How Green Becomes Wood

"I think we'll probably all be pretty excited. Dark will be, definitely. He loves that place." A loving smile crossed her face, "It'll be good for him, too, because the next day my father is landing, and he needs a nice day beforehand."
 
"I think it'll be a great day for all of us, and Ba can pick out all the pumpkins he wants," Alec smiled. He took a step back and stretched. "I think I should probably get back to my room. Do you need or want anything since I'm standing up?"
 
"No, thank you," Daizi replied, squeezing his hand one last time, "It's getting late. I know you don't have anywhere to be tomorrow, but, we should probably all start settling in for the night."
 
For just a moment, Alec had forgotten what was tomorrow. The sadness returned, but not quite as heavy. "I'll see you in the morning, Mama," he said. He slipped away, going to his room. Xander was right where he'd left him, possibly asleep, but it was hard to tell for certain. Alec left him alone and got ready for bed. He had to clear his bed off of his drawing pad and pencils first, but then he climbed in and closed his eyes. Tomorrow would be what tomorrow wanted to be. Nothing he did tonight could change that.
 
Not long after Alec left, Daizi got up and went to her bedroom to settle down herself. Not long after, Dark joined her, and at least one of them fell asleep for the night.

Come morning, they did their best to be quiet, and keep Ivy quiet, while they prepared a breakfast that would keep for however long the twins needed before they came downstairs. It was going to be a difficult day, they had no interest in disturbing whatever it was they needed to do to handle it.
 
The twins were slow to get up the next morning. They woke up at the usual time, but they stayed in bed staring at nothing for half an hour before convincing themselves and each other to get up and move. Maybe if they didn't get up, maybe this day would skip over them. But they both knew it didn't work like that. Grudgingly, they forced themselves up and out of bed. They both still moved slow. Alec dressed in grey and black for once because it felt right for the day, pulling on his mother's old grey coat carefully. It barely fit anymore, but he didn't want to give it up. Someday he knew he'd have to, but not today.

Xander also dressed in black, but he always dressed in black, so it was not that much different. He carried his leather jacket with him as they headed downstairs to find breakfast. Neither were very hungry, but they both intended to give eating a good shot.
 
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"Hey there," Daizi said softly, turning towards their footsteps as she sat with Ivy, who was playing with her puff cereal more than she was actually eating it. It wasn't like she could tell them good morning. Dark only looked up at them and gave them a slight nod, able to guess how talkative they were feeling that morning. Out of all of them, only Ivy was being particularly vocal.
 
"Morning," Xander said gruffly. He led the way in fetching a small but filling breakfast and sat with Alec to eat.

Alec managed a smile and lightly ruffled Ivy's hair before sitting down to eat. He picked at his food, almost seeming to imitate Ivy with how much he played with it. Xander gave him a little nudge now and then, and he forced himself to eat a couple of bites each time. It was a very quiet breakfast.

When they'd finished, Alec asked quietly, "Do you mind if we go now? Unless there is anything you need us to do first."

"I can drive us so Ivy doesn't get stuck in a car seat or anything," Xander volunteered.
 
"No, no there is nothing which needs doing," Daizi replied, "If you want to go now, then it is the perfect time. Although you said you wanted to cut some flowers from my garden first, you are welcome to still do so, unless you've changed your mind."
 
Xander and Alec finished cleaning off the table, and Xander found a small tin can to put some water in for the flowers as they cut them to keep them fresh longer. They would lay the flowers on the grave without any vases once they got there, but keeping them in water until then would give the flowers just that little boost to last a bit longer. Then they went out and carefully picked out a small bunch of flowers, sticking with primarily colors their mother would like and trying to avoid the ones they knew their mother treasured. They knew Daizi would have no objection to using those flowers for this, but they still wanted to be respectful of her favorites.

Once they had the flowers, they bundled up and headed out. They weren't sure what they were going to do when they got to the graveyard. They just knew that it was right to go and pay homage to the woman who'd fought so hard to keep them all alive for so long.

Perhaps fifteen minutes after the twins left, Sally called Daizi's phone.
 
Having not expected anyone, it took Daizi a little while to get to her phone because she hadn't left it nearby. Taking almost the full ring to answer, she finally simply said, "Hey, Sally, how are you?"
 
Maybe she shouldn't have been, but Daizi was truly surprised Sally had thought to call, "It's hard for them," she answered, "It's a really complicated week, the adoption falling on the same week as this anniversary."
 
"I can only imagine," Sally sighed. "That is a lot of - oh, please hold on for one moment." Her voice became muffled as she took the phone from her ear and lightly covered it with one hand. In a moment, she had returned. "I apologize. I was saying that they have a lot of very big emotions to deal with on a day like today. However... I was asking how you are, not them."
 
Daizi shifted on her end of the phone, pulling Ivy close for the few moments before Ivy wiggled away to go back to her toys. She knew this question was coming, she just had hoped she'd have managed to circumvent it. "I'm okay," she replied, "I'm fine. I mean, it's difficult to see... How hard they are finding it, and it's difficult to not know how to help them, but... It is not like I am mourning her, at least, not in the same way that they are. I never met her, I just wish they didn't need to miss her."
 
"Hmm," Sally said in a tone that said she did not believe Daizi was "fine," but she allowed it for now. "It is very difficult to watch other people in pain, whatever that pain maybe be. It is only natural to mourn with the ones you love even if you do not know the person they are mourning. It is simply how we are as humans. It is as beautiful as it is frustrating at times. Peter would like to know if it is alright to call or text the boys, or if it would be better to wait until tomorrow if they are having a 'phones off' type of day. I was not certain what to tell him and said I would ask."
 
Daizi listened to Sally, choosing not to mention this wasn't her first experience with something similar to this because she knew her friend was trying, and it did mean something to hear the attempt, "Honestly, I don't have the answer to that question. It's not something we had thought to discuss, we're leaving things more or less up to them. I'm sure they would be alright with a text, if they don't want contact they'll have their phones off. But right now they are visiting the cemetery, so I would wait."
 
"I will let him know a text is alright in perhaps an hour or so," Sally agreed. "Maybe during his lunch period at school. Is there anything you need? To get out of the house for a little bit? Someone to take Ivy for a bit? Do you have dinner plans Anything I can do at all?
 
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