How Green Becomes Wood

"Oh," Daizi turned, hearing them start clearing the table, "I forgot, we have dessert, too. We wanted to kick off your first day back at school properly, it is in the fridge, I can go get it."
 
Dessert was a cold lemon tart which Daizi had baked to compliment the lemonade, and with how hot it was still in August, it was refreshing.

This, Ivy was forbidden from having, but Daizi did present her with some strawberry she had cut into a small amount of rice pudding, so she had some sense of dessert with the rest of them. "Just two more months, habibti," Daizi promised as she gave her daughter a little spoonful, "Then you will have cake for the very first time."
 
"Mama, this is delicious! Thank you," Alec praised, forcing himself not to eat too quickly. "So good!"

Xander didn't say anything. He was busy eating the tart and drinking the lemonade.
 
"You are very welcome," Daizi replied warmly, "I hope your day can at least end well, if it was a bit difficult in the middle bit."

"That is all any of us can hope for," Dark said, speaking about more than just an individual day.
 
"I think it'll get better. It always gets better a little at a time," Alec smiled. "If we're willing to let it, that is. A silver lining on every cloud! We just have to wait for the main body of it to pass over."

Xander glanced at Alec and rolled his eyes at the cheery nature of his reply, but he did not say anything this time.
 
"I think you're right," Daizi agreed, understanding a bit of what Xander meant earlier, "All things considered, I think we've all had worse days. Well, almost all of us."

Dark rose to clear the table, ruffling Ivy's hair, "I am going to feed and walk Enkidu, I am sure he is exasperated with us all."
 
Dark stepped back, holding his hands up, "If you insist, but it was on my way." Enkidu, upon seeing Dark standing, hurried over, pleading for his dinner, so he supposed it was for the best he quit cleaning up.

Daizi stood with a stretch and lifted Ivy once more from her high chair, snuggling her in close, "I am going to bring her to the nursery and read with her. It's too late for her to play, but too early for her to get ready for sleep."
 
"If you'd like to join us," Daizi said, bouncing Ivy on her hip, "I don't know how much you'll enjoy it. She likes a book about animals, so... It's probably going to be pretty academic." Everytime Daizi brought Ivy upstairs to read lately, this one particular book was the only one Ivy wanted, although it was understandable, because it was a book with lots of textures on the pages to feel. It was always that one, or one book in Arabic about different babies.
 
"We'll wait for you," Daizi replied, heading upstairs with Ivy. She brought Ivy to the bookshelf to let her daughter try picking the books she wanted and then settled down in the rocking chair, snuggling up with Ivy while they waited for Alec to join them.
 
Alec and Xander finished cleaning up the kitchen without talking to each other. The atmosphere was uncomfortable as both waited for the other to start, but it didn't happen. When they finished cleaning, Xander went to his room, and Alec went to the nursery to sit with Daizi and Ivy.

"I'm here!" he said cheerfully. "What are we reading this evening?"
 
"We have a wonderful book on animals, a book on families, and, if she'll allow it, a book teaching the Arabic alphabet." Daizi replied, adjusting where Ivy was sitting, "Are the lights okay? I tried to dim them so it wasn't bright, but with still enough light that she can see the pages, and I have no idea if I got it right."
 
Alec glanced around and nodded. "It's good, I think. It could go a little lower, if you want, but it isn't too low right now." He sat on the floor where he could reach Ivy and touched her leg gently. "Well, Ivy? Shall we read about the alphabet?"
 
"Your father and I sit in this chair together sometimes, I am certain you will not squish me." Daizi replied, settling in next to him. To make them both comfortable, she had to put one arm around him, and Ivy very naturally found herself snuggled up just in between them, although she gave a strong preference towards her mother. While her baby sucked her thumb, Daizi lowered the book down so Ivy could see and help turn the pages, and read through it with her. On all of the pages of all of the baby books they owned, Dark had gone through to meticulously add braille labels so there wasn't a single book Daizi was unable to read to her daughter, and Ivy liked touching the bumps too.
 
Alec soon relaxed and snuggled in with Daizi and Ivy. It felt... like how he'd always imagined families should feel. Him, his mother, and a younger sibling. There, nestled up, it felt like he was healing something he didn't know needed healing. He smiled, oohing and ahing at the pages along with Ivy and pointing things out to her, whispering about details on the page.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top