Mevkibe Aydin had out done herself.. The whole neighborhood had joined together and transformed their street into a beautiful space. They lined their block with tables that were blanketed with food.
This had been a celebration that she had looked forward to for many years... She knew the kind of love that Can and Sanem had, and she knew they would find each other again...
The ceremony was short. A "yes" from both Can and Sanem and the signing of their name was all it took to join them together for the rest of their lives.
" Let's take a picture together...just to document this special day." Emre said, as they all gathered around Can and Sanem for a selfie. A few minutes later they were on their way to the car, hand and hand.
Can opened the car door, " Here you go Mrs.Divit...." He smiled. " I like the sound of that.." He said, giving her a kiss on the forehead. She shuddered, " That gave me a chill... I am Mrs. Divit. I love the sound of that too.." She said stroking his beard...
They could hardly keep their eyes off of one another as they drove to the Aydin's neighborhood. Can would have been satisfied without a party, but Mevkibe had her heart set on it and he didn't want to disappoint her.... But all he wanted was this night alone, at the cabin with Sanem....
The food, laughter and music had gone on for quite some time, when Can pulled Sanem aside, " I think we should go... and make our own party at the cabin... a party just for two." He whispered in her ear...
She smiled, feeling her face flush with heat. " Is that right my husband... a party for two, hmm, won't that be boring?" She teased, as she nibbled on his ear.
His body filled with goosebumps as she kissed his neck playfully... " Sanem, you don't want to start something that you can't finish, my love... Let's say our good nights. We have a lot of night waiting for us." He muttered, his heart pounding hard..
Sanem was nervous and almost giddy with excitement as they turned on that familiar road that led to the cabin. " This is our first home together my love... I don't want to ever get rid of it." She said. " Oh by the way, we have to be in Inverness, Scotland day after tomorrow for the book signing. And Flora has rented us a secluded cottage there for as long as we want... So, we can begin our honeymoon there. What do you think." She asked, sliding over to lay her head on his shoulder.
" I think it sounds great.. secluded you say... It sounds perfect." He replied, but anywhere would be perfect if they were together, he thought... But for tonight, he wanted to be here, at the cabin. This had been the first place he had shared with her... his place, so it was only fitting that they spend their last night in Istanbul there...together.
The cabin was just as they had left it, the bed still in shambles, the pillows flung about, but nothing could have been more perfect. Can lit a couple of candles and turned around to find their favorite album to put on the record player....
It took him a minute to find it in the dimly lit room and get it started. " There we go. We have candles, music and a half empty bottle of wine...." He was saying as he turned around..... But he stopped abruptly and his mouth fell open, as he saw his wife standing there totally naked....
" I'm not sure if we needed all of those things, my dear husband." Sanem spoke quietly. Within seconds Can removed his clothes and was standing with Sanem. Just the feel of their bodies touching had sent a jolt of electricity through them.
If this was the feeling of making love, he never wanted it to stop..he thought, as they stumbled backward, both of them falling on the bed.... His lips devouring hers... feverishly and demanding.. his hands tracing every curve of her body...
They were both breathing hard and fast, as they explored each others body.. He climbed on top, eager to bury himself inside her.... She gasped for a breath and moaned his name repeatedly, captivated and mesmerized as he thrust himself inside....
A veil of indescribable happiness covered them.... This was the first day of the rest of their lives.....a life that they both had dreamed of......
" Can, are you okay with spending our honeymoon in Scotland? I promise I won't let my book interfere with our time together." Sanem said, as she laid wrapped up tightly in his arms.
He smiled and kissed the top of her head, " I think Scotland is the perfect place for a honeymoon.... But what will we do after that..." He asked..
" Well, I need to stop in Barcelona. I need to make the termination from Javier and the publishing house official, after that Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. I'm so excited to show you my home...our home." She gushed.
She hesitated, " I never asked you about where you wanted to live.... I'm sorry." She apologized, as she ran her fingers through his hair. " Maybe you want to live somewhere else, maybe you want to go back to Istanbul. Whatever you want to do."
He snickered, " I want to be where you are....you are my home. I have travel around so much, so disconnected from any normal kind of life...so if your house in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is your home...then it's my home too."
She squealed with delight, pressing her body firmly against his, " Oh I can't wait to show you the island. You can take pictures and we can explore the beaches.... some of them are quite deserted, except for the seals and the birds." She hinted, rubbing her leg along the perimeter of his lower body.
His head was already full of possibilities, as he listened to her talk. A new excitement lit up inside him.. She was his spark of inspiration and imagination.... There was nothing he wanted more than to hear her voice and feel her body next to him for the rest of his life...
They had spent most of that night indulging in each other, both of them trying to make up for all the years they had been apart. It was a very unforgettable night for Mr. and Mrs. Can Divit......
Their flight to Scotland was leaving mid afternoon, so it was an early morning rise for them. They took a while to straighten the cabin before they left. That place had been their sanctuary, their place of refuge... they weren't sure when they would be back there, but they knew, at some point they would....
Next they gathered all of Sanem's belonging from the hotel, then it was on to Aziz's house to pickup Cans bag... They made a visit to the hospital to say goodbye to both Nihat and Aziz....
Nihat Aydin and Aziz Divit were both set to go home in the next few days. It seemed that fate had worked its magic through these two fathers.... with neither of them being the wiser, but both of them extremely happy for their children....
It was a bittersweet goodbye for Sanem, as she hugged her mom goodbye. The thought of staying in Istanbul tugged at her heart, but she needed to go home.... go home with her husband and start their life...
That feeling of contentment filled her as they settled in their seats on the plane.... Can grasped her hand, looking at her with such love, " We did it Sanem... we have began our lives together." He whispered, pressing his lips against her hand...
They were both leaving Istanbul different people than when they arrived.... They both came home broken and empty....but they were leaving happy and whole.... A family enriched with love.....
** After a very successful book signing event in Inverness...and a two week honeymoon that consisted of them lounging in bed until noon, then roaming the countryside taking in the sights of this beautiful place. Their honeymoon was an event in itself and just as successful.
Three weeks after their wedding, Can and Sanem finally arrived in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno... To their Home...
Can was captivated by the island and fell in love instantly with the small house that faced the sea. He welcomed the cozy little house as his home...their home.
The rooftop terrace quickly became their favorite place. They spent hours up there watching the water and planning the rest of their lives....
It wasn't long before Can became the resident photographer, sharing his talent with all the tourist.
Sanem continued to write, even joining forces with her husband at times to bring words to his photographs.
Two years later they welcomed one child into their lives... a son, Deniz....who became the spitting image of his father and had the heart and compassion of his mother...
The remained on the island, happy and whole for many years..... But the thought of returning to Istanbul was never far from their mind....
The words from Can held true over all that time.... " My home is where you are" ....
Authors note***
~Thank you everyone for going on this journey with me... This story of love has been a beautiful story to tell..
I hope you all enjoyed it, even through the ups and downs and heartaches.... It proves that a true love, born from destiny, can and will survive anything......