The Price of Pride

Chapter 40

The room is quiet, but it's a good quiet. Emir takes a minute to just breathe and enjoy the fact that his whole family is happy and healthy. Happier and healthier than they've ever been. Probably because his mother will soon be out of their lives - on her way to prison - and there's nothing she can do to get out of it this time. He looks over at Reyhan, who is sleeping peacefully, her slow, deep breaths soothing his very soul. She seems truly happy and truly at peace, even in her restful state. Almost as if she knows that her troubles with his mother are almost over. He's just grateful she's no longer in the coma and that she was finally able to meet their son.

He pulls up the pictures on his phone that they took earlier that day with the baby. He can't help but smile at the ones where Ayla is holding him. She's going to be a good big sister. Fortunately she was asleep when Emine and Murat came to pick her up. Otherwise he's not sure how he was going to convince her to go home. But home is the best place for her. She already had to spend so much of her life in the hospital when she had her heart problems. It's good for her to sleep in her own bed, at home with her grandparents. Plus, Reyhan gave her the task of helping Emine set up the "Welcome" banner for the baby. He's still going to have to stay in the hospital for a bit longer. But he's getting stronger and stronger every day. The doctors predict he'll be able to go home soon.

His smile turns to a frown when he sees an unwanted message pop up on the screen of the phone, distracting him from viewing the pictures of his family.

"Anne," he scowls, taking note of the phone number. What could she possibly want?

He decides whatever it is can wait until later. Much later. She's been calling and texting all day and he has nothing to say to her. He decided to ignore this latest attempt much like he did the others. However, she's persistent. And it's the next message that really sends his warning bells blaring.

"I know where all my children are. Do you know where yours are?"

Panic fills his heart. He looks to the couch where Ayla was sleeping, but then remembers that she went home. He places a quick call to Emine to verify, but he knows his daughter is safe. That only means one thing. He runs out the room, closing the door as quietly as he can to avoid waking Reyhan. Then he makes his way to the nursery as quickly as possible. He meets Barış on the way.

"What's the rush?" the other man asks Emir. "What's happening?"

"The baby ... my mother ... I have to check," Emir pants out, not bothering to slow down. Barış can't do anything but run after him.

But when they get to the nursery, they can both immediately see that whatever game Cavidan is playing, she isn't bluffing. The baby's bed is empty.

"Where is my son?" he asks, grabbing the nearest nurse by the shoulders. Barış pulls him off of her.

"Baby Tarhun," Barış explains, trying to hold Emir back. "He's supposed to be here. But he isn't."

"We dropped the baby off with his parents hours ago," the frightened nurse says. "He hasn't come back yet."

"A nurse came for him about an hour ago," Emir yells, scaring some of the babies. They start to cry and the nurse glares at him.

"Emir, calm down," Barış says. "I'm sure there's an explanation. Let's just speak to the nurse who came to get him. Maybe she took him to a different nursery. The doctor did say he was doing better. Maybe he's in the regular nursery."

"I don't see her in here," Emir says, starting to panic even more. "She wasn't one of the unusual nurses, so I figured it was just a shift change. She was kind of short, but had long hair. Really long. And really blond."