Later that morning, Maple gently placed the sleeping Spruce in his crib so she could get ready to go outside. She tucked a soft blanket around him and smiled as his tiny nose twitched. Though it pained her to let him out of her sight, she knew he was safe.

Maple made her way to the kitchen to pack a picnic lunch. She hummed as she worked, imagining the fresh air and sunshine. Soon they would be napping under the shade of the maple trees together. Or so she hoped. After a little thing...

Just as Maple finished packing up the basket, she heard Spruce's cries. She hurried to the nursery and scooped him up, nuzzling his fuzzy cheek.

"Did you wake up and get lonely?" she crooned. Spruce's eyes locked on hers, his cries subsiding. "Let's get going then, my sapling."

Maple made sure he was bundled up snugly before heading out the door into the warm spring day. She paused at the door. "Sure you don't want to come with?"

Summer waved Maple off, before she almost fell, slamming the pedal of the stepper she was in the middle of using. "Go on. I'll get my excercise in. Enjoy not being trapped in a round shape."

"Plan to! But if you need anything..." Maple nuzzled her little child. "I'm here."

"Since you're insisting." Summer turned her vision towards the roof. "I want something cold. Something cold but sour. Can you do that?"

"On it!" Maple saluted with her free hoof and walked out into the light fully. It was a delightfully warm day. Dry, as the desert tended to be. Maple liked that just fine. Dry heat was way better than the other kind.

Maple offered a fresh bottle to Spruce. "Today's a special day, little guy."

"Ooo?" Spruce didn't know how to speak, or even how to listen, but his mom sounded excited about something, so that was reason enough to make a noise at her.

"Mmmhmm." She nosed at him as she walked. "You'll get to meet some other little babies just like you. A bunch of foals, looking so cute!" She giggled with joy at the imagined idea. "And you get to walk." As fun as keeping her infant swaddled was, he was a pony. Equines could walk pretty fast. She didn't want to get in the way of his development.

Maple strode cheerfully down the dusty road, cradling little Spruce as she went. The warm spring breeze ruffled his fuzz, making him blink and wiggle.

Soon the town square came into view, dotted with foals and their watchful parents. Maple spotted familiar faces from their pregnancy classes and waved.

"Look Spruce, your friends are here already!" She set him down gingerly on the soft grass. For a moment he just sat there, wide-eyed. Then his tiny hooves began to paddle and he took a few shaky steps into the world.

Maple's heart surged with pride. "That's my boy!"

The other foals tottered and frolicked nearby, oblivious to Spruce's milestone. But their parents noticed, offering Maple congratulations and encouragement.

"He'll be galloping 'fore you know it," said Clementine, mother of a bubbly filly. "They grow up so fast."

Maple nodded, not taking her eyes off her wobbly colt. "I know I'll blink and he'll be all grown up. Gotta treasure each day."

She positioned herself a few paces from Spruce, coaxing him on. He furrowed his brow, tongue poking out, and pressed onward using Maple as his focal point.

Each tiny step filled her with joy. Soon he plopped into her waiting arms, rewarded with nuzzles and a bottle.

Maple sighed contentedly, watching the foals play under the warm sun. This was just the start of their adventures together.

"Gaa." Another foal, another colt, had approached. They were looking at Spruce like they were the most fascinating thing. "Aaa?"

Spruce inclined their head and rolled over, tilting too powerfully. The two colts giggled, both equally as amused by the mishap. Spruce rolled back to his hooves and the two came together, looking, sniffing, and nosing. After a moment of careful examination, a decision was made.

The two let out a happy little noise and began to play. the game had no rules, and no goal really. They just swatted at one another, laughed, and wrestled with no particular aim. It was the play tiny infants could manage, and it made Maple's heart swell. "You're gonna kill me with a sugar overdose..."

"I know the feeling." A stallion was there, watching the other colt. "Every little thing he does..."

Spruce perked an ear at the... father? "Howdy there. Um, your son? Spruce seems to like him."

"Little Dust Storm?" He reached to pat his little colt, making them squeal and laugh. "I've only known him a month, and he's already won me over a dozen times." He pointed a hoof at himself. "I'm Sandy Shores. You... are Maple. Heard of you."

Maple's ears danced. "Ah'm famous?!"

Sandy chuckled. "How could you not be? Reckon it was decided when ya went and married two creatures at once, and one of 'em ain't even a pony!"

Maple colored, reminded of her unusual family. "True... Um, ain't upset?"

"Why would I be?" He cocked a brow. "I was there, at the wedding. I didn't see many unhappy faces. Whole town is cheering you on. Oops." He went to fetch Dust Storm before the colt wandered too far away. "Little fella..."

Maple beamed as she watched Spruce and Dust Storm tumble together in the grass. How wonderful for Spruce to have a little playmate already.

"They're getting along great!" said Maple. "We should get these two together more often for playdates."

"I'd like that," replied Sandy Shores, nuzzling his wandering colt. "Let me know when you're free. Dust Storm could use some socializing."

Maple raised a hoof. "It gets better. Soon there'll be three foals when you stop by. Summer's due any moment now."

Sandy started at that. "Oh, right, she doin' okay?" A quick nod from Maple got him to exhale with relief.

The two foals seemed oblivious to the world around them as they frolicked and giggled together. Maple's heart swelled seeing her little one so carefree and happy.

A yawn from Spruce let her know naptime was approaching. She bundled him up and waved goodbye to Sandy Shores and Dust Storm.

"Say bye to your new friend," she whispered to the drowsy colt. "We'll see them again real soon."

The walk home was peaceful, Spruce snoring softly in Maple's arms. She took the long way back, stopping by a small shopping stand to grab a pack of ice pops in sour flavor, just as requested.

When they arrived home, Maple saw that Summer had fallen asleep sitting up on her exercise machine. She stifled a chuckle and put away the cold treat Summer had requested earlier. A little nap sounded pretty good right about then.

Maple settled on the couch with Spruce, thinking ahead to the next adventure. She finally had the friendship, family, and future she had always longed for.

"Mmm?" Summer almost fell over as she woke up. "Maple?" She stepped off the machine. "I did it, I finished the course. Then... ah was a little tired and..."

Maple clapped gently, arm wrapped around Spruce to keep them steady. "Ah know you could do it. You were lookin' peaceful so I let you doze. Ice pop's in the fridge."

"Ice..." It clicked and Summer smiled very so widely. "You are a hero." She trotted quickly off and returned, sucking on the icicle with satisfied humms. "Just the stuff." She looked over Maple and Spruce. "Don't you two look comfie... I hope I can look the same when they come." She reached back, rubbing her swollen side.

"I'll help." Maple kissed Spruce's head, making him smile in his sleep. "We're a family. Oh, little Spruce made a friend, another colt. They may swing by sometime. Won't it be nice when they meet yours?"

"How nice." Summer sat, still nursing her frozen treat. "I hear that's a thing sometimes... with a community, having batches of foals close together. It's... actually kind of comforting, knowing we're part of one of those." She coiled to nuzzle her side. "Come on out of there, you two. You have friends to meet." They couldn't respond, but that didn't stop her from talking to them.

Summer smiled as she imagined her twins frolicking with Spruce and Dust Storm. It warmed her heart to think of their little ones growing up together, forging lasting bonds.

"Just a little longer, my darlings," she whispered, rubbing her swollen belly. The twins seemed to somersault inside her at the sound of her voice.

Maple grinned, picturing the three foals playing and giggling. "They're gonna be the best of friends, I just know it."

Spruce yawned, blinking up at his mother sleepily. The morning's adventures had tuckered him out. Maple gently placed him in his crib, humming a lullaby till he drifted off.

Returning to the living room, she asked Summer, "Need anything? Maybe a hoof rub?"

"That sounds divine." Summer stretched out with a groan. "These two weigh a ton. Remind me again why I thought twins was a good idea?" She winked playfully.

Maple grinned, kneading Summer's tense shoulders. "Because you have so much love to give."

Summer sighed blissfully as the massage soothed her aches. "You always know just what to say."

Maple worked down from those shoulders to Summer's legs. "You really did finish that..." She could feel that tension under her hooves. Summer had given herself a workout. "Don't press too hard, mama. You're so close to bursting." She smooched one of those legs as she went.

Summer dropped the ice pop stick, the sourness gone, just wood left behind. "Yes, mom." She stuck out her tongue as Maple, the two giggling. "You changed your mind?"

"About what?" Maple arrived at Summer's hooves, working them gently between her own.

"The crib." summer pointed with a toss of her head. "I thought you didn't want to put spruce in there."

"Not as a habit." Maple wrinkled her snout. "But I only have so many hooves. Putting him down once in a while is... Well, it's that or you don't get hoofrubs. Which is it?"

Summer snorted softly. "Ask Winter. Bet he could find somethin' ta let ya keep Spruce close and do other thin's."

Maple worked Summer's tense muscles, eliciting satisfied groans. Though heavy with foals, Summer felt pampered under her gentle care.

"I don't know how I'll cope when you go back to the orchard," sighed Summer, stretching her limbs with a contented smile.

"You kiddin'? You'll be begging me to give you some space once those twins arrive," Maple chuckled. Still, Summer's sentiment touched her. Their bond had deepened during this journey together.

Finishing the rub, Maple helped Summer to her hooves. "Why don't you go soak in a nice bath? You've earned it after all that exercise."

"Join me?" asked Summer. "We rarely get girl time these days. Could be our last chance before the twins get here."

"I'd love that!" Maple gently placed a snoozing Spruce in his crib before drawing Summer a warm bath.

The two mares sunk blissfully into the water, letting the heat penetrate their sore muscles. Maple lathered Summer's coat, massaging her rounded belly. For now, all was peaceful.

"Can you believe it's almost time?" murmured Summer, eyes closed. "Our family's gonna double in size real soon."

"I know!" Maple squeaked. "Ready or not, here they come."

Summer captured Maple's hoof beneath the water. "With you by my side when the day comes, I'm not scared one bit."

Maple's eyes misted at her dear friend's words. Come what may, they would face it together. She got the water going, warm, but not too hot. She added some bubbling shampoo and called Summer in.

Summer gladly descended into the warm water. "Oooo, yeah... Just the stuff." It only got better when she gained a Maple to hug and cuddle.

Author's Note

Storms can knock over little Spruces. Be careful!

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