My wife called it ‘gross’ when our son’s girlfriend kissed him in the hospital — I refused to stop her.

When my 17-year-old son was hit by a drunk driver, he was lucky to survive. His small convertible was totaled, and he ended up in the hospital with multiple broken bones and stitches. That night, his girlfriend rushed straight from work to see him, still in her uniform. She hugged him, kissed him on the lips and cheeks, and stayed by his side for hours. I saw nothing wrong — she was comforting him. But on the way home, my wife said it was “gross” and wanted me to…

When you’ve just been told your child survived a crash with a drunk driver, your entire perspective changes.

My 17-year-old son was driving his small, old convertible when a pickup slammed into him. The car was totaled. Somehow, he survived — but not without damage. Multiple broken bones, stitches, bruises. It was a miracle he was alive.

We rushed to the hospital — my wife, my 14-year-old daughter, and I — arriving about an hour before his girlfriend. She came straight from work, still in her uniform, and the second she saw him, she ran to his bed. She hugged him tightly, kissed him — lips, cheeks, forehead — and stayed with him for hours, making sure he was comfortable, holding his hand, brushing his hair back from his face.

I was grateful she was there. It was clear my son adored her, and that she truly cared for him. In a moment like this, seeing your child in pain, isn’t it a blessing to have someone else loving them too?

But as we drove home, my wife’s tone changed. She told me she found it “weird” — even “gross” — to see them kissing in front of us. She thought it was inappropriate and wanted me to say something to the girlfriend.

I told her no. That night had already been one of the worst of our lives, and I wasn’t about to take away something that clearly brought our son comfort. He was hurt, scared, and in pain — and his girlfriend’s presence lit him up in a way nothing else could.

My wife grew more frustrated, insisting I was “not doing my job as a parent.” But to me, my job in that moment was simple: protect my son’s peace. And if a few kisses from the girl who rushed from work to be with him made him feel even a little better, then I wasn’t going to stand in the way.

Sometimes love doesn’t look perfect. Sometimes it’s messy, raw, and public. But when life has just reminded you how fragile everything is, maybe the right thing to do is to let love be seen.