How Green Becomes Wood

"I was on the wrestling team, yeah," Cooger replied, playfully shoving Dark before sitting back in his seat, "I was damn good at it, too, even if that may be hard to believe now. Were you much of an athlete?"
 
"I did track and field and archery, and I was solidly middling in both," Jack said. "I was more interested in chess and photography, but my mother was worried I spent too much time indoors."
 
"Rose McGann, the children's music teacher, does archery," Dark added.

"My mom was concerned about the opposite," Cooger chuckled, "I was never good at remembering to do any schoolwork or anything particularly academic."
 
"It is a beautiful sport," Sally remarked. "I took it briefly, but it never clicked with me."

"I was very good at school," Jack said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "A little too good and surrounded by guys who hated all things school."
 
"You and I would've been good friends then," Cooger laughed, "It took a long time before I could cheat off Dark 'cause he was in ESL courses so I didn't even know he was smart for a few years."

"Thank you, I appreciate that," Dark said dryly.

"It was a great thing we met Tarot when we did, 'cause, now listen: those months, think it was February to August, maybe September, so a good half a year or so, we did our best not really understanding each other, but it was so much easier once she was able to translate back and forth."
 
"That is a very sweet story," Sally said with a smile at Dark and Daizi. "Such a stroke of luck and love, would you not agree?"

"You two are ridiculously precious together," Jack teased. "What about you, Cooger? Do you have a special someone?"
 
Daizi turned her face towards Sally, furrowing her eyebrows slightly, "It wasn't luck, Sally, it was fate. Someway or another, we were always going to find each other."

"Yes, Cooger," Dark said, "Do you have a special someone?"

Cooger looked tiredly at Jack, "You see what you've done? Should ship ya back down under for that."
 
"Maybe," Daizi replied thoughtfully, angling her head towards her husband subconsciously, trying to catch the sound of his breathing through the noise of the restaurant since she was forbidden to touch him and incapable of seeing him. "All I know, is there was never a chance we wouldn't be together, in the end. Even if it did not always feel that way."

"Then get packing," Cooger grumbled. "Look, I may or may not have someone, but we have not formally discussed it."

Dark, who knew what nobody but the table except for Daizi knew, turned and looked squarely at Cooger. Cooger looked back at him, and judging by the way Dark then turned away, it was clear something had been communicated between the two of them.
 
Jack watched them, amused, as he took a long sip.

The arrival of the food distracted from the conversation then, and Jack and Sally both took the opportunity to eat a few bites before continuing.

"Daizi, do you have any plans to return to work in-office?" Jack asked.

"She has mentioned it," Sally commented, "though working from home with little Ivy must be wonderful."
 
"No firm ones yet," Daizi answered, not quite weary of this question yet but getting there, "I'm waiting until Ivy doesn't nurse during the day. It's something I really value. Since the systems are in place for me to fulfill all my obligations from home, I'm waiting on her cue."
 
"You have an incredibly understanding boss," Jack remarked. "I'm glad of that. You hear a lot of horror stories about trying to take maternity leave here in the States. How about you, Dark? Still enjoying the dad at home gig?"
 
"It's not something I think I'd be happy with, but it is an admirable choice," Jack said with a nod. "I'd say you're in an enviable position."

"Actually, Dark, I was wondering if I might ask you for a small favor," Sally remarked.
 
Sally pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. "I would say there is a long list of things that someone as lowly as you could do, but as it happens, I desire your design eye."

Jack glanced at his wife and grinned, knowing where she was ultimately going with this.
 
Daizi made a face at that comment and before taking a sip of her drink said, "Easy, Sally." Women who called her husband yummy should be more cautious.

"My design eye? Please, explain more," Dark said, never agreeing to anything until he had all of the details.
 
"Our preferred design styles might not exactly mesh, but you have a good eye, and I'd like to run a few ideas past you before implementing them. I want to redo a living room. The living room of our new condo," Sally announced.
 
"You're moving into a new condo?" Daizi asked brightly, "That's so exciting! There's no chance you're moving closer is there?"

"I would be glad to lend my aid to a cause such as that." Dark told them.
 
"We bought it. Our first purchased home," Sally said with pride. "We are staying here perhaps permanently, at least for the foreseeable future."

"True, we've rented to make it easier for when we moved," Jack said with a nod.
 
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