Love In A Mug

Chapter 3

Mikoto smiled fondly watching her grandson and husband gobble down the waffles she made. The two were alike that way, unable to resist the dough topped with butter and maple syrup or a choice of fruit and whipped cream. 

Itachi was cutting his son's second waffle into bite-size pieces.  Kiyoshi had an appetite like his father although she noticed that today Itachi had hardly touched his food.  She could see that he was hiding behind a fake facade of happiness and she knew that it had to do with that wretched being.  She refused to acknowledge her as a daughter-in-law even wishing that she could erase the woman's DNA from her sweet, loving Kiyoshi. 

Cassandra had turned out to be their family's worst nightmare.  After the divorce, she admitted to Fugaku that she never liked her but for their son's sake, who had fallen in love, she vowed to herself to accept her into the family and treat her as so. But not even two years after the wedding, with great sorrow, she painfully watched her eldest son's heartbreak and the woman use her precious grandson as a pawn for financial gain. She remembered reprimanding Sasuke while the two were dating for being cold towards her, treating her passively for the sake of his brother. But when she learned of the affair, she was ready to go to battle with the woman. 

The couple had met in college.  They had mostly all of their classes together.  Despite that, the Irish woman was beautiful with garnet-colored hair and green eyes but her beauty failed to reach inside.  Shortly after the birth of Kiyoshi, she informed Itachi that she required a spa day and an afternoon out with her girlfriends.  Mikoto was helping Itachi with the infant that night when Satori, one of Itachi's dearest friends, sent him photos of her meeting up with another man at a pub where his boyfriend bartenders.

The devastation that spiraled through her son that day was absolute turmoil.  The man she met up with turned out to be an old lover from her past wanting to pick up where they left off.  Dating Itachi was an opportunity for her to get ahead financially and pay off debt. Having a child on top of that was a key to secure it but she failed to estimate the legal power behind the Uchiha's lawyers.  The only thing that was on her side was the law of the land that favored shared custody with the mother giving her every other weekend and some holidays.   

There were times when she forfeit her time with Kiyoshi.  Itachi provided a nice home for them wanting Kiyoshi to be staying in a decent environment while he was with her so he rented her a modern flat uptown. But Cassandra was never satisfied. Always conjuring up reasons to get the Uchiha's money.  Mikoto would be happy to push the she-devil aside herself but she didn't want to get too deeply involved in her son's affairs or between Kiyoshi and his mother since there was no neglect towards the child on her part. If the matriarch had the power to forsee the future she would have gotten her baby far away from the woman.  Then again when she thought about it the only good thing to come out of that horrid vile creature of a woman was her grandson.

Her heart swelled with much love for the child that she didn't think was possible.  She ran her hand through the boy's hair gently before pulling him close and placing a light kiss on his forehead. That only elected an embarrassed whine from Kiyoshi so she chuckled and kissed him all over his face.

•••••

Itachi walked into his empty classroom. He needed to prepare for his lessons, but his mind was still wrapped around his conversation with Kiyoshi.

He pulled out the lesson plans from his messenger bag.  He taught advanced physics.  Most of his students grasped his lessons except three which he offered them extra tutoring twice a week.  It was important to him that everyone that takes his class succeeds, passing with high grades.

He sighed heavily as he began writing the formulas on the whiteboard.  It bothered him that Cassandra couldn't leave them in peace. It wasn't like she loved him. It was later on in the marriage when she made it quite evident.

In all his life he would've never guessed her to turn out like this.  He sighed in irritation, sitting down and placing his elbows on his desk, lacing his fingers together.  He kept telling himself he shouldn't let her actions get to him, but Kiyoshi was at an impressionable age.  It was different when he was a baby, Itachi felt that he could protect him better from her actions, but now that he was getting older and he didn't want the animosity between them to affect the child.

He was still trying to figure out if she did care for the well-being of Kiyoshi as she always states that she does. He was cordial in his dealings with her but she wasn't so mature about her dealings with him, putting Kiyoshi in the middle, intent at trying to make their son hate him as much as she did. 

Despite her claims, their relationship issues were her fault. He had fallen hard for her. He blames his heart for being so blind. If he hadn't trusted it so much back then he might have seen through her from the beginning and neither Kiyoshi nor he would be in this mess.  Itachi felt bad for his son who had to suffer being raised in a dysfunctional family. He and Sasuke were raised in a loving, stable household. Not able to provide that for his own son ate at him every day even with his family's support which eased things for the child.

He looked at his phone, his finger tapping rapidly on his desk. He was tempted to send her a message giving her a piece of his mind, but the time reminded him that his students would be arriving soon and the last thing he wants is for his students to know about his personal life.  It was best to talk to her when he was more cool-headed anyway.

He sighed again when his phone beeped.  It was Sasori inviting him to go to the club Saturday night with him and some other friends.
The red head was always trying to get him out to socialize, feeling that after four years it was time for him to meet someone. Itachi just didn't trust himself yet. Despite the temptation to hang out and grab a drink he had to think of an excuse to give his friend.  Maybe Cassandra would bail and not take Kiyoshi this weekend and they could watch their show Encanto.  He wasn't feeling like going out at the moment.  Not while his mind was elsewhere.

He glanced up to see some of his students trickling in.  He took a deep breath before exhaling. It was time for him to get ready.  He collected himself together and put his phone in the desk drawer before standing to greet the crowd, handing out their assignments.