Together… in the Valley of Truth and Love

by grannydew, posted in The Phoenix and the Albatross Series

Chapter 1

Her heart was full, as she stood looking out on the sea. This beach was her place, their place, it had brought them to the rest of their lives. She thought about the mountain hut, how she had loved it, until her mistakes came crashing down around her that night, and Polen, invaded her most private place. It made her shudder, just thinking about all that had happened to them as they tried to make their love of each other survive. She was glad they came home, this was truly their home, no memories of the past to haunt them, just the love they shared. The moonlight danced about on the waves, she loved to watch it, it calmed her soul and her mind. Each image it portrayed was different from wave to wave, as the wind stirred the water. The sight of their cottage, as they drove up earlier in the day, was indescribable. She had never felt that feeling of home as much as here.

She heard Can, ” Sanem, what are you doing out here? He asked, reaching for her hand. She turned smiling, ” Enjoying my home, my love.” She stated, kissing his hand as he held hers. It was early, but they had no sense of time, there was no agenda for them, just living together in this valley of love. He sat down beside her, ” What time is it?” She asked, leaning over, putting her head on his shoulder. “Early, it’s only 5:15, shall we go back to bed? He asked, knowing the answer he wanted. ” How can you, with a view like this, how can you think about going back to bed.” She said, waving her arms around. Can knew better than to insist, ” Ok then, let me make us some tea, and we’ll watch the sun come up together.” He whispered in her ear. She giggled, ” That sounds great,” she said, her body shivering as his beard tickled her neck. He was back in a minute, with tea and blanket, the wind had picked up and it brought a coolness from the water. She welcomed it all, as he covered her with the blanket, snuggling up next to her. ” So, Mrs. Divit, are you glad to be home?” He asked, giving her smooches on her cheek. She closed her eyes, ” Can, you don’t know how much, it’s like a dream here, one I don’t want to wake up from.” She said turning to meet his lips with hers.

He knew she was happy, so he was happy. She had given up everything to come back here, and he had changed his life for her. They had traveled through all the valleys of what was to be, for each other. They watched the sun rise, almost In silence, but sharing what the other thought with a glance. The sun had warmed the breeze, so he threw the blanket to the side, ” I’m starved, let’s go get something to eat, and check on the boat.” He said, reaching for her hand to help her up. She smiled, ” You read my mind, I’m starving too.” She said, standing, encircling his body with her arms, ” You feel so good,” she said, kissing his bare chest. ” Hey, watch it there ma’am, any more of that and breakfast will wait.” He said kissing the top of her head. The thought had already entered her mind, but she couldn’t ignore the growling of her stomach. ” Ok, sorry…. to be continued.,”, She said, scratching his beard with her fingers. He smiled at her, “I can wait my dear, I’m really not a fan of those quickies, you know.” I like to take my time and enjoy.” He said, almost in a whisper, making her heart race. He slid his hands down her back, her skin was soft and felt good, it was addictive. She loved his touch; his hands were made for her body always leaving her wanting more. This would have to wait, she thought, ” Ok, let’s get ready and go to town, maybe we should find Miguel and find out if there’s any work lined up for your business.” She said as they walked to the cottage. Can sighed, ” Not yet I’m not ready to work, I just want to enjoy here and being with you.” He wrapped her up tightly in his arms.

The breakfast was fabulous, they owners were glad to see them, happy they had returned to their cottage to live. They drove to the pier to check the boat, Sanem still had a love, hate relationship with the boat. It would take her a while to be able to except it was an important part of Cans life. He took his time checking over everything, making sure there hadn’t been any damage done to the boat as it was docked there. Can knew her thoughts of the boat, and he hoped they would change over time, and the only way to do that was to introduce her to it a little at a time. As they toured the boat, Can said, ” Hey let’s take her out, the weather is perfect, it’s warm, just the right amount of wind, come on, what do you say.” He pleaded, kissing her hand. She shook her head, ” I don’t know Can, we don’t have anything on here for food and water, there’s no blankets.” She replied, trying to find every excuse she could, but Can wouldn’t take no for an answer. ” Sanem, I can literally see our house from here, we can grab the things we need from there and head out. We won’t go far, just try it out, please.” He said, stroking her cheek with his fingers. She sighed, ” You know I can’t say no to you, but I really don’t want to go way out in the sea, it makes me nervous.” She glanced around, letting him know she was serious. Can wrapped her up in his arms, ” Thanks, you’ll love it, I promise, once you get used to it.” He spouted, his excitement spilling out. They started off to their cottage to pick up supplies. Sanem grabbed her tote bag, filling it with bottled water, some grapes and cheese they had just bought from the market, some crackers and a couple of blankets. Can made sure he had a good flashlight and their phone chargers, he didn’t anticipate any problems, but it never hurt to be prepared. ” This is going to be great Sanem, just wait.” He said, helping her back in the boat with all the supplies. She smiled, but she wasn’t so sure, she did it for him, because he loved the boat so much. She started putting the food away, securing everything tightly, she knew the sea could become rough with waves at the drop of a hat. He did his check over again, just to assure her everything was ok. 

She tried to relax and enjoy, as they slowly made their way up the shoreline. It wasn’t as bad as she thought, the ride was smooth and refreshing, as they moved further away out into the water.  Can was in his element, enjoying every moment of it, showing her how to steer the boat, how to maneuver the waves as they crashed against the boat. She was finally coming around with boat, opening up it to, feeling it. They had been out for about an hour, when Can shut it off, and dropped anchor, “Let’s eat something, what did you bring?” he asked, heading below to get it. “Some cheese and grapes, just bring it up, and some water too.” She said, wiping off the table. He laid everything out on the table, ” Looks good, eat up, you’re going to need your energy for what I have planned.” He said, giving her that look that made her melt. ” What?” She said, her mouth dropping open. “I said earlier, I could wait, and this is what I was waiting on. To be alone, no interruptions and no one for miles.” Her stomach twisted in knots, her heart beat so hard her body was shaking. 

His touch fired her with desire, she had wanted him since their first touch this morning, now there was nothing to stop them……

” What a way to christen their boat.” She thought, as he covered her mouth with his.

Chapter 2

The sun was getting lower in the sky, as she wrapped the blanket around her. The view was wonderful, nothing but water for miles, with the top of a mountain slightly visible in the distance, poking out from the waves. The rocking of the boat had bother her at first, but now, she swayed with it, letting her body except the movement. Don’t fight it, she heard in her head, just like your love for him. She closed her eyes, ” Yes, I except you.” She said out loud, hearing her voice. ” Don’t think of it as what took him away, but what brought him back to you.” She heard that familiar voice, startling her. She opened her eyes, looked around, ” You’re back, why are you here.” She glanced around, waiting for an answer. Her inner voice said, ” To protect you, always to protect.” I’m your voice of reason.” She waved at the air, as if to clear it, ” I don’t need to be protected, so you can go, go, leave us alone.” She replied, covering her ears with her hands. She felt his hands on her shoulders, ” Babe are you ok, are you sick?” He leaned down kissing her on the top of the head. She turned quickly, ” No, no, not at all.” She spouted. ” Were you talking to someone, I thought I heard you.” He whispered, wrapping his arms around her. She closed her eyes, she loved his touch, what could she possibly need protection from, she thought. ” The boat, I was talking to the boat, you know, trying to get a good relationship with her.” I think I need to know her better.” She replied, leaning back against his broad chest. She felt his heart beating, so strong and firm, ” This is all I need Can, for the rest of my life, our love.” Her eyes tearing up, with the thoughts of the past. 

He wondered why she was saying this, but he knew his wife was full of their passion. He smiled, ” I think we just showed our love, but I’m more than willing to show it again, if you are.” He whispered in her ear, nibbling gently on the lobe of her ear. She giggled, ” Can, that tickles, and you know what I mean. This, this feeling, that’s what I want us to have the rest of our time together on this earth. Even when we’re old, I want your eyes to excite me like they do now. I want your touch to make me tingle. You know, chemistry, I want us to always have that.” She explained, her heart rising to her throat, making it hard to swallow. He was silent for a minute, then he spoke, ” My Sanem, my love, you will forever have my heart, your love is what makes my heart beat.” I couldn’t change my feelings if my life depended on it, be sure of that.” And chemistry, I think we invented the word, so there’s no way we will ever lose it.” He said, stroking her hair. She felt safe and loved, more now than ever before, this place just did something to her. She was so glad they had come home, she would miss her family, but she would make sure they came to visit, even Emre. Can picked her up and carried her down to the quarters, ” I think it’s time to tell the boat goodbye, the same way we told her hello, don’t you?” He said, unwrapping the blanket from her body. She looked almost too beautiful for words, as she welcomed her husband again, making her heart jump and her stomach quiver with excitement. His body against hers, it all seemed meant to be, it made them both surrender to each other and beg for more. 

The trip back to the dock was peaceful and serene, the moonlight danced across the waves in a song that made her smile. He made her steer the boat, telling her the way to feel the boat, let the boat feel her, like it was an old friend. She laughed, ” Can, you’re not serious… an old friend.” She said, stroking his face. ” Yes, like an old friend you can always depend on, to get you though the best of times and the worst of times.” He said, his eyes letting her know he was serious. He had that relationship with the boat, because it did get him through when he thought he was lost. She saw the pier coming up, ” Here Sanem, come help me dock the boat. You need to learn how.” He said, excited. She followed his instructions, making a successful docking and Can smiled, ” See you can do it, it’s not hard.” He said proudly. She smiled pretty proud of herself, as well. The day had been a good one, maybe she could get use to the boat, but she would never have the love for it that Can had.

As they walked back to the cottage, they saw someone waiting by the door. As they got closer, they recognized Miguel, ” Mr. Can, hello, glad you’re back. They told me in town that you were back. Ms. Sanem, how are you?” He said, bowing slightly to acknowledge her. Can stuck out his hand, ” Miguel, how are you?” He said, giving a firm handshake. He opened the door and motioned Miguel in, ” What brings you out here, I hope there’s nothing wrong.” He said. ” Oh no, he said, ” I just wanted to see you, welcome you back.” There are some jobs, you know, when you’re ready.” He said. Can nodded, ” I figured as much, but I not ready to jump back into work yet, we’re still on our honeymoon you might say.” He said, giving her that look. Miguel held up his hand, ” Oh I understand completely, just when you’re ready, the jobs are fairly flexible, so we have time.” He explained, backing his way to the door. He reached the door, waved his goodbye and hurried on towards the road. Can smiled, ” I think we embarrassed him, it’s not like he caught us in the act.” He spouted. Sanem threw her stuff on the bed, ” I’m taking a shower, then I’ll help you fix dinner.” She said, walking towards the bathroom. ” What do we have for dinner? she yelled from the other room. He followed her, circling her body with his arms from behind, ” First things first, my dear.” He said, helping her remove her clothes. She sighed, ” Can, you make me forget all about food, almost.” She said quietly, with a big smile. He leaned back, ” Oh, almost, you say, well what do I have to do then.” Tell me and I’ll do it.” He begged, kissing her neck. 

” I’m not sure yet, just keep going and I’ll let you know when to stop” she said, feeling his heat rise to a flame inside her.

Chapter 3

She hadn’t slept this late in a long time, she thought as she rolled over and looked at the clock. 8:40, she rubbed her eyes, still feeling like she could sleep longer, why am I so tired, it must have been the fresh sea air from yesterday. She slid across the bed and grabbed his t-shirt, slipping it on over her head. She held it for a moment, with it covering her face, breathing in his scent. ” My god that man smells so good.” She thought, letting a chill spread around her body, at just the thought of how good she had felt just a few hours before. She wondered where he was, ” Can, where are you?” She stepped to the front door, her eyes gazing out across the beach. Then she saw him, swimming back towards the shore, when he got close enough, he stood and walked up to the beach. He smooths his long hair back, and he grabbed the towel from the chair and dried his body. She was mesmerized at his movements, it didn’t matter how many times she had watched him, he was still the most magnificent creature she had ever seen. She called out to him again, ” Can, how was the water?” She asked, waving at him.  He smiled, ” Babe, join me, I need your company.” beckoning her with his hand. She reached for the throw that was laying on the chair by the door, and happily started to the beach. He loved to see her body as it moved, his eyes were fixed on her as she got closer to him. 

His mind was still filled with the dream he had, the one that woke him up so quickly, he thought he was suffocating. Why was he dreaming Huma, he knew it was her, it had to be. But what had triggered her in his mind. He hadn’t thought of her for a while. He pushed it out of his head, as she stepped up, close to him, her smell drifting across his nose. He felt weak, and out of breath with just her touch, she kissed his chest, sliding her tongue along the outline of his tattoo. She smiled at him, ” You look good out here this morning, all wet from the sea. But I missed waking up to you in the bed.” She said, as he bent down to nestle his face in her neck. ” I’m here, always will be.” He whispered, “ Did you want something from me this morning when you woke up.” He asked, kissing and sucking on neck. “Can don’t you dare give me a mark on my neck.” That’s embarrassing.” She said, pulling away from him. He pulled her back. ” You’re embarrassed that I can’t keep him hands off you, that I feel so much in love with you that it makes me crazy.?” He said, rubbing her body with his hands. She felt him, the desire, he pressed hard against her and his breath was quick and shallow. They forgot the blanket throw she had brought, as he lowered her down on the sand, both of them heading to the peak of their love for each other. 

How could each time be better than the time before, he wondered, holding her in his arms as the water rose up on the beach almost touching their toes. She yawned, ” I’m still so tired,” she said, snuggling a little closer to him, listening to his breathing. ” Hmm, how could you not be, after that wild display of affection, my love.” He said, barely able to speak. She smiled, pleased that she was able to render him speechless at times, ” Well thank you, I will take that as a compliment.” She said. ” Come on I need to eat, I would say breakfast, but it’s more like lunch time now.” Let’s cook.” She stated, throwing her leg over to straddle him. Looking in his eyes she brushed his long hair back away from his face. She bounced up and reached her hand to him, to help him up. They brushed the sand off their bodies and started to the house, she heard her phone ring so she ran on ahead to answer it. She saw it was from Kai, and almost decided not to answer, but thought she better. ” Hello Kai, I hope you’re well.” She said, looking back at Can. ” Hello my friend, I wanted to check in on you, how are you? He asked. ” I’m great, I’m home and happy.” She announced. He knew she had wanted this for time now, and he was happy for her., but her book had topped the best sellers list in 5 major countries, and he felt she needed to know. ” Oh really,” She said, the news didn’t seem to hit the same high note it had in the past. ” Kai, I’m not making an appearance anywhere, that’s over for me.” She said, ” You can go on my behalf, but I won’t.” Kai stated, ” No, I understand completely, I’m just letting you know the status of you book, that’s all. I can see your quite adamant about your privacy.” He said. She had made herself clear, she was not a public figure any longer, just a wife and hopefully a mother someday. They finished their conversation and hung up. 

Can was making their lunch when she went to the kitchen, ” Was there a problem with the book? He asked, seeing her face had a look of concern. ” No, he was just giving me an update of it, it seems to be doing quite well.” She replied, letting that uneasy feeling creep in. She hoped that would be the finished part of her life, and this part could be the new part, here with Can. She shifted her attention to Can and they sat down to have their lunch, ” After lunch, let’s go to market in town, we need to pick up a few things and I guess I’ll check in with the magazine office to see if the work in pressing or if it can wait.” Can said, really wanting to prolong his return to work. Sanem agreed, ” Sounds great, and maybe we can take a drive, on that road along the sea, it’s always so beautiful there.” She said, full of excitement. They drove into town after lunch, heading to the market first. He picked up some supplies for the boat, fresh batteries and a couple of lanterns, some basics for the galley, and a stock pile of water. He thought it would be better to be prepared for a job, just in case. He ran into the camera store to pick up a few memory cards for his camera and visited with the owner for a minute. Then they visited the Magazine office, ” Come on, let me introduce you to the office crew. ” he said to Sanem. She smiled, ” Oh good, let me see what the women look like,” she teased, giving him her big smile. ” Trust me my dear, there’s no one to compare to you in my eyes.” He said leaning over and kissing her slightly on her cheek. She felt the goosebumps appear, and that shiver of the thrill from him. 

They were all so glad to see Can, ” Senor Can, welcome back to Malaga. And is this your beautiful wife? He asked, reaching for her hand. Can smiled, ” Yes, this is Sanem, my wife. Sanem this is Mateo. He runs the office for the magazine. She extended her hand, he bowed, and brought her hand to his mouth, kissing it gently. ” Miguel had told us about you, but the description of you doesn’t bring you justice, my lovely.”  He said. Can interrupted, ” So, is there anything new I need to know about, and if these jobs could wait a while, I would truly appreciate it.” He remarked. 

” Nothing new, except we have a new partner in the magazine, we don’t know much about her, other than she’s from Switzerland….Can frowned, ” Did you need a new partner, l thought things were running smooth.” He said….

” Oh it was, but she came to us with an offer, that we simply couldn’t turn down”…….

Chapter 4

The visit at the office made Sanem feel good, everyone had accepted her with open arms, even offering her a job if she wanted it. Can was eager to head back home, telling Mateo he would be in touch soon, for a schedule. They started out of town, finding the road that ran along the sea. It was beautiful, the beach and sea on one side, and the mountains on the other lined with trees. He pulled off, parking near the beach, he grabbed his camera, and got out of the car, ” Come on let’s take some pictures, it’s a perfect day.” He said. She jumped ready to walk along the beach, it was her favorite place. Can took an array of pictures of the sea, from every angle, the waves as they rolled and foamed up, then crashed on the sand. He loved to take pictures of Sanem, but she had a hard time being herself when he would photograph her. She was the most natural subject he had ever seen. So he would steal a shot whenever he could. They spent about an hour walking on the beach, enjoying their time together, then they started home. As they were unloading the car, Sanem’s phone rang, ” Can, it’s Leila, I’m going to take it on the beach.” She said, answering the phone. ” Abla, it’s so good to hear your voice, are you good?” she asked. Leila told her everything was fine, ” Sanem, it’s not the same without you here, we miss you and Can.” Mom and dad miss you so they are even thinking about trying to fly there for a visit. 

Can was putting things away, in the kitchen, still with the magazine on his mind. A new partner, it just didn’t seem right, how would anyone know about a magazine that was more or less a local publication, something just didn’t add up. He was deep in thought when Sanem came in, ” Can, mom and dad may come for a visit, won’t that be great.” she said, throwing her arms around his neck. ” A visit, yes that would be great,” he said, feeling happy about it. Her parents had become the closest thing to parents for him also, he felt a deep love for them. She saw the concern on his face, ” Do you not want them to come? She asked, ” Maybe dadAziz and Mihriban could come to, just make it a family trip.” He smiled, ” No, it’s not that Sanem, I’m thinking about the magazine and the new partner.” Why and how did they find out about the magazine, I hope they’re not trying some sort of take over, and close down the office.” He said. Sanem stroked his beard fingers, ” My love don’t worry about things you can’t control, even if the office closes, you will have work. You don’t even need the work.” She stated. ” Yes, I know your right, but the people there need the work, that’s what concerns me.” She wrapped her arms around him, “Let’s go sit on the beach, we have this wonderful place here, so I’m not letting you worry about this now.” She said, leading him out the sit in their chairs. 

She was right, just to look out across the water made him feel better, and to look at her made his heart happy. He would do anything for her, his life was as he had dreamed in his mind while he had sailed all those magnificent waters. He had this in his mind, but now was so much better. He took her hand, ” Come with me my wife, let’s make this day even better.” He said, coaxing her to the cottage. She smiled, knowing exactly wanted he meant, ” Can what could be better than sitting by the water, watching the waves,” she said, teasing him a little. By the time they made it to the bed, she too was almost breathless with anticipation, he steered her to the side of the bed, sitting her down slowly. ” You just relax, I’m doing all the work this time, I just want you to enjoy.” She shivered with a delightful tingle, as he ran his hands along her legs, pushing up her dress so he could peel it off over her head. She had been paralyzed from his touch, and to breath had become an effort. ” Sanem, you are the most magnificent woman I have ever seen, my heart is full of love for you, and it will be, until the day I know longer breath.” His mouth moved over her body, ever so slightly, as he laid her back on the bed. Her breaths were short, as his lips found hers, covering her mouth demandingly, as his tongue searched desperately for hers. His need for her had reached its peak and he couldn’t wait any longer, he knew she was ready to. The feeling was overwhelming, she felt her body arch and she called out his name, in a voice that didn’t seem to be hers. Her head was spinning from the pure ecstasy of his body rubbing against hers. She really wondered how a feeling like this could be so good, so powerful, yet be so fierce. Their release was a form of perfection, unmatched by any other, as he fell to her side. He smiled, ” I told you it could get better, the day I mean, I don’t know if that could ever be better.” He remarked, gasping for breath.

They both felt almost weak from it all, so dinner was definitely needed. They opted for quick meal, a salad with shrimp, pan seared in butter, it was a favorite of theirs. The day, and the food, couldn’t have been a no better, not to mention the lovemaking. After the delicious dinner, Sanem took the new notebook from her bag, and headed to her chair on the beach, she needed to write. Can watched her from the door, she was writing something in her notebook, she was smiling as she wrote. He never wanted her to regret leaving her writing behind for him, it hadn’t been a problem for him if everyone knew he was her albatross. In fact, he was flattered but it, but she wanted the life they lived together to be private, and he understood that too. He made them some tea and walked out to join her, ” Do you want to be alone, or do you mind if I sit?” He asked handing her the tea. She smiled, “Please,” she said, motioning for him to sit down. ” You’re writing again, have you changed your mind about another book?” He asked, smoothing down her hair. ” No, Can I never said I wasn’t writing again, I’m just not writing for the world.” She explained, looking at him with seriousness in her eyes. He nodded, ” Ok, so what is this book about then, if it’s for the world to read. ” It’s going to be about us, our love, from this day forward. There might come a time when one of us will have a hard time remembering what we have here, what we felt for each other. So I want to record everyday with you, so we can read it and remember what we have.” She said her eyes getting that far away look. Can ask, ” How would we forget Sanem, this is the life we were destined to live, I know I won’t ever forget.” He said leaning over and kissing her gently on the lips. 

” Things happen in life that we’re not prepared for, but when it comes to this, I don’t want to take any chances. So I will write about our life each day, as we live it, and neither of us will ever forget.” She said, smiling at him, and he wondered how it would be possible for him to ever forget her…

Chapter 5

Can was happy she had decided to write, he knew she missed it, but she wouldn’t tell him that. As the days went by, she took every opportunity to sit in her chair and write. He wondered what could have been so interesting about their life that it would consume so much of her time. But he also thought that about the 2 books she had already written about their life and love, and here they were, #1 bestsellers across the world. She had endured more than him, over the past 3 years, with the tricks that his mother and Yigit had played on her, it was a wonder she made it through that. He started towards the beach, ” Sanem, I’m going into town, do you want to come with me, I’m going to the office.” He called to her. She waved, ” Thanks my love, but I’ll just stay here and write some more, but tell everyone I said hello, and I’ll visit soon.” She called back to him. He waved and blew her a kiss, ” Be back soon.” He said.

The drive into town wasn’t long, and he hoped the meeting would be a short one. Mateo hadn’t told him the subject of the meeting, just that some things had come up. Can had already told him he hadn’t want any jobs yet, but that was almost a week ago. Mateo met him at the door, ” Can, come in, that beautiful wife of yours didn’t come with you? He asked, getting a sparkle in his eye. Can smiled, ” Mateo, I might be jealous, if I didn’t know your wife, and how infatuated you are with her.” He said, patting him on the back. He saw that everyone was there, even the part time writers and designers, so this wasn’t about him taking a job. ” Welcome everyone, it’s not often we have an opportunity to bring all of you together, but I have some news.” Mateo stated. Everyone was anxious to hear, most of all Can. He had a feeling this was concerning the new investor of the magazine. Mateo started, ” As you all know there has been a new partner come to our magazine, it so far has been an anonymous partner, I’ve dealt only with the lawyer.” He stated. ” But I hope for a meeting with them in the near future.” They have sent word of some possible changes in our daily operations and even in our content of the magazine.” With this partnership being that of more than half of the collective shares, their opinions and instructions will be the direction we will take.” Any questions so far? He asked, looking around the room. Can had thought this might happen, ” Mateo, are there going to be changes in staff, or in the overall realm of the magazine? He asked, knowing that most everyone in the room was thinking more of their jobs than anything. Mateo explained the investor was looking to make the publication more of a full description of the area, other than just tourism. Can was confused, what other reason to put out a magazine about a vacation destination, than tourism. Mateo asked Can to stay for a minute, after the meeting was over, ” Can, the investor seemed to know about your involvement with the office, so they may have a special job in mind for you. Can raised his hands, ” No, Mateo, I only want to take the jobs if been handling, and it will still be on a freelance status.” If I want to refuse a job I can.” He said, being quite adamant about it. ” Of course, I understand.” Mateo said, willing to make an exception for him. ” How does this investor know anything about me anyway? Can asked, ” There’s only been a few layouts in the magazine, so how?” Mateo said, ” From your work before is what I understand, so it could be anyone.” He stated. Can nodded, ” Well I will not be told what, when, and where to photograph. I’ll talk it over with Sanem, and let you know if I’ll continue with the magazine.”

Sanem had been busy and not noticed the time, Can had been gone for a couple of hours. She called his phone, ” Can, are you ok? Thought you would be home by now.” She said. ” I’m on my way, the meeting ran longer than I thought my love, do you need anything before I leave town.?” He asked. ” No, just you, oh…and maybe some ice cream.” If you don’t mind.” Can laughed, ” I’m already headed that way babe, do you want chocolate or pistachio?” He asked. ” Hmm, how about both, I can’t decide.” She said, licking her lips. By the time Can got home the ice cream was very soft and went straight to the freezer. He started telling Sanem about the meeting, ” Whoever the new investor is wants to change up the office, some new direction, they say. But it sounds like they want to ruin it.” He said. ” And they know my work and might want me for some special jobs. Sanem was so proud of Can and his photography business, but she didn’t want him to take on special things, with them just now living the life they had always wanted. ” It’s your decision, my love, and I’m fine with what you decide. You be happy.” She told him. ” Good I’m glad you said that, because I am happy, so I don’t need any special assignments.” I really don’t need any assignments, ever. ” He spouted, ” so what do you say if I just quite?” He said, his eyes wide. Sanem stared at him, ” You mean not do any photography at all?” She said, slowly, studying his face. He smiled, ” Well basically yes, just take pictures of what we want to take pictures of, just for pleasure.” Like your writing, just for us.” He explained. Can jumped up, walking out the door and toward the beach, Sanem followed, ” We have enough money to last us rather rest of our lives, with the income from your books and mine to, so that’s not a problem, what do you think?” He asked, his voice full of excitement. 

Sanem thought for a minute, ” Can are you sure, you won’t get bored?” She said. ” If we’re together, there’s no way I’ll be bored.” We might just become hermits, here on our beach.” He said, waiting for her approval. 

” Would you teach me to take pictures? She asked.

He smiled, ” I’ll teach you everything you need to know about photography… so what do you think? She reached for his face, ” Take your time to decide Can, be sure this is what you want.” Then I’m with you 100% my love.

Chapter 6


After dinner he walked to the beach, deep in thought of what his future might be. For so long he had only dreams of Sanem and them finding their love together, and now that has happened, he was content as his life is now. He never thought that his passion of adventure and photography would diminish to a mere second thought because of her. She was the main reason for his existence now, and this life they had here. It so filled his soul, the need for anything else was unnecessary. She met him there on the beach, ” Can?” Tea?” She said, handing him the cup of fresh brewed tea. She said down in her chair, ” Is this enough for you, just this, I mean this slow calm life.” She asked, as he sat down beside her. He smiled at her, ” You” are enough for me, and I never realized how much I wanted this slow and calm life until I met you.” This life excites me more than any adventure I’ve ever had, your love brings me more joy than any award I’ve ever received.” He said, leaning over to kiss her. She blushed, ” You always know what to say to make me feel good.” She said. 

Mateo had a feeling he was going to lose his most talented photographer because of this new partner, the one that had elevated their magazine from a small local publication to one that had gained recognition across their sector. But this investment was needed to move the magazine forward to the next level. Maybe he was overthinking it, maybe Can wouldn’t leave, but he needed to be prepared for his decision. He was also curious about this new partner, why so secretive, he was anxious to meet them and find out their connection to them all. He knew Can had taken this freelance position just for a diversion from his private life when he first came here, and with his recent marriage, Mateo knew Can’s life was finally the way he wanted it. But maybe his new wife could encourage him to stay, he didn’t know much about her, other than Can loved her more than anything. Sometimes people will do things for the ones they love, without realizing they even wanted to do it. 

Can and Sanem sat and watched the moon as it shimmered on the water. This was all he wanted, his mind was made up, but he would let her think it wasn’t, for a day or two. She was all about certainty, and being sure, so he would give her that time. He held her in his arms that night in bed, she snuggled up to him, ” Can, who do you think the new investor is? She asked, thinking of all the admirers he had in the past. The ones that made her feel less than what she was. She really didn’t want that again in their lives… in her life. Although she was more sure of herself now, and of their love, that constant sting of another woman trying to come between them, was unsettling. ” I haven’t got a clue, but whoever it is, I’m not going to be swayed to do something I don’t want to.” He said, with determination. She fell asleep wrapped in his arms but feeling a slight twinge of fear simmering in the pit of her stomach.

” Sanem, let’s go babe, he called from the car. She ran out the door, locking it behind her. ” I’m coming.” She yelled, throwing the shawl around her. She slid in the car, breathless, ” Sorry, I wanted to grab the shawl, it might get chilly before we get home.” She spouted. He smiled, ” You look beautiful, as always.” He said, rubbing her arm with the back of his hand. The festival was a long-time event here, it was a quite a celebration of their heritage. There was music, food galore and lots of vendors setup with all their products. It was all there in the middle of town, easy to walk to everything. She was looking forward to it, she had been hearing about it for weeks from all their friends in town. He found a place to park by the office and they headed out. She held his arm as they mingled through the crowd, with everyone waving and saying hello, she felt like a celebrity. They were both starving, and they found a spot to sit at one of the outdoor cafes. They watched the people dance, and visit, and mingle together. They had such a sense of family about them, it made her happy. The night was almost over as Can went to talk to one of the staff from the office, she watched him, so proud to call him her husband. 

She had lost sight of him, as she sat there resting from all the walking. Where had he gone, she wondered, she scanned the small crowd of people that was left there, trying to locate him. Her feet and legs where tired from all the walking so she would just wait there for him, she thought, but feeling uneasy. That feeling of someone watching or looking at her made her glance around, she had felt eyes staring at her, but she didn’t notice anyone. Her heart was beating faster, when she couldn’t see Can, so she stood up to look around better, and out of the corner of her eye she saw a person, they were in the shadows next to the building. She couldn’t see their face, all she could see was the outline of a person, she moved towards the person, but they moved further back into the shadows. ” Hello, do I know you?”  She called to the, trying to make them out. The person turned and walked quickly down the between the buildings, she watched them until they got to the end and she could see them in street light on the corner. She still couldn’t make them out, until she saw the hair. That hair, a mass of curls and dark. They turned the corner and disappeared. Was that, it couldn’t be, it couldn’t be. But it looked just like Huma. She froze, what would see be doing here, her mind was racing, her heart was pounding. 

Can came up behind her, ” Sanem, sorry I’m got pulled away for a minute, are you ok?” He asked. She jumped, ” Oh Can. Yes, I’m fine.” I was looking for you.” She said, her head still spinning from the possibility of what she had seen. ” You ok, you’re almost white, come on let’s get home.” He took her arm and started towards the car. She walked with him, but she didn’t even remember getting to the car, she was quiet as they drove home. ” Babe, what’s wrong, something happened? What is it.” He asked, holding her hand. 

The words were even hard to form, her voice was almost gone, ” Can, you really are not going to believe this, but I think I just saw Huma, she was standing behind me, between two buildings, and when I spoke to her she turned and almost ran away.” Can, why would she be here.” She said her eyes filled with up tears. ” No, it wasn’t her, just some one that resembled her.” She’s not going to come here. She’s not that stupid.” He spouted. He was sure of it, but his mind was already thinking it. 

Sanem shook her head, ” I think it was Can, please find out, see if Emre has heard from here.” She spewed. 

” Was she here to spoil the rest of their lives?” She thought of that twinge of fear she had felt a few days before, now she knew why.

Chapter 7

All the way home he was desperately trying to convince her that it wasn’t Huma, or was he trying to convince himself. But he was wondering why too, just like Sanem. Almost 3 years of freedom from her display of vindictiveness, her actions that had hurt Can and Sanem more than anything. Sanem didn’t even want to think about it or her, she had hoped to never have to encounter her again, but there she was, and no one could tell her it wasn’t her. Her walk, the way she carried herself, her hair, it was all there. Can promised her he would get ahold of Erme first thing in the morning, it was already late there. They went into the house, both silent, both unbelieving of the possibility. She hadn’t been tired before, but now she felt like the weight of the world had climbed up on her back to stay. 

Can took her hand, ” Sanem, it wasn’t her, it couldn’t be. She’s still in London, she has to be. And what if it’s her, she can’t do anything to us, I won’t let her.” He spouted, his voice filled with anger. The consequences she faced, if she was discovered here could be heavy. They got ready for bed, be the image of her stuck in Sanem’s kind. He held her, trying to calm her fears, ” Can I never wanted to see her again, what she did to me…to us, was more than I could stand. She probably saw the announcement of our wedding and the news of my retirement from writing and she tracked us here, ” Did she know you had settled down here in Malaga?” She asked Can. Can assured her he hadn’t seen nor had he spoken to his mother since he left that night from the hospital. ” But I’m sure she has her ways of finding things out” Sanem thought, remembering the underhanded ways she dealt with her and her family. Can was beginning to wonder if it could possibly be her, ” If Emre had anything to do with this, he would through with him as a brother.” He told himself. She finally drifted off to sleep, but it was well into the night and Can laid awake, watching her. He would protect her no matter what, if he found out it was her, he wouldn’t have a problem calling authorities to let them know she was here. They had said, her and Polen both had escaped from Turkey, before charges could be filed against them.

He only slept for a couple of hours, then he was up ready to call his brother. He knew it was really there, but the sooner he talked to him the sooner he would have an answer. He dialed his number, and he heard his brothers voice after the second ring, ” Abi, how are you?” he said hesitantly, ” Are you and Sanem ok? It’s really early for you to be calling.” He stated. Can stayed calm, ” Emre, we’re fine. I have called to ask you a very important question.” He said. ” I expect a direct and honest answer. Have you seen or heard from Huma lately?” He asked, the words stinging as he said them. Emre was shocked, ” Abi, why are you asking me that question?” Has something happened? He spouted, confused at what Can was saying. ” Answer the question first,” he said. ” No, I haven’t, not since her and Polen left for London. She called me shortly after they arrived there to ask me about the investigation into the false medical records. I told her to stay away because the police were still talking to the doctor that had helped them.” He explained. The silence from the other end told Emre there was more to the conversation. ” Sanem thinks she saw Huma here in Malaga last night,” he told him. ” We were at a festival downtown and I had stepped away to speak with some people from the office, and Sanem saw her standing in the shadows, when she called to her, she hurried off between two buildings and disappeared.  But she’s positive it was her.” Can spouted, his heart heavy. Emre jumped up out of bed, ” Mom is there in Malaga but why, why would she risk being caught Can. Maybe it was just someone that resembled her.” Emre said, trying to be reasonable. Can agreed, ” I thought that too, but she is so sure it was her, it got me thinking.”

They spoke for a while longer, Can asking about his dad and Mihriban. Emre was telling him they were happy and content there at the farm, and they talked about making the trip to Spain to visit soon. Before they hung up Can got the name of the investigator in the case at the hospital. He thought it wouldn’t hurt to find out if the investigation was still ongoing, and if Huma was still a person of interest in the case. Sanem woke up still tired and upset for the night before, but didn’t want Can to see it. So she posed as normal as possible, ” Good morning my love,” she said, wrapping her arms around him, as she found him on the beach. “You snuck out of bed awfully early today.” She said, kissing him on the neck. Are you running from me?” She asked him, whispering in his ear. He smiled, ” When have you ever seen me run away from you, my dear. Never, that’s when.” He said pulling her around to sit on his lap. She laughed, ” Mr. Divit, are you going to take advantage of me right here on the beach. She squealed, as he tickled her playfully. She snuggled up to him, there on his lap, ” Did you call Emre?” She asked point blank, ” I hope you have because I’m dying to know.” She said. Can looked into their eyes, ” Yes, my love I have talked to him, but he hasn’t seen or talked to Huma since shortly after they went to London.” He said.

Sanem sighed, ” I know you don’t think I saw her but I do, so let’s just wait and see what happens.” If that was her, she won’t wait long to reveal herself, and let us know why she came.” She stated. ” I’m not going to let her ruin my life anymore, I’m not running away from her.” She said, with that determined look on her face. Can smooth her hair, ” Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her, I have the investigators name that was looking into it and won’t think twice about calling him.” He spouted, hugging her tightly. 

Sanem closed her eyes, “Yes, she got away with a crime and she really wanted to see her pay for it, she wanted her to pay for all the nights that she laid awake, crying for Can, feeling helpless, and feeling guilty for everything that happened to Yigit.” Yes, she wanted her to pay…Can could feel her body tense up as they talked about Huma. His mother had really caused Sanem a lot more pain than what she would want him to know. He thought she needed some time away from all of it, not that it would wipe it off her mind, but a little diversion never hurt. Can wrapped his arms around her, ” Let’s go out on the boat, just sail for a while, you can take your mind off of it. What do you say” he begged, he kissed her cheek, and moved on down to her neck. She tasted so good, he didn’t want to stop, ” Sanem, let’s go, we’ll be all alone,” He said, kissing and biting on the ear, ” just us, come on.” She was already feeling the effects of him, so the answer wasn’t hard to come by, ” Ok, are we just going for the day?” she asked, her voice in a whisper. 

” We can go for a day, two days, a week, or just sail forever and never come back.”

She looked in his eyes, how she would love to do that…. her heart beating fast and hard.

Chapter 8

Sanem had fixed them their breakfast while Can checked the weather for the next couple of days, he didn’t want any surprises, but the risk of storms were very low. He hadn’t planned on going very far out, just like the first time. Maybe they would sail to the Costa del Sol, that was close, and a very beautiful coastal town, full of things to see. ” Sanem pack us a couple of changes of clothes, I think we will sail down to Costa del Sol, what do you think? He called to her from the kitchen. She was trying to push through the uneasy feeling she had about the boat, for his sake, and embrace it with open arms. ” Ok, sounds great. How far is that?” She asked. He knew her feelings and tried to ease any fears she had, ” It isn’t far, and a beautiful view, and we won’t go out to far, just far enough to stay away from the reef.”  It’s really great to see, and they have a wonderful pier that we can dock at.” It sounded great, and she was getting excited, so she continued to pack their clothes. 

She had the duffel bag packed and the tote full of provisions ready to go, he made the first trip to the dock with water and drinks and was headed back for more. Sanem still had Huma planted in her mind, her phone rang, ” Abla, how are you?” Sanem’s asked, happy to hear her voice. Emre had told Leila about Sanem’s possible sighting of Huma, and she was concerned. ” Sanem, Emre told me you think you saw Huma there, is that true? She asked. She answered, ” Abla, I know it was her, she said, her voice lowered so Can couldn’t hear. ” Yes, she was watching us from the shadows beside a building, and when I called to her, she hurried away fast.” Sanem revealed. Just saying it again brought on her anxiety, ” Leila why would she come here, that’s what I’m having a hard time figuring out.” But I know she’s here to hurt us.” She stated. Leila couldn’t believe what she was hearing, Huma had always been a threat the both of them, but more to Sanem then anyone. ” Abla, don’t worry about it too much, it might have been your mind playing tricks on you.” She said. Sanem sighed, ” I know what I saw, and it was no trick.” But we’re going out on the boat for a couple of days, just to get away, so I can calm down.” She stated.

Can packed the last of the things on his back, with Sanem grabbing the phone charger from the table, ” Don’t forget the lock the door babe, when you come out. Oh, and pull the shades. Sanem hurried about taking care of the last minute things, locked the door and started after Can. ” Can do you have your maps.” She asked. ” Yes, my love.” He answered. ” What about the batteries for the radio?” She said . ” Yes, my love.” He called back to her. ” Don’t worry, we have everything we need.” He said. They arrived at the boat, he went aboard to drop his load, and turned to help her board. She stepped onto the boat, and that feeling hit her stomach. Can knew the look from her, ” We will be fine, I have everything under control, just trust me.” He said, gently stroking her hair. She smiled, ” I do trust you, and I know you have everything under control, so I’m leaving all my doubts on the dock.” She said, giving him a kiss. She was determined to make this trip an enjoyable one, if it killed her. She hurriedly put the things away, securing whatever she could. Cam called for her to come to the deck, ” Come Sanem, we’re about to start off.” He yelled. She went up top to join him, ” This is the part I like best.” He said, with that big broad smile beaming across his face. ” But why so you like this so much? She asked, hugging his arm as he steered the boat away from the dock. ” it makes me feel free, like our destination is unknown.” I guess it’s just the excitement of seeing something new.” He said, his eyes gleaming. She loved to see him like this, it even made her feel that way too. 

It was midday, and the vision of their dock had disappeared, but she could still see the skyline of Malaga in the distance. She had relaxed some, just being there on the deck with him made her feel at ease. He was still giving her a rundown on how to run the boat, all the directions and pointers that he had given her before, but she listened to him again as if it was the first time. His voice calmed her, it made her happy. The weather was perfect, the water was smooth as glass, she couldn’t have asked for better. They talked and then they were silent as the hours went by, just enjoying the view as the slide along in the water. He seemed to be in his element, doing what he loved to do. She could see an outline of a pier, up ahead a ways. The lights were visible from where he shut the boat off, ” I think we’ll anchor here for the night, what do you think?” He said, smiling at her. ” Sure, but why don t you want to go to the pier to dock?” She asked him. He smiled, ” Because I want you all to myself tonight, out here under the stars.” He spouted, with his arms spread out wide, like he was welcoming the incoming darkness. She just shook her head, ” Can, you are the most hopeless romantic, that I have ever seen.” She eyes glistening as she looked at him.

” Food, we have to have food, my love.” He said,,his voice having a bit of a growl to it. She laughed and went below to the galley to fix up something with what they had. But he had other ideas, as he followed her below. The food would have to wait, ” Sanem, we have all night to eat.” He said as she tried to wiggle her way out of his grip. ” But right now the only thing I need or want is my wife, on this bed…. or on the deck…..or on the bow, it doesn’t really matter to me, I just need you. He pulled her close, his body already in a fever, and his eyes glazed with desire. She stroked his chest, and he found her mouth, his lips searching for hers. She always got the same effects from him, a weakness the seemed to grip her and make her melt into him. What a wonderful state of happiness they were in right now, as they let their bodies go, as they conquered every desire their bodies willed. Hours later she laid there, wrapped up in his arms, and she wondered why Huma wanted so badly to destroy the love they had for each other. So much so, she would risk going to jail, just to see her suffer. She didn’t care what it would do to her son, as long as she ripped Sanem from his life.

Sanem closed her eyes, ” You were strong before, after what she did and Can had left, so you can do it again…….This is my valley of truth….and I have to travel it…

Chapter 9

Mateo called Miguel to come to his office, ” Miguel you need to talk to Mr. Can about this next assignment, try and convince him to return to work.” He said. ” This photo shoot will definitely take his expertise, they want photos of beach living here, and his cottage would be the perfect place to display this, and his wife would be the perfect model for the photos. It’s going to be a monthly segment, and the best part is he wouldn’t even have to leave home. Miguel shook his head, ” Mr. Mateo, I don’t think he would want to feature his home in the magazine, let alone his wife. He’s a very private man, and if you didn’t know, his wife is a famous writer, and she has recently retired when they came back here, to live their life privately. Mateo inquired, ” Famous writer” He said, his mind searching back on the first day he met her, ” What was her name, Sanem, ah, yes, Sanem, so her name is Sanem Aydin the author. I never put the two together.” He said, rubbing his face. He turned to Miguel, ” Why did she retire from writing? Do you know, she’s at the top right now, so why would you walk away?”  He asked, giving him a look of intimidation. Miguel smiled, ” Mr. Mateo, all I know is Mr. Can wants their privacy, and that’s what I plan to give them.” 

The rocking of the boat had woken her, making her feel nauseous. She would never get use to the movement, especially when they were in the cabin, they seemed to be in a hole. The bed was empty, so she wrapped her blanket around her and stumbled her way to the deck. Can was on the seat near the front of the boat, watching out across the sea, his face full of contentment and peace. She envied him for the love he had of this boat, and the way it made him feel. How he could surrender all of his fears to nothing, and live just for the moment, here on this boat. She wished she had the same capabilities, to just forget about the past and live for now. She wanted that so bad, but her “monsters in the closet” would never leave her alone. Especially now, if that was Huma, she knew she would have the fight of her life, just to hold on to what she had. Coming back to their little cottage by the sea was supposed to be her saving grace, her safe haven, away from all those memories of hate from that part of her life, she wanted so desperately to forget. What did she have to do to make Huma except her?

With much insistence from Mateo, Miguel went out to their cottage, but he found it empty and locked up. He went to the dock and saw the boat was gone, ” Good for you Mr. Can,” he thought, ” Take your wife and go, go do what you want.” He had always loved working with Mr. Can, but he knew it was never a necessity for him to work. Mr. Mateo wouldn’t be happy to know he was gone, and not knowing for how long. Miguel made the trip back to the office, and met with Mr. Mateo, ” Well it seems that Mr. Can and his wife have gone on a vacation, and they’ve gone on the boat. So it looks like you won’t be able to use him for this layout.” He said. Mateo sighed, He would have to tell the new partner, they would have to postpone, or find another photographer and location. But the lawyer spokesperson for the partner, was adamant about the instructions that had come directly from his client. This new person had a lot of ideas, some that would certainly push the magazine to the top in publication. He still wanted to meet the investor face to face. 

As the morning came, Can and Sanem lounged on the deck of their boat. His body wrapped around hers, each of them feeling no need to rush off anywhere. But he decided to dock the boat at the pier and go ashore to see the sights. The restaurants were fabulous along the pier, and he knew of a place that was once a palace. What remained had been preserved and there were walking tours to visit it. And of course the beaches, some of the most beautiful in Spain. They spent the afternoon walking, visiting the museums and the palace. It was wonderful, but yet anything was wonderful if they were together. They went to one of the best restaurants in town that evening, it was overlooking the water, and very romantic. The evening was perfect and as they walked back to the dock the thought of writing it all down in her notebook was all she could think of. ” if you don’t mind, I’m going to write when we get to the boat, just for a while.” She said, not wanting to lose the feeling of the day. Can nodded, ” Ok, but not too long, I want to enjoy the rest of the night together.” He said kissing her fingers. She smiled, she was full of happiness, so much so, she could almost forget about Huma…. but not quite. 

Sanem dumped everything from her bag, ” Can I know I put it in here, but I can’t find it.” She spouted, putting her hands on her hips. Can was looking through the other tote, but no luck. ” Babe, I don’t see it, maybe you just forgot to pick it up.” He said, trying to console her. He could see how upset she was, which wasn’t like her, to be that upset over forgetting her notebook. “You can write it all down when we get home.” He said, smoothing down her hair. She smiled at him, ” Your right, I just had my heart set on writing.” She said. He took her hand and lead her to the deck, ” Here, let’s just enjoy the stars and the moon,” he said, spinning her around on the deck. The pier was still alive with activity and people, making it less than romantic, so they decided to go below to the cabin. Before they had a chance to get comfortable, Cans phone rang. He looked at Sanem, ” It’s my dad, sorry but I better take it.” He said. She shook her head, seeing the concern in his face.  ” Dad, hello how are you?” He asked. ” Son, Emre just told me that Sanem has sighted Huma there near your home.” Why didn’t you call me and tell me.” He said his voice sounding full of fear. Can moves back up to the deck, hoping Sanem wouldn’t follow him, ” Dad I’m hoping it wasn’t her, I can’t believe she would be so stupid as to follow us here. But if she does show herself here, I won’t have a problem contacting the investigator in Turkey.” He told him with certainty. Aziz wasn’t satisfied, ” I’ll call them myself. Can, they have to know where she is, for the safety of you and Sanem.”  Can rolled his eyes, ” Dad, I don’t believe she would actually hurt us, she just wants to break us up. Which will never happen.” But his heart did skip a beat, “Do you think she would harm us? Dad, answer me, do you? He spouted, feeling his anger rise. His dad was quiet for a second, ” Can, your mother has changed over the years, and I’m not sure of what she is capable of now.” But it never hurt to be aware.” He remarked. ” From what Emre has told me, she has a very strong hatred for Sanem, and if her plan hadn’t been discovered, she would have harmed Sanem. So yes, I do think she would harm her, maybe not you, but your wife.” He said, almost in a whisper. 

Can shuddered, as a chill of fear ran down his body, ” Dad are you sure?” You’re sure Emre’s telling the truth? He demanded; his voice laced with fear.

Sanem stood there, listening, “So she is here to destroy me, and come between us. Her heart beating hard, she headed to the bathroom. The nausea had to come from nerves, she thought, she didn’t want to believe she might be pregnant.

Chapter 10

Can called to her, ” Sanem, where are you? He yelled, then he opened the door to the bathroom. ” Babe, are you ok,” he said, helping her up from the floor. She looked pale and weak, ” Can, what did your dad say? It’s her isn’t it? She going to hurt us, I know it.” She cried, feeling the wave of nausea and weakness cover her body again. With nothing left in her stomach to lose, she laid her head against the wall of the tiny bathroom. Can held her hand, ” Do you think you ate something bad, but we ate the same thing.” He said, stroking her arm. She shuddered, ” Can I need to lay down.” She said, barely audible. He quickly scooped her up from the floor, and laid her on the bed. He slipped her dress off, helping her to put on his t-shirt, the one she liked to sleep in. The conversation with his dad still filled his mind, but he didn’t want her to see the fear that gripped him. 

He was still sitting on the deck when the first light of the morning peeked out. He just sat there, thinking about his childhood, and his mother. At least what he could remember about it. She had left him when he was so young, without even a word of consolation, she just left. His dad tried to make up for it over the years, but all the times he prayed she would be there and she wasn’t, made his heart hard and callous to any type of love, until his life found Sanem. Now she wanted to take that too…. no, he wouldn’t let her have it. He stared at the name and number of the investigator in Turkey, it was too early to call now, but he knew he would have to, soon. He was quiet, as he fixed a light breakfast for them, hoping she felt better when she woke up. Just some toasted bread and fruit, and some ginger tea. It would calm her stomach, if she was still sick. This was supposed to be the happiest time in their lives, coming home to this place, being together, living in the love of their hearts. He wouldn’t let her taint this, not this place. ” Can,” he heard her call him. ” I’m here babe, breakfast is ready, come up and eat.” He said, trying not to let her hear the sadness in his voice. She peeked her head out, and looked at him, there at the table, ” Oh Can, you made a beautiful table, and yes, I’m starving.” She exclaimed, as she scooted in next to him and giving him a kiss. How me wanted to touch her, ravish her unmercifully and satisfy this undeniable desire he had for her.  But he knew she needed to take care of herself, especially after the incident the night before. He smiled, watching her diving into the food like it may be the last she would ever have.

Sanem knew he was keeping something from her, something his dad had said to him upset him. But she wouldn’t press him on it right now, she wanted to enjoy the way she felt. The thought of a baby had her head spinning, but she wasn’t sure so she would stay quiet about it for now. He watched her eat, ” My love, you have a look about you this morning, I’m so glad you’re feeling better. You scared me last night.” He said, reaching over to touch her face. His eyes so full of love it made her wonder what she had done to deserve the love of this man. And why she fought against it for so long. ” So, how is your dad and Mihriban, you never said what you talked about last night.” She said, looking at him curiously. He smiled, ” He just wanted to know how we were, and to let us know they may come for a visit soon.” He explained, not completely lying. She clapped her hands, ” Yeaaa,” she said, ” That would be great, I miss everyone so much.” She said. ” So are we heading home this morning?” She asked, finishing her breakfast. Can shook his head, ” Yes, we’ll head out soon, but tell me, have you enjoyed this little trip?” He asked. She nodded, “Yes, a lot more than I thought I would in fact. This place is beautiful.” She stated, looking around at the scenery. 

He could just take her away on this boat, he thought, as he watched her. Huma would never find them if he did, just sail away and never come back. He could protect her that way, keep her away from harm and Huma. But he knew she wouldn’t have it, so he would have to make sure he stayed with her at all times. This had made his mind up for him, as far as going back to the magazine to work. He would tell Mateo as soon they got back. He hated it for Miguel, he was coming along as a good photographer, but the thought of leaving Sanem alone to go on a photo shoot, well…. it wouldn’t happen. 

Can was ready to gather thing ups and head out, the trip home might be a bit rougher, with the winds from a storm that was several miles away coming in. They prepared the deck and locked everything down in the galley and started out. They should be home before dark, if all went well. About 2 hours into the trip, the wind started to come up and the waves banged against the side of the boat so hard she was terrified they would split it wide open. She watched Cans face, she knew it would tell her how bad the situation was, without her having to ask. He concentrated on maneuvering the boat through the waves in a way that caused the least amount of rocking and dipping.

 After about an hour of fighting the storm, Can took a second to check the weather radar, and he didn’t like what he saw, ” Sanem,” he yelled, trying to be heard over the force of the storm, ” Go below, and stay there until I say you can come out.” His eyes had that concerned look, but not a look of fear, so she did just as he said. The sound and the thrusting about was intensified by being in the hull of the boat, so she curled up in the middle of their bed and cover her ears with her hands, ” Please help us to get home safely” she said softly, her heart pounding in her chest. It seemed like an eternity, but she knew it hadn’t been, when the sound of the wind and the crashing of the waves finally calmed down. She sat up on the bed, waiting to hear Cans voice telling her she could come up, but he didn’t call her. She walked up the steps to the deck to look out, and she saw him sloughed across the steering wheel, his body shaking. “Can, are you ok?” She yelled to him. He raised his head, ” I’m fine, just exhausted,” he grabbed her, hugging her tightly. ” I’m sorry my love, I had no idea the winds would get that bad, are you ok? ” he asked. She smiled, ” Yes, I’m fine, I knew you would make it through, I wasn’t scared a bit.” She said, scratching his beard with her fingers.

Another hour later and they spotted the lights on their dock. 

” Almost home.” She thought……Can had brought them home safe. But back to the reality of what she feared most……. Huma.

Chapter 11

He had never been so glad to reach the dock before in his life. That was quite a storm, but he was more scared for her than himself. But they made it, he thought as they gathered their belongings together and started towards the cottage. Sanem was chatting on about how proud she was of him and his sailing skills, and getting them home safe, when he reached their door. He tried to put the key in the lock, but the door pushed open at the slight touch. ” Sanem, did you not lock the door? He asked, stepping back away from the door. “Yes, I locked it, I’m sure of it.” She said. Can dropped what he was carrying and pushed Sanem to the side of the house. ” Stay here, until I check it out.” He ordered her. Her breath stopped, did someone break in their home? Why? They didn’t have anything of much value. Can pushed the door open and flipped on the light, he didn’t expect to find anyone there, but he didn’t expect what he saw either. Their cottage was ransacked, turned upside down, every inch had been touched. Sanem yelled to him, ” Can, what is it, are you ok? She yelled. He knew what she would do when she saw the mess, but, he said, ” You can come, but it’s not good.” He replied, as he led her to the door. She gasped, ” Oh no Can, who did this?” She cried. ” Look, they broke all of our pictures,” she said, her heart broken. They moved through the rest of the house, seeing the destruction that had been left. Even the bathroom, all her creams and perfume were broken and busted. This was more than she could bear, until she saw their wedding picture ripped in half, lying on the floor of the bedroom. She knew who had been responsible for it all…. Huma. ” Can, come look.” She spouted, holding their picture in her hands. He came in the door, ” Sanem, what is it?” He asked, then he saw the picture, ” She was here, or she hired someone to do this.” He spewed. 

” Can, what will she do next?” Sanem asked, her head in a fog. Can turned to her, his eyes full of hate, ” Nothing, nothing at all, you can be sure of that.” He spouted. He took his phone and called his dad. The time was late there, so it took a minute for him to answer, ” Son, what has happened, it’s late, are you and Sanem alright?” He asked, with fear in his voice. ” Dad, she broke in our house, we don’t know if anything’s missing yet, but it’s destroyed.” He said, trying to control his emotions. Aziz was immediately on his feet, ” Son are you sure, we have to be sure it was her.” He spouted, not wanting to make any mistakes. ” It had to be, I’ve never had a problem here, no one has ever bothered us here.” He said, his anger rising. ” Ok son, let me call the investigator and you call the police there. Tell them everything, I mean everything.” He said. Can hung up and dialed for the police, and they were there within minutes. Sanem was sifting through the mess trying to sort out what was left, when the police arrived, ” Ma’am we need to evaluate the situation before we can let you touch anything else.” He said. She had to leave, so she went to the beach, sitting in her chair watching the waves. Her life had taken so many twists and turns in her almost 30 years, but this was by far the most hurtful. She had experienced jealousy, envy, pity, and dislike, but never had she felt such a hatred from a person. It weakened her soul, to think that someone would loath her that much. Her mind was full of thoughts, she wanted to write down, it always helped her to make sense of it, and as terrible as this was, she wanted to document every minute of it. She wanted her notebook, so she went to the house, ” May I come in please to get my notebook, it’s on the desk.” She asked. They went to find it, ” Ma’am there isn’t a notebook,  are you sure it was here?” They asked. ” Yes, it’s pink, I keep it there by the laptop.” She replied. ” No, it’s not here, sorry.” He said. She hurried into the room, ” Look on the floor, it has to be there, it just had it two day ago.” She yelled. Can came from the bedroom, ” Sanem, what is it?” He said, reaching for her. ” My notebook is gone, it was right here, and now it’s gone, she took it. Can she took it.” she screamed, kicking at the stuff on the floor. 

The police had left and the investigator from Turkey had called Can, ” Mr. Divit, have you seen you mother or do you suspect her to be there in Malaga? He asked. Can shook his head, “No, I didn’t see her, but my wife did, about a week ago in town at the festival.” He said, watching out the door as Sanem sat in her chair on the beach. ” Mr. Divit, the doctor that falsified the records for your mother has given us a detailed report of all the events that led up to and following the accident of Mr. Yigit Ersoy, it seems this was a well thought out plan and it was carried out almost flawlessly. So we have been looking for Ms. Huma Edamare, for quite some time. If you see here again, don’t hesitate to contact me, but I will be on my way to Malaga first thing in the morning.” The investigator said. Can thanked him as grabbed a blanket from the chair and went to the beach. Can put the blanket around her and sat down on the ground, ” Babe, the investigator from Turkey will be here tomorrow, if you do t want to stay here, then we’ll go to a hotel.” He said, rubbing her hand. She smiled, ” No, I will stay here, I’m tired of running from her, this is my home, not hers.” She said defiantly. ” Ok, then let’s go clean up.” He said. They cleaned all night, putting back together what they could, but most of their pictures were destroyed. The next morning Can called Miguel to let him know what had happened. ” Mr. Can I was at your house on Thursday afternoon, and saw that you were gone on your boat, everything was as it should be when I was there.” He explained. ” We had just left on that morning, did you tell anyone that we were gone on the boat? Can asked. Miguel hesitated, ” No one but Mr. Mateo, he’s the one that sent me to your home, so I reported back to him.” You don’t think he would know who did it, do you? ” Miguel replied. ” No.” said Can, it must just be a coincidence.” He exclaimed, trying to make sense of it. 

He gave Miguel the memory card with all their pictures on it, ” I want you to print out new pictures for us, the person destroyed all the ones we had, so make sure our wedding picture is done in a black and white. That’s the way she wanted it.” He said, feeling his heart break for having to do this. ” Sanem is asleep and I would like for you to get back with them before she wakes up. The investigator called Can telling him he had arrived in Malaga and was checking into the hotel, ” We have a good lead on where she is, so we will go to her hotel and I will let you know.”  He replied. ” Thank you, I will wait for your call, could I ask who gave you the lead on her location.?” Can asked. 

” Yes, I’m sorry to tell you, but it was Emre Divit… your brother”

Emre, he knew where she was, that can’t be.

Chapter 12

Miguel rushed to the photo shop to print out the pictures, ” I can’t believe someone would do this to them, and why would they rip up their pictures.” He wondered, as he printed the photos. He got them all, and headed back to the cottage, but decided to stop by the office to let Mr. Mateo what had happened. Mr. Can hadn’t told him to, but he thought that he should know they were back from their trip. ” Did they steal anything from their home?” Mateo asked, surprised and concerned to hear what happened. Miguel filled him in on all the details, telling him they only took Mrs. Divits personal notebook, which was more important her than almost anything. He told him goodbye and started on to Mr. Cans house with the pictures. 

Can paced back and forth on the beach, his anger seething through him. He called his dad, determined to get to the bottom of Emre’s involvement with all of this. ” Dad, I need to talk to you about Emre.” Can spouted. ” Very well son, what seems to be the problem, did they locate Huma?” He asked, confused at his anger towards Emre. ” Dad, the investigator arrived here at little while ago, and they have a location for Huma here… and do you know where they got it from? Emre.” He yelled. Aziz gasped, ” What, Emre knows where she is?” He said, not wanting to believe what he just heard. Can yelled, ” Yes dad, Emre, gave them the tip as to where she is.” He has known all along where is was and probably what she was planning.”  Aziz stood, ” Son, I’ll be there as soon as I can get a flight out, I don’t want you to face Huma alone.” He spewed, his anger boiling. He hung up from Can and called the airport, to book a flight to Malaga, the first one was that evening at 6:40. That would get him there by 10:00pm. So he called Can back, ” I’m on my way this evening, so pick me up at the airport at 10:00. And son, don’t try and find her yourself, let the investigators do it.” He pleaded. ” You have to stay with Sanem, don’t leave her alone.”  

Miguel arrived with the pictures, ” Mr. Can, I hope these are ok, I had to do them in a hurry.” Can smiled, ” They look great, thanks. I’m going to get them in the frames before she wakes.” He said, with tears in his eyes. ” Oh, I went to the office to let Mateo know what happened, hope that was ok.” He said. Cam shook his head, ” Ok, but don’t tell anyone else, we don’t know what we’re dealing with here.” He stated, knowing he had to be extra careful. They had but the house back together before Sanem finally fell asleep, exhausted from the worry of it all. He watched sleep, she was so peaceful looking, but he knew she was anything but. ” What had he done to this woman, he thought, she loved him, and he loved her, but yet they had managed to hurt each other. The truth hurt them more than they were both willing to admit. But they had put that all behind them now, he couldn’t live without her, he didn’t even want to try. She was all that mattered to him. He couldn’t understand why his mother had taken on such a hatred of her, was she that shallow, to believe that Sanem wasn’t worthy of their name. When, in fact, it was her that had been stripped of their name with her lies and deceit. Sanem jumped, waking up from a dream of Huma watching her from the shadows, laughing. Can reached for her, ” It’s ok babe, I’m right here.” You just had a dream.” He said, crawling in the bed next to her. She looked around a little confused, ” She not here? Can she was right here, in this room, laughing at me. ” Can kissed her, ” Nope, no one here but me and you, just like it should be.” He said holding her tight. 

Mr. Hussein had talked to the police, getting all the facts of the break in at the Divits, now he just needed them to help with apprehending Mrs. Edamare. The hotel that Emre had given them as the location of Huma wouldn’t cooperate with him because he was out of his jurisdiction. So with the help of the police there, he hoped he would have her in custody by the end of the day. This had been a long time coming, with Yigit and Polen Ersoy giving their statements against Huma, they were able to get a clear picture of what had happened in Istanbul. The doctor that she had bribed to fix all the medical information was more than happy to tell all he knew about her, for a much lighter sentence in prison. Yigit Ersoy was just as guilty as Huma, but he gave them information on Mrs. Edamare that they otherwise wouldn’t have had. Such as the plans she had for Ms. Aydin, if they hadn’t been caught. It’s hard to believe someone could hate so much, just because they weren’t born into wealth. Yigit was given a minimal sentence and a large fine, and advised to never return to Istanbul, for which he was happy to except. So the last piece to the crime was Huma Edamare. 

Sanem looked around, ” Can, what did you do? ” She said her eyes full of tears. ” All the pictures, you fixed them all, even our wedding picture.” She smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. ” Hey are you hungry, I’m starving.” he said. ” I’ll fix us a nice dinner, and then we’re going to the airport to pick up my dad.” He said, watching her face turn to excitement. ” Your dad’s coming? She asked, with surprise. ” Did they find Huma? Do they know where she is?” she asked, her voice full of fear. Can hugged her tight, ” They don’t have her yet, but they have a good idea where she is.” Don’t worry, they will find her.” Dad’s coming to be with us.” He said. She smiled, ” I’m glad.” she sighed. He fixed their dinner and made her eat everything he cooked. But her nerves had battled against her, and within no time she had lost all the food she had consumed. Can was worried about her, since she had been sick on the boat, even before they had arrived home to all this mess. ” We will go to the doctor tomorrow Sanem, and I won’t hear no for an answer.” He demanded, seeing the stress in her face. She agreed, but was it stress, or was it something else. Right now, she was inclined to believe it was stress, but the thought of a baby did excite her.

They watched the entry gate for Aziz, Can was excited to see his dad, up not under these circumstances. ” There he is.” She yelled, ” Over there, see.” She said. They waved to him, and he waved back, hurrying to greet them. ” Dad, I’m glad your here.” Can said. His dad had always been his strength, the person that he could depend on, especially when it came to Huma.

He gave Sanem a big hug, ” My daughter, how are you? ” He asked, seeing the helplessness in her face.

” I’m good, but so much better now that you’re here.”

Chapter 13

It was late by the time they arrived back at their cottage, but Aziz already loved the place, ” Can this home suits you and Sanem, I’m happy you have this to call home.” He said as he walked around inspecting it all. ” Just wait until the morning and you see the beach, it’s beautiful, we spend as much time out there as we can.” She told him. He had made her so happy by coming to visit, but she knew it only because of Huma, he had unfinished business with her also and was eager to see her get her due. She watched Can, his face was tight and drawn, this whole thing had caused him more pain than she had thought. He was trying hard to hide what he felt, especially in front of his dad, but she knew he was dreading the time to come that they would find her and arrest her for what she had done. He sat and listened to his dad talk, but his eyes were blank and empty, she wished she could take all that pain and bury it somewhere far away. His mother had been the source of agony for him since he was a small boy, how he turned out to be the man he was today was mind boggling to her. 

She was tired and ready for bed but didn’t want to take away his time together with his dad, ” Can, I think I’m going to take a shower and turn in, if you don’t mind. Dad Aziz, please take the guest room and I hope your comfortable there.” She said. Can stood, ” Sanem, let me come with you,” he said, still feeling uneasy with how she had been feeling. ” Absolutely not, my dear, you spend this time with your dad.” I can manage all by myself.” She replied, giving him a kiss. ” Goodnight my daughter, don’t you worry about anything, sleep well.” He said, with a hug. She smiled and headed to the shower. Aziz questioned Can, ” Has she been sick, you mentioned something about it earlier.” He asked, he wasn’t sure if Can was worried about Sanem or upset about what he learned about Huma. ” Yes, she had been, and I’m worried about her, so I’m making her go to the doctor tomorrow, and if it’s all due to the stress over Huma, then that just gives me something else to despise her more. ” Dad, did you know that Emre knew where she was, why didn’t he tell me, instead of us having to find out by ourselves. I thought he had changed.” Can spouted, his heart breaking because of it. Aziz lowered his head, ” Can, your brother has had his issues with Huma, but his biggest issue is she was still his mother, and he wanted to see the good in her. He wasn’t hurt by her like you were, not really hurt, she always made him do what she wanted.” He said. ” Emre wanted to believe her, anyway, that’s what I think.” Aziz stated. ” You need to talk to your brother, tell him how you feel, and let him tell you why he did it.” He said. ” But I’m not telling you what to do.” 

Sanem let the water run over her, why did she feel so strange, she wondered, she felt like she needed to protect someone. Was it Can? Aziz? She didn’t know, she just felt like Huma was going to hurt someone she loved. She had to let these things go, they were going to find her and then she would pay for what she did. She didn’t know how badly she wanted her to answer for all her crimes, the ones she would say she committed in the name of love for her son, until now. Can was suffering, he had been suffering for 24 years, at the hands of his mother. She hoped finding her would help him put her behind him. She got ready for bed, and could hear Can and Aziz still talking, she was so glad he came, Can needed him even more than he realized. She went to sleep, soundly, she never even knew went Can came to bed. It was still dark out, when she woke up, her stomach in her throat, ” Oh no, not again, she thought, trying to slip out of bed without waking Can. She hurried to the bathroom, the whole process was over in seconds, but that weak faint feeling lingered for a minute. She steadied herself with the bathroom counter, ” what is going on, she thought, I’m afraid this is not just nerves.” Her mind was saying, and her heart seemed to be agreeing with it. But not a word about this, she told herself, not until you see the doctor. The clock said 5:30, so she snuck back into the bed, but sleep wouldn’t come to her again, she laid there watching him, wondering, would he be happy, if there was a baby. His face still full of stress and strain even in his sleep. She didn’t want to add to the troubles that had his heart in such a turmoil, but there may not be any other way. 

At some point she must have fell asleep again, and Can was kissing her gently on the forehead, ” Sanem, my love, I’m making breakfast, you need to eat.” He said softly, his lips brushing across her skin. It sent a wave of chills traveling down her body. She moaned, it was like she couldn’t help it, he affected her in a way she couldn’t control. He touched her stomach, sliding his hand up to her breast, feeling the firmness of them and the hardness of her nipples. ” Can, we have to wait, aren’t you cooking, and where’s your dad.” She said, hearing the heaviness of his breath, as he kissed her neck. ” Sanem, I don’t think I can, you have a way of distracting me in the most delightful way. ” he whispered, in her ear. She giggled, ” We can wait, now let me get dressed and you finish breakfast.” She said, teasing him by kissing his chest. Can was just about to oppose when his dad called out, ” Son, do you want me to finish the eggs?” They’re going to burn.” He said. He closed his eyes, ” No dad, I’m coming, be right there.” He yelled, giving her a look of warning. She smiled, as he got up to leave, ” Come on, get dressed and stop tempting me, we have to get you to the doctor this morning.” He demanded. Her mind went back a couple of hours, to the early morning bout of sickness, ” I hope this doesn’t ruin our harmony, and make him feel trapped.” A child is a big responsibility, but he had told her he wanted a family, in fact a large family. So if they didn’t get started now, there wouldn’t be enough time for them all, she thought in her defense. She shook her head, ” Stop, you don’t even know if your pregnant or not, so don’t borrow trouble.” She said to herself. 

Trouble?……would a baby be trouble? No she didn’t think so.

It might be just what we need.

Chapter 14

Cans phone rang just as they pulled into the parking lot, ” Mateo how are you?” Can asked, shaking his head at Sanem. This magazine was becoming a little too much, it was starting to look like a job. ” Yes, I’m in town, just going to the doctor with my wife, why what’s up.” Can said, he knew there was a reason for the call. ” You need me to come now?” He spouted, with that look of annoyance he had a tendency to get. He put up a good fight, but in the end, Mateo won. Sanem insisted he drop her off at the doctor and go to the office and take care of whatever they needed. He was hesitant, he wished his dad had come along, then he could have stayed with her while he went to the office. ” Sanem I really don’t want to leave you here by yourself,” he told her, ” Not now with so much going on.” I’ll be fine, and I’ll wait right here for you to pick me up.” She assured him. He pulled up to the door, ” Don’t you dare leave this building until I come to get you, got it? He insisted, pointing his finger in her face. She smiled, ” Yes sir, I’ll be right here.” 

Aziz had taken a walk down the beach, admiring the beautiful white sand that was a welcome mat for the turquoise colored water that flowed In and out along it. This place was amazing, he knew why they had fallen in love with it. His phone rang, ” Hello,” Yes, this is Aziz Divit,” he said, ” Are you looking for my son, Mr. Huessin, is this about Huma Edamare. He asked as his heart beat hard. ” Have you found her?” He said. ” Mr. Divit, we did locate her hotel room, she is staying at the Hotel Castillo, but she wasn’t in when we arrived. The front desk told us she had left the day before and hadn’t returned yet. So we will but an officer here to watch for her to return.”  Aziz breathed a sigh of relief, ” Are you sure that it’s her? He asked. ” Yes sir, we have a very good photo of her. I feel confident we will apprehend her shortly, if you could relay this message to your son, and please tell him to be extra careful. As soon as he ended his call with the investigator, he called Can, ” Son, Mr. Huessin just called, they are at the hotel where Huma Is staying, but she isn’t there at the moment, so they are waiting for her to return, but he wanted you to be extra careful, until they find her. Can stood, ” Dad, I’m at the office and I left Sanem alone at the doctor’s office.” You don’t think Huma would find here there, do you. He asked, with a panic creeping up his body. Aziz assures him the police would find her before she found Sanem. Can cut the meeting with Mateo short so he could get back to the doctors office with Sanem. Mateo asked what had happened but Can only told him that they were on the trail of the person that broke into his home. The less he knew the better, and he hated even talking about Huma, that meant he would have to tell him that she was his mother, and that was something he didn’t want to admit.

Sanem waited for the doctor to come in, trying not to overreact or over hope. But the thought of a baby was becoming more desirable to her. The door opened and the doctor came in, ” Mrs. Divit, I’m Dr. Tekin, I understand you have been having trouble keeping food down.” He said. ” Yes, Dr. I have been under a lot of stress the past few days and I think it might have triggered it. The dr. nodded, ” and what kind of stress are we talking about,” he asked, with a frown. She lowered her head, ” Well is quite embarrassing to talk about, but….my mother-in-law has launched an attack on me, she hadn’t been around until recently, and it has caused me some problems.” She explained. The Dr. shook his head, ” So you expect it to be a nervous stomach, correct.” He said, tilting his head. And what kind of symptoms is it,” and how long have they been going on?” He asked, writing in his notebook. ” Well, it started a few days ago, and it has been contained to just nausea and vomiting, so far.” She said. The Dr. raised his eyebrows, ” And how many times have you had the vomiting, 2, 3 times, or more?” He asked, continuing to scribble in his notebook. ” It’s been 3 or 4 times, she said. The Dr. shook his head in agreement, ” Ok, let’s do first things first, have you done a pregnancy test? He asked, ” No, I haven’t. Do you think that’s what it is?” She said, her feelings dancing about in her body. ” Well, I’m not sure, but it will be a process of elimination, let’s just check it out, so we can rule it out.” He said giving her a smile. He handed her a long stick and told her to go the bathroom, and take the test, it would only take 5 minutes. She took the test and started to the bathroom, ” 5 minutes, wow, it doesn’t take long to completely change your life.” She thought. She did the test, wrapped it in a towel and placed it one the tray in the bathroom, with the instructions of, have a seat and he will be right with you. The wait had been the longest she had ever had, but after 5 minutes the Dr. and the nurse came in, ” Mrs. Divit, have you had any other symptoms, like dizziness, faint or weak feeling.” He asked. She thought a second, ” Well, yes, I have felt a bit faint or weak.” She answered, getting a bit concern with all the questions. He smiled a slight smile, ” Well it seems, that you are pregnant, so now we need to determine how far along you are.” “Do you recall your last period, are you usually regular and on time.” He asked. ” I’m pregnant… you’re sure,” she said, her heart fluttering like a butterfly. The Dr. smiled, ” Oh yes, we’re sure.” He said with confidence. ” It was a definite blue line on the test, but we will take a blood test along with it to determine your due date.” Sanem was holding her breath as the doctor talked to her, how would she tell Can? She wondered. Quickly, she would tell him quickly, this might help get his mind off Huma. ” Mrs. Divit? Mrs. Divit, are you ok?” The doctor asked, touching her on the arm. She jumped, coming out of her daydream, ” Yes, I’m sorry, what were you saying?” She asked. The doctor gave an explanation of what she needed to do and when to make the next appointment. They were planning an ultrasound at the next visit, ” You might want to ask your husband to come with you, they normally want to be involved at this point.” He said, smiling. 

Can parked the car in front of the door, jumped out and ran in. He found the office just as Sanem walked out, ” Can, you’re back, how was the meeting?”  She asked, sliding her arm through his as he led her to the car. ” Ok, I guess, I really didn’t see the point in it, but that’s not important now. What did the doctor say?” Can asked, opening the door for her to get in. 

Her heart was smiling, her stomach was full of butterflies. ” Sanem, you’re face is flushed, are you ok?” Can said. ” Did he give you medicine for your stomach? Are you going to tell me anything?” He spewed, throwing his arms up in the air.

” Yes, he gave me some vitamins.” She stated, looking away from him so he wouldn’t see the tears of joy that were covering her eyes. ” Vitamins, for your stomach?” He questioned.

” No Can, for our baby!” She spouted, with the tears of joy flowing down her face.

Chapter 15

Can had stared at her for a few seconds, his face showing every emotion that could happen in a case like this, but the words wouldn’t come. Sanem smiled, ” Can, are you ok? Did you hear what I said? I’m going to have your baby, our baby.” Her heart was slowly being to sink to the depths of despair, in fear he wasn’t as excited as she was about a child. But all within these seconds of silence, Can was reliving their life together, how they met, fell in love, how they hurt each other, and all of that to get to this moment. The crowning moment of his life…. this woman that he would die for, that he felt he didn’t deserve after all they had been through…. that he loved more than himself…. was giving him this gift of eternal love. Sanem turned away from him, her heart shattered, ” how would she make it through this if he wasn’t happy about it.” Her mind was saying to her heart. Was he not ready for a child yet or did he not want any at all, but he had expressed the desire for children. She was confused.

His voice was low, but it broke the silence like an explosion, ” Sanem, don’t joke with me now, are you sure?”  He muttered, his voice shaking. She looked at him, his eyes rimmed with tears, and filled with that look of love. ” Yes Can. they are sure. I’m sorry if you’re not happy about this, but this is always a consequence if you have sex.” She spewed, her tears of joy turning to tears of regret. Can closed his eyes, ” Not happy, why would I not be happy my love.” He whispered, ” There’s nothing more I would want in this lifetime, than to be a father to our children.” I…. truly am in shock, with all our troubles, it never occurred to me that I could be this happy to hear those words. I love you beyond himself, and to share a child with you is more than I deserve.”  She looked into his eyes, and her heart begin to recover, they were full of love, even more than ever before. Her heart surrendered as his lips found hers. This kiss was more meaningful and tender than they had ever shared. ” He’s happy,” she thought, as the kiss lasted longer than she thought possible. It charged her soul with happiness and hope, this child would be born into a family of love and devotion. 

He held her in his arms, letting it all sink in, then the phone broke their bonding. ” It’s Mr. Huessin, l really should take this.” He said looking at her for approval. ” Of course, they may have news.” She stated, with anticipation. ” Hello, Mr Huessin, is there news.” He said. The investigator had received an update, ” Yes, I hope so Mr. Divit, it seems your mother has returned to Istanbul.” He said. ” What, Istanbul, but why? She wasn’t supposed to never return there.” He spouted. ” Yes, that’s right, but we received a call from your brother. This may be hard for you to hear, but nevertheless, I have to tell you.” Can swallowed hard, looking at Sanem he shook his head, ” Go ahead, what happened,” he said, not really wanting to hear anything about Emre. ” As you know, we learned the whereabouts of Huma from your brother, but it seems she had threatened him to gain information about you and your wife’s location.” He explained. ” She wanted to harm Mr. and Mrs. Aydin, Sanem parents, for ruining the lives of her sons.” So to protect his in-laws he told her where you were.”  Can rubbed his face hard, trying to wake himself from the nightmare he was hearing. ” Ok, but why had she gone back to Istanbul?” Can asked. Sanem covered her mouth with her hands, ” Huma went back to Istanbul.” She cried, why would she do that, she wondered. Mr. Huessin continued, ” When things here weren’t going quite as planned and she discovered that Aziz Divit had arrived here, she contacted Emre again and he convinced her that he would help her with whatever she had planned. So she flew back to Istanbul to get Emres help. But he called me, to report it all and put an end to her insane doings. I had four officers waiting for her went she exited the plane; they have arrested her and she is in custody.” He announced. 

Emre sat with his head in his hands, ” Where did this all go wrong.” He thought. “Why did Huma not want them to be happy, with the women they loved? He said, asking Metin as they waited for the officers to arrive with his mother. Metin tried to console him as best he could, but his main concern was with Can and Sanem. Their relationship had been strained, to say least, but this was also because of Huma Edamare, but Can was still his best friend and brother, so his loyalty would always lie with him. Emre would give his statement of the accounts that had been brought against his mother, the threat of physical harm to the Aydins and the other charges of tampering with medical records. If he was in some way guilty of conspiracy to the threat, then he was ready to except the charges as well. Huma had refused the opportunity to see her son, stating she had been ” greatly offended by the acquisitions against her from her sons,” and all the evidence had been fabricated. It was late in the day before Emre was allowed to leave the police station, he was clearly distraught, but he knew he did what had to be done. His mother needed help, but only if she would admit she did, would she be able to get it. He called Leila as he left, ” Tell mama and papa they can relax, she is in custody, and no one has been harmed.” He said, his heart broken. Leila relayed the message to the parents, and they all breathed a sigh of relief. ” Emre, are you holding up ok.” Leila asked, hearing the hurt in her husbands voice. “No not really, but I will be fine.” Just years of trusting someone to be the person they portrayed, just to find out it was all a lie, it will take a while for me to come to terms with it.” He stated. ” I’ll be home soon, then we will call Can and Sanem together.” I have a lot of apologies to give, I just hope they can forgive me.” He said, his heart heavy. 

Can held Sanem’s hand as they drove home from the Drs. office. The silence was will deserved, as his mind wandered back to the childhood that was anything but normal. Sanem stayed quiet, letting his come to terms with it all. What a gamut of feelings that were surging through his body, it was almost like he was time traveling back to each disappointment in his life. But no more, he had a much brighter future than he had ever hoped for. The news of this baby would not be overshadowed by the sickness of Huma Edamare. 

” Sanem, do you want a boy or a girl first? He asked, out of the blue, his voice strong and determined. She smiled, how strong he was, she thought, ” I don’t know, maybe a boy, what do you think?” She said. ” A girl, I think, or maybe a boy… I don’t care, I just know I want this baby to live a life of continuous love and acceptance.”

“To never doubt the love from which they came,” he said, looking at her with his eyes of devotion.

Chapter 16

Huma had denied everything that had been leveled against her, ” All these charges are nonsense, utter nonsense, I want my lawyer here.” She demanded. Mr. Huessin agreed, ” Yes you are absolutely right, Ms. Edamare, you do need your lawyer, I don’t want anything to go wrong here.” He stated, as he opened the thick file he already had on her. ” You may think you have evidence against me, but you don’t, they have all lied.” She shouted, her dark eyes fuming with anger. He smiled, ” Officer, take her back to her cell, we will wait until her lawyer gets her to continue.” He said, nodding to the guard. She jerked away from the officer, ” Excuse me, do not touch me, I will go of my own accord.” She spewed, spinning around and stomping away. She stopped, and looked back, ” May I have a visitor? I really need to see someone?” She asked, in a sweet, demure voice, smiling at the investigator. ” No, no visitors, just your lawyer.” He ordered, amazed at the change of demeanor. They lead her away. 

Aziz was up early the next morning, but not as early as Sanem, as he looked out the door, he saw she was sitting in her chair on the beach. This child has been through so much, he thought, how has she survived and still kept that innocent aire about her. Still so trusting and loving to all she knew. He slowly walked out to the beach, ” Sanem, are you ok?” He asked softly, ” if you would prefer to be alone I….” ” No daddyAziz, come join me.” She offered, pointing to the other chair. He sat down beside her, quietly at first, waiting for her to open the conversation. ” You know, the first day I met you, I admired you, and Emre for that matter. You seemed so genuine, and from what I witnessed you loved your sons very much.” I wonder how you allowed your life to be entangled with Huma’s, did she trick you in some way, did she portray a lie to you also, to force you to marry her.” Sanem asked, still gazing out into the water. The question took Aziz by surprise, and made him wonder himself, how or why did he let her in? ” Sanem, in the beginning Huma was not the same woman she is now, she of course, was always in demand of everyone’s attention, but she was very smart and dignified. I at that time loved Mihriban, and Huma was painfully aware of that, she did everything she could to try and make me forget her, but my heart never left Mihriban. It was a short time after we married, that we had Can, and that seemed to make her happy for a while, but it quickly wore off.” He said, clearing his throat. Sanem could tell he was very uncomfortable talking about it, so she interrupted, ” Dad, you don’t need to disclose all the unhappy years with her, I’m just glad you and Mihriban are together and happy now,” she stated, touching his hand. He smiled at her, ” You are so much like my love Mihriban, she always protected my feelings too. But if we are all honest here, I’m the one that has caused all this upheaval in your life. I allowed Huma to be in our lives.” He said, lowering his head.

Can watched from the door, until his phone rang, ” Hello, Mr. Huessin, what’s the news?” He asked. ” Good morning Mr. Divit, things have progressed here, Ms. Humas lawyer has requested bail, but I’m hoping the judge will deny that request. And there has been another person that is willing to give information against Ms.Edamare, in exchange for some reduction on their prison time served.” He revealed. ” What, you mean someone that’s already in prison has had dealings with Huma.” He said, in shock. “Yes, in fact it was someone you put there, Enzo Fabri, did you have a knowledge of this? He asked Can. ” Fabri, how do you mean? What information.” Can asked, his heart beating fast. ” Don’t tell me Huma and Fabri were working together.” He asked, feeling his body go numb. Mr. Huessin had to tell him everything, ” Well, it seems that Huma was aiding one of Fabris accomplices, Aylin, to infiltrate the agency. Not sure yet, how much she helped, but Fabri seems to think it’s worth us looking into.” He said. Cans head was reeling, did she have her hand in everything that had harmed him over the past few years. Emres involvement wasn’t enough, he thought, and all of this to destroy his love for Sanem. He was determined to get to the bottom of this, find out why Emre wanted to hurt him, and why he lied about all of it. ” I need to ask Mr. Divit, have you spoken with you brother since yesterday? He asked. Can tried to concentrate, but the latest news had his head spinning, ” What? Have I spoken to him? No, I have not, and why would I.” He spewed, his anger lashing out. ” I need to disclose something to you, Huessin said, ” Emre Divit was the one that set the trap for Ms. Edamare and informed us that she would be arriving in Istanbul. That’s the only way we were able to apprehend her.” He explained. ” Let your brother give his account of what happened. It’s not everything you think.” The investigator said.

Leila nudged Emre, ” My love, are you awake.” She asked quietly. ” Yes, Leila, I’m awake, haven’t slept all night.” He replied. ” We need to call Can and Sanem, I know it’s still early there, but you need to talk to him.” She said. Emre shook his head, ” Ok, let me have some coffee, and I’ll call.” He said, feeling like it was his last day on earth. He knew his dad was there with Can so one call would seal his fate with them both. He brewed his coffee strong, taking a few sips before reaching for his phone. One ring and Can answered, ” Emre, why are you calling? I have nothing to say to you.” He blurted out, anger exuding from him. ” Abi, please let me explain, I need to tell you what happened.” he begged. Sanem pleaded to Can with her eyes, to let him explain. He finally agreed to listen, ” Abi, I have done these things that I’m very ashamed of, but I have changed. I was jealous of you, and your relationship with our father, which tainted my judgment. He relied on you for everything, and I felt like he was pushing me aside. Huma always told me that papa only wanted you, went she left, telling her that I was weak and would never be able to uphold the Divit name.” Can cringed when he heard these words, just another example of how cruel his mother could be. Aziz listened to the confession along with Can and Sanem, saddened that he had allowed this woman to infect his children like that. Emre continued, ” When she revealed to me that she wanted to show the Aydins how much she despised them, by destroying their business and name in the community, I knew she would stop at nothing to hurt Sanem, and you. I did what I knew had to be done, she had to be stopped. So I told her I would help her, just to get her to come back here and away from Sanem. Please forgive me.” He begged.

The tears had filled his eyes, ” Emre, you have to give me time, this isn’t something I can except overnight.” He said calmly. But I’m standing here looking at our father and Sanem, both of which have already forgiven you…. I can tell by the look on their faces. So feel lucky that they are both of a forgiving heart, or you would most definitely be a person that would remain in my past.” He uttered, his heart breaking to hear the words. 

” But Sanem thanks you for protecting her parents when we couldn’t, and we have news for them that might shift some of the negative and hurtful events to a more pleasant topic.” He said. Sanem would like to speak to MomMevkibe, if she’s there.” He stated, ready to reveal the happiest news they had had in a while. ” Yes Abi, they are all here, I’ll give her the phone.” And thank you for listening to me, I hope your heart will forgive me one day.” He uttered; his voice full of hurt. 

Can answered, ” Emre, there’s a lot of time left in our lives, lets make the most of it, and try to heal ourselves. Learn from your mistakes”…

Chapter 17

Can was reeling, had he ever known this person he called his brother. And Fabri’s reappearance was something he didn’t expect. It opened all the old wounds that he had worked so hard to close, he can see the look on Fabri’s face when he went to his office that day to buy back his shares of the company. Was his mother the reason for the destruction of the agency as well as causing Sanem to sell her perfume to him. This was the time of his life he hated the most, he felt helpless against him, Fabri was destroying everything he cared about so he should have known Huma was someway involved. He never wanted anything more in his life, than to see her pay for it all. The laughter from Sanem and Aziz, brought him back from his thoughts, they were both talking to the Aydins about the new arrival. He calmed himself, ” You have better things to think about than Huma Edamare,” he told himself, glad that this child would never know the type of person she was. 

” Mama, yes I will take all the vitamins that I’m supposed to, I promise.” Sanem said, looking at Can, and rolling her eyes. Can smiled, he knew his mother-in-law would be obsessed with it all, when she heard the news. Aziz was telling them, ” Not to worry Mevkibe, we will all travel back here in time for the birth of the next Divit/Aydin heir. I’ll see to it. We wouldn’t miss the arrival of this child for the world. ” Yes, I’m sure things will be taken care of with Huma quickly, if I have anything to say about it, it will.” He muttered to them, to reassure them. Can stepped up next to Sanem, Mom I will see to it that she does exactly what the doctor says.” He spouted, smiling at her, on the FaceTime call. ” Ahh Can, my boy, I’m so happy to see you. I know you will take care of her, you always have, and for that I am grateful. You are in my heart as my son, and there you will stay forever.” She said, tears rimming her eyes. Can had always loved her parents, from the very beginning, they made him welcome and excepted him as family. That bond between Mevkibe and himself, would never be broken. 

This day was full of happiness and sadness for Can. But he was glad that his dad was there, he was the one person he could depend on, from the time he was 8 years old. He watched as his mother and Emre were packing to leave their house, the memory was so vivid in his mind. His father scooped him up and took him to the park that day, and when they returned home, they both were gone, without even a note saying goodbye. He couldn’t understand why she didn’t want to take him with her, but over the next few years of not hearing from her, the pain turned to acceptance. But his dad was always there making him feel loved. He would never forget those feelings he had, he didn’t want to. They would remind him of things not to do, when it came to their children. His heart was already so full of love for this child, he couldn’t imagine it being any more. 

Sanem was exhausted and hungry, after they finished their call. Can and Aziz, took to pampering her, making her sit in her chair on the beach, while they fixed a dinner fit for the mother-to-be of the first grandchild. She laid her head back, letting the sun warm her face, she wasn’t sure if she was more glad or upset with Emre right now. He had protected her parents from Huma, who was to say if she would have stopped at just destroying the little grocery store her parents had worked so hard for, she was capable of more than that, a lot more. But he had stopped it, and she was sure it wasn’t easy for him to do, after all she was “his” mother. That’s what Can always said, ” Huma is just Erme’s mom”……and it always made her so sad. Mom. That word meant so much to her now, she was one, this baby had opened her heart up to a whole new world of happiness. The love she felt right now was the deepest love she had ever felt, yet so different from what she felt for Can. She listened to the two men laugh and talk as they cooked together; this is as it should be. Joy, laughing, happiness, they had once again beat Huma Edamare at her own game. 

They had set a beautiful table and Can helped her to sit down, sort of like she had all of a sudden developed some kind of disability. She smiled at him, ” Can, I’m sure I can seat myself at the dinner table.” She said, batting her eyes at him. He cleared his throat, ” Well… uhh, I just want to make sure you do trip or stumble.” He explained, wrinkling up his forehead so seriously. Aziz shook his head, ” He’s right my dear, you can’t be too careful, and I’ve been thinking, maybe Mihriban and I should come down here for a while, you know, just to help you out.” Sanem and Can both looked at each other quickly, ” Dad, I don’t see a need right now, we aren’t really doing anything at the present, but relaxing by the sea.” He said, waving his arms around. ” Maybe later, if Sanem sees fit.” He suggested, giving her a wink. Aziz shook his head, ” Ok, whatever you think is best son, but just know, we are ready to come at a drop of a hat.” He said, pointing at him.

With the dinner finished and his dad taking care of cleaning up, he and Sanem relaxed on the beach. The air smelled so good, so clean and fresh, he wanted to soak it all in. The phone call interrupted their peace and quiet, ” Hello Mr. Huessin, I hope there’s not a problem.” Can said, his heart in his throat. ” Mr. Divit, sorry to bother you at this hour, but I thought you would want to know, Ms. Edamare has admitted to the breaking of your home, and to the falsified medical records. Her admission will help expedite the process, and she will be placed in court before the judge in a matter of days. Can felt numb, all the thoughts of her guilt had been just that, “thoughts” but now it was a reality. His heart hurt more than what he had expected. ” Mr. Divit, the accusations from Mr. Fabri are still being investigated, but it does seem like she had a hand in some of the unethical business dealings of Enzo Fabri. These charges will be applied to the existing one, if they are substantiated.” I’m sorry to deliver such hurtful news, but I felt you needed to know.” And they a will be searching the room there in Malaga, at her hotel, tomorrow. Hopefully your wife’s notebook will be found.” And one last thing, he said, ” Your mother would like to see you, ” to explain things” she says.” I will just deliver the message, and you will decide if you want to or not.”

Sanem watched his face grow dark as he listened to the investigator, ” How much more can this woman do to this man.” She thought, her heart breaking. ” The truth, Mr. Huessin, that’s all I ever wanted from her, and I think I have that with her admission of her crimes, so I won’t need to see her. 

Can ended the call, ” She admitted to it all, she did it all.” He said. Sanem seeing the hurt of a child in his eyes. This wasn’t the hurt of what she did now, it was the hurt of 25 years ago all over again. He buried his face in her neck, his body shaking.

She loved this man, more than anything. Her and this child would never allow him to be hurt like this again.

Chapter 18

2 months later……

Aziz and Can had just left the court room. They had just witnessed the sentencing of Huma, ” Dad should we grab a bite to eat,” Can asked. His dad had been quiet throughout the whole court proceedings, ” Are you ok dad?” Can asked, turning to look at him. The man had been drained. The guilt of what had happened to his children because of this woman, had caused him a lot of pain. ” Ok, sure, but call Sanem first and let her know what happened.” He ordered. Can obeyed, ” My love, well, it’s over.” He said, when she answered the phone. She won’t be able to bother us anymore.” He stated, letting go of his hurt. ” She will be incarcerated for up to 10 years and was ordered not to try and contact either of us within that time.” He said. Sanem closed her eyes, ” Thank god, but I’m so sorry for you Can, and your dad, how is he.” She asked. ” We will be fine. We all will be fine” he replied. Can and Aziz grabbed a bite to eat at one the outdoor cafes that Can liked so much, ” Shall we take Sanem back some lunch, I’m sure she’s hungry by now. They ordered her a salad to go and got on their way home.

Aziz had a plane ticket for his return home and would be leaving first thing in the morning. ” I will make sure to bring everyone back with me, when it’s time for this little one to be born.” Aziz said, patting her on the cheek. Can looked at his dad, ” Dad, please don’t rush me on forgiving Emre, it will take me a while.” He said, letting his father know he was very serious about that. His dad held up his hand, ” Ok…. I’m not, just don’t let your anger, overshadow letting your heart mend.” He expressed. Can shook his head, ” I understand, but I need to deal with him my way.” He stated. Sanem clapped her hands together, ” Ok, enough, this is your last night here, so what would you like to do.” She asked Aziz. ” Just soak in this beautiful view and enjoy this all with you both.” He answered, gazing out across the water. Can and his dad spent the last few hours of his time there, together, each trying to console the other from the effects that Huma had caused. ” Dad the next time you come here, it will be for a much happier reason,” Can said, ” So let’s keep our hearts ready for that reunion.” Aziz smiled, ” You both have made me the happiest person in the world, and I can speak for all of us grandparents.” He spouted. 

The trip to the airport the next morning was solemn, Can hated to see his dad leave, and Sanem did as well. ” They watched his plane take off, as they held each other. They had weathered the storm, had passed the test, and survived the battle, of everlasting love. They remained true to their hearts, and never gave up. ” Sanem my love, how have we been so lucky, I know I’ve asked you that question before, but it still amazes me how our lives have connected and locked together. She smiled, ” I knew it from the night so long ago, when you found me in your house, that I couldn’t live my life without you.” She said looking into his eyes. ” Come on, let’s go home, the airport isn’t the place I want to be with you right now, I prefer our home. He said, his eyes full of desire. 

FIVE YEARS LATER

” Can, come help us, Efe wants to move all the chairs, and the table, down the beach.” She called out. Can stuck his head out the door, ” Now why does he want to do that? He asked. ” Daddy, I want to be able to see the boat at the dock, while we sit in our chairs.” The boy explained. Can came from the house with a tray of glasses of lemonade. ” Ok, ok, I’m coming. Let me do that babe,” he said to Sanem, putting the tray on the table. ” You want everything moved, the table too? He asked, ” Yes dad, it all needs to be closer to the dock, I like to watch the boat when I’m out here.” He yelled as he ran down the beach, kicking his ball. Can shook his head, and Sanem laughed, ” I don’t know why you argue with him, you’re going to do whatever he says anyway.” She spouted. Can looked at her, ” I do not do everything he says.” He said, giving her a side glance. Just as the ball came flying by, ” Daddy, go get it, kick it back.” He shouted. Can trotted down the beach to retrieve the ball, with Sanem smiling at him, ” Sure you don’t daddy.” She called out to him. With everything moved to suit Efe, they sat down to enjoy the lemonade. They watched the young Divit play, he ran back and forth, chasing the ball, ” Hey you know what I need,” he stated, I need a brother, yes, a brother, can we get one.” He asked, stopping short right in front of them. Sanem looked at Can, ” I think he’s talking to you, daddy.” She said quickly. Can shook his head, ” Well, it’s not that simple sometimes, it takes a lot of work to get a brother.” Can said, winking at Sanem. Efe, ran to his dad, ” Oh, please, I’ll work really hard, please, I promise.” Can we daddy.” He begged. Can’s heart was so full of love for his son, he could never deny him anything. 

” Well, it just so happens, that we will be getting a brother or sister in a while. How does that sound?” Can said. The little boy looked at him, ” No daddy a brother, not a sister… girls can’t play ball, or run fast, or pickup craps in the sand.” It has to be a brother.” He demanded. Sanem watched her husband squirm in his chair, ” Now Efe, girls can do all of those things, but it will be a few months before it will be here. But if it’s girl, you will honor the meaning of your name, and be a brave big brother, one that will protect her, right?” Can stated. Efe thought for a minute, ” Are you sure she’ll be able to run fast, and kick a ball?” He asked. Can nodded, ” I’m sure, aren’t you too Mommie.” He asked. Sanem agreed, so proud of the father that Can had become. ” Ok then, I’ll take a sister too, if that’s all you can get.” He spouted, running off down the beach. 

Can reached for her hand, holding it tight, as they watched their son play on their beach. They had everything they ever wanted.

This love had given them their life.

Well, peace and love have entered the lives of Can and Sanem. Efe, in fact did get his wish for a brother 6 months later, when Kadir Divit entered their family. Although he was a bit concerned that he was so tiny, and not able to play football with him yet, he was overjoyed he had a brother. The family of four remained just that, and they lived with the two boys, in their beautiful cottage by the sea. The boys growing up to be just as dynamic and handsome as their father, and just as humble and loving as their mother. Following in the footsteps of their father, they became avid sailors, and constant companions, their bond as brothers never tested or broken. Can and Sanem made sure of that.

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