How Green Becomes Wood

"No, but why suffer when it can be fixed?" Dark asked, "Do not choose sleeplessness." He walked to the oven and checked the timer, "Soon. Maybe 20 minutes, if it is on time. Longer to account for when it will be cool enough to eat... I am happier with her home. With both of them home. I need all of the people I love where they belong. And I need all of the people I love properly cared for and healthy--which is why I will get you and Xander earplugs. If you do not use them, no problem, but they will be available, okay? If you have a test the next day or are really tired or one of you has a cold and is snoring really loudly, you will be glad to have them." He smiled slightly and squeezed Alec's shoulder, "and if there is anything else you need or want, you tell me, okay?"
 
Alec gave in and nodded with a smile. "Alright! We will accept earplugs. They night be nice. I don't think we need anything, but thank you. We're getting good at taking care of things. Eventually, we'll happily hand everything back to you to take care of, but for now, we're fine."
 
"Good." Dark nodded, satisfied. "I never want to force you to accept something you do not want, but I also do not want you to reject something you need just because you want to save me the trouble. It is never any trouble." He leaned against the counter to make himself seem less imposing, and he looked Alec directly in the eyes sympathetically, "I know I have told you that before, and I know it is not an easy lesson to learn, so I am going to keep reminding you of it until it starts feeling true, okay? It is never trouble, you do not cause me trouble."
 
Alec smiled but didn't quite meet Dark's eyes. "I know," he assured Dark lightly. "I certainly don't feel like trouble! But Ivy might wake soon. You should go greet her now that everything's put away, right? I forgot that I do have a bit of homework I should finish. Not much, just a little, but I should probably do it now since I don't have sitting in the gym before school to do it."
 
"Alright." Dark replied and shrugged his broad shoulders as he stood up straight again. He wanted to tell Alec if he needed any help, he was free to come ask for help, but after the conversation they just had, he doubted it would be particularly helpful. "I will let you know when the pie is ready."
 
"Thank you." Alec started to walk away but then paused and looked back. "You're doing fine. And you are going to do fine," he assured Dark gently. "It's good to worry some, it means you care, but don't let it override your knowledge that you are doing fine."
 
Dark blinked, surprised by Alec's comment, "Thank you." Then, after a moment, "You are doing fine too. You are. I love you, albuma." He rolled his shoulders back and then turned to check on the pie, not wanting to linger on it too much.
 
"Albuma?" Alec muttered to himself as he walked away. "Doesn't that mean 'with' or something?" He went to his room and dug up his dictionary. "Albuma... Owlet. Buma is owl. Oh, that makes so much more sense!" He frowned slightly at the empty room. "I'm a baby owl? A dust mop on massively long legs and eyes so big they can't even move?" He shook his head and put the dictionary away. "Adults are strange."
 
Dark watched the pie timer for a few moments before slipping downstairs to sit in the living room, keeping an eye on both his wife and baby. It was good to see them both sleeping for once, although it didn't take too long with him sitting there before Ivy began to cry, so Daizi stirred.

"Hey, hush," Dark murmured, speaking in Arabic as he approached the cradle, "Baba is here, have no worries. Hello, Spider," he stopped only long enough to touch Daizi, "go back to sleep, I have her."
 
A couple of days later, about two hours before the twins would be released from school, Mrs. Smith knocked politely on the door, clipboard in hand. She looked less than happy about her visit, but she smoothed her expression into one of complete neutrality before anyone could answer the door.
 
Dark came around to answer the door. Ivy was awake and he was carrying her, and when he opened the door he inhaled slowly. If Mrs. Smith had known him well enough, she would have noticed the way his face tightened, "Hello again, Mrs. Smith."
 
"Good afternoon, Mr. Dark," she greeted him calmly. "I hope I am not interrupting anything, but I am afraid we got another call." She glanced briefly around Dark, taking note of the house. It looked the same as always. Almost too clean for someone with a newborn. It was not necessarily a negative, just a note of interest she made in her personal notes. Her eyes went to Ivy. "I see Ivy is awake. I am glad I did not waken her. How has the family been adjusting to her? And is she doing well?" She noted no lethargy, no obvious attempts to hide anything, and no bruises or other indicators.
 
"Good afternoon," he said flatly, stepping aside so she could enter fully and giving her the requisite entry requests, "She has been up for a little while. I had just finished changing her when you knocked, we were on our way to do tummy time. Right, Hummingbird?" Ivy neither confirmed nor denied this was the plan, "The family... For a time, we thought Xander wanted nothing to do with her, but a few days ago Daizi overheard him talking to her. Alec has always been willing to talk to her and hold her, but... Well, they both seem a little off. Alec especially. We are trying to help them adjust and to show them nothing has changed, but it is a complicated situation for them both. Ivy is doing well, though. Today is actually her due date."
 
Mrs. Smith stepped inside but stayed in the entryway, making no move to enter further. She gave Ivy a warm smile, warmer than any expression she'd had yet, and said, "Then, happy second birthday, Ivy." She paused and made a couple of notes. "Things are awkward when introducing a new member of the family when it is a so-called normal family dynamic. When two of the involved parties are older foster children, it can be quite complicated at times. I am glad to hear that they are at least both willing to acknowledge her, and I hope things continue to change for the better where that is concerned." She paused and looked up at Dark. "Mr. Dark, are you certain there is nothing you aren't telling me?" she prompted, her tone gentle and not aggressive in the least.
 
"We are doing our best to prove to them nothing has changed between myself, Daizi, and the two of them." He explained, staying in the hall since she was, "Do you want me to get her?"

At her question, though, he stopped, and very seriously told her, "I am not keeping secrets. If there was something that seemed relevant, I would tell you. Daizi cut her foot on some glass on Monday. They are increasing my anxiety medication. I do not know what else there is to tell you." His voice was not angry, he just truly did not know what she expected him to say.
 
"No family feuds or anything like that?" Mrs. Smith paused, her lips pinching. "Now, your instinct will be to get angry when I ask this question, but I am only trying to reach a better conclusion to these... visits. Do you think it is at all possible that one or both of your foster sons might be making these calls? As a way to act out in some way?"
 
"I have no family." Dark replied simply, a cold gleam in his eye, "and all of Daizi's live in Egypt. I am sure even an anonymous call would show if it was coming from outside the United States."
It had never occurred to him before that it could be one of the twins calling, and once the question was asked, he took a long look up towards the stairs, even though they were not home to be in their room. Following a protracted silence, he said, "No. I do not think so. They are both very protective of Daizi, and can see how this harms her, and even though they can both be emotional and impulsive, I think they both have the foresight to see how if something happened with Ivy's place here, theirs would be threatened, too."
 
Mrs. Smith nodded and gave a quiet sigh as she made a quick little note. "Very well. I am glad to hear that your foster sons have that level of maturity. Not all do. And I am also glad it is not family related. Those can turn very messy." She put her clipboard under her arm. "I think that covers everything. Thank you for your time once again. I will be on my way."
 
After some hesitating, Dark confessed, "I could be wrong about them, but I really do not think I am. Even though it is not exactly easy for them, I do not think they would do that." He sighed heavily, not bothering to ask her anything else, "Goodbye, Mrs. Smith. I will see you next time, although I hope there is not a next time."
 
Mrs. Smith gave him a wane smile. "I certainly hope this is the last time, but as much as I would very much like to believe otherwise, I am beginning to think you are the victims of some sort of racism or ablism or both. I try not to jump to those sorts of conclusions, but I am running out of other possibilities."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top