleaned up the rest of the breakfast dishes, A cheery, familiar voice rang out in her hallway.
“Sarah, where are youuu~” The cheery woman was none other than Clare, Tim’s mom and one of Dash’s best friends.
“Kitchen, Clare...coffee’s hot!” Dash shouted as Clare traipsed in.
“And how is my blushing bride this fine day?” She said happily, spinning a chair around and plopping in it like any other man. She was a graceful woman, with long, curly blonde hair hanging down to the small of her back. Wearing a stylish denim outfit and a black tank top, you wouldn’t know Clare was a wife and happy mother.
“I’d be better if I didn’t eat literally half of that pie you sent over.”
“Really? How unlike you…”
“Yeah, I know, but I don’t know why. I never ate that much pie in my life.”
“Well, y’know what they say….”
“Don’t you jinx me, evil woman!” Dash sat down in a chair next to her, pouring a glass of cold Iced Tea.
It wasn’t the first time they’d come across this subject, and Clare enjoyed teasing Sarah all too much about it.
“I’m sure you could handle it, my dear. You deal with the kids around here well enough.”
“Dealing with kids and raising them are two different things.”
“You know, I never thought I was ready, either. But I wouldn’t trade my little knight for all the freedom in the world.” Besides, You’ve got me and all the other moms on the block. You ever need us, we’re there, without a doubt.”
“I’m not worried about the freedom, Clare. I’m worried about Alex and Myself. The restaurant is just now starting to pick up business, and even if I’m...you know...Alex will have to run the restaurant on his own for a while.”
“He’s a good man, Sarah. I’m sure he’d do anything to keep you happy. Besides, Most of the kids are now grown and out of school, aren’t they? I’m sure he’ll promote a couple of them If he has to.”
“Maybe, but even if we’re physically prepared, what about mentally? We were just married three years ago. And even so, we’re still young. Also, what if he leaves me…”
“He’s not going to leave you. Ever. I’ve known him for a while. He’s a good man and he’d rather suffer with you, instead of letting you deal with it on your own. It’s gonna be OK. I promise.” Clare hugged her friend tightly. “Besides, no matter how mentally and physically prepared you guys are, there’s always gonna be something new to learn. I’m still learning to this day, and my boy’s 10.”
“You make a good point. Thank you, Clare.” Dash wiped the beginnings of a tear from her eye, while Clare was busy making coffee.
“Now, how about a round of poker or two? Loser makes dinner for winner’s family.”
“You know I can’t resist a challenge, you sneaky woman.” Dash smiled at her friend, happy she’d come over.
“Sneaky? don’t you mean sexy?”
“For one, I’m straight, for two, we both know I look better than you.”
“Psh, whatever. I look good for my age and you know it. Deal ‘em.”
“Prepare your dish rack, cause I’m about to clean you like a dirty plate, Clare Holyfield.”
“You Wish, Sarah Woodsmith. I hope you bought extra groceries, for tonight, we dine in your kitchen!”
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Meanwhile, Alex was running around like someone stole his head. Barking orders as nicely as he could, he was on cook duty today, and the truck not arriving today made his already low supplies even worse..
“Donny! how’re those tables looking out there?” Alex yelled at his nephew, who was standing opposite him at the front counter
“Filled up!” The bell of the cash register signaled more incoming orders.
“Richard, I need you to get me more burgers and cheese! Robert, how’re those sandwiches coming along?
“Working on it!” His youngest cousin yelled back at him, wrapping sandwiches like a man possessed.
“Good work! Where’s Moose? do you know?”
“She’s on fryer detail! Can’t keep enough food up to feed the masses!”
“Soon as you’re done, go help her!”
Wishing the world would be quiet for a minute, Alex zoned into his full size grill, laying down fresh burgers and philly steaks, followed by a few pounds of the onion and pepper medley he topped the cheese steaks with. Working with both hands was difficult, but it made up for it in efficiency. Hopefully, Dashie would arrive soon and ease up the workload on the poor man.
Just then, one of the few people unrelated to him and allowed to work in the restaurant showed up, much to Alex’s relief.
“Dakota, want a few hours? Clock then sandwich board. Tuna season’s excellent today and we need someone over there to keep up.”
“I gotcha. Gimmie a sec.” Dakota left, heading toward to clock out back. He’d been friends with Alex for years, and was near blood to him. He’d been having a bad time of life until Alex pulled him out of the dirt and gave him a job.
Alex saw the next meal ticket pop up on his screen. “Who the hell wants pancakes for lunch?” He grunted, stirring and dumping the batter on the griddle section before him, after scraping it free of carbon buildup.
About an hour had passed, and business had slowed down considerably, allowing Alex to finally take a minute for himself. Dashie had also shown up, which would make the rest of the day so much easier. She was really good at multitasking, and she made running the front line seem like cake.
“You look like a train wreck, love. Long Day?” Dash asked Alex, rubbing his back after she found him napping on the desk out back.
All she was able to get out of him was a long groan, mumbling something about being shorthanded in the middle of the biggest rush that week. She looked into his tired face and kissed him, knowing this restaurant meant more to him than most things in his life. He opened it in memory of his mother, and if there was a day he couldn’t hack it, he felt he was letting her down and often grinded it out, refusing to ever give up or secede from duty. Here’s what it may have looked like from the customer’s perspective, something Alex and Sarah took very seriously.
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Karen’s Kitchen was a small, but popular establishment, known for serving up the best homestyle fast food this side of town. While they never had any real famous people stop in, local officials frequented the place, often mingling amongst the blue and white collar populace. Eating at a family owned and operated business was good for votes, and you couldn’t argue with some homemade pumpkin pie or cookies. The staff were all friendly and welcoming, the coffee was always hot, and if there was ever a problem with an order, it would be resolved on the spot. The couple who ran the place were always on the line, working alongside the staff instead of giving orders from an office.
The kid who ran the front register was quick, and the tables and counter were always spotless. There weren’t very many staff, but that’s what made the place so home-like. The staff made it a point to try and learn names, birthdays, and the like, and would often surprise a guest with a free slice of pie or cake, whichever had been prepared that day, if they caught wind of such an event.
Alex and Sarah Woodsmith were sole proprietors of the place, and if a problem couldn’t be fixed by one of the staff, they would remedy it themselves. The kids that would come in were often greeted with a smile, and went to school with the younger generations of the Woodsmiths and their extended families. All in all, the place was a smash hit, which took everyone by surprise.
+++
“Alex, are you sure you’re gonna be OK for the rest of the day?” Dash leaned into her husband and hugged him.
“Yeah. I just need a few minutes more. Can you go check the status up front and ready an order slip for me?”
“You betcha, my love.” Dash kissed him again and walked off, tying her apron and hair before leaving the back room. Alex glanced at the dishes and decided it was probably a good time to start washing them. They were piled haphazardly, and were likely going to hurt someone if left unattended like that.
“At least I can go zombie mode and knock those out.” He thought to himself, and as he got up, he heard most of his spinal column crack like paper. “You need a vacation, old man.”
+++
Up front, Dash was making sure things were clean and neat, and at present, was racking up glasses under the soda machine, making sure if there was another rush, they were well prepared.
“Hey Aunt Sarah! I didn’t know you were here today!” Dash looked up to see a tall, well built young man approaching her. It was Alex’s nephew, Donny.
“Sure am. Why are you still here? Normally you’re long gone.”
“Uncle Alex looked like he got hit by a freight train. I was worried about him. He also offered me extra hours, so I’m closer to that lovely little Tuner I’ve had my eyes on.”
“Really? that’s great! And how much more do you need?
“Couple hundred. Easy to get.” He said, stacking more cups in the holding area. “Is everything Ok back home? I noticed the old man’s been a little off lately.”
“Yeah, it’s been a difficult week for both of us. It’s that time of year where we have to make sure all of our ducks are in a row for the coming Tax season. Add that to our schedule here, and the poor man’s lucky if he gets a few hours’ sleep a night. He’s not as young and invincible as he thinks.”
“Ain’t that the truth...it’s funny. I remember being 9 or 10, and we would waste hours playing videogames. Now I’ve graduated High School and he’s gotten married. Time’s a funny thing.”
“You’ve got a point...By the way, Do you like working here?”
At this, Donny quieted down and he was thinking, or so it would seem. After a minute, he spoke again, slowly, picking words carefully.“Well, it’s crazy a lot of the time, but Uncle Alex does his best to help us. Also, it’s helping me get through the mess with my parents, and I love Uncle Alex to death. He pretty much raised me when my dad wouldn’t.”
“But there’s only like, 8 years between you two. How did he raise you?” That was an odd thing to be said, she thought.
“Well, it’s weird. When my parents first split up, it was new and scary, but I would still see my dad once or twice a week and lived with my mom. After a while, my dad pretty much slowed down his visits to once or twice a month, and I was really angry. But then, Uncle Alex came to live with us because we were still too young to be left alone, me and Salma, and we needed a babysitter, So he decided to sit for us, in between his job at the Supermarket. He fed us and stuff, and taught me a lot about life. I also felt like he was the only one I could talk to, cause him and gramps never really got along too good until he moved out of gramps’ house, like me and my dad after he stopped his weekly visits. So I guess, he’s the kind of role model I had always wanted. So naturally, I began to look up to him.”
“Well, would you like a permanent position here? As a manager?”
“You mean like you and Unc back there? Well, I really don’t know. You guys run it pretty well and I don’t think I could handle it. But if you absolutely needed someone, I could try my best. Why? is something wrong?” Donny asked, concerned. From what he knew of Sarah, she was incredibly confident and was loath to ask for help.
“No,no…” Dash forgot how intelligent the boy was. “I guess maybe, things might be changing for the better, soon, and we may need some extra help in keeping this place up and running.”
“Really? Like what kind of changes?” Donny asked.
“Well, I don’t really know. Just trust me. Do me a favor and think about that promotion.”
“I can do that, sure.” The door bells jingled, signaling another incoming. “I better go take care of that, Auntie. I hope everything turns out OK for you guys.” Donny turned and walked off, greeting the customer with his cheerful boom of a voice.
“Damn, he’s smart. If I really am pregnant, he’ll be the first one to figure it out if I’m not careful.” Dash mused to herself, finishing up her glass collection and moving on to the coffee pots, which were in dire need of a cleaning.
As soon as the conversation finished in the front of the restaurant, the dishes were finished out back.
“Ah...nothing like a sink of clean dishes to help sort one’s brains out.” Stretching, Alex allowed himself the first genuine smile of the day. “This day may just turn out alright.”
He looked at the clock, noting the time. It was still early evening, and the restaurant would be locking up at 10pm to allow time to finish closing. “6 more hours, old man, Then you’re home free.”
Exchanging his soaked shirts for clean ones in the employee bathroom, Alex made his way to the front line, noticing customers starting to queue up for what was left of the dinner rush.
“Here we go.” Cinching his Apron tightly, he passed Dash on the way through and tipped her a wink. A simple gesture between the two, but it spoke volumes as far as being grateful for her arrival, and her in general. He still loved her as much as day one, and with her by his side, he couldn’t fail. She wouldn’t let him.
“By the way, Love, Clare and the family are showing up for dinner soon. I lost another bet.” Dash grinned sheepishly at her husband.
“Rather lose food than money. It’s fine.” Alex smiled back, knowing how much Clare meant to Dash.
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The day was finally over, the shop was closed up, and they had the entire weekend off. Alex could definitely use some sleep, and Dashie had been wanting to take a day trip to their favorite campground. When they pulled into the driveway, Alex led Dashie inside, and they sat down for some quiet TV time. Their life was incredibly domestic, but it kept them happy and fed.
Rainbow was unsure how to approach the subject with Alex, but she had no choice. Better get him used to the idea now, instead of giving him a heart attack later. She cut the TV off and grabbed his hand, looking deep into the olive green eyes she fell in love with.
“Honey, I’ve been noticing some things lately, and I want you to know about them.” She began, picking her words carefully. She was never good at this sort of thing, and it made it that much more difficult to approach.
“Really, like what?” Alex asked quizzically, giving her his full attention. Turning the TV off was strange for her.
“Well, remember how when we met, all those clothes your sisters gave me? how some of them were a little too big?”
“Yeah, what about them? You can always donate them back or ask around the neighborhood.”
“They seem to fit better now than they used to, sometimes even a little tight.”
“That’s no big deal. I love you for you, not your dress size.” Alex kissed her quickly, chuckling. “My family feeds us all too well. I didn’t used to be this size.”
“I know, but what if…” She couldn’t quite spit the words out just yet.
“It’s fine love, really. I wouldn’t trade you for every model in the world. You’re one of the few people that can keep up with my crazy.”
She decided to have a go at it. “What if I’m pregnant, Alex? What will you do then?”
At this, Alex’s previously curious expression turned to one of affirmation. “I will love you, and him or her, as much if not more than I do now. I’ve noticed how much you’ve been eating, and the pregnancy tests, and I’m about as prepared as I’ll ever be. I don’t claim that we’ll be amazingly perfect parents, but we have the space, and we have more support than we can ever ask for, and as long as we do right by him or her, we’ll be fine. I come from a big family, and everyone has had kids before us. We’ll have their accumulated knowledge on top of our own instincts.”
“But what if my instincts are worse than you give them credit for!?” Dash nearly shouted, and Alex took her hand in his, gently. She calmed down significantly at the gesture. “I don’t have a big family, Alex. I don’t have experience with kids like you do. I don’t have your patience, your confidence, your instinct. I grew up an only child, and lived in Equestria as a single carefree adult, without a care for my personal well being, skating on the edge of recklessness. I’m not prepared like you are…” She was nearly in tears, albeit calm.
“Nor would I expect you to be. It’s a huge change, but the Sarah I know, The Rainbow Dash I know, would never back down from a challenge, no matter how unprepared or crazy it was.”
“Alex, this is a whole new ballgame. There’s no defined goal, no defined time, nothing. Nothing to give me the drive I need, the push I need.”
“Think about it for a second. I’ll put it into technical terms for you, cause I know how you work. The average child to adult cycle for a human is eighteen years. You have 18 years, maybe 21, to teach this child how to live, learn, grow, and be happy as an adult. You have to teach them right from wrong, loyalty, respect, hard work, perseverance, all things you have in spades. But you have a team as well. Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Friends. They’ll help you fill in the blanks when you don’t have an answer. The next 18 years or so are gonna be crazy for both of us,, but we like crazy. If you didn’t you wouldn’t be here, with me. And when you look back on those years, you’ll wish they had not flown by so fast.”
“Eighteen years is a long time, Alex. Are you sure you’re ready? If I’m not?”
“I’m about as ready as I’ll ever be. If I need to, I’ll promote some of the kids who’ve been working the longest to take some of the stress off of you. And besides, it’s only the first 5 or 10 that are really hard. Once they start going to school, they’ll learn things too. Socially acceptable behavior, how to make friends, and maybe sometimes, how to love. You just need to be there for them when things get bad. You’ll be their best friend for life. Even if it might feel like they hate you sometimes. You’ll be OK, as long as you keep the faith in yourself and your team.
“I’ll be fine as long as you keep your faith in me.”
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So, here it is guys. The project I’ve been wanting to get off the back burner since the day I started it. This is obviously, a continuation of my other RD fanfic, which I’d like to be noted, will be renamed at a later date. If you haven’t read that, you shouldn’t need to in order to enjoy this, but it may make more sense to some. However, in light of recent events, this will be the only chapter posted of this particular Arc. I’ll still be working on it, but most likely offline. I may be losing my internet soon, if not my apartment, and even if I do manage to keep my apartment, The internet will be gone for a while due to unforeseen circumstances. Hope you enjoy it.