How Green Becomes Wood

"Wow," Daizi chided, shaking her head, "Are you saying you'll team up with her against us?"

"The balance of power has shifted." Dark said blandly, bringing Daizi her jacket.

"Not yet, she's only just now realized her hands are her own."

Dark shook his head, "We have been outnumbered. Are we taking the train or driving into the city? Ivy has never been on a train, and we would not have to deal with parking."

"But we would have to deal with trying to get a stroller onto a train," Daizi pointed out, lifting the carrier and walking towards the door, "driving is easier right now."

"For you, maybe," Dark teased, following them all out of the house and locking the door behind them. Then, after everyone was situated in the car, they began the drive into the city.
 
Alec snickered and gave Ivy a little pat on her tiny shoulder before winking at Xander. Xander smirked, and they hopped into the car after helping to get everything into the trunk. Alec plastered himself against the window, watching the surroundings pass as if he'd never seen it before. The budding spring painted colors on everything!
 
Ivy cooed and gurgled for the first fifteen minutes or so of the drive but slept for the rest of it. Then, finally, they made it to the park and carefully set Ivy up in her stroller, and Dark took control of pushing it, "Look at her," he murmured, watching as his daughter began to wake up, "she is so cute. Hello there, Ivy, did you sleep good?"

"It'll be a miracle if she's not grumpy from not immediately being held after waking," Daizi commented, walking with one hand on Dark's back to help guide her since she couldn't take his arm. And sure, she could make do without touching him at all, she had her cane, but she liked holding onto him.

"They let you touch these sculptures," Dark told the twins, "That is why we like coming here when the new ones come out, it is one of the only times Daizi and I can enjoy art together."
 
"That's so cool!" Alec grinned, walking just behind Xander as they followed Dark and Daizi. "What is it of? Or about? Or whatever? Does it have a point, or is it one of those abstract type?"

"I never felt art before. Never thought about it having a touchability," Xander commented, not really paying attention.
 
"It's not really about anything. At least not cohesively. Local sculptors are asked to donate a piece, it stays up for about a year... The park is actually named for an artist who used to live here." Daizi explained. "I'm sure all of them have an individual point. I just enjoy the walk."

At some point as they walked through the sculptures and talked through them, Daizi took a break to sit on a bench near the tiny waterfall to play with Ivy a little.
 
Alec stayed near Daizi in case she needed anything, but his focus was on the sculptures around him. They were so fascinating!

Xander stayed closer to Dark, wandering vaguely and not really sure what he was looking at. It was interesting, he just wasn't sure he "got it."
 
"What?" Dark blinked. It took a few moments for Alec's words to sink in, then he hurried over to his wife and baby.

"Listen to her," Daizi practically squealed, her voice catching in her throat, tickling her daughter to keep her laughing.

"I do not..." Dark murmured, watching them with subtle joy in his eyes. He looked at his sons, and in a truly serious tone asked, "How can it be possible for a person to be this cute? I keep thinking we have hit the maximum possible, and then---Listen to that sound!"
 
"Because babies are designed to be as cute as absolutely possible so we are willing to put up with how messy they are," Xander said dryly, but he did drift closer and smile a little at Ivy's laugh.

"Oh, she is so cute, I'm going to die happy!" Alec cooed, completely melting.
 
"Well, yes," Dark said, looking over his shoulder at Xander, "but I have met many babies before, and none of them have come anywhere close to being this precious."

Daizi was still giving Ivy the proper amount of kisses and snuggles, while fighting back the few tears that wanted to spill from hearing her baby laugh for the first time, and from being the first person to make her laugh. There had been so many milestones she had to experience differently, or might even have missed, but this one was hers, "We made a really special baby, Goose." She said, unbothered by Ivy grabbing a tiny, drool-covered fistful of her hair.

"We did," Dark agreed. Then, after a moment, "You cannot die yet, Alec, she is not yet old enough to have said her first words."
 
Xander rolled his eyes at Dark. "She's your baby, your miracle child, of course she's the most perfect and beautiful thing you've ever seen. It'd be weird if she wasn't."

Alec sighed, hands pressed to his chest. "I suppose so. I hope she says... Xander first!"

"Huh? Why?" Xander demanded, blinking in shock and confusion.

"Because it would subvert all expectations," Alec grinned.
 
"Okay," Dark replied, looking again at Xander with a glimmer in his eyes, "Have you met a lovelier baby?"

Daizi snuggled her daughter, "I hope her first word is none of our names so none of us feel hurt." She paused, knowing ultimately, deep down, she did have a preference for what word she'd say, "I just hope she's not a late talker, I want to know what she thinks about."
 
Xander slowly and deliberately raised his eyebrow. "Do you really want me to answer that?" he challenged. He turned away, having had his fill of sweet for now. "I'm going to look at art. That's what you're supposed to do here, right?"

"I think she's the lovliest, and don't worry. She'll let you know exactly what she thinks about," Alec assured Daizi.
 
With a shrug of his shoulders Dark turned back to the rest of his family, truly believing Xander was choosing to be a contrarian for the sake of it, and not that he had actually met a cuter baby. Alec as a baby didn't count, because Xander was too young to remember him then. So, he bent and carefully took Ivy from Daizi so he could snuggle her and praise her for learning to laugh, "Mama is really funny," He cooed softly, "she makes Baba laugh too."

Once Ivy was out of her hands, she wiped her eyes from underneath her sunglasses, "We scared off your brother."
 
"He won't be able to act cool when she starts saying his name," Daizi laughed, "he didn't upset me, though, don't worry. It's just Ivy, her laugh. It really is a special sound, isn't it?" She sighed, pushing her hair back, "but Xander is right, we are supposed to be enjoying the sculptures."
 
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