"We need to start socializing Starry."
Sunset looks up from the Sunday paper and sees Twilight entering the kitchen with their nine-month-old daughter on her hip. When the baby sees Sunset, she kicks her pudgy legs and gives a wide grin, revealing the beginnings of two front teeth.
"Good morning, baby girl," Sunset coos, reaching out and gladly accepting the infant when Twilight places her in her arms. Sunset presses a kiss to the baby's forehead and then manages to peck Twilight on the lips just before she begins fluttering around the kitchen.
"It has come to my attention that our daughter has never played with another baby," Twilight says as she begins to cut a banana into medallions, and then in half, and then into quarters. "She might not even know that other children exist."
"I think that's unlikely," Sunset replies, bouncing the baby on her knee gently and laughing when Starry Night squeals in delight.
"It's true," Twilight insists. "This is a vital part of her development and I'm afraid she's going to fall behind if we don't rectify this immediately."
"Did you hear that, Star? We need to rectify this immediately," Sunset says in mock seriousness.
Twilight turns around with her hands on her hips and glares sternly at the woman. "Would you like to see my research?" she asks, which actually means 'Would you like to watch a twenty-minute PowerPoint and then participate in a mandatory question and answer session afterward?'
Sunset shakes her head quickly. "No, no, that's okay," she says with a forced smile.
"That's what I thought," Twilight grumbles. "I found a playgroup that meets just down the street."
Starry Night was born in late December of the previous year, after almost a year of trying and failing to conceive a child. Twilight took a break from her job as a scientist in her second trimester, and originally, she had plans to return six weeks after the baby was born. However, once Star came into their lives, their priorities shifted immediately, and Twilight made the decision to stay home with her indefinitely. She couldn't imagine leaving her baby for anything – not even to return to her beloved science lab.
Since then, Twilight has transitioned quite effortlessly into the role of a stay-at-home mom. She plans their days meticulously, down to the very minute that Star should be in her crib for her mid-morning nap and the exact amount of organic fruit puffs placed on her highchair tray every afternoon at three o'clock sharp. It's a little over-the-top, sure, but Twilight feels productive when she sets guidelines and then follows them precisely.
Sunset, for her part, just tries to stay supportive. She tries to remind Twilight to relax every now and then, but she mostly allows her to indulge in her helicopter-mom tendencies. This is most likely why their child is, in fact, quite sheltered. She's never been to daycare and she's never been left with anyone other than Rainbow Dash (once, and it was a disaster that Twilight refuses to speak of), and because none of their friends have children yet, it actually doesn't come as a surprise to Sunset that their daughter hasn't really played with other kids, now that she thinks about it. She figures that it can't hurt to get Star used to playing with others, so she sees no reason to object to Twilight's latest idea.
"Sounds good," she says with a shrug.
"Excellent! They meet on Sundays at nine. Feed Star while I shower and then we'll be ready to go – I packed the diaper bag last night," Twilight says as she hurries out of the kitchen.
Sunset looks to Star with raised eyebrows. "Mama is crazy. Did you know that? She's crazy."
The baby girl claps happily, eliciting a smile from Sunset. "Yeah, I love it, too."
–––––
They enter the coffee shop at exactly nine o'clock, and the group is easy to spot. About ten adults are gathered on couches in the front of the café, with children of varying ages playing on the floor and smaller one sitting in laps. Twilight immediately feels like a horrible mother for not exposing Star to playgroup at six weeks old, as a few of these parents seem to be doing. She hopes to God that this won't have a long-term affect on her social skills.
They make their introductions to the group and then take seats on the sofa. Twilight is hesitant to let Star on the floor, because she's just never done something like this before, but Sunset is not about to come to playgroup and keep Star on the sofa the whole time.
"Why don't you go order a drink, babe," Sunset suggests, pulling the baby into her lap. "I'll get Star settled."
Twilight looks at her dubiously. "Are you sure? Because I don't need anything, really, so I can just stay here and supervise while…"
Sunset pats Twilight's knee. "Go get a drink."
"But I…"
"Please."
Twilight stands with a sigh. "Fine. I'll be right back."
"Take your time!" Sunset calls after her, which earns her a dismissive wave from the brunette. When Twilight is out of sight, she turns her attention to the baby in her lap, who is enthralled with the new scenery and the unfamiliar faces. "Do you want to play, baby girl? Let's make some friends!"
She places her on the floor near her feet, where two other babies around her age are happily playing with brightly colored building blocks. Star blinks a few times, looking at the babies and then up at Sunset, and then back to the babies, and then back up at Sunset. Sunset smiles reassuringly, and then Star's eyebrows knit together in uncertainty as she slowly reaches out to grab a block.
And then the other babies look at her, and apparently this is a great offense in Star's mind, because her lower lip immediately pops out in a pout and she looks back to Sunset with wide, teary eyes.
"Oh, no, no, Star, it's okay," she says softly, placing a soothing hand on the baby's back. "You're fine. They just want to play with you."
Star's lip starts quivering despite the comfort, and Sunset knows that a lip quiver is the first sign that a meltdown underway. She picks the baby up and holds her close, gently guiding her head to rest on Sunset's shoulder. Sure enough, Star clings to Sunset and lets out a high-pitched sob (right in her ear) moments later.
"Shh," Sunset whispers as she stands from the couch and begins bouncing and swaying in place. "It's okay. You're just fine, baby girl. You're going to get Mommy in trouble, though, if you don't stop crying."
She continues to rock and bounce and rub the baby's back, but nothing works; Star is still wailing, and she has begun to grab the attention of many coffee shop patrons in the process, including, of course, Twilight. When Sunset sees her rushing back toward the front of the café, she winces. This will not be pretty.
Just as Twilight is nearly close enough to take Star, she stops short and her eyes grow wide.
"Twi, she's fine, I promise. She was just a little nervous, and…Twilight? Twi, what are you looking at?"
Twilight blinks. "Trixie?"
–––––
"I had no idea that you two were living in the city!" Twilight exclaims as she rocks a hiccupping Star in her lap. "Or that you had a baby."
"We just relocated from Manehatten a few weeks ago," Trixie replies. "And yes, our Hazelblossom is nine months old."
"So is Star!" Twilight exclaims. "Her birthday is December thirtieth."
"Hazelblossom was born on Christmas," Trixie says with a smile, running her fingers through the little girl's light blue curls as she chews on a teething ring. "We figure you can't have a better birthday than that!"
"Oh," Twilight stiffens a bit. "Well, I would disagree. It's just another day. No better than the first, or the eleventh, or, you know, the thirtieth."
Sunset senses the tension rising between the two women and quickly changes the subject. "So, what have you guys been up to lately? We haven't seen you in years!"
"I just accepted a teaching position at Canterlot High," Starlight replies.
"And I'm keeping busy with Hazelblossom," Trixie adds. "She is into everything these days, now that she's crawling. I'm sure you know what that's like."
"Well, actually, Star isn't crawling yet," Twilight mumbles.
"Really?" Trixie asks with wide eyes. When she recovers from his shock, she shrugs. "Well, I suppose every baby is different."
"She's extremely advanced intellectually," Twilight adds quickly. "She takes after me in that way, obviously."
Just then, an older child accidentally bumps into Twilight as he's toddling past her spot on the floor, and Star startles as the sudden movement, sending her into a new round of loud, messy sobs.
"I would say that's not the only way she takes after you," Trixie observes.
Twilight simply smiles tersely and excuses herself to calm Star down outside, leaving Trixie smirking and Starlight and Sunset sharing a look of befuddlement.
–––––
"We should move to Manehatten," Twilight says suddenly. She has been relatively quiet for much of the day, so when she announces this idea while they're cleaning up after dinner, Sunset can only manage to raise an eyebrow at the brunette.
"I think it would be a good experience for Star," Twilight continues. "It's important to expose her to different cultures. Oooh, actually, we should move overseas so we can immerse her in a foreign language."
"Okay," Sunset says slowly. "Well, I mean, I don't think it's really feasible to just pick up and move to anotr country, Twi."
"We'd come back to Canterlot eventually. Just think of it as an extended vacation. Also, we would wait until Starry was older. Maybe when she's two, so that she'll actually benefit from it. Trixie is so smug about Hazelblossom living in Manehatten for six months, but you know what? She won't remember it," Twilight says peevishly, as she loads plates into the dishwasher with a bit more force than necessary.
"That's what this is about?" Sunset asks, shaking her head and laughing. "Twi, this isn't high school. Trixie is not your competition."
"I'm sure I have no idea what you are talking about."
"You two had a good, old-fashioned pissing match this morning over your babies. It was pretty obvious."
Twilight wrinkles her nose. "That was very crude, Sunset, and wholly inaccurate. I merely felt the need to defend our daughter against Trixie's constant suggestions that she is inferior to theirs."
"I think that's somewhat of an overreaction, babe. She was just bragging a bit. Just like you were, if I might add."
"Well, the difference is that Starry actually is incredible."
"I'll give you that." Sunset drapes her arms around Twilight's waist and rests her chin on the smaller woman's shoulder. "Please, just promise me that you're going to be civil."
"Of course I'll be civil," Twilight says with a scoff. "I'm not like Rainbow Dash that you have to fear letting loose on the unsuspecting public."
"Will you be nice?"
Twilight is silent.
"Twilight! You will be nice," Sunset warns.
Twilight's shoulders slump. "Yes, I'll be nice."
–––––
"Trixie, really, there is no need to take offense. I am not judging your parenting choices, I'm merely stating that a pacifier at this age is quite unnecessary and it could hinder poor Hazelblossom's dental health. That's probably why she doesn't have any teeth yet. Starry was never offered a pacifier and as you can see, her front two teeth are growing in beautifully."
"Starlight and I are quite well aware of the pros and cons of pacifiers, Twilight, though your concern is touching," Trixie says with a saccharine smile. "However, Hazelblossom sees her pacifier as a comfort item right now and we are not interested in inflicting any undue trauma on our nine-month-old. We would rather have a happy, toothless baby than one with teeth and a penchant for shattering glass."
Twilight huffs and instinctually pulls Star close to her. The water glass that broke during her tantrum earlier that morning was a complete coincidence.
On the couch, Starlight and Sunset are watching the exchange in horror. They've been going at it all morning, growing increasingly petty with every passing minute.
"I thought they were friends," Starlight mutters. "I don't get it."
"They are, kind of, but everything between them has to be a competition," Sunset says, rolling her eyes. "I apologize on behalf of my wife, by the way. You are doing a great job with Hazelblossom."
"And please don't listen to Trixie; Starry is a doll," Starlight replies.
They share a friendly smile, but their exchange is cut short by a loud hmmph from across the room.
"Sunset!" Twilight cries. "Please confirm in Trixie's presence that Star said her first word at three months."
"This is humiliating," Sunset mumbles into her hands. "Humiliating."
–––––
"Come on, sweetie. You can do it. Do it for Mama, honey," Twilight urges, placing a building block in Star's tiny hand. "Just…see what I'm doing?"
She stacks four blocks on top of each other slowly, making sure that Star is watching. When the small girl swipes at the tower with her hands and giggles when they fall, Twilight groans. "No, we're building a tower, baby."
"Twilight, really, you shouldn't pressure her into things like that. Playgroup should be fun. She just doesn't have the coordination or concentration for building towers like Hazelblossom," Trixie says. "It's nothing to be ashamed of; just let her have fun."
"Shut it, Lulamoon," Twilight snaps. "Her hand-eye coordination is exemplary, thank you very much."
"That's an awfully defensive reaction, darling," Trixie replies, her hands up in surrender. "It was merely an observation."
Sunset exhales loudly and looks to Starlight. "Can we just pretend we're not with them?"
–––––
"Mamamamama," Star babbles, banging a wooden spoon against the floor of the coffee shop.
"She's just babbling, Hazel," Trixie says in Hazelblossom's ear. "She can't really talk yet. She's just trying to psych you out."
"She's a baby, Trixie!" Starlight says with an exasperated sigh.
"She's Twilight's baby," She replies. "She comes by borderline psychotic competitiveness naturally."
"Hey!" Twilight exclaims, just as Starlight warns Trixie to knock it off.
"Actually, with us as her mothers" Sunset says with a defeated sigh. "That's probably true."
–––––
The weeks pass, and the tension in playgroup rises steadily. With every milestone and achievement reached by either Hazelblossom or Starry Night, there comes an irresistible urge for their parents to attempt to one-up each other. When Hazelblossom starts cruising furniture one morning before Star is even crawling, Sunset begins to worry that she'll need to come up with an alibi for Twilight if Trixie mysteriously goes missing.
It's a few days before Star turns ten months, and Twilight and Sunset are catching up on some television after dinner, while the baby plays on the floor. Twilight is in the middle of offering her own critique of a doctors diagnosis on a medical drama when Sunset grabbed her arm suddenly.
"Twi, look!"
Twilight tears her gaze away from the TV to see Star standing in the middle of the room with her arms out in front of her. She takes a shaky, tentative step, and both of her mothers gasp. She takes another, grinning wildly as she does.
"Oh my God," Sunset breathes. "She's doing it!"
"Yes!" Twilight cries, hopping off the couch. "Where is my phone? I need to send a video to Trixie!"
–––––
When they show up to playgroup three days later and Twilight proudly places Star on her feet and lets her walk across the room, Trixie brings up the link between walking before crawling and dyslexia.
The fight that ensues gets them kicked out of playgroup.
Permanently.
"That's not even true," Twilight says as they walk back to their apartment, two hours earlier than normal. "That's a silly myth with no basis in science, whatsoever, and I am certain that Trixie is well aware of its illegitimacy. I understand that she is jealous of Starry Night, and rightfully so, but really, to stoop that low is just…"
"Twilight!" Sunset snaps, stopping in her tracks on the sidewalk. "This is ridiculous. You just got us banned from a playgroup. That is, like…that just does not happen. That's how ridiculous this is."
"While I will admit that this is a rather unfortunate situation," Twilight says with a frown. "I would argue that Trixie is mostly as fault."
"And I would argue that you are both insane," Sunset replies. "Using our baby to settle some high school feud," she mutters. "Insanity."
"I was just so tired of her always suggesting that Hazelblossom was somehow better than Star." She sighs and reaches for the baby girl in Sunset's arms.
"No," Sunset says sternly, holding the baby tighter. "I am revoking your Starry privileges. Consider the baby confiscated until further notice. Starlight and I are taking the girls to the park, and you are going over to work things out with Trixie."
"You cannot revoke my Starry privileges!" Twilight nearly yells, completely aghast at the thought.
"Babe, you don't even want to know how many privileges I am ready and willing to revoke if you don't form a truce with Trixie."
This gets Twilight's attention. "We meet on neutral territory or I'm out."
"Fine," Sunset says. "Come to the park with us and you can sort it all out over picnic lunch. I don't even care. Just figure it out."
"Fine," Twilight huffs, crossing her arms over her chest and walking quickly, leaving Sunset behind on the sidewalk.
–––––
An hour later, Starlight and Sunset watch from the baby swings as Twilight and Trixie shake hands firmly while standing under the pavilion.
"How much do you want to bet that they just agreed to a crib-match between Hazelblossom and Starry Night?" Starlight asks, only half-kidding.
"At this point? It would not surprise me," Sunset replies, watching the two of them closely as they walk toward the swings.
"Is everything okay now?" she asks when they finally reach the swingset.
"Absolutely," Twilight replies with a bright smile, looking over to Trixie, who smiles in return. "Everything is fine."
"We understand how childish we have been in the past month, and we are both deeply ashamed of our actions," Trixie says. "In the future, we won't allow our own competitiveness to interfere with the children."
"Except when it comes to our own academics and achievements, at which point I cannot be held accountable for my actions," Twilight adds. "Not that I need to worry about Starry, of course, given her parentage."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Trixie demands.
"Trixie, while I highly doubt that you are unaware of my accolades, I will entertain your feigned ignorance in the interest of being a bigger person. I was valedictorian in high school and college, nominated twice for a nobel, three-time winner of -"
Sunset pinches the bridge of her nose as Twilight rambles on about her achievements and then looks to Starlight. "This is the best we can ask for, isn't it?"
Starlight sighs. "I'm afraid so."
–––––
"Mommy! Mama! It's right here!" Starry Night exclaims, pointing to the middle seat at a table with three small chairs in her Kindergarten classroom. "Look at the placemat. It says S-T-A-R-R-Y N-I-G-H-T! This is my spot!"
"Good work, baby girl!" Twilight says with enthusiasm. "Let's see if you can read the names of your table mates, huh?"
Starry nods quickly. "I bet I can! Um, over here on the left side…"
"Right side, sweetie," Sunset interjects.
"On the right side," Starry says with a smile. "That says…Solar! And over here…uh, hmm…Mama, what's this one?"
Twilight looks to the placemat to the left of Starry's. "Ooh, that's a tough one. It says Hazelblossom, baby," she replies.
Just then, the door to the classroom opens, and the moment is so eerily similar to one nearly five years earlier, that it's nearly as if they're experiencing déjà vu.
"Trixie?" Twilight says with wide eyes.
Sunset slaps her hand to her forehead. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me."
Author's Note
Please do not leave a comment correcting minor grammar mistakes. I'm not perfect. There will always be grammar mistakes. So don't point them out to me!
