Constantinople's Cherry

III - 38. Birlikte

Life has been very hard since the night of the dissolution. There's fear ofcourse. There's also just pain and sadness. Like mourning. I cry a lot.

There's also some tiny rays of hope and beauty, but so little.

I haven't been able to sit and concentrate on anything. Friends say they can't even focus on a movie or a watch an episode of a show since. My mental state wasn't stable to be able to write.

But thankfully, I had a lot written ahead so here's a chapter after almost a month.

Happy reading.

....

"Annecim, you're active today, kicking around so much ?" Serkan looked up from the task of crafting wooden ustensils, he often did something to help around the camp.

He saw Eda cooing to Kiraz as she cleaned her with a bowl of water and a piece of cloth, the little baby on her knees while Eda occasionally bent to kiss her.

Her eyes were so full of love, her touch so gently on the baby, motherly warmth radiating from her every pore.

Serkan's eyes rested on her. He hadn't really imagined Eda as a mother, and when he did, it was always, in the same lifestyle she had before.

Ofcourse he knew she'd love their children, but he didn't envision her ever taking care of them.

Maids would do that, like they did for most babies of women of her status, and as Eda used to repeat back in the time.

But this humble, broken woman, so sick herself, weak, but still radiating with motherly glow wasn't what he expected.

Motherhood suited her. Kiraz brought a sense of peace on her face, and such love, she probably didn't even realise.

"Bak, you're all pretty and clean my sweet baby." Eda cooed with a smile to Kiraz who gurgled as her mother dressed her back.

Eda let out a tiny laugh, holding her tiny flailing arm. "Wait, you need to be still for me to do this, you're so active today." She spoke to the panting baby, tiny puffs of air left her lips and her limbs kicked in the air.

Serkan left his task, adoring his girls, a soft smile on his face, and made his way to them. Kiraz's eyes fell on him and she gurgled. "Hey baby, your mother made you all clean, look at you, a princess." Serkan cooed.

Kiraz let out a squeal in response. "Slow down." Eda laughed softly holding the warm blanket she wrapped around Kiraz, but struggled to, with the movements of the baby.

"Who are you even boxing Kiki ? Training time ?" Serkan cooed and held his palm above the baby's moving limbs.

Kiraz gurgled and caught his fingers in her fists and Serkan laughed, and bent to kiss the baby's soft forehead.

"Girls don't box." Eda said quietly, looking at the father-daughter duo.

"Ofcourse they do, want to show your mother Kiraz ?" Serkan cooed and watched as Eda shook her head and finished dressing Kiraz, carrying her up against her chest.

"Come here bebeğim." She said softly, a hand stroking Kiraz's back, and Kiraz calmed down, the baby instantly curling against her mother's chest, resting her head on her heart.

Serkan looked at Eda, there was still ambiant sadness in her demeanor, and he understood. Their conditions were hard, and fate uncertain.

"Did she use to kick a lot when she was inside you ?" He asked softly, he hadn't been with the woman he loved when she was with child.