How Green Becomes Wood

"It's very comforting for her," Daizi commented, amused, "She's been grabbing onto her Baba's face since as soon as she could reach his face."

Once she was holding the fake beard in one hand, Ivy went back to curiously touching her Baba's shaved face. Now that she had something which felt, to her young hand, like her father's beard, she was able to examine this change with more confidence. When she found the scar on his cheek, she frowned, pushed his face to the side so she could see it better, and ran her tiny fingers all over it. "This?" She asked.
 
Alec leaned over to look. "That's called a scar," he told her. "It's skin that had an owie but is all better now. All better!"

"And distinguishing," Xander muttered under his breath.
 
"Owie?" Ivy asked, her curiosity giving way to a frown. She had owies sometimes. This was very serious. Stretching upwards, she once again grabbed her father's face, and no longer having his beard to manipulate his face by, she did her best to pull him closer to her, and then kissed him on the cheek. That's how Mama and Baba made her owies better.

This was, potentially, the sweetest thing his daughter had ever done, and Dark pulled her into a gentle hug, "Shukran, Ivy-Qadira."
 
"All better!" Alec cheered. "You're such a sweet girl, Ivy."

Xander huffed quietly. Yes, Ivy was ridiculously cute, just like her father was ridiculously... everything... He couldn't deny that. It was a shame the kiss wouldn't actually take away the scar and knock him down just one little peg.
 
"Okay," Daizi said, wondering if she should have some mild concerns or not. Dark, meanwhile, was having every part of his clean-shaven face explored by curious toddler hands, and occasionally when she got too close he nibbled on her fingers. Turning to Alec, now, Daizi asked, "Did you think a stranger was in the home when you walked in?"
 
"Wellllll maybe, yes, just a little bit," Alec admitted. "But it was a stranger in Ba shape, so, you know, brain had no idea what to do with that information. It was highly sureal."
 
Alec grinned and shook his head. "Good luck in the future, Ba."

"We've got homework," Xander said, nudging Alec. "We should get that over with."

"Before it gets forgotten," Alec agreed with a sigh.
 
"Whatever she may do, at least I do not believe she will force me to shave again," Dark griped.

"You better knock on wood, Goose."

Lifting Ivy above his head, Dark said, "Tifla, Baba liked his beard!" And then, with a sigh said, "My face is so cold."
 
Alec and Xander both started laughing at that, though Xander with some exasperation, and they headed to Alec's room to do their homework together.

A short time later, Ciara sent Daizi a text asking if it would be all right for her to stop by briefly within the next fifteen minutes.
 
"Tifla, my special, sweet girl," Dark said, kissing Ivy on the tummy, "You are so, so lucky you did not make me shave in winter. I would have had to wear you as a scarf!"

After playing the text, Daizi turned to her husband, "Will you suffer if Ciara sees you?"

"Yes."

"Should I tell her we're busy?" Daizi asked with genuine caution, because she knew this was difficult for her husband, "If she needs to stop by, it's probably important." When Dark hesitated for a little while, she said, "You can hide upstairs. I'll cover for you, Goose."

After a moment, he sighed and, relenting, said, "Okay, fine. You are right, she never stops by unannounced superfluously."

"If you're sure," Daizi said, squeezing his knee. After he confirmed he was, she texted back, Sure, of course! We're always happy to have you.
 
In precisely fifteen minutes, Ciara tapped lightly on the door to the Necroplois. She held a small box with Alec's name written on a little post-it note and stuck to the top.
 
Daizi answered the door, and Ivy came toddling up at her heels. "Ciara?" She asked, to make sure she had opened the door for the right person, and then stepped aside to let her in, "What do we owe this pleasure!"

Ivy held onto Daizi's legs and waved hello.
 
"Hello, Daizi," Ciara greeted her politely. "Ivy, it is good to see you." She stepped into the house and, after a bit of hesitation, carefully stepped out of her shoes. "I apologize for interrupting your day. I will try to keep it short. Alec asked me if I had any paperwork that he might have for one of his history reports, and I collected enough for him to use."
 
"A history report?" Daizi asked curiously, "I don't think he's mentioned it to us, let me go get him. Would you like to have a seat? And you're always welcome, it's never any bother. Habibti, will you keep Aunty Ciara company while I get your brother?"

Ivy looked up at Ciara, her black hair styled in two little pig tails, and reached up with one hand like she was going to try to hold Ciara's hand.
 
"Thank you, Ivy," Ciara said, bending down to take Ivy's hand. She had a far less way to go than Ivy's parents to reach Ivy's hand, but she still had to bend. She walked with Ivy into the living room to take her usual seat in the singular chair. "What have you done today?"

Alec and Xander were sitting on the floor like usual, arguing in brotherly fashion over an English assignment and the interpretation of what the author "meant" by a certain phrasing.
 
Ivy babbled to Ciara all the way to the living room, but didn't understand the question at all. Although, she did say some familiar words like Baba, Book, Mama, and various Arabic words, including some numbers she had been taught, so it may have sounded like she answered the question quite well for her age.

Knocking on the door, Daizi said, "Alec, do you have a minute?"
 
Ciara nodded seriously and sat down in her usual chair. "I see. That sounds wonderful. What made you think of that?"

Alec leaned back to look at his mother. "Sure, Mama. What's up?"
 
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