Chapter 1096: Cradling Kasumi to Sleep
Yuko nodded, sitting on Kasumi’s other side. "Mom, you’ve carried this pain alone for too long. Let us share it with you."
I continued feeding her patiently, one small bite at a time. Every time a tear fell, I wiped it away tenderly. "You’re doing great, Oka-san. Just a little more."
Kasumi’s voice cracked as she swallowed. "That woman... she was my ex-husband’s mother. She never liked me. Even back then, she blamed me for everything. When I left him... when he started drinking and passed away in an accident... she put all the blame on me. She said I killed him... that I destroyed their family..."
Another tear rolled down. I wiped it softly and fed her a piece of sausage. "And yet you still raised two wonderful daughters all by yourself. You built a successful company. You became an incredible mother. That old woman’s words don’t define you."
Kasumi looked at me with trembling, tear-filled eyes as I brought another bite to her lips. She accepted it, chewing slowly while more tears fell.
"You’re too kind, Jack..." she whispered. "Even after hearing all those horrible accusations, you still look at me the same way. Why...?"
I wiped both her cheeks gently with my thumbs and smiled. "Because I see the real you. Not the person that the bitter old woman wants everyone to see. Open up again."
She obeyed, letting me feed her another bite. Her tears kept falling, but she was slowly eating more.
Haruna sniffled. "Mom... we never blamed you. Not even once. You were always our hero."
Yuko leaned her head on Kasumi’s shoulder. "That’s right. Thank you for protecting us back then."
Kasumi’s shoulders shook as she tried to hold back more sobs. I continued feeding her lovingly — wiping her tears, offering her water between bites, and speaking soft, comforting words.
"You don’t have to be strong all the time, Oka-san," I murmured, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Not with us. Cry if you need to. We’re right here."
Kasumi finally broke down a little more, leaning against me as I fed her the last few bites. "Thank you... Jack... Haruna... Yuko... I’m sorry for ruining today’s outing..."
"You didn’t ruin anything," I said softly, wiping yet another tear. "We’re making new, better memories right now."
The crackling campfire, the gentle lapping of the lake waves, and the vast starry sky above created a warm, healing atmosphere around our small camp. Kasumi was still hurting deeply, but with every bite I fed her and every tear I gently wiped away, she felt a little less alone in her pain.
After dinner, the night grew colder. Kasumi was still wearing her traditional kimono. I took off my warm jacket and gently draped it over her shoulders, wrapping it carefully around her body.
Haruna grinned playfully as she helped clean up. "Hehe~ Yuko, come sleep with me tonight. Oka-san has her dear son-in-law to take care of her now. Look how spoiled she’s getting~"
Kasumi gave a small, tired smile. She reached out and took my hand, squeezing it softly as she looked at Haruna with warm, grateful eyes.
"Yeah... Jack really has become a true son of our family. Thank you, Haruna... for bringing him into our lives. I’m very grateful."
Yuko smiled softly, her eyes slightly misty. "Yeah. Haruna made an excellent choice. Jack takes care of all of us so well."
Yuko then playfully pulled a teasing Haruna toward the other tent. "Come on, let’s give them some space. Goodnight, Mom. Goodnight, Jack."
Once the girls had gone into their tent, I looked at Kasumi tenderly. "Let’s go inside. It’s going to get really cold out here."
Kasumi nodded quietly. We entered our tent, where a large, comfortable futon had been laid out. She lay down first.
I lay down beside her and extended my arm, gently pulling her head to rest on it. My other hand moved slowly, caressing her long, silky hair with soothing strokes, then gently tracing her cheek and jawline with my fingertips.
"Let me spoil my Oka-san tonight," I whispered lovingly.
Kasumi hummed softly in response, a small sound of comfort, but her eyes still carried deep sadness. She stared at the ceiling of the tent, lost in painful memories.
I continued gently caressing her — my fingers running through her hair, massaging her scalp lightly, then moving down to stroke her back in slow, comforting circles. I pulled her closer into my embrace, wrapping my arm around her waist and holding her protectively against my chest.
"Do you know, Oka-san... why those people accused you so viciously today?" I asked softly while still stroking her hair.
Kasumi sighed weakly, leaning deeper into my hug. "It’s understandable... Her son is gone. A mother’s grief can easily turn into hatred. I don’t blame her completely."
I placed a finger gently on her soft lips and shook my head. "No. You’re wrong. She doesn’t truly care about her son’s death anymore."
Kasumi looked up at me with confusion. I pulled out my phone, asked SERA for information, and showed her the screen after gathering the details.
"How can this be...?" she whispered, eyes widening.
I held her tighter, one hand gently rubbing her back while the other caressed her cheek. "After your husband passed away, the family property and shares should have gone to his younger brother, Jieriko."
"But because you were still legally his wife, everything went to you. You turned that company into a success. Meanwhile, Jieriko and his wife Noriko mortgaged their mother’s house, took huge loans for a failing business, and are now drowning in debt."
Kasumi’s eyes filled with fresh tears. I immediately leaned in and wiped them away tenderly with my thumb, then kissed her forehead softly.
"So... all of this was because of money?" she asked, voice trembling.
"Yes," I said gently, continuing to stroke her hair and hold her close. "They’re jealous of you, Oka-san. You took what they thought was theirs, made it prosper, raised two wonderful daughters, and found happiness again. At the same time, they’re struggling and will likely sink deeper into debt. That’s why they attacked you so cruelly."
I pulled her even tighter into my arms, hugging her protectively as I caressed her back and shoulders. "So from now on, never blame yourself again. You are an incredible woman... and the best mother those girls could ever ask for."
