The House of Apples

 is the twenty-second chapter of Natsumi Mukai's +Anima manga.

Synopsis
Tim comes home to find Emma has baked a lot of apple pies, which she claims to have done because they are Sept's favorite.

Later, Cooro and friends are foraging for mushrooms and berries when they come across an apple tree. Cooro climbs it and starts eating the apples. Husky and Nana Alba berate him to come down. Cooro falls out of the tree, landing on his head and loses consciousness. Emma finds them and takes them to her home. After a while, Cooro wakes up to find himself surrounded by apple baked goods. Emma offers him some, but Husky forces him to first apologize for stealing apples. Cooro offers to work to pay for what he ate, so the children spend the day picking apples. During their work, Emma gives Cooro a bandana, and Nana notes how much Emma seems to like him.

Tim returns home in the evening and is surprised to find they have guests. Emma is overjoyed because to her it is like Sept has come back home. She explains that Sept is their son who had run away to join the circus, and that the bandana she gave Cooro belonged to him. Tim is worried about the situation but stays silent.

The next day, the children work picking apples again. Emma combs Cooro's hair and offers to do the same for Husky, but he runs away. Both Husky and Nana wonder how long they are going to stay there since they have already paid off Cooro's debt. Nana thinks it would be alright to stay with Emma, but Husky reminds her that they are +Anima and don't belong there. That night, they discuss with Cooro how Emma thinks of him like a son. Cooro mentions that he never had a mother, and that he was found at the church when he was a baby; staying with Emma has been like a dream to him.

Early the next morning, Husky, Nana and Senri sneak away, leaving Cooro behind. Nana starts to have second thoughts, comparing to Cooro and Emma to her situation with Magdala; she changes her mind and insists they not leave without Cooro. At that moment, Cooro catches up to them, flying, and crying over being left behind. Emma and Tim come looking for the children; Cooro goes to them to return the bandana and they are shocked to see Cooro's wings. After Cooro flies away, Emma falls to the ground, overwhelmed. Tim reminds her that their son, Sept, died six months ago, "taken by the black angel".

Husky explains that they left Cooro behind because he said being there was like a dream. Cooro clarifies that what because of all the apples; he would rather travel with them because he could get apples anywhere. Husky is relieved because with Cooro there he won't have to talk to Nana so much. Senri presses a flower into his book, and the children continue on their journey.