******AUTHOR'S NOTE******
I had written this piece only as a 'vent' in reaction to the show's take on episode 30 so had left it with Can's decision to leave, as the show had left it... I just got there a little bit differently.
At the request of several readers that this story's ending could not possibly be the end :) , I am continuing, but only with an epilogue for closure as I am also just trying to focus on finishing another work, "Keşke," and have limited writing time. :)
Also... I am blatantly stealing Sanem's book dedication from TAS_130 's work "Never Say Never | Oneshots; A New Awakening-Part 4" (Ok, 'borrowing' her borrowed poem, by Danielle C. Thomas- < Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/love-at-first-sight > .) Simply put, it was perfect.
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Can's four month photography job extended to six, leading him through parts of Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. He'd ended up in Kosovo where his employers extended another offer for a six month job, further east, in Italy.
He was well into his second month when he finally started to settle into the groove, and allowed his mind to ease. He had gotten word to Emre of his progression a couple of times and, about half way through his excursions, he had learned of his mother and Polen conspiring to keep he and Sanem separated.
Enough time and distance had let him react with some level of calm... While he had wanted to improve relations with his mom, he'd apparently still kept his guard up against her, so he hadn't felt shocked by the news. He was a little surprised that Polen had involved herself with such actions, but his feelings for her weren't strong enough to be too affected. He understood she still wanted to have some kind of relationship with him- she'd made that clear when he first ended things with her.
Over the course of his year long journey, he had plenty of distractions from his past in Istanbul. Sometimes, he welcomed them wholeheartedly, focusing only on his work and he completely immersed himself in the many cultures and people he encountered along the way.
Other times, he was able to incorporate reminders of home into his present without getting upset, or angry again. Little things... for instance, some of the food he got to experience would lead to his wish to share it with Sanem, knowing her passion for cuisine. He could picture her, tasting new flavors and loving certain things. When this happened early on in his trip, he ended up with painful memories and sad, sometimes regretful thoughts. But that eventually evolved to fond memories, and thoughts of hope for the future... maybe they would someday travel together and he could have an enriched experience with her as a travel companion.
When he first found himself having those hopeful thoughts, he would shake them off, telling himself to avoid thoughts of her, or of anything related to Istanbul... he was here to refocus. Clear his thoughts and explore other possibilities to determine what he truly wanted- what he really felt. Then over time, he allowed those hopeful thoughts to remain, sometimes meandering in his mind to all kind of paths he could take... sometimes with her, sometimes on his own.
Now, with his contract coming to a close, he had come to the conclusion that he would very likely go back to Istanbul, but that's as far as he allowed his thoughts to go, remembering Sanem's words- she may not have waited for me. He himself, had remained unattached, of course. After his stop over in London, there had been a couple of additional visits from Polen... twice in Montenegro, once in Italy. They had spent time together, sometimes discussing what his next step would be but, he inevitably would only go as far as the immediate... where his assignment would take him next, when he would be at a new location, etc. He wouldn't talk about anything too far into the future, though he knew that's what she wanted to know.
