excuse the typos, too mad the the mother for i am one too and thinks she's selfish.
Love the story and love the couple, i strive for family like them.
I think it's as Seiichi says, she's incapable of the mental equivalent of rubbing her tummy and patting her head at the same time. If she splits her focus, she loses track of everything, and it wouldn't just be Chihiro who runs off. Nowadays, these sorts of people are diagnosed as having ADHD, or related disorders. It isn't selfishness. It's mental wiring.
Not to devalue what you're saying, because there are people who are genuinely selfish and horrible, and there are others who are so psychologically damaged/impaired by things like trauma or wonky biochemistry, they become mentally ill as narcissists. She isn't one of those. She's genuinely trying to do better this time with her new husband and child. The trouble is, she hasn't dealt with her past and the unresolved mistakes involving her ex-husband and their child. Naturally, the same issues keep coming back up.
If anything I'm impressed by the way Seiichi sees through her, the good and bad together. I think that's a testament to the skills he developed looking after his "siblings" from the orphanage.
i love your username so much (๑•ㅂ•)و✧
Isn't the mother not working? She's just a housewife so what's so difficult about raising a child if all he does all day is stay at home and clean the house. That mother sure is selfish. She wants the husband to work, raise the kid, bring in lots of money, and more or what? Make makes her think her new hubby is better than her ex-hubby just because he maybe gotta a better job? (╬￣皿￣)凸 The mother is shit.
I'm just the seme and uke got the kid back at the end. I strive for a family like them. (●'◡'●)ﾉ