Enzan could always vaguely remember the smell of his mother's perfume. Sometimes, he didn't even remember his mother's face, or that way that her cooking tasted, but he could always remember the smell of her sweet perfume.
One night, when he was four, his mother came home and told him that she had cancer and was going to die within the year. Being brought up the way he was, and standing next to his father while he received the news he kept a straight face. But later that night he sobbed in his mothers arms. Breathing in her smell and crying harder then he ever had or would.
She cuddled him and stoked his hair, telling him that everything would be okay. One day they'd be together again, still nothing made the pain go away.
After that they'd have long night conversations, most ended with Enzan falling asleep in his mother's arms, smelling her perfume. Until, she was too weak to hold him.
Soon after, she was admitted into the hospital. Enzan held his mother's hand now that they couldn't cuddle.
The next two months were hell for the small boy, his mom getting weaker and weaker; finally she started to slip in and out of a coma. Her perfume smell, long gone.
On her last day of consciousness, she requested one thing from her son, and that was to get the small velvet bag with her little bottle of perfume.
He remembered running home as fast as his small legs would carry him. He grabbed the bag and ran back to the hospital as if he was unsure that he would get there in time. But he came upon his mother, just as he left her. Only, for the first time in months, she was smiling.
She held out shaking hands for the bag, and with much difficulty opened the drawstring. She took the cap on the bottle and sprayed some onto her wrists and neck. The soothing scent of flowers, sugar, honey and all things good filled the room. Enzan relaxed a little, but still was uneasy.
She put the bottle away and drew the drawstring. Then she held out her arms to her son. Enzan was very unsure of what to do, since he was told many times not to go into bed with his mother, she was just too ill. But she nodded and Enzan boldly climbed into her arms.
And for hours they rocked, Enzan breathing in her smell and listening to her hum. Just as he had before so many times. He remembered falling asleep, in his mother's arms, for the last time.
When he woke up, he saw the doctors looking at him strangely. On their faces was a mixture of sadness and pity. He turned around to see his mother with a peaceful smile on her face and her arms still were wrapped around him, on the table there read a note.
'I am honored that I was allowed to spend my last few moments of my life holding my child. May he grow into the man he wants to be, and Enzan, I love you with all my heart.'