"I have one more thing to teach you, but the time is not yet right," she said, her voice a soft hum against my ear.
"What is it, Lola?" I asked, nestled securely in her lap.
She stroked my hair gently, her gaze distant. "You'll know when you're eighteen, my Seki."
"I'll wait, then, Grandma," I promised, giggling as I pushed back a strand of her vibrant deep blue hair. "But you really have to stop calling me Seki. I'm not Grandma Seki, I'm Saori Claude Moon, your one and only granddaughter!"
A fond smile touched her lips. "Forgive me, my love. It's just... you remind me so much of my little sister, Seki. She was a wonderful child, just like you." As the last words left her lips, a single tear traced a path down her wrinkled cheek.
Lola always cried when she remembered Grandma Seki. I reached up and tenderly wiped away her tear. "Please don't cry, Lola," I whispered, my heart aches so much seeing her in pain. I wished there was more I could do to soothe her sorrow.
