Sakura had managed to buy a few sets of clothes, her own soaps and comfort hygienic products as well as some of her favorite food and beverage items. She had also bought some things for Sarada that they had at their old apartment that she may like to have again. Sarada, while she would deny it, loved cute plushies. Sakura had seen a cute slug plushie at one of the stores in the mall and had bought it for her. She had been shopping most of the evening and used the code Sasuke had texted her to enter the condo carrying all her shopping bags up with her.
She is given a moment to glance at her phone while the building elevator rises, taking her up to Sasuke's floor. Sakura pulls out her phone and opens her email app. Scrolling she sees an email from a law office, Sasuke's law office to be exact. It went into lawyer specific jargon talking about how their client Konoha View Apartments is sorting through the damages to their clients units, and they would email with an update shortly. As well as an email from the Tanaka girl she had met in a haste earlier at the hospital, inquiring about a meeting. Sakura was also still waiting to hear back from her insurance provider for the damages.
I can't catch a break.
I need a vacation.
Sakura knocks on the door to his condo waiting for someone to answer. The more she thought about it the more bizarre this whole situation seemed.
A lock turning is heard and Sasuke is holding a finger to his lips, urging her to be quiet entering. Sakura gives him a confused look but upon entry with her hoards of shopping bags she sees their daughter asleep on the couch, a movie she must have been watching paused on the TV in front of her.
Sasuke shuts the door quietly once Sakura is out of the doorway.
"I'll be right back." She whispers going to drop her loot off in the guest room she was occupying.
When she comes back Sasuke has turned off the movie and is in the process of carrying their daughter to her bed. Even though Sarada was on the cusp of being a teenager just a few short years away. Seeing Sarada carried like a child, fast asleep tugs at Sakura's heartstrings. Sakura thinks back to moments throughout Sarada's childhood and tries to conjure happy memories only able to think of a handful.
We robbed Sarada of a stable and happy childhood.
Sakura feels tears begin to well in her eyes. Perhaps it was the wild change in events over the last few days or she was just upset, but she can't help but think of how she had failed their daughter.
Sasuke and her had been in the middle of University when Sakura found out she was pregnant. Between dealing with completing their respective and rigorous programs they also were navigating parenthood. Delegating time to studies and to their daughter. The balance was not always ideal. As Sarada grew and became a toddler, Sasuke and Sakura lost time for each other trying to coordinate their graduate programs and work schedules so one of them was always home with Sarada. It was a mess, and by the time they had both completed their degrees Sarada was six, in school herself by that point.
Sarada was a smart, and intuitive child. She played well with herself, and never complained of a tough childhood with parents who were always apart, the three of them rarely together.
Will she understand that we did all this for her? We pursued our degrees so we could have stable jobs to support her? We divorced so we could be better parents to her?
Sakura is quietly sobbing to herself in the hallway before hitting the three bedrooms. She hears Sarada's door shut and footsteps quietly tread out of the room. Steeling herself and wiping away some of the moisture from her eyes she tries to walk into the guest room.
"Sakura." Everything with Sasuke was inflection, and deciphering. Between his limited vocabulary, or his tone there was always a hidden meaning. The way he just said her name had a question attached to it.
Sakura turns away from her door and faces him.
"I have to unpack my stuff. What's up?"
"What's wrong?"
He never missed anything.
"Nothing. Just a long few days."
"Hm…did you want tea? I'm making some"
"No, I'm alright, thanks. I'll see you in the morning, yea? Night Sasuke."
Sakura turns around and opens the door, entering and quietly shutting it leaving Sasuke befuddled in the hallway.
What a mess.
—-
Sasuke had meant to tell Sakura about the impending visit from his mother the following day, but she had run off into her room before he had been able. He sits alone now at his kitchen table sipping his tea, and hoping sleep will come easily for him tonight.
Sasuke mulls over something Sarada had said earlier that night while Sakura was out shopping.
"Can we take a vacation sometime? Like you, me and Mama!"
Guilt gnaws at Sasuke after thinking more about her particular request. She had asked when they were watching a movie with the main character of the movie traversing a tropical island in search of some made up treasure. Sasuke finds himself thinking of the last time he had taken a vacation, just in general. He has to jog his memory, reaching far back into the abscess of his memory bank over the last nearly twelve, thirteen years.
University, met Sakura, got Sakura pregnant, moved back to Konoha, busted our asses to provide for Sarada and finish our schoolings, graduated, worked, divorced,...still working.
He concludes that the last vacation he had taken had been back when he was in highschool with his mother and brother. Even then, he isn't too sure he would count that shitty ski trip as a vacation. Itachi and his mother had been at each other's throats over something he can't quite remember anymore. At the time it had been a huge deal and Itachi had hitched a ride back home halfway through the trip.
Then, his mind takes him on another tangent, if he could finagle time off for a vacation he doesn't think Sakura would want to go with them. Well, him. They had never taken a honeymoon, and hadn't been able to. Sasuke reminisces about the time Sakura talked about taking a honeymoon once, back when she was pregnant with Sarada. He remembers her saying how they should take one somewhere warm, and 'how much of a milf she would be in bikinis!' Sasuke finds himself smiling into his cup of lukewarm tea remembering how happy and lively Sakura used to be. Maybe she still was, somewhere deep down. Sasuke continues down this dark tangent his mind was taking him down and feels primarily at fault. Was he the one who took her happiness, in its place leaving a shell of the woman he had once known?
No. They were both at fault for their failed marriage.
Bitterness replaces his guilt trip. Sasuke stands and dumps his remaining tea down the drain, placing his mug in the sink. He stops and listens for any movement in the condo before he reaches up high in one of his cupboards for his secret stash of cigarettes.
He didn't smoke often, only having a cigarette when he felt particularly stressed. Sasuke had smoked before he had met Sakura, quitting when they had gotten together. Sasuke remembers the first cigarette he had had after years of not smoking. The day they had signed the divorce papers.
Quietly he takes a cig out of the pack he has squirreled away and the lighter that rests next to it on the shelf. He opens the sliding glass door to his balcony, glancing at the stovetop clock before closing it. It was well past midnight now.
—-
Sarada knew of her fathers secret stash. She also knew the tell tale sounds of the balcony opening. Her father thinks he has his 'stress relief' pretty well hidden, he does not. She has heard him go out onto the balcony more and more, over the past couple years since Mama and him had first divorced.
Uncle Itachi even knows, and he and Sasuke don't even see each other outside of work all that often.
Sarada thinks back to one day when Itachi had stopped over on a weekend when Sarada had been over, about a year or so ago now.
Sarada can read Itachi pretty well, much like most of the adults in her life. At that moment he had been scrunching his face after Papa had walked past him to grab something from his closet.
"What's wrong Uncle?"
Itachi had looked at her and debated saying anything, he knew she would get it out of him though.
"Your father…smells…different."
"Oh. That."
"You've noticed too?" Itachi had asked.
"It's not everyday, and sometimes it isn't at all on the weeks I am here…But I do hear him some nights go out on the balcony to smoke. I don't think he knows, that I know."
Uncle Itachi had looked sad for a moment but fixed his expression fairly quickly. He had moved closer to her, getting on her level.
"You let me know if it happens more often, ok? I'll keep a better eye on him too. Sometimes, us adults need looking after too, you know?"
"Ok Uncle Itachi." Papa had chosen that moment to emerge from his room with the item Itachi had needed.
In the current moment, blinking away sleep Sarada thinks of an idea. One that may end poorly but was worth a shot. Getting up and out of bed Sarada knocks on the room her mother was occupying and waits for her to answer.
Her mother opens the door, her rosy hair in a sleep mussed ponytail and wearing a new set of pajamas Sarada had not seen on her mother before.
"Sarada? What's the matter?"
"I think I heard something coming from the balcony." Her mother looks down the hall in the direction of the balcony.
"Oh. I'll go take a look but I'm sure it's probably the wind. Go back to bed, you have school in the morning." Her mother walks her back to her bed and pulls the blankets over her.
"Night Mama."
"Sleep well Sarada."
The seed had been planted.
Sarada listens as she hears her mother walk down the hallway and the signature sounds of the balcony door opening and closing, then she hears muffled talking.
She wakes the following morning unable to remember hearing if the door opened again.
—-
Sakura had walked down the hallway and had seen a puff of smoke from the balcony. Flashbacks to her own apartment in flames come to her mind as she flings the balcony door open to see her ex-husband, half smoked cigarette in hand and an alarmed expression on his face.
"Sasuke! What the fuck?!"
He drops the cigarette onto the cement floor of the balcony and steps on it, putting it out.
"I thought you quit years ago!" He has turned around, his back facing her looking out onto the Konoha city-scape from his condo balcony.
"Go back to bed Sakura." Something close to defeat, or embarrassment laces his tone.
Instead of berating him for this incident, she chooses to change her approach. Although a small fury is still a light within her she chooses kindness and understanding instead. Sakura walks over and stands next to him. She feels some of the stray hairs that had fallen out of her ponytail whip at her face from the springtime breeze.
"How's work been?" She asks hoping he will divulge some information, giving her something to understand why he has decided to smoke again.
"Sakura."
"What? Am I not allowed to ask that?"
"I'm not in the mood to be therapized right now."
"Ok." Her plan had failed.
Instead they stand side by side, the temperature surprisingly mild for early Spring. They stand in silence, listening to the early morning wind rustle budding leaves on nearby trees. Sasuke breaks the quiet.
"When's the last time you went on a vacation?" He doesn't look at her, staring ahead to skyscraper lights. Sakura can see some of the city lights reflecting off his dark irises.
"Hmm…does a work conference count from last year?"
"No."
"Um. Oh! The summer I graduated high school, Ino and a few other girls we had been friends with took a road trip to Suna for a week. We were renting out motel rooms for dirt cheap, it was disgusting in a lot of respects but also a ton of fun. So…twelve years?" She groans thinking about how depressing that sounded.
"I've got you beat. Thirteen."
"This may be the saddest competition I have ever been a part of." She hears him breathe out his nose, one of his cryptic forms of laughter.
"Why do you ask?"
"Sarada brought it up earlier. Said she wanted to go on one sometime, all of us."
Sakura remains quiet thinking over what he had just said.
More guilt. She may regret saying this, but…
"Well, she is our daughter and she has good ideas."
She can feel Sasuke's eyes on her, the shock of her statement emanated in his body language.
"Now come on. It's technically Friday, and I'm not on call this weekend and I would like to start the last day of my work week somewhat rested."
She tries to leave the situation as fast as she can, suddenly feeling embarrassed for some reason. From the corner of her eye she sees him reach over and pick up the cigarette remains, and follows her into his condo so he can properly dispose of the trash.
—-
Sasuke had rested last night, a solid four hour stretch of sleep accomplished. By the time he has dressed and is ready to leave Sakura and Sarada have already left for work and school.
Sasuke heads into the office and goes about his day. He had a lot of meetings today, concerning new protocol and practices but nothing out of the ordinary. Itachi had been in his last meeting of the day. Post meeting Itachi had come up to him to have him sign a form and make small talk.
"Heard the news about Konoha View Apartments, how are Sakura and Sarada?" Sasuke continues to sign some forms.
"They're fine. They are both staying with me for the time being."
"Really?" Itachi asks with surprise, leaving Sasuke slightly suspicious. He chooses to let it go, and signs the form Itachi has put in front of him.
"Oh that's right, what time does mother come in today?"
Fuck.
"Shit. I have to go." Sasuke says already walking out of the conference room and to his office to collect his things. He looks at his phone while he walks.
5:11 PM. 3 new text messages. 4 missed calls.
4:30PM |Mom: On my way.
4:41PM |Sakura: We are at the condo.
4:50PM | 1 missed call Mom. 1 missed call Sakura.
4:53PM | 1 missed call Sakura.
4:55PM | Sakura: Your mother is here.
5:01 PM | 1 missed call Sarada.
Fuck. Shit. Fuck.
Sasuke is scrambling to get his open files locked away, gathering his phone, wallet, keys, and work bag all together. All but running to the elevator pressing the down button to the parking garage frantically.
He had royally fucked up.
He had forgotten to tell Sakura and Sarada his mother was going to visit and vice versa.
His mother and Sakura did not get along post divorce.
Sasuke decides to call Sarada after he has the key in the ignition and is pulling out of the parking garage towards the main road.
After three rings his daughter answers.
"Papa? Grandmother is here."
"I know, I forgot. I'm on my way now. How is it going?"
"I don't know I am hiding in the bathroom."
"How's your mother?"
The line cuts before he gets an answer.
After speeding down side streets from the office to his condo he finally makes it and starts fumbling with his keys to open the front door. Sarada ends up opening the door, finding Sasuke still fumbling with all of his items.
Sasuke thanks her quickly and enters his condo to an icy scene.
His mother sits at the kitchen table while Sakura is standing at the corner of the table, their gazes locked and expressions firm.
His mother takes his eyes off of Sakura and switches her demeanor from callous anger to counterfeit sweet.
"Nice of you to join us Sasuke."
"I apologize, I got held up at work."
Sakura looks at him next, and he is not sure who to look at.
He opts for Sakura and quickly regrets it once he sees the emotions running over her features.
Silent fury, and sadness.
His mother pushes out the wooden chair she had been sitting at, gathers her purse from its perch upon the adjacent kitchen table and walks over to Sasuke.
"I'm going to stay at Itachi's. Give me a call when you can." Sasuke's stomach drops and he remains frozen watching as his mother opens the front door and leaves. Hearing as her heels clack on the linoleum hallway to the elevator shaft.
Sakura had set into motion once the elevator ding had been heard. Sarada follows after her into the guest room. Sasuke decides to wait and see what happens in the next few moments. His stomach drops when only minutes later Sakura has her purse and a small duffel bag in her grasp. She gets close but doesn't look in his eyes.
"I already talked to Sarada. She's going to stay here tonight, if that's ok? I'm going to try and look for a new apartment tonight." She was jittery and visibly nervous. He chooses to interrupt her.
"You're going to be gone all night looking for an apartment?"
"Yes."
"Aren't most leasing offices closed after five on a Friday night?"
"Can't hurt to check." She was getting annoyed judging by the way she was fidgeting and grasping at the straps of her duffel bag.
"Don't you still need somewhere to sleep tonight?"
"I'll figure that out. Call me if Sarada needs anything." Sakura ends the conversation by turning on her heel and leaving out the door.
Sasuke knows, knows he should chase after her and apologize for failing to tell her and to try to piece together what happened between his mother and ex-wife before he arrived. But as the coward that he is, he remains rooted in his spot, trying to mentally catch up from one of the most confusing interactions he had witnessed.
"Papa?" Sasuke snaps out of his trance and spots his daughter in the kitchen pulling out a pan and a cutting board.
"Can we make dinner together?"
Sasuke would sort through this situation…after he makes a meal with his daughter.