Artemis (CanEm Fan-Fiction)

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Sanem was nervous at how to approach her parents with the news that she was dating (and in love with) somebody. It just wasn't something that she'd ever pictured herself doing. She had always been the little wholesome girl who worked at the grocery store. She was the girl who dreamed of travelling the world and writing to her heart's content but none of her dreams had really included a guy. Most young girls tended to dream about their ideal partner but Sanem had never given it much thought. Of course, she saw herself getting married one day ... but she hadn't figured out the small details: telling her parents, her friends, planning a future together - it was all foreign to her and she was thankful that some part of Can was a little nervous too.

Truth be told, Can had done this before - met his girlfriend's parents. He and Polen had been together for years and so, Can hadn't been able to avoid the heavily weighted 'meet-the-parents' ordeal.  They had had dinner one night with his Dad, Emre and Polen's parents. It had been at some fancy restaurant where they ate fresh seafood and cordially discussed the weather.  Polen had been nervous and all Can had done was scoff at her. There had been nothing to be nervous about because, to Can, if it went well all was good but if it went badly, he didn't really care. Can Divit had never figured he'd be the type of man who wanted to settle down ... until he met Sanem.

And now, Can knew exactly what there was to be nervous about. Unlike him, Sanem had been raised in a traditional neighbourhood that stressed the importance of family values. She adored her parents and their opinions and consequently, Can felt the same way. He wanted to show Nihat that he was worthy of loving his daughter, worthy of wiping away her tears and holding her through thunderstorms. He also wanted Mevkebe to love and dote on him like she did with her two girls. There was this huge pressure on his shoulders and he knew that everything needed to go perfectly. 

"We're in this together." Sanem whispered softly, giving Can's hand the most ginger of squeezes as they rang her doorbell. 

"Daughter!" As usual, Nihat was a vision of glowing excitement at the sight of his youngest - and secretly favored - daughter. Usually, working at the grocery store grew lonely and monotonous and he loved returning home to hear about his daughter's days at work over his wife's delectable cooking. Fikri Harika seemed like a whirlwind of different campaigns and experiences and Nihat vicariously lived through the tales of his children. He wasn't much of an intellect but he adored that his children were utilizing their intelligence to thrive and grow. "Welcome ... Mr. Can, what an unexpected surprise. Come in, come in." 

"I thought I would drop Sanem home and see Aunt Mevkebe, if that's okay?" Can couldn't stop the smile envelope his lips as Nihat readily welcomed him into his home.  

"Of course, child. Come in." Nihat beckoned Can inside and from the casual friendliness between the two, Sanem felt her nerves ease a little. Her parents were good judges of character and the fact that they readily welcomed Can into their home was a big indicator to how highly they regarded him.

"Thank you." As if it were second nature to Can, he slipped out of his boots and into a pair of slippers laid out next to the door. Even though he'd been raised around money and entitled socialites, Can wasn't above partaking in the practices of others. He'd been travelling for so long, he'd learned to value the ways other people lived. Whilst his kind hid in their mansions with their aged wine and whiskey, others drank cheap wines from boxes just so that they could explore somewhere new. Can liked change, he appreciated it and right now, he could appreciate how at home he felt among his girlfriend's loving family and their quaint home. Can's home was lovely, but endless bookshelves, an indoor fire pit and glossy interior couldn't compare to the evident memories that had been made in the Aydin house. There were height markings on the door frame, yellow paint that had aged with Leyla and Sanem and family pictures everywhere he turned. And it was safe to say that if he and Sanem had children one day, Can wanted them to look like her. 

"Mr. Can!" Whilst Can was distracted by a picture of little Sanem in football shorts with a strangely familiar guy next to her, Mevkebe enveloped him into a hug. "Welcome, son!" 

"Ah! Mevkebe Aunty, it smells amazing in here!" As soon as Can was in the kitchen, his taste-buds piped up in anticipation. 

"You better be sticking around for dinner." She scolded playfully with her finger. She adored that such a high-class man had a liking for her food. Whilst her family members were accustomed to the health of her hands, it was nice to hear compliments from somebody who wasn't. Can never hesitated to vocalise how tasty Mevkebe's food was and it only made her want to cook for him more. 

"Of course." Can chuckled, his mind aware that he was planning to stick around for more than just dinner. "You know me, I can't resist your food." Can took a seat at the dining room table, across from Leyla, whilst the other three members of the family faffed around with plates, cups of tea and the food itself. 

"Ah, Can! You should have brought your girlfriend along with you." Mevekebe spoke nonchalantly and Sanem, who of course had been taking care of the tea, let a glass slip from her hand and hit the table rather forcefully, a sudden panic in her eyes - what was her Mother getting at?  

"My girlfriend?" Can chocked on his spit, his eyes flickering between Leyla and Sanem. From the way things were naturally going, Can had expected to stimulate some conversation, share some laughs before sitting Sanem's parents down and expressing his devotion to her. He hadn't expected to have the conversation crop up minutes into his arrival. 

"Yeah, I saw you in the papers." This time, Sanem looked directly at Can, an 'I told you so' look plastered across her face. She had voiced this exact concern to Can in the office earlier. Her parents were simple people who believed in monogamy. They believed dating was a whole lot of hogwash and that once a couple was together, they were usually together for life. So now that they'd seen the pictures and headlines about Can and Polen, they already had preconceived judgements about his lifestyle, his values and his beliefs. 

"Polen?" Can spoke slowly, trying to gather his thoughts on how to break the news to Sanem's parents lightly. "No, she's not my girlfriend."

"Really? I don't think she knows that." Mevkebe rolled her eyes, almost as if she were silently telling her daughter's about how the ways the rich lived were different to theirs. The whole neighbourhood had been gossiping about Can in the media, Mevkebe included. As much as she adored him like a son, he was ultimately a celebrity in their small and menial community. Everybody who was anybody knew of Can Divit and how he was the Aydin girls' boss. "I think you'd look great together." 

Her Mother's comment made Sanem snap her head, a sadness crossing her features. It was minuscule but Can caught onto it and he desperately wanted to take Sanem into his arms and tell her that he only wanted to be with her. But because he couldn't do that, Can knew that there was only one other thing left to do. 

"Doesn't matter, I don't care for Polen in such a way." Can shrugged with a certainty not even Mevkebe could question. There was an honesty in his eyes that nobody wanted to argue against. "I'm in love with somebody else."

"Really, son? That's wonderful." Nihat pat his back in that masculine type way that men congratulate one another. "Is it serious? Do we know her?" 

"Yes, very well, actually." Can glanced down at his lap, a sudden shake possessing his knee with nervousness. "It's Sanem, Sir." As soon as the words left Can's mouth, Nihat's hand fell, like the expression on his face. "I am in love with your daughter."