How Green Becomes Wood

"Yes," Dark admitted, "He did. And I did not believe him until he forced me to try it. I trust very little regarding his taste in food, but he was right about that."

"I've tried it, I just can't really get into it," Daizi said, reaching across to touch the back of Dark's neck. Finding a kernel of corn stashed there, she rubbed it between her forefinger and thumb for a few moments, confused, and then replaced it, drawing her hand back, "Cooger is delighted everytime I oblige him in going to an American Barbecue place, but I really don't get it."
 
"That's okay. I don't love barbecue, either. I like it, but not that much," Alec said cheerfully. He yawned and leaned back in his seat. "What was the hardest game you played today?"

Xander spotted his chance and slipped some corn into Daizi's pocket.
 
"Me?" Daizi asked, "All of the games required sight, all of them were difficult."

"Because most of these did not give out prizes, most were not rigged. It was easier than normal," Dark answered for himself, "They are games I have played a thousand times." Reaching forward, Dark turned up the music, then sat back. "Now all we have to do is find the time to actually carve these pumpkins."
 
"Could do it tomorrow," Xander yawned. He waited a moment and then slipped some corn in Daizi's other pocket. He didn't dare try for her collar. She was far too sensitive for that.

"Tomorrow sounds good, maybe after my thing," Alec murmured.
 
Dark shook his head, "No, we cannot. We still have twenty four days before Halloween, if we carve them tomorrow, they will rot prematurely. We need to wait until closer to Halloween."

Daizi hummed quietly along to the music, resting her head against the window, "Uncarved pumpkins will last long enough, though."
 
"Then we put them somewhere cool and undisturbed, like the basement, and leave them alone for something like twenty days," Alec said cheerfully. "I'm sure we'll find time in there somewhere."
 
"We can put them in the basement," Dark replied with a shrug, "But these are fresh. They will last 24 days uncarved even outside, especially now that it is getting colder. Were I concerned about them not lasting, I would not have brought us to get them so soon."

As they pulled into the driveway, Ivy began to fuss, waking up from her deep nap.

"Hush, sweet girl," Daizi hummed as her husband parked. As soon as she could, she stepped out and opened Ivy's door, unbuckling her, "You're home, now. You had a very long day, habibti."

Ivy looked upwards at the face above her and reached up, "Mama!"

"I'm here, sweet girl." She cooed back, kissing her baby's forehead as she picked her up. Meanwhile, Dark went around to the trunk to get the pumpkins out.
 
Alec and Xander waited in the car a little longer as everyone else left. They exchanged a glance.

"Mama is going to be fully focused on Ivy for a while with this new development," Alec said quietly.

Xander gave a slight nod. "Yep. She's going to be pretty singular-focused for a bit."

"Do you think it'll make her feel better? At least, for a while?" Alec asked softly.

Xander glanced toward the front door where Daizi and Ivy were going. "I hope so."

"Me too," Alec agreed. "But... Do you think, with that focus...?"

"She's going to feel guilty about not giving us enough time?" Xander finished. When Alec nodded, Xander pushed the car door open and started to get out. "I think having basically her entire family tree here will keep her too distracted for that. I hope."

"Me too," Alec agreed again as he followed Xander.

The pair retrieved their few items and helped Dark with the pumpkins as they headed inside.
 
Daizi didn't think about much else besides how lovely it was to hear her name in that voice. Twice, now, her name in that voice. She brought her upstairs to the nursery just so she could tell everyone. This was better than her first laugh.

Once inside, Dark glanced up the stairs after his wife, eyes furrowed as he thought through similar hopes and worries as his sons. Then he removed his scarf, hung it up, and bent to pet his dog. "I told you," he said quietly as his children passed him by, "She was going to say Mama before Baba."
 
"Only because you coached her to," Xander said, shaking out his jacket. "Otherwise, it would be an even split, but you put in a lot of extra time to get her to say it."

"Very true," Alec agreed, digging a piece of corn out of his sock. "Although, I wouldn't be surprised if Mama didn't try that with Baba."

"Probably she did, but you know how persistent Ba is," Xander snickered.
 
"And you know how persistent your mother is," He countered, and as he stretched, the corn from his collar toppled helplessly to the ground. Running his tongue across his teeth, Dark stared dimly at it before looking dimly at Xander, "I suppose you had something to do with that?" He sighed, going to get a broom, "She needed it more than I did. That is why I was coaching her."
 
"You always say that, and I don't believe that it is always true, even if I can't always say when it is or isn't," Xander countered. He stepped carefully around the broom. Then he gave himself a good shake, and several bits of corn clattered to the floor. "Now that, that I can say with one-hundred percent certainty that I did it," Xander smirked and quickly scampered away.

Alec gave himself a good shaking, and far more corn fell out. Then he sneezed. "Dusty stuff, that corn!"
 
"No?" Dark asked, taking one more look up at the stairs before soberly telling them, "You should believe it, this time."

As more corn tumbled to the ground, Dark silently mourned his rug and began sweeping up after them, trying to think up a way to get back at his foolish sons.

Upstairs, Daizi was playing with Ivy in the nursery, currently unaware of the corn, while going through her list of friends and telling them the good news. She didn't call all of them, knowing their different schedules and preferences, but she finally made it to S, "Hi, Sally?"
 
"Did she?" Sally cried out, closing her book without putting in the bookmark. "Oh, Daizi, that is marvelous! I am so happy for you! You must be over the moon! That so wonderful!"
 
"She did!" Daizi replied, squeezing Ivy in close with one arm, "Xander thinks she was just repeating the 'Mm' sound, but I don't believe it! She said it twice. Both times when she wanted me. And she only makes that 'Mm' sound with me, anyway, so I know, I know what she said. I can't believe it."
 
"There was this, um, baby race? The twins asked to borrow her while Dark was playing carnival games, and we caught them having entered her in this competition. And she won, first place, after she saw us, and called out for me. Honestly, I think she was overwhelmed by all of it. I was a bit overwhelmed, and I'm not barely over two feet tall. And she crawled to us, and called for me." She swallowed, pausing to pepper her baby's head with kisses, "The second time was when we got home and she woke up from her nap. She---she said my name."
 
"A baby race?" Sally asked, mystified and briefly distracted. Then she turned her attention back to the point at hand. "That is so precious! You should try to get a recording of her saying your name soon so you can have it for when she is older. It will be wonderful to have, and I am so happy for you!"
 
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