There was a shriek from the upstairs bathroom. Masako dropped the pan on the oven and ran towards the stairs and she heard it topple to the kitchen floor behind her. “Satoru?” She bolted up the staircase, rounding the landing onto the second floor. He was crying. He was crying so hard. “Satoru?”

“Mama!” the boy shrieked again.

Masako turned and threw open the door to the bathroom. The boy sat against the bathtub scrubbing his fists into his eyes. The woman dropped to the floor and pulled her son to her. “Satoru, what happened? What’s wrong?” He kept crying. “Baby, talk to me.” She held his arms in her hands, trying to pull his fists from his eyes. “Let me see your eyes--”

“No!” His lips trembled as he continued to sob.

“Let me see your eyes, sweetie…” She pulled a bit harder and was able to disengage his hands from his face and discovered it streaked with black tears. “Satoru, what did you do?”

He blinked and whimpered under his mother’s gaze. “I—I want—ed brown – ones – too--” he coughed and hiccupped his way through the explanation. “Mine are—aren’t the – s—same--” He started to cry in force again as he managed to pull one small fist from her grip and rub his eyes. “It hurts!”

Masako turned to the sink. The boy’s stool lay toppled on its side and bottles of dye and ink lay strewn about the countertop. “Oh, Satoru…” Picking the boy up, she walked to the sink and turned on the faucet. Balancing him against her hip, she bent him over the running water. “Stop rubbing,” she reprimanded, pulling his fist down again. “We have to wash it out. Open your eyes.”

For once, his crying had helped the situation and the rest of the dye came out fast enough. When he said it didn’t hurt anymore, she sat him on the toilet seat and grabbed a washcloth and some soap. She scrubbed the black streaks from his face until his cheeks were pink while he sniffled softly.

After his face was clean, she pulled him into her arms and held him against her, stroking his hair and back. “You have beautiful eyes, Satoru. Don’t change them.”

”But I want eyes like Dad’s.”

“I know sweetie, but you should love your eyes. They’re special.”

He seemed to think about that for a moment, but then asked, “Do you love my eyes?”

“Yes, Satoru,” she said, “I love your eyes.”