How Green Becomes Wood

"Babies get the same right to privacy as adults," Daizi pointed out, bucking Ivy into her carseat, "I think the infant bay for the babies who need the most care has a big window, but I didn't expect to go that far in. I would like to go in and say hello to your uncle, though."
 
"He'd like that." Alec waited until Ivy was buckled in before sliding into the seat. Xander followed him, and the pair lightly elbowed each other for space before settling down.
 
With everyone decided, Dark drove to the flower shop. After parking, he took a quick glance in the mirror and feeling satisfied, went around to open Daizi's door for her, after briefly leaning in to pop open Xander's.

Daizi stretched when she got out of the car, glad to breathe more fresh air and while Dark fetched Ivy, she said, "It's so much nicer here than inside of the hospital."
 
Xander got out and moved to give Alec space. "True enough."

"Agreed!" Alec chirped, bouncing out of the car. "But at least hospitals do their best to save lives! That's nice. But enough about hospitals. Let's flower!" He tossed his vest back into the car and led the way to the flower shop.

"Let's flower?" Xander repeated, following him. "Seriously?"

Outside the shop, the displays of vases of flowers normally displayed so proudly were empty without a vase or a flower in sight. A few tiny pieces of glass and several petals lay strewn about the simple displays, telling the story of what had likely happened. Alec stopped and frowned at it.

Tristan was on his way out the door with a short broom balanced across his lap when Dark and Daizi and the twins came to his door, and he smiled welcomingly. "Hello! Alec, you're here early. And I see you've brought extra employees."
 
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"We just wanted to stop in," Daizi hummed, standing just to the side of the doorway until Dark had his hand at her back to guide her. She knew the shop had wide aisles to accommodate Tristan, but she wasn't here often enough to know where those shelves were or how low things were stacked, and the last thing she wanted to do was to use her cane and accidentally knock a vase to the floor, or try to walk alone and accidentally knock into a shelf.

"Ah-wa," Ivy cooed at the sight of all of the flowers and tugged on Dark's beard as she looked around.

"Yes, Hummingbird, beautiful zahuur," Dark murmured to her, carefully disentangling her hand from his face and shifting her to the other side of his body, "Most of us will not be staying long, but we were in the area."
 
Tristan backed up to give them plenty of room to come in. "Hello, Ivy-Qadira! It is nice to have you here. What is your favorite," he hesitated before carefully trying to repeat the word, "zahuur? You can have one. You can use your father's beard to guide him to the flower you want."

Alec giggled and walked toward the back. "I'm going to go grab my apron."

Xander eyed the small plants in their decorative pots. "Did you get a new line of gothic decor?" he asked.

"A bulk sale," Tristan chuckled.
 
"Zahuur is plural," Daizi politely corrected while emphasizing the correct proununciation. She was appreciative of his attempt but wanting to set him on the right path, "Zahra is singular." She wondered if she should also explain 'zahr' was 'blossom' and pronounced almost identically to 'zahar', meaning prosperous, but decided it wasn't worth it.

"What is your favourite flower?" Dark asked Ivy, his eyes softening when she flopped in to kiss him. At that moment, with her hand in his beard and her hair tickling his cheek, he knew he'd never be able to understand how someone so sweet and loving came from him, of all people. Turning his head to nuzzle his forehead against hers, he said, "I am not a flower, Hummingbird. Your uncle Tristan said you can pick one, so we have to find one you like."
 
Daizi chuckled, lightly touching the side of the counter to anchor herself, "A very full house. Although yesterday and today it's only my great-aunt is over. My other family has been working on conquering jetlag and seeing the sights. Tomorrow, though," She sighed, "If our next door neighbor wasn't attending the party personally, I'd have to send her an apology basket and earplugs. Then again, I remember when her family visited."
 
"A wild time, I take it?" Tristan asked, amused. "Then I am glad she will be one of the ones making noise at little Ivy-Qadira's party. I am expecting there to be great celebration tomorrow!"

Alec came in from the back and went to help Dark help Ivy pick a flower.
 
"We certainly hope it will be enjoyable. We've never thrown a party like this before," Daizi replied, "but I'm very excited. Although it's hard to believe it's already been a year," Daizi sighed, turning her head and listening to the sounds of her daughter babbling and remembering how weak her cries once were.

When Dark walked Ivy around the shop, he made a point to avoid any flowers that he knew to be toxic when ingested, knowing there was a non-zero chance what flower Ivy chose would be. When he showed her a simple, red hibiscus, she squealed happily and only crushed the stem a little when it was put in her house. Of course, Dark had make a point to grab for her the least perfect bloom of the bunch, not wanting to take advantage of Tristan's generosity.
 
"It is amazing how time flies so quickly when you look back while every day and week can e a slow slog when waiting to see what happens next," Tristan remarked. "She is amazingly healthy and clearly full of delight."

"I think that's the one!" Alec said happily. "The hibiscus is a good choice, Ivy. Well picked!"

Xander, meanwhile, had found an odd-shaped little cactus sitting in a little round pot that was almost holographic to look at. The top was mostly a vibrant purple that quickly faded to black for the bottom two-thirds of the pot. The cactus itself looked like it was suppose to be a barrel like its fellow cacti around it, but it had an odd dent in the middle on one side, creating a near-moon shape. A very fat moon. He picked it up, strongly considering purchasing it. He already had one cactus named Mince, the one Daizi had given him, and it was thriving, but this one appealed to him.
 
"It feels like a hundred lifetimes and barely twenty minutes all at once," Daizi replied, leaning against the counter.

After Ivy had her flower, Dark decided it was probably about time to leave. He had a house to clean and food for thirty some people to prepare and as pleasant as this was, it was throwing off his schedule. But then he saw Xander with the cactus, "What do you have there?"
 
Tristan nodded. "And sometimes you wish you could speed things up even just a little, and other times you wish you could stretch out the days for as long as possible. An eternity, if you could."

Xander held up the cactus to show Dark, careful to keep it out of Ivy's reach. "I think it's a cactus that wants to be something else. That, or it's making the best of a bad situation to be awesome."
 
Daizi smiled wistfully, a veil falling over her face as she thought back to something. Her mouth opened as though she were about to say something but then decided against it. Inhaling, she changed track, "Now, you have to be careful, Tristan, you almost had me speak metaphysically."

Dark bent to examine the cactus more closely, "Now that is an interesting one. Do you know, I have often had to explain to people I did not grow up looking at cacti?"
 
"I do beg your pardon, Doctor," Tristan said with a light chuckle. "I had not meant to go down the metaphysical path."

Xander frowned as he thought back. "I don't think I've even seen a cactus in those shows where everything is sepia tone. Where do the cactus ideas come from?" He raised the cactus in his hand slightly. "I think I'll get this thing."
 
"It would be more of a bother for you than the reverse, I think," Daizi replied pleasantly.

"Few things bother me the way studios putting a yellow filter to show the audience the scene is in the Middle East or Mexico does. But many people, here, associate cacti with the desert, and so they presume all deserts have cacti, but they are only native to the Americas," Dark replied, taking a few more moments to examine the cacti, "It would look nice with the one Daizi gave you."
 
"It might be," Tristan agreed. "Perhaps someday we could explore that possibility. Not now, but someday."

"Yeah... I think I'll get it," Xander said. He turned and headed for the front counter. "Hey, Uncle Tristan? I'll take this cactus."

"That is a good choice!" Tristan agreed.

He rang up the cactus, Xander made the purchase, and the happily cradled his new treasure in both hands. What would be a good name for this one to go with Mince?
 
"We should be going now," Dark said, checking the time again, "We have a party to prepare for. Thank you for giving Ivy a flower, we'll put it in her bedroom."

Daizi squeezed Alec into a hug, only a little bit hoping to embarrass him, "Have a good day at work, Habibi. Bye, Tristan, it was nice visiting. I hope we didn't take up too much of your time."

As they walked back to the car, she fell in step besides Xander, "You should call this Cactus 'pie.'"
 
Alec blushed a little but still willingly hugged her back. "Bye, Mama! I'll help with the set up when I get home."

Tristan gave them a wave and then turned to Alec and started outlining what needed to be done, starting with cleaning up the front area and setting a new display.

"What happened with this?" Alec asked him curiously.

"Teens thinking they are funny," Tristan said with a sigh. "We'll put plastic vases out here."

~~~

"Why Pie?" Xander asked Diazi as they walked.
 
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