It's a beautiful morning outside, but not a good day for Applejack, for it is Father's Day. "Ugh," sighs Applejack, "why does today have to be Father's Day?" As she's lying on her bed, moaning, Apple Bloom enters her room.
"Hey sis," says Apple Bloom, "what were Father's Days like when dad was around?"
"Well," grumbles AJ before letting out a sigh and lightening up a little bit, "they were my favorite day of the year. I was always a daddy's girl. I remember one year, when I was five," she lets out a giggle, "I tried making him breakfast in bed including fresh made applesauce and it was so sour. He then came into the kitchen and we made some new applesauce together, this time remembering the sugar. It was so much fun for the both of us."
Apple Bloom begins to laugh. "That is funny," says Apple Bloom with a smile. 'What about the one before, ya know, before he died?"
"Well," says AJ, "I prefer not to say but I suppose you have a right to know."
"It's okay if you don't want to tell me. You don't have to," responds Apple Bloom embracing her big sister in a hug.
"No," says AJ stubbornly, "I'm going to tell you. It was a rainy Father's Day that year and I was out in the orchard with daddy and Big Mack. We were out under the trees. We had been for hours. After a few hours, Big Mack got bored of sitting and tried to run towards the house, but he slipped and fell. He ended up breaking his right upper hoof and spraining his back right one. We spent the rest of that Father's Day in the hospital with the only good thing being the rainbow we saw outside the window when the rain cleared."
"Well, it doesn't sound all bad," says Apple Bloom.
"And it wouldn't have been bad, if it hadn't been our last one together," sighs Applejack as she bursts out into tears. Apple Bloom stays there and comforts her sister and soon Big Mack does the same. All the while, the only thing Applejack can hear in her head is the whisper of her father.
'Remember when you made sour applesauce and we remade it together. Remember that one year when we went to the father daughter fair for Father's Day. You couldn't stop smiling. My little Applejack. My how you've grown!'
Applejack begins to bawl and shouts into the air. "Daddy, I miss you, daddy!!!"
As soon as he hears AJ scream out, Big Mack and Grandpear run towards AJ's room. Once in her room, they sit down on the bed with AJ and Apple Bloom. "Hearing father in your head again?" Asks Big Mack. Applejack nods her head. "Oh little sis," sighs Big Mack as he sits down next to her, "we'll get through today together, as family."
"Thanks guys," says AJ through the sniffles, "that means a lot to me. No, the world to me."
"Well," says Grandpear, "do you wanna hear what your maw did for me for Father's Day?"
"Sure, I'd love to," says AJ as she wipes away the tears.
"Every Father's Day when your mom was young, we'd both wake up super early and go and eat pear cupcakes in the orchard under the stars along with a full blown pear picnic including pear turnovers and pear pie. We'd always see a shooting star or two. Always make wishes on them. It was always our favorite day of the year."
"Awe, that's sweet," says Apple Bloom.
"Yeah, sounds like maw," says AJ with a smile. "She loved making people happy."
"That she did," says Grandpear with a smile. "I also know from her letters that she enjoyed the Father's Days with you guys and your dad. He meant the world to her. I can't believe I never noticed that until after it was too late and I regret that. I really do."
"Well, we can still celebrate Father's Day with you," says Apple Bloom. Her siblings nod and the three run off to pack a picnic and take it to their parents tree. A few minutes later, Grandpear joins them and they all have a picnic under the stars recounting stories of all the Father's Days they've lived through and celebrated. They laugh and smile together.
"Maybe I can get over hating Father's Day," says Applejack, "and Mother's Day, too, after all."
"And for that, we're all grateful," say her siblings and Grandpear as they embrace her in a hug. A few minutes later, two stars fly by overhead.
"Mom and Dad's stars," says Applejack with a smile.
"Well, they're beautiful," says Grandpear, tears welling up in his eyes.
A few hours later, they all fall asleep under the stars. As the children lie there, they can't help but dream about all the memories they shared with their parents while they were alive and can't help but smile. As they continue to sleep, they can hear their parents voices, AJ most of all, and that makes her smile widen.
The next morning, everypony wakes up and they go and eat breakfast of applesauce and pear cupcakes in the barn. As they sit there and enjoy their breakfast, they can't help but agree that this might be the best Father's Day they've had in awhile and for Grandpear, that makes him so glad. A few minutes later, Granny comes into the barn and joins them all for breakfast. She even shares her own memories of Father's Day with them as they enjoy their food.
After several hours of sharing stories and enjoying breakfast, everypony gets back to work for the day and Apple Bloom heads off to school with her friends. On the school bus, the friends talk about their Father's Days. "We celebrated it for our grandfather," says Apple Bloom, "and AJ shared stories of her favorite Father's Days from when daddy was alive. It was nice."
"That sounds so sweet," says Sweetie Belle.
"That's so cool!" Exclaims Scootaloo. "I didn't celebrate since I don't have a dad, or a mom. We don't celebrate these things at the orphanage. And Rainbow Dash doesn't really do anything for her dad on Father's Day either. This being my first one with them and they did absolutely nothing."
"Well, sorry for that," says Apple Bloom and Sweetie. "How about we celebrate Best Friends Day today with a sleepover after school?"
"I'm in," says Scootaloo with a smile. The three then embrace in a hug.
For the Apple siblings, it may not have been a great Father's Day but for sure, it was one they'd never forget anytime soon for it was the first one with their grandfather back in their life.
