How Green Becomes Wood

Daizi's face lit up, more than delighted at the prospect of having some of her family so close. Her relationship with her father may be rocky, to say the least, but she always kept hope that, one day, it wouldn't be. More than almost anything else, she wanted a good relationship with him, even though it so often wasn't, and he had so regularly let her down.

Meanwhile, Dark was silently cursing his decision to bring it up. Amty Zeinab was lovely, but the thought of Saladin in his house every day for that long sounded miserable. Still, knowing it mattered so much to Daizi, he nonetheless said, "We will have to speak to Xander about it, then."
 
"A time restriction of what sort?" Dark asked, "I think it is more than fair to say you won't sleep on the couch for more than a number of days, but a number of hours a night may be asking too much."

"She always wants to stay over. Last year she said she wanted to stay at our home, even while Ivy and I were still in the hospital, but it was just too hard." Daizi said, tucking her hair back.
 
"Two weeks sounds perfect," Daizi said brightly, squeezing Alec's hands, "I know we haven't spoken to Xander, yet, to see if something he's okay with, but even if he says no, I really, really appreciate your generosity."
 
"You're welcome, Mama!" Alec said, squeezing her hand in return. He figured one room, that meant surely Grandfather S wouldn't be staying, too. Right? Even if it was a father and daughter or similar relationship, it was still a male and female in one room, and surely he'd understand if there simply was not enough space. Right? Amty, however, was fantastic! He'd happily make room for her.
 
It hadn't occured to Dark yet to consider the dynamics of men and women sharing the room, so he was busy sitting in dread of his father in law.

"One thing, though," Daizi said as she let go of him, "If she does stay here, you have to be very certain never to go into that room, when she's in there, unless she says you can, because I don't think you're someone she can take her hijab off around. It's sort of complicated, and I don't know exactly where her feelings fall on it, but if you aren't, you need to be careful not to accidentally see it. I know Dark can't see her without it, so already she's not going to have it off when not in private if he's home, it's just something to be careful of."
 
Alec nodded seriously. "I understand. I wouldn't go in there without permission, anyway, promise, but especially so now." He didn't understand the hijab, necessarily, and he didn't believe any of it, but that didn't mean he was going to disrespect someone who did.
 
"I didn't think you would, but I still think it's important to mention, because it's such an important thing to those who practice. Until I came to the states for the first time and moved away from the religion, and I think there's something beautiful about it, in its way, but I'm glad I don't hold myself to it, anymore." She sat back, taking out her wallet as the check came. Occasionally, Daizi still wore a hair scarf or a handkerchief or a bandanna to cover the top of her head, mostly during Eid, some of her Pagan holidays, and solstices or equinoxes, but she never bothered to try hiding her hair anymore. It just didn't hold the meaning it was meant to, for her.

"There are whole charts saying who can and cannot see you without it," Dark commented.

"Those in ny family who are aghast that I don't are split on if they think it's okay I specifically don't around you and your brother," Daizi chuckled, "and if Ivy should, when she gets older. Not that we're going to encourage her to start."
 
"It's a big deal, and a whole, complicated thing," Alec agreed seriously. He considered asking about the actual meaning of it and everything but decided now wasn't really the time. They were getting ready to leave, after all. "I promise to be very careful and respectful about it."
 
Dark stood, after the check was taken, "I know you will be. Really, it will not be too difficult, she knows the rules perfectly well, and she knows what she needs to do to maintain her preferred level of modesty."

"I'm just really excited to get to sit with her again," Daizi said, "I was so tired last time, it was like I barely got to actually be with her. She's my great-aunt, but really she's more like my grandmother."
 
"Don't worry. She'll make certain you two get to spend lots of time together!" Alec assured his mother confidently. He got up and stretched. "This was fantastic! Are we ready to head home?"
 
"I'd feel less bad about it if I just painted them," Daizi chuckled as they walked back to the car, "I try to only stab people I dislike, and that instructor had done nothing to harm me."
 
"True, true. Or maybe you could accidentally stab someone with the brush handle," Alec told her. "That would be an interesting sensation! Not quite as bad as being stab-stabbed."
 
"Imagine how it would feel if a tool you didn't expect to touch anything goes into something that can only be flesh!" Daizi exclaimed, raising her hands, "It was mortifying!"

"Perhaps," Dark said, taking her arm, "But it showed everyone else in the class you are no one to trifle with, and that is always a good thing."
 
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