Stay with me

Chapter 72 - A stranger

"Well, well," Kadir said mockingly behind him. When his son disappeared around the corner, he quietly added. "We'll see if you have or don't have," he grinned. - And the girl is no longer a child. Yes, I made a mistake with the gift.

He looked at the doll in his hands and, swinging, threw it into the strait.

***

The sunset gave way to inky darkness, and Omer and Defne still sat on the porch and silently enjoyed the warm evening and the closeness of each other. A quiet snorting sound came from the baby monitor. For the parents, it was the best music in the world. When the sky shone with myriads of stars, and the full moon drew a silvery strip across the sea, Omer kissed his wife on the cheek and asked:

- Wait a couple of minutes. I'll be right back.

He disappeared into the house, and Defne with a smile thought that another surprise awaited her. There were so many of them in nine months of family life. But she still did not get used to it and perceived each new one as a miracle. She rejoiced like a child and thanked the Almighty for her happy life and Omer.

Omer, jumping over two steps, flew up. Silently opened the bedroom door and tiptoed into the room. Emine slept in her stroller. The puppy was curled up on the floor next to it. It raised its head, but when it saw who had entered, returned it to its paws and closed its eyes. Omer took a velvet case from his bag and took out a necklace. Returning the case to its place, he went up to his daughter, straightened the coverlet, and touched her nose - whether it was warm. The nose was warm, the fingers too, and the satisfied dad quietly went out the door. Running down the stairs, he went out into the cool June night. Defne stood near the terrace fence and looked up at the sky. Her slender figure in the moonlight looked like a graceful antique figurine. Omer quietly approached her, kissed her shoulder, and said:

- Starlight Night?

- Starry ..., - Defne whispered.

Omer gathered her hair and pulled it up.

- Hold it, - asked.

Defne obediently raised her hands and held the heavy, silky mass with her palms. Omer wrapped the necklace around her neck and fastened it. Defne felt the cool metal touch her skin and touched the smooth stones with her fingers.

"These sapphires must see for themselves what made them so magnificent," Omer whispered in his ear. - Am I right? This necklace is a memory of that night, here on the island, when we loved each other under the stars.

Defne turned in his arms, hugged his shoulders, and said hoarsely:

- Yes. And it seems to me that it was then that we created Emine...

Omer looked into her huge, shining eyes and saw the stars in them. The heart did not fit in the chest and hit the ribs with force. At that moment, he loved his wife so much that he was breathless from an excess of feelings.

"Do you remember what I promised you that night?

Her lips trembled as she smiled and nodded. Omer picked her up in his arms and whirled around the terrace. Defne threw back her head and laughed. Her laughter, sonorous and clear, floated in the air and sounded like wonderful music for Omer. Stopping, he put his wife on her feet and kissed her. She responded with all the tenderness she could. And he thought that this month would be a test for his body. But he will not give up hugs and kisses. He will revel in them, enjoy every moment, and love.

***

Topal family were sitting at the round table. Grandmother Turkan, Serdar, Nihan, Esra. Baby Iso slept in his crib for a long time, and the adults talked. The unexpected appearance of Kadir Shishmaz stunned everyone and knocked them out of their usual track. Esra, who had never seen her father, sometimes dreamed of him before. That he would come, tall, strong, and kind. Will talk to her, joke, and call her Princess. But this man, who appeared at their doorstep today with a stupid doll in his hands, caused her rejection and fear. She didn't want to talk to him or joke. She didn't even want to see him.