How Green Becomes Wood

"That's true, but she's my daughter, and I have no doubt she will test her limits." Daizi grinned, reaching down to pick up Ivy.

"To be fair, the bells are only sewn onto her clothing, and eventually she will learn to remove those on her own too," Dark pointed out.
 
"No, no," Daizi said, "We actually... We need to talk to you about your birthday."

Dark glanced at Daizi with a look which quietly said We are doing this now? and then sat down at the counter because he supposed they were.
 
"Okay," Xander said slowly. He sat down with them, looking back and forth cautiously. "Is there a problem? We don't have to have a big one. A little celebration's just fine."
 
"No, no, it's not that," Daizi promised, "The party will all be set and lovely. We just wanted to talk to you a bit about the gifts."

"We have been talking about allowing Alec to have a cat," Dark told him, "It is still not... my favourite idea, but Cooger has one he believes is perfect for our home structure, and she's black, and we think it will give your brother something positive to focus on."

Daizi nodded along with her husband before revealing to Xander why they were bringing it up to him, "But we recognize you really want a dog, which just... isn't something we can accommodate for right now. We wanted to talk to you about it and know how you feel about the idea, because we don't want you to think we're playing favourites. I promise you if you were the one who had wanted a cat, we would be having this conversation with him right now."
 
Xander sat back a little. "Oh," he said for want of something to say. He hadn't expected this conversation to go this way. A cat, huh? He had to admit to himself that if they hadn't come to talk to him about it, he would have felt left out, like they were playing favorites. The fact that they recognized that made him feel a little better. "A dog would take up a lot more room, even a cat-sized dog, and be a lot more hyper," he said slowly. "I guess I can see how a cat could fit easier into the family." He shifted a little in his seat and then nodded. "Alec will be over the moon about it. He really wants a cat, and he has been trying pretty hard. Takes his meds every day. I guess if Cooger says it's the right cat, then... it's a good thing. He won't be expecting it."
 
Xander taking the news fairly well comforted them somewhat, so Daizi asked, "Since he is getting a cat, is there anything you may especially want? Something that you thought there was no point in bothering asking for?"

"Something not in Kingdom Animalia?" Dark clarified.
 
Xander snickered at Dark's statement. "I dunno. I hadn't really thought about it," he admitted. He frowned thoughtfully. "There's not really a lot that I need or want, really. Oh, I guess... it'd be nice to have my cacti downstairs in my room? So, maybe, some kind of... grow light for them?" He shrugged. "Sorry. I'm probably the worst to shop for. Could always use more socks."
 
"Mama." Xander reached out and laid his hand near his mother's. "It's okay. I'm happy. I really am. I can't think of a single thing I want, and that's a first in my life. I appreciate you talking to me about this cat thing because I would have been mad, maybe hurt, if you hadn't, but I don't want you to try to get me something extra special just so I don't feel left out. I don't because you talked to me. Maybe another birthday you can give me my version of a cat for Alec, but since I can't even think of something that'd compare, I'm okay without it. I really am. He can have this birthday. Maybe I can have the next one."
 
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