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Later that evening, Sanem lay on the sofa with her head leaning on the armrest. The kittens were keeping her company. They had nuzzled their way next to her, one down either side. Ilkay had draped herself over Sanem's left arm, trapping it under a pile of purring fur. Ihsan, to her right, rested with his forehead pressed against the side of her stomach. It almost looked as if he were trying to telepathically communicate with the baby. His purring was causing the skin over Sanem's stomach to vibrate gently. She wondered if the baby was awake and attentively listening to the sound. Or if the reverberations had lulled him to sleep. She lifted the hem of her t-shirt up, exposing the skin of her five-month-old baby bump.
Sanem was astonished and slightly startled at the influx of emotions that had been overflowing her heart since the sonogram earlier that day. Maybe it was just the hormones making her wobbly again, or maybe it was real. Maybe she really was already completely, utterly and overwhelmingly besotted with the little human growing inside her. How was it possible to love so fiercely, a person you have never even met before?
"I'm sorry I was ever scared of you." She whispered softly, placing a palm on her stomach, rubbing a thumb in gentle circles. All the fears and worries she'd had seemed so inconsequential now. Their home was ready, work would patiently wait for her to return and Can was already the most doting and devoted father in the world. "I love you so much. I can't wait to meet you." Another four months was beginning to feel like such a bitterly long time to wait. She was impatient. Her heart felt like that of an appetent child a few days before Christmas, ogling at the presents hidden under the tree, restless to discover what was inside. But Sanem had a feeling this was going to be ten times better.
Can entered the living room. His gazing falling on the sight of his pregnant wife sandwiched between the sleeping kittens. He walked towards the sofa, kneeling in front them and gazing at Sanem with a warm smile.
"Your son is very stubborn." She complained.
"Oh? What's he done now?" Can grinned in amusement.
"It's not something he has done, it's what he's refusing to do. I still haven't felt him move."
"Naysül said it was relatively normal not to feel anything yet, considering it's your first pregnancy. We just need to be patient." Can reminded her. Sanem scrunched up her nose in annoyance making Can chuckle. "Maybe it's already happened. Maybe it was too gentle to notice, especially if you were distracted with something else." Sanem frowned, she hoped not. That would be like missing a major milestone, like his first wobbly steps or his first babbled words. She didn't want to miss a thing.
"Are there any techniques to encourage them?" Can asked, noticing the disappointment on her face.
"There was a mother's blog I found that suggested making lots of noise to wake them up, then carefully paying attention for any signs of movement. Slamming doors is supposed to do the trick."
"That seems a bit mean." Can grimaced.
"That's exactly what I thought. What's the difference between that and scaring awake a newborn - you might not have to deal with the consequences of a screaming baby, but it doesn't change the fact you've scared them awake." She sighed. "I guess I'll just have to wait for him to introduce himself in his own time."
"Are you hungry?" Can asked. "I can start making dinner."
"I am." She sat up slightly, trying not to disturb the sleeping cats. "But I want to cook... I want to practice."
"Are you sure that's a good idea? I don't want you chopping a hand off, and the four of you seem pretty cozy sat here."
"I'll be fine." Sanem insisted resolutely as she eased her numb arm out from under the grey tortoiseshell.
While Sanem singlehandedly attempted to cook something that was somewhat edible, Can politely made himself scarce from the kitchen. Only stepping in to give assistance after Sanem called out for help. She had only just about been able to reach the top cupboards before she got pregnant, attempts to do so now were completely futile.
Twenty minutes later, feeling mildly impressed with herself, Sanem abandoned the pot to simmer over the stove. Her eyes were pulled to where her phone had been sitting on the countertop as the screen lit up with a missed call notification. It had become a habit of hers to keep it on silent to prevent any untimely ringing while in the office, so she hadn't heard it. Her forehead creased as she realised it was exactly the same number that had called a few days ago. Odd. It was probably just spam, so she ignored it.
Leyla had been informed of the baby news a few hours ago. Normally, that would inevitably mean that her parents would soon find out too. However, Mevkibe and Nihat were currently frolicking through Northern Italy, a week into the trip Sanem and Can had arranged for them. She dialed her mother's number, holding the phone against her ear as she begun smiling with anticipation of her parent's excitement. A few seconds later she heard the familiar sound of her mother's voice on the other end of the line.
"Hello?" Mevkibe answered.
"Anne, how are you and baba doing?" Sanem smiled.
"Sanem! We are both very well, thank you. How are you doing?"
"I'm great. Everyone is doing well back home. And don't worry, the district hasn't erupted into chaos in the few days you have been gone. How is Italy?"
"Oh, it's so beautiful Sanem! It's so magical here it's like walking straight into a romance novel. We have so many photos to show you when we get home. We can't thank you and Can enough for making this happen. But how are you, how is the baby?" Mevkibe pressed the question again, not satisfied with the re-directed answer she had received the first time. Sanem's smile widened.
"The baby is doing great. He is doing great."
Mevkibe immediately gasped. "It's a boy? Allah, you didn't tell us you were finding out today! I'm having a grandson?" Sanem winced as her mother let out an ear-splitting shout of "NIHAT!"
The rest of the phone call went by in a rush of questions. Was he healthy? Had they been given a suggested due date? Did they get updated sonogram photos? Despite the hundreds of miles between them, Sanem could feel her mother's excitement through the phone. They must have been talking for half an hour because the timer for the food suddenly started to ring. Reluctantly, her parents agreed to leave her in peace. Wishing her goodnight only after Sanem promised to message through a photo of the new sonogram.
She hung up the phone, turned off the timer, then with trepidation, removed the lid from the pot. Can arrived, walking up behind her.
"Did it work? Or should I call for takeout?" His question earned him a half-hearted glare.
"Of course it worked. I was using a recipe."
"You were? And did you actually follow it?" Can raised an eyebrow.
"Yes!" Sanem huffed. "I did. At least... to begin with. It had a lot of steps. I got fed up and eventually just threw everything in together."
Can chuckled. "Of course you did. Well... it doesn't smell burnt so that's already an improvement."
Can tossed together an accompanying salad as Sanem prepared the outdoor dining table. The evening was still warm and she was feeling the need for fresh air. The two of them were soon sat at the table, staring with apprehension at the plates of food in front of them. Can braved the first bite, and Sanem was pleased that he didn't immediately start choking.
"That's... actually not bad." He admitted, giving his wife a suspicious look. "Did you actually make this or did you just swap it in for a pre-prepared version?"
"Rude." Sanem laughed before taking a bite herself. It wasn't awful. The balance of flavours was slightly off, it needed a tad more salt - but it was definite progress.
Their plates were clean by the time they had finished, there wasn't even any left over for poor Arslan to try.
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Sorry it was short. This chapter and the next were separated so I could actually post something for you guys.
