Rising From The Ashes

Chapter Eight

Sanem touched his hand, as she looked into his eyes  " I'm sorry, but for now, it needs to be this way." He relaxed and let his heart accept it, live the moment and be happy, his head was telling him. She smiled a big smile, " Ok, so where are we going," she asked with excitement, leaning over towards him in the car. She was so close her smell intoxicated him, she had no idea what she did to him, his body twitched inside with an urge to pull over and take her right there on the side of the road. He fought it off like the plaque, it was the hardest thing he had ever done. He brought himself back to her question, " Oh...don't worry, I'm going to show you some wonderful places." He cooed to her with a smile. " These are some of my favorite places, besides being home, in Istanbul. Are you ready." He asked. She smiled and shook her head enthusiastically, like a little child, ready for an adventure. 

As they drove, she asked again how long he had been there. He remarked, " I ported here about 2 months ago. But I have been in Spain for about 8 months." I travel down the coast until I found a place that reminded me of home." So here I am."  He said. She loved to listen to him talk, it made her have goosebumps, it didn't matter what he was saying. " So this makes you think of Istanbul,  she asked, " Why, what about it makes you see home."  She was so sincere, it puzzled him. He thought a minute, " Really I just got tired of moving, drifting with no place that I could stay long enough to recognize. You know my whole life has been a blur, I've seen so many places but none that still lives in my heart like Istanbul and you." His eyes drilled into hers, making her swallow hard and blink back the tears. He slowed down making a turn, " We're almost there, He said, Just a couple of more minutes." She let her mind listen again to the last part of that conversation, she never expected him to be quite so open about his feelings, but, yet he always had been. It was her that couldn't except that he could possibly love her. She still could hear her self say, " This is the great Can Divit, what would he want with a unsophisticated girl from the district."  And that was still the way she thought of herself, even after all of her fame of being an author, she was still simple and plain. But, god help her, she still loved him unmercifully. 

He made a sharp turn down a narrow road, it was off the beaten path to say the least, but it had her intrigued. He came to a stop, and shut off his car, she gazed around to find the spectacular place he had been talking about. Then, there it was, a jetty of rocks protruding out into the sea with a lot of washed up small pieces of wreckage from boats the had once travel the water. Her eyes grew big and she looked at him, he smiled and she threw her head back and laughed her crazy delightful laugh. It warmed his heart, she opened the door and jumped out, and he followed. She walked to the front of the car, " How did you find a place exactly like our place on the rocks at home. " She gushed. She grabbed his hand and started to the rocks, hoping beyond hope that they didn't hold the same fate as theirs at home. They were beautiful, enchanting, and it made her soul pulse with the possibilities. He felt the same joy in his heart, just seeing her so excited and happy. " How did you find these," She asked, " This really has to be a sign, you know." She reveled. Her joy was unmeasurable, and he was so proud that it had the same effect on her as it had on him the first day he found them. 

She quickly found her a favorite spot and sat down, motioning for him to do the same. He obeyed with pleasure, letting his heart be happy for the first time in 2 years. This is what had made him stay, finding these rocks and the knowing that she was to be in Spain on her book tour, was all he had been living for all these weeks. But that was a secret that he would keep just to himself for now. She was happy right now and that was what he wanted. They both needed to let the hearts catch up, melt and mold together again as one. Their time was silent, just the feelings of the past and all they had been through surrounded them. It seems like an endless time before either of them spoke. The moment was so magical it seemed a shame to break the spell, but Sanem was anxious to hear how he found this spot.  Can told her, " My house isn't far from here, so when I first got here my routine was running each morning, of course, so I came across this spot then, and come here everyday. It makes me feel close to you and home. When I sit here, I'm in Istanbul, at our rocks, and I live our love over and over. " He didn't look at her, but she could see the tears running down his face, so she had to look away. She feared the same outcome from the rocks of home, and her heart was aching. 

She stood, not wanting to leave but, but the hurt was drowning. He quickly grabbed her hand,             " Don't say you want to go, please, I have waited here for you so long. If you leave my heart won't be able to take it."  He whispered to her softly. She felt herself fold, crumble like a leaf aged with time. aged like them, from their love, and time that had passed, leaving them still alone. Why did she have to leave, their love was true and she knew it in her heart. She pulled him up to face her, he avoided her face, but she placed both hands on his cheeks, wiping the tears that streamed down his face and scratching her fingers through his beard. Their eyes met, they told the story of their lives, their pain and the joy. Her heart was full, and open. This was the closest they had been in 2 years, the heat from their bodies melted and molded their hearts as one. She needed him, this man....

So take his hand....She told herself, .....the hand of your Albatross and soar to the heavens on his wings....