Twilight carefully cut two slices from the decadent chocolate dessert that Sunset had brought with her the night before, smiling brightly and humming to herself. She was finally starting to feel more like herself, after an afternoon spent watching movies with her family, tucked up next to Sunset on the floor, their fingers secretly laced together and their shoulders touching. Though to be fair, she hadn’t paid much attention to the last movie—she was too busy focusing on the way Sunset had been stroking fingers along her wrist and forearm, sending pleasant tingles along her nerve endings.

Footsteps alerted her to another presence in the kitchen, and familiarity with her various family members recognized the gait and weight of the steps as her mother’s. The steps themselves were light and the movements brisk, consistent with the way her mother moved and carried herself when she was content and in a good mood. That suggested that the calm, easy day had eased more than her own stresses, and left her family in decent moods as well. She set the knife down on the counter and turned around. “Hi, Mom...” she offered quietly, feeling a little guilt nip at her, in part for her contribution to the unpleasantness from the night before.

Her emotions must have shown on her face, because Velvet stepped closer, pulling her into a hug. “I’m glad to see you’re feeling better, Little Bug,” she murmured, kissing the top of Twilight’s head and letting the teenager sink into the comforting embrace. The diminutive nickname was something her mother hadn’t called her in years, but it felt good to hear it again.

“Thanks, Mom,” Twilight answered, squeezing tighter. “...I’m sorry I pushed you away yesterday. I know you were trying to help, but—”

“No buts, Twilight,” her mother asserted, “and no apologies either. You didn’t do anything wrong to merit either of those things.”

“I pushed you away. I hurt you when I do that, I know I do.”

Twilight Velvet was quiet for a moment, hand rubbing her back. “Sweetheart, do you know why it hurts me?” she asked at last.

Biting her lip, the dark haired teen blinked back tears. “...because I don’t want your help?” she ventured.

“No,” her mother answered gently. “It hurts when I see you hurting and I can’t do anything to help...but that’s not your fault, and I have never blamed you for that. It’s just part of how your brain works when you’re stressed, and it’s something you’ve always done.” Fingers carded lightly through her ponytail. “There have always been times where only a specific person could help you—don’t you remember all the times you had to call Cady at her dorm? Or the time you wouldn’t come out of your closet until Shining went in and talked to you?” Velvet kissed the top of her head again. “It’s just part of who you are, sweetheart, and I love all of who you are, not just parts.”

“I love you too, Mom.” A deep sigh escaped her, carrying the guilt away with it, but the next inhale brought questions that she found herself blurting into her mother’s shoulder. “Mom...how do you know all these things—what I’m feeling, what to say to make it better...? And if it’s not something that’s difficult, why is it the woman who was Sunny’s guardian couldn’t do it too? It’s not fair! She deserves better than what that woman put her through!”

Another one of those silences stretched on as Velvet considered the answer. Her words, when she spoke, were careful and deliberate. “I don’t know the exact reason, Twily. I know for me, it’s just part of being a mom, because my children—all of them—are the most important people in my life. Your grandmother was the same way when I was young, and I guess you could say I learned some of what I do from her, especially because she was such a big help when your brother was very young. I don’t know Sunset’s former caretaker or the details of their relationship, though I can infer. In the end, there’s a lot of reasons why someone might not be very good at being a parent.” She paused, further collecting her thoughts. “Perhaps she had no good reference in her own parents, or maybe she just didn’t know how to deal with Sunset’s personality and needs...or perhaps she was someone a lot like your Principal, someone who cared a lot about academics, appearances, and reputation, but sees emotion and such as weaknesses to be controlled or contained.”

On one hand, her mother’s explanation was a sound and logical one, something Twilight appreciated. On the other, though, it just...felt wrong, in a way that was difficult to put a finger on. Chewing on her lip, she pulled back from the hug, fighting the urge to start pacing while she thought. “...I...guess...but...” She took a deep breath, collecting her somewhat scattered thoughts into a more coherent narrative. “She ran away, Mom. I can’t imagine, if her guardian was just... like that... that Sunset would find running away the better alternative.”

She could tell her mother was filing that information away, but it took a backseat to her own growing frustration. “A strict parental figure or even an emotionally distant guardian doesn’t cause what happened last night,” she stated, finally figuring out what was eating at her. “The way Shining talked about it, the way she was acting...” Twilight trembled as the words broke free.

Velvet gave her another hug. “I know, sweetheart, and it’s hard when someone we love suffered, especially unnecessarily....but don’t get too stuck on trying to dig up the hows and whys of Sunset’s past, alright? It’s more important that we focus on the fact that she has safe places now, and that we are here for her when she needs us...because if what we all suspect is true, Twily, she is going to need all of us—and especially you—as she starts to work through it. Just like last night.”

The teenager knew her mother was right, as much as she didn’t like to admit it. She had a track record of struggling when it came to understanding boundaries and comfort levels when discussing emotionally sensitive subjects with others. Her own internal ‘need to know’ that drove her to pick apart a topic so she could learn and understand all its component parts often made her more blind than normal to all the signs and social cues that a person would give off when she was pushing against a boundary. Often, nothing short of directly and firmly telling her to stop could get through to the buzzing in her brain that compelled her to keep pushing for ‘just one more answer.’

“I...was going to try and talk to her about the nightmare a little tonight,” Twilight admitted. “We mostly talked this morning about my panic attack and how it made me feel...though Sunny did like the idea of sharing contact information as part of an emergency system.” She turned back to preparing the two small plates of dessert, needing to do something with her hands before her thoughts made her twitchy again.

She could hear her mother moving around the kitchen, hear the clink of ceramic mugs, and smell more chocolate. Her mom was making up a batch of her delicious hot cocoa, she realized. Velvet spoke as she worked. “I think that was a wonderful idea, having us share our numbers with Sunset. It’s something we probably should have offered sooner but...your father and I didn’t want to overstep.”

“I think it would have been okay. Sunset really does like you guys...she’s said as much to me. Plus, you guys gave her a room. That’s...a little beyond just phone numbers.”

There was the sound of the stove turning on, and the scent of rich, creamy chocolate soon filled the air. “I suppose you’re right on that—we just wanted her to know she has a place here if she wants it, and adults who care.”

Velvet fell silent for a time, focused on the cocoa, long enough that Twilight was just about to assume the conversation was over and head up to see if Sunset was done with her shower yet. “I am really glad you’ve found someone you connect with the way you do with Sunset,” she said, the sudden continuation of the conversation breaking into the comfortable bubble of quiet in a way that jolted Twilight’s senses, startling her out of her thoughts. “I know you’ve had other friends in the past, and that they were good kids, but...not like what I see with you and Sunset.”

Twilight felt her stomach twinge with worry. Did her mother suspect? Could she tell her if she needed to? No, she decided quickly. She wasn’t ready, and she hurried to give an answer that would work. “Sunny...just gets me...and in a lot of ways, I get her. She...it’s not like watching something completely alien when I try to understand what she’s thinking or feeling, and I don’t have to try so hard to just interact with her. I...can just be me, and she’s happy with that.” She finally met her mother’s gaze, from where she had turned away from the pot on the stove. “She is the best friend I’ve ever had...and I trust her.”

“I know you do, Twily, and I’m glad you have someone you can confide in, who looks out for you as much as you look out for her.” Her mother began pouring steaming cocoa into the mugs, before placing two of them on a tray. “At the same time, I want you to know that if you ever want to talk to me about anything at all, I will always be available to listen, and no matter what you tell me, I will always love you.” She paused in the act of topping the two mugs with whipped cream to meet Twilight’s eyes. “Okay, Little Bug?”

Purple eyes stared at her mother, the mind behind them thrown into overdrive. Did her mother know she was hiding things, keeping secrets? Was now the right time to confess to some of it? Or was this about something else. Maybe it was time to admit some of it—the longer she was with Sunset, the harder it was to hide her feelings.

She opened her mouth to answer, prepared to out herself in a sudden, impulsive moment. “Mom, I—”

And then her mind reengaged with a wrenching sensation that left her stomach twisting itself up in anxious knots. Even if her parents were accepting, which even her brain at its most negative admitted they likely would be, what would happen if other people found out? Like...the rest of the family? Or people at school? What would it do to her life, to Sunset’s, if their relationship offended the wrong person? She remembered the way Glamour had looked, talking with her the day after the party, about how she was worried about her parents finding out, of being disowned and having the funding for her education pulled, leaving her with no way to finish the degree she wanted to get. The way Platinum Filigree and Aunt Alabaster had looked at her for daring to ‘associate with someone lower on the social ladder.’ How Summer Breeze always harped about ‘snagging a man...’ What would they do if they found out about her sexuality? Her parents already had to deal with playing their social games to avoid offending them—money and influence could ruin their careers easily. Would they be blamed for ‘allowing’ their daughter to be interested in women, dating another girl?

And what about school? Her peers were ruthless, finding anything they could exploit about each other and her to try and get ahead? Her teachers, if they knew? Would they approve? Or would they grade her that much harder than they already did, to prove she wasn’t good enough to them? ....and what about Principal Cinch? The woman was stern and had no time for drama—if Twilight caused it, what would happen then? Especially since, statistically, most high school relationships didn’t last that long...

She could feel letters of recommendation and glowing endorsements for her future academics and career drying up before her eyes. It made the words stick in her throat, refusing to come out into the open air. Twilight turned away from her mother once more, driven by the compulsion to do something with her hands to help curb her impending panic. This time, she settled for washing the knife and returning the rest of the dessert to the fridge, and thankfully, her mother didn’t push the issue, giving her time to be able to speak.

“....I...thanks, Mom,” she finished lamely. “It means a lot to hear you say that.” Twilight wasn’t ready but that didn’t mean she couldn’t let her mother know how much good it did to have that declaration made to her.

Her mother had taken the opportunity to place the desserts on the same tray as the two cups of cocoa and added a few napkins. When Twilight turned back around, she handed the tray over. “Thought you girls would enjoy a hot drink with your snack.” Velvet met her gaze firmly. “Just remember, sweetheart, that there is nothing in this world or even in any other hypothetical world your mind can conjure up, that could ever make me stop loving you—I promise. You will always be my Little Bug, Twily, even when you eventually have a Ph.D. or three under your belt.” She leaned in and kissed her forehead, tapping her nose with a finger as she stepped back to let her go upstairs. “Nothing and no one, not even if you were to repeat that little experiment with the permanent marker slime and my favorite sweater.” She winked. “Now go on, before your drinks get cold. You girls enjoy the rest of your night.”

Here you go, have some warm and fuzzies as we approach the holiday season. Once again, Velvet shows why she is "Best Mom" and one of the secret heroes of the story.

Now if we could just get the girls to open up about what they're hiding.

Short chapter this week, but kind of an important one! Mother-daughter bonding!