We Found the Real Thing… Our Love

by grannydew, posted in The Real Thing Series

Chapter 1

As Can opened his eyes, the morning light was just peeking above the horizon. She was still wrapped up in his arms, safe and warm. Everything that had happened the night before was still fresh in his mind. She had chosen him and their love, but at what price. Did her parents except her decision, would they allow her to be with him. He didn’t want to bombard her with all those questions last night, he only wanted to hold her in his arms, lay by the fire and welcome her into his heart. His heart that had been empty, and him never realizing it until she fell into his life. How happy he was that he had been there that night, in a place that was to be for him and Polen but was transformed into a magical place that awoke his soul. She was to be forever the meaning of his life, his reason to live. “How quickly a person can change, when that change is what your life was meant to be.” He thought, as he watched her sleep, captivated with her beauty and wholesomeness. 

She stirred, she smelled the fresh air, she felt the breeze, she hadn’t dreamed it, she was there with him. Her eyes opened slowly, and there he was, gazing at her with such love it took her breath away. ” Good morning,” she said softly. ” I didn’t dream it all, I am here with you.” Her eyes beamed with happiness, and her heart was beating like a drum. ” Yes, my love and here you will be forever.” He said as he stroked her hair. She didn’t know what to say, everything was so jumbled up in her head, but she did know she was the happiest she had ever been in her life. ” This was the love of her life, so this is what they meant when they said, ” fine the one your made for. She shuttered inside as he rubbed her arms, trying to warm her from the morning chill, ” You’re cold, let’s go inside and get warm, I’ll make some hot cocoa.” He spouted, reaching for her hand to help her up. 

As she watched him make the hot cocoa, she wondered, had she given up all for him, her parents, their love, their traditions that she had known all of her life. But her heart couldn’t be sad for that, not when he turned and smiled at her, that was what made her heartbeat now…. him. They snuggled together on the sofa, drinking the chocolate, ” What are you thinking right now?” He asked her, kissing the top of her head. Without hesitation, she said, ” My family, and how I’m going to make them see how happy I am with you.” She had gone against all they believed in, and all they had expected from her. Her life had been planned out for her, she thought she had agreed with it, but love has a way of changing things in an instant. Can heard the dread in her voice, ” Are you sorry that it happened this way, I’m not, but I hope you don’t feel like I pressured you into this.” He said. She smiled, ” No, not at all, what happened between us was undeniable.” She sighed. ” I have never felt like this before, but I want to feel this way forever.” 

Can had decided not to go to work that day, he wanted to spend the day there, just the two of them. But Sanem knew she had to go home and face her parents; they would have a thousand questions. ” Can, please take me to my neighborhood and drop me off, I need to talk to my parents.” She asked. He knew she was right, but he didn’t want her to go alone. ” I will come with you, it’s time for me to meet them and explain what has happened.” He decided, ready to take the responsibility of their relationship. He would tell them how much he loved her, and the uncanny circumstances of their meeting. Nothing would keep her from him, not even her parents. Sanem knew it would be better if he didn’t go along, especially with her father, he was a bit more traditional than her mother and set in his ways. ” Can, I need to do this alone, please.” I know you want to protect me, but this is a matter of my family’s pride, so I have to handle it.” She said, stroking his beard with her fingers. He closed his eyes, ” Sanem, what if they don’t let you come back to me, what then, how will I get to you.” He whispered with a hint of fear in his voice. Sanem took his hand, ” Can, that’s not going to happen, I won’t let that happen, trust me.” She said defiantly. ” I’m through taking the orders of the neighborhood and of the traditions they we have had to live by all of our lives.” I’m living for myself and I hope my parents will see that and except it.” Her eyes were telling him she was confident and ready to take a stand for her love.

They drove to her neighborhood, he parked a block away, he kissed her gently, ” My love, come back to the cabin as soon as you can, I will worry about you until you come back.” If you need me to come pick you up, just call and I will be here.” He begged. She waved at him, as she ran down the street toward her house. He smiled and waved back, but his heart was full of doubt and fear, that she might not return to him. As he drove back to the cabin, his mind was still there with her, wishing she had let him go with her. She made it to her door, she stopped, taking a deep breath, she unlocked the door and went in. Her dad was at the store, so it would give her time to convince her mom that what she had done was the best for her. Her mother was busy in the kitchen, as she walked in, ” Mom, I’m home, can we talk.” She said quietly, but with confidence. Her mom quite what was doing, but didn’t t turn around, ” My daughter, are you home to stay or are you home just to talk.” She asked, with the same confidence in her voice. Sanem knew this wasn’t going to be easy, she also knew the history of her mothers parents, and how they forbids her to go away with her dad, so she was hoping there would be some remembrance of that as she heard her story about Can. 

” Well, mom, I guess that depends on you and how you intend to listen. Will you listen with your head or your heart?”

Chapter 2

Mevkibe knew all too well the feelings of loving a man that didn’t meet the stipulations of the family. Her father had been against the marriage between her and Nihat, and her choice had nearly killed the relationship of father and daughter. It had taken a long time for him to accept the marriage, but he never did accept Nihat as a son. It had left Mevkibe caught between her family and the man she loved. She was always trying to explain to her daughters why they didn’t have a relationship with their grandfather.

She knew Sanem was as devoted as she was when it came to what she believed in, and nothing would change her mind. Adin had been a disappointment for them, they always thought he was a good and honorable man, like his father, but the events leading to the broken engagement had proved them wrong. She was glad that Sanem had found out about the real Adin before the marriage. Had there been someone at the agency that Sanem was interested in, she was hoping she would be able to talk to Sanem and find out.

Mevkibe heard the front door, and knew it was Sanem, she waited for her, holding her breath. Her anger couldn’t get the best of her now, she had to listen to what her daughter had to say. ” My daughter, I will always listen to you, what do you have to say.” Her mother replied, turning around to look at her. Mevkibe knew that look, it was the look of self-confidence and determination. Sanem smile and motioned for her mom to sit at the table, ” Momma, I know you and dad are both upset with me right now, but I just couldn’t marry Adin, he had turned into a different person, or I was just seeing him for the first time and realizing it.” She explained. She didn’t want to tell her about Can just yet, they needed to understand about Adin first. ” Mom, how upset is dad, will I be able to make him see why I had to break it off with him?” Sanem asked with a bit of fear in her voice. Her mother answered, ” Sanem, your dad only wants what’s best for you, but I think he saw the true character of Adin last night. What concerns him the most is that you are keeping things from us about this person at your office.” She said. Sanem turned her eyes away from her, not wanting to see the disappointment in her face. ” Mom, I really don’t think that had anything to do with this, If I had truly been in love with Adin, there wouldn’t have been any way I would have been attracted to someone else.” She spouted.

Mevkibe knew that to be the truth, but who was this man at her office that had completely changed her daughter. ” Sanem, are you ready to tell me about this person, or are you going to keep him a secret, if he means enough to you to make you defy your word to Adin and his family, then I think we deserve to know who he is.” Her mother voiced with a hint of anger. Sanem went over her words I her head, she had to be very careful about what and how she revealed to them about Can. ” Yes, I’ll tell you about him, but you have to promise me you won’t overreact to the situation,” I’m sure of what my feelings are and so is he.” She revealed. Sanem knew once she said Can was the boss, her mother would go crazy. It is definitely a bad thing to get involved with your boss, according to their traditions, they are be held to the deepest regard and respect. “The man in my office is Can, Can Divit, he is the son of Aziz Divit the owner of the agency.” Azizbey has gone on a long vacation and Can is here to run the agency while he is gone.” She said quickly, just wanting to get it all out at one time. Her mother’s mouth dropped open, ” The boss, you have been carrying on with the boss.” She shouted. ” Sanem, you know better, these things never work out, all you have done is put yourself in a compromising situation and embarrassed the family.” Does Leila know what’s been going on?” She yelled, standing up, towering over Sanem. ” Momma, please, don’t jump to conclusions, there’s nothing going on between us like that, believe me. He has too much respect for me to expect that. And no, Leila doesn’t know anything about us, no one does. This happened so fast, it has taken me by surprise.” She told her, letting out a bit of frustrations. ” Why do you always think the worst of me? Why do you think I would let something like that happen. I love him, mom… and he loves me.” She spouted, throwing her arms up in the air. ” Ok, Sanem, just calm down, we can work this out. It seems you might have gotten infatuated with this man and lost your judgment; I can see how that could happen.” She stated as matter of fact. Sanem knew what was coming next, the denial of their love, the rejection of the possibility that this could be a true love. She wouldn’t let that happen, this wasn’t just a little fling, a crush on someone… she loved him, for the first time she loved someone.

” Mother, I know you will have a hard time with this but this isn’t an infatuation, I am in love with him. I do hope that you will understand that, and he loves me.” She said sharply, not backing down from her mom’s eyes full of anger. ” Like I told you and dad last night, this is my journey to be with Can and I truly hope that I will get the support and understanding from you both that I want, but it isn’t a necessity. I almost made the biggest mistake of my life in marrying Adin, just because my family and the neighborhood wanted it that way, but thankfully I escaped that lie and now, I want to be happy with the man I love.”  She spouted, strong and deliberate. Mevkibe was shocked, she had never defied them like this before. The same scene flashed in front of her eyes of some 30 years earlier and the discussion with her own father about Nihat. Her heart was aching for her daughter, but she knew this was probably not going to end well, especially when Nihat got the news.

Sanem stood to leave, but her mother held her arm, ” Sanem you will not leave here, you will not go back to the workplace, do you understand.” She said with her voice low and gritty. Sanem didn’t look at her mother, she just said, ” Mom, I am 23 years old, not a young child, and am able to make my own decisions for my life.” 

“I want you to be happy for me, not ridicule me, not chastise me for loving a wonderful man that makes me happy…. So with that being said, if you still can’t accept it, then do I need to leave my home?” She asked, as sorrow filled her voice.

Chapter 3

It seemed like hours since he had dropped Sanem off in her neighborhood, and still no word from her. He was nervous but all he could do was wait, hoping she would come soon. He had a sick feeling in his stomach, dreading the worst. ” I should have gone with her, but she was so stubborn she insisted on going alone.” He thought as he stirred the fire. The weather had turned off chilly and cloudy, it almost matched the mood. If he didn’t hear from her soon, he would go to the neighborhood and search each house until he found her, that’s what his heart was telling him to do. But his head was trying to be a bit more realistic and consider what that might do to her. He would have to wait until she called or came to him, that was his only alternative.

Mevkibe couldn’t believe what she was hearing, ” Sanem, don’t be ridiculous, you don’t have to leave your home.” Her mother said. ” But there will be some rules you will need to go by, and you will have to answer to your father.” Sanem sighed, ” Mom, rules really, I’m no longer a teenager, so please don’t try and treat me as one.” She stated at bit sarcastically. Mevkibe quickly stood, grabbed her shoulders and swung her around to face her, ” Listen Sanem, while you are in this house you will have respect for our authority, and not speak to me in that tone.” Sanem stuttered, ” I’m sorry mom, I didn’t mean to be disrespectful.” Her mother could still put the fear of god in her with just a look. ” Now sit down and let’s talk this through, without your ultimatums.” Her mom said, as she pushed her back down in the chair.

Sanem just couldn’t get through to her that she was in love with Can and intended to be with him. It was like she had tuned her out and was only interested in laying out the rules she was to follow. It was at that moment that she realized her parents were the same as Adin. Forcing her to do things she didn’t want to do, telling her how she was supposed to feel. She felt like a puppet on a thousand strings, and they were all pulling them in every which direction. What would she do, she heard her mother telling her she would go to work and straight back home every day, no working overtime. She wasn’t to see this Can, except at work, and no spending time alone. Sanem was stunned. Did she really think she was going to do all of that stuff? ” Mom, that’s not going to work, you can’t make me not see him, I love him.” She stated loudly. Her mom’s eyes grew dark and rimmed with tears, ” Sanem, please don’t make this harder than it should be, just stay away from him, and you will get over those feelings.” Her mother stated, as if she was talking to her when she was 15 years old with a crush on someone. 

Sanem’s heart was breaking, ” Momma, give him a chance. Just meet him and you’ll see that he’s a wonderful person.” She begged. Her mom held up her hand to stop her, ” Sanem that’s enough, you heard what I said, now unless your father had a different plan, you are to do exactly as I said. We will start looking for you another husband here in the neighborhood, that is if the word about what you did to Adin hasn’t tarnished your name and the families honor.” She announced. ” I hear that Nesrin has a nephew that will be returning from the military in a few days, maybe we can set up a meeting and go from there.” She told her daughter, patting her hand. Sanem drew in a deep breath, ” Mom, you need to listen to me, I intend to be with Can and not some random guy that you pick out for me, I have to go with my heart and my heart is with Can. Now, I’m going to bring him here for you to meet, so please keep an open mind.” She pleaded. Mevkibe ached for her, but she agreed to meet him, ” Ok Sanem, we will meet him, but that’s all, don’t expect us to accept your relationship. You are from two different worlds and it will never work, my daughter, and I say this with all the love in my heart for you. I don’t want you to be crushed by this man.” 

Can was deep in thought when his phone rang, making him jump. He grabbed it, thinking it would be Sanem, but saw Emre’s name on the phone. ” Yes Emre, I’m listening,” he said. ” Abi, where are you? You haven’t been home in a couple of days or to the office, what’s going on?” He asked. ” I’m at the cabin Emre, I’m thinking through some things, don’t worry about me.” He explained, wanting to get off the phone quickly, in case Sanem tried to call. ” Well, Deren needs a little help here with a new campaign, and I really don’t understand the creative part so will you be in today.” He asked. Can sighed, ” Emre, I’m not coming in today, have her send me what she’s working on and I’ll take a look at it.” He explained, sounding impatient. Emre knew something was up, but his brother had always been a secretive person, so getting him to talk would be impossible. ” Ok Abi, I’ll tell her, are you sure everything’s alright? You sound stressed.” He said, trying to get him to open up. Can quickly replied, ” Nope, I’m fine, don’t worry about me, I’m just need some time, ok. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He said, raising his voice to match his mood. Can ended the call, the agency just didn’t seem important to him right now, he was much too worried about Sanem to carry on any type of business. 

Sanem smiled at her mom, ” Thank you for agreeing to meet him, you’ll love him I’m sure of it. He’s not your typical spoiled rich guy, he’s very sincere and humble.” Her mom could tell he had swept Sanem off her feet, and she herself knew that feeling all too well. “Ok Sanem, if your father agrees too, we’ll meet with him, but don’t get your hopes up.” Sanem already had her hopes up, and there was no way they were going to keep her from him. She needed to call him or go to the cabin, but she was afraid of what her mother might do if she told her where she as going, so the only thing left to do was sneak out after her parents went to bed. She had done it many times before, but not since she had been an adult, but there’s a first time for everything, she thought. 

She just knew that Can was waiting for her, praying for her to come and she wasn’t about to let him down, no matter what her parents said.

Chapter 4

Mevkibe and Nihat sat alone at the dinner table, Sanem and Leila hadn’t come down for dinner yet. Mevkibe studied her husband’s face, seeing the tension still there from the night before, she knew she has to tread lightly on the subject. ” Nihat, my dear, Sanem tells me there is a man at the agency she has become fond of and would like for us to meet him, what do you think?” She asked gently, holding her breath for his answer. Nihat closed his eyes, ” So what Adin says is true, she did refuse to marry because of her infatuation with someone at that workplace.” He asked with fury in his voice. Mevkibe explained, ” My dear husband, I don’t think that Adin was right for Sanem. I was seeing that with his actions towards her lately, just because he wanted to marry doesn’t mean they should.” She spoke softly, trying to ease the tension. Nihat asked, ” Who is this man from their office, and how did she get involved with him? You know this makes our family look untrustworthy in the eyes of our neighborhood.” He stated, shifting his eyes to his wife. ” These matters of acceptance in who is chosen for marriage was your responsibility as a mother to instill in our daughters.” He spouted. ” This is the tradition in which we live, and I don’t expect these traditions to be broken by any member of my family.” Those words stung her heart, she loved her husband with all her heart, but what he believed in, sometimes wasn’t realistic. 

Leila sat, listening to her sister tell her how Can and her were in love, and he was waiting for her at his cabin. She couldn’t believe it, Canbey and her sister. She knew everyone was gossiping about them but she didn’t take any of it seriously, that’s just the way that office was, always talking…. ” Sanem, how did this happen, I mean, how did you get so close so fast?” She quizzed her, still astonished at what she was hearing. ” Abla, I can’t even explain,” she said, tilting her head back and closing her eyes, ” It was like a dream, we met the night of the party.” She told her, ” It was dark, so dark I couldn’t see a thing, I went into the wrong room and stumbled on the stairs.” Sanem said, reliving that instant as if it just happening. She smiled, looking at her sister, ” And there he was, Can, he caught me, of course I didn’t see who he was, be the feeling from his touch felt like an electrical shock.” It was almost like we couldn’t separate; we were fused together. Sanem sighed, ” Abla, it was the most wonderful thing I have ever felt I my life.” Leila was in awe, just the description of that night brought chills to her, she had never encountered someone like that before, but her dreams were of Emre, and what she wouldn’t do for a chance for them to touch like that.

The light of the day had gone away, as Can sat quietly by the fire. ” He had lost her before he really even had her. ” His heart cried, staring into the fire. They had forbidden her to come to him, or she had changed her mind, he wasn’t sure which to believe, but the ache inside him was more than he could bear. As the minutes ticked away, quickly turning into hours, he watched the fire slowly burn to embers. There was nothing left for him to do, nothing left for him there. He had promised his dad he would stay until he came back, but this hurt had broken him. She had refused him, chose her traditional ways over him… he couldn’t stay.  It was late, but he had to go, there was no sleeping for him, just pack up the few things he had there and leave. Everything there reminded him of her. She had left her mark on all that was in front of him, and his heart couldn’t stand it. 

Her dad had been hard to convince, but he had finally consented to at least meet Can. There would be no talk of a relationship or marriage, he would just meet him, that was it. Sanem knew the road would be a hard one, especially when her dad found out that Can was her boss. But one step at a time, that was what she was determined to do. Just let them see what a caring person he was and the rest would come, she was sure of it. The time was slipping away as they lounged in the living room, ” Her parents never stayed up this late,” she thought, especially on a weeknight.” But they lingered, even with her telling them goodnight and her and Leila going to their rooms. Leila knew she was up to something, as Sanem nervously paced back and forth in her room. She wanted to call him but didn’t want to risk her parents or Leila overhearing the call. Her sister knocked on the door, ” Sanem, what’s wrong with you? I can hear you over here.” She whispered, trying not to alert her parents. Sanem didn’t want to involve Leila in her plans, putting her in the position to have to lie to their parents, ” Oh nothing, just thinking, that’s all.” She stated, shifting her eyes away from hers. Sanem’s plan was to scale out the window, using her bedsheets as a rope and down to the street, as they had done many times before when they were younger. ” It would be simple, if her parents ever went to bed.” She fumbled around in her head, as Leila studied her. ” Well don’t think so loudly,” her sister said, ” I can hear you in my room, pacing back and forth.”  

As Can took one last look at his cabin and let his mind remember her lying there with him on the blanket, he took his phone and called hers. It rang four times then went to voicemail, he left this message, ” Sanem, have you made your decision, you’re not coming? Please call me.” Then he sent a text, ” My heart is breaking Sanem, I have waited hours for you. Are you coming?” He would give her a little while longer, then he would know if she had she chosen him. What would he do if she didn’t come, where would he go, everything seemed so empty without her. ” If she doesn’t come, just take a plane to anywhere, wherever the next flight is going, take it.” He thought, his head cluttered with thoughts of her. 

Sanem tied the sheets together, hoping they would hold her, she was quite a bit bigger than the last time she had done this. She took a jacket and searched for her phone, ” What did I do with my phone,” she wondered, looking around, finally she found it, under the bed, “how did it get there?” she thought. She dropped the rope of sheets out the window, listening for any sounds from the rest of the house, she crawled out and lowered herself to the ground below. She found a taxi and jumped in, ready to get to the cabin, where Can was waiting. ” He must be frantic,” she thought as she grabbed her phone to call him. She saw she had two missed calls a voicemail and a text from Can. She listened to the voicemail, the sound of his voice broke her heart, but she was on her way to him. The text made her want to hurry even faster to get to him. She called his number, but there was no answer. Her heart was in her throat, ” What he must think,” she said out loud as the taxi drove towards the cabin, ” Did he think I wasn’t coming?” But I am, I’m on my way.

She sent a text; ” Can, I’m coming, I’m coming now, please wait for me”… send.

Chapter 5

Can sat in his truck in the parking lot of the airport, his mind rushing about, trying to make sense of her decision. He thought she had the same feelings as he had, a connection that was meant to be. He had let his heart become so full with love for her, it almost seemed unreal. There had been no one to ever touch him like she had, she made him want more, more of her. But now she had chosen not to come to him. He couldn’t stay there without her, if her choice was her traditional ways, he couldn’t bear to see her every day and not be in her life. He wondered if Adin had made her change, had her parents insisted on their marriage, but she had told him the night before, that her parents had supported her decision not to marry Adin. There were so many things he didn’t know, but she had refused to tell him, so his head was urging him to run away, like he always did. If things got tough, he always opted to leave, cut his losses and move on. 

The taxi pulled up to the cabin, it was dark and his truck wasn’t there. Her feelings were on a roller coaster, ” Did he not wait for her, where had he gone.” Maybe he went to his house, but he promised he would be there, waiting for her. Something must have come up for him to leave like that, she assumed. She reached for her phone to send a text, ” Can where are you? I’m here at the cabin. Call me” … send. As bad as she hated to, she would wait there until he came back. The night had turned cold and there wasn’t a fire, but there was the blankets, still there from the night before, the ones they had snuggled under. His smell still lingered on them, as she wrapped them around her, he would be back, she was sure of it. 

He sat at his gate, waiting for his flight. The next flight out was to Naples, Italy so he took it. He had a couple of friends there from a previous visit, so he could reconnect with them and take some time to get his head on straight. Sanem had thrown him for a loop, his thoughts were all jumbled up, and his heart ached for the sight of her. He had left his truck in the parking lot, but not knowing when he would return, he decided to leave a message for Emre to retrieve his truck and store it for him and tell him he was sorry, but he couldn’t stay there. He turned his phone on to send the text and her message popped up. His eyes couldn’t believe it, she was at the cabin, waiting for him. Tears formed in his eyes, his throat ached as he held back the tears from running down his face. He had made the mistake of a lifetime not trusting her, not listening to his heart. Now she was there and he wasn’t. He grabbed his bag and ran out of the airport, ” How stupid you have been,” he thought, sprinting across the parking lot to his truck. ” She came, she’s there,” He yelled at the top of his lungs. Thankfully the parking lot was pretty much deserted at that time of night, or people might think he was crazy. But he didn’t care, she was there, and he was crazy, crazy about her.

She checked her phone, no response to her text, ” Hmm, maybe he had changed his mind, and his feelings.” She thought, as she hugged the blanket tighter around her to stay warm. ” What if he decided she wasn’t the one for him, so he left to avoid a confrontation,” Her mind was racing now, with all types of scenarios. ” Could she have been wrong about him? She had been wrong about Adin and she had known him all her life.” She thought, letting her mind doubt what her heart felt. But she stayed, she wanted to give him the chance to return to the cabin, just in case there had been an emergency or something. She had found a comfortable spot and the blanket was keeping her warm, so she watched the stars flicker and twinkle, naming the stars that shined the brightest to pass the time. She hoped he came soon, she needed to get back home before her parents found out she had snuck out. It didn’t take long before she was asleep and dreaming of Can and how their life would be together. 

Can had made it to his truck and was pulling out of the parking lot. His heart was beating fast, ” Please let her stay until I get there,” He prayed. He grabbed his phone and typed, ” I’m on my way, my love, just stay there. Be there soon.”… send. He sped off down the road, thinking only of getting to her as soon as possible. He couldn’t believe he was about to leave. If he hadn’t wanted to send Emre that text he would have gotten on that plane and flown out of here, with her waiting for him at the cabin. He had to stop running away from every little problem that he had, if the problem was worth having it was worth trying to fix, especially her. He knew from the beginning she had issues and he pursued her anyway, he knew they were from different cultures and that she had a fiancé, but his heart knew only that he loved her and would have to be with her. 

He finally arrived at the cabin and he hurried up to the door. There she was, wrapped up tight in the blanket, trying to stay warm. He quickly laid down beside her and circled her with his arms, the heat from his body aroused her. The sudden heat from him caused her to jump, ” Can, it’s you, I knew you would come back soon. I was afraid you had given up on me and left.” She moaned, snuggling into him, smelling him, feeling him. This was all she needed, he made her feel safe, like no one else. Her parents had to see how much she loved him, because she was never going to leave him.

Should he tell her that he was indeed at the airport just about to do that very thing, “leave her.” Or just keep it to himself, chalking it up to poor judgement, vowing to never do that again. He decided not to tell, but he did decide to think long and hard before making anymore decisions like that again. If he was to lose her, he may never get her back, and that was a risk he wasn’t willing to take.

They were lost in each other and their feelings, when Sanem realize the time. She would need to go home soon before daylight or her parents would know she had snuck out. ” Can, I’ll need to go soon, but I wanted to tell you, my parents have agreed to meet you. But meeting is all, we can’t pressure them about us having a relationship. We will have to go slow until they accept you. My dad doesn’t know you are my boss, so I’m hoping he will be so impressed by you, he won’t even care.” She said, laughing and scratching her fingers through his beard. He smiled at her, he didn’t care what he had to do, he would do it, quite the agency, go back to his photography, whatever it took, he just had to be with her.

Sanem felt the same, whatever it took, she would do it. She was devoted to him, heart and soul, forever. This was more than just a love… this was a connection, a connection with the person that was prescribed for her.

” He was her soulmate.”

Chapter 6

Just that thought of being able to meet her parents made him happy. He would convince them how much he loved their daughter, and his only happiness in life was to be with her. He looked into her eyes, hers eyes that enveloped his heart, that made him weak, yet the strongest he ever been. There was no denying the effect she had on him, she had changed him. ” I’m so happy my love, so when can I meet them,” he asked quickly, wanting to make a commitment as soon as possible. She smiled at his persistence, ” Soon my dear, I’ll talk with my mother and we will set a date,” it will probably be for dinner.” And my mother is a terrific cook, you’ll love her food.” She said as she traced his face with her fingers, making him weak. He was so enthralled with her and the way she made him feel, he could barely hear her words. ” Can, did you hear what I asked,” she said, ” Is there a night that’s better for you? ” she asked again. His head was dizzy, she was so close, the smell of her perfume, and the pout of her lips, all seemed to make him spin. He shook his head slightly, to clear his thoughts, ” Any night is fine with me, as long as it is soon, I’m ready to move to the next step as quickly as possible.

She knew the feeling; he made her feel things she never knew existed. The tingling feeling that ran up her back as his eyes searched hers, the shiver of excitement deep down in her stomach whenever he touches her, the heat that rose up in her, making her blush when he whispered her name. Those were the things that made her realize what love is, those things she never experienced with Adin. Her fate had been sealed that night she stumbled and almost fell. He caught her, saving her from a life of being controlled and unhappy. How close she had been to ruining the most important thing, her self-confidence. 

She had to control the evening and not let things go too far, that’s all she needed was to succumb to their desires before she was ready, making it all even more complicated. ” Can, I need to go, I have to get back in the house before my parents get up. I climbed out the window to get here, and if they find out they won’t agree to meet with you.” She spouted. He sighed but agreed to take her home. He dropped her off a block away from her house, she kissed him quickly on the cheek, smiled her big smile and ran down the street. He watched her until she was out of sight, then he drove back to the cabin. His was almost floating, he was so happy, but the thought of almost getting on that plane scared him. He had to learn to control that urge to run, he knew he never wanted to be like his mother and disappear without a word. It was almost dawn by the time he made it back to the cabin. He grabbed his bag and headed to his house. A quick workout, a shower then to the office. He hadn’t been there in a couple of days so he knew they were probably behind. And besides Sanem would be there, that might have been the only reason he was anxious to go there.

She had done it, made it out and back in without her parents knowing, but Leila, that was a different subject. In 5 seconds after she closed her bedroom door, her sister tapped on it and walked in. ” Where have you been Sanem and don’t you dare lie to me.” She spurted with anger. Sanem spun around, surprised to see her sister there, ” Leila, what are you doing here, why are you awake.” She asked. Leila glared at her, ” Well someone has to keep an eye on you, where have you been?” She demanded, bringing her face within inches of Sanem’s. ” If I thought it was any of your business, I would have told you.” She whispered, returning the glare. ” I don’t have to answer to you, so go back to bed.” She turned to get her pajamas, so maybe she could get at least an hour of sleep. ” You went to meet him, didn’t you.” She asked. ” Mom and dad are going to kill you if they find out.” She spouted. ” They’re not going to, are they Abla,” Sanem said, giving her sister the look of evil. Leila sighed, ” Sanem, you’re going to get hurt, I just don’t want to see that.” She answered. ” Canbey has never had a serious relationship, he’s a womanizer. Even the woman in London he had been with for years couldn’t keep him, so what makes you think you can.” She snarled. Sanem’s eyes opened wide, ” What woman in London, what are you talking about.” She demanded, pointing her finger in Leilas face, ” You had better not be lying to me about it either.”  Leila knew she had told her something she shouldn’t have, but it was too late now. ” Canbey’s girlfriend, her name is Polen, she’s some big shot scientist there, and apparently they have been together for quite some time.” She announced, hating that she was having to tell her that. Leila continued on, ” Rumor has it, that they broke up a little while back, but that’s happened before and they got back together.” I’m just saying, she may have something different to say about what’s going on between you two.” 

Sanem felt like she had been punched in the stomach, and all the air had been knocked out of her. ” I wonder why he never told me about her, he never mentioned anything about a girlfriend or an ex-girlfriend. Her heart sank, had he been lying to her all this time. There was only one thing to do in a situation like this, ask him point blank if it was true, and pray for the right answer. Her hopes of getting a little sleep had went right out the window. Her brain was running around in circles, she wanted to call him and ask, but thought it would be better to wait and talk face to face. The more she thought, the more angry she became, ” Men, why do they think they can do whatever they want when it comes to woman. Treat them anyway they want, without consequence.” Well, this woman isn’t going to stand for it,” she raved to herself. She may have been involved with Adin when Can come into her life, but that relationship was a toxic one from the very beginning. It had just taken her a while to see it, and Can knew about Adin from the beginning, she didn’t hold anything back from him. 

She hoped Can would have an explanation for keeping something like this from her. She had realized that her feelings for Adin were not the right ones, in fact, she learned she really had no feelings for him. Maybe this was the same with Can, it was just a meaningless relationship, one of convenience and nothing more.

As they took the bus to work, her mind was on the conversation she would have with him….

” Please, don’t let this be over before they even have a chance to be happy.” She prayed, feeling her heart break little by little.

Chapter 7

Leila wasn’t happy that she had to be the one to tell her sister about Polen, but it was better to know now than later. It was true, they might be separated now, but for how long. Sanem went straight to the coffee bar to make some tea, her head in a fog, she had so many doubts floating around she wasn’t even sure if she wanted to see him today. But in an instant he was there, standing behind her, ” Good morning Sanem, will you please bring tea to my office, thank you.” He said, lingering there for a second taking in her smell that always made him weak. She didn’t turn around to greet him, she merely shook her head in agreement. Her body was heated with just the closeness of him, how would she be able to confront him about his girlfriend if he made her unable to breath with just his presence. 

As he walked away, he thought it was odd for her not to look at him but thought maybe she was trying to cover up their relationship. He waited for her to come, but it seemed like forever, finally she tapped on his door with the tea in her hand. He smiled and motioned her in, ” Hello my love, I thought you would never get here.” He whispered to her as she sat the tea on his desk. Her eyes were avoiding his, making him uncomfortable, and causing him to wonder what had happened. She nodded a quick hello and started to leave, but he immediately stopped her by grabbing her arm, ” Sanem, what’s wrong,” he asked, fearful to hear the answer. Had her parents caught her early this morning when she returned home, had they forbid her to see him now, or what. She let her eyes look into his, her heart melted just at the sight of him, ” Can, I guess maybe I will give you the opportunity to tell me what’s wrong, since you are the one with the girlfriend that I didn’t know about.” She spurted out, trying to hold back the tears that were filling her eyes.

Can’s eyes opened wide, ” What girlfriend? There’s only you. What are you talking about?” He questioned, his voice in a panic. She searched his eyes for a reason to doubt, but she wasn’t sure of what she saw, ” Well, what about Polen, is she not your girlfriend, you know, she lives in London and you’ve been together for years.” She raved, letting herself loss control a little, which she always hated to do. Can stepped closer to her, ” Sanem, Polen and I have been apart for quite some time now. Who told you that we were together anyway?” He questioned her, visibly upset that she was questioning his feelings for her. She turned to him quickly, ” Apart, you mean you’re not together anymore,” she asked, her eyes wide, embarrassed at her behavior. ” No my love, I ended it with her a couple of months ago, a while before I came here.” He said, moving closer to her, holding her hand to keep her near. “Whoever told you that didn’t have the correct information. There’s only you for me, that’s it.” He stated, fixing his eyes to hers, making her legs turn weak. This man and those eyes should be illegal and banned to society, as she felt her defenses instantly disappear. She smiled, not able to look away from him, ” Leila, Leila told me about Polen,” she stuttered, losing herself in his gaze. ” Leila?” He said, ” Well, she was wrong, there’s nothing between Polen and I, you can be sure of that.” He stated, stroking her arm as if to calm her down. She took a deep breath, ” Sorry, I shouldn’t have believed her until I talked to you,” she said, looking sheepishly at him with her brown eyes. 

Can motioned for her to sit down, ” What did your parents say about a date to come over to meet.” He asked. He was hoping to be able to go soon, like today, he thought. ” I didn’t have a chance to talk to my mother yet, she was up and gone early this morning, so I will talk to her tonight.” She said, assuring him she would make the date soon. It was all he could do to keep his hands off of her, office or no office, he had to touch her. He moved her over towards the sofa that was in his office, pulling her down to sit next to him. She followed his directions fully engrossed with him, he pulled her close to him, tracing her face with his hand. His touch was like a spark of electricity, that shot straight through her body, he kissed her cheek and traveled down to her neck. His breath was hot on her skin, ” Hmmm, you smell so good, this is a smell I could never get tired of.” He said, kissing her neck. She moaned his name, ” Can, please, someone could walk right in.” She pleaded. The words were no more out of her mouth then Deren tapped on the door as she walked in, ” Can we need to….. Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t know you were busy.” She blurted, embarrassed and shocked at what she had interrupted. Sanem jumped away from him, embarrassed herself at the situation. Can turned to Deren, ” Yes Deren, what is it?” He asked with an impatient look on his face. ” We need to go over the script for the Organic company, we will have to shoot the commercial in a few days, and this needs to be sent.” She replied, shooting a look of disgust at her, but Sanem didn’t move away from him, she remained there, staking her claim to be there.

Can calmly look over the folder, then handed to back to Deren, ” I think that it’s fine, go ahead and sent to their way. Is everything organized for the shoot?” He asked. ” Yes, we have it all in place,” she told him, ” CeyCey handled it all.” Can nodded his head, letting her know the meeting was over, ” Ok, I’ll send this off then,” she stammered, moving to the door. ” Oh, by the way, if my door is shut, please wait for me to say you can come in from now on. Thank you.” He spouted at her. She shook her head and darted out the door, shutting it behind her. Can turned and smiled at her, ” Well that should take care of us having to tell the office that we are a couple.” He said quite proud of how he had handled it.

Sanem sat with her mouth open, shocked at what he had just done. There was no turning back now, the whole office would know…. she wasn’t quite sure if she was ready for that, but she was happier than she had ever been.

Can reached for hand, kissing it he said, ” Sanem my love, there’s no one else for me, not now, not ever.

Chapter 8

Sanem had taken her tea and made her way to the coffee bar, with all eyes following her. The news had traveled fast. Gulize had met her there, ” Sanem, what’s going on? Ms.Deren was furious and stormed into her office.” She asked her eyes dancing with excitement. She always did love spreading gossip, and this was as good as it gets. “Wow, the lowly delivery girl and the handsome and hunky boss,” what more could you ask for.” She thought. Sanem shock her head, ” There’s nothing Gulize, they were talking about the Organic campaign, and I had taken Canbey his tea.” She said, trying to hide her amusement. The whole office was a buzz about it.

Sanem continued about her work, as she made the coffee for the morning meeting. Ms. Deren called the meeting, all creatives to the office floor. Can and Deren were going over the events of the day, and what needed to get done before the shoot. Sanem was making her rounds with the tray of coffee, and the one cup of tea for Can. Everyone had their eyes on her, as she circled the room, as well as Can. She had drawn his attention, making it hard for him to concentrate. When she got to him with his tea, she said, ” Canbey, your tea.” smiling at him. He took the tea, and smiled back, “Thank you Sanem, it looks delicious,” He stated, his eyes locking with hers. Everybody gasped, their eyes were wide, not believing what they were seeing. The electricity between the two was undeniable. Deren shooed her away like a fly, causing Can give her a hard look, ” Sanem that’s enough, can’t you see we are busy.” She sniped, making Sanem blush with embarrassment. Can looked at her, his eyes soft and gentle, ” I’m never too busy for your tea.” He said, giving her a wink. She smiled and glanced at Ms.Deren seeing the smoke rising from her head.

Leila jerked Sanem into her office, ” Sister, what is going on, I told you he has a girlfriend, remember.” She spouted. Sanem smiled, ” Yes he does, me,” She said with confidence. Leila folded her arms, ” No Sanem, Polen, he’s just playing with you.” She sniped. Sanem’s squinted her eyes, ” No Leila, they broke some time back, before he even came here.” She announced, her face turning red with anger. “Get your facts right before spreading them, Can and Polen have been apart for a while.” She spat, making Leila frown. ” I hope you’re right, sister.” She said, ” I don’t want you to get hurt. So mom and dad are good with you being with your boss?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. ” They will be, once they meet him. Which will be every soon.” She stated. Leila was hesitant but wanted the best for her sister. She was happy for her, if that was what she wanted. But she was having a hard time believing that Canbey was serious about her little sister.

Sanem and went to the archive room to finish what her and Can had started. She was organizing the files and arranging the supplies, getting prepared for the training of the new writers. A voice startled her, ” So where’s your boss Sanem, has he already dumped you for someone else.” She heard, she jerked around to see Adin standing there. She knew he was there to cause trouble, just by the look on his face. ” Adin, what are you doing here?” she asked, ” You really don’t have any business being here.” She sniped at him, not sure what he had in mind. ” Oh, Sanem, I think I have every right to come visit the woman that was to be my wife.” He snarled. ” There’s a lot about your new man you don’t know, and I thought I should be the one to tell you.” He smirked, moving towards Sanem. ” Adin, please don’t make a scene, just say what you came to say and leave,” Sanem said, trying to avoid his advances. She made her way around the table and toward to the door. ” Well Sanem, did you know that he has a girlfriend, a very beautiful girlfriend, that he’s been with for a long time. They are quite the couple, very handsome together.” He spouted handing her his phone to look at the picture on it. Sanem really didn’t want to look, but curiosity took over and she reached for the phone.

It was an event in London, they were both dressed on formal wear, smiling with his arm around her. ” Very beautiful,” she thought, studying his face. He didn’t even look like the same man, he looked different, like someone famous and rich. She couldn’t take her eyes off it, her mind was running away with itself. I don’t even know this man, is this the real Can Divit, or is the man upstairs in his office the real Can Divit. Her insecurities hit the top, making her doubt their whole relationship, ” They look so happy together, just like we do.” She thought. ” What made him breakup with her, she’s obviously gorgeous, and very sophisticated, not at all like her.” Her stomach was churning and she felt sick, the tears were ready to fall, but she wouldn’t let Adin see what she felt. She shoved the phone back to him, ” So, is this supposed to mean something, I already know about his ex-girlfriend, thank you.” She snarled at him. Adin smiled, ” Are you sure that it’s an ex- girlfriend, from what I hear, their relationship has been ongoing for years, with a lot of breakups and reconciliation over that time. I think you are one of his pastimes, just a toy to be amused with, until he can return to London and he’s real life.” He sputtered, his face red with rage. ” So when he leaves you and returns to his real life and his real love, if you beg me nicely, I might consider taking you back.” That is, if you’re not damaged goods already.” He said through his gritted teeth. Her eyes stung with tears, ” Get out Adin, just leave,” she cried, ” And don’t ever think I would lower myself to beg you for anything, unlike you I have my pride.” She stared at him, holding on to the last shred of dignity she had, refusing to shed the river of tears that waited there in her eyes.

Adin smiled, knowing he had just planted the seed of doubt in her head. That was his plan, make her feel what he had felt. Humiliated, hurt, deceived, all of these things she had done to him, but she made his heart skip a beat and he hated it. He turns to leave, ” Oh, by the way, did Can Divit tell you about this woman or did you have to find out from someone else?” He asked, ” Never mind, I already know the answer.” He smirked, he turned and walked out. She was frozen there for minutes, staring at the door with the picture etched in her mind. His words were deafening to her ears, as they stayed there playing over and over. What a terrible man he was, but her head was full of what he said.

” Was he right? Was she just a toy for him to play with?”

The tears finally came, as she ran upstairs and grabbed her bag from her closet. All the eyes were staring at her, but she didn’t look.

She just ran….

Chapter 9

Before she even realized what was happening, she was in a taxi running away from all the words that were screaming in her head. She could see Adin’s face in her mind, angry and hostile, saying just anything to hurt her. Why did she look at that picture, now she had a face for the name, and the image of how they looked together burned into her mind. She fell for it, Adin set her up and she fell for it. But  what was he doing with a woman like her when he could clearly have anyone in the world he wanted. The taxi stopped in front of a long driveway, she paid and got out. She walked the winding driveway to the deserted white mansion at the end, her sanctuary as a kid, where she came to write and dream. The birds had lived there at one time, but they had all disappeared over the years. It still held such a deep meaning for her, she had dreamed of living in a house like that, somewhere far off, maybe on the sea where she would write about the albatross that had recused her from her boring life in her neighborhood. The house made her feel like she did when she was a kid, unsure and out of place. 

She went from room to room, reliving the times there, how she dreamed of her future and how it would be. Nothing like it is now, full of doubt and fear. She had given her heart to Can, but had he really given his. Was he telling her the truth about Polen or was he taking advantage of her? All these questions made her dizzy and not feeling well, so she curled up in the corner of one of the bedrooms and closed her eyes. This was something she used to do when she came there, pretend it was her room, full of books and beautiful furniture, but this time it was full of heartache. She must have dozed off, the dreams of the past were filling her mind, making her forget the problems of the present.

Can was wondering where Sanem was, he hadn’t seen her in a while. He thought she might have brought him tea, but it was almost lunch time and she hadn’t. He wanted to take her to lunch so he stepped out to find her. Looking at the coffee bar and in the office area, he stopped by Deren’s office, ” Excuse me Deren, have you seen Sanem, I’m ready to go to lunch and I can’t find her.” He said, noticing the look of annoyance on her face. ” No Can, she hasn’t been around in a while, but that’s not unusual for her.” She spouted. He moved on, ignoring the look, asking Gulize if she had seen her, ” Yes, a while ago, that friend of hers Adin came by, but she left shortly after that.” She told him. ” You said Adin was here, why didn’t someone come and get me?” What did he say to her?” He asked, raising his voice. Gulize was a bit surprised at his tone, ” Sorry Canbey, I had no idea there would be a problem, isn’t he a friend of hers?” She asked. But Can had already left heading towards Leila’s office. He burst through the door, ” Leila, have you seen Sanem, I can’t find her.” He demanded. Leila told him she hadn’t seen her since the morning meeting, she was asking him what was wrong, but he had already bolted out her door toward the front door.

Adin was quite proud of himself, as he drove back to the warehouse. He waited until he was in his office before making the call. ” Hello, Ms. Polen, yes it all went as I thought it would.,” Thank you for sending the picture, it did the trick.”  Polen replied, ” You’re more than welcome Mr. Adin, glad to be able to help. But like I said, I don’t care to have him back, I just want to make sure he suffers a little, like he made me suffer. I still can’t believe he left me for a silly little girl from the backstreets of Istanbul.” She sputtered, with disgust. The words stung at Adin, knowing they both came from the same neighborhood. ” Wow, this woman is a real bitch,” he thought, ” But he didn’t care what she thought of him, as long as she helped him break them up. ” Oh, don’t forget, that picture didn’t come from me, that’s our little secret, right.” Polen added, with the tone of a threat.  ” Sure, I understand.” He said, ready to end the phone call. 

Can had no idea where to look for her, but he did drive to the pier, she had told him that was one of her favorite places to go. He parked and walked the pier, searching for her, but she wasn’t there. ” Where could she be.” He thought, his mind in panic, as he drove back to the office hoping she had returned. Leila was worried as well but didn’t know where to start to look. When she found out that Adin had been there, she felt a since of urgency to find her. A phone call to her mother would be a necessity, but she had to careful not to alarm her, ” Mom, how is your day,” Leila asked, ” It is so busy, I can hardly look up,” she replied, ” We will have Canbey over for dinner soon and I’m nervous about the recipes.” She spouted. Leila asked if Sanem had come home for lunch,” No, she’s not here, is everything alright.” She asked. Leila told her mom Sanem had left to run some errands, and she thought she might have come home for lunch. Saying her goodbyes, she hung up, she shook her head at Can, telling him she wasn’t there either. His fear was growing more and more as the day went by. 

Leila had decided to leave early to drop by Adins office at the warehouse. She needed to know what they had talked about when he came to the agency. She promised she would call Can as soon as she found out anything. Adin was surprised to see Leila but greeted her as if nothing had happened. ” Leila, come in, good to see you. What can I do for you?” He asked, smiling that smug smile, he motioned for her to sit. Leila didn’t sit but came right to the point. ” I need to know what you talked to Sanem about today when you visited the agency, and I need the truth.” She snarled, glaring at him. Adin stood, ” Well, it is a bit of a personal matter, I’m not comfortable discussing our personal problems with you.” He said, not backing down from her stare. ” I wasn’t aware that you still a personal relationship with my sister, but whatever you said to her, you can say to me.” She demanded. ” She left work shortly after you visited her, and hasn’t been seen since, so if you know anything about where she is, you had better tell me now.” His eyes darted about, trying to avoid the accusation, but Leila knew he was holding back something.

“Adin, you know our neighborhood, we protect our own. Are you sure you want to answer to our neighbors if something were to happen to her?” She said, leaning across his desk.

His face was flushed and hot, he knew she was telling the truth. ” Leila, I’m sorry but I don’t know where Sanem is. She was there when I left and our conversation had nothing to do with you.”  He stammered, trying to hide his nervousness. 

Leila turned to leave, ” For your sake, I hope she turns up soon Adin… if not…you will have Can Divit to answer to.”

Chapter 10

Can sat with his phone in his hand, waiting for the call from Leila. He had stayed at the office, not wanting to drive to the cabin or home until he heard from Sanem. He called Sanem’s phone over and over, praying for her to answer, but her phone was still turned off. CeyCey had offered to stay with him there, until they heard some news, but Can wanted to stay alone. Leila has been gone for quite some time and he was beginning to think she wasn’t going to call him, when his phone pinged with a text, ” Canbey, Adin wasn’t any help, so I will wait at home until she comes. Hope it’s soon.” He read it, panicked at the thought of him not being able to help her. He stretched out on the sofa in his office, waiting for her to call, praying she was ok.

After Leila left Adins office, he quickly deleted the picture of Can and Polen, and the texts they had sent back and forth to one another. He didn’t want any type of trail leading him to Polen. That last thing he needed was for them to find out he had contacted Cans ex-girlfriend and set this whole plan up. He hadn’t expected for her to disappear on them, he just wanted to humiliate her, and teach her a lesson. If his dad found out what he had done, it would be hard to talk his way out of it. They would definitely think him a disgrace to their family.

Sanem woke with a jerk, looking around, confused, ” Where am I?” She thought. It was so dark she could barely see. It took her a minute to remember where she was and what had happened. ” Adin,” she thought, reliving everything he had said to her. ” He did this, he planted this seed of doubt in my mind.” But why was she believing what he said anyway, he had become the master of evilness. ” I need to talk to Can, I know he has already explained Polen to me, but seeing that picture of them, I have to know the whole story between them.” She said to herself. She stumbled down the stairs, using her phone as a light to see, as she got to the front door, she called her sister. ” Sanem,” Leila yelled as she answered the phone, ” Where are you, we have been scared to death.” Sanem explained to her what had happened, ” Adin said some awful things to me, it just made me so upset I had to get away from the office.” She cried, hating herself for letting him get to her like that. She told her she would be home soon, that she was at the old mansion by the park. Leila hadn’t forgotten that it used to be a favorite place for her to go when she was younger, but she was glad she was ok. She promised she would wait for her to get there. ” Sanem, Can is worried sick about, you should call him and let him know you’re ok.” She told her. ” Ok, I’ll call, I didn’t mean to upset him, I just had to get out of the office.” She said.

His phone ringing made him jump, he had been deep in thought of Sanem and what Adin could have said to her to make her leave like that. ” Sanem, my god are you ok? I’ve been worried sick about you, I had no idea where to look for you or what Adin ….”Can, I’m fine, I’m on my way home now, but I really need to talk to you, so can you meet me at the cafe down the street from the agency early in the morning.” She asked, her heart aching to see him. ” Of course, or I can come to you now if you want.” He said, not knowing if he could wait till morning to touch her, feel her and make sure she was ok. They agreed on 8:00, that would give her time to explain to him what Adin had said to her and tell him why she had been so upset. She felt like she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders right now, she didn’t like being so unsure of her feelings. One thing she knew for sure was Adin had never cared for her, he didn’t have feelings of love for her either, or he wouldn’t have made such accusations about her. She knew he had been upset with their breakup but to do this was more than upset, it was just plain cruel. She loved Can with all her heart, and she hoped he wasn’t playing with her like some toy, as Adin had said.

She unlocked the door and walked in, being as quiet as she could to not alarm her parents, but they heard the door. ” Sanem, is that you, come to the living room daughter, we need to talk.” she called to her. Sanem leaned her head against the door, ” Mom, can it wait until tomorrow, I’m really very tired.” She said back, feeling the need to be alone. ” Come, we need to talk about your gentleman friend.” She replied. She sighed, ” Ok, I’m coming.” She yelled, putting on her slippers, so confused by everything that happened earlier in the day, she wasn’t sure if she even had a “gentleman friend”.  She turned on a smile and greeted her parents, ” Hello, mom…dad,” she said giving them a hug. She sat down with them to talk, ” Sanem, your dad and I have agreed to let Mr. Divit come to dinner tomorrow evening, if he is free.” She said, patting Sanem’s hand. ” We are willing to meet him, if this is what you want.” Sanem smiled, hugging them both and thanking them for giving him a chance. At that moment, Sanem knew she also needed to give him a chance, she had to wait until she talked to Can before judging him. She had to believe in him and in his love for her and trust that Polen was a thing of the past. Adin had become an evil and vindictive man, desperately trying to make Sanem doubt Cans love. 

She said goodnight to her parents, thanking them again for agreeing. Her dads look was still that of doubt and judgment, but he had a soft spot for his baby daughter and couldn’t deny her what she wanted. She went to her room, her heart was lighter, she couldn’t wait until the morning.  But she still wondered where Adin had found that picture of Can and Polen, and if she should tell Can about it, but she wanted Can to know what Adin was up to. 

She snuggled in her bed, her mind was thinking of the night before at the cabin and how happy Can had been to find her there when he returned. She smiled; He loves me, I know it.

We have found it….the real thing….our love.

Chapter 11

Leila tapped on her door the next morning early, dying to know the story. ” Sanem, wake up, tell me what happened yesterday, I’m excited to know. ” I went to Adin’s office but he said he didn’t want to tell me what went on between you both.” She said. Sanem sat up, she explained to her sister everything Adin had said to her, ” Abla, he was a totally different person than the Adin we grew up with, his eyes held so much disgust for me, it almost scared me. Leila couldn’t believe what she had heard, no wonder he hadn’t wanted to tell her about their conversation. If Can finds out what was said, Adin will have to answer to him, and that might be worse than answering to his father. Leila was glad her sister had confided in her, that hadn’t always been the case. She never wanted to hurt Sanem with the reveal of Polen, she just didn’t want her to be blindsided. 

Sanem had a hour before she was to meet Can, so she had to hurry to catch her bus. Her heart was beating fast with excitement, he would be so happy to know her parents were expecting him for dinner that evening, she was ready to put all of this behind them. ” Just take the love he is giving you, and make your heart happy,” she told herself as she waited for the bus. That’s all she wanted…. to be happy. She got off the bus a block from the cafe and walked to meet him. She opened the door to the cafe, looked around, and there he was, sitting at a table in the back. Her heart skipped a beat just looking at him. ” He’s early, she thought, smiling. He saw her and stood, waving at her so she would see him. She waved back and made her way to his table. ” Good morning Can,” she said softly, as he reached for her, pulling her close to him. It took her by surprise, such action right there in a public place, but the touch of his hands on her replaced any apprehension she had. It sent an electric wave through her, yes this was what she lived for, this man, this touch, and that look that from his eyes that crossed ever boundary of her heart. She loved him.

” Sanem, my god, I was so scared yesterday.” He whispered in her ear, as he held her tight. Her smell filled his mind and heart, letting him relax a bit. “She was here and ok.” He told himself, touching her skin, feeling the softness of it. She intoxicated him with just her presence, but he wanted so much more. He pulled out the chair for her to sit, not taking his eyes off her. He couldn’t, he was afraid he would lose her again if he did. He sat down, reaching for her hand, “ Sanem what happened yesterday? Why didn’t you come to me when Adin came to the office.” He pleaded, ” I’m never going to let him hurt you again.” He said, his eyes glisten with tears that had formed. She smiled, “Can, I know, I should have come straight to you, but he took me by surprise.” She explained, searching his eyes and seeing the pain he was feeling. ” Can, Adin had pictures of you and Polen. I would presume from an event you had attended with her. It really threw me, just to see the two of you together.” She said, the hurt still visible on her face. Can sat up straight in his chair, ” Sanem, you have to believe me, there is nothing between Polen and I, it has been over for a long time now, at least it has been for me.” He stated, feeling the need to emphasize that. “It was over even long before I broke it off with her. To be honest, I’m not sure that I had that strong of feelings for her. She was someone to come to a couple of times a year, and someone to tell my troubles to when I needed to. My heart wasn’t with hers.” He stated, staring deep into her eyes, making her weak.

She studied him, and listened to what he was saying, she believed him. He seemed so sincere, letting his eyes tell her his feelings. He leaned forward, ” Don’t ever doubt that my feelings for you are true, and I will protect you from Adin from now on.” He spouted, kissing her hand gently. ” How did Adin get pictures of Polen and I together anyway, it must have been a long time ago.” He asked, trying to remember the last time he had attended an event with her. ” He’s doing this just to hurt us, my love, please don’t fall into his trap.” He said, his voice low and demanding. Can was sure Adin had more tricks up his sleeve, he intended to make Sanem know that what he feels for her is real and strong, and he will never let her go. But he did know he would have to pay a visit to his friend Adin, he would make him understand, all his deceit in the world is not going to separate him from Sanem. He let his eyes take her in, still realizing the fear they he had just a few hours ago when he couldn’t find her, ” I can’t be without her,” He thought, ” My heart would break if I had to, so he would fight for her, against Adin, and her parents, and make them see how much he loved this woman.” 

In an instant, her face lit up, ” Can my love, my parents are willing to meet you and get to know you so they have invited you to dinner this evening, can you come?” She asked, her eyes dancing with joy. She hoped he didn’t have other plans and he would agree to come. He smiled, ” I would love to,” he said, ” I don’t have any plans but to be with you and making you happy.” He replied, his eyes smoldering with desire. She clapped her hands, ” Super, then it’s a date, can you be there by 7:00? She asked, avoiding his eyes, and that stare that made her blush and sent her stomach into doing flip flops. ” Yes, whatever time you want me there,” he stated. She giggled nervously, she would never get used to his looks, he could reach her heart with just one glance and make it hard for her to breath. She had never felt these things before, but she loved them and she loved him, with all her heart.

They had finished their talk and it was time to get to work. He grabbed her hand as they walked out of the cafe, but she shied away from him. He looked at her confidently, “Sanem, I want the whole world to know we are together, so take my hand and lets walk in together, proud of our love for each other.” He said softly, with the love for her beaming from him. She let all of her defenses down, ” Just let yourself love him Sanem,” she told herself, ” Be happy with him.”

” This is the man you’re suppose to be with, the match of you heart and soul.” 

She took his hand, and smiled, as they walked towards the agency…….in love.

Chapter 12

They walked hand and hand into the agency, with all the eyes in the office following them. As they got to the hallway going towards his office, smiling he said, ” Do you want to make our tea and come to my office?” He said, feeling the stares and hearing the gasps as he kissed her hand. Sanem nodded her head, also feeling the looks and disbelief from her co-workers. It made her smile a little, just to know he was that confident in their relationship. She hurried to the coffee bar and brewed them their tea, then she walked proudly to his office as Ms.Deren watched, fuming. She entered his office, Can jumped up to take the tea from her, saying, ” Shut the door behind you Sanem, let’s sit and have our tea.” He smiled at her, and she automatically did as he wished. She would do anything he said and go anywhere he wanted to go, she thought, as she sat down on the sofa, completely in awe of his hold on her. 

” See, that was easy, we have nothing to hide, and I refuse to let anyone here make us feel bad about the way we feel about each other.” He stated, leaning in close to her as she took a seat. The doubt of his feelings for her vanished as she was covered with goosebumps with just the closeness of him. Her heart was full, and happy, how could she ever believe Adin and the things he said. Can had done nothing but love her, she thought, casting out all her fears. “So, tonight at 7:00”, He said, ” I don’t know if I can wait that long.” He stated, with a serious look on his face. ” So your parents are willing to give us a chance?” He asked, he knew he was willing to do whatever it took to impress them. She smiled, ” Well, they are ok with meeting you, but my dad doesn’t know you’re my boss.” She stated, giving him a sideways look. ” What difference does that make if I’m your boss?” He asked. ” It’s not proper for an employee to have a romantic relationship with their boss, that is in my family’s belief.” She explained, hoping he wouldn’t think their traditions were crazy and so was her family.

He smiled, ” Well, it looks like I might have to turn the agency over to my brother then, doesn’t it.” He announced, in a joking tone, but his face showed a different tone. ” Can, don’t be ridiculous, you can’t do that.” She said, shaking her head, dismissing it with a laugh. Can stiffened, ” And why not, that’s a perfectly good solution to our problem.” He stated, his eyes lighting up like he had just solved all the problems of the world. ” Emre can take over the agency and I can return to my job as a photographer, boom, problem solved.” I never cared much for the business anyway, I only did this so my dad could take his well-deserved vacation.”  He said, letting the excitement beam through him. Sanem stared at him, ” What are you talking about, Can, I couldn’t ask you do to something like that, the agency is your job, and your dad is depending on you to run it until he gets back.” She spouted back to him, not wanting to let her brain consider it even for a minute. Can smiled that little half smile, ” Well Ms. Sanem you didn’t ask me, I offered, and I think it’s a very good idea.” He replied, feeling confident in his suggestion.

The knock on the door interrupted their conversation, ” Come in.” Can said, irritated that his convincing speech would have to wait. Emre walked in, ” Abi, how are you? Oh, Sanem, hello didn’t see you there.” He said, puzzled to see her in his brother’s office. Can stood and gave his brother a hug, ” I’m good Emre, you’ve been gone a couple of days, what’s up.” He asked. Emre smiled, ” Well, had some business to attend to,” He said, giving his brother a wink. Can knew what kind of business that was, anything to do with a woman. Sanem felt like she needed to leave so they could talk, so she stood, nodded telling Emre goodbye and started to the door, Can reaches for her, ” Wait, don’t go, we haven’t finished our talk yet.” He said, in a voice of desperation. She glanced into his eyes, ” We can talk later, I need to get to work, thank you.” She said firmly, turning as she walked out and started to the coffee bar. CeyCey noticed her and called to her, ” Sanem, Ms. Deren wants to see you in her office as soon as possible.” He spouted. She sighed, ” Now what, I haven’t even been here 10 minutes and she has found something that I have done wrong.

Sanem made her way quickly to Ms. Derens office, ” Yes Ms. Deren, what can I do for you.” She asked, trying not to sound sarcastic. ” Come in Sanem, shut the door.” She motioned for her to sit down. Sanem sat down, wondering what she had done to deserve this confrontation. ” It seems that you might have missed an important part of our policy’s here in the agency. Such as, no contact of any kind with any other employee in the office, in a personal manner that is.” She blurted, with a look of satisfaction on her face. Sanem’s face fell, ” What… What are you taking about? I’m not sure I understand.” She replied, squinting her eyes, trying to catch her meaning. ” Well, let me spell it out for you. Rumor has it that you have some type of infatuation with Can. Now believe me, I can see the reason for this, but the office isn’t the place for a flirtatious scene to occur. I’m not sure what you have heard but Can has a girlfriend. She lives in London and they have been together for quite some time.” Deren said, taking this opportunity to try and defuse any type of hope she might have of her and Can being a real couple. Sanem smiled, thinking to herself, ” There were definitely a lot of people that didn’t want her and Can to be together, but she wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.” She listened to what Ms. Deren had to say then replied, ” I’m sure you are looking out for my best interest, but rest assured, there’s no cause for alarm, ” Sanem said, her eyes shooting out flames of anger, ” I am fully aware of all the policies in the company and nowhere does it state that. So either you are mistaken or it is a new rule. If you would like, I can recite the company policy for you, seeing as I have a photographic memory.” Her words stung Deren’s heart, leaving her without any words to say. 

Sanem continued, ” If you are concerned about my bruised ego or heart, don’t be, I know all I need to know about the relationship between Can and Ms. Polen. But…I do appreciate your concern.” She stated, nodding politely as she stood to leave. Ms. Deren stood also, furious at Sanem’s arrogance. 

” I hope you know as much as you think you know, if not, you might have a lot to lose.” She fired back at her.

Sanem stiffened, ” I know everything I need to know, and that came from Can himself, so I would say, you are the one that might have a lot to lose.” She spouted.

She held her head high as she walked out, ” Looks like I’m in for a fight when it comes to Can, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she thought. If there’s anything worth fighting for, it’s our love……

Chapter 13

As Sanem walked out of Can’s office, a million questions were running through Emre’s head. ” Abi, what’s going on with that new girl? You seemed pretty cozy when I walked in.” He asked, with a smirk on his face. Can shot him a look, ” What did it look like Emre, we were having tea.” Can answered, knowing his little brother would make a big deal out of his relationship with Sanem. “Just tea, hmm…. she’s a beautiful woman, but not really your type, do you think?” Emre said eyeing his brother. ” What type? What do you mean by that, do I have a type?” Can asked, getting a little perturbed with his insinuation. Emre could tell he had struck a nerve, ” Yes, you have a type,” he answered firmly. ” Like Polen; tall, beautiful, smart, classy, do you want me to go on?” He popped off, ready to defend himself and his opinion. Can smiled, ” Well, you couldn’t be more wrong brother, Polen most definitely is not my type, and as I said, I have finally broken it off with her.” He stated, as he walked around to sit down. Emre had never seen this side of his brother, a bit defiant, and secretive. ” You are sure about that? You want to break it off with her for, what’s her name……ah, Sanem. She’s just a common girl, her and her sister Leila are from an old and poor district of town. I know Leila is a very good assistant and not bad to look at, but they are from a different world.” He spouted, shocked at his brothers actions. 

Can had heard all he cared to hear, ” Emre, I’m busy, so if you don’t mind.” He announced, ready for his brother to shut up. He never knew his brother was such a shallow minded person and so quick to judge people. He reminded him of their mother and that was something he didn’t like to do…. think of Huma. Emre excused himself and went to his office, but Sanem was still on his mind. Leila, very eager to please her boss, hurried into his office to take a report for him, ” Good morning Emrebey, I hope you had a nice couple of days off. Here are the reports to go over and this is a final payment for you to sign.” She babbled quickly, she always became flustered when she was around him. He looked at her, this time with a little more thought, was he missing something with these woman? They did have a special look about them, beautiful and wholesome, he thought. He brushed it off and got down to business, turning his attention to what Leila was saying. She was always in a constant state of infatuation, when it came to Emrebye, she had been for years. Keeping her feelings hidden from everyone, she knew it was just her dream, a dream that would never one true. After she went over the files with him, she turned to leave, ” Wait Leila, I was wondering how your sister is liking her job here, is she happy here?” He asked, but she felt like he wanted to ask more, but couldn’t. She replied, ” She’s very happy here, thank you. I believe she’s doing a good job, at least I haven’t heard any complaints.” She said. Emre shook his head and smiled, dismissing Leila to return to her office.

It had only been an hour, but Can was already missing Sanem, and wanted to see her. He went to his door, scanned the office floor looking for her. He found her, standing at the copier machine, his heart jumped, she looked so beautiful and pure he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She felt the stare from across the room and searched out his eyes. Their eyes focused on each other, everything else went away, he motioned her to come to his office. She hurried by the coffee bar and grabbed his tea and went down the hall to his office. Ms. Deren met her in the hall, the look would have killed her if it could, she felt the effects from it anyway. She nodded an acknowledgment her way and continued on to Cans office. Deren stopped and watched her enter his office and Can greet her just inside the door. Can encircled her in his arms and took her toward the sofa in his office, ” I just don’t get it,” she thought, she is nothing special, a simple delivery and errand girl.” The thoughts rambled on in her head, when Emre came around the corner, ” Deren, are you ok, are you waiting for Can? He asked, glancing back to see Can and Sanem in his office. ” No, I’m sorry Emre, I was just lost in a thought.” She said, embarrassed he had caught her staring in his office. Emre started to walk off, but decided to get some answers to some questions, ” Do you know what’s going on with Can, he’s changed a lot over the past couple of weeks.” And Sanem, is there something going on with them?” He asked, knowing that Deren would know what was up, if it had anything to do with Can she would know. Deren smiled, “Emre, I’m not really sure, I think that Sanem would like for there to be, and maybe Can would to, but there’s Polen. She shrugged her shoulders, ” Can is the one to ask, not me.” 

Emre was more confused than ever, and had decided to do just that, as soon as they got home. Sanem sat down on the sofa with Can, ” Can, there’s a lot of talk about us in the office, maybe it would be best for me to find a different job.” She said, fidgeting with her fingers, nervous to hear his reply. ” Let them talk Sanem, we have nothing to hide I told you, everything will be ok. You can’t go anywhere; I need you here.” He spoke, running his finger along her cheek. His touch made her forget all their troubles, she looked in his eyes and she could see his strength. He always made her feel better, more in control. It was almost time to finish for the day, so she went to complete her work and leave. She gave Can her address, and her and Leila, left to catch the bus. Can hurried home to change and get to Sanem’s house by 7:00. Can was changed and ready to leave when Emre arrived, ” Abi, where are you off to tonight, looks like somewhere special.” He said smiling. ” It is, and I’m in a hurry, so I will see you later.” Can said, trying escape the questions. ” Wait…wait, brother, who’s the woman.” He asked, patting him on the back. Can decided it was time to fill him in on his woman, ” Ok Emre, I am going somewhere special, if you must know.” I’m going to Sanem’s house to meet her parents.” He stated firmly, waiting for the backlash. Had he heard right, Can was going to meet her parents, ” Whoa, Abi, meet the parents, isn’t it a bit soon for that.” He spouted, with shock written all over his face. 

” Ok, here it comes, he thought, ” No Emre, it’s not, we have been together for a few weeks now, and with their traditions, i need to meet them so we can go on to the next step.” He explained. ” What next step, Can. Are you serious about this woman?”  Emre shouted. 

Can stiffened, ” Emre, yes, I am.” And this is really none of your business.” I take care of my life and you take care of yours, that’s the way it’s always been.” He spewed, ready to defend their relationship to the end. Emre shook his head, ” What happened to Polen, why did you break up with her.” He asked, confused. 

” Emre, I didn’t love Polen, I never did. But Sanem is different. She is connected to me in some way, I can’t explain it.” He said, his voice turning soft. ” Are you in love with her Can?” Emre asked, shocked to even be saying the words.

” Yes, I am Emre, and I plan on marrying her as soon as her parents approve.”

Chapter 14

Sanem had changed three times, trying to get the right dress. Her nerves had gone overboard, she was ready to get this evening underway. Her dad was solemn, but he assured her he would be fair, and not judge him prematurely. She was running around behind her mom checking to make sure everything was going to be ok. Mevkibe put her hands on her shoulders, ” Sanem, please calm down, in have cooked for company before, everything will be fine. ” She said, smiling and patting Sanem’s cheek. ” Mom, I just want everything perfect, this is very important to me, and dad is scaring me, he looks so mean.” She whispered so her dad wouldn’t hear. Her mom laughed, ” He will be fine my daughter, trust me, all he wants is your happiness.” She told her. But Sanem was worried about him finding out he was her boss, it wasn’t going to be good. She was taking one last look around to make sure everything was perfect, when the bell rang. She was almost frozen in place, but Leila nudged her, ” Sanem, answer the door, it’s probably Canbey.” She said. Sanem opened the door, and welcomed him in. He took one look at her at couldn’t believe his eyes, ” Sanem, you are beautiful my love, red really is your color.” He said, breathlessly. Mevkibe was waiting for him as she let him in, ” Welcome, come in Mr. Divit, we are pleased to have you.” She said, with a smile. Nihat waited for him to come to the living room, standing he reached out his hand, ” Mr.Divit, pleased to meet you, please make yourself comfortable.” He said, motioning to the chair beside him. His face was solemn and stern, but his actions were cordial, so Can felt that things were going well. Leila offered tea or coffee, and of course he opted for tea. Sanem took a seat next to Can’s chair, waiting for the father to open a conversation.

A few tense moments later, her dad asked, ” So, Mr. Divit, what exactly do you do for a living, if I might ask?” Nihat said, cutting his eyes to look at him as he answered, ” Well actually, I’m a photographer, I work for many agencies and humanitarian groups. Nihat was impressed, raising his eyebrows, ” Is that right, that’s sounds interesting.” What exactly do you do, I mean what do you take pictures of,” He asked. Can smiled, ” I usually have an assignment, and a schedule to follow, and the subjects could be anything from a small remote village in the African jungle to documenting the workers in the tea fields in Sir Lanka. It just depends what the clients want. Nihat was astonished, such an interesting man, he thought. ” So you travel a lot, and you’ve been to all those places you just described?” He asked. Sanem beamed, she was so happy, they were actually talking, and her dad was listening. This might turn out to be ok, she thought, breathing a sigh of relief. 

Can was a master at turning on the charm when he needed to, and this night was no exception. The dinner table became the place where he told the many stories of his travels, along with the funny stories that had her dad in stitches. Her and Leila exchanged looks of disbelief, as they moved back to the living room to have their tea. But the fact that Can was still her boss hadn’t yet come into play. Nihat had bombarded him with questions, eager to learn all about his job, ” ” So are you in between jobs now and thats why you’re here,” he asked, with sincerity. That was the question she had been dreading all night but Can gave her a quick glance and proceeded to answer the question, ” Well it’s something like that, my father was in desperate need of a vacation, and my brother was unable to run the company alone, so I stayed to run the office while he was gone, it’s strictly a temporary situation. He explained, flashing that smile that he was famous for. Mevkibe was entirely smitten with him, he had praised her food and ate so much, it made her happy. Sanem had a permanent smile on her face, the evening couldn’t have gone any better. Nihat was so impressed, ” What a good son, to take time out of your busy schedule to make sure your father had a vacation. He said, with much admiration.

The dinner had been a success, and it seemed that Can had passed the test. By the end of the evening, they were both calling him Can, instead of Mr. Divit. As he stood to leave, he shook Nihat’s hand, and gave Mevkibe a hug. Thanking them for the wonderful evening, Sanem escorted him to the door, both her parents insisting on him coming again soon for a visit or dinner. She stepped outside to tell him goodbye, ” Can, I can’t believe this evening went so well, I’m so happy I could kiss you on the mouth right here.” She exclaimed, her eyes rimmed with tears of joy. He looked into her eyes, ” See, I told you things would work out, never doubt me when I want something bad enough.” He said with his eyes glowing with desire. She smiled and kissed him on both cheeks, she stepped back in the house and shut the door. Can stood there for a second, ” Goodnight my love, he whispered to the closed door, ” I love you.” Sanem was leaning against the door, and heard him ever so slightly, she smiled, and whispered back, ” I love you too.” 

She walked to the kitchen to help her mom finish the cleaning. Both Mevkibe and Leila were smiling. Her mom shook her head, ” My daughter, I can definitely see why you are attracted to him, he is adorable.” She said, giving Sanem a big hug. She agreed,saying, ” I knew you both would love him, if you just gave him a chance, he’s a wonderful person.” She remarked, with love shining from her eyes like diamonds. Her mother told in a serious tone, ” Is it serious between the two of you? I mean, has he spoken of a future together with you.” She asked, but she already knew the answer by the way her daughter was glowing. Sanem looked away from her mothers eyes, knowing they still had a couple of things to overcome before they could commit to marriage. Even though Can had already told her he wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, there was still the problem of Adin and Polen that lingered in her mind. 

Sanem’s look changed, she went from that little girl, excited and happy, to a woman that was in love. 

” Yes mom, a future with Can is what I want. I feel complete with him, without him I am empty, without him my heart aches.” Is that love momma, I don’t know, but I know I have never felt these things before.” She replied, almost in a whisper. She smiled slightly, ” He makes me feel like I’m important, and I’m his equal, not his possession. 

Her heart was so full and happy right now, their future was in sight and it was going to be fantastic……

This man was her real thing….he was her heart and soul…….

Chapter 15

Can was the happiest he had ever been, as he drove to his house. He was in love, and she loved him, and he had won over her parents, what more could he wish for. Now he needed to talk to his dad and brother to tell them that he has found the love of his life. His mind was spinning with the possibilities, he knew he wanted to be with her the rest of his life, so a proposal was definitely the way to go. There was certain procedures that he knew he would have to go through, these were their traditions and he wasn’t about to go against them. He was determined to follow their rules. But there was one thing he had to do, and that was to talk to Adin, ” I’ve got to find out how he got a picture of Polen and I together. But the most important thing is letting him know theres no way he will come between Sanem and me.” He thought “ he would make sure that he understood and didn’t bother Sanem again.” In fact, he was looking forward to it.” 

Emre was just getting home as Can pulled up, ” Emre, your home early, did your date stand you up? He asked with a smile. ” No Abi, I decided to call it a early night, I’ve got to get some rest.” He said, shaking his head. Can laughed, ” You are living a life thats dangerous, so be careful.” He exclaimed. Emre slapped Can on the back, ” How was your night, did you charm the pants off her parents.” Or did they kick you out at first glance.” He said, dying to know the details. Can smiled, ” It all went well, I was invited back, so I guess I made an impression.” He exclaimed proudly. Emre got them a drink and sat down on the sofa, ” Listen Abi, you need to think about this before you jump in feet first.” I know she’s a beautiful girl, but you’ve had them before and you didn’t talk about long term commitment.” What’s so special about Sanem.” He asked, taking a long look at his brother. Can smiled, looking at the floor, ” Emre, she’s one of a kind, she makes me feel different, so alive and full.” I can’t get her out of my mind, even when I try, she always there.” He told him, with the tears building up in his eyes. ” I have to see her, if I don’t, I start to panic inside, like I’ve lost her.” She has ahold of me, and I’m not about to let go.” Emre had never seen his brother like this before, so vulnerable to someone else. He was usually strong and totally independent, choosing his life alone. But he could see the change in him, it wasn’t all about himself now, this woman had entered his heart and claimed it. He envied him for finding the person that he belonged to, he wished he could. 

” So, are you going to pop the question,” Emre asked, ” Or are you just going to playhouse with her for a while.” Can shot a look at him letting him know he was about to cross the line, ” Yes, marriage is what I have in mind, Emre, and be careful how you speak about her.” She is a respectable woman, and you will refer to her as such.” He said, his eyes glowing like dark coal. Emre threw up his hands, ” Sorry Abi, I didn’t mean anything by that, it was just a joke.” He pleaded, knowing better than to push him on the matter. Can relaxed, ” I need to call dad and let him know what’s going on and find out when he’s coming home.” He stated, anxious to tell his dad. He needed to know when his dad planned on returning so he could plan the proposal. It had to be soon, but having his dads blessing was very important. As Can told Emre his plans, Emre asked, ” What about mom, are you going to call her?” Just the mention of her name could pull his mood down, ” No, I’m not Emre, and you’re not going to either.” She has nothing to do with this.” He demanded, squinting his eyes to glare at Emre. ” I mean it, don’t call her and tell her anything about me.” Can shouted. ” She lost the right to know my business a long time ago.”Emre promised he wouldn’t tell her be he knew she would probably find out anyway. After Can calmed down, he made the call to his dad, ” Father, how are you, are you well?” He asked, so glad to hear his dad voice. ” Can, my son, so glad to hear your voice, yes I’m well.” He replied, letting his voice carry the joy he was feeling. ” I have missed you my son, more than you know. How’s the agency doing, are you holding it together.” Aziz asked. Can laughed, ” Yes dad, the agency is fine, Deren and Emre see to that.” He stated, looking at Emre and giving him a wink. Emre rolled his eyes at the remark, he knew his dad never had much confidence in him running the agency, that’s why Can was there. ” What’s up Can, you must have a reason to call, is there a problem.” His dad asked. Can cleared his throat, ” No, not a problem,…..just an announcement, something I need to tell you and ask you.” Can spouted, his voice nervous and excited and this same time.

Aziz’s was curious to say the least, this was not at all like his son. He had always been a self-sufficient man, not needing much advice or validation for his actions. But he needed to ask him something…..must be important. ” I’m listening son, what is it.” He said. ” Dad, I have met someone here at the office, and I………uhh….well, I have fell in love with her.” He sputtered, letting it spill out of his mouth all at once. Emre watched, amused at seeing his older brother in such a state, stuttering and fidgety, like a teenager with his first date. He put his hand over his mouth to keep Can from seeing him laughing. His dad gasped, ” What, did you say you are in love with someone at the office?” He shouted, his heart did a leap in his chest. He had longed for this to happen, but he thought it would be with Polen. Can took a deep breath, ” Yes dad, I’m in love,” he said, letting the sound of those words register in his mind. He smiled the biggest smile he had ever had, ” I want to ask her to marry me, but I want you to be here when I do.” He spurted, his feeling of love for her covering him like a wave from the sea. His eyes filled with tears,……he was happy…for the first time in his life…he was happy.

His father heard the love in his voice, ” She must be special, for him to fall so fast, ” Aziz thought, his heart full of happiness for his son. ” My son, I wouldn’t miss it for the world, I can be home anytime you want me to be.” He assured him, still in shock at the news. Can was elated, ” Well, I see no reason to wait, so I’m thinking about maybe Saturday.” He said, with confidence. ” Will you be able to get here my then?” He asked. His dad took a breath, ” If that’s what you want, then I can get a flight out tomorrow. You’re sure, no doubts?” He asked. 

” Yes dad, I’m sure. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” Trust me, I’m just as shocked as you are about it, but I have no doubts…..no doubts at all….

Chapter 16

Sanem was happier than ever, as she went to her room. She went by to tell her dad goodnight and thank him for being so gracious to Can. ” Dad, thank you for giving him a chance, I know it was hard for you.” She spoke softly. He smiled, ” My child, I want what’s best for you, just remember that.” Can seems like a good upstanding man, but the fact he is your boss still bothers me. But let’s see what happens.” He said, patting her on the shoulder. She smiled at him, that’s all she could hope for right now, at least he wasn’t putting a stop to it. She went to her room, floating like on a cloud, nothing was going to spoil her mood. It was hard to fall asleep for all the excitement running though her head, but at some point she did. Her night was filled with dreams of Can, and their lives together, how happy they were. Her parents had welcomed him with open arms and surrounded him with love. They had made their home in the beautiful white mansion by the park, and their children were running and playing in the massive yard that surrounded the house. They watched them play, holding each other in their arms. 

Her alarm jolted her from that wonderful thought, but she smiled at the memory she would carry with her that day. She was up and dressed in record time, anxious to get to the office. Any time away from him was too long, her heart longed to see him, touch him, smell him. He was definitely her reason to get up and make it to work today, she thought, as they hurried to the bus stop. Leila saw how happy Sanem was, making it hard for her, she had hoped to be happy like that someday. Her heart was set on Emrebey, and always had been. But he had such a wandering eye, he never even noticed her. She would keep her feeling locked away, knowing they would never be answered. They were late again, just by 5 minutes, but that was enough for Ms.Deren. It gave her something to be upset with, when it came to Sanem. And there she was, waiting, for them to come in. ” Ms. Sanem, have you finally decided to grace us with your presence this morning.” She spewed, looking at her with disgust. ” Sorry Ms, Deren, the bus was running late, there’s not a lot I can do about that.” She said, not looking away from her stare. But noticing that Can had walked up behind Deren undetected, Deren said, ” Well, is that your excuse this morning… how convenient, maybe you should find another way to work if the bus is always late.” She spouted. From behind her Can said, ” I think that can be arranged… Sanem my love, I will be picking you up and bringing to work from now on, so there won’t be anymore of these misunderstandings again.” Is that going to fix your problem you have with Ms. Sanem, Deren.” He asked, glaring at her with contempt. Deren face turned a crimson red, ” Can,…I didn’t see you there, sorry but attendance is a touchy matter around here.” I’m just trying to keep a handle on things.” She stated, wishing she could crawl under the table right now. ” Thank you Deren, but there should be a little room for error with that also.” He spoke, his voice in full command. ” Don’t worry, Ms. Sanem will not be late again, I will see to that.” Maybe your time would be better spent trying to take care of our clients, instead of harassing one employee.” He turned to Sanem, ” Good morning sweetheart, please bring our tea and come to my office.” He said softly, giving her a wink.

Sanem’s heart was fluttering like a thousand butterflies had set flight. How she loved that man, she thought, as she brewed their tea. A smile was planted on her face that she couldn’t remove, as she made her way to Cans office, with all the eyes on her, including Ms. Deren. She tapped on the door, ” Can, I brought your tea.” She said, looking at him with desire. He smiled, ” My love, come in.” Sit down for a minute.” He begged. He shut the door, glancing out to see everyone lined up at the wall looking in. He nodded to them, and smiled, they quickly dispersed to their desks. He turned to Sanem, ” Has Deren treated you that way the whole time you have been here?” He asked, puzzled that he hadn’t seen it before. Sanem smiled, ” She just jealous Can, she is very much in love with you herself, and I seemed to have upset her plans for the two of you.” She stated, finding a bit of amusement in it. He looked at her, ” What,…..Deren, no she’s not.” He said, his eyes wide. Sanem laughed, ” Oh my, you are so blind,… she most certainly is.” Everyone can see it.” She stated. He threw up his hands, ” I have never given her any reason to think that I’m interested in her, believe me.” He explained, pacing the floor. Sanem walked to him, ” You don’t have to, woman are drawn to you, It’s not your fault.” She said, running her fingers through his beard. ” I know I have my work cut out for me, when it comes to that, but I can handle it.”  She smirked, teasing him with her look. 

He circled her body with his arms, she felt safe and wanted. He looked into her eyes, ” You never have to worry about that, my eyes see only you, my heart beats for only you my love, for the rest of my life.” He whispered, his eyes looking into hers, radiating his love for her. She smiled, ” I’m going to hold you to that my love, I do have a mean streak, you know.” She said, returning that look that made him weak. He didn’t care who was looking, he kissed her firmly, and desirably on the lips, knowing in his heart, she was his soulmate. She squirmed in his arms, ” Can, someone will see,” she said, not able to break from his arms. ” I don’t care who sees, you are mine, and I want everyone to know it.” He said in a whispered growl against her lips. It took her breath,…..my god this man is amazing, she thought. She shivered, and her body covered with goosebumps as his hot breath tickled her mouth. 

A knock brought him back to the present, he looked to see Emre there. She quickly moved away from Can, as he entered the door. ” Emre, good morning, what can I do for you. ” He said, a little flustered. Emre nodded to Sanem, ” Sanem, good morning, how are you.” He asked with a smile. She returned the smile, ” Emrebey, I’m fine,” I’ll get back to work now, Canbey I will bring your tea later.” She said, her eyes darting away from his. She went out closing the door behind her, that was embarrassing, she thought, as she went to find CeyCey. 

Emre walked towards Can, ” Abi, you need to be careful with her, especially here, in the office.” He said, looking with at him with concern. The thoughts were running in Can’s head, and he agreed, ” Your right Emre, he said, ” Something needs to be done, and I will talk to dad about it when he gets her in a few days.” He stated, knowing it was time to turn over the business to his brother or back to his dad. He wasn’t going to lose her over the agency, or make her uncomfortable here. He could be a photographer wherever he was, but he only wanted to be where she was…..

She meant more to him than the business, So he knew that was the right thing to do…..

He would protect her and love her…….thats the only thing he wanted…..

Chapter 17

By mid-morning she had helped everyone in the office in one way or another. Copies for this one and running copy to Ms. Deren’s office for approval, then bringing everyone their coffee to tea. She hadn’t sat down all morning, so she decided to take tea, and visit Can for a minute. When she got to the door, she could see he was buried in his computer, and she hated to disturb him, but she tapped on his door anyway. He jerked his head up, then smiled, he motioned for her to come in, ” Sanem, you don’t have to knock, I’m never too busy to see you.” He said pulling her closer to him as she set his tea on his desk. ” I missed you, what took you so long to come with my tea.” He asked, bringing his face up next to hers, breathing in her smell. ” You make me feel so good, I don’t know what I would do if you weren’t here every day.” He whispered in her ear. In an instant she was on fire and shivering at the same time. ” Can, we’re going to get caught again, please be careful.” I’m really not in the mood to be chastised by Ms. Deren again.” She said, wrinkling her forehead. ” What do you mean,” he asked quickly, sitting back to see her face. Sanem knew she probably shouldn’t have said anything, but that just slipped out. ” Oh, it’s nothing, ” she replied quickly, ready to move on the conversation. ” Whoa,whoa,whoa, wait a minute, you can’t get by that so quickly, now tell me what you meant. Has she said something to you about us?” He asked, his face taking on that serious look. Sanem could feel her face turn red, ” Can, you can’t go say anything to her, or it will just be worse on me.” She said, pleading with her eyes. His curiosity was peaked now, ” I’m not, just say what she has said to you.” Please. He spouted. 

Sanem knew she would have to tell him, but she also knew what would happen when she did. ” She said I wasn’t following the companies code of conduct, by flirting around with you and that you had a girlfriend already.” She stated, looking down at the floor. Can looked puzzled, ” What code of conduct? We don’t have any such thing here, we never did.” He spouted, feeling his anger grow. ” What is she trying to do…I’m sorry Sanem, but I have to talk to her about this.” He spewed. ” No Can don’t please, it will only make it worse, I called her out on it, and told her there was nothing like that in the company rules.” She replied, begging him with her eyes. He calmed down a bit, but still couldn’t believe Deren would do something like that. He was confused, ” Why was everyone thinking that he was still with Polen? He thought he had made it clear they were split up and no longer a couple. This was the final straw, his decision to leave the agency was even more clear to him now, and if he could take Sanem with him, that would be even better. ” Come on my dear, let’s have out tea, and not worry about Ms. Deren,” she said leading him to the sofa. He sat down beside her, being that close to her calmed him down, but also made him want her more, just to touch her, if it was only her hand, it made him feel better. 

What a day it had been, he thought, as he shut down his laptop and prepared to leave. He went to the door looking for Sanem, he wanted to take her home, so he could spend at little bit more time with her. He didn’t see her, but motioned CeyCey to come to his door, ” Do you know where Sanem is, she hasn’t left already has she.” He asked, hoping he would say no. ” Canbey, I saw her going to the archive room with a bunch of files from Ms. Deren’s office, so she’s probably still there.” He Informed him. ” Thanks,” he said, heading towards the steps. When he got close to the door, he could hear her talking, ” Sanem, are you ok, who are you talking to.” Can asked, as he entered the door. She jerked around, startled. ” Oh, Can you scared me, I’m just talking to myself.” She replied. Can smiled, he loved her quirkiness, ” I’m ready to leave and I want to give you a ride home, are you ready.” He asked. She sighed, ” No, Ms. Deren gave me all these files to update and of course, they have to be done before I leave.” She stated, flopping down in the chair behind the table. Can looked at the files, ” These are old files, why do you need to do them now?” He asked. Sanem shrugged her shoulders, ” Because it’s my job.” She stated. Can cringed, ” There’s no reason you have to do these tonight, it’s not important.” He spouted. ” Come on let’s go, I’ll take you home.” First do you want to get something to eat.” He asked, begging her with his eyes. Sanem was hesitant, she knew she would have to answer to Ms.Deren in the morning, but she couldn’t refuse him when he looked at her like that. ” Sure, but let me call my mom first, just to let her know.” She said. 

She let her mom know she wouldn’t be there for dinner, but she wouldn’t be out late. Her and Can made their way out of the agency and to his car, ” Where are we going Can,” she asked, her stomach growling. ” I thought I would take you to that fish place at the pier we went to before, is that ok.” He asked, with a smile. She loved that place, the food was so good. ” Oh good, that sounds great.” She exclaimed, her eyes big. She smiled inside, ” We have a place,” she thought, a place that we have been to before, like a real couple.” She said in her mind. She loved the atmosphere there, it was so quaint and original, not fancy or boring. The food was always great, they laughed and talked about their lives as they grew up. She really didn’t know that Can grew up without his mom, and that made her feel bad. Can covered it up like it never happened, and she could see he didn’t want to talk about it, so she moved away from subject. The time had flown by and before she knew it, it was time for her to get home. This was the time she hated the most…. their goodnights.

He stopped outside of the neighborhood, so they could have a minute to say a proper goodnight, with a kiss. He held her hand, looking into her eyes, ” Sanem, I don’t like saying goodbye to you, you know that don’t you, I think we should figure out a way for us not to have to.” He said leaning in close to her. He kissed her cheek, ” What do you think about us getting married?” He whispered into her ear. ” I will do everything in your traditional way, just like your parents want me to.” He leaned back, looking in her eyes with desire for her that made her shudder. ” What do you say?”

Her breath was gone, no words would form……but her eyes rimmed with tears.

After a minute, she said, ” My love, nothing would make me happier, nothing could be more right…. then to be your wife…”

Chapter 18

Can’s heart was beating fast, ” Yes…Sanem are you saying yes?” He asked, stammering the get the words out. She looked at him, amused, ” You act surprised, did you not expect me to say yes.” She said. Still Can was stuttering, “Well…..I….uhh..I wasn’t for sure….I mean I wanted you to say yes…but,….damn it, you just make me lose my mind.” He replied, rubbing his face with his hands. ” My love, of course I wanted you to say yes, or I wouldn’t have asked you. I love you with all that is in me.” He said cupping her face in his hands. She loved the look in his eyes, they told all his feeling, ” I feel the same way, so I say, Yes.” But there are things you will have to do.” She explained. He shook his head, ready to abide by all of their traditions. Sanem told him, “Is there an elder that can come with you to ask for my hand? Someone that represents you and your family.” She said. He thought, ” No, just my dad but he’s not here yet from his vacation.” He replied, thinking hard for a substitute. Then he thought his dad might be on his way home, he told him when they talked that he would take a flight out soon. ” Let me check with my dad, he may be home soon, so that would solve that issue.” He stated. ” What else? Oh, flowers and chocolates” Can said, looking at her and shaking his head. ” Your dad needs to call my parents and ask for permission to call on them, to ask for my hand.” Sanem stated, watching him filing away all the information. 

” Ok, so we will have to wait until my dad gets here before I can ask, right.” He asked, tilting his head to the side and squinting his eyes. She smiled, ” Yes, I’m afraid so, but it shouldn’t be long, should it.” She inquired, hoping they wouldn’t have to wait. ” No…no I’ll go home and call him again, to see if he has made his plans to fly home yet.” He smiled, ” I can’t wait, my love, does it have to be done that way? I want to do this like tomorrow.” He said, leaning in towards her, so close she thought she might pass out. Then he covered her lips with his, it caught her breath, but it felt so good she melted against him. She was tingling from head to toe, completely engrossed with him. He parted from her, breathless, ” Sanem, you do something to me that l have never experienced before,” he whispered, ” You ignite me, you make me feel alive.” He said soft and low, pulling her body up against his. ” I am so in love with you, I can’t stand it.” I don’t want to part from you, not even for a minute.” He whispered, looking into her eyes with a longing that that made her weak. She couldn’t move, she was drawn to him like a moth to a flame, ready to be with him forever, “ Can, I feel the same way, but we have to wait.” She said, hating to say those words. He buried his face in her neck, kissing her, he moaned her name. She closed her eyes, she had to have the strength to deny him, she wanted to come to him on their wedding night pure and whole. She was saving herself for the one that was her only love, the love of her soul, and that was him. ” Can, please….” she whispered. He quickly let her go, ” Sanem, I’m sorry, I know your right, we have to wait, I wouldn’t want it any other way.” Forgive me, but it will be the test of my lifetime.” He said, stroking her arm, feeling the softness of her.  She smiled, ” Me too, believe me, but it will make the moment much more special.” She said, kissing his lips boldly. ” I have to go, but I will tell my parents to expect a call from your dad, ok?” He was in such awe, all he could do was shake his head. Then she was gone….

He sat there for a minute, letting it sink in, ” I’m going to marry her, really going to marry her.” He said out loud. He smiled all the way home, ready to call his dad again to see when he was coming home. As soon as he was home to called, ” Dad, how are you, have you made your plans to come home yet?” He asked, with desperation in his voice. Aziz could tell he was excited, ” Yes my son, I will fly our tomorrow afternoon, and be home by early evening.” Can you pick me up from the airport?” He asked. Can wanted to jump for joy, ” Absolutely I can pick you up, do you know the arrival time.” He said, his voice vibrant with happiness. His father gave him the information, thinking how different his son sounded, ” How are things son, are things ok with your girlfriend.” He asked, hoping to hear a good answer. ” Yes dad, they are great, that’s why I’m wanting you home.” We need to go to her parents and ask for her hand, but you have to do it.” It’s their tradition, as the elder of the family.” He explained. Aziz was shocked, ” So you’re ready to get married to this woman, just like that, no hesitation.” He said, happy for his son. ” Yes dad, no hesitation, she’s the one, the only one for me.” I love her with all my heart.” He said, shamelessly. His dad was so happy for his son and couldn’t wait to meet the extraordinary woman that had tamed his wandering son. Can told him he would see tomorrow, anxious to start his new life.

Sanem was beyond happy as she got to her house. Her mother knew something was different about her that evening, ” Daughter, are you ok, you seem nervous.” She asked. Sanem smiled, ” Yes…well no..I’m not sure, I have something to tell you.” She said quickly, jumping up and down. Her father smiled, ” What is it girl, you look like you’re going to bust.” He stated. ” Momma, PaPa, Can ask me to marry him. He will be coming to ask for my hand.” She shouted, her excitement filling the room. They both looked at each other, ” My daughter,” her mother said, “is this a little soon. Are you sure?” She asked. ” Yes, I’m sure, I’m sure. He’s the only one for me.” She said, her face telling the story. 

Her mom took her by the arm, ” Sanem, who will come and ask for him, it has to be an elder.” She said. ” His father is in his way home from his vacation, so he will call you to set the time.” She explained. Her mother smiled, ” My child, you look so happy, so this man is the one?” Sanem smiled, ” Yes, momma, he is, he has filled my soul….”

” I want to spend the rest of my life with him, grow old and grey with him.” She said, her face shining. 

” My heart is happy…..please be happy for me…”

Chapter 19

As Sanem hurried to get ready the next morning, her phone alerted her to a text. She looked, seeing it was Can, she smiled, it read…” I will be there in 15 minutes, can’t wait to see you” she squealed with delight, ” He didn’t forget what he had told Ms. Deren, he was going to be bringing her to work. She was ready and waiting by the time he pulled up. Mevkibe was at the door and waved as he pulled up. He quickly jumped out of the car and went to shake her hand. ” Good morning, how are you?” He said smiling. He immediately got to the subject, ” My father will be in this evening from his vacation, and I was hoping we might come to visit on Saturday, if that’s convenient for you, of course.” He stated, barely able to contain his excitement. Mevkibe nodded, ” I think that would be fine, we don’t have any prior plans, but is this a formal visit or a casual visit.” She asked. Can glanced at Sanem, ” I think it is going to be a formal visit, but my father will call you on the morning and make all the plans, if that’s the proper way to do this.” He said, quite flustered by this time. Mevkibe smiled, ” It is my son, just have your dad call and let us know what time to expect you and we will be ready.” She said, giving him a look of acceptance. 

He helped Sanem into the car and they headed to work, he held her hand all the way to the agency, not wanting to let her go. As they entered and started to the coffee bar, Ms Deren had already spotted Sanem. ” Sanem, I need you to come to my office please.” She called out across the room. Sanem cringed, she knew she would have to answer for not getting the files done the day before. She nodded and quickly brewed the tea, she carried Cans to his office, on her way to Ms. Deren’s. Can told her, ” If she gives you any problem just come and get me, I’ll take care of it.” He stated, as he stroked her hair. She smiled, and nodded, she turned to leave as Emre came in, ” Sanem, good morning, how are you?” He asked. She replied, ” Emrebey, I’m fine, excuse me but Ms. Deren has called me to her office.” And she ducked out the door. Emre looked at his brother, ” Whats up Abi, you look upset, did you and Sanem argue? He asked, with a look of concern on his face. Can shook his head, ” No, of course not, it’s just Deren, she been harassing Sanem about everything she does, and it just makes me mad.” He spouted, waving his hands about. ” Are you sure about that, it doesn’t sound like Deren, we’ve never had any problem with her like that before.” Emre said, ready to defend Deren. Can shot him a look, “Yes I’m sure, I witnessed it firsthand, when Deren didn’t know I was there, and she even told Sanem she was violating a company policy by flirting around with me.” Can spewed. “What policy? We don’t have a policy like that.” Emre replied. ” Exactly,” Can said, pointing his finger at Emre. Can paced the floor, ” I don’t want to get in the middle of it, but I will if I have to.” He remarked. Emre thought it best to change the subject, ” Well have you spoke to dad, when is he coming home?” He asked, anxious to hear. Can shook his head, ” Yes, actually he will be home this evening, I pick him up at 6:40.” He explained, with a smile. He motioned for Emre to set, ” Emre, we are going to Sanem’s on Saturday to propose, I’m asking for her hand and dad has to be there.” Can revealed, beaming with joy. Emre was stunned, ” Whoa Abi, are you sure, that’s a big step, that’s probably the biggest step, are you ready to take it?” He asked, not believing what he had just heard. 

Sanem tapped on the door of Ms. Deren’s office, she motioned her to come in. On her desk was the stack of files that Sanem was to work on the day before. ” Sanem I gave you a job to do yesterday, but it seems you have elected not to do it.” She stated, boring her eyes into Sanem’s. “All these things that you are doing are terminating offensives, I want you to know that.” Deren said, leaning across her desk. Sanem saw the anger flying from her eyes, ” Ms. Deren, I’m sorry, but something came up and I wasn’t able to stay over last night, but I’m more than willing to take care of those files now.” Sanem said with a smile, ” It shouldn’t take me very long,” she said, as she reached for the files. ” No,” Deren yelled, holding up her hand, ” it’s too late now, this will just go into your file as another offense, along with the countless others I have on you.” She barked at her. ” That file is beginning to get dangerously close to being full, if you know what I mean.” She spewed, with a slight grin on her face. Sanem could feel the heat in her face, she knew Deren was on the verge of firing her. She had known that this would happen when she left last night, so she had to accept what she was dealt. Sanem nodded, and asked if that was all, Deren smiled, her condescending smile, ” Yes my dear, you can go….oh, can you bring my coffee please, you have become very good at making the best coffee.” Sanem started to the coffee bar, tears stinging her eyes, but she blinked them away, refusing to let that witch get to her again. 

She stayed away from Deren the remainder of the morning, focusing on helping the other people in the office. Deren hadn’t bothered to ask her for anything, she was definitely picking her battles, when it came to Sanem. But she watched her carefully, ready to reprimand her in an instant. Sanem was busy filing when Can opened his door and called her name, ” Sanem, are you ready for tea, bring us a cup and let’s take a break.” He said, waving her to his office. She looked around to see who was watching, not seeing Ms.Deren, she stopped what she was doing and went to get their tea. Can was excited to go pick up his dad from the airport, and he couldn’t wait until 6:00. He took his tea from her as she came in the office, ” I wish you would go with me to the airport to pick up dad, he would be so excited to see you.” He said leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek. She looked out the door quickly to see if anyone was watching but it seemed everyone had begun to loss interest in their tea breaks. She relaxed a little, and smiled, ” Sorry dear, but I think you two need that time alone, I’ll meet him later.” But I am definitely anxious to meet him.” She said, stroking his cheek with her fingers. 

He studied her face, he knew there was something wrong that she wasn’t telling him, ” Sanem what is troubling you, and don’t say it’s nothing because I know better.” He stated, looking directly into her eyes. ” Can, it’s nothing that I can’t handle, and let me do just that, please.” She said pleading with her eyes. He knew immediately that it was Deren, ” Sanem, did you get in trouble over those files? If you did I will take it up with her myself.” He spewed, ready to confront Deren. Sanem jumped up, ” No, please Can, don’t say anything, it will make it worse.” She begged. He wanted to protect her, if it meant making a change then that’s what he would do. He would talk to his dad about it as soon as he could. He accepted her excuse for the moment, but he had his plans already turning in his head.

Sanem was relieved she had talked him out of facing Ms.Deren, but she wasn’t sure how much longer she would be able to keep her job at this rate. 

Having to take all that she was dishing out, was hard for her, but she had to do it. Being with Can was much more important, so she would fight for it……

She would do anything so they could be together.

Chapter 20

Sanem made it through the rest of the day unscathed, be still leery of what might happen. The arrival of Cans dad should have been a joyous time, but the fear of being terminated from her job was foremost in her thoughts. She made it home with Leila on the bus, anxiously waiting for Can to call. He had picked up his dad, with a happy reunion at the airport, they were eager to catch up as they drove home. ” Well dad how was your trip,” Can asked, knowing his trip had been cut short because of his request to come back home. ” It was a fabulous vacation, just what I needed, I’m so thankful that you were here to cover for me.” Aziz replied. His dad was still hoping his son would take over the agency and he would be able to continue with his retirement, he had grown tired of the everyday grind of the office. Can smiled at his dad, so glad he had returned, ” I’m glad you had a good time and I’m sorry I called you back early, but this is somewhat important.” He said, the excitement oozing from his. His dad could see how happy his son was, ” Well my son, I can tell how happy you are, and wouldn’t have missed this announcement for the world.” He exclaimed. ” So, what does your brother think about your new found love, I’m so hoping you could rub off on him a little and he would settle down some too.” He stated, shaking his head. Can laughed, ” Emre is Emre dad, I don’t know if he’ll ever change, but I think he likes Sanem, or at least he seems to.” His dad smiled, ” Son your face just lit up at the mention of her name, I have no doubt that you’re in love with this girl.” Can’s face changed to solemn, ” Yes I am dad, I love her so much it hurts me sometimes, it’s like my heart aches if she not in sight, or I can’t touch her. She so different and special, it makes me wonder what I could have possibly have seen in any other woman.” He said softly, his eyes getting that longing look he had when he thought of her. 

As Sanem sat in her room, waiting for Can to call or text her, her mind went back to Ms. Deren. What would she do if she decided to fire her, how was she going to handle it. Just being away from Can in the evenings was hard enough, so not seeing him all day would be impossible. She had to get Ms. Deren to accept her someway, but she knew it all stemmed from the feelings that Deren had for Can. She was deep in thought when she heard voices from downstairs, her heart jumped, thinking maybe Can had brought his dad by on their way home. She opened the door to hear, “What is that Adin?” she thought, ” What is he doing here,” she was terrified at the thought of what he might tell her parents. She ran downstairs to hear what he was saying, ” Aunt Mevkibe, Uncle Nihat, I’m sorry to come unannounced, but I feel like I need to discuss something with you.” She heard Adin say, her heart beat faster. ” What was he up to,” she thought, ” He’s going to tell them a bunch of lies and make them doubt Can.” She couldn’t believe he had become so vile and mean, her stomach was tied in knots. Her parents nodded to Adin, so he entered and sat down, ” I feel like I should inform you both of the type of person your daughter is involving herself with.” He stated, leaning in towards them. They both looked at one another, “ Adin, we have already met Can and we both feel he is a suitable and decent person, so we won’t listen to your opinion of him.” Nihat said, looking at him with disgust. Adin held up his hand, ” Ok, ok, I can see Sanem has filled you both with nonsense about Can Divit, but I can tell you, he is not the person you think. I don’t want to see her get hurt by him, I’m just looking out for her. You know, I still care very deeply for her and would be willing to forgive and forget if you could get her to leave him and return to me.” He spouted smugly, 

Sanem had heard enough, ” Adin, she spewed, ” excuse me if I interrupt you, but you have no right coming here and trying to discredit Can like that. I simply won’t stand for it. Especially after what you said to me before about Can.” Adins face dropped, ” Sanem I had no idea you were home, I’m sorry to bother you both.” He babbled, standing to leave. Nihat stood, ” Adin, what is it you have to say?” her father asked, ” If there is something we should know, then please tell us.”  Adin’s eyes shifted to Sanem, ” Maybe this should come from Sanem, not me.” He stated, smiling at her slightly. ” I don’t have the slightest idea what you’re talking about Adin, you have made up a lie and now you want me to tell it. ” Well I won’t do it.” She spouted, glaring at him. Nihat looked at Sanem, ” My daughter, if there’s something, you must tell us.” He ordered, with a sharpness in his voice. She knew she would have to explain what Adin was talking about, but she wouldn’t do it in front of him. ” Ok dad I will, but I won’t talk in front of him, so if that’s all Adin, I will see you to the door.” She said, starting towards the door. Adin followed, ” See my dear, all of this could be avoided if you would just come to your senses and come back to me.” He whispered into her ear, as he walked by her, going to the door. She cringed as his breath felt warm on her neck, ” That will never happen, you can be sure of that.” She whispered back to him, glaring into his eyes. He smiled and walked down the street. Her parents were waiting for her as she came back into the room. She explained to them the picture that Adin had found of Can and his former girlfriend. And the fact that Adin was using it to put a wedge between them.   ” He had broken it off with her some time ago, he has already explained it to me, but there are some people that refused to believe it. ” she said. ” Adin has said some terrible things to me, a lot of insinuating things that I will never forgive him for, but the things about Can are not true, please believe me.” She said, pleading with them to understand. 

Can, Emre and Aziz sat around the table, all happy to see each other. ” Well dad I suppose Can has told you about Sanem, the girl that has swept him off his feet.” Emre emphasized. Their dad smiled, ” Yes, and you could take some pointers from your brother, you need to settle down and get serious about someone.” Aziz spouted, giving him the eye. Can laughed, ” That’s impossible, not him, no one will have him that’s why he was to keep changing girlfriends.” He spouted. Emre slapped him on the back as he went by, ” Yep, I like a variety if you know what I mean,” he said, his eyes wide. Can shook his head, ” Not me, I want to be with someone that knows me, inside and out, that can answer my questions before I even ask them, someone that I miss even when they are there. Thats a soulmate….”

Aziz smiled, ” My son’s in love,” he thought, he was sure of it. He couldn’t wait to meet her……..

His mind returned to a time many years ago, and a woman that had stolen his heart just like that…. he was glad his son was smarter than he, and wouldn’t let her go……..

Chapter 21


 Nihat looked sternly at his daughter, ” Tell me the truth, we’re you both intended for others when you met, and did you both break the marriage agreement?” He asked, his eyes demanding the truth. She wanted to look away from his glare, but she couldn’t, she had to confront him. ” No, dad, Can was not engaged when he came here to run the business for his father. He had already parted with her, in fact sometime before that.” She stated. ” He had told me they were not that serious, though they were together for a long time, they only saw each other a couple of times a year.” She explained, hoping to appease her fathers questions. Her dad nodded, ” Well, that is something I will have to ask him myself,” Nihat said, he wanted to see his eyes when he answered. ” If what you say is true and it was only us that refused your union, then we have already made our justification for that.” He stated, beginning to see what type of person Adin was. He was glad he had supported his daughter and confirmed the dissolve of their promise to marry. But if she had caused the dissolution of his engagement, they would be shamed again, in the eyes of the neighborhood. 

Adin was quite pleased at the evenings turn of events. Sanem being home had been a added bonus, making her to be the one to tell them. He knew everything he had on Can Divit was trivial and the picture had been from a few years back, but just the implications of it all would be enough to place doubt in their minds. He knew all of their traditional ways and what would make them put a stop to Can and Sanem relationship. He hoped that Can would come to confront him about it, that would be the icing on the cake. A little fight or tussle with him could prove to them the kind of person he is. His dad finding out would be far worse than Can finding out, or so he thought. Sanem shouldn’t have left him for Can Divit, and he would make her pay for it.

As soon as his dad went to bed he went to his room and called Sanem, ” Hello my love, sorry it has taken me so long to call, but we were doing some catching up.” He said. Sanem still upset, tried to hide it, ” I’m glad you all had this time to visit, and what did he say about your news.” She asked, ready to hear something good. ” My dad couldn’t be happier, and he can’t wait to meet you, so I thought tomorrow, at the office would be the perfect time.” He exclaimed, knowing he was one step closer to getting what he wanted. But he wasn’t hearing the voice of excitement he thought he would, ” Sanem, is there something wrong? You don’t seem excited about it.” He asked with concern. ” No, Can, I’m excited. I guess I’m just a little tired.” She said, trying to be convincing. He knew immediately she wasn’t telling him everything, ” Sanem tell me what’s wrong. Please don’t keep anything from me.” He begged. She sighed, ” Adin paid a visit to my parents tonight, he thought it was his obligation to tell them that you weren’t the person they thought.” She spouted, still disgusted with what he said. ” So I had to explain to them the picture and your past relationship with Polen. My dad wasn’t very happy about it, but he wants to talk to you.” She stated. Can was furious, ” Sanem I need to talk to this Adin, I will set him straight, I’m not going to let him ruin this for us.” He spewed, feeling the panic rise in him. 

Sanem knew that’s what Adin wanted, for Can to confront him. But it might be the worst thing that could happen, she knew Can had a temper and Adin was vindictive. She assured him she had smooth things over with her parents and thing s would be fine. She changed the subject, ” Are you picking me up tomorrow, what time, I miss you.” She said. He smiled, ” Yes, I’m picking you up, I will be there by 8:00, so we can stop for some bagels on the way.” He said, ” And I miss you too, more than you know.” He whispered. She blushed, ” Can, I love you and I want things to be ok, so let’s not cause trouble if we can keep from it. Let Adin talk, as long as my parents believe us then that’s all that matters.” She said softly. They both agreed and said their good nights. Her mind was on meeting Cans dad and making a good impression, she knew that Emre didn’t like her much, so she needed to Wow his dad. 

She was up early the next morning, trying to pick out the best outfit. She chose a black skirt, and a red top with an off the shoulder neckline, and ankle boots. She wanted to look office appropriate, she didn’t want to give Ms. Deren anymore to complain about. She was ready before 8:00, and was waiting patiently, when she heard the knock on the door. ” He’s here,” she thought, rushing downstairs, as her mother opened the door. Her mom was happy to see him, ” Can, come in, do you have time for tea,” she asked. He was apologizing for their need to hurry off, when her dad came in from the kitchen, ” Can, I would like it if we could have a talk, it shouldn’t take long.” Nihat stated, motioning him to the kitchen. Can knew he would have to do as he wanted, ” Yes, whatever you want, Mr. Aydin, I can make the time.” He said, not sure if he was ready or not. Nihat was straight forward in asking Can about the accusations that Adin had made and Can was quick to answer, ” I can assure you that I was not engaged to my former girlfriend, we had a longtime relationship, but the time we spent together was short.” He said, ” We only saw each other a few times a year, and that was mainly due to my job.” He explained.   ” She had her job in London and I had my job wherever it took me. I wasn’t committed to her in any way. I ended things with her about 2 months before I came here to see my dad.” He stated, hoping he had explained enough to him. Nihat shook his head, ” I accept your explanatiom and I’m sorry I had to ask, but he did give us reason to doubt your situation.” “Thank you, Mr. Aydin, I hope I’ve been able to put your mind at ease about that subject.” Can said, reaching out his hand to shake Nihat’s. ” You can trust me, I wouldn’t do anything to hurt Sanem, ever.” He said, vowing it to be the truth.

Sanem’s was nervous waiting for Can, but she knew her dad would be fair. Can meet her back at the door, ready to go, ” Mrs.Aydin, thank you for the invitation for tea, and if it’s alright with you I would love to come another time.” He said, smiling that killer smile he has. ” My dad will be calling you to set up a time to visit, if that’s ok with the two of you.” He said, ” It might be as soon as Saturday.” He added. Her mom smiled, gave him a quick hug and said, ” We will be waiting for the call, and Saturday would be fine.” She said, looking at Sanem, and giving her a wink. 

Sanem’s heart was full, she couldn’t have been happier. Her dreams were coming true, to spite the interference of Adin and Polen….

She was going to be Mrs. Can Divit, the person she was supposed to be…….

And she was loving the person she was born to love…….

Chapter 22

They smiled at each other as he drove to the office, ” I think that went very well, don’t you.” He asked, reaching for her hand. She smiled at him, so full of love, ” I don’t know how it could have been better, I’m so glad dad talked to you.” She stated. Can kisses her fingers, ” Dad will be at the office this morning so you can meet. He’s very excited about it.” He said. Sanem shook her head, ” I am too, I hope he likes me.” She said. Can smiled, ” Don’t worry, I know for a fact he will, whats not to like.” He said, letting his eyes roam over her, taking in her beauty. She blushed, ” Can you embarrass me, I’m really nervous, do I look ok.” She asked, her eyes getting wide. His face turned serious, ” My love, he will adore you, in fact he already does,” He said, ” You look beautiful today and every day, so relax and get that frown off your face.” He replied, pinching her cheek. As the two walked in the office together, all eyes were on them. As they got close, Can waved, greeting the employees, ” Good morning everyone, i will inform you that my father is back from his vacation and will be coming in to the office this morning, so let’s give him a big welcome.” He shouted, waving his hands above his head. Everyone clapped ready to welcome their boss back. Deren was the happiest, with Azizbey back, maybe he would see the trouble that Sanem caused the agency and help her get rid of her, she thought, smiling at the possibility. 

Sanem went to the coffee bar to make his tea as Can went to his office with Ms. Deren to tow. She was determined to make Can see the mistake he was making with Sanem, so she would reveal to him all the things that she had done wrong since she had come to work there. ” Can, we really need to talk, if you have a minute.” she started, ” I know that Sanem has made an impression on you, but her work ethic is not of the caliber that we need here at the agency.” She said, ready to defend herself. ” Now I know you feel differently about it but business is business, and your personal feelings have marred your thinking.” Can sat down, with a solemn face he looked at Deren, ” Your job is not to tell me how I feel Deren, your job is to manage the clients that come to this agency. If you have a professional reason for doubting Ms. Sanem’s ability to work here, then please enlighten me, if not, you need to find a way to work with her.” He spouted, glaring at her. She turned away, ” Can I’m thinking of the company, and nothing else, she doesn’t have the skill to work here.” She refuses to follow simple rules and doesn’t even complete her job tasks.” Deren stated, her face flushed from adrenaline. She had started now, so she had to finish, ” She is continuously late, or leaving early. Her work is just not up to par.” She said looking him in the eyes. Can was about to speak when his dad walked into the office, everyone stood and cheered as he came through, waving his hands at everyone. Deren hurried out to greet him, ” Azizbey I’m so glad you’re back, we need you so much.” She blurted out, giving Can a side look. Aziz embraced her, she had become like a daughter to him over the years, and he valued her. Sanem was coming towards Cans office with the tea, as he arrived, she was amazed at the welcome he received. She smiled, handing Can his tea, ” Well this must be Sanem.” Aziz said, clasping his hands together. Sanem smiled, as she reached out her hand to him, ” Oh no my dear, no handshakes here,” He said, as he reached for her, giving her a warm hug. ” Can has described you perfectly, you are the vision of beauty.” He said, patting her on the cheek. Can smiled reaching for her hand, ” Yes, Dad, this is Sanem. Sanem, this my dad.” He said, making the formal introduction. 

Deren glared at the sight, thinking, ” How did this silly girl come in here and steal away the only chance I had at being with him. I have to make them see. ” She thought, her mind spinning. Can motioned them into the office, as Deren watched, ” Dad would you like some tea?” Can asked, ” Yes, that would be lovely,” Aziz said, Can turned to Deren, ” Deren would you mind bringing my father some tea, please.” He said with that smile that made woman melt. She was in shock, as she nodded, and stomped off to the coffee bar, waving her arms and talking to herself, ” I don’t even know how to make tea,” she stammered under her breath, ” Why would he ask me to do such a thing.” She spewed, fumbling with the tea cup. The office watched in amusement as she poured the tea, still mumbling her dislike of the whole situation. Aziz watched as Can and Sanem looked at each other, ” Well I am quite pleased to meet you my dear.” Aziz stated. ” I knew you would be special, if Can called me home to meet you.” He said, smiling at their look of love between them. Sanem returned the smile, “Thank you Azizbey, I am happy to finally meet you also.” But I am sorry that he had to call you home early for your vacation.” She said, frowning at Can. All Can could do was smile, ” I’m sure dad didn’t mind, he has always wanted me to settle down, so this made him very happy.” Can stated, gazing into her eyes and making her uncomfortable. Deren knocked on the door, and entered, ” Oh, I’m sorry Can, I didn’t wait for your permission to enter,” she spouted, ” is it ok?” She spewed, looking at Sanem with jealousy. Sanem’s face turned red and Can glared at her, ” Deren, that’s not necessary, please leave the tea and you can go.” Can ordered, knowing full well what she was up to. Deren turned to leave, but stopped at the door, ” Azizbey, I would like to talk to you when you have a chance,” she said. Aziz nodded, ” Yes my dear, I will come and see you later.” He replied. Deren smiled and walked back to her office.

The feelings between Can and Sanem were plain to see, Aziz couldn’t have been happier to see his oldest son finally find the person he loved. Aziz thought that person might have been Polen, but his son never had those feelings for her. ” Well, I think I would like to call your parents Sanem, to set up a meeting with them, then we can talk about a proposal party. Does that sound ok with you both.” He asked. They both agreed, eager to set the date. After a few minutes of visiting, Sanem excused herself to return to work before Ms. Deren found something else to but in the file. Can told Sanem they would meet for lunch with his dad and Emre, so they could all get better acquainted. 

Her morning had been busy, she had spent most of her time in the archive room doing research on a company they were trying to get. She had totally lost all track of time, when Can came in the door, ” Sanem, here you are, I’ve been looking for you.” He spouted, his voice full of excitement. She immediately thought something was wrong,” Can, is it your dad, is something wrong.” She yelled, jumping up from her chair. He laughed ” No, my love, I just had the most wonderful phone call.” He said, his eyes getting that sparkle. “How would you like to take a honeymoon in Peru?” He asked, his eyes dancing. 

Sanem stared at him, not understanding the question, “Where? Did you say Peru? I’m not even sure I know where that is.” She stated, confused. His excitement took over, he scooped her up in his arms and swung her around. She was squealing with delight, as he sat her down, ” I just got a call from a magazine I had done some work for in the past and they want me to develop a layout of Machu Picchu in Peru, what do you think?”

Sanem was in shock, she had never traveled outside of Turkey before, and was he really considering taking the assignment.

” A honeymoon in Peru, how romantic,” she thought.

Chapter 23

Can was talking so fast she couldn’t keep up, ” Wait, Can you have to slow down.” She pleaded. ” I don’t have the slightest idea what you’re talking about.” Can took a deep breath, ” Ok, there’s a magazine that covers exotic places and I have done several photo shoots for them in the past and they want a whole layout on Machu Picchu.” He explained, ” and some of the other places in that area,” his eyes sparkling with excitement. ” What is Machu Picchu? I don’t even know what that is?” She stated. He sat down next to her desk, ” It is a famous ancient city in the Andes Mountains of Peru, it’s very unique. It’s abandoned now and has been for centuries but holds some sort of power for that region. It very beautiful, it’s been called the lost city of Inca, I’ll have to read up on it again to familiarize myself with it.” He stated, still staring at her waiting for an answer. His excitement was contagious, she felt herself wanting to see all those places with him. She smiled, ” When do they want you do to this,” I mean how soon would you have to go and for how long?” She questioned. Can grabbed her hand, ” In about a month. They haven’t got all the details worked out yet, but we would probably leave about then, and we could be gone up to a couple of months.” He stated. 

Sanem’s heart sank, ” A month, what about our wedding, will we postpone it?” She asked, dreading to hear the answer. ” No, of course not my love, we will just have it quickly and have our honeymoon there. I couldn’t think of a better place.” He gushed. Her eyes darted around the room, ” But where will we stay, in a tent outside somewhere or what? I’m not sure if I’m comfortable having our honeymoon out in the open.” She replied, a bit nervous. He laughed, ” I wouldn’t do that, we can stay in the city that’s not far from the site and commute back and forth. But we may have to set up a camp there for a night or two, but that’s all.” But I’ll be sure we’re comfortable.” Let’s talk about it at lunch, he said, ” I have to tell dad anyway.”  She agreed, and he left, promising to come to get her when they were ready for lunch. The thoughts of it all circled in her head, her mom would be upset at a speedy wedding, but she knew she wasn’t about to let him go off on some trip like that without her. She got back to her work, she had to finish it before Ms. Deren came down there causing a scene. That’s all she needed with Azizbey just being back to the office. 

Aziz tapped on Deren office door, ” Can I come in my dear?” he asked, ” You seem hard at work.” She jumped, startled, ” No, yes, I mean, yes you can come.” She stammered. ” Well you know, someone has to concentrate on business.” She spouted, with a drop of sarcasm. He raised his eyebrows, ” Is there a problem here, Deren, you seem to be upset about something.” He asked. She shook her head, ” Azizbey, I don’t want to talk out of turn, but things here are not good.” Can has slacked off since he met Sanem, he lets her do whatever she wants.” She said, trying to choose the right words. ” Is that right, he said, ” I had no idea.” So what exactly is Sanem doing?” He asked, leaning into her and talking quietly. Deren took the opportunity, ” Well, I have a whole file of things she has done, or hasn’t done, should I say. I can show you and I’ve tried to talk to Can about it, but he becomes very offensive. So I decided to talk to you about it.” She stated, crossing her arms across her chest, waiting for his approval. He leaned back in the chair, ” I’d like to see that file, if you don’t mind. I need to see what we’re dealing with.” He stated, eyeing her with suspicion. She smiled and quickly grabbed the file she had lying on her desk. ” Here, and that’s not all of it, some of things I never got to put in the file, but she’s just not capable of the job here.” She offered with confidence. Aziz briefly looked through the file, ” Let me take this with me, if you don’t mind, and I will look at it in detail after lunch.” And then we will talk.” He said, standing to leave. She had a look of arrogance on her face, as he left her office, ” Now, Ms. Sanem, we’ll see how you can charm your way out of this.” She said, under her breath.

Can was coming from the archive room, when he ran into his dad, ” Ah dad, I have something to talk to you about at lunch, so whenever you’re ready.” He said. Aziz nodded, ” Ok, so where does Sanem work?” He asked. ” She doesn’t really have a work area, but she does like the archive room, and that’s where she works most of the time.” He said proudly. ” She is more of an errand girl right now, but she is very smart about things.” He replied. His dad nodded, ” Well good son, I’m glad to hear it. Is she there now?” He asked. Can shook his head, ” Yes, she’s doing some research, why.” He stated, puzzled. ” I’ll visit her there, if you don’t mind, and then we can go to lunch.” His dad said, giving him a wink. As he entered the room he saw her there, busy at work. He tapped on the file cabinet, ” Hello, can I come in?” He asked with a smile. ” Yes, please do.” She answered, smiling. He looked around, ” Wow, they changed this up some, didn’t they. It looks great in here.” He said. Sanem beamed, ” Can and I did this, I think it came out quite well.” Aziz glanced around, ” Yes it did, He replied. ” So, Sanem what is it you like about this job, if I can ask? What I mean, is this your career here or is there something else you’re interested in?” He questioned, leaning back in the chair. She felt flushed at his look, ” I’m not sure I understand Azizbey, what are you asking?” she said. ” I love the job and the people, if that’s what you mean.” She explained. His eyes were intense, ” Is this your dream job? Or is there something else?” She looked away from him, ” No, not really, I want to write, in fact I have written in my journal. I want to be a writer.” She stated, turning to catch his eyes. He smiled, ” Then why not write, if that’s what you want. Does Can know you want to do this.” He asked. ” Yes, we have talked about it, he knows it’s my dream.” She revealed. 

Can wondered what they were talking about, as he walked back to the archive room. It was time to go for lunch, ” Hey you two, let’s get some lunch.” He spouted as he walked in the room. His dad stood, ” Ok, let’s go my dear,” he said, offering her his arm. ” I’m starved, how about you?” He asked. Can laughed, ” Sanem is a lover of food, right my love.” He said. She gave him a warning look, ” Yes, I do like to eat, but I don’t overdo.” She explained, slapping him on the arm.

They made their way to the door, as everyone watched….

She was so proud, how did she get so lucky…….my life is almost perfect, she thought… ” And it’s only going to get better”

Chapter 24

They had made it to the restaurant that his dad suggested and found a table. Emre was on his way to meet them there. He felt there was something that his dad was holding back, like he wasn’t quite ready to talk about it yet. The conversation was pleasant, and Sanem had his dad full attention with her stories about her childhood. ” My dear, give me your fathers phone number and I will call to make arrangements for a meeting with them.” He stated. ” I would like to meet them alone first, then we’ll set up a time for a proposal. ” Can, have you told them of your intentions?” He asked, looking intently at his son. Can smiled, ” Yes dad, I went for dinner last week and told them you would be calling them when you got back to town.” He told him. His dad smiled and shook his head, ” Every well son, I’ll take care of it from here then.” He said, winking at Sanem. 

Aziz had a feeling that Deren must have been jealous of Sanem, because he couldn’t find a single thing about her that would have caused such trouble. She was absolutely delightful, and his son was completely in love with her, what more could a father want for their sons. Can stood quickly, and waved Emre their way, ” Here Emre,” he stated, ” Glad you could make it.”  Can said. Emre gave him a hug, as well as his dad, but just patted Sanem on the shoulder as he sat down on the other side of his brother. ” Well, what did I miss or have you just been discussing me?” He said jokingly, slapping his brother on the back. Can frowned, ” No, we have better things to talk about, like our upcoming marriage.” He said, reaching for Sanem’s hand. Emre could see that he was determined to go through with this, he had hoped that their dad would be able to talk him out of it. ” Ah, yes,” he said, ” Dad, what do you think about that?” Emre asked, eyeing his dad. Sanem felt the warm glow of embarrassment creep up from her neck, she knew that Emre didn’t care for her much, but would he try and influence their dad against her. ” Well, I think your brother has found a perfect woman, the one for him, so for that I’m very grateful.” He stated, looking at Sanem and smiling. She returned the smile, the whole situation had made her nervous so she excused herself to go freshen up. Can and Aziz quickly stood, as she left the table. Can immediately turned to Emre, ” Emre, please me respectful of her, that was an unnecessary comment.” He said, shooting a look of disgust at him. ” What, I didn’t say anything wrong, I just wanted dad’s opinion, that’s all.” Emre said shrugging his shoulders.

Sanem looked in the mirror, ” What are you doing here, its plain to see you don’t fit in.” She said to herself in the mirror. ” Emre is out to discredit everything about you, you know that don’t you.” She explained out loud. She tried to regain some sort of composure before returning to the table. She smiled at herself in the mirror, ” Be confident, the only one you need to worry about is Can, he’s the one you love, so show it.” She stated, standing straight and lifting her head, she walked back to the table. Can smiled, as she sat down, ” Let’s order, then there something we need to talk to you about.” Can said, gazing at Sanem. Aziz could feel the anticipation and was anxious to know what was going on. They quickly placed the order, and Aziz looked at Can, ” Ok son, what do you need to talk about, if it’s about the marriage, I’m sure everything will work out fine.” He replied. Can took Sanem’s hand, ” No, not entirely,” he said, ” I have received a job offer from the magazine I used to work for, they want me to photograph a place in Peru.” Machu Picchu in fact, for a special edition of exotic places. The experience will be tremendous and we can take that time for our honeymoon also.” He stated smiling at Sanem. Aziz was shocked, but knew what was coming next, ” So you will be leaving for an assignment, and you’re taking Sanem with you, is that what you’re saying?” He asked, eyeing his son. 

Deren was pacing the floor, waiting for Aziz to return from lunch. She hoped he had looked over the file and agreed with her that Sanem had to go. Maybe if his dad took her side, then he would come to his senses too. She was glad he had returned from his vacation, she needed someone besides Emre to help her. As the three returned from lunch, she hurried to her office to wait for him. They went straight to his office, ” I will call your parents now, the sooner we get this thing started, the sooner the wedding.” Then the two of you can be on your way to that special honeymoon in that exotic place.” He spouted, smiling from ear to ear. Can hugged his dad, ” Ok, thanks for understanding, now I hope her parents will understand as well.” Can said, feeling the nerves. His dad looked in his eyes, ” Son, this Is your life and Sanem’s, you will find your way together. Just go and talk to them, they will see how happy you two are and not stand in your way.”  He hugged Sanem and went to call. She linked her arm in his, ” Well, that’s one down, and two to go.” She said, laughing. Can hung his head, ” Yes, what do you think your parents will say? Will they agree.” He asked, almost in a whisper. Sanem looked in his eyes with such desire it made him weak, ” My love, I will marry you and follow you wherever you want to go, you can be sure of that. My heart is with yours, forever.” She said, stroking his beard. 

The time was set, Aziz would go to the Aydins at 7:00 that evening. He knew they were a traditional family, and things were done a little differently. But he also had seen their love and was in awe of it. He would do whatever it took for them to be happy. With that task out of the way, he went to the spare office to look at the file Deren had given him. What could she have on Sanem that would cause her to dislike her so, he wondered. It took him a good while to read the lengthy file, most of which was meaningless jibber, and actually had nothing to do with her work ability. In his head he knew Deren had always had feelings for Can, but he never thought she would go so far as to create things against Sanem. Aziz knew he would need to address this with her, but should he tell Can and Sanem about the file. Can had already made up his mind to leave the office and return to photography, so it may not be an issue, but they both had the right to know.

Deren was in her office, looking over a file, Aziz tapped on the door. She smiled and motioned him to come in, ” Azizbey, I’m glad you’re back, have you had a chance to look at the file I gave you? She asked, almost bubbling. He sat down, ” Deren, you know you’re like a daughter to me, and would do anything for you, but what you have in that file is nothing that I could consider relevant to her inability to perform her work tasks. It is honestly a lot of meaningless accusations.” Aziz said, firmly. ” I think you have a personal issue with Sanem, and you are making a lot out of nothing. Deren huffed, ” Absolutely not, I don’t have a personal problem with her, I just want her to do her job, and stop her incessant flirting with Can. It’s almost embarrassing at the lengths she has gone, just for Can to notice her.” She piped, losing a bit of her control as she talked to him. 

Aziz stood, “Well, then you might be happy to know that it looks like Sanem will be leaving her position her at the agency.” He spouted with confidence. ” I can tell you, if she wasn’t making that decision, it might just be you leaving.” I believe that you have overstepped you boundaries, and I hope that you don’t do that again.” He said glaring at her. 

Her eyes were wide….” But Azizbey, I have always had the agency’s best interest at heart, and I would never do anything to hurt the company. 

” I have always felt that way before, but you have shown a new side to you, one that would deliberately hurt someone for your own gain.”  

“And that someone, will soon become my daughter.”

Chapter 25

with him, but he still had reservations about Cans intentions. He still wasn’t sure if Can was the right person for his daughter. He seemed to be a kind and caring person, he was definitely a charming man, but would he take care of her and protect her. His Sanem was a bit naive and little too trusting when it came to the heart. But they all had been blindsided by Adin, and his continuing actions had Nihat concerned. He would keep an open mind and meet with Cans father, for his daughter and the sake of his own marriage. Mevkibe could be a force to be reckoned with if she wanted to be, or if she had her mind set on something. 

Can and Sanem had both decided to talk to her parents together, after Aziz talked to them. They needed to get things going on the wedding if they were to make the deadline of the magazine. The the main office of the magazine being in Rome was even better. They would start their honeymoon in one of the most romantic cities in the world and they travel to the most exotic. That is if her parents consented. He didn’t even want his mind to think about that, surely they wouldn’t deprive them of the happiness they wanted so badly. He knew she had led a different life then him, her parents dictated to her what she would do. Unlike himself, who had made his own decisions since an early age. 

Sanem was busy finishing the files that Ms. Deren had given her, when Aziz walked in the room, ” Well it’s set,” he said, his face reflecting the joy he felt. ” I will visit your parents this evening at 7:00 and go from there. So maybe you and Can could go for dinner or something, I would really like to see them alone if it’s possible.” Sanem shook her head in agreement, ” I’m sure that would be fine,” she replied, barely being able to contain herself. ” Have you told Can yet? He’ll be so happy.” She beamed. Aziz nodded, ” Not yet, but I’m on my way to do so. I wanted to talk to you first.” He said. ” I want to warn you about something….or someone, and you are probably already aware of it, but Deren has launched an attack on  you. She has a file full of nonsense against you. It’s all quite trivial and nothing that would jeopardize your position here, but I want you to be aware of it.” He stated, with sincerity. ” She has had feelings for Can for many years, but they have not been reciprocated, which has made her desperate. I will let Can know of this also, so he can handle the matter if need be. It’s probably a good thing that you will be leaving here with Can, it could avoid a messy affair, if you know what I mean.” He said, patting her on the arm. She nodded, agreeing with Azizbey, ” You’re right, I have known about her feelings for Can for some time now, but Can is blind to it.” She laughed. ” Thank you for talking with me about this, I hope things are settled in a few days and we can start making our plans.” Aziz had a great respect for Sanem and could tell she had his sons best interest at heart. 

It was nearing the end of the day, and Can was looking for Sanem. He went to the archive room first, not seeing her there he went to the office floor. She has just coming out of Leila’s office, with a stack of files in her hand. Can smiled, stopping her, ” There you are, what have you been up to this afternoon?” He asked, stroking her hair. Her eyes darted around, ” Can maybe we should be a little bit more discreet when we are at work.” She whispered, ” We don’t need any more gossip.” Can smiled at her, his eyes smoldering with desire, ” What gossip? Let them think what they want, we will soon be married and that will be a fact.” He stated with certainty. She just loved his demanding nature, he never let other people’s thoughts affect him, especially when it came to her. ” I don’t think we have to worry about it much longer, we’ll both be leaving here soon.” He spouted. She nodded, ” I know but there could still be consequences, if we’re not careful.” She whispered, looking around for Ms. Deren. Aziz came around the corner, ” Can, my son, I need to talk to you, can you come to the office?” He stated, winking at Sanem. 

Entering the office, Aziz sat down on the sofa, ” I will be quite open with you son, Deren has approached me with some concerns about Sanem, and also gave me a file she has been keeping on her. ” He stated.  Can stood, ” Dad, she is being completely unreasonable about her, and I don’t know why. She hasn’t liked her since the day she came her.”  Aziz raised his hand, ” Calm down, I have already spoke to her about it, and yes, she has been unreasonable when it comes to Sanem. The file had nothing in it that would cause alarm.” He explained. ” But Can, you must know that she has been waiting for the opportunity to come for you to be interested in her.” And with Polen out of the picture she felt it would happen.” Can shook his head, ” Dad I never gave her any reason to think that, other than being polite to her, but thats all.”  Can exclaimed. ” So she tried to get rid of Sanem, because I fell in love with her.” He spouted, throwing his hands up in the air. ” I’m going to talk to her,” Can spewed, turning to leave the office, ” Son just let it go, I’ve already talked to her and had to explain to her that Sanem would be leaving the agency soon. But she would be going with you, as your wife.” Aziz said. 

Deren sat in her office, staring off across the room, ” So she’s going to marry him. Can is getting married……why?” She let the thoughts of that roam around in her head. She had waited so long for him, but he was never going to be hers, so once again she would have to watch him be with someone else that wasn’t right for him. And he had chosen Sanem, of all people, a stupid little nothing girl from the district, over her. She thought of herself as intelligent, fairly attractive, and ambitious, why wasn’t he attracted to her. Should she consider leaving the agency, it was getting harder and harder to remain there. But her heart had always been there, with Azizbey, the first person who had seen any potential in her……but maybe it was time….

Can had finally calmed down enough to hear reason from his dad. ” Oh, by the way, I will be meeting with the Aydins this evening at 7:00, so it might be nice if you took Sanem out for dinner, so we can have our talk.” He said. ” If all goes well, which I’m sure it will, we will set a day and time to come for a proposal. And don’t worry, I’ll make it soon.” He said with a laugh. Can jumped up, ” That’s great dad, yes I’ll take her out someplace nice, but not too fancy, she’s not a fan of fancy or frilly.” He said.

Can was on cloud nine, as he went to find Sanem….

” How many days until he would have the woman of his dreams….”

” One day would be one day to many” He thought, smiling.

Chapter 26

Mevkibe was busy in the kitchen, making some of her most famous dishes, hoping that Azizbey would like them. Nihat was reading the paper, trying to act like he wasn’t nervous about the whole thing. They both knew that Sanem was expecting them to except Mr. Divit’s meeting and set a proposal time, but they didn’t see the rush. Mevkibe wanted her to have plenty of time to get to know Can, before making it final. But she knew they had other plans, they wanted to hurry and make their life together, so young and eager to be as one. It made her sad to think about losing her youngest daughter when she married Can, they knew she would be gone, off to do what his heart desires. If she had married someone from the neighborhood, they would stay there, making their home close by.  But Nihat would make that decision when the time came.

Sanem called her mother to let her know she would be going to dinner with Can but would be home fairly early. Can picked her up in front of the agency and they were off.  Aziz took a cab to her parents’ house, definitely anxious to meet them. As Mevkibe opened the door, the aroma from the kitchen caught his nose, making him instantly hungry. ” Mr. Divit, please welcome to our home, come in.” Mevkibe said, opening the door wide for him to pass. Nihat met him in the hall, ” Mr. Divit, we are happy to have you. Come sit down.” He offered, leading him upstairs to the living room. The friendship was almost immediate, as the two men talked about everything. They had much in common with their businesses, and both had that sense of drive to make them a success. The men had similar interests, and had agreed to get together to play backgammon, one of their favorite games. Aziz hadn’t had better meal anywhere, and was quick to tell Mevkibe just that, ” Mrs. Mevkibe, this one of the finest meals I have ever had, anywhere, and I have eaten many places.” He exclaimed, pushing himself back from the table. She smiled thanking him incessantly, ” Well thank you, and please come anytime.” She replied, quite satisfied with herself.

Nihat offered for them to retire to the garden, it was his favorite place in the house. ” Aziz, let’s have our tea out here, it’s a pleasant night.” He said. Aziz followed, ” Nihat, you are aware of why I’m here, right.” My son has fallen deeply in love with your wonderful daughter and would like to ask for her hand in marriage.” He said, waiting for him to answer. Nihat answered, ” Yes, I’m aware, and we have met your son and we feel he is quite suitable. I liked him immediately. The problem is, he is my daughters boss, and that is unacceptable in our beliefs.” He stated with command. Aziz raised his eyebrows, ” I see, with due respect Nihat, your daughters boss is actually me, as I’m the head of the company.” Can was merely filling in for me while I was on vacation.” He explained, leaning forward in his chair. ” My son is not a frivolous person, he takes his profession and his life serious. For him to fall so deeply for Sanem, well, all I can say is he is, this is his only love and I feel it is the same for Sanem, and to deprive them of their fate would be wrong of us as parents.” He stated, looking Nihat firmly in the eye. He continued, ” we would like to call on you again on Saturday, to formally ask for her hand, would that be accommodating to you and your wife?” He asked, holding his breath. If this didn’t workout, he knew the couple would take other measures.

Can and Sanem pulled up in front of her house, ” I wonder if my dad is still here,” Can asked as they parked. ” Maybe we should go in and see,” She said with a smile. He went with her into the house, they could hear voices as the neared the kitchen, ” I think he’s still here.” Sanem said, peeking around to see them in the garden. They both walked out to the garden, ” Mom, dad, I’m home,” She said, looking at Cans dad. ” Azizbey, glad to see you.” I hope you have had a nice visit.” She asked, with a questioning look. Can quickly shook Nihat hand and leaned down to hug Mevkibe. They stood, ” Children, welcome, yes we have had a very good visit and the best meal ever.” Aziz exclaimed, patting his stomach and smiling. ” But it is time to go,” Aziz said. He said his goodbyes and they walked to the door. ” So, Nihat, Mevkibe, you can expect us on Saturday at 6:00 with all the traditional items.” And we can make this official.” He replied, with a certainty. Nihat smiled, ” That would be fine, we are looking forward to it.” He said. Can and Aziz left, waving back to them as they drove away. ” So they agreed, we go on Saturday.” Can stuttered, his heart racing. ” Of course son, did you doubt your father?” He said with a smile. “They are wonderful people, I liked them instantly.” Aziz said. ” You couldn’t have picked a better family.” He said to his son. 

Sanem turned to her parents, ” So did you like him, he’s great isn’t he.” She spouted. Nihat laughter, ” You answered your own question, my dear. But yes, we did like him, I can see why Can Is such a good person. He has had a good example to follow.” He stated. She was so excited they had agreed, she wanted to tell them about the job Can was offered, but they had decided to tell them together, after the engagement. ” They are coming on Saturday, she thought, ” maybe we we’ll go ahead and set the wedding date then also, it will be a rush but…. why wait. She hurried upstairs to her room, Leila came in right behind her, ” So, what happened, did they agree to an engagement proposal or not?” She asked, already knowing the answer by the look on her sisters face. ” Yes, Abla, they are coming Saturday at 6:00 and hopefully we can set the wedding date at the same time.” She spouted, full of excitement. Leila’s mouth dropped open, ” Why Sanem, are you in a hurry for some reason?” She asked. Sanem smiled, pulling inside her room. ” If I tell you something, you have to promise not to say anything to mom or dad.” Sanem warned, pointing her finger in her face. Leila shook her head in agreement. ” You’re not going to believe this, but Can was offered a job from a magazine he used to work for. They want him to do a photo layout for a feature in their magazine. It’s in Peru, Machu Picchu, it’s some ancient city, that’s been abandoned for centuries, but it’s a famous exotic place.” She rambled. ” Anyway, we are planning to get married right away and take our honeymoon there, as he works. Won’t that be great!” she exclaimed. Leila looked at her sister, ” Sanem, when exactly do you plan on getting married and how soon do they want Can on his job?” She asked, puzzled. ” Well, it seems they need him there in about a month, so that means we will need to get married fairly quickly.” She gushed. ” A month…. are you crazy? Mom and dad are never going to agree to that,” she said. ” How long is his assignment, you know, how long would you be gone?” She asked. ” At least a couple of months, maybe more.” She answered. ” But what are you saying, they will forbid me to go…. I don’t think so.” She said, defiantly. 

Sanem stood, ” I will marry him….and I will go with him…”

” I’m sorry, but they will not deny me the love of my life…”

Chapter 27

Can wanted to make Saturday special, so he decided to buy her an engagement ring to go along with the gold band they would exchange at the proposal. But it had to be special, unique, maybe even one of a kind, just like her. He thought about it all the way home from her house that evening, he hoped he had time to find the right one. ” Dad, I want to find an exquisite ring, one just for her, do you have any suggestions?” He asked. His dad thought a second, ” Yes, in fact I do, I will show you when we get home.” Aziz answered, with a sparkle in his eyes, ” I think I have just the thing.” Can smiled, his dad always seemed to have the answer, he hoped to be half the man he was in his older years. As they arrived home, Aziz went straight to his room, and returned in a few minutes with a box. ” Can you have made me happier than I have been in years, just seeing the love you both have for one another is all that a parent could wish for a child.” He said, reaching in the box to bring out a small round box. It was covered in velvet and he could tell it was very old. ” This ring belonged to my mother, my father had it made especially for her. He designed it himself and gave it to her on their 10th wedding anniversary.” Can’s eyes burned with tears he refused to let fall, as he watched his dad relive these memories. He held it lovingly in his fingers, ” Son, I remember when my father gave this to her, I was about 8 years old, he was so proud to present this to her. They had married young and my father was not a wealthy man and couldn’t afford much in the way of a wedding ring, but it didn’t take long for him to find his way, becoming one of the best lawyers in Izmir. He vowed to give her the finest ring that money could buy.” Aziz said softly, with the tear forming in his eyes. ” So he had this ring made,” He said, holding the ring up in the air for Can to see. ” Their love was as bright and brilliant as yours is for Sanem. I know he would be proud for you to have this to give to the love of your life.” 

The ring as silver, with a multitude of diamonds circling the band, the center stone was the rare and expensive pink diamond. It was a beautiful round cut diamond, it still shined like it was brand new. He had never seen anything like it before. Aziz places the ring back in the box, ” This is  yours now, you can present this to the woman that has filled your heart with love.” He pronounced, hugging his son with love. Can was too emotional to speak for a minute, but finally he asked, ” Dad, why didn’t you give this ring to mom, when you two married? It’s so beautiful I can’t imagine someone not wanting it.” He exclaimed, staring in amazement at the ring. Aziz thought for a while, ” Can your mother was not much for antiques, she needed new and bright things, so this would have offended her greatly, and I missed my chance of giving it to someone that meant the world to me and would have appreciated it many years ago. So it will rest with you now, where I know it will be treasured.” The two men hugged for some time, letting a few tears fall, and their bond grow together even more. Can tucked the ring in his pocket and went to his room. 

Leila was still trying to come to grips with what Sanem was telling her, when the phone rang. ” Oh, it’s Can, get out Abla,” she said, shooing her sister out the door. “Hello, my love,” she said, happy to hear his voice. ” Hello sweetheart, I had to hear your voice before I went to bed,” he stated, ” just a few more days and we’ll be engaged.” He said, whispering into the phone. It gave her a chill, ” I know my love, I can’t wait.” She replied, giggling from the nerves. Can sighed, ” I think we should tell your parents about Perú as soon as we get through the engagement ceremony, what do you think? ” He stated, still so excited just at the thought of it. She agreed, wanting to get everything out in the open, so they could start preparing for the wedding. ” Yes, and I want just a simple ceremony, with just our families. Maybe we could have it here in the garden.” She suggested. ” But I want our first night as husband and wife to be spent at the mountain cabin, can we do that?” She asked shyly, with butterflies flying about in her stomach. ” I think that can be arranged, Ms. Sanem, we will do what your heart desires.” He stated, with a dramatic flair. They both said their good nights and hung up, she lay thinking about her childhood. Nothing could have prepared her for this, this love of someone that meant more than herself. A person that filled her with more than just love, but with dreams and admiration. She thought of the old white mansion that she went to as a young girl, to write, to dream and plan her life in her head. She wanted to show Can the place that had been the sanctuary for her soul. She wanted him to see it and feel it, just as she had so many times, when things seemed against her. That’s why she ran there when Adin tried to destroy them…. for strength. She would see if he would go there with her tomorrow, she would show him her past, and then he would know her dreams. 

Can took the ring from the box, looking at it again. Turning it in every angle, to see the light dance off the diamonds. He knew his grandparents had a long and happy marriage, for 54 years to be exact. His only regret was not seeing them as much as they could have as a young child. The only thing he had been told was his mother never got along with his grandfather, so their visits were few and far between, leaving him and Emre thinking they didn’t love them. He knew better now, but it was too late to fix. He couldn’t wait to present the ring to Sanem, he knew she would love it, and it would make him proud to have her wear it.  His heart was happy and full, what could be better. He went off to sleep, dreaming of the next days to come, and hoping her parents would understand their love.

The next morning, he arrived to pick her up at 8:00. He took a few minutes to say hello to Mr. and Mrs. Aydin and confirm the time for Saturday. They smiled, ” Yes son, 6:00.” Nihat said, laughing to himself. He’s as nervous as I’ve seen anyone to be.” He thought. He took Sanem and started to the office. She took his hand, ” Can, can we go somewhere today at lunch, I want to show you something.” She said, leaning her head on his shoulder. The answer would always be “yes” when it came to her, but he was curious, ” Absolutely my love, where are you taking me.” He asked, kissing her on the top of her head. 

” To the most wonderful place in Istanbul.” He looked at her, ” Really, is it your secret place you told me about?”

” Yes, it’s the place I first dreamed of you….”

Chapter 28

Deren kept to herself in her office most of the morning, not even holding a morning meeting. The staff was talking about her strange behavior and wondered if it was due to Sanem and Canbey. By lunch time, Aziz had meet with a new client and Can had held a creative meeting in which Deren offered no input at all. She definitely wasn’t herself. Sanem was managing to stay out of her way, but she couldn’t escape her icy glares, as she went about her morning duties. Aziz had made plans for the afternoon, and would be out of the office, so Can and Sanem took a early lunch and she took him to her special place. He was excited to see the place that had been her home away from home as a child. They parked, and walked down the long drive, with the look on Sanem’s face, he knew she was just as excited to show it to him. As the huge house came into view, he was in awe of it, ” Wow Sanem, this place is huge.” He exclaimed, ” You could get lost in there.” He said walking up to the massive door. She smiled, ” No, it’s beautiful. Just perfect.” she replied, ” This is the most beautiful place in Istanbul,” She stated, spreading out her arms, and twirling around and around in the entryway. He smiled, his heart filled with love for her, as he watched her transform to that child again, as she introduced him to each room in the huge house.

Deren had a decision to make, but it was extremely hard. Azizbey had been like a father to her for many years, and it would be hard to leave him. But this didn’t seem like the place for her anymore. Her heart had been bruised and battered over the years, watching Can come and go with Polen always by his side. She had been so happy went she found out he had broken it off with her, but then, Sanem came to work there. Even if they did leave the agency, that meant they were married and they would be back from time to time, and she would be parading thru, hanging on Cans arm. She didn’t think she could take it. She had to face the fact that Can would never be hers. But with Can leaving, it also meant that Azizbey would need her more than ever, just keep control of everything.

” This house is amazing,” she said, ” I wish I could have seen it in its former state, when it was vibrant and happy with a big family roaming through it.” She spouted, as she sat at the window, looking out across the grounds. Her face was glowing, and he couldn’t stop staring at her, ” such a vision of loveliness,” he thought, as he too was getting caught up in the aura of the mansion. ” As a child, I dreamt of one day buying this place and turning it into a writing studio. A place for the imagination to go wild, and each room would be filled with a story.” Her eyes danced with happiness. ” But as the years went by, my dreams changed, I only wanted to be here with the person that held my heart and soul, the man I was born to love.” She said, reaching for his hand. ” I never even knew it before, but I think I have dreamed of you my whole life,” she whispered, moving up close to him, ” I didn’t realize that it was you that was always in my head, not until I came here after Adin showed me the picture of you and Polen.” She said, standing on her tiptoes to stare into his eyes. He was in a trance as she spoke, she was so mesmerizing with what she was saying. His heart was beating like a drum, so loud, he thought she must be able to hear it. In seconds her lips found his, demanding him to respond, and he did, with a force that took her by surprise. They broke the hold and stared at each other, ” Can maybe we should go, before we go to far.” She spoke, hating each word she said. He nodded, ” You’re right, we will save this for another place and another time, very soon.” He replied, brushing his lips against her neck and sucking in her smell. She felt her heart stop, and her breath was gone, he could destroy her with a single touch. She sighed, ” How will I be able to wait for him?” she thought, ” even a few weeks will be too long.” 

They left the house on their way back to the office. Both of them felt so happy, eager to start their lives together. She held his hand as he drove, ” Can, I want a big house like that when we come back,” she spoke, leaning her head back, and looking into space. ” Something that’s big, but simple, with lots of room for our children,” Oh, how many kids do you want?” She asked, her eyes growing wide. Can didn’t hesitate, ” I want at least three, maybe four, what do you think?” He asked. She smiled, ” Yes, that’s what I thought too,” she said, glad their minds thought alike. How had she lived without him, she thought. This had been the best day, she was ready to be whisked away to an exotic hideaway with him, to be free to love him as her husband. Just one more day to wait until the engagement proposal, then a wedding, how perfect.

Emre met Can at the office door, ” Can, we need to talk, close the door.” He said. The look from Emre told Sanem he wanted to be alone with Can, so she quickly left, wondering what he had to say. Can gave Emre a look, ” What Emre? Is it something that Sanem can’t hear, that was rude.” He said. Emre sat down, ” Deren is thinking of leaving the agency, in fact she has started looking for other places.” He said. Can hung his head, ” Emre, I can’t help what she does, if she feels she has to leave, then she will leave. What do you want me to do?” He asked, shrugging his shoulders. Emre leaned towards Can, ” Abi, she is in love with you and has been for years, don’t you feel any obligation to her feelings?” He asked. Can shook his head, ” No, Emre I don’t, I never gave her any reason to think there would be anything between us.” He stated, ” In fact, I never even knew she had feelings for me until Sanem pointed it out to me.” But Sanem and I are leaving the company anyway, so there’s really no reason for her to leave.” He said. ” I’ll talk to her if you want me to.” Can replied. Emre shook his head, ” No that’s probably not a good idea, it might cause more problems. But I just know when you leave, we will need her here more than ever.” 

Sanem was aware of Derens actions that day and had a feeling that’s what Emre wanted to talk to Can about. She took a cup of fresh coffee and went to Ms. Derens door, she knocked on the door and waited for her to motion her in. Deren stares at her for a second, then waved her in, ” Yes Sanem, what can I do for you?” She asked, keeping her eyes down. Sanem sat the coffee on her desk, ” I thought you might like a fresh cup of coffee, while we have a talk.” She said with demand in her voice. Derens eyes darted up to meet Sanem’s, ” What talk should we have?” she said, ” I think it’s past that, don’t you.”  Sanem sat down, ” Maybe, but I think we should try to solve this, don’t you?” 

Sanem looked at her, with a confidence that made Deren jealous.

” Ms. Deren, I know your feelings that you have for Can, and I understand….”

” But I won’t let you drive a wedge between Can and his family.”

Chapter 29

Those words had hardly left her lips when Azizbey came in the office. ” Sanem, let me take care of this, my dear.” He said, giving her a hug. Sanem nodded and turned to leave, ” Please shut the door behind you, if you don’t mind.” He asked. She shut the door and went back to work, wondering what was going to happen. Aziz motioned for Deren to set as he sat across the desk from her, ” Deren, I hear you are looking for employment elsewhere, is that true?” He asked. She lowered her eyes, ” Yes sir, I have been looking, but it has nothing to do with you or the company.” She explained. Aziz didn’t want her to leave, but he wouldn’t watch her hurt anyone in his family. If she was determined, he wouldn’t stand in her way. ” Have you thought this through?” He asked, ” You have a good position here and you have been like family.” Aziz replied. “But I also know there are some things that can’t be fixed.” Can and Sanem will be married and there’s nothing you can do about that. You can’t make him have the same feelings for you that you have for him.” Aziz told her, trying to ease the pain. Deren nodded, ” Yes you’re right, and I just had the same conversation with Sanem, it might be best if I take a leave for a while, just to get myself together.” She suggested, searching his face for approval. Aziz smiled and agreed.

Emre had left Can’s office, still upset at the possibility of Deren leaving, but also he knew his brother was right. Can was on the phone as his dad came in the office, he sat down and waited. Can was off the phone quickly, ” Dad is everything ok, what did Deren say.” He asked. ” Son, call Sanem and Emre into the office and I will tell you all what’s going on. When they all arrived, Aziz said, ” Deren has decided to take a leave for a while, just to clear her head.” He said. ” She is sorry for the problems she caused with Sanem, and they have discussed that together.”  Her leave will be effective immediately and will remain until she feels at ease to come back.” I will make the announcement to the office and then we wouldn’t talk about it again.” Aziz stated, feeling the relief for that to be settled.  Can and Sanem both breathed a sigh of relief, one more obstacle out of their way. 

Can and Sanem were ready to leave for the day. They walked out, running into Leila going to the bus stop. ” Leila, come with us, I’ll take you home with Sanem.” Can Insisted, opening the door on his truck. Leila refused at first, but they wouldn’t take no for an answer. ” Abla, we’re going to the same place, don’t be silly.” Sanem spouted, pulling on her arm. Leila smiled, ” Ok, if you’re sure.” She said. They were almost to house, when Can got a phone call from Emre, ” Abi, where are you, come meet meet for dinner and a drink.” Can laughed, ” What happened, no date tonight?” He joked. ” I’m taking Sanem and Leila home. Can we make it some other time?” He pleaded. ” Bring them with you and we can make it a double date, what do you say?” He spouted, eager to get to know Sanem better and it would be fun to get to see Leila in a different way. Can asked the girls, ” How about dinner with Emre, he’s desperate, he doesn’t want to eat alone.” He stated. They had to let their mother know, but it sounded like fun, they said. In no time they had turned around and headed back to the city. The restaurant was nice, but not too fancy, he had a table ready for them when they arrived. ” Sanem, Leila, I’m glad you both decided to come, you saved me from an evening of boredom.” He said, laughing as he pulled the chair out for Leila. 

Leila had always had a secret crush on Emre, but never let it be known. She had worked with him, as his assistant for several years, but never once had he acknowledged her as anything more than an employee. Just this simple evening out with Can and Sanem had made her feel special. Emre never had taken the time to really look at Leila over the years, he knew she was an excellent assistant, but that was as far as it went, until tonight. Emre had seen a woman tonight, a woman that made him feel different. Can and Sanem watched as he flirted innocently with her and she blushed with joy at every word he said. Sanem nudged Can under the table as Emre coaxed Leila to take a bite of food from his plate, feeding it to her. Can was a bit leery of the situation, he knew his brother well and his thoughts on women. The last think he want was for him to hurt or embarrass Leila, for sure that would cause trouble between him and Sanem. He had never known him to be with one person long, and his eye never stopped roaming. These Aydin girls were different, not like the woman he dated before. 

He ordered a drink for Can and himself, and a glass of wine for both of the girls. He had enjoyed the evening immensely, much to his surprise. Sanem had truly impressed him, he could see why Can had fallen so deeply in love with her. But the effect that Leila had on the evening was a complete surprise to him. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought he was smitten with her. But that was impossible, of course. The fact she wasn’t his type and they lived in total opposite worlds should have been the reason for that. Can looked at his phone, ” Sanem, it’s getting late, I think I should get you ladies home. I don’t want your mother upset with me before Saturday.” Emre agreed, ” No, we wouldn’t want that.” He added, giving his brother a look of annoyance. ” Leila if you would like to finish your wine, I would more than happy to see you home.” Emre stated, turning on the charm. Leila’s heart skipped a beat, she wanted to say yes, but ” no thank you” came out of her mouth instead. Emre looked surprised, but he felt a deep respect for her, like he had never felt for a woman before. 

Can ushered Sanem and Leila out, before she had chance to change her mind. Emre stood there, watching them leave, ” Well…. that was quite an enjoyable evening.” He thought, ” how have I missed that one all this time.” Leila was floating on a cloud when they arrived home, she couldn’t believe what had just happened. Having Can for a brother-in-law may not be a bad thing, she thought, as she went to her room. Can and Sanem said their good nights at the door, ” My love, one more day, do you think we can make it?” Can said, wanting so badly to kiss her, but feeling the eyes of the neighborhood on him. Sanem smiled, ” I think we can, we don’t have a choice.” She stated. Can took her hand, kissing her fingers, he watched her as she went inside. 

He stood for a minute, staring at the closed door.

” How my life has changed…all because of that woman…”

” The most perfect woman in the world.”

Chapter 30

Can was going to make it a short day today, he thought, wanting to make a special dinner for Sanem at the cabin that evening. So he needed to prepare for it, he planned on meat on the grill, a salad and a chocolate cake with hot fudge sauce on top, it was his favorite. He knew she would love it too. This would be the night before the engagement proposal, he felt like it should be something special for them both. He made it to her door to pick her up by 8:00, as usual and Mevkibe meet him at the door. ” Can, welcome son, come in, Sanem is coming.” She said. He nodded, ” Is the time still ok for tomorrow, 6:00pm.” He asked nervously. She smiled, “Yes, it’s still fine, we will be waiting for you and your father.” She assured him. Can breathed a sigh of relief, making her giggle when she heard it. Sanem came down the stairs, ” Good morning Can,” she said, reaching for his hand as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Can almost melt into the floor at the sight of her sometimes, ” Sanem, you look beautiful today.” Oh, Mrs Aydin, I would like to have Sanem for a few hours this evening if that’s possible.” He asked, ” I’m planning a dinner for her, something special.” He spouted, looking quite proud of himself. Mevkibe nodded, “I think that would be fine, where are you taking her.” She asked. Can straightened, ” I will be cooking myself, at my cabin.” He said. Her mom looked at her with reservations. ” I’m not sure if that’s proper, will you two be alone?” She asked, looking at him with questions. Can immediately knew he had presented that in the wrong way, ” Mrs. Aydin, you can rest assured that I have the utmost respect for your daughter and I would not expect anything more than just a lovely dinner with Sanem.” He said, making direct eye contact with her. She smiled, ” Very well children, I will trust you both, as long as she is home at a respectable hour.” She demanded.

Sanem was smiling so big her cheeks hurt, all the way to the office. Can glanced at her, ” What are you so happy about? You look like you’re just about to be engaged or something.” He said, pinching her cheek. She laughed, ” Can, I have never been so happy, in my whole life.” She stated. She leaned over and hugged his arm, holding him tight until they reached the agency. Can parked, he turned to her, ” You’re not the only one that’s happy you know,” he whispered, leaning in close to her, letting her scent drift around his head. ” When can we tell everyone we are getting married?” he asked, nudging her neck with his nose. She stiffened, “Can, I think we should wait until after the engagement proposal, and my parents officially give me to you.” She exclaimed, trying not to look him in the eyes. He laid back against the seat, ” Really, are you sure.” He whined, closing his eyes. She smiled at him, ” Yes, I think it’s the right thing to do, don’t you?” She said, giving him a demure look. He quickly agreed…. But that comment stuck in his head, “my parents give me to you.” What a delightful thought. He smiled and reached for her hand, as they started into the agency.

The absence of Deren was noticed by everyone. Aziz arrived shortly after Can and called a meeting to the conference room. As they all sat waiting for Aziz to enter, Emre and Can went over the days agenda, and the accounts to be focused on. When Aziz made his appearance, all attention was on him. ” Good morning all,” he said, waving his hands to everyone. ” As you all have noticed, Ms. Deren is not here today. She has taken a leave for a while to rest, she has worked hard here for many years and felt the need for a long vacation.” There was a buzz around the room, as the employees whispered their thoughts to each other. ” Now, now, let’s not jump to conclusions,” Aziz remarked, ” She will return when she feels she is ready, so until then Can and I will take over her duties, along with a few of you others here that have shown us your talents. So let’s all work together and help where we can.” He surmised, looking at Can for support. Everyone clapped as Aziz and Can stood together in front of their employees. Sanem got a disappointed look on her face, ” Does that mean that Can won’t be able to accept the job from the magazine.” She wondered, looking at him with questions in her eyes. He didn’t look at her.

After the meeting Azizbey and Can hurried to his office, without a look to anyone. She was afraid all their plans had just been destroyed. But she went about her work as usual. By mid-morning she knew he would be ready for a break, so she brewed their tea and headed to his office. She tapped on the door, with the tray in her hand, he smiled and motioned her to come in. She made her way to the other side of his desk to place his tea in front of him, he quickly grabbed her hand, pulling her down on his lap, ” Where have you been all morning,” he whispered in her ear, ” kissing her neck and nibbling on her earlobe. Sanem gasped, at the suddenness of it, ” Can, someone will see,” she protested, trying to squirm out of his hold. ” Do I look like I care,” He said, his eyes locking with hers and taking her to that place of desire. She sighed, ” No you don’t, but you should,” she replied, trying to hold herself together.  His other hand was rubbing her back, slowly and sensually, she had goosebumps covering her body, ” This man tears down every ounce of willpower I have,” she thought, feeling her stomach churn and her heart beat faster. She felt herself sink into him, as they heard a knock, ” Son, sorry to disturb you but I’m going out for a while but will be back before you planned to leave.” He stated, giving Sanem a wink of apology. She jumped up quickly and took her tea from the tray. ” Very well dad, are you going for a meeting?” Can asked, unfazed by the interruption. ” Yes, of sorts. I’m speaking with someone about working here while Deren is gone. We’ll need someone, especially after you and Sanem leave.” He said. Can nodded, “Yes, you’re right, I just talked to the editor of the magazine, and they need me to commit as soon as I can, and possibly leave in 4 weeks.” Can explained, giving Sanem a side look. He hadn’t had time to tell her that yet, and he hoped she didn’t get all nervous about it, but things would work out.

She breathed a sigh of relief, ” Good their plans were still in place.” she thought, giving him a smile. The whole idea of an exotic honeymoon had become very exciting to her, her thoughts of it made her want it more and more. 

Her thoughts of their honeymoon vivid in her mind……wow, would she be able to do it.

She was so inexperienced, it scared her…. but she knew he would be more than willing to teach her. And she would try to be the best student ever!!!

Chapter 31

Aziz entered the office, ” Hello, my friend, I hope you are doing well.” He asked smiling at the woman behind the desk. She stood quickly, ” Aziz, yes, I’m fine, and you…. it looks like the years have treated you well.” She replied, extending her hand to him. He bypassed the offer and stepped in, giving her a hug, she felt good in his arms, just like she had so many years ago. He smiled, ” None could compare to you my dear, I can’t tell you how I have missed you.” I was so happy to hear that you had returned to Istanbul, and to your job.” He said, still holding her hand. She motioned for him to set down, as she did so. ” Yes, it’s good to be back,” she said, studying his face with a flame in her heart that still burned for him. ” Can I ask, what took you away from here, so many years ago Mihriban, and why you never contacted me.” He asked, his eyes filled with tears. She looked away, ” Aziz, some things may be best left unanswered, but there hasn’t been a day go by that I haven’t thought about you.” She explained, her heart burning with hurt. She quickly changed the subject, ” What brings you here today, Aziz?” She asked, composing herself. 

The reason had almost left him, until then, ” Oh yes, I have a job offer for you, one I hope you won’t refuse.” He stated, giving her that smile that she remembers all too well. ” But as you can see, I already have a job.” She replied. Aziz knew from a very reliable source, that she was simply helping out a friend for a short time. He relived in his mind the time she worked at the agency, how she brought everything to life there, including him and his love for her. Her ideas and thoughts had won them several campaigns. And then one day she was gone…. and he didn’t know why. All he had was the comfort of her friend, Huma, and in a moment of weakness, he accepted it. That was a decision he regretted, all of it but the life of his sons. They were the only thing that keep him going. 

He looked at her, ” Well, how does this job challenge you,” he asked. ” I need your expertise in the agency, I hope you would consider it.” He said. She smiled, ” Why now, from what I have heard, your creative team is one of the best.” She stated. He stood, ” Well, we have lost a member of our team and we need someone strong in talent to step in for a while.” He explained. ” And Can, is he not there,” she asked.  The fact she knew such details about him and the company, meant she had kept up on him throughout the years, ” It seems that Can will be married shortly and will be going back to his photography assignments, that will leave me and Emre, to run the agency.”  Mihriban nodded, ” I see, so how long to you propose you will need me.” She asked, her heart beating hard at the thought of it. ” That’s not anything I can answer right now, but the job could be permanent if you would like.” He spouted, looking at her with promise. Her eyes sparkled, ” Let me think about it for today, and I will let you know tonight.” She replied, ” Maybe over dinner at my house.” She suggested, with a smile. His acceptance was quick, so quick it startled her. She smiled nodding, ” I will text you my address and I will have dinner ready at 7:00. Is that ok?” She asked. He didn’t even remember the goodbye. He was so distracted with her as he took a taxi back to the agency. The ping of a text made him wake up, she had sent the address, and it looked like she lived outside of town a bit. But it didn’t matter, he would go around the world for her, if he had to. 

Can was getting nervous, with his dad not back from his meeting yet. It was almost time for him to leave, in order for him to get things ready for this evening. Sanem had already taken off to go home. He was to pick her up at 6:00, so they didn’t leave a lot of time for him to prepare. He was finishing up on his emails when his dad walked in, he seemed to be in another world. ” Dad, I was starting to worry about you, how did the meeting go.” He asked, staring at his dad. Aziz sat down on the sofa, “Well, I think I might have solved our problem,” he said, smiling from ear to ear. Can couldn’t believe the look he saw on his dads face, ” So you found someone to take Derens place for a while.” He stated. ” No, if I have anything to say about it, it will be permanently, my son, and this time I won’t let her go.” Can didn’t have time to question his much, but he had to know what he meant. ” Ok dad, we will talk later when I get home tonight,” he said. Aziz smiled, ” I have a date tonight, so don’t wait up for me.” He said, winking at his son. Can laughed and hurried out to get to the cabin. His thoughts of his dad and the happiness he saw in his face, he knew it had to be the about the woman his dad had told him about years ago, and the undying love he had for her.

He prepared all the food and decorated the table with flowers. He strung lights around the trees, for a romantic mood. ” It was perfect,” he thought, putting the finishing touches on the decorating. He jumped his truck and took off to pick up Sanem, he had timed it just right, the sun would be setting just as they were done with the dinner, and the lights that we’re hung, and the music he had planned, would make the night turn to magic. She was waiting just outside the door, with her anticipation running high. She knew this would be a special night. He arrived right on time and whisked her away in his truck. They both beamed with happiness, as he drove to the cabin, he wanted her to love what he had done, and he was pretty sure she would. He had her close her eyes as he walked her up to the cabin, when she opened her eyes, she squealed with delight, ” Can, it absolutely beautiful, I love it.” She exclaimed, jumping up to hug his neck, clinging there for a moment, so thankful they had found one another. The dinner was fabulous, as always, when he cooked, making her marvel at his abilities. After dinner, he put on some music. The same song they had danced to before, when she came to the cabin for the first time. She smiled as he offered his hand to her for a dance. ” I don’t mind if I do kind sir.” She said, blinking her eyes at him, in a flirtatious way. He brought her in close, so close their foreheads were touching, he breathed in her smell as they swayed to the music. ” Sanem, our lives will be like this forever. I have such a desire for you, I know it will never change. I want to always touch you, smell you, I want to be the only one for you.” He whispered in her ear. She held her breath, ” Can, there will never be anyone else, I’m forever yours, my soul is connected to yours and will be until the day I die.” She said snuggling her head down on his shoulder. 

It was late, and he had promised to bring her home at a respectable hour, so he locked up the cabin and they started the drive to her house. Each mile closer to her house, made them sad, it meant another goodnight, the thing they dreaded the most. He stopped at her door, he slides over next to her, ” Sanem, tomorrow will be the beginning of our life together. I don’t want anything to ruin or dampen that day. She smiled, ” No Can, we won’t allow that to happen, I promise you. I have made up my mind, if they don’t give us their blessing, we will go on with our plans.” She said, with determination, ” With or without my parents approval, we will marry and start our adventure together.” She kissed him on the lips, not caring if they were seen or not.

” Are you sure my love?” Can asked, with tears forming in his eyes.

“Yes, I’m sure, you will not leave here alone…I will always be by your side….”

Chapter 32

It was later than he thought when he arrived home, surprised to see his dad was still not home. He laughed to himself, l guess you never get old to find the love of your life. He poured a drink and went to the garden, he loved to set out there, alone and listen to the sounds of the night. He had done it for so long when he was on location, somewhere, anywhere it didn’t matter, he would watch the stars and listen. His mind went to the next day, he couldn’t wait to ask for her hand, he wanted to take her, possess her, own all the rights to her heart. But if they said no, what would she do, really, would she go against her parents, chose him over her family? He certainly hoped it didn’t come to that. He heard a car pull up, ” It must be dad.” He thought, ready to tease him a little. Aziz was tired, but not ready to go to bed yet, so he went to the garden, ” Oh Can, I didn’t think you were still up, how was your special dinner.” He asked. ” It was perfect.” He said, his eyes glowing. ” Good.” I’m glad.” He said, leaning back in his chair to look up at the stars. Can hadn’t seen his dad like this before, so he wasn’t sure how to approach him, ” Dad, your date, how did it go.” He asked, ” Did they agree to your job offer.” Can questioned. His dad answered, ” Yes, she did, and I couldn’t be happier, I have waited for years to have this opportunity again.” I don’t intend to lose her again.” Aziz explained to his son. ” She will be in the office on Monday, ready to go. She is a very talented person, and she developed several campaigns when she worked in the agency before.” He stated. Can hugged his dad, ” I’m happy you found who you were looking for. I’m excited to meet her.” Can said. Aziz stood looking in his son in the eyes, ” I hope you are, I know you will like her, she is the one person in my life I couldn’t forget.” He said, his eyes full of love. ” It’s not often you have a chance to love for the second time around, just remember that, take care of what you have.” He told him, with tears starting to form in his eyes.

Try as he might, to sleep in, he was up at his normal early hour. He had hoped to sleep some of the day away so it would go faster. But instead, he would go to the gym and have a good workout and take his time getting ready for his 6:00 party. They would pick up the flowers and the chocolates on the way to the Aydins home, and he had the ring his dad had given him, safely tucked away in his jacket pocket. After their traditional ceremony with the gold bands, signifying their engagement, he planned to present her with his grandmothers ring to go along with it, to show his deep love and devotion. By mid-afternoon, his nerves had almost taken over and he paced like a caged animal, eager to get things over with. His dad had left the house earlier in the day and hadn’t said when he would return, so that was making him nervous. What if he forgot, he thought, or he loses track of time and gets home late, what then? They would be late and the Aydins would never forgive them, no, Sanem would never forgive him. By 4:30 Can was in a full-blown panic. He had called his dads phone but no answer, his logic was to go on as planned without him. At exactly 4:40 his dad walked in with a smile on his face, ” Dad, where have you been, I’ve been worried sick about you. We’re going to be late.” Can gushed, the veins sticking out on his forehead. His father laughed, ” Son, we’re not going to be late, let me change and we can be on our way.” He stated, shaking his head at Can’s display of hysteria. His dad methodically went about his routine, even taking the time to have a cup of tea. Can continued to pace back and forth, watching as his dad sipped his tea. At 5:15 his dad sat down his tea cup and announced, ” Well I think it’s time to go, it takes about 30 minutes to get there with a stop for the flowers and chocolates, we will be just on time.” He said winking at Can. 

Sanem had asked her sister to help her with her hair, she wanted it to be perfect for the occasion. Leila also touched up her makeup, making sure it all looked right. Her dress was yellow and fitted, it hugged her in all the right places, and had thin straps at the shoulders. Mevkibe was just as nerves about things in the kitchen, she did have a reputation to uphold you know, with both Can and his dad loving her food, she didn’t want to disappoint. The coffee would be left to Sanem to fix, after the pair had arrived. At 6:00 promptly the doorbell rang, Sanem answered the door. The two men stared in disbelief at her, the Image had left them both speechless. She welcomed them in, as Can smiled, nodding his head. Nihat joined his daughter at the door, ushering Aziz to the living room to talk. Can followed, resembling a puppet on a string. With everyone assembled, the Aydins, the families best friend and neighbor Melihat, Can and Aziz, Sanem went to make the coffee. She glanced at Can as she left the room, their eyes locked with a wonderful display of love. 

The coffee dispersed and everyone in their places, Azizbey spoke, ” Nihat, as you know, my son Can and your daughter Sanem have fallen in love. Their hearts have found each other and their souls have bound together. With your permission, we ask for her hand and heart to marry my son.” Aziz acclaimed, with a smile. Nihat looked at Mevkibe for her thoughts, she smiled, letting him know her decision. The silence was long and everyone was holding their breath, but at last Nihat said, ” My daughters happiness is foremost in my heart…. Can, we haven’t known you very long, but we do see the goodness that you possess. Our daughters judgement of you is a testament of the love she holds for you, and that is enough for us.” You have our permission to marry and we welcome you to our family. Everyone sat in silence for a second, then erupted in laughter and cheers. The coffee was passed around, with Can drinking the salty coffee to symbolize his devotion to their family. When it all calmed down, and the presenting of the gold bands had been done, Can stood, ” If I may, I would like to give my love a special ring. One that holds a lot of importance in our family. It will be displayed alongside the gold band of unity to complete our commitment to each other.” Aziz smiled as Can pulled the ring from his jacket, he opened the old and worn ring box, displaying that beautiful ring. Sanem’s eyes were big, never had she seen such an exquisite ring, but whose ring had it been, she wondered. Can took the ring from the box, ” Sanem, this ring was my grandmothers, she was a woman much like you. Loving, caring, and with a heart as open as yours. I know she would be as proud as I am to have you wear this ring as the definition of our love.” He said, looking at her with such admiration, it made her weak.

She looked at Azizbey, he smiled at her, nodding in agreement with what Can had said.

” I would be honored to wear this ring”….. Her eyes filling with tears.

” I accept it with love and will cherish it with all my heart, I love you Can.”

Chapter 33

After all the tears had dried and the hugs were given, Can and Sanem both stood together in front of their parents. ” There is one more thing that we need to discuss,” Can said, looking at Mevkibe and Nihat, ” The wedding date. We would like it to be as soon as possible,” he told them. They both looked at each other, with a doubtful look on their faces. Sanem linked her arms in his, ” I know you’re not expecting this, but we would like for the wedding to take place within the next three weeks.” Mevkibe shrieked, ” What? That’s impossible and why would you expect that?” She demanded to know. Nihat shook his head, ” You’re going to have to explain to us why it has to be that soon.” He said. Aziz stepped up, ” Nihat, Mevkibe, they have a very good reason to ask for something like this. Just hear them out.” He said, pleading with them to understand. ” I have received a very good job offer from a magazine I have worked for in the past, it’s a shooting assignment in Peru. I need to give them my answer within the next few days and then we would be leaving in about a month.” Both Mevkibe and Nihat tried to hide their tears, but it was no use. 

Sanem tried to comfort her mom, ” So you will be leaving, going off to who knows where, with someone we barely know. Sanem it is completely out of the question.” Mevkibe uttered, glaring at Can. Can quickly tried to defuse the situation, ” Please trust me to take care of your daughter, I will see to it.” Can stated, looking desperately at Mevkibe and Nihat. Mevkibe turned and stormed out of the room, with Sanem following her. Aziz took Nihat to the side, ” My friend, this is their life, and they must live it, my son is a responsibility person, you don’t have to worry about her safety. He will be her husband and she will be expected to follow him, be what may.” He said softly and convincingly to him. Nihat shook his head, ” Can, how long will you and Sanem be gone?” He asked, dreading to hear the answer. ” Yes, sir, the assignment is for 2 months, but the possibility of it taking longer is always there, just because of error or weather delays, but we will come back as soon as the shoot is over.” He assured him. Nihat extended his hand, ” Fine, we will see what we can do about a wedding at this short notice.” He said, shaking his hand. Aziz and Can exchanged looks of relief, as they shook hands. 

Sanem and Leila, were trying to talk to their mother as she hurried around in the kitchen, trying to look busy. ” Mom, please listen, it’s only for a few months, then we will be back.” She said with tears. Her mom refused to hear, closing off her mind to the whole thing. Sanem stopped, ” Mom, we will have a wedding in 3 weeks and I will go with him, that you will be sure of. I prefer the blessing of you both, but if not, I will hope that you will forgive me some day. I love him and intend to follow the direction of my husband.” She stated, not wavering from her steely glare. Leila stepped in, ” Mom, you have to let her go with understanding or you will regret it.” She added. Nihat and Aziz walked in, along with Can, ” Mevkibe, my dear, we must be good parents and accept our children’s decisions, they are grown now.” He said, putting his arm around his wife’s shoulders. ” Can is a good, decent person and I trust him enough to give my daughter to, so we must allow them to live their life.” Nihat said, hugging her to him tightly. She looked at him, she knew he had made the decision and she would have to agree, with him being the head of the house. She nodded her head to agree, reluctantly at first, but she knew he was right, letting his words touch her heart. Sanem smiled looking at Can, ” So, we will be married in a timely manner, and we can make our plans for our travels, right.” She said, barely able to contain herself. Can reached for her, hugging her, letting his heart be happy. His dad watched, he knew they would be happy, it was written all over their faces.

The rest of the evening was a turmoil of discussion, but to set the date was the most important thing. Three weeks would be hard, but if that’s what it had to be, then they would make it work. Milihat would take care of all the beauty needs, such as hair and makeup, and the place would be as Sanem wanted, in the garden. Can agreed with all the plans, ” Everything sounds great,” he said, looking into her eyes. ” So, three weeks from today, September 19th, do we all agree?” He asked, holding his breath, looking at each member of their family. Everyone smiled and shook their heads, “Yes, it’s agreed.” Nihat said. ” You may make your plans for your job.” With the evening over and the couple happy with the outcome, Aziz and Can knew it was time to call it a night. He pulled Can away from Sanem and ushered him out the door, thanking Mevkibe for the delicious food and for her understanding. The drive home was silent, there was so much running around in Can’s head he couldn’t speak. His dad watched with amusement, aware of how he felt, but also how proud he was of his son. Can kept running the date over and over in his head, September 19th, he knew that would forever be, the best day of his life.

Sanem and Leila helped their mother clean the kitchen, with Mevkibe deep in thought. She knew her baby girl was now a woman, she was ready to follow the man she loved. But to her, she was still that clumsy little girl that had the big ideas of being a writer. She hoped she hadn’t lost herself to be who Can wanted her to be. That was her story, she had left her home to follow Nihat, but against her fathers wishes. And his dreams became her dreams, but she wouldn’t have had it any other way, her heart was full of love, and it still was. Her thoughts made her smile, her daughters made her smile, her whole life made her smile, the only thing she regretted was losing her father. She wouldn’t put that burden on Sanem, not for loving a man that was good and loved her with all his heart. Her and Nihat lay in the bed after all the cleaning was done, ” Nihat, we have done the right thing, haven’t we?” She asked, staring at the ceiling, her heart breaking. He patted her hand, ” Yes my love, we did what we had to do, the only thing we could do, if we wanted to keep our daughter.” He stated.

Can still hadn’t spoke since they left the Aydins’ and Aziz was beginning to worry. They came in and Can went to pour a drink, ” Would you like one dad?” He asked, almost in a daze. Aziz accepted his offer. Can took his drink and walked to the garden and his dad followed. ” Can, why are you so quiet? You haven’t said a word since we left their house, are you second guessing yourself?” He asked. Can quickly looked at his dad, ” No, nothing like that, not my love for her. I have promised to protect her and make her safe, but what if something happens and I fail. We are going to another country where it might be dangerous. How would I ever live if it did?” He said, tears rimming his eyes. Aziz said, ” Nothing could possibly happen to her with you by her side, believe that. I know you and you would do everything in your power to make her safe. These things come as instinct, and instinct comes from love.” 

Can knew that… he would protect her, love her and make sure nothing happened….

He would give his life for her, if he had to… anything for her, his love…

Chapter 34

It all started the next day, the planning and decision making. What kind of flowers, how much seating, who to invite. There was a lot of arguing, but Sanem was determined to have it her way. By the end of the day, she had convinced her mother, Milihat and Leila that her way, was the way it would be. Can called her late in the afternoon, ” Hello my love,” He said, ” I have missed you today, how is the planning going.” He asked, hoping they had agreed on things. ” Well it was a fight at first, but I finally got through to them.” She stated. ” The wedding will be in the garden, everything is already there, the flowers and the lights.” So just arranging the seating, and making room for the food, is all we have to do.” She said, almost exhausted just talking about it. Can laughed, ” Well I’m surprised you got your way, with your mother and Ms.Milihat both involved. ” So, are you ready for a break,” he asked, ” I thought you might come out here for a while, to just relax, maybe have a swim, then I’ll take you home.” He suggested, wanting her to say yes. She squealed, ” Oh Can, that would be great… a swim too, sounds good.” She was barely able to contain herself. They had so little time together, it was like a gift when they could be together outside of work. ” I’ll be there as soon as I can, oh, I’ll fix some dinner for us too, so let your mom know.” She hung up the phone, and went running down the stairs, ” Mom, Can is coming to get me and we will have dinner at his house.” She said, her face beaming. Her mom’s first reaction was to say, “no” but she changed her mind after a second, ” Ok my dear, don’t be out too late, you still have work tomorrow.” Her heart was saddened at the thought of letting go. Sanem smiled, and gave her mom a hug, she hurried upstairs to grab her stuff. 

The news of her engagement had already made its rounds in the neighborhood. The gossip never stopped, not there, Sanem was the talk of the town. It had even made it to Adin and his family. Adin was furious at the news, ” So she’s going to marry that man, huh, I can see she ignored the picture that I brought her.” He thought, that feeling of humiliation stirring his anger, “She wasn’t worth it anyway.” He scoffed. He thought it better to leave it alone than cause any more of a scene. A confrontation with Can Divit was something he hadn’t planned on, and he was certain it would not be in his best interest. The risk of his father finding out about what he had done was still something he worried about, and he didn’t need anything upsetting his fathers plan to retire and leave the business to him. But the thought of putting Divit in his place did seem appealing to him.  

The evening at Cans was a welcome break in their routine, they needed to this time to make their plans. Can told her all she would need to do to get ready for the trip. It was a lot, and it would be hard to pack light for a trip like that. So much to do, the wedding was a simple affair, with just family, and a reception to follow with some food. Of course, her mom and her friends would see to the food. They both had agreed on a simple wedding a while back, it was just keeping her mother in line that would be the problem.

The drive to her house made him realize how much he missed her when she wasn’t with him, ” Sanem, we need to talk about where you would like to live when we come back, it can be anywhere you want, but just not with your parents or my dad.” He said, ” we will start our lives together, in our own home. So we probably need to start looking tomorrow, what do you think?” He asked, eager to take that step. She smiled, ” I agree, and yes, we can talk to a real estate agent and get things going.” He leaned over and gave her a kiss, ” I can’t wait for you to be my wife. Things will be magical, when it’s just you and me. It doesn’t matter where we are, if we’re together, that’s all we need.” He said, looking at her with that demanding gaze of desire. She felt herself getting warm, the same feeling she had every time he looked at her like that. She wanted to give herself to him so badly, but she was determined to wait for him until they were man and wife. It was something she wanted to do for herself. She wanted Can to show her how to love, to make her want to love, to fill her with that happiness that comes only from that special union between a husband and wife. So she would wait, she returned the kiss, ” It won’t be long my love, and just think how wonderful it will be.” She whispered, nibbling on his ear lobe. The reaction to that startled her, he moaned and pulled her closer to him. ” Sanem, you drive me over the edge, I not sure if I can control it.” He said, with a growl in his voice. She backed away, ” Can, we have to.” She stated, ” it’s just a short time, my love.” He touched his forehead to hers, breathing deeply, ” You’re right, sweetheart.” He said, taking a minute to control himself. A quick kiss on the cheek and she was out the door and going in her house. She stopped at the door, turned and waved to him. He waved back giving her a big smile.

When he arrived home, Emre was there, ” Well how did the engagement go, is everything set.” He asked. Can nodded, “Yes, it all went well, and they are planning the wedding for three weeks, September 19th, so don’t make any plans or take off on some love fest that day. I want you to be there, ok.”  He spouted, slapping him on the back. Emre laughed, ” Abi, I wouldn’t miss it for the world…. you…. getting married, it will almost be a national holiday.” He joked. Can smiled, “Emre I happier than I’ve ever been in my life. In fact, I’m not sure if I even knew what happy was until now.” He replied, staring off into space. But I need your help with something, are you willing to help me.” He asked, pleading with his eyes. Emre knew he would do anything for his brother, ” Sure, what do you need.” He asked. ” I need you to come with me tomorrow for a while, if you can. I need to show you something.” He said, being mysterious. Emre agreed to go with him before work. Can would have to make an excuse to Sanem for not picking her up, but this had to be done quickly. 

Her mother was still in the planning mode when she got home. Leila met her at the door, rolling her eyes, ” Sanem, they are still at it, mom and Milihat, going over the food menu like the queen of England is coming to your wedding.” She laughed, rushing her away to her room. She went in and curled up on the bed with her sister. ” How was your evening, was Azizbey there, what about Emrebey, was he there?” She asked, with a spark in her eyes. ” No Abla, we were all alone, it was so romantic.” She said, falling back on her bed. She knew her sister was interested in Emre, but she also knew how he was, quite the womanizer, and she didn’t want her to get caught up in his games. Leila felt a pang of jealousy knowing that Emre was probably out with some gorgeous model like woman, but I it still didn’t keep her from dreaming. Sane was telling her of their plans to get with a real estate agent to start looking for a house, ” He wants us to have our own home to come back to.” She said, placing his hands over her heart, ” He is so sweet.” She replied, smiling.

” Our own home…. just for us to be alone in….”

” I’m so scared……but never have I wanted anything more in my life……”

Chapter 35

Sanem was expecting Can by 8:00 as usual, but Can called, ” My love, I’m sorry but I’m not going to be able to pick you up this morning, can you ride the bus with your sister today.” He asked. ” Of course, is there something wrong.” She asked, disappointed. He explained to her that a meeting with a possible client had been made without his knowledge, and he needed to go with Emre. She understood, saying she would see him at the office. Emre was listening as Can told her the little white lie, laughing at him. ” Abi, are you going to tell me where we are going or not?” He asked. Can took his brother by the arm, ” If I tell you, you must promise not to tell anyone else, got it.” He ordered. Emre agreed, eager to know what was going on. Emre followed him as they left the house, they drove to a part of town that he wasn’t very familiar with, but he thought was beautiful. They parked at what he thought was a park, and he followed Can down a long walkway. ” Abi, where are we going?” He asked growing more curious as they went along. Can smiled, ” You’ll see, but this is serious, I don’t want you to make a joke of this.” He ordered, squinting his eyes at his brother, which made Emre even more intrigued. As they cleared the walkway lined with overgrown trees and shrubs, the old white mansion loomed, like a dinosaur. Emre mouth dropped, ” No Can, don’t tell me,” he stuttered. ” You want to buy this for Sanem.” He blurted out. Knowing all too well the unconventional ways of his brother, this was right up his way of thinking. ” Emre, don’t say anything until you see the inside and hear me out.” He spouted.

Everyone was in a buzz in the office, as Sanem and Leila walked in. ” What’s going on CeyCey.” She asked, looking around at them all. She hoped they weren’t talking about her, they hadn’t even made their announcement yet. CeyCey pulled them to the side, ” We have a new employee, it’s Azizbey”s old girlfriend, from many years ago. Rumor has it, they still have a flame for each other.” He whispered, pretending like no one else knew. ” Oh really,” Sanem questioned, her eyes growing wide. What a relief, she thought, someone else for them to gossip about for a while. She looked for Can, but he hadn’t arrived yet, so she went to the coffee station to make some tea. They all waited for an announcement of the latest addition to the agency, but Aziz was waiting for Can and Emre to arrive. He didn’t know what had taken them off so early in the morning but he wanted them there when he introduced her to everyone. 

” Isn’t it great Emre?” Can asked, looking around with visions spinning in his head. Emre tilted his head to one side, ” Well, if you close one eye and tilt your head just right, I guess I can see the possibility.” He said, mocking his brother. Can looked at him with a warning stare, ” Emre, I told you this was serious, so don’t make jokes.”  Can told him the story that Sanem had told him about the old mansion, how special it was to her. ” I have already spoke to the agent about it, and the people at present ready to sell. It was a family heirloom and they have decided to sell it, since the older members of the family are gone. They walked out to the property, the yard was massive, but it still had that family feel. Emre wandered around in awe of the grandeur of the estate. ” Abi, what do you plan on doing with this much space?” He asked in amazement. He turned to Emre, ” We are going to fill it with babies, as many as she is willing to have.” He answered with a glow of joy in his face. Emre was shocked, his brother had never even hinted that he was interested in having children before, and now he wanted to fill a mansion with them. This was a different man he was looking at, but whoever he was he seemed happier than ever before. ” I have given them an offer, so I’m waiting to hear back, but I’m sure it will go through because I was very generous.” Can exclaimed, still walking through the house, looking at every inch of it. ” Emre I want you to oversee the renovations on the house while we are gone, do you think you can do that?” He asked, giving him that serious look. ” Can, this is a total gut and rebuild job, you know that, but if that’s what you want, then I can do it. How much money do you have to put into it” He said. ” As much as it takes Emre,” he stated, ” I want everything to be right.” 

Sanem was beginning to worry about Can and Emre, it was almost lunch time and they still hadn’t made to the office. She had been working in the archive room most of the morning, but she knew if he had come in, he would have found her there. She started to the coffee bar for tea, when she saw the two walk in. He met her there, giving her a kiss on the cheek. All eyes were Immediately on them. ” Hello my love, bring our tea, and come to my office.” He said, giving her a wink. She smiled and nodded, giving him a wink back. Aziz was waiting for them in Cans office, ” There you two are, I’ve been waiting for you, we need to make the announcement about Can and Sanem and also introduce Mihriban.” He urged. Sanem came in with the tea, sitting it on the desk, ” What’s going on, something wrong?” She asked, looking from Aziz to Can. ” We need to make the announcement, let’s go.” He said ushering Sanem out the door. ” What announcement?” she asked, as they pushed her to the office floor. Aziz got everyone’s attention, ” I have a couple of things to announce, if I could have your attention.” He said, waving for everyone to come closer. “First, our family has a wonderful announcement to make, Sanem and Can are engaged and will marry on September 19th.” He shouted, then clapped with everyone following suit. ” Can will be leaving the company for a new job assignment in Peru, and Sanem will be going along with him.” He states, clapping again. ” I’m sure you all would like to wish them well on their journey, and a speedy return.” He said, hugging Can and Sanem. ” Next, we have a new employee, Ms. Mihriban, she will take Derens place. She is very experienced and is here to help each of you with whatever she can.” He spouted, smiling as he reached for her hand.

Emre and Can both looked at each other, smiling. It looked like their dad had rekindled the love of his life and wasn’t about to lose it again….

With the office offering their well wishes, and the women hovering around Sanem, gazing at the ring on her finger, Can took Leila aside, ” As soon as you can, come to my office. I need to talk to you in private, and don’t tell Sanem.” He whispered. She nodded, going back to her office. When Sanem left, going back to the archive room, she went to Cans office. ” Yes Canbey, what can I do for you?” She asked. “First of all, I think it’s time to stop with the Canbey and just call me Can, can we do that.” He said, smiling at her. She agreed, ” Yes Can, I think we can.” She said. ” Ok, I need your help with something very important, in fact you will need to work with Emre on this. I’m buying the old mansion by the park, the one that Sanem loves so much, and having it renovated. Since you know her style, I will have you oversee the decorating, and Emre is in charge of the work.” The work will start immediately, and I hope it will be done when we return.” He stopped, analyzing Leila, and waiting for her reaction. She was overjoyed and more than willing to help, and the thought of working closely with Emre had her excited.

 ” So Sanem has no idea you are doing this?” She asked….

” It’s my surprise to her, a wedding gift you might say. She took me there a few days ago, and revealed all the dreams she had there, to me.” He said, tears forming in his eyes.

” It will be our home, a place to come back to, and start our family………it’s going to be a place for our kids to grow.”

Chapter 36

So, he was going to work with Leila, he thought, as he left Cans office. He decided to go talk to her and get a game plan set up, ” Leila, am I interrupting you.” He asked as he tapped on her door. She looked up and smiled, his visit taking her by surprise, ” No, come in Emrebey, I was just finishing the payout file.” She said, her face feeling hot from excitement. ” Well, I thought I would talk to you about our joint venture, did Can have a chance to tell you about it yet.” He asked, taking this chance to really look at her. She smiled, “Yes, we just talked, I think it’s great that he’s doing that for them, she’s going to love it.” She exclaimed, trying not to act to excited about working with him. ” Well, it seems we need to meet with the architect tomorrow at 10:00, so we’ll fake a meeting or something.” He said, taking a minute to stare at her big blue eyes, thinking how he had missed all of this before. “That sounds good, Emrebey, just let me know when we need to leave.” She told him. ” Leila, I think that since we will be family now, maybe when we are alone or not in the office you can call me just Emre, ok.” He said, smiling at her, making her tingle. She shook her head, ” Of course, I can do that. Thank you.” She said, stammering around a bit. He nodded and walked out. She put her hands over her face, ” Oh my, you are such an idiot, “I can do that, Thank you……Thank you… really.” She said to herself. 

Mevkibe had called her 5 times so far today, this one making it 6, she thought as she answered the phone, ” Yes mom, what’s up.” She said, with a little of sarcasm in her voice. ” Sanem, we have to decide if we are going to have a flower arch for you and Can to stand under, or just have flower baskets on each side of the garden area.” What do you think?” She said, sounding out of breath. ” Mom, please don’t make a big deal out of this, the flower baskets will be fine, remember, just simple.” She revealed, rolling her eyes, as her mom wandered off on another subject. ” Oh Sanem, I’m cooking today, so bring Can home with you so you both can test the dishes to be served at the wedding.” She blurted. ” Ok mom, I will, I have to go.” She said hanging up the phone. She leaned back in the chair, closed her eyes and breathed in and out with force, ” Please give me the strength to cope.” She said. She jumped and squealed as she felt a hand stroke her cheek. ” Can, you scared me, where did you come from.” She yelled, slapping at him, completely missing. He smiled, ” I was watching at the door, was that your mom on the phone.” He asked, already knowing the answer. ” Yes, she is driving me crazy,” she stated, ” Oh, she wants you to come home with me today, she has been cooking and needs us to test the food for the wedding.” She spouted. He raised his eyebrows, ” Ohhhh, that sounds good, count me in.” He said, leaning in close to her, giving her a kiss on the cheek, then traveling down to her neck. He immediately starting breathing heavy, and moved closer to her chair. She instantly felt the difference in his touch, it was more electrified, more intense, making her feel like she was she was floating in air. He slide from the filing cabinet that he was sitting on, to the floor, kneeling beside her, he turned her chair towards him. She was in a trance, unable to stop him, even if she had wanted to. When she did finally look in his face, his eyes were half open and he seemed to be moving in slow motion. Her breathing came in and out, but it was in the way of small gasps, and the burning in the pit of her stomach, was almost more than she could stand. His hands moved up, along the sides of her legs, until they came to the bottom of her skirt. Her heart beat so hard, she felt herself move in the chair, but she was speechless, the words could not come. He leaned in, burying his face in the crevice of her neck, so close to her breasts she it startled her. 

Just as quickly as the whole encounter had started, it stopped, and he backed away, his eyes open wide. It was like he wasn’t believing what he had just done. ” Oh my god, I’m sorry Sanem, I not sure what came over me.” He said, embarrassed to even look directly into her eyes. She touched his arm, ” Can, it’s ok, she said, her breathing still intense. ” That’s natural, isn’t it, to feel this way before getting married. Like you can’t keep your hands off of each other.” She said, scratching her fingers through his beard, bringing his face up to look in hers. His eyes, that gaze of love, it seared through to her heart, making her want him more than ever before. He stood up quickly, ” Yes, I guess that’s true, but I let that almost get out of hand.” He stated, rubbing his face with his hands. He looked at her smiling, ” I should go back to work now, but this was a nice break from the computer,…you know.” He said, backing away, not taking his eyes off her. Her heartbeat was back to normal as he left the room. She shook her head, ” He absolutely should be illegal.” She said out loud, her skin still burning from where he touched her. The rest of the afternoon was every uneventful, as he sat at his computer, going over the text of the shoe campaign. Mihriban had already proven to be an asset, by changing up the design for that ad, he was very impressed. Can was still dreaming about the delightful turn of events on his break, when his dad came in, ” Can, how do you like Mihriban’s ideas, there great aren’t they?” He said, almost giddy with excitement. Can agreed, ” Yes dad, she is going to be a great asset to the office, and to your life as well, it seems.” He surmised. His dad smiled, ” It seems that way doesn’t it.” He stated. It made Can feel good, seeing his dad feel like this, he deserved this happiness. 

Sanem finished up her work, and made her way to Cans office, it was almost time to leave. She was excited that Can was going home with her that evening, the more time she could spend with him the better. He was still working on his computer when she tapped on his door, ” Are you still hard at work, it’s time to go.” She said, walking around the desk to kiss him.  He pulled her down to his lap, ” Well, really I would like to continue the break we had earlier, that’s what I would realllllly like to do.” He emphasized, tickling her, making her squirm and laugh on his lap. At that moment Aziz and Mihriban walked into Can’s office, ” Now children, we won’t have that kind of behavior at the workplace.” Aziz spouted, as they laughed. ” Come on it’s time to go, how about you two going to dinner with us, it’s my treat.” He said, motioning them out the door.  Explaining they had prior plans, his dad and Mihriban left. Can and Sanem laughed, ” Almost caught,” He said, ” I’ll be glad when we don’t have to worry about it anymore.” He stated, with that desire for her making him sweat.

She tilted her head, ” Well Canbey, I bet you say that to all your girls.” She said, fanning her hand in front of her face.

” I have and want, only one girl in my life, and that’s you……unless, of course, we have a beautiful daughter that looks just like you..”

Chapter 37

” Emre how are things going at the house, is it coming along?” Can asked as he walked into Emre’s office. ” Well, I need for you to look at these plans and sign off on them, we don’t have much time before you leave, and they all have to be ok’d before you leave.” He explained, sliding the blueprints over to him. Can studied them, ” Whats this area right here,” he asked, pointing to a room off the dining room. ” Well, it can be whatever you want it to be, a workout room, a room for Sanem to write in, a media room. What do you want.” He questioned. Since the room was positioned towards the back of the house, he decided to make it a room for Sanem to have for writing or reading, which ever she wanted. ” Just make it a library/ writing room, for Sanem. It’s a perfect spot.” He said, his heart so happy he was able to do this for her. “Ok, will do,” Emre said, rolling up the papers, and looking at his brother, ” Well, tomorrow evening Abi, and it’s all over for you.” He said, waving his hands in the air. ” What, why do you say that?” He asked, giving his brother a look. Emre laughed, ” No more giving a beautiful woman the once over, or a second look, you know.” Those days are over for you.” He explained, pointing his finger at him. Can stared at him, thinking….” Do you even know me at all…I will be able to look at the most beautiful woman in the world all I want, when this is over. And look won’t be the half of it.” He thought, smiling. ” What are you smiling at,” Emre said, confused at the humor his brother saw in that. ” Nothing Emre, you wouldn’t understand.” Can said, turning to leave. He turned back, ” Oh, how is it working with Leila on this, are you getting any ideas.” He asked, smiling as he walked out the door. 

The Aydin household was in panic mode, with only 20 hours until the wedding. Sanem had gone to pick up her dress, and the flowers for her hair, and was late getting back. The whole neighborhood was helping set up the garden area with all the decorations. Leila and their mom seemed to have it all under control, when she made it back, ” Sanem where have you been, I was getting worried about you.” Leila asked.  Sanem was clearly not herself, staring off into space. ” Sanem, what’s wrong, did something happen” she asked, with a bit of hysteria creeping into her voice. Sanem jerked her head around, ” Oh, Abla, I just saw the most terrible thing.” She exclaimed, almost in tears. ” Do you remember the old mansion by the park that I love so much? She asked. Leila almost choked, staring at her, ” Yes,” she said hesitantly, “What about it.” She asked. Sanem put have hand over her mouth for second, ” I went by there on my way back,” she said, trying to control the quiver in her voice, ” And it looks like someone has bought it.” I can’t believe it, after all these years, someone bought it.” She cried. ” It’s being gutted and renovated.” I hope they leave the charm it had, and not make it some updated modern place, that would be terrible.” She spouted, visibly shaken at what she had seen. Leila wondered why she had gone there, she never anticipated her doing that. ” What made you go there Sanem, today of all days, when there was so much to do.” She scolded her. Sanem looked at her, ” I just had to see it, it has been so important to me over the years, I needed to feel it’s calmness today.” But I will never get to see or feel that again.” I’m sick about it.” She cried, hurrying upstairs to hang up her dress. 

Leila wanted so badly to tell her sister, but she knew she couldn’t. ” She will know soon enough.” She thought, reaching for her phone to call Emre, ” Hello, Emre, you won’t believe what Sanem did, she went to the house to see it before they leave.” She spouted. “She was very upset to see someone bought it.”  That secret would be hard to keep…. All the last-minute touches were being made, until way into the night. Sanem had already gone to her room, but Mevkibe and Milihat were still preparing food for the dinner, and Leila wanted some time with her sister before her big day. She knocked on the door, ” Abla, can I come in?” She asked, waiting for an answer. Sanem quietly said, ” Yes, come in.” Please.” She sat in the middle of her bed, staring at her notebook, ” I want to write about all of this, but I’m so happy, the words sound like nonsense, like they aren’t real words.” She said, her face glowing. Leila was jealous of her sister’s happiness, but not in a bad way. She wanted to feel that herself, that’s all. She smiled, ” Can I see your dress, I want to see what you picked out?” She pleaded. Sanem nodded, ” Don’t make fun of it, I bought what made me feel good.” She spoke. She unzipped the garment bag and pulled out a white fitted dress, with a lace overlay, with a off the shoulder ruffle around the neckline. Leila couldn’t help but smile, “Sanem , that’s perfect, it’s so you.” She exclaimed, her eyes tearing up. ” And this crown of white flowers will go in my hair, do you think it will look ok?” She asked. Leila smiled, ” It will more than Ok, it will be beautiful.” She said, giving her sister a hug. 

Can woke up early, or did he even go to sleep, he wasn’t sure. But he needed to exercise, so he headed out for a run. He ran forever, and ended up at their house, he wanted to see the progress. The day she brought him there was so special for him, she had let him in, in her heart and soul. She trusted him with her secrets, that made him feel like he was hers and only hers, for the rest of their lives. This would be their heaven on earth, he was sure of it. The time had gotten away from him, as he started back home. His dad called, ” Can, where are you.” It’s time to get ready.” He spoke. It was already 1:00 and they needed to be at the Aydins by 4:00. How did he lose track of time. He ran back home, anxious to get started. He hadn’t bought anything new for the ceremony, so he chose a white button-up shirt he hadn’t worn in a while, black jeans and lace-up boots. This was his style, and he wanted to be himself for this. His dad and brother both had dressed in a suit and was shocked to see him in his casual attire. By 3:30 they were on their way to their wedding.

Sanem was almost ready, her hair was being done, and the flowers were woven into her hair. The dress was the last thing, as she pulled it out, Leila asked, “Why did you choose a dress so simple.” Sanem smiled, ” That way I can wear it all the time and feel like this anytime I want.” She replied, her face lighting up like a flame. 

” I want to remember this day just like this, simply special.” …..

” Being able to wear this dress anytime, will keep this day forever in my heart”…….

” Emre how are things going at the house, is it coming along?” Can asked as he walked into Emre’s office. ” Well, I need for you to look at these plans and sign off on them, we don’t have much time before you leave, and they all have to be ok’d before you leave.” He explained, sliding the blueprints over to him. Can studied them, ” Whats this area right here,” he asked, pointing to a room off the dining room. ” Well, it can be whatever you want it to be, a workout room, a room for Sanem to write in, a media room. What do you want.” He questioned. Since the room was positioned towards the back of the house, he decided to make it a room for Sanem to have for writing or reading, which ever she wanted. ” Just make it a library/ writing room, for Sanem. It’s a perfect spot.” He said, his heart so happy he was able to do this for her. “Ok, will do,” Emre said, rolling up the papers, and looking at his brother, ” Well, tomorrow evening Abi, and it’s all over for you.” He said, waving his hands in the air. ” What, why do you say that?” He asked, giving his brother a look. Emre laughed, ” No more giving a beautiful woman the once over, or a second look, you know.” Those days are over for you.” He explained, pointing his finger at him. Can stared at him, thinking….” Do you even know me at all…I will be able to look at the most beautiful woman in the world all I want, when this is over. And look won’t be the half of it.” He thought, smiling. ” What are you smiling at,” Emre said, confused at the humor his brother saw in that. ” Nothing Emre, you wouldn’t understand.” Can said, turning to leave. He turned back, ” Oh, how is it working with Leila on this, are you getting any ideas.” He asked, smiling as he walked out the door. 

The Aydin household was in panic mode, with only 20 hours until the wedding. Sanem had gone to pick up her dress, and the flowers for her hair, and was late getting back. The whole neighborhood was helping set up the garden area with all the decorations. Leila and their mom seemed to have it all under control, when she made it back, ” Sanem where have you been, I was getting worried about you.” Leila asked.  Sanem was clearly not herself, staring off into space. ” Sanem, what’s wrong, did something happen” she asked, with a bit of hysteria creeping into her voice. Sanem jerked her head around, ” Oh, Abla, I just saw the most terrible thing.” She exclaimed, almost in tears. ” Do you remember the old mansion by the park that I love so much? She asked. Leila almost choked, staring at her, ” Yes,” she said hesitantly, “What about it.” She asked. Sanem put have hand over her mouth for second, ” I went by there on my way back,” she said, trying to control the quiver in her voice, ” And it looks like someone has bought it.” I can’t believe it, after all these years, someone bought it.” She cried. ” It’s being gutted and renovated.” I hope they leave the charm it had, and not make it some updated modern place, that would be terrible.” She spouted, visibly shaken at what she had seen. Leila wondered why she had gone there, she never anticipated her doing that. ” What made you go there Sanem, today of all days, when there was so much to do.” She scolded her. Sanem looked at her, ” I just had to see it, it has been so important to me over the years, I needed to feel it’s calmness today.” But I will never get to see or feel that again.” I’m sick about it.” She cried, hurrying upstairs to hang up her dress. 

Leila wanted so badly to tell her sister, but she knew she couldn’t. ” She will know soon enough.” She thought, reaching for her phone to call Emre, ” Hello, Emre, you won’t believe what Sanem did, she went to the house to see it before they leave.” She spouted. “She was very upset to see someone bought it.”  That secret would be hard to keep…. All the last-minute touches were being made, until way into the night. Sanem had already gone to her room, but Mevkibe and Milihat were still preparing food for the dinner, and Leila wanted some time with her sister before her big day. She knocked on the door, ” Abla, can I come in?” She asked, waiting for an answer. Sanem quietly said, ” Yes, come in.” Please.” She sat in the middle of her bed, staring at her notebook, ” I want to write about all of this, but I’m so happy, the words sound like nonsense, like they aren’t real words.” She said, her face glowing. Leila was jealous of her sister’s happiness, but not in a bad way. She wanted to feel that herself, that’s all. She smiled, ” Can I see your dress, I want to see what you picked out?” She pleaded. Sanem nodded, ” Don’t make fun of it, I bought what made me feel good.” She spoke. She unzipped the garment bag and pulled out a white fitted dress, with a lace overlay, with a off the shoulder ruffle around the neckline. Leila couldn’t help but smile, “Sanem , that’s perfect, it’s so you.” She exclaimed, her eyes tearing up. ” And this crown of white flowers will go in my hair, do you think it will look ok?” She asked. Leila smiled, ” It will more than Ok, it will be beautiful.” She said, giving her sister a hug. 

Can woke up early, or did he even go to sleep, he wasn’t sure. But he needed to exercise, so he headed out for a run. He ran forever, and ended up at their house, he wanted to see the progress. The day she brought him there was so special for him, she had let him in, in her heart and soul. She trusted him with her secrets, that made him feel like he was hers and only hers, for the rest of their lives. This would be their heaven on earth, he was sure of it. The time had gotten away from him, as he started back home. His dad called, ” Can, where are you.” It’s time to get ready.” He spoke. It was already 1:00 and they needed to be at the Aydins by 4:00. How did he lose track of time. He ran back home, anxious to get started. He hadn’t bought anything new for the ceremony, so he chose a white button-up shirt he hadn’t worn in a while, black jeans and lace-up boots. This was his style, and he wanted to be himself for this. His dad and brother both had dressed in a suit and was shocked to see him in his casual attire. By 3:30 they were on their way to their wedding.

Sanem was almost ready, her hair was being done, and the flowers were woven into her hair. The dress was the last thing, as she pulled it out, Leila asked, “Why did you choose a dress so simple.” Sanem smiled, ” That way I can wear it all the time and feel like this anytime I want.” She replied, her face lighting up like a flame. 

” I want to remember this day just like this, simply special.”

” Being able to wear this dress anytime, will keep this day forever in my heart.”

Chapter 38

He waited in the garden, with all their family. His eyes already full of tears, before he even saw her. They played Sanem’s favorite song, as Sanem walked to the garden. As she stepped through the door, and the lights flickered all around her, he smiled. She wanted simple, but she was far from simple.He knew she would look beautiful, but to be this radiant was more than he could have expected. Her eyes could not see anyone but him, as she walked to the garden, he had filled her heart with such love, she had no room for doubt. His gaze left her soul sizzling with desire for him. As he watched her, there was nothing to compare to this moment, not in his lifetime. She smiled, and his heart was full of love for her. Her father escorted her the last few steps to join him, he welcomed Can with hugs and placed Sanem’s hand in his. He looked at her with love and devotion. The occasion had everyone there wiping their eyes, as they witnessed the two join their lives together. The clergyman that performed all the unions in their neighborhood, was blessed with joining them as one. They both vowed their love for one another and promised the respect they each deserved. The ceremony was simple, and short, only lasting a few minutes, but what they had witnessed would remain in their families hearts for some time. That’s all we needed, Can thought, he kissed her gently on the lips, after he announced them as husband and wife. Now she was his, and his heart was at peace, ready to start his life with her. Sanem felt the strength of his love through that kiss, she was his, and she was ready to start her life with him……

The music, the food, the dancing, all to celebrate them and their love. It lasted longer than expected, so Can was the first one to say their goodnight speech, ” I thank you all for making this day the best of our lives, for all the people that we love and cherish, we thank you.” He said, holding Sanem in his arms. They quickly grabbed her bag, filled with enough things for a couple of days, and headed to the cabin. She had requested their first night as a married couple to be there, so that is what he did. He had it transformed into a wonderland of candles and flowers. It was a sight to behold, as they walked up to it, arm and arm. She was shocked at the beauty of it, ” Can, when did you do this, it’s fabulous.” She remarked, hugging him tightly, and kissing his cheek. ” I can do anything, if it’s for you, my dear. Never underestimate my ability.” He said smiling down at her. He took her bag and put it i the cabin, turning to her, he said, ” You won’t need anything from that bag tonight, my love. All you need is right here,” he said, pointing at the blanket and pillows on the ground. She blushed all shades of red, ” Can, I hope….” he took her hand, and placed his finger on her lips, ” Don’t worry, this night will be what you want it to be, it will be a special night, that you will remember as, “wonderful,” for the rest of your life. He covered her lips with his, making her shudder. They sat down on the blanket, he held her tight, he didn’t want to let her go, ” Sanem, we will take our time, you’ll see, let’s just let our love carry us through the night. That fire that burned for him each time he looked at her, was at a blaze, within moments. He gently began to remove her clothes, one piece at a time, as she helped him take his off. His touch took her to a place that made her happy and content, but also ready to go further. He felt her relax in the rhythm of things, as he touched her, and she touched him. She wondered if she was doing it right, he moaned and whispered her name, making her feel confident she was doing the right thing. ” Can, I want you to show me how, I want to know how you like it.” She whispered, rubbing her hands down his chest. She felt him jerk, so she moved her hand away, ” I’m sorry love, did I do something wrong.” She said, moving away from him. He pulled her down against him, ” No, I want more, more of you, your body against me. That’s all I want.” He breathed. She responded with just that, molding to him with a heat of wanting him, needing him and feeling him.

As the first light began to shine, she was still wrapped in his arms, breathless from the hours of undeniable raw desire they had for each other. Can had never experienced such fulfillment in his life, she pushed him past his limit. Sanem’s mind was a blur, but crazy happy, ” This has to be the best night in my life.” She thought, watching the light peek up above the trees. She stared at him, her husband, ” Why had she waited? She wondered….”For this…. the perfect love, the perfect man.” He was her destiny, the meaning of her life.” He opened his eyes and saw her watching him, ” Good morning my wife, I love you.” He said, kissing her. Her heart jumped, and that same desire fired up again. His lips covered hers, biting and sucking her lips. She felt his tongue slide in and rub against hers, it felt like electricity, charging her for another round of passion. She never knew how he could change her life, with just a touch.

Completely exhausted from it all, and starved for food, they stirred from the cozy pallet on the ground. He had some food there for them and he fixed their breakfast, ” How does pancakes sound?” He asked. She nodded, ready to eat, ” That sounds good, I’m really hungry.” She replied. ” Ok, pancakes and some juice it is then.” He stated, cooking the pancakes over the open fire. This was going to be a great day, but tomorrow they would have to pack to leave. ” Sanem, do you have your things ready to travel.” He asked her, she replied she did and was ready to go. All the travel information had come to him in an email. First stop, Rome, Italy, to get all the necessary paperwork and then on to Peru. Sanem was so excited to start their adventure, ” Can, we are going to have so much fun, don’t you think.” She spouted. ” Yes, I know we are, this will be our special time.” He replied, feeding her a bite of pancake. 

Can and Sanem hugged Aziz, and Emre, before loading their bags in the taxi. Can took Emre aside, ” Be sure and keep me up to speed on the house, make sure they don’t get behind.I want it ready when we come back.” He demanded. Emre assured him things would go as planned. His dad wished them well and a speedy return, kissing Sanem on the cheek. They had already spent the earlier part of the day with Sanem’s parents, with a very emotional goodbye, and Leila assuring Can the decorating would be done and finished by the time they came home. He wanted it to be a surprise. “Their hearts were happy, as they made their way to the airport”….

” This was their adventure of a lifetime”……But their lifetime of happiness would be spent in that house….

“Her house of dreams.”…. that he made come true..

One thought on “We Found the Real Thing… Our Love”

  1. Just as beautiful as the other times I’ve read this. I can literally picture the wedding, the idea of the house and everything in between.♥️

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