November 1999, England
Years later, Mello would always remember that it was raining.
He forgot what he was wearing, what day it was, the year, and even the woman's face, but somehow he always remembered that it was raining. That, and what the woman had said to him before she walked out of the door… back out into the rain.
"Mello, this is my son, Nate. He'll be living here now, so can you look out for him? As a favor to me?"
Mello had nodded, not knowing what else she had wanted him to do, and watched as she hugged the toddler next to him with tears in her eyes. Running a hand through the younger boy's pale hair, she had quickly turned around and pushed through the entrance to the orphanage, the door not swinging back into place fast enough to prevent a puddle of rain from forming on the floor.
All Mello could do then was stare at the boy next to him, little more than a toddler, and wonder why, if this lady cared about him so much, was she leaving him here?
A place where no one was going to care about you enough to cry.