How Green Becomes Wood

She nodded slowly, chuckling softly, "It is... I think... with our other guests..." She tried to count, and then shook her head, "It is going to be a big party."

Dark squinted, "Are Abdul and Karim coming? I thought when last we heard, they decided they could not take the time off of work, so Aya and Eman are coming without them."

"Maybe?" She asked, "We should really know."
 
"I could introduce you to a spreadsheet software," Ciara suggested lightly. "Do you have need of anything?"

Alec lightly put the knuckle of his first finger in his mouth to keep himself quiet. What was in the box?!
 
Daizi laughed at what she considered to be a joke, "We may need it. Honestly, with my family tree? I can barely recall how we're all related."

"I think we have it more or less in hand, thank you," Dark replied, "Her family is going to help us cook and Cooger is picking up the cake."
 
"That is good. Please let me know if there is anything I can do, keeping in mind that I am not and never have been a party planner. If there is something I might do to contribute, I shall make myself available." Ciara glanced at Alec. "I suppose you are wondering why I am here."

"Yes," the twins said simultaneously and then caught themselves.

"It is something I am curious about, yes," Alec said, trying to be as polite and formal as he could manage.

"I suppose I should tell you," Ciara said with a slight nod. "It has a little something to do with Tara."
 
"Thank you," Daizi said with genuine earnest before sitting back with Dark to let Ciara speak with her nephews. This wasn't about them and they didn't want to interrupt. The most Dark did was try to gesture Ivy to come near to him so he could stop her from being distracting when things became serious.
 
"Our Mum? I figured, but what?" Alec asked.

Ciara opened the box and carefully lifted out a CD case. "Here, a DVD for you. It's of a high school talent show Tara was in. I had forgotten all about it until I found this while cleaning out a box."

"Our Mum was in a talent show?" Xander asked, taking the case.

Ciara nodded. "She entered every one. She loved performing and being a showman."

Xander glanced at Alec. "Well, now we know where you got that from."

Alec smiled and took the case, running his fingers along the edge. "She never told us. What was her talent?" he asked with a hitch in his throat.

"I believe she tried something different every year. That year," she nodded to the disc, "it was a dance routine set to the song... Oh, what was it?" She paused to remember. "That Twain lady. Something about not being impressed."

"That Don't Impress Me Much by Shania Twain?" Alec asked.

"Why, yes, that was it," Ciara said, pleased.

"She'd sing it sometimes, and," he held up the case, "it's written on the DVD."

"Ah. In any case, I thought you would like to see it, and I found a few more of her things I thought you might like to see. You may keep them, if you wish, but there is no obligation to."

Alec handed Xander the DVD and started looking carefully through the box.
 
Daizi quietly folded that new information she had about Ciara away in her brain, another question she'd never know the answer to, while Dark scooped up his daughter. The curiosity was plain on her face, and he didn't want her to accidentally get her fingers on something in the box and ruin it. She fussed mildly at being thwarted, but Dark only said, "I believe we may still have a DvD player, if not, I have an external disc drive for my laptop."
 
Alec grinned and pulled out a picture. "This is Mum doing that weird 'duck lips' pose!"

"It was highly popular when we were young," Ciara sighed. "I think it was just starting to die out when Tara started high school. She chose that for the year book. It was her first year and she already had her yearbook picture chosen, but that was just what she was like. She traded me dishes for a week if I helped her get it printed."

Xander leaned over and snickered at the picture. "She looks ridiculous." He took the picture and carefully slipped it into the CD case.

Alec pulled out a couple of battered books and a couple of small knickknacks of popular characters of the era. A couple of CDs, a few other small items, and a rosary joined the pile.

"I didn't realize Mum was Catholic," Alec said in surprise, holding up the rosary.

"Aunt Ciara is, and so's her family, so why wouldn't she have been?" Xander pointed out.

Alec shrugged. "I don't know. It just never occurred since she didn't, you know, practice or anything."

"That was hers from when she was very young," Ciara told them. "I am unsurprised that she did not stay in the faith. I thought that if one of you desired to consider or follow Catholicism, you might want your mother's rosary."

"Are you a good Catholic?" Alec asked Ciara.

Ciara hesitated. "Not... really. Better than I used to be. I do not mean it as a pressuring tactic. Just an option. I do not know your... preferences."

Alec glanced at Xander who shook his head. He held it back out to Ciara. "I think this means more to you than us. No offense."

"Of course," she agreed easily, taking it back.
 
Again, neither Dark or Daizi said anything. Their hands found their way to each others, and Dark held Ivy securely in one arm. She squirmed a bit but had no chance of escape as she watched her brothers go through this box with rapt attention.

She babbled, pointing at the items and her parents murmured in agreement with her to keep her as settled as they could manage.
 
Alec picked up the largest of the knickknacks that looked to be some sort of cartoon character he didn't recognize and handed it to Ivy. It was a hard rubber display piece, so it was unlikely she could hurt it too badly. "Here, Ivy. You can have this one for now. Okay? I know it's weird that we're getting fun things and you aren't but most of this you can't play with." He looked at his aunt. "Thank you, Aunt Ciara, for bringing us this. It... It means a lot. It's like a snapshot of her life before us."

Ciara gave them a small smile. "I am sorry there is not more I can show you or give you. I wish I had more pictures of the time."

The twins glanced at each other, and Xander said, "It's okay. This is enough. And we still have that photo album you gave us. Thanks."

"You are very welcome." She started to stand. "I should probably get going now."
 
Ivy took took the figure in her hands, looking at it curiously, her little forehead wrinkling like her father's did when he was working at his shed, attempting to see how the wooden pieces he had carved best fit together. She turned the figure upside down, righted it, and tipped it over again before shaking it. It didn't make noise. Shaking it once more, she cooed, then extended her arms to show it to her father, babbling at him.

"I know," He murmured to her, "How special is that?"

She looked back down at the figurine, and like the dog she often chased after, attempted to use her mouth to figure it out. Dark sighed slightly, and gently removed it from her mouth, "Ivy, do not eat that," he chided, stealing a glance at Ciara, concerned she would be horrified at how immediately this item belonging to her dead sister was turned into a chew toy.

As the things in the box were placed back, Daizi said, "But you only just arrived. Surely you could stay a bit longer."
 
Thankfully, Ciara was a little distracted by Daizi and the twins both asking her to stay and did not fully recognize what Ivy was doing. Otherwise, she might have at least considered protesting.

"Yes, please stay!" Alec insisted. "We have enough food for you easily, and none of us even cooked it."

"You might as well. It's a long trip back," Xander agreed.

Ciara hesitated, glancing between the three. "I would not wish to impose upon a family meal."
 
Ciara blushed just slightly. "I do not know. I am sure you did not plan for an extra person."

"Aunt Ciara, there is always enough for one more," Alec assured her with a smile.
 
"Cooger regularly drops by for dinner with absolutely no warning," Dark told her waving one hand, "Forgive my supposition you eat less than him, and if we are able to accommodate him, we have more than enough for you."

Ivy, who had been happily crawling around on the floor, picked up her ladybug rattle, and after shaking it a few times, she crawled over towards Ciara, seeing how everyone else was watching her. After reaching there, she shifted, and touching Ciara's leg briefly before grabbing the chair instead to pull to standing. Then she showed her rattle to Ciara and grinned up at her.
 
Ciara jumped in surprise at the unexpected touch and looked down at Ivy. "Oh! Ah. Hello, child," she said awkwardly, watching her anxiously as she climbed on the chair. She inched ever so slightly away from Ivy. "I see you have a... maraca?"

"Rattle," Xander told Ciara.

"A rattle," Ciara confirmed. She glanced up at the adults and saw Alec watching her hopefully and Xander studying her. "Very well. I suppose I can stay for dinner," she relented, her eyes going back to Ivy.
 
"Ah!" She grinned, shaking it again. She watched Ciara carefully, trying to get her to react like everybody else did to her.

"Ivy," Dark said, not wanting to further stress their guest, "Come here, Hummingbird." He moved almost to stand as he tried to gauge if Ciara needed him to remove this child immediately or if she'd be offended by him immediately whisking her away. But Ivy only stared up at her and then flopped slightly, resting her head against Ciara's knee, still grinning her mostly-toothless grin at her and gurgling cutely.
 
"Oh!" Ciara said as Ivy flopped into her. She held perfectly still, at a complete loss. What were people supposed to do with children? Was she supposed to say something specific? Touch her? Praise her rattle skills?

Xander fought down a grin as he stood and started for the kitchen. "We should set the table for dinner."

"Oh, right, yes, we should!" Alec agreed, also wondering if he should rescue his aunt, but he followed his brother.

Ciara tentatively patted Ivy on the head between her pigtails. "I see you have learned more mobility skills. Very good."
 
"I can get her, if you like," Dark told Ciara, letting her know she did not need to deal with his daughter if she did not want to.

When Ciara touched her head, Ivy did not immediately combust or burst into tears, and instead just kept looking at her. Daizi smiled softly, slowly scooting down the couch so she was nearer to the pair of them so hopefully she could pull her daughter's attention away, "We think she'll be figuring out how to stand on her own, soon. She tries, sometimes. Right, Ivy-Qadira? Can I see your rattle?"
 
"It is alright, though I am sure there are other more interesting things she could be examining," Ciara said, trying desperately to find a way to encourage Dark and Daizi to remove the child without offending them. It was not that she disliked Ivy or children in general. She had no idea what to do with them. Other than the occasional neighbor, she had had zero exposure or involvement with children since back when she and her siblings were children.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top