Tending a Blossom

A soothing heat emanated from mug of coffee in Vera's hands, warming her fingertips and her palms. The fresh beverage, however, seemed to offer little comfort to the mare's sour mood. A thoughtful frown etched on her face, Vera had sought refuge at the Flowing Waterfall, an outdoor themed cafe that specialized in it's nature themed venue for summer and fall. Her table was designed with an enlarged lily flower in bloom, petals forming the table while her own simple wooden seat was etched with flowery designs to match its surface.

The troubled mare took another quiet sip from her glass. It's warmth did not travel further than her throat and belly. Frustration was not something she felt often, yet it pursued her relentlessly today. It had pushed her to the point that she'd left work in a huff, unable to focus on her tasks or the paperwork she'd been going over. It was not the paperwork itself that troubled her; rather, it was a bitter sting of rejection by a customer whose preferences had aimed elsewhere in his request for services.

She could still hear the words on his lips as it'd ran through her ears and sent a mental slap to her cheeks.

'I didn't mean to ask you to do it. I was wanting one of the actual massage girls to do it. They can handle me better. Aloe I think her name was?'

Granted, one could just presume it was a matter of preference; perhaps the black-coated stallion had been a consistent customer who preferred Aloe's services for familiarity? Yet it was hard for her to view it as such when he'd labeled her as being incapable. She was the eldest of the three and more experienced to boot! Vera allowed herself another sigh and closed her eyes, trying to will the negativity away from her mind. The unoccupied fingers of her free hand busied themselves with rubbing her temple in a small circle, trying to alleviate her headache.

“Vera?”

The voice calling to her snapped her out of her thoughts, and she looked up to the source with slight surprise. Right beside her was Rumble; she must have been deeper in her thoughts than she realized. He wore light clothes, a pair of tan khakis and a white-t-shirt that complimented his grey coat color. Atop his head was a small white bucket hat, one that suited him in this weather. It was a sporting look she could see him wearing often.

“Rumble. How long have you been standing there?” She asked.

“Only a little while. I saw you over here, thought to pop in.” He said.

“I see. Forgive me for not answering right away; I got lost in the clouds once more.” Vera said. He caught on and smiled at her. “How are you today?”

“I'm doing good. Taking a proper day off for once.” He answered, stretching his nimble arms above his head before bringing them down, hands cradling the back of his head. “You look like you're in need of one too. You doing ok?”

Vera leaned back in her seat. The light breeze that passed them – brought on by an overhead pegasus clearly late for her job – ruffled her mane about her neck lightly. Her own attire was a simple pair of jeans and a sleeveless pink top, appropriate for the warm day. She'd chosen them to wear to work to help keep herself cool while inside the spa's usually warm atmosphere.

“I'm ok.” She answered after a moment's pause. “Trying to get in my own breath of air, you know?”

“I bet you need one. All that extra work you've had me do must've been killer to do by yourself.” His statement rang true with the weeks he'd been in her employ; the grey pegasus had been quite useful in aiding her with errands, moving supplies around the spa, and in general being a good helping hand. Vera had appreciated his efforts and paid him accordingly, genuinely impressed with his work ethic.

“How have you been liking the labors? It's not quite the easy task some make it out to be, is it?”

“It sure isn't. I didn't realize how much work goes into keeping everything going in there. I'm surprised there aren't more folks around like me to help pitch in.” He said. “Just unloading all the shipments of lotions and other things and putting them in the right place is tricky enough; let alone actually doing massages as well.”

Vera nodded. “You're doing well so far. Your help is certainly appreciated.”

“Glad to hear it, boss.” He smiled at her. Vera returned it, although it didn't quite reach her eyes. When Rumble sat down across from her, she looked up from the etched design on the table to him.

“So what's going on for you? You look like someone spat in your coffee this morning.” He asked.

“Oh. I just...” she started before pausing and giving up on trying to cover it. “...it's been a stressful time for me. Doing a lot of work at the spa, coming home tired each day. I haven't had much free time to myself except for this moment right now, actually.” She explained. Her fingers held onto her coffee mug as she spoke, the warmth of the cup seeming to ease her tension slightly. “I'm just burned out a little.”

Rumble nodded across from her. “I can't imagine doing all you do and still being able to keep my chin up through that. You want to talk about it?”

Vera smiled at his offer but shook her head. “You don't want to spend your day off listening to this mare whine about her woes, do you? I would think you'd have plans yourself.”

“Some plans can be moved around.” He replied, nodding at her. “Right now, I've got a friend who looks like she'd appreciate having somepony to talk to.” When Vera looked up, his expression was a smile, albeit a shy one. “I mean, that is...if you think of me as a friend. Or just a handyman. Whatever works.”

Vera allowed herself a small laugh. “You're a friend, Rumble.” His offer sat on her shoulders for a moment before she spoke again. “...are you sure you don't mind?”

“Not at all. We can walk and talk, if that's better for you.” He offered, gesturing with his thumb behind him at the wide path leading out into town. “Get away from things so you can just take it easy.”

With a nod, the mare stood along with him, leaving some bits for her coffee as she stepped away with Rumble beside her. Their height difference was always something she found slightly humorous; His head came up to just above her shoulders, allowing her to always peer down to him when they talked. When she'd teased him about it, he had jokingly remarked he still had room to grow, despite being nearly a full fledged adult.

“You know, if you ever do slip up, talking down to you will be easy.” She quipped.

Rumble chuckled before looking up to her again. “So, wait, that means I haven't made a mistake yet. Right?”

“Not yet, no.” Vera answered. “You surprise me sometimes, Rumble. When I hired you, I was expecting a pegasus who would be obsessed with fitness and exercise like his brethren were. If I charged extra for every case of 'sprained wing from exercise', I would be a much richer mare. But instead, you show an interest in health rather than showing off.” She listed out. “You even pay attention to my lessons on herbs. Very few ponies care for the practice these days.”

“I think it's really neat how you can treat ponies just with a few special plants. Like that one you told me about you wish you had, Betu...Betu...something.” He frowned at the failed recollection. “That one.”

“Betulina Barosma.” She finished for him. “And that was just an example of rare herbs that are outside of Ponyville that I can't use, since they're non-existent in this area. Very potent and very useful, but very hard to find. Most are more likely to sell the herb for its worth than use it for medicine.”

“Right. You surprise me too, with how much you run. I don't know how I didn't see you before or run by you. You keep in really good shape. If you don't mind me saying, I mean.” He added as an afterthought.

Vera only smiled at his bashfulness. “You will find that life is full of many surprises. Sometimes, the surprise is finding a kindred spirit.” She replied.

“You got a point. The surprise for me right now is finding out something's bothering you.” Rumble said.

Coming back to thoughts of the spa and her troubles made Vera sigh, running a hand through her mane before letting it sway at her side as she walked. “I think the easiest way to say it is that these past few days have been rather taxing, Rumble.”

Rumble had waited patiently to let her speak, and watched her eyes as they stayed focused forward. He kept his attention on her while letting her guide their steps, the pace slow as they tread on the dirt road.

“The customers haven't been causing you problems, have they?”

Vera shook her head. “No, no. I haven't been harassed or anything like that.” She answered. “If anything, Lotus and Aloe get more of that than I tend to. They're more out in the open so they're more recognizable.”

Rumble nodded, sticking his hands in his pockets. “I get that. Some ponies don't know me and Thunderlane are brothers, even after doing all sorts of things together.” He said. “My school friends all know me, but the older ponies recognize Thunderlane more easily than me. He's always involved in things though; being a head member of the weather team will get you that.”

Vera nodded. “Your brother is kept busy then?”

“Sometimes. A lot of the time, he's off showing off for the mares. If not that, then the gym to show off. If not that, then trying to work extra shifts to – wait for it – show off.” He summarized, making her laugh lightly as she listened. “Man...sometimes I wonder if I'll ever get out of his shadow.”

His phrasing made her turn and see Rumble's wistful expression. It was one that she felt didn't belong on him; he was somepony she preferred to have a happier feeling about them. But his words echoed how she felt: in the shadow of her siblings, and the negativity in just having those feelings.

“Do you feel like he makes it hard on you?” she asked.

“Not intentionally, no. I mean, don't get me wrong; he loves being the older brother and all. Always telling me 'when you get to being as big as me' and such.” Rumble replied. “And I know he cares about me. But at the same time, it's hard to make your own mark when your brother's achievements come first in the household.” He then snorted. “And don't even get me started on the dating.”

Vera held back a remark on the matter, hearing much of an echo of her own inner turmoil expressed by Rumble. It made her feel more comfortable if only in knowing her troubles weren't exclusively her own. “Tell me about it.” She mumbled aloud, looking up at the empty sky above.

“You could tell me about it.” His remark made her look back to him, his eyes meeting hers as he continued. “The stuff bothering you. Do your sisters act like my brother does sometimes?”

“Well, yes and no. It's...difficult to explain.” she answered. “I mean, I'm the eldest sister, for a start. So you'd think it'd be me being the one having all the success. But it's not quite that way.” She explained. “See, we all work at the spa together. But I'm the one who has to take care of the business end of things. I'm the one who sits at the desk and crunches the numbers, the one who measures out what we need or what needs to be cleared out. Lotus and Aloe have tried to do that, but Aloe can't organize for the life of her, and Lotus says she can never balance out our accounts properly. Math never was her strongest suit.” Rumble nodded, keeping quiet as she continued. “So those two put more work into being at the forefront of the business, being the ones to offer services and help our customers while I'm stuck out of sight in the back. I do try to get out to offer my own aid too, but I get mistaken for hired help or a new girl by some. Sometimes, they even refuse me on the grounds that I'm not Lotus or Aloe, which, truthfully, hurts to hear. It's like being told my skills aren't on equal ground.”

The gates had been pried open when she had started, and yet Rumble bore no opposition as they walked on, Vera's voice carrying on alone as she spoke. He was an avid listener as she detailed how she envied the attention her sisters received for their work while she was left with few remarks or signs of gratitude. She bore no animosity to her siblings for it, far from it; she understood they earned their place with their labors. It still remained a sore spot, however, that her own labors went unseen. All throughout, Rumble stayed beside her while they walked from one end of town to another, unfettered by any concern of time.

“I just...want to have some of the spotlight for me too. Like, to know I'm good enough as well, and not just a behind-the-scenes mare.” They came to a stop at the fountain square, both taking a seat on the stone edge while the fountain quietly flowed behind them. It was only then, once they'd stopped moving, that Vera comprehended just how long she'd been ranting. “...Rumble, how long have I been talking for?”

“Well, we passed the market and some of the vendor halls. That's about twenty minutes starting from the cafe I found you at.” He answered. “You weren't boring me at all. It sounded like you needed to get that all out.”

Vera shook her head. “Yes, but I've basically done all the talking. I mean, why didn't you stop me? Haven't I just been whining this whole time?”

Rumble shook his head. “You needed someone to hear you out. I'm not always sharp on things, but I like listening to others talk.” he explained.

The older mare felt utter bewilderment that he'd be perfectly complacent to listen to her venting. “But I didn't even let you try to talk!”

“Sometimes, that's all we really need, when you think about it.” Rumble said. “Don't you feel better, getting that all out of you?”

His question drew her focus on herself, and admittedly, he was right. The burden that had been sitting on her shoulders since she'd left the spa seemed lighter now, eased from herself while she sat across from the watchful pegasus. If anything, it was like clipping a damaged branch from her own tree.

“...but still...” she tried to start, only for Rumble to wave his hand.

“Hey. If I was in the same spot as you, feeling down in the dumps, wouldn't you want to hear me out too?” he asked. At her nod, he smiled. “We're all going to have moments like that. I've had them too. I was lucky, because I always had Thunder to hear me out, or my friends from school. When they weren't too busy playing hooky.” He leaned back and looked up at the path they'd walked, empty of anypony else but themselves. “But you said you didn't feel like anypony was really looking out for you. So, why not me?”

The mare across from Rumble stared in quiet surprise. He was right, and she did admittedly feel better for it. “I'd rather help out a friend to feel better than be a stick in the mud. So, you can take that with you. I'm here if you need to vent.” He said with a grin. “Now, if you're wanting an actual spotlight, you might need to ask Pinkie Pie for one. That mare's always ready for a show.”

Vera couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her. It was like a breath of fresh air for the weary spirit she'd dealt with all week. “You know, that's pretty mature, coming from somepony so young.” she remarked.

Rumble scoffed and puffed out his chest. “I'll have you know, I'll be twenty-one in two weeks!” He declared. However, the stallion hadn't paid much attention to his seating, and wound up off balance, falling back while waving his hands to try and recover; Vera jumped from her seat as an eruption of water soared through the air from Rumble’s fall. She laughed in earnest as she looked at him, sitting in the fountain soaked from mane to toe. Rumble joined in her laughing, looking at himself and then the pretty mare smiling looking down at him. She offered him a hand to help him get up once more, and he took it.

“Well. I guess maybe my next destination is home for a new change of clothes.” Rumble said, straining one end of his shirt to get the excess water out. The fabric had turned partially see through, displaying the youth's taut frame past the cloth. Vera shook her head at his display before an idea came to her mind at thinking of how fit he was.

“Say, Rumble?” He looked up at her, finding himself fixated on how warm her expression looked when she was smiling. A small flutter passed his heart as her azure eyes gazed on him; she was a lovely mare, he was reminded.

“Yeah?”

“You told me you like to go running. Why don't you join me sometime?” She offered. “I could use a friend to keep me company and to run with. And maybe talk to also.”

Rumble nodded, smiling. “Sure. It'd be fun to have somepony to keep up with.” He replied. “And to talk to as well.”

Vera grinned, beaming at him and making his heart give another small flutter. She had a brilliant smile too, he observed. He made a mental note that seeing her smile like that was a goal he should keep in mind when she had days like today.

“You know, a pretty mare like you should smile more like that. It suits you better than anything else.” Rumble complimented.

Vera giggled at his praise. “You make it easier to smile.” She answered.

Rumble chuckled and they continued on their way, discussing where they could run together. The sun beamed down from above, it's warmth syncing with the warmth that Vera could feel in herself now while talking to Rumble.