"Mother… mother, I ranked first in school. The teacher praised me for my excellence and said I would be able to graduate soon."
A boy barely fifteen years old spoke excitedly to a woman standing before a sink, washing dishes. The woman turned, her expression growing heavy for a moment before she forced a smile onto her face.
She wiped her hands on her light blue apron before patting her child on the head. His eyes were as bright as ever as he looked up at her.
"When will father return?" he asked eagerly. "I want to show this to him when he comes back. I will be the youngest graduate of the academy, after all."
The woman's expression twisted once more as she bit her lip. To keep her son from noticing the tears threatening to spill from her eyes, she pulled him into her embrace and gently patted his back.
"… It will take a few more years for your father to return," she said, trying to sound as cheerful as possible. "He is busy with his mission, remember?"
