How Green Becomes Wood

"I was just as confused about the event as you are," Daizi laughed, tickling Ivy beneath her chin, "I've been trying to get her to repeat it again without much luck. I do want it on video, so I can listen to it more. Oh, I was the first, Sally! Out of any of us, mine was the name she said first!"
 
"Peter's first word was 'mud,'" Sally grumbled. "That is all he would say for about two weeks before he finally said Jack's name. And then he called both of us 'Num' for a while. My actual name was fourth in line! You are so lucky, darling, and I am immensely pleased for you. I cannot wait to hear her say it!"
 
"I wish I knew what the twins' first words were," Daizi sighed, letting go of Ivy so she could go back to crawling around, "Or Dark's. I know mine was Da, I was asking 'this?'. I wanted to know what things were."
 
Sally chuckled softly. "I am afraid I cannot remember what mine was. I believe it was fairly standard, and Jack's was 'leaf.' Unfortunately, the L was not easy, so he said 'weaf' for a long time. I am told he said it so often his family was glad when he learned a new word to at least add some variety."
 
"Ivy says Flower and Mama," Daizi smiled, "but she doesn't say them very often. She called a pumpkin a flower, though, so when we carve them, Dark's going to carve hers to look like a flower. It just... it makes things easier. Hearing her."
 
"Your life has gotten a lot more full since little Ivy came along, hasn't it? She's grown up around your heart and soul like the plant she's named after," Sally said warmly. "Children are like that. Miricle children, even more so."
 
Daizi was quiet for a few moments, listening to Ivy's little jingles as she crawled about the room, "I didn't know... how tiring it'd be. Having her. I don't mean the labour or birth, I knew that would be tiring. I didn't expect it to take that long, but... Just taking care of her. I didn't know... But she gives so much back. I didn't know that, either. I worry about calling her a miracle, though. I don't want... I don't know. I just worry it won't mean to her what it means to us. It's a lot of pressure."
 
"It could be a lot of pressure," Sally agreed, "if presented wrong, but I believe with how attentive you are to her needs and willing to listen you are, I believe it would simply help her know how loved she is. Still, if you would prefer, I shall attempt to remember to not call her a miracle. Is precious alright?"
 
"Precious is fine," Daizi told her, exhaling softly, "It's hard. The twins, Alec especially, like to call her our rainbow baby. And she is, but...I don't like her life being defined by so much tragedy." Falling silent again, Daizi listened carefully to Ivy moving around. After a few moments, Daizi inhaled shakily before asking, "Did I ever tell you why we chose the name Ivy?"
 
"It is an unfortunate fact of her life that cannot be escaped," Sally said gently. "It is and will not be the only fact of her life, not even a little bit, but it is there. It cannot be ignored." Daizi had told her why, but Sally chose to ask, "Why did you choose that name?"
 
"Yeah, but when she's always called a miracle baby, or a rainbow baby, it--I have to think about it, every time. I don't know if you can imagine what that's like. Holding your baby, and having people remind you, of... It's my story. More than..." Daizi cleared her throat and shook her head, "We went to high school, together. Dark and I. It was a boarding school. My dorm was on the second story. And underneath my window was a trellis, Dark would climb up it to sneak into my room to visit me. He was lighter, then. It was covered in ivy, the trellis. And it's a symbol of fidelity, and the Greeks gave it to their greatest Athletes, the Romans to their poets. That's why."
 
"It was Dark's idea." Daizi finished, taking a controlled, steady breath, "At the time, I was still intent on only giving her an Arabic name. But he said it one night, off-handedly, and I just... Oh, we knew. I chose Qadira. My family call her Qadi."
 
"That is likely why second names were invented, to give the children and adults a choice as to which to use, and please do not tell me I am wrong for I like my version of events," Sally chuckled. "Either is a lovely name on its own, but both flow beautifully together.
 
"I really love it. We thought it was too big for her, last year. Ivy-Qadira Hala Wahid-Dark. But my name is long and complicated too. I fill out most of my paperwork as Daizi Samira Wahid, but technically it is Daizi Samira Saladin Wahid because in Egypt, and I am sure you know this, you lived there, our names include our father's and grandfather's names, we broke that tradition with Ivy. She should be Ivy-Qadira Ghalib and then... his father's name. It's like that in Iraq, also. My side, at some point, started using Wahid as a family name, it was the name of some grandfather, because it made buisness easier with the West, but Dark's side was still very traditional."
 
"It saves her from explaining to her classmates her middle name is her father's, too. In Egypt, nobody was phased by it. Here?" Daizi shook her head, "Anyway, it's the first time my father has ever been pleased about us breaking with tradition." She didn't mention they couldn't have given Ivy Dark's name, because when they named her, he was still unnamed. They couldn't very well name her Ivy-Qadira G. And they would never give his parents any part of her life.
 
"Yes, it sounds as though your father is still... touchy... about Dark," Sally remarked. She guessed some of what Daizi did not say, but she would not bring it up. "My grandfather is like that about one of my family members because they have a," her voice took on an extra sarcastic tone, "horribly scandalous history. He was a dancer of a certain type to help pay his way through college."
 
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