But when you told me the whole story I felt like throwing up

1

Valentina stared at the birthday card sealed in a baby pink enveloped that Sasuke had sent her "daughter" for her fifteenth birthday.
He always sent birthday cards and letters to Lily talking to her about his whereabouts and his experiences.

"Remember not to mention the card to your cousin Sarada," Valentina had reminded Lily earlier that day before she left to the Ninja Academy.

"I won't mom, but why doesn't uncle Sasuke send letters to Sarada as well?" Lily finally had the courage to ask what was obvious to everyone, but no one dared to speak of.

"Maybe he does, sweetie, but we just don't know," Valentina had assured her, but deep down she knew Sasuke had favoritism towards Lily; towards his brother's only child.
Valentina didn't blame him. Itachi was an amazing man.

Naruto's 32nd birthday had been last week and Sasuke did not show up for his best friend's birthday party. Only on Lily's birthday did the Uchiha return to Konoha.

"Don't open the birthday card from uncle Sasuke!!" Lily had called out as she ran out the door and made her way to Konoha's Ninja Academy.

Lily's statement caused Valentina to roll her eyes. Of course she was not going to open the birthday card. She was not paranoid about what was written on the card. What was the worse that the card could say? That Valentina was Lily's biological mother's murderer, not her mother?

She would prefer for someone else to tell the child the truth than to have to do it herself, yet everyone who knew the truth remained silent.
Nobody told Lily anything about her origin. Nobody wanted to be the one to do it. Valentina didn't blame them. She didn't want to do it either.

Valentina was awakened from her thoughts by a chirping sound, which directed her attention to her cellphone, which was on the kitchen's table.
The phone's lit-up screen flashed a text message from Lily's sensei, Konohamaru.

'Happy birthday to your daughter!! Might stop by later to drop off a gift I bought for her!'

Valentina quickly deleted his text message and turned off her phone . If she could block that man, she would in a heartbeat, yet the fact that he was Lily's sensei made it impossible.

Konohamaru had made it his personal mission to win Valentina's heart. There was nothing wrong with that except for the fact that Valentina was a widow. She was still mourning the death of a husband she never married. The death of a man who never loved her back.

It was embarrassing how Konohamaru would attempt to start a conversation with the heartbroken window every chance he could get. His attempt would only awaken her from her constant daydream of a life next to Obito.

Anyone who spared a glance at the single mother and widow would be able to tell that Valentina was mourning, but nobody was sure for who.
When asked why she never married, Valentina would only use the excuse that Lily was not ready to have a stepfather.

"Mom, my sensei is 27 years old and you're almost 32 in a month!! You're a mummy compared to him!!" Lily would often complained in private, whenever she would notice Konohamaru spending too much time staring at her mother, and Valentina used Lily's immaturity to avoid romantic relationships.
Nobody would ever be able to replace Obito.

"Hi Valentina!!!!" Karin placed gifts on the living room's table and made her way to hug Valentina.

It took all of Valentina's willpower not to cry in the arms of her redhead friend as she held her back and inhaled the scent of flowers from her friend's fiery long hair. "Hi Karin. Long time no see."

"How have you been, girl??" Karin casually pulled away from the hug and stared lovingly into the dark eyes of who was once a lonely anbu. "It's so good to see you again! I wish we could see each other more often!" Seeing Valentina only once a year was not easy for Karin. The time the two spent under Orochimaru's guidance and in Team Taka made her grow a strong bond with the once lonely anbu.