A LEAP OF THE EARLY BIRD

The day couldn't get any better...

Mornings offered hope of the new coming day. The song of the early birds that chirped sweetly by Sanem's window always reminded her of that. And she listened. The previous day ended on a sad note, when she could not escape the sorrow from the fact that Deren crushed down her effort to help the agency. She also crushed her spirit. She hated herself for showing Can just how much she had been hurt. And she hated herself for pushing him away when he wanted to comfort her, when all she wanted to do was hide within his arms and let him embrace her...

Fully realizing that never could have happened, she poured her feelings into her notebook. There, she always allowed herself to be honest. To be vivid, and raw without limit. She poured her heart out onto the paper, and along with it her dreams, fears, and hopes. Somehow Can Divit began to take up more space on those pages than the mysterious albatross. Oftentimes it was as if albatross did not even exist. But Can Divit did. She could no longer deny that he mattered to her. And he mattered for many reasons. Because she cared. Because he appeared to care. He couldn't NOT care since he came to comfort her the day before. He clearly cared enough to see if she was okay. And she saw something in his eyes then she hadn't before. She saw concern. She saw Can's concern. Not that of her boss. His. But what did it mean? Did he care as a bad king with a hiden agenda under a mask? Or did she really get so close to him that he no longer felt the need to hide under a mask so he had none with her and let her see the real him? And where did she fit in to that puzzle for him? What did she mean to him? Did she mean anything? More than something?

Sanem hoped that the new day would proove more positive than the one that ended the night before. She also believed in facing the day head-on. Accepting the luck of her life, but also not being afraid to look for the better part of a day. Because not all of it would be bad. Little did she know that the day that lay before her would be filled with as much good as much the bad. A day she would never forget. And it all began with a rush of adrenaline. She never would have imagined how much fun having fun with Leyla could be. Her sister wasn't the type to let loose. Never the type to break laws. And the fact that Leyla actually enjoyed throwing eggs at Chakkal Bakkal's windows with her made her realize her sister had a fun side to her too.

With that happy thought in her mind, Sanem came to the agency. She was afraid of Deren. Not because she was mean. No, she did her job and that was that. She feared her because she sensed and odd feeling of competition, of dislike, and distaste. She always felt that Deren put her down because of where she came from, and because of the status she represented. It was as if someone like Sanem could never measure up to her, or the Divits for that matter. And that she could not understand. After all Can, and even Emre, treated her better as her bosses. And Deren treated Leyla different too, even though they were sisters. But Deren only picked on her, and that felt hurtful. So to stand face to face with Deren and hear Can defend her felt like a dream. Can scolded Deren, and meant what he said. He reminded everyone of the agency's vision. She felt his words. Even if there were a dozen other employees around her, she felt his eyes only on her. Yes, he later rephrased his words when she went to thank him, but she knew better. He meant what he said. And meant it for her.

She hadn't realized how much his words of phrase would mean to her. But she would soon find out how she would feel if the phrases he offered did not come from his words but his eyes. Metin had asked her to volunteer as a model for a charity campaign for women empowerment. She was scared, hesitant to say the least. But she couldn't say no. Not to a matter that meant so much to her. She felt honored. The day couldn't get any better. Or so she thought...