I do wonder why happiness has to be located in others; Joe seemed to be the central character in your piece, but the complication and sequence of events were really surrounding his grandparents and wife.
Should Joe's parents have needed the grandchildren to be happy? Just a wondering, not a criticism.
This is common in Nigeria here where parents would love to see their grandchildren before they die.
I guess its a cultural insight; in the western world where birth rates are in decline, it's perhaps becoming a different social story. Anyhows, thanks for sharing a window into the culture. Tim