Crystal Wishes allowed herself to wake up slowly, because as soon as she acknowledged she was awake, the now-daily aches and pains were sure to follow. Instead, she wanted to relish in the soft embrace of her pillow, the soothing weight of the comforter, and the warmth of the body beside her.

"Good morning," Silent Knight's voice, heavy with sleep, rasped from somewhere within the sheets. How he could sense that she had woken up would remain a mystery long into their old age.

She gave a noncommittal groan in reply. It was enough to set off the persistent pain in her back, which earned another groan, less fond and more disgruntled.

Silent shifted and she watched as his blue mane was the first thing to surface from the nest of pillows and blankets, followed by a smiling muzzle that pressed to her cheek. She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes to relish in the feeling of his lips brushing against her coat. As he worked his way down—trailing along her jaw, neck, and chest—she gave a contented sigh and smiled when he reached his destination.

"And good morning, princess," he mumbled against her stomach. "How are my girls?"

Crystal grunted and cracked open her eyes to peer down at him as he fawned over the swell. "I think she's testing me."

With a quirk of one brow, Silent looked up to meet her gaze. "Testing you?"

"Mmhm." She tried to hide her fond amusement behind a frown. "I swear she is intentionally settled in such a way so as I can't ever forget she's there—as if I even could in the first place!"

In the quiet of the house, there was a subtle sound: a sound that a younger pony would have easily dismissed, but Crystal was not a younger pony. She knew their quiet moment of bliss was over. The careless exclamation had started a chain reaction of events that, by then, were so engrained into their morning routine that they almost felt scripted.

There was a distant clatter of small hooves; Crystal shifted to sit up against the headboard.

The doorknob turned; Silent moved to free up the center of the bed.

"You're awake!" Coral Knight announced loudly to the room, as if they needed to be told. She marched forward and jumped onto the comforter that tried to engulf her little form, but she navigated the fluffy seas undaunted. "Good morning, Mama." She looked up at Silent and saluted. "Colonel."

Silent's hoof moved in a light, automatic salute. "At ease. Status report?"

Coral nodded curtly. "I checked all the entries. No intruders. House is secure."

It was hard not to smile at the way Coral revered her father, and Crystal made no attempt to fight the warmth that bloomed in her chest. "And what about Clem?"

"Here," a soft, dozy voice said from the doorway. The grey pegasus foal leaned against the frame, his blue-and-blonde mane spiked at all different angles.

Coral gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes. "Cadet Clement Knight wasn't present for the morning security check. Again."

Clement Knight stuck out his bottom lip in a sweet little pout. "Was sleepin'."

"Come here, cirrus-head," Crystal cooed.

The toddler made his way from the door to the bed, his legs mostly cooperative but his wings refusing to help him make the jump. Crystal reached out with her magic to get him to where he could crawl the rest of the way, and once he was at her side, he flopped down as if boneless.

While Crystal fussed over his untamable mane, Coral began to march the perimeter of the bed and continued her report. "Fridge is good. Pantry stocked. Operation Breakfast is a go, Colonel."

"Operation Breakfast?" Crystal paused her preening to shoot Silent a light grin. "Did your cadet just ruin the surprise?"

The color from Coral's face drained. She looked up at Silent with big, frightened eyes that he had absolutely no chance of surviving against.

"All part of the plan," Silent said, giving Coral an exaggerated, conspiratorial wink. "Good job."

Coral relaxed and puffed up with pride under the cherished praise. "I'll check the forti"—her nose scrunched up—"fortini"—she huffed—"fortinifications!" With another salute, she bounded off the bed and marched out the door.

Meanwhile, Clement snored at Crystal's side, and Silent chuckled. "Well, my love." He leaned over to nose her cheek before he put the sleeping Clement onto his back and climbed off the bed. "Are you ready for your surprise?"

Crystal hummed in acknowledgement, following after him with a warm, fuzzy feeling in her chest. Every day with her family was a gift, but Silent always made Hearts and Hooves Day special. Years of marriage had done little to damper their relationship; in fact, she felt it grew stronger with each passing anniversary.

Coral's high-pitched shriek tore through her thoughts. "Intruder!"

Both Crystal and Silent looked at one another with wide eyes before they broke in a full gallop down the hall. Crystal's magic grabbed Clement so Silent could surge ahead, his body rigid and ready for a fight.

The moment he crossed the threshold into the living room and saw whoever had broken into their home, however, all of the tension fell away. His head tilted one way and his wings relaxed at his sides. "Dream Pop?"

Crystal came up beside him just in time to see the mare in question sitting on their sofa, hooves raised, and under threat of fire from Coral's little horn. She could barely contain a giggle at the sight. "Oh, Sil, I think we're too old for this kind of Hearts and Hooves Day surprise."

Though Silent shot her a confused look, Dream Pop burst into laughter. "Wow!" she managed between gasps for air and giggles. "I mean, if that's what you're into, that's super okay, and I'm definitely flattered, but no thanks!"

"What?" Silent raised a hoof to rub between his eyes. "What's going on?"

Dream Pop snickered and grinned. "'Tis the season to be naughty."

With a gasp, Coral spun around to stare up at Crystal with wide eyes. "Does Mama need to go to the naughty corner?"

"No, sweetie, no." Crystal struggled to keep a straight face. "This is a different kind of naughty."

Coral's lips curled into a rounded shape. "Ooh, like when Colonel sometimes span—"

"Yes!" Crystal interrupted quickly, heat rushing to her cheeks as she cleared her throat. "Yes, something like that." She crossed the floor to pat the filly on the head and returned her attention to Dream Pop. "Not that we don't enjoy seeing you, but what are you doing here?"

"I let myself in," Dream Pop said, and when they just stared expectantly at her, she added, "With my key!"

Silent's ear flicked. "Your key? What key?"

"The key you gave me when we were renovating this place." Dream Pop reached into her little kitty face satchel and retrieved a key that she waved in the air. "You never asked for it back, so I assumed it was mine to keep!"

"That checks out," Silent said before he looked over at Crystal. "Okay then."

Fatigue already started to sink deep into her bones as Crystal returned Clement to his favorite spot on his father's back. Today was meant to be a private day between her husband and herself with minimal interruption from the foals. That plan already seemed foiled and the day had hardly even started.

Silent gave her an encouraging smile, then walked toward the kitchen door and called over his shoulder, "Cadet Coral, come along. Let's continue with Operation Breakfast while Mama talks to Dream Pop."

Coral nodded curtly and marched after her father. "Sir, yes, sir!"

Dream Pop giggled as she watched them leave. "It's super cute how she's like a little miniature Silent. Every day she gets more and more like him."

"Yes, it is," Crystal said idly, walking over to her preferred beanbag chair. It was easier to lower herself onto and much more comfortable than trying to settle onto the couch. "What brings you by?"

"Oh! Right to business. I guess that's why you're, well, you, huh?" Dream Pop grinned. "I'm here to invite you to Hearth's Warming with my family."

"Hearth's Warming," Crystal repeated without any attempt to hide the confusion in her voice.

Dream Pop nodded. "Yep! With my family."

There was a long pause before Crystal frowned. "Dream Pop, today is Hearts and Hooves Day."

"Yep!"

Crystal lifted her gaze to the ceiling to try to stifle her grin. It was time to treat Dream Pop like a lazy Clement who couldn't decide on breakfast. "Okay," she said in a soft voice, meeting Dream Pop's gaze again, "while we'd be happy to join you, today isn't Hearth's Warming. Today is a special day where I get to eat lots of chocolate and enjoy quality time with my husband. Okay?"

"Oh." Dream Pop blinked once, twice, then laughed. "Oh, I see where the confusion is! I almost forgot that most ponies celebrate Hearth's Warming on Hearth's Warming." She waved a hoof, laughing again. "Sorry, no, because everypony in my family has super busy schedules, Hearth's Warming can happen any time of the year! And this year, it's today!"

"Today." Crystal's gentle smile fell into a wary frown. "As in, you want us to spend the day—today—with you and your family?"

It was difficult to hide the slight irritation that began to bubble to the surface. Regardless of how dear Dream Pop was to her and Silent, this was not the kind of surprise she'd wanted today of all days.

Dream Pop clapped her hooves. "Exactly! There's a train that leaves in an hour, so if you wrangle up the foals and pack now, we can be at the platform with time to spare!" She tilted her head toward Crystal's stomach and added with a wink, "Besides, I think you and Silent have had more than enough quality time as it is."

The seemingly simple request came with ramifications that Dream Pop didn't seem to appreciate. Hearts and Hooves Day wasn't just about love.

It was about chocolate. And quiet. Coral took the day as her mission to be on her best behavior and let Mommy and Daddy enjoy private time together. She didn't always succeed, but at least she tried, and it was the thought that counted for something.

Tomorrow, however, Coral would be back to impromptu leg sweeps, wooden swords, and fighting with her brother over his lack of proper military discipline.

Despite the momentary dismay, Crystal had to admit that Dream Pop never asked for anything frivolously. Whenever she did make a request of them, it was for a purpose.

And more than that, both Crystal and Silent owed Dream Pop so much that it would be truly despicable of them to turn her away.

Slowly, reluctantly, Crystal smiled. "Sil," she called, turning her head, "how far along are you with breakfast?"

There were sounds of clattering and a surprised yelp before Silent appeared at the doorway, Clement still curled between his wings and Coral wearing a bowl on her head that dripped pancake batter onto the floor.

"Sorry," Silent said with a light, crooked grin. "My cadet was trying to show me how her magic had improved."

Coral's voice echoed around the inside of the bowl. "And I would've had it, too, if it weren't for that pesky interruption."

Stifling a laugh, Crystal shook her head. "It's all right. We'll be having breakfast on the train today, it seems."

Silent tilted his head and swiveled his ears toward her. "The train? I didn't plan a train ride for today."

"I did!" Dream Pop chimed, waving one hoof.

"Yes, Dream Pop has invited us to spend Hearts and Hooves Day with her family to celebrate Hearth's Warming, it seems." Crystal pushed herself out of the beanbag chair, groaning lightly from the persistent ache in her back.

After a long, thoughtful pause—where he likely did the same math she had—Silent relented with a nod. "All right. Where are we going, then?"

Dream Pop replied with a small giggling snort, "Appleloosa, of course!"

Silent looked at Crystal, who looked right back at him. His brow furrowed to ask if she was certain this was okay, and her eyes crinkled with a smile to assure him it was all right. As his expression softened, they said together, "Of course."