The smell of grass and rain woke me up this morning. It’s Saturday. I just felt like sleeping in today. Cuddling with a sweet sleeping mare like Star Shine made me never want to get up out of bed. I turned to my side towards her and pet her. She looked up at me already awake. “Good morning.” She said with a yawn. “Morning dear” I responded. “What do you have planned for today?” she said while stretching. Today’s Saturday, so sleep. She giggled at me. “Don’t you have friends?” she asked playfully. I looked down and frowned. “Not really.” I mumbled. It was silent for a few seconds with nothing but the pitter patter of rain on the roof. “She reached out and gave me a hug. “It’s alright Nick, you have me.” I felt warm and fuzzy inside, thanks to the sweet pony. “Now let’s go!” she stood up and hopped off the bed. “Wait, where are we going?” I said as I stumbled out of bed. “We’re going to have fun!”
When I finally got out of bed, the mare made her way to the kitchen. The banging of pots and pans told me she had no idea what she was doing. “Come on Nick!” she yelled from the kitchen. “I can’t do this alone!” I finally reached the kitchen when I saw the pony standing in a pile of flour reaching for something in the cabinets. “Almost.” She mumbled. She was falling off balance and standing of her back hoofs. “Star Shine, what are you doing?” I yelled. She stumbled backwards and ran into the table, spilling a glass of freshly poured orange juice. “Oopsie.” She knew she was in trouble. “I’m sorry Nick, I’ll clean this up.” A wave of my hand stopped her attempt at cleaning up her mess. “No, It’s okay, I’ll clean it up.” I was slightly frustrated, but I tried to hide it. I couldn’t be mad at her, not for an accident. She smiled sweetly at me as our eyes met. “Thank you Nick.” The sweet look in her sparkling eyes reminded me of the stars. The very thing I fantasized about as a kid and strived for in my fantasy world. I was silent for a few more moments. “You’re welcome Star Shine.”
After I had finished cleaning the mess my pony friend had made, I walked into the living room where Star Beam was. She was in my chair. I didn’t mind, I wasn’t going to make her move. “Come sit with me Nick.” She said as she had her eyes stuck to the T.V Screen. Without a word I made my way to the recliner. She hopped on the arm rest giving me all the room I needed to get comfortable. I sat down in the creaky chair and set my eyes on the television. Star Shine surprised me by hopping from the arm rest onto my stomach. She laid down and rested her head on my chest. “Is it okay if we watch this?” She asked. I glanced at the T.V and saw that it was on the Science Channel. “Sure, what is it?” She grabbed the remote and pressed the guide button. “Into the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman.” She looked at me and flashed her puppy dog eyes. Damn it, I can’t say no to those eyes. “Alright.”
It’s not that I have anything against the show, it just reminds me of my fantasies I’ve had when I was a kid. They were cursed memories, they did nothing but bring me down. “Star Shine?” I asked. “Yes?” I looked at the comfortable black, red, and white pony. “What’s your special talent?” She looked at the cutie mark on her flank. “Well, believe it or not, I’m the one who makes the stars in the sky shine. Hence the name “Star Shine”. I also love space and star gazing.” She explained. Deep inside I still knew I still wanted to be an astronaut. I just didn’t have the guts to admit it. I didn’t know how to respond to my mare’s explanation. “I love the stars.” I cringed the minute those words uttered my mouth. She looked up towards me and smiled. “Nick?” She began blushing. “Yes” I responded. “I love you.” My face grew red hot and my glasses began to fog up. Nobody, or pony, has ever told me they loved me. I didn’t know how to respond. I froze up. The mare was waiting for a reply and I was frozen with shock and fear. “Screw it” I thought. I opened my mouth and tried to utter those four words. “I love you too.”