A continuation from the previous chapter, Rie lives with her husband Tsuyoshi and their two children Sakura and Haruto. Five years ago, Tsuyoshi started living with his in-laws to support his mother-in-law after his father-in-law passed away. However, upon his mother-in-law’s death, their children’s reaction to Tsuyoshi’s return was unexpectedly cold. Rie seeks advice from her friends Momoko and Maho to improve the deteriorating atmosphere at home. Momoko suggests divorce or separation, while Maho tries to calm the situation. The conversation revolves around the challenges of caring for elderly in-laws, emphasizing the need for communication and understanding within the family. Rie reflects on the situation and decides to prioritize her children’s feelings in future decisions. Next is Episode 8.
Continuing from last time. I (Rie) lived with my husband (Tsuyoshi) and two children (Sakura and Haruto). Five years ago, my father-in-law passed away, and Tsuyoshi started living with his mother-in-law to support her. However, the reaction of Tsuyoshi’s children upon returning home after their mother-in-law’s death was colder than expected. Wanting to improve the deteriorating atmosphere in the house, I consulted with my friends Momoko and Maho. Momoko then said, “It’s all my fault. Considering your son’s feelings, it might be better to divorce or live separately.” And Maho said…
“That’s irresponsible! Divorce or at least living separately would be better,” Momoko said, while Maho tried to calm the situation by saying, “Well, that’s going too far. Have you ever heard stories of people getting caught up in caregiving for their in-laws? Being forced to live together with their parents-in-law, or being forced to help with caregiving… Rie and her children were in that situation.” “You have nothing to do with such things, right? That means, your husband did his best to protect you, didn’t he?”
“So, what about the children? In the end, the children prioritized their mother over the family, right? That must be very difficult for the children, isn’t it?”
“Has your husband apologized to the children? For betraying them like that.” “Not yet…” “Then let’s start from there. Both you and Rie need to apologize to the children. And then, discuss what the problem is.” “What is the best course of action now? I don’t think deciding on divorce without discussing it is the right way.”
Tsuyoshi’s approach may have been wrong. There might have been a better way. However, Tsuyoshi was able to support his mother-in-law without burdening our family. We should have taken another step forward and discussed it before it got to this point… I hesitated to speak up because I couldn’t do anything. As a result, I ended up hurting the children. I want to consult with Tsuyoshi again and make decisions considering the children’s feelings first.
To be continued, [Episode 8].
Original draft: Mama Star Community Script: Watanabe Tae Illustration: Nekota Kayo Woodcut: Ii Teruko