Stay with me

Chapter 81 - Epilogue

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: