The Return To Love

Chapter Twenty

       Sanem sat looking at the invitation. Any other time she would have been out of her mind with excitement to get a chance like this, but now it all seemed so trivial..

       She had always believed that life had its own set of events, ones that happen when you least expect them. It was fate that brought her back here to Istanbul at the same time as Can... It was fate that brought them together at the airport....It was a planned event from the power of something much stronger than themselves....So she wasn't sure if she could just ignore it..

      A knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts. Javier was standing there as she opened the door. " Sanem, please let me talk. I don't want you to make a mistake here.... It could be a life changing one if you do...." He spoke, pleading with her.

      She had always trusted Javier with her career. He had always steered her in the right direction, but this just didn't seem right to her. " Javier, I am still processing what is going on. I can't believe you went behind my back and called my mom. That's overstepping your responsibility. Now I have to go and explain this all to my family...." 

      He held out his arm, stopping the door as she tried to close it. " You may not get another chance at this if you ignore an invitation from Leakey's. Your second book is just now reaching its potential....and this could launch it over the top." He emphasized strongly, pleading with her..

      She shook her head, " No Javier, it could launch you over the top. I will let you know my decision after I speak with my family." She replied, as she shut the door.

       Javier yelled through the door... " We need to be on the plane tomorrow evening.... Don't let him ruin this for you... he isn't worth it..

      Sanem closed her eyes as the tears begin to burn. " I will let you know Javier." She replied, as his words tugged at her heart. " Not worth it?.... How does he know anything about Can Divit...and the kind of man he is...about how much she loved him and he loved her... He is the only thing that is worth stepping away from her writing, if it came down to it"....

       She needed to make a trip to the hospital, talk to her dad and tell him what is going on..She was sure her mom had already told him she never left Istanbul, but she wanted to explain to him herself, the reason why.

      Can would be back in a few hours to pick her up, so she had time, if she went now. She was nervous as she quickly changed her clothes and brushed her hair, pulling it up in a ponytail. The approval from her dad always meant the most to her. He had been against her move to the Islands after Can had left, but she finally convinced him it was for the best....she hoped she could do the same when it came to Can Divit...

       CeyCey had ordered two cups of Turkish coffee and a plate of Baklava, as he waited for Can. He wondered what had happened to make him want to talk. The last conversation he had with Can, he had told him he wasn't to get involved in their personal lives again....yet here he was, willing to listen to whatever problem they had.

      A few minutes later Can came walking in, slapping CeyCey on the back as he sat down. "Ahh, you already ordered, and you got some baklava too. You knew what I needed." He joked, diving into the sweet dessert.

      CeyCey smiled and nodded, " Welcome.. I thought you might need that. So, what's wrong, what has Sanem done now?" He asked. Can looked up quickly, " What makes you think that Sanem has done something wrong?  It's not that, it's the fact there is always something or someone ready to spoil what we have." He answered, as he took a sip of tea.

      He had seen this look on Cans face before. A look of confusion and deflated dreams. " What happened. Is it her parents, did they forbid her to see you?" CeyCey muttered, leaning across the table.

      Can smiled, " No, it's not her parents. I could handle it if it were just that. No CeyCey, her publisher showed up here today, Javier. He brought some huge invitation to a book event in Scotland. They are suppose to leave tomorrow for Inverness, Scotland, if she agrees to go. But I think he is just trying to get her away from me." 

      Can leaned back, taking a deep breath. " We need more time together, we can't be pulled apart so quickly. But this is her career, and it's hard to come between her and her writing." He said, closing his eyes.

      " Javier made it quite clear that I wasn't good for her. He told me if I ever cared for her, I wouldn't stand in her way." He spoke the words cutting like a knife.

      CeyCey felt the pain of his friend just like he had years before when Can confided in him. Why had it been so difficult for these two people that were obviously in love, to be together?

      " What did Sanem say about it?" CeyCey asked. " I have heard her talk about Javier and how possessive he was of her. She had never liked the way he tried to own her." He replied, recalling the many conversations they had about him.

      Can thought back to earlier, " Sanem had been pretty annoyed that Javier had just shown up there."  He thought. "And she was visibly upset after her talk with him in the restaurant. Maybe this book signing event wasn't as important to her as it was to Javier."  

      After talking with Can, CeyCey headed back to the agency. He wondered if Sanem had told Can about her very brief encounter with Javier. It was something that she wasn't proud of and it was only once, but Javier had held on to that moment of her bad judgment like a lifeline.

      He had always wanted more, according to Sanem, but she let him know that wasn't possible. So, he had to be satisfied with taking care of her in a different way.... Through her career...

      The taxi was waiting for Sanem in front of the hotel. She got in, giving him the address to the hospital. Lots of thoughts were scrolling through her mind as she rode along. The conversation with her mom had been a lot better than she expected....so maybe this talk with her dad would be the same.... But either way, she would be the one making her own decision...

       Before she knew it they were stopped in front of the hospital. She paid the driver and stepped out, feeling her legs tremble a little. This would probably be the most important conversation she would have with her dad.

       Nihat Aydin had been quite verbal about how he felt about Can Divit, those first few months after he had left Istanbul. Watching his daughter crumble into a million pieces had not been easy.... But he knew she would recover, but in his heart he knew she would never move on...

       So, he was not surprised when his wife told him that Sanem hadn't left Istanbul.... And he was even less surprised to know it was because of Can......

       He was waiting for his daughter to come to him, with her heart in her hand.... Wanting to hear those words of comfort and acceptance from him..... He hoped he was able to give them to her...