Love and Pixie Dust- A Bay Yanlış Reimagining.

When Pixie Popped the Question

A late dinner was served. I was exhausted and feeling vulnerable. For the hundredth time, I cursed my impulsiveness. It was truly the bane of my existence. It was the reason I was now sitting in front of the gimlet eye of Özgür's mother. She was surreptitiously studying me over her wine glass. Seeing me climbing her son like a tree in her front yard didn't make the best first impression, I guessed. His aunt seemed to be three sheets to the wind and smiled and winked at me several times. Özgür's sister who had been deflecting most of the intrusive questions had gone away to tend to her fussy baby.
And Özgür...

He was inscrutable. He stared at me across the table, his fingers impatiently drumming away on the tabletop and not saying a word.

"Well, my dear, have you set a date yet?"

"Er, no," I said, casting a desperate glance at Özgür. I couldn't remember what he had told his family.

"Well? Why not? Seems to me like time is of the essence, if you wait any longer, you won't be able to conceal your condition."

Conceal my "condition"? Had I been transported to Victorian times? I set down my fork but before I could say anything his mother continued:

"I'd do it sooner rather than later. My son has a short attention span when it comes to women," she sighed and added: "He's so much like his father".

I was shocked speechless by her statement. I glanced at Özgür. His expression was unchanged but I saw the slight almost unnoticeable intake of breath. His way of absorbing a blow. I suspected this kind of thing was nothing new to him. My heart ached for him and in the tense few seconds of silence my blood boiled over and I shot to my feet.

"He's nothing like his father. He's loyal and steadfast and honest. Honest to fault. I know that now. And you should too. He's here for you. Always. Even though you hurt him when you project your unresolved feelings on him."

His mother stared at me in a shocked outrage. Özgür stood up so fast his chair fell back and was walking around the table to reach me. But before he could, his sister swept back in the room like a whirlwind.

"Well, you must be tired," she announced cheerfully ignoring the tense silence. "I know I was exhausted every moment of my pregnancy. Let me show you to your room."

As she hustled me from the dining room, I caught Özgür's aunt lifting her wine glass in a salute. I frowned at her in confusion. Everyone in this house was off their rocker, I decided. As we left the room, overheard Özgür's mother issue a warning.

"You will not share a room with an unmarried woman under my roof."

"She's pregnant, mother. I think that ship has sailed," came Özgür's sardonic reply.

"I don't care. It's indecent. Don't even think about it."

******

"Oh my god," Ebru collapsed in laughter against the wall after she ushered me into a spacious bedroom.

I barely glanced around the well-appointed space before I plopped onto the bed and covered my face with my hands.

"Tell me I did not just yell at your mother."

"You did," she said and went off into whoops of laughter again. "And it was glorious."

I peeked at her through my fingers and groaned in mortification.

She sobered and considered me for a second. Then came to sit next to me on the bed.

"I'm so glad to have finally met you," she said gently. "I just knew the woman that had my brother in a chokehold would be a freaking delight."