"That's right. You must have been so lonely," she said softly, as her son's friend opened up about growing up after his parents' divorce, having rarely felt a mother's warmth. Saeko reflected deeply on his past, feeling genuine empathy for him. That's why she gladly agreed when he shyly asked to rest his head on her lap. Wanting to comfort him in any way she could, she gently stroked his hair. But as she felt his face pressed against her thigh, a different emotion slowly stirred within her. A growing desire to comfort him more intimately, more completely, welled up inside her. She became aware of an unexpected warmth spreading through her body. Sensing that something inside her had already changed, Saeko quietly stopped stroking his hair.