I live with my husband and our college-age daughter, Mao. Because of a congenital condition, Mao is unable to have children. Recently, she started dating a guy named Tatsuki, who’s in his second year of working. But when Mao opened up to him about her condition, he flat-out told her that marriage was off the table. Mao thought that meant they were breaking up, but apparently Tatsuki assumes they’re still together—just without any future. Worried that Mao was being used, I reached out to my sister for advice. That’s when I decided it was time to sit down and have a real talk with Mao once again.
Even as I was saying it, I started getting a bit confused myself, but I just hope my true feelings got through to her. Whether she chooses to stay with Tatsuki or end things, either way is fine by me.
All I want is for Mao to be happy. And though it wasn’t the easiest subject to bring up, I’m really glad I was able to talk to her about the importance of protecting herself against STDs. I just hope Mao doesn’t let herself go with the flow, but instead stays true to her feelings and comes to her own conclusion.