I’m Anna, and I live with my husband, Takuya, and our preschooler, Asahi. Being a bit of a wallflower, I was drawn to Takuya’s bright, outgoing personality. He’s always been a devoted husband and father, and our life was full of happiness. But then, we had to move for his job. The Moritas—Meiko and her son, Naoto—were the first to welcome us to the neighborhood. Naoto became Asahi’s best friend, and Meiko was the one mom friend I felt I could really trust. That was, until the truth came out: Takuya used to bully her back in school. Now, Meiko wants absolutely nothing to do with us. At first, I just felt sorry for Asahi, who missed playing with his friend. But I realized that was a selfish way to think. Takuya and I had to face the reality of the pain he caused her.
Takuya honestly didn’t remember the details of what happened back then. But he did admit that he used to vent his stress on others, and he realized Meiko was likely one of his victims. Takuya offered to go and apologize, but I knew that getting an apology now isn’t what Meiko wants. All she wants is her peace and quiet back. The only thing we can do for her is to protect that peace. Even if it means my son has to deal with the loneliness of losing a friend, I’ve accepted that this is part of the price we have to pay for the past.