How Green Becomes Wood

"I think she'll be for posterity," Daizi laughed, "but I'll think about it. I guess it's no rush, the pictures will stick around if I change my mind later. Oh--! Hold on, someone's knocking," there were the brief sounds of her trying to manage to get up from her rolling chair, and at some point she grumbled something in Arabic that Sally likely would have recognized as something to do with chairs, and after a little while she came back, and in a much more tearful tone said, "Dark sent me flowers, and there are 28 roses and 7 lillies exactly!"
 
Sally smothered her laugh at Daizi's frustration, knowing full well how she felt, but it was still amusing. When Daizi told her about the flowers, she crooned, "Oh, that's so sweet! That man of yours has such a gentle heart." After a pause, she asked, how are the twins adjusting?"
 
"I know," She swooned, "I just, I love him so much..." At Sally's next question, Daizi sobered a bit, and taking a breath said, "I think they're doing better with it. It took them awhile. Alec's started to seem more excited about it, I guess. He likes to go to the appointments if it's an ultrasound day, and he's very supportive of me. Xander is still really... Uncomfortable, to put it mildly with pregnancy, so I can't talk about it as much. But whenever the baby herself comes up, like, when we talk about her after she's been born, he's less weird about it. They both refuse to change any diapers, and Dark told me once they got very upset about the thought of me breastfeeding without laying a blanket over myself and her. The former is fine, the latter they'll have to get used to. But I don't think they would tell us if they were still having an issue with the fact this baby is going to be here, so I'm really hoping they're as accepting of it as they try to make themselves seem. I know they both still expect to be totally forgotten about after she's born, and I don't know what to say to convince them otherwise, I think it'll just come down to showing them they didn't have anything to worry about after she's made her big debut..." She sighed, allowing her worries about the twins to overtake all of the other feelings, but then she chuckled, "When we went to the Science museum a few weeks back, they learned about how birth works and it nearly killed them both where they stood."
 
"When the baby first arrives, I'm sure they will feel their fears were justified, just at first," Sally warned. "Babies take up a lot of time, and even more energy, but I think what will really make a difference isn't even taking time out for the twins specifically, but bringing them into the fun parts of having a baby around. Not just the work aspects, but holding her, calling them over when she does something new, essentially showing them that even when your time is taken up by the baby, you are still thinking about them. Past that, I'm sure they will both learn in time. I wouldn't stress too much about it. They are both good boys who are completely in love with you and Dark. They'll be alright."
When Daizi told her about the science museum, though, Sally cackled. Fully cackled. "Oh, my! Oh dear, those poor, innocent boys! And from that day on, their minds will be scared. I wish I could have seen it."
 
"That's a good idea... Thank you. I want to say that's what we would have done, but honestly... I can't imagine I'll be able to successfully predict what any of us will do when she actually gets here. I suppose we've done a bit of it already, by letting them come to my appointments... And I let Alec help me put some of the baby clothes away. I was really stressed one day, and I just wanted to make everything ready, and Dark had me do something else, which I did, and it helped, but a few days later I still went through with washing and folding everything, and Alec did it with me. So maybe we would have..." She sighed, but grinned at the sound of Sally's laughter, "I know, their poor brains were ripped apart! They kept repeating, 'it's not possible, it's just not possible,' and I was standing with them, knowing perfectly well I'm approaching the time when it will be... very real. And I've done it before, but it was... different. But I like to think they're more comfortable with my home birth plan, now."
 
"Either they are more comfortable, or they are that much more terrified by it," Sally said in amusement. "I know I would be far too cowardly to do a home birth as marvelous as it sounds, although Peter was very nearly a home birth by sheer accident and bad timing. We got to the hospital just in time for him to arrive, and far too late for any drugs for me. Actually, it was not nearly as horrible as I expected. And he was far more lively than I expected, too. Even so, I am a dreadful coward, and I salute you for doing your home birth."
 
"I hope it's not too horrible. I mean, it's labour, but my first one was bad... But I think that's because of the rest of the context of it," She lingered on the thought for a second too long, "but I'm terrified of hospitals, and I really just want to feel comfortable and safe. Especially since I can't see, I don't need the stress of trying to navigate an unfamiliar place while preparing to have a baby and while in intense pain. I know where everything in my house is, I know all of the scents... We're sending the twins and our dog to our friend's house. We forgot about the dog until recently, it occurred to Dark out of the blue that the sounds of myself in labour will very much frighten him."
 
"Hmm, that is a good point," Sally agreed. She paused, and there was a rustle in the background. "Do you want anyone else with you? Other than Dark? I can come and be a helping hand or at least a support if you would like. It might give Dark a chance to step out and breathe once in a while, but if I'll just be another distraction, I completely understand."
 
"I haven't thought about that..." Daizi replied, "I suppose Dark would need a chance to step out... But I'm not sure if he would, even if there was someone who would force him to step away. We'll have the midwife..." She was silent for a little while, thinking about what it would be like with Sally there, instead of only her husband and her medical provider, "Maybe for some of the earlier parts. Before it gets really intense... I'll think about it. I really like the idea of being essentially sequestered."
 
"Just let me know what you decide. There is absolutely no pressure," Sally assured her. "If you think I'd be helpful, I will clear my schedule. If not, then I will delegate myself as your official food provider for at least the month after she is born. Well, I'll pay for meal delivery. While I am greatly accomplished in many areas, making anything more than a fancy salad or the absolute survival basics is beyond me when it comes to food."

A knock sounded on Sally's end, and she put her hand over the phone long enough to answer. When she returned, she said regretfully, "Work beckons me, darling, so I am afraid I have to go. Be sure to put those flowers in some water!"
 
"I really appreciate that, Sally." Daizi said warmly, "It's really amazing how many people are coming together to h-help with this," she forced herself to take a breath, "and I'm sure they'll all be thrilled about food delivery. That'll make things a lot easier on everyone too. Thank you, really. You do so much for me... Alright, hurry back. I should probably get back to working too. Have a nice day, Sally. And--I don't have to, they came in a vase!"

Meanwhile, as their phone call ended, an hour or so away, it was lunchtime in the high school, or at least lunch for part of the school, and Sloan (whose other friends did not share her lunch period this semester), was going over to sit with Xander, Alec, and Peter, who thankfully all did.
 
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Alec spotted Sloan and waved excitedly. He was dressed surprisingly conservatively for him in black jeans, a black shirt, and a silver belt. Over top, he had on a black coat that swept to his knees. Tiny dark red flowers in some sort of furry, thready material dotted the entirety of the jacket along with threads of silver creating a dark, swirling, abstract design. He'd even brushed his hair to lay flat with a side sweep in front.

Peter followed Alec's look and raised his hand in greeting. As was his usual, he was dressed one step short of a formal suit, leaving the collar of his light blue shirt open for a "casual" look.

Xander had thrown on the first thing he could find. White shirt with a tiny mustard stain and blue jeans. If his hair had seen a brush that morning, it wasn't admitting it.
 
Sloan was dressed more or less how she always was: loose-fit jeans, her green jacket (which she had added some more patches to over the summer), and today she had on a Nirvana t-shirt. She came to sit by them and said, "Hey guys, how are you?" She sat down by Peter, "I swear, I know we just started school, but already I'm convinced my pre-calc teacher hates me. And I don't even have an older sibling, so I don't get it."
 
"Maybe he's trying to aggressively polish the diamond in the rough?" Peter teased. "Lovely new patches."

"I have no idea what I'm doing in any of my subjects, but most of my teachers are alright!" Alec piped up.

Xander just grunted and absently waved the hand holding the fork. He'd stayed up too late and was suffering the consequences.
 
"Thank you. My mom hates them, she says I look like a trucker, but she's still mad I don't straighten my hair," Sloan rolled her eyes, opening up her lunch box, "and I don't know. I think I'm polished enough already, but I think it's okay if you don't know what you're doing yet, Alec. Plus you two live with Mr. Dark, so I'm sure he'll help you out with anything. I was supposed to take him this semester for that Middle Eastern History class they sometimes offer, but I guess they're not offering it this time. It was, like, the one elective I was interested in that my mom supported."
 
"They probably aren't supporting it because he'll be taking a lot of time off in a month or so," Alec pointed out.

"Hmm, curious," Peter remarked, watching something farther in the cafeteria. "I do believe we caught someone's attention." He indicated with a slight nod the two girls walking toward their table. "I don't know either of them. Do you?"

Xander barely glanced up. "One of the plastics group, I think. I dunno. Seen them around but never talked to them."

"I think the blonde girl has a gem name," Alec remarked.

The two girls they were talking about consisted of a blonde and a brunette. The blonde walked a step ahead of the brunette, clearly in charge, and she was dressed so stereotypically "popular girl" that she could have stepped out of a movie like Mean Girls or Disney Channel Original, with a tight white mini skirt, yellow shirt tied to show a bit of toned belly and a bit more cleavage than most of the other girls, and heels. Her blonde hair rippled like sunlight, and her face was carved like an ice queen of beauty. The brunette was dressed just as nicely, but where the blonde was a 10, she was a 9 who thought she was a 7, and it showed in the way she walked.

The blonde strutted straight up to their table and looked Alec over. Just Alec. Everyone else might not have existed. Her flawless skin allowed her a smile, revealing impossibly perfect teeth. "I like your jacket. It's striking. You've got great style, and you've clearly grown up, so I decided to let you take me out."

Alec looked to Xander, confused, but Xander could only shrug and looked at Sloan. Maybe as a girl, she could translate?
 
"A month from now already?" Sloan asked, surprised, "I knew he was going on leave because of, you know, soon, I didn't realize it was that soon." But this was quickly replaced by flat disinterest in these two girls who approached them. She knew them both, and knew their names, but she was more annoyed by them than anything. Some of their other detractors in the school called them "basic" as an insult, but Sloan didn't care about that. She was an ardent defender of letting people enjoyed what they liked, and of not hating things popular among women and girls just because they are liked by women and girls, and it didn't bother her how they dressed or how it kind of felt like they had watched some movies and picked their personalities from that, but it was the way they (especially the blonde) carried herself as if she were better than everyone else that really bugged her. And Sloan had the right to make that judgement, because not only had they been in the same Girl Scout troupe growing up, the two of them used to sort of be friends. She had gone to Sloan's Bat Mitzvah. It was carefully orchestrated by Mrs. Appelbaum.

So, she did her best not to roll her eyes, and when she caught Xander looking at her after this blonde's proclamation, she scratched behind her ear and lightly shook her head before looking up and saying, "That's a hell of a way to say hello."
 
The blonde's eyes did not waver fro Alec's even at Slaon's proclamation. Her perfect smile seemed just a hint too perfect, and something predatory gleamed deep in those blue eyes.

"Oh," Alec said uncertainly. "Thank you for the... privilege? Um, where am I taking you?"

"Well!" The blonde tossed her hair. "The man usually is the one to decide, but how kind of you to ask. How progressive! I like that one restaurant, Madam's, and I love ice cream."

"Would you like a nice walk in the park and some ice cream?" Alec asked, still thoroughly lost and terrified of saying the wrong thing."

"How... quaint. I suppose it will do for a first date," the girl nodded. "Bernadette, give him my phone number."

THe brunette girl stepped forward and held out her hand. It took Alec a moment to realize she was asking for his phone. He handed it over meekly so she could punch in the right digits.
 
Sloan sighed and turned her head very slowly to face Alec, "Dude, did you ask yourself if you want to take her out? Did you check in with your own feelings?" She looked at Peter to see if she had lost her mind. It might not have been the best thing to ask in front of the girls themselves, but the situation felt insane, and Alec seemed too nice to remember to ask himself those questions without prompting. And poor, unfortunately named, Bernadette had become a personal assistant, it appeared, but Sloan knew better than to try to also point that little tidbit out.
 
Peter raised a brow slightly. He looked unhappy about the situation, but he was too polite to call it out in front of the girls like Sloan had. He felt a bit relieved that someone had pointed it out.

"Well," Alec started.

The blonde waved a hand dismissively. "Of course he does. Otherwise, why would we still be talking?"

"I suppose if that's what you'd like, I wouldn't mind. It's nice to make new friends," Alec said with a weak smile.

"Excellent! So, you and me, we'll meet in Thornsbry park this evening and enjoy some ice cream," the girl smiled. She spun on her heel. "I have to get ready for class now."

Bernadette handed Alec his phone back with a smile and a wink. "Congratulations!" Then she hurried after her friend. "Crystal, you look amazing already!"

Alec sat with his hand out still holding his phone.

"What the hell just happened?" Xander demanded.
 
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