How Green Becomes Wood

"Oh, okay," Daizi said with a slow nod, settling back down on the couch, "I think he is probably having a nice time, and I think he is probably excited to tell you everything he did today."
 
"Sure, sure," Alec said with a quick nod. He pulled his feet up and tucked them under himself. "It's good for him to get out there, and he's addressing his mental health in his own way. I never would have thought to try some kind of horse therapy thing, but I think it might be the best of both worlds, right?"
 
"I'm glad he decided to take that step," Daizi said, doing her best to navigate this carefully, "If I had known about the program, I would have suggested it already, but... I think it's for the best that he found it in his own time because it means he is actually ready for it. It's a really good thing."
 
"It is a good thing! A very good thing," Alec agreed. "He found a way to be with horses finally, and I found a totally awesome hobby of my own!" He twisted his fingers together. "I'm glad for us both. It's great."
 
Alec nodded again, looking down at his knees. "Very different. Different is good, and it's needed, but it's... it's hard to get used to." He heaved a sigh. "If I behaved this way with a romantic partner, it'd be a red flag, and people would be saying I was unbalanced. My relationship would be unhealthy. I know it's not good, and I've been trying, but some days it's so much harder than others. I keep thinking that one day, he won't come back."
 
After taking some time to consider what he had told her, Daizi finally said, "It would be concerning in a romantic partner, but I think the fact you can see that means a lot more than if you couldn't. And that shows you have been improving, right? It's not easy to unlearn a lifetime of behaving a certain way. Nobody expects you not to have difficult moments or days."
 
Alec managed a wobbly smile even though he knew Daizi couldn't see it. "You're right. It's just hard to see sometimes. Thank you for seeing the things I can't."

Then, the sound of a car pulling up came from the driveway. Alec's head came up, and he let out a little gasp. Xander was home! He was early! He scrambled off the couch and ran to the entryway.

Xander came in without his shoes, having left them out on the porch. "I'm home!" he called, tired yet satisfied. He grinned when he saw Alec. "Miss me?"

"Yes," Alec said, coming forward.

"I wouldn't," Xander started to say, but it was too late.

Alec hugged Xander only to instantly recoil. "Ugh, you stink!" he wailed.

"Hug me," Xander finished with a snicker. "Yeah, cleaning up after horses will do that to you."
 
"Welcome home!" Daizi called from the living room as she got up to greet them, "I hope it went well."

"You have just enough time to shower before dinner," Dark said, poking his head out of the kitchen, "I also hope it went well, you do not need to share with us any details." He didn't want Xander to feel pressured to talk about the therapy side.
 
"I'll be back in a bit," Xander promised. He ruffled his brother's hair, knowing how much it annoyed him, and headed to take a shower.

Alec waited much more patiently now, and when Xander came back down showered and smelling of Alec's favorite rose-scented body wash, Alec hugged him and then scolded him for using his body wash instead of getting his own.

Once they were sitting down, Xander told them about the horses and the barns. "It's really cool, and I'm not allowed to do a lot with the horses directly yet - they want to make sure I'm not going to do something stupid - I should be allowed to ride one next time I go. Pam said she's pretty sure she knows which horse I'll get along with best."
 
"Is there a horse you hope you'll get to ride?" Daizi asked while Dark set the food out on the table for them. "I still want to go horseback riding now that I'm able to, unlike last year. I think as long as the horse is either trained to know the path or there's someone who can either guide the horse for me or tell me exactly how to move the reins and when, I'd do alright. Or if they set up bumpers, like bowling alleys have for children," That last suggestion was a joke.
 
"Horse riding for the visually impared is a thing," Xander said around a mouthful of food. "Pam said they have one horse that's fully trained and one that's partially trained, but as long as it's one of their calmer horses, they don't have to be trained for that exactly. At least, not for simple riding stuff. If you want to go out on an actual trail rise alone, then you should have a trained horse. A lot of it's the rider and the horse learning to communicate." After a pause, he sheepishly ended with, "I asked."
 
Daizi turned towards Xander, a small, affectionate smile taking over her features, "Really? You thought to ask that for me? We'll have to do it then, since you put that work in for us."
 
Xander ducked his head and mumbled something, blushing slightly.

"What about your horse?" Alec asked, reminding him of Daizi's question.

"There's a couple I like the look of," Xander admitted. "One's called Mr. Sparkle. I thought you might like that, Alec. He's grey and speckled and pretty spunky."
 
Last edited:
"Mr. Sparkle?" Daizi asked, unable to bite back a chuckle, "What a distinguished gentleman of a horse. He sounds like a sweet man."

"I wonder who decided to name him that," Dark commented, taking a look at his daughter, and presuming he could guess a potential origin story to the name.
 
"Apparently, when a new horse is brought in, naming it is a whole process," Xander said. "Pam said sometimes they are named practically as soon as they step out of the trailer. Other times, it takes more time." He remembered the big horse in the quarantine barn. He'd ask Daizi about giant names right after dinner when he'd had a chance to grab something to take notes with.

"That would be so cool if you got to name one of the horses!" Alec sighed wistfully.

Xander shrugged. "They might take my suggestions into consideration, but I am just a brand new addition to their program."
 
"I think too hard when I have to pick a name," Dark said, "I was fourteen and I changed my last name on a whim to one of the few English words I knew, and since then I overthink, purely because of how lucky I was to pick something I liked, rather than 'Tank' or 'Madonna.'"

Daizi snorted, "I still would've loved you if your name was G.M. Madonna."

"I could have been CeeDee."
 
Alec and Xander both shuddered at the idea. "Good grief, no," Xander groaned. "I cannot think of a single name worse for an Iraqian than 'CeeDee Madonna.' How did you learn those words before any actual names?"
 
Dark opened his mouth with the full intention to explain cultural diffusion and how it's not uncommon for western culture, especially music, to seep across boundaries, but he was caught off guard by Xander's word choice and turned to him with the same horror as if the teen had admitted to not liking garlic. Beside her husband, Daizi bit her tongue and looked away, equally aghast, but also knowing full well what her son had just stepped into.

"My apologies," Dark said, "I must have misheard you. Surely you did not say, 'Iraqian'," he said the word slowly, like it hurt to get out, "It is a jest."
 
Xander looked at Dark blankly. "What? At least I didn't say you were Egyptian, right?"

"I'm going to start cleaning up," Alec said hurriedly and stood up to clean off the table and beat a hasty retreat. Not because he was afraid of getting caught in the crossfire, but because he didn't want anyone to see him struggling not to laugh.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top