Until I Found you

Seven

"You are very cheerful tonight," Ayfer said to her daughter as Eda hummed a song while making dinner.

Eda quirked her eyebrows, "Whatever do you mean, Mrs. Yıldız? I'm as content as I always am."

Though she was being deliberately obtuse, the last she needed was for her mother to force her to acknowledge how stupidly happy she was after spending the day with Serkan and Kiraz. This would be the silliest of statements to the outsider in the equation. Eda had spent more than two years as the Bolat's nanny. Spending time with father and daughter was what she'd done most these past couple of years.

But this Saturday had been different. She hadn't been Kiraz's nanny, invited to all events and gatherings so she could mind the youngest of Bolats; she was just Eda. Serkan Bolat had even been jealous of her when Kiraz shared what she'd be doing in the evening. She could feel good about herself, right?

"I wanted to ask you when you were putting an end to the babysitting job. I thought the position with Dr. Bell would allow you to have more time... off." The insinuation was clear.

Eda breathed. Her mother was right.

"I'll probably do both for another month or two," Eda admitted.

"Eda, most people give their jobs two weeks before they go. Not two months," Ayfer admonished. "And don't speak about your pay with the Bolats because you know that's not the point, canım."

Eda stopped working on the dough for the pie she would bake.

"Anne, I can't...."

Ayfer interrupted knowingly, "Leave Kiraz."

Eda nodded.

Just then, Eda's phone vibrated, and Ryan's name appeared on the screen.

***

"Who are you texting, Baba?" Kiraz asked Serkan when she noticed he wasn't really paying attention to the movie they were watching.

"No one," he immediately said. And he indeed wasn't. What he was doing was stalking Eda's Instagram to see if she posted anything relating to her date. Eda had posted a picture of Kiraz in her stories earlier; his daughter was eating cotton candy. She'd posted a video making a cherry pie. But then silence. Ryan hadn't posted anything, either. Then again, unlike Eda's, his account was public, so he might take much more care of what he shared.

The one who had posted a gazillion pictures was Alina. Serkan rolled his eyes. Suddenly she had a million photos with her niece up on her profile, doing all sorts of things.

"I wish Eda were here..." Kiraz told her father and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Can we call her?"

Serkan hesitated.

"Don't you miss her, too?"

He did. "Eda and Dr. Bell are having dinner tonight. I don't think it's a good idea."

***

Ryan: I am very sorry, Eda. My mother fell in the shower. I won't be able to make it to dinner tonight. I'm with her at the hospital right now.

Ryan said in an apologetic tone, and Eda tried to soothe him.

Eda: Don't worry about it. I completely understand. Hope she gets well soon.

Ryan: See you on Monday. Depending on how she's doing, I'll be out until lunch.

Eda: I'll bring you some pie to taste on Monday since you won't get to tonight.

Ryan: You're the best. Thank you, sweetheart.

"He's not coming," Ayfer said to her when she saw her daughter's expression when she'd hung up the phone.