This was not what Sanem had envisioned for her life. A young widow running her own publishing company..alone. She also never thought she'd love again. Her heart was broken and no one would ever be able to put the pieces back together.
Can was just o...
Family dinners in the Yaman house was the polar opposite of the environment at Can's father's business. Music was blaring in the background, gifts from his recent Cambodian trip were strewn all over the living room and Can, Farah and Aziz were taking turns laughing and trying to talk over one another. Can had missed this so much.
As he walked around the living room with his glass of whiskey, Can's eyes went straight to his favorite picture of his mom, he and Farah.
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They had lost their precious mother in Can's last year at university and he thought he'd never recover. Knowing that he had made the decision to pursue photography and not the family business was weighing heavy on him when she passed of cancer. He regretted not going through with his former plans just so he could be with his sister and father. The loss was devastating.
Maria Yaman was the heart and soul of their family. Her light was the guiding force in all of their lives. Nothing was ever quite the same after she left this earth. It was only the knowledge that she would have wanted him to pursue what he was born to do, as she put it when she saw his photographs, that kept him on course.
Looking around the room as Farah and his dad looked through the treasures that Can had brought them, his heart was full. He knew that it was his mom's love that brought happiness back to the three of them eventually and they slowly found a way to keep going. His dad never married again. He said he would never be able to find the kind of deep love he felt for Maria. She was one-of-a-kind.
Can's heart hurt knowing that she would miss so much in their lives but when he would feel like giving up, he felt her gentle tug at his heart, pushing him on. She loved butterflies and whenever he saw one in his many travels, he would always say..I see you, Mom. I love you and miss you every day. He loved those moments.
She demonstrated what true and unconditional love was all about. She and his dad modeled it so well. It was one of the reasons he hadn't married yet. He knew he could never make a commitment like that for a lifetime if it wasn't with his true soulmate.
She was still out there, somewhere. He had girlfriends and even got close to a serious one awhile back but there was always something missing. He didn't know what it was but he knew none of the wonderful women he had met and dated had "it".
But his mom would always tell him, Son, you will know it when you find it. And when you do, don't ever let go. True love is not always easy but it is always worth the fight. He promised her that he would but he started to wonder if he would actually ever keep that promise to his mom.
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He smiled as his dad called his name, causing him to turn around from the mantel where the family pictures were.
Yes, dad! You wear that on your head! Here let me help you, he chuckled.
They all talked long into the night, catching up on the family business, Can offering suggestions where he could, listening to Farah talk about her frustrations with a few employees. He nodded and listened intently but somehow his thoughts kept flowing back to the woman in the cafe. What was it about her that felt so familiar?
He didn't see her whole face, well, very little of it honestly but he couldn't shake the feeling that he had met her before. Although he was sure that if he had, he would've remembered the scent of her perfume. What was it about that scent that captured his attention?
Can, Can, Caaaannnn, are you listening to me?? Farah was waving her hands in front of his face now, clearly irritated with his lack of attention but smiled when a big goofy grin crossed his face. Oh boy. She knew that grin well. She would wait until their dad went to bed and start the interrogation mercilessly.
Farah had not seen that smile in a really long time. There was only one girl that ever made him smile like that but that was forever ago! None of his girlfriends since then ever brought him that much joy. She loved her brother so very much but he couldn't possibly still be hung up on the girl from high school, could he??
No! There's no way. He must have met someone in Cambodia. She couldn't wait to hear all about her.
She let her mind wonder a bit. She had missed her brother so much this past year. They talked often with frequent video calls but to have him here brought her so much joy and peace, honestly. When he was around, she felt safe and loved deeply. After their mom had passed away, their bond grew deeper and Farah knew she could always depend on Can for anything.
She loved being in the business with her dad, loved knowing that they were following their shared dream together but without Can home, there was always a piece missing.
She was going to try to clear her schedule as much as possible to spend time with him these next two weeks. There were so many places she wanted to take him. She meant to ask him if he had liked the cafe she suggested for lunch. She didn't get there as often as she would like but she loved the family that owned it.
Farah's mind drifted for a bit as she smiled, listening to her dad and Can talk and laugh about his adventures in Cambodia. Can even got up and tried to show them a dance he had seen the villagers doing but poor thing. He was handsome, smart and loving to a fault but the man looked like a giraffe trying to dance.
She laughed out loud at his antics as he gyrated around the living room, spilling some of his whiskey as he moved. The housekeeper would give him hell for that stain.
She thought about Can and his love life and what that smile could mean. She hadn't thought about the girl he lost his heart to in high school for so many years.
She lost track of her as the years passed and Farah wondered what had happened to her.
Yes, poor Can moped around almost his whole senior year. And the girl never had an inkling that Can had fallen so hard for her. The day he finally got up enough nerve to ask her out, Nicolas Aydein beat him to it having no idea what Can felt for her. She would never forget her name because it was constantly in Can's conversations that whole year.
Sanem...
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I hope you're enjoying this story so far. I'm so inspired today so I have uploaded multiple chapters but please please don't get frustrated if that slows down later on! My goal is to publish a chapter 2-3 times a week while I'm feeling my muse burning bright. Some days, like today, it will be more. I would love your feedback and kind criticisms. I know I won't be everyone's cup of tea but I hope the majority will enjoy.
I would love your votes as well, if you see fit to do so. And let me just say front the jump that my story is NOT marked as "Mature" because I won't be going there. If you love romance and true love, hope and some angst, comedy and some moments of heaviness due to loss that's been explained so far, you're in the right place!
