I’m Yuko, 70. For years, my husband (75) and I have run a ballroom dance studio together. A while ago, my husband hurt his leg and could no longer dance, so I started thinking about having our son, Yuichi (46), take over the business. Back when he was younger, I used to hope he would marry Suzuka (45)—his dance partner and girlfriend at the time—and take over the studio with her. However, the woman he ultimately chose to marry was Kaori (46), someone with no ties to the ballroom world whatsoever.
Kaori was fully supportive when our son decided to get back into ballroom dancing. Given that many wives wouldn’t like their husbands touching other women, I was truly grateful for her understanding. But right now, my son seems to be taking her for granted, and that’s not right.
So I filled my husband in, and together we headed to the studio at 1:00 AM on a weekend, right when our son was supposed to be there. Knowing we went to check on him should give Kaori some peace of mind. I also decided to give my son a stern warning: “Stop staying overnight at the studio—you’re making Kaori anxious.”