The Wedding Night...

Dilan's story (Part III)...

Dilan felt like a fraud. Now she realized her memory of her mother giving her the bracelet and her words to her. That never happened. She dreamed about it. It was a recurrent dream she had when she was little. The fog around her memories was beginning to dissipate. If that was a blessing or a curse, only time would tell. She wanted to know so much more, and she was finally getting the answers she needed. But she didn't feel she had the strength to continue that day. She needed to be alone, surrounded by silence, to reconcile with everything she had heard. However, there was one last thing she knew she needed to ask. "Baran..." She called for her husband, and with her free hand, she held the pendant. He understood what she wanted because he asked. "This pendant..." Baran pointed to Dilan. Mr. Hikmet didn't let him finish. "That pendant was given to your mother by her father. Just before she found out the truth. The other half is with her sister." 'Ms. Gözde.' Dilan thought. Then, a question came to her mind. "Why did you give me to the Demirs instead of taking me to my mother's family?" Dilan could tell that was an uncomfortable subject for the man. "Your mom made me promise, Dilan. She was afraid you would suffer her same fate. Your mom's sister, after she found out they were related, she changed. I went to her first, and let's just say she was unwilling to help... Just before your mom died, she came to the hospital with Mr. Türker's wife to warm us to stay away from her family and their fortune."

"Before I went to jail, I was told your grandfather was looking for you. I panicked. So, I asked Seyit to adopt you formally... I'm sorry, Dilan. It was the only way I found to protect you and keep the promise I gave to your mother." Dilan was silent. "Dilan?" Baran said. She didn't respond. She could feel him examining her face before he spoke again. "I think for today, it is enough." Mr. Kudret got up, and so did Mr. Hikmet. "Of course, son. We can continue the conversation at another time. Mr. Hikmet, we should go." After glancing at Baran, Dilan addressed Mr. Hikmet. "Could you stay? You could..." The man hurried to speak. "I wouldn't feel comfortable. But I tell you what. I will call you, and we can arrange another meeting." Mr. Hikmet looked hopeful, and something familiar about his eyes made Dilan feel comfortable around him. Dilan nodded, and Baran signaled to the hallway. They walked Mr. Kudret and Mr. Hikmet to the door. "Son..." Her husband raised his hand. "Not yet." His father turned and walked away. "Baran..." He locked the door before turning to her. "Don't worry about it, my Dilan. It has been a long day. If you want, go ahead to the room, and I will join you in a moment." She grabbed his hand. "No, come with me." He kissed her tenderly on the head. I'll be right there, Dilan. I promised. I just need to do something real quick." She gave up and went upstairs by herself.

Baran took out his phone and texted Kerem. 'Kerem, we are at the summer house. I'll wait for you here early in the morning.' His friend answered right away. 'I'll be there, Baran.' He checked the doors and windows before going up to find Dilan. Everything he heard was a lot to take in. He could not imagine how Dilan was feeling about it. When he reached the bedroom door, she was already in bed, not asleep. She extended her hand to him, and he lay behind her. His arms were around her, and she held onto him. Dilan turned. Her eyes filled with tears. "I'm tired, Baran." He brushed her hair. "I know you are, Dilan... Close your eyes." She buried her face in the nook of his neck. "Thank you for being here, Baran." He tightened his embrace. "I will always be here, my Dilan. Always!" Baran's shirt was wet from her tears. He felt her body trembling in his arms as she cried. There was nothing he could do but hold her. Eventually, the tremors subsided, and the tears stopped. But unlike Dilan, Baran could not sleep. He had yet to confront his father. What was he not telling him? Both Mr. Hikmet and him were hiding something from Baran, but what and why? Those questions were consuming him.

Dilan woke up, but it was still dark outside. The events of that day were replaying in her head. In a matter of a few hours, her life had changed completely. The truths she knew, the truths she grew up believing. Turned out to be lies. She didn't know where she stood. The only thing she was sure of was Baran. His love for her and everything they overcame together. Her mother was dead. That was a fact. And she was waiting for that to sink in. But with not even a picture to look at, it was hard for her to figure out her emotions. She felt sorrow and loss. The hole in her chest was still there. After hearing what Ms. Hikmet had to say, she realized knowing the truth wouldn't fill it. She will have to learn to live with it... Dilan took a look at Baran and saw that he was awake. "Baran." He looked at her. "You should go back to sleep, Dilan. It has only been a couple of hours." She supported herself in her elbow and tried to study his face in the night light. "I see you haven't slept." He rested on his side and cupped her cheeks. "I was guarding your dreams." She smiled. In the midst of everything, he was the only one who could do that. "You are the pretties when you smile, Dilan..." His mind was drifting. And she could guest to where. The tension between her husband and his father didn't go unnoticed by her. She first noticed it at Zümrüt's wedding. Then, there was the way he spoke to Mr. Kudret during breakfast. The fact that Mr. Kudret came with Mr. Hikmet to the house worsened things. 

Dilan ventured to ask. "Is it your father, Baran?" His hand and gaze dropped from her face, and he held her hand. "Don't worry about it." She put her index under his chin and made him look at her. "I'm worried about it. You are my husband and the man I love. So, tell me." She saw tenderness in Baran's eyes. "You are the most extraordinary woman I know. After everything you experienced and heard today, do you still have room in your beautiful mind to think about me?" She kissed him lightly on the lips. "Well, let's just say I'm doing what you've been doing this entire day." He frowned, confused. "Which is what, Ms. Dilan?" She put her hand on his chest. "You've been distracting your mind by focusing on my issues. Am I wrong?" He grabbed her arm. "Your issues are my issues." She grabbed her forearm. "And viceversa, Mr. Baran. Now talk. Cause I don't remember our conversation where you told me about following your father..." He shook his head. "Fine, Ms. Dilan. Where should I start?" She came close to him, looking over her lashes. "How about the beginning?" He touched her nose with his finger. "Very funny! But okay... The day your sister arrived, and we went to you... To Mr. Seyit's house. I saw him arguing outside with Mr. Hikmet. I didn't hear what they discussed, but I know it wasn't friendly. After it was over, I followed him and overheard him talk on the phone. He was setting a meeting with someone. I waited for days to see who he was meeting with. The day of Zümrüt's wedding, it happened. I was told the location, and I went there and waited. The person that showed up was my father."

"And you've been avoided your dad ever since?" Baran closed his eyes briefly. "Not exactly. Let's just say I haven't had the time to talk to him." Dilan stared at him. "What do you think the meeting was about?... You think he is hiding something from you." 'Not only him.' He thought. "Dilan, that is not important at the moment. Today, everything we learned..." She interrupted him. "Baran, don't ask me what I feel because I haven't had the chance to figure it out... It's like everything I heard was somebody else's story, not mine. I feel disconnected from it all. Today, I found out my birth mother is dead, and my father might have abandoned us, and yet all I feel at the moment is sadness for her. Nothing else. I didn't know her, and I don't know Mr. Hikmet. I don't know if I'm numb because of the shock, but..." She was getting upset. "Fine, Dilan. You don't need to explain. I understand." Baran laid on his back and brought her to his chest. "We should try to sleep then." She raised her head to look at him. "You will sleep, too." He kissed her forehead and nodded. Baran slept for a couple of hours. When he woke up, he checked the time. He got out of bed, careful not to wake Dilan, and went downstairs. He texted Kerem, who texted back that he was close. Baran went out to meet him. "Good morning, brother. Why are you staying here?" He dismissed his comment. "Later Kerem. What is it that you wanted to show me?" Kerem handed over a bunch of photos. Surveillance photos of Ms. Gözde. "Do you see the man?" Baran saw him. According to the photos in his hands, Mr. Hikmet had been following the woman for a while.