Derpy startled at the sound of her front door opening. She grabbed the small pile of receipts she'd been recording, stuffed them into her ledger, and stuffed that under a pile of books. Dinky wouldn't understand what the numbers meant, but she didn't want to take any risks. She capped her red pen and set it down next to her black one, which had sat mostly unused that afternoon.
“Hi mommy!” Dinky said as she bounded into the kitchen.
“Hello, muffin,” Derpy said, straightening in her seat.
Dinky cocked her head and studied the empty space on the table in front of Derpy. “Were you working on something?”
Derpy felt a twinge of preemptive hunger. They’d need groceries this weekend, but her next paycheck wasn't coming until the weekend after. She was pretty sure she had enough bits left to keep one of them fed this week. Probably not both, though.
Dinky's horn lit up, and she started taking off her saddlebags.
“I'm sorry,” Derpy said. “Got distracted there. Wasn't important.”
“It's okay, mommy.” Derpy couldn't tell from Dinky's tone whether or not she'd accepted the lie. “Do you remember where we're going this afternoon?”
“Of course,” Derpy said. It was the thing she'd taken half a day off work for. Fewer hours brought less money in, but saved on one afternoon of a sitter…
“I can't wait to see all of Miss Fluttershy's pets,” Dinky said. “And spend some time with Auntie Sparkler!”
Derpy's anxiety grew as she thought about seeing Sparkler again. “Just remember, we're only helping with Miss Fluttershy's adoption event. We probably can't get a pet today, all right?”
“I know, mommy. Like you've said.”
A warm, sweet-smelling breeze stirred Derpy's feathers as they walked through town. The late Spring afternoon was not so different from another, just a couple years before, when she'd finalized adopting the little unicorn foal walking beside her.
It was the last day Derpy hadn't worried about money. Her plans, her budget… everything had made so much sense that day. She knew it had; the agency had gone over her books twice. But since then, she'd had to make more home repairs than she'd planned for, and her work shifts kept shortening and moving around. Now Dinky needed sitters in the afternoon, and good ones didn't come cheap.
“Ow!” she said as she inadvertently walked face-first into somepony's mailbox.
“Mommy, are you okay?”
Derpy sighed. All it took was a little bit of worrying, and her already challenging eyes would come out of focus almost on their own. She hated giving anypony yet another reason to think she couldn't take care of herself. Or of Dinky.
“I'm fine, muffin. Let's keep walking.”
The park was close. As they approached, Derpy frowned at the rather small crowd of ponies who had gathered to see Fluttershy and her collection of adoptable creatures. There were probably more pets than ponies, and Fluttershy seemed flustered from the lack of help. She darted to and fro, trying to keep the dogs away from the cats, and the cats away from the bunnies, and…
Derpy's heart sank. There was Sparkler, smiling and waving at them from the edge of the melee.
“You go on ahead and help Miss Fluttershy,” Derpy said.
“Okay mommy!” Dinky shouted.
Derpy wanted to stay focused on Dinky, but her eyes kept drifting back toward Sparkler. The lavender unicorn was headed in her direction.
“Hey there,” Sparkler said. “How are you guys doing today?”
“We're good,” Derpy lied.
Sparkler turned and watched Dinky. “Just look at her. So much energy.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Thanks for doing this,” Sparkler said, looking at Derpy. “You know, making the time for me to come see her. And you.”
“How's work?” Derpy asked, trying to stick with a safe topic.
“I love it. I think we're close to placing another foal with a great family.” Sparkler paused. “It's still kind of weird to be on the staff, though. We still have a few older kids who remember when I was living in the home.”
“It's only been a couple years,” Derpy said, her eyes losing focus again.
Sparkler laughed. “Oh my, what do we have here?”
Derpy did her best to re-focus, and saw Dinky tottering forward on her hind legs through the close-cut grass. She was carrying a small yellow cat in her forehooves.
“Mommy, Auntie Sparkler, this is Lemon,” Dinky announced.
Derpy shifted her head from side to side, giving each eye a chance to look at the fuzzy beast. She couldn't deny it was cute. It seemed very active, too; its back legs started to kick at Dinky's hooves in a clear bid to escape.
“I see,” Derpy said, keeping her tone even.
Dinky gave a tiny sigh. “Mommy, Lemon and I love each other and we're best friends now. I know we said that we were only going to help Miss Fluttershy, but can we get her? Please?”
“Well?” Sparkler asked, smiling at Derpy. “How 'bout it?”
Derpy looked at Sparkler's expectant smile, then at Dinky's ecstatic grin. She didn't want to disappoint either of them. Alone, she knew she could talk Dinky down without hurting the filly's feelings. That wouldn't work if Sparkler was set against her.
“Muffin, I think mommy and Auntie Sparkler should talk before we make such a big choice,” Derpy said.
Dinky's smile dimmed only a little. “Okay!” she shouted. “I'm going to go keep playing with her!”
Derpy watched Dinky run back over to the small group of cats Fluttershy was herding. She could feel Sparkler's eyes boring into her. She knew that Sparkler would have reasons, and she dreaded what they might lead her to say.
Sparkler eventually broke the silence. “You know, pets can be a great thing for foals. They get to be friends, and foals learn a lot about responsibility by taking care of them.”
“Uh huh,” Derpy said.
Sparkler hesitated. “I've also been reading about only foals in one of my correspondence classes. They can be a lot more prone to loneliness than foals with brothers or sisters.”
“I know she gets lonely sometimes,” Derpy said, turning one of her eyes toward Sparkler.
“I've been worried that she might. There's a pretty good chance that the cat would help.”
Derpy looked down again, struggling to find the right words.
“Derpy, is something wrong?”
Her eyes flicked up at Sparkler for a moment.
“Now, I know you're on a budget,” Sparkler said, holding up a hoof. “If you're going to get a pet for her, though, I've been reading that cats are actually one of the least expensive to own.”
Derpy squeezed her eyes shut. She fought to suppress the tremors that began to ripple through her shoulders.
“Did I say something wrong?” Sparkler asked.
She opened her eyes to look at Sparkler, but her already dubious vision was marred by a blur of tears.
“I don't think we can right now,” she said, her voice becoming thick.
Sparkler stiffened. “Why? What's going on?”
Derpy looked out at Dinky, who was laughing as she dangled a string in front of the small yellow cat, and squealed with glee as the cat leaped up and batted at the string.
“I'm… kind of... a little short on money right now,” she said.
The unicorn gave her an intense look. “I knew this would happen! Is Dinky in any danger? Is she getting enough to eat?”
Derpy sucked loud breaths in between spells of quiet weeping. “Sparkler… no, she's not in danger. I would never skimp on food for her.”
Sparkler turned a look of concern on Derpy's stomach. “What about yourself?”
Derpy couldn't fix her eyes on Sparkler.
“How long has this been going on? How'd you get this past the review board?! I made them go over your books...”
“It wasn't… I didn't lie to you,” Derpy said, before breaking into a piteous, soggy moan. “I would never lie about Dinky. I just love her so much… and I'll keep loving her, no matter what... even if there's nothing left of me...”
Sparkler was silent. Derpy's imagination filled the void.
“Are… are you going to take her back? I mean, I know you couldn't a few years ago, but now… I mean, she's really... yours...”
Derpy couldn't look up at the younger mare. The only slightly younger mare who'd made some different life choices than Derpy had at a young but old enough age. The pretty mare who'd never had to struggle to meet colts, or get kissed by them, or anything like that.
The young and beautiful mare who was Dinky's real mother.
“No.”
Derpy looked up. It was the last word she'd expected to hear.
“I'm obligated to report this, of course. I'm sorry, but it's just my job.”
“I know,” Derpy said.
“I'm not mad at you, Derpy. The only thing you should've done is tell me sooner.”
“I know, but… I just figure… everypony else thinks I can't do things for myself...”
Sparkler pointed toward Dinky. Derpy followed her hoof, and couldn't help but smile at Dinky's antics with the cat.
“Look at her,” Sparkler said. “She's happy.”
“I guess... if we could get the cat...”
“That's not what I mean.” Derpy looked up and met Sparkler's eyes again. “You've given her a home. You're working, even if your income's dropped. You spend as much time with her as you can, and you get responsible sitters to take care of her when you can't.”
“Of course,” Derpy said, sniffling. “She's my little muffin… what else could I do?”
“I've seen a lot in this job,” Sparkler said. “And in my life, too. Trust me, not every parent puts their foals' interests ahead of their own, especially when things get difficult.”
Derpy blinked. “Your parents?”
Sparkler shook her head. “Here.” Her horn began glowing, and a small package floated out of her saddlebag.
Derpy caught it in her hooves and unwrapped it. Inside were a good half-dozen oat bars.
“I'm working now,” Sparkler said. “It doesn't pay much, but I won't miss these.”
Derpy cradled the oat bars. Her eyes began tearing up again. “Thank you...”
“Derpy, when it gets like this… why not send me a note? The three of us could meet in the park again, and I could bring snacks.”
“That'd be amazing,” Derpy whispered.
Sparkler suddenly looked back toward the pets. “Oh, hey, Dinky and Fluttershy are coming.”
“I can't let Dinky see me this way,” Derpy said. She pawed at her tear-streaked face, and looked about for somewhere to stash the oat bars. “I have to be strong...”
“Then be honest,” Sparkler said. "Have you told her the real reason why you can't get a pet right now?”
“Well, no, I mean...”
“I don't mean, burden her with all of it. I just mean… maybe she should know a little?”
Derpy held her words back as Fluttershy approached.
“Um, hi girls,” Fluttershy said. Her tone made it clear that she was uncomfortable being thrust into the middle of somepony else's emotionally-charged conversation. “Dinky here noticed that the two of you were talking, and, um, one of you was… crying?”
Dinky peeked at them from around the yellow mare.
“That's true,” Sparkler said. “We were talking about Lemon.”
Dinky exploded from behind Fluttershy, startling the pegasus skyward. “Oh, wonderful! I'm so happy!” She plunged forward and wrapped Derpy in a great body-crushing hug. “I love you, mommy!"
Derpy extricated herself and held Dinky at hoof's-length. “I love you too, muffin, but that isn't what your auntie Sparkler said.” She took a breath. “Dinky, you and mommy need to have a talk about something very important, too.”
“Okay,” Dinky said, looking uncertain but no less excited.
Sparkler and Fluttershy watched as Derpy and Dinky walked toward the edge of the park. Eventually they stopped, and the two began crying. Soon, they were also hugging.
“Dinky won't be getting Lemon, will she?” Fluttershy asked, looking crestfallen.
Sparkler shook her head. “No, but she will get to grow up with a really good mom.”
