How Green Becomes Wood

Ivy squealed, delighted, chirping "Book!" as she continued to push it against Alec, wanting him to just hurry up and read it already.

"What are you working on?" He asked, coming around to peer over Xander's shoulder. "I am surprised you do not listen to music on your phone, the sound quality is typically higher."
 
Alec plopped down and opened the book for Ivy. He invited Ivy to sit on his lap and started reading the book to her.

Xander shrugged. "I left it in the house. It needed plugged in, and I like this better. It's got all my old music on it." He tapped the leather. "I've got a bundle of belts, a purse, a couple of arm bracers, and a couple of brooches."
 
Ivy snuggled right up against Alec, listening attentively to the story and occasionally trying to "read" along with him.

"You are busy," Dark mused, not touching anything, "Alec told me you had a disagreement with Emma today."
 
Alec took his time, letting Ivy guide the speed at which they turned the pages.

Xander shrugged. "Belts are easy, the basic ones, anyway, and brooches. I just do a bunch of stamps, carvings, whatever, and then stain them all in one go instead of constantly dragging it out for small bits. It stinks." He finished the immediate piece he was working on and set it aside carefully to dry. Another reason he did the staining in batches was because of how much room the drying pieces took up. He liked to fill up the space and let them all dry in one go instead of trying to work around one or two pieces. "Yeah. It wasn't much. Just stuff. Like usual."
 
"Not really what I meant," Xander said. "I dunno if I argue with her often. I don't talk to her much. Maybe half of the time that I do talk to her, we get into it a bit. She's like the bad side of Mama's know-it-all-ness."
 
Dark glanced at Xander for a few moments, wondering if he should defend his wife. He certainly never felt like she was a know-it-all. For the moment he let it be and instead continued, "I asked Alec this earlier, he didn't really answer: were you respectful in your disagreement today?"
 
"I suppose if either of you resort to personal comments rather than debating the merit of college, I would say it becomes more disrespectful." Dark replied, "For what it is worth, I believe people can do perfectly well for themselves without a college degree."
 
"Then, yeah, I'd say we were both disrespectful at least at some points," Xander said with a little shrug. "And I know you are. I appreciate it. She's just so... certain. Always so certain. Even when she is right, and she did make some good points, she's such a snob that I just..." He gritted his teeth and forced himself to breathe. Calm and steady. Otherwise, his hand would shake.
 
"Maybe not point-blank like that, but I've tried to say something like how we can have two ways of looking at things or two ways to reach success," Xander said. "She's all black and white. Maybe she really will turn into a nun and teach at a catholic school."
 
Xander paused again and sat back to think about it. "I'm used to unkind," he finally said. "The stubbornness makes it first. I'm not used to not being able to avoid. Not completely. Not if I want to be anywhere around Alec at school."
 
Xander shrugged. "If I don't talk, we don't argue. Of course, then later she complains to Alec that I'm ignoring her, but that's better. She just doesn't like that I don't just agree with her like Alec does."
 
Considering this for a few moments, Dark ultimately told him, "That seems more like her problem than yours, unless you intend to argue with her. From how you tell it, it seems as though you try to avoid conflict with her."
 
"I'm not perfect. I might occasionally push her buttons, but I try not to for Alec's sake, not mine," Xander said. He turned back to his work. "It is what it is. I don't have to get along with his friends any more than he has to get along with mine."
 
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