Until I Found you

Two

6 weeks later

"Is there nothing we can do to have you stay?" Kemal Bey asked Eda as she presented him with her resignation letter.

"This is what's best for her, Askım. We can't hold her here forever," Aydan Hanım said sympathetically - perhaps her most unlikely ally during this change.

"I'll promise to make sure the transition is as natural as possible for Kiraz," Eda offered.

"My granddaughter doesn't need to lose someone so close again," Kemal insisted.

Eda's drive crumbled. The last thing she wanted was to hurt Kiraz. 

If she could, she'd take Kiraz with her.

Kemal received a call and excused himself to go to his studio.

"I can't blame you for wanting to go," Aydan Hanım commiserated. "This whole bringing a date to the investor dinner, and the date being the investor... it's aggravating even for me."

Eda nodded, "Still. I know my place. My reaction last night at dinner was inappropriate."

"All I witnessed was you standing up for my granddaughter," Aydan defended her.

"Serkan Bey had every right to put me in my place. I shouldn't have taken such liberties. Kiraz is just my charge. She's not my daughter."

Aydan just nodded, grabbing Eda's hand tenderly, trying to comfort her.

"Eda Abla!" Kiraz exclaimed as she walked into the family room where her grandparents spoke with Eda. "I thought Baba would send you away after you 'yelled' at his date yesterday," Kiraz affirmed in relief. 

"He hasn't, though I wouldn't put it past him," Eda admitted. "But, Kiraz... Don't you think you're old enough not to need a nanny anymore? Maybe your dad is right, and it's time I... moved on."

"No! You can leave me. Baba is just a butthead," Kiraz said, hugging Eda by the waist.

"Kiraz, I am not leaving you. I'm your friend, and I will always be here for you. Only you are in school now. And you don't need me as before. I finally finished my degree and want to do something within my field. That doesn't mean I'm going to disappear from your life. I promise," Eda explained, trying to reassure her.

Kiraz was unhappy with what she heard. And as she'd done since Eda had known her, she went quiet and withdrew. Eda despised hurting Kiraz, but she needed to end this before she put herself in a position she didn't want to be in: Watching Serkan falling in love with another woman. 

Kiraz left to her room in a huff.

"My granddaughter will come around. She'll understand. And when she sees that you really aren't leaving her life, just changing labels, she'll calm down," Aydan soothed Eda.

Eda nodded, trying not to cry. "I love her. I would stay, just for her. But..."

"My son needs to get his act together. He can't keep using you, Eda," Aydan affirmed, and the look the older woman directed at her let Eda know that Aydan knew of whatever had been going on between her and Serkan. "Maybe he'll acknowledge his true feelings for you once you're no longer available to him."

"I..." Eda didn't know how to respond to this.

"You care about my son. You've cared for him longer than you are willing to admit, I'm sure. And the worst part is that Serkan knows. Those bickering sessions between the two of you... they're fueled by something more than just differences in points of view. And Serkan loves bickering with you... But yesterday, yesterday, he was plain disrespectful. And if you two were in a relationship, I'd support you if you broke up with him. He doesn't deserve you if he thinks treating you like that is okay. And he needs to realize that."