Pony

October 28, 2024

Chapell Roan is blaring over the loud speakers as I walk into the coffee shop my sister and I opened together just three months ago. I can hear her in the back, baking for the next day, even though we agreed that I would bake on Fridays so she could go out with her new boyfriend. Summer had always been very independent, so it worried me that she was here and not out with him, when we had just talked about how much she liked spending time with him, the night before.

“Summer! What are you doing here?” I try to yell over Pink Pony Club, very unsuccessfully. But I can tell she can hear me because she begins to sing louder and dance bigger.

“PINK PONY CLUB, I’M GONNA KEEP ON DANCING, AT THE PINK PONY CLUB!” And I know the best thing I can do right now is join her. I grab my apron and tie it tightly around my waist, and throw my hands in the air with her, dancing along to the vibrant beat and grabbing her hands. We had always been a dancing duo - when we were little, we would have movie nights, and listen to every song at the end of the movie and dance along to the closing credits. We had both been in show choir in high school, and found singing and dancing to be very therapeutic.

As the song settled down, and we got into a rhythm of wrapping the cinnamon rolls so they could be ready for the oven in the morning, Casual came on over the small, very powerful, red speaker she had purchased for us in the back room.

"What’s going on, Summer? Why are you here?” She gave me the “I don’t want to talk about it” look, but I still pressed. “Come on, talk to me, tonight was supposed to be my night to get the baked goods ready. Why are you here? Don’t you have a night planned with Peter?” Her eyes were welling up with tears, but she brushed them away quickly with the back of her flower covered hand.

“Yeah, I am not so sure that is working out?” She said as she shifted her focus back onto the cinnamon rolls.

“Why? What happened?” I pried. “You guys seemed so happy!”

“Well, I was, but he was happily seeing someone else. Wait, no, that’s wrong. I was the someone else. I found out he is married, Autumn. Married! And he has been for the past six years! What on earth was I thinking?” At this, it was anger in her eyes, not sadness. She and Peter had been going out for the past six months, and Summer had been getting very serious about him. She was not someone who usually allowed herself to feel, or become vulnerable with someone, so this felt like an even bigger blow.

“No! Way!” I exclaimed. How could this happen to my little sister? “How did you find out?”

Kaleidoscope started playing on the speaker and Summer took a deep, cleansing, breath.

“I happened upon another Facebook, his real Facebook, where his profile shows him and his wife, Rebecca with a cute little round belly. Autumn, he has been cheating with me while his wife is pregnant and I am just not even sure what to do. Do I tell her? Do I confront him? Do I tell him he needs to choose one? Because it has to be her. I would never forgive myself if I caused him to leave his own child. Autumn, what do I do?” At this point, there was desperation in her voice, and her eyes began to glisten with tears.

“Oh, honey, I am so sorry. Come here.” I wrapped my arms around her, doing my best to avoid getting flower all over her back, and knowing that I was failing.

“How could I do this to her?” She sobbed.

“You had no way of knowing. You cannot blame yourself, but something does have to happen. What feels best to you? What do you want the next steps to be?” I wanted to give her the space to make a decision without me, if she wanted to. Growing up, I was often talking for her, and letting others know what she wanted. My mother often scolded me for it, actually.

“I don’t know, Autumn! What am I supposed to do? What would you want me to do if you were Rebecca?” Giving in to her desire for my advice, I wiped my hands on my apron and straightened my back; ready to devise a plan with her.

“Okay, here is what you are going to do.” At this, Summers face instantly lit up. It was one of my greatest joys that she took my advice so seriously. “You are going to act like things are normal. You are going to call him tonight and tell him that there was an emergency at the shop or that you weren’t feeling well. Then, we are going to reach out to Rebecca, when we know that he is not going to be around, and we are going to meet up with her in person, when we can. Okay?” she nodded. “Then, if she is up for it, we are going to John Tucker Must Die him. Do you understand?” Relief was coming off of her in waves, and she had perked up already.

“I am going to go call him now.” She said, bouncing away.