Same, same but different!

Part 17

The office was quiet, yet heavy with the residue of his lunch. Ömer sat behind the large mahogany desk, papers in neat piles, but his mind was elsewhere. His tie was loosened, trying to will some calm into his racing thoughts.

Mavi had been with his assistant, Gamze, for about an hour, playing and quietly chattering, leaving Ömer some semblance of solitude. Still, he couldn’t focus. He couldn't stop thinking of what happened, how Mavi saw them.

A soft knock at the door snapped him from his reverie. Before he could answer, the door opened, and Mavi stepped in, her small frame carrying an unusually thoughtful expression.

Ömer: (startled, voice softening) Mavi… Are you okay?

Mavi walked closer, her tiny hands fidgeting with the hem of her dress.

Mavi: Baba… I was thinking.

Ömer: (raising an eyebrow, trying to mask his concern) Thinking…? That sounds serious.

Mavi hops on the leather couch. Ömer gets up and goes to sit next to her.

Mavi: (swinging her legs, her voice small but curious) Baba… do you love Kıvılcım abla?

Ömer froze for a heartbeat. Of all the questions he expected today after what she saw, that wasn’t one. He blinked, then exhaled softly, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He adores that his daughter is always so open with him and is not afraid to ask him whatever comes to her mind.

Ömer: (gently) That’s a big question, küçük hanım.

Mavi: (insistent, eyes wide) But do you?

Ömer leaned back, resting her little hands in his. He looked at her, she had her mother’s determined eyes, his stubbornness and a heart far too perceptive for her age. There was no point hiding the truth.

Ömer: (quietly, honestly) Yes. I do. I love her Mavi. In fact... I think I’m in love with her.

Mavi’s eyes lit up, her lips curving into a mischievous little smile.

Mavi: (grinning) I knew it! I knew it, baba!

Ömer: (chuckling, brushing a strand of hair from her face) Oh really?

Mavi: (nodding seriously) Mm-hmm. My friend told me that, her mother told her that when a boy and a girl argue they like each other, and you and Kıvılcım always argue.

That made him laugh... really laugh, the sound breaking through the weight of the day. He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

Ömer: (softly) You might be too clever for me, you know that?

Mavi giggled.

Mavi: (hesitant) Does Kıvılcım abla know you love her?

Ömer: (smiling faintly) No. Not yet.

Mavi looked thoughtful for a moment before lifting her head, determination glowing in her eyes.

Mavi: Then you should tell her! Because… (she pauses, lowering her voice) I think she loves you too.

That made something in Ömer’s chest tighten... hope, disbelief, maybe both. But then he saw her expression change; her eyes softened, a flicker of uncertainty slipping in.

Ömer: (concerned) Mavi, is something bothering you kızım? If you're not ready...

Mavi interrupted Ömer.

Mavi: (quietly) Baba… do you still love anne?

The question hung heavy between them. Ömer’s smile faded into something gentler something wistful. He reached out, lifting her chin so she’d look at him.