I (Hiroko) live with my husband. When our son Tatsuya was only in his second year of working, he introduced us to Chisato (35), a single mother eleven years his senior, and her son Haruki (5). At the time, my husband and I opposed the marriage, and the engagement was called off. However, fifteen years have passed, and when Tatsuya said he was getting married, the woman he brought home was, to our surprise, Chisato (50). This time, we had no reason to object. Chisato then shared with us everything that had happened since then.
Watching Haruki fix Tatsuya’s tie at the wedding party, Tatsuya looked every bit the “father.” I could tell that over the last fifteen years, the three of them had overcome so much together. Looking at my son’s family and their smiles, that’s just how it felt. To be honest, I still don’t know if opposing them back then was the “right” thing to do. But the smiles on their faces right now are radiant. Tatsuya and his family clearly worked hard to make the path they chose the right one. Rather than regretting what happened fifteen years ago, I want to focus on wishing for their happiness from here on out.