Once again, Applejack heard the crack of her hooves against the tree but not the sound of falling apples. She cursed silently. Only four trees in and already her body ached. She may have been old enough now to be considered a mare, but the strength of adulthood was still slow coming. She forced herself to stop panting, took a peek over her shoulder, and winced. In her carelessness, she had broken through the bark, and the reason no more apples were falling was because none were left on the branches. She shook her head in hopes to clear some of the fog from her mind.

As her teeth closed around an apple’s stem, she heard a yip. She turned to find her new puppy, Winona, wagging her tail with such ferocity that her whole body practically shook.

With a flick on her neck, Applejack tossed the apple into a basket. “Not now, Winona,” she said. “I’m busy. Go on home.” She bent down, but a furred form whooshed by and the apple she had been reaching for was gone.

Winona stood in a crouch, the stolen fruit clutched in her mouth like a prize. She growled playfully, her tail never letting up.

“Dang it, Winona! I said I’m busy!” Applejack yelled.

The apple dropped and Winona backed away, whimpering.

A lump formed in Applejack’s throat. She couldn’t even bare to look at her puppy. Her mouth opened but she didn’t trust herself to speak, so she shut it. Instead, she forced herself to smile and stepped forward.

Winona remained in a crouch but didn’t retreat any more. She watched as Applejack lowered her head and flicked the apple forwards with her snout.

“Come on,” Applejack said softly. “Get the apple!”

The wag returned, but much more slowly. Winona approached the apple, then looked up as if asking if it was really alright.

“Go ahead, girl. Get that apple!”

At once, Winona snatched the apple. She gave her prey a quick gnaw before looking at Applejack expectantly.

Trotting over to the basket, Applejack said, “Alright, Winona. Now bring it here.”

When Winona obeyed and dropped the apple at her hooves, Applejack pointed to another fallen fruit. “Look! There’s another!”

After several minutes of an over-excited puppy dashing about, all the apples had been collected. Applejack knew none of the marked-up fruit could be sold, but she was too busy to care as she rolled on the ground and laughed, her puppy licking her face.

Applejack pulled Winona into a hug. “I’m supposed to be the one takin’ care of you,” she said softly, “and here you are bein’ the one takin’ care of me.” She released her squirming puppy and got up, then noticed they weren’t alone.

Macintosh stood back a ways near another row of trees. Little Apple Bloom, wearing that ribbon that was still too large for her, was perched on her brother’s head and shoulders. They both watched Applejack, the former with a ghost of a smile on his lips.

Applejack’s ears dropped but she didn’t look away. “How long you been standin’ there?”

Whatever Apple Bloom had been about to say was cut off by Macintosh saying, “Not long.”

A very important question needed to be asked, but Applejack’s throat had seized up on her. Unable to form the words, Applejack pleaded with her eyes.

“Granny’s goin’ to be fine, AJ,” Macintosh said.

Applejack’s body shook as she released the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She shut her eyes tight against the burning, smiled, and nodded firmly.

“The fever has gone down,” he continued. “Doc says all she needs now is rest, but he’ll stick around a few days to be sure.”

“I’m sorry!” Applejack blurted out. “I just couldn’t be there. Not after—”

“It’s alright, AJ. I know how you felt.”

She opened her eyes, hoping to see shame or anger in her siblings, but knowing like a fool that there would be none. Her brother, grown so much in the past year, just slightly inclined his head. Again, Applejack realized just how much like their father he was turning out to be. Winona yipped, then ran across the path to wag at the others. She looked back at Applejack.

“You gonna be okay, sis?” Apple Bloom asked.

Stepping forward towards her family, Applejack smiled and said, “Yeah. I think I’m gonna be alright.”