Touya brought Sakura to the park near their home and absentmindedly
helped her up the slide. His mind was on his poor mother, suffering under
tremendous pain and stress yet manage to get up and pretend that everything
is alright.
Sakura's scream of delight as she slid to the ground broke through his thoughts and he watched intently, laced with pity, as she toddled off to join some other kids on the sand box. She was just a baby, he thought achingly; unaware of all that's taking place, so innocent that his young heart went to his sister in sympathy.
"Onii-chan, aren't you going to play?"
With a start, he realized that he had been standing besides the slide staring off in space for quite some time already. Bending down to Sakura's level, he hugged her to him tight for a minute and let her go. "Sure. What do you want to play?"
Sakura, tugging her brother's hand in excitement, led the way to the swings where they spent the rest of the afternoon playing.
* * * * *
They arrived at home in time for dinner and Sakura, being exhausted from playing, was fussing more than usual and Touya could see the strain it caused reflected in her mother's pale and drawn face that he offered to feed Sakura in her place.
Nadeshiko bend and hugged her son and said to him, "Thank you Touya, you're a good boy. I love these times with your sister so please don't worry about me tiring myself." She smiled at him lovingly and ushered him to his room for she could see that he was tired as well.
Shortly around eight in the evening, Nadeshiko carried a sleeping Sakura to the room she shared with Fujitaka and laid her innocent child beside her on the futon.
She watched Sakura slept naively, tears falling silently down her eyes wetting the coverlet she had used to cover Sakura. She stared until exhaustion stole through her body and she finally fell into a deep, painful sleep besides her little angel.
Sakura's scream of delight as she slid to the ground broke through his thoughts and he watched intently, laced with pity, as she toddled off to join some other kids on the sand box. She was just a baby, he thought achingly; unaware of all that's taking place, so innocent that his young heart went to his sister in sympathy.
"Onii-chan, aren't you going to play?"
With a start, he realized that he had been standing besides the slide staring off in space for quite some time already. Bending down to Sakura's level, he hugged her to him tight for a minute and let her go. "Sure. What do you want to play?"
Sakura, tugging her brother's hand in excitement, led the way to the swings where they spent the rest of the afternoon playing.
* * * * *
They arrived at home in time for dinner and Sakura, being exhausted from playing, was fussing more than usual and Touya could see the strain it caused reflected in her mother's pale and drawn face that he offered to feed Sakura in her place.
Nadeshiko bend and hugged her son and said to him, "Thank you Touya, you're a good boy. I love these times with your sister so please don't worry about me tiring myself." She smiled at him lovingly and ushered him to his room for she could see that he was tired as well.
Shortly around eight in the evening, Nadeshiko carried a sleeping Sakura to the room she shared with Fujitaka and laid her innocent child beside her on the futon.
She watched Sakura slept naively, tears falling silently down her eyes wetting the coverlet she had used to cover Sakura. She stared until exhaustion stole through her body and she finally fell into a deep, painful sleep besides her little angel.