Anything Could Happen

How Do I Say This?

Chapter 24.

Mother was seated on the little couch in their room, feeding Ismet. He began to wriggle and cry so Mother set the feeding bottle down and went to get him a new diaper. I walked in and sat on the edge of the bed. When Mother turned around, she smiled warily at me and began to change Ismet's diaper. I got rid of the soiled one and raced back into the room.

"What's going on, Delnaz? You seem on edge today?" Mother rocked back and forth, trying to get Ismet to sleep. He looked back over her shoulder and rubbed his eyes. I made a funny face at him and he grinned back at me. Ismet had grown quickly. He was already 8, going onto 9 months old. My baby brother was naughtier than ever.

"I'm alright. No need to worry about me," I gave a nervous laugh.

"Here, take your brother. I'll be back in a while. Keep an eye on him so that he doesn't roll over the edge of the bed. Put him down sideways, alright?"

I nodded and Mother left the room.

"I guess it's just you and me, little guy."

I walked up to the dresser and showed Ismet his reflection in the mirror. He grinned his cute baby grin and tried to grab his reflection. I laughed.

"I'm glad to see that you two get along so well. I hope and pray that you and your brothers will always have a good relationship. Delnaz, one day when your father and I are not here, Mevlüt and Ismet are all you will have. Love them and take care of them. You are very lucky to have siblings."

My mother is an only child. She had nobody to play with, to tease or to spend time with, no shoulder to cry on and no hand to hold. Obviously her parents were there for her but with all their travelling, they were never around. My grandparents lived in Dubai and I never got to meet them in person. We skyped on birthdays but other than that, I didn't hear much from them.

My heart ached for Mother. I walked up to her and gave her a hug. "I will always be there for Mevlüt and Ismet, I promise." Mother kissed me on the forehead and wiped off a bit of drool from the side of Ismet's mouth.

"He still has a long way to go. I know that you will guide him through his journey. You're a good sister, Delnaz. I miss Mevlüt... I'm just glad that he's happy where he is."

"Did he ever say when he was coming back home?" My hopeful eyes must have given me away. Something was definitely bothering me. Mother easily picked that up.

"Delnaz, is everything alright with you?"

No.

I was worried about telling Mother and Father about Fuad. What if they didn't approve of us? If they didn't like Fuad, what would happen to our relationship? I sighed and sat down on the edge of Mother and Father's bed, laying Ismet down next to me. He flailed his arms and legs and played with his toes. I turned my attention to Mother. "How do I say this?"

"What is it?" Mother's stress levels seemed to be shooting out the roof so I didn't delay telling her any longer.

I was on the verge of exploding into a firework of anxiety, myself.

"I have a boyfriend."

Never could've put that out there in a worse way. Well done, Delnaz.

Fuad's POV

Rizvan and I decided to keep our football skills at their best. We had decided to practise between the two of us since everybody else seemed too busy.

Now that we were done practising, I gulped down all the ice water I could fit into my mouth. The summer heat really was unbearable. I unscrewed the bottle top and poured the cold water over my face. I pushed the pressure of my body weight down onto my hands that were behind me, supporting me and gazed at the evening sky. It was gorgeous, just like Delnaz. I wondered what she was up to but fought the temptation to text her. I didn't want to give her the feeling that I was clingy. Nobody likes a clingy guy, definitely not my girlfriend. Rizvan who was seated next to me, dabbed at his face with a towel. We smelled sweaty.

"So, how are things going with you and Delnaz?"

I glanced at Rizvan and quickly looked away.

"We're okay..."

Talking to Rizvan about relationships was mostly awkward. I felt bad for being in a relationship while he was still getting over Dilara.

"Good. Treat her well," Rizvan stared into the distance.

I knew that he was hurting and I wish I could have done something to make him feel better.

"I'm going to meet her parents soon... I think." Rizvan's head snapped to my direction.

"Wow... Good luck. That's great," He slapped me on the back and chuckled. "My boy is growing up super quick."

I rolled my eyes playfully while trying to fight the smile that was threatening to take over my features. Suddenly, I remembered something.

"Rizvan?"

"Yeah?"

"What about Feriha?" Rizvan's head slowly rose in realisation and his eyes widened. I could feel the blood rushing straight to my brain as I watched the wheels in Rizvan's head beginning to turn.

"I need to tell her. I must tell her... But I have to do it in person." Rizvan ruffled my hair in appreciation and got to his feet. "C'mon, it's time that I man up. Dilara hurt me, stabbed me straight in the heart. It's about time I pick up the pieces and move forward."

I smiled at my best friend.

"Good for you, bro."

Rizvan pulled me off the grassy lawn. I loved this park but it was nothing compared to the park I had been to with Delnaz. There, the grass seemed greener, the air seemed cooler and fresher and I knew that I was much happier because of her presence. All the same, I was excited for Rizvan. The boys and his family were going to be relieved and excited that he was finally moving on. I was simply proud that I got to initiate the start of my best friend's new journey.

Delnaz's POV

Mother looked calmer than usual. Almost as if she was flat lining. I couldn't even gauge her expression, it was that blank. "Who is this boyfriend?"

"Fuad... Altan. You met him earlier this year, remember?" I stood across Mother awkwardly as she changed Ismet's diaper again. Hopefully I wasn't about to bring up any bad memories.

"How long have you been together for?" Mother asked, ignoring my question.

"About 2-3 weeks." I said in the smallest voice I could have mustered at that moment.

"I see. Why didn't you tell us earlier? Your Father and I would have loved to meet him, Delnaz."

Great.

"It's not too late though, is it? I mean, to meet him properly. You have met him before anyway." My voice was shaky and Mother actually chuckled.

"You are growing up so quickly, my girl. Soon you'll be leaving us... As a new bride."

Tears sprang to my eyes and I wrapped my arms around mother. My amazing, beautiful, understanding, caring mother. She was always so kind and sweet. How could Allah bless a sinner like me with someone like my mother?

"Hush, don't cry, Delnaz. No matter where you are in this world, you will be in my heart." My mother hugged me back. Her eyes were glazed over and I wiped away a stray tear that managed to roll down her flawless cheek.

It was moments like these that I cherished the most in my life.

~●○●~

I ran into my room and dived onto my bed. I grabbed my phone and called Zulfiyya.

"Hello?"

"Hey Zu, it's Delnaz. Are you busy?"

"Nope. Mr. Abacı gave me some time of since the holidays are coming to an end. Why?"

"I need to talk to you. Can we meet up somewhere?" I crossed my fingers.

"How about McDonalds.?"

"Sure. Is half an hour later fine?"

"Yeah. Great. See you."

A/N

'Bout time Delnaz!!