Early Bird (Erkenci Kus)(Part 3)

70. Huma

"Mom?" Sanem asks in confusion, staring from one to the other. "Is this a joke?" Can's eyes stay on his mother, and hers on him. Sanem slowly looks from Can to the woman she so harshly treated - granted it was warranted - but still.

Can could hardly breathe where he stood. He was hoping it was a drunken illusion but Sanem's reaction told him he wasn't nearly drunk enough. Huma...

"Won't you come and say hello to your mother?"

"What are you doing here?" Can asks gruffly.

"I..." The guilt and harshness of her words the day before and not even five minutes ago, made Sanem look at the woman next to her apologetically. "I'm really...But you..." She stutters and stares at her.

"I thought I told you to hang this up." The coat is pushed into Sanem's shocked hands again. "You keep chatting and hanging around. Do something useful. Go and hang it in the closet." She turns to Can and holds open her arms. "My darling Can," she coos and walks towards him, "it's good I'm here. The help is extremely inadequate."

"Sanem is not the help, mom," Can steps out of reach, avoiding her eyes and walking past her to Sanem's side, placing his hand on her lower back. "She is my girlfriend."

"Oh," Huma turns to Sanem, still stunned into silence. "Then this is truly a disaster. We had a bit of a sour first meeting, didn't we?"

"Yes," Sanem swallows.

"You're probably here to see Emre."

"No dear, I was worried about you."

"There's nothing to worry about. I was fine until now."

"Well I - "

"Sanem, let's go." Can turns to the door, stalking out past Huma without waiting for Sanem.

Sanem doesn't protest, she just gives his mother one more look before she hurries after him, putting the coat and clutch in the hall closet to the side.

-

"Mom?"

Huma turns from the door to see Emre standing there. "Emre?"
He walks to her quickly and hugs her, looking at Sanem's back hurrying out the door. "Oh my baby!"

"This is a nice surprise."

"I missed you so much."

Sanem shuts the door and Emre looks towards it fleetingly before he smiles at his mother. "Me too, come in. How was your trip?" he asks, walking her to the living room.

"It was good." She perks up when they enter the party. "Oohh, this looks fun."

Emre chuckles at her finger jig.

"It's Mrs Huma," Deren gasps next to Guliz, who nods with large eyes.

"What are we celebrating?" Huma asks.

"We just won the campaign for a big cosmetics company. Redmod."

"Bravo!" Huma touches his cheek. "Congratulations!"

"Have you seen Sanem?" Leyla asks over the music behind him, looking around the room. He looks away just as JJ starts talking loudly into the microphone.

"I'm JJ!" he says and Huma jumps back from the speaker. "Let's dance!" He starts hopping, putting on a faster song. "Whoo hoo! It's a par - Hey! Stop taking selfies and dance damn you!"

"Oh my goodness," Huma blinks at him, her hand to her chest.

"Do you want something to drink?" Emre asks in her ear.