How Green Becomes Wood

"I want to set up a scavenger hunt for him, and send him to visit places and people who mattered to us, and set up puzzles along the way for him to solve. I might have it end in the restaurant where he proposed, so we could eat there together after, but I also like the idea of going to a field full of dandelions, like where he took me, once. So I don't know, yet," She sighed, slipping on her wedding ring and taking some time to feel it with her thumb, "I don't know where I'll send him, or what puzzles I'll have, but I think... I know... That's how I'd like to do it."
 
"Oh, my, goodness," Alec said with a tiny squeal of delight. "I love the scavenger hunt idea! It's amazing, and I bet he would love it so much! Especially if you were waiting at the end for him. Oh, it's just so... romantic is the only word for it!"
 
"One day, after I had been going through some difficult stuff, this was when we were still in our apartment, so I would've been in my late twenties, I knew he had set up some date for me, because a friend invited me over, and she just had something pretty for me to change into--it wasn't a new dress or anything, we didn't have that kind of money, and I went back to our apartment to find he had strung up sheets over all of the walls, and meticulously hung up items from our relationship--the keys to our first apartment together, cds we went on a road trip listening to, tickets to concerts, tea cups, the boarding pass from when we ran away together, all of those things were on the sheets, in the shape of constellations. And he had dinner set in the middle of our terrible, wonderful little apartment, and he had soft romantic music playing over a speaker, but those were the stars he gave to me. And I knew I'd done something very right in my life, to be with him. He said, years later, that's when he decided he wanted to marry me, but he didn't ask for another year or so."
 
Alec groaned and flopped back onto the bed. "Oh, Mama, that's so incredible it hurts," he admitted. "I wish I could do that for someone. Or someone could do that for me. Oh, man, Baba is out of this world."
 
"I know," Daizi sighed, not taking her husband foregranted for so much as a second, "And that's why I want to send him on a scavenger hunt. I'll do it even if he thinks a renewal isn't something he's interested in, I just won't propose at the end. More than anything I want to give him the stars, like he gave them to me." She put her hand over her heart, feeling like it was about to burst, "I do hope you find someone who makes you feel like this, someday. I know you've been apprehensive about it before, but... I can't put into words how it feels."
 
Alec sat up slowly, a bit of excitement fading away, but it couldn't be diminished entirely. "I still don't know if it's for me, it probably isn't, but I do love thinking about the happy and good parts of a partnership," he admitted. "I love hearing about yours and other people's even if I'll never have it for myself."
 
Her skirt trailed off the edge of the bed where they sat, and she took a few moments pause to consider what to tell him. Despite a desire to inquire why he was so sure it wasn't for him, although she guessed, it didn't seem fair to broach that conversation just befote she left for a number of hours. There wasn't the time to give it the attention it deserved. So instead she squeezed his knee and said, "If you ever decide it is, just know you don't have to hide it from me, okay? You can be sixty three and wake up having decided you now want to begin dating, and I will support you just as strongly as I support you not dating."
 
Alec sat up and hugged her, smiling as warmth encompassed him. "Thank you, Mama. That means... so much to me. Now!" He pulled away and patted her arm. "I think you've kept your date waiting in anticipation long enough, don't you? Go to your man!"
 
Daizi held him close, and, failing to resist the urge to kiss the top of his head, left a lipstick stain on his hair. But then she pulled away, lightly squeezed his elbow, and told him, "Thank you again for helping me get ready. I really appreciate it. And," She stood, smoothing her dress, "I think it's better to keep him waiting."

Then, draping her purse over her shoulder, she stepped out of their bedroom, "Are you ready to go, Goose?"

Dark looked up at the vision he called his wife and murmured the Arabic equivalent of, Holy shit, and stood gracefully, despite feeling like he was scrambling over to her. "You look..."

"Thank you, darling," She murmured to him, "You smell amazing." They both felt like they were young and nervous again, but forced themselves together to not embarrass their children, who they made their goodbyes to before walking out of the house together.

Ivy, watching her parents leave without her, burst into tears the moment the door was shut, despite the lipstick stains proving just how many goodbye kisses she received.
 
"Ew," Xander grumbled, but it was mostly for show.

"So gross," Alec chuckled, shaking his head. He scooped up Ivy and hugged her. "There, there, Ivy. It's going to be okay," he told her calmly. "Come on. It's time for games and books! And a snack. But first, distraction!" He hummed and bounced her, trying to make it seem like it was a good thing Mama and Baba had left while still giving her a little comfort.

"I'll get the snack ready," Xander said, heading for the kitchen. "Or rather, our food. What are we eating?"

"No idea. That's your department," Alec reminded him.
 
Standing just outside the door, both Dark and Daizi heard Ivy burst into tears and paused, briefly considering calling it off and going back inside. She had never done that before. But they knew they couldn't do that. There was nothing wrong with them going out together without bringing their baby along, and she needed to learn there were some things she would not be included in. There were some events she was invited to. Mama and Baba could do things without Baby, and it didn't mean they did not love her. This was necessary and healthy and what she needed to become triadically organized.

But they still felt guilty as they walked away, despite knowing they didn't need to be. By the time they made it to the fancy restaurant Daizi had made reservations at, though, they had moved past it. Her plan for that evening was they would get a nice dinner, and then she had found out about a very reserved and isolated area of the beach where they'd get to be completely alone. Dark didn't know about that part, yet, he was just enjoying being able to sit across from his wife without any worries.

Back at home, Ivy cried her little eyes out for a shockingly long amount of time, and then upon calming down, still sniffled as she held onto her brother, not quite back at baseline, but close to it.
 
Alec tried to distract her for a bit until he finally gave up and just sat with her and held her, letting her cry. Ivy had decided that them going out was a terrible thing, it seemed, so he was just going to have to let her feel like that for a bit. He kept her toys where she could reach, and Xander quietly flipped through one of her favorite books, keeping it angled to where she could see but not reading it aloud just yet.

"Okay, I think the storm has passed," Alec said. "Food?"

"On the table," Xander said, closing the book and getting up. "Come on." He offered Alec a hand up. "Let's see if she'll eat anything. Kind of doubt it."

"We should still try, though," Alec agreed, walking over to the table.
 
When Ivy was sat down, her little face was still tear-stained and snotty, true evidence of a really, really big cry. But when they tried to feed her, after a some hesitation and fighting, she opened her mouth to eat, being much too worn out from her earlier distress to really fight.
 
Alec waited until she's eaten a bit and then cleaned off her face, talking soft and gentle to her all the while. Xander took over after a bit, letting Alec eat his dinner while Xander fed Ivy. He didn't try to be light and happy, studying Ivy gravely as he spoonfed her. The twins took turns that way, one eating for a bit while the other fed Ivy, until all three of them had gotten their fill. Then it was time to clean up and sit together. The twins sat on the floor with Alec holding Ivy on his lap and started reading a book to her.
 
By the time they were finished eating, Ivy had returned more to her usual self, although she might have been a bit more clingy than usual. Being a generally cuddly baby, though, the increase wasn't too dramatic. While they read the book to her, she helped turn the pages, and babbled with them, feeling very much like she was helping.
 
When they finished the book, Xander read the next one while Alec held it for him and let Ivy turn the pages.

Eventually, it was time to change Ivy and put her down for bed. Alec picked her up, took a steadying breath, and marched her to her diaper bag in their parent's bedroom. Xander hovered outside the door waiting to make sure he wasn't needed but there if he was.
 
Around that time, it began to rain. Slowly at first, but it was gradually picking up. While being changed, Ivy didn't cause much of a fuss, although changing a soiled diaper is not a pleasant experience for anyone. Dark and Daizi had left out very clearly exactly what was to be used and how. Typically, they used cloth diapers, but for vacation since they didn't have easy access to a laundromat, they had disposable ones, which they thought would also make the process easier for Alec.
 
Alec tried hard not to make it seem like this was a big deal to Ivy, but he was barely able to get through the process. He did! And he was extremely careful and methodical about it. Finally, he had one clean baby and disposed of the diaper before stumbling back out into the living room.

Xander patted his shoulder. "Well done," he praised.

Alec smiled weakly. "Weren't no problem at all!"

The pair of them sat inside the house with the back door open, watching the rain on the water. Alec cradled Ivy close, rocking her lightly as the wind whispered through the opening and tickled them.
 
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