I’m Kana. I’ve been married for sixteen years, living with my husband Masato and our three kids—Yuuma (7th grade), Rei (5th), and Takuto (2nd). Then one day, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with a serious illness. That’s when I learned that my husband had an older brother who’d been shut in for over twenty years.
It turned out my mother-in-law wanted me to take care of her during and after her hospital stay. I guess that’s why she finally revealed her son’s existence—she couldn’t have me come to the house without me finding out. After that, I decided it was time to sit my children down and explain everything properly.
When Rei asked me that question, I froze for a second. Divorce… I’d be lying if I said it never crossed my mind. But Rei has been working so hard—studying day and night to get into the school she dreams of. The last thing I could do was make her anxious now. So I denied it firmly, trying to sound as reassuring as I could.
Yuuma and Rei had already sensed that something wasn’t quite right between their father and me. They were surprised to hear about their uncle, but I could tell they were relieved to finally understand what had been causing the tension. I knew then that I had to protect their smiles—no matter what.