How Green Becomes Wood

"I don't know what I need," Daizi admitted. Somewhere in the background, Dark was saying something to Ivy and the sounds of him hurrying from interrupting her from some mischief could be heard. "We're getting fried chicken for dinner, at the twins' request. Dark is going to have to go shopping later, since we're all cooking for the adoption party, and the twins are in school on Thursday, we're going to be cooking most of the day, since we won't have time to do more than reheat on Friday." She fluffed out her hair, "And my family is coming as early as Tuesday, so we have to do most of the cleaning for the party today, I think."
 
"May I come over tomorrow to help you prepare for the party on Friday?" Sally offered. "I am not much of a cook, but I am an excellent sous chef, and I can help clean and tidy or do whatever decorating you think is needed."
 
Daizi covered the speaking part of the phone and then asked Dark before uncovering it and saying, "I think that's okay. It'd definitely be helpful. Everything is just happening all at once this year, it wouldn't be as stressful if the adoption had finalized last week or next month."
 
"I can understand that," Sally agreed. "I can be over at..." she paused to check her schedule, "one-thirty, and I can stay until about eight in the evening or until you politely indicate that it is time for me to leave."
 
"That will be helpful, thank you." Daizi sighed, and then, after a moment repeated what she had been so often repeating, "It'll be fine. The timing is bad, but this is really the only year it'll be like this. This is the first time Dark and I have ever had an anniversary party, we decided not to celebrate the adoption date each year, to avoid this issue, so. It'll be okay."
 
"My great-aunt is staying with us, for two weeks, but she's going to have a hotel so she can be here until the vow renewal. The twins are graciously giving up their bedroom so she can stay with us, she promised she was okay on the couch, but she's in her eighties, we weren't comfortable putting her out like that, and she was uncomfortable taking over our bed. I'd also be a bit worried if she did, she'd fall out of it, since it's higher off the ground for Dark's sake, and she's not very tall. And she's old." Daizi sighed, digging her fingers in Enkidu's fur as he came to sit with her, "My father wants to stay with us, and is very annoyed there isn't room. Most of my family is staying from between one and two weeks, I think only my great-aunt is staying longer, but most of them have visas that let them stay longer. It's just, most of them have jobs or school so... I don't know how many set plans we have. I think a lot of my cousins and their children are really just using it to see the city, the only time we'll all be gathered will probably be Ivy's actual birthday."
 
"That is quite the busy schedule! No wonder you sound exhausted," Sally said. "I'm exhausted, and it is not me who must host all of this. However, I have a suggestion for you. I happen to know a couple of people who do tours of the city. Different focuses, of course, but if your cousins would like to see the city, then why not arrange for an official tour? I would be glad to do it for you. You need only provide me with the number of people and their available times, and I can contact the tour guides. That should keep them entertained and out of your hair for at least a little while and leave time for their own explorations."
 
"Oh, I don't think they're expecting us to show them around," Daizi assured Sally, "I don't really know what their plans are. Most of my aunts and uncles are coming, with their spouses. Not all of my cousins are, only the ones I'm close to, and their spouses are coming, and their children. I'm really excited, truly, but it's a lot of people to visit."
 
"I suppose you could always do time blocks for each group. I am sure that would go over well," Sally chuckled. "What hotel are they staying at? Did they manage to all get the same one?"
 
"My father has an airbnb with his sister and her husband. Most of their children aren't coming. Neha and her husband..." She friends furrowed her eyebrows, "No, they aren't all in the same hotel. It really came down to who wanted to be able to cook and who wanted to not have to worry about things. But they're clustered."
 
"That's good that they are clustered for ease of travel. If you need any help arranging anything, please, I am a call away. I am more than happy to help. I rather enjoy itineraries," Sally told her. "And if there are any issues with the hotels or other amenities, I can help with that, as well."
 
"Thank you," Daizi replied earnestly, "This is the first time that we've had this many people visit us. It's a lot easier for just Dark and I travelling. I think it'll still be easier, now that there's five of us. My father's house has more than enough space."
 
"Anything you need, just let me know. When I was an intern, I did most of the booking and itineraries for the company I worked for. I do not do it as often, but I still remember the skills I learned from that pass or fail job!" Sally said cheerfully.
 
"I do appreciate that," Daizi said, rubbing her face, "I do really appreciate you checking in and trying to help. I guess, a little bit, I just want to not have solutions, if that makes sense? I want to not be so stressed and worn out, but I also don't want to... It's like, when there are all these solutions, then I feel like I need to get up and actually so something about it."
 
"Ah, I see. I had not thought about it that way," Sally mused. "When I have a solution, I feel I am more able to relax in the moment because there is a plan for the future. I do not have to worry about taking the time to plan when the time comes. How curious."
 
"I just think that sometimes... I'd just rather sit with the feeling, regardless of how hard it is. Because I know I can get it, sometimes it just needs time, you know?" Daizi replied, greeting Ivy as the almost-one-year-old crawled back over to her and snuggled into her lap.
 
"No, I can't say I know," Sally admitted. "I find sitting with such a feeling to become an all-encompassing demon of terror and stress. I would rather create some idea of a plan, no matter how sketchy, and then I can sit quietly and allow my mind to clear."
 
"I don't feel like even in the best of times I can ever just sit quietly anymore," Daizi replied over the sounds of her daughter's tiny shrieks. More distantly, perhaps not quite audible, was Dark chiding her for being rude and interrupting her Mama's phone call as he came to get her. "I think she's trying to say hello to you."
 
"Hello, Ivy," Sally said automatically. "Daizi, Darling, would you like to go for a car ride with me? A completely silent car ride? Unless you chose to have music, in which case you can chose what music you would care to listen to. I promise that for once in my life, I shall try not to offer a solution."
 
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