How Green Becomes Wood

Daizi chose a chocolate strawberry milkshake, and Dark, after a moment of pause, peppermint.

With a bright smile, Daizi kissed her husband on the cheek and then excused herself to the bathroom.

After she had been gone for a few moments, Dark asked, "Has it been an enjoyable day for you?"
 
Xander chose straight chocolate. He sat back and studied the ceiling when Dark asked his question. "Yeah," he said at last. "It has been. It's not what I planned, exactly, but it was crazy enough that I kind of liked it. It was cool."
 
"I didn't realize the band would just be a..." He struggled to find the words. "It was a weird selection. I thought it would be a bit more to what I'm interested in, but it wasn't bad. And I thought the play was actually more improv, but, again, it wasn't bad. I liked it. Not everything can be perfect, and that's okay. It was nice just... getting out. The three of us."
 
Dark nodded, understanding that sort of disappointment well, "I am glad to know it was not something we had done to hamper things for you. It has been really nice, for both of us, to spend time just with you." He looked out the window and rubbed his thumb against the side of his mostly empty glass, "Do you know what I think?"
 
A satisfied smirk briefly flashed across his face, pleased with that answer. After rapping the flat of his finger nails against his glass, he shifted his body weight to look back at Xander, the booth creaking as he did, "I think you have grown up a lot."
 
His amber, nearly yellow in this light, eyes searched Xander's face, as if peering into the crevices he didn't yet have in his skin. "You were given a choice of anything in the world, any activity, and you landed on something you did not even know if you would like. And then agreed to dance with your mother, in front of all those people, even though it is not something you enjoy." He paused, but did not look away, "You will be a fine man, Xander. She will treasure that, you know."
 
Xander blushed deeply and looked away. In one way, he had not changed: he had no idea what to say to this deep, intimate, genuine moment. A lot of emotions built up inside, but he didn't know what to do with them just yet. The clearest of these emotions was clear. Pride. He was proud to have made his father so happy. So pleased. To know that in his father's eyes, he was on the right track.

"Thank you," he mumbled awkwardly, but there was a glow in his heart that reflected in his eyes.
 
"You are welcome." Dark replied, knowing there was more he could say, but choosing not to. It was enough for now.

Not long after, Daizi came back to the table, and Dark got up so she could slide in by the window, "Did I miss anything?"
 
"I don't know," Daizi replied, "I had absolutely no idea about the crib."

"In your defense darling..." Dark began, but then hesitsted, not knowing how to politely express that pregnancy had been making her just a little bit stupid by then. She wasn't stupid, and never had been, but she was missing a lot more than dhe otherwise would.
 
"That's true," Daizi agreed, thanking the server as their milkshakes were delivered, "but he also surprised me when he proposed to me, so that's two times."

"I have been able to keep exactly two secrets from you my entire life," Dark chuckled.

"Probably more," Daizi replied, knowing how often she had been surprised by him, but let the topic fall, holding up her milkshake up, "This has been a really lovely day."
 
"I really like it," Daizi said brightly, "It's good."

"There are some actual strawberries on top of yours," Dark informed her, since she wouldn't see them. His only had a classic cherry, "I like it, but it is a bit too sweet for me."
 
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