Love and Pride

Love, Pride and First Impressions

Ayhan

We married in my sister's garden. It was a hasty cobbled together affair but it seemed that we Aydin sisters had a knack for rushed, last-minute weddings and I was happy to continue this tradition.

I wore a cream-colored halter mermaid style dress with a lot of cleavage. Making my man blush was one of my favorite things to do, and this dress guaranteed a doozy of a blush. I watched Yildiz skip down the aisle sans shoes even though she made a concession and actually wore a dress instead of some astronaut costume. Then, Colin Firth trotted down the aisle with Deniz both looking dapper in their suits and bow ties. Colin Firth went straight to Osman, sat next to him, looking up at him adoringly. Can and Sanem both walked with me down the aisle. Can had apologized for being an overprotective ass, his words not mine. He made puppy eyes at me and then threatened to kick Osman's ass if he so much as made my eyes water. So, of course, I forgave him for his high handedness. I still couldn't resist the puppy eyes. 

I told Can that Osman would never make me cry but then when I laid eyes on my groom waiting for me, I burst into ugly tears. He was so serious but his eyes were gleaming with emotion. When I got to him and saw him blush on cue, I wrapped my hand around the nape of his neck, pulled his precious face down to mine and anticipated our kiss by several minutes.

*****

I was dancing with my husband when I saw my mother standing at the edge of the garden. Yildiz, curious as ever, approached her first.

"Make sure Sanem doesn't come near here. I'll take care of it, " I told Osman before I kissed him and set off to face the gorgon.

"You look nothing like your mother," I overheard her say to Yildiz.

Yildiz shrugged, "I look like my papa who is the most handsome papa in the universe."

"You look like a feral child. Where are your shoes?"

"I don't like them, " Yildiz wiggled her toes."And I don't think I like you," she added, giving her side eye.

"I'm your grandmother, " she asserted as if that biological tie should earn her automatic respect. 

"Oh yeah? Do you have candy?"

"Pardon?"

"My grandpa always has candy. Pockets full. And toys. Did you bring me and my brother any toys?"

"I did not."

"Then you're not a real grandma."

"I see you parents are doing a terrific job educating you, " she said in distaste.

"Alright, Maleficent." I interrupted.  "Why are you here? No one invited you."

"This is the welcome I get?"

"Oh come off it. I haven't laid eyes on you in years and before that, you left me to rot in boarding school. So why are you here?"

"Maybe I'm trying to figure out why all of my daughters insist on throwing themselves away on trash without family names or connections."

I rolled my eyes. "Because we experienced what a marriage built on nothing but family names and money is really like first hand."

"Your sister had so much potential," she said wistfully. Sanem had been carefully nurtured by her to take her place in society and Huma seemed to still be mourning that loss. I glanced back at where Sanem was sitting with Can who was feeding her small bits of cake and making her laugh.

"And she realized every bit of it," I said. " Don't think I don't know that you have been feeding gross stories to the tabloids about Sanem and her family. It is a pathetic bid for attention and if you keep it up I will tell my own story to the papers. Now leave here before I have you thrown out."

Bulut approached with his nonsense face and escorted her off the premises. I turned a deaf ear to her protest. 

"Auntie, is that really my grandma? Because if she is I want to get a better one."

"No, sweetheart she is not. She gave up that right long ago." But I knew we would never really be rid of her.

"Okay, let's go get more cake, " she yelled and took off running.

Osman grabbed her before she ran headlong into the cake table and swung her up on his shoulders. She screeched happily and Deniz took pictures. He was my second photographer, his dad was supposed to be the main photographer but he was clearly slacking on the job. I watched him surreptitiously lick frosting off Sanem's lip. Outrageous those two. "Get a room, " I shouted for old time's sake and I went to dance with my husband and the monkey on his back. I winked at Leyla and Emre who were also dancing and making moony eyes at each other.

My heart was so full at the moment. Family doesn't necessarily have to be the one you're born into but the one you create. And all three of us had created a pretty spectacular one.

*****

Three months later

I walked out of the lecture hall frantically digging for my phone. I hadn't heard from Osman in almost half a day and I was crazy with worry.

"Dayuuum!" I heard my crazy American friend whistle. "Check out future Stern Brunch Daddy," she whisper yelled.

I turned and my heart did several backflips. 

"He is fine but his dog is butt ugly, " she said but I didn't hear the rest because I was already running and jumping on that future stern brunch daddy, whatever that meant. 

We kissed indecently until my friend whistled loudly and yelled: "get it, girl!"

We both laughed and we kissed again.

"Give me good news, Curly Fry, " I kissed his adorable face and bent to pet Colin Firth before he expired from excitement. 

"I left Bulut in charge and came here to live with you. Is that good news?" 

"The best news! But, ugh! I've been worried sick! Not one single text, not one phone call. I thought something happened to you! I lost ten years of my life!"

"Something did happen to me. I met a beautiful chatty girl with an extremely ugly undisciplined dog who turned my life upside down. I left behind everyone I knew and the company I built to chase her halfway across the world."

I pushed him away and bit my lip trying not to smile. "Well, that's all very nice but it's not getting you off the hook. You should have told me."

He grabbed my bag and swung it over his shoulder and then bent down and scooped me up in his arms.

"What are you doing?" I gasped wrapping my arms around his neck and smiling like a fool in spite of myself.

"Come," he said to the dog who trotted obediently beside us.

"We are going to take a nap. I have it on the best authority that it's the only way to make you happy with me again."

 -the end 

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