Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

Warnings/Notes: None really

Summary: When you hold onto something too tightly, it just slips right through your hands.

He watched her walk away, waving and cheerfully calling goodbye, "I love you Kippei onii chan!" She exclaimed as her mother took her hand, finally ready to lead her young daughter home. He could say nothing more to fight it, she was leaving him…with her mother…with Aunt Miyako but he didn't feel it was for the best. He loved Yuzuyu and it wasn't fair that he'd gotten attached to her to have her ripped away from him.

He stood shaking and inwardly feeling helpless though he'd never let it show. He could hear his own mother calling out his name but he stood frozen in the front yard, eyes glued to where the small girl had just been standing and fading away into the distance as she walked along. Don't forget me…please don't forget me…. He said to himself over and over again in his mind, thinking rationally he came to the conclusion that if for a short time the little one could come to forget her mother…she could surely forget him too, but in his heart he had faith in her.

He turned back around, his shaking having died down, and headed to his room, his mother and father's concerned gazes spoke to him, but he didn't want their pity. He didn't want to hear them say they understood and that they were sorry, they didn't understand, they hadn't spent nearly as much time with Yuzu as he had, they hadn't grown as close to her as he had. He swallowed hard, I'm sorry, well that didn't cut it…that didn't make it better or easier on him. The words were of no consolation. In his room he shut his door and opened the closet, imagining her old school uniform and yellow hat he'd hung up for her, "We'll get it out when mommy comes…goodbye yellow hat." She'd said, it nearly brought him to tears and he moved his hands to cover his face. He was a man, not a child, he had to grow up, he knew it was wrong of him to be so selfish…but he couldn't help it, not this time.

He drew a deep breath as her face came into focus in his mind, it wasn't fair, but life wasn't fair, he sighed at this. At least she would be happy about finally being able to be with her mother, but he wished he could be sure she'd think of him sometimes…when she was eating rice balls her mother made…or walking to preschool. He gulped…he wished he could be sure she'd think of him like he knew he'd always think of her, he wished he could've known how much he changed her life…and if it compared to how much she had changed his.

He sat down on his bed, dinner would be ready soon…he wasn't hungry though…he couldn't eat yet.

He laid down and stared at the ceiling, he'd been put in the middle of a fleeting miracle, something which almost never occurs, something which is special…wonderful, but this miracle wasn't wonderful, it didn't make him feel blessed. In fact…he wished he'd never experienced it…there was a short time when he thought to himself all shut up in his room that he wished he'd never known anyone named Yuzuyu but quickly found he didn't mean it.

"I'm sorry I have to be this way Yuzuyu, I don't mean to disgrace your memories…I'm glad for the time I had with you…I'm just bitter…because I wish it would stop and repeat itself instead of slip away…." He whispered to himself as if the air he spoke to was Yuzu herself.

Think on the bright side, he told himself, at least you still have Kokoro. He sighed, he loved Kokoro…he had to admit it now, but she wasn't Yuzuyu, his feelings weren't the same for Kokoro.

"All the people I hold onto fall away from me so fast." He looked at his cell phone and found Kokoro's number in the memory, he hoped she wouldn't leave him too one day.

"Miracle huh…" He spoke out into nothingness, "Maybe I've taken my miracle for granted…maybe Yuzu will be able to see me again one day." He added, beginning to slowly rouse himself from his depression.

Kippei was a bright boy, it took him a while sometimes but he learned from the trials life put him through, he found if he didn't try to stop time he wouldn't be so disappointed when he found he couldn't. If he just lived good things would happen…if he was just patient it would all fall into place.

When he next saw Yuzuyu he'd grown…he was wise enough to know how to hold onto the sand that she was so that she didn't slip through his fingers like she had when they were both still children and in the prime of their young lives.

"This time…" He declared as he approached her at the train station, "I'll show you just how much you mean to me…" And with that he and embraced her, tears sprang to his eyes when he realized quite happily that she had indeed remembered him.

'"I love you Kippei onii chan, it's been a long time…." She whispered to him and as she moved out of his grasp to look into his teary eyes with her own she handed him a small yellow hat from years and years ago, "Here…I want you to have this."

And he took and held onto it the precious gem that it was…the very symbol of the memories they'd made.

Owari