Double AのようにBのように , does it mean the following

Question

I have previously (fuller text is there) asked about this line, but not about this part.

The part I'm interested in is:

母のように娘のように大切にしていた相手

I think this basically means:

"Person/other side, A cared greatly about, like a mother would, like a daughter would"

Basically the part where is says that someone cared about someone else like they were the daughter and the mother is a bit strange. So I'm wondering if this might not just be a wierd way to say "cared for the other person as a mother does for a daughter", but that doesn't fit I think.

Also context wise there are two people A and B, they aren'nt actually related but their relationship was weird. Here I think they are describing things form A's PoV because this text box is placed over A and fits with what happened before, of A having no choice but to let B go. A cared about the B a lot, and tends to reffer to B and some else as her children. But at the same time A was younger than B and B felt responsible for A and in the end sacrificed herself so A can live on. So them at times flipping who the mother is could fit.

I'm just not sure if there is a simpler interpretation before I force in mine.

Answer 1

母のように娘のように大切にしていた相手

means "someone that B cared for just like (B would do) B's mother, or daughter", "someone B cared for as if they were B's mother, or daughter."

「相手を母のように、（または）娘のように大切にする」 = "care for someone as if they were your mother or daughter"

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The sentence literally means...

「もっと強くもっと早くこの手を伸ばせていれば」
If I had been able to reach out my hand more strongly and sooner,

「強く哀しい選択も　させずに…すんだはず。」
I wouldn't have had to cause B to make a sad decision
_{(「～ずに済む」≂「～なくて(も)よい」 "don't have to~" "don't need to~"
「させずに済んだはず」≂「させなくてもよかったはず」 "wouldn't have had/needed to make/let them do~" "could have done without making/letting them do~")}

「母のように娘のように大切にしていた相手を見送るしかない（強く哀しい選択）」
(a sad decision) where there's no other choice but part with someone whom B cared for as if they were B's mother or daughter
/ (a sad decision) of having to part with someone whom B cared for like his mother or daughter