William awoke to the morning sunshine that found its way through a gap in the curtains, the blue sky and yellow sun was both a relief and an annoyance to William. On one hand the weather was nice but the farm was going to be extremely hot.

The gent sighed as he went about his usual morning routine, he glanced at a clock as he was getting dressed and realized he had enough time to find the local bank on the way to Sweet Apple Acres. With the new determination in mind, William grabbed his wallet and keys before making his way out of the hotel.

Ponyville was surprisingly busier than William was planning on it being, his first sight after leaving the hotel was a stall selling cherries with a large, muscular man standing beside it as he called out offers and prices.

“What is going on?” William looked around the streets to find that stalls were lining all the main roads. He spotted Applejack selling apples from a large stall that appeared to be a modified cart.

“Buy yer freshest apples here folks!” Applejack called out amongst other vendors, she stopped when she saw William approach. “Morning Will, how ya been?”

William smiled politely, “I have been fine, thank you.” The gent stepped aside as Applejack quickly served a customer. “Have you been alright?”

“Yes sir,” Applejack mock saluted. “Ya do realize that Granny Smith can manage by herself? Ya don’t have to head to the farm on market day.”

“Market day?” William looked at the busy streets. “Ah, that explains everything, but I will make my way to Sweet Apple Acres so Granny Smith isn’t left alone.”

Applejack grabbed William’s sleeve before he could think about walking, “No that ain’t necessary, I have almost sold all my Apples so I will be back to the farm before ya know it!”

William looked at the few apples left at the bottom on the deep barrels, his hand reached up to scratch his ear before he smiled again. “We don’t know how long you will be and you will also be tired from working so I believe it is for the best I go now and then see how you are later.”

The farm pony tried to think of an excuse quickly but failed as William nodded politely to her and walked away towards Sweet Apple Acres. “Oh gosh darnit!” Applejack stomped the ground with her boot, “Now I gotta pretend ta be not-tired when I go home.”

“Don’t you mean awake darling?” Rarity suggested as she walked up behind the annoyed Applejack that suddenly gasped at the dress-maker’s sudden appearance. “What has gotten you all worked up today?”

Applejack shook her head to clear her thoughts, “Oh uh… nothing really, just sales are going really well today heh heh.”

Rarity rose an eyebrow at Applejack’s unnatural behaviour, her gaze shifted slightly as she saw William walking only a short distance down the opposite street. “Oh is William still going to help Granny Smith? He is such a gentleman.”

“Yeah but his is really annoying,” Applejack groaned. “Why does he have to always be helpful and not understand that I can work fine without him?”

The girl in the long white dress stepped next to Applejack as she placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Hey, he is just going to be helping you for a few days and then you can tell him to never come back to the farm.”

“Yeah I suppose, but first I had better sell these apples soon,” Applejack waved goodbye to her friend before she began calling to passing shoppers again.

Rarity meanwhile made her way to the nearby post office and handed a letter to a skinny man sitting behind a small wooden desk. “I would like this to be delivered ASAP to Sweet Apple Acres, preferably within the next few hours.”

“Sure thing but the girl we sent with the last batch of mail still hasn’t returned so there may be a delay.” The postman sighed as he looked at a paper schedule, “But the letter can be delivered by… Three PM at the latest.”

“Great, thank you,” Rarity left the post office and walked back to her boutique.

A few minutes later…

William arrived on the apple orchard with his waistcoat slung over his shoulder, hanging it from two fingers in a carefree fashion. “I can’t believe how hot it is getting,” William complained as he walked over to the large wooden house, silently praying that it was cooler inside.

The door was unlocked so William let himself into the house and was thankful that it was much cooler than it was inside. He took his shoes off and hung up his waistcoat before stepping into the living room to see a smiling Granny Smith.

“Howdy there Billy!” The chirpy old woman said happily with a small wave. “I was wonderin’ when you would show up again.”

William entered the room and smiled warmly to Granny Smith, “Good morning, the weather is lovely today but it is very hot."

The grandmother waved her hand in the air as she laughed, “There ain’t nothing like a hot day to work in! It is good for the trees and gives us Apple family a chance to show our stuff!”

“I’m guessing your family has been working on the orchard for generations,” William sat down on the sofa opposite Granny Smith’s chair. “You must be very proud of your grandchildren for keeping it a success.”

“Sure am!” Granny Smith said happily as she gave William a wink and a thumbs up. “The Apple family have the best apples in all of Equestria! We worked hard for them so the apples tasted better, Applejack and Big Mac have been some of the hardest workers the family has ever seen so the Apples have been the tastiest ever.”

William smiled at the lady’s enthusiasm and energy, “Well I can tell you that these Apples are going to be selling quite well today, not only their taste is great but Applejack was amazing at selling them in the market.”

“Heh, she always did have a knack for making herself noticed,” Granny Smith smiled as she looked at the photos of her family on the wall. “Those kids are a nightmare when they are young and they never really change.”

“Children grow up wanting to be like those who raised them,” William chuckled as Granny Smith nodded.

“I was one heck of a girl when I was Applebloom’s age,” Granny Smith sighed as she remembered her childhood. “I was always running about, getting into troubles, met a few friends along the way, and met the kiddie’s grandfather so many years ago.”

William spotted a photo beside Granny Smith, two figures he hadn’t seen before were sat on a bench, the old brown photo was smudged but he could make out what looked like a young Granny Smith and the man beside her must have been her husband.

The young gent coughed quietly before standing up, “Can I get you a drink?”

“Just a glass of water will be fine,” Granny Smith said as William went towards the kitchen to fetch their drinks. “And don’t worry, I took my pills this mornin!”

As William turned on the tap in the kitchen, Applejack hurried in through the front door, panting and sweating. “Ha… ha… made it…”

The exhausted farmer sat at the bottom of the stairs as she caught her breath and began to undo her boots that were restricting her sore feet. As she finally caught her breath she heard William walk back into the living room with two drinks.

From Applejack’s spot, nobody in the living room could see her and neither William or Granny Smith heard her enter the house. She remained silent as William began to talk again.

“Here is your water, it should be refreshing considering the heat,” William sighed happily as he gave Granny Smith a glass of water and sat down with one of his own. “The walk over here was quite tiring for me.”

“Don’t ya do a lot of exercise back in Trottingham?” Granny Smith asked as William took a long sip of his water.

William paused for a moment before smiling, “Well to be honest I haven’t been to Trottingham for quite some time now, business has kept me on the move a lot.”

“Oh that’s a shame,” Granny Smith hummed. “Don’t ya think you could see your family for a little while and have a break?”

“Well to be honest I don’t have any family back in Trottingham,” William stared into his water as he slowly lost his smile. “My grandmother passed away a few years ago and I haven’t stopped travelling since.”

Granny Smith frowned in confusion, “What about yer parents? Aren’t they worried about you?”

“My parents had to leave shortly after I was born,” William shuffled uneasily in the sofa he was sat on. “My grandmother raised me for most of my life.”

Granny Smith saw William reach for his pocket where his glasses were usually kept, but he stopped when he remembered they were in his waistcoat pocket. “So uh… what happened to your parents?”

“My… father’s family are quite a rich family, my mother’s wasn’t,” William sighed sadly as he put on a brave smile. “My grandmother disapproved of my father marrying my mother, so when I was born I was taken from my mother so my father ran away with her.”

The elder lady gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, meanwhile Applejack was doing the same, only in a silent manner. “So why did they leave you behind?”

“My father was cut off from the family so I assume he left me with my grandmother because she could afford to look after me,” William sighed sadly as he gazed around the room. “I had a proper education, met important people but my grandmother became ill so I took care of her for her final years.”

Granny Smith shook her head, “I assume that’s how you got into this business of looking after old saps like me.”

“Kinda… when my grandmother died I inherited enough money to survive on… more than enough,” William hummed before shaking his head. “But I wanted to do something good, and taking care of people had become a small talent so I decided to go and help families through their problems.”

“Can I say something kid?” Granny Smith narrowed her eyes at William, when he nodded she shook her head. “Why have you got to burden yourself with something like that at your age?”

William recoiled, as if the old lady in front of him had just insulted him. He looked back at his water before answering, “Because I don’t want others to have a broken family like I did.”

“So all yer manners and such are because of your grandmother?” Granny Smith asked as William took a sip of his drink.

“Yes, I had to represent a very influential house and my grandmother taught me everything I know,” William smiled as he looked at Granny Smith. “What I learned helped me make lots of people happy so I don’t mind.”

The old farmer sighed as she took a drink of her cold water, “Boy you have missed out on a whole lotta fun.”

“Um… I am afraid I don’t understand what you mean,” William flinched as Granny Smith slammed her drink down onto the table.

“You should have been out getting into trouble! When you are a kid you should be free and experiencing life!” Granny Smith’s smile grew the more her speech dragged on. “When I was your age I done so many things I could have written a book! I could have gone to different cities but I stayed here to choose my life with mah husband! And it was mah decisions that made mah life so great!”

William hummed quietly, “And were you happy? Choosing to do all the things you did?”

“Happy?” Granny Smith gave out a loud laugh. “Boy I was happy all day working those apple trees, doing things that made me happy and doing things that made me scared.”

“Scared?” William rose an eyebrow. “Why would you do that?”

“I was terrified when I said yes to mah husband’s proposal but it was the best decision in my life,” Granny Smith beamed happily at William. “If you took a risk every once in a while then you would actually be happy.”

“I am happy making others happy though… I enjoy my work,” William looked at his reflection in his drink before frowning at himself. “I have plenty of time to do other things…”

Granny Smith leaned forward and stared at William’s uncertain face, “Well what if you ignored some of the best decisions in your life simply because you were told to? Why aren’t you going out and having fun in yer youth rather than being stuck here with some old lady?”

“Well I signed a contract saying that I would help you until you were better or until your family said I was no longer required,” William looked away from Granny Smith as he took another drink and sat in silence.

Applejack peeked out from her spot to see Granny Smith shaking her head and William looking out of the window with a hurt expression. “Maybe you pushed too hard Granny Smith,” Applejack said quietly to herself.

William finished his water and looked at the old lady opposite him, “Why did you marry your husband if the thought made you terrified?”

“Well I took the risk getting to know him and he turned out to be so… loyal, loving and caring,” Granny Smith laughed quietly to herself. “Not to mention he was a demon in the sack!”

Applejack and William both had the same disgusting mental image float briefly through their minds and they both quietly held back their gagging noises.