Do you regret it, mom?

Small Cracks

A/N:Okay, final POV, is Mama Asano nee Akabane time.

 Part 11 of That universe where Karma and Asano are brothers and everyone else suffers because of it.

***

It was during breakfast, when Karma was pouring strawberry milk into his bowl of cereal, that he thought about if his mom regretted having him. She probably did since his dad had already told him she hadn't wanted a second child, but... well his dad was an asshole so what did he know?

Karma didn't think his mom was the worst mom he could have had, his dad was worse, but mom was... well, she wasn't exactly the best mom.

"Morning, sweet afterbirth," she greeted him on Saturday morning, hugging him from behind.

Karma chewed on his cereal. "Hey."

She kissed the top of his head and then made her way toward the fridge. Her blue dressing gown was nearly falling off her shoulders and her long red hair was messy and out of place. "Are you going out today?"

He shrugged, stirring his cereal. "Maybe. University entrance exams are coming up – I need money for the application by the way."

"Yeah, I'll send it don't worry." She took out a carton of milk and smelt it. "Just text me how much." She took a whiff of the milk and then wrinkled her nose. "Did Hana buy groceries this week?"

"No, you fired her." Karma swallowed another spoonful of cereal. "Because she stole your earrings."

His mom's brow wrinkled. "Oh..." Then she looked like she remembered. "Yeah. I did." She shrugged, dumping the milk in the trash. "Shit." She leaned on the counter and drummed her fingers on the white marble. "Fine. I'll go get some." Then she scrutinised his cereal. "Did you drink all the strawberry milk again?"

"Yeah." Karma loudly slurped the milk from his bowl.

His mom scowled briefly, shaking her head. "Thanks for being so considerate." She ran a hand through her hair, scratching her scalp as she looked in the cupboards. "Do we have any bread? No?" She shut the cupboard again. "Guess it's coffee then."

Karma watched her wander around the kitchen to make coffee. "...Hey, mom?"

"Hm?" She hummed checking one of the mugs to see if it was clean.

Karma stared at his mom thoughtfully, thinking the question through. "...Do you regret marrying dad?"

His mom stopped, hands coiling around the mug as she looked up. "What?"

"Getting with dad, do you regret it?" he repeated, watching her reaction carefully.

For a while, his mom just stared at him like she didn't even know the answer.

***

From her perspective, marrying Gakuhou Asano hadn't been her best life choice since it had started out questionable from the get-go.

He was... odd. She knew that the first time she caught him staring at her while she was on a girl's weekend away in Hiroshima. He was handsome; she could appreciate that... but there was just something odd about him.

He had light brown hair which looked like it had a blond or reddish tint to it in the sun, and dark eyes which were fixed right on her.

"Is he still looking at you?" Her friend, Aoi, had whispered.

Yes, he was. It was pretty obvious since it was only them, and an old man sitting outside of the café at the white tables, protected by the summer sun under the striped parasol.