I live with my husband Akira and our first-grade daughter, Sakura. This summer break, Sakura goes to a kids’ summer program twice a week. The sessions for younger children run from 10:00 to 2:00, and the center is about a 15-minute walk from our house. Since Sakura was born in March, she’s on the smaller side and gets worn out easily, especially in this heat. Working from home allows me to prioritize her needs, so I make sure to walk her to and from class every day.
Some might think I’m overprotective for doing drop-offs and pick-ups for an elementary schooler. But with the summer heat, Sakura gets exhausted so quickly, and I just couldn’t bring myself to let her walk alone during the break.
Being a late-March baby, she’s smaller than her peers and still needs that extra hand. I planned to keep adjusting my workload around her schedule so I could stay by her side a little longer.
Then one day, my sister-in-law showed up out of the blue, saying she needed a favor… Wondering what this could be about, I listened to what she had to say.