The albatross journey

53 - A memorable day

Can

I still can't believe how lucky I was.
Thanks to an unaware Mihriban, not only did I spend my birthday in the company of my Sanem, but I also managed to get her to promise to come to dinner with me.
This day seems to be endless and full of completely unexpected surprises, I watch my father smiling and talking to Mihriban and it seems as if, all of a sudden, a whole new light has come on in his eyes, almost as if he had been reborn to new life.
I'm really happy for him, after all he's been through because of my mother's bullying and harassment during the years of divorce and then with the long illness of the last year, he finally deserves some joy and serenity that I'm sure a woman like Mihriban can surely give him for years to come.

I was deeply touched by what he said to me in the few moments we were alone while Sanem and Mihriban were in the kitchen.
I asked him, somewhere between curious and light-hearted - So Aziz, tell me, what's going on? Who was Mihriban to you in the past? -
He looked at me with a look full of a thousand emotions in which, above all, regret for what had not been between them in the past seemed to prevail.
He put his hand on my shoulder and answered in a soft voice "All Can, Mihriban was everything to me and I made the biggest mistake of my life by letting her slip through my fingers"
I looked at him in amazement at the bitterness in his tone of voice and the serious expression on his face.
He continued, "If you think you have found the love of your life, fight with all your might Can, don't let anything or anyone stop you from being with her or you will regret it for a lifetime, you will always miss a part of you and your soul and nothing can fill that void, be sure of that".

I was deeply touched by his words, I felt that what he was telling me belonged to me more than even he could imagine. I wanted to reply, to reassure him that this is what I am doing and why I came to Ankara, but Sanem's return to the table with a bottle of sparkling wine prevented me from doing so.

I have focused my attention on the one woman who is everything to me, she and only she is the only love of my life, of this I have no doubt, only Sanem can make me return to live a life that can be said to be worth living, a complete life in which I can return the joy and serenity that only when I had her by my side and in my arms I could experience.
I am aware of this now more than ever, and it is with this conviction rooted in my heart and with great astonishment that shortly afterwards I found myself blowing out the candles on a cake that Mihriban had prepared as a surprise for me.
Sanem and the possibility of recovering what we were is the only wish I feel able to express at this moment. I feel an indescribable emotion in those magic and unhoped-for moments when, blowing out the candles, I raise my eyes to the people I love most in the world, my father and my Sanem. I can't resist and I move resolutely towards her to hold her in my arms, hiding my face in the crook of her neck and sighing with pure happiness.

-Doğum günün kutlu olsun, happy birthday Can-

Her words move me deeply, I think there is no doubt, she is the most beautiful gift this life has given me.

Allah, Allah how much I feel she is mine when I hold her close to me and inhale her perfume, she is my life and the breath of my heart.
At first I feel her stiffen, but soon a sigh escapes from her scarlet lips and I don't let the opportunity to force her to come to dinner with me slip away. I take advantage of her good heart and the fact that today is my birthday to convince her and, although she tries to resist or shield herself, in the end I realise that I have forced her to accept.
I seem to be able to touch the sky with one finger at the thought that only a few hours before I woke up regretting not being able to see her and now, after a day spent together, I have before me the prospect of taking her out to dinner and continuing to court her without any shame. She melts out of my embrace and I follow her with my eyes as she sits back down and I can't hide a satisfied smile that doesn't go unnoticed judging by the warning look she gives me.