The Lies of His Father

Chapter - 4

"Gunaydin askim." Sang Eda, "I didn't think I would talk to you this morning so early."

"I didn't get to talk to you last night, I missed you. Are you going shopping with the girls?"

"I am, did you get in late?"

"Hmmm, home around 11:00 or so."

"Oh my love, that is not good, you are not getting rest."

Serkan had purposely not Facetimed with Eda, he knew that he was looking rough. He hadn't slept and the stress of the past couple of days was showing on his face. "I will see you soon, love you."

Serkan was walking out on the patio when he saw the folder that his father had thrown there the other morning, Serkan picked it up and placed it in his office. He would look at it tonight. He wanted one more day with Eda where she didn't look at his face with hatred or regret.

He looked at his calendar, another full day of holding meetings. He wondered what had he ever done in life to make his father hate him so much? Serkan wasn't blind, he knew that the man hated him, he saw it in his eyes when he looked at him. Maybe it was because he wasn't him? Was it because Alp died? Alp wasn't like Aptekin either.

Serkan missed his brother so much, he tried so hard to be a man that Alp would be proud of but knew that he failed until Eda. Alp was full of love and Serkan had closed himself off from love, he didn't know how to love. How do you learn to love when the people that are supposed to love you die or send you away? And now that he finally has found love he is afraid that he is going to lose it. Maybe the decision was unconscious but instead of driving to ArtLife, Serkan found himself at the mall.

He had never been to a mall before, he wandered around looking at the stores hoping to see Eda. He didn't see Eda but he heard Melo, Eda had to be close, so he stepped back to observe. He watched as the girls split up and decided to follow Eda, he felt like such a stalker but watching her enjoyment going from shop to shop was infectious.

Eda stopped at a clothing store and stared at a beautiful blue dress, it was made for her, she must have asked the price because she came out without it. Serkan decided that she needed to have it.

"The blue dress, how much?"

"$245"

"Thank you, I'll take it." He gave her Eda's size and had her wrap it.

The only problem was now he had lost her in the mall, so he waited by the escalators thinking that she would need to use them at some point. He was rewarded when he saw her coming up. The minute she saw him her smile spread across her face.

"Are you following me?" she asked.

"Maybe I felt like shopping and having lunch with my girlfriend who I have not seen for a while."

Eda hugged Serkan, she didn't care if he was stalking or not, this was a lovely surprise. "If you have time, there is a nice restaurant here, let's have lunch before we go back to work."

Over lunch they exchanged their gifts, the dress for Eda and the robot for Serkan. She really did understand him, he didn't need the fancy watches or expensive gifts, he didn't need anything but someone who paid attention to who he really was. Eda knew who Serkan was deep inside. Just like Serkan knew Eda. Oh the dress was a splurge but the dress was more for him and she knew it. Eda knew that Serkan thought that she was most beautiful with no makeup wearing one of his shirts. Him buying the dress was a promise of future dates and travel like they talked about.

Eda's phone rang, "Serkan, why is Leyla calling me?"

He shrugged, "Maybe because I turned my phone off so I wouldn't be disturbed and could spend time with you?"