Chapter Text
Karasu walked down to his mailbox. He snared seeing the birthday card already knowing who it was from. He was tempted to throw it away but like every time he pocketed it away instead. He moved throughout the day as normal. Classes, lunch, extra lessons, work, and spending time with his fiancée. It was around dinner that he remembered the card and opened it at the table which was a big mistake.
“Really sweetheart you open that here.” Karasu’s stepmother was silenced by a glare thrown her way by her husband.
“Well open it if you want.” His father seemed to grow a bit older whenever Karasu gets these cards. He started getting them the moment he moved out and it was annoying for him. His mother had never cared for him until his father announced he was passing off the company to him when he was nineteen. He’s twenty-one now and wants these damn letters to stop.
“Why should I care.” He lay the card on the table and lets Nishie open it.
“Happy birthday my sweet Kazue. I saw in a magazine you were getting married. She looks very beautiful and I hope she makes you happy.” Nishie looked around to see the table has gone silent. Even the Karasu's grandparents were always talking have gone silent. “I know I will never receive a letter from you. I gave up long ago but please remember that I will always love you.”
“That’s enough.” His stepmother stands up. “I believe we have all heard enough from it.” She reaches for the letter when Nishie speaks up again.
“What does she mean I gave up long ago?” She passes the card to Karasu, but he passes it off to his father just as fast.
“It obviously means she gave up after the first few tries. The woman was never up for trying.” He goes back to eating when his father speaks.
“I must correct you there your mother almost never gives up. Even while being beaten down she never gives up. It took her to when we were in college to learn how to pick her battles.
“Not like she won anyway.” Karasu looks over to her shocked.
“Wait you guys went to school together, grandfather told me she never went to school.” Sasuke glares at Sakura and his parents.
“I believe its best for us too.”
“Sit down father and you to mother your not innocent in this.” Sasuke turns towards Nishie. “Dear girl you can leave if you want this will be a very uncomfortable conversation.
“I’ll stay.” She can see Karasu’s stepmother getting frustrated.
“We don’t need to talk especially about her.” He silences her with another glare.
“You are the reason everything went so wrong so be silent until my son is ready to speak with you.
“Father what is it we need to talk about?” Nishie grips his hand having an idea on how this could play out.
“Tell me what you know about your mother.”
“Not much I was informed by grandmother that she never had to really work and She came from no money.” His grandmother shrunk from the glare directed her way. “Grandfather told me she had no decent education and had the tendency to act like a gold-digger.” He grandfather cleared his throat but Karasu could see the nervousness in his eyes as his father directed the glare at him. “Sakura.”
“Excuse me I have told you time and time again that I am so called.” She continued screaming and her demands where left unheard.
“That my mother was lazy. She didn’t like working and never tried to find a job. She lived off other people in her life. I came to the conclusion that she only started sending these letters to me now because she wanted something from me.” Sasuke looked sad and even older
“But honey that still doesn’t make sense.” Nishie jumped seeing everyone look at her. “Um, she said that she gave up long ago. That doesn’t sound like someone that doesn’t give up easily.”
“Then maybe they didn’t know her as well as they thought, and people can change.” His father clapped.
“Karasu I want you to forget everything you’ve ever heard about your mother. I’m going to tell you everything about her and what I say should be everything you need to know.”
“What do you mean?” Sasuke stood up and lead his son and soon to be daughter in law to a seating area.
“Get in here!” Karasu his father rarely raised his voice and when he did it wasn’t at home. His stepmother and both grandparents ran into the room and went to take a seat. “Stand where you are. When I’ve corrected your lies you may sit down after apologizing to my son.” They nodded looking fearful.
“Father isn’t that a bit extreme.” He could see how tired his grandmother was starting to get.
“If they sit down even for a second, they better prepare to live on the street.” Everyone gulped. They knew he was serious. Hew as always serious about her. “ Karasu your mother was one of the most hopeful women I have ever known. She would smile at someone that tried to kill her I know this for a fact. She was the only person I could stand as a child. She had this aura around her that made you happy just to have her around. I can remember how we meet like it was yesterday.