"Tebrik ederim!" exclaimed Melo and Ayfer when Serkan and Eda arrived home from their drive.
"Ne? You knew?" asked Eda.
"Evet." They both answered.
"Even Kiraz knows." added Melo.
"I asked for their blessings." Serkan answered, making Eda look at him in awe.
"Ne zaman?"
"Last night."
"Nasıl?"
Eda and Serkan had gone through the whole afternoon buying gifts and other stuff for the birthday party tomorrow. When they got home, Eda realized that there were a few decorations that had to be picked up at Ayfer's house so Serkan went and left again.
"İyi akşamlar." Serkan greeted as Ayfer let him in.
"İyi akşamlar." She greeted back. "I guess you're here to pick up the decorations?"
"Evet." He smiled. "Ama, there's something else I wanted to talk to you about."
"Tamam, olur. What is it?" She asked.
"I want to get your blessing—I'm planning to propose to Eda."
This surprised Ayfer, leaving her speechless and just staring at Serkan. She did not expect something so sudden to come out of his mouth as a topic to be discussed at that very moment.
"Ayfer abla?" asked Melo as she came into the living room. "Ne oldu?" She asked Serkan.
"I was just—"
"Serkan is proposing to Eda." Ayfer suddenly spoke.
"Gerçekten mi?" asked Melo.
"Evet." Serkan answered.
"Ayy!" Melo exclaimed in excitement, lightly jumping up and down.
"Ne zaman?" She asked.
"Bilmiyorum, ama all I know is I want to do it as soon as possible." responded Serkan.
"What made you decide?" asked Ayfer.
"Yani, after the success of the trial, I don't think we should waste any more time. We are finally free of the past and can start anew. We can finally be happy." he answered.
"Tamam, o zaman, you have our blessing." said Melo and Ayfer.
"Çok teşekkür ederim, Ayfer Hanim ve Melo."
"You should start getting used to calling me baldız!" suggested Melo.
"He won't." answered Ayfer.
"Just this once, eni̇şte..."
Serkan smiled at Melo. "Tamam, baldız..."
"–now try calling me Hala..." said Ayfer.
Serkan chuckled. "Ayfer Hanim, görüşürüz." He lastly smiled before lightly waving at them then walking away to leave.
"Inat. Gizli inat." said Ayfer as he left.
Arriving home, Serkan found Eda already asleep in their bedroom, exhausted from all the preparations for Kiraz's birthday. He slowly walked back out to head to Kiraz's bedroom as he wanted to give her a good night kiss but he was surprised to find her out of her bed and staring outside the window.
"Kiraz? Why are you still awake?" He asked his daughter.
"I woke up from my sleep." She answered.
"Tamam, let's go back to bed and—"
"I was praying." She spoke as Serkan sat her on his lap on the bed. "I was thanking Allah because this is the first birthday I will be having with you—with my family, complete."
Serkan couldn't help but smile at his daughter with adoration. "I also thank Allah for finally being with you and anne...like I said before, I will never leave you again."
Kiraz gave Serkan a tight hug and as she pulled away, Serkan looked at her intently. "Kiraz..."
"Evet baba..."
"I have a secret that I want to tell you..."
"Ne baba?" She asked, excitement in her voice.
"I will be proposing to anne tomorrow..."
"Gerçekten mi? Ama I thought you were already married." Kiraz responded, making Serkan chuckle.
"Not yet, kızım, ama one day we will be." He smiled. "I wanted to tell you and get your blessings."
"You don't need my blessings, baba, because I know anne will say 'yes'!"
"Çok teşekkür ederim, Kiraz...for always being the light in our lives."
Kiraz then kissed Serkan and spoke, "I hope you will get married soon...so you can finally give me a kardeşim!"
At this remark, Serkan could only smile and shake his head in amusement. "Seni seviyorum."
"Ben de, baba..."
—-------
A squeal can be heard coming from Serkan's office as Eda had shown Ceren and Piril her ring and told them the story of how Serkan proposed. Engin and Ferit hugged Serkan before everyone started exchanging hugs and saying their congratulations.
"Yaa Erdem, look how happy they all are–especially Serkan bey and Eda." said Leyla, as both her and Erdem looked at the couple and their friends from their stations.
"—until something goes wrong and then we're in a cycle again." said Erdem, earning a slap in the arm from Leyla. "Ya!"
"Don't say that Erdem. We have to manifest only good things. Serkan bey and Eda have been through so much. It's time the universe gives them a break."
"Tamam, tamam. I wasn't being serious anyway." They both continued to adoringly look at their friends when Erdem suddenly realized something. "Why are we here and not there?"
Leyla looked at him and also wondered before beginning to walk towards Serkan's office with Erdem trailing behind her.
"Tebrik ederim, Serkan bey and Eda!" exclaimed Leyla as she entered the room.
"Çok teşekkür ederim, Leyla." smiled Serkan and Eda.
Serkan then turned to Erdem with a poker face. "Ne işin var burada, Erdem?" This then earned him a nudge and a stern look from Eda.
"Tebrik ederim, Serkan bey and Eda." Erdem congratulated them, avoiding Serkan's eyes.
"Teşekkürler, Erdem." They both responded with Eda smiling and Serkan forcing one.
"If you need any help with planning, I am always ready." said Leyla.
"Evet, us too." said Ceren and Piril.
"When do you plan on getting married, abicim?" asked Engin.
"Yani, if it's all up to me, I'd get married now." answered Serkan, making Eda shyly smile at her future husband.
"We'll set a date and get everything sorted out." said Eda.
"The sooner, the better." added Serkan.
"Tamam, let's leave them to decide on things and just let us know if you need any help from us." said Ferit.
They all congratulated Eda and Serkan once again before leaving the two alone in the office—Erdem and Leyla back on the posts; Piril and Engin in his office; Ferit, leaving to go to the holding; and Ceren, going to the office upstairs.
Serkan turned to Eda and smiled.
"So, I'm in a little bit of a hurry..." said Serkan, earning a confused look from Eda. "...I really need to get married to you already, so I can finally call you Eda Bolat."
Eda grinned as she felt her cheeks getting warm. "Tamam, Serkan Bolat."
"In a few days?"
"I have a trauma with having weddings in just a few days..." answered Eda, memories of Serkan's plane crash and memory loss flashing before her eyes.
"Tamam. Whenever you want, wherever you want..." Serkan smiled and caressed her cheek. "Don't think of what had happened in the past—just think of what is in front of us. We can get married today, tomorrow, or next year. There's no rush. Merak etme, I'm not going anywhere. Seni seviyorum."
"Ben seni seviyorum, aşkım." Eda then gave Serkan a light kiss on the lips. "Let's get married this weekend."
A big smile spread across Serkan's face before he spoke, "Tamam." He was about to give Eda a kiss when a voice interrupted them.
"Oops." said Ceren. "Pardon. I didn't mean to interrup. I'll just come back."
"Yok, yok." said Eda. "Go ahead, Ceren."
"Tamam." She smiled apologetically. "Just wanted to remind you that we are scheduled to appear in court today for the appeal on Rosenberg bey's case."
"It's our turn to help him." Serkan then looked at Eda and squeezed her hand.
"Hadi gidelim." said Eda before standing up and holding Serkan's hand as they left.
—------
"All rise for the presiding judge, Honorable Abdullah Kaya." said the officer in the room.
"Günaydın. You may take a seat." said the judge.
Eda and Serkan, along with Ceren and Kadir were seated at the right side of the courtroom; while Mr. Rosenberg was on the left with his family behind him and a team hired by Serkan to represent him.
The judge then scanned the files in front of him and spoke, "Attorneys, present your case."
Kadir then stood up. "Your honor, we withdraw and drop any filed cases against Hugh Rosenberg which were filed by my client, Serkan Bolat."
"In the process of finding the proper justice for my client, we have found that the main culprit for the acts against Serkan Bolat was Selin Atakan, who was a previous partner in the holding company of my client—personal interest played a big part in her crimes." continued Kadir.
"Upon our investigation, Hugh Rosenberg was coerced into destroying the company and the integrity of Serkan bey, in the exchange of his family's safety. As the situation unfolded, Rosenberg bey had been very helpful even with his limited capabilities due to his imprisonment."
"With Rosenberg bey's help, the London court found Selin Atakan guilty, not only of the crimes against Serkan bey, but also of extortion and blackmail against Rosenberg bey."
"And we bring forth this information to support our action to exonerate Rosenberg bey of the charges against him. All evidence are filed on the document we have submitted to your office. Thank you, your honor." Kadir lastly said.
"Tamam." nodded the judge. "Anything from the other party?" He gestured towards Hugh Rosenberg and his team.
"None from our end, your honor. We support their statement." said Mr. Rosenberg's attorney.
"We have reviewed this case and I approve in exonerating the defendant." said the judge and sighs of relief can be heard inside the courtroom. "I hereby lift the charges against Hugh Rosenberg. This court is adjourned." The judge then lifted the gavel and slammed it on the block before standing to leave the courtroom.
Mr. Rosenberg couldn't help but rush to Eda and Serkan and give them a tight hug. He was now free. Although it took years before proper justice was served, all that mattered to him was that Selin was finally locked up and can no longer bother anyone else.
"Çok teşekkür ederim." Mr. Rosenberg said as he pulled away from hugging Eda and Serkan.
"Hayır, çok teşekkür ederim, Rosenberg bey." responded Serkan.
"If it wasn't for your help, we would not be here right now. We know It wasn't easy but we finally got our justice." added Eda.
"I just...I don't know how to repay you—"
"Don't even think about that. What matters is that you now get to live happily with your loved ones. Cherish everything. Do not take advantage of the love they have for you and the time you have with them." said Serkan. "That's what I learned in this whole ordeal."
"We'll leave you to celebrate this day with your family." said Eda.
"We've also set up a car for you and a house." said Serkan.
"Yok—"
"Take it. It's the least we can do." Serkan shook Mr. Rosenberg's hand tightly for assurance.
Mr. Rosenberg smiled at them, gratefulness obvious in his eyes. "Çok, çok teşekkür ederim."
—-------
"How was it abicim?" asked Engin as they were all inside Serkan's office.
"It was great. Finally, an innocent man is free." Serkan answered.
"Although, he was indeed the person who did you wrong, first handedly. Ama he was not at fault since he wasn't really the mastermind." added Ferit.
"He's an accomplice but not an accomplice." said Leyla.
"In some sense, yes." responded Eda. "In the eyes of the court he is guilty as an accomplice ama to us, he is not."
"So the only way to free Rosenberg bey was to withdraw the charges." added Ceren.
"At least everybody is now at peace." said Piril as they all nodded.
"Tamam." Serkan clasped his hands and looked at his friends. "I called you all here because I have a request from you."
Everybody looked at each other, wondering what Serkan would be saying.
"Eda and I decided that we want to get married this Saturday." Cheers and hoorays can be heard inside the office at this announcement.
"Tamam, tamam." said Serkan, making his friends settle down before clearing his throat. "I want to be as helpful as I can to Eda so we would need your help."
"Tamam, abi. We're always ready." said Engin.
"Çok teşekkürler everyone." said Eda.
"With that, Engin and Piril—we have a project at Şile. I have not met with this client yet so I leave this up to you. Leyla, give them the information we have about this." said Serkan.
"Ferit, I received an email from the Holding about something I have not set my attention to. Lütfen, if it can be handled solely by you, it'll be great."
"Ceren, the press will surely release articles about our court meeting today. Make sure correct details are what's released, work with our PR Specialist to ensure that nothing slips from our fingers."
"So far, that's all I have." Serkan then looked at his wife-to-be. "Eda?"
"Hmm, just let me know, Engin and Piril, if our new client has any questions about landscaping." added Eda.
"Tabii ki." said Engin and Piril.
"Tamam. Çok teşekkürler." said Serkan before everyone stood up, gave their congratulations to Eda and Serkan, then left.
Serkan then turned to Eda. "O zaman, the wedding..."
Eda smiled lovingly at Serkan then took a deep breath. "I don't know why...ama I'm feeling nervous..."
"Nervous? Maybe it's excitement."
"Maybe both." He then brushed a few strands of Eda hair away from her face. "Merak etme, it'll all be alright." Eda nodded before Serkan planted a soft kiss on her lips.
"Do you want a wedding organizer?" Serkan suddenly asked.
"Yok. I don't want anything fancy, Serkan." She answered. "I just want an intimate wedding with our family and friends."
"Tamam. But if everything gets too complicated or busy, let's get a wedding organizer. Tamam mi?"
"Tamam." Eda nodded. Serkan wanted to make sure that Eda gets her way when planning the wedding but also does not want her to get stressed about it.
"So what's the first thing on our list?" Serkan asked.
"The place."
"Hmm...do you wanna get married in Antalya? Where we can watch the stars from above." He asked. "We can just transport anything needed for the wedding."
"Yok. I'm fine with having the wedding anywhere near here, Serkan." Eda smiled.
"What about at the Kız Kulesi Üsküdar again?"
"Yok. Ama we'll find our place." said Eda.
"Is there anything you want me to do?"
"Evet...make sure your anne does not meddle with anything." This made Serkan chuckle before nodding in agreement. "Ee, enough about what I want. What do you want?" She asked.
"Gerçekten, all I want is just to get married to you. That's it." He looked at Eda lovingly and he could feel her melting at his gaze.
"Ben de."
—--------
A few days had gone by and preparations for the wedding had been piling up. They only had 2 days till the big day and Eda feels like nothing is finished. She had been rushing left and right, making sure everything was perfect to the very last detail.
"Eda, slow down. You are gonna get sick before your wedding. Gerçekten." said Ceren. "Where is Serkan anyway?"
Eda took a deep breath and sat down, obviously exhausted. "Engin really needed him at Şile, so I told him to go. Plus, he'll just hover around and make a mess of things."
"You have a point there." said Melo.
"Ama I'm at the final finishing so after this, we can finally relax and have a girl's day." said Eda.
"Tamam. You surely need a break." said Melo.
"Bi dakka, have you sent out the invitations?" Ceren asked Melo.
Melo's reaction to the question was obvious—she had forgotten to hand out the invitations for the wedding. "Çok özür dilerim, Dadam. I forgot."
Eda closed her eyes and bit her lip before taking a deep breath and putting on a smile. "Sorun değil, Melo. We got this."
"I have them all on my desk at the office." said Melo.
"We can start handing out there then so on..." added Ceren.
"Olur. Hadi gidelim." said Eda.
The girls quickly got into Ceren's car and drove to the office. There, they found all the invitations that were supposed to be handed out the other day. Luckily, almost everyone who should be receiving an invitation was there.
As they were about to leave the office after handing out the invitations, Serkan and Engin arrived back from Şile. Noticing her exhausted state, Serkan became worried.
"Eda? İyi misin?" He asked her, holding her from her hands to her face as if checking on her state.
"İyiyim, aşkım." She answered, giving him a light smile. "We just had a busy day."
"You don't look too well."
"Ben iyiyim."
"Hayır, sen değilsin. I shouldn't have gone to Şile. I should have just stayed and helped out."
Eda was indeed very exhausted and seemed to be turning pale but she had put a smile on so Serkan would not worry too much. Unfortunately, he saw through this.
"Finish what you need to do here in the office so you can come home early and help out. How does that sound?" said Eda, hoping Serkan wouldn't feel guilty about the situation.
"Yok, Engin can just send me whatever it is that needs to be done. I'll take you home right now." Serkan said sternly.
"Olur." agreed Engin.
"Kızlar—"
"We got this, Eda. I'll go with Melo to make sure these all get handed out." Ceren said.
"Evet, dadam. Go home." added Melo.
Eda smiled and thanked, not only the girls, but also Engin. They all bid goodbye as Serkan led Eda outside to his car so they could go home, worry still evident in his face. Even on their drive home, Serkan kept on looking at Eda who had fallen asleep due to a tiresome day.
Luckily, Ayfer and Seyfi were at the house, helping out with other stuff for the wedding and at the same time, taking care of Kiraz. With having both of them around, things that needed to be done at home became easier.
"Hoş geldiniz!" Kiraz greeted her parents who had just entered the house.
"Bebeğim..." Eda crouched down to hug Kiraz. She felt a little better after getting a little nap on their way home.
"Baba!" Kiraz exclaimed, pulling away from the hug and throwing her arms at her baba as he carried her into his arms.
"Have you eaten, Kiraz?" Eda asked.
"Hayır. I was waiting for you." She responded, looking at her parents. This little gesture from their daughter seemed to have lifted any exhaustion they were feeling.
"O zaman, let's eat!" said Serkan.
At dinner, Kiraz, like always, shared stories from her day at school, putting amusement in her family's faces. Not long, Ceren and Melo arrived to join them for dinner—it was a full house.
"Tamam, Kiraz. Let's get you ready for bed." said Eda.
"Hadi." Serkan then stood up and carried Kiraz.
"İyi geceler!" exclaimed Kiraz to everyone who was left at the dining table.
Every night, Eda and Serkan made sure that they had dinner with Kiraz and were the ones to tuck her in for bed time, no matter how busy their day had become due to the preparations for the wedding. Even when Serkan still had to work on late nights, he made sure to go home to spend time with Kiraz.
After having a nice shower and brushing her teeth, Kiraz was now on her bed, sandwiched by the two people she loved most—her anne and baba. She had picked out Serkan's favorite book—The Little Prince. They hadn't read it to Kiraz in a long time so it only made sense that she had chosen it as her bedtime book for the night.
"All men have stars, but they are not the same things for different people. For some, who are travelers, the stars are guides. For others they are no more than little lights in the sky." read Serkan.
"For others, who are scholars, they are problems... But all these stars are silent. You-You alone will have stars as no one else has them..." read Eda.
"In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so it will be as if all the stars will be laughing when you look at the sky at night..You, only you, will have stars that can laugh! And when your sorrow is comforted (time soothes all sorrows) you will be content that you have known me... You will always be my friend." continued Serkan.
"You will want to laugh with me. And you will sometimes open your window, so, for that pleasure... It will be as if, in place of the stars, I had given you a great number of little bells that knew how to laugh..." Eda turned to look at Kiraz and found her fast asleep. She then looked at Serkan and gestured for that they should go.
After giving Kiraz a kiss on the forehead, Eda and Serkan made their way back to the dining room. There, Ceren, Melo, and Seyfi were preparing to leave as Ayfer was staying to help out with Kiraz in the morning.
"Serkan bey, biz gidiyoruz." said Seyfi.
"Evet. I still have to check on the articles that the PR sent me. She mentioned that she highlighted some that needed to be checked. I'll meet with her tomorrow." said Ceren.
"And I...will have to go home." said Melo, smiling.
"Tamam. Çok teşekkürler." responded Eda and Serkan. "Görüşürüz."
As they opened the door, a familiar face stood outside, about to knock. "İyi akşamlar. I know it's late but I need to talk to Serkan."
"İyi akşamlar, Engin. Olur." said Eda, a confused look on their faces as they were not expecting him. But she knew it was something urgent and important.
"İyi geceler. Görüşürüz." One by one, Seyfi, Melo, and Ceren left, but it was only Ceren who had a feeling that something was up.
As the door closed, Engin smiled at his friends but then directed his attention to his best friend. Serkan understood and knew what to do.
"Gel, otur, Engin." said Serkan. "Have you eaten?" He asked.
"Evet, evet." Engin answered.
"Have some tea instead." Eda quickly offered, standing from her seat on the couch to go to the kitchen and prepare some tea. This was the chance Engin was waiting for—for Eda to leave...and Serkan knew this as by asking Engin if he had eaten, he knew that Eda would also be offering him tea, making her leave the room.
Engin and Serkan made sure Eda was out of earshot before starting their conversation in a low voice.
"Ne oldu, Engin?"
"We have a problem."
"Ne problem?"
"Remember the very first client who gave us a big project which also got you your first award?"
"Evet. Ali bey."
"He signed a contract with us last week, remember?"
"Evet."
"In our meeting, we talked about doing one project, right?"
"Engin, anlat bana."
"Tamam...he just reached out earlier that he will be bringing 3 projects, instead of one—3 big projects—ama he wants to talk to no one else but you since his other partner will be involved in this project."
"Tamam. What's the problem there?"
"He is in London...and wants to talk to you tomorrow with his partners because he will be flying to Tokyo in the evening." Engin blurted out.
Serkan took a deep breath and sighed, looking at the direction of the kitchen, making sure Eda did not see his reaction. He pursed his lips and stared blankly at the floor before sighing once more.
"Tamam. There's nothing else we can do. I'd have to go." said Serkan.
"Özür dilerim, abicim. I tried to reschedule ama I couldn't get through to Ali bey. I'm worried about how Eda would feel."
"Sorun yok, Engin. I'll let Eda know and see what she thinks. Teşekkürler." Serkan said, giving his best friend a light smile.
And right on cue, Eda came back from the kitchen holding a tray of tea. She put it on the coffee table then handed one to Engin who smiled and took a sip, hoping that there was nothing suspicious about him.
"Ee...ne oldu, Engin?" asked Eda.
"We were just..." Engin looked at Serkan before continuing. "...talking about one of our clients, Ali bey." He didn't want to lie to Eda.
"Mm-hmm..." Eda gestured for him to continue.
"He just called and wants to bring in, not only one project but 3!"
"That's great!" Eda grinned.
"Indeed it is." Serkan gave a light smile, hoping that Eda would not see through his anxiousness.
Engin, the best at making small talk, diverted the conversation about their children while he tried his best to quickly finish his hot tea. He wanted to make a run for it as soon as possible before Eda would start noticing anything fishy.
At about 30 minutes into his stay, he finally finished his tea and bid goodbye, eyeing his best friend in the process. Serkan could only quietly sigh at the back of Eda while they waved at Engin pulling away from their driveway.
After a warm shower with steamy sex, which Serkan hoped would set Eda on a good mood, they laid on the bed talking about their wedding.
"Aşkım, I need to tell you something..." Serkan suddenly said.
"Tamam." Eda nodded, getting nervous at what Serkan would be saying.
"I have a meeting tomorrow. I might be out the whole day. I promised Kiraz I'll take her on a date ama I don't think I'll be home by the afternoon; ama I'll be able to make it to dinner and put Kiraz to bed." He explained.
"Tamam. I'll tell Kiraz. She'll understand." Eda lightly smiled and caressed Serkan's arm for reassurance.
"Harika, ama...the thing is that..."
"Ne?" Eda got even more nervous this time.
"...the meeting is in London."
Eda could only close her eyes in obvious frustration and sigh—she quickly felt a sudden rush of mixed emotions as it was just 2 days until the wedding. Everything was all too familiar to Eda, which she felt was the beginning of another nightmare.
"Eda?" He called out to her, caressing her cheek. At this, tears fell from the corner of Eda's eyes. "Çok özür dilerim. Engin tried to reschedule it but we couldn't reach Ali bey. Ama if you don't want me to go, I won't go. "
"I don't want you to go...ama I also want you to go at the same time." said Eda as more tears streamed down her face.
"It's just that...this feels like deja vu—our wedding is near and then you have to leave. What if you don't come back? What if I lose you again?" She continued. "What if you do come back but your memory is gone again?"
"Merak etme, nothing like that is ever going to happen again. I'll make sure of it." He reassured her. "We can double check the plane I'll be riding so you feel safer when I'm traveling. Tamam mi?"
"Tamam." Eda nodded, wiping a few tears from her cheeks.
"I don't want to leave you. You can come with me—"
"Yok. There's still things to do for the wedding so I really can't."
Serkan sighed, saddened at putting Eda in an unpleasant situation. "Çok özür dilerim."
Eda put her hand on Serkan's cheek and smiled. "Stop apologizing and just make sure you come home. Tamam mi?"
"Tamam." He nodded. "Seni seviyorum, Eda Bolat."
Eda could feel her cheeks warming up on the mention of her name having his last name. "Ben seni seviyorum, Serkan Bolat."
—--------
"You made sure this plane is safe?"
Serkan had just arrived at the hangar where the private plane he usually rents parks. He was going around the plane with the maintenance, making sure there was nothing wrong with it.
"Did you personally make sure that this plane is safe?" He asked again over the phone.
"Evet, abi. I was just there an hour ago." answered Engin.
"Tamam...because Eda will kill me and probably you too if something happens to me." said Serkan, making Engin chuckle. "Seriously, she will kill me."
"Tamam, abicim. Hadi, get on your plane. Call me when you get there so Eda doesn't kill me too."
Serkan chuckled. "Tamam. Görüşürüz."
Ring...Ring..Ring...
Just as he ended his call with Engin, he immediately dialed Eda's number.
"Aşkım?" She answered. "Are you about to fly?"
"In a little while. I was just double checking the plane to make sure it's all good."
"Gerçekten?"
"Evet...and I am calling to let you know that the plane is in tip top shape. I even had the chief mechanic do a run through with me. Engin also checked the plane earlier." He explained. "Nothing bad will happen, tamam mi?"
"Tamam. Seni seviyorum, aşkım." responded Eda.
"Ben de seni seviyorum, Eda Bolat."
Serkan then ended the call and took one last look at the plane before getting in and strapping his seatbelt on. The pilot walked towards Serkan and assured him a safe flight then went back to the cockpit to start the plane.
After 3 long hours, finally, Serkan had arrived in London. He immediately called Eda and Engin to let him know that he had arrived safely. Upon embarkation, he was greeted by a driver in a black suit.
"Good morning, Mr. Bolat. I am Peter. Mr. Ali Reis sent me and I will be your driver for today."
"Nice to meet you, Peter." Serkan shook his hand before Peter opened the door for him.
"I will take you to the Pavyllon where Mr. Ali will meet with you."
"Thank you." responded Serkan before getting into the car.
It took them an hour to get to the restaurant and Serkan could feel his day getting wasted minute by minute due to the travel times. He looked at his watch and it read 1 o'clock in the afternoon.
He was about to call out a waiter to order another glass of champagne when, finally, Ali Reis waved towards Serkan, immediately extending his hand to shake Serkan's hand who stood up to greet him.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." said Mr. Ali.
"No, you're good." Serkan reassured him.
"I hope you don't mind, I already ordered for us. I knew I was going to run late so I had the chef whip out their best food so we don't have to wait."
"Sounds great."
One by one, their food arrived on their table and champagne was also poured in their glasses. They made small talk about their personal lives but what Serkan was dreading was to talk about business. Unfortunately, this topic wasn't at the point of being started.
"So, you're getting married tomorrow?"
"Yes." Serkan smiled.
"I'm sorry for dragging you all the way here a day before your wedding."
"It's okay, Mr. Ali. Business must go on."
"Well then, let's not keep you for long."
As the waiters took their plates and no new ones came out from the kitchen, this was a sign to Serkan that they were finally done with lunch.
"Delicious food. I'll bring my family here next time we visit London." said Serkan.
"Let me know if you ever visit with them—I'd love to meet your wife and daughter." said Mr. Ali.
"Of course, of course." nodded Serkan, a grin plastered on his face at the mention of the word 'wife'. Oh, how he could not wait to marry Eda already.
"So, my pals mentioned that they had played golf at a golf resort you designed with your wife..."
"Ah, yes...it's the golf resort of a good friend." Serkan smiled, remembering how Birol and Sevil played an important part in his and Eda's reconciliation.
"Well, my pals, who are also my partners in the projects, want to meet us there. They are regulars at the golf resort and were impressed by your work." said Mr. Ali.
"Ah, thank you." Serkan smiled at the compliment.
"The pleasure is all mine. Anyway, we should get going. I bet they are already waiting for us and playing golf."
—--------
"Eda? İyi misin?" asked Melo as she and Ceren entered her room.
Eda was not feeling the best today. She had been nauseous since she woke up, and can't remember how many times she had gone to the bathroom to vomit. Ayfer had tried to convince Eda to go to the hospital but the stubborn girl in her did not want to go and only wanted to stay and help with wedding preparations. Feeling defeated, Ayfer called Melo and Ceren for backup, hoping they could convince their best friend.
"Yok. I feel like I'm about to pass out." admitted Eda.
Melo quickly put a hand on Eda's forehead to check her temperature but she was not running a fever. "You don't seem to have a fever."
"Yok. I just feel nauseous." responded Eda.
"Tamam. So you've been feeling nauseous since this morning and have also been vomiting. Do...Do you think that maybe you're pregnant?" asked Ceren.
"Yok. I took 5 pregnancy tests and all came out negative."
"Are you sure?"
"Maybe the tests were expired." said Melo.
"Hayır. I checked the box. They are not expired—I'm just not pregnant." said Eda.
"Tamam. Ama I still think that we should go to the hospital to get you checked." said Ceren.
"Olur. We can do it after the wedding."
"Let's get you checked today, Eda." Ceren said sternly.
"Gerek yok, Ceren. All I need to do is just rest and gain back my energy."
"Emin misin?"
"Evet, eminim."
"Tamam." nodded Ceren.
"Ee, has enişte called?" asked Melo.
"Yok." Melo and Ceren looked at each other at their best friend's answer—worry evident in the tone of her voice.
"I feel like maybe I'm feeling this way because I'm getting really anxious on where Serkan is and on how he is. He hasn't called since arriving in London." Eda explained, sitting up from lying down on the bed.
"Maybe he's just busy." answered Melo.
"Merak etme. He'll call once he gets free time." added Ceren.
"But it's already 5 in the afternoon!" At this, Eda's eyes grew big as if she had remembered something. "Kiraz!" She exclaimed.
"Sakin ol, dada. Sakin ol." said Melo. "Aydan Hanim is picking her up from school, remember?"
Eda nodded, remembering that Kiraz was spending the rest of the afternoon with her grandmother. "Ah, evet." A sigh of relief escaped her lips. "It's just that my head is everywhere today."
"We understand." said Ceren, knowing how the day was very reminiscent of when Serkan's plane had crashed.
"Tamam, dadam. Why don't we get some tea downstairs? I think it'll be good for you." said Melo.
"Tamam." Eda stood up lazily and followed her friends, hoping that whatever tea they will prepare will take her panicking thoughts away. Where's the tea I gave Seyfi when I need it. She thought.
Hours had passed and Eda got more anxious as the sky turned darker. Melo and Ceren were able to distract Eda with finalizations for the wedding. But when Kiraz came home during dinner and started asking where her baba was and what time her baba would be home, Eda's worries only came back, making the situation more worse.
The clock now read 8 o'clock in the evening and Eda was getting Kiraz ready for bed while her two best friends waited for her in her room. Ayfer had offered to put Kiraz to bed but Eda insisted as the only thing that could calm her at the moment was being with her daughter.
"Anne, why is baba still not home?" asked Kiraz. "Didn't he say that he'll be home by bedtime?"
"He's probably running a little late, annecim. Merak etme, he'll be home when you wake up." Eda cleared her throat so that Kiraz wouldn't notice how her voice started breaking as she was on the verge of tearing up. Where are you Serkan? She thought.
"Are you sure baba's plane did not go straight to the moon? They might have called for his help over there."
"Baba will not leave us like that. Tamam mi?"
"Tamam. He'll give us a proper goodbye if he does go back to the moon, right anne?" Kiraz innocently asked. "Ama...I don't want him to go though."
Eda could only hug her daughter tightly as she hid a few tears that trickled down her cheeks, quickly wiping them away. "He won't, Kiraz. He won't."
"O zaman, I'll see him when I wake up." Kiraz said excitedly.
"Evet, bebeğim." Eda smiled and looked at her daughter. "Seni seviyorum, Kiraz."
"Ben seni seviyorum, anne."
One bedtime story and a kiss on the forehead later, Kiraz was fast asleep. Eda then left the room but upon closing the door, she suddenly felt nauseous, making her lean on the wall for support as she walked to her room where Melo and Ceren were.
"Ne oldu?" asked Ceren as she and Melo walked towards Eda who seemed to be having a hard time walking straight.
"I feel nauseous...the world is spinning around." answered Eda while her friends quickly assisted her to sit on the bed.
"Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital, dada?" asked Melo.
"Let's go to the hospital, Eda. You don't look good." added Ceren.
"Ben iyiyim, kızlar." responded Eda. "I just need to take a rest."
"Yaa, all you need is Serkan." joked Ceren, making them laugh.
As their laughter died down, Melo spoke. "Tamam, dada. We'll stay with you...till eni̇şte arrives."
Eda sighed. "How can he not call yet? It's already 8:30pm."
"Maybe he's already on his way home." suggested Ceren.
"I really hope so because we're getting married tomorrow." said Eda smiling as she wiped a tear that had fallen from the corner of her eye.
"Hadi. Get your beauty sleep and I'm sure he'll be here anytime now." said Melo.
Eda just smiled and closed her eyes, trying to sleep away her worries. She was thankful that her friends were always around to cheer her up and that she has a family that is very supportive—even when at times they made such stupid decisions.
—--------
RING...RING...RING...
The phone kept ringing non-stop which woke up Eda. She turned around and still didn't find Serkan beside her, but was happy to see Ceren and Melo snuggled on her bed to keep her company.
Her phone rang again, startling her from her thoughts. "Alo?"
"Merhaba, Eda Hanim." said the person on the other line of the call.
"Merhaba..." Eda did not know who she was talking to.
"We're calling about Serkan bey...he was in an accident..."
The moment the man uttered those words, Eda didn't hear anything else after that. Her heart sank and tears immediately streamed down her face. The phone slid from her hand and her eyes fluttered shut—she collapsed.
"Eda...Eda! Wake up!" Melo and Ceren called out to Eda, shaking her.
Eda immediately sat up, gasping for breath as if she had drowned. " Serkan! Serkan!" She cried.
"I'm here...I'm just right here..." Serkan said, walking towards Eda, making her look up at the sound of his voice as he loosened the tie around his neck and took off the coat he had on.
He looked at Melo and Ceren, nodding thank you at them before the two exited the room, giving Serkan and Eda some privacy. Serkan engulfed Eda in a hug as she sobbed under his embrace, finally feeling the warmth of his body.
"I thought I had lost you." She cried.
"It was just a nightmare. I'm home...I will never leave you and Kiraz." He reassured her, wiping her tears away as he lifted her chin to look at him.
"Why didn't you call?" She asked.
"Çok özür dilerim. Ali bey's partners frequented Birol bey's golf resort and liked the design we did so we had our meeting there and played a little golf—so I got busy there and I couldn't do anything about it." He explained.
"Luckily, I was able to excuse myself before they invited me for dinner. But unfortunately, it started raining hard and reception at the hangar where the plane parked was terrible...that's why I couldn't call you. Çok özür dilerim." He apologized again.
"All that matters now is that you are home." said Eda, hugging him tightly. "Bi dakka, were you able to get a deal with them?"
"Evet. I invited them to visit Istanbul so I won't have to leave again." He smiled.
"It's fine if you have to. It's just that...having this wedding and you leaving is just very similar to what had happened to us before and my mind got paranoid that what if the universe is playing with us again..." She sighed.
"Like I told you, nothing bad is ever gonna happen again. Tamam mi?" Eda nodded in response.
"Bu arada, about our wedding..." Serkan started. "I was thinking of moving it to some other date."
"Neden?" Eda was taken aback. Does he not want to get married anymore? She thought.
"Ceren told me that you have been sick the whole day."
"I'm fine now...now that you are back."
"Biliyorum. Ama it's best to be sure that you are okay. Melo also said that you refused to go to the hospital."
"Yani, I said that we can go after the wedding."
"Eda..." He said in a stern voice but with worry.
"Gerçekten, ben iyiyim." She reassured him but knowing Serkan, he wasn't going to let it pass.
"Tamam. Ama, we're still rescheduling the wedding. I want us to go to the hospital first thing tomorrow."
"What about the—"
"Merak etme. I spoke with Ceren and Melo, and they offered to reach out to everyone we invited and let them know about the current situation."
"Serkan..."
"Eda..."
"Oof—tamam..." Eda gave up. There was no use in arguing with Serkan because she also knew that he had a point.
"Harika..." He smiled.
Serkan then gave Eda a passionate kiss, taking the frown away from Eda's face as she smiled underneath the kiss. She wasted no time and quickly unbuttoned his shirt and unbuckled his pants—surprising Serkan. He wasn't planning on anything that night but looking at how seductive Eda looked at him, he couldn't resist.
Laying her down on the bed, he easily slipped off her top, followed by her shorts. His hands roamed her body, traveling from her thighs up to her waist before kissing her again on the lips down to her neck and chest.
"Serkan..." She moaned.
As he laid his body on top of Eda, she could feel how hard he had become. He groaned at the friction between his pants and her body before feeling Eda's hands unbuttoning his pants and sliding it off his hips and legs, making him look back up at her.
He repositioned himself so he was staring deep into her eyes. He then smiled before giving her a soft and slow kiss, making sure Eda felt how much he loved her. Both their hands traveled down to the last piece of garment they had on and expertly slipped them off.
A little thrust and Serkan entered Eda, making her moan loudly at the girth and length of his manhood. He slowly thrusted in and out, matching the rhythm of Eda's hips—tiny moans escaping their lips at the feeling of intensity. Serkan's pace quickened, making them pant as their breathing got heavier by the second. One deep thrust and together, they climaxed, moans and groans echoing in their room.
—----------
"Günaydın, baba!" greeted Kiraz, happy to see her baba finally home.
"Günaydın, kızım." Serkan opened his arms for a hug as Kiraz ran towards him. "Seni çok özledim."
"Ben de."
"Annecim?"
"Evet, anne?"
"Baba and I have something to tell you...we won't be having the wedding today..." said Eda.
"Neden?"
"Anne is not feeling well so we have to get her checked." explained Serkan.
"İyi misin, anne?" Kiraz asked, worried.
"İyiyim, bebeğim." answered Eda. "Your baba just wants to make sure that everything is okay."
"Tamam." nodded Kiraz.
"Günaydın!" Melo greeted everyone in the dining room. "Long night?" She teased.
Eda and Serkan couldn't help but smile shyly as it seemed that the echoes of their adventure last night made its way outside their room.
"They obviously missed each other." teased Ceren.
Serkan cleared his throat, trying to hide his cheeky smile. "Şey...uhh...umm...has everything been handled about rescheduling the wedding?"
"Evet..." confirmed Melo.
"Plus, we can just keep the decorations in storage for when you'll decide to have the wedding...maybe next week? Maybe next month?" said Ayfer.
"Özür dilerim for the sudden changes. I know you all worked hard just for everything to get finished in time." said Eda.
"Sorun değil. We are always here for a helping hand." said Ceren.
"Çok teşekkürler." said Eda and Serkan.
"Tamam, tamam. Let's have breakfast so everybody can go about their day." said Ayfer.
—-------
"Günaydın. It's been a very long time."
Serkan and Eda turned around to see Dr. Aysa walking towards them, inside her clinic, smiling as she shook their hands in greeting before going behind the table to sit.
"I haven't seen you since your last check up, which was years and years ago." Dr. Aysa said. "How's your little one?"
"She just had her birthday last week and we can't believe that we now have a 6 year-old. Time just flies by so fast." responded Eda.
"Evet. Next thing you know she's a teenager." joked Dr. Aysa, earning a nervous laugh from Serkan who seemed to fear teenage years.
"Tamam, what can I do for you today?" asked Dr. Aysa.
"I wasn't feeling too well yesterday. I was feeling nauseous and had been vomiting, and I felt like I was going to pass out." said Eda.
"Are you pregnant, by any chance?" asked Dr. Aysa, surprising Serkan.
The question made him look at Eda intently, waiting for her answer as the thought of Eda being pregnant did not come to his mind at all. Although nothing is for sure at this point, Serkan could feel warmth in his heart when he heard of the possibility of Eda being pregnant.
"Yok. I took some pregnancy tests and they all came back negative." answered Eda.
"Hmm...tamam." Dr. Asya slightly furrowed her brows as she wrote on her patient's book, trying to think of what could have caused Eda's symptoms.
"Although I was having some crazy anxiety issues yesterday. Could this have caused it?" Ed asked.
"It's a possibility. How are you feeling today?"
"I feel absolutely fine—like I'm myself again."
"I'd like to run some tests. I don't want to put a period on this without a proper diagnosis." responded Dr. Aysa. "I'll have our tech get some blood samples from you. Tamam mi?"
"Tamam." Eda nodded.
Dr. Aysa then called up a medical technician who was quick to arrive in her clinic and got some blood samples from Eda to test in the hospital lab. Serkan was both worried and happy about getting some tests—happy that it can hopefully give them answers and worried that it might be something serious.
"Teşekkürler." said Eda and Serkan to the medical technician before she left.
"I won't prescribe any medications for now. We'll have the results tomorrow so I'll meet you here again at the same time, if possible." said Dr. Aysa.
"Tamam, Dr. Aysa." nodded Serkan.
As they left the hospital and drove to the office, Serkan was quiet and deep in thought. Eda knew he was worried about what the test results will show.
"Aşkım? İyi misin?" asked Eda.
"Hmm?" Serkan was taken out of his thoughts at the sound of Eda's voice.
"İyi misin?" repeated Eda.
"İyiyim."
"I know you're worried, ama I'm sure it's nothing. I just got really worked up when you were gone a thousand miles away and were not calling back." reassured Eda.
"Ama...şimdi...I am 100% okay. I mean, I think last night proves it." She added, smirking at Serkan.
This made Serkan smile. "Eda Yildiz..." He shook his head in amusement.
"Efendim?" She looked at him with sultry eyes. "You know, I could've been Eda Bolat by now...ama neyse..." She teased, making Serkan chuckle.
—--------
"Ne?" asked Eda, smiling at Serkan who had been staring at her while she was working on a sketch beside him.
They had a pretty casual day since they had just returned to work without prior notice so Leyla was not able to set any particular schedule for the day. Eda busied her day with sketches while Serkan worked a little on his laptop and opted to just stare at Eda for the rest of the day. He had truly missed her but more than that, he couldn't get his head out of the possible result of her lab test.
Serkan did not answer and just stared at her even more so Eda spoke again. "If you're still worried about the results, merak etme, I know it's all just fine."
"Hmm..."
"Serkan." She could still feel his eyes on her.
"Ne kadar güzelsin." smiled Serkan, making sure Eda does not notice how worried he was.
"If you keep staring at me, I might melt." joked Eda.
"Can I not stare at you...Eda Bolat?" Serkan smirked.
Eda smiled at the mention of her name taking the Bolat last name. "You can...ama you're distracting me from what I'm doing. I want to finish these today."
"Peki." He closed Eda's laptop, getting a 'Ya!' reaction from her. "I'm no longer distracting you because you are not going to finish these sketches..."
"What should I be doing then?" She asked, confused.
"Go on a date with me." Serkan confidently said, making Eda raise her eyebrows in amusement. "Let today be our last day out from work...neyse tomorrow, we'll be back to normal."
"Tamam. Olur." Eda nodded, interested in Serkan's offer. "Where are we going?"
"I have no idea..." admitted Serkan as he took Eda's hand in his, leading her out of the office.
They drove around the city before stopping at a very familiar place—the soup restaurant. Eda smiled remembering the time they first dined there. They then took a seat at the same spot where they once sat.
"I remember celebrating my birthday here with you..." said Serkan, smiling at Eda.
"I remember you came to me on your birthday...while I was peacefully minding my own business and eating my soup." said Eda.
"Evet. I just couldn't resist. I had to find you. After all, Melo told me you had a gift for me."
"But you hated gifts..."
"Yani..." shrugged Serkan, smiling at Eda as their soups arrived.
"Bak. My soup has a heart-shaped design." said Eda, amused at the white sauce dressing on her soup that was shaped into a heart. "Ne güzel..."
"It's always so refreshing how you love the little things...the most simplest of things." said Serkan.
"What's not to love?" She smiled. "If we can love such great things, why not the simple little things too?"
Serkan smiled, remembering the time he gave her a guitar pick as a remembrance of the day he played guitar for her. Such a simple gesture and such a small thing brought so much joy in Eda's eyes—he couldn't forget it.
"O zaman, in honor of tonight..." He takes out a guitar pick from his pocket, handing it to Eda. "Replace the darts in your room with this..." He said, referring to the darts pinned on his picture in her room.
Eda grinned, suprised at his gesture. "Gerçekten mi?" She took the pick and stared at it.
"What a very beautiful gift. Gerçekten çok teşekkür ederim." She said. "It feels like I got it from a very famous rockstar. I am so happy."
This made Serkan chuckle, amused at her reaction. "You really are a very original person...You value a simple trinket more than diamonds."
"Evet, Eda Yildiz...is there any place you'd like to go before we end our date?" Serkan asked, wiping his mouth
"Eda Yildiz? I thought you were gonna start calling me Eda Bolat?" She asked while Serkan just smiled and raised his eyebrows at her. "—even though we haven't gotten married yet..."
Serkan looked at Eda lovingly then smiled. "Oh, you've been no one but Eda Bolat to me since we ate at this restaurant, that night, on my birthday."
Eda bit her lip and held Serkan's hand. "Çok özür dilerim we couldn't get married today..."
"I should be the one apologizing. I'm the one who made the decision of not pushing through with the wedding even though everyone had worked tirelessly to make it all happen in just a few days. Çok özür dilerim." said Serkan.
"So you don't have to apologize. Tamam mi?" He added. "We'll get married eventually—one day. Whenever, wherever." He smiled, looking at her lovingly.
"It'll be our perfect little wedding." She added.
"Evet." He said before planting a kiss on her hand. "Şimdi, Eda Bolat...where do you wanna go next?"
"Hmm...to a place where only you and I only know." She teased.
He scrunched up his brows, thinking, before raising them at her. "The waterfalls in Antalya?"
Eda stood up and held his hand as Serkan followed suit. "Hmm...maybe."
They drove around for an hour, going nowhere and just following the road. When they were in the middle of a good conversation, Serkan's phone rang. He ended the call, not wanting to answer it as he and Eda were having such a good time. Unfortunately, his phone rang again—not once, but twice.
"Serkan, just answer it." said Eda. "It's probably something important."
Serkan took his phone and answered the call. "Efendim, Leyla?"
"Merhaba, Serkan bey." said Leyla.
"Merhaba."
"Serkan bey...umm..."
"Söyle." He was starting to get annoyed.
"Şey...Burak bey called and he needs you to go to the site immediately. There's a problem with making the design and he doesn't want to proceed without having you properly check it." said Leyla.
Serkan took a deep breath and sighed. "Tamam, Leyla. Teşekkürler." He then looked at Eda apologetically. "Çok özür dilerim."
"Sorun değil, aşkım. We're just going around anyway." Eda smiled.
"Tamam. Teşekkürler." He smiled back at Eda and made a U-turn back to whichever site Burak was waiting at.
It was quite far as they started to go a little uphill, but Eda didn't mind. As long as she could feel the wind on her skin, she was alright. She turned to look at Serkan and found that he seemed to be anxious. Is it really that big of a problem? She thought.
They slowly pulled up to a well-built marina resort, making Eda wonder what happened that caused a big concern. As they parked the car, Eda could see a man standing at the side. That's probably Burak. She thought.
Getting out, they were greeted by Burak. "Merhaba, Serkan bey and Eda Hanim."
"Merhaba..." greeted Eda.
"Ne oldu, Burak?" asked Serkan.
"We are having problems with the revised design on the wall. I think it's best if you take a look." said Burak.
"Tamam." He nodded and was about to hold Eda's hand and go when she spoke.
"I'll stay here, aşkım. I want to check out the place." said Eda.
"Emin misin?"
"Evet."
"Tamam. I'll be quick." Serkan said before walking away with Burak.
The resort was big. There was a hotel on the left side with a pool in front of it; while on the far left, there was a recreation place where you could find the tennis court and the golf course. What caught her eyes was a pathway leading further to the sea.
Following the path, it led her to a fenced cliff. She walked towards the end and stared off into the sea—it looked very familiar to her. Then it clicked. She closed her eyes as a memory replayed in her head.
Serkan and Eda had driven to a hilltop land which overlooked the sea. The area was big and no other buildings were around it, making it such a serene place to be at. Eda took in the surroundings as they sat inside the car. Serkan on the other hand, took off his glasses and looked at Eda before lightly smiling and tilting his head, gesturing towards the land around them.
"Et, Eda..."
"Is this the place you said that would make my name?" She asked. "—as you said that you would trust me with it. How will I be able to do it?"
"Due to the fact that I don't have a diploma, no one would want me to design their land...and you'd be right to think that way." She added, but then paused to look at him. "Ama you said that you trust me. How can you trust me with something like this?"
"Tabii ki, you won't do it on your own. I made an agreement with the best landscape architect in Turkey. She will be your mentor. Do you feel better now?" He asked.
"I was right. You don't trust me." She responded, looking away from him.
Serkan then scoffed at Eda's remark. "What's your problem? You've been trying to make an issue out of everything all the time. You keep running away and distancing yourself. Ne oluyor?"
"The problem is you." She plainly answered. "Since the day I met you, I have taken on things that are beyond my power...and this also includes the fact that I pretend to be your bride."
Turning to Eda, Serkan spoke. "Maybe you just don't notice how capable you are—how you can do so much more."
"Bak—the design, the idea...it's yours. Tamam mi?" Eda nodded in response. "That's Idil Hanim...standing there..." He said, pointing at the woman in a blue dress. "She will help you along the way. You will do as she says—about the case, the execution. You will not disobey her. Olur mu?" Eda nodded again.
"This will take a very long time...What happens when the contract ends?" asked Eda.
Serkan was taken aback and was speechless for a few seconds, looking down as he smiled lopsidedly. "I am sure that before the contract ends, you would have finished the project already...and the rest will be handled by Idil Hanim."
Eda gave him a forced smile before looking away. "You already thought about everything, as always."
Looking away, he sighed. "Bak, Eda...I didn't bring you into the office as a landscape architect. This is outside of work. Therefore, you will have different hours."
Eda nodded, forcing another smile as she looked at Serkan. "I can handle it. I'll work on it."
"Şey diyeceğim...Gerçekten, teşekkür ederim for this opportunity." She added, giving him another forced smile before getting out of the car.
Eda could only smile at how everything unfolded in the past—how both she and Serkan had bottled up so much of what they felt for each other that it had looked like a competition of who was better at hiding their feelings. Oh, how stubborn they were.
As she opened her eyes, she was surprised at the fairy lights that turned on. She looked up and realized that it led to a corner making her curious at what was there. One step after the other, the lights on the ground illuminated—turning on at the movement of her feet.
Reaching the corner where the lights led, she smiled.
"Eda..."
"Serkan?" She smiled, confused. "Ne işin var burada? Weren't you just with Burak?"
He walked towards her and lightly shook his head, a smile on his face and his hands in his pockets.
"Is this the port resort?" She asked, curious.
"Evet."
"The landscaping...Is this—"
"It's yours." He answered. "When I said I trusted you in designing it, I meant it. Not only that, but I also realized that day that I was also already trusting you with my heart."
He put his hand on her waist and another on her cheek, caressing it. "Seni çok seviyorum..."
"Ben seni çok seviyorum..."
"Gel." He said, moving his hand to hold hers, as he walked further.
"Ne? Nereye?"
"Anne! Baba!" Kiraz called out, walking towards them, a bouquet of white lilies in hand.
"Kiraz?" Eda was surprised to see their daughter. "Annecim..." She said to Kiraz as she received the bouquet.
Eda then turned to Serkan. "What is going on?"
He smiled, not answering her question. "Hadi. Gel." He took Eda's hand once again before turning to their daughter. "Kiraz, hadi."
Eda and Serkan followed Kiraz who was walking ahead, turning to another corner where a red carpet was laid, welcoming them to a garden which overlooked the sea—the garden, designed by Eda years ago. Eda looked around and shook her head in disbelief—her friends and family were all lined up along the carpet, surrounded by the decorations they had prepared for the wedding, as they clapped their hands.
"Is this for real? Are we really getting married now?" She asked, her eyes sparkling with joy at Serkan's surprise.
"Yani...if you don't want to, we can just all eat together and go home." He joked, earning sad reactions from their family and friends.
"Peki." She shrugged before turning to her soon-to-be-husband and smiling at him lovingly. "What have I done to deserve you?"
"What have you not done?" teased Serkan before giving her a kiss on the lips then holding her hand and leading her down the aisle.
As they walked down the path to forever, Eda couldn't help but shed tears of joy—her wedding to the love of her life is finally happening! She had not thought that it would happen today, knowing the Serkan had already canceled everything. Her thoughts were then interrupted by flower petals falling over them as their friends threw some towards the aisle.
Arriving at the end of the path, they then positioned themselves behind the table, smiling at the officiant who waited for them on the side. Their friends and family applauded once more before the officiant finally spoke.
"Kindly state your name."
"Eda Yildiz."
"State your name as well."
"Serkan Bolat."
"You have expressed the desire to get married. From the point of the law, we have found no hindrances. Şimdi, we ask you to, once again, indicate your desire in front of everyone." said the officiant.
"Eda Yildiz, do you take Serkan Bolat as your husband? Without being under anyone's pressure and of your own free will?"
Eda looked deep into Serkan's eyes and smiled. "Evet."
"Serkan Bolat, do you take Eda Yildiz as your wife? Without being under anyone's pressure and of your own free will?"
Serkan caressed Eda's cheek. "Evet."
The officiant then looked at Engin and Melo. "Dear witnesses, you have heard the desire of Eda Yildiz and Serkan Bolat as they agree to marry one another. Do you agree with their desire?"
"Hayır." They both responded.
"Ne?" Serkan looked at them in shock.
Engin and Melo then bursted out in laughter, showing that their response was only a joke. This earned the two some responses from their family and friends, objecting to the comedic stunt.
"Neyse..." said Serkan, nodding towards the officiant who looked back at Engin and Melo, waiting for their real response.
"Evet!" The two said in unison.
The officiant smiled and shifted the registry book for Eda and Serkan to sign, then Engin and Melo, signing as witnesses to the ceremony—making the marriage official. Signing last on the registry book, the officiant then spoke.
"I, by the power given to me by the administration, declare you husband and wife." She then handed the marriage booklet to Eda as everyone applauded. "Tebrik ederim."
Serkan lifted Eda, spinning her around, before kissing her passionately. Erdem and Seyfi then popped the confetti—little colorful strips of paper falling from the air as the two lovely couple continued their kiss, before being interrupted by Kiraz who passed under the table to hug her parents.
Serkan took Kiraz into his arms—one arm holding their daughter and the other, holding his wife. My wife. He thought. Looking deep into Eda's eyes, he sighed. He couldn't believe that he finally had everything he had dreamt and wished for.
"Dear guests, family, and friends...I'd like to invite the bride and the groom to the center for their first dance." Piril spoke over the mic. "This is my gift to you."
The newlyweds took their spot as Piril started to sing. They swayed to the music while deeply looking into each other's eyes, engulfed by the moment.
"Nasıl?" Eda asked. "You said you canceled the wedding?"
"I did." nodded Serkan. "Ama as the day went by after the doctor's appointment, I realized that life is like a box of chocolate, as Forrest Gump once said—you'll never know what you're gonna get. O zaman, why not be spontaneous? Why not make every second count?"
He's still worried about the test result. She thought while lightly smiling at Serkan.
"I called up Ceren and Melo and asked them if we could still do the wedding but since we've already canceled most of the plans, we sort of had to rush everything. Luckily, Ayfer Hanim kept all the decor, even the flowers for the wedding came just in time." He answered.
"I'd guess that you also thought of having the wedding here?" asked Eda.
"Evet...it took some time for us to think of a place, then I realized—why not have it at the place where I realized I was doing everything I could to make you stay—the place where I gave you your first solo project hoping that you would stay even after our fake engagement contract." Serkan pointed out, making Eda smile. "I told myself that I would do anything to make you stay, come hell or high water."
"Come hell or high water? Öyle mi? Except admit your true feelings." Eda teased.
"Yani..." He shrugged, smiling before looking deep into Eda's eye as he brushed a strand of her hair from her face. "That time—I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to say. But what I knew was that I was starting to fall for you and I had to make you stay because I needed time to fix everything and show you how I really felt."
"That day, on my birthday, remember when I asked why you were still working at the flower shop—"
Serkan and Eda were sitting on the stairs after having dinner at the soup restaurant and celebrating Serkan's birthday with a cupcake. He was touched by Eda's gift which gave him the urge to kiss her on the cheek. A sudden silence surrounded them before Serkan spoke.
"Şey söyleyeceğim...Why are you still working at the flower shop?"
"This is my gold bracelet." Eda answered. "This reminds me of who I am. Plus, after our contract ends, I'll be back there anyway. So, why shouldn't I..."
He slightly smiled, realizing that them being together had an expiration date. "Yapıyorsun. You're right."
"—the end of our contract didn't come to my mind because to me, it was all becoming real. What we were doing, why we were together, all of it was becoming real to me. What I was feeling was starting to become real. To me, I didn't want to pretend anymore. I wanted it to be real ama I didn't know how." He continued.
"And finally, today, after everything we've been through...the reality is here—clearer than ever—sen, ben, and Kiraz...it's forever." He added.
"I'll probably still make some mistakes; I might overlook things; ama I promise you and Kiraz that I will never ever leave and I will love you forever...till the ground takes me."
"You don't have to be perfect, Serkan. I will also probably make mistakes and most likely be irrational. We'll probably argue but what's important is that we love each other, even when sometimes, we'll hate each other because of our stubbornness." She responded, caressing his cheek.
"As someone once said, the intensity and purity of love will never be the same everyday, but despite that fact, I will still choose you. I may not love you everyday, may it be because of an argument or whatever, but just know that I will always choose you...come hell or high water." She added.
"Seni çok seviyorum, Serkan Bolat."
"Ben seni çok seviyorum, Eda Bolat."
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A/N:
I'm baaaaaack!
I'm so sorry for being gone for so long. I was busy preparing for my wedding. But now that the wedding is done, I'm back to writing!
This chapter is a bit sloppy because I lost the notebook where I put the story drafts I make for each chapter and I totally forgot how the flow of this chapter was supposed to go 😅. But I hope you liked it 🥰!
To my regular readers, I hope you are all still there 🥹.
Pleaaase let me know what you think because I've been gone for a year and I don't know if I'm still good at it. 🥹