TWO BIRDS OF A FEATHER

An unlikely reminder of love...

Why do people fall in love? And with the person they fall in love with? Why with THAT person, out of milions walking the paths on this earth? That is because they find something in that one beloved that cannot be found in any other person. And nothing makes this more evident than the moment that love presumably ends...

Sitting on the rail of the porch, Can admired the view from the mountain house he was able to rent out at the last minute following his rather spur-of-the-moment idea to wisk Sanem away from Istanbul. He also admired the brisk mountain air he had been missing for so long, as well as the scent of the meat he had thrown on the grill. And then, he admired... Sanem. Not just her, but her utter stubborness.

She was as stubborn as humanly possible. And it lifted his mood. The more she fought her own feelings about how hungry she was, the more content he grew. When Sanem emerged through the front door of the mountain house, Can smiled. She looked just as stubborn as a moment ago, and just as wonderful in the jumpsuit he had bought for her. Can all but chuckled - deep royal blue was definitely Sanem's color. Paired with the pink and blue jacket she looked like she was ready to conquer the snow-covered mountains. And the runway as well.

Sanem eyed the meat braising more and more tender on the grill. Her stomach screamed at her louder than her inner voice could. She was hungry, and she knew it. But Can knew it as well. Since she was still mad at him, she tried her best to fight the hunger in her. And she did her best. But... the meat on the grill and the table smelled deliciously appealing. She narrowed her eyes at Can. He really did know what he was doing. And he definitely knew how to cook. She recalled the meat he had prepared for them the first time he took her to his mountain cabin. That meat had tasted like a top of the line bebishko. And this food he had been grilling now most likely would have tasted just as good.

Can tried his best to get her to eat. He also tried to make her talk. When she finally spoke to him, she advised him that she would not talk because then she would be mad at herself for breaking her silence. Can smiled, and simply advised Sanem that if she wouldn'd talk to him, she would not get any food. She narrowed her eyes at him, blinked twice, and dove right for the food. Much to Can's pleasure. And definitely much to her own. The meat, the vegetables, and even the kefir tasted so good to her that she forgave herself for breaking her vow of silence.

After they ate, Sanem felt much happier than she felt in days. She ate the food prepared by Can for just the two of them. She was full. And she was all alone with Can. She didn't just feel happier. She felt content. However, not for long. As soon as Can knew she felt better, he advised her that they needed to talk. And his words caused her heart to sink. Her happiness burst like a fragile bubble. Any contentment she may have felt a moment ago was gone as well. What remained was the painful truth that he was no longer her beloved Can, and that he was leaving for the Balkans. And she decided then and there that she was done allowing him to hurt her. She was done fighting for her heart. If not for the sake of their past, then she did it for the sake of her own lonely future.

So... She took in a deep breath. Breathing out gave her more courage. She told Can she had loved him very much. Looking straight into his eyes, she spoke calmly and advised him that she wanted for them to start everything over. She did not want to lose him. And then, she waited. And waited. And noticed a change in his eyes. She saw something in them. She noticed a thread of indecision. A sudden spark, albeit silent and barely noticeable - but one nonetheless. Good! She thought. With a smile on her face, she asked Can if the words he just heard were what he was hoping to hear.

Oh, did she smile. Victorious and triumphant in her assumption that she won. But, she underestimated her opponent in Can because when it came to love, hardly ever a last word could be considered to be the last word. The fact that she caught Can off guard, made him realize that she wasn't playing fair. And since she wasn't, he didn't have to either. So...

Can leaned back in his chair. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and counted to ten. When he opened his eyes, he knew what to say to even out the score. He looked deep into Sanem's eyes, and spoke softly, as if he were whispering, and told her that she was the miracle in his life. That she was the one and only sun for his heart. She was his every breath. He loved her more than anything else in the world. And he asked her to believe him.

Sanem's heart stirred. He saw it in her eyes. Her soul of a dreamer in love flew sky-high. If it were possible for Can to believe in their love again... If it were possible for Can to give them another chance... If it were possible for Can to mean the words he spoke... If they only knew that it would have been this simple to rekindle the love that burned in both of their hearts...

But...

They both missed the mark, in a tremendous way. And by doing so, missed their chance.

Can's accomplished grin didn't hurt Sanem as much as his words did. He asked if those were the words she expected him to say. Her heart sank. She advised him that he didn't have to say anything as far as she was concernes. And yet, if he expected Sanem to remain silent, he was mistaken. She voiced her opinion loud and clear. She advised him that whatever he had to say about them concerned their past. The past. And as such, she was not interested in his petty words. Moreover, she advised him she was done, and she was leaving. Can stood in her way, and told her she could not leave. She had to stay and they had to talk. They needed to resolve things between them before he left.

Can tried to calm her down and said that he valued her. Sanem all but laughed in his face. He valued her? He had an odd way of showing it. She reminded him that it wasn't enough for him to say it. She shot a bolt of lightning through his heart by saying that he lost the woman who loved him more than she loved herself because of his own ego. Can told her she was right, and that he wanted to apologize. And he did, but for an intelligent and world renowed artist, his instinct failed him. He did apologize... for Sanem's wrong decisions. To add insult to her injury, he told Sanem that he was willing to overlook her wrong decisions and part ways with her on amicable terms when he would leave for the Balkans.

The moment he said that, Sanem exploded like a loose cannon. She turned into a whirlwind of emotions, words, and sparks that flew all around her. She charged the air around her with so much energy that it took Can aback. She threw her words his way. She threw her hurt emotions into the mix and used them as fuel for expressing the sorrow that filled her heart. And she threw at him everything else that she got her hands on. Whether it was vegetables or a wooden mallet - or rather its broken head.

Can was stunned. For a shy girl that had won his heart, Sanem sure was a mouthful. And the more Sanem voiced what she thought of him and his idea of staying friends, the more she reminded him of why he had fallen for him. That unlikely reminder of love made him recall more than why he fell for Sanem. It made him recall the fact that he never fell out of love with her...