Sanem woke up in Can's arms, feeling a pleasant sense of calmness wash over her. Arslan was sat at her feet, or perhaps it would have been more accurate to say he was sat on her feet. She smiled. It seemed they had already given up on the 'no dog in the bed' rule.
The throbbing in her head had cleared allowing her to think clearly again. Sanem felt like she had been trapped inside a heavy, thundering storm of hormones and discomfort all day. Now she had finally found shelter - in Can's arms. The thought of the little human growing inside of her still made her nervous, but it was more manageable now. Excitement was slowly creeping into the spaces her fear used to be. A smile spread across her face as she pulled herself closer against Can's chest.
Can noticed her movement. He moved his arm, allowing him to brush away the hair that was cascading down over her eyes. Sanem tended to fidget in her sleep, which often left her hair in a state. He swept it away, exposing her face. Can needed to know if she was alright. Her eyes opened and she gave him a small smile, which he returned.
"What time is it?" Sanem asked, yawning. It was dark outside, but it had only been about four-thirty when she had fallen asleep. Can reached for his phone, checking the time.
"It's seven pm." He replied, moving back to let her cuddle up against him again. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine. I think I'm finally getting hungry - which has to be a good sign. The headache seemes to have gone for now."
"And how are you feeling about... about the baby?" Sanem glanced up at him as the last word came out.
She didn't know how to put it into words. "I am happy... I just had a difficult day." She paused, her hands scrunching into his t-shirt for support. "I'm not used to the hormones yet. Everything just feels a bit overwhelming."
"It's okay." He said, pressing kisses against her forehead. "We can take everything a step at a time." He picked up her hands in his, cradling them against his chest, just above his heart. He leaned his forehead against hers, letting himself get lost in her scent for a minute. "Do you want some dinner?" He finally asked after her stomach rumbled and they both giggled at the sound. "Will you be able to manage something?"
"I think so... " Sanem replied, but she didn't make any attempt to move. "Can we just stay here a bit longer?" She asked. Can smiled, pulling her closer.
---
Twenty minutes passed before Sanem's hunger became insistent. She hadn't eaten anything all day apart from a few small crackers. Can promised to cook while she took a bath. He headed downstairs, Arslan following at is heels. Sanem walked to the bathroom, then let the hot water run from the tap. She added bubbles - she deserved it after the day she had endured. The lavender scent helped to calm her further. She stepped into the hot water. It quickly seeped into her bones, washing away the tension in her limbs. She sat for a while, enjoying the warmth.
The weather had turned recently. It hadn't snowed since the day she had found Ahu, but now it looked as if it would fall for days. Sanem wondered if they would get snowed into the house. She wouldn't mind. She could do with a few rest days; the morning sickness wasn't likely to go away anytime soon. She frowned at the thought.
Her eyes flickered down to her stomach. She was only just over a month along, so there was nothing to see yet. Curious, she reached out with one hand, laying it tenderly over the spot below her navel. She didn't understand how a human being could start off as something so small. How could a whole person be growing inside her and not even be noticeable yet? The image of her future baby bump appeared in her mind, a nervous smile spread across her face at the idea. Would it feel weird? Feeling herself grow to accommodate it? Or would it feel natural, like something she was meant to do? She sighed, brushing her thumb over her abdomen. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Can seemed to have a good plan. It had reassured her, knowing that she could work and be around the baby at the same time. Would she even still want to work when the baby arrived? Would she have time? Would she even want to leave the baby at all? Sanem knew, that if she chose to, Can would support her as a stay at home mother. She pushed the thought from her mind. Right now she wanted to work, so for now, that's what she would do. Decisions could be made later. Sanem just hoped that the pregnancy would get a bit easier from now on.
A while later, Sanem had washed and dried herself. She changed into her favourite pajamas, then headed downstairs. Can was cooking something with chicken, the scent greeted her as she walked down the stairs. She entered the kitchen, finding Arslan sat next to Can, hoping for some scraps.
Sanem walked up to Can who was facing the stove. She wrapped her arms around his torso from behind.
"And how are you feeling now, my little koala?" He laughed softly, turning around.
"Better." She smiled as Can pulled her close, she rested her hands against his chest as he began peppering kisses on her cheeks, along her jaw bone and over her forehead, until she was giggling. Then he pressed one last kiss to the side of her head. Sanem let out a contented sigh.
---
The food was soon ready. It was a simple chicken salad. It was quite bland - Can had found out that spices were not good for nausea. Red meats were apparently problematic, and anything too hot could cause issues. They ate on the couch. Sanem occasionally passed small pieces of chicken to Arslan. She attempted to feed him bits of salad too; some of which he ate, some of which he dropped onto the couch and stared at in disapproval. It appeared he liked cucumber and lettuce, he was indifferent to tomatoes but would scrunch his face up in disgust at spinach. Can watched them both, amused.
"He was very well behaved earlier..." Can began, Sanem's eyes flickering up to him. "...when I carried you and Ilkay upstairs. He was very gentle with her. Maybe we could try introducing them." Sanem agreed it was probably time.
---
After they had finished eating, Sanem grabbed Arslan's lead and they took him upstairs to the study. She checked it was tightly in place, she didn't want him dashing at the cats. Then she pried the study door open. Arslan was sniffing the air. He was clearly curious, he had never been in this room before. They let him in.
Ahu was sat on the window. Her eyes immediately snapped onto the dog that was walking through the door.
"It's okay Ahu, he won't hurt anyone." Sanem promised. Can entered behind her, impressed that Arslan wasn't even straining against the lead. His brown eyes peered around the unfamiliar room as he entered nose first, on tentative legs.
Can and Sanem sat against the far wall, giving the cats some space. Arslan crept towards the nest, his tail wagging slowly. Then, before he had even reached the end of the lead, he flopped onto his stomach. Ahu watched the puppy with distrust. It was almost as if Arslan knew how close Ahu would let him get to the kittens, before pouncing on him. Ahu continued to glare, her tail swishing in agitation. Arslan was calm and quiet the whole time. He watched the kittens wriggling about, with a tranquil curiosity. Sanem was suddenly thankful that they had ended up with such an easy going dog. If he hadn't gotten on with the cats at that moment, she might have burst into tears again.
After a few more minutes hey decided to leave Ahu in peace. The kittens didn't seem bothered at all.
Arslan followed them back outside where they fussed over him, telling him he was the 'best boy in existence', much to his delight.
