How Green Becomes Wood

"We're all here," Zeinab said brightly, going to meet them at the door, "Your mother is just upstairs and your father is changing a diaper. Welcome home, how are you both? Was school good?"
 
"HI, Amty!" Alec hugged her happily. "I have to go to work in a minute, but school was good! I got a good grade on something I wasn't confident in."

"Not bad," Xander agreed. "Some stupid kid sitting in front of us in algebra wouldn't stop talking qnd the teacher blamed me." He snorted, not at getting into trouble for someone else's doing but what he got into trouble for.
 
"That is wonderful news!" Zeinab replied, hugging Alec back, "Although it is not fair you were blamed for something you didn't do, Xander. You'd think your teacher would be able to differentiate voices."

Dark came down the stairs with Ivy on his hip, letting her, as always, pull at his beard while she babbled, "When you go to work, Alec, would you let Tristan know Daizi and I would like to schedule a time to speak to him about flowers?"​
 
"You'd think," Xander agreed dryly. "It's alright, didn't come to anything."

"Sure!" Alec agreed brightly. "But why don't you contact him all professionally and set a time and date? If I ask him, then he'll just ask me the when, but I don't know the time or day, so then he or I will have to ask you..."

Xander put a hand on Alec's head to make him stop. "This way, if he doesn't do weddings or doesn't have time, he can just say."

"Oh, that makes sense," Alec agreed. "I gotta go change for work." He scampered off to do just that while Xander took care of the backpacks.
 
"I will contact him professionally, but I wanted to give him warning in advance," Dark replied, bouncing Ivy as he spoke, "His schedule is likely more busy than mine at present anyway. Have a good day at work."
 
"Sup, Mini?" Xander greeted his sister, offering her a fist bump.

Alec came down a few seconds later, having swiftly changed into his usual work attire. Neat, long-sleeved, and a bit toned down while still being nice and colorful. "Love you, Ba! Tell Mama I love her, too, please."
 
Ivy grinned at Xander and returned his fistbump before flopping against her father's shoulder and trying to act exceptionally cute to get as much attention as possible.

"I will tell her," Dark replied, "I think she will be glad to hear it."
 
Alec laughed and gave Ivy a kiss on the cheek. "Love you, too, Ivy. Bye!"

Xander went out with Alec and gave him a ride to work, soon returning home. He found Zainab first and asked, "What's up with Mama?"
 
Ivy reached after Alec as he walked, starting to fuss as Alec left the house instead of picking her up, but Dark quickly distracted her from the absolute turmoil of it.

Zeinab was in the kitchen when Xander came up to her, "That's a pretty broad question, can you be more specific?"
 
"She's always here when we get home from school unless either something is wrong or she lost track of time in the garden or playing harp. She hardly harps anymore, qnd it's not really gardening season. Did Mrs. Hollis say something to hurt her? Or the Old Man?" Xander asked suspiciously.
 
Zeinab sighed softly, looking out the window for a few moments before turning around and looking at Xander, "No, Mrs. Hollis didn't hurt her, at least not to my knowledge, and Saladin hasn't spoken to her since Sunday, although I know she is still upset about their fight. But sometimes things are difficult and you need a little extra rest. She's been needing a little extra rest for awhile, but your Mama is one of the most stubborn people I know." She was not from a generation which discussed mental health or mental illnesses, it really wasn't something she personally understood at all, but she recognized when someone needed a little extra care and attention. "I think she's awake, she was the last time I checked to see if she needed anything."
 
Xander nodded, satisfied with that answer. "Alright, good. She definitely needs all the rest she can get." He paused, considering going to check on her, but if Zeinab had just been, then perhaps it was better to leave her be. "Can I help with anything?"
 
"Okay," Xander agreed. He took the fruit and started carefully chopping it. He hesitated halfway through an apple and took out his phone. He looked up some pictures and started cutting the various fruits the way the pictures showed, trying to manipulate the fruit into different shapes. It took him a bit as he was trying something new, but he was pretty good with a knife, and he managed to make a few decent designs with the fruits Zeinab gave him. He showed it to Zeinab first for approval and then carried it upstairs to Daizi's bedroom. He tapped on the door and waited to be allowed in.
 
It took a few moments for Daizi to say whoever was knocking could come in. Like on Sunday when Alec came inside, she was lying in bed with her back to the door, wrapped up in the blanket, but this time when she heard the footsteps she rolled back over and made herself sit up and after listening to the sounds of the footsteps she said, "Xander? I thought you were at the stables."
 
"Not today. I forgot and almost started driving there, but my stuff is canceled," Xander explained. "They are doing some charity event thingy by invitation only and staff only." He walked over and set the plate down on the side table. "I brought snacks."
 
"Fruits," Xander replied. "I tried out some cutting techniques. I went a little too hard, so I kind of mangled them a little."

He'd managed to do things like get the orange peel sliced so it held up the orange slice almost like a bird, and the apple was in a sliding V, but other pieces hadn't come out quite right.
 
"I bet they still taste the same," Daizi replied, touching some of the fruits to feel their shapes, "I wonder what your father could do to fruit, with how well he knows how to carve. What made you decide to try it out?"
 
"I thought you might like something different," Xander shrugged. "And I overheard a couple of girls at school talking about something they saw online. Something about a Vietnamese lady whose mother taught her how to do stuff like that to get a guy."
 
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