The Road to Forgiveness

Trying to Breathe

Sanem's sobs shook her frame as she sat on the park bench, a broken shell of who she used to be. Her pain seeped through every pore, every fiber of her being and she felt herself struggle to breathe. She shakily rose to her feet as she gasped for breath and tears streamed down her face. Her vision was slightly blurry but she was able to take uneven steps forward. She just wanted to be home. The weight of the last several months had become unbearable. First, Emre and Aylin had tricked her, and in her naivete, she believed what they had told her. Then, she fell in love with Can and became terrified that he would leave her. Her fears came true when he found out about the lies and left her. She had just managed to find the pieces of her broken heart when Can came back into her life and somewhat forgave her, helping her put her broken heart back together. But now, with one self-sacrificing decision, he had turned her back on her again, taking the broken pieces of her heart and shattering them into icicles that stabbed and tore at every cell in her body. With one kiss, he had offered her a life raft and with one mistake, he had cast her away to drown, unmoored. As she walked forward, she felt the cool breeze dry the tears on her face and she remembered the first time Can confessed his love to her. Flashes of that moment played in her head.

Close your eyes. Maybe then you will hear the voice of Istanbul.

What do you hear?

The wind blows. Birds. Laughing children. Wind. My voice. Your voice.

I fell in love with you, Sanem.

But as she closed her eyes and stepped off the curb to cross the street, memories of his cruelty began to play before her like a movie.

Him ripping her letter.

Him telling her that she was the other on her birthday.

Him telling her that she was like everyone else to him now.

Him being close with Polen.

And with each flash, the icicles in her chest stabbed at her a little more. Was she not enough? Was her love not enough? Emre and Aylin had humiliated and manipulated her but she had endured their taunts to protect Can. She encouraged Can to forgive Emre and yet, Emre had continued to plot behind his brother's back. She chose to give up her perfume to Fabri because she wanted to save Can's life while his brother stood back and let Can be arrested. She had made mistakes but Can had destroyed her and her self-respect. That was her final thought before she felt something slam into her side, lifting her off the ground before her head hit the ground and everything turned to black.

Can had just finished his boxing lesson and was changing in the locker room. When he reached for his jacket, he nicked his finger on a rusty nail and it began to bleed profusely. He frowned, taking a tissue from his bag to stop the bleeding before he could sanitize it. As he wrapped the tissue around his finger, his phone began to ring, breaking the therapeutic spell that his boxing lesson had cast over him. He hesitated to answer, thinking for a moment that it might be Polen and he wasn't in the mood to speak with her right now. But he reached for his phone in his pocket and saw that it was Emre calling.

He relented and answered, greeting his brother with a simple hello.

"Abi, you have to get to the hospital now. There's been an accident. Sanem is hurt."

Can felt his heart stop and a ringing in his ear as he tried to process what Emre was saying. He began to frantically gather his things while he hit Emre with questions, "What do you mean, Emre? What happened to Sanem? What accident?"

"Abi, just get here now."

Can threw on his shoes without bothering to tie them and ran for the exit. He had to get to her.