How Green Becomes Wood

"Cooger's family does ham. They do not cook it or anything, they pick up one of those precooked ones and then get nice bread and good cheeses for sandwiches. His mother always says she's too tired after Thanksgiving," Dark mentioned, carefully moving the cookies so they were all on a single plate to start the clean up process while they all figured out timing which, in retrospect, they should have nailed down well in advance.

"That sounds like it'll take longer than the biryani, that takes about an hour and a half, so how about you two get started while Dark showers?" She offered, also assisting in the clean up.

Dark, however, had paused, and was looking at his wife with a mixture of love, admiration, and, admittedly, a small polite hint of attraction, "Spider, when did you get so good at time management?"

"When being away from work means I don't have to devote some of my braincells to thinking nothing in a quest to save my sanity."
 
"The turkey breast takes maybe an hour including resting time, so we have some time, but I'll get started," Xander assured her. "We have loads of time."

"We say that now before all the stuff that could go wrong does go wrong," Alec pointed out.

Xander shrugged. "Fair enough. We'll start now."
 
"It's okay, we're allowed to run late. This house operates on Arab Standard Time," Daizi joked, bringing a fistful of newspaper to the trash (because the frosting on it meant it couldn't be recycled) before heading towards the stairs to put the scarves away, "And like you've pointed out, we have a new baby. And it's not like any dinner party has ever sat down to dinner the moment guests arrive, either."

Dark nodded, doing time-based math in his head while he helped clean up, "Cooger will be late, I am certain. He is never on time if he can help it. Ciara will probably arrive either at the exact time we gave her or a perfect, respectful five minutes late. If I had to guess, Jack and Peter will show up somewhere between the two, but Sally is a wildcard who may choose to arrive early to help us get set up simply because of Ivy."

"But she wouldn't drop by early unannounced, so we'd be able to prepare for that."
 
"You sure know everyone well," Alec remarked as he wiped down the table. Not much frosting had gotten onto the table thanks to the newspaper, but there were a couple of nearly invisible specks. "Do you keep a spread sheet?"

Xander snickered at the idea and started bringing out the items needed for making their part of the dinner.
 
"I do not, but I have known Cooger for longer than Daizi, Ciara has made a strong impression, Jack and Peter seem mostly average, and Sally has proved regularly she likes to help Daizi wherever she can. So it just makes sense to me they would arrive in that order, I would never claim to be infallible." Dark explained casually, helping to finish up cleaning up before heading upstairs to take his shower just as Ivy began to cry again.

Daizi came hurrying back downstairs, thankful she had managed to finish her part of the cooking, because it was so much easier to throw on clothes last minute than it was to miraculously bring a meal together. As she went to pick her up, she hummed saying, "You've been very kind today, my darling girl, very very respectful to our time."
 
"You have a point," Alec agreed.

It didn't take long to get the turkey ready. Instead of getting the full turkey despite their deep impulse to get it, they'd picked out the largest breast they could find instead. Most people only went for the white meat, anyway, and it was easier to cook. Then they got started on the rest of the stuff. It was quick to come together with Xander in charge and Alec helping out with reading the directions and making a time table.
 
While the twins cooked, Dark showered and, for the first time in weeks, put a little extra work into styling his hair and neatened up his grown out beard. Briefly, he considered taking the time to trim it back down to his preferred length, but he knew that would take time and honestly... Until Ivy began sleeping through the night, he wasn't sure he had the energy for the level of upkeep it took to maintain a specific length. That thought made him feel... weird, and not particularly pleasant, but it was where he was at.

Then he went downstairs to cook his part of dinner while Daizi went upstairs to get herself and Ivy dressed--although she wondered if it was worth it to put Ivy in a nice, Christmas themed onesie knowing she was likely to throw up on it. But Cooger had mentioned the party to his mother, who had decided Ivy was essentially her grandchild, so she had sent along a little Christmas outfit complete with the weird headbands they gave to baby girls. Dark had remarked they look like they're about to squeeze the brain out of babies, but they both knew Mama Cooger would miraculously know they had skipped it and be very, very upset. But she did like the process of dressing Ivy...Well, she supposed she liked almost all aspects of caring for her baby. She was fascinating. Really, deeply fascinating. There had been times where Daizi knew she should get some sleep but instead had lain awake listening to Ivy's breathing. Her perfect little breathing.

But the never-ending laundry was annoying. After Ivy was all dressed for the party, she changed into her own party clothes. It was such a little thing, but the fact she was able to wear some of her clothes from "before", albeit very stretchy ones, was a nice, normalizing feeling.

It made Dark happy to see her: she looked lovely and he could tell she felt good, and resultingly he tried not to stare. Her behavior with him was equivalent, when he came down dressed and wearing his best cologne for the first time since their anniversary.

All that was left were the guests!
 
The guests arrived more or less as Dark predicted. Sally, Jack, and Peter showed up at the door five minutes early with their contributions to the dinner. Sally brought an English trifle desert, and Jack had small surf-and-turf kabab skewers for an appetizer. Ciara arrived precisely four minutes after the appointed hour and brought an Irish mashed potato dish known as Colcannon. Rich, buttery potatoes made with greens. She'd used spinach, but it could be made with kale or any other green a person had on hand. Alec and Xander eyed the potatoes suspiciously, but they did intend to try everything. Including the weird stuff.

Sally hugged Daizi excitedly and thanked her for inviting them while Jack shook Dark's hand and asked him about his woodwork.
 
"The twins and my friend Cooger, who will arrive when the wind blows him in, surprised us with a tree," Dark told Jack, gesturing to the living room, "so I think I may begin carving ornaments for it. Since they are smaller they will take less time, so they are a more manageable project for our current situation."

"No, thank you for coming!" Daizi replied, hugging Sally back, "Look, I'm in some of my old clothes! Oh, Ciara, this is Sally, she's a very good friend. The brilliant scientist I was telling you about, remember? And, Sally, this is Ciara, who seems intent on proving herself to be our hero every time we're in crisis."
 
Jack nodded appreciatively as he looked at the tree. "That's a nice tree," he approved, seeming to genuinely admire it. "I like the colors you chose for it. The monochrome look can get a bit overwhelming, but having just the black and white main pieces make all your smaller ornaments pop." He glanced around for the twins, but they'd vanished upstairs to show Peter their gifts. "They're good kids."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ciara! I've heard a lot about you," Sally greeted her warmly, offering her hand. "Especially about that last escapade."

Ciara flushed faintly but stayed composed as she accepted the handshake. "It was the least I could do. It is good to meet you, as well."
 
"They chose the colours, too. Daizi and I were at the pediatrician with Ivy and when we came back, there it was." He crossed his arms and, after a moment, walked into the living room so they could all sit and be comfortable, "They are good. Xander's gift to Alec was a writ declaring he would agree to be in the band again. The community center may rent out practice rooms, if there is a way to get Peter there. I do not think she is ready to cope with a rock band in the home."

"Well you'll both be glad to know everything has calmed down since then, and our friendly neighborhood ghoul has moved out to haunt elsewhere. Hopefully an island in the middle of the ocean." She chuckled, "You haven't seen us in person since Ivy was still in the hospital, right Ciara? Or am I forgetting a visit? I might be, I'm sorry."
 
"Depending on when they want to have their practice, I might be able to give them a ride," Jack said with an easy grin, sitting down.

"No, this is the first time since then," Ciara confirmed.

"It seems everyone has been busy lately, but at least most of us have busy minding our own business and not other people's," Sally said, rolling her eyes. "What a nerve of that lady! So ridiculous."
 
"You need to see how big she's gotten since then," Daizi said, going to the cradle and scooping up Ivy, cooing to her as she did, "She gets fussy in early evenings, because days are very long for her, but she should be fine now."

"She decided she knew more about our lives than we did." Was all Dark would say about it, because he had not fully moved past it and knew he would stop being good company, "I could drive them, too, I just do not want Ivy's naps to be disturbed. She sleeps too much and too lightly now, when she starts sleeping through the night then it may be different."
 
"Oh! She's just the cutest thing!" Sally cooed excitedly. "And so big now! Oh, just look at you, little one! You're so sweet! Yes you are!"

Ciara stood back watching, but she was smiling, too, as she watched. She didn't want to hold Ivy or coo over her, but even Ciara had to admit Ivy was pretty darn cute.


"Well, we'll let them figure it out, I think. They're old enough they don't need us time managing for them, right?" Jack grinned. "Once they get things sorted out, then we can sort out rides and room rentals."
 
"Isn't she?" Daizi agreed, practically swooning, "She made a pass at my sanity this morning with her ardent refusal to sleep or even really settle at all, but I can't stay bothered by her! And she's starting to lift her head briefly, she's so much stronger than she was before. Right, Hummingbird?" Ivy made the same almost-coo she had been experimenting with, looking only briefly at Sally, who was mostly close enough to be seen, but mostly she was watching her mama.

"The twins turn sixteen in two months," Dark told Jack, "it is tricky figuring out what we want to do for them. Our conceptualization of a 'Sweet Sixteen' is hardly more developed than a teenage romcom. I know we will just ask them, ultimately, but I am not sure if they will have an agreement."
 
"Aw, so sweet!" Sally crooned, her fingers twitching slightly as she held back the urge to reach out and touch Ivy. "In no time at all, you'll have a little crawler on your hands, won't they? Then nothing below knee height will be safe from you! And you'll have your brothers to chase you around and keep you safe."

Jack scratched the back of his head. "I hadn't really thought of a sweet sixteen. You only really hear about girls getting them, don't you?" he mused thoughtfully. "Peter's not too far behind them, so maybe it's something to consider. Maybe a car or something like that? A used one, of course, but something to show you trust them with more freedom."
 
"I know," Daizi sighed happily, kissing Ivy's head, then repeating the action a second time because she couldn't resist, "I wonder how Enkidu will react to her when she crawls. He's fascinated by her--we normally keep him locked up at parties just because we know he's a big dog and people can feel stressed by him, but when he's down here, he spends most of the day right by her cradle. You're a very lucky baby, aren't you, Ivy? Yes you are! Do you want to hold her?"

Dark looked at Jack and then up towards the stairs, "Is it only for girls? Ciara, forgive us, you are American. Is the 16th birthday only special for teen girls? And I would get them a used car, but Alec still is not particularly interested in driving and Xander has expressed he wants to earn money for a car himself. As much as I would love to surprise him with it, I would not want to steal the moment from him."
 
"I would love to hold her, if I may!" Sally agreed eagerly. She took Ivy delicately and cradled her gently, smiling down at her. "Hello, sweetheart! It is so good to see you again. You are such a sweet little flower!"

"Ah, yes, letting him work for his own car is a big deal," Jack agreed with a nod. "You wouldn't want to take that."

Ciara moved a little closer to answer Dark's question. "Sweet Sixteen is considered the female version and is traditionally for girls. Boys can also have a sixteenth celebration, but it is only called a sixteenth birthday. Growing up, my friends all expected a large, frilly party for their birthdays. Boys also expected something special, but more along the lines of welcoming them to maturity. I do not know what they do today."
 
"I was thinking we could buy the car but let him pay us back for it," Daizi said, since now that she wasn't holding her daughter she was no longer too distracted to engage in the conversation, "that way he could still have the joy of buying the car while still being able to drive his car before he officially owns it. Either way he'll be making car payments to someone. It's still something we'd have to talk to him about and not just surprise him with, but it's an option."

"Either way we will have to talk to them to see what they want," Dark said, "and seperately, because I do not think they will want the same thing."

"Did you have a frilly party for your birthday, Ciara?" Daizi asked.
 
Jack chuckled and said teasingly, "They are so similar in their personalities, though. I thought they might want exactly the same things."

"I did," Ciara confirmed. "Admittedly, it felt more like it was for the adults than for the teens, but it was quite pretty in pink. My dress was quite possibly the most uncomfortable thing I'd ever worn, but I did look like a Disney princess in it." She smiled, a brief flicker of fondness passing her face before disappearing again. "The party itself was rather dull. We were all expected to be on our best behavior."
 
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