KaySun: The golden age of something good and right and real

#1: This is the state of grace

Like every morning, the Korhan mansion was filled with laughter of children, a couple of cousins who liked to run around the rooms and cause a little mischief. It was always the same: 4-year-old Hakan would come up with the plan, present it to Reyhan, and then both would create a new type of mess that would require the entire staff to clean it up before either one of their parents discovered it.

"Hurry up, Rey! I think your mom's coming!" Said Hakan to his older cousin, who hadn't given up on the drawing she had created minutes ago on the wall. This was also very common, for she was a perfectionist and, most of all, knew that if she were to ever be discovered by her mom, everyone in the house would go to her rescue. What could she say? She was the first-born of the new generation, and even Ifakat adored her.

"Reyhan, what are you doing there?" Asked Suna, who had just missed her nephew escaping the crime scene. The 5-year-old brunette slowly turned around, thinking of new ways to make her cousin pay for leaving her alone, but also trying to make up the most innocent façade she could. Her mom was outraged, but to her surprise, she didn't immediately scold her; on the contrary, she took a deep breath, exhaled, and clearly made a great effort to not raise her voice. Reyhan was sure it was the result of her sister's intervention, already helping her even though she was still inside her mom's belly.

"I'm sorry anne... but I think this room needed some color!" And with that, she pulled off her cute and sweet smile, the one that almost always got her out of trouble. Suna sternly looked at her for a couple of seconds, but Reyhan already knew she had won the battle: a little smile appeared on her mom's face, and soon after, she was laughing while hugging her daughter, who was promising her not to do it again but also proudly showing her creation. The soft and sweet laughter of his aunt made Hakan come out of his hiding place, and by the time his mom arrived to take them downstairs to lunch, both cousins were laughing and cheerfully explaining to Suna how great the room would look entirely covered with their dragon-drawings on the walls.

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It was late, more than usual, when Kaya entered the room. The last few weeks he had been staying up late working with Ferit, both trying to make the upcoming Spring Collection a success, but as the due date approached, more problems seemed to surface. He wasn't going to lie, the whole thing was extremely exhausting, but both cousins knew this had to be perfect, for it was the first project Halis had entirely given them freedom on, their chance to finally prove him that they were more than ready to take the reins over the family company.

But for Kaya, it also felt like his opportunity to show everyone that he was as capable as his spoiled cousin, just as much of a grandson as Ferit. A real Korhan.

It killed him not being able to spend more time with his pregnant wife and their beautiful daughter, especially on the weekends, but every time he felt like giving up, Suna would encourage and reassure him that it was okay, they were okay; that as much as they missed him, he needed to do this for himself. And every night, she would wait for him on their bed, ready to listen to his day, ready to tell him what new disaster their beloved Reyhan had made with her cousin, ready to love him and be his.

"You're still up?" Asked Kaya as he closed the door. He already knew the answer though, Suna always waited for him to arrive before getting some sleep. Truly, he didn't know what he'd done to deserve such care and love from this woman.

"Always," She greeted him with her usual sincere and calmed smile, the one that gave him peace and warmth. Kaya didn't waste a second and immediately went to kiss her, softly at first, but slowly turning into a more passionate one, showing her how much he'd missed her, and how much she drove him crazy. Suna stopped him before it turned into something more. "How was your day? Did you manage to solve the distribution problem?" And off to tell her everything he went.

Suna listened attentively, putting aside her tiredness, and as he vented over the events of the day while changing into his pajamas, she couldn't help but admire her Turkish-English husband. 6 years had passed since they got married, but it felt like she loved him more and more by the day, discovering new little things about him, new parts of him that no one else saw.

Their marriage hadn't started off as most ones, but their common goal of revenge had long been put aside, turning into a deep and beautiful relationship that made everyone envious. Theirs was a love filled with respect, understanding, honesty, two damaged souls who had found in each other the home they'd always carved. To some, it seemed a little bit boring or monotonous; unlike Seyran and Ferit, they almost never fought, and when they did, the problem was swiftly solved as they talked it through, for that was their way of dealing with life and its problems: both together, as a team, supporting each other through thick and thin.

"... Anyways, I don't think it'll be a problem anymore, inshallah" He'd already gotten into bed with her, slowly caressing her hair while she laid with her head on his toned chest. These were his favorite moments, his favorite place: she in his arms, trusting him, listening to him, being comfortable with his presence. With the years, she had confided him with all the horrors she had lived in the past, her fears and ghosts, so to be allowed to hold her like this every night made him feel so grateful and honored, always keeping in mind that he should never take it for granted, that he should always show her how much she and her trust meant to him. "How was yours, sevgili karım?"

It was truly astonishing how she couldn't help but blush every night as he said these types of endearments to her, like her heart still hadn't gotten used to being so truly cherished and loved by Kaya. "Well, your daughter decided to take her artistic skills to the next level. I discovered her drawing dragons on the walls of one of the spare rooms."

"My daughter, you say? Isn't she yours too?"

"Those are definitely the Korhan's genes; it was Hakan who came up with the plan, and of course Reyhan followed him, so I rest my case." The playful tone in their voces echoed the room. "Although, I have to admit, both of them are really talented for their ages. They spend the rest of the day trying to convince me and Seyran to allow them to redecorate all the rooms with their drawings, especially Alara's."

Both expecting parents immediately put their hands on Suna's growing belly, the mention of their unborn daughter's name always made them do that. They still had two months to go, but the excitement in the house was as strong as five years ago, when the brunette announced she was carrying Halis' first great-grand child.

"What do you think, Alara? Should we let your older sister and cousin fill your room with dragons and fairies and flowers?" As if knowing her father was addressing her, the baby kicked a couple of times, making Kaya extremely happy by this response, and Suna a little jealous of how much her daughter already showed who her favorite parent was. "We'll take that as a yes, thank you for answering my darling" Said Kaya, switching to English for his endearment, and kissing his wife's belly.

Soon enough, after she finished telling him about her day, worries, and plans for the week, the couple decided it was time to sleep. Turning off the lights, they settled into their usual sleeping position: Suna's head and hand over Kaya's chest, him covering her with his strong arms.

But before Suna let her night turn into day, the peace of the dark into the chaos of the morning, she did what she always did, night after night. Grabbing his face with both hands, she kissed him tenderly, trying to express how much she loved him, how happy she was with the life they'd created for themselves, how grateful she was to be none other than Suna Sönmez.

This, truly, was the state of grace.