How Green Becomes Wood

"Does she look like she's enjoying it?" Daizi asked Dark and Xander.

"She looks confused," Dark replied. Then he looked over to Xander, "What do you think? Does she have the makings of a horseback rider?"
 
"Yep, I think so, but I think she needs some practice. Maybe she should try riding Enkidu and your shoulders, more," Xander said with a faint smirk. "I think I know a couple of ponies that will fit her once she's got the hang of sitting on horseback by herself."
 
"My shoulders she is welcome to ride, I do not want her to hurt Enkidu's back. The breed is prone to hip dysplasia." Dark mused, watching Ivy complete another rotation and then looked down at Xander again, "Do you mean that, or do you believe I would buy her a pony if she asked, which would mean you would have a pony?"
 
Xander sucked on his teeth briefly. "Well.... Both. Since you asked, both. I know a couple of ponies that are just her size, and, you know, buying a pony isn't the worst idea."
 
"My dear son. I love you beyond what words may capture. I yearn to give you everything you desire. We can afford no manner of equine, nor camelid, nor... whatever family llamas and alpacas are part of, nor any beast which goes on hooves or paws, nor any which fly."

Daizi chuckled beneath her breath, "I think that leaves us creatures with flippers or flightless birds."
 
"Llamas and alpacas are camelids, actually," Xander said patiently, "and Enkidu has paws, so does that mean we can't afford him? Or we can't afford a second pawed animal? And penguins poop way too much and stink. I guess we could do fish. How do you feel about kiwi birds and porpoises?"
 
"We cannot afford a second pawed animal." Dark confirmed, "And we do not have the space."

"It'd be cruel to keep a porpoise so far away from the water," Daizi said, leaning against her husband, "I don't know if Kiwis are legal."
 
"I'll just get a piece of fruit and stick some feet on it, then," Xander said.

As the ponies finished their circuit, Alec lifted Ivy off carefully, making sure she let go of the horse's mane, and gave the pony a gentle pat of thanks before carrying her out to her parents. "Here comes the newest cowgirl!" he sang. "I think she enjoyed herself. Mostly, I'm not sure if she knew what to make of it."
 
"Just as long as they're not hooves or paws," Daizi teased, rubbing her hand against her husband's arm as he rolled his eyes. "Oh, Ivy, did you have fun! Mama knows how much you like animals! Were you kind to the horsey?"

"She will enjoy it more next year, I am certain." Dark nodded, taking Ivy and buckling her back into her stroller, "Now we planned to visit the pumpkins, yes?"
 
"Yes!" Alec cheered, leading the way with a bounce in his step.

Xander lingered behind, watching the horses. Then, with a quiet sigh, he turned and followed after his family. Maybe someday, but he wondered if he wasn't kidding himself. Here and now was the best situation he'd ever been in financially, yet he still couldn't get his own pet outside of maybe a goldfish, let alone a whole horse. Was he kidding himself thinking he'd ever get to do anything more than work with charity horses? There was no shame in that, and he thought he always wanted to help with that, but that wasn't quite the same as having his own horse. Maybe he needed to learn to be happy with what he had. He was in a pretty good spot right now. No reason to spoil it hoping for better. He shook himself and returned to the present. Pumpkins were pretty cool. Not as cool as horses, but still pretty cool.

"They have some really big pumpkins!" Alec called back. "Ivy could easily sit inside one of these! Maybe even use that one as a playpen."
 
"I do like the idea of carving a pumpkin out and letting Ivy sit in it," Dark mused, bending to examine his with the same intensity with which Cooger looked at the Christmas trees, "Last year we never carved any because of her. We have to be certain to actually carve them this year."

"I still can't really carve anything without risking stabbing myself, but I am good at scooping the insides out. I am sure Ivy would have fun with that part, too."

Even Dark, muted as he was, wouldn't mask the look of horror at the thought of a one-year old allowed to grab at the goop inside of a pumpkin. Even if the kitchen was as protected as a crime lab, the pumpkin would be found for years to come.
 
Xander and Alec both chortled at Dark's expression.

"Mama, you might as well have told Dark he should let Ivy drive a car by herself," Xander snickered.

"Maybe we should table that discussion until we actually get the pumpkins," Alec smirked. He picked one up and ran his hands around it. "Oh, this one is so beautifully smooth! I like this one. I don't even want to carve it."

Xander noticed a warty, bumpy one and went to give it a good look. "I kind of want to give this one a face, maybe."
 
"Maybe she'd be good at it," Daizi chuckled, crouching down to feel the pumpkins, "It's no fun to have a pumpkin and not carve anything into it. What kind of face are you thinking of?"

Dark said nothing, having shaken off the initial terror at a pumpkin disaster, and was busy rooting around the pumpkin patch, on a mission.
 
"Sometimes, things are perfect just the way they are," Alec stated, but he did start looking for a pumpkin to carve.

Xander turned his around, studying it. "Stereotyped witch face with a funky nose."
 
"That may be true, but that doesn't mean it's not fun," Daizi replied, holding up pumpkins to Ivy and asking her opinion on them. It wasn't totally clear how she'd decide which pumpkin would be hers, but at least for now she was enjoying the experience of it. "I appreciate your use of stereotyped there, otherwise I'd have to be offended," she teased, "What makes the nose 'funky'?"
 
Xander found the lump that he thought would make the best nose and walked over to her. "Ridiculously big and gnarled. Here, like this one." Gingerly, he took her hand and guided it to the lump, letting go as soon as she was touching it. "That'd be the nose for this pumpkin, and I'd try to emphasize that."
 
"Oh, I see..." Daizi murmured, feeling it, "I can understand your plan. So are you leaving the nose uncarved and putting the face in around it? Or are you going to carve in nostrils?"
 
"Haven't thought that far yet," Xander admitted. "I think I might touch up the nose a little, but I kind of want to leave it mostly as-is."

"Found one!" Alec crowed, wading carefully over to Daizi. He held up a strangely elongated pumpkin that was more squash-shaped than pumpkin-shaped. "I know exactly what I want to carve with this. Ivy, have you found one yet?"
 
"I... Am going to carve," Alec paused dramatically, "a unicorn!" He gave a little nod of satisfaction.

Xander stared at the pumpkin. "A unicorn? Really? That thing has hardly any stem and isn't even in the right spot. What are you going to do for a horn?"

"I have plans and ideas," Alec said with a grin. "You're just jealous you didn't find it first so you could make a horse."

"Nope. I can honestly say that is not a factor at all," Xander stated.
 
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