How Green Becomes Wood

"Your father gives good advice---thank you, I have no idea how it looks--- but I think it's also important to not make your job too far removed from your passions you have no time for them," Daizi pointed out, then laughed at his joke, "Well don't do that!"

"It worked for me." Dark shrugged, a glimmer in his eyes.

"Goose, if I could aim, I'd throw my slipper at you."

When Kiki started batting at her crayon, Ivy tried to turn away, grumbling unhappy noises.
 
Alec laughed. "Don't teach Ivy to throw things, Mama. Ba, stop teasing your wife," he teased. "And Kiki, come play with this one instead." He picked up Kiki and turned her around, trying to get her attention with his crayon. She was less interested but allowed him to keep her entertained. "You have a good point there."
 
"Only marry rich if you would marry the same person even if they were poor," Daizi advised Alec, "and luckily I can't teach Ivy to throw, because I can't aim well enough to throw anything."

"Teasing your mother is what I am best at," Dark said, leaning forward to take one of the crayons and a piece of paper.
 
"I know," Alec assured his mother. "Rich or poor, healthy or not and all of that!" He drew a heart, letting Kiki chase it around. "That's a while away yet, and I'm not going to put any kind of timeline on it, but it is a hoped for goal."
 
"If you get married one day," Dark said, not looking up, "You must promise you will not wear a boring black suit, and you must promise not to force me into a colorful suit. You are too interesting for the standard groom fare."
 
Alec smiled at his father, truly touched. "That is one of the nicest things you have ever said to me. Thank you. I promise, I will not wear a boring black suit, and I will not force you into a colorful suit. Would you agree to a theoretical colorful accents?"
 
"I suppose that is a suitable compromise," Dark answered, and then after a moment said, "Really, though, the reason why I would not want to wear a colourful suit is it is so unlike me, that were I to arrive wearing one, it would cause a stir. I would not want to detract."
 
"They absolutely would, and the Khalati" Daizi nodded, "and they'd drag the Uncles along. And if the cousins weren't invited, they would all pitch a fit I would field for you. And we would need to be very, very clear it is an American wedding, not an Egyptian one, because we dress very extravagantly for weddings."
 
"If they all came, I would like to try to include something Egyptian to honor that side of my family, but I'm not sure what. That might actually be something I'd have to start considering early so I can do some proper research and think about how to incorporate it respectfully," Alec mused. He wondered if there was anything from Iraq that could work, to honor his father's history, but he didn't want to bring that up right now. There was still a few years before that was even an option, let alone a possibility.
 
"I'd be able to help you with that, provided whoever you marry would like it," Daizi promised, smiling a little bit of being involved in a henna night for her son's bride.

Glancing up at him, Dark recognized Alec only mentioned incorporating Egyptian traditions. He wasn't going to say anything either, also knowing it was a long time away, but he noticed it. Dark also knew what he would suggest, although most of his wedding traditions were more special for the bride. Those, most of all, he hoped to see Ivy participate in, one day.
 
"Good. I look forward to that eventuality. I really hope whoever I marry will be willing to incorporate stuff like that," Alec said. He looked down at his page and frowned. "Wow. I've almost filled up my paper. That's a lot of intense color." He flipped the page over and happily continued.
 
"Maybe you'll marry an Arab girl," Daizi laughed, "Then it'd be easy. You'd be so impressive to an Arab father." Then she held up her page to him. Many of her drawings ended up fairly like scribbles, but it was clear they had started off on track. The star, moon, and spider were most evidence. Something looked like it might be an animal, and another... may also have had ears? Maybe? "How are mine?"
 
"That's true!" Alec laughed. "That would be the perfect scenario!" He studied her pictures carefully. "Hmm. Stars, moons, spiders, and bunnies," he said confidently. "That's a nice assortment, Mama."
 
"One is meant to be Enkidu," Daizi said, running her fingers over where she could feel the wax, not particularly offended he couldn't make out what it is she had tried to draw, "I'm guessing my flower looks like a rabbit?"
 
"Oh, I see Enkidu now!" Alec said with realization. "I thought he was also a rabbit. I think I see the flower now that you've said it. The moon and the star really are very good."
 
"You all," Dark answered, turning his paper around to show a crayon sketch of Daizi, and Ivy working on their individual drawings, while Kiki batted at Alec's crayon, preventing him from drawing on his. It was all done in one colour and wasn't quite as good as his usual work due to the different tool. In it, he had captured a similar look of concentration on Ivy and Daizi's faces. Usually, when Ivy was focusing, she looked more like him, but since they were sitting right next to each other, it emphasized her similarities to her mother.
 
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"Wow. That looks really nice, Ba," Alec said, truly meaning it. "Ivy looks so much like Mama. Don't you agree, Mama? That everything looks very nice?" He knew what he was asking and who he was asking, and he hoped she'd pick up the joke.
 
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