How Green Becomes Wood

"Some things take time," She said, stirring in rhythm to whatever song she had been humming, "Some things improve before we have the ability to perceive they've done so. I'm not sure if you were brave enough to try this the last time I made it. You doubted the floral taste, I believe."

"She does only deserve the best," Dark murmured, rubbing Ivy's back. He had missed her so terribly all day, he thought he might not have survived it. Being home for spring break had been wonderful, but he hadn't properly accounted for how it would feel having to leave her again once it was over.
 
"I still doubt, but it smells good," Xander said. "Maybe, if you make enough, I'll try it this time. If I'm allowed."

Alec moved to sit down and held Ivy so she could try standing if she wanted to. "Always and ever! We'll have to be careful to not irrevocably spoil you, won't we?"
 
"Of course you're allowed," She chuckled, tasting the lemonade to make sure it was ready and then putting the stirring spoon in the dishwasher, "Have I ever steered you wrong before?"

Ivy put much, although not all, of her weight on her feet, so she was standing significantly better than she could before, which Dark noticed immediately. "We can spoil her a little bit. Within reason."
 
"Hmm." Xander considered her question seriously. "No, not that I can remember. I guess that means it'll be decent."

"Of course we can! Within reason," Alec agreed. "Look at you standing up! You'll be running all over this house in no time flat!"
 
"I appreciate the vote of confidence," She laughed, "Come help me set the table."

"She will be," Dark agreed, wanting very much to scoop Ivy back up and bury his face into her hair. Ivy was standing. With a lot of support, sure, but she was able to put some of her weight on her feet. Look at her, he thought, she was getting so big... And five days a week, he wasn't there to see it. "We will be in trouble, then."
 
Xander nodded and did as asked, relaxing a little more as he did so. He had a focus and a calming presence near him. Sometimes, that's all a person needed, but something nagged in the back of his mind. Something he refused to give voice to. Later, maybe. Not now. Maybe not ever.

Alec laughed and lifted Ivy up high, holding her up for as long as he dared before bringing her back down and turning her toward her father. "You are going to be Baba's princess, aren't you? Want to go to Baba now?"
 
She didn't try to make him talk, she didn't ask him any questions, she just hummed her little song as she helped set the table, and when it was ready, and the garlic bread had cooled, she popped her head in the living room to tell Alec and Dark dinner was ready. By then, Dark had already taken Ivy back from Alec.

The mac-and-cheese Daizi made was... really good. She even added breadcrumbs to it, the variety of cheese she used melded well, and she had made sure to season the chicken nicely before adding it. Although it might not have been the healthiest meal, it was hot, and it tasted good, and the lemonade was bright and sweet to balance it out.
 
"This is the best mac-and-cheese ever!" Alec moaned through a mouthful, not caring it was bad manners in that moment. "Really, really good. You make it way better than any American could dream of! 'Cept maybe the really fancy ones like Gordon Ramsey."

Xander swallowed his last bite. "Gordon Ramsey isn't from America, I think his British or something, but his point still stands."

Alec polished off his plate and sat back with a satisfied sigh. "So good! And your lemonade is divine."

"Yeah, it was decent," Xander said deliberately to tease Daizi just a little.
 
"Decent," Daizi shook her head as she took another sip of it.

"I love when you cook for us," Dark said, looking at her with that look. The one that made 'gazing' a more accurate word. It wasn't even the mac-and-cheese, it was the fact he knew perfectly well what she must have done, upon knowing the twins had an pretty difficult end of their day, was order groceries for delivery so she could cook them something comforting. That woman.

"It makes me feel very domestic," Daizi replied, standing and kissing the top of Dark's head, "but you can do the dishes, darling, so we split the chores."
 
"I got the dishes," Xander said, standing up. "I don't mind." He glanced at Daizi, appreciative of what she'd done though he didn't know exactly how much trouble she'd done to pull it off. He knew it wasn't something she did on a whim, and he was grateful to her. If he was Alec, he might have made a speech. Since he was Xander, all he said was, "Thank you."

Alec reached out and gently gripped Daizi's arm. "Thank you so much for what you've done. I'll clear the table and put things away while Xander washes."
 
"You're welcome," Daizi replied, smiling warmly at him and putting her hand over Alec's, "I was very glad to do it. Don't spend too much time cleaning up, I'm sure you both would love to relax a little, too." Then, she scooped Ivy from Dark, "Come, habiti, let's go get your dinner, okay?"

Dark looked after her for a few moments, a subtle glimmer in his eyes, and then helped his boys clean up. Once it was all done, he looked at Alec, "Alright, do you still want to see Ivy's high chair?"
 
"Oh, yes, please!" Alec agreed eagerly.

"I'm going to go get a start on my homework," Xander said. "You two have fun." He headed upstairs to attempt to concentrate while Alec followed Dark.
 
Dark nodded for Alec to follow him and walked out with him to his shed, and unlocking it, allowed Alec to enter before him. Then he pulled the tarp off of Ivy's high chair. It was the same colour of wood of the other dining chairs, and he carved the back of the chair to match them as well. "I thought about making it special and unique, like her crib, but I decided matching it to the rest of the furniture would look nicer."
 
Dark nodded in assent, and walked slowly around the chair, like he was sizing it up and judging it, "Thank you. I am torn between working on it more. Making it more..." He waved one hand, and then moved the tray to demonstrate how it works, "and Practically."
 
"Well, if you stop now, it'll match the other chairs perfectly," Alec pointed out. "If you keep going, it'll stand out from the chairs. It'll be beautiful, but match less." He stroked the back of the chair gently. "It is gorgeous as it is now. Do you think you'll keep it forever like some parents do, or will you donate it? Or sell it, I suppose."
 
"You are right," Dark agreed, putting the tray back into its old position, "I think I will keep it, as well as her crib and bassinet." He rubbed his thumb against the engravings on the back of it, "I might have a grandchild some day. And whichever of you three becomes a parent may want them. If not, when my grandchild visits, I will have it waiting for meals or naps, respectively. Although in the time between I will need a storage space. If all three of you decide you do not want children I may donate them. Cooger has nephews who may have children. And you three may have friends who may have children. I would never sell them, though. They are priceless." He folded his arms over his chest, "For now, they are my daughter's. And that is more than enough."
 
"That's for sure," Alec agreed. He smiled and patted the highchair gently before wandering over to look at the tiny carnival. He looked down at the tiny details, looking for any new ones. "Something like that... It's like something someone might find in a barn someday years from now and wonder what its history is." He reached down and used his finger to adjust a flag. "That would be equally cool."
 
"I want to leave a history behind." Dark said, going to stand behind Alec. The carnival was always evolving. Many of the patrons were new, the ones he had grown tired of lining the shelves on the wall. He had replaced a ride, and Ciara now had her own depiction, although she was a patron, not a carnie. She wouldn't like it, he had thought, being made in miniature to work the carnival, so he styled her like a reporter. This permanently incomplete artwork, too, he looked at with some level of judgement in his eyes, and after a few moments he went to his desk to take down a note of something new he wanted to add or change. "I forgot, there was another addition I wanted to show you."
 
"Oh yeah? What's that? Oh, is that Jaxson from school there in the crowd? The kid who thinks he's funny but never really is? He's harmless enough but tiresome to deal with for long stretches of time," Alec admitted. "Oh! There's Aunt Ciara! I wondered what you'd make her into if you did add her."
 
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