How Green Becomes Wood

"Ful, emmer, and eggs," Amty Zeinab replied, "it's a very traditional Egyptian breakfast. Your mother likes it. I'll bet either she or that man of hers will be down any minute, trying to be awake before me. When we spoke last night about which times we normally wake up, I lied."
 
Xander snickered. "A person would have to get up so early in the morning to get one over you that they might as well not go to bed," he said with a hint of admiration." He got up and cautiously moved a little closer. "I think I know what emmer is, but what's ful?"
 
"Fava beans are pretty good," Xander agreed. He watched her work. "I don't remember eating that before, but there's been a lot of food the last couple of years, and there's three cultures to cover."
 
"There is a lot to get you caught up on," Zeinab chuckled, "Ful medames, what I'm making, is our national dish, it is very important."

As her aunt said this, Daizi came downstairs, rubbing her eye tiredly. Her goal was to beat Zeinab to making breakfast but wasn't surprised to learn she was unsuccessful, "I've made it for them before, he just forgot the word."
 
"Probably," Xander agreed, still watching Zeinab. "I remember the food more than I remember the words attached to the food. Not handy if I want to make it myself and can't find a recipe."
 
"Can I help you, Amty?" Daizi asked, putting her hair up as she came further into the kitchen room.

"No, habibti," Zeinab replied, but then turned around and stared at her niece with her hands on her hips, "Ya allah, Daizi, what are you wearing?"

Running her hand down the front of "her" t-shirt, she said, "My pajamas?"

Zeinab set down her spatula and came close, "Are you even wearing pants?"

"Yes, Amty," Daizi replied, lifting the hem, "I have shorts on."

"Shorts! You're going to freeze, how do you go around dress like that?"
 
"Mama either puts in an impressive amount of effort and thought into what she is wearing or none at all outside of being comfy," Xander said. He seized the moment Amty Zeinab was distracted to sample some of breakfast. Not bad!

"Who's comfy?" Alec asked blearily, stumbling into the kitchen, disoriented from sleeping on the couch. His hair stood up on one side and lay flat on the other, mashed down like a deer's sleeping spot in tall meadow.
 
"I get dressed, it is just very early, Ivy won't even be up for another hour," Daizi yawned, rubbing her face.

"I'd tell you to go back to sleep but you're just going to catch your death lying in bed." Zeinab huffed.

Daizi shook her head, "No I won't, Amty, my husband is in a furnace."

With a click of her tongue, Zeinab shooed Daizi off, "Go put on something decent, you can't dress like that."

"Amty---"

"Yalla," She waved Daizi off with her hands even though it couldn't be seen and with a heavy sigh and a roll of her head, Daizi turned around on her heels and allowed herself to be marched back upstairs. Shaking her head, Amty Zeinab went back to what she was cooking, "Xander what are you doing? Sabah el kheir, Alec."
 
"Stirring?" Xander half asked, half said, holding Zeinab's spatula almost guiltily as he tried not to laugh or feel too pleased at the sight of her bossing Daizi around. It was wonderful.

Alec smiled at Zeinab. "Sabah el khei, Amty. I am going to go get more presentable, then I will be back!" He turned and hurried off to get dressed properly. He was covered in loose pants and a top, as Xander had been before getting dressed, but they were clearly sleeping clothes.
 
"This family," Zeinab huffed, reclaiming her spatula, "It is a very good thing I'm here because somebody has to get you into order. Go, set the table."

By the time breakfast was ready, Dark came downstairs. Thanks to a warning from his wife, we was properly dressed and, although he despised the early hour, was playing nice, "Sabah el noor, Amty," He said, coming up to greet her with his dog at his side. Knowing it delighted her, he bent a long way down to kiss her on the cheek, "I hope you slept well. Thank you for cooking breakfast for us, but really, it is our home, you should allow us to care for you."

"Sabah el kheir," She said, making a pleased sound when he bent down to her, "You're such a good boy, Zalmi. But I won't hear of you taking care of me, you have your hands full already. Did Daizi go back to sleep?"

"No, Ivy woke up, she's nursing."
 
Xander surrendered the spatula and quickly retreated. He focused on setting the table and put everything very neatly in place.

"There's no way Mama would go back to sleep with you here, Amty," Alec said, bouncing into the room behind his father. Now dressed, refreshed, and brushed, he was wide awake and eager to face the day.

"What's the plan for today?" Xander asked the room in general.
 
"Every morning we are asked about the plans for the day," Dark explained, "Often, there are not any. But I suppose this week is different. Khalaty Neha and her entire family are flying in today, they are taking a cab from the airport straight to their hotel, but later today they are going to come by and visit."

"Amira is landing with them, too," Amty Zeinab added, turning off the stovetop, "I've not spoken with Fadia today, but I believe we may end up doing a bit of shopping today."
 
"I have some work I need to get done, but I'm just a yard away if anyone needs me," Xander said, still watching Amty Zeinab.

"I don't have any plans," Alec admitted. "I could practice my wheel, if Xander's willing to give me a ride, but other than that, I'm free."
 
Amty Zeinab waved one hand, "I flew across an ocean to be here. There is no need to rush to plan everything, I just need to see what the rest of the family wants."

Soon after this, Daizi came down with Ivy, now properly dressed to Zeinab wouldn't fuss at her again, and thanked her aunt immensely for cooking.
 
The twins ate a hearty breakfast and thank Zeinab profusely for the food. Then, after getting reassurances that they weren't needed, Xander gave Alec a ride, and then he went to work in his leather shop. After an hour and a half, he went to pick up Alec and then returned to work. Alec cleaned up and then showed Zeinab a video he'd taken of part of his exercise routine. The phone had slipped slightly sideways right after he started, giving an interesting angle, but he and his wheel were clear in the three-minute video. After that, he alternated between keeping Ivy occupied when needed, talking with Zeinab, and giving them space so the adults could talk in private.
 
Zeinab watched Alec's video intently, asking many questions about it as she watched and requesting to see it a second time. She found it extremely impressive, although she did not quite understand the point of it. Sometime in the afternoon, Saladin returned because if he had traveled this far, he was going to visit with his daughter and grand children. During this, Dark did his best to give him a wide berth, and thankfully since so many relatives were visiting that evening, he had an easy excuse to stay away.

Finally, at around five in the evening, there was a knock at the door. Rather than having Dark drive them, these relatives had decided to just take a cab. Among them, was Khalaty Neha, the sister of Daizi's mother, her son Marwan, his wife Yasmin, and their children Hassan and Noor. At one glance at Daizi's cousin and his children, it was clear which side of the family Daizi received her colouring from. Standing at around 5'10, Marwan had the same light hair as his cousin and he greeted everyone with a warm smile. His daughter looked to be about seventeen and his son looked to be around 14 and he looked much happier to be there than his sister. Yasmin, his wife, looked friendly but expensive. With so many people coming in, Daizi found it difficult to juggle squeezing her aunt and cousin hello while also introducing them to everyone.

"Alec, Xander," Daizi said, gesturing them over, "This is Hassan and Noor, they're your second cousins."

Hassan looked between the two of them and grinned, he only had dimples on one half of his smile, giving it a playful look, "Hayil."
 
Xander frowned in confusion. "Huge?"

"I think it's like us saying 'cool,' or 'awesome,'" Alec muttered to him.

"Oh, right." Xander nodded to Hassan and Noor. "How's it going? I'm Xander."

Alec smiled broadly. "I'm Alec! In case that wasn't clear."
 
"We've seen your pictures," Noor sighed, tipping her head back. Like Daizi, neither she nor her mother wore a hijab and as she spoke she shook her head slightly to get her bangs out of her face.

"Ignore my sister, she gets grumpy when she's tried," Hassan grinned, stepping further into the house and looking wide-eyed at everything.

"Kol khara." Noor grumbled. Immediately, her mother chastisted her for swearing and she apologized with a heavy eye roll.

"This place is so cool," Hassan said, "I've never been here before."
 
Xander got the feeling he and Noor would either get along with each other very well or hate each other's guts in five minutes.

"It is pretty cool, isn't it?" Alec beamed. He gestured for Hassan to follow him and showed him one of the displays. "Those are real bones. Smal ones, but real. And up there are some of the plants Mama likes best."
 
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