Chapter Text
Kaede Shiobana is a single mother of one boy. It wasn’t easy at all but she did her best to make sure her son was well-taken care of and to grow up in a good environment. She and her son resides in a cheap apartment she’s been living in since she graduated. She busied herself with chores when she’s not on her job as a cashier at a bookstore. Today is Sunday. Right now, she’s cooking her favorite dish ever since she was little. She wiped her forehead with her sleeved arm as she continued to chop the remaining vegetables for lunch. She was planning to stew them to test if she can still remember her own mother’s recipe. After checking if the beef was ready she poured the vegetables in and placed the lid on the pot. She could feel the heat under her cotton dress. When she heard a small thud and a whine she immediately left the kitchen and headed straight to the living room.
“Haruno, dear, what did you do?” Kaede held the toddler in her arms and rubbed his back soothingly to bide his crying.
Haruno is three years old. He had dark hair like his mother. But his eyes were in charming baby blues, which neither of his parents have. Little was known about the man. But her mother often said that he was very handsome and she loved him very much.
His crying died down as Kaede gently rubbed the sore spot on his forehead. She reached down and gave her son the toy he managed to get from under the table. “Don’t worry. Let’s go get some ice for you, okay?” The boy nodded as he was carried to the kitchen.
An ice pack was held against Haruno’s forehead as Kaede stirred their lunch. His tears had dried up by this time. The child was seated near the sink. He swayed his feet as he fiddled with the toy block in his hands.
“Mama?”
“Yes, baby?” Kaede sipped some broth.
“I’m hungwee.” He said as he eyed the pot and patted his dampened hair bangs from the ice pack. It was the first time he saw this kind of dish. He felt nervous.
“Our lunch is almost ready. Is your forehead still hurting?”
Haruno shook his head and turned his attention back to his toy block. He was biting his bottom lip. A nervous habit, Kaede noted to herself. He looked like he wanted to say something but he didn’t and faced his mother again. The stew is already done. Kaede carried him to his chair by the dinner table and prepared their lunch.
Haruno is a soft-spoken child. He barely raises his voice, which is very unusual for children by his age. This worried her mother at first but she came to an understanding that maybe he’s just a shy kid. She appreciated the times that Haruno would get her attention every time she did household chores. He would go to her during random times of the day to ask questions and if she’s okay.
Kaede smiled at her son as he handed her a glass of water near his plate. “Itadakimasu.” They said in unison and began eating. Haruno is still struggling with his chopsticks but he managed to get a mouthful of beef. Some of the broth dribbled down to his chin and his mother quickly wiped it off for him with a napkin. He chewed the beef slowly, tasting the new flavor in his mouth. He didn’t hate what he was eating. He didn’t love it that much either. It was okay. He ate the piece of broccoli next. He liked this one more. It was easier to chew and it tasted strongly of cream. He liked cream. He continued eating with a brighter expression on his face. His mother looked at him, content with the napkin by her lap.
After their meal, Haruno was back again with his blocks. He was finishing the tower he built earlier. He looked determined to keep the said tower intact. By the time Kaede finished washing the dishes and cleaning the table, Haruno has finished the tower and moved to the center table drawing with his crayons. Kaede eyed his drawings as she sat beside him on the floor. She saw numerous drawings with flowers and plants with noticeable two red dots by its leaves. She tilted her head to the side and blinked at her son, who is looking at her with a hopeful expression.
“What are these red dots, Haruno?” she pointed at the drawing.
Haruno shuffled through his works and picked up a paper with a huge drawing of a ladybug. “Ladybugs! I like them a lot.” He said and went back to coloring the roof of a house with red. Kaede patted her son’s head.
“You draw so well. They’re all very lovely to look at.” She said as she placed the ladybug drawing back. A mumbled thank you was all she heard from her son. He was busy with coloring the grass. She carefully tucked some stray hair behind his ear before giving him a quick kiss.
They spent their early afternoon like this since it was too hot to be outside. After taking his daily nap for an hour, Haruno asked his mother if they could talk a walk outside. Kaede agreed and placed the folded clothes to their respective drawers. The sun’s heat wasn’t too harsh anymore but Kaede still wore her favorite sun hat. They stepped out of their humble home hand in hand.
Kaede bowed and greeted her college friend she met as they were walking along the street aligned with different shops. Haruno hid behind his mother as her friend asked for his name.
“Don’t worry. She's mama’s friend when she was still in school. Say hello, dear.”
“Hello, my name’s Haruno.” Haruno said as he held on to his mother’s dress skirt. He looked shyly at the lady who was smiling warmly at him.
“He’s such a handsome little boy, Kaede.” The lady said as she faced his mother. She leaned down as she introduced herself. “My name is Morioka Hisako. Nice to meet you Haruno-kun.” She bowed and straightened herself before saying goodbye to Kaede. She said she was heading to a convenience store to buy some snacks for her grandmother.
Haruno waved her goodbye as she walked away with a smile.
They stayed at the park until sunset. Kaede played a quick game of tag with her son. She went easy on him since the boy had weak lungs. After a few minutes Haruno was panting, clearly in need of a break from all the running and laughing they both did. She rubbed his back as he coughed a bit too harshly. His body shook and he was in the verge of tears. He knew that he would have the difficulty from breathing any moment now. He tried his best to calm himself down and took deep breaths.
Kaede was surprised since all they did was run around for a few minutes. Haruno could run around the park before without having this kind of asthma attack. She even made sure that Haruno didn’t overexert himself running and reminded him to jog in a pace he’s comfortable with. A few heaves later, Haruno stilled himself and hugged his mother. Kaede cooed endearing words to her son as she carried him home.
Their dinner was the same dish as they had for lunch. Haruno chewed happily on his food and finished earlier than his mother. He was okay now. He went to the living room to pack away his toys back to where they belong. Kaede drew a warm bath for her son after settling everything in the kitchen and making sure their front door was locked. Haruno appeared to the bathroom minutes later, proud that he packed away his toys without being told so. He took off his shirt and shorts to step in the bathtub. He even took the shampoo bottle her mother was reaching for and lathered its contents on his straight black hair.
“Well, aren’t you a good boy today.” Kaede said as she handed her son a bar of soap.
“I wanna be good.” Haruno hummed as he scrubbed his arms and tummy with the soap. His mother gently scrubbing his scalp. A few suds got in his eye but he didn’t cry this time. He wanted to be good and brave from now on. Kaede splashed some clean water on his face to wash away the soap. He left the bathroom smelling like strawberries and all warm thanks to the towel his mother wrapped around him. He insisted that he pick his own pajamas and wear them by himself.
Kaede went to their bedroom feeling fresh and ready to sleep for the night. She found Haruno all tucked in and ready to sleep on his side of the bed. He’s still awake but his eyes are droopy. She closed the lights and made sure Haruno’s ladybug nightlight was on, since he was afraid of total darkness. She smiled to herself as she remembered her son’s drawing earlier, of course the red dots were ladybugs. How couldn’t she have thought of that?
“Goodnight, Mama. I love you.” Haruno whispered as his mother leaned in to kiss his forehead.
“I love you too, Haruno. Sleep well.” Kaede sweetly said as she adjusted the blanket that they shared.
Haruno was sleeping soundly moments after, but Kaede couldn’t sleep. She stroked her son’s hair as she thought of what happened at the park. His condition was getting worse. The thought of moving away was on her mind. But to where? Near the seaside would do his son good. She often heard her mother telling her about the place she grew up in and how the air was so fresh and soothing. That would be perfect. Kaede yawned before closing her eyes. She slept dreaming of her son happily running around a field of cosmos with the scent of sea breeze that night.