Yellow was Ryo’s favourite color. It was so bright and cheerful; it reminded him of sunshine on a summer’s day. It didn’t suit him though, washing him out, making him look pale and unwell, so he never wore anything yellow. It was a shame, but nobody could look good in every color, and there were plenty of other colors he could and did wear, so it wasn’t such a terrible loss.

Besides, just because he couldn’t wear yellow didn’t mean he had to shun it. He could have splashes of yellow around his home, the blinds on his bedroom windows, his favorite mug, the kitchen walls… And there were always flowers, bunches of daffodils in spring, chrysanthemums, yellow roses, and his absolute favourites, sunflowers.

He’d picked up a packet of dwarf sunflower seeds at the supermarket a while back, and now he had a row of sturdy, green, leafy plants growing in a trough on his bedroom windowsill, fat buds swelling at the tops of their stems. In another week to ten days, the flowers should begin to open, adding another bright splash of colour, yellow petals surrounding centres as dark as his own eyes.

There was something particularly appealing about growing something so beautiful from seed, nurturing the shoots, feeding and watering the plants as they grew, strong and healthy. They were flourishing, just as his foster son was under his patient care; plants and people both needed a lot of love, and Ryo had plenty to go around.

The End