Comeback

62 -Cannot be true

Sanem

The big day has finally arrived, I am over the moon at the idea of finally having all of our loved ones gathered around a table and next to us. Can borrowed some tables from Mihriban that we set up under the trees behind the cottage and brought strings of lights there that will illuminate the entire table in daylight.

We invited Mihriban as well, she and my mom had been in touch and agreed on the menu, basically they will prepare everything and Can and I were left with the task of setting the table and grilling the meat.

I'm excited to have my parents, Aziz, Emre and Layla and Mihriban over for dinner, even Mihriban has become part of the family after all she has done to help us get back together.

Noticing Aziz's maneuvering to get closer, I had teased her one afternoon when she invited me to tea about a certain guest's attentions to her. I saw her become serious and look away, I got worried and taking her hand I apologized if in some way I had embarrassed her. This was enough to make her a river in flood, she began to tell her story, a story very similar to mine in terms of deep but thwarted love, she told me about her stay in the clinic as it had been for me, only that its epilogue had not been as happy.

I felt her closer than ever, I got up and hugged her to console the girl she had been, the one who still after so many years looked through the sad look I had in front of my eyes at that moment, only those who had experienced in the same way the fall into that dark abyss of despair could understand her.

But I never expected the revelation she made to me a moment later, never could I have thought that the man she had loved was Aziz and the woman who had divided them was none other than Huma. How much evil had that woman been able to sow behind her over the course of her life? We remained embraced for an indefinite time, we tried with that warmth to soothe and let go of the suffering that woman had caused us.

Tonight Mihriban will be with us, who knows, maybe Aziz will be able to win her back? From what I've been able to observe, he is determined to take back his lost love, I hope with all my heart that he succeeds, they both deserve such happiness after all the pain they have suffered because of Huma.

Here come our guests in a cheerful hubbub, my mother and Mihriban have distributed to Can, Emre, Nihat and Aziz all the trays they have prepared for our dinner, I can see them arriving with their precious load as if they were the Three Kings. It's too funny to realize how these two little women are able to intimidate the whole male gender with just one stern look.

Kisses, hugs, laughter, teasing, there is so much food on the table and so much affection in the air in this evening together.
We are happy, everyone, no one excluded, even Mihriban seems to have a more relaxed smile in the presence of Aziz who doesn't even try to hide his adoring gaze for that enchanting and stubborn woman.

I finally feel complete, I feel like I have everything I want in life and I am infinitely grateful to have been blessed with such good fortune.

We had a wonderful evening, even Can was happy to have his father and brother with him, they had always struggled to be a family and now they could discover this new dimension of warmth and conviviality that they had never experienced in the past.

We said goodbye with the understanding that we would soon organize another evening, there would be no shortage of opportunities as the summer season approached. My mother insists on helping me tidy up before leaving, but Mihriban gently pushes her reassuring her that she will help me, she doesn't have to worry.

Can and Aziz walk them to the car to shine their flashlights on the driveway, Mihriban and I busily clear the table, we are both cheerful and laughing at some of Mevkibe's jokes about my father's proverbial hunger when we turn around and see shadows coming out of the trees behind us.

We are both incredulous, we can't believe our eyes. I can't figure out where they came from and especially why.

- Yigit? Huma? What are you doing here? What do you want? -

Huma spoke first.

- Look, look, look Mihriban, I wonder what you're doing here, I thought I'd never see you again after I heard you had moved abroad. Like a ghost from the past you happen to reappear right next to Aziz, what a coincidence!

- Huma I don't have to account to you for where I am or what I'm doing, you have no right to be here nor any right to Aziz, so please leave my estate along with that guy you brought along -

- Calm down Mihriban, we're not here for you, I didn't even know you had started buzzing around Aziz again, we just came to talk to him and witnessed your beautiful family night, how beautiful you were! -

Aziz's voice answers her and he can hardly hide his anger.

- Don't you dare talk about family, you don't know what it is and until this evening we didn't know what it was either, do you know? You have deprived us of everything, you have deprived us of the affection, love and sharing that should be in any normal family.

You shouldn't have appeared in this picture at all, I should be here today with the children I had with Mihriban after a happy life spent with her, if it hadn't been for your machinations and your wickedness this would have been our future together, it would have been a future full of happiness. -

I feel Mihriban stiffen next to me and bring a hand to his mouth as if to restrain an exclamation of astonishment. Aziz continues:

- What do you want? How did you find us? Go away! -

Huma is green with anger, she has been humiliated by Aziz's words in front of her arch-enemy, but I see her trying to regain her composure.

- Not only you can hire a private investigator what do you think? We have come to try to reach an agreement, Aziz you must desist from the idea of denouncing us. I'll sell you my shares at the price you offered but in return you will disinterest yourself in my business, tamam?

- No way, I will not be your accomplice in this scam by being aware of it and keeping silent. I will not allow you to continue on that path, rest assured.

I feel an enormous rage coming on, how dare they violate the peace of our family once again?

- What do you want? Go away, no one here wants to have anything to do with either of you. You are despicable beings - I look Yigit in the eyes

- What kind of man are you? You're just a puppet in the hands of this wicked woman, she commands and you obey, what have you gained from our separation, what were you aiming at by dividing us up?

- I was aiming at you Sanem, you never understood that, you never even tried to look at me as a man, you only needed me to publish your book, to realize your dream. You had idealized your albatross, that man was perfect for you, he was exceptional, he was unique and I wanted to see what you would think of him after he abandoned you. That's what I wanted, I wanted to make you suffer like I suffered seeing you so happy together, you never gave me a chance -

- What are you saying Yigit? Can was right from the beginning, you were aiming at me, that was your only purpose, you had no intention of publishing my book, you just wanted to destroy Can and our love, but as you can see you didn't succeed.

We are together again, as happy as ever and you can only be ashamed of what you did, of the cowardly behavior you had, I despise you with all my being Yigit.

I hope to have nothing more to do with you in the future-

I see his face turn earthy, his jaw contracted, his eyes wide and glassy.

In an instant he has pulled out a gun and is pointing it at me with a look of endless hatred.

I raise my hands in a gesture of defense, I can't believe what is happening, it can't be true.