Stay with me

97 Taming the stubborn

"I love her too," Niko said, looking at the blue waters of the Bosphorus. "Loved all these years. That's why I made so many mistakes - because my feelings and emotions overwhelmed my mind."

Emine Diana ran up to them and happily mumbled,

"We fed all my cookies to the seagull!"

"Maybe you shouldn't?" Straightening her daughter's dress, Defne asked her doubtfully. "At this rate, it will get fat and will not be able to fly."

"From a couple of cookies?" Emine said skeptically. "Unlikely. But I was left hungry."

"Emine, we just had dinner," Mom said indignantly.

"When was that," said the little girl and slyly added, "I have a growing body and good metabolism."

Defne and Omer, who the bench, laughed.

"Okay," said Dad, "let's go buy ice cream. What do you want?"

"Strawberry!" Emine exclaimed happily and immediately grimaced, "Only I won't go with you. My legs hurt."

Dad raised an eyebrow, but the little girl didn't even blink.

"Let mom go with you," she said. "It is very useful for her to walk by the sea. This is what grandmother Turkan used to say."

"Ah, Emine," Defne shook her head and turned to the Italian, "Niko, will you look after her for ten minutes?"

"With pleasure." He answered and smiled at the sly, red-haired foxy.

And Emine, waiting for mom to get up, immediately flopped down in her place.

Omer and Defne leisurely walked to the ice cream stand. Emine looked after them, then looked sideways at Niko and asked a question, "Did you find Jansu on the island?"

"Yes. Thank you," he thanked. "I owe you."

"I'll remember that," she said in such a tone that Niko had no doubts that the favor would have to be paid. Emine, intently scanning his face, asked, "Did you ask her for forgiveness?"

Niko shook his head and honestly admitted, "No."

"Why?" she asked sternly.

"It didn't work," he answered sadly. "You see, sometimes it's too difficult."

'What are you saying - difficult! Hard! What is so difficult here?"

She jumped to her feet and stood in front of Niko. Giving her face an authoritative expression, she began to teach him the basics of human communication.

"You go to Jansu, you look at her like this," Emine exactly repeated the guilty look of the cat from the cartoon about Shrek. "And you say – 'Forgive me. It's my fault' - Jansu hesitates. Then you hold out your little finger and say, 'Peace?'"

"Do you think it will work?" Niko said doubtfully.

"I swear to God, it'll work!" Emine Diana assured him. "Tested a hundred times! And on Jansu too," she added innocently looking up at the sky.

Niko smiled. The red-haired foxy with olive eyes, the wisdom of the Pope, and the character of a tomboy - was the best antidepressant in the world. How he wanted such a daughter. He would be proud of her pranks and love even when she, with her antics, would bring him to a nervous tic. Like her mommy. Niko shuddered. Even now, when there was not the slightest, illusory chance to return Jansu, he saw only her as the mother of his children.

Niko sighed heavily and gave himself a verdict - he is hopeless.

Exactly such thoughts were wandering in Jansu's head. With her legs tucked under her and wrapped in a shawl, she sat on the swing under an old oak tree and thought. She was thinking about what she heard today, analyzing it, and concluded that she would not forget Niko. The love for him was stronger than all other feelings and desires.