How Green Becomes Wood

Daizi sighed, squeezing Ivy in close and rubbing her cheek against her hair, "I know it wouldn't be so bad to leave her here, I'm just not used to it. I've only left without her twice, and once was in an emergency, and the other time she was sleeping."

"It will be alright," Dark promised, putting his arm around Daizi, who knew the correct thing was to leave Ivy home, but also didn't really want to leave her behind.
 
"Well, you have time to think about it," Alec assured her. "If you want to take her with you, I'll help you pack her things."

"I'm heading upstairs. I'm tired," Xander said.

"Me too," Alec admitted.
 
Daizi sighed, kissing her baby on the forehead. She knew it was probably for the best to leave her home, but she was trying to convince herself of why it was a good idea, actually. One day, she knew, she'd have to get comfortable leaving her behind, because of course she did. But that didn't make it easy, and she had no idea how Dark managed to leave her every day. No wonder it was crushing him. And she felt so silly because she knew she should just be able to leave her, and she knew she needed to learn to cope with it. Ivy was eight months old, she should have had more time away from her already, it was ridiculous that she hadn't. But it was so hard. And where was she supposed to go? Until a few weeks ago, she wasn't able to leave the house during the work week, and Ivy fought hard to not take a bottle, so until recently she was the only food source, so it's not like she made an active choice to take her everywhere because she was too attached! But the reason behind it didn't seem to matter quite as much now that they were living it.

Dark pulled Daizi into his arms, knowing what her anxieties were, "It will be okay, my love."

"It's better to leave her home," Daizi moped.

"I agree with you."

"I don't want to."

"I know," Dark kissed the top of her head, "but it will be easier the more you do it."
 
It was a strange day, and Xander chose not to go to his Judo lesson. It was mostly the Judo version of review that day, anyway, so he didn't mind skipping it. The rest of the day was spent in trying very hard not to think about what was going to happen that evening, and thus, that was all either of the twins could think about. Xander did get a couple of order completed as well as a new item for his store, and he had Alec model the piece as he promised. That did manage to take their minds off things, and they ended up laughing hysterically at themselves and each other. They even tried - fully expecting to fail - to get Dark to model the arm bracers and belt.

After, Alec sat and texted Sloan, musing about dying the ends of his hair and trying to decide what color to go with. He was thinking blue or maybe white. He didn't mention the meeting with their uncle. He considered telling her, but decided not to.

Then, as the time grew closer, Alec and Xander both turned their attention to the fact that this was the first time they'd be looking after Ivy by themselves in a non-emergency situation. Alec was actually kind of looking forward to it.
 
Daizi spent most of her day trying to not freak out about the fact she was leaving Ivy home with someone other than Dark, for the first time not in an emergency. It made her want to cry, but letting Ivy see her cry was only going to teach her that Mama leaving was bad, and she couldn't do that, either. And when Ivy was napping, and she didn't have to try to psych herself out of leaving her, she was caught up trying not to drive herself mad thinking about how this meeting with Tristan Walsh would go, which was a similar problem to what Dark was having.

When asked to model the bracers, though, he held one up, and told the twins, "I do not believe this will fit my forearms," and handed it back to Xander. Had he believed it could fit him, he might have agreed to it, seeing as he had never been afraid to don costumes before.

When it was near, but not quite, time to leave, Daizi and Dark sat the twins down to run them through what they needed done with Ivy. They'd be home, hopefully, before her bed time, but they were going to need to feed her, and they had her food ready to go in the fridge, and since they were just doing solids, they didn't need to worry about checking the temperature or anything. They also explained if they weren't home by a certain time how to get Ivy ready for bed, but they would be home before it was time for her to actually go to sleep, it was just important to start winding her down at a certain point in the evening. Dark also made a point to tell them that although he respected their decision to not change diapers, if she needed to be changed, they needed to find somebody to do it. They had called Cooger, who was in the general area working, and he could come by if it came to that, and they had alerted Lex and the Appelbaums that the twins were going to be alone with Ivy for a few hours. Then, after running out of other things to explain about taking care of Ivy for the brief period of time they'd be watching her, they asked if the twins had any questions.
 
The twins assured her that they had no questions and that everything would be fine. They could handle this! And surely Ivy wouldn't need changing, but if she did, they would handle it. They had everyone's phone numbers and could call for help for any potential scenario. All would be well! Alec did insist on a couple of extra hugs before holding Ivy and having her wave goodbye. He made it seem like a very good thing that Mama and Baba were leaving, keeping his voice and mannerisms happy.
 
After Dark said his goodbyes, Daizi gave Ivy a big hug and a kiss goodbye, silently reminded herself that she was overreacting, and this was okay. She knew it was, and she knew it would be, but it still wasn't easy, and she didn't know if it'd be better if they were going on a nice date rather than to visit the twins' uncle, but she knew she had to say goodbye second so that immediately afterwards she could walk out of the house and not give herself a chance to turn back. Then she tried very, very hard not to cry in the car, but once they pulled away, her focus shifted on what they were going to do, and less on what they weren't bringing with them, which was enough to shake herself out of her briefly overwhelming worry for her daughter. And, before they knew it, they were sitting in the park, under the pavilion they had agreed to meet at.

Ivy, meanwhile, watched the door for a few moments after her parents walked out, but was easily distracted.
 
"Right, let's have some playtime," Alec said brightly.

Xander set a timer on his phone for when it would be time to feed her. "Okay. Play time, and then food time. We should read to her so she gets some literature."

"Alright," Alec agreed, amused. "Let's try to fit everything into an hour or two, definitely."

Xander rolled his eyes at his brother's sarcasm and went to fetch a book.


Five minutes after Dark and Daizi arrived, a small, silver hatchback pulled up with the driver's side next to the handicap parking spot. Dark and Daizi would only be able to see the passenger side as the top of a head appeared on the driver's side, one hand holding tight to the top rack of the car. They swung around, opened the back door, and there was a soft clattering noise before the head disappeared again. Two doors closed. Then a red-haired man in a dark blue suit and white shirt and wearing sleek sunglasses appeared around the front of the car. He was dressed neat and professional from the shine of his black shoes to the perfect yet relaxed comb of his hair. Even the chair he sat in was perfectly clean and shined. He rolled forward with an easy flick of his wrists and wheeled up onto the sidewalk. He paused there for a moment, looking around, until he spotted Dark and Daizi. Another moment of hesitation. Then he pushed himself forward toward the pavilion, slowing as he approached.

"G. M. Dark and Daizi Wahid, I presume?" he asked from a respectful distance away.
 
Ivy babbled back at them as they made plans about what they were going to do with her, and happily pressed against Alec, demanding his absolute full attention.

When the silver car pulled up, Dark watched it carefully, suspecting he guessed the name of the driver who was soon to step out of it, although he did not guess everything. At the sight of the stranger, Dark leaned in to Daizi and murmured something to her in Arabic before nodding to the other man, "Mr. Walsh?"

"It is good to meet you in person," Daizi said, trying to squash down her nerves.
 
He smiled, calm and polite, but there was trepidation in his eyes as he rolled foreward. "It is good to meet you, as well." He moved a little closer, angling toward Dark first and offering his hand before turning to Daizi to do the same. He had a firm handshake, but he wasn't trying to crush anyone's fingers.
 
Dark stretched his arm across the picnic table to shake Tristan's hand without standing up, but if it wasn't already obvious sitting, the length of his arm suggested he was a very, very tall man, and one covered in tattoos at that. Then he put one hand on Daizi's shoulder, who then extended her hand to the man, although she did not grab onto his already extended one.

"I'm sorry," She said, "I'm not really sure how to begin this."
 
"That's alright," Tristan assured her, adjusting his chair to a more comfortable distance after shaking their hands. He removed his sunglasses, revealing hazel eyes. "I feel it best to establish my goals from the outset." He rested his folded hands on the table in front of him. He didn't wear any rings, and the sleeves of his suit jacket covered most of his arms, but the tail end of a scar on the back of his forearm did peek out from under his cuff as he moved. "I was not aware of Xander and Alec's existence until very recently, and while I do feel I have a familial obligation to look into their well-being, I do not wish to disrupt their lives if they are, in fact, happy. If you have been looking after them for," he paused for a quick calculation, "over a year now, a year and a half or so, then I can assume they are at least somewhat settled into their lives with you?" He arched his brows questioningly, looking back and forth between them.
 
"They came to live with us December 15 the year before last," Dark informed him, so he understand the full facts as he was willing to reveal, "I do believe they are very happy with us."

Daizi nodded, "And they're definitely settled. They speak some level of Arabic with us, they've repainted their bedroom, Dark built Xander a wardrobe so they don't have to share closet space, they're enrolled in after-school activities..." She trailed off, trying to think of more evidence of how settled they were that wasn't we're in the process of legally adopting them.
 
"That sounds excellent!" Tristan smiled. He leaned back, visibly considering his next words. "If they were offered another place to live, do you think they would take it over staying with you?" he asked slowly and carefully. He wanted to see their reactions. He wanted to see what the idea of the twins leaving them would mean to these two people. That would mean more to him than after-school activities because it would show him how much they truly cared for these two boys. For all he knew, they were just comfortable at best. How Dark and Daizi reacted would tell him if they cared about the twins, if they accepting of the idea that they might move on someday, or if the twins were just a paycheck to them.
 
Dark's expression didn't change, at least not in a way Tristan would be able to perceive, "No. I do not believe they would."

Daizi, however, turned her head slightly to the side, her eyes squinting from behind her dark sunglasses, and somewhat incredulously, and somewhat proudly, said, "If someone offered Xander somewhere else to live, I think he would laugh in their face. Alec would be a bit more demure about it, but he'd still refuse the offer. Now, anyway. It'd be different if they were both in their 20s and a landlord offered them a good deal on rent and they were feeling cramped, but if tomorrow someone showed up and offered to take them?" She shook her head, almost offended at the thought, "They wouldn't be very pleased with that person."
 
Tristan glanced between them, and a slow, small smile bowed his lips. "I like the way you answered with their personalities in mind. It says you really do know them." He leaned forward enough to rest his arm on the table. "I hope you will forgive my caution, but most of my experience with the foster system comes by way of horror stories that are most lively sensationalism, but I would not know the difference. I am not currently set up to take on two teenagers except in the most extreme of circumstances, but if it seemed that this home - your home - was ill suited for them, I would do what it takes to ensure they would have some semblance of a proper home should they accept it. It is quite a relief to see two people who genuinely seem to care for them, and I am happy for them."
 
It took all of Daizi's answers not to reply with, and I hope you will forgive our caution, but most of our experience with the Walsh family comes by horror stories, as well, and had she been in the state she was when dealing with the elder Walsh, she might have, but now she took a breath, smiled lightly and said, "I understand why you're worried, and I'm glad that you are, really, because I'm not going to say there aren't abusive foster families out there. I hope you can understand if we ever get a bit... defensive, about them. They've been 'ours' for long enough that on the rare occasion a relative has made themselves known to us, it's felt a bit..." She tipped her head back and tried to think of the correct word, "like we were on trial. You sound a lot like their aunt, actually." She scratched her index finger against the top of the picnic table, "We love them, and they love us back."

Dark watched, hawk-eyed, as Daizi spoke to Tristan, sitting up perfectly straight, and then when she was finished, looked again at Tristan, and after examining him for awhile, asked, "Would it upset you to know they are suspicious of you?"
 
"Their aunt?" Tristan asked quizzically. Then he brightened in remembrance. "Oh, yes! Tara had an older sister. I'd forgotten about her, to be honest she is in touch? That is good. At least, I hope it is." Then he nodded to Dark. "I understand, and I am not surprised that you are suspicious. I would honestly be more concerned if you were not suspicious after meeting my," he hesitated only a beat, "brother. I cannot imagine that was an easy interaction for any of you."
 
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"She is. She's trying to be more involved, she met them a year ago." Daizi explained, sitting back.

Dark nodded, pushing his thick hair back with one hand, needing to take a pause to figure out what he wanted to say about Tristan's brother. Then he exhaled, crossed his arms, and tactfully said, "He came with certain expectations and motivations, and we balanced it against our goals and intentions, and their goals, for as long as he was here."
 
Tristan nodded slowly. His left leg started trembling visibly, but he didn't seem to notice. "I am sorry for the scars he obviously left your family," he said slowly. "I know my apology carries very little weight right now, and I cannot truly apologize for my older's brother's actions as he is his own man, but I am sorry for the pain he caused." He spread his hands open. "I am trying not to have any expectations, but I would like to meet them if I could, your boys, if only one time. I knew Tara a little back when we were in school together, though I had just barely started high school when she was finishing, and I liked her." He paused and looked away briefly. "I was sad to read of her passing in the paper and that she'd left two sons behind, but it never once occurred to me that they could be Declan's children until he told me himself a few days ago."
 
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