ForeverEgg

  As my hooves tio develop it became all the more obvious how the world was not remotely designed for them.

  Surprising, I know.

  It also became apparent how many of the other milk producers elected to have hooves, specifically, none of them. I wondered if Carolyn thought I would have realized that earlier… but at the same time I wouldn't have as handy of an excuse t Deyha out for practice strolls otherwise.

  "Do you ever think of putting jewelry on your tail?"

  "Mmm. no, not really." Deyha mused. "I wouldn't want anything heavy, or noisy, or loose, or strig… you see how the options are a bit slim right?"

  "Totally reasonable, I know you use it to bance."

  "Oh you so you did notice." Deyha's voice took on a teasing tone. "Have you figured out how to use yours for ba? Should I offer lessons?"

  "But it's so much easier to just make you do all the work!"

  "Mhmm poor Brattie, she 't bance, poor dear, someone should carry her."

  "It's a sweet gig." I nodded." I 't reend it highly enough."

  "I'm not always going to be there."

  "Yeah, yeah." I dropped her arm and took a couple steps, my attempt at a spin was a lot less steady but i still didn't fall. "Satisfied?"

  "Mostly."

  I went to take her arm again but she caught my hand, weaving our fiogether. "So if you don't o lean on me, maybe we could work out some other arra?"

  "I'm listening."

  In lieu of reply, she held out her other hand as well, and she began to move. It took me a couple seds to figure it out but with a little bit of filing I started to match her steps. After a few more seds I got the sense of when it was my turn to step bastead of forward, and after many, many, many more seds I got a grasp of how to move with her without taking nearly twice as many steps as her. She was sistent, always right first, the, then together.

  "Where did you learn to dance?"

  "With e Himmelfarb, the rabbi's daughter at the Scarsdale jewish unity ter."

  "What?"

  "Not familiar? Please tell me you've see."

  "Is that a movie? It's just called 'rent'?"

  "Yes and no. Gods, I've never felt this old." Deyha stopped dang but tio hold my hands. "It's a movie and a Broadway musical."

  "Mmm, I'm sensing a movie night in the works." I stepped closer "but where are we going to find a s and some privacy?"

  "Privacy? Whatever would we hat for?" Deyha gasped. "My dear Maddie, do you have some illicit agenda?"

  "You said if I gave you a ce you would take it."

  "Sometimes…" Deyha murmured, "I wonder if your memory is really as bad as you say it is."

  "Selective amnesia or something."

  "Or something."

  "When did you and Deyha start dating?"

  I followed Carolyn as she ied the holding tanks.

  "What gave you the idea that we are dating?" She bent down to read a thermometer and logged it oablet.

  "I… well…"

  She fshed me a smile, "I'm pulling your tail, we met in bootcamp."

  "Why do you do this to me?" I groaned as she advao the ank.

  "Because it's fun, why else? And why do you ask?"

  "I just… I wao know how it all started."

  "So you seduce her?"

  "Carolyn!"

  "Maddie!" Carolyn mock-yelled. "Don't get your panties in a twist. Tell me I'm wrong though, I see the way you look at her."

  "I wouldn't use the term seduce…" I grumbled as she turned back to her tablet.

  "Call it whatever you want, you clearly want to climb her like a tree."

  I scoffed. "Where do you e up with these euphemisms?"

  "Irrelevant. What are you hoping to learn from this story?"

  I felt my face heat up "I'm curious how you… initiated with her."

  Carolyn chuckled. "Not too differently from how I initiated you as you so eloquently put it." she paused and turo look at me. "You're waiting for her to make a move."

  "I… well… yeah? She's been dropping hints for the st couple weeks but--"

  Carolyn burst out ughing. "You're shitting me, really?"

  "Yeah, like, I sarcastically said 'fuck me' and she said if I gave her the ce she would take it…"

  "That's a HINT?!" Carolyn's voice turned shrill.

  "What would you call it?" I crossed my arms.

  "I'm just in shock. Wow. I had no idea it was that bad."

  "What's so bad? What are you talking about?"

  Caroly her tablet down and took my hands in hers. "Maddie. She's into you. Make a move."

  "I--"

  "She's been into you for months."

  "Months? How-- what?"

  "I k from the moment she made you that tuna sandwich, but even she figured it out within a week of you settling in. Oh if you had seen it, the way she fussed about you, It was nonstop the entire fug drive to pick you up."

  "No…"

  "YES!" Carolyn groaned. "I assumed one of you would have-- I don't know-- Why are you making her wait so long?"

  "Making her wait--"

  "Ask. Her. Out." Carolyn shook me.

  "But what if--"

  "What if what?--" she cut me off again. "She says no? You could ask her out on our anniversary and she would e to go out with you."

  "Really?"

  "Probably not, our anniversary is in two weeks though, don't do that to her."

  "I… won't? I would never--"

  "Obviously."

  "Stop interrupting!" I ughed.

  "I'll stop interrupting when you stop being a dumbass!" Carolyn tered. "Ask. Her. the fuck. OUT."

  "Why 't she--"

  "You ask her yourself when you're on your date! Go!" Carolyn dropped my hands. "Go ask her ht now, I won't let you hold her in suspense any longer."

  "But--"

  "Now."

  "I--"

  Carolyn pced her hand over my mouth. "This isn't a request. I am you to go the fuck out there and proposition her or ill…" she trailed off as if struggling to think of a suitable threat. "I'll burn your socks."

  I shook her off "I'm not wearing--"

  "All of them… every single pair of thigh-high fuzzy--"

  "Okay!" I interrupted her for a ge. "I'm going, I 't believe you went through my stuff--"

  She was already cag with glee. "Oh, Maddie. I didn't. It was a shot in the dark but I swear if you don't ght now nowhere oh will be safe from my lighter."

  "You're evil."

  "And you're predictable. Go."

  "I'm--"

  "St to get the st word." She held my shoulders and turned me around.

  I waved her off a off for the exit.

  "Good girl!"

  I flipped her off.

  I found Deyha in the field, wearing her usual shirt, tool belt and hat as she shoveled clover from the bio a bag.

  "Hey Deyha."

  Deyha looked up and smiled, "Hey Maddie!" She lifted the front of her shirt to wipe her face, Immediately obliterating whatever train of thought I might have had when I walked up.

  "What's up?" She fixed her glove and leaned on her shovel.

  "I was w…" I scrambled to recover. "If you… were thirsty?-- if you'd like something to drink! I mean…"

  "Oh!" she tio smile easily. "Some water would be really nice, if you don't mind."

  "Not at all! I'll be right back."

  I hurried back to the barn, blinking away the visual of her stomach, so smooth and inviting, trasting with the sheer power of her thighs. I wondered what I would see if she hadn't been weariool belt… or shirt… but I shook my head to get ba task.

  Water first, then proposition. Proposal. Invitation? Each word only seemed partly correct.

  I nearly bumped into Carolyn as I returo the barn.

  "Oh! You're back already! How did it go?"

  I fumbled for words. "Good! Good, I'm just grabbing her some water real quick."

  "Oh, what did she say? Did she say she was thirsty?" Carolyn winked and I tried to edge past her to the kit area.

  "Uh. Yeah, yeah… I don't want to keep her waiting…"

  "Of course, of course." Carolyn stepped to the side and I hurried along on my quest. I fretted for a moment on how much ice to use, whether a bigger cup was better or cumbersome, and if one squeeze of lemon was enough before I made up my mind and just itted.

  Deyha was right where I left her, leaning against the bine as she checked her phone.

  "Thanks, baby."

  I flushed warm. I couldn't recall her ever using a pet name so casually before and I wondered if it was another hint.

  Deyha drank long and deep, downing nearly half of the liter jug I'd brought out.

  She sighed and wiped her mouth, lettiake the jug back to hold for her, but she didn't make any move to put her gloves ba.

  "So Carolyed me..."

  The warmth was suddenly an inferno. I hugged the cold pitcher to my stomach as I searched her expression for clues.

  "She sends her gratutions." Deyha smiled, seeming genuinely amused at the whole situation. I only managed a nod in reply.

  "I was just w if you might have anything to add, Madeline."

  The way she said my name, so coy and spiratorially, did nothing to help me arrahoughts into sentences, much less words.

  "Well." I looked anywhere but her eyes as I tried to e up with some sort of cover. "So there might have been a slight misuanding…"

  Deyha's eyebrows rose. "Oh?"

  "Not that I-- I mean I do…" I took a shuddering breath. "Do you want to go out? On a date? Sometime? Maybe?"

  Deyha smiled. "Evidently, I've already said yes."

  "That's not what happened!" I paced ihat's not fair you 't just--"

  "The answer is yes, Maddie."

  She held out her hand and I handed her back the jug of water but she just ughed a down behind her before holding out her hand again.

  I took it a her pull me closer.

  I looked at our hands. "Why didn't you say something?"

  "Didn't I?"

  "No! You didn't!"

  "Well, I 't say I'm not disappoio learn that our brurips to the market, and moonlit strolls don't t as dates to you."

  "I-- They do! It's just--"

  "You're such a lesbian."

  "What's that supposed to mean? You are too!"

  "It means I could have called you cute and given my number from day one and you'd still think to yourself 'I wonder if she likes me?' and dohing about it."

  "But you could have-- I don't know-- made it official somehow ages ago!"

  "Hmmm." she mused. "Make it official, huh?"

  "Well… yeah…"

  "And what else could I do for you to let you know I love you?"

  "I guess… say it?"

  "Oh Maddie," she said, "I love you. I've said it with every grano bar I've pced in your hand, with every pebble kicked out of the way of your walking aid, and with every flight of stairs I've carried you up to y you safely in bed."

  "Oh."

  "And I've heard it from you with every surprise visit, every 3d printed gizmo, and every cup of ice water on a sunny day."

  I gazed up at her in stunned silence.

  "Well? Does that satisfy your doubts?"

  "Get down here so I kiss you."

  She chuckled and shook her head. "As you wish."