Rarity’s eyes sparkled like diamonds. Like the twinkling stars of the night sky. Her smile could have, that day, outshone even Celestia’s sun.

Ditzy had packed the jewelry and cloak Rarity had loaned her, and left not long after Big Mac had departed. They’d shared breakfast, and Ditzy had apologised multiple times for the previous night. Big Mac had insisted that she had nothing to be sorry about. After the oat porridge, she saw Big Mac to the door.

“AJ’s gunna make me pay for this,” he had chuckled. He paused at the threshold, then turned back to Ditzy. He stepped towards her, and drew her into an awkward hug. “I had fun last night.”

And with that, he’d left.

Dinky and Sweetie Belle had only just awoken; the two had evidently stayed up talking much later than Rarity had ordered lights-out. Rarity organised tea for herself and Ditzy as the two younger foals sat down for breakfast.

“Raaaaaarity,” Sweetie Belle whined. “I wanted to make Dinky breakfast!”

“Why would you want to do that to her?” Rarity asked, raising an eyebrow. “I thought you two were good friends.”

Rarity chuckled at Sweetie Belle’s pouting.

Rarity had moved into the parlor, motioning Ditzy to follow. She sat at a small table near the window, and poured tea for two.

“So,” was all Rarity had asked.

Ditzy recounted the previous evening, Rarity swelling with pride as Ditzy described her entrance. She nodded in approval as Ditzy had told her she had decided to drink slowly. She beamed when Ditzy told her Big Mac had bought her drink.

“Such a gentlecolt!”

Rarity frowned as Ditzy recalled the events of the dance floor, and held her hoof out to Ditzy when she’d heard Ditzy had come to see her, but hadn’t knocked.

“Oh, sweetie, I’m so sorry,” Rarity stroked Ditzy’s hoof. “You should have knocked. I barely got any sleep with those two talking all night anyway.”

Ditzy smiled, and shook her head.

“No, it was better that way,” she said, and continued despite Rarity’s protestations.

She continued the story, blushing as she recalled the events with Big Mac. Rarity was unable to resist an unladylike hoof-pump by the end of the story.

“So, when are you going to ask him out?”

“Umm…” Ditzy looked nervously down at her hooves. “I don’t know. What if he doesn’t like me like that? I don’t want to lose him as a friend.”

Rarity sighed in exasperation.

“Sweetie, he clearly likes you,” Rarity tried to get through to her friend.

“If he likes me, shouldn’t I just wait for him to ask me out?”

“Oh, how old fashioned,” Rarity giggled. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Rarity continued to playfully needle Ditzy, until Dinky and Sweetie Belle joined them in the parlor.

Big Mac had been right. There was all hay to pay when he’d returned late in the morning. Despite there not being as much work as there was in the warmer months, AJ had railed against his supposed irresponsibility. She had assumed he’d drunk too much the night before, and fallen asleep at Caramel’s place, or in a ditch.

While there had been times he’d stopped at Caramel’s place after a hard night out, he resented her insinuations that he’d fall asleep in a ditch. It had happened once. Once!

He hadn’t wanted to explain to AJ what had really happened. His sister probably would have knocked him flat if she’d found he’d spent the night at Ditzy’s place. He hadn’t meant to, and he was by all accounts a gentlecolt about it. But that wouldn’t matter to his sister. That sort of thing ‘jus’ ain’t proper’.

Thoughts of a grey coated pony with a mane like spun gold floated through his mind. He smiled to himself humming a soft tune as he made his way through his daily chores.

He argued with Applejack that evening. He’d told her he was taking Monday off, as he had things he had to attend.

“Yer being slippry’r than a quarray eel,” she shouted. “What’s goin on?”

“Nothing’s going on AJ,” he replied, voice slightly raised. Shouting would not help. “Ah just got some things Ah want to do.”

“What about all the work we gotta do around the farm?” she growled. “What, Ah’m jus supposed to do it all?”

“Is it too much to ask? Just one day,” he asked, a note of pleading in his voice. “Ah got to do something important, but I can’t talk about it. Please.”

“What’s so important ya gotta keep secrets from yer family?”

“Please, AJ,” he asked softly. “Please. Ah never asked for much. Ah never stopped you when you travelled around Equestria with the girls. Please.”

Applejack’s frown softened. “Oh, all right ya big lug,” she smiled. “Jus promise me it’s nuthin that won’t do anything that’ll get yah in trouble.”

“It’s not, Ah promise.”

The mail round went quickly for Ditzy. She’d finished early, and was waiting at the school for Dinky to get out. Cheerilee had asked her in the morning if they could go to coffee. She hadn’t managed to catch up with Cheerilee since the previous Friday, and despite Ditzy’s protest that she was okay, and that what had happened wasn’t her fault, Cheerilee had insisted on making it up to her with coffee at the cafe.

The bell rang, and children poured forth into the yard. There were a few other parents waiting for their children; Filthy Rich had avoided her gaze, and she suspected he was still angry about the incident with Diamond Tiara the previous week.

Cheerilee happily called Ditzy in, and Dinky was sitting with the three crusaders. “Momma,” she ran and wrapped her forearms around her mother’s neck. “Can I play with the girls today? Everyone is going to the park. Can I, can I, can I?”

Ditzy smiled, and patted her daughter on the head.

“Of course, my little muffin crumb,” she answered. “Mommy’s going to go have afternoon tea with Ms Cheerilee, so I will come to the park when I’m done. That sound good?”

Dinky trotted happily back to the girls. “She said yes!”

“Cutie Mark Crusaders Street Performers, yay!”

Cheerilee and Ditzy laughed as the foals cantered out of the building. Cheerilee locked the door, and they were on their way.

They’d made their order at the cafe, Cheerilee a coffee, and Ditzy a tea. Cheerilee had said she always felt she needed coffee after a day teaching.

Ditzy realised soon into the conversation that Cheerilee was babbling nervously. She had apologised for the previous Friday night. But she was kind of rambling, and Ditzy noticed her constantly looking towards the town clock.

“Is everything okay?” Ditzy asked, finally broaching the subject.

“Ummm, yes,” Cheerilee stammered. “Why? Is something wrong?”

“You just seem very, distracted. And you keep looking at the clock. Do you need to go somewhere? You don’t have to stay if you are busy.”

“Nonono,” Cheerilee panicked. “No, I don’t have anywhere to go. Another drink. Please. Would you?”

Ditzy was confused. “Something is clearly up. Please, Cheerilee. I’m your friend. What is on your mind.”

Cheerilee sighed. Perhaps she could talk with Ditzy.

“There,” she breathed a sigh, “there is somepony I–”

She took a deep breath. She did not want to talk about this.

“There is somepony I like. I’ve liked them for some time, I just,” she paused. “I’m not sure they’d be interested in me.”

“Oh,” Ditzy sighed. She had a good suspicion who it was.

Cheerilee was younger than Ditzy by a few years. She was a very pretty mare. They probably would be better suited together than she was. Young. Single. No attachments. No baggage.

She put a smile on for Cheerilee, and tried to cheer her friend up. “You should ask him then. Let him know how you feel.”

“I don’t know if I can,” Cheerilee slumped. “Ummm, he doesn’t come to Ponyville that often anymore.”

Huh.

“I’ve not seen… him, for a while.”

“So we’re not talking about Big Mac?” Ditzy asked, putting it out there as blunt as she could.

Cheerilee broke into a wide smile, laughing.

“No, no, no!” she laughed, wiping a tear from eye. “Not Big Mac. We’ve been friends for too long. Neither of us feel that way about each other. Much to some little ponies chagrin.”

“Caramel, then?” Ditzy asked. “You said you hadn’t seen him for a while.”

Cheerilee broke into laughter again.

“I take that as a ‘no’, then?” Ditzy had begun to smile. The atmosphere had definitely lifted.

“So, are you going to tell me who?”

Cheerilee shook her head.

“Are you going to tell him, at least?”

Cheerilee’s smile dropped a little.

“No,” she shook her head. “I don’t think so. Not yet. Maybe one day, but not yet. No.”

Ditzy frowned. How could this pretty mare, someone who exuded so much confidence, be afraid? A coat of crimson flashed through her mind. Never mind, she knew. She reached her hoof across and patted Cheerilee’s forearm.

“You’re my friend, and I am here for you,” Ditzy smiled. “You can talk to me about it.”

“Can I?” Cheerilee asked, and Ditzy thought she’d detected a little bitterness there.

“Yes, you can,” Ditzy said firmly. “You are one of my best friends. You can always talk to me. I promise.”

“Maybe,” Cheerilee replied, half hearted.

“Well, you are not the only pony who has a crush on somepony,” Ditzy admitted, blushing. “Maybe if I trust you, you can see that you can trust me?”

Cheerilee sat in silence.

“I think,” Ditzy spoke softly. “I think I kind of like, ummm…

“Big Mac,” she finally whispered.

Cheerilee looked at the grey mare in stunned silence.

“Please don’t tell anyone,” Ditzy pleaded. “I’ve only told Rarity so far.”

“That’s,” Cheerilee beamed, getting over her shock. “That’s wonderful!”

“It’s scary,” Ditzy said.

“Hmmm, yes, love is,” Cheerilee smiled.

“I’m not sure if he even sees me that way.”

Cheerilee laughed. “I’ve known Big Mac for a long time. He’s very shy, so you might have to press him for an answer.”

“I couldn’t do that!” Ditzy yelped in shock.

“If he is interested in you,” Cheerilee replied thoughtfully, “he won’t say it, but he will try to show it.”

Ditzy looked away, taking a very long sip of her tea.

“He will probably be just as scared of rejection as you are.” Cheerilee looked back to the town clock. “Well, I think I need to get along now. And you have a daughter to collect.”

Cheerilee got up and hugged her friend. “Good luck!” she whispered.

And with that, she left.

Ditzy went to the park, thinking over everything Cheerilee had said. She still had no idea who Cheerilee was interested in. She hoped that one day Cheerilee would be able to confide in her. But she’d said Big Mac would try and show his interest, if there was any. She just had to look for the signs.

That worried her. She was not very adept at reading subtle signs and hints.

Dinky had complained about having to leave. She wanted to keep trying to get her busking cutie mark, but Ditzy had told her that it was getting late, and they had homework, and it was a school night. She told the other girls they should make their way home, before it got dark. Dinky sulked, dragging her hooves most of the way home.

Dinky didn’t notice when her mother had stopped dead in her tracks. She looked back to see her mother sitting slack jawed, looking at their house. Dinky looked back to the house.

“Huh?”

They approached the porch, taking everything in.

The floorboards had been sanded and re-treated. The loose ones had been nailed down. Newer straw had been weaved into the hatching. The broken railing had been fixed.

She opened the door, but it still stuck. Why would Greedy have fixed the outside of the house, but left the inside as is? Why would he even fix anything, after she’d been asking for years. It didn’t make sense.

Unless, of course, it wasn’t Greedy.

Ditzy chuckled. She had a good idea who had done the work. And she was certain somepony had helped, by delaying her from coming home early.

And as far as signs went, this was hardly subtle. Next Chapter: Chapter 13 Estimated time remaining: 15 Minutes