Prologue;

Baima was a small, quaint town that resided on the eastern coast of Japan, so small that it didn’t exist in most maps or atlases. Despite being quite hidden amongst the trees, the land, rich in its many unique resources like its famous healing sea salt and delicious, blue yams, is said to be sacred ground with spirits and gods crawling about its shores and land.

The ancient town remained mostly untouched by the advancing world’s technology, thriving solely off of its agriculture and ocean resources. It is said that the town came to be many years ago when the great Rain and Sea God that lived amongst the town’s very shores helped calmed the seas and cleansed the land of evil spirits. Only then were humans, famished and dying of malnutrition, finally able to build a life there.

Bai was the name of the great Rain god, and Ma was the name of the great Sea god. In honor of the great deeds done by the two generous gods, the people decided to name the town after them. Baima. Every year at summer’s end, the great Sea Light Festival is held as an offering to them as well.

The people who live in Baima are spiritual, hard-working, and known to be very welcoming and warm. Baima is a town of peace, a town rich in nature, a town full of wholesome history, but it is most known for its beautiful tasting sea salt and unrelenting rain.

And it was raining today. Like it would any day.

Except today lightning ripped through the sky, and heavy clouds shielded the sun away like armor, turning the world into a blend of grays and darker hues.

These are all things Yuta slowly gathered as he listened to the older woman in front of him fill his mind with the town’s rich history. His eyes were wide in fascination, mouth slightly parted without his even realizing it, and his gaze settled studiously on the older woman, studying her kind features. Her graying hair was pulled back in a neat bun, her small lips tugging at a warm smile, and her walnut textured skin was obviously kissed by the sun. Yuta recalled her mentioning the many hours she put into farming earlier in their conversation and figured her darker complexion was from such work.

“Yuta, you haven’t said a word since arriving here. Is there something wrong?” The older woman said suddenly.

Yuta, surprised by the question, said, “O-oh I’m sorry Mrs. Hosokaya. I was simply very intrigued by the history of this town and didn’t want to interrupt. I-I didn’t mean to be rude.”

A light, fluttering chuckle slipped from the woman’s lips as she said, “Oh you are quite alright dear. There is no need for formalities Yuta. You may just call me Grandma. We are family now.”

Grandma. Family. The words rolled awkwardly off of Yuta’s tongue when he tried mouthing them under his breath.

His whole life he’d only known his mother as his only family. Unlike many other children his age, Yuta grew up a rather sickly child due to his premature birth and weak heart, and so he spent a lot of his life in hospitals. His mother, having raised him all on her own, picked up as many odd jobs as she could in order to support both them and Yuta’s stacking hospital bills. In his eyes, his mother was all he ever really needed. Even during the most difficult times, she managed to wear the reassuring, kind smile she always seemed to wear. Over the years, the smile became accompanied by darkening circles beneath her eyes and crow’s claws clinging to the corners of them, but even then Yuta believed his mother’s smile remained the most beautiful. Just one look from her and he felt all his worries, concerns, and fears could just melt away. And they always did.

“I know this must be very hard for you Yuta,” said the older woman.

Yuta’s ears perked at this, gaze now trailing away from the woman and to the window as he watched the world become devoured by the merciless storm outside.

“You have never been apart from your mother, correct?” she continued.

Yuta nodded weakly in response, eyes still fixed on the window.

“Your mother is the kindest soul I have ever met,” she began with a smile returning to her lips, ”I’m so happy that idiot son of mine managed to find someone like her, but I can see that she is someone very special to you and that you feel sad about him taking her away from you for some time.”

At this Yuta’s head snapped back to the older women, his eyes widening in protest to her statement. While his mother was the most precious thing to him, he would do anything to see her flourish in happiness. Even if that meant saying goodbye to her for awhile.

Back in Nagasaki where Yuta was being seen at a hospital, his mother and attending doctor somehow managed to magically fall in love. At first Yuta absolutely despised the man and believed he was only out to take advantage of his beautiful mother, but over time, he learned that the doctor did indeed possess genuine feelings of love towards his mother. He would always ask Yuta’s mother if she was properly eating and even bring her home cooked meals if she wasn’t. He’d convince her to go home and rest instead of staying overnight with Yuta. He’d even help Yuta with his school studies so that he wouldn’t fall too far behind in school and worry his mother. During that time, Yuta noticed how much more his mother would laugh and smile, how bright her eyes began to shine again, how her graying hair seemed to glisten, and how much younger she began to look. It was the doctor that did this for her, and Yuta knew in his heart that they were meant to be. They loved each other, and he knew the doctor would take care of his mother. And if anyone deserved to be taken care of and loved unconditionally, it was his mother.

Of course Yuta never predicted that the two would become engaged and that the doctor would invite Yuta’s mother to live in America with him while he was there for the next four years. Their solution with what to do with Yuta? Drop him off in a small, faraway town in the middle of nowhere to live with the doctor’s parents. The air would be better for him they’d said. It would be good for him they’d said.

“I see.” The older woman seemed to understand Yuta without him needing to say anything. “You want to wish your mother the best and not burden her with your discomfort, so you are letting her go as she pleases even if it does sadden you.”

Yuta didn’t say anything again but flinched noticeably when a strike of thunder suddenly tore through the silence. He nearly leapt out of his pants from the fright.

The older woman chuckled once again at this. “Yuta-kun, these storms are very common here in Baima,” she reassured, pacing forward a step so that she was closer to him, “You don’t need to be alarmed.” She reached forward with her hands and cradled Yuta’s own hands in hers, gently rubbing the back of his hands with her thumbs to ease the trembling he didn’t even realize he was doing. Her hands, despite being wrinkled, felt soft, gentle, and nurturing. “Despite all the rain, I’m sure you’ll find something to love about our quiet, little town. After the rain passes, the flowers are more vibrant, the grass is more green, and the skies give way to the purest sunlight.” She gave his hands a light squeeze. “It makes the wait for the rain’s passing all the more worth it, don’t you agree? Everything will be alright.”

Another shot of thunder roared, but this time Yuta didn’t flinch.

Something in the way the older woman squeezed his hands, in the way her hands felt like silk, in the way her words seemed to soothe his tense shoulders, it made him feel a little more relieved about the decision to allow his mother to leave him here in the care of two elderly strangers in a faraway town. Mrs. Hosokaya--his new grandmother had been nothing but kind and welcoming to him so far, and it somehow made the raging storm outside seem not so bad. He wasn’t sure how she’d done it, but the rain outside began to actually sound musical and therapeutic. He wanted to believe her, and deep inside, he truly did. Everything will be okay.

“Now dear, do you have any questions for me?” she asked.