Two days later...

"Ichimatsu, my dear, be a good boy and go buy us all some snacks, alright?" the boy's mother smiled gently at her son, giving him a loving pat on the head.

Karamatsu, sitting in a foldout chair a little ways away from the woman's hospital bed, watched curiously, noticing how awkwardly close the two were with one another. It wasn't common for a boy to show such affection towards his mother. Something just wasn't right.

Ichimatsu gave his mother a hug as he obeyed. "Alright, mother."

"Wouldn't a child question their mother when they randomly told them to fetch some unnecessary snacks...?" Karamatsu thought, his eyes following Ichimatsu as the boy exited the room. Once the hospital door shut heavily behind the child, Ichimatsu's mother cleared her throat.

"Father Karamatsu," she spoke with respect, sitting up a little straighter in her hospital bed. She cringed in pain a little, but seemed to ignore most of what she was truly feeling. "I have something important to tell you."

"Oh?" Karamatsu tilted his head slightly, curious as to what she had to say. "Go ahead. I'm here to listen. That's my job."

The woman exhaled, turning her head to look at the door. "He's gone...I can only hope Ichimatsu doesn't hear this...now is not the time."

"Is something wrong...?" Karamatsu wondered as he paid close attention to the kind woman.

"I have less than a month left to live," she spoke, her voice cracking a little. "And it just breaks my heart, knowing Ichimatsu has nowhere to go..."

"I will gladly take him in and raise him," Karamatsu bowed his head, though this was only to hide the tears, which were welling up in his eyes. "He is a very kind child."

"I know," Ichimatsu's mother smiled. "I just know how hard it was the first time. I never want to see Ichimatsu go through such pain again. He's had a rough life, and I'm afraid I've disappointed his true mother."

"Wait- what-" Karamatsu lifted his head, his eyes clouded with concern. "You're not his mother?"

"No, of course I'm not!" the woman laughed a little. "I'm his aunt. There were many issues when Ichimatsu was born. My sister immediately shoved him off on me. But times grew tough, and Ichimatsu ended up spending more time with her, as I searched for an occupation. Still, we kept it a secret from him. Ichimatsu doesn't need to know these things yet."

Karamatsu sighed, "Well, I suppose that can't be helped. Will he be going to live with her...?"

"No, he can't," Ichimatsu's aunt smiled sadly. "His mother passed away last year. She was in an automobile accident."

"I see..." Karamatsu muttered. "What would you like me to do, ma'am? I'll proudly do anything for a spirit which is growing closer to our Lord."

"Come a little closer then, for these are words I promised to never speak, in honor of my sister's public reputation," Ichimatsu's aunt spoke calmly.

Karamatsu arose from his seat, making his way over to her bedside.

"Lean down a little," she ordered, the priest obeying. Then, the woman cupped her hands close to the man's ear, uttering a single truth, which could drastically change the lives of everyone he had ever come into contact with.

One week later...

"This is the seventh day," Karamatsu forced a smile on his face as he made his way to Ichimatsu's home. Since his last visit at the hospital, Ichimatsu's aunt had been allowed to rest in the comforts of her home. Though the home wasn't a very comfy place, it was much better than the cold, depressing hospital.

Karamatsu knocked his knuckles lightly on the heavy, wooden front door of their home. And after waiting a few moments with no reply, the priest contemplated turning away to flee back to the church.

"Ichimatsu should be back from his tutoring by now, I'm sure," Karamatsu thought to himself. "But perhaps he's being given a long day...I'm sure it would be better if I just went back. Ichimatsu would rather spend time with his mother alone, I'm sure. Even though he doesn't know how soon she will be leaving him...not yet."

With a lowered head and shoulders slumped, the priest turned away from the door, beginning to walk back out towards the street. It was in that moment that the front door swung open, Ichimatsu screaming out for the priest.

"FATHER KARAMATSU!" the child cried out. "HELP! MY MOTHER...."

In an instant, Karamatsu was inside the boy's home, helping Ichimatsu help his aunt up off of the floor.

A shattered tea cup, along with a sort of herbal tea, seemed to be in every direction on the wooden floors. It was quite the challenge to aid the weak woman in avoiding the shards and slippery spots.

Ichimatsu clung to his aunt's arm, tears in his eyes. He sniffed softly and quickly blinked them away, knowing he had to stay strong for his aunt, whom he still knew as his mother.

"Are you alright?" Karamatsu asked the woman once she was settled down into a chair in the living room. "Does anything hurt anywhere?"

"I'm fine," she laughed a little as Ichimatsu threw his arms around her, hugging her tightly. She ran her fingers through the boy's hair, a single tear running down her cheek. "Shshshshs....it's allllllllriiiight, Ichimatsu. I'm here for you, don't worry. Nothing is going to happen."

The priest forced himself to look away, biting his cheeks to prevent his own tears from escaping.

"Things are going to be cut off sooner than we expect..." Karamatsu thought bitterly. "And all I can do is pray that it will all be painless..."