You Will Never Walk Alone (DefÖm)

The 15th of March

Another year meant another 15th of March upcoming. Previous years Ömer was alone on this day, but this time it was much more different, because there was Defne - the love of his life, his soul.

The previous evening, after dinner, Defne and Ömer spent the time preparing dolmas. As Defne had promised him - on that particular day they would eat dolmas and Ömer would be talking to Defne about his mother, and Defne would be listening to him and supporting him.

In the morning of March the 15th Defne and Ömer got up early. They got ready, had breakfast, took everything needed and headed to the poplar forest. They stayed there for at least one hour and wandered around the poplars. Ömer once again remembered how much his mother Emine loved poplar trees and how she always showed them to him. Tears filled his eyes once again and he was trying to hold them back and not cry. Feeling this, Defne caught his hand, squeezed it a little tighter and said to him "If you are feeling like crying, cry. Do not hold it back. It will become easier to your soul."

Defne spoke in the most gentle way. She was caressing his beautiful face, while speaking. Ömer was looking at her with so much love. He listened to her and let the tears fall down. Defne hugged him, making it easier for him. He buried his face in her hair and muffled "Thank you, my love! Thank you for being here!"

"Shhh, do not speak now." she replied, stroking his nape gently "I am here."

When Ömer calmed down, he looked back at Defne's eyes and smiled.

"Are you feeling better now?" she asked him

"Yes." he answered "Thank you!"

She smiled back at him.

"Come on, let's go." Ömer said

"Are you sure everything is fine?" Defne asked

"Yes, everything is fine." he answered

"Okay, then." she replied "Let's go, then."

Defne and Ömer left the poplar forest, got in the car and went to the forest house - the place where Emine İplikçi spent the last days of her life. There Ömer lit the fireplace and Defne unpacked the boxes of food and put them in the fridge.

Ömer would usually be quite sadder and would barely talk, but Defne and her presence in his life changed this and she changed it for better. On this 15th of March Ömer was happier and smiling more, while still grieving for his beloved mother. He even talked more than he would have, if Defne had not appeared in his life.

Around noon Defne warmed up the food and together with Ömer they set the table and had lunch. Apart from the dolmas, Defne had prepared other meals, as well. They even had milk baklava, that was sent to them from the one and only Grandmother Türkan.

In the evening, after dinner, Defne and Ömer sat on the sofa, in front of the fire place.

"Could you tell me more about your mother?" Defne asked Ömer

Ömer smiled at his future wife.

"Wait here a bit." he said and stood up

"Where are you going?" she asked

"Just wait here." he replied "I am coming in a second."

Ömer went into the other room. There he opened a drawer and took out a big photo album, where he kept photos of his mother, his mother and himself, his mother and his father and so on. He returned to the living room "Here is a family album full of photos. We can look at it, if you want to, and I will be telling you the stories of these photos."