The House Where Love Grows

by grannydew, posted in The Real Thing Series

Introduction

As we begin this part of the story, Can and Sanem Divit had indeed lived the most perfect love story we had ever heard. 

Luis and Beni had blessed their lives with happiness for almost 5 years before the unexpected but more than welcomed arrival of their three other children. 

The triplets, the Divit triplets, declared emphatically as the most profound miracle to come from their love. A love that had festered and grown into such a deep connected love that everyone that knew them was certainly in awe.

The newest arrivals… Ece, the oldest daughter, Ruslan, the third son, and Miray the youngest daughter, by a meer 8 minutes. Each very much their own person and each as strong and compassionate as their parents…

These first few years of family bliss had been more than they had ever dreamed of. The oldest, Luis, had become the model big brother, and he was more than glad to play that part. 

Beni had struggled more than Luis with this abrupt addition to the family, and the meaning of sharing his mother with three tiny strangers had to be explained to him more than once. But over time it all seemed to fall into place, and their lives began to flow together just as it was meant to be…

Luis and Beni had become the best big brothers that anyone could ask for…. Luis had just turned 13 years old a couple of months earlier, when his parents brought the triplets home, and Beni was 3 weeks shy of his 6th birthday.

But changes, struggles, challenges, these are all things that make up our lives. Define who are are, and the Divit family was no exception.

Let’s follow them as they live their lives and their children grow, eager to find their way. 

Can and Sanems’ love for each other had passed the test of time, had defied the odds, and proved worthy of every happiness that had been bestowed on them…                                                   

Here in ” The House Where Love Grows”

Chapter 1

This huge home had always been surging with activity by 7:00 am each morning. The older boys getting ready for school, making sure their schedules were confirmed and the homework tucked away in their backpacks. Luis was involved in every elected activity that he could find, all of course revolving around his passion for football. There always seemed to be a football camp, or practice or a clinic of some sort that he was invited to attend. His potential had been noticed by everyone that had any interest in the sport, and that included his father.

Luis called out from the living room, ” Mom I will be home late today, so please don’t wait dinner on me this time. Just save me back a plate and I will eat when I get home.” He told her, sounding so in charge of his own life. Sanem smiled as she listened, barely recognizing this young man that he had grown into. ” Ok, but what time will you be here, you know you don’t get to come and go as you please around here. So what’s going after school today.”  She asked, as she filled a baggie with his favorite trail mix. ” Here, put this in your backpack for later, it’s your energy and you know you will need it.” She said as he walked into the kitchen. 

He smiled and stuffed the bag in his backpack, ” We are practicing with one of the other schools today, so it may run late.” He informed his Mom. ” Hey where’s Dad, I would like to talk to him before I leave.” Sanem looked at him with her eyes narrowed, ” He is upstairs getting ready. But you can always talk to me about whatever you need.” She said, tucking the sides of his long hair behind his ears. Luis would never hurt his mother’s feelings, not for anything, but he knew the answer to his question would only come from his father. ” Mom, I know, but this is something that Dad and I have already talked about, so I need to follow up with him.” Luis replied, shifting his eyes away from his mothers.

Sanem knew the subject already and was more than happy to let Can take care of this request. 

The triplets had somehow blossomed into very active and rambunctious almost 3 year olds. It seemed to have happened overnight, with Sanem hovering over these blessings from God, protecting and shaping them into tiny replicas of Can and herself. They loved Luis and would do anything to get and hold his attention, but the age difference had made it hard for that to happen on a daily basis. But Beni, they adored, and the feeling was mutual. His goal of the day seemed to be making each one of them laugh and run around hysterically as he chased them. Yes, they completely and wholeheartedly adored their brother Beni…

All three of the babies were corraled in their chairs at the table, happily shoveling the favorite cereal of the day into their mouths when Beni came in. ” Mom, do we have oatmeal, I would really like some this morning.” He announced. Sanem turned and looked at him with one eyebrow raised, ” Good morning to you too son, and this morning we have cereal and fruit. This kitchen doesn’t have a menu, but if you would like oatmeal tomorrow then I would be more than happy to fix oatmeal for everyone.” She spoke with authority. Beni knew he had said too much, so he smiled his charming little smile and nodded his head, ” Yes Mom, if we could have oatmeal tomorrow, I would like that very much.” 

Immediately all three of the babies started asking for oatmeal, ” Mama, mama, we want oatmeal, no cereal, no cereal.” They chanted, shoving their bowls of cereal back, spilling the milk all over the table. Beni quickly jumped up and grabbed a towel, ” Little ones, no we will have our cereal this morning, it’s very good for us.” He told then as he sopped up the milk from the table. Sanem took a deep breath and watched as Beni convinced them to finish their breakfast. He could get then to do anything, if he said it, they would do it. Beni quickly looked at his mother, giving her a wink and melting her heart. She shook her head, these Divit men, she thought, they all make me lose my mind….

Luis had bounded up the stairs two at a time calling out to his Dad, “Hey Dad, Dad, can I come in?” He asked as he knocked on bedroom door. Can opened the door, ” Good morning son, what are you yelling about so early this morning.” He said trying to mask the fact that he already knew just what he wanted. Luis and Can had that special, father son relationship. Luis had yearned to be just like his father from the very beginning. From that first day that Can and Sanem came to that little church that doubled as as orphanage, and this man spent an hour playing football with the boys there, he knew that was the kind of man he wanted to be. A genuine, an honest and loving man, those were the words that came to mind when Luis thought of his father. 

Luis fidgeted with his hair, his hair that was black as coal and as long and luxurious as his fathers. He had never wanted to cut his hair, he marveled at the thought of him being just like his Dad in every way. Can watched his son as he fumbled around with his words, ” Well, do you, …uhh, well, …remember when I talked to you about the motorbike that I found for sell.” Luis hesitated waiting for a confirmation from his Dad. Can smiled, ” Yes, I do remember, I remember that conversation very well.” He said, holding back his urge to laugh. Luis placed his hand on his hips, mustering up every ounce of courage he had, ” Ok good, because I would like to buy it, well not all of it, I don’t have all the money, but I do have part of it. If maybe you and Mom would put in the rest.” He stammered, fighting to hold that look of confidence as he faced his father. 

In just those few seconds Can relived those first few weeks in Peru, going to the orphanage, getting to know and love this boy that was standing in front of him. How did they grownup so quickly, how did they become so independent and certain of their own path in life. He knew he was being dramatic, but that was the way he felt. He didn’t know how to let go, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to, but he knew he had to. This was what he had always wanted for Luis and for Beni…. opportunity. This was part of that opportunity, this was trust, trusting that your child had learned what was important and what wasn’t, how to be responsible for your own actions…

Can nodded slowly, ” The motorbike, ok, we will talk to your mother about it this evening. You know she is not a big fan of such things. And you will have to take your course in safe driving, but don’t think that this is a done deal, not yet…

Luis smiled, ” Yes sir, I understand, but I was hoping to be able to have it by my birthday in a couple of weeks. What do you think?”  

Can raised his eyebrows, ” Well I think you will need to turn on all your charm to your mother if that’s what you want”…….

Sanem cleared her throat, Can and Luis turned to see Sanem standing at the bottom of the stairs. Can knew that look from his wife, and he wished he could take back his last comment.

” Luis, babe, come on you are going or be late for school. We will talk later.” She said her eyes focused only on Can…

Chapter 2

Can felt as if he was standing in front of the judge and about to be sentenced for speaking before thinking. But Luis took it all in stride as he bounded down the stairs, stopping long enough to kiss his mother on the cheek and give her a quick hug. ” Ok Mom, see you after practice, remember don’t make the other children wait on me for dinner, I will eat when I get home.” He spoke. 

Sanem patted him on the cheek and let a slight smile ease across her face, ” Ok son, but come straight home after practice.” And with that he hurried quickly out the door to catch the bus. She turned her focus back to Can as he walked slowly down the stairs, not so sure of what he was walking into. ” My love, we will talk it over and decide together what will be the best for Luis. I didn’t mean to make it sound like we would trick you into agreeing. I know how you feel about those kinds of things.” By that time he had made it down the stairs and was standing directly in front of her, his large body that towered over her, hovering, smothering her with his presence. She wanted so badly to look away, or to at least still be angry with him, but all she felt was that tingle and that surge of heat working its way up her body. 

She had no defense when it came to her husband, as he placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. She could feel herself being sucked in, but there was nothing she could do about it but accept it. He smiled, ” Come on let’s have our tea together in the garden. I have to go soon and I don’t want to leave on a sour note.”  Sanem nodded as he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. She knew he was right, he was always right about these things. He always saw the practical and the logical side of things, where she always saw the side that she could view with her heart. The thought of something happening to Luis, Beni or the three babies wasn’t anything she wanted to think about….

As they entered the kitchen all four of the children squealed with delight, ” Daddy, Daddy, come sit be me.” Eve begged, thrusting her arms up towards her father. Can always took the responsibilities of these children in stride, so patient and loving. He reached for her hands as me walked around behind them, giving each one of them a kiss on top of the head. Beni was never left out of this morning ritual of affection from their Dad. He kissed him and then playfully ruffled up his hair. ” You all need to finish your breakfast and Beni you need to get ready for school if I’m going to drop you off.” He said softly, never raising his voice.

Beni quickly nodded and went back to the task of finishing his cereal. Sanem had poured their tea as he was having his time with the children, marveling at the way he could always get them to do whatever he said. She smiled as she handed him his tea, ” Thank you for taking Beni to school.” She whispered as they walked out to the patio. Can shook his head, ” No need to thank me, I love doing it. It gives us a little one on one time. Did you know he asked me if he could use one of my old cameras to learn photography? I didn’t know he was interested in that, did you.” Can asked as they snuggled up together on the lounge chair. 

” Beni wants to learn photography, no I didn’t know that. So are you going to let him?” She replied, knowing the answer before she asked. Can smiled that wide and inviting Divit smile, “Of course, I would be happy to teach him. If he is interested enough to ask me about it then he must want it pretty badly.” He said feeling that twinge of pride and excitement inside him. He pulled Sanem closer to him, needing to feel her body against his. He never got tired of that feeling, the emotion that it stirred inside, she was the one that made him who he was, and he couldn’t love her more. 

It seemed that after the triplets were born there seemed to be such a deep connection between the two of them. Much deeper than before, it was almost eerie at how they were drawn to together. She had never felt stronger than in the past year, it was as if they had become one. She couldn’t live without his touch and he couldn’t live without touching her.. This was their love, a love that had grown into maturity, a love that had passed the test of time. 

Sanem slid her hand down his chest feeling the tightness of his muscles. His body had always been fit and very physically appealing, but this morning he had unleashed a whole new array of excitement inside her. With just a feel of his skin, she had that deep down need to whisk him away to their bedroom and lock the door.

Can cleared his throat, ” Look don’t get me wrong, this is all very nice, but if you touch me there one more time I won’t be going anywhere and the kids may see more than they ever should.” He replied in a whisper. She moaned, “Hmm, please don’t threaten me my love. Just let me have my little dream about what could have been this morning.” She smiled, giving him a quick peck on the lips as she started to move away. Can caught her arm, ” Not so fast there my lady.” He spoke, pulling her back against him firmly. ” What kind of dream are you talking about, maybe we can make it a reality.” He said, his lips only a whisper away from hers. Her breath caught as he touched her lips with his tongue, licking them gently before covering her lips with his. 

That kiss was more than a kiss, it was an open invitation for her to have her way with him. His breathing had changed as he deepened the kiss, making her feel weak and out of control. Can rolled over, covering half of her body with his as the kiss intensified. The whole thing seemed to happen so quickly it took them both by surprise, but neither was ready to break that spell. That was until Beni said, ” Hey Dad, what are you doing. I think I’m going to be late for school.” That pretty much broke the spell for sure.

Can jumped back away from Sanem, looking at Beni as he stood there no more than a foot away from the lounge chair. ” Huhh, nothing son. Ok, yes ok, I guess we should get going.” He stammered and stuttered around trying to get his wits about him. Sanem closed her eyes, refusing to look at him out of sheer embarrassment. Can patted her on the arm as he got up, “Ok Mom, I will see you later, I should be home early today.” He mumbled, as he rushed Beni around to the driveway and into his car. He knew his face was red, because it felt like it was fully engulfed in flames, but he didn’t look Benis’ way, he just drove..

He could feel Beni looking at him, but he didn’t return the look…

” Please don’t let him ask me about what he saw……please.”

He said to himself as he focused his eyes on the road….

Chapter 3

The drive had been silent, neither willing to open any form of dialogue. Beni was the first to speak, ” Dad can I ask you something?” He said, in a small and wavering voice. Can held his breath, his heart literally pounding out of his chest, ” Of course son, what’s on your mind.” He asked, with his head already trying to find the right words to explain to his son what he had just seen. ” Well I know I have asked before, but I will ask again, …could you show me how to use your camera. Just one of your old ones, one that I can learn on.” Can turned to look at him for the first time since they had got into the car, ” My camera, you want to learn how to use my camera. That’s right you have ask me before and I failed to give you an answer.” He answered. His relief had to have been obvious, as he finally released the air that had been trapped inside his lungs. 

Beni smiled at his him, ” Don’t worry Dad, I’m not going to ask about earlier. I know what the answer would be, “it’s just grownup stuff Beni,”…..am I right?” The boy said quite firmly. Can could hardly contain his laughter, but cleared his throat, then said, ” Yes son that’s right, and thank you for understanding. And about the camera, we will start your lessons on how to take care of a camera and how to take the best photos this evening after dinner. How’s that?” Beni shook his head enthusiastically, never happier than to be able to spend time with his Dad alone.

After Can dropped Beni at school, the drive to the agency was uneventful, with only the occasional thought of that mornings surprise with his wife in the lounger. He missed their spontaneous and spur-of-moment encounters. Now they had to be more careful about how affectionately they portrayed their feelings for each other. It was almost like setting up a schedule or booking an appointment to make love to your wife. He tried to book that appointment every single night, but some times she was just to tired to put her full effort into it. So just to cuddle and hold her until she fell asleep, letting himself be wrapped in the aroma of her,  sometimes that was enough. But this morning he had felt the energy from her, that desire of wanting him, that ache of wanting it to go further, but what is that saying, ” wrong place, wrong time”  couldn’t have been more appropriate.

Sanem had finally gotten the triplets cleaned up from breakfast, and the dishes loaded into the dishwasher. Ece has taken on the role of the leader, always showing the other two how things were done. So as they played in the playroom, Sanem was in the next room taking some time to put all her feeling on paper. She still did this everyday, it was her sounding board so to speak, her way to make sense of her life. She would listen to her babies in the next room playing and forming their lives, what better way to get to know someone than to secretly hear them and how they interact with others. She smiled as she overheard them, Ruslan was not at all interested in playing dress up, but Ece wouldn’t take no for an answer as she forced him to put on a cowboy hat and ride in the rocky horse, as she and Miray ran in circles, hooping and hollering as if they were indians. That was something they had since on one of the movies that they had watched with Beni a few days before. 

She knew this wouldn’t always be her life, those children would grow up and have other things to do, leaving her to find herself again. But she knew she would always have Can and her writing. She felt a shiver of delight tickle her insides as she remembered their brief encounter earlier that morning, where had that come from she wondered. It seemed to explode like a bomb when she touched him, maybe she needed him more than she realized. Then the thought of Beni popped into her mind, she had to cover her mouth with both hands to keep from laughing out loud. Poor Can, she thought, “i wonder what kind of questions he had to answer before he got him to school.”  But she knew if anyone could handle it, it would be her husband.

Can had promised to pick Beni up from school and take him home. He was more than anxious to get started on how to work the camera. He was excited that Beni was taking such an interest in photography, and more than proud to show him the proper way to capture an image. Right after they returned from Peru and set up their lives in this beautiful home, Can had turned the room just off of the garage into a dark room so he could develops his photos. Beni loved to sneak into that room and look around, in awe of how his father could make a picture appear magically on a piece of paper. That was definitely something he wanted to do.

Those three bundles of energy had finally given in to sleep, as they went down for their afternoon nap. Their favorite place to nap was in the family room, with the curtains drawn making it look like nighttime, and with some soft music playing on the stereo. It was Sanems most relaxing time of the day, as they could feel herself destress and welcome the peace and quiet. She had decided a long time ago that she didn’t want help, she wanted to do this all by herself, but of course she needed Can to assist her from time to time. But the raising, the shaping and the loving of those tiny humans would be hers and Cans responsibility. She did have her moments of regret about that, wishing for a afternoon of uninterrupted sleep or time to simply sit with a book and get lost in it’s words. That is until all three of her miracle babies would climb up into her lap, squeeze her neck, and cover her with their sweet and neverending kisses. 

Thats when she knew just how happy she really was… just how content her life had been. That’s when she knew she wouldn’t change anything in her life. That’s when she knew that Can was more to her than just her husband, he was her other half, her soulmate, her partner for life.

She smiled as she thought about all those things that made her happy, and she wondered how she got so lucky. 

She heard the door open and shut and then the sound of Beni as he ran in ready to give her a kiss. ” Mom we’re home.” He said as he wrapped his arms around her. This one had been the first one to fill her heart with that feeling of motherhood, to make her heart jump with excitement just to look at him. She hugged him tightly, ” How was school my love. Do you have homework?” She asked as Can followed him in. The sight of this man made her shiver, it always had, ” Hello my dear, I missed you.” He replied leaning down to kiss her gently on the cheek. She closed her eyes and welcomed the touch, the feel of him, his breath that warmed her whole body. 

This was her life……this is what she lived for. The kiss lingered that for a second, as they both knew what the other one was thinking. They both wanted a continuation of that event from the morning, as his eyes connected with hers. But once again Beni broke that spell of desire, ” No, no homework today mom, it’s Friday. But Dad is going to show me how to work the camera” He shouted, wedging his way in between the two……

Can smiled and winked at her..relaying a message that was meant only for her.

His eyes said…” Later my love…..you will be mine.” 

She returned the smile and the message.

Chapter 4

Can knew that Beni would not rest until he had gotten out his camera and started explaining the process. But he always helped Sanem with the dinner preparations, it was just something they always did together, and he didn’t want this evening to be any different. His wife had grown in so many ways since they had returned from Peru with the two boys. But cooking had always been a harder task for her to master, not that she didn’t give it her full attention and expect more from herself than she should. So Can made sure he was there to help, but of course he didn’t want her to think she was incapable, so he always followed her lead.

 Mothering had seemed to come so naturally to her, she accepted it completely, loving every minute of it. Then when the triplets arrived, she refused any kind of hired help, assuring him and her family that she could do this on her own. And Can could not have been more proud as he watched her love and care for all the beautiful babies that they had been given. His heart was full of the deepest love that a man could have for a woman, a woman that had given him so much. 

This was the time of the day that brought this house into a full range of hysteria. The triplets had woken from their naps and wanted everyone’s attention, but they were satisfied with just having Beni to entertain them while Can and Sanem started dinner. ” How does mac & cheese sound tonight, then we can add some veggies on the side. They always love that and it quick and easy.” Can said as he sat the pot on the stovetop. Sanem agreed, ” Sounds good, but you haven’t told me how the trip to school was this morning.” She whispered, to avoid a set of little ears overhearing. Can smiled, ” Well, our little guy was quite sly about it. He didn’t ask anything about it, he just told me, ” I know that was just grownup stuff, am I right.” I could barely keep from laughing out loud.” He replied. 

He reached for her, pulling her as close to him as possible, ” But I didn’t forget about his morning, did you?”  He spoke, his voice low and sultry as he leaned in taking a whiff of her smell from her neck. She closed her eyes, letting that feel of his breath on her skin ignite the leftover fire from that morning. She could feel that tingle, that gnawing, that flame that only he could stir inside her. Her body went limp as he tightened his hold in her, ” Can, the kids, they might see us.” She spoke, when she could finally find her voice. ” Ok, you’re right, but don’t think I’m going to forget about this, and I hope you don’t either.” His voice full of demand. She sighed, ” Not hardly my dear, don’t worry, I haven’t thought about anything else since this morning.” She answered, as she looked into his eyes, sending a wave of desire through his body.

At that very moment her life was perfect. She couldn’t have predicted anything better for her life than this. Her heart was full, she was loved by the most wonderful man and they had been blessed with special and beautiful children. What more could she possibly want? Nothing…..she thought. Nothing more than to feel the  touch from this man, to feel his lips on hers, that was enough..

 The squealing laughter of the children from the other room brought them back to the present, as they released that hold they had on each other and went about preparing dinner. With the table set and the food on the plates, they all sat down together to eat. ” Where is Luis?” Beni asked, as he shoveled the Mac & Cheese into his mouth. Sanem gave him that look, letting him know that she didn’t thing that was proper dinner manners. Beni looked down, ” Sorry, I was talking with my mouth full.” He replied. Can cleared his throat, ” Luis is at football practice and will be home shortly.” He answered. ” So Beni, you want to learn to use the camera, what would you like to take pictures of.”  Beni looked thoughtfully for a minute, ” Well….i think people. I like people, and I like to look at people, so that’s what I think. Didn’t you take pictures of people Dad?” He asked. 

Can raised his eyebrows, glancing at his son, ” Yes I did, but not just any people. They were people that were existing in bad situations. Some didn’t have homes, or food to eat. So I took their pictures so other people that had a warm home and lots of food to eat would want to help these people that didn’t.” Beni looked down at his plate, letting his Dads words sink in. ” Do we help, we have a really big house and we always have food to eat.? The young boy asked, shifting his eyes from his mother to his father. Sanem smiled, ” Yes Beni, we do. Your Dad has always made sure of that.” She replied, her heart full of love for her son. 

Sanem wiped Ece, Miray and Rusland down, cleaning them up from their dinner. They seemed to have more food on them, then what actually made it into the stomachs. Then she snuggled them together On the sofa, putting in one of their favorites movies for them to watch as she cleaned the kitchen. Can and Beni had hurried off to the back garden with the camera to begin the first of many, many after dinner lessons. She watched out the back window as Can went over every aspect of the camera and the proper way to clean and handle the machine. Beni listened intently and seriously, not about to disappoint his Dad.

This first lesson lasted longer than expected, with Beni asking a billion questions, but his enthusiasm for it all was overwhelming. Luis had made it home, ate his dinner and shut himself up in his room to do his homework. Sanem and already bathed the babies and had them ready for bed by the time they had come in from the garden. ” I’m sorry babe, I was going to help. You should have called me. But Beni was full of questions.” He chuckled, shaking his head. He cornered her up against the fridge, his hands touching and feeling every part of her body all at one time it seemed. She sucked in her breath, ” Can, lets wait until the kids are in bed.” He ignored her plea at first, finding her lips and playfully nibbling and sucking on her bottom lip. He wanted to do more, he was ready to continue where they had left off earlier that day, but he knew she was right, so he reluctantly released the hold he had on her. 

” The babies are waiting on you to tuck them in, then Beni.” He shook his head, ” Ok, where is Luis, I need to speak with him to.?” He spoke, as they started up the stairs. Sanem stopped, looking at him, ” If it is about that motorbike, we haven’t talked about that yet. So don’t give him any ideas about it.” She announced, in her most firm and opposing voice.

Can nodded slowly, ” Ok, I know we haven’t discussed it yet, but he is going to want to know. 

And there it was, she knew she had already lost this battle before it even began…. Can had all but accepted the thought of him having the motorbike. Maybe she was being unreasonable, to afraid that he may get hurt…..But she was. She closed her eyes, letting her nerves calm down. She felt him touch he cheek, ….” Sanem, he will be fine. He will take his learning class and wear the proper gear, ..and he will be fine.” He told her, his voice so calm and relaxing.

She opened her eyes and looked into the face of this man that she loved more than anything.

 “Well he better be Mr. Can, or you will have me to answer to.” She said, with a voice just as calm and relaxing as his….

He smiled, he loved it when she was just a little upset with him before they went to bed…..

It always made for a special night.

Chapter 5

It seemed the subject of the motorbike had been discussed and decided but Can knew that Sanem was not 100% on board with the outcome. Her biggest concern in life was that her children were safe and happy, no matter what. A motorbike may not fit into the realm of “safe” that she expected to keep them in. But Can knew that Luis was responsible and had a good head on his shoulders, now just to calm his wives fear about it would come next.

He gently kissed her forehead, ” My beautiful and wonderful wife, please don’t worry about these things so much. Luis needs to be trusted, let him show us that he is growing into a man. It’s going to come whether you like it or not.” He held onto to her tightly until he felt her body relax and mold into his. She knew he was right, he always was, but it didn’t make it any easier on her heart. 

Eve, Miray and Ruslan all lived in the same room for the time being. They had tried to separate the girls from Ruslan a few months earlier, but none of them took to the idea, causing a couple of very upsetting nights for all three of them. So they had decided to leave things as they were until they were each ready to be on their own. Can slowly opened the door of their room, seeing them all together on Ece’s bed. She had them captivated as she pretended to read them a bedtime story. She was explaining each picture in detail, bringing the story to life. Miray and Ruslan were so engrossed in the story that neither of them heard their Dad come in. He snuck in and quietly sat down on the floor close to the bed, completely in awe of his tiny daughters imagination. 

Miray was the first to notice their daddy sitting there on the floor, making her scream with delight, ” Daddy, daddy.” She screeched, jumping from the bed and crawling into his lap. She hugged his neck tight, ” Ece is reading to us, do you want to listen. In seconds the other two toddlers had clambered out of bed and found their spot on the lap of their Dad. This larger-than-life person that they all three adored beyond belief, this huge person that accepted all of them at once to sit with him on the floor, this man was nothing more than “daddy” to them. A title that he wore as proudly as he had anything in his life, a name that meant more than any other to him. This was who he was…and all he wanted to be.

Can glanced around at Sanem as she peeked in the door, watching this loving man and father, “My loves, it is your bedtime. Maybe tomorrow night Ece can read to both of us.” Their mother said, giving Can that look. He quickly agreed, ” Thats right my babies, let me tuck the covers in around you and all of you close your eyes.” He answered, as the three climbed into their beds. Can loved this time, tucking them in, kissing their foreheads, letting them know that whatever would come in their lives he would be there to keep them safe. Miray spoke softly as Can leaned down to kiss her, ” Daddy, don’t forget to leave the lamp on please.” Can smiled, ” I won’t my love, I will leave it on just for you.” He kissed her cheek, lingering there for a second to reassure her.  He switched of the overhead light but left the small lamp on the dresser on. An overwhelming feeling of love washed over him as he took that last look at each of them snuggled up in their beds. He knew this time would go by so quickly, before long they wouldn’t want him to tuck them in or kiss them a hundred times on the cheek. So he was going to enjoy very second of this time.

Next stop was Beni’s room. He still had so many questions to ask about the camera, ” Dad, can we work with the camera again tomorrow, I really want to take some pictures and take them to that room and make them come out on paper. Will you let me. Please, please.” He begged, making it hard for Can to refuse him. ” Of course we can. But we have our family time tomorrow also, don’t forget.” His Dad told him as he pulled the covers up around him. Beni shook his head in agreement, ” I know, I won’t forget.” He replied, as he accepted and welcomed the kiss on the cheek from his Dad. Beni immediately closed his eyes, wishing for a quick nights sleep. 

Luis’s room was last. Can tapped on the door, ” Son, can we come in.?” Luis answered, ” Yes, come in.” Can and Sanem stepped inside his room, ” Homework done?” His Mom asked as she looked around his room. ” Yes Mom, it’s Friday so I didn’t have much.” He spoke. He looked intently at his Dad, ” Dad have you talked……Can held up his hand to stop him. ” Son, don’t talk through me to speak to your mother.” He replied as he nodded toward Sanem. Luis hung his head, ” Sorry Dad, …..Mom, I would really like to talk to you about getting that motorbike I showed you a few days ago. It would make things so much easier if I had it to get myself back and forth to practice.” The young man stated. She felt her heart skip a beat, he had grown up so fast and right before there eyes, but nothing had made her happier than watching her oldest child develop into a young man. 

She couldn’t help but smile as she saw his face take on a hundred different expressions. ” Luis I know you think I’m being to protective, and that you’re no longer a child, but you are still my child no matter the age. Your Dad has convinced me that the motor bike might be in your best interest. But……..Luis grabbed her, interrupting her sentence, ” Mom, thank you, thank you.” He shrieked, showering her with kisses. Can snickered, turning away so that she wouldn’t see. Sanem wrapped her arms around him, pulling him right against her, ” Son, I want only good things for you, I never want you to be hurt, but I know that is an unrealistic point is view, so you must promise that you will be as safe as possible and always wear your helmet.” She felt the tears begin to form in her eyes and her throat begin to ache, as she remembered that small boy that had taken their hands so confidently and willingly from that orphanage in Peru and followed them to their new life. She wanted, she needed that child back again, but she knew that couldn’t happen.

Luis turned to his Dad, “Thanks Dad, I won’t let you down, I promise.” His eyes gleaming with tears, as he stuck out his hand for a handshake. Can winked at him, and took his hand giving it a vigorous shake. ” We’ll discussed the rest tomorrow, don’t stay up to late.” He said as they left, closing the door behind them. 

Sanem was quiet as they got ready for bed, ” Babe, it will be fine, I wouldn’t let anything happen to him, you know that.” He whispered as he stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her. She took in a deep breath at just the feel of his body..” I know, but you can’t be with him all the time to protect him.” She said her voice cracking as she held back the tears. 

He turned her around, his face so close to hers it made her weak….his lips grazing over hers

” My love, I think I might have something to make you feel better”……He said softly as he pulled her gently down to the bed.

Chapter 6

Sanem was breathless, her body craving his as he hovered over her. He plunged himself deep inside her, over and over as he felt that need to release coming closer and closer. She felt that rhythm and instinctively wrapped her legs around his body, pulling her body tightly up against his. Her head was reeling from this feeling of pure ecstasy, it seemed like an out-of-body experience as she suppressed that urge to yell his name for fear of waking the babies. That would be all they needed, to wake three toddlers in the middle of a heated and much-desired roll in the sack. 

Can could barely hang until she was ready, but when she was, their combined eruption brought an emotion that was meant only for them. it glued them together tighter, made them stronger, made this love of theirs deeper and more meaningful with each time. Sanem breathed out, releasing all the pent up frustrations that she had felt from her day. This was what made her feel better, and this man knew how to do it better than anyone else. Can rested on his elbows, still covering her body, ” I think that has made us both feel better, don’t you?” He asked as he kissed her forehead, then moved to her eyes, then continuing on to her cheeks, until he finally came to rest on her lips. She laid as still as possible, not wanting to break this spell of complete and utter euphoria. 

Her body tingled with excitement, as he continued his assault on her body. His kiss was telling her that he was ready to relive the past 30 minutes. His tongue danced magically inside her mouth, making the hair on her body stand up. Much to her surprise she felt her own body come alive again, that ache deep down inside her began to throb and she moaned, unintentionally and unexpectedly she begged him not to stop. ” Babe, keep going, don’t stop, it feels too good.” She whispered, her throat so dry the words barely audible. Just as Can felt himself begin to respond, his body trembled with desire, there came a tiny knock on the door. ” Mommie, mommie, are you awake.” The small voice shattered the silence. 

Can quickly slid from on top of Sanem and covered their naked bodies. ” Yes honey, what is it.” Sanem replied as she slide his t-shirt over her body. Miray slowly opened the door, peeking in, “Mommie, my tummy hurts. Ece won’t wake up so I came here. Can you make it stop.” She begged as she climbed into the bed. Can was fumbling with his sleep pants, trying to pull them on without being noticed, ” Of course baby, here let me warm my hands up and I’ll hold them on your belly.” She spoke softly, as she vigorously rubbed her hands together to generate some heat. Can watched her as she calmly soothed all the pain away. He loved her more that moment than ever before. 

Sanem repeated the process over and over, lovingly letting her hands rest gently on her babies stomach. She hummed a tune softly as she felt her daughters body slowly begin to relax as she drifted off to sleep. Can rolled over hugging up against her back, he draped his arm across both his wife and his daughter and fell asleep. The alarm was the next sound he heard making him jump. He quickly reached over and switched it off before it woke Miray and Sanem. He would let them sleep while he showered and started breakfast. He climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom, but stopped as he rounded the other side of the bed. He smiled as he saw Miray then Ece and then Ruslan all three snuggled up close to each other on Sanem’s side of the bed. 

He wasn’t sure when the other two snuck into their room and joined them, but this was something that happened occasionally. His heart was so full of love and happiness at that moment that is was hard not to show it by showering them with kisses. But he hurried on to take his shower and start the day. 

As usual, the weekends were as busy as the weekdays, with Luis ready to run off with a couple of friends to play football and Beni anxious to get started with the camera. But Can and Sanem insisted that they all had breakfast together as well as dinner each day, calling it their family time. Sanem wanted to hear everything that Luis was up to and all about his friends. Getting ready to turn sixteen in a few weeks, his life was more important to his parents than ever before. He was growing up so fast they refused to let this time pass by without sharing it with him.

The topic of the breakfast table was of course the motorbike. Luis had all the info right at hand for his Mom to look at as they had their breakfast. ” See Mom, it’s a very dependable motor bike, and it comes with a helmet, and I get to pick the one I want. I have checked about the riding classes and they start next week.” He announced, as he looked at both of his parents. Can nodded, ” Ok son, how long is the course, and what was your plan to get the rest of the money for the bike.? His Dad asked. The look on his face told them that he hadn’t expected to hear that, ” Well, I have part of the money, and……i was hoping that you would put in the rest.” Luis replied, shifting his eyes from Dad to Mom.  

Can raised his eyebrows as he glanced toward his oldest son, ” Well that’s quite a large sum of money to ask for without some way to repay us for it. How about we setup a schedule for you to work off part of the money with me at the agency. School will be out for the summer soon, and you could work a few days a week there just running errands for the staff.” He noted, giving Sanem a wink across the table. Luis hadn’t expected that but the idea was more than favorable. 

The young man’s face lit up, “Do you mean it, really, I could work with you at the office. I would love it.” He squealed, as he jumped up. He had always loved it when he was able to go to work with his Dad, but this time he would get paid. ” Thanks Dad, and you too Mom.” He said, as he leaned down and gave Sanem a hug. 

She held on to him tightly for a few minutes, not wanting to let go of the child that she wanted him to still be. He kissed her cheek, ” It’s ok Mom, I promise I will be careful, I’ll always wear my helmet and I won’t drive fast.” She smiled, returning the kiss, ” I know, you will be fine, but please stop growing up so fast. A motorbike and a job, are you sure you can handle it.” She joked, knowing he could, that and so much more. 

That twinge of pain that comes with letting go of your first child, letting them stretch their wings and take that first solo flight, had been felt by Can. 

He felt that concern you always have for that oldest child, he felt in his gut, but the admiration he had for his son far out weighted the fear.

Chapter 7

Beni had waited as long as he could, he watched as his Mom and Dad came to terms with Luis and the purchase of his motor bike. ” Dad, is it time yet? Come on lets get the camera out and take some pictures. You promised, please, please.” He begged as the triplets chimed in, chanting the same. ” Please daddy, please daddy, we want to show pictures too. Can we come.” The three tiny humans pleaded. Sanem smiled, looking at the surprise on Cans face. ” Ok, Ok. Lets all calm down for a minute and finish our breakfast.” Can said, pointing at the bowls of cereal. Sanem loved the way he could get them to do whatever he wanted, but he might just have his hands full this time.

Beni frowned, looking at his sisters and brother, ” You can watch but I’m the one learning to take pictures, just don’t get in the way.” He blurted out with a bit of anger. The look from his mother made him wish that the words had never escaped from his lips. He looked away but could still feel the glare from his mother. ” I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that, of course you can come out with us.”  He spoke, realizing how rude his statement had sounded. The three toddlers cheered, laughing and waving their arms above their heads, making everyone else laugh as well. Beni had hoped to have the full attention from his Dad that day, not having to share him with the rest of the Divit crew. It was hard to be that middle son, not that he was complaining about his older brother, but Luis just had so much more in common with his Dad than he did. And the three little ones were cute and funny, and always vying for his attention from the moment he walked in the door. So the camera and pictures would be the one common denominator that could link him together with his Dad

So breakfast was done, Luis was on his way to his practice, the triplets had been cleaned up from their morning cereal and dressed for the day. Can ushered them all out I to the back yard, ready to commence with this days learning experience. Sanem was watching then through the window, quite amazed at how well Can handled the youngest of their family. Beni listened and watched as Can gave him an intense tutorial about capturing your subject in their natural sense. As the triplets ran around the emense back yard, Beni follow them snapping away with the camera. Can watched, amazed at how quickly he adapted to the rules and regulations of photography. 

Sanem finished in the kitchen and came out with a cup of tea for Can and herself. He smiled as me reached for his cup, ” He really is good, I think we just may have a world-famous photographer on our hands.” He said, scooting over for her to share his lounge chair. Sanem nodded, feeling that unconditional love that she had always had for Beni blossom like the first flower of spring. ” Mom, can I take your photo, please, I’ll take it really good, I promise.” Beni called out to her from across the yard. She smiled and waved back to him, signaling her approval. He motioned for her to join them in the yard, ” Come on Mom, you run and play with the babies and I will take the pictures.” He ordered. She looked at Can, rolled her eyes but did what he asked…

She wasn’t sure who was having the most fun, Beni, the triplets or herself, as they ran about playing hide and seek. She laughed and the three little ones squealed with delight as Beni snapped picture after picture. Finally Sanem collapsed exhausted on the ground, and all your of the children piled on top of her, laughing and giggling. Can could standout any longer and joined in, flopping down on the ground next to his beautiful and loving wife. This was what she had always dreamed of for her family, this happiness, this contentment and without a care in the world.

Can and Beni hurried off to the darkroom to develope the pictures of the day and Sanem fixed lunch for the babies and got them down for their nap. That was her time to unwind, as she grabbed her notebook and pen and curled up in the lounge chair on the back patio. Her favorite place to write, to think, to reflect the events of the day. Can startled her as he snuck up behind her and covered her eyes with his hands, ” Guess who.? “ He whispered as he bent down and kissed her cheek. She giggled, ” The postman? The pool boy? The Gardner?” She recited as he slides in beside her. Can pulled her over close to him, wrapping his arms around her. ” There had better not be anyone else kissing you on the cheek… or here on the mouth… or in the neck.” He mumbled as he let his lips travel to all those places. She closed her eyes, enjoying the softness of his lips and the demand of them. 

Instantly they both remembered the incident from the morning before, when Beni so unexpectedly appeared next to them in the same position. Sanem opened her eyes quickly, “Can, where’s Beni?” She asked, looking around the patio. Can looked up scanning the patio quickly, ” He must still be going over the pictures he took, he was very impressed with the final outcome, and I have to admit, I was as well.” He said letting his fingers trail along her shoulder and down her arm. The touch brought on the goosebumps that she so readily accepted. ” Really, is he that good?” She questioned trying to keep her mind off of the feeling that were beginning to burn inside her. That throbbing twinge that invariably accompanied the feel of his hands on body.

He smiled that crooked smile of his, as he leaned in close, rubbing her nose with his, ” I’m sure that he will be busy with those pictures for a while, the babies are taking a nap, so why don’t… his sentence was cut short by the ring of his phone. He dropped his head, almost in defeat as he took his phone from his pocket. He wrinkled up his forehead, ” It’s Mr. Furak, I wonder what he wants.” He said as he answered.

” Mr. Furak, how are you.” He asked, giving Sanem a puzzled look. Mr. Furak had been Can and Sanems attorney after the adoption of Luis and Beni had been finalized, just to keep the legal statues between Peru and Turkey up to date. They hadn’t heard from him in quite a while, so this call had caught Can off guard. “Mr. Divit, I hope that your family is well. And the little are doing good?” He asked, but Can could tell that the question was nothing more than a formality. 

” All is well with our family, thank you. It’s been a while, so pardon my bluntness, but why are you calling.” Can tried not to sound rude, but just the tone of his voice had told him that this was not going to be a pleasant call….

” Mr. Divit, I have received a document from the courts in Cusco, Peru. They are working on the behalf of a Mr. Miguel Chavez.” He paused for several seconds, letting those words sink into Can head.

Can tried to swallow, but his throat had tightened up so tight he was unable to. He stood quickly and walked to the other side of the patio….” Mr. Chavez, why are you getting a document from Mr. Chavez.” He felt the tears begin to sting his eyes and his heart begin to pound.

” Can, Mr. Chavez is Benicos’ father.”

Chapter 8

Sanem had turned back to her writing, trying to take her mind off of the fire that had been lit inside her. She snickered softly remembering their near miss of embarrassment from the morning before. The call from a lawyer always meant a bunch of mumbo jumbo that she never understood and was more than likely just a formality, so she wasn’t very interested in the conversation. 

She continued on writing about the events of the day and the plans for Luis’ birthday. This notebook was becoming more of an event planner than a journal of her everyday life. The boys were growing up so fast that it was hard to keep up, so writing everything down was the only way. 

The thoughts in her head always came spilling out on the paper when she wrote, completely immersing her. She hadn’t even noticed that the phone call with the attorney was over and Can had sat down at the table across the patio from her. Can had a million thoughts running through his mind, but the most urgent one was Sanem. The words from Mr. Furak we’re spinning around so fast in his head he felt nauseous, as he bent over holding his head in his hands. 

Sanem glanced his way, “Babe, you know that Luis’s birthday is in a couple of weeks, we need to plan something special. It is his 16th birthday you know. Maybe a party with his friends and we can have it here. What do you think?”  She said, not bothering to look his way. Can was still going over in his mind what this document from a man they never even knew existed would mean. How could this happen, why did this happen? He mind was frantically trying to make sense of it. He hadn’t heard Sanem talking at first, until she called his name, ” Can, Can, have you heard a word I’ve said. What is wrong with you.” By then she had swung her legs around and sat up on the edge of then lounger. 

Can rubbed his hands over his face trying to erase that look of anguish that he knew she would see when he turned around. ” I’m sorry hon, I was daydreaming. What about his birthday.” He spoke, trying to hide the quiver in his voice.

Sanem shook her head, ” You know sometimes I hate repeating myself. I said, we should have a party for him here.” Can smiled, as he walked over and sat down beside her, ” Thats sounds perfect my love. He will love what ever you plan for him.” He told her, wrapping her up in his arms. ” Look, I need to go to Mr. Faruk’s office, it won’t take long. Then I will fix dinner for us when I get back.”  He leaned in giving a gentle but much more than a casual kiss. She examined his face, a face she knew better than her own, she could see that something was bothering him. 

” What is it, why do you need to go to his office.” She asked, as she cupped his face in her hands. He closed his eyes, ” Oh it’s just some paperwork he wants to show me. Nothing to get alarmed about, it’s legal stuff.” He told her, when he finally was able to look her in the face. She squinted up her eyes, glaring at him, ” Can, what legal stuff.”  He hesitated for a second before he answered, ” I’m not sure babe, but I know it’s nothing for you to worry about.”  He answered her with as much certainty as he could. 

” You just relax here and keep writing and I will be back before you know it. Start making some plans for that birthday party.” He called back to her as he headed off. She smiled and waved as she watched him walk away, as her stomach got a funny little tingle inside, like something just wasn’t quite right. But she quickly removed any negative thought from her mind and went back to her notebook. ” These Divit men, always so mysterious, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”  She wrote in her book, knowing there was more to this visit to the lawyers office than he was willing to say.

Can stood in front of the door leading into Mr. Faruks office for a minute, giving his heart time to calm down. He didn’t want too know what those documents were, he didn’t want to hear what he was about to hear. But he had to, he knew he had to, for Sanems sake he had to be the one to hear it first. He opened the door and walked in boldly, ready for a fight if that’s what it took. 

” Mr. Divit, come on in. I’m sorry to bother you on a weekend, but these papers can’t be ignored.”  He spoke, motioning for Can to sit down. Can sat, as he tried to control his breathing, ” I gathered that, so what does this man want? Does he want money, because if he does I will give him enough money to disappear and live comfortably wherever he wants. But if he want to see Beni, if that’s it, I will not let that happen.” He spewed, feeling his emotions explode inside him.

Mr. Faruk picked up the paper from his desk, ” Can, this is a paper contesting the adoption, Mr. Chavez is seeking sole custody of Beni.” The words echoed like beating drums in his ears, but they really didn’t make any sense. He couldn’t process what he had heard, ” Thats not possible, it’s just not, because we did all the things that we were supposed to do, and we did them legally. They didn’t have any information about the father, so they told us he didn’t have any legal rights.” He blared,  his heart racing uncontrollably. 

Can jerked the papers from Mr. Faruks hand, his eyes scanning over all the legal words that made no sense to him. ” How can he do this? You need to tell me that, how, after all this time. Where was he, do you know where he was while Beni was lying in the hospital fighting for his life. Where was he while Beni’s mother was dying giving birth to him? WHERE WAS HE THEN!” Can screamed as loud as he could, throwing the papers across the room.

He kicked the chair as he stood, glaring at the lawyer, waiting for an answer. ” According to the document, Mr. Chavez was incarcerated at the time. I mean at the time that Beni was born. He claims he knew nothing about a child, or the fact that Beni’s mother had passed away while giving birth to him.” Mr. Faruk explained as calmly as he could, trying to defuse the anger from Can. ” Look, I know this is not at all what you wanted to hear, but he has a legal claim to the child. This document is a legal and binding request.” 

Can pounded his fist on the desk, ” What request, what does he want. Just tell me what he wants.” He yelled, unable to control himself. 

Mr. Faruk swallowed hard trying to find his courage. ” Can, Mr. Chavez wants his son back. He wants Beni back. He wants to take him back to Peru.” 

Can had never felt like this before, his body tingled and his breathing was short and shallow, as a thousand flashes of light danced in front of his eyes.

He grabbed the edge of the desk to steady himself, ” Mr. Faruk, that will never happen…

” I promise you that will never happen,” He whispered, his voice shaking.

“You can send him a message from me. Tell him, he can go to hell”……

Chapter 9

Cans’ anger raged inside him as he paced the floor outside the office. He tried desperately to calm down before reentering Mr. Faruks office. There were so many questions that he still needed to find the answer to but he couldn’t think well enough to even know what they were. 

The nerve of this man, how could he come waltzing in here like he had any rights to this child, and completely devastate his family. He slammed his fist against the wall in frustration, “Yes this was his family, Beni was his child, his son. Who did this man think he was.”  He thought as he leaned his head against the wall. It was then he noticed the tears running down his face, he tried wiping them away but more formed and spilled over and down his cheeks. He closed his eyes and visualized in his mind the happiness that he had shared with his son that morning. The joy he showed as they had taken those pictures together, this child was happy and thriving there. 

The door of the office slowly opened and Mr. Faruk stuck his head out, ” Can, are you ok? He asked, already knowing the answer to such an absurd question. ” Come back inside, I know you have many questions about the process before you go and explain it to your wife.” He spoke softly, not wanting to add fuel to the flame. Can covered his face with both hands, pleading and begging with himself to wake up from this nightmare.

The thought of Sanem stabbed him even deeper, as the realization of having to relay this kind of news to her begin to come to light. The vision of this larger than life man wounded and broken, falling apart at the thought if losing a part if his family, was almost more than Mr. Faruk could stand. But he coaxed Can back into his office, helping him to take a seat again. Can’s mind was blurred, he felt numb and unable to make sense of what the lawyer was saying. He just kept hearing the words, “the process” over and over on his head. 

” What process Faruk, what are you talking about.” He asked in a strained voice. He throat was tight and aching from the fear and devastation of what was happening. The man felt his heart shudder, ” Well Can, we have to meet with the advocate from Peru and Mr. Chavezs’ attorney first thing, and of course we will file our own document of dispute. You know, stating that the child is in a stable and loving home, and so forth.” He replied. ” Don’t worry Can, we are going to fight this as hard as we can.” 

Can looked up slowly, his eyes red and swollen from the tears, ” What?  Fight it? You better stop ” the process” right now. Find out what he wants and I will give it to him. Do you understand, I cannot, no, I will not take this kind of bullshit home to Sanem.” Cans eyes glared with anger and gleamed with the tears that filled them.

Mr. Faruk looked down at his desk, ” Can I’m not sure if I can stop it, but I will talk to Mr. Chavez’s attorney if you would like me to. We have to be careful about how we word things. If they think we are trying to bribe or pay them off, well….it may look bad on you and make the matter worse.

Can had laid over the desk, resting his head on his arms. ” Worse? It might make the matter worse. Faruk, he is trying to take my son away from me. What could possibly be worse?” He mumbled as he raised is head and glared at him with his blood shot eyes. ” Don’t make me have to tell my wife that the child she has loved and cared for, this child that she has a special bond with, this child that we saved from a life of loneliness and unhappiness…. is about to be ripped from his family as if he were nothing more than an object. I won’t do it, so you will find a way to make this all go away.” Can spoke, his voice calm and resolved, but the look on his face was anything but calm…

He stood to leave, ” But Can…” Mr. Faruk started to speak but Can held up his hand to stop him. He stared at him for a second with that icy stare that made Faruk feel very uneasy, and then he turned and walked out the door. His mind numb and his body feeling as if he had been hit by a train, as he made his way to his truck. The words still rang inside his head…” He is contesting the adoption…. he wants his son back.”  How can this happen, a person that didn’t even know he existed now wants him.

He decided not to tell Sanem anything just yet. He drove to the coast, walked down to the spot that had always been Sanem’s favorite. He gazed out across the endless mass of water, wishing he hadn’t answered the call earlier, wondering how he would be able to hide this from her. She would know something was wrong just by looking at him.

This was the first time he had ever thought of taking someone’s life, but that thought came creeping into his mind. He pushed it away and closed his eyes, ” that’s ridiculous so don’t even let the thought stay in your head.”  He took a deep slow breath, knowing he had to get home or Sanem would start to worry and be calling him. 

” Home.” He thought, “His home, his family, it was about to be torn apart by a man that he had never seen. 

The drive home was slow as he tried to calm himself. This would all work out, he told himself. They hadn’t gone through all that heartache and fear all those years ago when they rushed to Peru to help Beni through his sickness for nothing. He wouldn’t let this happen, he wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but he wouldn’t let it happen….

The sight of their house as he turned into the driveway stabbed his heart. The day they returned from Peru and he surprised her with their new home, became vivid in his mind. 

But the night that they had arrived home from Peru with both of their sons was perhaps the most memorable night of his life…. Now they wanted him to let go of part of his heart.

He wondered if Maria knew about this…had she been the one to give out their information?

So much fear was running rampant inside him that he couldn’t think…. but he would have to find out how he found out where Beni was…..

The door of the house flew open and Beni came bounding out, ” Dad, Dad. Look, I made a book from the pictures I took today.” He said, his face full of love and excitement.

Can instantly put on a smile, covering the feeling of devastation that he had inside him. This couldn’t be, this cannot happen.

His son jumped up into his arms, giving him a hug. ” Look, I put all the picture on construction paper and tied all the pages together with ribbon. Mom gave me the ribbon, but I did everything else by myself.”  He chimed, his voice exuberant and happy.

Can held him tightly in his arms…

He closed his eyes to keep the tears from falling, drawing in the smell of this child that meant more to him than life itself.

Chapter 10

It was later in the evening when Can excused himself and went upstairs to make a call. ” Ok but hurry, we will have to tuck the babies in for the night soon, and you know that insist on you doing it.” She whispered as he leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek. He smiled and nodded his head, ” I won’t be long, it’s about a new client that my Dad wants us to check out.” He told her, as he turned to go upstairs. 

He quickly made it to his office that was at the end of the hallway and closed the door. He wasn’t sure how he had held in all that fear and anger from earlier in the day, how he had kept it from showing like a neon sign, how he had hid from her that there was something terribly wrong. He needed to talk to his Dad, he was the only one he trusted with this kind of information. 

He gathered all his thoughts as he sat down to make the call. He didn’t even turn on a light, there was just the light from the aquarium that sat across the room. That soft glow of light that shimmered from the water had always seemed so peaceful, so serene as the fish swam around without a care in the world. But tonight there was nothing that seemed peaceful or serene to him as he placed the call..

The phone rang a few times before the sound of his voice came on, ” Hello son, how are you.” His Dad said. That’s all it took to release all that pent up fear inside him, the excruciating pain that was cutting into his heart. There were no words that came from his mouth, ” Can, my son what is it, or you ok?” His Das asked, hearing the uneven breathing from the other end of the phone. “Dad, I really need your help.” Can said, when he finally got the words to come out. ” I don’t know what to do,…for the first time in my life, I don’t know what to do Dad.” He spoke, the words coming out as a whimper. At that moment he couldn’t control his feeling any longer, and released the tears that had been caught up inside him since he had been home.

Aziz felt the pain from his son, as he listened. ” Can is there something wrong with the children, son get ahold of yourself and tell me what’s wrong.”  He begged. Can leaned back in the chair, trying to find the words, ” Dad, it’s about Beni.” Can muttered. ” What about Beni, is he hurt, do I need to come over. What son….talk to me.” The elder Divits voice riveted through the phone. Can took a deep breath, ” His biological father has asked for him back, he is protesting the adoption.”  Can spoke, gasping as the words stung his heart. 

Aziz sat silent for a second, processing what he had heard. ” Can, please calm down, …tell me how did he find out about him. Wait, …where has he been all this time?” He asked feeling a raging anger begin to build. Beni was his grandson, and no one was going to take him away. He stiffened and cleared his throat, ” Can pull yourself together, get control. Does Sanem know about this?” He asked but he knew the answer. Can would never tell her something like this without having all the facts and a plan of how to handle it. Can moaned and wiped the tears from his face, ” No Dad she doesn’t know anything, I can’t tell her, it will kill her.”  He replied, as he acted out the scenario in his head, but quickly dismissed that thought.

Aziz took control, ” Ok look, you get yourself together, don’t let Sanem see you this way. Lets meet tomorrow and you tell me everything. We will find a way out of this. Son, ….don’t worry, you have done everything legally. Try not to be so upset.” He said, trying to soothe all of his sons fears. Can tried to do just as his father had said as he ended the call. He wiped his face, removing all the tears and doubt as best he could. 

The door opened suddenly, ” Can why are you sitting in the dark, are you still on the phone.” Sanem asked as she flipped on the overhead light. The brightness of it made him look away and close his eyes, ” No, just got off.” He replied, blinking his eyes. “Well come on, the three are ready for bed. And they want their daddy.” She said, as she leaned over his chair from behind and slid her hands down his chest. She kissed his cheek, ” And I kinda want their daddy too, so let’s get everybody tucked in and then…well, I won’t say it out loud, but you can use your imagination.” She whispered seductively into his ear. 

He grasped her arms, holding on to them tightly. He needed her more than ever at that moment, but he was so afraid she would see the fear in his face. ” My imagination you say, well I have a very vivid imagination you know. Are you sure you can handle it?” He asked, pulling her around the chair and down onto his lap. She giggled as he showered her with kisses, starting at her cheeks and traveling oh so daringly down her neck, ready to explore what was beneath her clothing. 

Within seconds the fire had been lit. He pulled her closer and tighter to him, feeling like she was the only one to save him from this pit of anguish that he had fallen into. He wanted to feel her skin next to his, that heat they always generated between them. He tugged at her shirt, pulling it down further and pushing it off her shoulders. His breathing was short and labored as this feeling of desire took him over. Sanem grabbed his arms stopping him, ” Can stop, we have to take care of the little ones first, ..are you ok?” She asked, cupping his face in her hands. Can leaned back against the chair, ” I’m fine, sorry, I think I got carried away.” He said. She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his, ” I know, me too. Lets get the kids to bed, ok, …then we can pick up where we left off.” She murmured, grazing his lips with hers, lingering there for an instant, letting her breath spread over his lips.

She could place him so completely under her spell that sometimes he didn’t know where he was.  All he knew was, he wanted her, all of her, as he felt that throbbing ache grow more intense between his legs. She smiled, ” Take a couple of minutes daddy, before you come into their room.” She told him, feeling the beating of his hardness against her leg.

He smiled slightly, ” Ok, but I don’t think this ones going away very easily, …not without your help my love…..

She slid from his lap slowly, teasing and tantalizing him with her hands, ” Don’t worry, I will be more than happy to take care of that for you. But first the kids,” 

For one glorious minute Can had forgot about the lawyer, forgot about the documents.

She had taken him away from their problems.

All he could think about was her.

Chapter 11

The vision of her lying there with nothing but the sheet covering part of her body, made him smile. She was more than a beautiful woman, she was his beautiful woman. The last hour had been filled with a strangely demanding feeling of desire for her. It was as if he couldn’t get enough, he couldn’t touch her enough, feel her skin enough. He had wanted and needed her more that night than any other. 

She had answered every need from him, as she always did, and she had occupied his mind with something other than the major problem that he had just learned of. He slid off the bed as quietly as possible, not wanting to wake her. He wasn’t ready to answer any questions or try and hide the turmoil that raged inside him. He glanced at the clock and saw it was 3:42am., and he had yet to close his eyes to sleep. 

He looked out the sliding glass doors, gazing out across the huge backyard. It was just the day before that he had taken Beni on their first outing of learning photography. He had taken to it instantly, and Can was shocked at how talented he was at such a young age. The picture he took of the toddlers were as good as any professional. To see the pride on his face was something that Can would never forget.

He squeezed his eyes closed tightly, trying to keep the tears from coming, but the burning and stinging of those tears would not go away. He knew his Dad would know what to do, he just needed an excuse to leave the house on a Sunday, but he would think of something. He just knew he couldn’t wait until Monday to talk to his Dad. 

He was tired, his body felt as if it weighed a thousand pounds, as he crawled back in bed and moved up close to her. Her smell surrounded him, and the heat from her body made his head swim. As hard as he tried, he couldn’t close his eyes. His mind was already trying to figure out how he was going to tell her, but he pushed those thoughts out as quickly as they entered his head, ” No, that’s not going to happen, I won’t have to tell her. I will find a way to make this all go away.”

At some point, from pure mental exhaustion, Can fell into a deep sleep. But it was not a restful sleep. His mind was filled with dreams of Peru, the orphanage and everything they had gone through to adopt Luis and Beni and bring them home to Istanbul. They had done everything right, just what the law had required of them, he dreamed, moaning and mumbling in his sleep. This all woke Sanem, as she turned his way she heard him mumble, “It won’t happen, it can’t. We did it right, they can’t, they can’t.”  

She reached over and gently shook him, ” Can, …Can, wake up. Sweetheart, wake up. You’re dreaming.” She spoke softly, not wanting to scare him. Can jumped from her touch, his eyes flew open, ” Sanem, …what’s wrong?” He asked, confused and scared. She smiled, ” I think you were having a bad dream, you were talking in your sleep. Are you ok?” She laid over, kissing his chest. He was breathing heavy as he wrapped his arms around her, clinging to her for dear life. He closed his eyes, trying to calm his thoughts. ” Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up. I guess I was just to tired.” He replied, kissing her on top of her head. She snuggled in close to him, her naked body clinging to his, it made him feel warm. She always made him feel better.

Sanem was up and dressed, busy in the kitchen making their breakfast. Can usually made the Sunday morning breakfast of crepes and all the fixings, but this morning she wanted to surprise him. She knew her crepes probably wouldn’t be as delicious as his, but they weren’t bad. The triplets were sleeping in for a change, as well as Luis. Can didn’t normally sleep this late but she knew he had a rough night so she didn’t want to wake him until breakfast was ready. Beni was her helper that morning. He loved spending time with his mother, just the two of them, just like he loved one on one time with his Dad. 

” Mom, do you think I could be as good as Dad at taking pictures?” He asked as he sat the table for breakfast. She turned to look at him, ” My goodness, is that what you want to do, really.” She asked, a little shocked at his question. He smiled that great big smile, ” Yes I think it is, I want to be just like Dad. But I don’t know if I want to wear my hair as long like him and Luis. But everything else would be fine.” He stated firmly and quite matter-of-fact. She had to hold in her giggle as she looked at him, ” Well if that’s what you want, then you have the best teacher in the world. Your Dad would be so proud if you followed in his footsteps.” She told him. She had so much love for this child it was unbelievable, she had It since the first day she saw him in that orphanage. 

Can stood at the foot of the stairs, listening to his wife and his son. The conversation had filled his heart with happiness, but at the same time he was filled with so much sadness that he wasn’t sure if he could hide it. His family was just that, his family, and he wasn’t about to let go of any of them without a fight. But he had to be prepared for the worst at the same time. He knew it would be up to him to get Sanem through this if it came to be. He leaned against the wall trying to breath.

He felt like the whole world was crushing down on him….

The triplets came bounding down the stairs, ” Daddy, Daddy…. are you making breakfast?” They yelled, bringing him back from his thoughts. He managed a smile, “Good morning my monkeys, no your mom and your brother are taking care of that this morning” He whispered loudly. ” So be extra hungry this morning and eat everything they fixed, ok.” Ece was usually the most vocal when it came to something like this, ” But daddy, momma doesn’t make them like you do.” She said, trying to whisper. He forced a smile, ” But momma puts so much love into her cooking that it makes it better for us. It makes our hearts stronger.” The toddlers clapped their hands together, ” Ok, I’m going to eat every bite, and then I’m going to give her a kiss, and Beni too.” Ruslan replied.

The thought of the triplets had not yet entered his mind. If they lost Beni they would be devastated, he was their best friend, best big brother, best of everything, according to them…..

He closed his eyes, reeling at what was about to happen. Their whole life as they knew it, would be changed…

How does one prepare another for something like that?

Chapter 12

Sanem called to them, ” Do I hear three little mice scamping about in there.” The three toddlers giggled, covering their months in an effort to muffle the sound. Can held his finger up to his lips, signaling for them to be quiet, ” Yes Mommie I think you do, and I have caught all three of them.” He blared, as he scooped all three of his babies up in his arms and carried them into the kitchen, with them squealing with delight all the way. They jumped from their daddy’s arms and ran to Sanem, giving her a crushing hug, and then to Beni, giving him the same. 

The eldest Divit child appeared, ” Hey what’s all the racket.” Luis said, reaching for the little ones. ” Dont I get a hug as well, if I don’t I’m going to have to tickle you until I do.” And with that, the three toddlers ran screaming into the other room, with their older brother in hot pursuit. Beni followed, ready to join in the game of, catch me if you can. That left Can and Sanem alone in the kitchen, and the opportunity for Can to give Sanem a proper good morning. He stepped up closely behind her, letting body curve tightly up against hers, ” Good morning.” He whispered into her ear. ” You smell delicious, that’s not any way I could get you for my breakfast, is there?” He spoke as he nuzzled his nose playfully around her neck. She felt the tiny hairs on her body rise up and her skin tingled, ” Can, please don’t get anything started that you can’t finish, and the children are just in the other room.” She spoke, her voice sounding a bit shaky as she felt his hands travel up her body to her breasts. The sensation from his touch had caught her off guard as she made a small gasping sound.

She felt his hot breath on her cheek and heard his breathing change from soft and low to a quickened, labored sound, as his hands worked their magic on her body. ” Can, really, don’t get started. It’s not funny.” She spoke softly as she leaned her head back against his massive chest. She could feel the burning and throbbing begin, and that weak feeling that usually started in the pit of her stomach. Her legs were growing weak as he continued to knead and massage her breasts, ” Are you sure you want me to stop, I think we both are enjoying this.” He replied, as he rubs his body hard against her back. 

She slammed the knife down and grabbed the edge of the counter to steady herself. Her body moved to rhythm with his, as hard as she tried not to, she was losing control. Can moaned, moving her hair away from her neck with his chin it gave him full access. He nibbled on her earlobe and sucked in that scent from her that drove him crazy. ” I love you baby, more than you’ll ever know.” He whispered softly in her ear. Her mouth was open as she breathed in deeply, almost in a panting motion, her throat so dry she could barely answer, ” I love you too, oh my god Can please, we have to stop.” She muttered, shifting her body away from his. He held on to her tight, not wanting to let go, ” Ok, but this is just a preview of what is to come tonight. You won’t be able to get away from me then.” He growled in a whisper into her ear. 

He reluctantly stepped away from his wife, wanting more than anything to lay her across the table and have his way with her. But he would wait, it would be difficult but he would wait. She turned and gave him a look of acceptance at his proposal, smiling slightly as if to say, ” I feel the same way,” The screaming of the triplets from the other room brought them back to the moment, Can walked to the stove to pour a cup of tea and Sanem continued to cut the fruit for the crepes, as if nothing had happened. With just a little eye contact, they both knew what the other one felt.

For a split second Can had forgot about what was about to happen. The whole adoption thing had slipped from his mind as he let that desire for his wife become foremost in his mind. But immediately his dilemma reentered his mind as he sipped his morning tea. He knew he had to meet with his Dad to discuss what was going on, but how would he explain a Sunday agency meeting with his Dad. He could feel himself getting more nervous and agitated, he would come up with something, he had to. He had to talk to his Dad face to face today. 

His head was now full of thoughts when Beni ran into the kitchen, ” Dad, can we take pictures today. I want to take some more pictures of Ece, Miray and Rus. Can we?” He asked, wrapping his small arms around Can’s neck. A lump formed instantly in his throat, ” Well maybe later, I have to meet with grandpa for a little while today, but maybe after that.” He spoke, looking cautiously at Sanem. She didn’t like for him to work on Sundays, she always thought that should be a relaxing family day.

Sanem quickly shot a look at Can, ” Work on Sunday. But why? Can’t it wait until tomorrow? She asked, her eye’s squinted as she looked at him. He knew that look all to well, that look of disapproval. Sanem had her routine, and this day was always saved for family, so what was so important that they had to meet on this day, she wondered. He looked at her shrugging shoulders, ” I’m sorry my love, but there’s a problem with a client, a very important client, and I need Dad to help me with it. It’s an old client and one of Dads friends so he knows what to do.” He told her, the lying words tumbling from his mouth as if they were true.

Sanem nodded, but still not a all happy with the situation. The breakfast was delicious, much to his surprise, and the children enjoyed every mouthful. The breakfast table was alive with conversation as Luis revealed his plan for his birthday. ” I just want my friends from my football team, if that’s ok. We plan on playing a game or two, that is if it’s alright with you? He asked looking sheepishly at his mother. She smiled, ” That’s totally what I expected, so what type of food do you want?” She asked knowing the answer already. Luis turned to his Dad, ” Do you think you could BBQ for us Dad, I know the guys would love it.”  Can reached across the table, ruffling Luis’s long hair, ” There’s nothing to would enjoy more, of course I will.” 

Can turned a curious eye toward his son, “So just the guys huh, no girls at this party?  He asked. Luis shook his head, ” Nope, no girls. Just the guys. We don’t have time for girls right now Dad. We just want to play football.” He said so matter-of-fact. Can smiled and shook his head in agreement. 

He had been the same way when he was 16 years old, just sports was all that mattered.

But he knew that would change soon enough….

These girls have a way of entering your life and making you crazy, he thought…

Smiling shyly as he looked across the table at his wife….

Chapter 13

He made sure to help Sanem with the morning dishes, as he normally did. She was already upset with him for running off on a Sunday, a day the was supposed to be dedicated to the family. He rinsed off the plates and handed them to her to place in the dishwasher, ” Babe, please don’t be upset with me.” He said as he passed a plate her way. ” I promise I won’t be gone long, then we will have the rest of the day together.” She nodded as if she agreed and understood, but he knew her better than that. He stepped close to her making her stop and look his way, she took a deep annoying sounding breath and turned to face him. ” Ok, so the quicker you go the quicker you can come back, so tell Dad that we all say hello.” She said, with her arms crossed her chest.

He didn’t like making her upset, but she was so cute and adorable when she pouted that he could keep from smiling. He gently moved the strand of hair that had fallen across her face as she stared defiantely into his eyes. He bent down and gave her a full mouth kiss, gently at first, but it quickly turned into a hungry and demanding kiss. She was surprised at his spontaneous gesture but answered it with as much hunger as he had offered. She could never stay mad at this man, he made her feel things that were way out of her control, so to ignore a kiss like that, …well it just wouldn’t happen. 

Can felt that kiss, that desire he had for Sanem, even more than ever this morning. His heart was broken and torn over the problem he had been handed the day before and knowing what would happen to this woman he loved if she found out about it. Protect, …shield, guard, …he would all of those things for Sanem and more if necessary, to keep her from finding out about Beni’s biological father. As he stepped back from her and he let his eyes look into hers, he knew he had to stop this thing before it destroyed his whole family.

She slowly opened her eyes, ” Well that was quite a goodbye kiss, it even made my toes tingle.” She joked as she let her hands glide down his muscled back. He smiled, ” Theres plenty more where that came from, but that will come later.” He whispered, and then gave her another quick peck on the lips. 

He grabbed his keys and hurried out the door, shouting his goodbye to the triplets as they tumbled about on the floor with their older brother. ” Be good you little monkeys and I will be back soon.” He told them. As he slid into his truck, he groped around under the seat for the large manilla envelope that he had brought from the attorneys office. He stared at it, feeling that sense of helplessness rush through his body. A tap on the window startled him making him jump, ” Dad, you never said, but when you get back can we take some pictures?” Beni was standing there with this big broad smile plastered on his face. Instantly that fear went away as he looked at this young boy. He rolled down his window and smiled, ” You bet son, we can take as many pictures as you want. I shouldn’t be gone long, so help your mother and be a good boy, ok.” Can said, fighting back the tears.

Beni shook his head vigorously and ran back toward the door, turning briefly to give his Dad a wave. Can blinked hard, trying to banish the tears that burned his eyes. He found his phone and dialed his Dads number to let him know he was on his way. He tucked the envelope back under the seat as if to hide it. He knew there was no one there to see it but him, but leaving it exposed made him feel like it was real. So he would hide it.

The 15 minute drive to his Dads and Mihribans house seemed like forever. He went over every scenario in his head, everything the attorney had told him the day before, but it still didn’t make him feel better. This had to be a joke, he thought, a cruel hoax brought on by this man just hoping for some money. That was the most logical thing he could think of, so if money was what he was after than the problem was solved. He had already made up his mind to offer him an amount he could not refuse.

His Dad opened the door before Can even had a chance to knock, welcoming him in with a huge hug. The expression on his sons face told him the story, ” Son come in, how are you. My dear Can is here.” His Dad called out to Cans stepmother. Can was barely holding on to the tears that rimmed his eyes, as he hugged this woman that had become closer to him than his own mother. Her arms surrounded him, drawing him in close to her, ” Can my son, welcome. How are you?” She asked. He knew by the way she touched him that his Dad had already filled her in on what was going on. She had become a person for him to depend on, a person that loved him without hesitation, and he would accept any help from her that she was willing to give. 

Aziz motioned for him to sit, ” Here have a seat. Lets have some tea. My dear do you mind.” He said looking at Mihriban. Can flopped down in the chair, holding the paperwork in his hand, staring at it, wishing it would just disappear into thin air. Aziz gently took the envelope from his hands, ” Is this the documents he filed? Here let me have a look.” He started firmly. Mihriban came back with the tea, ” Here my love, drink this tea. I added a little something special to calm you down a bit. You need to be able to think clearly.” She said, stroking his face gently as she sat down next to Aziz. Can immediately felt like a weight had been lifted from his heart, he knew they would find some way out if this nightmare.

Aziz and Mihriban both read over the documents more than once. Going over them in detail, it seemed. Then finally his Dad looked up, ” Can this man has been in prison for the past eight years, what makes him think that can give this child a decent home. This is a farce, he’s after something more than your son.”  He announced with confidence. Can sighed a deep sigh of relief, ” This what I told Mr. Faruk, but he said Mr. Chavez has been rehabilitated. Since he was released from prison he had held a good job and a whole lot of bullshit like that.” Can shouted, feeling his temper start to flare. 

Mihriban quickly reached for his hand, holding it tightly, ” Can, calm down. There would be no way that any court would give a child to a man just because he has a good job. Especially a man that has just been released from prison, biological father or not.” She spoke, sounding so sure of it. 

Can closed his eyes, listening to her words.

” So you think he’s after money.” Can asked as he studied his dads face. ” Because if that’s the case, then he can have everything I have before I will let him hurt Sanem and my son.” 

Chapter 14

Aziz and Mihriban had finally gotten Can to calm down a bit. ” Can, don’t worry, we will both talk to Mr. Chavez’s attorney. I’ll be right there with you. I’m sure we can work this all out without ever having to involve Sanem.” He said calmly and confidently. Mihriban agreed, ” I’m sure of it, he doesn’t have a leg to stand on if he took you to court.” 

Can leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath, hoping beyond hope that his Dad and Mihriban were right. Aziz could see the toll that this had already taken on his son and it broke his heart. Sanem and Can had already been through so much with trying to adopt these two boys, he wasn’t sure what it would do the either of them if these somehow went wrong. 

Aziz sat down beside his son, eager to change the subject to a more pleasant one, “So, what’s the plan for Luis’s birthday, I’m sure my daughter has something spectacular planned.” Aziz asked, excited about his grandson big day. Can smiled, ” Well this is all Luis’s party. He wants the guys from his football team along with a ton of pizza and cake, and those are his words.” He laughed, as he felt the fear he had before slowly slipping away. Grandpa Divit roared with laughter, ” Is that so, so no girls at this party. That’s my boy, keeping his head on straight.”  

Can told them about the motorbike that Luis wanted and how he wisely convinced Sanem to go along with it. ” We came to an agreement, if he wants the motorbike then he would have to earn the money for the upkeep on it. So as soon as school is out for summer break Luis will be working at the agency part time.” Can announced proudly. Aziz smiled broadly, ” Nothing could make me happier, you know that don’t you. Listen, let Mihriban and I buy the accessories to go along with the bike, you know his helmet and whatever other protective gear he wants. We already bought him a professional football and new shin guards to match, but we want to do this too. You only turn 16 years old one time in your life and it’s a big deal.” Aziz bragged loudly as he clapped his hands together.

Can glanced at his watch, ” I better get going, Sanem was already upset with me for having a meeting today. She thinks this day should be reserved for family.” He told them, feeling a stabbing pain in his heart. ” And besides Beni wants me to help him with his photography. Did I tell you that Beni wants to be a photographer?” Can asked as a smile spread across his face. Aziz smiled as well, ” No you didn’t, but I’m not surprised. Those boys want to be just like you.” He said, admiring the person his son had become.

They watched as Can pulled away and drove down the street, then they both looked at each other. ” What is going to happen to them if we are wrong. What happens if they take that boy from them?” Mihriban said, pleading with Aziz for the answer. Aziz looked squarely in this wife’s eyes, ” We both know what would happen to them, especially Sanem. So we will not let this happen. There is always a way out, we just have to find it.” The elder Divit said, as tears formed in his eyes.

Sanem and the babies were already outside when he arrived home. The triplet were running about playing hide and seek with Beni, and Sanem was writing in her journal as she always did, describing and documenting their every move. Can stood there watching, undetected at first, until Beni spotted him, ” Dad, you’re back.” He yelled as he ran toward him. Can scooped him up in his arms giving him a big hug. The feel of this child in his arms was no different than the feel of one of the triplets. Even though he was not his own flesh and blood, he was just as important to him. He had cared for this child just as deeply in his heart, loved him just as much or more than any father could.

Sanem watched the encounter, amazed at how open Can had always been with his affection. She motioned for him to join her on the lounge chair, ” Come sit her with me. How was your Dad and Mihriban?” She asked as she moved over giving him room to sit. He smiled at her, ” Just fine and they sent you their love. And they want the details of the birthday party as soon as possible so they can be sure and make it. Sanem laughted, ” Oh I think that Luis has it already planned out. Pizza, cake and football. That seems to be the agenda for this party.” She said raising her eyebrows. Can wrapped his arms around her on impulse, just wanting to touch her skin, just needing to feel that warmth that came from only her. He pulled her closer to him, holding on to her tightly, ” Hey babe, what’s wrong, I can feel you trembling.” Sanem said as she snuggled in closer to him. 

Can tried to calm down, ” Oh nothing, just excited to hold you in my arms that’s all.” He replied, but he knew she didn’t buy it. Sanem turned to look at him, ” What is it, I know it’s something.” He looked away, ” How did she always know his feelings, how did she always read him like a book.” He wondered. He shook his head, ” Just business, you know there’s always something that someone wants that we are not willing to give.” He answered, knowing the meaning all too well. She seemed to accept his answer, at least for now, but she knew this man of hers pretty well and he didn’t physically tremble over a business deal.

Beni was ready for his lesson with the camera, ” Dad come on. Let’s take some pictures. I want a picture of the house and all of you in front of it.” Can and Sanem smiled, ” Ok, in the front or the back of the house? Can asked as they climbed out the lounge chair. ” I think both.” Beni said, as he looked around for the perfect spot for the first shot. In a second he pointed at the large outdoor table, ” Here, right here. I want everyone to sit around the table.” He ordered, as if he was directing a mini series. Sanem giggled as she watched him, he was so cute, she thought, so sure of himself, so much like his Dad. 

After he had placed everyone in their correct places, he stepped back adjusting the camera. He held up his hand and waved, ” Ok people, give me a big smile.” Beni yelled out, showing who was in charge. Can cut his eyes over to look at Sanem, as they both tried to cover up the humor they felt. Benin was quite professional as they watched him move from spot to spot to capture different angles. The triplets were having the time of their lives, posing and waving at him, along with sticking their tongues out at him playfully. 

Beni finished up there and moved everyone to the front of the house, ” Ok now I want Mom and Dad to stand in the back with Luis right in front of them, and the babies in front of Luis.” He directed, in his most distinguished voice. Can could tell this this boy would make a great photographer one day. They all did just as he said, not wanting to go against his orders.

With the pictures all taken, Can and Beni took the camera and shut themselves up in the darkroom to process the photos. This was Benis’ favorite part of photography. He loved watching the images he had just taken come to life…

” Look Dad, ” He said as the picture slowly began to appear right before their eyes. ” I think these are perfect…

He gently took the picture and hung it to dry, ” Yes they’re perfect. I will keep this forever.” He mumbled. Can looked over at his son and could see the tears forming.

” Did he know something, did he know he may have to leave this place and his family.”  Can wondered.  ” No he couldn’t, there’s no way he could.” 

Chapter 15

Can and Beni took their time developing the photos, each one seemed to be better than the first, as Can watched his son meticulously handle each one of them. Can complimented Beni as the process went along, ” Beni I think you have outdone yourself today, these are all fantastic. What are you going to do with them all?” He asked, as they viewed the photos hanging there to dry. Beni took a minute before he answered, then he said, ” I will keep them all, I’m going to put them in my scrapbook of the things I love most.” He said, quickly looking over at his Dad. Can couldn’t keep from smiling, ” That sounds great. But I didn’t know you had a scrapbook. What do you have in it?” He asked…Beni answered quietly, ” Just everything I love most about my life.” 

As the days went by, Can and his father pasted on request after request to meet with Mr. Chavez and his attorney. But the requests had either been denied or ignored. Can was beginning to think that his Dad was right, they were just trying to make them squirm…

Luis’s birthday party was just right around the corner. Can was going to make sure they kept their promise to him about the motorbike. He had already contacted the seller and made arrangements to have the bike delivered the morning of the party. The party was scheduled to begin at noon, with a full day of football and eating on the menu. The only girl allowed was, of course Emira, their cousin, Leila and Emres daughter. And that was only because she was family. 

That morning was even more hectic than usual for the Divit household. Can was busy setting up the goals in the massive backyard of their home, while Sanem took care of the decorations. Luis was expressing his displeasure at having so many balloons and streamers filling the backyard and patio, but he knew better than to complain too much. His mother had gone to a lot of trouble to organize it all. 

The truck bringing the motorbike arrived just on time, as Can and Beni were finishing up the makeshift football field. Luis was busy with making sure the balls were all full of air and ready to go so he hadn’t noticed the truck. Can unloaded the bike, inspecting it over before sending the driver on his way. Can jumped on and started the bike, revving the motor a couple of times just to get Luis’s attention before taking off on it across the back lawn. All the commotion brought Sanem and the triplets out to the backyard to see what was going on.. The babies were squealing with delight as Can rode around the yard, but Luis only stood with his mouth open. 

The gift, although not a surprise, had been the highlight of his day. Can and Sanem watched their oldest son as he welcomed his friends in for the party and proudly showed off the best gift he had ever gotten. Their hearts were full of love for each one of their children, but Can still had this ache in his heart for the son that they may not have much longer. The longer that he knew nothing, the more he was determined to fight. In fact his fight had not even began yet…

The party was in full swing by the time Aziz and Mihriban arrived. But the game was halted instantly when Luis saw his grandmother and grandfather waving at him from the patio. He trotted across the yard to greet them, ” Grandmother, welcome.” He said giving her a hug. “Grandpa, how are you? He asked as he extended his hand for a hand shake. Aziz frowned, “Whats this, he asked, ” Being sixteen does not make you too old for a hug from your old Grandpa.” Aziz replied, pushing Luis’s hand aside and giving the boy a hug. Luis smiled and wrapped his arms around him. He always loved the feel of this man’s arms around him. It was as if he was his true grandpa, like the blood from  him ran through his body just as much as it did the triplets. 

Aziz felt the tears begin to burn his eyes as he held on his boy. He had a place in his heart and it would never be changed. ” Ok, go on and play your game.” He said giving him a slap on the back.  Luis trotted back out the finish the game with all his friends, with Aziz and Can watching him, and both of them feeling proud, proud at how he had carry on the Divit name. 

Beni had been inside putting the finishing touches on that scrapbook of his. He was anxious to show it to everyone, and he wanted to take more pictures of the days festivities. Finally with all the photos placed just the way he wanted them, he grabbed the book and his camera and headed out to the backyard. Beni and Aziz had a special relationship, Grandpa Divit was much more than just a grandpa to Beni, he was his best friend. He had been from the very beginning, and Aziz felt the same way about Beni. ” Grandmother, Grandpa, you’re here.” Beni yelled as he ran across the patio to greet them. They both wrapped him up in their arms, with Mihriban showering him with kisses. Beni giggled, but welcomed all the attention.

Aziz watched the small boy as he told them how his father had been teaching him to be a photographer. His heart hurt at the thought of someone trying to rip this child from his home, and from the people that loved him. He felt his throat tighten and his eyes burn from the pent up tears. He knew that as long as he could draw a breath he would make sure that Beni was safe and with his family. Aziz tried not to let his emotions show as Beni revealed his scrapbook. Mihriban ohhhd and ahhhd at every picture, quite surprised at how good the photos were. ” Can, I think you may have some competition when it comes to photography. It looks like you were the one taking these photos.” The proud grandmother said, giving Sanem a wink. 

Beni smiled from ear to ear, soaking in all the compliments. He grabbed the camera and ran off to take more pictures, he wanted to document the whole days events. Beni positioned himself on the sideline as the older boys played football. He snapped picture after picture, from every angle. Can and Aziz watched him as he shifted around clicking away, ” Can have you heard back from their lawyer yet. It has been a couple of days since we sent in this request to talk.” The elder Divit said. ” What is this now, about the fourth request we have made, and they keep making excuses.” Aziz shoved his hands in his pockets, ” I’m about to loss my patience with it all.” He spewed, feeling the frustration of the ordeal.

Can looked around, making sure that no one was going to overhear them, ” No, not yet, but he is going to have to talk to us sooner or later. It’s getting harder and harder to keep my feeling under wraps in front of Sanem.” He whispered. 

Aziz nodded, knowing his son was in a hard situation. 

Their conversation was interrupted by three bundles of joy, as they came running from the house, just up from their naps. 

” Grandpa, grandpa.” They yelled as they all three wrapped themselves around his legs.

 He couldn’t help but laugh. This family truly had been blessed, he thought as the babies clambered their way onto his lap.

He hugged them tightly as he gazed out at Beni, so unaware of what was about to happen.

Chapter 16

A few more days had passed before they finally received an answer to their request for a meeting. Can had just stepped out the shower and was drying off when his phone rang. Sanem was already downstairs busy with breakfast so he wrapped the towel around himself and hurried into the bedroom to answer. 

His heart stopped when he saw it was Mr. Faruk that was calling. He grabbed the phone and answered quickly, ” Mr. Faruk, I hope you have good news this time.” Can announced. Mr. Faruk knew how badly the Divit family wanted to rid themselves of Mr. Chavez and the claims that he had brought, so he was happy to be able to tell him his news. ” Mr. Can, good morning. Sorry to call so early, but I knew you would want to hear this as soon as possible. We have an OK for a meeting, but it’s just with Mr. Chavez’s attorney, at least for this time.”  

Cans body felt limp, almost like he needed to sit down, but he took a deep breath and expelled to forcefully. ” Good, finally, maybe we can get somewhere now.” He said, wishing his Dad was there to hear the news. Can tried to collect himself, ” Ok when? I hope it’s soon, I’m ready to get this over.” Can ordered with anticipation.

Mr. Faruk was quick to come back with his answer, ” Well Can, they want to meet this afternoon. It seems that Mr Chavez is only allowed here in the country for a limited amount of time so they want to get this over with.” Can laughed, ” So why have they been dragging their feet for so long, we have asked several times to meet and they have refused.” Can blared, feeling his blood pressure rise. Faruk answered, ” It was just a strategy I think, just to see how desperate you were.” Can rubbed his face with his hand, ” Ok what time, we are meeting in your office aren’t we?” He asked. ” Yes, my office at 1:30. And Can, please keep your temper under control. That’s the one thing they can use against you.” He said, hoping that Can would listen to him.

” Ok, my Dad will be with me, is that ok?” Can asked, knowing there was no way he could make it through this without him. 

Aziz was shocked at how quickly they wanted the meeting, ” Well that’s typical, they ignore us for weeks and then they spring a surprise meeting on us. That’s ok, we can handle it.” Aziz replied. All the different scenarios were already running though his mind, but quickly removed all the negative thing that could happen. He knew his son, and he knew he would have to be the one to keep his head. ” Ok son, I will be at the agency by 12:00, that will give us time to go over what we are going to offer this man. Ok?” Aziz told him, hoping that they both had the strength to get through this.

Can agreed, ” Ok Dad and thank you for standing with me on this.” The sound of the children from then hallway made him look around at the door. The door swung open and Ruslan and Miray came running in, ” Daddy, Daddy. Momma said the breakfast is ready. Come on it’s time to eat.” They chimed, their voices sounding so sweet as they talked in unison. Can smiled and wrapped his huge arms around their tiny bodies as they squealed with delight. He swung them around a few times, just enough to get them dizzy, then put them back on the floor. They weaved back and forth for a second but Can held onto them until they had steadied themselves. They both giggled, reaching for him again, ” Do it some more Daddy, please.” They begged, but Can shooed them out the door, ” Come on my babies, go downstairs to breakfast and tell Mommie that I’m on my way.” 

They scampered off down the hallway as Can watched. His heart was so torn, and it hurt so bad that the things that should make him the most happy seemed to be shadowed by this terrible turn of events. But he was determined to keep this family intact, he had to. The thoughts of what this may do to Sanem had made him physically sick, but he refused to let those thoughts linger in his mind. He quickly dressed and headed down to breakfast. He could hear the chatter from the children as he got closer to the kitchen, as Beni was trying desperately to convince Luis to let him take pictures of him and his football team in their full uniforms, for his scrapbook. Luis was trying to humor him, ” Abi, you are just a little kid, what makes you think our team would let you take our pictures. Maybe when you are as famous as Dad, then maybe I would think about it.” The oldest Divit child declared, as if his football team was already a pro team.

The conversation made Sanem laugh, but she kept that laugh to herself as she turned to Luis, ” Well, your brother may not want to take your picture later on, you know, when he is a famous as your Dad. So a picture now may be your best bet.” She explained, raising her eyebrows. Luis hung his head, ” Ok squirt, I guess you can, that is I can talk the guys into it. But don’t act stupid or silly when they come, and don’t embarrass me.” He ordered, glaring at him across the table.

Can walked into the kitchen with a smile, ” Good morning kids, and good morning Mom.” He said, as he stepped up behind Sanem, giving her a kiss on top of her head. That made the triplets giggle, ” Do it again Daddy, do it again.” They chanted. Sanem waved her hand at them, as if to shush them, ” Stop it you three.” She told them, but Can had already accepted the challenge and tightened his hold on his wife, giving her a dozen or more kisses that started on top of her head and traveled down to her cheek. The triplets clapped their hands together and giggled at the sight, but the two older boys only shook their heads and looked away. 

Sanem pushed Can away, ” Hey, sit down and eat your breakfast, or you maybe wearing it.” She said, giving his a wink. Can took his place at the table, turning and looking at Beni, ” So you are taking pictures of your brothers football team I hear.”  He remarked. Beni smiled, ” Yes, Luis said I could. If the other guys say it’s ok. I will take some good pictures to put in my scrapbook.” He said with a smile. Can looked at Luis and he could see that he wasn’t as excited about the whole thing as his little brother was. ” Luis, you should feel proud that your younger brother wants pictures of your team in his special book. That book may be worth a lot one day. So maybe you could be a little happier about it.” Can said, eyeing his son from across the table. Luis shook his head, ” Ok Dad, sorry Beni, we will be happy for you to take our pictures.” He replied, giving his brother a smile…

With the breakfast table cleared and the triplets busy with coloring in the living room, it was time to get Beni and school and on to the office. Can watched as Sanem hurried around taking care of the kitchen. 

He knew the meeting that he would have that afternoon would make or break his world. It would be the most important meeting of his life. He reached out and grabbed her arm as she walked by, pulling her down in his lap….

This was the one day that he needed the feel of her skin and the smell of her perfume more than any other day. He needed her to calm his heart.

Chapter 17

Sanem fell down into his lap, surprised at his actions, ” Can, what are you doing.” She asked, with some humor in her voice. He pulled her closely up against his body, so close that she could feel his heart beating against her chest. The look in his eyes was one she hadn’t seen before and it frightened her a little. ” Can, the children…” He interrupted her sentence, ” I don’t really care about the children right now, I just really need to touch you, smell your body, that’s what I need Sanem.” His words striking a feeling inside her. 

She took his face in her hands, gently letting her fingers glide across his cheeks, ” What’s wrong Can, I can see it in your eyes, and it scares me.” She whispered, as she leaned in close to his face. She so badly wanted to kiss his lips, those lips that always welcomed hers with such desire and openness. He smiled, but the smile seemed to be a forced smile, ” Nothing that I can’t handle my love. I just need this, this connection with you today.” He replied as he gazed into her eyes.

She closed her eyes and let him touch her, breath in that smell that seemed to be his lifeline. His breath felt hot against her cheek as he sniffed her neck, and then his lips touched her skin ever so slightly, but it felt as if a flame had been ignited inside her. She jumped as the feeling surged through her body. He moaned as he let his lips slide down her neck to the crevice of her shoulders, his breathing becoming more labored and hot against her skin. She swallowed hard as she let herself go, her heart quivered with excitement as he became dangerously close to her breasts. 

This time they had been given a minute warning before Beni came bounding into the kitchen, as he called out from the stairs, ” Dad, it’s time to go, are you ready?” Beni rounded the corner and into the kitchen just as Can released Sanem and she jumped up from his lap. ” What are you doing Dad, are you still eating breakfast. We have to go.” Beni looked at them with squinted eyes. Can smiled, ” Ok son let’s go.” He replied quickly, glancing at Sanem. She was straightening her blouse and smoothing down her hair and trying to avoid the look from her son. ” Ok, Beni have a good day at school, and Can, I will talk to you later. Will you be home on time today? She said, making small talk. Can nodded, still trying to recover from her effect on him, ” Yes, I’ll try to be home early.” He answered awkwardly as he gave her a side glance.

Beni had already made it to the truck and was buckled in by the time Can slide in behind the wheel. Sanem had be able relieve his mind a bit of what lay ahead of him that day, but just being here with Beni, knowing that his life may not be the same by the time he gets out of school, the tears began to cloud his eyes. Beni had been quiet for most of the trip to school. Can hoped he didn’t ask him about their near miss at the breakfast table. Can looked his way and he could see that he was deep in thought about something, ” Beni are you ok? You haven’t said a word since we let home.” He asked. Beni hung his head, ” I don’t know Dad, something just doesn’t feel right today. Have you ever had a feeling like that before?”  The small boy said, staring down at his hands in his lap. 

Cans heart banged hard in his chest, as he tried to find the words to answer his son. ” Yes, I have had those kinds of days, but usually they were nothing, just your mind playing tricks on you.” He told him. Beni nodded, as if he understood, but his mood had definitely disappeared. This was not at all the boy he had know all of his life. This was a boy that was always full of life and joy, he never let himself get down or feel unhappy. So Can wondered what was going on…

By the time they had pulled into the drop offline in front of the school, Beni had put on a happy face. Can wasn’t sure if it for real or fake, but nonetheless he had a change of moods. He gave his Dad a high-five and jumped out of the truck, running up to greet his friends. Can wished he had that kind of recovery of moods, from feeling as if something just wasn’t right in your life, to a feeling of euphoria, within a matter of moments.

His morning should have been busy, but instead it was draining and seemed to last way to long. But the time his Dad arrived at 12:00 he was sure the whole day had already passed. Aziz could see the strain that was visible on his face, ” Can let’s have some tea and talk about what we are going to offer Mr. Chavez. We can’t go in there without a plan.” Can agreed, as he called out to CeyCey to bring them some fresh tea. His Dad always had a calming effect on him. He trusted his Dad and knew he would be the one to make the difference in this meeting. Can knew how his temper could and probably would get them into trouble with these negotiations.

Can listened as his Dad laid out a plan for their meeting, ” Ok, let’s not go into this with guns blazing son, let’s just see what the man has to say first. We need to sit back and bide our time.” That wasn’t Cans style at all, but he would have to listen to his Dad on this one.

The drive across town to his attorneys office was another one of those heartstopping times, where you could swear that time had definitely stopped. But finally they arrived and were standing in front of his office door. Can had instantly broke out into a sweat but he managed to knock on the door. ” Come on in Can.” Mr. Faruk answered.

This all took on an out of body experience for Can as he opened the door.

Mr. Chavez and his attorney Mr. Soydan had arrived early and were already seated at the table. Can nodded slightly to Mr. Faruk and extended his hand. Aziz stepped out from behind Can and shook Mr. Faruk’s hand as well before turning to the two gentlemen seated at the table. Can was at a loss for words, maybe for the first time in his life he felt helpless, as he looked at this man that could have been Beni’s father sitting across the table from them. There was no mistaking the possibility of this being that child’s father, there was a resemblance.

He looked directly into the eyes of this man, the man that was threatening the very existence of his home, his family, the people he held most dear to his heart, and he saw nothing. Not an emotion of happiness, or even a look of apprehension. He only saw a look of fear. He thought instantly, “What is this man afraid of?” 

Aziz was the first one to speak, as he spoke to Mr. Faruk, ” So what are the stipulations of this claim, and just to let you know up front, this is a negotiation, not a settlement.” 

Can was still silent, his brain not able to relay the words that were in his mind to his mouth. Mr Soydan spoke before Mr. Faruk had a chance to speak, ” Our stipulations are clear, Mr. Chavez would like to dissolve the adoption decree, and retain custody of his son. 

Can cringed at the words and he stiffened in his chair.

Aziz gently touched his sons hand as he answered, ” Well I’m afraid that will not be possible. Benicio was legally and lawfully given to my son and his wife several years ago. I think the time of rebuttal has passed.”

Can could feel the air in the office change as he watched the fear grow in the eyes of Mr. Chavez….

Softly and directly, Can spoke ” You cannot and will not take my son…”

Chapter 18

By the time that Sanem had gotten the triplets down for their afternoon nap she was exhausted. She flopped down on the sofa ready for a rest, but for some reason she felt more than just tired, she was feeling like something was wrong. Can immediately popped into her mind, was there something wrong with Can? She sat up quickly on the edge of the sofa, that feeling of dread seeping slowly through her body. She grabbed her phone to look at the time, ” It’s 2:00, I’m sure he’s at the office.” She recited out loud to herself. She tried to shake off the feeling she had but it wouldn’t go away. ” I’ll just call him, hear his voice and then I will know he’s ok.”  She reasoned.

The phone in Can’s pocket vibrated making him jump. He had been staring at the man that wanted to ruin his life for 5 minutes now. He was trying to figure him out, the uneasiness of his posture, and the fact that he refused to look Can in the eye. All these things made Can thing there was more to this man than he wanted anyone to see. 

Can reached into his pocket for his phone to see who was calling. ” My Love” appeared on the screen of the phone. Can felt a heat rise up in his body, a panic to be exact, as he stared at the phone. He knew he couldn’t answer, but she would think something was wrong if he didn’t. He glanced at Mr. Faruk, ” I’m sorry, but I really need to take this call, it won’t take but a minute.” He said as he stood and started to the door. Once he was in the hallway, away from everything that was going on he tapped the accept button, ” Hello babe, is anything wrong.” He asked, trying to keep his voice from sounding strained. Sanem was instantly relieved just to hear his voice, “Hello, no nothing is wrong, I just had a strange feeling like something may be wrong with you, so I had to call.” She took a deep breath of relief. Can closed his eyes, hating that he had to lie to her, but he knew she wouldn’t be able to handle what was going on. ” No, nothing wrong with me, but I am in the middle of a very important meeting so I need to get back in there, ok…..I love you more than you know.” Can spoke, his voice cracking with emotion.

She sat there for a few minutes deciphering their conversation. He seemed strange, she thought, but he was in a meeting, but the way he said I love you was different. He always said that on the phone when the talked, but this time it sounded as if he was sorry for something. She shook her head, ” Oh Sanem you’re making something out of nothing.”  She grabbed her notebook to jot down the events of the morning before the triplets woke up from their naps. This the only time she had to lose herself in writing was when they were asleep. 

She wrote every day, keeping a journal of all the things that happened in her life. But this afternoon she was writing about Beni and his love for the camera and taking pictures. How cute he was when he asked to take photos of Luis and his team, she wrote, so professional sounding. She even wrote about the brief little encounter she had with her husband at the breakfast table, not anything that she would normally write about, but there had been something about this morning that made her feel different. She felt the hair rise on her body as she remembered his touch, his breath on her skin as he kissed her neck. She shifted on the sofa, her body tingling at the thought of it..All of a sudden she wished he was home and it was time for bed…

Can stepped back into the room, glancing at his father, ” Sorry, that was a call I had to take. Now where were we?” He stated, looking back across the table. Mr. Soydan cleared his throat, ” Well, as I was about to explain, Mr. Chavez is more than willing to take this to court if that deems necessary.” He said, but his voice lacked the confidence that he had before. Mr. Faruk leaned forward, giving the two gentlemen an intense look, ” We have a certain protocol to follow in cases like this, for example the history of Mr. Chavez over the past 7 years. We will not simply hand over a child to a strange person just for the fact he may be his biological father.” 

Mr. Soydan shifted nervously in his chair, ” Of course, we had expected as much, so we have brought along the work history and living accommodations of Mr. Chavez.” He replied, sliding a large manilla envelope across the table. Aziz slammed his hand down on top of the envelope making everyone jump, ” Thank you but we will do our own investigation into the history of Mr. Chavez. I have my associates working on it as we speak. Not that we don’t trust the information you have brought us, we just prefer to handle these things on our own.” He spoke, letting them know that Aziz Divit wasn’t a person to play with.

Can looked at his father, wondering if that was really true or if he was just bluffing, but he wasn’t about to let his doubt show on his face. Aziz shot him a look of assurance, letting him know that he had thing under control. Can smiled slightly as Mr. Chavez and his lawyer exchanged looks of apprehension. The meeting ended abruptly, with Mr. Soydan reminding them that Mr. Chavez was only in the country for short period of time, ” We would appreciate a speedy investigation.” The lawyer demanded as the stood to leave. 

Can stood quickly, ” No, wait. I want to hear it from Mr. Chavez, why is he doing this. What does he want, because I can’t believe he is here just to rescue his long lost son.” The lawyer bristled at his words, ” Mr. Divit, my client does not have to answer your questions, in fact all you need to know is that he is the biological father, and he wants his son, end of story.” Can felt his Dads hand as it gripped his arm tightly, ” You are right, of course, but you can see my sons frustration with what is happening. I assure you we will know everything there is to know about Mr. Chavez here by the time my investigators are done.” Aziz nodded politely to the two men as they moved toward the door.

” Oh yes, I almost forgot. We need a DNA analysis done as well. So if you could go to the lab at this address and have a sample taken from your client, I would appreciate it.” Mr.Faruk told them, handing them a piece of paper with the address written on it. 

Can stood there trembling as the men walked out the door. ” Why didn’t you let him answer my question, Dad? That man is not telling us the truth, I can feel it.” Can blurted out, showing his frustration. 

Aziz knew his son all too well as he answered his question, ” Because your way will not get us anywhere. It just may lose us that boy. Be patient and trust me.” He said quietly. 

Can knew he was right, but nothing sounded better to him than to beat the truth out of “Mr. Chavez.”

Chapter 19

Can was still fuming as he drove back to the agency to drop off his Dad. Aziz had been in the phone for most of the drive back with the person that he had hired to investigate Mr.Chavez. The conversation sounded as if they were talking about a possible con man, or someone that had been leading a life in the mafia. Can looked at his Dad after the call ended, ” Dad, do you really think that this man is working for someone, or is he just out to ruin our lives.” He asked. Aziz shook his head, ” I’m not sure yet, but we will find out. They already know that he had only been out of prison for a short time, so I’m wondering how he landed such a good job with a record.” 

” Can, don’t worry, the people I have working on this are very capable, we’ll get to the bottom of this and soon.” His father said, patting him on the shoulder. Can had all the faith in the world in his Dad, so he would let him take over and make this all go away. Aziz clapped his hands together, ” Ok enough of this talk, what is the plan for our boys birthday. He’s turning 8 years old so he growing up fast.” He replied. Can hadn’t even thought about his birthday with all that had been going on, ” Dad I’m not sure, but I know Sanem will have something fun planned. To be honest with you my mind hasn’t been able to think of anything but this case.” Can admitted, his voice full of sadness.

Can dropped off his Dad in the parking garage of the agency, but he had decided not to go up to the office. He called Deren and told her he was taking the rest of the day off. “The meeting ran longer than I expected, and it’s almost time to pick up Beni from school, so I’ll just see you in the morning.” He explained. Deren was curious about the meeting, and the fact that Can was so secretive about it. But she knew Can and he would tell her only if he wanted to her know. 

Can had taken that fifteen minute drive to Benis school to get his head straight. He couldn’t let Beni see how upset he was. Beni would pickup on his mood instantly, so he went about burying all those feelings he had felt just an hour ago and put on a smile as he pulled up in front of the school. Beni was always full of energy, and this day was no different as she came bounding to the truck. He was excited about something, Can could tell. ” Dad, I want to bring my scrapbook to school with me tomorrow, do you think that would be ok. I have been telling my friends about the  camera you gave me and how I’ve been taking pictures, and they want me to take their pictures.” He blurted out with excitement. 

Can patted him on the back, ” Slow down Beni, you’re talking to fast.” His Dad said. Can smiled, “So have you been bragging about yourself?” Can said, looking at him with squinted eyes. Beni shifted his eyes away, ” I don’t think so, but I did tell them how good you said my photos were.” He replied. Can couldn’t help but laugh, ” Well you’re right, I did say they were very good, but you shouldn’t tell other people how good they are.” Beni shook his head in agreement, ” Ok but can I bring it?” He insisted. ” And I would like to bring my camera one day too, but I know you probably wouldn’t let me….

Can felt his heart drop, ” Why wouldn’t I let you?” He asked, wondering why he would think that. Beni looked at him with those big brown eyes, ” Well, because that really is your camera, and you just let me borrow it. And you used it for your work all those years ago, so I think it might be special to you.” He explained, his voice sounding sad. Those words seemed to hurt Can more than they should have as he looked intently at his son. The resemblance to the man he had just sat across the table from a couple of hours ago was remarkable. He knew there was a very good chance that Mr. Chavez was Beni’s father, but in his heart and soul, Beni was his son.

Beni had gotten the ok from both his parents to take his scrapbook to school the next day, so he spent the entire evening after dinner, arranging and rearranging the photos that were inside and placing the new pictures he had taken over the last weekend strategically in their proper place. They even had to force him to turn out his light and go to sleep. 

Sanem had been waiting for their time to turn in for the night, with the thoughts of what had happened that morning after breakfast still very fresh in her mind. Can had so many things running through his mind that when she suggested they turn in early the night he never pickup on the implication of what she was saying. Sanem hurried off up the stairs wanting to surprise him with a sexy little nighty that she had never worn before, and he did what he always did before going upstairs to bed, he checked the doors making sure they were locked before making his way to their bedroom.

With Sanem still in the bathroom, he stripped down to his boxers and crawled into bed. His head still going over that meeting he had with Mr. Soydan and Mr. Chavez, so many things that were tearing at his heart. He grabbed a book from the side table, ” maybe if I read something I can get my mind off of it.” He thought desperately. He stared at the words on the page but he wasn’t reading them. She startled him when she opened the bathroom door and walked into the dimly lit bedroom. He turned her way quickly, expecting to see her in his old T-shirt, but instead she was standing there in a silky red nightie. It was very revealing and left nothing to the imagination. He gasped at the sight of her.

She illuminated the whole room, as she walked slowly across the room to the bed. After all these years she could still make him lose his mind, as he watched her getting closer and closer. He was sure his month was hanging open and his eyes were bulging, and he wasn’t sure if he was even breathing by the time she had reached their bed. 

She turned back the sheet and sat down on the edge of the bed, ” What are you reading?” She asked, as she slowly rub her cream on her neck and down her arms. Can didn’t answer, so she turned to look at him, ” Can, what book are you reading?” She asked again. He seemed to be in a frozen state of astonishment, but he managed to place the book back on the side table, “Nothing, nothing at all…. Sanem, you look beautiful.” He uttered, sounding completely juvenile. She smiled, ” Well I was wondering if you were going to notice.” She whispered, as she crawled across to his side of the bed.

He didn’t want to blink his eyes for fear he was in a dream, so he gawked at her as if he was afraid of her.

Sanem smiled, ” I thought we might take up where we left off this morning.” She spoke softly as she ran her hands up his thigh and over his already expanding erection and continuing on up his chest. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t speak, and his breathing had taken on the sound of a wounded animal.

She looked at him and tilted her head, ” Can, you do remember who I am don’t you.” She said… ” And you do remember this morning, don’t you?” She asked, her voice taking on that high-pitch of annoyance.

Chapter 20

He was dumbfounded. He had been so absorbed in his problem that he had completely forgotten about what had happened that morning at the breakfast table. Sanem sat up on her knees, and he could tell she was slightly more than annoyed with him. He stammered out an answer, ” No, no. Of course I didn’t forget, I… I… you look fantastic, I’m sorry, you just caught me off guard.” He finally managed the words to come out of his mouth. Sanem was not convinced at his explanation, ” Since when has Can Divit evvvveerrr been caught off guard. You forgot, just tell me, you forgot what happened this morning.” She spoke, visibly upset with him.

He reached out for her as she quickly tried to make her exit from the bed, ” Whoa, whoa, hey wait a minute, where are you going. Come here, I’m sorry.” He said as he pulled her back across the bed. She turned her head away from him, not wanting him to see the hurt and tears that were forming in her eyes. He had sat upright in the bed by now, wanting desperately to make up for not remembering their encounter from earlier. ” Come on babe, come here.” Can wasn’t about to let her leave that bed, not the way she looked and the way he was feeling. 

Sanem knew she was being silly, but him not remembering that incident had hurt her feelings. She tried to free herself from his hold on her, ” It’s fine Can, you don’t need to apologize.” She snipped as she wiggled around on the bed trying to break his hold. With all her wiggling and movement, the tiny thin straps that held that very revealing and sexy mini nightie had slipped ever so discreetly off her shoulders and down her arms. 

Can held on firmly, not willing to let her go. With the top of her nightie now resting precariously on the fullness of her breasts, Can stopped instantly. His eyes grazed over her body, the soft rounded mounds of her breasts peeking out over the top of her nightgown. His eyes scoured her from top to bottom, and she felt the heat travel through her body. She froze, her heart beating too hard for her to breath, ” Babe, you…” He didn’t finish the sentence, he just lowered her down on the bed and covered her with his body….

It was sometime later when Can slipped out of bed, trying not to wake her. He walked across the room and looked out on the grounds below. He had such mixed feelings right now, on one hand he felt so fulfilled and happy from their late night romp. She could make him feel more than anything else in the world and the residue still lingered vividly in his mind. But on the other hand, he felt like his world was coming to an end and he didn’t know how to stop it.. He turned and leaned back against the huge sliding glass door and took a deep much needed breath. His eyes caught the silhouette of her naked body lying there, only partially covered with the sheet and he wondered how he would be able to help her through the possibility of losing Beni. 

Cans heart was already breaking into a thousand pieces, but he knew he had to be stronger, he had to be more careful about how he acted around her. She didn’t need to know anything about this until him and his Dad had exhausted every possibility and every avenue. His mind traveled back hours before, as he sat face to face with that man. How could he sleep at night, he wondered. And that lawyer of his, he was an arrogant bastard… He rubbed his face hard with both of his hands, “just calm down, we will find a way out of this…we have to.”

The sight of her seemed to call to him, so he made his way back to their bed and eased his body gently into the bed. He glanced at the clock, ” 3:38, maybe I can catch a couple of hours sleep.” He thought as he moved his body closer to hers. The heat from her body made him feel sleepy and tired as he snuggled up close and nestled his face up against her hair. It was so soft and fragrant that he begins to feel that hunger for her gnaw deep down inside him, but he knew he shouldn’t wake her. 

He must have dosed off, but the feel of her skin had woke him up. She had rolled over, facing him, and draped her one leg over his. The heat from her radiated over his lower body and instantly he felt himself come alive. He tried not to move, not to breath, or he would have to wake her up and begin where they had left off a few hours before. He turned looking at the clock again, “5:52, well at least I got a couple hours of sleep.” He thought, still fighting that urge to wake her up in the most savage way. He closed his eyes again as he tried to rein in those raging feelings of desire, but then she moved, even closer. She slides her arm around him and snuggled her body up close to him as she let out a soft and grunting moan. That did it, that pushed him right over the cliff. 

Her face was right there, her lips were begging him to kiss them, so he pressed his lips up against hers gently. At first she didn’t respond, so he circled her lips with his tongue, but that seemed to affect him more than it did her. But then her eyes fluttered and she touch his lips just slightly with hers, ” Good morning my love, is it morning? She asked in barely a whisper. There was no turning back now as he answered, “No, not yet, we have plenty of time.” He replied with his lips still attached to hers. He could feel her body start to come alive as she moved in sequence with him… Yes, this is what he needed, what he wanted…. what he had to have.

When he opened his eyes some time later the light was already filtering in from the glass door. He reached for Sanem, but she wasn’t there, and a glance at the clock told him he had slept longer than he expected. He quickly dressed and stepped out into the hall, he could hear the commotion from downstairs and he knew this the best time to get that sample of hair from Beni’s hairbrush to drop-off at the lab. He took several strands of hair and wrapped them up tightly in a tissue and stuck it in his pocket. He closed his eyes, sending up a prayer to that higher being, ” Please, please, let this all be a bad dream.” He whispered.

He wasn’t sure how she did it, transferring from his sexy heartstopping wife to that wholesome, efficient Mommie in the matter of an hour, but she did. All the children were sitting around the table filling up on a delicious breakfast and she was busy making lunches and checking homework when he entered the kitchen. ” Good morning my beautiful family.” He bellowed, as he gave Sanem a hug from behind. The triplets giggled as he turned to them giving each of them a bunch of sloppy kisses. He gave Luis a high-five as he pulled out his chair to sit down. But Beni seemed to be off in another world, ” Ben, good morning. Are you ok?” Can asked, looking intently at his son.

The young boy looked as if he had the weight of the world sitting on his shoulders that morning. ” Son, are you ok?” Can asked again. Beni looked at him a bit startled, ” Oh, good morning Dad. Sure, I’m ok, just thinking.” He replied vaguely. Luis caught his Dads eye and gave him a look of concern. Can winked at him, letting him know he understood. 

Sanem knew there was something bothering Beni, but he had refused to talk to her. She was hoping that maybe his Dad could get him to talk…

Can reached over ruffling up his thick dark hair, ” So are you taking your scrapbook to school today, I’m sure the teacher and the other kids will be excited to see it.” 

It took a minute before Beni replied.

He looked at Can, squinting his eyes, ” Dad, what does adopted mean. I tried to look it up in the dictionary but I couldn’t understand it.”

Chapter 21

Sanem dropped the knife on the counter, as she slowly looked Cans way. The room had turned silent, even the triplets had stopped their continuous chattering. As they all turned to look at their Dad. Sanem’s eyes had already become glazed with tears as Can looked at her with a thousand questions shouting from his eyes.

” Beni, son, where did you hear that word?” Can asked. It was times like these that he wished he had never had children, that he had never even contemplated the possibility. His mind was buzzing as he tried to think of an answer. Luis spoke before Beni had a chance to reply, ” Beni, i told you, we don’t talk about things like that, ok? ” He spit out, cutting his eyes over at his brother. Beni bristled, ready for a confrontation with his older brother, ” Why, it’s not a bad word, I didn’t swear or anything. You’re not my boss Luis, so I don’t have to listen to you.” Beni blurted out, his temper and emotions clearly getting the best of him.

Can held up his hand, ” Ok boys, that’s enough. Luis, Beni is right, he didn’t say a bad word. Please let me or your mother deal with things like this, ok? Can said quietly but firmly. Luis shifted his eyes away from his Dad, ” Sorry Dad, I didn’t mean anything by that.” Luis muttered.

Sanem stood frozen as she listened to the conversation, with a thousand things running through her mind. Can turned back to Beni, ” Son, apologize to your brother, those words were meant just to hurt his feelings and we don’t do that in this family.”  

Beni’s eyes had filled with tears by that time and he had already regretted what he had said, “Sorry Abi, I didn’t mean to say it like that.” He replied looking down at his cereal bowl. 

Cans mouth was dry and he could feel the sweat pop out on his forehead, ” So where exactly did you hear about that word.” He asked, trying to sound indifferent about it. Beni straighten up in his chair and looked at his Dad, ” Well they were talking about it at school, one of the new kids that just came to our school said he was adopted. He’s a little older than me, but he said that his parents aren’t really his Mom and Dad. Is that really what it means?  He said, as if he really didn’t believe what he had heard. 

Sanem grabbed the hand towel and wiped her hands nervously, ” Beni, do you know the meaning of parents, or Mom and Dad. Can you tell me what that means to you.” She said, looking at her son. Beni shrugged his shoulders, ” I don’t know, I guess parents mean they are someone that takes care of you, like the ones that make sure you have food and clothes.” He said. Sanem nodded her head, ” Yes, that’s right. And what does Mom and Dad mean, what does it mean to you? She said, her question seeming very direct. Beni didn’t even blink as he answered, ” They are the ones that love you, that kiss you at night and tuck you in. Mom and Dad means love.” He said, with confidence.

Can took a deep breath and looked at his wife. This woman always knew the right thing to say and when to say it. Sanem continued, ” So, if I’m hearing you correctly parents take care of you physically, making sure you have what you need, and Moms and Dads love and kiss you, right?” Beni smiled, ” Yes I think that’s right.” 

So smiled, ” Well, parents and Moms and Dads are one in the same. Me and your Dad are your parents. Parents take care of the children and they love and kiss them… so that means anyone can be your parent.” She replied her voice cracking as she fought back her tears. 

Beni thought for a minute, ” I guess you’re right, so that new boy was wrong, they are his real Mom and Dad.” He said with a smile. Can reached over and ruffled his hair again, “See, not everything is explained in the dictionary, it takes a Mom to tell you things like this.” 

Beni was completely satisfied with this answer and was happy to get started with his day, ” Dad, I think I will take my scrapbook today, that way I can show that new boy that Moms and Dads are parents, and they all take care of you and love and kiss you.” He jumped up and ran up the stairs to get his scrapbook. Can turned his eyes to Sanem, giving her a look of appreciation for taking over and giving Beni the answer, he needed. 

It seemed to be another crisis everted in the Divit household as everything returned to normal within a matter of moments. Luis had recovered from his brothers words, but still thought he needed to tell his Dad what Beni had said earlier. ” Dad, I know that I shouldn’t have said what I did, but Beni had already asked me about adoption last night before we turned in.” Can assured his son that everything was fine. 

Luis had known they were adopted. He was older when Can and Sanem found them and brought them to Istanbul. He could remember it like it was yesterday, how happy he had been and so fascinated with this place. He barely had any remembrance of his family before, so as far as he was concerned this was his family, his home, his Mom and Dad. It pained him to think what would have happened to him and Beni if Can and Sanem had not came to AguaCalientes, and Sanem had never came to that orphanage….

With their morning routine back to normal and everyone ready to start their day, they waved at Luis as he took off on his motorbike, headed to school and Can and Beni climbed into his truck and headed to Beni’s school. Sanem felt as if she had just fought the hardest battle of her life as she poured another cup of tea and settle in to write in her journal. ” She had never expected to hear that comment from Beni.” She wrote, contemplating that word… Adopted… Yet the definition she gave him of his question wasn’t exactly what he was asking, it seemed to make sense to him and pacify him for the time being.” She thought. She knew she never wanted to go through that again, it had truly taxed her heart and mind to try and explain to Beni what being a parent was.

By the time Can and Beni pulled up in front of the school, Beni had forgotten all about the conversation at breakfast. All he was worried about was his scrapbook…

” Dad do you think I have the photos placed in the proper place?” He asked as he thumbed through the thick book. Can smiled quite amused at how articulate he was, ” I think it’s just perfect son, you have everything just as it should be. I’m sure they will all love it.” He answered, pinching his cheek.

Beni winched, ” Dad don’t do that right here in front of school, someone might see and think I’m a sissy.” He squealed, wrinkling up his nose.

He opened the door and bounded out of the truck, heading for the small group of kids that were standing near the front door. Can watched with such love and fondness that he was sure he couldn’t have felt any differently if he had been born from his own blood.

The thought of NOT having him every day of his life hit him like a ton of bricks.

How could he do it… The tears seem to come from nowhere, but they ran down his face as if he had already lost his son.

He wiped the tears from his eyes. That simply will not happen. Not as long as my heart is still beating….

Chapter 22

The triplets had been more active than usual, not willing to go down for their nap at their regular time. Sanem tried to reason with them but Ece had other things in mind. As always, she spoke for the three of them, ” Momma, we want to wait for Beni to come home from school to take our nap.” She explained in a very demanding voice. Sanem had already had a trying day, starting with breakfast and Beni’s questions about adoption, so she wasn’t in the mood to bargain with her babies. ” Ece, Miray, Ruslan, I think you may have forgotten that Daddy and I are the ones that make the rules. And you three are to follow those rules.” She recited, as she pointed her finger at each of them. Ece stuck to her guns, still insisting that they would wait for Beni, “Momma, we want to wait for Beni, we want him to take pictures of us while we take our nap.” Ece said, standing with her hands in her hips. 

Sanem was too exhausted to battle with them at that moment so she suggested that she take the pictures of them while they slept. That seemed to appease Ece, so Sanem hurried down the hall to Beni bedroom to get the camera from his room, not wanting to waste any time or give the triplets any reason to change their minds. As she opened the closet to grab the camera bag, she noticed a picture stuck down in the side pocket of the bag. As she pulled the picture out, she saw it was the picture that Maria had taken of the three of them at the hospital just a couple of days before they had gotten custody of Beni and Luis.

She looked at the photo wondering why he had it hidden in the bag. She smiled as she thought back on those days. They had been so scared for Beni as they traveled from Istanbul to Cusco. Not sure of what they would find once they arrived, but that little guy was a fighter and within days he recovered. Sanem shuddered to think what might have happened to that baby if they hadn’t taken immediate steps and gotten emergency custody of them. 

She stuck the picture back in the pocket where she had found it and went back to the triplets room. ” Ok, Mommie has the camera” She said as she entered the room. But all three of her babies he already laid down beside each other on one bed and fell asleep. It was perhaps the sweetest sight she had ever seen, so she focused in the camera and snapped several shots of them sprawled out across each other. But the photo in the bag was still on her mind, she wondered how he had even found that photo. Her and Can had been very careful with the pictures that they had from the orphanage. They kept them hidden away from the other photos just to avoid any confusion. Maybe he would talk to her about it, but she wouldn’t let on that she had found it.

Can had been trying desperately to keep his mind on work that morning, but the trip to the lab to drop off the hair sample earlier that morning, and a phone call from his Dad had sent his mind in another direction. ” Son, I have a report from the investigator. I need to go over it with you.” His Dad had told him. That had been an hour ago and Can was starting to think the worst. Can had been staring at the same screen on his laptop for a while when Aziz tapped on his door and entered, ” Son, how are you?” Can looked up quickly, relieved to see his Dad. ” Yes, yes I’m fine. Come in. Have a seat, would you like some tea?” He asked nervously. Aziz smiled, ” That would be great.” He told him as he pulled the paperwork from the envelope. Can stuck his head out the door, ” CeyCey, would you bring us two teas please.” He called out to his friend.

Within minutes, CeyCey entered carrying a tray with two cups of tea, ” Mr. Can, Mr. Aziz, your tea. Anything else?” He asked, noticing the tense look on both their faces. They were both staring intently at the papers that had come from that manilla envelope, like they were the most important papers in the world. Can looked up, ” No, that’s all. But please make sure that no one interrupts us, and I do mean no one.” He said, his eyes glaring at him. CeyCey nodded, ” Yes sir.” He quickly turned, leaving and closing the door firmly behind him.

CeyCey had gotten a feeling that something was terribly wrong, but he couldn’t imagine what it would be. He hoped there wasn’t anything wrong with Sanem, he couldn’t take it if there was. The image of all that paperwork lying out on the desk made him feel uneasy.

Aziz took each piece of paper and turned it to face Can, almost ceremonially, looking at Cans face as he scanned over the documents. Can could feel his heart racing as he tried to make sense of the message he was reading. ” Dad this says that Chavez just got out of prison a little over a month ago. So how did he get such a good dependable job and home life in that short of time.” He asked, his eyes squinted. Aziz smiled slightly, ” Just keep writing, it gets even more bazaar as you go along.” 

Can read on, his mind trying to absorb all that it said. It seemed that Chavez had been given a job as a manager at one of the largest manufacturing plants in Lima, Peru. Can looked at his Dad, ” This makes no sense, he just was given the job without any experience or knowledge of the business.” Can shook his head, ” No, somethings not right. And where does he live? Do they know that.” Can asked filling with frustration. Aziz nodded, agreeing with his son, “You’re right, it doesn’t make sense. My guys are still working on the details, this was just the preliminary findings.” He replied.

Can leaned back in his chair, ” Dad, this isn’t going to help us, if anything it will hurt us. If he had is great job and is able to provide for Beni then they may just send him to Chavez.” Aziz knew he might be right, ” Don’t worry, something will show up, it has to. This guy is a con, or he works for a con. It will show up.” 

They agreed for Aziz to be in charge of the file with all the information. It would be too risky for Can to have possession, just in case someone found it. He shuddered at that thought. Aziz shoved all the papers back inside the envelope, ” Can, they will find out what’s going on, I’m sure of it. Don’t get all upset about it.” His Dad said, giving him a big hug as he started out. ” And wipe that frown off of your face or everyone’s going to know that something wrong.” He ordered, giving him a confident smile.

Aziz strolled down the hall as if he didn’t have a care in the world, and Can watched, wishing he could do the same.

He sat down on the sofa, his body feeling as if it weighed a thousand pounds. He rubbed his face with his hands, trying to wipe away all the fear that he was showing in his face. His heart ached, his head was spinning, but all he could think about was Sanem.

The tears had reached their limit, over filling his eyes and running mercilessly down his face.

What would he do if they didn’t find anything on Chavez…. how would he fix it.

His phone rang jarring him from his heartache… it was Sanem. In that instant as he stared at her name on his phone, he knew.

He would do anything, anything he had to do to fix it….

Chapter 23

~Four days later~

Beni was trying to help, as he ran around behind the triplets, ” Ruslan, bring me that balloon, you can’t have them yet. Mom, they keep taking the decoration.” He yelled out. Sanem was busy in the kitchen with preparing the food, ” Beni please, you will have to handle them yourself, I’m very busy.” She yelled back to him. Beni had managed to recover all the balloons and tie them on the backs of the chairs, but it hadn’t been an easy task, as he scolded each of them, ” Ok, now leave the balloons alone, please, at least until my guest get here.” He pleaded with the three little ones. They all three nodded in agreement as they hurried off to find something else to entertain themselves with.

Sanem was busy putting together the food for the party. It had all be chosen by Beni himself, and all very unique. It consisted of peanut butter and jam sandwiches, with his favorites of strawberries and grapes on the side. Of course, they would have cake and ice cream as well, which was the triplets favorite. Can had been sent to pickup the cake while Beni took care of the decorations and Sanem took care of the food. The day was a busy one. 

Can had arrived with the cake and they went about displaying everything in its place. Beni watched as if he was supervising, and went it was all done he gave his sign of approval. ” I love it Mom and Dad. It’s perfect.” He announced as he scanned over the tables. Can and Sanem smiled from ear to ear, as if they had just won a prize. They would and had done everything for their children, that’s what made them the happiest I the world. 

Within an hour their serene and peaceful back yard had be filled with 32 very active and loud 8 year olds. The games were all selected by Beni and the children all seem to be having the time of their lives. Can looked out across the backyard from the kitchen window, his heart was having a hard time processing the thought that this time next year the backyard could very well be empty. There wouldn’t be any of his friends running around and playing games. He felt his throat tighten and his eyes start to burn with tears. 

Beni came bursting in from the patio, ” Dad, there you are, hey can you take pictures for me. I would do it myself but I want to be in them. So can you, please.” He begged, giving him those puppy dog eyes. Can laughed, ” Ok son, I’ll do it.” He replied, reaching for his camera. Can snapped away, taking a multitude of photos, all with the direction of Beni. He also took some very candid shots, when Beni wasn’t looking. Those were the photos that Can loved most, the pictures that no one was aware of, just the ones where they were natural, being themselves.

The party was well in swing before Luis had made it home. He knew he would be in trouble for being so late, but the game lasted longer than he expected. ” Mom, really I’m sorry.” Luis said as his mother confronted him at the front door. Sanem glared, ” Luis I know your friends are important to you, and playing football too, but nothing should be more on days like this. It’s your brothers birthday, you shouldn’t want to miss it.” She told him. Luis hung his head, ” Ok I’m sorry, but the game ran long.” Sanem shook her head, ” Well it’s not me you need to apologize to, it’s your brother. And I expect you to do just that as soon as the party is over.” His mother ordered. 

It was late in the afternoon before the party started to wind down. Can, Aziz and Emre were busy talking and catching up on business when Aziz got a call. He quickly stood and walked to the other side of the patio before taking the call. Can watched his Dad as he talked on the phone, then his Dad looked his way with a look that told Can that there was trouble. A flash of heat filled Cans body as he thought the worst. Aziz motioned for Can to follow him to the kitchen. Can discreetly followed his Dad inside, ” What, what is it Dad. Was that the lawyer?” Can asked, his heart pounding.

Aziz closed his eyes and took a deep breath, ” No, it was Burak the man that’s investigating for us. He wants to meet with us this evening.” He said. Can slammed his hand down on the counter, ” Is there something wrong, did he find something?” He paced back and forth, his head throbbing. He wondered what he was going to tell Sanem, how would he explain a meeting at this time of the day, and on his sons birthday. Aziz rested his hand on his sons shoulder, ” Look, let me go meet with him and then I can get with you later tonight and fill you in.” His Dad suggested.  Can knew that was the only way, so he agreed.

As they started the cleanup, Aziz and Mihriban were the last to leave. Aziz hugged his son at the door, ” Don’t worry son, I’m sure it’s nothing more than a report. I’ll call you later.” He whispered in Cans ear. He nodded, and gave him a smile, trying to hide the fear that had already setup inside him. Sanem was busy with her goodbyes to Leila and Mihriban, so she hadn’t noticed the tense exchange between Can and his father. With everyone now gone and the triplets down for a late nap, the house was quiet. His mind was racing with a thousand thoughts as he flopped down on the sofa. 

The sight of him sitting with his eyes closed and his head resting on the back of the sofa made her sad as she came in with a cup of fresh tea. ” Here my love I think you might need this.” She said, placing the cup of tea in front of him. He opened his eyes startled, ” Oh thanks babe, I think maybe I do need this. It’s been a busy day.” He replied, his voice sounding tired and sad. She snuggled up next to him, and wrapped her arms around his, ” Hey what’s wrong, you seem a million miles away. Did something happen with your Dad, I noticed you two in a conversation in the kitchen earlier. Is everything ok?” She asked. Can grunted, ” No my dear, nothing is wrong. It’s just business.” He replied, wondering how she was always able to see everything.

She sighed, ” Hmm, problems with a client? Anything I can do to help?” She offered, hating to see her husband so absorbed in business. He smiled, ” Yes, yes you can.” He said, pulling her over closer to him. ” You can let me feel you skin against mine, you can strip off all your clothes and let me touch every inch of your body.” He whispered to her, his lips brushing lightly against hers.. She tried to push him away, laughing, but he held on to her tightly and almost forcefully.

” Can, the boys are awake, they might..” He pressed his lips against hers, firmly and with demand. ” I don’t care, I just need you” He muttered as he slid his hand up under her t-shirt and filled his hand with her breast. 

She moaned, not wanting to let that heat fill her body, but it was too late.

It was already there. She felt herself slipping down on the sofa and welcoming him to join her.

Chapter 24

There always seemed to be a ruckus of some sort in the Divit household, and this evening was no different. Can and Sanem both agree to put their romantic interlude on hold when Beni and Luis decide to hold their almost nightly argument. Their voices echoed down the stairs and into the family room where Can and Sanem had gone to escape the leftover chaos from the birthday party. 

It wasn’t long before Beni came barging into the room full of rage, ” Dad, Luis says my scrapbook is childish. It’s not, is it Dad, it’s not like a baby book it is?” He raved, as he waved the scrapbook in the air. Can took a deep breath as he sat up on the sofa, ” Beni, I’m sure your brother didn’t mean it that way. Can you two please get along for just one day, it is still your birthday you know.” He relayed to Beni, hoping for a quick resolve to the problem. Luis entered the room, ready to make an appeal and give his side of the story. ” Dad, I didn’t say it was a baby book, I just said it was childish to keep baby pictures. That’s all I said.” Luis explained. Can glanced at Sanem, wondering what Luis meant by baby pictures.

It didn’t take long to smooth over this confrontation, all Can had to do was suggest that Beni help him develop the pictures that he had taken at the party to add to his scrapbook. Beni jumped at the chance, glaring at Luis as he accepted the offer, ” Ok, I’ll help you Dad. See Luis, Dad doesn’t think this is a baby book,” Beni said, as he ran upstairs to get the camera. Can looked at Luis with squinted eyes, ” Son, please, you are the oldest, please try to act like it. You know that Beni is very sensitive about the book.” Luis shook his head vigorously, ” No Dad I wasn’t talking about his book, I was talking about the picture he had in that camera bag you gave him.”  He explained.

Sanem stood quickly, ” Did you see the picture too.” She said, her voice in a panic. Luis shrugged his shoulders, “Yes, he showed it to me. I guess he found it in the bag when Dad gave it to him.” Sanem looked at Can, who was completely confused by this time, ” It is the picture from the hospital in Cusco, when he was just a baby.” She told him. Can hung his head, ” Oh I completely forgot about it being in the bag when I gave it to him.” He replied, knowing that picture would probably be the reason for a lot of questions from the young boy.

The diversion of developing the pictures had taken Can and Beni’s off of their problems, but Can was getting worried that his Dad hadn’t called to give him an update on his meeting. Beni so loved the process of seeing those photos appear before his eyes, he was totally amazed by it all. Can loved to watch him as they went through each step. With all the pictures hanging to dry, Beni turned to Can, ” Dad that picture in the bag, you know the one of me when I was a baby, with you and Mom. Where was that taken, it looks like a doctors office or something?” Can smiled trying to minimize the effect of the photo, ” Yes it was, you had been sick and had to stay in the hospital for a day or two. That was the day we were taking you home.” Can said the words quickly, hoping he wouldn’t have a lot of questions.

It seemed to do the trick, Beni accepted the explanation, without asking anything more. The call from his Dad interrupted their conversation, ” Oh Beni, this is grandpa, I need to talk to him.” He explained, as he hurried out of the darkroom and out the back door to the patio. His heart was pounding so hard he could barely hold the phone, ” Dad, so what happened. Did you meet with your guy?” Can asked, his voice in a whisper. Aziz knew this conversation would be hard, but one that had to happen. ” Yes I did, but it wasn’t good. It seems this Mr. Chavez has the perfect credentials, a good job and a nice apartment. All the reports from Lima, Peru are in order.” Aziz relayed, hating each and every word he was saying. 

Can was silent for several minutes, and Aziz let him take his time to digest this new information. He knew his son well, and he knew the battle that was going on inside him. Can cleared his throat finally able to speak, ” So what now, what’s the next step. Do we offer him money now, or what. Dad, tell me, what do we do now.” He asked, his voice cracking as he desperately tried to hold back the tears. Aziz stayed calm, ” Can, I already have a call in to Faruk, and as soon as he returns my call, we will figure out the next move. But Can you must pull yourself together” His Dad said. ” How Dad, how do I pull myself together when this man is trying to take Beni away from us.?” He spewed, his teeth gritted tightly.  Aziz felt his heart breaking for his son, ” I know son, but try. I will call you as soon as I hear from Faruk.”

Can felt this sadness overtake him as he slammed his hand down on the table. Those tears that he had trapped inside his eyes were now flowing down his face. His pain was more than he could bear as he let it out. A voice from behind him made him jump and look around, ” Dad are you ok?” Luis asked, in a whisper. Can quickly wiped his face with both hands, ” Luis, how long have you been standing there?” He asked.  Luis replied, ” Long enough to know that something is terribly wrong. Who is trying to take Beni? Dad, tell me.” His oldest son demanded. 

Can sat down because his legs had refused to hold him up any longer, ” Luis, here, sit down. It’s nothing you need to worry about, your Grandpa and I will take care of it.” Can said sounding confident and strong. Luis shook his head, ” No Dad, it’s something bad, I can tell…. Is Beni’s real Dad trying to get Beni? Is he trying to take him away?” Can didn’t need to say a word, the answer was written all over his face. Luis stood up and paced back and forth on the patio, ” Dad when did this start, how long have you known about this?” He asked. Can revealed a little bit about what had been going on to Luis, but not all the dirty details.

Luis sat down in the chair and pulled it up close to his Dad. ” Dad, I need to tell you something, but please don’t get mad.” Luis said.

Can looked in his sons eyes, and he saw fear. A fear much like what he felt. ” What is it Luis, tell me.” I promise I won’t get mad.” He replied.

” A few days ago when I came home and it was late, there was a man standing out by the gate. I did think much about it, but as I turned into the drive he jumped on the other side of the gate and took off down the road.” Luis explained.  Can leaned over close to Luis, ” Son why didn’t you say anything?” Luis shrugged his shoulders, ” I don’t know, but today when I came home, he was there again. Just standing there looking at the house. It was sort of creepy. He was a short man with dark hair, and he wore a hat, one of those hats that look like a dressy hat, a fedora, yes that’s what it was, a fedora.

Can felt a sick feeling sit-up inside him… Chavez had worn a fedora hat that day they met in the lawyers office.

Why was he watching them? What was he up to? 

But more importantly, what was Can going to do about it?

Chapter 25

It was Monday before Faruk got back to Aziz. He was normally a patient man, willing to wait out the process, but this was not a normal business deal, this was about his grandson and his family, so the many messages that he left for Mr. Faruk had seemed appropriate. When Faruk arrived to his office on Monday morning and checked his phone, only to find it jam packed with urgent messages from Aziz Divit, he knew the day would not be a good one. 

The call from Faruk was a relief, but Aziz had already been pushed to his breaking point by the time he received the call. ” Faruk, what took you so long to get back with me, we have a dilemma on our hands.” He shouted, unable to hold his temper. Faruk apologized profusely, but he had been called out of town on some personal business, none of which seemed to concern Aziz. “Well, we have a problem, it seem that Mr. Chavez is a model citizen of Peru, and my investigators have not been able to find anything comprising about this man.” He announced, quite annoyed at having to even say those words.

Faruk was silent for a second, ” Mr. Divit, I’m sure there has to be something on this man. We should have the DNA test results back in a couple of days, let’s just stall them until then.” He replied. Aziz agreed, but he knew it would take more than that to convince his son to be calm. “Ok Faruk, what happens if the DNA test matches, what then. What options do we have, because if I know my son he is going to make his own options, and they may not be the best.” Faruk knew that would be the fact, ” Should we set up another meeting, just to feel them out again. Maybe they will back down or they may suggest a monetary amount. Who knows, but we need to be ready for anything.” He told him.

By the start of his day on Monday and he hadn’t heard from his Dad, Can was letting his thoughts run wild. He could feel everything beginning to unravel, and the thought of having to tell Sanem still made him physically sick. It was mid-morning when his Dad tapped on his office door and came in, ” Dad, finally.” He shouted, jumping up and grabbing his Dad to hug him. Aziz smiled, and returned the hug, ” Yes I’m here, but things are not good. I’ve just talked to Faruk and he thinks we should stall until the DNA results come in.” He told Can, pulling put a chair to sit down.  Can slowly sat back down in his chair, processing what his Dad had said, ” Stall them, so he thinks that the DNA will show something, like they won’t match.” He asked. Aziz shrugged his shoulders, ” I’m not sure, but if they are a match, then I think we should have another meeting with them, you know, and just lay it all out there on the table.” 

Can buried his face in his hands, ” What happened Dad, how did it get this far. I thought for sure they would find something on him in Lima.” He mumbled. He looked at his Dad with tears in his eyes, “He came to the house Dad, twice. I don’t know what he wants but we have to find something to give him to make him disappear.” Can said with a look of desperation. Aziz was shocked, ” Did you see him? Did he come to the door? Did Beni see him?” He asked. Can shook his head, ” No, Luis saw him at the gate. Dad, Luis overheard us talking and he knows everything.” He said. 

The rest of the afternoon was just a blur, as Can kept rewinding the conversation with his Dad over an over on his head. Before he knew it, it was time to pick Beni up from school. He had a harsh discussion with his heart on the way there, forcing himself to put on a smile and welcome his son as he jumped on the truck. ” Hi Dad, I had the best day. Everyone was talking about my birthday party, they had such a good time.” He babbled, chatting on about all of his friends. Can smiled occasionally and nodded his head as Beni described his day. He wished his day had been that good, he wished he had as much happiness in his life right now, but for now he would listen to Beni and count his blessings. Then that thought of, ” How many more days would he have like this with his son” popped into his head, and he felt his eyes burn with those tears that he couldn’t release.

Sanem and the triplets were playing in the back yard as Can and Beni pulled in. The triplets had been waiting for their brother to get home since they woke from their nap an hour earlier, so when they saw him, all three of them squealed with delight and drug him out in the hard to play. Can laughed as he leaned down to give Sanem a kiss, ” They could care less about their Dad, just as long as I brought their brother.” He said, sliding in beside his wife on the lounge chair. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to him, ” And, how was your day? I missed you.” He said, meaning it from the bottom of his heart. He did miss her everyday, but today was different, he felt like his family was being pulled apart and the only thing that made him feel better was to touch her…

Sanem knew this man almost better than she knew herself, so she knew he had a problem. She could feel it in the way he touched her, like it may be the last time he would feel her. She snuggled closer, gliding her hand along his face, and scratching his beard with her fingernails. That always relaxed him when she did that, just that one gesture could change his mood. She waited a few minutes, hoping he would tell her on his own what was bothering him. But when she realized he wasn’t, she sat up and looked him directly in the eye, ” Ok babe, what’s wrong, and don’t tell me there’s nothing wrong. I know you better than that.” She spoke, her eyes searching his.

You have heard the expression, “Saved by the Bell.” Well Can was saved by the baby, as Miray let out a screaming cry. Sanem jumped up and ran out to her in record time, forgetting all about that question she had asked Can. But Can followed quickly behind, expecting to see a pool of blood by the sound of the screaming. Sanem accessed the damage and scooped her up in her arms to carry her to the house. Beni looked at his Dad, ” I didn’t mean to do it, we just ran into each other, and she fell.” He said, wiping the tears that were already falling. Can reached down and hugged him, ” I know, things happen sometimes, she will be fine.” He reassured him.

He quickly followed Sanem inside to help her, ” Is she ok babe, how bad is it?” He asked, smoothing down his baby daughters hair.

Sanem had already cleaned the scrape on her knee by the time Can had made it to the kitchen.

” It’s just a scrape, she will be fine. A little anti-bacterial cream and a bandaid, and she good as new.” She announced with a laugh. She looked at Can with concern, wondering what had gotten into him.

” But don’t think this little scrape will get you off the hook. We will finish our little talk later.” She said, giving him a wink.

Chapter 26

The rest of the day went by without incident, but he knew that he would have to answer that question she had asked him earlier, and he had his lie all ready on his mind. He hated to keep things from her, but this was something that could cause her more pain than he wanted to see her go through. If things didn’t go well with the DNA test then he would have to think about telling her what was going on, but until then, he would have to lie….

Sanem kept an eye on Can, wondering what was going on. She knew it was something big because he had a hard time looking her in the eye. Everyone was home at the same time for dinner, and that was something that didn’t happen in a regular basis. Luis had finished practice early and made home just in time to sit down with the family. Sanem even noticed a couple of glances to each other between Can and Luis, and she wondered if that had anything to do with Cans problem.

After dinner Beni and Can went to the darkroom to finish developing the pictures that he had taken at the birthday party. Can was hoping to avoid Sanem for as long as possible. This process of developing pictures was Benis favorite, and Cans too as well. It took his mind off of their obvious troubles. With all the photos developed and hung to dry, Beni went in to say goodnight to his Mom and the triplets. Sanem would keep that question on hold until they had gone through their nightly routine of putting the children down, then he would get to the bottom of his problem.

Sanem was saying her second round of goodnights to Beni as Can went to get ready for bed. He knew what was coming so he was trying to prepare for it. Just as he got into bed his phone pinged, alerting him that he had a text……” They snuck one in on us son, we have a court date day after tomorrow. I’ll be at your office first thing in the morning…sorry.”  

Can blinked his eyes several times and then reread the text. What did he mean, they snuck one in, how could they? He was still trying to figure out what happened when Sanem walked in, “Already in bed, good, I’ll be right back.” She said, flipping her hair in a jokingly manner. He smiled and shook his head, but he was still in a fog over the message. He closed his eyes, determined to shake off that feeling of the rug being jerked out from underneath him. He plugged his phone up to the charger as he did every night and took a deep breath, ” Ok just tell her the lie you came up with and let that be it.”  He said to himself.

Sanem emerged from the bathroom with his t-shirt covering her naked body. The neck of the t-shirt hanging loosely off her shoulder in that most precarious way. She climbed in bed on her knees and crawled across their large king size bed, much like a slinky cat on the prowl. He knew this was not going to be an easy conversation to have, but he was determined to hold his ground. She giggled softly as his t-shirt fell further off over her shoulder and down her arm, revealing her very volumpuous breasts. She gingerly pulled the neck of the t-shirt up to cover her body and batted her eyes at him in a playful way, ” Sorry, the t-shirt is a little large.” She said, as she finally reached his side of the bed.

By this time Can had already forgotten the lie that he had conjured up in his mind to answer the question that he knew was coming. All he could think of was removing that very large t-shirt from her body and throwing it on the floor. He reached for her to pull her over closer to her, but she stopped him, ” Whoa, wait a minute. We will talk a little before diving into the good stuff.” She told him, giving him a wink. He felt his chest tighten, but he smiled, ” Ok, what do you want to talk about?” He said nonchalantly. 

Her eyes squinted, ” Can, I know you better than you know yourself, so what is going on with you. And don’t insult me by telling me that nothing is going on.” She replied, propping herself up on one elbow. He smiled slightly and proceeded to tell her the explanation that he had manufactured in his mind. ” So see, it’s just a problem with a contract, that’s all.” He said taking a deep breath and reaching to pull her over next to him. She balked, pulling away from him, “Just a contract problem, that’s what you’re saying.” She repeated.

Can knew she would need to bit more convincing, but before he could answer her question the doorbell rang. Sanem jumped up looking at Can, ” Who could that possibly be at this time of night.? She asked. Can was just a stunned, as he looked at his phone seeing that it was 10:40.  He quickly climbed out of bed and pulled on his workout shorts that were lying in the floor and started toward the bedroom door. He grabbed his tank top that was draped across the chair by the door as he made his way down the hallway to the stairs. The doorbell rang again before he could get to the bottom of the stairs, so he shouted, ” I’m coming, just hold on.” Sanem grabbed the robe that hung on the back of the bathroom door, she wrapped it around her and went to check on the triplets, hoping that the ringing doorbell hadn’t woke them. As she looked in she could see they were still sound asleep, she closed the door quietly and headed toward the stairs.

Can was annoyed by the time he had reached the door so he turned the lock and jerked it open. ” Yes, can I help?” Can had started the phrase but halted. The person on the other side of the door was Mr. Chavez, the very last person that Can had wanted to see at his entryway. But there he stood, and he had a very determined look on his face. Chavez nodded slightly but Can was at a loss for words as he continued to glare at the man. Chavez spoke first in a quiet docile voice, “Mr Divit, sorry to arrive at such a late time, but” Can quickly stepped outside pulling the door partially shut behind him. ” What are you doing here? You can’t be here.” He told him as he stepped closer to him, his teeth gritted so tightly together he thought they might shatter, and he felt his body start to twitch. 

The man hung his head, almost as if he was embarrassed for what he was about to do. Can ran his finger through his hair, and paced back and forth, ” What do you want, tell me then leave before anyone sees you. How dare you come here.” He expressed, his whole body feeling enflamed with anger. Chavez looked around nervously as he spoke, ” I thought maybe we could settle this between ourselves, without those lawyers and a courtroom.” He replied.

Can moved within inches of the mans face, ” Look, I am more than willing to settle this with you right now. What do you want, or should I say, how much do you want?” Can asked, his voice sounding tight and strained. 

Before Chavez could answer the question, door opened back and Sanem stood there glaring intensely at the two men.

” Can, please ask our visitor to come in, I would love to meet him.” She announced, her eyes glistening with tears and her cheeks flushed.

Chapter 27

Sanem offered Mr. Chavez a seat, ” Would you like something to drink?” she asked him, her voice a little shaky. Her Spanish was rusty but she could speak enough to be able to extend the basic hospitality. He nodded, “Yes, water please.” He replied, as he fidgeted nervously with his hands. She glanced sharply at Can as she turned toward the kitchen. He wasn’t sure if he should follow her or not, so he decided to remain there with Chavez. His head was truly spinning with confusion as he realized how the evening had change from just 15 minutes ago.

Sanem returned with three glasses of water on a tray, placing them on the table in front of the sofa. Chavez reached quickly for the water and consumed half of the water in one gulp. She let her eyes lock with Cans, but just for a minute, just long enough for him to know that she had heard the whole conversation he had with this man from the other side of the door. Can had froze in a state of shock, as Sanem began to talk. ” So Mr. Chavez, I think you need to fill me in on what brings you here to Turkey. Since my husband has failed to inform me about what is going on.” She said calmly but Can knew this was just the calm before the storm.

Mr. Chavez cleared his throat and looked at Can before he spoke. Can knew it was too late now to keep this secret, he would have to come clean with all the dirty details. Can raised his hand, stopping Chavez before he could say anything, ” My love, I know you are upset right now, but if you let me explain I think we can solve this problem.” She continued to look at their guest, and even more intently, as she spoke to Can, ” You’re right I am upset, and I would like to hear about this “problem” from Mr. Chavez. So can you enlighten me.” She asked. Chavez then turned to Sanem and spoke the words that she had dreaded to hear for the past seven years, ” Ma’am, I have just learned recently that Benicio is my son. I’m sorry that I didn’t know about this sooner, but I have been out of touch with life for the last several years.” He announced calmly.

Sanem took a second before she let any emotion show, then she slowly smiled at the gentleman, ” I’m sorry as well Mr. Chavez, but you are wrong. Benicio is our son. We have had him since he was an infant. What gave you the idea that he was your son anyway?” She asked tilting her head as she asked the question. She continued quickly before he had a chance to reply, ” Yes Beni was our first child. And as far as we were told, he no living relatives. That’s the information from the orphanage. Now, if you think you are going to walk in here and take my first child away from me, well, you are mistaken. My husband should have informed you of that fact from day one.” She stated, looking directly into the man’s eyes.

Can took this opportunity to speak, ” Yes my dear, I did tell him, and his lawyer, that would not happen. But they insisted, so here we are.” He said. Mr. Chavez was growing increasingly nervous as he sat there listening. ” Ma’am, I have presented the necessary papers and I hope we can settle this without incident. I have to leave the country in a very short time and want to take the child with me.” He spoke, mustering his last bit of confidence. Can stood up quickly, looming over the man on the sofa, ” Look, I told you I will pay you any amount of money you ask for immediately, but you can not have my son.” Can answered, his voice sounding loud and gruff.

Sanem stood up, stepping in between the two men, ” Can, please. Mr.Chavez, I’m sorry to have to disappoint you, but you have no proof that what you say is true. And just for the record, we will not be giving you a dime just to get rid of you. Do you understand.” She stated, in a firm voice. Can was shocked, was she saying she didn’t want to give him money to go away. Mr. Chavez stood and bowed slightly to them, ” I see, well I shall see you in court on Wednesday. I think you’re making a mistake, but we will see when the results are read.” He spoke, turning to leave. ” Results?” Sanem said, looking at Can. ” Yes babe, the DNA results, they will read them in court on Wednesday.” Can replied, feeling the heat rise up his neck to his face. He knew he would have hell to pay after Chavez left, but at least she knew everything now.

Sanem walked around the sofa and made her way quickly to the door. She opened the door back widely and then turned and looked at Mr. Chavez, ” Yes Mr. Chavez we will see you and your lawyer in court, but rest assured you will not be leaving this country with Benicio. I hope you know the penalty for presenting false evidence in a court of law, because I do.” She told him, her eyes resembling that of an erupting volcano. Mr. Chavez didn’t waste anytime heading to the open door, but he hesitated as he got in front of Sanem, ” Ma’am if Benicio is my son, I will be leaving here with him.” He stated firmly before walking out the door, down the stairs and she watched as he walked down the long drive way toward the road.

Can felt every hair on his body standup as she shut the door gently and turned to look at him. He wasn’t sure if the look in her eyes was one of anger or hurt, it was one he had never seen before. 

She flipped off the living room light and started toward the staircase, breezing past Can as if he wasn’t even standing there. He knew his life maybe coming to an end, but he followed her anyway, quietly without saying a word of course. He wondered why she wasn’t yelling and screaming at him, or why she hadn’t produced any tears of hurt or fear, but he was smart enough not to ask her anything right then.

He followed her at a safe distance as she ascended to stairs and walked down the hallway to their room. She was moving much like a robot, or like someone in a trance, as she entered their room. He continued to follow her inside and then closed the door behind him. He took a deep breath and expelled it forcefully, leaning back against the closed door. She removed her robe, lying it at the foot of the bed, and kicked off her slippers and crawled into the bed, not saying a word. Can rubbed his face with both hands as hard as he could, trying to make sense of what just happened.

She quietly and gently curled up in the bed and covered her body with the blanket.

His legs felt like huge weights had been attached to each of them as he tried to make his way to the bed. He slide in on his side of the bed, wanting to reach out for her to comfort her, but he wasn’t sure if he should.

He very gently moved over a little closer to her ” Babe, let me explain.” He said, his throat so tight the words were barely audible. Sanem didn’t moved, but she did answer.

” No Can, you can’t explain… because there is no explanation for what you have done.” She gasped, trying desperately to hold back the flood of tears that filled her eyes.

His heart broke into a thousand tiny pieces. He knew he had made a mistake by not telling her. Would she be able to forgive him?

Chapter 28

He just wanted to touch her, talk to her, make her understand why he didn’t tell her.  He inched a little closer, needing to feel the warmth from her body, ” Sanem, my love, please I need to explain. I didn’t know what to do, it took me so by surprise. I was scared, I still am, but all I could think about was how much this was going to hurt you. And I couldn’t stand it.” He whispered, his words coming from his heart. 

She remained silent and didn’t move. ” Babe, say something to me please. I need you to help me through this.” He pleaded. Sanem turned over, looking at him with her eyes full of pain, ” No you don’t need me to help you, if you had needed me to help you, you would have told me about this from the beginning. But you didn’t, you hide it from me.” She blurted out as the tears erupted like a flood. He reached out for her to comfort her, but she pulled away, ” Can, do you know how that makes me feel, that you think so little of me that I couldn’t or wouldn’t be able to handle a family crisis. Do I seem weak to you.” She said closing her eyes to keep from looking at this man she thought she knew.

Can was at a loss for words, she had taken it all wrong. ” Sanem no I don’t think you’re weak, I just didn’t want this, this right here. You, crying and upset, scared of what might happen and me not knowing what to do.” He said, raising his voice in desperation. ” I Don’t Know What To Do Sanem and I’m supposed to.” He cried out. 

Can scrambled out of bed and headed to the balcony, leaving Sanem there fighting with her own feelings. He stepped out and slide the door shut behind him, wanting to be alone with his own thoughts. The air was crisp and cool for a late spring night, but it felt good to him, his body on fire with from the nights excitement. He knew she was right in everything she said, he should have told her. He was right too when he said he was scared, he was terrified. He grabbed the railing that surrounded the balcony and gazed out over the back yard, how would he make this right, how would he make this all go away. 

It was sometime later before he opens the glass door and made his way back to bed. She was asleep, or at least she was pretending to be asleep, as he slipped in and under the covers. His body had finally cooled down and he had gotten a chill from the night air so the blanket felt good. He wished he could scoot over next to her, feel that warm skin and smell that calming and tranquillizing smell of hers, but he knew that was out of the question.

He tossed and turned for a while but then his body finally gave way to some much-needed sleep. When he opened his eyes the light from the morning sun was shining in through the glass door, blinding him, making him blink his eyes. The bed was empty, as he looked around the room, he saw it was empty also. The bathroom light was off and there was no sounds coming from the hallway. Had everyone left, he wondered, than that fear gripped him. Did she leave him, take all the kids and leave?  His heart was beating so fast he couldn’t breathe as he stumbled over to the door and swung it open. He stepped out in the hallway ready to call out her name, when he heard the clanging of dishes from downstairs and the sound of the triplets morning chatter. He felt as if he had been pardoned from the firing squad, as he took that deep fulfilling breath, and his heart began to beat again.

His head was still jumbled and full of cobwebs so he turned on the shower and stepped in, letting the hot water run over his body. He stood there for some time, as the heat and the steam began to bring him back to life. He knew the problem was still there, that problem that may very well be the destruction of his family and his life, but at least the secret was out, she knew everything now. He finished up and dressed ready to go downstairs, but he wasn’t sure what he would find when he got there. They hadn’t come to any conclusion or solution the night before, so he didn’t know which Sanem he would meet when he got to the kitchen.

The babies squealed with delight as their Dad come in, ” Daddy’s here, Daddy’s here.” They announced, clapping their hands. Can smiled as he entered, ” Good morning my monkeys, you have woke in a good mood this morning.” He said kissing each one of them on top of the head. Sanem didn’t look at him which made him uncomfortable, but he gave her a hug from behind and kiss on her shoulder, just to test the waters. ” Good morning Can.” She replied. ” Let me pour your tea.” Her response sounded as normal, but he was still nervous. The talk at the breakfast table was consumed with the bickering chatter of the triplets and Beni, as it always was, so he couldn’t tell if she had forgiven him or not.

Luis was the first one to finish and leave the table on his way to school, then Beni ran upstairs to get his bag and be ready to leave with his Dad. The babies had hurried to the family room to watch their favorite learning show, that left Can and Sanem alone in the kitchen while she cleared the table. He was hesitant to ask but he knew he had to, ” Bebek, are you ok? Please don’t be mad at me. I just tried to protect you, that’s all.” He spoke softly, waiting for her reaction. She smiled, ” I know, and I understand, but you do know that you don’t always have to do that. I won’t break and fall to pieces at every problem we may encounter.” She replied, leaning down to stroke his face with her hand. 

Can breathed a sigh of relief, ” I’m sorry my love, but like I said I was scared. So you forgive me?” He asked, grabbing her hand and kissing her fingers. She tilted her head back and forth as if she was trying to decide, ” We’ll see, but I really need to know everything about this, so I will be at the agency this morning to meet with your Dad.” She informed him. He blinked his eyes, ” How did you know Dad was coming to the office this morning? This woman never ceased to amaze him, as she gave him a look of defiance, ” I read your text.” She said so blatant and sure of herself.

” I have already made arrangements for the children. Mom and Dad are coming to spend the day with them, so I won’t have to rush.” She told him. He felt a sense of calmness, a feeling like they would get through this together, as he smiled at her, ” Ok, should I come back to pick you up?”  He asked. She smiled, ” No I will come by taxi.” She answered confidently.

He nodded, agreeing with all of her plans. Happy that they were now in this together.

He wondered, ” Why did I ever doubt her, why did I not see how strong she is.”

Can loved her even more at that moment… if that was possible.

Chapter 29

Can had agreed with everything that Sanem had planned, there certainly was any need to argue with her about it. She was determined and that’s what he loved most about her. As they drove toward the school Can could tell that Beni had something on his mind. ” You feeling ok son?” Can asked. Beni shook his head, but Can wasn’t convinced. Can knew the moods of this child, they were much like his when he was a child. He didn’t want to push him so he patted his cheek and smiled, ” Ok, but you know you can talk to me about anything, right.  I don’t want you to be sad or upset.” Can told him, remembering his own childhood after his mother had left.

Beni smiled, “No I’m fine, I just worry about you and Mom. She was mad at you this morning and I don’t want you to leave each other.” He said, looking away from his Dad. Can was shocked, “Hey buddy, that’s something you don’t ever have to worry about. Your mother and I will never leave each other.” He replied with confidence. Beni looked over at him with those sad eyes, ” You promise, you promise you would leave the house or us, even if Mom tells you to.” He begged. Can didn’t want to make light of what he was saying, but the thought of that happening was so out of the question. ” Beni I promise, Mom isn’t going to tell me to leave, and I’m not going to leave on my own, I promise. That will not happen.” He expressed with enthusiasm. 

That answer seemed to appease Beni as he jumped out of the truck and ran to greet his friends. Can wondered how or why that boy got some of those things in his head, but the thought of Sanem telling him to leave their home made him very uncomfortable. He thought back to earlier that morning when he first woke up and she wasn’t there in the bed, and the first thought that popped into his head was that she had left. It made his insides quiver and his stomach felt queasy. He shook his head as if to expel those thoughts from his head, ” No, that wouldn’t ever happen, I wouldn’t let it.” He spoke out loud as he drove off toward the agency.

Sanem had gathered all the paperwork from the adoption and all the information from the orphanage and stick it in her tote bag. She was excited about going to the agency, she hadn’t been there in a while, but not so excited about the reason she was going. But she knew in her heart that Mr. Chavez would not take her son, not if she had a breath left in her. Her Mom and Dad arrived right on time and after an exuberant welcome from the triplets and a brief rundown on their routine, Sanem was on her way. She couldn’t remember the last time she had taken a day away from her babies, but she wished it had been for a better reason. 

The walk in through the front doors of the massive office space was almost as exciting as the first day she arrived there for work. She headed to the center of the agency, where all the magic happened. She wanted to give her friend CeyCey a big hug. The welcome she received from everyone was more than she expected and CeyCey had a hard time letting her go when she started toward Can’s office. Aziz had not arrived yet, so that gave Can and Sanem a few minutes alone. He wanted to take that time to reconnect with her, he didn’t want there to be any hard feelings between them. 

Just having her there with him in his office brought back so many memories that it made him smile. He motioned for her to sit down, ” Here babe sit down and relax a minute.” He said, positioning himself close to her in the sofa. She smiled, ” Can don’t worry, I’m not mad at you anymore. But I don’t mind your attention though.” She replied, knowing the look on her husband face all to well.  Can smiled sheepishly, ” Good, I don’t like it went we argue. It really scares me.” He laughed out loud and said, ” Beni thought you were going to ask me to leave. He was upset that you were mad at me and that we might leave each other.” He spoke. Then he took on a serious note, looking at her with those eyes that made her weak, ” But I told him straight up that I would never let that happen. That will never happen Sanem, I can’t and won’t live my life without you.” He whispered in the sensual way. She felt herself blush and a rush of heat consumed her face, ” Well I hope not Can Divit, because that just would not be a option.” She said as she ran her fingers through his beard.

Just as he leaned in to seal their love with a kiss, his Dad tapped on the door and entered. The sight of Sanem startled him, but more than that he was embarrassed at walking In on what was obviously an intimate exchange between the two. Aziz cleared his throat, “I’m sorry son, Sanem, I didn’t know you were here. Should I come back at another time?” He asked, as he started out. Can laughed, ” No Dad, it’s fine. Sanem is here to help us. Dad, she knows everything.” He said, smiling lovingly at his wife.

Can explained about the night before and their visit from Chavez, ” Dad, he came to our house as if we would just hand Beni over to him, no questions asked.” Aziz was baffled at what he heard, ” What do you think made him do that. What did he say when you offered him money? Aziz asked, still trying to understand the reasoning. Can shrugged his shoulders, ” Nothing, he didn’t have time because Sanem interrupted us and told him there was no way he was getting any money from us.” Aziz smiled, proud of Sanem and the way she handled Chavez. “So he just left after that.” Can explained, ” But he did seemed shocked at what she said.” 

Sanem took all the papers from her bag and laid them on his desk, ” Look here at all the papers from the adoption and the orphanage. All of them say, no living relatives. So he is lying about being his father. Beni’s mother would have told someone about him if he really was his father. A mother just wouldn’t do that.” She said firmly. Aziz looked at Can with concern, ” I think she may be right. Maybe we went at this the wrong way.” He put his arm around Sanem giving her a hug, ” I’m glad you’re with us on this now.” Sanem glared at Can, ” Well it might have been simpler if I had known from the beginning, but someone tried to spare my feelings.” She replied with a hint of sarcasm.

Aziz explained the phone call from Faruk and the hurry for a court date. ” Mr. Chavez needs to leave the country in four days, so that’s the reason for the surprise court date. The DNA results have been sent to the court and they will be read tomorrow at the ruling.” He explained.

Can felt his heart skip a beat, ” So we won’t know the results until tomorrow, is that what you’re saying?” 

Sanem looked at him, ” We already know the results Can, Beni is our son, and he always will be.”

Chapter 30

Sanem had seemed to breathe a breath of fresh air into this whole problem. She was confident and determined, so sure of what was going to happen. Can was so glad that she knew everything and had all but taken over. ” Can, I would like to see the petition that Mr. Chavez filed with the court, does Mr. Faruk have those? She asked as she sipped on her tea. Can nodded “Yes I think he does, do you want me to find out?”  He got Faruk on the phone, ” Do you still have the documents from Chavez’s lawyer, if you do Sanem would like to see them.” He stated. 

Mr. Faruk was shocked that Sanem had found out and even more shocked at the way she found out. ” Can, you mean Chavez came to your house, I bet that Mr. Soydan didn’t know about that. It could have a bearing on their case. But yes, I have the petition.” He told him. They made an appointment to come by so Sanem could go over the original document. Aziz had one final meeting with his investigator before he could close the part of the case.

Everyone went their separate ways, Can and Sanem were on their way to see Faruk, and Aziz was off to meet with the private investigator. They were in a race to find out all there was to know about Mr. Chavez and this surprise turn of events. With the court date set for 10:00 am. the next day, they didn’t have time to waste. As Sanem went over the documents that Mr. Chavez had filed, she was even more convinced there he had other priorities. 

Aziz met with the investigator, eager to find out what he had to say, ” Ok so what you are saying is that Chavez owes the gentleman that owns the company he works for a large sum of money. Did you find out what the money was for?” Aziz asked, hoping this was the break they would need. The investigator shared all the information he had found about the company and the owner. It seemed they were involved in supplying money for various reasons, but in Chavez’s case it was for gambling. And then demanding to be repaid at almost triple the amount, and in a very short period of time. ” So, in other words, a loan shark.”  Aziz replied. ” And how much does Chavez owe this guy?” He asked. ” $500,000 is the amount I got. And that is American currency.” The investigator told him. 

As Sanem looked over all the paperwork she asked, ” Where is the proof, there is nothing here to prove he is Beni’s father. It’s just his word against ours.” She stated, tossing the papers back on the desk. Mr. Faruk agreed, ” Yes you’re right, that’s why we asked for a DNA test, which he did without hesitation. But the only thing is the results are now sealed and we’re given to the judge and he will read them tomorrow.” Sanem smiled, “That’s fine, because I know that he isn’t Beni’s father, so we don’t have anything to worry about, it will all come out tomorrow.” She announced confidently. Can knew that look from his wife, and he knew if she had anything to say about it, it would be just that way. His wife scared him sometimes, and he was definitely glad they were on the same side.

Their meeting was interrupted by a phone call. Mr. Faruk smiled as he looked at his phone, ” It’s Mr. Soydan, Chavez’s lawyer.” He said with a smug look on his face. ” Hello Mr.Soydan, what can I do for you.?” Faruk said, winking at Can and Sanem. The conversation wasn’t long but the look on Faruk’s face didn’t reflect anything good. Can shook his head at him, ” Well, what did he want, are they ready to call this whole thing off and go home.” He asked his hopes rising. Faruk shrugged, ” Uhh, not exactly. They want to talk about the money. He needs a certain amount to disappear.” He replied. Can slammed his hand down on the table, ” I told you, I knew that’s why he was here. How much does he want?” Can roared, as he stood and paced the floor.

Sanem laughed, ” Oh no, we are not giving him a penny. I already told Mr. Chavez that last night.” The words came as a surprise to Can and Mr. Faruk, ” But my dear, what if..” Sanem stood quickly causing Can to stop in mid-sentence, ” Can, we can’t pay him off. If we give him money one time we may as well set up a direct payment option to his bank. He will be on our doorstep every year wanting more, and I’m not willing to do that. Are you?” She said, her eyes clouding with tears.

Can knew she was right, but he was desperate, and it had left him without his better judgement. ” Ok, so what do we do?” He asked. Sanem moved over closer to Can, ” We let the court decide, then it’s legal and if he comes back again we can prosecute. It’s the only way.” She said, stroking his face with her hand. Can relaxed, ” Ok, but what if the DNA matches, then what.” Sanem smiled, ” I have faith that it won’t.” 

Mr. Faruk had the pleasure of calling Mr. Chavez’s lawyer and relaying the message, that there would be no meeting and there would definitely be no money. The silence from the other end of the phone told them that Mr. Chavez had been grasping at straws to settle this matter. Just as Can and Sanem made it to the car, Aziz called, ” Can, he needs $500,000 dollars of American currency. He has a huge gambling debt. So that’s what he’s looking for.” Aziz announced.

” We’ll, he won’t get it from us, he already asked and we refused. Dad, we will have to depend on the court system and our prayers.” Can said as he looked lovingly at his wife.

The trip home was ladened with sadness, but also with the hope that they had done the right thing. Sanem held onto Cans hand tightly as he drove toward their home. ” Can, we have to be careful how we act in front of Beni right now. I don’t want him to even guess there may be something wrong, ok?“ She said, as she leaned her head over on his shoulder. He softened, letting his feelings go for the same of her, ” I know my love, I’ll make sure he doesn’t have the slightest idea of what is going on.”  He brought her hand to his lips, gently kissing her soft skin,

” Everything will be ok, it will, it will all be ok.” She spoke, her voice shaky. He wasn’t sure if she was telling him or asking him, but he knew in his heart that whatever happened he would never let this woman suffer. He would always take care of her, even if she didn’t know about it.

His plan had been to give Chavez whatever he wanted, and he would still do that, if things didn’t go the way Sanem wanted.

Sometimes love for a woman or a child, or both, can make you see things differently.

Yes, he would do whatever it took…

Chapter 31

The tension of the day had been hidden away. They both carried on as if nothing had happened when they arrived home. Her parents had been happy to watch the triplets and her mother was overjoyed when she pulled her to the side and asked her if she would mind coming again the next day, ” Mom I hate to ask, but I need to go back to the agency for a while tomorrow, they need more help with this new client. Would you be available again.” Sanem asked, hating that she was keeping the truth from her mother. Mevkibe was more than happy to help out, but she also knew when her daughter was not being truthful with her. But she agreed, ” Of course I will come. You couldn’t keep me away.” She answered. Sanem gave her mom a big hug, as she did, Mevkibe whispered in her ear, ” Just one thing, I do expect an explanation of what’s going on very soon.” 

Sanem closed her eyes, she never understood how her mother always knew when something was wrong. ” Yes, ok Mom, I will tell you when I can.” She whispered back, hugging her mom a little tighter. The evening routine was always busy so their problems seemed to be pushed aside as they spent time with the little ones. Luis was shut away in his room studying for the end of the school year exams that would be starting in a few days but Can knew that he was just a worried about what was happening as they were. They watched as the babies and Beni spent their time together, with Beni being the best big brother that he could be. 

With everyone finally down for the night, tucked in and kissed for the third time, Can and Sanem were ready to call it a night. They walked down the hall to Luis’ room and tapped on the door, “Son it’s time to turn in.” Can said as he opened the door and peeked in. Luis looked up quickly, wiping his face with his hand. ” Ok Dad, I was just getting ready to turn out my light.” Sanem peered in giving her son a smile, ” Good night Son, get some sleep.” She say giving him a wink. Luis smiled, ” Oh Mom, I didn’t know you where there too.” Can nodded, ” Yes and she knows everything Luis, she knows what’s going on. We will be going to court tomorrow to take of the problem. But don’t you worry, we already know how this is going to turn out.” Can told him, noticing the tears that were still visible in his sons eyes. Sanem smiled her most confident smile as she walked across the room to Luis and gently cradled his face in her hands, ” Everything will be fine, nothing will change. Our family will still be the same tomorrow night as it is tonight. Trust me.” She said as she kissed him on the cheek.

They both fell into their bed, exhausted from the ordeal of the day. Sanem tried hard to fall asleep, but it was no use. Can had fell into a deep sleep almost immediately but she was still processing what was about to happen. She wrapped her robe around her and walked to the balcony. Even though the night was a balmy and warm night she shivered with anticipation. Was this the right thing to do, she wondered, should they leave this up to a higher power. She really didn’t want the pain of knowing that Chavez could reappear at any time of their life and demand more money. So she had to be confident in her heart with the fact that Beni just simply wasn’t his son, and that would be the end of it. But if the gods of the universe decided to read havoc on their lives and award her son to that man, then she was glad she had already setup her backup plan. She would never let anyone take that child from her.

The next morning was the same as every morning, with the triplets full of life and excited that Nany was coming again. Can would take Beni to school as always, and then go to the office. Sanem would take a taxi to the agency after her mother arrived, and Can and Sanem would go to court together, along with Aziz and Mihriban. The court was set for 11:00 am. so they would have plenty of time to resolve their problem and send Chavez on his way, then Can would drop Sanem back off at home before going to pickup Beni from school. Yes, just like a normal day.

They were both a nervous wreck by the time they met Aziz and Mihriban in front of City Hall. They made their way up stairs to meet Mr. Faruk who would be their attorney for the preceding. With only 10 mins before the time to appear before the court, Mr. Soydan and Mr. Chavez arrived. They didn’t seem to have the same arrogant attitude that they had before and Mr. Chavez was definitely nervous. He looked at Can and Sanem almost pleading with his eyes, but they both looked away as they were called into the court room.

Can looked across the room at Chavez, as they read the formalities, never letting his eyes leave his. He could see the fear in them, the uneasiness, almost the look of defeat. Sanem took Cans’ hand underneath the table, holding onto it tightly as they prepared to read the findings of the DNA results. Sanem felt as if she was in a dream, as she tried to listen to what the judge was saying. Her heart was beating too fast and the blood was rushing through her body. 

But Can was calm, calmer that he had been since that first day he met this man that was trying to ruin his life.  It was as if he knew, he knew what the outcome would be. He held Sanem’s hand as Mr. Soydan read the claims of Mr. Chavez, ” Sir, my client was unaware of his son until just a short time ago. He has prepared a place for them to live and he has a good job with more than enough money to support his son. We feel that he has be done a great injustice by missing out on all these years with his own son.” He spoke, giving a firm look of authority to Can and Sanem. Sanem felt her head spin with confusion, but Mr. Faruk was quick to reply. ” Sir, these are merely papers, they hold nothing that would prove any of their claims. The Divits have loved and nurtured this child since he was 6 months old, and by all the laws of this court they are his legal and binding parents.

The judge agreed, ” Mr. Faruk, I agree with you and your clients, but there is still the claim of Mr. Chavez and we as a court must take it seriously.” He spoke as he thumbed through the file. Can swallowed hard, trying not to show his emotions, but never releasing his eyes from Chavez. The judge took a minute as he continued to look through the file before he said, ” It seems that we have a DNA result, which by all sense of the matter, should be able to resolve this claim.” 

Sanem and Can were frozen as the judge slowly tore open the envelope. Sanem closed her eyes as she waited for the results to be read.

The judge scanned over the paper, as Can, Aziz and Mihriban watched in anticipation. The judge looked at Mr.Chavez and asked him to rise and face him.

It all seemed to be in slow motion as the words came from his mouth….

” Mr. Chavez, you are not the biological father of Benicio Divit. This result has shown that you have no physical characters that match with the Divit child. So under this court you have no legal right to this child.”

Chapter 32

” Mr. Chavez, you are not the biological father of Benicio Divit. You have no legal claim to this child.” 

Those words hung there, tangling about in the air much like the sounds that came from a wind chime blowing gently in the wind. Sanem hadn’t realized she was holding her breath until she felt the force from the exhale. She slowly opened her eyes and looked across the room at Mr. Chavez, she wasn’t sure if she was looking at a man that had lost his son, or a man that had just been handed a rejection to a loan application. Which ever it was he had that look of defeat.

Mr. Soydan stood quickly, ” Sir, could we have a copy of those results please?” He asked, glaring across the room at Can and Sanem. Can had a surge of relief enter his body as he reached for Sanem. They had done it, they had won. There were copies of the results for both Mr.Chavez and for Can And Sanem as the judge made his final ruling.

“Mr. Chavez, your claim for legal custody of Benicio Divit has been denied. There’s has been no proof presented to support this claim. The adoption and legal guardianship of Benicio Divit to Mr. and Mrs. Divit will remain as is. And Mr. Chavez, you visa will cancel in 24 hours, at which time you must leave Turkey, or risk the chance of incarceration.” The judge announced.

They didn’t seem surprised, as Mr. Chavez and his lawyer stood to leave. It seemed as if they had already known what the outcome would be. Aziz and Mihriban had stepped out into the hallway to wait for Can and Sanem, both overjoyed at the outcome. Sanem was still in a daze as she gripped Can’s arm and walked from the courtroom but feeling so much joy she wasn’t sure how to act. Can smiled at her as he wrapped his arm around her, holding her tightly against him as they exited the room.

Aziz grabbed them both and gave them huge hugs, ” I knew it, I knew you would win.” He shouted….

It wasn’t until they sat in their car, alone, did they let their true feeling come out. The tears came slowly as she looked at Can, her heart so happy she thought it may burst. ” My beautiful wife I don’t know how I would have gone through this without you. You gave me the strength to believe.” Can spoke, his voice cracking with emotion. She smiled and as she laid her head against his body. ” Can, do you think Mr. Chavez will leave without a problem?” She asked, recalling the look on Chavez’s face after the ruling. “He has to, Sanem, or risk the threat of jail. He doesn’t have any reason to stay. Beni is not his son.” Can said with confidence.

It would be hard to act as if this day was like any other, but that’s what they would have to do. So Can dropped Sanem off at home and headed to the school to pick up Beni. The thought of how close they had come to losing him had made him sick, but now there’s was nothing left to be frightened of.  Chavez would be gone in a matter of hours and they would have their son…

The usual daily happiness in this family had more than tripled on that day. Can and Sanem sat back and watched their family that evening with a much deeper respect for what they meant to them. Even Luis took his time away from his room to play with Beni and the babies before bedtime. Their hearts were full and overflowing with love.

Once the triplets were in bed, tucked in and kissed, Can and Sanem peeked in on Beni. He was always so good about waiting until after they tucked in the babies to have his turn. But this time he had fell asleep before he got his kiss. Can adjusted his covers, tucking them tightly around this small boy, and leaning down to kiss his forehead. Their hearts were full of love for this child. Sanem gave him a kiss and they left the room, quietly, closing the door behind them.

The light was still on in Luis’ room so they knocked on the door and went in, ” Are you ok son.” Can asked. Luis smiled, ” I am now.” He replied, knowing what the results had been from the earlier in the day. ” But Dad, how did they get Beni’s DNA?” He asked, squinting his eyes. Sanem looked at Can, ” Yes, I wondered that too, how did they?” Can smiled and walked into the bathroom that adjoined the boys room and returned with a brush, ” I got the hair from Beni’s hairbrush and took it to the lab. That’s all they needed was a couple of strands.” He stated, holding up the hairbrush. 

Luis looked at him, his eyes open wide, ” Dad, you used that brush?” He asked. Can nodded and said, ” Yes, this one, Beni’s brush.” He explained.

” But Dad, that is my hairbrush.” An uneasy silence filled the room.

” What, this is your brush?” Can said, barely able to speak.

The look they all shared at that moment had sealed the pledge. Without a word being said, Can and Sanem walked slowly and methodically to their bedroom. Mulling over in their minds of what had happened. They sat together on the balcony, stunned. 

After sitting there in silence for what seemed like hours, coming to grips with the implications of what that could mean. Had they indeed dodged a bullet of circumstance, or had this truly been a miracle.

Sanem said quietly, almost in a whisper, ” Can, we will carry this to our grave, agreed.”    

Can gripped her hand firmly and replied, also in a whisper, ” Agreed.”

The past few years raced through his mind that night as he sat there alone. Sanem had fell asleep from sheer exhaustion, leaving him with nothing but thoughts and what ifs.

He walked across the hall to Beni’s room and looked in, letting his eyes soak in this precious child. A child that they had found in his hour of most need, and a child that they had fell in love within their hour of most need. Beni was their son in every sense of the word, and he felt it throughout his heart.

What had happened was fate. What had happened was an intervention from that higher power. He truly believed that, he had to believe it.

It was mid-morning of the next day when Mr. Faruk called to let Can and Sanem know the Mr. Chavez had let the country. ” Can, Chavez is gone. From what I understand he was given very specific instructions from his lawyer not to return to Turkey.” 

There was a long silence before Can replied.

” Faruk, do you believe in miracles? I do, because we just lived one.” 

The years to come would be full of love and joy, as they watched their children grow and spread their wings. 

Each one of them would grow into their own, but never would they grow apart. The bond that had been instilled in them would remain and even become stronger and more meaningful as the years passed. 

Although Luis had chosen to embrace his athletic career and leave his home, becoming known as one of the best and most talented football players in Turkey, he never strayed too far from the home that he held in his heart. They were as proud of Luis as any parents would be of a child. 

Beni and his Dad continued with his photography training over the years. He was quickly being recognized as one of the top photographers of the world.

Can was sure that Beni was much more talented than he had been at his age. But just watching him and the love he had for photography made Can and Sanem proud. Beni held the world in his hands.

Ece, Miray and Ruslan had more opportunities in life than most children their age. But never did they take it all for granted. Luis and Beni had been the idols, their big brothers, the ones they strived to be like, the ones they loved more than anything..

All their children had proven to be the greatest accomplishments in the lives of Can and Sanem. The best things to come from a love that was meant to be. A love that past every test and trial, a love that only grew stronger as they grew older.

This love that would never die.

3 thoughts on “The House Where Love Grows”

  1. I can’t recall how many times I have read this series. This particular part of the story has caused tears in my eyes and have held my breath when it appeared that someone was trying to take their precious Beni away from them. Miss Virginia, I have to hand it to you, this was a masterpiece. Thank you.♥️

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