A gang of seven kids and a huge, shaggy St. Bernard rushed around the courtyard of the Iplikci house. The eldest of the children, dark-curly-haired Iso Topal, was about to turn six. He was incredibly proud of this fact, constantly reminding four-year-old Damir with Teresa Minibaev, Engi Tranba, as well as Jem and Jan Karakaya about it. After all, they were all little ones in comparison with him, so big and adult. Everyone except his cousin Emine Diana. She just turned five, but she was not a little thing.
And this is understandable! Leaders of gangs are never small. And the Bead Emine Diana was the best leader that could exist in the world. Her irrepressible, as bright as her hair, fantasy came up with such pranks that the whole gang was breathtaking. True, as a result, parents clutching their hearts gave them a severe scolding, but this is such nonsense!
They stood in a corner, got bored for an hour, asked for forgiveness, promised not to do this again and, forward, to new exploits! For the sake of fairness, it's worth noting that they really didn't do that anymore. Emine Diana came up with something new every time. Climb the fence between the Iplikci and Minibaevs' estates, and then, balancing on it, sing funny songs. Or swing upside down on the branches of the old apple tree. Or climb to the top of the tallest tree. Or hide in a closet, smear yourself with flour and scare Zehra to death. Or make a fashionable haircut for the cat Gri. Emine had to admit, though, that the latter idea wasn't super good. The haircut did not work out, and it took Gri several months to regain her divine appearance. Having repented of the cat, the gang did not dare to do a haircut on Kid.
Today, their games were quite peaceful. And there was an explanation for this - Damir and Tessa's father had a birthday. Mom Defne very much asked her Bead Emine to be obedient, a good girl, and not incite friends to adventures. Emine Diana promised. And she always kept her word. Papa Omer taught her this - if you made a promise, hurt yourself, but keep it. And so the gang today played peacefully in the big sandbox. And their mothers were doing magic in the kitchen. More precisely in the kitchens. Laura, in her house, together with Banu, Iz, and Esra, was engaged in desserts and snacks. And in the house of Iplikci, Defne, Nihan, Seda and the ever-present Koray quickly cooked hot dishes.
Omer looked into the kitchen at the mouth-watering smells with his little son in his arms. Black eyes sparkling with a sly look, he turned to his wife:
- Mommy, we want to eat!
Little Eric, seeing his mother, happily went on cooing and held out his hands to her. Defne broke into a smile and grabbed him in her arms.
- Is my sweet boy hungry? Now, my little raven.
For the millionth time, Omer smiled at this cute nickname. Defne gave it to their son in the first moment after birth. And not without reason. He was born a copy of his father, the same dark-skinned and black-haired. Only his mother's eyes are inherited - amber. And her smile. Every time, seeing it on the face of his son, Omer melted with happiness.
He and Defne had been married for six years, but he was still madly in love with her. Her voice made his heart sink sweetly, her body caused an acute desire, her smile lit the sun in his chest, and he felt like the happiest person in the world.
And now she smiled at him with her sunny smile and the strict, successful businessman Omer Iplikci felt dizzy. And Defne, making her son more comfortable in her arms, gave orders:
- Nihan, look after dolma and sarma! Seda, check if the fish is ready. Koray, look after the children. The dog will not let them come to the pool, but still. You know Emine Diana. She needs an eye on her. I'll be back in fifteen minutes. I'll only feed Eric.
When she left the kitchen, Omer, following her, bent down to her ear and purred in the same velvet voice, from which butterflies woke up in her stomach every time:
"Are you sure you'll be back in fifteen minutes?" Exactly?
She looked into his crafty, alluring eyes and forgot about everything in the world. As then, seven years ago, when for the first time in the role of an assistant she met him at his house. Yeah! Years go by, and her feelings do not change one iota.
Eric fell asleep at her chest. Defne kissed his cool forehead and laid him in the crib. Straightening up, she admired her sleeping son. He looked like an angel - the same curly, ruddy, with chubby arms and legs. An invaluable child. Eric Ozcan Ahmet Iplikci.
Omer quietly walked over to her and hugged her. She turned in his arms and leaned back slightly. Smiling, she threw her hands around his neck and asked:
- Is the gentleman in a playful mood?
Omer kissed her slyly curved lips and replied:
- The master is always playful when you are around. But, - he sighed heavily, - I will bear it until the night.
Defne laughed. Omer pressed her to him even more tightly and said resentfully indignant:
- Laugh, laugh at the unfortunate man! My patience can already be erected on a monument. I adore our children, but I am dying, so I want to have you at my complete disposal, at least for a couple of days.
"In two months," Defne promised. "I'll stop feeding Eric, leave the children to my father, and go to a quiet place for a week."
- Quiet and deserted! Omer's eyes lit up with enthusiasm. - I'll think about where. Although ... what a difference! The main thing is that there is a strong and large bed. Not such a flimsy structure as we came across in Paris.
Defne laughed, remembering the bed on gracefully curved legs in one of the luxurious hotels in Paris, which she and Omer had broken on their first night there. How ashamed she was then! Beyond words. Yeah! She definitely does not want a repetition. Make the bed large, massive, and strong.
- Defne! Nihan's voice came from below. - Where is your saffron? I examined all the lockers but did not find them.
Omer and Defne sighed heavily in unison. The minutes alone ended under the onslaught of the outside world. They have to go back. Defne kissed Omer on the lips, freed herself from his hands, and left the nursery.
- I'm coming, - her voice was heard on the stairs.
Omer went to his son's bed, straightened the light blanket, and muttered softly:
- This is our male share, son. Wait and endure.
The kids enthusiastically sculpted a cake. Emine even begged her mother for a large, shiny tray for it. A pile of wet sand was placed on it and a three-tiered structure was formed from it. Emine and Tessa decorated it with flowers and leaves.
"There are not enough beads," Emine Diana said critically looking at her handiwork. - There were beads on the cake that Aunt Laura made for my birthday. Pearls, - she said by syllables. - It was very beautiful.
"Yes," agreed the blonde, blue-eyed Tessa. - It was very beautiful. And daddy's cake will not have beads. Mom said yesterday that she could not buy them.
"Daddy's already full of beads. A whole box, - Damir said authoritatively. "But they're not for cake."
Emine Diana looked at her friend and furrowed her auburn brows.
- Why would they lie in a box? It's not beautiful. And on the cake is beautiful. Let's take them and put them on the cake.
- Come on, - supported her Tessa. - It will be beautiful.
- I'll bring it right now, - agreed Damir. "I saw this morning where Dad put them."
He spoke the last words as he walked, stomping quickly to the gate between the estates.
- Let's pick rose petals and sprinkle the cake around. It will be beautiful too, - suggested Emine.
- Come on! The whole gang agreed.
A few minutes later, petals were torn off the blooming roses by small hands. Of course, the bare stems looked pathetic, but this is necessary for a good cause. To make the cake for Uncle Ahtem the most beautiful.
While the others were busy with the petals, Damir brought a box with beads. They were so beautiful! Large, round, gold. And they looked so beautiful on the cake!
- A masterpiece! - copying the intonation of his father, said Engi Tranba. - It's a pity that you can't eat it.
- And you pretend that you can, - Emine advised him.
Esra and Banu decorated cupcakes with cream and whispered. Sometimes their whispering was interrupted by loud laughter. The girls grew up and turned into beauties. The bright, burning brunette Esra and the delicate, fragile blonde Banu. Two best friends and the object of sighs of half of the guys at Istanbul University. Both have been students for a year. Esra from the Faculty of Economics and Banu from Fine Arts and Design. After the death of her named grandmother two years ago, she moved to the house of Ahtem and Laura and lived with them. The house of Hulusi Iplikci, where Esra lived with her grandparents, was not far away, and the girls were inseparable. Peers envied their friendship, but no matter how hard some envious tried to destroy it, nothing worked. Esra and Banu only laughed at their efforts.
- Yesterday Mert called, - squeezing cream out of a pastry bag onto a cupcake, Esra told her friend.
- He turned up finally, - Banu smiled happily. Her eyes lit up with a bright light. But she tried to give a casual tone to her voice: - And what did he say? How are Italy and his internship there?
"He said that it's good," Esra answered without looking up. This was the first time she had lied to Banu, and she was ashamed. Mert said a lot more, but she couldn't tell her friend about it. It's too, too personal! "He successfully passed the exam and returns in a week."
- Well! Once again, our inseparable three will be in full assembly," Banu summed up cheerfully.
Esra sighed and tilted her head deeper, hiding a happy smile behind the curtain of hair that fell. But Banu didn't look closely at her. She, too, hid the same piercingly happy smile.
It turned out strange, but the girls, telling each other all the secrets, were silent about the main thing, keeping deep in their hearts feelings for the blue-eyed handsome Mert. Outwardly, everything remained simple - they, all three are friends and nothing more.
And in distant Rome, Mert was determined. He completed his studies, received a master's degree. Esra is about to turn nineteen. He was going to return to Istanbul and, finally, allow himself to love openly the girl, whose image has been living in his heart for five years. And Banu ... Mert didn't know how she felt for him. But whatever they are, she must accept reality and cope with it. And the reality is that he, Mert, loves Esra. And he is not going to keep silent about it anymore.
In the courtyard of the Minibaev, under a flowering linden tree, women were setting the table. The men lit the brazier and strung meat on skewers. Guests started to arrive. Defne was dressing up Eric in the nursery when her father and pregnant Jansu arrived. She, splashing with energy and happiness, rolled into the room, hugged her sister, kissed her on the cheek, and snatched her nephew from her arms.
"My lollipop, sweet, sweet," she cooed. - How I miss you!
Ozcan warmly hugged his eldest daughter and asked carefully:
- Is everything all right, my soul? Does Omer offend you?
Defne just laughed.
- Daddy, we haven't seen each other for only a month. What could have happened? Everything is fine and Omer, as he is the best husband in the world, remained so, - she lightly patted Jansu's round tummy and asked: - And where is your baby's daddy?
- Stayed in London for several days. Business demanded his presence, - answered the sister and smiled broadly. - And dad and I missed you so much that we did not wait for him and flew to Istanbul.
- Was he angry? - knowing the complex nature of her son-in-law, as well as the fact that he is dependent on his wife and cannot live without her, Defne asked.
"These are his problems," Jansu replied lightly. - It was necessary to solve his affairs more quickly. My vacation is over, and Sapphire's finances are waiting for their director.
- Sapphire would have waited a little longer, - Defne objected softly, but then her father intervened:
- Sapphire would have waited, but I will not! - He took the grandson from the hands of the youngest daughter. - Jansu is right! Her hubby needed to deal with his affairs more quickly. Because of his meticulousness, I had no intention of staying in London an hour longer. And so I missed a whole month in Emine's life. And Eric. It is a crime! Yes, grandfather's happiness? - He enlisted the support of his grandson and he happily murmured something understandable only to him, but, undoubtedly, good for his beloved grandfather. - You are my precious!
The shark of the jewelry business broke into a tender smile and kissed Eric's plump fingers.
- Defne!!! Well, where are you! Everything is ready, just waiting for you! - They heard the loud voice of Serdar from the yard.
Defne looked out of the window. Her brother, with his two-year-old daughter on his shoulders, stood on the lawn and stamped his foot impatiently.
- It's time for the table, - Defne pushed her father and sister to the door. - Otherwise, they will eat us instead of kebabs.
- Oh, I want kebabs, - whined Jansu and lovingly stroked her round belly. "This little glutton is constantly demanding food. I will turn into a barrel before giving birth.
"But the child will have a great appetite," Defne reassured her, laughing.
A large and cheerful company gathered under the old linden tree in the Minibaevs' garden. Jokes and laughter followed each other. Husbands teased their wives, and they defied them in return. But the banter was benign. Everyone knew that love in their families was unconditional and endless.
When it was time for dessert and Laura went to get the cake, the children also decided to bring theirs. With a proud look, they handed the birthday man a masterpiece decorated with large gold beads, from one glance at which he turned pale and clutched at his heart. Defne found herself in a similar state. Barely coping with the shock, she asked her daughter:
- Emine, where did you get the beads?
"At my dad's workshop," Damir proudly replied instead. - I brought them.
- Dad, isn't it beautiful? - looking at her father with innocent blue eyes, asked Tessa.
- True, my soul, - answered Ahtem, having come to his senses. He took the tray from his daughter's hands and turned to the children: - The cake is very beautiful. Thank you. Let me take it to the house so it doesn't accidentally break. Damir, will you help me, - he called his son with him to explain in the house one on one that beads are not toys, and nothing can be taken from the workshop without permission.
Emine Diana saw that her mother was angry, but did not understand why. After all, it turned out beautifully. As always, dad came to the rescue. He winked at his daughter, and quietly said to his wife:
- My soul, the children made such a beautiful gift. Let's not be angry with them.
- If these pearls were lost ... - Defne spoke angrily, but Omer pressed his finger to her lips.
- Sh-sh-sh! They are not lost. And you and Ahtem did not even have time to get scared.
Mom shook her head and rebuked the kind-hearted daddy:
- You spoil Emine and indulge her pranks.
- No, no, mommy! - stood up for her father Emine. - Dad does not indulge. He is so strict, - she shot her eyes at her father spreading in a smile and asked: - Why shouldn't we decorate the cake with beads?
Omer squatted down in front of her, called all the other children over to him, looked around them attentively, and answered the question:
- Special edible beads are used for а cake. But the real ones cannot be used. A tooth could be broken. This is the first thing. Secondly, everything that is in the workshops or offices of your parents is work items and in no case should you take them without permission. Remember? - The kids vigorously nodded their heads. - Here are the smart kids! And now, quickly in places, there is Aunt Laura's real cake.
He straightened up and caught his father-in-law's approving glance. He circled nearby, at any moment ready to defend his favorite, the golden pearl Emine Diana, but Omer, as always, acted wisely and found the best words to explain to the children their mistake. Yes, what his eldest daughter did the right thing was to choose a husband for herself. And even if at first he acted like an idiot, but now it is true, the best husband and father in the world.
- Grandpa, - Emine pulled Ozcan's leg. - And in your office, too, I can not play with stones?
He picked her up in his arms, smiled a loving smile, and replied:
- My office is an exception, my caramel candy. In it, you can play with whatever your heart desires.
Defne and Omer just shook their heads. Ozcan Baisal is incorrigible. But ... how good it is that their children have such a grandfather.
Iz and Deniz Tranba, Seda and Sinan Karakaya, Jansu, Koray, and Serdar with Nihan finally came out of their stupor and exhaled. By that time Ahtem and Laura had returned to the table and Sinan winked at the birthday man:
- Ahtem, you are a padishah! You received such a gift. A cake strewn with the rarest golden pearls. This was not even offered to Sultan Suleiman.
- Thank Allah that we have neat children. We haven't lost a single one," Ahtem sighed with relief. - But I am to blame. Didn't hide the box in the safe. This will be a lesson for me.
- Children will never take anything from the offices again. Yes, children? - Defne sternly looked at the kids and they nodded in agreement. And then the phone vibrated in her pocket. She looked at the screen and jumped up. - From Iso! She exclaimed excitedly. The friend had already lived for several years in Medina, his wife's hometown. He opened a shoe shop there and was known as a good craftsman and a worthy person. Defne opened the message and shouted joyfully: - Aysegul gave birth to a girl!!! Iso finally became a father!!!
This news was echoed with exclamations of joy and laughter. The gang of children grew and this is the best that fate could present. New lives, wonderful children, continuation, and immortality of their parents.
A week later, the Iplikci family arrived at the mountain house of Emine's grandmother. It smiled at the owners with freshly painted walls and windows washed to a shine. Emine Diana, getting out of the car, briskly ran to the grown weeping willow, grabbed its thin twigs hanging to the ground in an armful, and happily said:
- Hello! I've arrived.
And then, laughing, she skipped across the clearing. The Kid did not lag behind her a step. The huge dog and the little girl were scampering on the grass, and the parents, with a smile, watched their tomfoolery. Little Eric in Omer's arms started babbling, pointing to the ground with his finger. Omer put him on his feet. The baby was ten months old yesterday. He was already stomping briskly, holding on to furniture or someone's hand. But he was afraid to walk alone. But now he looked at his sister and the dog with such longing that, forgetting about fear, he took a few steps forward. Stopped, looked back at Mom and Dad. They stood still. Kid, leaving Emine, ran up to Eric and stopped a couple of steps. The baby walked towards it, and Kid slowly crawled backward until Eric, catching up with it, fell on the large shaggy body. The boy laughed loudly and clung to the dark red fur with his fists. Emine ran up to them and also fell down next to them. All three, laughing, tumbled in the grass, and their parents, embracing, stood at a distance and watched them.
"This is the happiness," Defne whispered.
"The biggest," Omer added.
She raised her face to him, and he looked into radiant amber eyes. And again his heart sank in the chest. And then it beat hard and sweet. He kissed his wife's warm lips and whispered:
- I love you! To infinity...
- I love you! She echoed.
They will repeat these words at night ... and the next day ... and a million more times in their entire long and happy life.
After all, in this world, there is nothing more important than love.