Yumiko had just finished having another fight with her husband, who retired to sleep on the couch after putting their daughter, Kimi, to bed.He was a good father, but his forceful nature was driving their marriage apart. She stepped out into the balcony, lighting a cigarette as she leaned against the railing, her eyes trailing off to your bedroom window.A spark of desire igniting within.
I look at Yumiko across the way on her balcony after another fight with her husband. I am old enough to be her father but I know she needs some tenderness and love. I raise my glass to her and beckon her over.
Yumiko glances at your glass before hesitantly approaching the balcony railing. Something in her eyes softens as she watches you gesture for her to join you, and with a sigh she leans over it, pressing her hands against the cool metal. "You're old enough to be my father... I shouldn't..."
"You shouldn't what?" You ask gently. "Don't you need some tenderness too? Maybe something your husband doesn't seem able to give you?" Your words are barely a whisper, but they cut through the night air between you.
I am here for whatever you need. I pass her a drink.
"I shouldn't... cheat on him," she whispers, taking the drink with trembling fingers and bringing it to her lips. It burns as it goes down, and for a moment the pain feels almost cleansing. "I should be stronger than this."
She turns back to you, gazing up into your eyes. There's an intensity there that she hasn't seen in years, if ever. She wants what you're offering... but at what cost?
Think about it. Choose your time. I pass her a card with my cell number and my socials.
She takes the card carefully, her fingers brushing against yours. "Thank you," she whispers. "For being... understanding." For a moment, there's a flash of something in her eyes, something unspoken and dangerous. She could have any man she wanted; she didn't need to be here, with you. But there was something about your kindness that called to her, like a siren song she couldn't resist.
"I'll think about it," she says finally, the words barely audible even to herself. And then, before either of you can say or do anything else, she turns and retreats into the warmth and safety of her home. The only thing left between you now are a balcony and an open window.
It is several days later that she contacts me.
Her voice on the other end is soft and hesitant, like she's not quite sure how to broach the subject that's been weighing so heavily on her mind since their last encounter. "I... I need to talk," she says eventually. "About what happened the other night..." Her words trail off, leaving her breathless and vulnerable.
She paces around her bedroom, feeling a million miles away from her husband's calm demeanor and carefully ordered life. She needs something else; something passionate and wild. But at what cost? "I can't... I can't keep doing this to him," she whispers to herself. "But I can't stop wanting it, either."
I understand your dilemma and it is you who have to decide. I can only promise total discretion, total respect and total focus whatever you decide Yumiko.
"I know that," she says finally, her voice thick with emotion. "And... I'm grateful for that. It makes it so much harder to say no." She takes a deep breath, steeling herself against the guilt and confusion churning inside her. "But what if... what if we could find a way? A compromise?" Her voice trails off again, but she can almost feel the words forming in her mind: What if they found someplace far away from here, where no one knew them or their pasts? Someplace where they could start over together and forget about all the things that tore them apart?
She closes her eyes, willing herself to believe that such a thing is possible. Even as she does, however, a small voice inside her whispers that it probably isn't. But for now, in this moment of hope and longing, she chooses to ignore it.
I have a cabin in the redwoods if you need a change of scenery. And I am mostly retired so my days are free. Keep thinking on it, don't put yourself in a box.
She listens carefully to your words, hanging onto every syllable as if they were a lifeline. The idea of getting away from it all - from her husband's expectations and their unhappy life together - is intoxicating. "Thank you," she whispers, her voice barely audible even to herself. "I... I need some time to think about this."
Time passes slowly as she agonizes over the choices before her. She loves her husband in a way that runs deeper than flesh and blood, but their connection has grown rusty with disuse and neglect. And yet, leaving him would be tearing their family apart; even if Kimi is technically his daughter, Yumiko views her as her own child, too.
The tension inside her builds until she can barely stand it anymore. She reaches for the phone again, debating whether to call you or go back to Touma when there's a knock at her door. Startled out of her thoughts, she glances over and sees Kimi standing there, holding a stuffed animal against her chest. "Mommy?" she asks timidly. "Can we... talk?"
Her daughter's voice snaps her back to reality, and with a sigh she pushes the phone aside. "Of course, sweetheart," she says, walking over to crouch down in front of Kimi. She takes the stuffed animal from her daughter's arms, examining it curiously before asking, "What's going on? Did you have a bad dream or something?"
Kimi shakes her head solemnly. "It wasn't a dream. I heard you talking on the phone with someone... and I just wanted to make sure they weren't mean to you." Her big eyes search Yumiko's face, looking for some reassurance that everything is alright.
Yumiko hesitates before answering. She doesn't want to lie to her daughter, but she also doesn't want Kimi getting involved in the complicated web of emotions and relationships she finds herself tangled in. "I was just talking to a friend," she says eventually. "He's been there for me when I needed someone to listen."
Kimi seems satisfied with this explanation, but Yumiko can tell that her daughter isn't entirely convinced. She pulls the girl onto her lap, hugging her tightly and wondering what the right decision is. Maybe it's time they all just left this place behind; start fresh somewhere new where there are no ghosts of their past haunting them.
She looks down at Kimi, her heart twisting with love and pain and confusion. "Darling," she whispers, "I need to talk to you about something important." And then, without waiting for a response, she tells Kimi about her conversation with Touma; about how he wants them to have another baby and how unhappy it's making her. "But what I
really need is for you to be safe and happy. And sometimes I feel like we can't do that here..." She trails off, not sure how much more to say. Kimi looks up at her, those big magenta eyes full of understanding and love. "It's okay, Mommy," she whispers. "If it makes you sad or mad, then maybe we could go... somewhere else? Someplace where everyone can be happy?"
Yumiko blinks back tears, feeling a mix of relief and gratitude wash over her. She had no idea that Kimi felt the way she did; that her daughter was capable of such maturity and selflessness at such a young age. Maybe this is the sign they've been waiting for; a chance to start anew, together as a family, away from the toxic environment of their current life.
She hugs Kimi tightly, feeling a new sense of hope rising within her. "Yes," she says decisively. "Let's go somewhere where we can all be happy." The decision made, she calls up Touma and tells him that they need to have a talk; about their marriage, their family, and the future they want for themselves and their child. And then, together, they set out on the journey to find happiness again.
As they leave their old life behind them, Yumiko can't help but feel grateful for Touma's ex-girlfriend and her kind words of understanding all those nights ago. Without her, they might never have found the courage to make this change; to step into the unknown and build something beautiful from the ashes of their broken past.
As they embark on this new journey together as a family, Yumiko finds herself growing closer to Kimi and her father-in-law. The tension between Touma and herself begins to dissipate as they work through their issues and rediscover what it means to be husband and wife. They visit the cabin in the redwoods occasionally for some much needed alone time, where Yumiko cherishes every moment of tenderness shared with her partner.
Though life isn't without its challenges, they face them together as a family now, supporting each other through thick and thin. Looking back on those nights spent arguing by the balcony railing seems like another lifetime entirely; one filled with pain and despair that she never wants to return to again.
As time passes, Yumiko realizes just how important it is to have someone understanding in her corner when things get tough - whether they're related by blood or not. And for that, she will always be grateful to Touma's ex-girlfriend, who gave her the strength and courage she needed when it mattered most.
Together with Kimi and Touma, Yumiko builds a new life filled with love and happiness; proof positive that sometimes all you need is someone who truly listens, and the willingness to take a leap of faith into the unknown.