What is family?

Love and loyalty

Kemal hurried to the door and grabbed Shehriye under her armpit, stabilizing her. She was a bit pale, but overall seemed fine. It was long years since Kemal met her, so he knew how overdramatic she could be.

"Come, Shehriye" he slowly walked her to the couch and let her sit down. "Masal, sweetie, aunt Shehriye isn't feeling good, can you go to your room to play to give her some space?"

The kid looked at the old lady and asked her if she was going to be OK with her sweet voice. Shehriye cried out and caressed the child's forehead.

"Ah, my little sunshine, I hope so. Don't worry" she smiled. "Go upstairs and don't worry about me"

When Masal was safely on her way up the stairs, Kemal went to drag Leyla from the hall to the living room. She obeyed his gentle pull, but her face told him this was the last place she wanted to go. She sat on the table across the sofa and waited. He sat there too. The three of them just watched one another for a minute, unsure who to start the conversation.

"Do you need water, Shehriye?" Leyla asked slowly, breaking the silence.

"I needed to come in and not see an adult scene right before my eyes, my girl, but thank you for asking" she snapped.

Kemal coughed. It was going to be harder than he thought.

"It wasn't like that" he tried to explain.

"Oh, really?" the old maid had her hands on her waist, and even sitting she was kind of terrifying. She looked completely capable of beating him. At least she wasn't going to pass out like she made him think a minute ago. "So my eyes were lying me when they saw your tongue down her throat, son?"

"That was my tongue down his throat, Shehriye"Leyla clarified.

That surprised the both of them really. Shehriye's eyes widened like saucer pans and she gasped. Leyla looked at Kemal and shrugged apologetically. Sometimes, he thought, her feisty side would get him in trouble. He wanted to chuckle actually, but now was not the moment.

"Well, I have to say, kids today are a lot different from back in my time. Do as you wish" she made a dismissive hand gesture and stayed silent.

"Shehriye" the tone of Kemal's voice was strict, a bit harder than his usual for her. "It's not like that. We-" he though about his next words carefully. "I love her. My intentions are serious. Don't think of her bad just because we aren't married. I would never do anything to sully her reputation"

The corners of the maid's lips lifted, but she tried to act angry still.

"It's true, Shehriye. I love this tool too"

She couldn't resist her curiousity anymore and jumped from the couch, startling them with her speed. Just as Kemal presumed, she started going around in circles, flapping her arms.

"Ay, ay, this is such good news. I'm so happy for you, kids. But why on Earth didn't you tell me?" she pleaded with sad eyes. "I suspected something" she admitted mischievously. "Kemal's eyes always follow you around. He always ask about where you are. But I never know with him. You're right, crazy head, he really is a tool" she told Leyla.

"OK, can we move on from this conversation please?" Kemal was more than ready to leave. So was Leyla, but Shehriye wasn't so easily dismissed.

She poked his chest with her meaty index finger.

"You better treat her right, you better or I'll pull your ears off, son" she warned. Leyla was laughing under her nose, but then Shehriye poited the finger at her. "And you. You treat him right too, because this boy has suffered at lot in the past. Am I understood?"