How Green Becomes Wood

"I don't think he minds so much," Daizi mused, listening to the fading sound of Dark cooing to their daughter as he brought her upstairs, "He's jealous he can't feed her yet, so I think he views it as their time, because the changes take much longer in the daytime compared to the evening."

Cooger watched her quietly, trying to figure out how she was feeling and then raised his glass to her, but not high enough that it would catch the attention of anyone else at the table, "To upheavals."
 
"Some might consider me chauvinistic, but since we had a son, I figured that my prime time would come later," Jack told her.

"Not that he wasn't involved, he was," Sally hastened to assure Daizi, "but baby Peter was my responsibility primarily, and then as he grew up, Jack was more and more involved."

Jack shrugged. "The idea of a father even being able to do a lot to take care of an infant was a new idea to me. It wasn't the ideals I was raised with, and it was a long time before those ideals were challenged."

Ciara smiled slightly and returned the salute. "This is unlike anything I have experienced before, but I believe I like it. I hope I did not come across too gloomy earlier. But enough of that. Tell me a bit more about yourself?"
 
"Oh, no," Daizi waved off both Jack and Sally's concerns about Jack seeming like a distant father, "My dad just hired a nanny when my brother and I were children and scheduled time into his day to visit us in the playroom. Really just to say hello, so... I promise, I had no ill thought. But, with Dark, well... We had to wait a really long time, and for most of that wait we were told never, and so I think he just wants to make the most of it." She smiled amicably, very intentionally only saying part of what drove her husband to be such a hands-on father. It wasn't information Dark would want to share with them.

"It's good you like it, 'cause I'll bet you'll be invited back next year. 'Fraid to tell you but you're in it, now. But if you know anyone from South America, we should get them invited, then we'll have someone from every major permanent-human-settlement-having continent at the table." He winked, clinking her glass, and after finishing what was left in his cup said, "but there ain't really much else to say about me. I do cat rehab, gotta bit of land on the lake, and, uh, well that's about it. I don't got those dark and twisted stories them two have."
 
Sally smiled and nodded. "A completely valid response. I am glad he gets to finally smother his daughter in love! Of course, you will not be holding back, either."

Ciara smiled slightly, something closer to her professional smile. "I do know a few people from South Africa, but none that would be able or willing to join a function like this, I am afraid. I am not much of an outdoors person, but that sounds like a lovely and relaxing place to be."
 
"No, I haven't been," Daizi agreed readily, tucking her hair back, "but you've met Ivy, I've not met the person yet who can resist her. Even Xander comes around to talk and play with her. And when she gets big and strong enough to really play with? With how friendly she is?"

"Well we've got a year to find someone. I know it blew my mind when it was pointed out to me Dark and Daizi are technically from different continents. That's how we got up to five, if Daizi was born on the easternmost part of Egypt, we'd be stuck at four." He made a face when he realized he was saying absolutely nothing of value to the conversation and was dangerously close to just rambling about geography, "Sorry. Sometimes I just like to talk. You're welcome to come visit the homestead, I gotta boat. It's a bit cold right now, but I've got a nice fireplace too. And rocking chairs on the front porch, it's good to sometimes just turn on music and look out at the sunset. I'm not really one of them fellas who are in a rush everywhere all the time. I've never really been accused of being a formal guy."
 
"You're going to have quite the handful when she gets older," Jack chuckled. "I do not envy you when she starts learning to say no. Remember when Peter learned to say no?"

"Oh dear," Sally sighed. "There were days when it was nearly impossible to get that boy out the door fully dressed. He developed a particular dislike of clothing, which I would not tolerate in an outdoor setting. His favorite place to strip. It was a tearful year."

Ciara glanced Cooger over. "You do seem quite the relaxed fellow," she agreed. "You will have to teach me your secret someday."
 
Daizi laughed, "I think it'll be harder on me than on Dark. He's used to dealing with me. Although," she leaned over and lightly nudged Alec, who was simply the nearest twin, "I am in the rare group of parents which had teenagers before having a baby, so I might be better prepared for that phase than most. Still, I don't imagine it'll be fun when my sweet, amicable, easy-going little baby starts really arguing with me. It's hard enough on a fussy day."

"I'd be glad too," He replied, "although I'm not sure I'm a great teacher. I mean, Dark and I have been best friends since high school, and," he gestured at the intense neatness of the house, "but it's just as possible he's not a good student. I'll tell you my first lesson though, for free, 'cause I like ya: when you're around friends, like ya are here, they ain't gonna care if they make a fool of yourself. And that's why I make a fool of myself every chance I got, don't wanna waste the opportunity."
 
Alec looked away from his own conversation to give Daizi a wide-eyed look. "Who's a teen baby?"

"The only advice I can give you is to choose your rules wisely because once you do, you have to enforce those rules consistently, every time, every day, no matter how exhausted you are," Sally told Daizi. "The tantrums just make the cuddles and the little 'I love yous' that much more precious."

Ciara raised a brow. "Hmm, I am afraid I am going to be a terrible student if that is my first lesson. That is not something that comes to me. At all."
 
Alec's question made Daizi grin and wrap one arm around him, "I was just saying teenagers like to argue. But generally, not you, habibi." She squeezed him and then let go, "and I know... Or at least I've been told that, and read it. I'm a little worried about like... We can't possibly come up a list of every rule we may encounter, and what if Dark and I default to something different in that moment?"

"I mean, what's the worst thing that will happen? People learn you're human?" He asked her, tipping back in his chair, "There's not a single person in the world who has never been embarrassed, so if you're around friends you can just relax knowing if you make a mistake they won't hold it against you."
 
"Start with a few of the basics, the ones you know exactly what you want and how you'll respond," Sally told her. "A good foundation that will get you most places. After that, you're going to have to adapt to the situation. Perhaps you tell them mommy or daddy are breaking the rule because it is a special situation and explain it to them later. You do not have to explain every detail of every rule to a one or two-year-old, but you can tell them things they can accept. As they get older, then you can explain more. A lot of parenting is long talks, examples, and improvising on the spot."

Ciara considered his words but only smiled with a little nod. "Perhaps you are right," she said. Though she did not fully believe it. Maybe she'd never had that kind of friend. No, she knew she'd never had that kind of friend. Somehow, she'd managed to stick with people who acted like school clicks her entire life, and she was not even certain how. It just happened like that.
 
"Yeah..." She sighed, "I'm glad it's a few years from now. And I know it'll be here sooner than I expect and I know we have to start laying the foundations now but..." She raised her shoulders, "I'm very tired. When she starts sleeping then I'll be able to plan."

"I mean, look at this place," He said with a big stretch, "We're sitting in our friends' unapologetic haunted house. It's a Christmas party and I didn't even manage to wear jeans that don't have stains on them," He waved, thinking about pointing out that Alec dressed like a bag of skittles but decided against it, because even though he meant it lovingly, he worried a teenager hearing it out of context might take it poorly, "and Jack's Australian." He didn't know Jack or Sally well enough to point out their oddities, but Sally made friends with Daizi and Jack had married her, so both certainly had them, "What could you possibly do that we'll think is weird?"
 
Sally and Jack glanced at each other and chuckled. "I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news," Jack said, "but it'll be a couple of years before you're not tired."

Sally reached over and squeezed Daizi's hand. "It's going to be rough, but you'll get through this. One day at a time. As long as everyone is alive, fed, and not in horrible mental or physical pain at the end of the day, then you've succeeded."

"I don't think I particularly wish to push those boundaries and find out," Ciara said with a faint smile. Although, looking around this place, being being proper and prim was more out of the ordinary and weird.
 
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"No, I know," She said, slumping her shoulders a bit, but she squeezed Sally's hand back, "but I couldn't possibly be more tired when she's sleeping all night, every night. It'll just be a normal amount of tired, not hardly sleeping tired. Which is very different."

"That's fine, you don't have to." He replied, still rocked back, "but it'll be just fine if you ever accidentally slip a little."
 
"If you ever need a break, just call me," Sally told her. "Even if it's so you can just get a nap."

The last time Ciara had "accidentally slipped up," she had been a teenager interested in a fellow who later went out with her sister and then abandoned the resulting twin boys. She did not "slip up." But, perhaps someday she could convince herself to deliberately relax. At least a little. "How many cats are you currently rehabilitating?" she asked to change the subject.
 
"No, I know, and I will, it's just..." She pushed her hair back with both hands and left them with her fingers interlocked on the back of her neck, "Her feeding schedule. I'm able to nap, Dark's there to watch her, and the twins when we both really need a rest, but the absolute maximum I'm able to sleep at a time is three hours, then I have to get up. And Dark's great, overnight, especially if... Well, when it's his turn," she also didn't want to tell them about his insomnia, it wasn't her information to share, "he gets up and brings her to me, and I don't have to sit up, but I still have to be awake for it."

"Five, but it's about to be a minimum of ten. But kittens are adopted quick, fresh ones don't need rehab." He explained with a snort, "Why? You lookin? 'Cause I got this girl named BigHoot, don't get put off by her name, we call 'er that 'cause she looks like an owl, she's a grey ol' gal, long hair, probably five or six, with curly whiskers and yellow eyes, and she sits real pretty with her tail crossed over her paws. Real cute. Quiet meow, and she don't paw at you or nothin'."
 
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"Have you considered pumping and using a bottle? Just during the night," Sally asked. "I know some treat it as quite the hot topic, but I found having the bottle as a fallback plan really took a lot of pressure off of me. Literally. Then Dark would be able to feed her as well, and it would still be breast milk. It's an option."

Xander caught part of their conversation and partially choked his drink.

Ciara smiled but shook her head. "I live in a rental, and I do not think they allow pets. Besides which, I work long hours. The cat - or owl - would be home alone for a lot of that."
 
"Oh, I don't know... I've thought about it, but I've also heard it's bad to miss a feeding because it can cause you to dry up, and I'd have to schedule time to..." She paused, struggling to think of a way to phrase it that wouldn't bother the twins, because she heard Xander choke and when, "prepare the bottles, and I still couldn't do that around them, and if I have to isolate myself for a period each day, I'd rather it be with Ivy rather than a machine. Before my supply settled and I was donating all that excess, I hated those moments. I'm grateful I was able to help so many people, and lord knows it was better than the alternative, but it just... And I would have to hear her cry for longer at night while Dark went downstairs to heat up the bottle, and it'd be harder for him to just go back to sleep after because he'd have to wake himself up enough to stumble downstairs and use the microwave in the middle of the night, and I still..." Again, she hesitated about phrasing, "The sound of Ivy's crying, even if she's just whimpering, or if it's someone on tv crying... And if then I'd have to get up to change or sleep in a wet shirt..." She dropped her hands and sat back, taking a few moments just to be quiet, "There's just not... One answer. I think we've got a good system, now. Dark brings her to me then burps her and puts her back in the cradle after, and he keeps an eye if I doze off to make sure nothing dangerous happens... I just feel like I'm still exhausted from bringing her here, and since I brought her here early we get an extra six weeks of her not sleeping." She shifted and then crossed her arms, "This probably isn't great Christmas conversation, I'm sorry."

"Rentals that don't allow pets are a scourge," He replied, but sounded a bit far-away because Daizi had caught his attention and he was watching to make sure she was okay, and was preparing to either cut in to offer help or slip upstairs to wrangle her husband, "but that's the nice thing about cats, "if you pick the right one, they only need you at dinner and breakfast."
 
"No, I'm sorry for pushing the issue, it's alright," Sally assured her, patting her arm sympathetically. "I'm just sorry that I do not have a magic answer for you, I really am. If I could give you some of my sleep, I would in a heartbeat."

"It's alright," Jack agreed with a nod. "This will pass. Rough and hard and cruel, but it will pass. Just one thing at a time."

"Some have good reasons to not allow pets, but it would be nice if they were a little more available to others," Ciara agreed. "I will think about the cat." She noticed his attention had wandered and fell quiet.
 
"Yeah..." Cooger said slowly, and then shook himself back into the conversation, "No, I'm sorry. I zoned out for a minute there, didn't mean to. Happens to all of us. Definitely think about it, they all need homes real bad, and when you stop by to learn about relaxation and enjoy how pretty it is, you can meet all the cats, see if there's one who really speaks to you. It don't gotta be BigHoot, you just make me think of her."

Daizi sat quietly for a few more moments, needing a moment to sort through all of the strong feelings that were stirred up when they started really talking about it, and she was irritated by it because she just wanted to be a nice party where she could be around her adult friends and she kept thinking if she wasn't so tired she could cope with being tired better. "I'm okay, really. I think we're coping well, we're happy, and it's easier now that nobody is coming to our door to critique how well we're doing."
 
"That has to be a relief," Jack agreed. "You handled it a fair deal better than I would have. I'd have definitely done things differently and made them a lot worse."

"At least it's all over now," Sally agreed. "And in the meantime, have you been enjoying dressing Ivy up in all the cute clothes?"

"That is alright, but may I ask why I remind you of an... owl cat?" Ciara asked cautiously.
 
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