Mine

Chapter Thirty

And I can't see in the stormy weather and I can't seem to keep it all together....

Alihan keeps admiring his medical bracelet, the only part of this latest hospital visit that he enjoyed. His recovery is going well but they give him some new medication to help strengthen his immune system and he hates taking the pills. Not even Boran trying to pretend with him that they're candy helps. He tolerates it better than the liquid medicine though and gives the doctor a look when he says it's cherry flavoured.

"Those cherries are very rotten then."

He wants to know when they're going home to 'daddy'. It's been two days and Alihan doesn't understand why they're still with Boran. Miray tells him that Kubilay is working somewhere outside the city.

Her little boy isn't stupid. "But how come he doesn't video then?" Whenever either Miray or Kubilay were away because of work they make sure to video call with Alihan every night.

Boran has been able to distract him thus far but Miray knows the time to tell their little boy the truth is closing in all around her like a suffocating room getting smaller and smaller.

Miray and Alihan are driving back to Boran's when her little boy asks if they could stop for ice cream at the place she and Kubilay sometimes took him after work. Miray hesitates. She's barely been able to escape the press on the first visit and this second one but she feels all eyes on her and fears what will happen if she actually spends any time out in public on the street.

She bites her lip and looks around as she starts to pull over in front of the ice cream shop. If they can just rush in, order and then quickly leave...her little boy deserves this after everything he's been through and he's been so good...

He bounces in his seat as she stops the car and is already fiddling with his seatbelt as she turns off the ignition. "We have to be quick, okay?" Miray tells him.

Alihan nods. "Oh I already know what I wanna get. Strawberry and chocolate." He scrambles out and waits for her to come around and take his hand. A man passes them and looks back in surprise but continues on his way.

Miray takes a deep breath and prays the ice cream shop is empty.

No such luck. A group of teenagers are perched on a booth by the window and there's a line up of three people in front of her. Miray's face is burning as she forces herself to stay put for her little boy's sake. He deserves this.

"Oh my God, that's her. That's totally her!" A girlish voice whispers fervently in the booth.

"I can't believe she's just walking around like that. I could never show my face. I'd just die."

"Just goes to show those actors are a bunch of fakers. She's all 'oh I'm so sweet' and meanwhile she's cheating on her husband. Didn't I tell you, actors are full of shit."

The man in front of her in line turns and gives her a look of disgust. He opens his mouth to say something to her but his eyes catch sight of Alihan beside her and he seems to think better of it and turns back around.

"Ow, Mommy!" Alihan is tugging against her hand and she realizes she'd been squeezing his fingers too tightly.

She forces herself to ease her grip and take a deep breath, grateful it's their turn to order.

"I think it's romantic," she hears one of the girls whisper as she takes her ice cream and hands Alihan his. "I always wanted them to be together."

Miray rushes out of the shop without allowing herself to run so she can preserve her dignity. That one kind comment among all the oppressive judgement makes her eyes blur and she has to blink back tears when she can finally breathe outside.