A ringing sound broke through Grannysmith Apple’s mental funk: the bell above the entrance to the cafe where she sat alone, nursing a cup of cooling coffee. She raised her eyes from her cup, and felt her stomach knot; Mayor Mare stood in the doorway, giving her a tense frown.

The soft buzz of conversation rippled through the few other occupied tables as Mayor Mare approached her. “Good morning, Grannysmith. I didn’t expect you’d be in town this morning, what with harvest preparations and, ah, [i]changes[/i] in your home.”

“Harvest or no, it didn’t seem right tryin’ to roust Bright Mac and Pear Butter outta bed at dawn on their first morning as husband and wife. Reckon I probably wouldn’t get much response if I tried, y’know?”

“That’s kind of you,” Mayor Mare said, clearing her throat. “I suppose the situation does call for a bit of… getting used to.”

Grannysmith wrinkled her muzzle. “We’ve been friends for a long time, Marey. If you’re here to talk about you marrying away my little boy without so much as a how-do-you-do, you best get talkin’.”

Mayor Mare pulled out a chair and sat herself down. “I am [i]so sorry[/i] for how you found out. I was going to come around sometime to tell you that Bright Mac had talked to me about marrying them, but I… I just could never quite find the words. Then yesterday he told me it [i]had[/i] to be then.”

“Well, you should’ve told me [i]something![/i] He’s my [i]boy[/i], and you know them two ain’t much past legal to get married. Shoot, the paper’s been full of talk about Princess Celestia looking to [i]raise[/i] limits!”

“I wouldn’t do this for just anypony.” Mayor Mare looked down at the table. “If I didn’t know how [i]sensible[/i] Bright Mac is… if the [i]whole town[/i] hadn’t known how much they cared about each other, or how unfair… ah, her father was…”

“You were gonna say, ‘Their parents.’”

Mayor Mare blushed. “I wanted you to see it; everypony did. And it seemed like there was still time to bring you around, until her father forced things.”

“Well, that’s a Pear for you.” Grannysmith shook her head. “Poor girl. She’s a sweetheart; I can’t fault my boy for seeing good in her.” She locked eyes with Mayor Mare. “Can’t say I’m happy with you right now, Marey; but when I look at that girl… I ain’t quite mad, either. Not sure what to call this feeling, to be honest.”

A smile worked its way across Mayor Mare’s face. “I’m grateful you’d at least say that much, Granny.”

“Well, and that’s another thing that doesn’t sit quite right with me.”

“Sorry… ‘Granny?’ I just meant it like you call me ‘Marey.’”

“It’s different, though. I’ve always known ‘Grannysmith’ was a stone’s throw away from ‘Granny Smith,’ but I never felt [i]ready[/i] to think about Bright Mac… getting older. Going on dates, then going steady… and with a [i]Pear![/i]” She took a sip of coffee. “Now all of a sudden he’s [i]married.[/i] And mark my words, with those two in the master suite, it won’t be long before I [i]will[/i] be ‘Granny.’”

Mayor Mare reached across the table and placed her hooves atop Grannysmith’s. “Tell me what I can do to help make this right for you. [i]Please.[/i] I know that I’m responsible for this, at least in part.”

“I don’t know. Right now I just need some time alone to take things in. Maybe having today off will be enough. Can’t sit around mopin’ about my [i]feelings[/i] with the harvest on its way.”

“I guess, if that’s what you really need…” Mayor Mare hesitated. “I hate leaving a friend alone at a time like this, though. Maybe I could still do something that would let you keep your space until you’re ready for more? Oh! How about if I bring some dinner out to Sweet Apple Acres tonight?”

“Hmm. Sounds mighty generous, but maybe you could take my son and daughter-in-law out to eat instead? Might be that they’d appreciate a chance to get to know the mare who married them a little better.” Grannysmith put on a wry smile. “Besides, I might need a little more time to wrap my head around Bright Mac being married before I sit through dinner with them two makin’ goo-goo eyes at each other the whole time.”

Mayor Mare smiled. “I suppose that does sound nice. So… still friends?”

“You betcha,” Grannysmith said, raising her cup.