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After the crazy, bizarre summer of 1999, Jotaro decides while he’s still in Japan that he should visit his mom. The last time he met with her in person was when Jolyne was born. She had flown all the way to the US to see her granddaughter. She gave Jotaro a tearful goodbye at the airport as she held him longer than he was comfortable with. Before she left she told him that he needs to see her more often, going on and on about how she’s getting old. Jotaro just waved her off.
He hadn’t seen his mother in nearly seven years, only communicating with her over the phone. But, just because he hadn’t visited his mom doesn’t mean he didn’t miss her like hell. After all of his near death experiences in Morioh he realizes now is a perfect time to visit her. His mom only lived about two hours from Morioh. He gets an early train ticket after he sees his grandfather set sail for the US. Jotaro had forgotten to invite Joseph, though maybe it’s a good thing he didn’t. He wasn’t sure how his mom was doing after news broke of the affair.
The entire train ride to Minato City, Jotaro is going through everything he needs to tell his mother. He needs to talk to his mom now more than ever. He needs a hug.
When Jotaro arrives in Minato City, he gets anxious. It would just be him and his mom alone together in their big house after so many years. His dad was back in the US. It’s not like Jotaro should care, everything was easier when his father wasn’t around. He just hopes his mom isn’t upset with him for not coming sooner. As Jotaro walks up to the doorstep his body feels heavy, it feels like he’s moving in slow motion as he goes to knock. Moments later he hears, “Just a moment!” Then footsteps on the other side of the door. Jotaro lets out a nervous sigh.
When Holly opens the door she just stands there for a moment, mouth open, staring. Jotaro is about to greet her but she pulls him into a tight hug. His mom hadn’t grown at all so he still towers over her. He wraps his arms around her, releasing any built up stress and silly anxieties.
“Jojo! My baby boy, I missed you so much!” She begins tearing up, burying her head in his chest.
“Hi, mom, ” In his teenage angst years, he would’ve called her a bitch and told her to let go, but now that he’s emotionally mature and homesick, he just calls her mom.
Holly breaks the hug, pulling him inside. “Had I known you were coming I would’ve made us lunch! Aw, Jojo, it’s so good to see you. How’s Jolyne and Marina? I hope your travels weren’t too chaotic. ” She can’t stop smiling. Jotaro places his bags in the entryway, taking off his shoes simultaneously. Holly holds onto Jotaro’s arm as they walk into the kitchen.
Truthfully Jotaro hadn’t spoken to or seen his wife and daughter since he left the US. and even then, he’s distant. “They’ve been doing well. Jolyne is starting second grade soon.” He keeps his response vague before switching subjects, “I just finished visiting Josuke in Morioh.”
“Josuke…” Holly is grabbing a pack of ramen for her and Jotaro to share. “How’s he doing?” Her tone is flat as she grabs a small pot, filling it with water and placing it on the stove.
“He’s doing good. He’s also a stand user with the ability to heal anyone. He’s quick-tempered. And aside from all the craziness, the town is actually pretty charming,” As Jotaro responds, he grabs two eggs from the fridge and a smaller pot. He fills it with water, drops the two eggs in then places it on the burner behind the ramen. This routine is one they’ve had since he was a little boy. Holly would call these “dinner dates,” which had started during the long absences of Jotaro’s father. She wanted to make sure he felt seen.
“How have you been since learning about the old man’s affair?” He says this hesitantly, not knowing if it’s appropriate to bring up so soon.
“I’m disappointed and mad. I thought Papa was always an honest man, for him to do something like this and hide it for so long… It makes my heart ache!” Holly crosses her arms and leans against the counter. Jotaro tries to comfort her by putting a hand on her shoulder. She looks down at her pink slippers and changes the subject, “So when do I get to see Jolyne again? I miss my granddaughter! You should bring her here, I bet she would love seeing Japan.”
“I don’t know. I've been thinking…” He trails off, stepping away from his mom. “I don’t think I should be around Jolyne or Marina anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
“Everywhere I go I just attract danger. It becomes frustrating having to protect everyone around me. What if one day I can’t? What if I lose? I don’t know what I would do with myself if I got Jolyne wrapped up in all of that. I can’t live a normal life with my daughter or my wife. And I can’t tell them why I need to be distant, they wouldn’t understand. It’s not fair.”
Holly thinks for a moment. Her son has been fighting an endless battle since he was 17. She can’t help but feel a sort of self guilt, like it’s her fault that he carries the burden that is their family curse. If she could take all of his problems and carry them for him, she would do it in a heartbeat. She didn’t want him to feel like his life was a punishment or curse. But, all she can do is support her son, even if they’re often thousands of miles apart.
Jotaro grabs some green onions from the fridge and starts chopping them as he continues, “I’ve been thinking of getting a divorce.”
“A divorce?” It’s not like Holly hasn’t toyed with the idea of a divorce, but she would never go through with it, “Why not a long distance marriage?”
“Because it wouldn’t be fair to Marina to have a husband who’s never around. I would rather her be happy with someone else than miserable for the sake of a marriage,” He pauses. He has something else to tell her but he isn’t able to get it out. Holly thinks she knows what he has to say, but she doesn’t pry.
“And what about Jolyne?”
“I would give her full custody.” He goes to grab two bowls.
“Jotaro…” Holly turns the stove off, pouring the ramen into the two bowls. Jotaro places the two boiled eggs in a bowl of ice water. As Holly sprinkles the green onion into each bowl, she continues, “If this is what you really want, then I will support you. But, this doesn’t mean I will stop talking to Marina or Jolyne!” She tries to bring a lighthearted mood. Jotaro peels and cuts the eggs in half, they sit down for lunch.
They talk about what they’ve been up to. Jotaro tells his mom about his marine biology studies and how he’s going to write his thesis on a starfish that caught his eye in Morioh. Holly tells Jotaro about all the neighborhood gossip and what his dad has been up to. Then she tells him about all the mundane things in her life, how she wants to start volunteering at the library and how the corner store is beginning to raise their prices. She tells Jotaro how she wishes he would visit her more often and he can stay here as long as he wants. He promises to visit her more.
After lunch, they clean up their mess. Jotaro wipes down the table while Holly washes their dishes. She misses moments like this. When it was just her and Jotaro living a normal life, where all they had to worry about were dirty dishes and folding laundry. She sighs peacefully to herself.
“Mom,” Jotaro interrupts her thoughts.
“Hm?” She responds, not looking up from the bowl she’s cleaning.
“There’s another reason for me wanting to divorce Marina.”
Wiping her hands on her apron she turns off the water, looking at him, giving him her full attention. He doesn’t look at her as he wipes the counter. She knows what he’s going to say.
“And that reason is?”
“I’m gay,” His shoulders are tense. The short silence between his confession and her response is deafening. He knows his mom would never be angry with him, but it’s still scary to say out loud.
“Oh Jojo,” She walks up to him, placing a hand on his back, “I know.” He looks at her with a sort of bewilderment. He had just recently come to terms with his sexuality, how could his mom know? This reaction from him prompts her to continue, “I’ve sort of always known. Maybe you don’t remember but when you were a little boy, you played at the park with another little boy and told me you were going to marry him. I thought maybe this was just how kids act, while that’s sort of true, I knew you were different.”
Jotaro is stunned. He feels relief? Like he had nothing to worry about, that his mom had always supported him. He feels panicked, who else could see right through him?
“It was more obvious when you were a teenager. On the rare occasion that you would bring a friend over, you looked like you were on cloud 9. The way you would look at them or wouldn’t let me cut fruit for them because you had to do it. And you weren’t as sneaky as you might’ve thought! I was the one who cleaned your room, I saw those magazines you tried to hide!” She laughed. Jotaro pulled his hat down to cover his face, he had forgotten about those. Holly let out a sigh, “Then when you told me you were dating a woman, I was shocked. I thought supporting you was the best opinion. I didn’t want to force you to tell me anything or confront something you weren’t ready to face... Maybe I should’ve been more open with you from the beginning and told you that it was okay if you liked boys. I’m sorry, Jojo.” The frown on her face broke his heart. He didn’t want his mom to blame herself.
“It’s not your fault, mom, so don’t be sorry. I didn’t know how to handle it myself so I don’t think raising me could’ve been easy.” He hears Holly sniffling, “I’m just glad that I can talk to you about this now.” He pulls her into a hug.
When they finish cleaning, Holly prepares her goodbyes. She hopes this visit causes Jotaro to come by whenever possible. As they walk out of the kitchen, Holly turns towards the front door while Jotaro walks to the living room.
“Eh? Jojo, the door is this way.”
“Are you kicking me out? I was thinking about staying here for a bit,” He responds with a slight smile.
Holly squeals as she runs into her son’s arms, “Stay as long as you want, Jojo!” Jotaro places a kiss on his mom’s forehead. Her smile is so big it hurts her cheeks.