I’m Seira. I live with my husband Kotaro, our 4-year-old daughter, and our 2-year-old son. Our apartment is built right on my in-laws’ property. My mother-in-law uses her spare key to walk right in whenever she pleases, acting like it’s totally normal. Still, there were times when her visits were a lifesaver, so I couldn’t really put my foot down, and things just stayed that way. Then one day, my daughter came down with a fever, and soon enough, my son, my husband, and even I caught the bug… I pulled out my phone, explained the situation to her, and texted, “Please, whatever you do, do not come inside.”
I’ve never been good at asking for help. It might be because growing up, my parents weren’t really there for me. Even so… with my whole family down with a bug and having to nurse my kids while running a high fever myself, my mom was still the first person who popped into my mind.
She said sweet things, but didn’t actually do anything to help. In stark contrast, my mother-in-law barged right in, ignoring my warnings. The moment I explained what was going on, she immediately sprung into action.