I (Hiroko) have a son named Tatsuya (24), who is in his second year of work. One day, he said there was someone he wanted me to meet and brought over Chisato (35), a single mother, and her son, Haruki (5). They bowed and asked for our blessing to marry, but I just couldn’t accept it. To me, it looked like a marriage where Tatsuya was simply signing up to shoulder half of her burdens. After they left, my daughter Nami (20), who had been playing with Haruki during the talk, shared her thoughts.
I might have let my emotions get the better of me and said too much. I’m sure I hurt Chisato’s feelings, and I do regret that. Still, as a parent, I felt I had to be clear about my doubts regarding this marriage. Nami argued that Tatsuya is a grown man now, and she’s right, but in reality, I just couldn’t look at it that objectively. In the end, Tatsuya didn’t try to elope or anything; it seems the wedding talk with Chisato just fizzled out. I think I’ll just keep a quiet eye on him from now on.