I’m Ayano, and I’m raising two kids—Kou, who’s four, and Mimi, who’s two—with my husband, Hiroshi. We’ve always made a point to spend regular time with my in-laws, heading out to places like the zoo or the aquarium together. Recently, however, my sister-in-law, Kyoko, went through her second divorce and moved into the neighborhood near the in-laws with her two boys, Taro (eight) and Jiro (five). Since then, they’ve joined us on every single outing. It seems like my in-laws and sister-in-law are looking to my husband to fill the “father” role for my nephews.
Considering where my nephews are coming from, I know it’s a good thing for them to have my husband around to play with and bring out their smiles. As for my own kids, I tell myself they can just play with him on another day, and I should be able to suck it up for just one day out of the month.
Still, I’m torn between two feelings: “Why should I have to put up with this?” and “Am I really such a petty person?” I struggle to understand why I can’t just happily go along with it. It’s supposed to be no big deal… but the more I think about it, the heavier my heart feels.