The Wedding Night...

Being enthralled...

The babies were a little over three months old. Dilan and Baran were preparing to bathe them. As was customary, they had set two baby bathers in the bathroom with towels, baby soap, and shampoo. They had quickly learned that bathing them would calm them and help them sleep. The twins had been active all morning and most of the afternoon, taking both their parents' time, making it difficult for them to fulfill their plans for the day. The opening of the new orphanage was finally happening. Baran's latest collection was in the final stages of design. They were overseeing the work done by their respective teams and trying to get ready to attend the inauguration ceremony punctually. Dilan and Baran took turns doing what they were supposed to. However, the time for them to leave for the venue was dangerously close, and they needed a quick solution. That is why they agreed to bathe them later than usual that day. Dilan carried Dilay in her arms and placed her in the baby bather. Soon after, Baran did the same with Önder. While they poured water onto them, Dilan spoke to Dilay. "We are giving the little princess a refreshing bath. Yes, we are!" The baby girl looked attentive at Dilan and made little sounds while conversing with her mom. "Yes, Ms. Dilay likes to look her best at all times, right?" With a serious frown, her daughter was answering. "She does..." Soaping Dilay, Dilan heard Baran speaking with Önder. "You love to bathe, don't you? As soon as you touch the water, you smile, wiggling your arms and legs..." Recently, Önder began forming smiles whenever they would talk to him, he was bathing, or was excited. The little miss was a bit more serious. She had yet to do it. Dilan would do funny faces to her, but she refused to reward her mom with a smile. "When would you smile, Dilay?" Dilan said out loud. "Whenever she is ready, Mom. Don't push her. They are twins, but don't have to reach every milestone simultaneously." Dilan glanced at her husband, annoyed. "This is all your fault. She got your temper."

"I see nothing wrong with it," Baran replied. "One must be serious about life." He added stoically. "Now, this little man here is quite the opposite... Son, you can't go through life smiling at everyone. That would get you into trouble. People should be kept at a distance." Dilan was bewildered. "Baran!" He ignored her and continued to bathe Önder. "We will revisit this subject later, when we start to have female visitors at home, my Dilan. Our son's good looks and flirtatious nature would have them lined up outside. You will see." Dilan could not believe her husband. "He is not flirtatious, he is just a baby with a jovial nature. How did you take that to being attractive to girls? You are exaggerating, Baran." He stopped to look at her. "We will see who is right or wrong when they get older, Dilan." She ignored his words and continued. She was set on winning the argument. "Besides, girls are more attracted to mysterious, quiet, and hard-to-get men, Baran." She knew she had made a mistake immediately after the words left her mouth. "Is that so, Ms. Dilan? I understand everything now." She tried to play dumb. "What is it you think you understand?" She was careful not to look at him. However, she knew he was staring at her. Not only her cheeks but her whole body began to feel hot. "That is why you were attractive to me even when you were busy hating me. Going by your standard, it would have been difficult not to fall deeply and madly in love with me." 'Damn it, Dilan. You dug your own grave.' She reproached herself. "You understood everything wrong, Baran. I fell in love with you despite all of that." He laughed. "It doesn't matter, Dilan. The result was the same, wasn't it?" She exhaled hard, exasperated by him. "Your dad is insufferable. What are we going to do with him, Dilay?" The little one was focusing hard to reproduce sounds and reply to her mom. "I have an idea of what you could do, my Dilan. It might also help you ease the tension in your body. I can feel it from here."

"Baran!" At the same time, Baran heard his name, Önder's over-excitement managed to drench his shirt. "Son, what are you doing?" He said, defeated by his offspring. Dilan looked his way and burst out laughing. "That serves you, right, for talking like that in front of the babies." His wife was wrapping their daughter in a baby towel. Bathing Dilay was always easy. She remained calm and attentive to her surroundings. Önder, on the other hand, was a struggle. He was always hype, turning a simple task into a cardio activity. Perpetually moving and splashing water all around him. For the little guy, the baby bather was a swimming pool. "Tomorrow, you will bathe him. Let's see if you are going to laugh then." He made sure there was a hint of threat in his voice. "All I know is that I'm dry and you are not, Baran." She walked past him with Dilay in her arms. "Not all of you, Dilan. There is one spot where I know you are wet." He said before she left the room. The fact that she said nothing back told him he was right. "Now, my boy, let's get you dry and dressed." By the time he got to the babies' room, Dilan had Dilay already clothed. She placed their daughter in her crib. After, she took Önder from Baran. "I'll get him dressed while you change, or you will get him sick." Her cheeks were flushed. Yes, he had been right before. Baran's phone rang. He searched for it in their room, displeased at the interruption. "Kerem?" His friend didn't reply right away. "...Baran, I was checking the guest list and..." Baran didn't have time to play a guessing game; he needed to get change and go back to his wife. "And what, Kerem?" He was direct. "Mr. Cenk's name is on the list." Baran saw red. He was still mad at the fact that he had argued with Dilan over the man. He replayed it in his head.