While many places in the city were renowned for being locations of refinement and high culture, nowhere was this more evident than in the restaurants on the very edge of the place. Here, everything from their appearance to the implacable manners of their staff to the very air itself just screamed "high class" to anyone who went there. And today, they were abuzz with some of the most elite of the city. Waiters and waitresses hurried from one table to another, and the chefs in the kitchen were hard at work preparing the most exquisite meals that anyone could hope for. All in all, it was a pretty fancy place to be. But, nestled in the corner, on a simple table for two, were a pair of people who rarely ever came to such places.
Principal Abacus Cinch, the famed headmistress of Crystal Prep, the city's most prestigious school. And there, sitting opposite her, was none other than her daughter, Sunny Flare. While Cinch herself did not stray from her usual and business-like attire, Sunny had elected something a little different from her usual school uniform for the occasion. A simple knee-length dress, the same colour as her hair, accompanied by a pair of Mary-Jane shoes. The two ladies sat quietly together, and while the atmosphere between them wasn't uncomfortable per se, there was nevertheless a hesitancy here, as if such interactions were rare between the two. Then again, if anyone knew the history between them, such a thing might not be too surprising.
"Thank you for bringing me out here, Mother. It's...it's nice."
Looking up from her menu, the corner's of Cinch's mouth turned upwards slightly. It was a smile, that much was certain, but the kind of smile that could only come from someone who didn't really do that sort of thing very often. And when the woman spoke, her voice continued this formal tone.
"You are very welcome, Sunny. In truth, I've been meaning to come out to this place for some time now. I hear it had very good press."
To that, Sunny smiled and looked around.
"I can believe that. It's like our school, but in restaurant form."
Thinking on that, Cinch raised an eyebrow as she regarded her daughter.
"An odd description...but apt, I suppose."
Sunny blushed a little before looking down at her own menu. The two sat in silence after this brief interaction for a few minutes, reading the menus before them intently. They did not even notice the approaching waiter until he'd literally reached their table and started clearing his throat, at which point, both looked to him as he spoke up.
"I do apologise, but would you care to order some drinks while you select your meals?"
The two looked to each other for a moment, giving a silent nod to one another, after which, Cinch turned to the waiter and spoke first.
"Yes. I will have a glass of some of your red wine, please."
The waiter nodded to that before turning to the younger of his patrons, who simply smiled to him before giving her order.
"Just some water for me, thanks."
Again, the man nodded, and it was mere moments later that he began to make his way away from their table. Now alone together, Sunny looked to her Mother, leaning forward slightly and resting her hands upon the table as she spoke softly.
"You know...me and the rest of the girls have been keeping in touch with Twilight lately. Turns out she's doing pretty well over at CHS."
Looking to Sunny, Cinch took on an intrigued expression.
"Indeed? I would imagine so. The school is hardly the best academic place one could go to, and she was by far the best..."
Instantly, the older woman stopped, looking at her daughter and appearing thoughtful and even somewhat concerned for a moment.
"...well...one of the best students Crystal Prep has ever had."
Sunny knew the hidden meaning behind her Mother's words, and looked down at the table, letting out a small sigh before starting to speak.
"It's fine, Mother. I'll admit, having Twilight surpass me was...difficult. But, I learned to live with it. "
Looking back up to Cinch, the girl put on a smile once more.
"Wouldn't want to be a sore second-placer, would I?"
To that, Cinch paused for a moment, regarding Sunny before once more giving a barely-noticeable smile.
"An admirable attitude, my dear."
Briefly, Cinch looked away from her, knowing full well that they had only just managed to avoid talking about a very uncomfortable topic for the two of them. After a long while of nothing but silence between them, however, Cinch looked to her yet again.
"I say...why don't we talk about more pleasant things?"
Looking to her Mother, and knowing that she'd meant that, Sunny broke out into a wider and more enthusiastic smile.
"Sure! I mean, for one thing, I've really enjoyed the last few weeks with you, Mother."
Cinch nodded.
"As have I. I'll admit, spending so much time away from my work has been...refreshing, to say the least."
Raising a hand, Sunny put it to her mouth, stifling a small giggle before speaking to her Mother again.
"I gotta say, it's weird actually thinking about you going on vacation. When was the last time you took some time off?"
placing a finger to her chin, Cinch considered that for a few moments before giving a response.
"Well...I believe it was when we had that terrible boiler incident during a particularly fierce winter. Shut the whole school down and forced us to stay away until it was fixed."
Sunny paused for a moment, thinking on that comment, before looking to her Mother with widened eyes.
"Wait...that was ten years ago! You seriously mean to say you've been working non-stop since then?!"
Cinch opened her mouth to speak, only to halt herself when the waiter finally returned. As asked, he'd brought with him both a glass of wine, and a glass of water, which he carefully set down between the two. After giving them a smile and a nod, the man left, finally giving Cinch an opening to reply.
"It's true. My work was...well...I'm sure I don't need to tell you how important my work was to me."
Again, Sunny fell silent, but this time, she soon shook herself out of it, putting on a small smile as she resumed the conversation.
"Well...anyway, what have you enjoyed most on our time off together?"
Cinch considered that before taking a small sip of her wine, after which she looked to her daughter and started speaking in a somewhat softer tone than normal.
"Well, if I had to pick just one thing, it would most definitely be that trip to the local museum. That tour guide certainly knew his stuff about pre-renaissance artwork."
Sunny stared at her Mother for a while, clearing her throat in a nervous manner before adding her own voice to this.
"Yes...well...I think my favourite was our trip to the beach. The weather was just beautiful that day!"
To that, Cinch looked to her with a raised eyebrow.
"Perhaps...but I disliked having all those boys stare at you at the time. I realise young lads will tend to get distracted by a lady in beach attire, but even so..."
Sunny rolled her eyes at that comment, but it wasn't long before she gave her Mother a somewhat sly smile.
"Speaking of which...I seem to recall that one lifeguard giving you a few looks, Mother. Back when you were sunbathing, remember?"
Looking away slightly, Cinch let out a brief scoffing sound.
"Hmph! It was most inappropriate behaviour on his part."
But, while she may have appeared indignant, a few moments later, and after taking another sip of wine, she cast a glance back in Sunny's direction.
"Still...I suppose it is nice to know I can still catch a fellow's eye at my age."
Hearing that, Sunny couldn't help herself, and allowed herself to giggle out loud at her Mother's comment. Cinch, while seeming a little unsure of this reaction, soon found herself in a similar position, letting out a dry chuckle. While not as light-hearted as many other laughs Sunny had heard in her life, it was nevertheless a genuine one, and to her, that was all she wanted. Together, the two ladies enjoyed this pleasant moment between them, but, as with most things, the time finally came when the laughter died down. In the relative silence that followed, Cinch took yet another sip of wine before getting back to the business of looking at her menu. But Sunny, having now had a few moments to herself and her thoughts, soon found her smile fading. For one thought in particular was on her mind, never once letting her go. She seemed hesitant, and for good reason, but, after a long while, she got her words out.
"...What was he like?"
Now, most people, when asked such a question, might enquire as to who the girl was talking about. But not Abacus Cinch. The moment she'd heard the question, she knew all too well who her daughter was referring to, and in an instant, all softness drained from her expression, and she regarded the girl with narrowed eyes.
"You've never asked about him. Not once."
Slowly, Sunny looked down at the table, clenching her hands together as she avoided her Mother's gaze.
"When you first told me...back when I was little...I'd never seen you so sad. You'd hid it well, but I still saw it in you. Even then, I knew it hurt you to talk about him. So...I just kept it quiet. I never asked, if only to avoid making you unhappy."
It took a while, but eventually, the girl looked up again.
"But...I've always wanted to know."
Cinch stared at her daughter, seeing the honesty, the need in her eyes. It wasn't long before she found her expression softening once more, and she let out a long sigh. Setting down her glass, she raised a hand and removed her glasses, taking a moment or two to rub her temples before returning her spectacles to their rightful place. Afterwards, she stared at her daughter again, thinking hard on what to say.
"You were right, of course. It would have upset me to talk about it. But...I suppose...I have been remiss in my responsibilities as a parent to you by saying silent on the matter."
Looking away briefly, a flash of pain crossed Cinch's eyes.
"One of many failings on my part."
Again, Sunny looked all-too guilty at such words, but, she never once took her eyes off her Mother, instead watching as she looked to her once more. After letting out a deep sigh, the older woman spoke.
"But, given how things have been progressing between us...I suppose now is as good a time as any. So...what do you want to know?"
Needless to say, the girl was quite taken aback at the prospect of being given an opportunity like this. And yet, now that it had been presented to her, she seemed as if she had no idea whatsoever on what to ask. But, to her credit, Cinch never pushed her, never hurried her in this. Instead, the woman just sat quietly, waiting for her daughter to get her thoughts in order. When she finally did, she spoke softly, her voice tinted with uncertainty.
"I guess...first of all...I'd just want to know what kind of person he was."
Cinch nodded.
"Indeed? I imagine you must have built-up some kind of mental image of him over the years?"
To that, Sunny nodded back.
"I have. And...well...not to put too fine a point on it, but...I guess I just always imaged a male version of you."
Hearing that, Cinch, to Sunny's shock, actually let out another hearty laugh. When it finally ended, Cinch put her fingers together before shaking her head.
"I'm afraid not, my dear. Your Father was, as your generation would say...a complete and total goof."
Again, Sunny found herself surprised, especially from hearing her Mother talk like that. Even so, she kept quiet as the older woman continued.
"Your Father...well...he and I were about as different as you could get. When we first met, it was when Crystal Prep had just brought in a fresh batch of new teachers, myself and your Father among them. I taught history. Him? He taught languages."
Sunny leaned closer, seeming more intrigued with this story with every passing moment. For a while, Cinch looked away, a look of nostalgia crossing her face.
"The moment we first spoke to each other, I decided right then and there that I didn't like him. He always had that foolish smile on his face. Always a joke I didn't find funny. Always..."
She paused, sadness crossing her eyes when she finally continued.
"...always trying to get me to smile."
Sunny gained a similar look, but even so, she let her Mother carry on.
"No matter what happened, his first thoughts were always of me, even before we started seeing each other officially. No man ever made me feel more...content."
At long last, Cinch turned back, looking her daughter right in the eye.
"There are many things I do not know, Sunny. But the one thing I do...is that, had your Father lived to see this day...he would have loved you, just as much as he loved me."
Again, she hesitated, before finally getting out the most difficult words of all.
"He'd have loved you...in the way I should have loved you."
If Sunny hadn't seen it, she'd have never believed it, but when she looked to her Mother, to her eyes, she saw, to her utter shock, that there were tears there. Cinch was right on the verge of it, and even did her best to hold back a sob or two. But, in this moment, before the floodgates were opened, she stopped, looking down and seeing a single hand gently placed upon her own. Slowly, the older woman looked up, seeing her daughter smiling to her. Like her, she too was welling up somewhat, and in this instant, the Principal actually started to smile. No words passed between them, but then, they didn't need to. Instead, Cinch simply let out a sigh, giving her daughter a thankful nod and a look of appreciation. Sunny nodded back, and while silence lingered before them, it was nevertheless a calm and comforting one.
But, sadly, it soon came to an end when, moments later, both ladies were distracted by the sound of open sobbing. Together, they turned, and saw that, unbeknownst to them, their waiter had returned, and perhaps had been there for some time, given that he had tears running down his own face. But, in a place as professional as this, he simply held up his pad of paper, along with his pen, and spoke, his voice still wobbling.
"Sorry to interrupt, but...can I take your order now?"
