How Green Becomes Wood

"You're both learning how to be good people, she's still just figuring out how to be a person," Daizi said, adjusting Ivy as she threw herself after Kiki when she walked to the other side of Alec's arms. "Your father and I are learning how to raise good people."
 
"That's something you have to learn?" Alec asked curiously.

Kiki saw Ivy try to chase her and stared, eyes wide. Then she climbed up on Alec's shoulder, and he had to duck his head as she crossed behind his neck to the opposite shoulder. This was a fun game of keepaway with this smaller human!
 
"It is not like either of us were raised well." Dark said dryly.

Daizi shook her head, amused by her husband, but said, "Parenting is a skill. We have to learn to do it, both for people your age and Ivy's. And unlike with most skills, we don't really get to practice it first."
 
Dark looked at Xander but said nothing.

Meanwhile, struggling to keep Ivy balanced as she squirmed around trying to pet the cat, Daizi said, "I'm actually in an online group for parents who adopted teenagers."
 
"That must be useful," Alec said brightly. "Okay, Kiki, time to go down." He set the cat down gently on the floor.

Kiki looked up, offended at now being on foot-level, and trotted over to the tallest spot in the house: Dark. She was tired of looking at ankles! She wanted up!

Xander shook his head. "Nah, I don't see the use in that. We're the best teens ever. There's no way any other teens could compare to us."

"That's true! We are incomparable," Alec grinned.
 
"That is true, you are incomparable." Dark replied, looking a very, very long way down at Kiki.

"I'll say that we'll be very practiced for when Ivy is a teenager," Daizi said with a grin before kissing Ivy on her tummy before saying, "Then again, we have no practice for a teenage girl."
 
Daizi frowned, leaving Ivy upside-down for a moment, "Hummingbird, promise not to cause the trouble Mama caused, okay sweet girl?"

Dark bent and scooped Kiki up, very relieved she hadn't decided to attempt climbing him and put a multitude of tiny holes into his clothing, and gently pet her behind her ears and beneath her chin.
 
Xander snickered. "We can hope, but between the two of you, I don't know how much hope you have."

"Oh!" Alec blurted. "I learned how to do a flip! It was really cool. And Xander beat Sloan at a battle, but he also lost to a swinging padded arm and had to buy lunch."

The little kitten erupted into happy purrs. Yes! This was lovely! Big fingers got all the good scratches! She rubbed against his fingers happily.
 
"The fact she comes from a loving home which supports and care for her will, if all goes well, prevent her from being the teenage dirtbags your father and I were," Daizi said, finally setting Ivy down, since she seemed fully recovered from her earlier fright.

"It sounds like you had a really enjoyable time at the trampoline park," Dark said, continuing to pet the kitten.
 
"It was a lot of fun," Alec said. He knelt down and offered Ivy a hug. "My legs are so exhausted I don't think I could even skip if I wanted to, and I think I'll sleep for at least two days, but it was so, so much fun. I cannot wait to go again!"

"It was pretty fun," Xander agreed.
 
Alec hugged Ivy back gladly, rocking her a little as he did so. "That'd be nice. Maybe we can take Ivy with us."

"That'd be pretty fun," Xander agreed. "We could invite Milo along. He likes kids and could help us keep an eye on her. Sloan and Claire probably wouldn't say no. Lots of eyes."

Kiki decided she was tired of sitting still and tried climbing up onto Dark's shoulder. He had nice, broad shoulders.
 
"With that many people, I'm sure she'd have the best day! Doesn't it sound nice, Ivy?" Daizi asked Ivy, who stayed pressed in against her brother.

"I have never known a toddler to have so many teenage friends, it is good for her," Dark said, letting Kiki rest on his shoulders. After spending so much time with Cooger and the inordinate number of cats he had fostered for various periods of time, there wasn't much a cat could do to surprise him.
 
"I guess that's what happens when you have ancient brothers," Alec giggled, hugging Ivy.

"I hope she makes a few toddler friends, too," Xander remarked.

"I'm sure she will!"

Kiki perched on the wide shoulder and sat looking around, proud of her accomplishment. She was almost at the highest level! And it was comfortable up here.
 
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