"Wake up, Pa!"

Big Mac came to slowly, like a bear waking from winter. His daughter's face was approximately half an inch from his snout, and she greeted him with a bright, snaggle-toothed smile.

"Hullo, Peachy."

"Don't just lie there!" Peachy was impatiently shoving at his side, trying to herd the huge stallion to his hooves. "Git up! We got apple-buckin' to do! On your hooves, lazybones!"

"Apple-buckin?" Mac yawned, rising to sit on his haunches. "...It's too early, Peach. Apples ain't ripe yet." He smiled down at her fondly. " 'Sides, you're too little to be much help."

"No I ain't!" Peachy whined, ears folding back. "Mama says I'm a whole inch taller than I was last year!" To demonstrate, she reared up onto her hind legs, but wobbled and fell over in a tangle of limbs. For a moment Mac watched her tiny hooves paddle in the air, as she struggled to right herself. With his hoof, he gently nudged her right side up.

"S-see?" Peachy pled, hay stuck in her mane. "I'm big and strong! I can help, Pa! Please?"

She'd turned the full might of her puppy-dog eyes on him, but Big Mac liked to think he was developing an immunity. At least when it involved his filly's safety. "Eenope." He said sternly. "You're too small, Peachy. You could get hurt."

Peachy pouted, and scuffed the ground with her hoof. "It ain't no fun bein' little."

"Ain't nothin' wrong with bein' little. You're plenty of help to yer Ma, and Aunty AJ."

"But I wanna help you, Daddy." Peachy sniffled. "I miss you when you're out in the orchards all day. And you have to do all of Aunty AJ's work, cuz she's gonna have a foal soon....it ain't fair. I wish I could help. I wish I was grown up."

Big Mac gazed down at his forlorn little filly, and found himself wanting to tell her to never grow up. To stay tiny and sweet and perfect forever. Instead he pulled her into a hug.

"Y'know, I used to be pretty little myself."

"Nuh-uh." Peachy shot him a flat look.

"Uh-huh." Mac teased. "The tiniest colt in my class. Even littler than you." He booped her muzzle with his hoof, and felt a victory at her giggle. "And shy. Sooner run away than look at ya."

"Mama says you're still shy, Pa."

"Eh." Mac shrugged. "Point is, everypony is little once, and just once. Don't rush growin' up. Ain't as much fun bein' big. Little ponies get to play outside, and bake with Granny, and read stories with Ma-"

"And catch fireflies!" Peachy interrupted, brimming with enthusiasm. "Little ponies get to go explorin', and read comic books, and and eat zap apple candy, and-"

Mac listened to his daughter rattle off examples, bouncing on her hooves with newfound joy. "And draw with crayons, and listen to radio with Granny, and-" Her voice was suddenly interrupted by a thunderous growl from her stomach. She glanced back at him, cheeks crimson.

"And go eat lunch back in the house." He finished.

"....and get carried home by Pa?" She asked, peeking at him shyly.

Mac regarded his daughter with a warm smile. He stood to his hooves, then knelt so she could clamber up onto his back.

"Eeyup."