“Jackie’s birthday will be the best ever!” Buttercup gave a soft coo to her husband, lifting a delicate hoof over her muzzle to hide a joyous grin.
Bright Mac sat down tiredly on the bed within his master room, hooves caked in dark brown mud of a hard day’s work. His eyes tired and worn from waking up at the break of dawn, bags under each lid adding the weight of the day upon his vision.
“We met the…” A large yawn escaped his huge muzzle, head plopping down onto the pillow behind him with a soft thud.
“Quota?, yes.” Buttercup gave a cute squee and pranced over to a large glass apple statue atop the room vanity, lifting up the top piece with her hoof before reaching inside happily.
Lifting out a large bag of golden bits in her grasp, turning to face her husband who was smacking his lips loudly in place on the bed. He was barely even awake at this point, yet pushed himself to the limit to give his wife the attention she deserved.
“I’m happy you can afford her that trinket down at the market.” Bright gave a smirk happily, his wife curling up on the bed at his side cutely.
“Thank you darlin’ for speaking with Rich, convincin’ him to pay in advance for next month’s apple harvest.” Buttercup gave a soft kiss on her husbands lips, pulling inward with a tender embrace her tail swishing back and forth.
“Snoooort!” Her husband exploded into a large snore, her pale blue eyes widening in surprise from the sudden noise.
Giggling sweetly she watched her husband fall into a slumber like no other, shaking her head to the side and pulling the sheets over his body snugly. Her hoofsteps echoing down the hall as she exited, this day making a turn for the lovely.
Cantering downstairs to the living room, Buttercup gazed deep into a small mirror on the wall. Using a slender hoof to primp her mane into a bouncy style, her eyes sparkling with thoughts of her daughter’s face this upcoming birthday.
Every year she had to pull back with Jackie’s special day, either a bill came up or a harvest went south. The day that a mother should go all out to spoil her filly, she just would constantly disappoint her.
But not this year, she had a plan like none other. Spotting a lovely apple shaped brooch hidden away at the market a few days ago, she was able to work with Bright to secure the funds to buy it today.
This ‘Apple Jewel’ would be a gift Jackie could carry with her for all of time, the symbol her parents thought she was as rare as the jewel within. Sliding on a small saddlebag with excitement, the mare placed the bag of bits within with a sweet smile.
Suddenly hearing a loud firm knock upon the wooden frame of the front door, pale blue hues narrowed slightly a odd shiver running across her backside. Feeling a small knot grow within her belly, her intuition telling her to wait out the visitor that nothing good would come from answering.
Taking a calming inhale the mare softly pulled open the door, a sudden chill of ice running down her backside as the frozen demeanor of Spoiled Milk locked gazes with her. Buttercup just forced a gentle smile across her lips, this horrible pony always looking to start up a storm.
“Butterball?”
“Buttercup.” The mare quickly flashed a frown to her guest.
“I see, well I need to chit-chat with you dear.”
“Can it wait darlin’? I need to head uptown for just a few moments.”
“If it’s to spend my boyfriend’s bits, then no it can’t wait...darling.” Milk gave an eye roll to the mare, Buttercup casting a soft glare to the beast before her.
“Rich and my husband worked out a deal…”
“Yes I know, an advanced payment for a future harvest.” Milk flaunted a hoof in a sarcastic manner.
“Milk…”
“No, you listen dear. Why make bits later, when you can make them now?”
“...”
“I’ve secured a deal with various other vendors today, to buy my boyfriend into a growing market of upcoming fruit masterminds!” Milk gave a sweet smile to the mare, her eyes sparkling at the thought of bits coming in by the hundreds.
“You want the bits back…”
“Well of course dear, it takes bits to make bits.” Milk held out her hoof in a annoyed fashion, a smug smile across her lips.
Buttercup held back a flow of tears from her eyes while taking a deep breath, her heart slowly cracking inside her chest as she leaned back taking out the bag of bits from her saddlebag. Milk quick to just simply snatch it from the mare like a hungry Timberwolf , pocketing it swiftly without a care in the world.
“Hmmm, yes well lovely chatting with you.” Milk gave a smirk prancing away down the porch.
“...”
“Oh!, dear please don’t try and sob story your way into fortune...quite pathetic,”
Buttercup just let her gaze fall to the floor, a stream of pale crystalline tears raining upon the ground delicately. Her hoof slowly clicking the door shut in a heartbreaking silence, Jackie once more would have nothing to call her own.
Bright asleep upstairs the mare blankly walked over to the mirror once more, her eyes soaked in tears as her mane was framing her face in a defeated manner. No matter what she did, how hard she tried, the world would always kick her to the floor.
All she had to her name was what came from the earth, lifting a tiny hoof to her mane she pulled a sunflower out of her silken locks. Grown from her own garden out back, worthless and a symbol of her status in this world.
The sound of tiny hooves galloping upon the floor filled the room, Buttercup gazing to her daughter rushing inside coated in mud of a hard day’s work. A bright smile upon her muzzle, eyes glowing with hope of a new dawn.
“Darlin’ about yer’ birthday gift…” Buttercup held the delicate flower in her hooves, fighting back the lump growing inside her throat.
“I can have one of yer’ pretty flowers!?” Jackie exploded in a gleeful squee, rushing over to her mother tail swishing in excitement.
“My flowers?” She gazed down to the simple plant in her hoof.
“Yes, I always thought they were so pretty and full of life! Just like you Mama!” Jackie was so full of happiness, Buttercup simply letting the tears flow down her cheeks freely.
Lowering down to her daughter she slid the flower into her mane, embracing her in a hug full of love and tenderness. The tiny filly giggling with joy from her gift, planting a sweet kiss upon her mother’s cheek.
Buttercup was worried she couldn’t give Jackie a wonderful gift, yet it was her who gave Buttercup the best present of them all.
