Love, Life, and Lamination
Rainbow Dash walks up next to me and looks down at the lamination machine.
She asks, "What are you laminating, Twilight?"
I answer, "Our marriage certificate."
"Cool, I'm going to make coffee while you do that. Want some?"
"Sure, thank you." I pull her into a hug before she leaves.
She hugs back. "I love you."
"I love you, too!"
After the hug, Rainbow leaves the room, and it's just me, the marriage certificate, and the lamination machine.
I place the certificate neatly into the input tray.
Okay, Twilight, this is it.
I go to press the start button, and just can't.
Come on, Twilight, you can do it.
I try again, but can't press it.
By the letter of Celestia, by the words of all my friends, by the vows of my wife, I was married.
With all that in mind this should be easy, yet it isn't. This should just be another task of documentation processing, but no, this is lamination.
I love Rainbow Dash, and she loves me. So why is this so hard?
I've been with Rainbow for many years now. We've gone through so much together, countless memories of the good times and the bad. We've learned so much about each other and about friendship. Being with her has changed my life for the better.
So, there is no way it could be Rainbow Dash.
What does laminating this marriage certificate change?
Realistically, nothing. For me, though, it marks a significant change in my life. It marks the end of the previous chapter and the start of the next. Why is that so scary?
I leave Twilight to go make coffee.
Twilight normally makes our coffee, but I've watched her do it hundreds of times, so I have to know how to do it by now, right?
I get to the machine and immediately realize I have no idea what I'm doing.
Uh, I think the first thing she does is put water in it.
I use the pot and fill it up with water, before pouring said water into the water reservoir on the back of the coffee machine.
That was easy, maybe I've learned more from Twilight than I thought.
Okay, next is, uh, coffee, yeah.
I place the pot back on the burner and pull out the coffee holder thing.
I thought the inside part of the holder was supposed to be white, but it's just black plastic. I must be misremembering.
I get the coffee out and scoop out two lots of coffee.
As I'm about to put the coffee holder back, I realize the machine has already started dripping water into the pot.
Oh, shoot.
Start.
Start.
Start.
Start, start, start!
That single word runs over and over again through my mind… and I can do nothing.
The laminator might as well be a cockatrice for all I can do with it. I don't think even Fluttershy's stare could outdo the staring contest I find myself locked in with that start button.
There's a cacophony of clattering in the kitchen. I'm sure Rainbow Dash was alright… probably.
Maybe I should go help her.
But I can't move.
Start, start, start.
I love her. And she loves me. So why is this so hard?
Start, start, start.
All I have to do is push the button, encase the record of our love in the eternal permanence of plastic laminate. Easy…
Right?
Start. Start. Start.
Just push the button Twi, just press it!
Start, start, START!
I'm shaking, nearly in tears. I just need to push the button. Just seal our fate, our future.
I think back to our wedding, and forward to the countless days we would have together.
I want those days! I don't want my time with her to end!
Start start start.
Even lamination disintegrates eventually…
I quickly put the coffee holder back, only a little bit of water had made it into the pot.
Phew.
As I let the coffee maker run, I get out our favorite cups out from the cabinet.
What were the measurements she used again?
Something about a spoon, I think.
I get out a spoon and use it to scoop out sugar and cream into both our cups.
I put six spoons of each in my cup and eight spoons of each in her cup.
That should be right.
I put the spoon down and watch the water dripping into the pot.
Why is there so much stuff floating in the coffee?
It must dissolve when it's stirred, that's it.
It's at that moment that I realize the light is still off.
Oh, no. I hope it's fine to turn it on this late.
I flick the switch and wait for the coffee to finish.
I hope Twilight is alright, she's taking a while.
I carefully pour our two cups, stirring afterward.
After I think I'm done, I look down at our cups and realize something is wrong.
The coffee stuff was still floating at the top.
That can't be good.
Maybe I need some help.
I sigh in defeat and trot back to Twilight.
I decide to get some help, but before I can call for Rainbow, I hear somepony trotting towards me. I look and see Rainbow.
Rainbow gets to me. "I'm having some trouble with the coffee machine, do you think you could help?"
"Sure, but could you help me real quick, first?"
She smiles at me. "Sure."
"Just press the start button for me."
"You okay, Twi?"
I smile at her. "Yes."
Rainbow presses the start button and the machine whirs to life.
She turns to me and wraps me in a loving embrace. "I love you."
I blush and wrap my hooves around her in turn. "I love you, too."
We kiss as the machine toils away in the background. I realize how silly my worries were. All I needed was help from my best friend.
We break the kiss and I ask, "Want some help?"
"Definitely."
