The Return To Love

Chapter Fourteen

      Sanem danced her way into the bathroom, happier than she had ever been, and slipped into her PJ's. She took her brush and ran it through her long, thick hair, then twisted her hair up in a tight bun on top of her head. 

      She heard her phone alert her of a text....She smiled as she hurried to the bed to get her phone. She fully expected the text to be from Can with a final goodnight wish, but instead she saw it was from her sister....

     Her smile disappeared quickly as she read the text...." Sanem..I know you are upset with me right now but please don't jump into something you will be sorry for.. And do you want me to tell mom, or are you".....

      She frowned, " Always the boss...always trying to tell me what to do... Well, not his time." She said, tapping the phone with her finger. 

      " Leila... I'm only sorry that I wasted so much of my life listening to everyone else...but not this time dear sister. I am doing what my heart wants..... Oh, and I will tell mom, but thank you for the offer. Please respect my decision.."..... She read over the text before tapping the send button.... 

      She crawled up on the bed, still clinging to the phone. She never liked fighting with her sister, and most of the time she let her have her way. But not this time...this was her life,...her future...her heart, they were talking about. 

      Can stretched out fully on the lounger, arms folded underneath his head, as she gazed at the stars. He remembered the time she told him the story of Orion, the night she stayed with him by the sea. It was a clear in his memory as the night it happened. 

      She had captured his heart that night.... For him, there was no turning back. He felt himself drift off to sleep with that memory stuck in his head... He could almost feel her lying there beside him,  her hand grasping firmly onto his jacket.... 

      The morning seemed to come quickly. The sun peeking up above the trees, shining the first rays of light directly into his face. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly. He opened one eye, then closed it,...then the other eye. He blinked his eyes as he became adjusted to the light....

      He had almost forgot where he was, then it all came flooding back. He smiled as he recalled the day before.... and Sanem. He pulled himself up from his makeshift bed, stretching and yawning as he reached for his phone.... 7 o'clock it read... time to get this day started.

      He grabbed his bag and headed to the car.  He needed a place for a good hot shower and his dad's house was the only place he knew and he hoped that Emre had already left for work... Can wasn't quite ready to face his brother just yet... But he knew he would have to explain all this to his dad very soon...

      The house was empty and quiet when he arrived. He made his way to the kitchen to make that first cup of tea. He noticed the kettle was still warm as he flipped the switch to heat the water, so he knew that he had just missed Emre. 

      As he enjoyed that first cup of tea on the patio, he went over in his mind how he was going to tell his dad about why was still in Istanbul. The last time he saw his dad he told him to follow his heart. Maybe not in those exact words, but Can had got his meaning..

      " If you hadn't forgot about her in seven years,....then more than likely you aren't going to.."  Those were the words his dad spoke to him a couple of days ago, just before he left. Can knew that he was right... He hadn't forgot about Sanem and he never would..

      That hot shower had been just what he needed, he thought, as he toweled off. Wrapping the towel around him, he stepped into the bedroom to grab his clothes from his bag.. He didn't even notice Emre sitting in the chair in the corner...not until Emre spoke. 

      " So, you didn't want to see. Is that why you waited until you thought I was gone to come here?" His brother asked..  Can jumped, looking around, " Damn Emre, you scared me. I thought you were gone to the office." He answered..

      " But you're right...I didn't want to see you just yet. Why did you come back?" Can asked, as he retreated to the bathroom to get dressed. 

      Emre laughed, " I forgot the file that I was working on last night. And why didn't you want to see me? Is it because you think I lied to you again.... well I didn't you know." Emre snipped. "Like I said before, I didn't know anything about Sanem being in Istanbul until after you had already left for the airport. I hope you believe me." He begged.

      " Emre I don't want to talk to you about it right now. You know what you did.... what you always do...you kept something from me that I should have known." Can explained, shouting from the bathroom as he got dressed. 

       " So are you and Sanem back together? Have you two talked over the past seven years and what you went through. Did you explain to her why you walked away and why you didn't speak to her all that time.." He asked, knowing he was treading on dangerous ground.

      Can stepped from the bathroom his face full of anger. " Yes we have talked about it Emre. I want her back, and I think she wants the same thing. I know I hurt her,... but I can't live without her." He said softly...the anger slowly disappearing from his face.

      Emre hung his head. " I know...I knew it the minute you started asking me about her when we were in the hospital... You hadn't gotten over her." 

      Can smiled, " No, I haven't. I feel alive again. Just the last couple of days with her has changed me... I love her.." He said full of confidence.

       " I'm happy for you then. I know that dad will be too." Emre said, slapping Can on the back.. "Just don't wait too long to tell dad. He's feeling better every day and this just might be the one thing to help him recover." 

      Can shook his head, " No, I won't. I might go to the hospital later today and give him the news... Thanks Emre.." 

      Sanem finally found the right outfit to wear after trying on almost everything she had. She pulled her hair up in a ponytail and opted for only the bare necessities when it came to makeup.. a little bronzer, some mascara and plenty of lip gloss. 

      She took a few minutes to tidy up her room. She made the bed and put away all the clothes she had thrown about in her moment of trying to find perfection. 

      Next she called room service... " Yes I would like a pot of tea and maybe a platter of cheese and fresh fruit please. And could you make sure to send up a huge bouquet of wildflowers as well.." She said with a smile. Nothing could be more fitting than that, she thought...

      She took one last look in the mirror, smoothing down her hair.   The reflection of herself in that mirror made her smile.  She looked different...she felt different, she was different. Her eyes sparkled, she could even see it herself. " You're happy... just look at that smile. We haven't seen that smile in a long time.."  Her inner voice said..

      " I know... my heart is smiling..." She answered, speaking back to that voice in her head....