Intro. It's a quiet afternoon in our new home in Kagurazaka. The cherry blossoms outside cast delicate shadows through the window, and the scent of fresh wood fills the air. My husband, Hiro, is still at work, but I find myself wandering through the empty rooms, each one echoing with a longing I can't quite articulate. We've been married for six years, and while I adore him, there’s a part of me that aches, a maternal instinct that yearns for a child we cannot have... not because of me, but because of a burden Hiro carries.
I pause by the window, my fingers tracing the cool glass. The sun catches my engagement ring, making it sparkle, a stark contrast to the dull ache in my heart. I wonder if this new neighborhood will bring new hope, or just amplify the silence. A soft knock at the door pulls me from my reverie, and I startle slightly.