Sanem's POV

Since I spoke with Can I have felt a weight come off my shoulders, one I didn't realize I was carrying. My inner voice has not stopped giving me advise as what to say, how to act, even what to wear. I shudder as I think of what outfits she wants me to wear, she goes from covered head to toe to barely wearing anything. No, thank you, I will pick out my own outfit.

She also seems to be a little in Can's favor, which is new, she has never acted as if she liked him or wanted him in my life and she seems to be crushing on Can. When I ask her she just says she was protecting me, making sure I thought about both sides of things. Hmmm!

After I talked to him, I started seeing him every where, a guy walking down the street with a man bun, or sitting on the coast, just the way Can did. Even my dreams were invaded by him. I dreamed of our children, we had three, two girls and a boy. The oldest a girl who favored my abla, Leyla, with blonde curls and an attitude of its my way or no way and then twins, a boy, who was adventurous as his father with the eye of an artist, and my baby girl, who was dark haired and quiet, loved to read but would follow her siblings in all their adventures. A couple of times I thought I had seen Can at my book readings but I had talked to Ayhan and she said he was in Istanbul, had gone back to work at the agency.

Tomorrow we were meeting in Kayseri, it was the sixth stop on my book tour and far enough away from Kas, that I felt I would still have my sanctuary.

Can's POV

Tomorrow was the day, I would be flying to Kayseri to meet with Sanem. Before she called I was at the point of giving up, had even talked to Osman and Emre, who now came and sit with me sometimes at the butcher shop, about just getting on my boat sailing away. I have even thought about sailing as close to Kayseri as I could then taking a flight the rest of the way, that way if Sanem told me we were done I could just sail off.

I was dreaming of her, which I did every night, but now my dreams were of our children, two girls and boy, one little girl who looked just like Sanem and had her personality. The other two, the boy was just like me and the other the spitting image of Leyla. I could live with those dreams if I had to because I wouldn't be alive without Sanem.

I was flying out earlier then I had told Sanem, I wanted to go to her book reading, even though she hadn't asked me to come, I would go and sit in the back where she couldn't see me. I wasn't sure I was going to get much sleep tonight but I didn't care, tomorrow my heart and soul would either come back to life or I would leave Kayseri a broken man.

The Next Day in Kayseri

Sanem's POV

I have arrived at the book store, since it is warm, they have me sitting outside reading to those who have to hear me read and buy my book. I am nervous today because later I will meet Can. I have thought about this day for so long, what would I say, what if once again he refused to listen. How would I handle things if he once again acted as he did at the mountain hut that last night.

I still loved him, he was my life, my breath, the reason my heart was pounding. I needed him in my life but if I had to I could live a life without him. I have proven that by living in Kas all these months.

Engin, is with me, today after the reading he will be leaving to go back to American. My book was climbing the best sellers list and he wanted to get it published in English. He asked me if I would go to America, if that happened and I told him I wasn't sure but I would not count it out. If things didn't work out with Can then it might be nice to go far away from Istanbul.

I was standing inside the book store but could see that all the seats were taken, they were almost ready for me to walk out. The book store owner, Zeynap, was talking to the group and then I heard my name. Engin smiled at me and said I had this, I was a pro and people loved to hear me read.

I walked out and waved at the crowd, I sat down and opened the book to the part where Can was telling the Italian business man, Fabri, how we had met. Ever now and then I would look up at the crowd, they were listening intently, as if they hung on my every word. I smiled as Can was telling about us meeting at the movie theater.

After I finished reading, Zeynap told them I would take a few questions. A young girl, who I had noticed while reading, she had stars in her eyes, wanting to meet her own albatross, asked if this was my story, was I the phoenix and where was my albatross?

As I was listening to her question, the guy beside her moved slightly, and I would have sworn I saw Can, I closed my eyes and took a couple of deep breaths, but when I opened my eyes and looked again, no one was there, I was seeing him again in my mind.

Can's POV

I waited for Sanem to walk out and take her place, I couldn't believe I was about to see her, hear her voice. This is the woman that was my desire, she was my heart, my soul, my one, my only. The woman who taught me about forgiveness and showed me what it was like to be loved.

She was walking out now so I made sure that I stayed hidden until she was seated, then I sat in the back behind others so she couldn't see.

I listened as she read from her book, her voice soothing, smooth, sweet. I watched the others sitting there most were so engrossed in her reading, it almost seemed as if her voice and words hypnotized them. No one moved and when she was finished it was silent and no one moved, finally the crowd burst into applause. She smiled so big, I could see she was in her element. I was so happy for her.

I was about to walk away when a young girl asked if the story was about her and her love. When the guy beside the girl shifted in his seat, I knew she saw me, she closed her eyes so I moved away quickly so she would not be able to see me when she opened her eyes.