to share a space with simple living things

The mandala wrought in stained glass stretched across the greenhouse roof, allowing light to spiral down in multicolored fractals to grace the plants beneath it. Those lovely, colorful lights cast softer shadows than the harsh fluorescents Sable was used to, and she smiled to herself, admiring the way the lights chased themselves among the glossy ficus leaves. 

Primrose was running uncharacteristically late, but Sable found herself enjoying the tender quiet of an empty Garden of Virtues— it was rarely empty, and truth be told Sable never spent much time enjoying the garden’s atmosphere, Primrose always tasking her with one thing or another. Churro was curled up against her legs, but got up when she nudged him with a hoof, stretching out his stubby limbs. “C’mon buddy, it’ll be more comfy on the bench,” she said, and he did a happy wiggle at her voice. 

Sable walked over to a stone bench sitting beside a small fountain, close to the virtue statues. Churro followed close at her heels despite his lack of harness, and when she sat down he pawed at her leg and made pleading eyes up at her.

“I was gonna give you uppies anyways,” she told him fondly, but scooped him up, kissing the top of his head before settling him in her lap. Churro was quick to make himself at home, kneading her sundress before curling up right next to her belly. 

Sable gave him some head scritches, but left him alone to take his well-earned nap. She sighed to herself, closing her eyes as she let the tension out of her body, one body part at a time. It was so, so rare to find this sort of peace outside her cottage— and now it was punctuated with the pleasant scent of dark earth and growing plant life, with the soft bubbling of the fountain. 

She opened her eyes after a long moment, and smiled. The light trickling through the stained glass settled into the water, streaking through the current in ribbons of red, violet, yellow, emerald— every color of the rainbow and then some. It was beautiful. 

Breathe in, four seconds.

Hold, four seconds. Let earth and root and light make a home of your lungs.

Breathe out, seven seconds. Give back what made a home of you.

A door opens somewhere behind her.

Sable lets her eyes flutter open again— when had they closed?— and doesn’t flinch at Primrose’s distinctive heels clicking against the floor. Doesn’t shrink back at his flustered voice ripping through the air.

“I am deeply sorry for being late, Sable, someone was trying to haggle for ambrosia, as if that’s something I would ever do—”

“It’s okay Primrose,” Sable replies, a smile lilting along her voice as Churro hops off her lap to greet the newcomer. “The garden is nice and quiet.”

His footsteps slow a moment, then go back to his brisk pace. “I… yes, I suppose it must be enjoyable for one such as yourself. Hello Churro, you’re quite in the way, if you wouldn’t mind— yes, thank you.”

Sable stifles a giggle into her palm, and looks up at him when Primrose stops beside the bench, Churro stopping behind him. “I wished to ask you to drop some… coffee beans off at Beanny’s cafe,” he says, adjusting his sleeves. The word ‘coffee’ is said with a measure of distaste, as if he were discussing burned food or something of the sort.

“Of course Primrose,” Sable replies, smiling up at him. “I’ll drop them off shortly. I’d like to enjoy the garden a bit longer, since it sounds like this isn’t time sensitive.”

Primrose blinks at her once, then twice. Adjusts his sleeves again, as if he hadn’t before. He clears his throat, but nods. “Of course Sable, in that case I’ll… leave the bag of coffee beans next to the front entrance.”

“Thank you,” she says, and smiles up at him. He offers a smile back, lingering there a moment longer before hurrying off to do one thing or another.

Churro doesn’t follow him this time, instead staying next to Sable as she admires the fountain. It’s different though, with movement and footsteps in the background, and she gets up only a few minutes later to clip Churro’s service imp harness back on.

She slips the bag of coffee beans into her purse, and heads off to Beanny’s cafe, her heart fluttering in the nervous way it always did when she thought of them. “It’s fine,” she says to herself. “It’s okay to be nervous, just… let it float on by.”

Easier said than done perhaps. Sable takes a deep breath, holds it, and lets it out in a gentle exhale. Eventually, Paradise Cafe’s storefront comes into view, glass doors propped open. Upbeat music drifts to Sable’s ears, too faint to make out the vocals. The familiar, friendly cursive of ‘Paradise Cafe’ hangs above the door, and Sable smiles, tail flicking in equal parts excitement and anxiety.

She walks into the building, and is greeted by the smell of fresh coffee grounds and a relatively empty cafe. Beanny is currently chatting with another customer while she makes them their coffee, and the bun— gray-furred with long ears— takes their order and pays for it without much fanfare. Beanny waves to them as they leave, and when her eyes meet Sable’s they light up in a way that sends Sable’s heart into overdrive.

“Sable, hey!! Haven’t seen ya in awhile, you want your usual?”

“Yes please! Though, um— I mostly came to deliver these…”

Sable roots around in her purse a moment, then offers Beanny the bag of coffee beans with a sheepish smile.

“Oh, more errands for Prim I see,” they drawl with a fond eye-roll, but accept the bag of coffee beans, setting it somewhere under one of the shelves. “I’ll get on your usual order though— for here or to go?”

The question hangs awkwardly in the air. Sable’s usual order was to-go, always a little too anxious to stay and chat with her. Beanny never failed to ask though, and Sable takes a deep breath. “Um— for here, actually… and I was wondering if you um— if your break was sometime soon..?”

Beanny’s face lights up, warming Sable’s cheeks like sunrise. That warmth nestles comfortably in her ribcage, and decides to stay awhile. “I’ll take my break now, I don’t even care! Wanna chat at one of the tables?”

“That sounds good,” Sable replies, a touch breathless. 

I should have done this sooner!