Beauty on the Beach

Beauty on the beach
Prologue - Ah need ta tell ya'all somethin'

Morning on Sweet Apple Acres is always a perfect example of routine. Everyone knows their part in the play perfectly; almost to a fault in some cases. AJ and Apple Bloom know that I have the first shower, and Apple Bloom will follow on from me. Granny Smith likes to get breakfast ready first, so she always goes last. It's simple routine and means there are no arguments about who gets to go next.

As such, it was rather odd when I finished up with my shower and shave without even so much as a 'hurry up' from Apple Bloom. Normally she would be banging on the door by the time I was washing my razor, but this time she was strangely silent throughout the entire event. Not thinking too hard on it, I just figured that she must have slept in; there were only a few days left of the school holidays, and while she had long since graduated from school and joined us working the farms, I still tended to think of her as my little kid sister. Plus it was a Saturday, and there was no major farm work to be done right now. We had only just finished up the planting season, and harvest would be months away yet. If she was sleeping in, I could hardly blame her; tomorrow I would be leaving the farm for a week long vacation in Baltimare. Well, I say tomorrow, but in reality it was the last train leaving tonight.

Getting dressed in a towel, I walked down the hallway towards Apple Bloom's room. Reaching her door, I poked my head inside and expected to see her still asleep in her bed, but her bed was empty. She had clearly been in it at some point; the sheets and blankets were all messed up and needed to be straightened again, but Apple Bloom wasn't there. Granny Smith had tried to get her to make her bed each morning, but it never seemed to take hold.

Shrugging my shoulders I headed for my own room to get some proper clothes on. As I walked down the hall, AJ came out of her bedroom and caught my eye. "Mornin' brother," she said, mumbling a little. "See ya down at breakfast?"

I nodded back to her and kept on walking.

"Apple Bloom not in her room?"

I shook my head. "Eenope."

"Ah figured somethin' like that," AJ said, poking her head into Apple Bloom's room. "Ah heard her pacin' around somethin' fierce last night."

I had heard her as well; her footsteps coming in through the adjoining walls. I didn't know what to make of it, so I just headed into my room and picked out a change of clothes. While I didn't have to wear them, my work duds were comfortable and clean enough. Most of my good clothes had already been packed up into the backpack I intended to take with me.

I got changed and walked out again, heading down for breakfast. Granny Smith always made a hearty breakfast, regardless of what kind of day it was. "Breakfast is tha most important meal of tha day," she would say while ladling out bowls of porridge, or buttering toast. I was never one to disagree with her.

Normally, I would be the first one down to table, as ordinarily, Apple Bloom would be in the shower right now, but as it turned out, today I was the last one to arrive. Walking downstairs to the table, I saw that Apple Bloom and her friend, Sweetie Belle were both present and looking like they had been up for a while now; or perhaps more accurately, still up from last night. Sweetie Belle had been spending quite a lot of time over here on the farm over the last couple of months, and while that was quite normal while they were both young kids, they were both adults now. There were only so many times that Apple Bloom could claim she wanted to have a 'sleepover' before certain question had to be asked about just how good a friends they were.

AJ was also seated at the table; she must have snuck down while I was getting changed. As I came into view, she sat upright; clearly having been talking to Apple Bloom about something. She had her serious face on, something I only ever saw when we had some important business to discuss. The last time she had that face on was when she came to me and said she was calling it off; the it in question being our secret relationship we had kept hidden for years. It had been heartbreaking, hearing that from her, but AJ had said that Apple Bloom had seen us together, and it was high time that we stopped and moved on with our lives. She had ended the conversation by leaning in and giving me a deep kiss, just like she had always done. It was bittersweet as I realised that it would probably be the last one she would ever give me, but in my heart I knew she was right. She would always love me, just not in that way anymore.

Granny Smith was up and pottering around in the kitchen, serving up eggs and toast onto plates. She seemed to be oblivious to the serious mood permeating the kitchen, and she put breakfast down on the table as if it was nothing more than another normal day. Eggs with hash, tomatoes and mushrooms. Coffee for AJ and me, with tall glasses of orange juice for Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. I piled eggs onto a plate and tucked in, pausing only to fill up a mug with coffee just the way I liked it; black and strong. I figured that whatever the cause of the mood was, it would come out in due time; no point in wasting a good meal over it.

AJ seemed to think the same as she tucked into her food a moment later, and for an instant, everything was back to how it should have been; the kitchen filled with the sounds of people eating, fat still sizzling in the pans on the stove, and just the sounds of life in general.

It didn't last, however, and within a couple of minutes we were all done. Well, all of us except for Apple Bloom. She had barely even touched her plate, shifting food around on it rather than actually eating it. Sweetie Belle's plate was nearly empty, though she too hadn't eaten everything she had been given. Granny Smith didn't seem to notice, taking the plates away and washing them like she always did. Normally this would be where AJ and I would go over what chores would need to be done during the day, but there really weren't any to be done today. AJ also didn't exactly look like talking much.

Finally, Granny Smith was done with the dishes and she returned to the table, still seeming not to notice the lack of conversation. When she was sitting down, Apple Bloom took several deep breaths and looked over at AJ. AJ nodded back to her, fractionally inclining her head in a single motion.

Apple Bloom looked almost like she was going to vomit, but she kept her nerve. "Big Mac, Granny, ah got something ah got ta tell ya'll."

I didn't say anything. There wasn't anything to say anyway, and it looked like if I interrupted, Apple Bloom might cave in all together.

"Huh, wazzat?" Granny Smith didn't have any issue with muttering.

Apple Bloom waited a few seconds longer, making sure that she had our attention. When all eyes were on her, she got up from the table and looked directly at Granny Smith. "Granny, ah need ta tell ya this. Ah've been meanin' ta tell ya fer a while now."

Apple Bloom paused and looked down at her feet. Granny Smith had finally cottoned onto the fact that this was no simple conversation. Apple Bloom had something to say.

She looked over to where Sweetie Belle was waiting silently, an equally nervous look on her face as well. Sweetie Belle gave her a small, brittle smile and Apple Bloom returned it before looking back to Granny Smith. "Granny, there's no easy way ta say this, so ah'm just going ta say it. Ah'm gay."

Whatever reaction Apple Bloom had been expecting to get to her announcement, she didn't get it. Maybe she had been expecting shock and horror from me and Granny Smith, maybe she expected to be thrown out of the room, disowned and disinherited.

What she got was near total silence. For a long moment, the only noise was Winona trying to lick up the last few scraps from her dog bowl. Apple Bloom looked at me, then to Granny Smith and then back to me repeatedly, looking for some kind of reaction.

Finally, Granny Smith broke the silence, bringing a hand up to cup her ear. "What's that? You want some hay? Ah suppose we got some in tha barn somewhere."

Apple Bloom shook her head, "No, Granny. Ah said Ah'm gay!" She spoke with more emphasis on the last word this time.

Again, Granny Smith seemed not quite to understand what she was saying. "Day? Yer right, Apple Bloom, it is a nice day."

Apple Bloom was nearly shouting now, and clearly getting frustrated. Granny Smith wasn't normally this deaf, and I doubted that she had really started now. More likely she was deliberately mishearing Apple Bloom.

"Ah don't know how else ta tell ya, Granny. Ah love Sweetie Belle."

Finally, Granny Smith's eyes opened in what looked like recognition. "Gay?" she said a little softer.

"That's right," Apple Bloom said, calming down a little now that Granny Smith seemed to have understood at last.

"Why of course ya'll are gay. Ah ain't ever seen ya so happy."

Both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle face-palmed at the same time. Maybe Granny Smith just didn't understand that the word gay meant something else nowadays. She was trying to use it in one of its older meanings; gay as meaning happy.

"AAUUGGGHHH!" Apple Bloom moaned, switching out face-plaming for head-desking. Sweetie Belle huddled up and put an arm around her, trying to comfort her girlfriend.

"Alright, Granny, you've had yer fun. Time ta knock it off," AJ said in a stern voice; a no nonsense tone that brokered no discussion. She was in full head of the family mode now.

Granny Smith huffed at her but sighed a moment later. "Ya young whippersnappers, never lettin' ya elders have any fun. Alright then." She paused and put one of her hands on Apple Bloom's arm, causing Apple Bloom to look up sharply. In one instant, Granny Smith changed from being the doddering old fool who didn't understand to being the kindly grandma we all knew her to be. It was a simple as a single change in one line of her brow, but the effect was total.

Apple Bloom looked up at her, still not sure about what was happening.

"Ah'm sorry fer leadin' ya on like that, mah dear Bloom. Ah know that couldn't have been easy. But you've told me now, and ah ain't gonna stop lovin' ya just fer that. We Apple's don't abandon a tree just 'cus a few seeds are a bit different."

Apple Bloom's mouth split in joy, overjoyed to hear that Granny Smith seemed to be understanding. "Ya really mean that. Ah ain't in trouble?"

Granny Smith gave her an understanding nod of the head. "Truth be told, little one, Ah kinda know what yer going through right now."

Apple Bloom looked confused. "Wait. Ya mean ya were..."

Granny Smith shook her head. "Naw, not me personally, but yer great aunt Apple Rose. She were like that; liked other girls. She did her best ta hide it from tha family, but we all saw through it. Ah felt so sorry fer her, having ta hide who she really was, but her pa would have disowned her if she had admitted it. Ah vowed ta myself that ah wouldn't let it happen again if ah could help it."

"Oh, thank ya, Granny. Thank ya so much," Apple Bloom said, getting up and embracing Granny Smith in a sharp hug. "It feels so good to have told ya."

Granny Smith gave her a pat on the head. "Aww shucks, it ain't nothin'. Ah know ya like to think of me as doddering old granny, off her rocker, but ah can still be hip."

Before we could do anything, Granny Smith got up from the table and started dancing around it, moving and bouncing in a fast paced jig of some kind.

AJ and I both got up, trying to stop her before she ended up hurting herself, but we were too late. A moment after she got up and started dancing, we all heard a loud popping noise.

Granny Smith's eyes widened, and her hand instantly shot to her side. "Oww, mah hip!" She started limping from the room, heading to her bedroom and muttering about needing to lie down. AJ followed her to make sure that she got to her room alright, leaving Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle alone with me.

"Wow, breakfast and a show," Sweetie Belle half laughed, earning herself a dirty look from Apple Bloom.

AJ was only gone for a minute or so before reappearing in the kitchen and taking a seat directly opposite me. She sat there for a few more seconds, looking like she was trying to challenge me to a staring contest. Finally, she blinked and said, "ya were awful quiet just now, Big Mac. Ain't ya got somethin' ta say ta yer sister?

I shook my head slowly. "Eenope."

"Yer sister just told ya she's gay. Surely ya' have something ta say about that."

Again I shook my head. "Eenope."

It was Apple Bloom herself who first understood what I mean, and her face lit up when she realised it. "Ya' mean ya' don't care. It don't matter ta ya?"

I looked at Apple Bloom, and I could see that she understood. "Eeyep."

Apple Bloom's arms were wrapped around me in an instant, hugging me tightly. "Ah'm so glad ta know ya' don't mind. Ah was fretting somethin' fierce."

Sweetie Belle came over and joined Apple Bloom in the hug. "See, I told you it would all work out. You're all one family, and that means you stick together."

AJ cleared her throat, and we all looked over at her. She was still seated, and clearly had something more to say. "Ah'm really happy fer ya'll clearin' tha air and all. Ah have a little gift fer tha pair of ya'."

Sweetie Belle's eyes sparkled at the mention of a gift. Apple Bloom jus looked quizzical.

AJ got up and picked up a set of keys off the wall, ones that opened the door to one of the small cottages we had dotted around the more distant areas of the farm. Mostly used to house overflow family members during the family reunions, the cottages were fairly self-contained. I knew that AJ had been renovating one of the closer ones over the last couple of weeks, but I had just figured that she was getting a head start on some of the chores to be done after planting; not all the cottages were in the best condition and needed some repairs before the next gathering we had here. I was actually going to start work on one of them after I got back from my vacation.

She handed the keys to Apple Bloom, who took them with a look of wonder on her face. "Now, ah ain't kickin' ya out, but ah figured that tha pair of ya' would probably like somethin' a little more...private, if yer plannin' on bein' together. Now it ain't much, but ya'll are welcome ta call it yer own fer now."

Apple Bloom took the keys as if they weren't actually real. "Ya really mean it, AJ? We can have our own place?"

"It sure does," AJ said, nodding. "But don't think it means ya'll are excused from yer chores. Them piggies still need cleanin'."

"Ah know, ah know. Sheesh, ah ain't dumb, AJ." Apple Bloom still sounded amazed at the notion of moving out, even if it was really only to next door. I had done something similar when I had moved all my gym equipment out into one of the older disused barns. The concept of having your own space; a place all to yourself was something that everyone appreciated.

"Come on, Apple Bloom. Let's go take a look," Sweetie Belle said, taking charge of the situation. Clearly she wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth, and just took the offer for what it was, a gift to be accepted without questioning it.

AJ and I watched them run out the door, disappearing out behind the barn.

"Ya know, Ah think those two are going ta be alright," AJ said, taking a sip of her coffee.

I just kept watching them for a few moments longer, remembering a time long ago when I though I was in love. In love with a pretty young schoolteacher, who for a time I thought had loved me back, until fate had decided that it wasn't to be.

"Eeyup."