The Price of Pride

Chapter 26

"Cemre," her mother sighs, growing impatient with her. She closes her eyes and rubs at the tension in her temples. She's starting to feel as if she's leading a lost cause. But when she opens her eyes, she's met with a sight that could save them.

"Suheyla teyze!"

Suheyla smiles at Emir, pleased to see him with Reyhan. Even happier to see him with his arm around her. Maybe this is the reality check Cemre needs.

"Emir! Reyhan! It's good to see you!" Suheyla rises to greet them both with hugs and kisses. She glances down at Ayla and becomes even more curious. "And who is his little angel?"

Emir smiles and reaches down for the little girl, swinging her up into his arms.

"We just adopted her. This is our daughter Ayla. Ayla, can you say hello to Suheyla teyze?" he prompts the little girl. She just gives a shy wave before leaning her head on his shoulder.

"A daughter," Suheyla exclaims, turning to look at her own daughter. "Look Cemre. Emir and Reyhan have a daughter now. Isn't that wonderful?"

Cemre just ignores her and rolls her eyes before going back to glaring at Reyhan.

"And Reyhan, motherhood looks beautiful on you," Suheyla notes. "You're practically growing."

Reyhan blushes and subconsciously places her hand over her belly.

"Ayla is a wonderful child," Reyhan says. "She's brought us nothing but happiness. She's made us a family."

Suheyla watches the way the two look at each other and can feel the love coming from them. Why can't Cemre see it? She turns back to her daughter and is taken aback at the hatred in her eyes for Reyhan. That hatred is blinding her. She doesn't see the love because she doesn't want to see it. For the first time, Suheyla is starting to understand how broken Cemre is. This isn't just some crush she has to get over. Cemre is obsessed and Suheyla fears nothing will be able to stop her.

"You're on your way out?" Suheyla asks, realizing now it might have been a mistake to let Cemre see this.

"We are," Emir confirms. "We just came a little while ago for an early dinner. But we need to get home now. I don't want to tire out my lovely wife. She needs all the rest she can get."

"Tired?" Cemre asks when she finally joins the conversation. "Are you sure she's tired? Maybe she's just a bit ... frozen."

Reyhan tenses and goes pale at the not so veiled threat from Cemre. Emir is livid, understanding what Cemre is trying to do. He takes a step towards Cemre and no one knows what he's about to do. But he stops in his path when Reyhan lets out a pained gasp. Immediately he turns back to her. Her eyes are squeezed shut and her hand is on her stomach. She's bent over and is holding herself up on the table.

"Reyhan?" he asks, panic making his heart race. "What's wrong, Sweetheart? Are you okay?"

He sets Ayla down and instructs her to stay right next to him. Suheyla takes the little girl's hand in her own and holds onto her, not wanting her to be scared.

"I'm okay," Reyhan says, trying to catch her breath. She takes another breath and lets it out slowly. And then another before the pain finally dissipates. She rubs her belly and a look of relief spreads across her face. "I'm fine. We're fine."

"Sit," he orders, kneeling down next to her. He reaches across the table and grabs an empty glass for some water. "Drink."

"Emir, I'm fine," she assures him, cupping his cheek with her hand. "It was just a twinge. The doctor said this would happen. Your baby is going to be as big as you are."

Teasing him helps calm him down a bit.

"Baby," Cemre gasps. "You're pregnant."

"And isn't that wonderful news?" Suheyla asks, giving Cemre a warning look. "Congratulations to you two. Your family is getting even bigger. Children are such a blessing. I wish you nothing but happiness."

And she means it. And not just because she needs for Cemre to see this happiness and understand she has no chance. But also because she can feel the genuine love and affection between the young couple. She watches Reyhan cuddle Ayla, giving the small girl some comfort, and can see the mother/daughter bond there. She watches Emir hover over them both, protecting his wife and daughter as if they're the most important things in the world to him. They're a solid unit. It both warms and breaks her heart. She's happy for the little boy she watched grow up alongside her own daughter. This is the family he deserves. But her heart is broken for Cemre because she also deserves this. But it's something she won't ever have until she realizes it's not going to happen with Emir.

"Oh Cemre," she thinks to herself. "Please let go of this obsession with Emir."

But that look in Cemre's eyes tells her she's not letting go. And that scares her more than anything. She shakes her head and calls for the check. Dinner is over. But she feels this just may be the beginning of the end of her daughter.